Mica magazine issue 7 April & May 2016

The unique online male lifestyle magazine

ISSUE 7

ABOUT US MICA magazine is a high-end contemporary online male lifestyle bimonthly magazine to offer an insight in fashion, sport, restaurants, music, health and fitness, gear and much more for our male audience of Aberdeen, the North-east of Scotland and beyond.

THE MICA TEAM John Prince

Steve Smith

Lauren Mitchell

Gabriel Antoniazzi

Jade Esson

Holly Jayne Mclennan

Barry Stephen

........

James Dunk

Abigail Westwood

Claire McBain

Grant Dickie

Director & Editor Sport

Health

Culture

Fashion Photographer Music Gear Illa

Sales & Marketing Food Man

Design

CONTACT US e: info@micamagazine.com t: 01224 318370 m: 07896 835110 www.micamagazine.com

ALL rights are reserved. Reproduction without permision from MICA Magazine is strictly prohibited.

MICA Magazine does not take repsponsabilty for claims made by advertisers in this issue or our website and any other media outlets associated to MICA Magazine. Prices are correct at the time of the publication of this issue.

Registered in Scotland SC518075 MICA Magazine LTD

FRONT PAGE model:

Connor Young

Fred Perry Shirt £75 Concept Clothing

Mix it up!

The Homeless World Cup

Nick Shane

Everyone, Meat Cue

Depresion, Anxiety and Stress.....

Can exercise be your therapy...?

Three exceptional bikes from Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op

RNLI

The Scooter Scene

Pauline Fraser

Westburn & Granite

Fred Perry Shirt ÂŁ75 Concept Clothing

Pretty Green Shirt £55 Scotch & Soda Jeans £115 Concept Clothing

Fred Perry Jacket ÂŁ75 Concept Clothing

Fred Perry T shirt ÂŁ35 Concept Clothing

Fred Perry Shirt ÂŁ75 Concept Clothing

Fred Perry Shirt ÂŁ75 Concept Clothing

Models - Connor Young & Talia Mathers Hair Stylist - Tom Stronach Make up - Laura Steel

Mel Young and

The Homeless World Cup

The Homeless World Cup, now in its 14th year, will be held in Glasgow later this year. The annual event will take place in George Square starting on the 10th of July for a week of football, fun and inspiration. The Homeless World Cup’s (HWC) founder Mel Young has recently been named the new Chairman of Sport Scotland and has come a long way since the HWC’s humble beginnings back in the early 2000’s. Mel spoke to MICA about his past, future, and all about this years tour-nament.

Mel was appointed his new role due to his vast experience in using sport to fuel change and better people’s lives. Mel says this began back in 1983 when he began working with homeless people. Fast forward ten years and Mel had co-founded the Big Issue in Scotland, something which is still firmly in place to this day. He continued his work battling the “global economic problem” and in 2001 a bright idea came to mind. Mel was at an international conference on street papers - a con-ference which he found fantastic and inspiring however, it had no people involved.

He instantly thought to himself “how could we involve homeless people?” He and his friend Harald Schmeid spoke straight after and

discussed the ‘power of football’ and its ability to involve everyone and unite people as anyone can join in.

The next morning at breakfast, in true entrepreneurial fashion, they decided to do it - a Homeless World Cup. The pair decided to base it around street papers, a field of their expertise, and needed somewhere to host it. Schmeid lived in Graz, Austria, which was the the European Capital of Culture in 2003 and so proposed the inaugural tournament was held there - to which Graz agreed. They began to gain many sponsors and built up a network.

The first tournament had 500 competitors from 18 countries.

Since then over 100,000 people have been involved and there are 74 partner nations. The tournament has been hosted all over the world including Cape Town, Melbourne, Rio de Janei-ro and several European capitals. This years tournament is extra special however, as it is being held in Scotland.

“The event will be fantastic” says Mel, as all of the team behind the HWC’s hard work will equal first class results. George Square is expected to be full and the aim is for as many people as possible to get involved.

For the players it is the “moment of their lives and they will love it.” For the fans it “will hopefully not only change their view on homelessness but also inspire them to greater things.” Scotland, two times winners, have not won the event since 2011 but Mel fancies our chances this time round.

“The home nations always do well.” The teams change every year so anyone could win it, which Mel says is the beauty of the competition. Although keep an eye out for the Latin teams - they are the favourites.

Mel says the event itself is just “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to changing homeless peoples lives. 80% of participants lives improve after they come through the program. The whole experience helps them as individuals - they get fit, they become a team, they increase their-confidence and self-esteem. Being part of the HWC is also a reward to people e.g. for going to their rehab classes.

But how has the HWC changed Mel? “The job is 24/7 but it has given me a deeper under-standing of homelessness and changed my perception of it. It has made me a better person.”

So what does the future hold for the Homeless World Cup? The tournament has expanded rapidly since its inception and Mel hopes it continues that trend. “The more the merrier; more countries, more people, more women.” He says the cost to organise the event will increase but that is a good problem to have. And for Mel himself ?

His role as Chairman of Sport Scotland is something that makes him feel “proud” and that he is passionate that sport is a key role in any society. “The gen-eral wellbeing of a country improves with sport.” And what of homelessness?

Can the HWC ever achieve its aim, ceasing to exist? “Call me naïve but I believe it is possible. I don’t see why not. If we put our mind to something we can make anything happen.”

