Redbrick - 1st February 2013

Redbrick. Est 1936

Freddie Herzog

Print. Digital. Mobile.

1st-7th February 2013 Vol. 77. Issue 1424. www.redbrick.me

@fredherz

News p. 3 General Meeting adjourned amid concerns over proxy vote mishandling Statement on the adjournment from the Guild of Students

Online Editorial

Redbrick's editor Raphael Sheridan: Guild politics 'a bleak and dismal waste'

'It sounds quite bad, I accept that... but I don't see the endemic corruption that The President's speech suggets' Leander Jones, vice president (Democracy and Resources)

Adjourned.

Illustration by Anita Baumg채rtner

Why food is wasted: an investigative report by Izzy Gibbin FOOD// PAGE 16-17

Laura Foster recounts her experiences at Carnival in Rio de Janerio

Fraser Kesteven on why increased funding doesn't guarantee success

TRAVEL // PAGE 14

SPORT // PAGE 30

2 | 1st - 7th February 2013

Zahra Damji @RedbrickNews

@zahra_damji

INTERNATIONAL

TECHNOLOGY

UK sends troops to Mali and West Africa

Blackberry 10 system launched in the UK

The UK has sent around 330 military personnel to Mali and West Africa to support the French military operation currently taking place there against Islamist militants. The deployment includes soldiers and advisers to train Malian forces.

UNITED STATES

Court approves BP $4bn Deepwater Horizon bill INTERNATIONAL

CRIME

Cameron attends security talks in Algeria

Brother found guilty of murdering actress Tom McCluskie found guilty of murdering Eastenders actress Gemma McCluskie, whose mutilated body was found in an East London canal last March. He was given a life sentence for what the judge described as a 'cold-blooded' act.

STORY OF THE WEEK

Four arrested after ďŹ re in

Brazil nightclub 235 people were killed and several injured after a fire broke out in a nightclub, thought to be caused by fireworks that were meant to be used outdoors. Three days of mourning were declared for what is thought to be the country's worst fire in five decades.

NATIONAL

SCOTLAND

Drug found to be factor in death of marathon runner

Independence question changed for referendum

The drug DMAA, which has since been banned but was previously found in sports nutrition supplements, has been said to be a factor in the death of Claire Squires, who died in the last stages of the 26.2 London Marathon last April.

After concerns it would lead people to vote yes, the question on Scottish Independance has been reworded prior to the referendum set to be held in Autumn 2014. The question will now read: 'Should Scotland be an independant country?'

INTERNATIONAL

Two people dead after storm hits US States

Redbrick Editorial Editor Raphael Sheridan

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Digital Editor Chris Hutchinson Art Director Alexander Blanchard

News Editors Kerrina Gray Rhiannon Doyle-Maw Patrick McGhee Freddie Herzog Zahra Damji Beth Clarke

Music Editors Lily Blacksell Jonathon Milnes Josh Holder

Travel Editors Chloe Osborne Zara Sekhavati Will Spence

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Television Editors Charlotte Goodwin Russell Webb Abigail Salter

Food Editors Izzy Gibbin Jemima Lovatt Gemma Bridge Lynette Dakin

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Science & Technology Editors Sam Atkins Andrew Spencer Tom Rich

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www.redbrick.me/news | 3

General Meeting.

Investigation underway amid proxy vote concerns Freddie Herzog Online News Editor

@fredherz

Patrick McGhee News Editor

@patricksmcg

An investigation is underway following concerns that proxy votes for Monday evening’s General Meeting were being mishandled by members of the Guild of Students.

The General Meeting, in which a series of votes relating to the structure of the Trustee Board and the Guild of Students was due to take place, was adjourned on Monday evening amid fears that the integrity of the voting system was at risk. Speeches from Guild President David Franklin and Vice-President for Welfare (VPW) Katherine East urged attendees to vote to adjourn the meeting, while Vice-President for Democracy and Resources (VPDR) Leander Jones argued to continue the meeting.

A statement issued by the Guild of Students and posted on David Franklin's blog clarified that the reason a procedural motion was called to adjourn the meeting was because of allegations surrounding the legitimacy of the proxy voting system.

When adjourning the meeting, chair Andrew Vallance-Owen stated that every effort would be made to hold a second General Meeting within two weeks time but said that this was not guaranteed.

He later told Redbrick, ‘We are currently working with the sabbatical officer and staff team, together with our lawyers, to ensure that the adjourned meeting takes place as quickly as possible, ideally within two weeks.’

When Redbrick asked Vallance-Owen what steps the Guild will be taking to ensure the alleged electoral fraud will not happen again, he said, 'The Proxy vote system used for Company Law meetings is laid out in the Guild’s Articles of Association. The process is not quite the same as an election.

'However, as with all Guild activities we will review the processes to see where, if anything, the system could be improved. However, we must be mindful of working within Company law regulations. I do not want to reconvene the meeting until I am satisfied with integrity of the ballot.'

According to a post on Facebook, originally a screenshot of what appears to be a private group but later published on a public forum and on the ‘Spotted:

David Franklin - President

Speech in favour of adjournment The integrity of this General Meeting may have been compromised. I am aware of evidence, which suggests that this general meeting may not have been conducted properly. Because of this, I propose adjourning the meeting, until a thorough investigation into the proxy system can be conducted.

As a Guild, we strive towards demo-

cratic values. Of all the things that must not be compromised, it is our governance and our democracy. Whether we agree with the result of a vote or not, the one thing that we must all be confident of, is that it is legitimate. Given the doubts over this meeting, the votes submitted to it and practices prior to it, I urge you to adjourn.

Katherine East - VP Welfare Offi cial blog post

Having received evidence of potential deception in the proxy voting process we could not say, beyond reasonable doubt, the vote was free and fair – in line with our legal obligations. In my speech I stated that we would need 2 weeks to conduct the investigation, and at that time we would reconvene.

This is because I believed that to be the agreed upon time scale (give or take

a few days). The chair agreed and the vote was taken. Unfortunately the chair took that to mean just the investigation, which caused some confusion when the meeting was actually adjourned. As it is the chair’s discretion it is up to Andrew and although I will work hard and actively seek to maintain the 2 week limit, it is out of my hands, and I apologise for any confusion.

The voting boxes for the adjournment vote at Monday's General Meeting

University of Birmingham' Facebook page, collectors of proxy votes were told not to hand in forms that voted against the proposals.

One student commented below their own post about the collection of proxy forms saying, ‘Don’t hand in forms where they voted against.’

Earlier on in the post stream, another commenter asked about how thoroughly the proxy forms will be checked at the meeting, and said ‘cool, I just scribbled their names with my left hand and made up a few mobile numbers...electoral fraud ftw.’

After the screenshot of the original post stream was posted on the Guild Development Forum on Facebook, the second poster said ‘it was a stupid, flippant and misguided remark, no forgery took place, it's just my appalling sense of humour’.

The posts suggest that information on the proxy forms may have been filled in or forged without the consent of the relevant Guild of Students members.

Andrew Vallance-Owen told Redbrick that ‘A team has been commissioned to undertake an investigation, and provide a report to myself, the President and Chief Executive.’

Guild of Students Offi cial statement

Last night (Monday 28th January) the General Meeting (GM) of the University of Birmingham Guild of Students took place at 6pm in the Avon Room, University campus.

Prior to the meeting the Guild received allegations surrounding the legitimacy of the proxy voting system. In light of the allegations a procedural motion was submitted at the start of the meeting and attendees were asked to vote on whether it should be adjourned to a later date.

One hundred and nineteen students voted ‘for’ the General Meeting to be adjourned until further notice. Eighty voted ‘against’ and three voted to ‘abstain’. The General Meeting was therefore adjourned.

The Guild of Students is unable to comment further whilst an investigation into the allegations takes place.

General Meeting Recap General Meeting: A meeting of a charity’s or company’s membership as set out in its governing document. The Guild's General Meeting was called in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association with notice of the proposed special resolutions to amend the Articles of Association.

Proxy Vote: A system put in place whereby a member who cannot attend the meeting can nominate another member to attend the meeting on their behalf and hand in their votes. Every member of the Guild has a statutory right to appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf. A proxy can either vote as directed by the member on the proxy form or alternatively is given permission to vote as the proxy sees fit.

Trustee Board: The Trustee Board was established to provide guidance, expertise and strategic oversight of the Guild of Students when it became a charity in 2008. The Trustees have ultimate responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Guild, which is delegated to the Chief Executive and Management Team. The board is currently made up of four Sabbatical Trustees, three Student Trustees, three external Lay Trustees, three University Alumni Trustees and one University Trustee.

Adjournment: The postponement of a General Meeting. The chairman of the meeting must adjourn a general meeting if directed to do so by the meeting. In the case of the Guild of Students, a procedural motion was passed in accordance with a majority of 51 per cent or over of the attendees, including proxy votes.

Result of the Adjournment Vote (including proxy votes)

For: 119 votes

Against: 80 votes Abstain: 3 votes Total of 202 votes

Image courtesy of Guild TV

4 | 1st - 7th February 2013

Redevelopment.

Chamberlain Hall Birmingham Post

Zak Bentley Reporter

@ ZBentley1

The University’s plans to rebuild the derelict Eden Tower, also known as High Hall, have been fiercely condemned by the Calthorpe Residents’ Society and Edgbaston Residents’ Association.

Charles Barwell, a former University of Birmingham student spoke to Redbrick, calling the newly approved plans for a 22-storey building ‘a gross act of vandalism’ and an ‘invasive design’.

The Eden Tower will be used as fur-

ther accommodation for first year students in addition to the existing Vale, a design that Barwell and the Calthorpe Residents Society commended when it was built.

Yet it is the high-rise nature of the new plans, approved by Birmingham City Council last week, that has angered residents. Barwell says the new tower block will be ‘the equivalent of another four story building on top of what is there already and that will overlook the privacy of so many private homes, many of which are Listed Buildings’.

Barwell believes that the University

should ‘respect its neighbours and the very special environment in Edgbaston’ whereas, with the new plans, it is showing ‘a regretful lack of neighbourliness to a community who are its principal advocates and friends.’

Barwell also criticised the concept of high rise living, saying they can be dangerous and expensive to maintain.

However, the University of Birmingham’s Estates Department’s spokesman Roy Highfield said ‘Students need somewhere to live and for the first year we believe that should be on the campus’ and that the University must continue to

build and modernise to attract students.

The Eden Tower plans and Barwell’s criticisms comes amid the demolition of a tower block in Aston in September 2012, which was labelled an ‘eyesore’ to residents whereas in 2011, Birmingham City Council announced the demolition of eight Birmingham tower blocks.

Barwell has warned the University that ‘it surely is not too late for the University to recognise that it has got this wrong, and devise new plans which provide sufficient accommodation at The Vale which is, like Mason Hall, built on a more human scale.’

Council.

New bins reach Selly Oak City Council rising debt Beth Clarke News Editor

Tara Benham @beth__clarke

An initiative set up by Birmingham City Council and the University of Birmingham to clean up areas of Birmingham, including Bournebrook, is set to launch at the end of this month.

The three month test period will see some 1,200 households on Dawlish Road, Tiverton Road, Hubert Road, Teignmouth Road, Exeter Road and Dartmouth Road, with each student household receiving a wheeled bin for ‘black bag’ waste and a paper recycling box.

The scheme aims to create a cleaner and greener city through an more effective refuse collection system.

Cllr Karen McCarthy, Selly Oak District Chair, said: ‘For a long time we have faced issues about the disposal of refuse in Bournbrook, an area which is home for many university students.

‘We’ve tried a range of measures in the past such as introducing recycling banks, fixed bins and communal waste containers and they have had varying degrees of success. We now think it is time to give wheeled bins a try as they work in many other towns and cities that are home to large student populations.

‘I am delighted by the positive approach that the university and its students have taken to work with us to run this initiative. The Neighbourhood Forum supports this trial and I hope that the new bins are a big success.’

The University has contributed to the scheme £46,000 for the purchase of wheeled bins in time for the first scheduled collection on February 6. James Robertson, Vice President (Housing & Community) at the University of Birmingham Guild of Students commented: ‘The Guild has been campaigning for a long time to secure wheelie bins for student houses. This initiative is an exciting breakthrough which we hope will combat the issues surrounding refuse and waste in the area. We hope they’re here to stay.’

Reporter

@Tarara18

Birmingham City Council is already in serious amounts of debt with some sources estimating up to £2.5 billion. Now, in a fresh debacle, they have been presented with a bill of over £800,000 after being forced to hire external help to file accounts and racking up late fees in 2010-11.

