IF IT’S NOT NAILED DOWN TAKE IT
SS
FRESHERS
All you need to know
ISSUE 01
SEPTEMBER 2007
THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE
In association with
GERARD’S BACK McCarthy back on screen as students return
Get a grip Class investigates student living & finance
Going Vintage
All you need to know about the old fashion trend
IANIRS!OF W FIVE P
MOVIE HOUSE TICKETS FREE DAY TRIP The life IGNER SPECS S E D of Brian TICKETS TO The talented Brian Houston GREEN SHOW REAL LIFE BOOTS One student’s battle with GOODY BAG bulimia and depression HMV GOODY BAG
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SPORT & LEISURE • MUSIC & FILM • FASHION & BEAUTY • HEALTH & FITNESS • RECRUITMENT • FOOD & DRINK
RECRUITMENT – everything you need to know about student jobs
Did their plan work?
Watch the movie and ďŹ nd out:
www.bankoďŹ reland.co.uk/students FREE Translink Student Discount Card *
and much more when you open a Bank of Ireland Student Account! *Offer available from 1st September to 31st October. Terms and Conditions apply. Bank of Ireland, 1 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5LR.
CONTENTS 3
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
SS
IF IT’S NOT NAILED DOWN TAKE IT FRESHERS
WELCOME to the first edition of CLASS, the official newspaper for the students of Belfast Metropolitan College. We want you to know right from the start that CLASS is your newspaper and we want you to contribute. You don’t have to be a journalism or media student to get involved – there are roles for everyone. Whether you fancy yourself as a budding reporter, photographer, designer or you just want to join the team – make sure you get in touch. The ethos behind CLASS is that we at Ink Well People Ltd will oversee your newspaper – making sure it looks good, sounds good and reflects everything you want to know. We will also be here to offer you work experience, so if you have time to give and you want to be part of the team, get in touch. Don’t forget – Work Experience counts for a lot at the end of all this… And in the meantime I want to hear all your news, views, congrats and criticisms – you can send them to news@inkwellpeople.com with the word CLASS in your subject line. Tina Calder, Editor
CONTENTSBAGERACKRD’S THE NEWSPAPER FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE BELFAST
CREDITS & CONTACTS
SEPTEMBER 2007
METROPOLITAN COLLEGE
In association with
McCarthy back on screen as students return
Get a grip
NEWS Belfast Metropolitan launches Student Days Student Governor Student Mentor Cultural Diversity Freshers Week Business Education Initiative
Class investigates student living & finance
4 5 6 7 7 8 9
ENTERTAINMENT FEATURE Brian Houston talks to CLASS Student Living
CLASS is published by Ink Well People Ltd & Big Spark Publishing Ltd on behalf of the Belfast Metropolitan College, Belfast. All content is copyright of Ink Well People Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission from Ink Well People Ltd is strictly prohibited. BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE | www.belfastmet.ac.uk | 028 9026 5000 CONTENT by INK WELL PEOPLE LTD| www.inkwellpeople.com | 028 9081 7007 | news@inkwellpeople.com 145a Ormeau Road | Belfast | BT71SL DESIGN by BIG SPARK PUBLISHING LTD | www.bigspark.co.uk | 0161 909 0909 | info@bigspark.co.uk Unit 14 | Bury Business Centre | Kay Street | Bury | Lancashire | BL9 6BU ADVERTISING by PUBLICATION SALES | class@publicationsales.co.uk | 028 9099 8987 | 145a Ormeau Road | Belfast | BT71SL BELFAST MET. LIAISON: Brian Slevin, Sara Sands. EDITOR: Tina Calder (tina@inkwellpeople.com). PICTURE EDITOR: Fabrizio Belluschi (fab@inkwellpeople.com). DEPUTY EDITOR: Andrea Clarke (andrea@inkwellpeople.com). REPORTER: Ryan Kennedy (ryan@inkwellpeople.com). CONTRIBUTORS: Kellie Cunningham, Stephen Murray, Ryan Armstrong, Sally Mcnamara. DESIGN: Ken Woods, David Rowbottom. PHOTOGRAPHY: Fabrizio Belluschi, Ryan Kennedy, John Judge PLEASE send editorial to: news@inkwellpeople.com | 028 9081 4818.
ISSUE 01
10 - 11 12-13
14-15 16-17 18-19
REAL LIFE Bulimia & Depression
The life of Brian
The talented Brian Houston
REAL LIFE One student’s battle with bulimia and depression
! WIN PAIRS OF
FIVE MOVIE HOUSE TICKETS FREE DAY TRIP DESIGNER SPECS TICKETS TO GREEN SHOW BOOTS GOODY BAG HMV GOODY BAG
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SPORT & LEISURE • MUSIC & FILM • FASHION & BEAUTY • HEALTH & FITNESS • RECRUITMENT • FOOD & DRINK
RECRUITMENT – everything you need to know
20-21
about student jobs
MIND, BODY & HEALTH Indian Head Massage Showbiz Music, Film, & Arts
FASHION & BEAUTY Going Vintage BIFHE Formal Get Fit With Dance
Going Vintage
All you need to know about the old fashion trend
Front page photograph by Fabrizio Belluschi
COMMENT
All you need to know
22 23 24-26
TV & RADIO CLASS talks to Hollyoaks star Gerard McCarthy
27
Food & Drink
28
LEISURE Things To Do Recruitment Competitions Sport
31 32-37 38 39-40
Cinemagic Young Filmmaker NORTHERN IRELAND’S PREMIER YOUTH MOVIE FESTIVAL IS BACK AND ONCE AGAIN, IS GIVING BUDDING FILM MAKERS THE CHANCE TO HAVE THEIR SHORT FILMS SCREENED AS PART OF THIS YEAR’S EVENT. WORDS: RYAN KENNEDY | PHOTO: FABRIZIO BELLUSCHI The Cinemagic Young Filmmaker competition in association with First Light Movies is looking for entrants aged 25 and under from the UK and Ireland and the entrants will be separated into three categories – the under 15’s, 15-17 year olds and 18-25 year olds. The competition upholds Cinemagic’s tradition on encouraging young filmmakers in Northern Ireland and CEO of First Light Movies, Pip Eldridge is excited for the potential for this year’s entrants. She said: “We’re thrilled to be part of such an important children’s film festival in Northern Ireland. It’s wonderful to able to create opportunities for young people to screen their films. “It is encouraging to know that there are so many talented young people out there, in the UK, who are passionate about films and, of course, we are eager to help them develop their ideas and stories however we can.” Entries for the competition can
be made up to November 2 and the winning entries will be screened at the Cinemagic World Screen Festival for Young People in November 2007, on First Light Movies website (www.firstlightmovies.com) and both organisations will champion the winning films and enter them into other film competitions throughout the world. The launch of this year’s Coca Cola Cinemagic film festival will take place later month. Starting with a special preview film at Moviehouse Cinemas, Dublin Road, Belfast, the festival kicks off another year of encouraging Northern Ireland’s budding film industry talent. Organizers have promised something for everyone with
more than a passing interest in film with a mix of competitions, master classes and international films and premier screenings. Workshops with industry professionals will also take place, including one as part of the Cinemagic Young Filmmaker competition, and the Cinemagic Talent Lab will allow 18-25 year olds the chance to focus their skills in directing, scriptwriting, acting and production over a two day master class.
For more information on Cinemagic log onto www.cinemagic.org.uk or call 028 9031 1900.
SUPPORTER: Patron of Cinemagic, TV presenter Dermot O’Leary is always on hand at the charity to give support and advice to young people.
To enter Young Filmmaker send entries to:
CINEMAGIC YOUNG FILMMAKER 2007 CHRIS SHAW, CINEMAGIC 49 BOTANIC AVENUE, BELFAST BT7 1JL For entry forms and more information log onto www.cinemagic.org.uk/filmmaker.asp. Films should be no longer than 15 minutes.
4 BELFAST ME T NEWS
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
BELFAST Institute and Castlereagh College closed their doors for the final time on July 31 this year and have since joined forces to become Belfast Metropolitan College. The move is the first step in a major facelift for the Further Education sector under the Department for Employment and Learning, which will see the formation of six ‘super colleges’ to guide the next generation into the work force as fully-equipped as possible. Chair of the new Belfast Metropolitan College James O’Kane sees the merger as an important step in pulling Northern Ireland’s students together, and putting
Northern Ireland on the map for further education. He said: “The new Belfast Metropolitan College is extremely well placed to support the national and local economic development agenda. For the first time, it will be possible to plan and deliver a coherent and integrated range of services for the Belfast region. “The new college will serve the entire city and region and ensure that the offer to young people, to adults and to employers is planned and delivered in response to market needs.” A combined prospectus has been published across all campuses of the
BY RYAN KENNEDY new college, making it easier for potential students to plan their education, a first for any of the regional colleges across the UK. Director Designate of Belfast Met, Brian Turtle, said: “I am proud to say this is the culmination of a great deal of extremely hard work on the part of staff at both the Belfast Institute and Castlereagh College. “Belfast Metropolitan College is not therefore an abstract concept – it is a new college, which from August 1 will offer Belfast a top quality education and training service, which is both effective and inclusive.”
PHOTO: JOHN JUDGE
Belfast Met Launch
BELFAST ME T NEWS 5
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Student Days BY ANDREA CLARKE
INDIE Anglo/Swedish band Razorlight recently rocked Ormeau Park in Belfast, headlining the Tennent’s Vital festival, and while the boys were in town CLASS caught up with guitarist Björn Ågren to quiz him about his days as a student. The 28-year-old studied Media Engineering at university in his native Sweden, but he wasn’t your typical student. “I didn’t live on a diet of baked beans”, he said. “I was careful and interested in what I ate. “The classical student dish in Sweden is spaghetti with ketchup or the luxury version, spaghetti with a can of crushed tomato. But I was more into cooking than that so I think my student days were probably a bit better than most”. Björn’s course was quite “loose” but he did work hard. He said: “I did work quite a lot actually. It was quite a loose concept. We had to do digital animation, websites and that kind of thing. “It was all computer based, I’d go to school a bit and work then I had to
Belfast Met scholarships go to meetings. I was holed up in my little room quite a lot”. But this didn’t stop the rocker partying. “I did my fair share of partying, everybody does”, he said. “Half the point of going to university is studying, the other half is picking up on social skills. “That’s the sad thing education can only get you so far but what can really get you a job is connection,
SCREENWRITING CERTIFICATE
NICE TEEN: Local girl Pauline Scott at the auditions for Tom Hanks City Of Ember earlier this summer proving we should never judge a teen by their look.
Teens not so bad A NEW survey has revealed UK teens are painted in a bad light and are much kinder than people think. The research, carried out by the National Lottery, found teens carry out 2.5 million acts of kindness a day. The poll also claimed 16 to 19-year-olds spend an average of 44 minutes a week helping others. A third of the 16,000 teenagers surveyed care for younger children while a fifth help elderly relatives. A third have also raised money for charity. The National Lottery hopes the findings will “inspire people to apply for funds for initiatives for young people”.
NATIONAL Diploma Media student Thomas Slattery received a certificate recognising his exemplary screenwriting skills during the Cinemagic Festival. He attended the Writing for Film masterclass led by acclaimed writer and filmmaker Martin Duffy. Since winning the award Thomas has gone on to write two short screenplays produced by Eyeshot Studios in Belfast.
STUDENT WINS IRISH PRINT AWARD ALAN McIntyre, a printing student at the College, was recently awarded Print Graduate of the Year at the Irish Print Awards in Dublin. The awards recognise excellence among the graduates of print
networking is so insanely important. “If your mate is looking for someone to do something they are more likely to choose someone who is recommended, they might not be quite as well qualified but they know they’ll be able to get along with them”. Razorlight are currently working on material individually before heading into the studio when they’ve finished touring.
colleges across Ireland. Alan was presented with his prize, a bursary of €1000, by Michael Kervick, the managing director of Flint Group Ireland, who sponsored the award.
FILM STUDENT SCOOPS FESTIVAL AWARD A BELFAST Met student scooped the prestigious Best Moving Image Arts Animation award at the Foyle Film Festival. Maria Donaghy, who is studying Moving Image Arts at the college, won the award for her animated short film Voodoo Doll, a dark but humorous tale of unrequited love in a zombie fantasy world. The Moving Image Arts course involves combining theory and practical filmmaking skills. It also provides a complete introduction to digital filmmaking covering skills such as directing, lighting,
camera, editing and sound-tracking.
MURAL CLEAN UP THE students on the Princes Trust Team Programme unveiled the new look murals in the underpass leading into the Victoria Park in East Belfast. The team worked hard for three weeks to fundraise for the project, which aimed to clean up the area and paint murals dedicated to the late Belfast football legend George Best. With the support of a number of local employers, the Roads Service and Belfast City Council, the students achieved their goal of cleaning up the area by painting murals representing the local area. The team were also awarded the Community Impact Award for their efforts.
EVER wanted to volunteer abroad or participate in a course in another country but didn’t have the resources? Belfast Metropolitan College has a Scholarship Bursary programme that’s just the ticket. Since it was established, Belfast Institute received significant gifts and donations from former students and benefactors, and decided to set up a non-profit organisation to manage the fund. The Belfast Institute Trust have used the donations to allow students to pursue further study, training or gain valuable experience in their field. The funding supports students who want to follow a business/industry experience of up to six months that has the potential to improve future employability; a period of coaching or training in a team/individual sport, or cultural activity to enable participation at national/international level or a course of study, training or experience that will enhance the future career path of the applicant. Bursaries will be related to individual need and awarded to help with expenses during the course of the activity including living costs, any additional fees, essential travel and insurance costs. Belfast Met student Andrea Agnew is studying for a BSc Hons Degree in Social Work and is using her scholarship bursary to volunteer in an orphanage in Moldova for two weeks. As part of the Outreach Moldova programme, Andrea will be lending both practical and emotional support to the disabled children living in the orphanage. She hopes to enhance her social work career and develop as a person. Mark Cummins is studying HND Sports Exercise Science and plans to coach a swimming club near Adelaide in Australia. He previously coached at Templemore Swimming, leading the team to win several medals and he aims to become Head Coach in Lisburn Swimming Club. Travel and Tourism degree student Peter McNeilly was selected from thousands of applicants to take a three month placement at Disney World, Orlando, Florida. This experience will give Peter the opportunity to learn about the travel and tourism industry first hand and he hopes to develop new skills to enhance his career prospects. Applicants must be a registered student of the Belfast Institute, be in excellent academic standing (have met all course and assessment requirements including payment of all tuition fees), be at least 18 years old by the application closing date and must be an EU citizen and/or hold legal residency status. Students must obtain a supporting written reference from your course tutor and sign an agreement with the Trust relating to scholarship responsibilities.
6 BELFAST ME T NEWS
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Do you have what it takes? EACH YEAR BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE ELECTS A STUDENT GOVERNOR TO REPRESENT STUDENTS AND LOOK AFTER THEIR ISSUES. CLASS SPOKE TO LAST YEAR’S STUDENT GOVERNOR TO GET THE LOW DOWN ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE VOICE OF THE STUDENTS. Health Studies student David Cassidy, 19, ran for Student Governor because he wanted to bring the thoughts of the many men and women taking courses at the College to the Board of Governors and make change happen. “The Student Governor is elected by the students”, said David. “People come to me and I have to raise their concerns. “When I went to the Board meetings it was quite daunting at first but I was there to represent the students. “You need to be very open-minded and if you have something to say, don’t hold back. You need to be up front and if you have an issue, raise it. “There’s no point keeping things back because it won’t do you any favours”. After being elected, the Student Governor has to go through a police check and then training. David said: “I was given a mentor who helped me out with procedures for the first meeting. “It’s quite daunting, going into a Board full of people you don’t know, from different parts of the working community, teaching staff, teaching reps. “But I was made very welcome and if I got confused with anything, the person sitting beside me would help me out. They were very open to student involvement and
listened to what I had to say. “There is training before you start, which shows you what ways to raise a question, how to put in a paper for discussion and there’s a qualification as well, it’s an OCN in Student Governor”. It’s the job of the Student Governor to report back various issues to the Student Council. “There are certain things on that are confidential and can’t be repeated”, he said. “But student issues such as new buildings, students’ union, fees can be reported back to the Student Council. Also they raised issues to me that other students have suggested to them”. Last year David was involved in the planning of the new building and the merger with Castlereagh College. He said: “The new building was one of the major issues I was involved with last year as Student Governor – the plans, where it was going to be, how much it was going to cost and the students’ union. “The students’ union was one of the major issues, it was the main point raised at every Board meeting. “I was given an architects plan of what the building would look like and that was given to the Student Council for their views”. David, who is back at Belfast Met in September to do an access course, would run again. “I haven’t decided yet, it depends on my work load.
“I would like to do it again, there were more issues I would have liked to have raised and the things that I did raise I would like to see followed up. “It was a POLITICS: Health studies student worthwhile David Cassidy takes an active role in experience for me student life. and I would say to any student thinking of running for Student Governor or Student Council to do it. “You make lots of new friends and you can help with decisions regarding student issues, things that students have suggested to you. “And not only is it good for you but it’s good for your CV. Any employer who reads that you were Student Governor or on the Student Council will say well hang on a minute, he’s good, he helped represent over 40,000 students. “It’s a great job and was a fantastic experience”. For further information on the role of Student Governor and the Student Council visit www.belfastmet.ac.uk. PHOTO BY RYAN KENNEDY
BELFAST ME T NEWS 7
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Work Smarter!
STARTING a new college or a new course can be daunting and the work load can be overwhelming but there is a support network available for students, the Think Clever Work Smart Programme. Started in January this year, the student mentoring facility was devised to offer students who are studying on higher education full time courses throughout all campuses additional support, ranging from planning and writing an essay to how to use a computer and using the internet for research. The Directorate of the college identified that students sometimes require support to do assignments after they have left the classroom. Learning Mentor Co-ordinator, Donna Hyland said: “The programme was put in place to give that additional support for
things like IT skills that may not necessarily be readily available anywhere else. “It’s basically to identify a student’s need and if they have a skill gap we will work to fill that gap so they feel more confident in what they are studying to do”. It’s Donna’s job to pair up the students with mentors that can help. “The mentors will work either in small groups or one to one with the student”, she said. “They may only need help for four weeks for their first assignment and then they may not need us again, some people need us for a longer time, it depends on the individual students and their requirements. “Basically what a student needs, we will offer a mentor to support them”.