Interview by Gabriel Antoniazzi Mel Young Portrait by Fiona Rennie World Cup images supplied by homelessworldcup.org

Team MICA Experience at Lochter Acivity Centre

Here at MICA, the team have been working very hard over the past 12 months on the magazine, so John the director decided it was time to get the team together and have a fun day out. But the question was what could we do? We wanted to do something a little bit different, so when the name Lochter came up, we contacted them immediately to book our day out.

With the recommendation from the lovely Michaela Reinardy, Events & Marketing Manager at Lochter, we opted to go for the adrenaline pumping go karting and then to bring the adenine back down we went for the “relaxing� clay pigeon shooting.

Upon arrival on the Sunday morning we were greeted by the Lochter team to brief us about our activities for the day while we drank our complimentary tea & coffee.

We were then handed score cards and you could instantly sense the competitiveness creeping into the team.

Article by John Prince Photography by The MICA Team

A brief walk over to Lochterstone, we were welcomed by the friendly and highly professional go karting team and after our safety briefing, the instructors recommended that the MICA team be split into two teams, Girls V’s Boys. The girls of course went fearlessly first around the track, in which they floored the 5 timed laps then another 5 laps which was a free for all race, then the boys team went out - lets just say the alfa male kicked in and there was lot of overtaking each other, or should I say cutting each other up! Competitiveness was at the maximum.

and our reactions when we got a hit! With the close guidance from Gordon we all managed to shoot those clays out of the sky one by one.

We then walked back to the main centre reflecting on the experience and sharing stories with great laughter, once we got back to the centre our scores got tallied up and winners were presented with certificates, a nice little touch by the Lochter team to finish off our day.

What a day in the beautiful countryside of Aberdeenshire with a great team, a great way to spend a We all agreed this was a brilliant way day with your work colleagues and to start off our day and truly got our friends. adrenaline pumping also we had a massive laugh, it was great to see all So why don’t you try out the fast the team having a great time so early paced go karting and the more chilled out clay pigeon shooting or on into our day. you can try out the climbing wall and zip wire, segway slalom and After our scores were marked on much more and its just 30 minutes the cards and after another cup away from Aberdeen, we highly of coffee we headed down to the shooting range to meet Donald our recommend it! clay pigeon shooting instructor, Lochter also offers versatile venue what a guy! He instantly put us all options from conference facilities, at ease with his banter and his true corporate activities or you can even professionalism and with over 50 years experience handling guns, we get married there! certainly felt safe!

To check out Lochters full packages please visit their website Again the laughter and the buzz feeling went on as we watched each www.lochter.co.uk other blasting those clays in the air

Nick Shane

Ever wished you could be in a different place? How about a different time?

The NSA are a band from Dundee bringing back the essence of 1960s Britain with the attitude and issues of the present day being discussed in their music. We sat down with frontman Nick Shane to discuss the music he makes along with his passions, and where he sees The NSA going forward.

Hey Nick! So you’re the frontman of Dundee based mod rockers The NSA - can you tell us a bit about the band and the music you make?

Right now, Steven Tasker plays drums for us and he’s brilliant.

He’s only 21 and this is his first band. Before he started playing with us, he’d only been playing drums for about a year and the kind of stuff that he plays can’t be taught. Daniel Watt plays bass and he’s been one of my good friends for years.

We’ve been playing since 2014 and we’ve managed to cover a good bit of ground in that time. We’ve played to some of Scotland’s best small venues and had some really cool gigs. Supporting shows for some of the best tribute bands the country has to offer has led us to audiences from many different genres and tastes.

Our live album which which was recorded in December in Dunfermline is available on YouTube. This was the last gig we played with our first bass player, Josh. He played on most of the tracks from TV & SUNSHINE and is a real gem of a guy. He drove us all over Scotland for our gigs and was a real asset in our personal lives as well. He’ll always be my brother.

As a band, we’ve all loved every minute of our career so far and the three of us believe this is our future.

The energy we project to our audience, and within ourselves, is raw life and energy. For me, that’s the reason I picked up a guitar nearly 15 years ago. And because there’s only three of us, we all push our dynamics and skills as much as we can.

The NSA released their debut album TV & Sunshine in 2014, and you have your own solo album, An Introspection of Now Here, on iTunes. Tell us a bit about what each record means to you?

Every record I’ve ever made has meant the world to me. Every song comes from a different part of my life, good and not so good. AN INTROSPECTION OF NOW HERE is an album of 10 songs written over a period of 3 years.

The album includes songs about the disenfranchisement of work-ing life, the music industry and the death of indie. That album was the first studio record I made, so it was like a journey I never made before. The songs also touch on involvement with drugs, which I’m not afraid to admit. There’s a song which involves my daughter, Olivia, a song about the simi-larities between the modelling industry and the music industry, and a song about my relationships in the past with both men and women.

TV & SUNSHINE was The NSA’s first album. Issues sung about in this album include gun control, drug use, unemployment and being young. My favourite track (lyrically) would be SWAY/SWING AWAY which was all about me

“coming out” as bisexual when I was 15 and how the infliction of my mother began to affect me. I see it as a song for other kids who are struggling with these types of emotions and how they shouldn’t ever give up on their pride.

“Fighting for the colours of the rain-bow, standing in the shadow of the moon”.

The band are currently working on their follow up record, what can fans expect from this?

The band have worked tirelessly to make sure FEVERLAND is going to be exceptional. Our fans can expect something very different from TV & SUNSHINE, as the band are moving to a more bluesy, soulful, and sometimes dark and meaningful mind setting. This album is as lively and dan-gerous as we’ve ever been, and once again, there are no slow songs! This is not a “difficult second album”. A few songs are quite personal to myself and the band, and we feel this is going to be a record a lot of people can relate to both musically and emotionally.