The reason for this outsourcing appears to stem from an understaffed accounting department, following the Council’s decision earlier on in the year to make several accountancy employees redundant. The redundancies alone cost the council over £310,000, while the extra help came at a charge of £140,000 and, as a result of the delay to the annual accounts, which were handed over four months after the deadline, the council were required to pay an additional £300,000 audit fee. They were also issued with a formal notification from the district auditor to improve.

The council’s debt levels have

doubled in the last seven years, and, despite vast cost cutting schemes, an ever increasing number of expensive failings have surfaced in the media.

These include the settlement over equal pay claims and the amount of time taken off work by council workers. At a time when many people are being affected by cuts to services (budgets have been diminished by £322 million), these arguably avoidable mess-ups are being viewed with disdain by some. Khalid Mahmood, a local MP, described the costs as a ‘disgrace’ and blamed ‘bad management’.

The director of finance stated, ‘The council has put in place a robust three-year plan commencing with the accounts for 2011-12 to improve the production of its annual accounts’.

Sir Albert Bore, the Council Labour leader, commented ‘I can only hope that the work has now been done to put this right and ensure it does not happen in subsequent years’.

.'

@annatidykirk

www.redbrick.me/news

6 | 1st - 7th February 2013

London Midland delays reach record high Isi Hicks

Aofie O'Connor Reporter

Delays in London Midland services have been said to have reached a record high. Since record publishing began four years ago, the past two months were the worst ever recorded. Between November and January, some 40% of trains were delayed by over five minutes, compared to the national average over the same time period of 19%. However, these figures did improve slightly to 31% in early January.

Alongside these record high delays, the National Passenger Survey shows customer satisfaction at the handling of these delays at its lowest with less than half (49%) of those questioned satisfied.

London Midland has blamed these statistics on ‘higher than usual’ staff sickness and infrastructure problems, in-

@Aofie2705

cluding signalling, electrical and track faults. Patrick Verwer, managing director of London Midland told the BBC he was ‘embarrassed’ by the company's performance. Last month, the government ordered London Midland to reimburse passengers for delays on affected routes including Birmingham, London, Northampton, Liverpool and Crewe, a package that will cost them £7m.

The government have issued another ‘yellow card’ warning to London Midland, which is the second in the last three years according to the Department for Transport. Earlier this month, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said he would keep a 'very careful' eye on the franchise.

Reporter

@isihicks

Signalling problem have also significantly affected the Birmingham New St. to Longbridge/ Redditch route, which runs through both Selly Oak and University stations, with several delays and cancellations affecting travelling on these routes.

Despite the alternative busses running, students faced delays of up to 30 minutes at Selly Oak and University stations.

A student who frequently uses this line said ‘I always have to arrive at least thirty minutes before the time I actually want to leave, as the Selly Oak trains are nearly always delayed or cancelled and I shouldn’t have to be including this in my travel journey time.’

Birmingham. £3m boost for Birmingham Rich List Ashley Kirk Reporter

@AshleyKirk92

The Birmingham Post published its Birmingham Rich List last week, showing the value of the region’s 50 richest people. It showed that, against a background of economic uncertainty, the city’s richest accumulated an extra £3.46billion last year.

The List revealed that the net worth of these 50 people rose by 13.8% in 2012, to reach £28.5 billion. An increase of over £3 billion was also recorded the year before.

Major returns were made on property and manufacturing. Among the biggest risers were JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford, whose net worth soared from £1.85 billion to £3 billion and Aston Villa chairman Randy Lerner, whose fortune increased by £300 million to make him the fifth billionaire of the region.

Set against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, many are concerned that these huge increases in net worth will not help the people that need it.

However, Birmingham business leaders hailed the news a good sign that wealth-creators are seeing their fortunes improve. Former CBI Director General, Lord Jones of Birmingham, stated ‘nobody has ever made a poor man rich by making a rich man poor.

‘What this list shows is that actually these wealthy people do create wealth. They create jobs and generate tax. They pay their fair share towards building schools and houses and all the stuff that the public sector relies upon.

‘We have to ensure that these people want to do it in Britain and in the Midlands, so they create jobs here and pay tax.’

Jerry Blackett, chief executive of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group, told the Birmingham Mail that ‘this is very good news. Wealth creators, en-

Charlotte Wilson @wilsonscribbles

University academic dies Oliver Norgate Reporter

@Nuggy_

Dr Steve Buckler, who sadly passed away over the Christmas period, had his funeral on 22nd January. Many members of staff paid their respects to the longstanding POLSIS academic, who was diagnosed with cancer in early December.

Dr Buckler joined the University after he was awarded his PhD in 1989, and his studies covered a wide range of topics, with particular expertise in Modern European Thought and political ideology.

Dr Buckler eventually became the longest-serving POLSIS member of staff and in that time, covered a wide

variety of positions, including Editor of the European Journal of Political Theory, Undergraduate Director, Deputy Head of Department and National Politics Co-ordinator for C-SAP. Head of Department David Dunn paid tribute to Dr Buckler, describing him as an ‘excellent teacher, original thinker and unflappable administrator’ and ‘a valued friend to many and will be sadly missed by all’.

There will be a collection to raise funds for a wooden bench on campus, which will have Dr Buckler’s name engraved on it. If anyone wishes to donate then they can do so by giving to anyone in the undergraduate or postgraduate offices of POLSIS, found in the Muirhead tower.

trepreneurs and small businesses are the lifeblood of the West Midlands economy.’

Despite the fact that the List is largely dominated by men, former beauty queen Kirsty Bertarelli was at the top with her £7 billion fortune.

Ranjit and Baljinder Boparan Singh are among the major movers in the List. Their 2 Sisters Food Group has enjoyed major growth and several major acquisitions, such as the £342 million takeover of Northern Foods and a deal for the Harry Ramsdens chain. Their combined incomes have soared from £285 million to £750 million.

Competition for a place among the super-rich has got even more competitive, with the lowest net worth rising by £10 million in £95 million.

Birmingham Post’s List shows that Birmingham’s rich are getting richer and that the people enjoying the largest increases are those overseeing the property and construction sectors.

Selly Oak. Hospital redevelopment Oliver Norgate Reporter

@Nuggy_

The Selly Oak Hospital site situated off Raddlebarn Road is set to be redeveloped after Birmingham City Council met last week to agree plans to replace the disused hospital buildings with an array of housing, pubs, restaurants, shops and offices.

The hospital is now decommissioned after all patient facilities were transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2011.

The redevelopment, expected to con-

tain around 650 houses, will provide accommodation for about 1,600 people as well as create 150 jobs in the construction sector. A representative of the hospital told the Birmingham Post: ‘This development is highly beneficial, it will deliver affordable housing and new jobs.’

However, the project has faced criticisms for creating a greater burden on local services and existing infrastructure whereas supporters claim that the redevelopment would complement other renovations further down the A38 in Longbridge.

Sam Tunnicliffe

R E C I F F O D L I U G 3 1 0 2 S N O I T C ELE Student Voice

E C N E R E F F WHAT DI ?

E K A M U WOULD YO

and n e p o w o n re a s n Nominatio am.

0 1 t a ry a ru b e F th 4 close on Monday BETTER GUILD 28,000 students rely on services provided

BETTER YOUR COMMUNITY

BETTER UNIVERSITY campaigned for free printer credits, longer library opening hours, and improved sports

student, local and national community.

This is achieved through a number of ways, including:

improved student services through...

For more information or to download a nominations pack, visit guildofstudents.com/elections or drop into Student Voice

elections@guild.bham.ac.uk #guildelections13

8 | 1st- 7th February 2012 @RedbrickComment

Special Feature: US Gun Control A culture in need of change Jeremy Crampin For the citizens of Connecticut, the tragic shootings of twenty schoolchildren will displace even the most intoxicating memories of advent. For the second amendment exactly; from its very serifs, innocent children fell on December 14.

Of course there is a common psyche enveloping these incidents, but the perpetuation of that legal thorn is sickening. Yet anger boils from a culture of supremacy, celebrity and social binary—within an altogether feverous public mind. And this outlook won't change in the lifetime of anyone reading this.

The Democrat leader, therefore, must govern the efficiency with which one citizen can critically wound another; with the hope of initiating cultural betterment along the way. And so last Wednesday Obama tightened background checks for firearms and turned the legislative screw on guns only made for

one thing. Curiously he also signed a series of mental health directives, as well as sanctioning research into the causes of these trademark shootings.

Diversity of perspective is the inextinguishable fire at the heart of all discourse; but how it raged over this issue. Opportunists like Piers Morgan gathered firewood, of course, in inviting nut case Larry Pratt to discharge himself on live TV. It was funny to see 30,000 Americans tread over the first amendment in signing a petition for the man’s deportation; based only on his choice words.

Yet there is more to this than bigotry in the face of reason. Few critics like to notice that gun control is an express infringement on civil liberty. Obama has acted wakefully and melodramatically.

Plus, for many, guns are a hobby, and for more still a source of perceived security.

What they are not is a feature of civilized

@jcrampin society. And yet there’s a current of belief that maintains they have a logical place. The difficulty lies in addressing a cluster of arguments put forward by a nation whose concept of freedom is as confused as it is iron. Wordplays like ‘if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns’ are as ubiquitous as they are poisonous. They accompany accusations of bespoke opportunism by Obama, and belief in a conspiracy of national disarmament.

One evening I was upon the dregs of YouTube, and found before me a quite reasonable man defending common gun ownership. A lot of Americans struggle to escape their faulty social modeldespite the abundancy of good overseas evidence. As well as laws and good enforcers, what we have in the UK is a culture where guns have extremely grave connotations. This means that when a criminal is growing up something really

bad has to boil inside of them for them to try and get their hands on one.

This culture has a devastating effect on distributors too. When there is a shooting, it's usually with a shotgun or .22, so no death tolls in the double digits.

Laws will not make felons comply, but they will change national outlook, which affects criminals and non-criminals really strongly. I know it's tedious to say, but look at the statistics.

It's a shame that people conflate gun control with loss of freedom, but even if you do, I for one would be willing to give up some freedom given the stage it’s got to now. Losing a loved one to disease can break you, and you have the luxury of time to accept it. Now imagine your child who has come to constitute your life, chancily shot with zero warning. It's a long road to changing culture, but the time has come for America.

www.redbrick.me/comment |9

2nd Amendment: The Semantics Benjamin Cheung Many gun owners, pro-gun congressmen in the US and NRA spokespersons have continuously started their statements with this preamble: 'I am a gun-owner. I am a proud supporter of the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution. The Federal Government should stop infringing my constitutional rights.' But what does that actually mean?

The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution of the United States reads, 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall

@bc_viola

not be infringed.' How would one interpret this? By looking at the natural meaning of words and how the commas are located, one might say the Amendment can be essentially read as ‘a well regulated Militia .... shall not be infringed’. One reason to suggest so is the not-so-uncommon practice in the United States to put in both operative clauses and justification clauses in the same provision of a legal document. The words 'being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms' can be seen as the

justification portion of the provision, whereas the crux of the amendment is to actually protect well-regulated militias in the country.

Yet, one can also argue that since the justification of protecting well-regulated militias is for them to ensure that the right to bear arms is secured, this right is thus constitutionally protected. This leads us to, in my opinion, the more important question - when a constitutional provision states that a certain body, which protects certain rights of the people, shall not be infringed, does it directly make such rights constitutionally protected as well?

And so what do the Courts say? Well they looked at it differently. On 26th June 2008, the US Supreme Court issued a decisory interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. The majority opinion ,authored by Justice Antonin Scalia, ruled that the operative clause of the amendment should actually be 'the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed' and the prefatory clause '[a] well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,' should not act as a limitation to the operative.

As such, the language guarantees an individual right to possess firearms even if they are not a part of a well regulated militia. The majority supported this view with evidence from the analogous contemporaneous provisions in state constitutions, the drafting history of the amendment and interpretations after the ratification of the amendment on the state level, showing them to be not inconsistent with the interpretation.

However, Justice Stevens dissented by stating that when examining not only the legal history but also historical evidence and context of the meaning of the 2nd amendment, such words should only protect militia-related interests.

Certainly, the Supreme Court of the US has its reasons and credibility in

reaching the decision, but just for the sake of discussion, if the drafters intended to protect such an inviolable right to bear arms, wouldn’t the amendment be instead written as, 'A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, and the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed?' If these were the wordings of the amendment, then the operative clause can be read as ‘A well regulated Militia... and the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed,’ making it clear that both well regulated militias and the right to bear arms are to be constitutionally protected.

In my humble opinion, Courts are required to interpret statutes in accordance to the natural meaning of words and phrases and only when certain words lead to situations of ambiguity should they look into the context and historical background to decipher the drafters’ original intentions. Thus, the presence (or absence) of a punctation or a conjunction, is considered to be as sacrosanct as the presence of any other words written in the Constitution.