PHOTO BY RYAN KENNEDY
RAMME IS LOCATED THE THINK CLEVER WORK SMART PROG ELD, BUILDING 1, IN THE GERALD MOAG CAMPUS, MILLFI LEVEL 1, ROOM 5A (T) 028 9026 5418.
The team of mentors are made up of teachers and librarians with training experience. “They have a range of skills so that we can best match the student SUPPORT: Student Mentor Donna Hyland is available for students during term time. to the mentor”, added Donna. “The feedback has been very lives to get on with and things “We make sure there is a mentor positive, from both tutors and happen and you do fall behind. there to meet the student’s students”, said Donna. “We are there to support the specific needs. “We’ve helped students who students, get them back on track, “And we are flexible. We can meet weren’t getting passes get passes, help them develop their skills so right through from mornings to we’ve helped students who needed that when it happens again they evenings, including Saturday to improve their grades to get into can take a step back, look at what mornings, based on what the another course and we’ve helped they need to do and put in place student requires”. others go from a merit to a all the strategies they need to It’s easy to join the programme. distinction. cope. Students can sign up through their “When you start in September “If anyone has any queries of any tutor or via the college web page you’re full of good intentions and sort or aren’t sure if we can help, and they can meet with Donna, you’re full of enthusiasm, you’re contact us and we will be more who will give advice on what not going to let things get on top than happy to have a chat and see support they can offer. of you but we all have our daily what we can do to support them”.
Cultural Diversity AS BELFAST MET OPENS ITS DOORS TO MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER BEFORE THIS YEAR, A RECENTLY FORMED CULTURAL DIVERSITY PROJECT AIMS TO PROMOTE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS. BY RYAN KENNEDY THE year long project, which was granted funding last year by the Department for Employment and Learning, has allowed those involved to build on previous cultural relations projects. This included a recent residential where 12 students from the college were taken to Ballintoy where they gained an
NOCN qualification in Understanding Diversity in Society and training from NUS.USI. This course not only taught the students how to understand diversity, but how to challenge prejudice when it arises. The project has forged links with several minority organisations, and during anti-
GLOBAL: Tura Arutura meets a group of international students.
racism week Tura Arutura, one of Ireland’s top Hip Hop dance teachers from the African Cultural Centre, came to the college to give an insight into African Culture using songs and tales from his community in Zimbabwe. Sheena Carville, Cultural Diversity Officer at Belfast Met, helped organise the event. She said: “We had an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery and we got in touch with Tura. “One of his grandfather’s was a slave and the other was a slave trader so he was able to tell stories from both sides. “We would love to put on another event like this, depending on our funding. I would really like to organise
something to mark Chinese New Year”. The project’s work is still ongoing as the new college enters its first year, and methods are currently being looked at to introduce elements of STORYTELLING: cultural Tura Arutura joi ns the group for reinactment. diversity some training into specific courses, as well as the introduction of Belfast Met’s own keen to do something, the arts Multi-Cultural Society. students could put on a fashion Sheena added: “Now that the show and we’re working with the colleges have come together we IT students to put together an need to bring Cultural Diversity interactive programme, like an events to the different campuses. online quiz. And hopefully the “We’re also trying to get the funding will stretch to another student more involved through residential”. project work that highlights For any students interested in diversity issues. It could be the work the Cultural Diversity something small on their course project is doing, a stand will be to highlight diversity. available at the Freshers’ Fair on “For example if it’s a cookery Wednesday September 19, and course students could look at posters will be scattered around foods from other parts of the all campuses for further world, the drama students are information.
8 FRESHERS’ WEEK
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
on ni tsTH’EU en StTOud et elYOUfaNEstEDM B NEW TERM KICK OFF TO KNOW ALL RUN by students for students, the Students’ Union represents YOU while protecting and enhancing the quality of student life at the college. Spread over four campuses, students automatically become members of the union at enrolment, when you will receive an NUS-USI card. This enables you to avail of all Students’ Union support services, attend social activities and receive all free offers and give-aways throughout the year. The Students’ Union can promote your concerns and ideas for change to the College’s management, and is represented on the Governing Body. Many clubs, societies, and social activities are supported by the Students' Union through a grant system. Belfast Metropolitan Students’ Union serves students on all sites, and information and advice centres operate at Millfield and College Square. The Students’ Union operates common rooms for you to relax in between classes to listen to music, play pool and meet to organise activities. These common rooms are located in: Castlereagh Students’ Union College Café; College Square Building, Room A24; Gerald Moag Campus, Millfield, Building 2, Level 0, Room 2; and Brunswick Street Building Level 6. The Students’ Union will have a stand at the Freshers’ Fair and if you would like to know more, make suggestions or help out with any of these activities, contact Brian Slevin, at the Gerald Moag Campus, Millfield, Building 2, Level 0, Room 2 (t) 028 90265238 Ext 3453 (m) 07834 592959 (e) bslevin@belfastinstitute.ac.uk
What’s on MONDAY 17TH SEPTEMBER Welcome to Your Student Union College Square East Student Union & Millfield Student Union 9:30am 11.30am Poster Sale Brunswick Street Building 1st Floor All day
TUESDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER Pool Competition Millfield Common Room 2pm Poster Sale College Square East Student Union All day Pyramid Posters will be holding a poster sale at the Freshers’ Fair with great bargains to decorate your room. Posters will include your favourite movie stars, musicians, bands, TV shows and other fun stills.
The Sonic DJ Academy will be on hand at the Freshers’ Fair performing demonstrations and showing off their scratching skills. Sonic DJ Academy is Ireland's first dedicated DJ training academy providing a wide range of DJing, music production and youth culture related courses. Based at their state of the art premises in Belfast City Centre, the Academy deliver training courses all over the UK and Ireland. Sonic DJ Academy is a professionally run, fun and informal place to come to learn about any aspect of electronic music and youth culture related arts. For more information visit www.sonic-dj-academy.com.
WEDNESDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER FRESHERS FARE Millfield Building 10am - 3pm BBQ Millfield Building Lunch Time Nintendo Wii Chamionship Millfield Building Throughout afternoon Inflatable Boxing Ring Millfield Building Afternoon
THURSDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER Cultural Diversity Event College Square East Student Union 11am - 12pm Poster Sale Millfield All Day Freshers Ball Location to be announced see posters for details
FRIDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER Nintendo Wii Finals & Inflatable Boxing Ring Millfield Building 2pm
Poster Sale College Square East Student Union All day
BELFAST Met has been inundated with local companies wanting to put up stands at the Freshers’ Fair. These include: BT | Belfast Met Sports | Student Union | NI Students | LA Fitness | Movie House | Labour Relations | For Talent NI | Rethink | Waterstones | Bank of Ireland | National Trust | Auto Man Driving School
BELFAST ME T NEWS 9
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Foreign opportunities WHEN HND Business student Dean Flynn was selected to be one of 100 students from across Northern Ireland to travel to America to study for a year as part of the Business Education Initiative, he had the image of campuses the size of County Antrim, with enough people to fill a small town. But as he describes, college is college, wherever you go. He said: “It was on a lot smaller a scale than we had in mind. Campus was very small, and you would see the same person maybe four or five times a day and it was a very closed environment, and it wasn’t until you got away on holidays and saw other parts of the country, that you saw the other end of the scale.” Initially excited about
BY RYAN KENNEDY
travelling to Dover, Delaware, Dean described how the first few days of his experience were actually quite daunting. “It wasn’t at all what I was expecting. You had so many mixed emotions about leaving and you just got on a plane and didn’t know what to expect on the other end. “Basically someone just picked me up at the other end and took me to the college. I arrived on the Saturday and there was no one else there because none of the students were back until the Monday.” The year didn’t get off to a great start for Dean, who fell ill a short time into his experience, and so was cut off from other BEI students across the country. He said: “I had to get an operation and stuff just before the first semester. There were 99 other BEI students over and they were organising trips and things across the country, which I could e er wh THE BEI reunion, never go on , tic BACK TOGETHER: lan At e th s nts to cros because I out of the 100 stude gest. couldn’t fly. Dean was the youn
Get
EXTRA for being a student DON’T FORGET TO GET YOUR HANDS ON A NUS EXTRA CARD THIS YEAR TO ENSURE YOU REAP ALL THE BENEFITS OF BEING A STUDENT.
Thankfully I did make friends who would look after me and stuff and I would go home to their houses and see different parts of the state. That was probably the biggest struggle of the trip.” Things looked up the second semester, and Dean recounted how he was thankful coming home for Christmas didn’t put him off going back. He said: “The second semester was a lot better than the first. I came home for Christmas to see everyone, and it was quite tough going back over for the second semester because I didn’t have a really great experience the first semester, and I was wondering whether I wanted to put myself through all that again, but thankfully everything turned round and it was really good.” Dean is now back in Northern Ireland, and about to enter another year of his Business HND at Belfast Met, but doesn’t think he’ll be staying in Northern Ireland for long. As he describes, his experiences have given him a thirst for travel. “I think I’ll probably go to England to do my final year because being away seeing bigger and better things you have a better outlook on life
Helping you make the most of your student finances the National Union Of Students Extra card is here to help you Milk It. NUS Extra is the definitive student discount card with a range of exclusive discounts, offers and competitions designed to make student life more exciting, more memorable and more rewarding. Use it to make your money go further on books, clothes, sports stuff, CDs, travel, computer gear, gigs, eating out… From discounts on the essential things in life to some great savings on life’s little luxuries as well. All discounts are exclusive to NUS Extra cardholders, you won’t be able to access any of these great deals without our little orange card. Your NUS Extra
really. You want to get away and see as many things as possible. I definitely have the urge to travel now. After studying management modules in America I may even take a different career path and go into management, because I didn’t think I would be interested in it but after studying I sort of changed my mind. I think sometimes all it takes is a change in perspective.”
TRAVEL: DEAN in Washington - one of many trips across the country during his time studying in Delaware.
TRAVEL: Pictured are a group of stude nts who were in the Education Initiativ e – Sara Robb (BS Business c Fashion Manage (HND Graphic Desig ment), n), Laura Davey (H ND Business), David Peter Hunter Multimedia), Hann ah Mullan (HND Ma Cleland (HND rketing). Other students wh o att Walker (HND 3D De ended the programme but not pictur sign) and Sharon Mc ed Crachan (HND Busin were Rob ess).
incorporates the International Student Identity Card which means that ‘Extra’ can now be used both at home and abroad. The ISIC gives you access to over 35,000 discounts in some 116 countries worldwide, including great savings and total travel flexibility on international flights. Find more about NUS Extra and ISIC A huge range of benefits can also be found in most UK cities on accommodation, entertainment, activities and much more. You can find a fully comprehensive list of discounts (over 800 of them) at www.ISICcard.com. The International Student Identity Card costs £9 on its own, so by buying the combined NUS Extra card you’ve already saved
yourself a substantial amount of money. Not bad for just a tenner! You can save with your NUS Extra card at places like Amazon.co.uk, Ticketmaster, Subway, Topman, the AA, Superdrug,
McDonalds, Matalan, JJB Sports, Moss, Lonely Planet.com, Office, Camp America, STA Travel and loads more… NUS constantly updates and add new offers throughout the year and will make sure that there will be also be some very prizes and extra special bits up for grabs. The NUS Extra is valid between September 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008 so there’s loads of time to save cash with your card. Your Students’ Union also benefits from the card as a portion of the £10 you pay goes back to them so they can invest in more services, activities and events for you - so the transaction between you and your Students’ Union has wider reaching benefits. Either buy direct at www.nusextra.co.uk/buy or get to your Students’ Union and get your hands on it there.
10 ENTERTAINMENT
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
The life of BELFAST SINGER/SONGWRITER BRIAN HOUSTON IS A GENRE ONTO HIMSELF AND A VERY INTERESTING AND TALENTED GENRE AT THAT. WITH HIS SOOTHING VOICE AND ROCK STAR AIR, HE IS ONE OF THE FEW NORTHERN IRELAND SINGERS WHO SING IN THEIR NATURAL ACCENT.
Brian is also known as one of the country’s hardest working independent local artists selling thousands of records each year while touring the UK, Ireland, America and Europe. His new single The Days of Pearly Spencer, originally released by David McWilliams and covered in the 80s by Marc Almond, was released last month to buy and download. Brian released the song at the request of Mandy Bingham, David’s daughter and long-term Brian Houston fan. Later this month the timeless classic will be on the set list at his forthcoming gigs at Belfast’s Empire Music Hall on September 26. Brian’s big break came in 2003 when, after touring with Elvis Costello and Van Morrison he released his album Mea Culpa. Radio 2 DJ Bob
WORDS: ANDREA CLARKE PHOTOS: FABRIZIO BELLUSCHI Harris became an instant fan and gave the singer his national radio debut.
“It was a conscious decision to sing with my accent”, he said.
“He began to play my music from time to time and more doors opened to tour the length and breadth of England in 100 seat venues”, said Brian.
“The producer I worked with in England had worked with a lot of other acts and a lot of them sang in a similar genre of music that I had played in but they all sang in American accents.
Calling him “the very, very excellent Brian Houston”, Bob Harris still continues to champion his unique style of music. “I suppose they have coined this phrase indie folk”, Brian said of his music. “I would describe it as short, fat and ugly”! A mix of folk music with touches of rock ‘n’ roll thrown in for good measure, Brian’s indie vibe stands out from the crowd because of his strong accent.
get an English release”. For his last album Sugar Queen, Brian enlisted the producing skills of multitalented singer/songwriter Nigel Stonier.
“It always came across as if they were American and people were confused about their identity. “I suppose in England they kind of treated that as less than credible. He was very keen for me to sing in my accent, that at least would have authenticity about it and would actually stand out in the genre because nobody else sounds like us”. Guitarist Robbie Mackintosh, who has been with Norah Jones, Paul McCartney and The Pretenders, played on the album and also Nigel’s wife Thea Gilmore lent her vocals to some of the tracks. “At first I had no perspective of
the album, at the time, because I think it’s when you get feedback that you start to get an idea of whether it’s good or not”, said the singer.
He decided to release Sugar Queen nationally and it did fantastically, so much so that Brian is working with the same team on his next album, A Man Like Me. “I’ve got tonnes and tonnes of ideas”,
“From the time it was beginning to shape up Nigel was saying to me this is a great album you need to do this justice, you need to put it out in the mainstream market. “Up to that point I had only released records in Belfast locally and sold them on tour in England but never bothered to
SEE BRIAN LIVE
GET THE TICKETS
SEPTEMBER 26, Empire Music Hall, Belfast
All tickets are £13.50 (inc booking fee), and are available across the counter from all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ie , and on their 24 hour booking line on 0870 243 4455. (sales may be subject to credit card charges and the commissions of Ticketmaster agents).
GET MORE BRIAN: www.brianhouston.com www.myspace.com/brianhouston
ENTERTAINMENT 11
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Brian GET THE MUSIC! he said. “My experiences actually in England last year fuelled that a great deal. “I get my inspiration from real life. Things that happen, things around, not always my experience but even when something happens to someone else it touches me I’ll write about that. But it’s never detached”.
The Days of Pearly Spencer is out now and Sugar Queen will be re-released later this month.
Like so many other acts, Brian feels it is vital to write your own material. “These days, ever since The Beatles, it’s definitely important to write your own material. “There’s very, very few interpreters of other people’s songs who can actually succeed in the music business. To have any kudos or credibility there’s got to be a writing side to what you do and even the performing side as well.
Such is the success of Sugar Queen that it has already sold out of it’s first print run and Brian is currently in the process of rereleasing it to include the single the Days Of Pearly Spencer later this month.
EXCLUSIVE | BY TINA CALDER THE frontman of Downpatrick rockband Ash has vowed to give up drink and drugs for his career. Formed in 1992 Ash have had a string of UK and worldwide hits such as Girl From Mars and Shining Light. Last year bandmember Charlotte Hatherley left to pursue a solo career as original members Tim Wheeler, Rick McMurray and Mark Hamilton reformed before releasing their recent album Twilight Of Innocents. And just less than a month since it’s release Tim has confessed that the band’s huge success of the 1990s was accompanied by huge drink and drug binges. But now, speaking to the World Entertainment News Network the singer says he’s been forced to curb his hedonistic lifestyle in order to resurrect his career. In a frank and open admission the 30-year-old said: “I’ve done the whole drugs and booze thing but I’m more chilled out these days. “I’m far more professional when it comes to playing shows because I have to look after my voice. “It’s so hard when you’re the singer because your voice is so sensitive to what you put into your body. You learn that the hard way. “We really burned the candle at both ends for a long time, but we’ve got higher priorities nowadays.” Ash are currently in rehearsals for a UK wide tour in the Autumn beginning at the Liverpool Academy on October 20.
AJ GETS REGULAR
“The whole area I come from is from people who did their own thing, obviously not Elvis he didn’t write much but I’ve always been inspired by people who perform their own material and I think the industry looks to that, it’s kind of like the minimum standard. “What I find interesting about music is that albums become different because you’re life changes and so long as you’re life keeps changing you’re work keeps growing, and in my case I’m fortunate in that my life is constantly taking a different track”.
TIM SHAPES UP
STOP THE PRESSES… Last week Brian told Class: “Things have been so busy lately I’ve not had time to work on the new record but I’ve been writing songs and the plan is to not tour for a while after the September dates so that I can get a chance to finish it. “I hope to have it out early next year. “In the meantime we’ll release a limited edition Single/EP featuring a remix of Oranges which will knock your socks off.”