What are your plans for 2016 so far?

The band are going on a Scottish tour in April, where we’ll be playing Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. With the album due to be released in June, we’ve ploughed a crazy amount of time into that, and being our first release in nearly two years, we’ve taken every step to make sure it’s a work of art. We are also planning video shoots and memorabilia production, which are things we’ve nev-er really done before. 2016 is going to be a great year for me and The NSA. Our Facebook page is the best place to keep updated.

What words of advice would you give to anyone looking to pursue their passion in music?

Don’t ever stop believing. You are your own creator and you rule your own world. Your music is your heartbeat and it powers your entire existence.

You’ve either take it to the hilt, or you don’t. There are only so many of us who will “make it big”, but the best part is, if you’re one of the millions of people who don’t then you’ll never be denied doing the thing you were born to do. Always keep a good attitude about your project and don’t be afraid to admit when something isn’t working.

You need to have the courage to take criticism as well, without letting them see you bleed, because you will. This is a generation where too many people are ruled by their own opinion. It’s the best job I’ve ever had and unlike my other 32 jobs, I’m not clocking out anytime soon.

2016 is set to be an exciting one for The NSA and you can keep updated on their work on their Facebook page.

TV & SUNSHINE is available on Amazing Tunes as is Nick’s solo album, AN INTROSPECTION OF NOW HERE, which can also be found on Spotify.

Article and Photography by Jade Esson

Everyone, Meat Cue

For being just one year old, MICA has nibbled its way through a fair chunk of the globe already and we’ve done it right here from the comfort of our Granite City.

So where next for the North-east you ask?... The Smokey South of course!

South American restaurant, Cue Barbeque emerged from the ashes in place of fine dining restaurant The Courtyard earlier this year and promises a whole new dining concept to Aberdeen.

“We wanted to take the smoky, soul taste of South America that’s been part of our lives since before Adelphi Kitchen and bring it to our hometown meat lovers.” Said Chris Tonner, the new tavern’s Managing Director.

“Unlike the three-course dining experience you can get at Adelphi Kitchen, the casual meat and

barbequing Cue offers is something completely different.”

Cue’s state-of-the-art smoker, which could only be transported into the restaurant by removing the kitchen’s windows due its size and weight combined with Chris’ obsession for wood smoked flavours are to thank for this uniqueness.

“With Dominic Willox running our bar operation Cue’s drinks menu is both innova-tive and exciting from quirky cocktails, including our frozen margaritas and a huge selection of bourbon to exclusive beverages to the city such as Titos Handmade Texas Vodka.”

Continued Chris.

“We have been very busy so far and popular orders have been our hearty portions of ribs, brisket, and pulled pork, as well as the Angus & Oink sauce range.”

Angus & Oink sauce demon, Scott Fraser, continues to work closely in partnership with Chris and the team at Cue. The sauces are readily available on the restaurant tables for customers to try out and diners can also purchase them at the eatery too.

“Angus & Oink is launching some new sauces very soon to accompany our mouth-wateringly tender meat which promise to pack a punch.”

If you have a sweet tooth then the company’s Willy Wonka style chocolate bars cre-ated with local chocolatier Cocoa Ooze are the perfect snack to take away from the eatery. Chris’ favourite? The Smoked Bacon, Sea Salt, Caramel & Chilli bars.

With the above digested it may be unsurprising that the only thing wrong about my carnivore adventure at Cue was the fact I wore skinny jeans.

There was no point in pretending I wanted anything less than the beef brisket, pork ribs, onion rings, cheese fries and Big Mama’s mac ‘n’ cheese.

No messin’ about my calorie mountain arrived promptly with meat piled high on a tray accompanied by pickles, salted onions and padron peppers.

I don’t remember much after that just the intense, finger lickin’ BBQ flavour from the rub, smoke and sauce.

It was one of those occassions where dessert was not needed but when did ‘need’ ever come into the equation with Mississipi Mud Pie Trifle?

So, since I’m presuming you’ll be going, you’ve been warned – prepare for meat sweats and dress accordingly!

CUE BBQ can be found on 1 ALFORD LANE, ABERDEEN To book a table give them a call 01224 58910 or email them HELLO@CUEBBQ.CO.UK OPENING TIMES MON-FRI 10.30AM - 3 & 5 - 10PM SAT/SUN ALL DAY

Article by Jane McLennan Photography by John Prince

Depression, Anxiety & Stress...

Can exercise be your therapy?

Current studies are showing that 1 in 4 people will suffer from a mental health issue each year with a combination of depression and anxiety being the most common issue. Stress and work related stress in particular is also a serious issue with current statistics for 2014/2015 showing that 35% of all work related ill health issues are related to stress. In fact 9.9 million working days in the UK were lost due to stress last year which equates to 43% of all working days lost due to health issues being down to stress.

So can exercise do anything to help reduce these statistics‌? It’s been well documented that regular exercise can help improve on physical health issues, but what about mental health?

Well science says it can with research pointing to as little as 5 minutes of aerobic exercise a day being enough to stimulate anti-anxiety effects.

Other studies have shown that exercise may improve mental wellbeing as a coping mechanism for stress.

Science has also provided some evidence that those who live a more active lifestyle show lower rates of depression and anxiety than those who are largely sedentary.

In another study, researchers found that those who did regular vigorous exercise were 25% less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years.