Nonetheless, one could also argue that my personal view is nothing but the attempt for judicial activism, but then that is a completely different discussion.

Nonetheless, what we should all take from the 2008 ruling, in trying to address the current issue in the US, is that the Supreme Court did also state that this right to keep and bear arms is subject to regulation. In addition, the majority opinion provided a nonexhaustive list of possible regulations including those limiting the rights of felons and the mentally ill, laws forbidding the carrying of weapons to certain places, concealed weapons, laws imposing conditions on commercial sales, and prohibitions on the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons.

Some of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre.

10 | 1st - 7th February 2013

The Last Empire:

France's Continued Involvement in Africa

Giles Longley-Cook examines the impact of modern imperlialism Once again a rich Western power is involving itself militarily in the affairs of a third world nation, supplying aid and armed force to the side it deems friendly to its national interests. Time for protests, calls of corruption, anger, condemnation Oh wait; it’s not America intervening. OK cancel all that. No, the gung-ho power on this occasion is France. ‘What?’ you ask ‘The country we praised for not bowing to American pressure and invading Iraq with us?’

Yes France, not a country we consider too much militarily these days, has now involved itself, with the UK in close pursuit, in the military conflict in Mali. While not in large numbers, its troops are occupying frontline positions in the battle to eradicate Islamist rebels in the North.

With such similarities to the US interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan (the fight against Islamism, defence of dodgy allies, technological advantages and history of interference with the countries involved) it’s hard to see why one should be accepted as a necessary intervention while the others continue to attract revulsion as imperialist ventures. A certain level of snobbery can be detected in the opinions given of either. Europe, the old money, likes its international relations to remain small-scale, tasteful, unhindered by any vulgar overt displays of action or principle. America on the other hand is the Nouveau Riche power; brash, flashy, confidant, in-your-face.

And like the quiet struggle between any elite and rising group, European disdain for the uncouth ways of our transatlantic cousins comes with a barely veiled hint of jealousy and fear.

The truth is that whatever the motivations behind and the methods used in American foreign policy, and boy can they be terrible in both, any imperialism or self-interest has come in varying degrees. If you want a record of foreign policy that bears an almost

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unbroken stream of both those two motivations, look no further than that of post WW2 France. Obvious early examples include the terror campaigns waged in their colonies in Algeria and Indochina in the 50’s, campaigns of a similar nature to the ones this country was waging simultaneously in our own holdings.

Those wars were well-publicised and assignable to a forgotten/reviled colonial age. But with overt intervention off the table a new era has arisen in exFrench West Africa, one of covert financing, deals, non-committal support and, if putting troops on the ground is necessary, plausible deniability.

Earlier examples of such behaviour, and the worst, include the ‘friendly and fraternal’ cooperation with Jean-Bedel Bokassa, ruthless dictator of the Central African Republic, first putting him in power with a bloody coup, then propping up his vile regime, aiding his overthrow once he’d become too much of an embarrassment and finally giving him sanctuary on the French Riviera, avoiding cannibalism charges alongside other spat out despots. Since then the butcher’s bill has included French military and financial aid used to overthrow the progressive Sankara regime in Burkina Faso, reducing the nation to backward servitude, full on involvement in conflicts in Ivory Coast and Chad, and, while the rest of the world remained shamefully silent, involvement in the Rwandan genocide to save Europeans and sabotage the anti-genocide rebels.

Very rarely has the UN ever been consulted over these decisions and bare-faced self-interest, financial and political, from national levels to the personal business of presidents, has commonly been the deciding factor behind them. The recent Mali intervention is almost unique in that it is against evil totalitarian forces, but then so was the invasion of Afghanistan. The fact that one is seen as a crime and the other as reasonable has yet to be rectified.

Daniel Baird. President Obama has not had the easiest start to his second Presidential term, what with the Newtown shootings and the fiscal cliff that was narrowly set back. However, it seems like Obama has found an issue that both Republicans and Democrats can agree on and that is immigration. It is predicted that in America there are 11 million illegal immigrants, who are mainly Hispanic. Both parties are incredibly keen to win 'the Hispanic vote' and divisions could begin to occur with the parties as both try to come off as immigration friendly whilst at the same time trying to cut immigration. On another note Republican Senator Marco Rubio is seen as a contender to run for President in 2016 because of his part cuban heritage, it's a balancing act.

USA

POLITICS James Philips. The candidates for the NUS Presidential and Vice Presidential elections have been announced – or should I say, the winners of the elections have been announced. National Conference looks set to announce their support for the six Labour students candidates who are standing. The same old faces step up to take their places and it almost seems pointless that the NUS (supposedly one of the most democratic organisations in the country) even hold their elections. We all know who’ll win. It’s more of a coronation ceremony. But, we’ll sit in suspense until April to wait for our thoughts to be confirmed. Procedural motion to go straight to a vote, anyone?

www.redbrick.me/comment |11

Political Correspondent How's ofthe State Alicea Francis looks at the the implication of allowing Julian Union?

Assange a platform @Alicea_francis

Murder suspects, fascists and religious extremists. These guys are top of the guest list for the Oxford Union, the world's most prestigious yet significantly disliked debating society.

Were it a nightclub, the bouncers would probably greet them with a firm handshake and a casual queue jump, leaving the liberals and do-gooders to wait patiently in the rain with the woman who threw up on herself, offering her their coats while simultaneously providing the local homeless man enough words of wisdom and encouragement to turn his life around.

The Union prides itself on its a-political stance, professing that it 'believes first and foremost in freedom of speech: nothing more, nothing less'.

It is this reasoning that has spurred it to welcome some of the world's most controversial figures to its chambers, with past speakers including John Tyndall, Zakir Naik and O. J. Simpson.

But now, it seems, the Union is extending its hand not only to those who have stood trial, but also to suspects who have yet to face the justice system.

This week's guest of honour - Julian Assange.

Last week, the WikiLeaks founder addressed the Union at their Sam Adams awards ceremony, an evening which celebrates individuals exemplifying 'courage, persistance and devotion to the truth'. He appeared via video link live from the Ecuadorian embassy, where he has been seeking sanctuary from a European arrest warrant, after allegations of rape and sexual assault were made against him back in June last year. A spokesperson for the Oxford Union said: 'The Union was founded on the principle of free speech, and this is still right at the heart of what [it] stands for. Mr Assange has

made a very significant contribution to the field of whistle-blowing and we really feel that it's possible to discuss his political views and opinions without in any way condoning or sanctioning his private actions'.

Like me, you may already be picking up on the less-than-subtle ironies of the occasion. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in free speech. I probably like it a little bit too much for a lot of people's tastes. The BNP's fall in the polls wasn't the result of no-platform activism, but came from providing Nick Griffin with the opportunity to air his views to millions on Question Time. That way, he was able shoot himself in the foot without the BBC having to do it for him. But giving a platform to Assange at this particular event was just plain wrong.

The irony of inviting a man who has spent the last six months evading the justice system to speak during an evening celebrating 'integrity' is too shameless for belief. The fact that it was at an awards ceremony rather than at a debate or Q&A session meant that, despite claims to the contrary from the Union, there was little opportunity for cross-examination, not helped by the legal constraints that limited how much he could actually say.

By welcoming a suspect of sexual violence to its stage, the Union completely undermined the purpose of the event, as well as the seriousness of the accusations made against him. It's instances like this that contribute to the ever-present minimalisation of rape accusations in society, which plays on assumptions that rape allegations are exaggerated or indeed false. Once again, victims of sexual violence have been brushed aside for the thrill of a sensationalist publicity stunt, and silenced in the name of free speech.

Jeremy Crampin. Earlier in the month a helicopter struck a crane in Vauxhall, killing two. London was shocked by this event – initially not least because we’re about due for another terrorist attack. What struck me, however, was the very fact it was a source of shock.

Maybe it was because I’d just returned from a fortnight in downtown Marseille, or because of the embarrassing predominance of Russian based ‘fail’ videos- which have become my choice object of procrastination these days; but I thought to myself, ‘isn’t it great that these kinds of tragedies make headline news’. I predict half a century down the line we’ll find a balance between nostalgic Victorian efficiency and the bank breaking risk assessments of today.

LONDON

SPORT James Dolton. This week saw a significant blow for wilful insanity in the Premier League, as one of the most colourful and caustic characters in the history of Premier League departed for pastures new. Mario Balotelli, Manchester City’s jester, committed one indiscretion too many and was shown the door to AC Milan. Manager Mancini’s seemingly limitless patience was bending when a journalist’s recent question of 'Roberto, can I ask about Mario' was met with the tragicomical 'For fucks sake'. His output and statistical contribution has dwindled this season to a dribble, but even so, it is a shame to lose one of the great entertainers of the modern game from our shores.

Sophie Tollet. The BBC website always makes me laugh. No matter how earnestly it tries to present the news, the ‘Most Popular’ side-bar gives away the British public’s desire for mindless entertainment as they trawl the web in search of procrastination. I logged on today, for instance, for ‘Today’s Top Stories’, including ‘French enter Mali town’ and ‘Donors pledge aid for Syria’, to be thrust in my face. A small scroll down the page, however, tells me that ‘Surfer rides highest ever wave’ has been the most read story. This interest in amusing, insignificant or just plain weird stories runs in the same vein of Fifty Shades of Grey: it seems people are interested in very different things when they think no one can see what they’re reading.

MEDIA

12 | 1st- 7th January 2013

@RedbrickArts @RedbrickArts

Considering the cast and orchestra has been selected from an array of university students, it is admirable that they have managed to do so much justice to this untested production.

GMTG presents Sunshine Guy Picture the perfect seaside holiday. Picture sun, sea and sand.

Now forget all this, because original new musical Sunshine Guy is not a production which lives up to these stereotypes.

Written by James Lovelock, and premiered last week by the Guild Musical Theatre Group (GMTG), this musical shuns the traditional seaside stay in Bognor for the laughs, lamentations and love triangles of a holiday that you’ll be grateful to view from afar.

The tale shadows the story of an elderly couple who have come back to the seaside town to rekindle their marriage, only to discover memories of the husband’s fling with a local boy many years ago, churning up the very foundations on which this union stands.

As well as tracking what really happened by the bay years ago in the swinging 60s, we follow another love triangle in the present day in which the elderly couple cannot help but interfere.

Despite the flamboyant title,

Rosie Kelby Critic

Guild Musical Theatre Group

Glee Club

Ciaran Allanson-Campbell Critic

Glee Club, Thursday 24th January Considering the difficult conditions outside, the attendance at the Glee Club was impressive, with only a couple of empty seats in the house. This much impressed first act Carey Marx, though the sentiment was not much returned. After something of a slow start, his jokes sounding more like vaguely humorous anecdotes, he eventually

succeeded in warming up the audience. But there was a distinct feeling of disappointment once he left the stage with a boisterous group in the back row complaining about his act.

Things improved a little with John Gordillo, who instantly asserted himself as one of the better acts of the evening, though the subject matter of his material started to go down the same lines as Marx's, more of a complaint about relationships than anything else. After a promising start to his set, the audience was left feeling some-

this musical is by no means a shallow attempt at feel good theatre, and in fact relates some deeply moving messages.

Some parts of the plot could admittedly be developed, however the musical nevertheless resonates with a modern audience through its universal themes of love, regret and sexuality.

A good musical is one that leaves you humming tunes for days after, at the cost of the sanity of those around you.

Lovelock’s catchy, original and well lyricised themes 'Sunshine Guy' and 'Cigarettes and Icecream' are definitely of this friendship-testing variety.

Although the occasional song lacked this same level of ingenuity and memorability, the harmonies were consistently tight and effective, and the 12-piece orchestra provided a strong accompaniment.

The songs and dialogue were also refreshingly witty, rousing steady laughs throughout, with a clever and, at times, cynical sense of humour.

Considering the cast and orchestra have been selected from an array of university students, it is admirable that they have managed to do so much justice to this untested production, especially given the threedimensional demands of musical theatre, which require a diversity of talent with which few of us are graced!

The cast has been well chosen to support the strengths of each member, and they have debuted this production with originality and flare. Technical hitches were also dealt with professionally, as was the continual passing around of microphones, which I’m sure the stars of Broadway do not have to put up with!

Both as a debut of a new composition, and as a piece of amateur-dramatics, this musical is an overall triumph.

With some fine-tuning and development I would like to think it could make its way onto a bigger stage, but until then GMTG are the one to watch!

He seemed to run out of steam and swerved into risky territory – for starters, one of his pieces was a complaint against other comedians and their jokes.

what underwhelmed.