IRISH-born actor AJ Buckley has been made a regular cast member on hit Channel Five drama CSI: NY. Buckley has played crime lab technician Adam Ross in a recurring role since series two of the crime show. Born in Dublin, the actor emigrated with his family to Canada aged six and in his early career appeared in The X Files, NYPD Blue and Millennium. CSI:NY insiders have yet to release details of the actor’s story lines but fans of the show are hoping the jack-of-all-trades tech will become a fully fledged CSI. In the last season writers began to delve into Adam’s past, revealing that his father was an abusive bully. “They said it went over really well”, said Buckley. “They told me ‘We just want to slowly get more into your character’”. The actor is keen to take the character further as long as it’s “fun”. He said: “He’s a fun character to play. I’m used to playing really dark characters; I’ve done a few comedic bits here and there but in my career I’ve usually been the bad guy. “The comedy came out of him being socially awkward and the only way I could get through the science jargon was for him to be really enthusiast about everything he finds and for him to want to be part of the team”. Buckley is set to appear in crime thriller The Box about a disgraced former LAPD detective who leads a home invasion in search of millions in stolen money but the plan goes horribly wrong.
p i r g a t Ge PHOTOS BY Ryan Kennedy, John Judge & Fabrizio Belluschi
BEING A STUDENT IS SAID TO BE THE BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES, BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, WE’RE SO BUSY ENJOYING OURSELVES TO WORRY ABOUT THE BORING STUFF – FINANCE, LIVING AND GENERAL GROWN-UP STUFF. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND CLASS REPORTER RYAN KENNEDY INVESTIGATES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Know your housing rights THE Housing Rights Service is encouraging students to know where they stand before taking on a lease. As students return to Belfast, or are coming to the city for the first time - many are on a desperate search for somewhere to live as term begins, and experts believe this can leave them prey to irresponsible landlords and sub-standard property. In an effort to stop this, the Housing Rights Service will be visiting Further Education colleges in the coming months – including Belfast Met – to raise awareness of new aspects of their website which has been designed to offer quick and easy to understand advice to any young person affected by poor living conditions. Clear and concise information is provided for students and young people on issues such as tenant rights, what type of tenant you are, housing benefits, landlord
responsibilities and what to do if you are having problems getting your deposit back. The website will also offer an email service with the aim of preventing
youth homelessness, and allow more young people and students greater information of their housing rights. The site is live now, and can be found at: www.housingadviceni.org.
BEWARE OF JUNK MAIL RISING amounts of junk mail is putting Northern Ireland residents at risk of identity theft, it was revealed. New research has found that UK homes are bombarded by a staggering 15 billion items of junk mail each year. And on average Belfast households, especially student homes, receive 509 unsolicited letters on their doormat, resulting in a whopping 39,962 letters for credit card applications, loans, promotional literature, competitions and catalogue subscriptions during a lifetime. The statistics, released by life assistance specialists CPP, also revealed that 85 per cent of people admit to throwing junk mail in the bin without even opening it – helping fraudsters cash in by leaving valuable personal information in their waste bags. Danny Harrison, Identity Theft Expert at CPP said the results from their poll of 4,000 people were “terrifying”. He added: “There are 140,000 victims of identity
Moving home is a key time for people to leave themselves vulnerable to fraudsters fraud every year and 13 per cent of these people lost their identity due to stolen mail. “People don’t realise that by dropping their junk mail in the bin, they are effectively giving fraudsters an opportunity to steal their identity each time.”
According to CPP moving home is the time when Northern Ireland residents are most at risk with “previous address fraud” now being the “most common” method of identity theft, accounting for 42 per cent of cases. A careless one in five people, with a majority of them being students, forget to give notification of change of address when they move. And a quarter of people don’t tell important organizations such as banks, insurance companies, utility companies and the DVLA until two weeks later. Danny added: “With the average person moving three times in their lifetime, we leave an easy paper trail for identity thieves to follow. “Moving home is a key time for people to leave themselves vulnerable to fraudsters. “Giving notification of change of address should be organised weeks in advance and should be put in equal priority to signing the deeds or booking the removal lorry. If it isn’t, the consequences could be very serious.”
FINANCE & LIVING 13
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
New Holylands initiative backed by all BELFAST MET HAS TEAMED UP WITH QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, BELFAST AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER, JORDANSTOWN TO HIRE A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY WARDENS, ENSURING THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS IN THE HOLYLAND. The initiative first launched last year hoped to encourage the development of the area, which had previously received a bad reputation as a hub for anti-social behaviour. The wardens scheme is one of a variety of initiatives in the Holyland area, coordinated by the Holyland Inter-Agency Strategy Group, which was set up last year and brings together statutory agencies such as Belfast City Council and government agencies, the Police, the universities and colleges and other relevant bodies. Then Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Wallace Browne was confident the scheme would restore the Holyland to the community spirited area it once was. He said: “The wardens scheme also represents how true partnership working and community engagement can yield positive results and we hope that this
combined commitment will assist the Holyland community in its ongoing regeneration. “However, it is crucial that the wardens are regarded as a service for all in the area - there to provide advice and reassurance to all those affected by these problems. I would therefore urge everyone living in the Holyland to work together with the wardens and our partners to bring about positive changes and harness the true potential of this area.” The innovative scheme has been welcomed by faculty and students of all institutions involved, and a representative of Belfast Met said the move is a positive step in ensuring the anti-social minority in the student population is effectively dealt with to give every resident a chance to enjoy their area. He said: “(Belfast Met) is delighted to
be working in association with Queen’s University and the University of Ulster in what we see as an important development to help reduce anti-social behaviour in this highly populated student area of Belfast. We will build up a good relationship with the Community Wardens so as to ensure that any Institute student involved in anti-social behaviour is dealt with quickly and effectively.”
Ongoing liaison with the Planning Service on Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs), increased enforcement work by both Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, as well as the ongoing community relations work of Queen’s University, the University of Ulster, the Belfast Met will continue to implement new schemes and redevelopment initiatives for the area as the student year continues.
NEXT MONTH: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND GET YOUR FINANCES IN ORDER
OUR STUDENTS ARE WORST PAID
THERE has been a staggering rise in student debt, according to recent figures. It has emerged students who started university last year will meet a debt of £14, 861 at the end of their three years. A 16 per cent rise in annual student debt on last years total means Northern Ireland university students will accumulate £4,067 for every year of study. In contrast students studying in Scotland, even with many courses taking four years to complete, can still expect to leave university with most debts barely reaching £10, 000 – and the annual debt accumulation hitting an average of £2,344 a year. The figures come from the UK’s largest ever survey of student finance by Push, the UK's leading independent resource for prospective students, and Series Editor of push.co.uk Johnny Rich says prospective students should not take this rise lightly, as it is the most significant of its kind in a very long time. He was, however, keen to stress a degree is still more than worth attaining. He said: “It's easy to become immune to stories about student debt, but this increase is not just another rise. "Some students face real financial hardship. Even so, the advantages of having a degree still vastly outweigh the costs and the Push survey shows that - with high quality advice and information - students can keep their debts down while still enjoying the benefits of university."
students did not know they could be earning money in their part time jobs, without paying tax. Depending when the work is done - term time or holidays - students can avoid paying tax or at least reclaim some of it. Students with normal part-time jobs around the year are taxed in the same way as any other worker, usually through PAYE (Pay As You Earn). They have the same tax-free personal allowance, which means they can earn £5,225 for tax year 2007/08. Above that earnings are taxed. More information on student tax can be found at the HM Revenue & Customs' website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxandu.
If you’re aged 18-30, unemployed, got an idea for business but can’t raise the money and need support – we could help you get up and running. You could get: 3 One to one support 3 A test marketing grant 3 A low interest loan 3 A grant in special circumstances 3 On going advice from a volunteer mentor 3 Marketing and I.T. support
We can help you turn your dream into reality. Visit princes-trust.org.uk or call your local office: Belfast 02890 745454
Omagh 02882 253238
Derry 02871276486
© The Prince’s Trust 2006 – all rights reserved. The Prince’s Trust is a registered charity, number 1079675, incorporated by Royal Charter.
RISE IN STUDENT DEBT
STUDENTS in Northern Ireland are the worst paid in Great Britain. A new student finance survey carried out by the Bank of Scotland has found that, while Northern Ireland ranked third behind Scotland and North East England in the number of hours worked by a student in one week, students here can expect to receive a meagre £69 per week salary - compared to two thirds of Scottish students who consistently bring home over one hundred pounds every week. Girls generally work more than boys, the survey also found. While overall six out of ten female students worked, only for out of ten males were as keen to graft – and yet earned more through putting in more hours. The survey has wised many financial authorities up to the idea modern students have to work alongside their study, in order to live – the harsh reality being parental support and government funding is no longer enough. Head of student banking at Bank of Scotland, Sue Harper, said: “Student finance has become much more complicated. Working during term or through holidays is a financial necessity for many students." More worrying perhaps was a high number of
14 FASHION
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Blast from the past BY ANDREA CLARKE Manolo-loving fashion & beauty Editor
Big Brother star Seany O’Kane loves vintage clothing. He is pictured wearing items from Best Vintage in Belfast.
LUSCHI PHOTO BY FABRIZIO BEL
, DESIGNERS CELEBRITIES WEAR IT ERTS SWEAR P X E N IO H S FA D N A IT LOVE BIG DEAL E H T IS T A H W T U B – BY IT ING? WITH VINTAGE CLOTH Vintage outfits are splashed across the pages of fashion magazines season after season praised for their sophisticated, distinctive and exclusive qualities, and when celebs get in on the act, everyone wants a piece of vintage. A host of A-list stars, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss, have graced the red carpet, dressed beautifully, exclaiming “It’s vintage darling”. Remember the black gown with white piping Julia Roberts wore when she won her Best Actress Oscar – yes, it was vintage Valentino. So what exactly is vintage? In fashion terms clothing older than 25 years is considered to be vintage but many consider modern pieces as vintage if they are
representative of the era in which they were made. In the last few years shopping for vintage clothes has become as popular as hitting the high street stores and with fashion trends taking their inspiration from decades past vintage has never been more in style. Savvy shoppers can get up-to-date looks but with an authenticity that can’t be achieved elsewhere. And it’s an investment. Vintage designer garments produced by fashion houses like Chanel, Dior and Emilio Pucci have even become collectors items. Pieces from pre-1950 are also sought after as they are increasingly disappearing into personal collections. Clothing from 1950 onwards is generally easy to find and
BE BOLD: go for striking 1960s black and white to make a statement on a night out or use accessories like belts and scarves to add vibrance to any outfit.
can be quite affordable, with the exception of designer and couture pieces which increase in value over time. Vintage clothing has a unique quality to it, particularly in this age of mass produced fashion. Not only are you buying clothing that is different but it’s tailored and very well made. And many vintage shoppers find a particular era suits them more than modern clothes. The clothing found in vintage stores are limited and the sizes reflect the time in which they were made so it’s best to try outfits on as figures have changed dramatically over the years. Vintage clothing is not just for those in the limelight shopping in New York or Paris; Belfast is getting
FASHION 15
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007 in on the act. Best Vintage in Wellington Place is the city’s biggest vintage clothing store and is already gaining celebrity fans. Just last month Big Brother housemate Seany O’Kane was seen browsing the men’s section of this eclectic shop. Brimming with 1950s gowns, patterned dresses from the 1970s, pencil skirts and tailored shirts from the swinging ‘60s, Best Vintage is glorious treasure trove of delights to satisfy even the most adept shopper. Store owners Solomon Isa and Lewis Farrar wanted to take a green approach to fashion and rebel against the notion of fashion as a throwaway commodity. Solomon said: “In an age when we are ever conscious of our carbon footprint, the organic stamp on the food we eat and the free trade requirement of the coffee we drink, it’s bewildering how little attention we pay to the nature of the clothing we put on our bodies”. LESS IS MORE: Using a simple idea like an original hippy Much of designer and high street fashions available today summer dress and adding a chunky bangle and belt you can create a modern, but unique look. use harmful dyes or other hazardous manufacturing processes to churn out one fashion is already popular with old and unwanted textiles in an season hits that end up hiding in style leaders such as Sadie Frost, inventive and creative way”, the back of a wardrobe or out in Gwen Stefani, Russell Brand and added Solomon. the rubbish. In the UK alone, a Stella McCartney, who pride “As well as selling vintage staggering 700,000 tonnes of themselves on remaining one clothing, we are also offering a textiles are sent to landfill every step ahead of the rest of us on the customisation and design service, year. trend travelator”. which will take used garments or The Belfast clothing sellers materials and conjure them into champion recycled fashions. Best Vintage is at 11 Wellington the latest wearable fashion. “Best Vintage is doing our bit Place, Belfast (t) 028 9031 2784. “This new approach to recycled for the environment by reusing
AND BEST VINTAGE HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE GUYS TOO… IT’S not just women that are trawling the aisles in search of hidden vintage gems, men are just as savvy when it comes to fashion. Celebrity fans of vintage include Irish actor Colin Farrell, Hollywood actor Heath Ledger and The OC star Adam Brody. Ideal for the nonconformist trendsetter, many men have recognised that recycled style makes sense. And the men‘s section at Best Vintage reflects this. The Belfast store is full of beautiful jackets and blazers, tailored waistcoats, colourful shirts, unique ties and scarves and quirky hats – perfect for this season’s hottest look. Derry Big Brother star Seany O’Kane (pictured) is a big fan of vintage clothing. He told CLASS: “People used to comment on my style, saying, ‘Oh that’s so Seany’. “I love bold colours because I like my clothes to make a statement. My style is brash, like my personality”. The Race Relations officer, who’s favourite item of clothing is his Seany Love t-shirt, loves shopping for vintage clothes. He added: “The great thing
The vintage phenomenon is not only filling our wardrobes it’s in our make-up bags too Keeping up with the current vintage craze Boots No 7 have launched the Vintage Appeal range. Going back to its roots, No 7 creative director Lisa Eldridge has created a limited edition collection inspired by the 1950s. The range includes the Eye Palette, Lip Palette and Shimmer Powder, and the unique packaging of the products are illustrations from original training materials for Boots’ consultants in the 1950s. Make-up artist Lisa said: “The innocent yet elegant feel of the 1950s illustrations is the perfect complement to this season’s pretty, light look”. The new Autumn range, available exclusively at Boots now, gives the pastels of the ‘50s a modern twist with pretty pastels for day and deeper, richer shades for the evening. Lisa added: “Sweep delicate lilac over lids, and intensify
PERFECT PASTELS: Give your eyes the 1950s treatment with this beautiful eye palette - use lilac during the day and deep purple for a night on the town with green – you can even wet your brush to create an eyeliner effect. “Get bigger, brighter eyes with a dot of highlighter in the corners, and keep lips sweet and rosy with a delicate rosy gloss. “Accentuate cheekbones by applying a pretty shade of pink on the apple, and add a touch of highlighter for a gentle sheen”.
TOP TIPS FOR VINTAGE HUNTERS • Some of the best vintage items can be found hiding in your Gran’s attic, at a car boot sale or in a charity shop as well as vintage shops.
about vintage is that it’s so unique and it goes with modern clothing. I love mixing vintage with the Nu Rave style that’s out at the minute. I went shopping in a shop in Belfast recently called Best Vintage and the stuff was great, I even wore some of the outfits to a photo shoot. “I can’t wait to go back and get some more clothes”.
where to get it, NEXT MONTH: Vintage jewellery – at to look out for. wh how to wear it, how to spot it and
• If you are going to restore, repair or customise vintage clothing – keep it simple. Only make alterations that are necessary – otherwise you could completely ruin the idea of buying vintage. Shops like Best Vintage in Belfast have an in-house designer and/or alterations expert who can advise you. • When storing vintage clothing it is important to try and keep them away from sunlight because the colour can fade. Also if you have a 1920s beaded
dress, for example, wrap it in acid free paper to protect both the beading and the fabric. • Try everything on, even if you aren’t sure about it. Sometimes the cut on a piece of clothing that is vintage can be far superior to some high street stores. • Trust your instinct. • Be adventurous, at the end of the day you wouldn’t be looking at vintage clothing if you didn’t want to stand out – don’t be afraid to do just that. • Be individual, if you have to steal ideas from celebs and friends – make sure you customise them to your own personality.
16 SOCIAL DIARY
THE BIFHE STUDENT FORMAL Europa Hotel Thursday April 5
FASHION 17
Volunteer for
FashionWeek BY ANDREA CLARKE
BELFAST FASHIONWEEK has officially launched its first Autumn/Winter event and organisers are looking for volunteers to help out at the glamorous catwalk shows. After the success of FASHIONWEEK, in association with West Coast Cooler, in March this year, organiser Cathy Martin announced Belfast was to follow the likes of Paris, New York and London, and host an Autumn/Winter fashion extravaganza in the Baby Grand from November 1 to 3. And she is seeking willing volunteers to work backstage dressing models and helping to organise the shows, adding: “It’s a fun, team event and a great way to gain invaluable experience in event management or fashion”. Belfast FASHIONWEEK has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and event co-ordinator, Cathy has be inundated with demands for winter shows. She said: "We are really excited about the Autumn/Winter event.
“For the past three years FASHIONWEEK has been an annual event but we have been swamped with requests from the general public, our sponsors and indeed top retailers wanting an opportunity to showcase Winter trends. “We feel it's the perfect time to launch as a bi-annual event, and with Christmas round the corner, what better way to see the hottest trends for the party season than a night out at Belfast’s premiere fashion event”. The Autumn/Winter FASHIONWEEK event will take place from November 1 - 3, 2007 at the Baby Grand at the Grand Opera House. Tickets are on sale now at Grand Opera House Box Office www.goh.co.uk (t) 028 9024 1919. To sign up for your chance to be part of the Belfast FASHIONWEEK log on to www.belfastfashionweek.com and go through the contact section or email cathy@cathymartinpr.com.
18 LEISURE & FITNESS
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Dance yourself fit DANCING IS FAST BECOMING THE NUMBER ONE FITNESS CRAZE IN NORTHERN IRELAND, WITH CLASSES IN SALSA, HIP HOP AND EVEN POLE DANCING OFFERED AS ALTERNATIVES TO THE GYM. EXPERTS SAY DANCE BURNS CALORIES, IMPROVES CIRCULATION, TONES MUSCLE AND HELPS WITH WEIGHT LOSS AS WELL AS INCREASING STRENGTH, ENDURANCE AND FLEXIBILITY. IN FACT DANCING CAN BURN AS MANY CALORIES AS OTHER EXERCISES INCLUDING WALKING AND RUNNING. AND IT NOT ONLY HELPS PHYSICAL WELL-BEING. DANCING RELIEVES TENSION AND STRESS, IMPROVES YOUR MOOD AND WILL COME IN HANDY ON THE DANCE FLOOR ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. BY ANDREA CLARKE HERE ARE SOME OF THE HOT DANCE EXERCISE TRENDS GETTING YOUR HEART PUMPING…
BALLROOM DANCING Traditionally a social dance, ballroom dancing has become an alternative to the gym because of its toning qualities. Ballroom dance works the backs of the thighs and buttock muscles differently from many other types of exercise and after the success of shows like Strictly Come Dancing many people are turning to this form of dance. Ballroom can also improve circulation, builds stamina and can aid weight loss. It also strengthens the legs and body, increases flexibility and balance as well as relieving stress. It’s a low impact activity making ballroom accessible to people of at any age or fitness level. ELEGANT: Ballroom dancing has been made popular again through TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.