From my own experience I have worked with many who have been suffering from one or all of the issues mentioned.

I think this in itself suggests that people with mental health problems are reaching to exercise as a means to cope or overcome these issues.

Why choose exercise though? Well, one of the greatest benefits to exercise is the release of endorphins.

Endorphins are often classified to be the happy hormones.

Any form of physical activity leads to the release of these feel good hormones. The increase in endorphins in your body leads to a feeling of euphoria, modulation of appetite and an enhancement of immune response all of which will have a positive impact on negative feelings, stress or worry.

A client of mine who suffers from anxiety says: “The difference in how I feel, my mood and my general outlook on life is always better after a training session�

Goal setting may also be key. Training for something or towards something notable will likely help combat the negative effects of stress as another client with anxiety who I have worked with points out.

“Having a goal helps me greatly, I can get stressed and anxious before a training session and not want to train, having a goal and a personal training slot with my trainer to attend helps me to commit to it, get it done and ultimately get into a weekly routine that is doing me good. I always feel at my absolute best after a session.”

The social aspect of training, meeting friends, playing a sport you enjoy as part of a team or group can be extremely mood enhancing too and the competitiveness and togetherness can help to raise spirits!

Whatever exercise you try, you will soon realise its major benefit is that it allows you to forget your problems, switch off and escape.

On a personal level I have noticed many times where I have been stressed or worried about something in particular prior to a gym session and then afterwards I’ve completely forgotten about what was worrying me. Exercise does seem to help you to forget the days irritations and change your focus. Increased energy and optimism from training can help you feel clearer and calmer. Not only do you become completely absorbed in what you are doing at the time but the positive endorphins that exercise release will also help you maintain a more positive outlook afterwards.

A client I train currently who suffers from depression says: “I’ve found that if I focus on the things I can control and not the things I can’t I feel better. There are ultimately things out with my control but exercising and eating healthy isn’t one of them.

By being in control of this and knowing I’m making positive steps to ensure my health both physically and mentally will improve allows me to deal with stress better.”

Even getting out and meeting people, chatting, sweating and having fun will all ultimately make you feel better! As a trainer I focus a lot around “physical goals” and what changes can I make physically with clients and sometimes forget about what the training experi-ence may be having for them mentally!

A client I trained for many years and who completely transformed their body said in a tes-timonial to me: “What the photos don’t show you is how I feel mentally and how much Barry has helped me to deal with and overcome my anxiety problems”.

I had no idea how much I had helped him until he wrote that. It was a great feeling for me to know I’d helped him in that way and from that day on I became more aware of the men-tal benefits and effects that my clients were getting from the sessions.

So if you’re reading this and you’re feeling depressed, stressed, worried or anxious try a little exercise and if you noticed any positive effects from it do it again and try to get into a routine with it. You never know you may exercise those troubles away for good!

Article by Barry Stephen Photography by Caitlin Wilkinson

Three exceptional bikes from

Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op

Road Bike

Cervélo R3 Ultegra Disc £3,799

The Cervélo R3 is a full carbon road bike from a company with a genuine race-proven pedigree.

Last year, Cervélo sponsored Team Qhubeka – the first African-based team to compete in the Tour de France - and helped create one of 2015’s great sporting feelgood story when Eritrea’s Daniel Teklehaimanot wore the King of the Mountains jersey over four stages and Britain’s Steve Cummings won Stage 14 on Mandela Day. Talking of British riders, Mark Cavendish has joined this team (renamed Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka) so the man who has been hailed the world’s fastest sprinter will be riding Cervélo bikes this year.

Also for 2016, with the launch of the R3 Disc - their first road race bike with hydraulic disc brakes – Cervélo have produced a bike that can stop as fast as it can go.

Sure, Cervélo might not be the first company to create disc brake road bikes but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s actually to their credit that Cervélo have dedicated years of painstaking research, development and testing to create a road bike that is actually improved rather than compromised by fitting disc brakes.

They waited till industry standard had converged to make the most of this new technology. Standards such as 12mm through-axles to ensure perfect wheel retention and alignment. They waited till Shimano had perfected superneat flat-mount Ultegra-quality hydraulic disc brakes.

The result is, to our eyes, is the best-executed hydraulic disc brake road bike to date.

Conclusion: The Cervélo R3 Ultegra Disc comes highly recommended if you want a superlight, super-fast pure road bike that embraces the latest cycling technology.

Fast Commuter Bike

Genesis Croix de Fer ÂŁ1,699

When Mica asked us (Edinburgh Bike Co-op) to suggest an exceptional commuter bike, we decided to feature this cross bike with drop bars. Why? Because this type of bike is fast becoming the most popular in our shops because it works so well in so many conditions.

Its lightweight 700x35c tyres delivers that unique road bike-like rush when they get up to speed on tarmac, yet they’re plump enough to cushion your ride when you take the type of off road detour this bike will tempt you to explore.

If you want to use it for everyday commuting or touring, unlike traditional road bikes, the Croix de Fer will take full mudguards and a rear rack.

If you appreciate precision engineering, you’ll love the Shimano 105 gear shifting. Just a gentle inward tap of its integrated STI brake lever and it slips into gear. It’s easy to understand why Shimano 105s the world’s best selling road bike shifters.

Perhaps even more impressive, these brake levers operate 2016’s hottest road bike upgrade – Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, which have introduced a whole new level of low-maintenance, fingertip-controlled, mountain bike-like stopping power to drop handlebar bicycles.