A lot of hype surrounded the second set: Craig Murray was hyped up no end by the staff. At best, however, he was average.

His humour was slightly darker than the previous two acts, which at least made for some change, but eventually he seemed to run out of steam and swerved into risky territory. For starters, one of his pieces was a complaint against other comedians and their jokes, which felt somewhat awkward. Though Murray obviously couldn't care less about professionalism, one

is left wondering whether publicly 'slagging off`' his contemporaries is really a good idea (though to his credit, it was eventually funny). As with the other two, the material then went down the lines of relationships, a subject which we are already a little tired of, though Murray took it even further. The jokes became dirty to a point where they became downright offensive.

This review may have triggered quite a negative image – fortunately, there was a side to the evening which was consist-

ently good, coming in the form of master of ceremonies Andy Robinson. Unlike the other three, Robinson was well in touch with the audience, and handled us with class and genuine humour. In a part of a skit which centred around a latecomer in the second row, Robinson referred to the two of them as being 'part of the glee club family'. Robinson's place in this family was well earned, particularly as he turned what would have been a mediocre evening into a good one.

www.redbrick.me/arts | 13

Grizzly Pear @ The Bristol Pear Exuberant energy characterized Writers’ Bloc’s Grizzly Pear open mic night. Readings ranging from the emotionally tangible to the awkwardly poor were held together by a raucous audience and a slick compere, Ben Norris.

More than twenty writers read pieces, on the whole based around the theme of eavesdropping. A few hundred words do not suffice to mention all the acts and a run through of them all would no doubt bore the most tolerant of our readership. A brief description on some of the more striking and entertaining performers is the best Redbrick can muster.

The acts that appealed most were those who treated the event as a performance between the writer and the audience, with engaging readings rather than insular introspective pieces. Joe Whitehead’s 'I Need Someone Better to Love' deserves a prize for sheer hilarity. His account of an infatuation with Kim Kardashian was wonderfully read with a memorable quip: `I can name her ex’s in chronological order'. Following Joe, the zestful Meg Tapp took full advantage of an appreciative

James Kinsey Arts Editor

audience with some imaginative limericks based on a true story about two women dressed like Russian prostitutes discussing STI’s and an inter-family affair.

On a more serious level Archy brought a hauntingly emotional tone to the evening. A love elegy `Motherfucker` and another cathartic outpouring `What is pain?`, were in serious want of panache to say the least, but, strangely, the awkward readings created an immense emotional intensity. If the purpose of reading poetry is at its base level to share inner feelings then Archy triumphed.

Worthy of mention were also: Danny Murphy, with his finely crafted poem; Joseph Sale’s humorous satire of poor rhymes, although oddly it featured few rhymes; James Dolton’s inventive rap-esque performance; and Spoz’s love poem in Italian and English, which cleverly changed the focus from word meaning to cadence and sound.

Amongst the above, the most enjoyable readers to listen to were very different writers. Ben Jackson’s narcotic reverie achieved a gripping connection between form and content through undulating rhythms.

Danni Bentley’s mellifluous voice ensured she was well received, and Lilly Blacksell’s ode to Bobby Womack was heartfelt, imaginative, and brought something different to the evening’s multitude of personal narratives. With this in mind it is a shame the insipid provocations of Giles LongleyCook and Richard Higgs were, let us say, closer to William McGonagall than Eugène Edine Pottier.

The highlight of the evening was the headline act and slam champion Vanessa Kisuule, who read a number of beautiful poems ranging from the feminist challenge in 'F Bomb', the haunting homage to Clifton Suspension Bridge and 'Reinventing religion'. Her standout piece about a bygone lover was a joy to listen to with a particularly memorable contrasting image between Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan that underpinned the poem.

The evening’s variety in writing and tone complemented by performer and audience energy made 2013’s first Grizzly Pear event definitely worth the entry fee. In fact, I would have paid to attend as it was such an impressive display of student talent.

It is a shame that the insipid provocations of Giles Longley-Cook and Richard Higgs were, let us say, closer to William McGonagall than Eugène Edine Pottier.

14 | 1st - 7th February 2013 @RedbrickTravel

On this month: Carnival in Brazil!

It's gloomy February, but here at Travel we're dreaming of arguably the brightest party on earth, happening this month on the other side of the world. Laura Foster recounts her experiences at Carnival in Rio de Janerio.

The short month of February brings sub zero weather, an awkward, unspontaneous day of romance (for some) and post-Christmas cash anxiety.

Birthdays and personal celebrations aside, the only day that promises a half decent evening is that faithful Tuesday, when essay writing is put aside and pancake recipes are consulted. Some 6000 miles away in the vast country of Brazil, the situation could not be more different. For this Latin American country, February promises tropical temperatures, an array of idyllic beaches to choose from and the refreshingly laid back attitude of the Brazilian people. If this isn’t enough to tempt you, the country also hosts one of the biggest parties on earth – Carnival.

Taking place every February over five days, and celebrated in every corner of Brazil, this colourful festival officially marks the beginning of Lent – an apt way to prepare for forty days of self-restraint and willpower. Last February, I experienced Carnival in one of the most talked about cities in Brazil – Rio de Janeiro. Arriving from the south, my friends and I spent the previous two weeks working our way towards the great city alongside thousands of other travellers also on this party pilgrimage. After a grueling journey, we finally arrived at our hostel in the upmarket area of Ipanema, joining other excited travellers and seeing away our first caipirinha of many.

This was the beginning of constant samba, colourful parades, tons of body paint, giant transvestites, cheap beer, awful food and one massive headache (as well as a pretty large dent in our travelling funds). Essentially, Carnival is one massive street party, spread out over five days and covering all areas of the city, and it’s your job to find them.

Every day we headed out on the metro to the best and most reputable “blocos” – samba bands and armies of drummers who lead millions through the streets and onto the beaches of Rio. These street parties represent the heart and soul of Carnival, and are a must do for any visitor wanting an authentic Brazilian experience with Rio’s residents. It is also the cheapest fun you will ever have, with locals selling beer and Smirnoff Ices at roughly 60p each. All you need to make the most of these festivities is an open mind, some sort of fancy dress and a good pair of Havaianas.

If partying in the street is not your style, then there are plenty of bars and clubs to keep you happy, playing everything from Stevie Wonder to Swedish House Mafia. Whilst this might be ideal for the homesick dreaming of Broad Street and the SU, it does not compare to a night spent in one of Rio’s traditional Samba clubs, the best of which are found in energetic Lapa – Rio’s grungy party district. Lapa’s bars and clubs open onto the street every Friday night throughout the year, blasting out different styles of music to the enthusiastic rhythmseekers below. During Carnival, Lapa is in its element and is the place to start or end any night.

However, this area is renowned as a crime hotspot so extra care needs to be taken, especially late at night after a few drinks. Despite its reputation as one of the most dangerous cities on earth,I believe that all you need to survive this city is a little common sense and a quick eye – leave your cameras at home, and realise that the cute kid running between your feet is actually robbing you, and take out as little money as possible.For Brazilians, Carnival represents more than just an excuse to drink copious amounts and parade around in a bright pink Borat mankini

(guilty). Carnival is the climax of a year long competition and creative effort carried out by Rio’s samba schools. Each school represents a different neighbourhood of Rio, and spends the year writing music, rallying supporters, choreographing dances, building floats and preparing to showcase the best of what their school can offer in Rio’s Sambodromo – a mile long stadium seating 90,000 spectators.

Over three nights, each school takes it in turn to parade through the stadium until one is finally crowned winner.

Tickets can be expensive, the seats consist of cold stone steps, and after seeing three or four schools slowly parade past you, there is no doubt that you will start to crave the less impressive rabble back on Copacabana beach.

Before weariness sets in, a ticket to Carnival’s main attraction will not fail to impress – the sheer size and detail of every hand-built float is astonishing, as are the outfits, or lack thereof, that adorn some of the school’s most famous members. The celebrations carry on throughout the day, but if your head simply cannot stand another Portuguese pop song, then this is the perfect opportunity to experience the rest that Rio has to offer - Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, the steps at Lapa, Santa Teresa, a Brazilian football match – the list is endless. Ipanema and Copacabana beach are also perfect for when the weather is fine, and you fancy sleeping off your hangover or taking on a few locals at football.

Unfortunately, this amount of fun comes at a cost – an expensive one – and if you are seriously considering attending Carnival in Rio then you will want to book accommodation well in advance. Even then, a 6-person dorm in your average hostel will cost around 50 pounds per night, and most hostels require a minimum 6-day booking. The same goes for food and drink, with our cheapest dining out experience being a large McDonalds meal for 8 pounds.

Travellers can always keep costs lower by cooking in the hostel and avoiding the highly priced bar menus and wine lists, but if you want to experience the best of Carnival, you’re going to have to take the financial hit – you won’t regret it. Every night of Carnival offers an opportunity to experience something new, and no two nights are the same.

Home to samba clubs, Irish bars, and numerous gay parades and streets, there is something for everyone in Rio, and however you choose to spend your time, Carnival guarantees a truly amazing experience.

www.redbrick.me/travel |15

Student Skiing: Go Cheap as Chips or Splurge for Safety?

Foreign Office Ambassador Will Spence tells Travel his top do's and don'ts for keeping safe on the slopes this winter.

Many companies are now offering cheap skiing packages for groups of students that involve copious amounts of free alcohol along with a cheap pair of skis.

Yet with a higher potential for things to go wrong than your average beach holiday, is it worth doing it cheaply, or should we spend that little bit extra for our own peace of mind? Here are a few factors we should take into account when booking that holiday to a winter wonderland.

Insurance:

This is a bit of a no-brainer.

Previous skiiers will be aware of the temptation to absolutely fly down that enormous red run, powering it towards the bottom, and why wouldn’t you? It’s fun!

Yet as I’m sure you’ll also know, it’s not hard to come off your skis when going too fast or flying over a bump, and it’s also not hard to get a bruise, or even worse, to break a leg. In fact, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s website, two out of five winter sports enthusiasts have injured themselves at least once when on a skiing holiday.

As this stat clearly highlights, taking out insurance when going skiing is a must. No matter how many times you’ve sped down a black run or how many times you’ve done a 360 degree flip off a ramp, you can always cause yourself some damage, and mummy and daddy won’t be too happy getting a phone call asking them to foot a bill of thousands of pounds to pay for a helicopter lift off the mountain, and the extortionate hospital bill to fix your broken back. So before you go, take out the right insurance.

If you’re going on a week’s holiday you can get insurance for around £20 but you must take out a policy that includes specific winter sports cover, as without this you may find that you are not fully covered for the activities you are going to be partaking in up the mountain. Most policies will not cover you if you ski off piste, or have an accident whilst under the influence of alcohol, so it’s always best to check the wording of

your policy to see what it does and does not cover. If you’re travelling to a European resort be sure to get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as this will allow you to access state provided health care. For more information about the EHIC, check out the FCO’s advice at: www.fco.gov.uk/ehic.

Ski gear:

Again, this is fairly straightforward, but there’s definitely more room for personal judgement when it comes to choosing ski gear. Depending on whether you’ve booked a bundle or have just turned up on your own, ski gear may be included in the price of your holiday.

For less advanced skiers, basic skis are absolutely fine and you shouldn’t worry too much about them, but more advanced skis are a bit trickier to choose from.

Do we really need those dashing red racing skis when we’re just going to be doing blue and green runs?

Should we really be trying to save as much money as possible when we’re going to be skiing down the steepest slopes in Europe? You need the equipment to match the activities you are going to be doing on your trip. There’s no point in spending a bomb on some high-tech gear if you’ve not skied much before. Save the extra cash for the après-ski but make sure the drinking stays ‘après’ as hitting the slopes sloshed can result in injury and a voided insurance policy.

If you’re on more of an adventure holiday, it’s worth spending a bit more cash for that extra bit of safety. Be sure to take expert advice when choosing your gear, the staff in the shop will be fully trained to advise you of the equipment to suit your needs, so make sure you are candid about everything you are going to be doing in order to get the gear that best suits your purposes.

Package or not:

Shall we book it all alone and customise it to how we want? Or should we opt to have it all done for us but stick to a rigid choice of options?

The plus side of having a package is that it’s usually cheaper and you have everything sorted out for you.

The negative side is that you may end up in an area you’re not happy with, and the packages are often for set periods of times, so if you get sick of the skiing, or you get injured, you’re still paying.

The positives of doing it alone are that you can completely customise your trip and sort out all the details.

Whether you have skied before or not, it affords you the flexibility to arrive and leave when you want, and even have days off from skiing if you should choose to, but it is usually more expensive, and you may miss something out when booking. The answer really comes down to what you are hoping to get out of the trip, how regimented you want it to be and what you feel represents value for money. Judge for yourself, but don't take unnecessary risks.