BELLY DANCING
SALSA
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This energetic dance is one of the best for fitness because it’s like an aerobic work out on the dance floor. Salsa involves a lot of steps and turns, rotating the torso which are often neglected in workouts. This works the torso muscles and tones the midriff as well as the legs. The movements involved in dancing salsa will strengthen your body, toning the abs, hips, buttocks, thighs, calves, and arms as well as building endurance and stamina. This dance is a great cardiovascular exercise and is renowned for its fat-blasting effects. It has been estimated that a half hour of salsa dancing will burn as much as 200-400 calories, the equivalent of cycling, swimming or power walking. To really see the full effects of salsa you need to do it continuously for at least 20-30 minutes at a time, intensively a few times a week.
SENSUAL: Famous dancers Neena and Veena show the benefits of the arabaic dance.
This Arabic style of dance from the Middle East has made its way to Belfast and has gained a loyal following. Designed by women for women this sensual dance not only tones the body but it is a fantastic confidence boost. Belly dance offers a distinctive form of exercise as the dancer uses many muscles in controlled, flowing movements. The basic body moves include hip shimmies, hip rotations, serpentine arms, snakelike head movements and abdominal undulations - the foundation of belly dance. The hip rotations and shimmies gently and repetitively move the body’s joints and ligaments in the lower back and hip areas. This dance improves posture, tones muscles and maintains flexibility. It can also help with weight loss and reduces stress. Also it has been said belly dancing helps prepare women for childbirth. Belly dance is considered a nonimpact, weight-bearing exercise, which is especially good for women as it can reduce the risk of osteoporosis. For more information log onto www.myspace.com/bellydancequeens.
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All of our classes are taught in St. Brides Hall, Derryvolgie Ave. between Lisburn Road and Malone Road.
More details at www.nusalsa.com or 07779293368
POLE DANCING Pole dancing as a form of exercise is one of the most popular fitness crazes to sweep Northern Ireland. Praised by celebrities including Kate Moss and Jude Law, pole dancing has been proven to be a fantastic way to get in shape. Pole dancing lessons improve muscle tone, strength and flexibility not to mention burn calories. Incorporating a cardiovascular work out and improving flexibility, pole dancing builds stamina and the sensuality of the movements are a definite confidence boost. Anyone can pole dance and you can expect increased muscle definition and toning all over especially in the arms, thighs, and buttocks.
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LEISURE & FITNESS 19
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Get a Bollywood Body
HIP HOP Blending aerobics with hip hop dance is a new and energetic way of getting fit. On par with step- aerobics in terms of difficulty and calories burned, hip hop is a great way to burn fat. Specially designed routines based on the hottest dance moves from the coolest clubs and videos, hip hop workouts combine cardio exercise with the techniques of a dance form, which burns calories and helps weight loss. The easy to follow step by step dances increase flexibility, coordination, stamina, strength and muscle tone.
BY SALLY MCNAMARA BOLLYWOOD, the global phenomenon, is grasping the world at the moment, particularly with Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty winning this year’s Celebrity Big Brother and a new hit musical in the West End Bollywood Dreams. It’s hard to escape the fascination with this infectious new obsession. Now, joining the Bollywood Posse is an inspirational woman originating from an Indian background, Hemalayaa Behl. She is a yoga and dance teacher that has just released a new ‘Bollywood Dance Workout’ available courtesy of Acacia. Hemalayaa intends to enlighten the population much like she does with her private classes in Los Angeles. She also holds regular workshops in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. With history of studying philosophy, meditation and asana, she also offers rousing and tranquil retreats in some of the world’s most stunning settings. The expressive workout features moves from her traditional Indian culture all the way to those inspired by modern Bollywood, Bhangra and Indian MTV. These elements combined with the culture and appeal of Bollywood create a “sexy, calorie burning, full body workout”. Dance Workout is available on April 16 2007 with an R.R.P of £16.99.
FREESTYLE: The dance of choice in the movie Save The Last Dance.
LINE DANCING A hugely popular Northern Ireland pastime, line dancing is also a great exercise. A mildly aerobic dance, line dancing is perfect for those who want to get back into fitness. And it’s not only reserved for cowboys. Line dancing is wildly popular and the accompanying music could be anything from country to soul, R&B, rock, pop and world music. The basic steps include the grapevine, the shuffle and the pivot turn, and while it’s a relatively mild dance, depending on the rhythm of the music, the pace can increase. The dances will help improve muscle tone in the legs.
OTHER FORMS OF DANCE SWING DANCING Swing dancing covers a range of styles from 1950s-style rock ‘n’ roll and 1920s Lindy Hop to 1930s jitterbug and 1940s swing. As a work out swing dancing is an alternative to aerobics as dancers tone up their legs and bum. This form of dancing is fast and filled with flips, kicks and twirls burning over 300 calories an hour. Swing dancing also improves stamina, mobility, coordination and posture. OH SANDY: It’s hard not to love the music and dance of Grease.
Stay in shape the sexy way BELFAST salsa school owner David Hynes says the sexy dance is a fun way to keep in shape. The salsa company, started by David and his girlfriend Lauren three years ago, teaches strictly salsa from beginner level to the more advanced techniques. “In the beginners class we take you through from the absolute basics, each and every step”, said David, who is Northern Ireland’s only male UKA qualified salsa instructor. “Lots of people say they have never danced before or they have two left feet but in our class we literally tell you put one foot here and put the other foot here, it’s quite easy. The basics are quite easy to pick up, it’s just mastering it is a bit more difficult”.
Many of the participants joined David’s classes as an alternative to the gym and in January this year Nu Salsa had a record number of new students enrolling. “People have a lot of perceptions of what salsa is and most of them are wrong”, said David. “It can be a slow and sexy dance, like you would see in Dirty Dancing, but a lot of what we do is quite fast and energetic. It means if you’re going out for a night out and you’re dancing for maybe two or three hours, you’re getting a severe work out. “There are a lot of people pouring with sweat by the end of the night, they do it to keep fit. “You get as much out of it as you put in, you can be more energetic if you want to be, you
can put more effort into it and it does help you to keep fit”. Nu Salsa offer class on a Thursday night incorporating all different levels of ability. “We have four different levels of classes all on one night with some music played afterwards, so we’re giving people everything in one night”, he added. “We also host various salsa events around Belfast where people can come out and practise their stuff. “It’s good fun, it’s a whole different experience. It’s very sociable because you are dancing with lots of different people, you’re getting to know a lot of people. “It’s just a lot out having a good time”.
TAP: Like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers you could set the room on fire with your talent.
LATIN: In Dirty Dancing Patrick Swayze made the Samba, mambo and other forms of Latin dance look easy.
DISCO: If you get some Saturday Night Fever you could pull a few John Travolta moves.
IRISH: It may be traditional but it’s not boring and very high energy. Think Michael Flately!
JAZZ: Give it a bit of Cabaret and get Jazzy.
ENJOY: And if all else fails just go Singing…And Dancing…In The Rain with Gene Kelly on your iPod.
20 REAL LIFE
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Karen’s Story BY RYAN KENNEDY
IT was a sickening campaign of bullying, on-going depression and life threatening bulimia that finally pushed a young Fermanagh dancer over the edge. Karen Craig*, a former student of the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education was just 23 when she attempted suicide following a severe addiction to household painkillers. Now 26, Karen lived a life of desperation, alcohol abuse, addiction and self-harm for more than ten years. Her whole teenage life was cloaked in a dark world it would take her more than a decade to come to terms with. “I was bullied really badly in school” explains Karen. “It was over a consistent period of time between the ages of 12 and 15. It was every single day and it was relentless. “The taunts came from one particular group of girls in my school and while the bullying was never physical they would taunt me about how I looked. “I remember playing hockey one day and the girl who was considered to be the cool girl in school, she walked up behind me and went, ‘You have a really big ass,’ really loudly in front of a hockey team. “If I brushed my hair at break time they would say that I was vain and if I didn’t they would say I was lazy – things like that”. But what seemed like playground nonsense to outsiders soon became the focal point of Karen’s life. Eventually, she believed what they said and began to despise who she was. They preyed on her insecurities and it took over her life. Looking back on her school days Karen winces, she says she wishes
STRUGGLE: Karen Craig was able to see the light at the end of the tunnel by getting the help she needed. she was as strong back then as she is today. “By the time I was 14 I used to absolutely dread going to school in the mornings I’d cry and I’d cry and I’d cry and it got to the point where I was feeling so anxious that the first thing I would do when I woke up was throw up” she said. “One day I noticed that when I did that – because you get that rush of endorphins – I started to feel better. “It was around this time that I stopped eating in front of people because they’d call me fat, so I wouldn’t eat all day in school and then when I got home I would just binge on whatever was in the house, like donuts, or crisps or whatever. “But that sick feeling would take over again and I would want to get that feeling back again of being empty and also having that endorphin rush so I would make myself sick”.
Following years of counselling Karen now knows that it was at this point her cycle of self-harm in the form of forcing herself to be sick and bulimia had begun. An extreme eating disorder where bingeing or eating is followed by the violent purging of oneself, more often than not, in secret. Shaking her head Karen said: “Looking back now and looking at photos of myself from then – I was never fat, I was about seven stone and probably a lot slighter than most of the girls in the year, even skinnier than the one who walked up and said I had a big ass”. But what a young teenager Karen saw in those photographs was a million miles away from the beautiful young girl she really was. She said: “I felt like I was really, really hideous. Not just ugly, but actually freaky – actually weird looking. Completely, completely,
completely abnormal”. Karen is now a media researcher and writer, while she believes she has got over the immediate effects of being bullied and has restored her self-esteem, living with depression and the aftermath of her intense struggle with bulimia will be a lifelong battle. She said: “By the time I was 17 I had been prescribed antidepressants, although I wasn’t diagnosed with depression until I was 18. “The whole time I was making myself sick it never crossed my mind that I was bulimic. I always thought I was completely in control and that I was choosing to do it. I would read magazines about girls who were in therapy and read about the damage they were doing to themselves and I would think to myself ‘I’ll never be like that’. “To be honest I never thought I PHOTO BY FABRIZIO BELLUSCHI
had a problem until I was about 24, I was bulimic for the best part of ten years before I actually said to myself ‘Oh my God, I’m bulimic, I actually have bulimia’. “The first thing I did was try to justify it in my mind, I blamed it on the bullying at school, I blamed it on the depression and told myself that it was just me and that I would have to live with it”. And although Karen was in denial about the severity of her condition she was acutely aware that she needed help, but when she went to her GP and told him she believed she had an eating disorder, she was offered no practical help. At 22 she turned to alcohol and house-hold pain killers such as codeine and co-codomol, filling her body with a lethal cocktail of drugs, including her prescription anti-depressants, to ease the pain and escape the daily struggle. Karen’s family realised she was having problems but never knew just how serious her condition was. Eventually it became too much and at the age of 23 Karen decided she just wanted the problem to go away and took desperate action. “I did go to the doctor and told him that I really thought that I needed some form of counselling, I explained that I was bingeing and throwing up on a daily basis whereas before it was maybe a couple of times a week – or a couple of times a day for two or three days and then I’d stop – but it had gotten to the point where it was every day and I was deliberately making myself be at home when I knew people were going to be out and things like that. And the doctor said, ‘Well you know there’s a very long waiting list for things like that, and I think we should just try the antidepressants for a bit longer.’ “Now at this stage I was about 18 and I’d already been suffering for six years and he basically upped my dose of anti-depressants and a month later I overdosed on those along with codeine and co-codomol. “I was hospitalised and it was only after that, that I was referred to a childhood doctor who I hadn’t seen since I was a baby, he looked through my notes and said ‘I can’t believe you’ve been on antidepressants for so long and I can’t believe you haven’t had any sort of counselling. “I did plan to take an overdose but I don’t think I planned to kill myself, I wouldn’t have wanted to put my family through that. All I remember was thinking at the time that I wanted the problem to go away and the only way I could think of getting rid of it was to sleep for a very long time. I hoped the pills would take it away”
REAL LIFE 21
BULIMIA THE FACTS Bulimia, or Bulimia Nervosa, is an eating disorder where the sufferer will regularly binge eat and subsequently purge anything that has been eaten, usually to prevent weight gain – however reasons for such behaviour vary. Bulimia was first named and classed as a psychological condition as recently as 1977, and can have long term effects for the sufferer, including malnutrition, erosion of teeth, gum disease, hair loss, infertility and diabetes. If you or someone you know wants help or advice on bulimia or any eating disorder, beat is the UK’s leading advice line for eating disorders. Please see: www.b-eat.co.uk or phone 0845 634 14 14 for help and advice.
she said. By the time she was 24 Karen finally found help, she was referred to a counsellor and just months before her 27th birthday she is preparing for her final therapy session. She added: “Really the only thing that made me stop was whenever I finally got admitted therapy, they knew I was drinking a lot, and they said they would not treat me if I didn’t stop drinking. So I had to basically make a commitment then that I was going to stop, and it worked, it really did work. I do still enjoy the odd glass of wine, but I don’t sit in my room and drink bottles of the stuff like I used to – or go out with the sole intention of getting completely legless. “Therapy has really helped me. I think a lot of it has just changed the way I think about myself, so it’s working without you actually realising it’s working. “It’s cognitive behavioural therapy, and it’s all very much about taking your power back an being in control of yourself and responsible for yourself and the two biggest things it taught me was that nobody’s perfect and nobody has to be perfect. “I now understand that we create our thoughts, so if you’re having a whole set of negative thoughts about yourself or how your day’s going, they didn’t just appear out of thin air, you created them – so you can equally create a whole positive set of thoughts about yourself and your image, where you’re going and it really just teaches you how to turn a situation around. “For example I learned that if you’re sitting there thinking people are staring at you because you’re fat and ugly, well where’s the proof? Has anyone actually said you are fat? Are the people around you that stunningly beautiful? It just makes you get more of a grasp on what’s actually real and true”. *name changed to protect identity
WHAT IS DEPRESSION? BY KELLIE CUNNINGHAM
WHEN asked are we OK more often than not our response is less than truthful. No matter how we really feel deep down, too many of us ignore signs that our mind and body is not OK and think that what we are feeling is ‘normal’. Experiencing tiredness, loss of energy or a change in your appetite could all be signs that you are suffering from mild depression. Many people have ‘bad days’ but ongoing depression is a major issue affecting more and more people on a daily basis. At present more than 300,000 people in Ireland and Northern Ireland suffer from depression but according to the charity Aware Defeat Depression too many people are not seeking enough help, due to a lack of understanding and the stigma attached to having ‘depression’ or being ‘depressed’. Jill McGrath, Education Officer for Aware Defeat Depression said it’s important to understand that depression affects all walks of life but it is 25 per cent higher among younger people between 14 and 20. She added: “Depression comes in three strains – mild, moderate and severe. The severe strain can lead to a diagnosis of clinical depression. “Most people will experience mild depression in life, tiredness and feeling low, down in the dumps and this usually passes after a day or two. “Moderate depression can last longer, a few weeks – even months and may start
affecting self esteem and also your drive. “Severe depression can often be misinterpreted for laziness, especially in young people. “People suffering from severe depression will have very low self esteem and low confidence, they will lose interest in activities or hobbies which they have been involved in and they will experience a loss of will to live and not want to do very much.” But what is depression and what are its triggers? Jill shed some light on the subject: “Depression is an imbalance of chemicals in the brain that can be triggered by stress in any form, change is a big issue, moving city or going to University or College can also be triggers with the studying and working to finance your course. Balancing everything can be a massive strain. “There is also the worry of the future and the thought process of whether or not all the effort will be rewarded by success”. If you feel you may be suffering from depression or feel depressed you can talk to Aware Defeat Depression. “Talking to someone is the first step. Depression is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, talking about it will help you and ease the burden you are carrying”, said Jill. Call 0845 120 2961 or email help@aware-ni.org.
IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT FEELINGS OF DEPRESSION CALL OUR HELPLINE 0845 1202 961 We are here to answer your questions and help you feel better from 10am to 4pm every weekday.
Aware Defeat Depression | Philip House | 123-137 York Street | Belfast | BT15 1AB Aware Defeat Depression is accepted as a charity by HM Revenue and Customs – No. XR/11534
EATING DISORDERS ASSOCIATION (NI) Eating Disorders Association offers support and advice to people who are affected by Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder. We are based at 28, Bedford Street Belfast. Our centre is open Monday to Friday 9 - 5. We hold support groups on 2nd and last Tuesday each month. These groups offer support to sufferers and carers and are facilated by volunteers who have personal experience of eating disorders. Our services are an essential lifeline to many people. Specialist treatment is limited and sometimes difficult to access. Whilst Eating Disorders Assoc. is not an alternative to the professional help needed, it provides a positive stopgap resource.
Eating Disorders Assoc. run a Bulimia self-help interactive CD Rom programme. This consists of eight sessions and has proved beneficial to many sufferers. There is no charge for this service. Eating Disorders Assoc. provide an Education Awareness programme and our volunteers visit many schools, youth groups and other organisations. All of our services are confidential. For Information contact: Ann McCann or Jacqui King at 02890235959
22 MIND, BODY & HEALTH
COFFEE RELATED ILLNESSES DOUBLE IN 4 YEARS WHILE 70 per cent of the population may drink coffee according to one study increasing consumption of the beverage is having a bad effect on many who drink it. According to food intolerance testing experts at YorkTest the number of coffee related health problems is on the increase. The figures, released last month, showed that intolerances to coffee has jumped dramatically in patients and has doubled in the last four years. In 2003, just two per cent of the people who took a YorkTest 113 FoodScan food intolerance test came up positive to coffee whereas today that figure has shot up to over five per cent - a rise of more than 250 per cent. Many symptoms such as itchy skin, feeling depressed, migraine headaches, IBS, fatigue, and joint pains were found in the patients after drinking coffee. In Britain, on average, each person drinks 3.5 cups of coffee
GET A NATURAL BOOST WITH PUMPKIN SEED OIL
a day with over 70 million cups of it being taken daily. 87 per cent of people add milk and 57 per cent add sugar and according to the British Coffee Association, the UK coffee market in sales terms has increased from £632 million in 2002 to £680 million in 2005. Speaking of the YorkTest study Zoë Wheeldon from the British Coffee Association said: “There is currently no scientific evidence or published data to support this view. “In fact, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence has found that moderate consumption of four to five cups per day is perfectly safe for the majority of the population and may confer some health benefits.”