Conclusion: The Genesis Croix de Fer 30 comes highly recommended if you want a proven Reynolds steel frame bike that’s equally at home on dirt road or tarmac.

Mountain Bike Whyte T-130 RS ÂŁ2,750

Whyte have carved a niche designing UK-proof bikes. That is bikes made for British riding conditions. That’s significant when you consider the majority of bicycles are designed in sunny places such as California, Taiwan and Italy – i.e. warm, dry climes where mud clearance is rarely an issue.

Take the Whyte T-130, named after its 130mm full suspension, and dubbed ‘the best Whyte full-sus to date’ by Mountain Bike Rider magazine.

Like every Whyte full suspension MTB, it’s fitted with lifetimeguaranteed pivot bearings. We don’t know of any other bike company that does that.

The Whyte T-130’s hydroformed aluminium frames symmetrical SCR Single Chain Ring-specific rear triangle is made for the newstandard 1x11 drivetrain.

1x11 means that rather than conventional MTB gearing with 2 or 3 chainrings, the Whyte T-130 RS has a single chainring and only one shifter. This simplifies the transmission yet its 11-42 cassette offers all the gears you’ll probably need for any rideable terrain.

This SCR frame delivers another

Whyte obsession – maximum mud clearance. This allows you to keep on riding in conditions where a lesser mountain bike might grind to a standstill.

The RockShox Reverb dropper seat post, which lets you lower the saddle on-the-fly, before taking on technical downhills, is a winning feature the Whyte shares with many other £2,000+ MTBs. The Whyte difference is that their Intergrip seat post clamp is especially weather sealed to ensure smooth operation in the long run.

All this tech wouldn’t count for much unless the bike rode really well, and we promise you it that it does. Its geometry (another Whyte obsession) creates the perfect balance of stability on technical downhills, and quick-steering nimbleness on fast singletrack.

Conclusion: The Whyte T-130 comes highly recommended if you want to take mountain biking to another level.

These three featured bikes are among the many beautiful machines on show at Edinburgh Bicycle Co-op’s shop on 458-464 George Street, Aberdeen, AB25 3XH. Visit edinburgthbicycle.com for full information and specs.

The

RNLI One of the great pleasures of living in Aberdeen is being surrounded by the scenic charm of the coastline.

Sometimes, though, the hazardous nature of the sea can be overlooked and underestimated. It is undeniably a dangerous place that claims many lives each year. Helping to protect us is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, a voluntary organisation that is dedicated to saving lives at sea. Since 1824 they have saved at least 140,000 lives, with the brave volun-teers working tirelessly to ensure the safety of all sea goers.

Recently I visited one of the oldest lifeboat stations in Scotland, our own local Aberdeen RNLI centre. There I had the privilege of meeting one of its long standing members, Richard Smith, to learn more about the day to day workings of this courageous institution.

What does a typical day at the RNLI involve?

“Every day of the year, 24 hours a day there is a duty crew available to go on the two boats, able to respond to any emergency. When the coastguard is alerted that something is wrong he will set the pager off. We will then come straight to the RNLI station to find out what the situation is. There isn’t some-one at the station all the time, its mostly pager cover. We are always on call.”

What is the best thing about being a coastguard?

“The complete diversity of it is fantastic. Because we are volunteers and all have our own jobs, we all come from massively different walks of life. All of us come down here for a common purpose.

All of the guys in the team are very close friends. Another aspect is having a love for the sea, boats and at the same time being able to do something that’s a really incredible thing for the local community. It’s rewarding as well as fun. There is an element of the rush to it as well.”

RNLI has 290 lifeboat stations nationwide. What do you feel is unique about the RNLI in Aberdeen?

“For a start we are in a city. That brings its own element to it because the majority of our callouts are without a doubt attempted suicides. We have the harbour in the middle of the city. Aberdeen is a busy city with a population of approximately 230,000 people. Union Street is not far away from the harbour.

So when you mix that with alcohol and the amount of people who are out on a Friday and Saturday night. The chances of someone coming down, and doing something at the bridge or the harbour are relatively high. It doesn’t happen that often but it is definitely higher than it could be for other places, so we have that to deal with as well as traditional calls out to sea.”

What qualities do you look for in an RNLI volunteer?

“We look for someone who’s very enthusiastic and able to give us an awful lot of his or her time. We rely on their employers to allow them to get away when the call comes. It is important to be committed, to be available on the weekend and work at nights. So sometimes you can’t get that beer that you want if you’re on the duty crew at the weekend. We are looking for people who are able to work well in teams. They have to get on with the guys. There is an element of trust required when you’re out there on a horrible night. You’re looking there at the guy that’s standing next to you to be looking after you and he’s expecting the same from you. You have to have that trust and that bonding that’s really important to us. There are only about 10% of lifeboat crews that have a maritime background.

We can work on the skills that they need to be lifeboat member.

We just need them to bring the enthusiasm, the skills, the drive, the want and the passion.”

RNLI has a reputation for having an industrious history. Why do you think this is?

“I think the whole ethos of the RNLI contributes towards this.

It is an incredible thing in this day and age. The fact it’s a charity, the fact that the vast majority of people on the crew and lifeboats are volunteers. I just think it’s a tremendous thing and a tremendous achievement. There are lifeboats all around Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales. It is a truly British institution.”

What has been your most memorable experience on the job so far?