Check before you go.

Whatever you plan to do, be it a package holiday on a shoestring or an independent customised trip with top of the range gear, it’s important you make sure you have a safe trip. For more info about how to prepare for trips abroad, or to access the FCO’s instructive Winter Sports Checklist, check the FCO website, or Facebook and Twitter pages: www.fco.gov.uk/wintersports www.facebook.com/fcotravel www.twitter.com/fcotravel

16| 1st-7th February 2013 @RedbrickFood

Waste Not, Want Not Illustration by Anita Baumgärtner

The UK, US and Europe have nearly twice as much food as is required by the nutritional needs of their population. But almost half of this food is wasted. Izzy Gibbin delves inside our nation's dustbins.

Izzy Gibbin Food Editor

@izzygibbin

Nearly one in seven of the world’s population are malnourished or facing starvation.

But every single year the US and Europe waste enough food to feed each one of those people four times over – and then some. So much of this food waste is avoidable, and to reduce it would benefit everybody. And yet there exists a real culture of finger-pointing when it comes to waste; blame is shifted from party to party and no-one wishes to accept responsibility for their own actions, much less feel compelled to alter them. Supermarkets hide behind the tired assertion that they are simply delivering what consumers want, whether it be cosmetically perfect vegetables or buy-one-get-one-free promotions.

Our self-professed ‘Greenest Government Ever’ shies away from the more ambitious aspects of its pledge, such as separate food and waste collection or investment in the green economy, instead choosing to spend its resources on advertising campaigns and ‘working with households’ to reduce waste. And we, as consumers, have the luxury of wasting 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink every year with absolute impunity, safe in the knowledge that we might never have to face the consequences of the devastation we cause. The real tragedy of food waste lies not only in the food itself, but also the vast amounts of natural resources and energy that are needed to produce it. For example, to produce one piece of steak requires 2310 litres of water; for a single loaf of bread, 1286 litres are used. The seemingly insignificant waste of these items represents the needless loss of water, land and energy.

Beyond this, too, are the moral implications of wantonly wasting food that could theoretically have fed hungry people. 'In that all of us in the affluent world deprive others of food necessary for survival,' writes historian and author Tristam Stuart,

'I, you and everyone you know behave murderously towards fellow humans.' But where does the responsibility really lie?

And what might be done to tackle this enormous problem?

Let us begin, then, with the middle man: our supermarkets. Recently, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers released a report that estimated 30-50% of globally produced food is wasted. The report highlighted problems at every level of production and consumption, and criticised supermarkets for many of their practices.

Quickly, the British Retail Consortium and supermarkets themselves released statements responding to the claims. Of the report’s link between wasteful consumer practices and the buy-one-get-onefree promotions often seen in stores, BRC’s Andrew Opie claimed that ‘there was no link between promotions and food waste’ and that retailers simply want to ‘help customers make their money go further’. A Morrisons spokesperson said ‘We understand how important it is to tackle the issue of food waste and make an effort to do so in every area of our business from our manufacturing facilities right through to store’. Sainsbury’s Paul Crewe is keen to stress the supermarket’s ‘Longterm sustainability plans’ and claims that ‘less than 5% of food waste is generated by retail, compared with nearly 50% from households'.

But there are holes in each of these statements, and it is difficult not to be cynical of them simply for the lack of concrete data on how much supermarkets waste and why. According to WRAP (government funded Waste & Resources Action Program), retailers produce 1.6 million tonnes of food waste annually; however, as Stuart claims, this figure is likely to be subject to wide margins of error and may well be an underestimation. The WRAP statistic was submitted by retailers anonymously by measuring back-of-store waste, food loss through distribution, or a mix-

ture of b o t h , instead of being obtained by an independent body through a standardised system as with household waste. The only available figures on supermarket waste are what the companies themselves choose to reveal.

The major supermarkets are not required to publish their annual food wastage and therefore most (excepting the Co-op who printed a statistic of 10,100 tonnes of food sent to landfill between 2007 and 2008) deliberately obscure such figures from the public. It is difficult to determine exactly how far major retailers adhere to their own environmental pledges, to hold them to account for their levels of waste, or to identify areas where waste could be reduced. Were supermarkets required to

publish their waste levels, they would be incentivised to reduce them in order to beat their competition and improve their public image.

Let’s take a look at the statistic cited

by Paul Crewe: that the retail sector accounts for less than 5% of annual UK food waste. Even if such a statistic could be verified, it does not take into account the levels of waste that arise across the supply chain as a result of supermarket policy. The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills estimates that 3.2 million tonnes of food and drink waste are generated by manufacturing annually.

However, a significant proportion of this (around 10% of a company's total output, though much higher levels have been recorded) are caused by overproduction, often due to poor demand forecasting by supermarkets. Many manufacturers enter into contracts in which retailers are able to send any produce they don't manage to sell back to the supplier. Often, to avoid surplus, supermarkets will send back this produce when only 75% of its shelf life has expired instead of attempting to sell it.

Frequently the supplier will simply throw it away. Supermarkets also incur waste by making forecast orders; telling the manufacturer than on a certain day they will probably require a certain amount of an item. However the order is not confirmed until within 24 hours of delivery. If it turns out that the supermarket no longer requires the item – due to poor sales or overstocking – the supplier is left with a huge quantity of fresh food that it is unable to use.

They are prohibited from selling on the food, as often the packaging will be branded with the supermarket's name.

Many supermarkets also forbid them from donating the food to charities or shelters for fear that the product will end up being secretly sold on the grey market. This leaves the supplier little choice but to send the food and its packaging to landfill. The

www.redbrick.me /food | 17

waste, and its financial cost, is therefore forced upon the supplier by the supermarket; but the extent to which manufacturers are reliant on the custom of major supermarkets means they are powerless to change this.

Waste is also pushed further down the chain by the ubiquitous encouragement for consumers to over-buy. Buy-one-getone-free promotions and multi-buy offers means that customers often leave stores with much more than they intended or needed to buy, some of which will go to waste. Over-cautious 'best-before' or 'useby' dates – designed to protect the supermarket from liability due to food poisoning – further mislead the public into throwing away food that is still fit to eat.

Another way supermarkets generate waste is by rejecting huge crops of fruit and vegetables which do not meet their stringent cosmetic standards. IMechE estimates that up to 30% of the UK's vegetable crop is not even harvested because of these practices, and that 1.6 million tonnes of waste are produced globally this way each year. Though this is, in part, due to European Commission food regulations, the role of supermarkets in the needless waste of perfectly edible crops should not be underestimated. Most supermarket chains, particularly those which are considered more 'upmarket' (such as Marks & Spencer) have cosmetic standards for their food which far exceed those laid out by the EU. Farmers who supply supermarkets are required to deliver the pre-agreed amount of cosmetically perfect vegetables each year, even during poor seasons, or risk losing their contract. To avoid falling short, it is standard practice to plant far more than actually needed – leading to an over-production of anywhere between 25% and 40%. Supermarkets claim that their cosmetic standards are in response to customer demand. However, it is arguably the supermarkets themselves which dictate our expectations as customers; if

'We, as consumers, have the luxury of wasting 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink every year with absolute impunity'

'30-50% of globally produced food is wasted' 'IMechE estimates that up to 30% of the UK's vegetable crop is not even harvested'

'Buy-one-get-onefree promotions and multi-buy offers means that customers often leave stores with much more than they inteneded or needed to buy'

more 'ugly' fruit and vegetables started appearing on our shelves, this would quickly become standard practice and less food would be wasted purely on the basis of its appearance. The absence of unblemished food also encourages waste within the home as slightly bruised or scarred fruit and vegetables are frequently deemed 'abnormal' and unfit to eat.

A quick rummage through a supermarket skip at the end of the day often reveals hundreds of pounds worth of perfectly edible fresh food, either still in date or just out of date. Whilst a large portion of household food waste comes from 'unavoidable' sources, such as spoiled food, it is not uncommon that most supermarket waste is still fit for consumption, thrown away simply because of overstocking, visible blemishes or dented packaging. In many cases it is more profitable for supermarkets to overstock certain items and end up wasting some rather than risk running out. Therefore supermarkets will buy more than needed in order to maintain the illusion of constantly full shelves and infinite choice. And while some food outlets donate surplus food to charities, many will deliberately destroy their edible food surplus by spraying it with blue dye before dumping it in a skip. This practice is to deter bin foragers – or 'freegans' – from raiding supermarket bins in order to put wasted food to good use. But if supermarkets focussed on better sales prediction or donated surplus to charities, there would be no need for freegans and food would be safely directed to those who are going hungry.

There are, however, problems which exist at a much higher level. The EU Common Agricultural Policy is a set of quotas, tariffs and subsidies which protect the stability of European agricultural production by insulating farmers from the potentially devastating effects of yield fluctuations, price volatility and being undercut by developing nations. The policy is complex and wide-ranging, and has numerous adherents as well as opponents.

One of the undisputed major problems with it in its current form however is the amount of excess food it generates.

Farmers are guaranteed minimum prices for their produce, meaning that they have an incentive to overproduce relative to demand. This has famously led to ‘milk lakes’ and ‘butter mountains’ kept in public storage. In 2006 EU public stocks were 13.5 million tonnes of cereal, rice, sugar and milk products and 3,529,002 hectolitres of alcohol/wine. The majority of this excess is left to waste, while the remainder is dumped on developing nations undermining their domestic industry and threatening their food security. The flaws of the regime currently in place have provoked a commitment among governmental leaders to reforming the policy – a process due to start this year.

In the UK, attempts to tackle waste have been neglected. For example, the Food Waste Bill proposed by Labour MP Kerry McCarthy in 2012, which would have required supermarkets and manufacturers to donate surplus food to charities, was guillotined at the end of the parliamentary session, showing a clear lack of enthusiasm on the government's part.

Closer to home, the cabinet for Birmingham City Council in 2012 backtracked on its pledge to introduce a separate food collection scheme that would have diverted the city's wasted food from landfill.

In less developed countries, most food waste occurs at production level, as a result of inefficient technologies and weaker harvesting infrastructures. But in the affluent West, households are the single biggest generators of food waste, accounting for almost 50% of the overall annual UK loss. Love Food Hate Waste estimates that eliminating household food waste would save the average family £50 a month. It also claims that the environ-

mental impact of stopping the needless waste of edible food would be equivalent to taking 1 in 5 cars off the roads. With so many incentives to reduce waste, why is it that the British public still throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food every year? One argument is that we feel like nothing we can do will make any difference. With so many problems in the systems that bring us our food, it's easy to feel powerless to change anything, and thus to absolve ourselves of responsibility. But there are so many things that can be done on a personal level to dramatically reduce waste.

The first is to become aware of the facts.

It may seem difficult to live without supermarkets, but it is certainly possible to reduce our reliance on them and treat marketing schemes with scepticism.

Finding alternative suppliers, such as farmers markets, for fresh produce like vegetables means that we won't be adhering to the needlessly strict cosmetic standards insisted upon by supermarkets.

Buying loose vegetables instead of large 'value' bags works out cheaper, reduces the likelihood that they will end up in the bin and also cuts out the need for wasteful packaging.

Consumer research by the Royal Society attributes household waste to poor meal planning, failure to stock-check our kitchens, over-sensitivity to use-by dates, impulse buying, and not storing food correctly. Some of these are by-products of our reliance on spontaneity. Many of us are reluctant to spend time writing out shopping lists, planning our meals for the week or stock-checking our fridges and cupboards. Instead we over-buy food in order to create a kind of pseudo-supermarket in our own homes. But meal-planning would go a long way to reducing food waste and saving money – which, for the average student, would be a useful benefit.

Planning our meals also eliminates the temptation to impulse buy when shopping, or succumb to the promotions used by supermarkets to get us to over-buy.

Gaining an understanding of how to properly store food and utilise leftovers is also helpful. Freeze bulk meals such as spaghetti bolognaise into individual portions for cheap and non-wasteful alternatives to ready meals. Wilted or ageing vegetables can always be used up in soups or curries. Use-by dates are often overcautious; it is often more useful to judge the edibility of food by its appearance or smell. Sell-by and use-by dates are irrelevant.

Stuart argues that 'we have not yet learnt to appreciate how our everyday emotions affect people on the other side of the planet. Sympathy is partly a visceral emotion, and it is weakened by the distances between our actions and those who are affected by them'. And it is true that when we throw food into the bin, it's difficult to imagine the knock-on effect of this small action, or the sheer scale of waste to which we are contributing. Some might argue that there is no link between the over-consumption of food in rich countries and the availability of food in poorer countries, and this once might have been the case; but there is now too clear a connection for us to ignore.