Public misled about salt content in food A NEW study has found shoppers are being misled about salt content by unrealistic “per serving” information on goods. Of a sample of 831 products by UK local authorities has found salt had fallen by nearly 11 per cent on average since 2005. But it is believed customers are being fooled by labels which give details of portions smaller than those which are realistically eaten. Industry officials said the UK had some of the most "open and honest" labelling in Europe. According to the BBC website tests carried out on behalf of the Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) found packets of chicken nuggets describing 15g - or one sole nugget - as a serving and giving nutritional details accordingly. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has set individual voluntary targets for a vast range of food products to be met by 2010. Many are well on their way to meeting these - categories including meat pies, sausages and biscuits performed particularly well. But many varieties of bread, breakfast cereals and baked beans had yet to make significant headway. The other key finding of the study was the very high levels of salt found in some noodle-based snacks, more than one in five of which contained two-thirds of the recommended daily intake.
IT is now believed that pumpkin seed oil can give health and fitness fanatics a natural workout boost and help to detox the body. According to Gea, the makers of one brand of Pumpkin Seed Oil the oil contains: “citruline to prevent muscle fatigue, vitamins A and E to strengthen muscles, phosphorous for energy boosts, omegas 3 and 6 to enhance muscle growth and metabolic rate, calcium to maintain weight loss, and potassium to eliminate toxins from the body. “Pumpkin seeds produce a versatile oil that is perfect as a salad dressing and flavour enhancer for vegetable, fish and meat dishes. “It contains the highest amount of vitamin A of all edible oils and has been traditionally used as a nutritional medicine in the Slovenian region for years.” More recent medical research has identified a link between pumpkin seed oil consumption and the treatment and even prevention of some conditions such as prostate diseases, bladder and urinary tract infections, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and cholesterol levels. Kate Arnold, a qualified British nutritionist added: "Whereas many oils we use are only rich in omegas 3 or 6, pumpkin seed oil is rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9, and most importantly are a high source of zinc, which so many of us are lacking. I would recommend it as another way of incorporating these essential fats, vitamins and minerals into the diet".
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Mental relaxation BY ANDREA CLARKE
BELFAST NURSE SHARON SPEIGHT HAS A SECRET LIFE - SHE IS AN INDIAN HEAD MASSEUR. The 25-year-old has always been interested in alternative therapies and after picking up a prospective last summer, enrolled in one of Belfast Met’s many evening courses. “I have been interested in alternative therapies for many years and I’ve always been interested in aromatherapy”, she said. “I was looking at different courses but wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and I looked in the prospectus and saw that an Indian head massage course was running on a night I was available so I signed up”. A staff nurse, Sharon works with adults with eye complaints and believes natural methods can provide remedies to ailments without medication.
“I can recognise when people are stressed out and from that point of view I can encourage people to relax, encourage them to do their deep breathing, even talking to them will help them relax. “I think alternative therapies do emphasis that because they focus on, not only the physical well being of a person but the mental well being. “They highlight a lot of things that might be forgotten or go unnoticed. I think if there is a natural method that will benefit chose that rather than relying on medication to help sort out problems”. The Indian head massage originated in the East more than one thousand years ago and was originally developed as a grooming technique by women. By stimulating pressure points on the scalp, the massage strengthened and improved the fullness of the hair. Nowadays this ancient tradition is experiencing a resurgence and is used to relieve headaches, migraines, stress, eye strain, insomnia and neck pain. “It is very good for relaxation”, said Sharon. “There is nothing nicer after a hard day’s work, either at the office or at home looking after the kids, than a massage. PHOTOS: FABRIZIO BELLUSCHI
“It’s very good for mental relaxation and it helps promote sleep as well. “I personally find that after an Indian head massage I have a brilliant night’s sleep. “It’s also good for hair growth because the focus is on the head and the massage stimulates circulation. It’s also very good for the condition of your hair as well”. During the course, the tutor touched on aromatherapy and recommended the oils to use during the massage. Sharon said: “The tutor was experienced in this area and was able to give us information about the different oils. “I have read books on it before and was aware of some of the oils and their therapeutic benefits but also the certain risks that may be involved with them. It’s very important to get a detailed account of a person’s medical history or even any skin complaints. “Mostly I use lavender oil mixed with almond oil. Lavender is one of the safest oils I can use, it has a lot of therapeutic uses”. Sharon was so enthused by the beginners course that she is back at Belfast Met this term to do a practitioners course in Indian head massage. “The course will take the qualification I have now to the next level and it will enable me to give Indian head massage to the public and charge a fee. “I love giving massages, it actually relaxes me. “I would definitely recommend an Indian head massage for people working in offices who are sitting at a computer all day. “There is a certain amount of stress to deal with in everyday life and a massage is an excellent way to help unwind and just forget about it all”.
SHOWBIZ 23
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
showbiz BY TINA CALDER
FORMER X-Factor winner Shayne Ward has revealed he wants to become a Hollywood superstar. And the singer, who’s mother is Irish, says he hopes moving to Los Angeles will help him achieve his dream of working alongside Fantastic Four actress Jessica Alba and Transformers star Megan Fox. He said: “I really love Los Angeles, I love the people, the culture and the weather. “I would love to be in the movies. I did a Performing Arts course at college and I really loved that. It’s definitely something I’d like to do in the future”. Shayne, 22, also added that he has already decided who he’s like as his leading lady. “I wouldn’t mind doing a love scene with either Jessica Alba or Megan Fox – they’re both rather hot. “I wouldn’t mind starring alongside Angelina too but I think I’ll leave her to Brad”. And if the Hollywood dream to be an A-List actor doesn’t pan out Shayne says he’s still going to focus on his next big music dream. “I would love to do a duet with Pink” he said. “She’s really cool, quite edgy and I just think it would be something a bit different if we worked together. “She’s got a great stage presence and I love the fact that she doesn’t care” he said.
IRISH songstress Andrea Corr is head over heels in love with her new man but has no plans to tie the knot. The Corrs singer, who released a solo album last month, has been going out with Brett, the son of billionaire businessman Dermot Desmond, for the past eight months. But while the Dundalk beauty is happy with her boyfriend, the pair have no plans to wed. Andrea, 33, said: “The rest of my family are all settled but I’m not there yet. “I have a boyfriend but obviously I am not married and haven’t got babies yet. I’m definitely not in any rush”. MADCAP Irish comedian Jason Byrne has revealed a new idea
which he thinks might make him a TV and radio star this year. The chaotic funny-man unveiled his wacky idea at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
His one-man show entitled Jason Byrne’s Telly Idea Which May Also Work On The Radio Show is a panel game that gets fellow comedians playing wacky quick fire rounds and a twist on Play Your Cards Right. “All channels welcome”, said Byrne. “Please bring contract on the day as this will save time and hassle”.
NORTHERN Ireland model Jamie Dornan will feature alongside supermodel Gisele Bunchen in a new steamy ad campaign. The advertisement, which is to hit billboards, magazines and stores later this year sees the pair tangled in a compromising position on a pool table. And as this picture shows it’s certain to set tails wagging. According to executives the pair will star in the global campaign which was photographed by world famous photographer Mario Sorrenti. Aquascutum president and chief executive Kim Winser said: “The campaign portrays a weekend of stolen moments, intrigue and trysts. “Gisele and Jamie are the perfect pairing to communicate our creative vision for the new season”. Jamie, 25, from County Down, is not only an accomplished model, working for fashion designers such as Dior, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger but he is MANIC Street Preachers’ also making his mark in Hollywood. The model/actor is also to star in a new movie The Wreck alongside British star Nicky Wire has hit out at Northern Ireland actress Jean Simmons. And in his spare time Jamie is also a singer with the band Son’s Of Jim, set band Snow Patrol, to start touring again next year.
calling them “utterly deplorable”. “Snow Patrol is the biggest divide in Britain”, he said. “They’re probably the biggest band in Britain, but they’re also the most hated. “It’s a weird dichotomy for them. They are utterly deplorable, there is something unredeemingly utterly sh*t about them, you just cannot put one’s finger on. “It’s a desperate form of music, the endless repeated lines, over and over, the same drab little thing on and on and on. “They’re the great losers turned into the great winners, that’s their redemption . I won’t be watching them”. RAP star P. Diddy was stopped in his tracks in St Tropez this week by Irish rocker Bono. The music mogul, who’s hits include I’ll Be mIssing You and Come To Me, was star stuck when he met the U2 frontman in a hot nightspot in the French resort.
IRISH actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers admitted he is looking forward to becoming a father after spending time with doting dads Tom Cruise and Will Smith. Famed for his roles in Match Point, Alexander, Elvis and The Tudors - the newly single Cork-born actor said his desire for children increased as he watched his Mission Impossible co-star Cruise and Hollywood pal Smith bond with their children on the movie set. “I’m very broody but I’m not ready to be a father”, he said, adding: “I do love children, though. “When I was on the set of Mission: Impossible 3, Will Smith and his wife came down, and he’s got a little girl and a little boy. They were so beautiful and it was lovely to see that family unit. “It’s the same with Tom. He has a great family unit”.
Diddy, real name Sean Combs, saw Bono, who was partying with Hollywood actress Penelope Cruz, and immediately introduced himself. A clubber said: “Diddy came over to their table and asked Penelope to take his picture with Bono. “She ended up taking about five because Diddy kept asking her to take another one until he got one he liked”.
IRISH singer Bob Geldof has joined tennis bad boy John McEnroe and Hollywood actor Dustin Hoffman to promote Australian telecommunications company Telstra. The global celebrities appear in Telstar’s advertising campaign for its Next G cellular service, comprising of 30 second and 15 second television commercials, cinema, outdoor, print and online publicity, all to be rolled out over the next year. In the ad, Geldof is seen being escorted from a plane by security
after refusing to turn off his mobile phone, shouting, “This wouldn’t happen in Australia”.
NORTHERN Ireland actor Liam Neeson has shocked his kids by forcing them to watch cheesy cowboy show The Lone Ranger. The Ballymena-born star introduced the 1960s TV series to his two sons, Michael, 12, and Daniel, 10, with wife and fellow actor Natasha Richardson, after he invested in a set of DVDs. But the actor, who is currently playing Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s biopic, was thoroughly disappointed when the family TV watching didn’t go as planned. He said: “I thought, ‘Perfect, I’ll sit down with the kids. They’ll love it, I’ll love it, it’ll be a trip down memory lane.’ “My kids are 10 and 11. Within seconds, they were going, ‘Dad, what is this? Black-and-white?’ They were so bored. I watched the DVDs on my own”.
24 FILM & ARTS
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
DUKE’S DREAM COME TRUE BY ANDREA CLARKE
Speaking at the launch of the theatre’s Autumn season, the Downpatrick singer/songwriter said he can’t wait to play in the prestigious Belfast venue. “I used to live in Downpatrick and one of the first times I came to Belfast I went to see an African tribal rhythm and dancing thing at the Opera House and that always stayed with me”, he said. “I remember one time my mum and dad going to see Tommy Makem and The Clancy Brothers coming back with a live, final album, and just thinking I would love to play there. “It’s just somewhere I’ve always wanted to play and I think it suits what I do. It’s a real dream come true for me”. Duke Special, real name Peter Wilson, has received critical
acclaim across the board for his debut album Songs From The Deep Forest and has been touring across Europe for the last year. Last month the Vaudeville-style singer performed a five night stint at the Empire Music Hall and after a well earned break will return to the stage at the Grand Opera House for two shows on November 4, as part of this year’s Belfast Festival. And he promises to put on a extravagant experience. “It’s going to be a bit of a hybrid of what I’ve already done at The Empire”, he said. “I’m going to put on a show that’s for sure. “It’s going to be a bit of a lot of fun and we’re going to pull out all the stops”.
BY ANDREA CLARKE
A MEXICAN FILM DIRECTOR HAS RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM U2 TO USE MUSIC AND FOOTAGE OF THE BAND IN HIS NEW FILM - AFTER HE’D ALREADY SHOT THE MOVIE. Fernando Kalife decided to go ahead with filming and worry about getting the band’s approval later. He said: “I kept in the back of my mind what my father always told me: You make a good product, the rest will happen by consequence”. The film, 7 Dias (7 Days), tells the story of Claudio Caballero, played by Eduardo Arroyuelo, who after losing a $500,000 bet to a moss boss, promises the gangster he will bring the Irish rockers to the town for his U2obsessed son. The mob gives him seven days to deliver on his promise. After using U2 footage and songs in the film, released last month in the USA, Kalife tried to get in touch with band’s management to get permission before his movie was released.
Shortly after 7 Dias wrapped the director got a surprising phone call from U2 frontman Bono. Kalife said: “My cellphone rings and the very first thing I hear is an Irish accent, 'Are you taking it to Cannes (Film Festival)?' “He was so earnest and so humble that I was just overwhelmed. We talked for about half an hour. He complimented the film a lot”. It turns out the father of Jaime Camil, one of the actors in the film, is an old friend of Bono and they were able to get a copy of the film to the band. Drummer Larry Mullen was so impressed by the movie he agreed to let the director use the U2 song Miracle Drug and concert footage for free. Larry said: “I just thought,
Sinead Cusack goes Rock ‘n’ Roll
Meryl Streep visits Belfast
IRISH actress Sinead Cusack is heading for Broadway this autumn to star in the political play Rock ‘n’ Roll. Set at Cambridge University, England and the Czech capital between the Prague Spring of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution of 1989, the play contrasts the opposing attitudes of a young Czech Ph.D student and rock music fan, played by Rufus Sewell and those of his British Marxist professor, portrayed by Brian Cox. Irish theatre star Cusack plays the dual role of Cox’s humanist classics-teaching wife Eleanor and their hippy grown up daughter Esme, who falls in love with Sewell. The Co Dublin born thespian said: “Whenever I get sent scripts as opposed to going up and auditioning, I’m so delighted I say “yes” immediately. “I knew that I really wanted to play these two women. I wasn’t sure how I could, but I knew I wanted to do it”. Rock ‘n’ Roll opens at the Jacobs Theatre on October 19.
THE Oscar-winning actress attended a lavish £500-a-ticket fundraising dinner at the Harbour Commissioners Office, which was part of the Old Museum Arts Centre’s campaign to raise funds for their new £16.5 million purpose-built facility, The MAC, in the trendy Cathedral Quarter. The Devil Wears Prada star has supported many social and artistic causes during her career. She said: “I am proud to come to Belfast to celebrate this city’s commitment to OMAC and its great good work. “Sometimes it is easy to despair in the face of world events, it can feel like divisiveness and the urge to destroy has won the day. That’s why the OMAC project is a cause for celebration and a template for hope”.
‘This is a good guy and he’s got good intentions”. Kalife, U2 fan himself, couldn’t believe his luck and admires the band for their spirituality. He added: “They were not afraid they would be cheesy or corny because they were singing about love, peace and God himself”. The filmmaker is now set to start work on his next project, a romantic comedy about a Mexican man and an Irish woman, provisionally titled St Patrick’s Brigade. And the Irish band’s influence is still at the forefront of Kalife’s work. In fact U2’s Larry suggested the title for the new movie, as a reference to the renegade Irish soldiers who deserted the US Army and fought for Mexico during their struggle for independence.
Stephen Rea treads the boards IRISH actor Stephen Rea is bringing his performance in Sam Shepard’s play Kicking a Dead Horse stateside. The Belfast-born actor, whom the play was written especially for, has already earned rave reviews following his performances as Hobart Struther. The play, which opened at the Abbey Theatre in March follows Struther’s quest for authenticity, and has a cast of two, with Rea as the protagonist and Joanne Crawford as an unnamed woman. The Pulitzer prize-winning Sam Shepard said of Rea’s acting: “I have always admired Stephen’s style and in writing the play I couldn’t see anyone else in the role. The more closely I worked with him, the more I got to see how there really was no one else that could play this role so perfectly”.
PHOTOS: FABRIZIO BELLUSCHI & RYAN KENNEDY
NORTHERN IRISH STAR DUKE SPECIAL HAS REVEALED HIS FORTHCOMING PERFORMANCE AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE IS A “DREAM COME TRUE”.
Mexican connection
OFF THE REEL
FILM 25 ONES TO WATCH If you’re going to get the benefit of the big screen this month watch out for:
BY RYAN KENNEDY
HALLAM FOE [18] A voyeuristic lifestyle is helping Jamie Bell get to the bottom of his mother’s death, until his binoculars pick up his first glance into the world of love. But it’s not exactly Pretty Woman.
PETER O’TOOLE IRISH actor Peter O’Toole is to star in Matthew Vaughn’s latest film Stardust. The film, based on the Neil Gaiman bestseller, tells the story of Tristan who on witnessing a shooting star crash to earth promises to retrieve it and offer it as a gift to the most beautiful girl in his quiet English village. Critics and fantasy moguls are eagerly awaiting the October release from first time director. An all-star cast including Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Ian McKellen and Ricky Gervais will breathe life into the fairy-tale bestseller due to hit UK screens this October.
RAY STEVENSON NORTHERN Ireland actor Ray Stevenson has been tipped to play the Punisher in the sequel to the 2004 comic adaptation. Latino Review reported the 43-yearold will be taking over the role as Frank Castle aka Punisher from Thomas Jane and an official announcement is expected at ComicCon, the annual convention for all things comic. Stevenson will be the third actor to take on the role of the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante anti-hero. The Punisher 2 will be filmed in Montreal and will be released in 2008.
SAOIRSE RONAN YOUNG Irish actress Saoirse Ronan has been cast in director Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel The Lovely Bones. The starlet will play Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old who has been raped and killed by a neighbour she refers to as Mr Harvey. The Devil Wears Prada’s Stanley Tucci is in negotiations to play murderer George Harvey in the film. Ronan, from Co. Carlow, is no stranger to the big screen. The 13-year-old was recently seen in Belfast filming the Tom Hanks produced City of Ember in Belfast. Filming is due to begin in October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand, with Jackson at the helm.