“It’s very hard to isolate one particular call. But if I’m thinking about it, over the years we managed to get three elderly guys off a boat and safely back to shore. They were very ill with seasickness. If we hadn’t done that the consequences could have been dire for them. They were getting to that stage where they weren’t able to look after themselves because of seasickness. Their boat was taking on water; it was sitting low and getting swamped. They were seasick and they were struggling. Another memorable instance is when a fisherman from a boat went overboard. We spent 10 hours looking for him and co-ordinating a multi vessel search. There were about 15 other vessels that we were co-ordinating. We searched as best as we could, but unfortunately we couldn’t find him. Its always horrible to come back after a night like that. But afterwards we asked ourselves; did we do it right, did we give him every opportuni-ty? And we definitely did. Sometimes it works out like that and that is the sad side of this job.”

Richard and his team are a special group of people. Through a combination of willingness and enthusiasm, they provide a service that works all year round to protect and save us from danger at sea. They don’t expect to be rewarded or paid to do this job and they balance it with their own livelihoods purely because they want to make a difference. I feel that their actions are nothing short of he-roic. We should be tremendously grateful and proud of this British institution.

Visit www.RNLI.org to find out more.

Interview by James Dunk Photography by Daniel McAvoy

Westburn & Granite

Interview by James Dunk Photography by John Prince

Westburn & Granite is a grooming and lifestyle products business. Ryan Alex-ander started this venture on his own, formerly a chef he is now a student studying at Robert Gordon’s University. Ryan balances university with creat-ing handmade beard oils, soaps and candles. The products are made from natural ingredients and have a minimalistic design. I caught up with the man behind it all to find out more about Westburn & Granite.

How & why did Westburn & Granite begin?

“I went into it with the notion of it being a little side-line. I was studying at university and working part time but I was still in need of something more. At nights I would sit and draw up ideas. I knew there was a big market for Men’s Grooming, after a lot of re-search I started creating some moustache waxes and sold a few online. Of course the beard scene was, and still is huge. Our conditioning beard oils have been a real hit.

En-joyed for their simplistic design and quality oil. I took a little while out and started to come up with some more ideas while refining the designs of each product. Again researching what was popular in the male grooming sector. I introduced our soaps as an-other grooming alternative. Then created our soy candles, you will be surprised by how many guys enjoy a candle”

You used a crowd funding campaign to create Westburn & Granite. How important are funding platforms like Kick Starter for young creatives?

“The crowd funding actually came after the creation of Westburn & Granite, the whole company has been funded by myself through the money gained from my part time wage. The Kick Starter was designed to raise a little extra funding to allow for Westburn & Granite’s first collection, The Wood’s Collection, which was due to be released this March. But due to other commitments this may have to be put on ice for the time being. But we will for sure still release this as it’s too good to pass on.

I think if you can get your campaign on kick starter, written up in a professional, business like manner and at the same time get the audience, you are sure to have a winner. For younger individuals who are keen to start a business it can be very useful, however I would possibly urge them to look into a method closer to home, perhaps The Prince’s Trust for example, as an initial starting point.”

What does Westburn & Granite mean to you?

“One word – Everything. Creating a business more or less by myself with only the help of a few friends and my girlfriend, means a lot to me. It has been tricky at times but if you love something that much, you kind of just forget the bad stuff and get on with it. Learn from your mistakes as you go. Over the last 4-5 months I have started to realise where the brand is heading in terms of an identity. This has given me the confidence to expand my thought processes and ultimately create better looking products. With anyone who has started on their own, they will come to understand it’s a bit trial and error. Indi-viduals and other companies I have met always tend to say the same, but are incredibly supportive towards me. It’s very humbling and at times overwhelming. To be honest I need to pinch myself sometimes.

I think why are people doing this for me, but I guess they just see the potential which is amazing.”

Has your gastronomic background helped you to create recipes for grooming products?

“I would say it has definitely helped in terms of the creativity behind each product. For anyone who has been or is a chef they will know it’s a tough job, an army operation in some cases. You need to be disciplined in what you do. I have definitely taken this atti-tude with me in creating Westburn & Granite. In terms of the actual recipes, textures of the oils and temperatures of the candle wax are the most key, much like in cooking.

With the products it is a bit of trial and error at first, but you just need to keep practising and testing until you are happy with what you have. I also believe it’s quality over quanti-ty when it comes to my products, hence only using small batch methods. Very much the same idea I have when it comes to food.”

What makes Westburn & Granite stand out from the crowd?

“Simple - Elegant - Handmade is also the three core values that I constantly aim to stick to when creating each product. All our products are designed with all natural ingredients, this will never change. Our minimal approach has been greatly appreciated by our cus-tomers. I still think some people, especially the older generation are put off by beards; my Granny is always telling me to shave mine off. I designed our beard oils for the man who cares to look after themselves and who understands the design and approach we are aiming for. A well-groomed man, not a rugged type. We design for the modern man, not just any man.”

What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs beginning their first venture?

“Just be yourself when creating something. Don’t feel you need to be something you’re not. Business can be a big bad world sometimes.

But for me creating an idea through something I love has helped me grow as a person. It gave me more confidence and al-lowed for a local business to be formed that people enjoy” The Westburn & Granite products are an embodiment of Ryan’s ethos and passion for hand crafted grooming and lifestyle products. His drive to innovate and disciplined work ethic have helped him become a successful young entrepreneur, all whilst managing to balance his business with his study commitments. For inspired men’s grooming check out the website at www.westburnandgranite.co.uk

the

scooter scene

For Robert Carmichael, an Aberdonian born and bred (“I even have the tattoo to prove it”, he jokes), the scooter scene has been a part of his life since the mid 1980s when he was hang-ing around his local community centre, listening to Northern Soul and admiring the classic Lambretta of well-known local mod, Brian “Fred” Perry.