This article is by no means an exhaustive explanation of the reasons for food waste.

Those who want to learn more might consider: -Taking a look at the Love Food, Hate Waste website -Reading Tristam Stuart's book 'Waste' -Getting involved with local food waste reduction charities such as FoodCycle or Food, Not Bombs -Signing Friend of the Earth's petition for sustainable reform of the Common Agricultural Policy

18 | 1st - 7th February 2013

@RedbrickSci&Tech

Meat without the moo!

Claire Harris Writer

Ever wondered what it would be like to eat your favourite burger without it ever having wandered round a field at some point? American company Modern Meadow think they have the answer!

Father-son team Gabor and Andras Forgacs are attempting to make artificial raw meat using a threedimensional bioprinter. 3D printing has been around since the eighties but is now being applied to producing regenerative medicines as well as jewellery and parts of guns. The process involves ‘printing’ tiny droplets in consecutive layers, although in this case the ‘ink’ will be live cells. The team are using animal stem cells which, when printed into the required shape, will fuse to form live tissue - a slab of steak for example?

The duo have already created a prototype, however, it isn’t suitable for consumption as of yet.

Manufacturing this ‘printed’ meat on an industrial scale and convincing the public to consume it may be a problem. But with this new method, the company are hoping to combat the environmental cost of meat manufacturing, after describing hamburger production as “an environmental train wreck”. The scheme has also just received financial backing from billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who the team hope will propel development of their vision.

Also in the pipeline, architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars plans to build the first entire building by 3D printing.

The process will involve laying down thousands of layers of sand to create 20 by 30 foot blocks which will be used to create his figure of eight shaped ‘Landscape House’.

It isn’t only meat and buildings on the horizon for the new printers, as current investigations are looking into a possible use in regenerative medicines. Indeed, in 2010, the company Organovo had already successfully produced fully functional blood vessels with this technique.

So, with all these recent advances, it seems as if 3D printing is firmly set to be a large part of the technological and scientific future.

Scientists growing new nose on man’s arm

Dale Menezes Writer

A 56-year-old British man who lost his nose to cancer is having a new one grown underneath his arm.

The technique, performed by experts at UCL, marks the first time that a full nose has been grown from scratch.

The process began by forming a glass mould based on the original nose and subsequently spraying it with a honeycomb material allowing stem cells from the patient’s bone marrow to attach on to it. Maintained at body temperature, a bioreactor was used to promote cell growth over the scaffold’s structure. At the same time a small balloon was placed underneath the skin of the patient’s arm and inflated progressively.

With the skin loose enough, the scaffold (now coated in cells) was then implanted beneath the arm’s surface. It can now go on to develop a blood supply along with a network of nerve cells and skin over the next few months.

The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, will then have the nose surgically extracted and attached to his face. If successful, the skin covering the nostrils will be removed and mucous membrane cells placed within the cavities. It’s hoped that this hallmark procedure could go on to help patients with similar injuries.

When DNA might not code for life…

Soumya Perinparajah Writer

It has been a week of new discoveries about DNA, with a quadruple-stranded helix having been confirmed to exist, as well as the prospect that DNA could store digital data.

DNA is an absolute necessity in the human body; Without it, we simply would not exist. It is the genetic code for everything that makes us the way we are, from the colour of our eyes to athletic ability. Usually, DNA exists in a double-helix form, and one component of its structure is a nitrogenous molecule, of which there are four. One of these is called guanine. A research team at Cambridge have shown that when guanine is in excess in human cells, a G-quadruplex has the capacity to form. As the double-stranded DNA helix is the normal form of DNA, the existence of the quadruple-stranded G-quadruplex has been associated with disease, for example in cancers. This new development could also be an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies, as if indeed implicated in cancer, the G-quadruplex could be a potential drug target.

It has also been suggested that it is capable of storing non-biological data, such as government records. At first, this

appears to be a weird concept but the properties of DNA make it a favourable proposal, as put forward by the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). Woolly mammoth DNA, which is thousands of years old, still exists to this day, thanks to the cold and dark conditions in which it is kept to ensure its stability.

One particular point made by Nick Goldman, a member of the team, emphasises DNA’s data-storing capacity; He says that DNA is very dense and that one gram can hold up to two petabytes of data.

In other words, about three million CDs’ worth of data! The way in which the data is stored comes back to the four nitrogenous molecules, as mentioned before. Instead of coding for life, these same molecules code for the desired information, be it words, photos or videos. The EBI successfully coded for a variety of data including a part of Martin Luther King’s 1963 anti-racism address.

Whilst it is an exciting possibility, there are still further studies to be done, and with DNA being such a hot topic in science, there are sure to be many ethical issues to discuss.

www.redbrick.me/tech | 19

Dubai heads underwater with new hotel Andrew Spencer Science & Tech Editor

Under the sea

@andrewspencer93

Polish project planners, Deep Ocean Technology, have unveiled plans to build the largest underwater hotel to date, situated in Dubai. They plan to build an underwater disc shaped section of the hotel holding twenty-one double rooms, a bar and a diving centre ten metres below the surface of the water.

From the rooms, guests will be able to experience underwater sealife close up and will have the opportunity to control miniature underwater vehicles equipped with cameras to explore the waters. The large underwater disc will be connected to the rest of the hotel complex which is spread between five and seven metres above the surface. A restaurant, spa and recreation area will be built here, while the roof will house multiple seawater swimming pools and a garden. Furthermore, a helicopter can be used to get to and from the hotel.

DOT have carefully planned the building infrastructure in the case of a natural disaster. The discs above water are both buoyant and detachable. The company foresees that these discs can be used as lifeboats in such situations. It also means that if any upgrades are made to the hotel, new discs can be built and interchanged with the old ones easily.

This very futuristic looking hotel has no completion date yet, but building will start in the near future.

20 | 1st - 7th February 2013

The National Television Awards

@Redbrick @RedbrickTV

Russell Webb TV Editor

@rwebb92

The 18th National

Television

Awards

has

come

around

again

as

the

cream

of

British

television

rose

to

the

top

to

claim

well

deserved

accolades

voted

for

entirely

by

the

public.

The Winners

The Surprise Winners •

Colin

Morgan: Also known as Merlin to viewers. He managed to pull off a surprise victory in the Male Drama Performance category ahead of Doctor Who, Sherlock and Ronnie Biggs.

•

Paul

O’Grady

-­

For

The

Love

of

Dogs: Nominated in the dodgy category of Factual Programme alongside Top Gear, The Great British Bake Off and The Apprentice. It seems that the public enjoyed the endearing Liverpudlian and the weekly fix of cute, abandoned animals. My money was certainly on The Great British Bake Off but we can all be wrong sometimes.

•

Ant

and

Dec: For the 12th consecutive year, the Geordie boys walked away with the award for Best Entertainment Presenters despite tough competition.

The show was momentarily handed over to X Factor judge Nicole Sherzinger because her colleague, Dermot O’Leary was nominated alongside Keith Lemon and Alan Carr. Realistically no one could see anyone beating the already 11-times winners which was written all over Dermot’s face. Not only did Ant and Dec sweep their own award, but I’m A Celebrity also won the first award of the evening for Entertainment Programme.

•

Alan

Halshall: Better known to most of us as Tyrone from Coronation Street, his fine acting was justly rewarded with the Best Serial Drama Performance award. His speech paid tribute to his fellow colleagues, his wife and former co-stars Liz Dawn and the recently deceased Bill Tarmey which was a touching tribute. Halshall’s night was to get even better as Corrie managed to scoop the Serial Drama award ahead of BBC rivals EastEnders.

•

Joanna

Lumley:

Widely regarded as a national treasure, Joanna Lumley was bestowed with the Special Recognition award for her fantastically diverse career. There was a fitting video made that formed a montage of her work life with interviews from Martin Scorsese, David Attenborough and the Prime Minister David Cameron. She was visibly emotional at the award and simultaneously elated in her rousing acceptance speech.

List of Award Winners Entertainment

Programme:

I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here

•

QI:

Winner of Comedy Panel Show ahead of BBC favourites Would I Lie To You, Mock The Week and Have I Got News For You. Personally I would have placed it in the Factual Programme category to compete with O’Grady, but it turned out trumps scooping an award in a completely different section.

Documentary:

Frozen Planet Comedy

Panel

Show:

QI Male

Drama

Performance:

Colin Morgan (Merlin) Daytime

Programme:

This Morning

The Losers

Female

Drama

Performance:

Miranda Hart (Call The Midwife) Landmark

Award:

Olympic and Paralympic Coverage

•

•

•

Dermot

O’Leary: The show’s host was up for two awards and missed out on both of them. First the award for Best Entertainment Presenter went to Ant and Dec and then the X Factor lost out to its bitter rival Strictly Come Dancing. Not such a good day at the ceremony.

Serial

Drama

Performance:

Alan Halshall (Coronation Street) Best

Entertainment

Presenter:

Ant and Dec

Kimberley

Walsh: In her first solo performance away from Girls Aloud, she was completely upstaged by X Factor reject Ella Henderson. Kimberley seemed extremely nervous and was unable to carry her song without any bum notes, whereas Ella was very natural and was note perfect as per her regular Saturday night performances on the ITV1 show.

Factual

Programme:

Paul O’Grady - For The Love of Dogs

Channel

4:

The night was utterly dominated by the BBC and ITV with Channel 4 barely getting a look in at all. Throughout the whole evening they only had eight programmes or people nominated for awards (two of them being Alan Carr) and with each nomination came another loss. If they are going to be recognised for awards it’s clear that the British public want better programming from them.

Best

Drama:

Downton Abbey

Best

Newcomer:

David Witts (EastEnders) Situation

Comedy:

Mrs Brown’s Boys

Talent

Show:

Strictly Come Dancing Special

Recognition:

Joanna Lumley Serial

Drama:

Coronation Street

www.redbrick.me/tv | 21

If you come across the term ‘Earth Porn’ on the Internet, you do not have to turn away in disgust anymore (or drop your pants in gleeful anticipation - I am not here to judge!) Chances are that you have just discovered the relatively new phenomenon of debauching in high-res footage of nature and wildlife. Modern technology has played a major part in fuelling this newfound interest in nature and perhaps nothing represents that interest more than the wildlife documentaries of the BBC and its new series Africa.

Documentaries like Planet Earth

(2006) have set the bar very high for this new series, but Africa can easily stand up to the comparison and presents to us the wildest continent on Earth as never seen before.

The production took over four years, with a crew of 90 people travelling to the most untouched places in Africa. All this time and effort, combined with the newest technical equipment, created a show that can only be described as breath-taking. Filmed with HD cameras, Africa presents us with shots that are so beautiful that you want to frame them and hang

them on your wall. Helicopter images of majestic landscapes are alternated with close up shots, so hi-res that you can almost count the individual hairs on a lion’s back. The great variety of wide-lense and close up shots, as well as time-lapses and night footage, ensures that the visuals never get redundant.

There have been many great documentaries about Africa, so what, besides the visual extravagance, makes this new program unique?

Producer Simon Blakeney, for example, says: ‘people have been making wildlife films for 100 years in Africa, and what we really knew is that newness was going to be our key currency.’

The actual product stands up to that expectation; even when they filmed iconic animals of Africa, the crew always strived to present something new about them: footage of rhinos, for example, looking grumpy and doing nothing, is pretty vanilla.

But new starlight cameras were able to show the seldom seen social side of these African giants at night. A python crushing its poor victim do death? Seen before! But close up shots of a Python mother tenderly caring for her newly hatched baby?

Not so much. The series manages to show every animal in ways never seen before, so even if this is the 100th Africa documentary you have seen, you will still learn something about the African wildlife that you would not have expected.

However, the series reminds us that the African wildlife is not only beautiful and interesting, but at times also cruel. There are scenes that are

Africa TV Critic Tobias Durant discusses the modern phenomenon 'Earth Porn', the production of the nature show and questions whether the brutality of the animals adds to thefascination of the series quite hard to stomach, for example when the baby of a shoebill-bird deprives his sibling of food, causing the younger one to die, so it can stay alive. Or the scenes of a mother elephant that still guards her dead calf, unable to leave it alone while the herd has to move on. Africa does not want to be a feel-good documentary and reminds us that Mother Nature does not fool around when it comes to matters of life and death, especially not in Africa.

But even these rather sad scenes add to the fascination of this wild continent and make Africa a must-see for everyone who is only slightly interested in nature documentaries.