BRENDAN GLEESON IRISH actor Brendan Gleeson has revealed how unconditional filming methods attracted him to his latest movie role. The Dubliner will star alongside Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winstone and John Malkovich in the forthcoming Robert Zemeckis fantasy, adventure Beowulf.
BELFAST actor Ciaran Hinds’ new film Hallam Foe made its UK debut last month at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Mickybo and Me actor stars alongside Billy Elliot’s Jamie Bell in the adaptation of the novel written by Peter Jinks. Directed by David Mackenzie, the film tells the story of Hallum Foe (Bell), a boy who detaches himself from his father, played by Hinds, and sister, and becomes obsessed with his favourite pastime, voyeurism. Based on an Old English epic poem dating back to the early middle ages in which a hero embarks on a journey to battle against evil with his trusty sidekick Wiglaf, played by Gleeson. He revealed the role reincarnated his love of myth and legend while tapping into his curiosity of new filming methods and computer graphics. He said: “I love myth and legend but what hooked me was that they talked about Black Box Theatre - basically what they meant was that we dress up in these hideously embarrassing leotards with dots on your face and the cameras pick up all the details.” According to producers the film, due out November this year, is a story of: “vengeance, loyalty, love, revenge, courage, honour, tragedy and murder”.
TERRY GEORGE DIRECTOR Terry George’s new film Reservation Road will be featured in the line-up of Special Presentations at the Toronto Film Festival. The film, also written by George, who was born in Belfast, revolves around two fathers whose families converge with the death of a child and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo. The highly anticipated movie is the director’s first since his Oscar nominated historical film Hotel Rwanda, starring Don Cheadle. Fellow Irish director Neil Jordan will also showcase his latest film at the festival. The Brave One, stars Jodie Foster as a woman who after being badly injured and losing her fiancé in a savage attack, takes to the streets at night for vengeance. The Toronto Festival takes place between September 6-15, www.torontointernationalfilmfestival.ca
SHROOMS IRELAND isn’t exactly well known for its initiative when it comes to horror movies. In 2005, just across the water, English director Neil Marshall made arguably the scariest horror movie of the last 20 years in The Descent, and we were stuck with Boy Eats Girl – the Irish equivalent of Shaun of the Dead starring Samantha Mumba. ‘Nuff said. However, that may all be about to change, as Shrooms, a new Irish horror is receiving an unprecedented amount of hype. A bunch of American teenagers arrive in Ireland in search of a certain kind of trip that only their friend and mushroom expert Jake can provide. There is however a certain kind of mushroom Jake warns them to avoid, but what would a horror movie be without ignoring the wise words of someone who knows better, and suddenly things take a turn for the worse. Shrooms hits screens in November.
ONCE
1408 [12A] Stephen King back doing his thing in a short story adaptation. Sceptical ghostexpert John Cusack is quick to find the fault with any paranormal phenomenon – until a stay in room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel convinces him otherwise. RUN FAT BOY RUN [TBA] First zombies, then the Fuzz, and now, er, trainers. Simon Pegg tries to win back his fiancé, five years after jilting her on their big day. And every one knows the only way to do that is to run the marathon. DISTURBIA [15] Under house arrest, and not a Transformer to be seen, Shia LaBeouf goes Rear Window and tries to out his next door neighbour as a psycho killer after witnessing some pretty strange things. I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY [12A] In the world of Adam Sandler, if you get yourself into trouble with taxes, what do you do? Get married to your fellow firefighting buddy and make gay jokes for two hours. Why not! DEATH PROOF [18] At last, Tarantino and Rodriguez together, but not. Their Grindhouse double feature has been split in two following poor test audiences in the US, and this tale of deranged stunt-man chasing down lots of lovely ladies is the first half to hit our shores.
LOW budget Irish film, Once is making waves in the US and caught the eye of legendary Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. The Saving Private Ryan director is enamoured by the movie, which cost a mere $150,000 to make. After seeing it he said: “A little movie called Once gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year”. IRISH actor Cillian Murphy has Written and directed by signed up to play counterJohn Carney, Once is a culturalist magazine editor contemporary musical set on Richard Neville in a new film the streets of Dublin, featuring with Sienna Miller. Glen Hansard and his Irish The Cork-born star has just band The Frames. wrapped the Dylan Thomas
CILLIAN MURPHY
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Queen’s Film Festival – November 8-11, www.queensfilm festival.com. Cinemagic Young People’s Film Festival – November dates TBC, www.cinemagic.org.uk.
romance The Best Time of Our Lives with the Factory Girl actress and will begin shooting Hippie Hippie Shake in September. The film is based on Richard Neville's memoir of the same name, detailing his editorship of psychedelic hippy magazine Oz in the late 1960s.
26 MUSIC & GAMES
games
music goss
NORTHERN Ireland actor Liam Neeson has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to voice a character in the rebirth of a popular video game franchise. Fallout 3 which is due out next year will feature Neeson in a prominent role as a father guiding his son through a series of deadly pitfalls in a postapocalyptic world and will appear throughout the game after a lengthy introduction where he will teach the player everything he needs to know to survive. Ballymena born Neeson, however was the first and only choice for the character when writers were creating him, and Executive Producer Todd Howard believes his gently authoritative tone will not disappoint. He said: “This role was written with Liam in mind and provides the dramatic tone for the entire game.” He will also be lending his vocal talents to the next outing in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian as the children’s’ familiar Aslan the lion. The film is due out next year.
previews
BY RYAN KENNEDY
ROISIN SINGS IT BACK IRISH singer Roisin Murphy is set to release the second album of her solo career in October. Last year the Wicklow-born singer was adamant she would return at some point to her roots as one half of electronic duo Moloko with Mark Brydon, but with new album Overpowered tipped to be as successful as her highly acclaimed debut Ruby Blue, that may not be any time soon. The album, which will see her collaborate with the likes of Groove Armada, follows Murphy’s appearance at the Cois Fharraige festival in Kilkee this September.
MELUA BACK WITH NEW ALBUM SINGING sensation Katie Melua is to release a new album later this year. And the Georgian born star, who grew up in Belfast, has revealed her forthcoming release is set to be very different from anything she has produced before. Katie, 22, shot to fame in 2003 when her debut album Call Off The Search went straight to number one following widespread critical acclaim and celebrity fans such as Radio 2’s music guru Terry Wogan. But the young songstress says the new album, Pictures, due out in October this year, will see her take a brave step away from what she is known for. She said: “The album will be
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
different from my previous two. “I felt it was time to do something different and I’m really pleased with what we’ve done”.
ELCTRO POP IS BACK ELECTRO pop producer and singer Calvin Harris is heading to Belfast. The Acceptable in the 80s singer has been making music in his bedroom since he was 15 and his producing talents have not gone unnoticed in the industry. Harris has toured this year supporting Faithless and Groove Armada and made some notable festival appearances including Oxegen, Co Kildare. He has made it his mission to revive disco, saying: “Disco disappeared, didn’t it? Everyone got sick of it. Now I’m reviving it, with space goggles, or something”. Watch out Belfast. www.calvinharris.tv CALVIN HARRIS | MANDELA HALL, BELFAST | SUNDAY 25 NOVEMBER www.ticketmaster.ie
GET YOUR UMBRELLA UMBRELLA-toting starlet Rihanna is headed for the Odyssey. The RnB phenomenon will hit the stage on December third, following her previous performance supporting the Pussycat Dolls in January. Tickets are currently on sale from all Ticketmaster outlets.
IN HONOUR OF GUTHERIE FOLK godfather Woody Guthrie is to be honoured at a six-hour music festival this October, 40 years after his death. The Empire Music Hall, Belfast, will play host to over 10 acts, including Brian Houston, Juliet Turner and Bap Kennedy who at some point in their careers have been influenced by him. Taking Place on October 7, each artist will perform a song from Guthrie’s extensive repertoire. Tickets are £15.00 and are available across the counter from Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ie and on their 24 hour booking line on 0870 243 4455
BY TINA CALDER
downloading culture. And the former lead singer of The Corrs says her hate is specifically of the iPod. The pint-sized songstress says she hates the MP3 generation and feels the iPod “ruins” music. She said: “I have an iPod but I barely use it, I can’t stand the sound quality of them”.
ANDREA CORR HATES IPOD
Andrea is currently promoting
SEXY singer Andrea Corr has revealed she hates the
her debut solo album Ten Feet High.
WESTLIFE VS SPICE GIRLS…AGAIN! IT’S a battle of girl-power against the extreme might of Irish boyband Westlife. According to insiders in the Westlife camp the band plan to release their new album on the same day as the Spice Girls. It will be the Spice Girls’ first release since Forever in November 2000 when Westlife stole the number one spot with their album Coast To Coast. The Girls announced their long anticipated come-back earlier this month but are said to “devastated” that Westlife could steal their thunder once more. A source close to Westlife said: “The boys have pencilled in a release date for later this year but will move it depending on what the girls do. “They think it will be a good marketing ploy to recreate the great battle of 2000 and are sure they will get the Number One spot.”
reviews
IRISH singer Dolores O’Riordan was forced to cancel a show in Washington this week following a dental injury. But according to one crew member she failed to turn up to sound-check and subsequently the show. The crewman added: “Dolores broke her front tooth on a Japanese rice cracker at dinner. She unable to show up for the 5pm soundcheck as planned and didn’t leave her tour bus”. Earlier this year Dolores released her debut solo single Ordinary Day from the hit album Are You Listening.
BY STEPHEN MURRAY
BRIAN HOUSTON – DAYS OF PEARLY SPENCER (SINGLE) I LOVED Marc Almond’s version of this song. Written by Ballymena man David McWilliams (RIP) this song is celebrating it’s 40th anniversary. Keeping McWilliams spirit alive are his grandchildren on backing vocals and with Brian’s distinctive voice, this is a good cover of a classic song. www.myspace.com/brianhouston www.brianhouston.com MALACHI CUSH – GALWAY GIRL (SINGLE) & THE TWO SIDES OF MALACHI (ALBUM) If Malachi released ‘Anarchy In The UK’ it would probably still do well. He has an appeal to all ages and when you release an album of your fans’ favourite songs it’s sure to be a hit. By releasing Galway Girl as a single he is definitely onto a winner because every time it’s played at a wedding – everyone sings along. www.myspace.com/malachicush www.malachimad.com SHINY TOY GUNS – RAINY MONDAY (SINGLE) I really like the Shiny Toy Guns. Their music is really refreshing and their lead singer Chad Petree has a great voice. Rainy Monday is taken from their debut album We Are Pilots – I expect big things from these guys, unfortunately they don’t have any Irish gigs lined up at the moment. www.myspace.com/ shinytoyguns www.shinytoyguns.com ALLOY MENTAL – ALLOY MENTAL (SINGLE) This is a re-release, which has been ‘jazzed up’. This sort of music doesn’t really appeal to me, so I wouldn’t slag it off. The boys are from Belfast, which means I hope they do really well, nothing wrong with a bit of ‘siege mentality’ is there? www.myspace.com/alloymental www.alloymental.com
KAISER CHIEFS – THE ANGRY MOB (SINGLE) A very mellow song from the ‘Chiefs’. This is their third release this year. The song is a lot different from their usual 100 miles per hour stuff, but a very enjoyable record none the same. www.myspace.com/kaiserchiefs www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk JACKNIFE LEE – JACKNIFE LEE (ALBUM) I thought I had put on an old Nirvana CD for a minute. Don’t know too much about this band but the lead singer has a brilliant voice and they have some great song titles like I Love The Useless, Run Me Over and Monkey In The Meat. I Cut Your Hair is probably my favourite song on this album. This self-titled debut is very dark and moody just like the aforementioned Nirvana. www.myspace.com/jacknifelee www.jacknifelee.com GOSSIP – JEALOUS GIRLS (SINGLE) Don’t know who Gossip are? I bet you know their lead singer Beth Ditto. Even better tey have already written a legendary anthem Standing On The Edge Of Control. This song might not be as good, but with Beth’s voice – it’s not bad at all. www.myspace.com/Gossipband www.gossipyouth.co.uk SOHODOLLS – RIGHT & RIGHT AGAIN (SINGLE) After the Goo-Goo Dolls, New York Dolls and Pussycat Dolls come the SohoDolls. This single is released just before their debut album and is a catchy enough song which could be ideal for commercial radio. There are actually two ‘dolls’ in this group – Maya van Doll and Weston Doll – I’m not sure whether there are their real names though! www.myspace.com/sohodolls www.sohodolls.co.uk
T V & RADIO 27
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
FULL OF IT
Belfast boy
BIG Brother’s Little Brother host Dermot O’Leary has hit out at negative comments made by fellow TV presenter Vernon Kay about presenting The X Factor. The Gameshow Marathon presenter said if he was offered the opportunity to present the highly popular ITV 1 talent he would turn it down. Dermot, who was reportedly offered a £1 million contract to replace Kate Thornton as host of the hit show, branded Kay a liar. He said: “It’s the biggest show in the country. Unless you’re Jonathan Ross or Ant and Dec, if you say you’d turn it down, you’re full of s***. “Everyone else who says they’d turn it down, they’re lying”. He added: “Even Davina McCall wouldn't turn that job down — she told me herself”.
WORDS BY TINA CALDER
FAMOUSLY KNOWN FOR PLAYING THE CONTROVERSIAL, CROSS-DRESSING, BISEXUAL KRIS IN CHANNEL 4’S HIT SHOW HOLLYOAKS - GERARD MCCARTHY IS A VERSATILE ACTOR CAPABLE OF COMEDY, REAL LIFE DRAMA AND LIGHT-HEARTED ENTERTAINMENT.
KELLIE CUNNINGHAM
ALL TALK BACK ON SCREEN THIS MONTH, AFTER A BREAK FOR THE SUMMER GERARD TOOK SOME TIME OUT OF FILMING TO TELL CLASS HOW HE GOT TO WHERE HE IS TODAY. The Belfast-born actor’s career was given its kickstart when he was awarded the Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Scholarship to train at Laine Theatre Arts where he graduated in 2002. This scholarship was more poignant for Gerard because Kenneth Branagh was one of his inspirations as a young boy, Kenneth too grew up in working class Belfast before moving to England later in life. More recently Gerard’s acting talent was recognised by the British Soap Awards in 2007 where he received a nomination for Best Newcomer for his role in Hollyoaks. At home he was awarded the Big Buzz / Naked Sun Irish Entertainment Award 2007 for Best Irish TV Actor. Since Gerard realised his dream he has been tunnel-visioned in his pursuit of the perfect role. He said: “When you find a role like Kris in Hollyoaks it is an actor’s dream because he’s a totally different person to me. I am not playing myself or a version of myself, I really have to act. “Apart from that I’ve had some amazing storylines and of course that is something every actor dreams of”.
Gerard’s professional career began when he tread the boards at the Perth Repertory Theatre in the hit musical Carousel. Later that year he returned to the role that first saw him step onto the stage at The Waterfront Hall in his native Belfast to play the lead role of Jack in Jack & The Beanstalk Millennium Theatre in Derry, Northern Ireland. On the film front Gerard has played a number of roles such as Jack in No Place To Go (directed by Miguek Guerreiro, 2003) and the lead role of Graham in Pop Goes The Bhangra (directed by Rajesh Nair, 2005). But acting isn’t his only forte. Gerard is also an accomplished singer and dancer and has appeared in a number musicals such as Mamma Mia (London, 2003), On Eagle’s Wing (Belfast, 2004) and Saturday Night Fever (London, 2004). In 2006 after presenting a number of TV projects Gerard was offered a part in the popular soap Hollyoaks. “In just 18 months Kris has had his fair share of ups and downs” said Gerard, adding: “From struggling with his sexuality and the consequences of telling friends and family to dealing with an HIV scare and
Making air waves BELFAST STUDENT RADIO HAS JUST BEEN AWARDED AN FM BROADCAST LICENSE – AND ARE LOOKING FOR STUDENTS TO HEAD IT UP. The full time five-year license will allow the student run station to broadcast to the Belfast City area, and although still in the initial set-up stages, are recruiting those with an interest in any of the aspects of broadcasting.
BSR will be offering full training to anyone who has an interest in broadcasting – and whether it’s production, technical, marketing, or scriptwriting you are interested in, there promises to be something for you. This is an invaluable opportunity for anyone
PHOTOS BY RYAN KENNEDY
falling in and out of love - if nothing else”. The role of Kris has cemented Gerard’s reputation as a versatile actor capable of inciting a range of emotions in his viewers. Away from Hollyoaks Gerard has been pursuing other dreams such as singing and modelling. This year he was one of the headlining acts at the Big Buzz / Naked Sun Irish Entertainment Awards in Belfast singing the George Michael classic Faith. Gerard is now preparing to conquer his immense fear of heights and abseil down the side of the Europa Hotel in Belfast for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. He told CLASS: “It is the most incredible place, so incredible that when they asked me to abseil down the Europa Hotel I said yes in a heartbeat. “Now I have only just realised the repercussions of that because I’m heart scared of heights. “My visit to the Hospice has changed my life, it did renew my enthusiasm and drive for what I do.” If you would like to help Gerard reach his £5,000 target you can donate online at www.justgiving.com/gerardmccarthy.
BY RYAN KENNEDY
willing to fork out the small membership fee of about a fiver, and if you’re interested, BSR can be contacted at: belfaststudentradio@yahoo.com or from their website: belfaststudentradio.com. By the way they’re still looking for a decent name for the station – email your ideas to the address above and you could win a Hi-Fi system.
UTV are to launch a new alltalk national radio station next summer, it has been revealed. The moves comes as 4Digital, of which UTV plc is a 10 per cent shareholder, was awarded license to operate the UK’s second digital multiplex by OfCom, which has also allowed majority shareholder Channel 4 to initiate its own plans for three new radio stations. Talk Radio is set to offer listeners news and entertainment in an ‘informative and opinionated’ format, and will cement UTV Radio as UTV plc’s largest division, with 24 radio stations across the UK.
JIM’S BACK FORMER Coronation Street star Charles Lawson is set to walk the cobbles once again as Jim McDonald but without his trademark moustache.