Those early days riding pillion and wearing Sta Press developed into a lifelong passion for scooters. After a number of years as a solo rider where he travelled to rallies across the UK, Robert’s wife Angela suggested he join the Granite City Scooter Club and he hasn’t looked back. He sat down with MICA Magazine to talk about the scene, the changes it has gone through and what the future holds.

How did you first get into the scooter scene?

It started when I was in my teens and was hanging around Woodside Community Centre with friends from school and neighbouring estates. Local gangs got me interested and while I couldn’t afford my own scooter, I would use a friend’s brother’s old Vespa P125.

In those early years I would only ride around the housing estate, and usually most times just as a passenger, but I was hooked.

was a die-hard scooter scene going on in the background and I still attended events and Northern Soul nights around the country.

Throughout the years, you’ve managed to build up an impressive collection. Talk us through the highlights.

The right clothes were important; Sta Press, y-cardigans, Fred Perry, flight jackets, Wrangler or Lee jeans were the uniform, with Adidas Samba trainers or Doc Martens on our feet. We would hang about the local chip shop listening to Northern Soul, 2 Tone and ska bands, be-fore venturing into town to the Northern Soul venues like St Kay’s and East Nuek. It really was about being with likeminded people.

The one that I have grown to love the best is my 1962 Lambretta Series Two. It cost me £1800 but it was money well spent. It’s a masterpiece of design: sturdy, sexy curves and a stable shell around a tubular frame. I try to restore it every two years and make sure it gets a good run out whenever possible, including to a number of rallies across the UK. While it can be a costly interest to have, if I had money to burn it would be used on that scooter to keep it in great condition.

During the mid 1980’s, the subculture changed from mod to the casual scene; having a scooter wasn’t necessarily important, but following and watching football was. The music scene changed alongside that, but thankfully there

The oldest scooter in my collection is my Lambretta LD150, which is still to be restored. All the parts are there, it just needs some time devoted to it! Hopefully I will find some time this year to get it back to its former glory.

Most of us know of the scene through the 1979 film Quadrophenia. How true to life was that?

There were elements that were very similar to what life was like then: the music, the friend-ship, the clothes, the scooters and the idea of living for the moment. I’m happy to say though that there aren’t any fights with bikers…although I’m sure if it was to rear its ugly head we would still win!

Rallies are an important part of the scene aren’t they?

They are, and they tend to be held over Bank Holiday weekends.

Typically all summer week-ends are filled with some event organised by different scooter clubs and this year, the Gran-ite City Scooter Club’s rally is being held on the 12th and 13th of August in Luthermuir, between Aberdeen and Dundee and you’re more than welcome to join us.

Rallies are really just a chance to have a great weekend: wear your best clothes, catch up with old friends, drink and dance. Normally a ride out will be organised to take a scenic route around the location

where the rally is being held.

They’re family-friendly as well, so everyone can get involved.

People do travel far for rallies, myself included. The Isle of Wight is home of the world’s biggest scooter rally, and regularly sees people travelling from the USA and Asia. It’s defi-nitely a global culture.

Interestingly, it’s at the national rallies that you see the variation in preference. Generally speaking, England favoured the Lambretta, while here in Scotland the Vespa was more common. Perhaps the fear of getting stuck in a lay by in the cold Scottish weather made the more reliable Vespa a better option!

Music and fashion seem to be intertwined with the scooter culture. How important are they to the scene?

It’s all personal taste of course, but music and fashion have always gone hand in hand with scooters. There’s a real cross section of sounds that reflects the variety of people involved nowadays. Alongside classic mod, ska, and indie music, you’ll now hear a lot of Oasis, Blur, Ocean Colour Scene and Stone Roses thanks to the younger scooterists. One musical genre that unites all ages however is Northern Soul, and members from the GCSC DJ at the monthly club nights held in conjunction with the Aberdeen Soul Club and Soul Collection.

Just as music has changed slightly, so has the fashion. As any scooterist will tell you though, the classic look is always going to be the best: the Harrington jacket, the Baracuta with its traditional Fraser tartan.

Designed in the 1930s, it’s been worn by Elvis, Steve McQueen and Sinatra as well as every self-respecting mod. Another classic brand worn is Adidas. The joke is that it could well be an acronym for “All Day I Dream About Scooters”.

Clothes worn on a scooter differ from the typically oiled look of a biker and can be summed up with the mod motto: “It’s not how fast you get there; it’s how good you look”.

Charity is something that is very important to the club and fundraising forms the basis for a lot of the work you do. Which charities are you supporting this year?

We support a number of charities - both local and national – all of which are chosen by club members during meetings. We try to change the charities we donate to in order to help as many people as possible, although we tend to focus on children. This year, in response to the economic struggles our city is facing, members have also chosen to donate to local food banks.

Our annual Scooter Easter Run sees us donate chocolate eggs to patients at the Royal Ab-erdeen Children’s Hospital, and every Christmas we give a donation to Cash for Kids. We also use our fundraising to support individual children who need help and have worked alongside the Road Mutts Motorbike Club, supporting their recent Christmas gift drive for the Salvation Army.