The Blandings Music Editor Lily Blacksell takes a look at the new refreshingly nostalgic period drama from the BBC Over Christmas I ate so many extra meals and watched so many period dramas that I felt a bit sick. That might have been brought on by the unsavoury sexual detail of Ripper Street, or the general sickly sweet flavour of Downton Abbey, in fact it was probably all the food that caused it, but never the less, nostalgic TV was not on my new year agenda.

However, I love P.G. Wodehouse. I was intrigued and apprehensive to see a selection of Blandings episodes available on iPlayer, as Wodehouse’s style is notoriously difficult to translate into anything other than prose on a page. Blandings may be entirely lacking in Wodehouse’s wonderful authorial voice, and at moments it can feel a tad deficient as a result, but it is a storming adaptation that is here to save the day, and weekend TV. Much of its charm can be put down to a cast of national treasures, old and new. One such gem is Timothy Spall who plays the indomitable Lord Emsworth – the head of Blandings Castle. Pedantically speaking, Wodehouse’s Emsworth is wafer thin with a mouth full of marbles. Whilst Spall manages the incomprehensible speech side of things (more gibberish

than Received Pronunciation at times, however) he doesn’t quite achieve the thin bit. Details aside, he does pull off a very charming scene in which he pays a moonlit visit to his pig, the Empress of Blandings, to talk over the woes of ballroom dancing and a bossy sister.

Which reminds me, if there’s one thing I love more than P.G. Wodehouse it’s pigs, and dogs, and Blandings has both in abundance. Characters such as Empress, Queen, Zulu and Bottles are just as instrumental to the plot as their owners, and are equally agreeable.

Whilst too much of Wodehouse’s detail and description falls by the wayside, his stories remain. Their chaos and commotion lets each episode trundle along with glee, and the dialogue bolsters this further. Jack Farthing plays Emsworth’s exuberantbut-more-than-a-bit-dim son Freddie and comes out with such phrases as 'My aunt is famous for derailing the locomotive of young love' and, seeking advice from his father cries, 'she’ll saw open my cranium and feast on my brains!' only to get the reply, 'A meagre luncheon it will be! Good morning to you, sir.' In describing unhappiness amongst his servants because

of a meddling secretary, Lord Elmsworth sums up in a sentence what Downton would take at least three episodes to convey: 'There is disgruntlement and wailing where once there was revelry and song!'

To summarise, Lord Emsworth entreats his secretary, 'We cannot dance around like delirious fairies!',

but that is exactly what the cast of Blandings does.

With Guy Andrews’ adaptation, they capture the eccentric, escapist England that Wodehouse himself conjured throughout the 20th Century – a family in a castle untouched by class conflict or world wars, in an England that never was.

22 | 1st - 7th February 2013

@RedbrickFilm

TopThree

'Do or do not. There is no try.'

Yoda Star Wars Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Redbrick's rodeo queen Becky McCarthy celebrates the best of the West #1 Blondie The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

#2 Woody Toy Story

#3 Rooster Cogburn True Grit

The winner of this stand-off is Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name, aka Blondie. In the first of three Westerns which constitute The Dollars Trilogy, Blondie ‘The Good’ gets involved in a race to find hidden gold. A man of mystery, known only by nicknames, Blondie is the epitome of cool. Not only does he manage to work a poncho, but also pulls off brooding stares and cigar-smoking stances.

With famous quotes such as ‘There’s a snake in my boot’, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) must be one of the most wellknown cowboys in film. Loved by all, the leader of the Roundup gang lacks the grit of most other Western wanderers, but just as easily pulls off the stereotypical image including the token hat and boot combo.

What he lacks in ruthlessness, he makes up for in loyalty to his owner, Andy.

Cogburn, a rough and ready one-eyed U.S Marshal, played firstly by the quintessential cowboy John Wayne (1969) and then again by Jeff Bridges in the Coen Brothers’ re-make (2010), is enlisted by a young girl in a search for her father’s murderer. This hard-boiled hunter attempts to keep up a stern exterior, complete with constant drinking and laziness,but ends up revealing his softer side when help is needed.

FilmReviews

Zero Dark Thirty ELLICIA PENDLE Critic Release Date: 25th January 2013 Director: Kathryn Bigelow Cast: Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong

OutNow Lincoln

BEN JACKSON Critic Those who liked The Hurt Locker will love Kathryn Bigelow’s Release Date: 25th January 2013 latest war film, Zero Dark Thirty. Set in Pakistan and based on true Director: Steven Spielberg events, the film centres around Maya, a CIA officer who works Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn restlessly behind the scenes to discover Osama bin Laden’s whereabouts and to be heard and believed by the rest of her team. The Lincoln portrays the four months leading up to the vote on the 13th film has been heavily criticised for glorifying torture yet it reveals amendment which abolished slavery. Daniel Day-Lewis does a the ugly truth behind the operation, leading to a surprisingly great impression, but Lincoln’s emotionless passivity makes him seem a poor choice for a biopic. The supporting cast are good, ambiguous ending.

Nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and five Academy though Tommy Lee Jones’ dialogue is unconvincingly quip-based.

Awards, the film is another masterpiece in directing by Bigelow. The Sally Fields’ First Lady is functional, grieving where necessary, harrowing opening consists of a stark black screen and recordings but other female characters are absent or peripheral, as are all of emergency calls made by 9/11 victims. Such is Bigelow’s abil- black characters. Unlike other recent political biopics, tension ity to stun, that no one in the audience was able to look away from between Republicans and Democrats features heavily, and it is interesting just to watch the parties clash. Lincoln builds as if anythe screen.

However, it is lead actress Jessica Chastain, winner of ‘Best thing could happen, but, obviously, we know the ending. The lack Actress’ at the Golden Globe Awards for her performance, who of emotion and black characters distance us further. We are left steals the show as workaholic Maya. Seeing a strong heroine stand with an average film with no substance. up to her male superiors and dominate a war film, a traditionally masculine genre, was incredibly refreshing, and Maya’s stressful, sleepless pursuit of bin Laden cannot fail to inspire and impress.

Tense, brutal and real, Zero Dark Thirty feels like a long film CHARLES MOLONEY and the controversial torture scenes are not for the faint-hearted. Critic However, for those who want to watch something political and Release Date: 25th January 2013 provocative, you are sure to be left thinking about this film long Director: Peter Farrelly after you’ve seen it.

Cast: Emma Stone, Halle Berry, Stephen Merchant

Newsreel JONATHAN FAGG Critic Sci-fi fans pay attention! JJ Abrams has been announced as the director of the upcoming Star Wars film, which will be coming out in 2015, with George Lucas describing him as the 'ideal choice'. Expect plenty of jokes about overuse of lens flare, and JJ standing for Jar Jar, along with some upset Star Trek fans.

In further geeky news, Marvel President Kevin Feige has announced that an untitled Doctor Strange film is being made.

However, fans will have to be patient, as it is not going to be released until after the Avengers Assemble sequel, so the Sorcerer Supreme will not be on the big screen until the summer of 2015.

Movie 43

This film was not screened for critics, and it is very quickly made obvious why. The main storyline serves no real purpose other than to provide an explanation for the visions of crude and wacky mayhem which the audience are relentlessly assaulted with. If I told you that the 12 different storylines were arranged in descending order of both hilarity and intelligence, it might give you some idea of how this film plays out. Even if this ultra-lowbrow humour can be enjoyed by some, the lack of any likable characters or attempt at a coherent plot makes this film almost impossible to sit through.

I can only assume that this is some sort of Hollywood in-joke, as it somehow features an all-star cast. If I had to summarise what this film is about then I would have to say: nothing.

The unfunny, crass and unpleasant Movie 43, which somehow obtained an incredible cast of Alisters, has proven to be not only a miss with critics but a complete box office flop, having made only $5 million worldwide. Thank you, people of the world, for having enough taste to avoid this awful film.

www.redbrick.me/film | 23

Breaking new ground or just breaking the rules?

Jessica Green argues that the controversy surrounding the treatment of sensitive issues in recent films ignores an innovative approach to tackling taboo topics The subject of taboo is a sensitive and difficult affair when it comes to its representation in film.

The themes of racism and torture within a wider context of political and historical issues are controversial within themselves; however with the everexpanding film industry and its acceptance of such issues, can directors be taking it too far? I feel that the answer to this is a general no. The most recent controversy is that of Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained And Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

Tarantino, well-established as a director who addresses controversial areas, has given us a film that boldly presents the themes of slavery, ownership and revenge. However, it has been argued that the film portrays a digression of black history and where it stands in today’s society. Django Unchained deals with an exploitation of slavery, and the horror that is associated with it. Tarantino does not, on the other hand, enforce racist undertones, as the protagonist we are rooting for throughout the film is Django (Jamie Foxx), who is not depicted as a vulnerable symbol of the suffering of black people, but a fictional, likeable character who we are rooting for to succeed. We are, how-

ever, drawn to the horrendous, villainous, white, slave owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is a clear representation of the inhumane actions of the period.

What has shocked many critics, encouraging floods of questions, is Tarantino’s regular use of the taboo ‘n’ word throughout the film, and whether he has used this in a derogatory way. Yes, indeed, it is a word that is filled with complete negativity, however it can be argued as purely part of a device that Tarantino commonly uses to create the artistic scope of his story – usually as a satirical device. Whether this is deemed offensive to the past and present is debatable.

Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow’s latest film about the assassination of Osama bin Laden, has received mixed reviews about its portrayal of torture and just how close to the facts the film really is. The film is not the usual type-cast stereotypical action movie with explosions and a dull plot. It is a genuine piece of cinematic art with a gritty storyline, deeming it controversial in the eyes of many critics due to its depiction of realism and war, similar to her 2008 film The Hurt Locker.

There has been particular scrutiny over Bigelow’s

use of torture. Bigelow is not glamorizing or promoting torture in any way; the use of it is significant in terms of addressing the historical and political events of American history in recent times. Therefore it can be argued strongly that she is not promoting the use of violence in order to cause offence. Instead, she has successfully portrayed to her audience a very real, raw account of a sensitive and topical subject. Many reactions to the film have suggested a degree of immorality, however Bigelow’s vision is clear and justifiable: that the torture during the process of tracking down bin Laden did happen under American authority. She is trying to depict this as truthfully as she can to create a suspense-filled and authentic movie.

Like many directors of the 21st century, Tarantino and Bigelow have bold, distinct and forthright approaches, therefore criticism will naturally occur.

However to suggest that either of them are supporting racism or the acceptance of torture is a matter of opinion. I, for one, believe it to be a misinterpretation of the visions of two very clever directors with a great sense of awareness, whose intentions are to both entertain and enlighten us.

24| 1st - 7th February 2013 @RedbrickMusic

In Defence of Pop.

Meaningless? Uninventive? Fake? Christoph Buescher argues there's much more to pop that it is often given credit for. @ClebyB

'There's a kind of assumption that if you're writing pop music it's not an important kind of music, whereas rock music is perceived as being an important kind of music.' This is what the Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant says in the band's book Literally, and it is true.

Don't we all know those people who tend to quickly dismiss songs as pop music and thus as meaningless, uninventive and fake? Don't we all tend to do so ourselves?

Without doubt pop in all its different incarnations (electro-pop, synth-pop, disco-pop etc.) is the dominant genre in the charts. Yet people assume that pop musicians don't have anything important to say and just want to sell, whereas rock or indie musicians do not care about their record sales and make music only for the sake of conveying important messages and real feelings. Is this actually the case or is it just a prejudice?

Unfortunately, this discussion leads us directly to the word 'mainstream', which I dislike extremely, but which inevitably comes up when comparing pop and indie music. The general notion is that pop music is mainstream music and that indie music is – as its name suggests – not, and that as a result the latter is more innovative, does not have to follow certain unwritten rules and does not predominantly have to be saleable. This leads many people to say that they don't like mainstream pop music and do not even give it a try. The music industry itself jumps on that bandwagon, using 'mainstream' as a negative expression. I remember hearing a German radio station advertising Razorlight's 'Wire To Wire' as 'music that's not mainstream' at a time when the single was number four on the official charts. So what's the difference between saying 'I don't like it because it's mainstream' and saying 'I do like it because it's mainstream'? Shouldn't

we simply listen to a song and then decide whether we like it?

This brings us to the songs themselves and the important question: is pop music really less innovative and less diverse than indie or rock music?

The simple answer is no.

'In a way everyone in the music industry is fake. And that's fine.'

I won't deny that there are lyrically horrible pop songs that go on about the same boring falling in love/falling out of love lines again and again, using the same old metaphors. Examples include Justin Timberlake's 'Suit And Tie' and Rihanna's 'Diamonds' ('You and I are like diamonds in the sky' – a line so bad it actually hurts to listen to it).