The County Fermanagh actor, who played the fiery Belfast man for over a decade, can’t wait to return, minus the “tash”. “I had 10 years of that tash and it's not coming back”, he said. “When I first got Coronation Street I had just done a part where I had to have a moustache and when the producers saw me they said for me to keep it and that was it - I was stuck with it”. Charles, 48, left the soap seven years ago when his character was jailed for murdering drug dealer Jez Quigley and his Christmas return could spell trouble for his former wife Liz McDonald. ANDREA CLARKE
28 FOOD & DRINK
Diet Coke gets a make-over DIET COKE RECENTLY LAUNCHED SIX LIMITED EDITION DESIGN CANS FEATURING VIBRANT DESIGNS FROM THE WORLD OF FASHION, TEXTILES AND ART.
And to celebrate Diet Coke commissioned six of Northern Ireland and Ireland’s leading fashion designers to bring the special collection to life. Each designer was given one of the cans to inspire their piece, all with the Diet Coke theme Do Your Thing. Belfast handbag designer Jude Young made an original luxurious bag inspired by the Do Your Deluxe Thing can, while fellow Belfast resident, jewellery designer, Catherine B customised a fascinator with Swarovski crystals and fish net to symbolise Do Your Glam Thing. One of Northern ireland’s top fashion designers Una Rodden created an original lace dress inspired by the Do
Your Vintage Thing can, while Limavady eyewear designer Brian McGinn took the Do Your Mysterious Thing can to another level, creating a pair of extravagant butterfly style glasses. Representing Irish talent, world renowned shoe designer Eileen Shields created a beautiful pair of Zebra print heels to represent the Do Your Wild Thing can. Lisa O’Riordan from livebylove lingerie, inspired by the Do Your Itsy Bitsy Thing can, created a classic bikini with a twist. The limited edition Diet Coke Design Cans are available now.
A FAIR CUPPA
Cook Yourself Thin THE presenters of hit Channel 4 show Cook Yourself Thin have launched a special recipe book. The book, Cook Yourself Thin, aims to help readers drop a dress size with delicious dishes that don’t sacrifice on taste. Presenters and authors Gizzi Erskine, Harry Eastwood, Sal Henley and Sophie Michell are four normal women who all work in the food industry and love eating but they are realistic enough to know
that you can’t stuff your face with fatty, sugary foods and expect to look hot in a bikini. However they aren’t prepared to give up their favourite treats. The book is simple. There are no sums, no weird foods or diet supplements, no denial and no sweaty exercise regime. The recipe book includes advice on keeping a food diary, a food personality quiz, over 80 tempting low calorie recipes, tips on how
FAIRTRADE brand Teadirect have introduced a unique minimum pricing scheme to ensure growers are always protected from the extreme lows of the market. Cafédirect, the company behind Teadirect, want the growers to be fully rewarded for the quality of the tea that they produce so customers can enjoy a decent cuppa. Teadirect is available in packs of 40, 80 and 160 tea bags and there is also a decaffeinated version. Expect to pay around £2 for a box of 80 Teadirect tea bags. Cafédirect’s range of teas, coffees and drinking chocolate is 100 per cent Fairtrade and are available from most supermarkets, Oxfam shops, Traidcraft mail order and independent wholefood retailers.
to cut calories and fat in the food you cook, lists of the big food offenders, the surprise offenders and the skinny alternatives. Cook Yourself Thin is available now priced £14.99.
FINDUS NEW BREAD PIZZA POPULAR student dish Findus Bread Pizza getting a topping make over. Findus Ltd., a student favourite for over 30 years, is adding new toppings to its convenient, easy-to-prepare Bread Pizza range. Findus’ Cheese & Tomato French Bread Pizza has stood the test of time but this month it is to be re-launched and the range extended, with a new pack design highlighting the product’s fantastic £1 price point. Two new varieties, Ham & Pineapple and Pepperoni Supreme, will also be launched. Findus French Bread Pizzas can be oven-cooked in less than 20 minutes and can be enjoyed as a hand held snack, sliced and served as a finger food at parties or paired with salad. And because Findus believe that an informed consumer is a healthier consumer it has also put information on what percentage of your Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) of fat, salt, sugar, saturated fat and calories the products contain on the front of the pack.
CLASS RECOMMENDS
IF you’re looking for a hearty meal that won’t break the bank Maggie Mays is the choice for you. Located on the busy Botanic Avenue, the traditional eatery offers a great range of dishes at reasonable prices. Serving up the
customary Northern Ireland fry, homemade soups and stews, the menu also includes fajitas, sweet chilli chicken and spaghetti bolognese to name a few. With its cosy atmosphere and good food, Maggie Mays is definitely worth a visit.
THINGS TO DO 31
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
! t u o t e G BY RYAN KENNEDY
WHETHER YOU’RE NEW TO BELFAST OR YOU’VE BEEN LIVING JUST UP THE ROAD YOUR WHOLE LIFE, THERE’S ALWAYS SOME PART OF THE CITY YET TO EXPLORE, AND SEPTEMBER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO START GETTING CURIOUS.
MONKEY AROUND More traditionally, if you’re looking to pass away a free day and want to get clear of the city centre then you can catch the final month of Belfast Zoo’s summer opening hours. Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) and plenty more you won’t find rifling through your rubbish bin on your average street. Unless you live on the best street ever. More information and opening times can be found at www.belfastzoo.co.uk.
GARDEN GOURMET Botanic Gardens will play host to the Garden Gourmet festival this month, where you can make the most of the crazy Northern Irish summer, sampling delicious food in one of Belfast’s most beautiful parks. Entry is £2 and the festival will run on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 between 12.30pm and 6pm both days.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL If you want to chance your luck some more and run with the outdoor theme, Custom House Square will be playing host to the Urban Beach Tour from September 13 to September 16, which will showcase the growing trend of professional Beach Volleyball which is currently sweeping South America, the USA, Australia and mainland Europe. If you want to find out what people do when they actually have a summer, it’s a definite must. More info at www.urbanbeachtour.co.uk
ALTERNATIVE GIG If a bit of alternative music is more you’re thing the Belfast’s 9th Open House Festival takes place from September 26 to September 30 at various venues across the Cathedral Quarter. Anything from
American Roots music, Old-Time, punky Bluegrass, Cajun and Creole, Lo-Fi Punk Blues, Irish Traditional Music and Alt country can be found across over 60 events at this year’s festival. So if you’ve had your fill of Razorlight for the year, check out www.openhousefestival.com/2007 for the full line up.
GOLF ADVENTURE For the competitor in you, and the pirate, check out Pirate Adventure Golf at Dundonald Ice Bowl, where two nautically-themed courses over 36 holes will unleash the Jack Sparrow in you, if you’re happy enough to settle for a golf club instead of a sword. Go to www.piratesadventuregolf.com for more details. Warning – you may get wet.
ON STAGE More the indoors type? Then a trip to the theatre may be in order. Disney’s magical, marvellous and multi-award winning Beauty and the Beast is getting the stage treatment – songs and all. Straight from the west end and running from September 11 to September 22, ticket prices start from £13.50. Show times can be found at www.goh.co.uk.
CAMPAIGN
CARBON ISSUE
The more proactive will be kept very busy this month, as Amnesty International and The LifestyleGreen Show will be making their voice heard. Amnesty will be holding a conference to highlight their campaigns Human Rights in China and Stop Violence Against Women on September 15 from 9.30am to 5pm at Queen’s University. More details are on www.amnesty.org.uk/conferences.
If saving the planet is more your bag, then The LifestyleGreen Show is a first for Ireland – showcasing environmentally friendly alternatives to every day household items and tasks. Taking place at The King’s Hall, it’s a definite must for anyone who wants to know just what a Carbon Footprint is. Check out www.lifestylegreen.com for a full list of activities, workshops and talks.
My name is Lily and I live in Belfast Zoo...
BELFAST
ZOO I was born in the Zoo on the 3rd June and measured just 37cm. I am very special as lions like me no longer exist in the wild. Come and see me in the zoo. Family fun for just £21.
* A family ticket admits 2 adults and 2 children.
www.belfastzoo.co.uk
focused on professionals
PRG launched in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2002 and then in Belfast in 2004 to provide a leading professional recruitment service to customers across the UK. Since then PRG and its team of dedicated consultants have built a prestigious reputation amongst clients and candidates alike, focusing on quality, business growth, career growth and above all, effectiveness! Every PRG consultant is highly trained and experienced recruiter who understands that a strong relationship with our customers is key to successful placements. Common sense to us, but not always common practice in our industry.
Our specialist divisions are:
prgaccountsteam
prgpropertyteam
temporary accountancy and finance professionals
recruiting property professionals
prgfinancial
prgtechsearch
permanent finance professionals
specialised technical recruitment
prglawsearch
prgsupportteam
specialised legal staffing
office support staffing
Full & Part time Positions available in Belfast City Centre. circa £15k! These positions are ideal for those interested in a written correspondence environment dealing with complaints and written queries in a professional manner. You will be required to liase with internal departments and resolve cases demonstrating an excellent level of customer service at all times. Ideally you will have had experience in one of the following roles; Letter writing, correspondence customer service advisor, complaints investigator. For more details on these exciting opportunities please contact Rachel Auld 02890 314 644 or forward your CV to rachelauld@prgrecruitment.com
Temporary positions available in Belfast City Centre – Top rates! Looking for extra cash? Want more flexibility in your work? Need something immediately while looking for the Ideal perm position? Student? Whatever your reason for seeking a temp position we will match your skills and requirement to the best option for you! Our client is an extremely innovative and dynamic company, they are looking for enthusiastic individuals with hands on approach to work with the ability to take on a variety of tasks and to deal with people at all levels. For more details on these exciting opportunities please contact Elaine Colton 02890 314 644 or forward your CV to elainecolton@prgrecruitment.com
BELFAST 02890 314 644 • EDINBURGH 0131 240 0790 • GLASGOW 0141 331 9380 www.prgrecruitment.com Professional Recruitment Group Limited, trading as PRG, acts as both an Employment Business and an Employment Agency
Get to work
RECRUITMENT 33
BY TINA CALDER
IT’S HARD ENOUGH TRYING TO FIT GOING TO COLLEGE AROUND YOUR TEENAGE SOCIAL LIFE WITHOUT HAVING TO FIND A JOB. But sadly that’s the position many young students are in. Between going to class, doing course-work and generally trying not to let the parents down at the end of the day if you want to live like a student you’ve got to have the cash to go with it. For some finding a part-time job will be easy, you will be a sociable, out-going, flamboyant and maybe even extroverted character – ideal for working in a bar or restaurant. Not everyone is suited to this kind of work and therefore it is important to look for other means of getting some pennies together for the odd day or night out with your friends. Or worst case scenario, enough to pay your rent. So to make the best of your time why not decide what kind of person you are and find job to suit by being honest with yourself and using our chart below to help.
LABOURING OR PHYSICAL WORK This kind of work suits people who are good hard grafters. You need to have a certain amount of strength and you need to be willing to get dirty in the process. Getting up early or working weekends is a must and you have to be able to take direction. Of course you need to have good common sense. Labouring work can suit people who are lacking in confidence or shy and who prefer not to come face to face with the public.
RETAIL To work on the high street or in a supermarket for example, it is important you are friendly and approachable. Because you will be handling other people’s money you will need adequate numeracy skills and you must be
responsible. It is also important to be able to work both in a team and on your own initiative as well as making sure you are on time for opening.
CALL CENTRES Remaining calm under pressure and being patient with your customers is a must in any call centre – these jobs can be frustrating. You should be the type of person who is willing to work alone but know when to ask for help and have the confidence to do so. Because you may be in charge of people’s sensitive details you have to be responsible and respect their confidentiality.
HOSPITALITY The hospitality industry is one of the biggest student employers in Northern Ireland, from bars and restaurants to
hotels and the tourism industry it’s important that anyone hoping to work on the front lines of this industry are confident, bubbly and friendly. Expect to work late hours and have early starts – and you can be sure you will lose your weekend quite a bit. You need to be able to cope with the unexpected and of course adequate numeracy and memory skills are a must along with the ability to work in a team.
OFFICE WORK If you’re organised and efficient this could be the perfect place for you in the student work force. A good telephone manner and decent computer skills will also be necessary, as is the ability to work alone and in a team. And as all office juniors know – you need to be prepared to run to the post office, do the filing and photocopying and make the tea and coffee.
DELIVERY / COURIER It seems obvious but just incase it isn’t you need a good clean driving licence for this one – either for a motorbike or a car. Good road sense and a sense of direction will also make your life easier. If you like working alone and have good time management this could be the perfect job.
PROMOTIONS & MARKETING If you’re the extrovert of the gang and have no problem approaching strangers and dealing with rejection this is the perfect student job for you. Whether it’s giving out leaflets, doing surveys or collecting for charity it’s important you aren’t pushy but are determined and enthusiastic about your work.
MEMBERSHIP SALES RECRUITER Temporary Post Are you friendly and outgoing? Do you enjoy meeting people and working to targets? Could you sell membership of Europe’s biggest conservation charity? The National Trust is seeking a self-motivated and results-driven individual to promote and sell National Trust membership in shopping centres, public & private organisations, countryside car parks and fairs. The Membership Sales Recruiter will represent the National Trust in Northern Ireland and must have the ability to inspire people to visit our properties and become members. You will work at times from a National Trust vehicle. The successful applicant will have: • • • • •
A desire to succeed and achieve results A persuasive and outgoing personality Excellent communication skills A commitment to provide the highest level of customer care The ability to work on your own initiative
A full driving licence is essential and applicants must have own transport. Sales experience and a genuine interest and knowledge in the work of the National Trust are desirable. It is essential you are available to work weekends and bank holidays. Full training will be given. Rate of pay £6 - £7 per hour, depending on experience. Closing date for completed applications: 28th September Please contact susan.black@nationaltrust.org.uk for an online application form and job spec. As a conservation charity we encourage online applications however if you do not have access to a computer please call Susan Black on 028 9751 2347.
RECRUITMENT 35
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
A is for Apple… B is for Belfast Met
DO YOU HAVE THE X-FACTOR? X-FACTOR and Big Brother’s Little Brother presenter Dermot O’Leary advises students that getting qualifications and work experience is important for any job.
BY RYAN KENNEDY
IT’S always comforting to know as you start another year’s study there’s a little extra money in the bank when take-away just seems like a better idea than boiling that kettle for the tenth pot noodle in a row. And yet rents are on the up, and wages don’t seem to be matching the trend. Recruitment agencies like Apple Recruitment could be just what you need to get that extra few quid when you feel like you’re drowning in a mountain of application forms for jobs you don’t really feel suited for in the first place. As a former student of Belfast Metropolitan (formerly Belfast Institute of Further & Higher Education), Caroline McKelvey of Apple maintains close links with students and faculty ensuring the right person gets the right job, and the courses students are undertaking are still relevant enough to ensure employment after graduation. Through working with Apple for over ten years she has seen how something as simple as walking through the door of a recruitment agency would solve a lot of peoples’ employment worries far quicker than a day’s trek around the city centre making enquiries in every bar and café. Apple are currently recruiting for around 200 jobs in inbound customer services for call centres in both City Centre and West Belfast locations – a sector which has established itself well in the part-time workforce as a higher income alternative to other sectors with high levels of parttime employees. Caroline was keen to stress the benefits of these positions to students seeking new employment. She said: “You’re getting around the £5.70/£6.00 per hour mark, which is quite good. And that’s one of the perks of going through a recruitment agency, as we can set it up so quickly, so you can get something sorted sooner rather than later. The turnaround time frame is really good as opposed to spending weeks upon weeks going through loads of application forms – we
CAROLINE’S TIPS And for anyone considering venturing into the parttime call centre world, here are Caroline’s Top Tips. 1) The first thing is to be enthusiastic, be motivated, and to keep in contact with the agency you are hoping to be recruited thorough– you need to show your interest. 2) If there are assessments to attend, or interviews, be punctual and make sure you attend. 3) Once you get the job, be consistent. Remain punctual and stay loyal to the company. It’s very easy with part time work to just to muck around, and it’s very important that doesn’t happen – because it reflects badly on you.
can do all that for you and get everything done a lot quicker. “The time frame can vary but at the minute because we have so much in we could literally have someone walk through the door and have something for the immediately – although start dates could be something like a week away, so it’s usually within the week at the most.” Because the sector has become dependant on a part-time work force in many respects, most employers in call centres will be flexible around class-time hours and study demands, and Caroline believes the benefits of such positions are something a lot of people overlook.
She said: “They are very flexible, evenings, weekends, and morning – whatever fits in with their own timetable. So those are the best for students at the minute, they’re quite well paid, they’re nice surroundings, nice situation and good experience as well.” As soon as the money starts coming in, it’s often very easy to hit the overtime and plan a few more nights out than is healthy, but Caroline recommends most
students should aim to work a 15 hour week. “Per week we would normally recommend around 15 hours per week, something like that because you could do a couple of days at the weekend, or you could spread it out over a couple of evenings or mornings, and that would get you a decent salary, I mean there’s no point in working for £20 a week. I think they do need to be decent enough hours while allowing time to concentrate on the studies.” Although any student will be using part time work as a bit of extra cash flow, Caroline stressed the importance of being enthusiastic towards your work – as it can make the difference between catching an employer’s eye and attending interview after interview with no end in sight. She said: “As well as looking at educational background, the kind of work experience you have, and also any sort of skills such as customer service, working well with team members, they have to be enthusiastic – somebody who shows that they actually want to work, not necessarily having years and years of experience, just somebody who wants to show their interest in getting something. Although what most students will be looking for is part time work it’s still really important they show they want to work.” Term-time work isn’t for everyone though. More demanding courses can often limit free time to the basics of eating and sleeping, and many recruitment agencies will also offer seasonal work – such as summer jobs or temporary holiday staff. Caroline said: “The good thing about summer work is that you can get different kinds of roles, which would offer different kinds of experience, which looks good on a CV, and also you can work full time.”
WHERE TO FIND APPLE Apple are based in James Street South, right in the city centre, just around the corner from the Brunswick site of the BMC, and registration takes no more than 15 minutes.