The annual March of the Mods event takes place throughout the UK in March and on March 25th and 26th we will hold a weekend of music and Aberdeen’s Cafe Drummond and The Tun-nels with all money raised going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

As well as that, the weekend will also see a ride out involving the Granite City Scooter Club along with the Aberdeen Classic Scooter Collective, the Peterhead Scooter Club, the Buchan Coasters and solo riders. We will be following a route through the city centre before stopping to allow spectators to look at, take photos of, and sit on the wide variety of scooters on display.

Talking of which, just how much attention do you attract when out with the members?

People of all ages stop and point, and it’s a great conversation starter. An elderly lady might want to tell you about her late husband and the type of scooter he used to ride, or a gent might be able to give you the history of the scooter just from the number plate.

People fre-quently ask to take photos or sit on the scooters, and many just want to share their own memories.

How would potential members get in touch with you?

Potential other members can join the club simply by coming out with their scooters and join-ing us for short runs and nights out. You can find out more through our Facebook page or coming along to one of our club nights.

Granite City Scooter Club welcomes all types of scooters and riders. While we won’t all share the same idea on how to run the club, the one thing we always agree on is that we do love to ride our scooters!

Interview by Abigail Westwood Portraits by John Prince Scooter Photography by Maria Baskevits

Pauline Fraser

When media personality turned PR guru Pauline Fraser tenaciously landed her first summer job straight from school she never imagined that a decade or two later she’d be the one giving people a career chance in the media world.

“It’s all about having a sheer determination and chasing what you want in life,” explains Aberdeen born-and-bred Pauline who started out applying for mediarelated work experience without much luck. “When I phoned Northsound I somehow ended up speaking to the managing director.

Fed up of all the knock-backs I told him the truth – I really wanted to get into media and I wanted him to give me a summer job. It worked.”

Pauline’s career progressed into newsroom and sports desk shifts, which nudged her studying journalism. After graduating, freelance work and two years at the Deeside Piper newspaper followed before landing a trainee reporter role at Grampian TV (now STV).

“It was odd being thrown on front of the camera and having to use a ‘news voice,’” she laughs. “It was like creating a different persona.”

After seven and a half years it was time for a new challenge and, in June 2007, Frasermedia was born: “It was a leap into the unknown,” she admits. “The scariest part is jumping from a secure full-time role. You worry about where you will fit into the market and how you’ll at-tract clients. But getting your first few clients gives you the confi-dence to keep going to build your little empire.”

Harnessing her existing skill set, she set out with media training at the forefront but as time went on and client demand dictated her offering became PR-centric and still is to this day, across a vast number of in-dustries.

Three years in, she moved from her home office to a commercial space and took on a member of staff and after five years made another move, to one of Aberdeen’s most prestigious addresses: “I re-member standing there when we moved in thinking ‘wow, I can’t believe we’ve done this!’”

Today, Frasermedia is headquartered in Aberdeen with a second office in Inverness, following an acquisition of a Highland media firm in 2014 and has a team of six spread over its two bases.

When media personality turned PR guru Pauline Fraser tenaciously landed her first summer job straight from school she never imagined that a decade or two later she’d be the one giving people a career chance in the media world.

“It’s all about having a sheer determination and chasing what you want in life,” explains Aberdeen born-and-bred Pauline who started out applying for media-related work experience without much luck. “When I phoned Northsound I somehow ended up speaking to the managing director. Fed up of all the knock-backs I told him the truth – I really wanted to get into media and I wanted him to give me a summer job. It worked.”

Pauline’s career progressed into newsroom and sports desk shifts, which nudged her studying journalism. After graduating, freelance work and two years at the Deeside Piper newspaper followed before landing a trainee reporter role at Grampian TV (now STV). “It was odd being thrown on front of the camera and having to use a ‘news voice,’” she laughs. “It was like creating a different persona.”

After seven and a half years it was time for a new challenge and, in June 2007, Frasermedia was born: “It was a leap into the unknown,” she admits. “The scariest part is jumping from a secure full-time role. You worry about where you will fit into the market and how you’ll attract clients.

But getting your first few clients gives you the confidence to keep going to build your little empire.”

Harnessing her existing skill set, she set out with media training at the forefront but as time went on and client demand dictated her offering became PR-centric and still is to this day, across a vast number of industries.

Three years in, she moved from her home office to a commercial space and took on a member of staff and after five years made another move, to one of Aberdeen’s most prestigious addresses:“I remember standing there when we moved in thinking ‘wow, I can’t believe we’ve done this!’”

Today, Frasermedia is headquartered in Aberdeen with a second office in Inverness, following an acquisition of a Highland media firm in 2014 and

Pauline attributes her early and continued success to the power of networking, developing a good contact base and creating a rapport: “Everyone always says it but personal service is key. I love my clients just dropping in for a coffee and a catch up.”

Now, Pauline hopes to grow the FM Training Academy in the firm’s Aberdeen office and focus on growing the business in the central belt. She concludes: “I’m proud to have grown from one client and a laptop to fifty clients, two offices and a team as passionate about the business as I am. It’s great to have come full circle and be able to give people a chance and see them develop, just as I did.”

Top tips for budding businesswomen: • Don’t start thinking you’ll work less if you run your own business – you’re never off duty. If a journalist calls me on a Sunday with an opportunity, I’ll act on it.

• Be passionate. If you don’t love your business, how will others?

• If you’re missing certain skills, employ what you need. Find the right people to fit with your business and trust with your clients.

• The harder you work the luckier you become. Being your own boss is full on and you must be committed to the cause 100%.

• A positive approach achieves positive results. You learn tough lessons in the business world but deal with them, learn from them and use them to foster improvement.

Interview by Claire McBain Photography by John Prince