He said: “I did a BA in Media and Television with a minor in Politics at Middlesex. It's funny, almost every producer that I know will look at a showreel, and will look at one that someone has done themselves more than one that someone has gone on one of these presenter courses or something. “I think going to college or university shows someone can work for three years and get something whatever that may be. I don't think that it is a bad idea for anyone. “However, I would say I met more morons at university than anywhere else in my entire life. “I have got ten friends from university who I am still in touch with and those are the ten people that I want to be in touch with. “A lot of places do internships or offer work experience. I think this is a great way to get a bit of experience”. Dermot is currently a presenter on ITV’s X-Factor, Channel 4’s Big Brother’s Little Brother and has his own show on Radio 2 every Saturday. He also owns his own broadcast production company Murphia.
DID YOU KNOW? THAT according to the National Council for Work Experience, up to 62 per cent of employers have taken on people to give them a taste of the job in a bid to find permanent staff. THAT people from Northern Ireland who have been through higher education earn 87 per cent more on average than those who haven’t. Nine out of 10 graduates are working compared to six out of 10 non-graduates. And around two thirds of higher education students get help with their tuition fees.
EXCITING NEW STUDENT SERVICE
REGISTER NOW! • part-time jobs to help fund your college experience • full-time jobs when ready to move on • regular employability events and seminars • drawing up a CV • writing cover letters • completing application forms • interview tips and skills • behaviour in the work place • legislation in the work place • regular ezine, advising you of the latest jobs and events • regular SMS message updates
For further information, check out the website under Student Support / Employment Services or contact pmcguinness@belfastmet.ac.uk
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
RECRUITMENT 37
Advertorial
Be part of the Botanic Inns Team THINKING of a job in hospitality? Then look no further than one of Northern Ireland’s leading companies Botanic Inns. Ranked one of the UK’s top 50 best places to work by the Financial Times, Botanic Inns offers the very best opportunities to meet customers from all over the world and create the perfect hospitality experience. The dynamic company offers a range of bar, restaurant and hotel accommodation services, and their
current portfolio comprises 15 outlets, covering the geographical area of Belfast, Newtownards and Downpatrick. Working at Botanic Inns is challenging, fast moving and a financially rewarding career. The company is committed to the development of its 520 strong workforce providing training, career progression and opportunities to work in a range of different roles. Stephen Magorrian, Managing
Director, Botanic Inns said: “It is a fantastic achievement for Botanic Inns to be placed in the Financial Times top 50 workplaces two years running. It demonstrates the commitment, camaraderie and flexible working experience that our employees enjoy. “This highlights our ability to compete with the very best companies within the UK and we will continue to deliver on all facets of our business to ensure that our workplace is one which our
employees continue to be proud of. “We invest across a range of issues such as contributory pension scheme, childcare vouchers, work life balance initiative and life assurance amongst others to deliver a better working experience for all our employees. “Join our team today and enjoy
the benefits of working for a top class, leading company”.
YOU COULD BE WORKING AT ONE OF THESE TOP SPOTS THE BOTANIC INN With three different bars, this Belfast bar is Northern Ireland’s leading live entertainment and sports bar, offering live big screen sport, tantalising restaurant style food, live music and prize winning pub quizzes. MCHUGH’S Dating back to its establishment in 1711, McHugh’s Bar and Restaurant boasts a 100-seater restaurant, a basement bar offering live entertainment and
the main gallery, providing enough space and atmosphere for a great night out. THE KITCHEN BAR One of the most historical pubs in Belfast, the Kitchen Bar dates back to 1859 and recently relocated to make way for the new Victoria Square development but still retains all the charm and charisma that visitors experienced at its original location. THE NORTHERN WHIG This award-winning
neo-classic bar boasts 150 seat restaurant serving cosmopolitan cuisine, a window fronted coffee bar, an 80 seat mezzanine floor, and a bar serving cocktails to the latest cool tunes. THE GLOBE An exceptionally popular university area bar, The Globe is open seven days a week, serving fantastic food at a reasonable price with the city’s best karaoke and DJ’s on every night.
MADISONS HOTEL The boutique hotel offers the best in contemporary accommodation and the restaurant, serves breakfast, lunches and evening meals, with live bands and DJs playing the Cafe Bar and Club33. APARTMENT This hip and funky style bar, open from early morning, offers sophisticated casual dining all day and laid back lounge grooves in the evening.
THE PARADOR HOTEL Situated on Belfast’s busy Ormeau Road the family-run Parador Hotel is a bar with distinctive character playing live sports in comfortable surroundings, with its nicely subdued background music has a warm and friendly atmosphere. THE KING’S HEAD A recent, major refurbishment has seen the King’s Head re-open and quickly become one of the Lisburn Road`s finest venues,
combining both fresh food in its 120-seater restaurant, local character and a dedicated live lounge gastro pub with a beer garden. THE FLY The student party bar is open seven days a week playing the latest hits and is usually packed by 10pm at the weekend, the dedicated staff can also accommodate birthday parties, office parties or Christmas parties.
38 COMPE TITIONS
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
GET FRESH WITH BOOTS BOOTS has teamed up with CLASS to give new students the chance to freshen up for Freshers’ Week. The leading retailer is offering one girl and one boy a special Boots Expert goody bag with everything you need to make a good impression this September. The Boots Expert range is the definitive answer to those everyday health and beauty problems we all suffer from, but keep putting off. The girls’ prize contains Sensitive Gentle Hand Wash, White Toothpaste, Sensitive Moisture Boost Hand Cream and Sensitive Daily Defence Moisture Cream SPF 15. And for the boys, there is Sensitive Gentle Hand Wash, White Toothpaste, Sensitive Intensive Moisturiser SPF 15, and Sensitive Cleansing Face Scrub. To be in with the chance to win, simply answer the following question.
Q: What is the name of the Boots range described as the definitive answer to everyday health and beauty problems? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with BOOTS COMP in your subject line. (Please state whether you are entering to win the Girl or Boy pamper pack). CLOSING DATE: 5PM FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
WIN TICKETS TO GREEN SHOW
THE LifestyleGreen Show 2007, sponsored by NIE Your Energy and Environment & Heritage (DOE) and Action Renewables, will take place on Saturday September 15 and Sunday 16, 2007 at The King’s Hall, Belfast, and CLASS has got 15 pairs of tickets to give away. The prize, worth £150, will grant lucky students entry into the green event, the first of its kind on the island of Ireland. The Lifestyle Green Show will showcase all aspects of a greener lifestyle with everything from solar power to organic food, fashion to recycling and health to education. Exhibitors include NIE Your Energy, EHS, Osram, Action Renewables, IKEA, Bryson House, Greenmount College, Metropolitan College, Belfast City Council, Energy Savings Trust, National Trust, R.S.P.B. and N.I.Water. To be in with the chance to win, simply answer the following question. Q: Where is the LifestyleGreen Show 2007 taking place this year? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with GREEN COMP in your subject line. Closing Date: 5pm Thursday September 13, 2007.
WIN FREE DAY TRIP
DESIGNER SPECS UP FOR GRABS FASHION savvy students don’t need to go any further than Specsavers Opticians when choosing a fresh look for the new term. Super-stylish ranges, aimed at both men and women, include funky brands such as fcuk, Roxy, Quiksilver, Red or Dead, and Specsavers’ own best selling designer range, Osiris. To ensure that you get noticed this term make sure you call into Specsavers in Ann Street, where one of the experienced frame stylists will help you choose a pair of specs to suit your face shape, colouring and hair style. CLASS has teamed up with Specsavers, Ann Street, Belfast to offer two lucky readers the chance to win a pair of designer specs. To be in with the chance of winning simply answer the question below. Q: WHAT ARE SPECSAVERS’ OWN DESIGNER GLASSES CALLED? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with SPEC COMP in your subject line CLOSING DATE: 5PM FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
NORFOLKLINE Irish Sea has joined forces with CLASS to offer a very special prize. The ferry service travels from Belfast to Liverpool and has great money saving offers ideal for students. Thinking of visiting a friend at university in Liverpool or the neighbouring Preston, Salford, Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham, or maybe you just fancy a break from the back-to-school blues, Norfolkline have a great way for students to save. By sharing the trip four passengers with a car can sail from Belfast to Liverpool from just £59 single on day sailings from Tuesday to Sunday, and it even includes your lunch. You can book online at norfolkline.com, using offer code UNI. Terms and conditions apply. And one lucky reader can win a return daytime sailing for a car and two passengers, including lunch. To be in with the chance to win, simply answer the following question. Q: What is Norfolkline’s web address? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with NORFOLKLINE in your subject line. CLOSING DATE: 5PM FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
WIN AN HMV GOODY BAG LEADING entertainment chain HMV has teamed up with CLASS to offer two lucky readers the chance to win an HMV goody bag including a signed Humanzi album, signed Aslan single, signed Republic of Loose album, a District 13 DVD and more. Summer might not have arrived in Northern Ireland but with 10 stores and an online shop at www.hmv.com, HMV gets you closer to the music, film and games you love. (This prize is non transferable). To be in with a chance to win these special goodies simply answer the following question: Q: How many stores does HMV have in Northern Ireland? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with HMV COMP in your subject line. CLOSING DATE: 5PM FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
WIN FIVE PAIRS OF MOVIE HOUSE TICKETS!
CLASS has teamed up with student favourite Movie House Cinemas to offer five lucky readers a pair of tickets to Movie House and free munchies. That’s right – a free night at the cinema with popcorn and Coke too – at Movie House Dublin Road, Yorkgate, Glengormley, Maghera or Coleraine at the Jet Centre. Movie House is big into students, with ticket prices just £3.75 every day with a valid student card and the legendary CRAZY TUESDAY promotion where tickets cost just £2.50 – it’s a great night out that won’t bust the budget. And Movie House also offers free online booking, even for student tickets, at www.moviehouse.co.uk as well as free parking. What more could you want? With loads of movies coming up this autumn, including some very scary flicks for Halloween, our lucky winners are in for a treat. To be in with the chance of winning simply answer the question below. Q: What is Movie House Cinemas’ weekly promotion called? Send your entries to competitions@inkwellpeople.com with MOVIE COMP in your subject line. CLOSING DATE: 5PM FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007.
SPORT 39
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
BBC SEARCH FOR LOCAL SPORT HEROES Now in its fifth year, the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award 2007 competition invites people across the UK to nominate the people who have made an outstanding contribution at the grassroots level of local sport. A local winner will be chosen in each BBC region - in
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - by panel of judges. Bursaries of up to £2,500 are available to winners of each regional award to help them with their work in sport. The shortlisted regional winners will then join the sporting stars of today at the glittering BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award ceremony at Birmingham's NEC in December, where the overall UK winner will be announced. The awards bash will be shown live on BBC One.
Sporting nation PEOPLE from Ireland and Northern Ireland spend more time playing sports and are generally not as lazy as their counterparts in mainland Britain, a survey has revealed. According to the report, carried out by sports footwear brand HI-TEC, 63 per cent of people from Ireland and Northern Ireland will spend an hour or more playing sport each week, while one in five British people don’t do any exercise at all. However, both surveys have shown that few people play sports as much as they did in school, more than three quarters of British people and 84 per cent of Irish. Only five per cent of people in Ireland and
Northern Ireland now play six hours of sport a week, while 16 per cent played six hours or more when at school. Of the 5,000 people involved in the survey, almost half of British people said they don’t have enough time, another 18 per cent said they just cant be bothered. The same percentage of people in Ireland and Northern Ireland just aren’t motivated enough to play sports, but only a quarter cited not having enough time. Most people, 41 per cent, said they would do more if their friends would do it with them, with a quarter of British people giving the same answer.
So if you know someone in your area who goes an extra mile to change the lives of others through sport and deserves recognition, the BBC want to hear from you. You can nominate people who, on a voluntary basis, prepare facilities, roll the pitch, coach the juniors, run local sports leagues or work behind the scenes so that sport can be played and enjoyed throughout the UK. Nominations for the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award can be made at bbc.co.uk/sportsunsunghero until Saturday November 3, 2007.
GEORGE BEST SCULPTURE UNVEILED IN LA BELFAST born football legend George Best has been honoured at a exhibition in Los Angeles for his contribution to European football and American soccer. The former Manchester United striker, who died in November 2005, has been immortalised in a sculpture by LA artist Chris Beas. The show titled Milieu displays the bronze figurine of Best with the inscription: “No That Really Is Jesus, He Only Looks Like
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George Best”. The exhibition at the Lizabeth Oliveria Gallery also features several sculptures with a scrum of toy-sized figurines both tackling each other and ducking it out for a conspicuously absent ball. Called Pitch Invasion, the installation also features a work with a video by the British rock group Stone Roses.
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www.belfastcity.gov.uk/leisure
BY RYAN ARMSTRONG
THE BBC IS SET TO HONOUR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH SPORT.
SPORT 40
CLASS | ISSUE 1 | SEPTEMBER 2007
Sport for all BELFAST METROPOLITAN COLLEGE, ONE OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S MOST SUCCESSFUL SPORTING INSTITUTIONS, IS RECRUITING FRESH TALENT FOR ITS MANY GOAL SCORING TEAMS.
OLYMPIC CHAMPION
WIN: GAA captains celebrate their win.
TEAM WORK: Team that brought the college victory in the Division 2 All-Ireland.
All clubs welcome participants of all ability, so everyone who wants to play a sport, from beginners to experts, can get involved. Last year the teams performed exceptionally well, with many winning in their divisions. The men’s soccer team remained unbeaten with four impressive victories and a hard fought draw in their return to the NICAFL Division 2 league.
The boys scored 20 goals in very impressive performances against Queen’s University, Greenmount College, Jordanstown and Coleraine. This successful run saw them promoted to Division 1 after only one year in the competition. With similar success, the men’s Gaelic team beat Letterkenny, Coleraine and Trinity College, Dublin to take the Division 2 All-
Ireland final for the second consecutive year. They have not lost a league match in over two years in a run and Belfast Metropolitan will now play in Division 1 for the forthcoming season and in the Sigerson competition, against local teams Queen’s University, Jordanstown and St. Mary’s College. The Belfast Met rugby players recorded impressive victories last year. Andrew Doherty followed up his runaway victory in the Senior Boys’ race at the Schools’ District
Championship in Ormeau Park with a similar victory at the Ulster Schools’ Championship at Mallusk in February. Paralympic world champion and record holder, Michael McKillop fared very well in both the All Ireland Championship and the Irish Universities championships in April. If GAA, soccer or rugby isn’t your sport of choice the Students' Union has a number of funds to help run activities across the College. All students are entitled to apply for these funds to help cover the costs of an event. In the past students have organised activities ranging from an annual fashion show and theatre visits to team building and volunteer events. If you’re interested in joining one of the College sports teams, or if you would like to set up a new activity call Brian Slevin on 02890 265238, or 07834592959 alternatively you can email bslevin@belfastmet.ac.uk.
CASTLEREAGH student Connor Hanna scooped five medals at the Special Olympics European Youth Games in Rome earlier this year. Connor, who is studying the Steps to Employment - Life and Work Skills programme, took part in five individual gymnastics events, impressing competition judges. His superb performance earned him two golds, two silvers and a bronze.
GOLF STAR SPORTS Studies student Jenny Young is turning heads at the golf club after winning the Most Improved Junior Player three years running. The 16-year-old, who is a member of Shandon Park Golf Club. has won five competitions at the club and is determined to continue improving. She is currently on the reserve team for Ulster Under 18 Golfing Ladies and has high hopes to play for the main team.
INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALLER FOOTBALLER James Fawcett had a fantastic season this year, competing in several major tournaments. The Sports Studies student competed in the Foyle Cup, an international football club competition, reaching the final. The soccer star also played for Cliftonville Football Club’s Under 18s team, where they placed third in the Irish Youth League. They also won the Jack Woods Tournament.
SPORTING WOMEN HOOKED: The BIFHE rugby team get ready for action.
READY FOR ACTION: The football team get ready for a tough training session.
SANCHEZ IS THE HARDEST SAYS POLL FORMER Northern Ireland manager Lawrie Sanchez has been named one of the top five hardest Premier League managers by football blog Who Ate All The Pies. The newly appointed boss of Fulham was rated eight out of 10 in toughness by an online soccer fan, beating Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho, Liverpool’s Rafa Benitez and Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson. The website, whoateallthepies.tv, is one of the biggest football blogs on the
internet and followed on the heels of Shiny Media’s hugely successful World Cup 2006 blog. One blogger on the site posed the question: which Premier League boss would win in a fist fight and after whittling it down to five, posted: “Sanchez wears glasses but he'd take 'em off if he needed to rumble. “Was a part of Wimbledon's famous Crazy Gang, possibly the last group of players on Earth you'd want to mess with in a bar fight, and one of its harder members at that. “In another life I see Lawrie as a masked Mexican wrestler”.
In the end the former Northern Ireland international was pipped to the post by Blackburn Rover manager Mark Hughes. Sanchez, son of an Ecuadorian father and Northern Irish mother, has played for Reading, Wimbledon, Swindon Town and Sligo Rovers before becoming a club manager. While still manager of Northern Ireland, Sanchez was named as caretaker manager of Fulham following the sacking of Chris Coleman in April this year, and after helping the side avoid relegation, was made boss on a longer contract. BY ANDREA CLARKE
MCILROY: INSTANT FAME WON’T CHANGE ME NORTHERN Ireland golf champion Rory McIlroy has revealed his sudden rise to fame after winning silver at the British Open won’t change him. The 18-year-old took second place to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington at the competition last month. But Rory said it won’t change who he is. He said: “I’m still the same old Rory, I'll go up to the Holywood Golf Club after this, I'll see my mates and stuff, and nothing will have changed. “We will have a great celebration”. And before he sets off home the young sports star is heading on holiday.
SPORTING student Vicky Patterson has found her calling after attending Castlereagh Borough Council’s new initiative. The programme, which focuses on introducing women to sport, is just two hours a week and runs from September through to July. Vicky, a former footballer on the Northern Ireland Under 16 Ladies team, is using the new found skills she learned on the course to coach under 13 football teams in the Lisburn League. The students had to complete short modules including Coaching Football Level 1, Football Referee, First Aid, Child Protection, Netball Coaching Level 1, Disability Awareness and Inclusive Games.
He is going to Dubai and says he’ll be leaving the gold clubs at home. "I'll probably spend most of my time inside," he said. "It's very hot there at the moment, so I'll probably do a bit of skiing, on the [indoor] ski run” he said.