Yet there are also truly amazing pop songs. If you don't believe me, listen to any song by the Pet Shop Boys (I recommend 'Rent' and 'Being Boring'), to 'Cosy Prisons' by A-ha or to 'Today the Sun's on us' by Sophie Ellis-Bextor. I could name 50 more, but instead it might be helpful to focus on indie/rock songs. Again, I won't deny that there are lyrically amazing ones, but obviously you cannot generalise and say that they have more meaning than pop songs. As one example I'd like to take a look at the well-known Mumford & Sons track 'I Will Wait'. It is a love song, and an extremely boring one. The word 'innovative' can't be used to describe terrible lines like 'now I'll be bold as well as strong and use my head alongside my heart' or, even worse, 'I came home like a stone'. It tells a story that has already been told a thousand times, and does not

tell it in a very interesting way to compensate.

Let's just agree on the fact that there are lyrically brilliant and lyrically horrible songs in pop music as well as in any other genre. Pop music can talk about important issues, not just that worn-out topic love, and can have a deeper meaning, so all the people who dismiss it as mindless should probably just give it a go.

The next prejudice is that pop music is fake, whereas indie/rock music is real. Yes, pop music is fake. It definitely is. But every other genre is just as fake. Don't you think that even indie musicians consciously think about what kind of audience they want to appeal to and what kind of songs (here we go again - lovesongs mainly) those people would like to hear? Don't they deliberately choose not to dance around on stage but just to sit there and play guitar? Don't they, to cut a long story short, deliberately choose a certain image? Everyone does it, so in a way everyone in the music business, no matter if they make synthpop or indiefolk, is fake. And that's fine. I honestly don't get why people always want music to be 'real' and about 'real emotions'. I personally can appreciate 'fake' emotions and 'fake' stories without any problem.

Finally, there's the question of whether pop music always sounds the same. In a way it does, often using simple, well-known melodies or the same old chords. But there is so much more to the music than that. I've already talked about the lyrical aspect, so let's concentrate on the looks of musicians and bands. When I see indie bands, they all look the same to me, as do rock bands and solo musicians. Without doubt there is a reason why certain clichés exist (cigarettes, alcohol, colourless outfits, etc.)

Furthermore, when I listen to indie music, it all sounds the same. Even more alike than different pop songs. Let me quote a line from the amazing Girls Aloud song 'Hoxton Heroes' (which you should all listen to), in which they make fun of the indie scene: 'Don't kid yourself, you're an indie clone. We've seen it before, get a sound of your own!'

In the end, I am convinced that indie and rock musicians are by no means more unique than pop musicians, the only difference is that they constantly pretend to be (hello hipster-phenomenon!). Pop music is an underrated genre, always looked down upon by the people who listen to other genres and dismiss it as manufactured. Maybe they should take a closer look at the indie/rock scene. Maybe they should give pop music another try.

'If you have tended to dismiss pop music as unimportant, you should listen to it now. You might be pleasantly surprised.'

To summarise, all genres are repeating themselves all the time. Let's just listen to songs without restricting our taste in music, using words like 'mainstream'.

Let's stop claiming that the musicians we like have the best lyrics, are less fake than all the others and more unique than everyone else. If you have tended to quickly dismiss pop music as unimportant before, you should listen to it now. You might be pleasantly surprised.

www.redbrick.me/music 25

Single Review.

The Strokes 'One Way Trigger' Lily Blacksell Music Editor

@LilyBlacksell

RIP HMV and all that, but everyone loves a bit of free music. Legal free music that is downloaded legally, in a non-illegal way - I can’t stress that enough. We should be thanking The Strokes, therefore, that their latest release ‘One Way Trigger’ is available for free download from their website. Even better than legal free music is good legal free music, and I think this single just about ticks that box.

Album Review.

Yo La Tengo Fade Joseph Fuller Music Critic

Yo La Tengo have always existed on an entirely different frequency to every other band, quietly crafting brilliant, understated and consistently enthralling records since their inception in 1984.

Fade, their 13th studio album continues this trajectory, and is reliably lush, whilst being their most concise longplayer in years. All the tenants of Yo La Tengo’s sound can be found here, executed with economic, professional precision, yet never feeling forced or contrived. Instead, Yo La Tengo have let us into their off-kilter world for another 40 minutes.

Opener and pre-release single ‘Ohm’ unfolds over a graceful seven minutes,

I’ll admit I was thrown by the band’s 2011 album Angles. It sounded so different to my old faves 'Is This It' and 'Room on Fire', that I was once found at a house party having a conversation with my friend’s life-size Julian Casablancas poster, asking him what had brought the change about. He didn’t answer, and perhaps he didn’t have to.

Angles proffered up a side to The Strokes which cynics labelled ‘just a phase’, and one that would soon be over. ‘One Way Trigger’ raises two fingers to them, however, proving the ‘phase’ is still going strong a couple of years later.

A synth pop riff that bears a striking resemblance to A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ is married with some classic + Strokes drumming and guitar reinforcements, combining into something undeniably catchy and cool. Over the top of it all is good old Julian’s voice, sounding remarkably high. Perhaps he’s just got some new underwear. After all, The Strokes are about to come back, again.

evolving from a ponderous verse motif into a majestic fuzz-driven guitar jam, in a way only Yo La Tengo can. ‘Ohm’ truly sets the scene for Fade, a hushed and softly brilliant affair that will take a few spins to truly sink in. A song like ‘Is That Enough’ will glide by on first listen, but by the third time the song’s lilting string-section and breezy guitar harmonies will have it sealed as one of the album’s many highlights. Elsewhere, ‘Well You Better’ is as straight-forward as Yo La Tengo get, a brief and intimate organ-driven pop gem, whilst ‘Stupid Things’ is a nocturnal sprawl. ‘I’ll Be Around’ serves up a soothing acoustic lament and album closer ‘Before We Run’ is a subtlety muscular epic, threading all of the ideas spread across Fade into a huge, harmonious finale.

Yo La Tengo’s consistency is something to relish, and Fade once again proves why, after a quarter of a century, they are still held in such high regards as a beloved institution, just in case we all needed reminding. Whether you’ve been following the band since the beginning or are just setting foot into the band’s extensive discography, Fade provides you with much to love once all the album’s great ideas sink in.

.

Essential Album. Oasis (What's the Story?) Morning Glory Josh Holder Online Music Editor

@josh_h

After releasing the fastest selling debut album in British music history, the pressure was on Oasis, and especially on Noel, to deliver a worthy follow-up.

Fortunately, they nailed it, (What’s The Story?) Morning Glory has gone on to sell 22 million copies worldwide, and become the fifth best-selling album in the UK of all time.

As the home to ‘Wonderwall’, it’s no surprise that (What’s The Story?)

Morning Glory became so popular. ‘Wonderwall’ remains Oasis’ most well-known and successful track. Although not a favourite of the band or die-hard fans, it is a stellar recording. The acoustic intro gives way to a beautiful lyrical journey, through ‘winding roads’ and past ‘blinding lights’, before a stunning string accompaniment joins the mix and you realise why ‘Wonderwall’ has garnered

so many fans. Liam’s voice bellows ‘I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now’, and you believe him when he says ‘there are many things, that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how’. It’s a love story to rival Definitely Maybe’s ‘Slide Away’ and it is far more lyrically subtle, which is reflective of the album’s more mature mood.

'Oasis successfully matured their sound whilst losing little of their breakthrough charm'.

The next track is Noel’s masterpiece ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, which continued Oasis’ anthemic output. Its chorus of ‘and so, Sally can wait, she knows it’s too late’ is irresistible, and is delivered with the fervour from having lived every word of the song’s breakup tale. The album also features another acoustic ballad, ‘Cast No Shadow’, written by Noel during a train journey back to the studio. Liam’s vocals are accompanied by Noel’s backing, and as a result the song is rich and

embellished, much more so than its more famous counterpart, ‘Wonderwall’.

Somehow managing to outshine all of these is the title track ‘Morning Glory’. The loud, overdriven guitar riffs are the perfect match for Liam’s ferocious vocals, and he roars ‘You know you should so I guess that you might as well/What’s the story, morning glory?’

Then we’re back to the stunning intro riff, which breaks into a glorious, piercing solo that finishes far too quickly. It’s the archetypical Oasis song, and the perfect example of the raw passion that gained the band such a devoted following.

By packing (What’s The Story?)

Morning Glory full of incredible songs, Oasis managed to craft a stunning sophomore album and successfully matured the band's sound, whilst losing little of their breakthrough charm. The band were at the absolute peak of their popularity, performing sell-out 150,000 capacity shows at Knebworth House, and fortunately it’s this period of their career that Oasis are fondly remembered for, even today.

26| 1st - 7th February 2013 @RedbrickLifeStyle

Prada releases Great Gatsby Sketches Simran Bhogal Life&Style Writer

@Simran_Bhogal90

Miuccia Prada sparked a fashion and media frenzy when she announced that Prada would be designing costumes for Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Although the film isn’t set to be released until the summer, Prada has released four out of the forty costume sketches she has designed in collaboration with costume designer Catherine Martin.

Martin notes that inspiration for the costumes came from reflecting back on 'the European flair that was emerging amongst the aristocratic East Coast crowds in the Twenties.' Glittering sequins, elegant embellishment and a whole host of vibrant colours feature in the collection, characterising the Roaring Twenties with a modern twist.

Playing with tradition has been a large part of the design process, as Martin suggests: 'In the same way Nick Carraway reflects on a world that he is within and without, we have tried to create an environment that the audience will be subconsciously familiar with, yet separated from.' Expect to see traditional flapper dresses recreated with Prada’s own signature style, along with a myriad of costumes in decadent velvets and luxurious faux furs.

The costumes will be worn by an all-star cast featuring Carey Mulligan as the ditsy Daisy Buchanan, Leonardo DiCaprio as the mysterious Jay Gatsby and Tobey Maguire as the heart-warming Nick Carraway.

Fashion Forward Awards announced Katarina Bickley Life&Style Writer

David Koma

Holly Fulton

Amongst the National Television Awards, the Oscars and the Brits, sits the Fashion Forward Awards. Presented by the British Fashion Council, the award goes to three winning designers, who, in turn, receive crucial sponsorship in order to get their collections on the runway. Not only this, but this year’s winners, Michael Van Der Ham, Holly Fulton, and David Koma, will be able to gain advice from top industry experts, as well as receiving a chunk of dollar for the next two years’ worth of show seasons. Nice!

It’s definitely an award worth fighting for, with previous winners including Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Henry Holland (this being the seventh year of the awards).

In order to be in with a chance of winning, applicants must graduate from the BFC’s NEWGEN scheme, which aims to provide promising talents with a platform into the industry.

Or equally, if they’re at a similar stage in their business then they are also eligible.

BFC Chief Executive and judge Caroline Rush says, ‘We've seen some exceptional and very successful designers come through the scheme. The three designers awarded the sponsorship for 2013 are a remarkably talented group, and I am looking forward to watching these new recipients take the next step in their business development.'

The winners’ collections will be hitting the catwalks of London Fashion Week in February. Expect loads of colour/ print/textile clashes from Michael Van Der Ham and some seriously bold prints from Holly Fulton. Meanwhile, with David Koma’s celebrity clientele including Rihanna, Beyoncé and Chezza, we’re sure that his statement mini dresses will be on our wish lists soon.

Daddy, please can we please borrow your credit card?

www.redbrick.me/lifestyle |27

Dear Agony Aunt & Uncle..

Just before Christmas, I met a girl called Katy* in FAB. She's perfect - funny, intelligent, gorgeous and we both admitted we were looking for a relationship. We spoke regularly over the holidays and since we've been back in Birmingham I've taken her on a couple of dates and things are going great. However, last week a friend of a friend told me that he knew Katy well - a bit too well. Apparently during the Christmas holidays, him and Katy had been regularly but drunkenly sleeping together. I asked Katy about it and she admitted everything claiming that it's all finished now. I feel betrayed she was sleeping with someone else when we first started and I'm worried I won't be able to fully trust her now - what should I do?

She says..

He says..

Anonymous

Ed Robinson & Ryan Tanna

Life&Style Writer

Life&Style Writers

I can understand that you’re worried, you won’t be able to fully trust her now. However, if she’s admitted her mistakes to you and said it’s finished, she is definitely taking the first steps in making things work between the two of you. Also, it is still early days, and as you aren’t official, it's too soon to rule things out completely.

If you still like her and feel like you can see past this, then you should definitely pursue things and try to move forward. One thing is definite: She must like you as she felt comfortable enough to admit what she did in the hope that you’d still be interested. Drunken mistakes happen and don’t necessarily mean a lot; going on dates and taking things slow is far more admirable and more likely to actually lead to a relationship. My best advice is to take things slow and see what happens; being a true believer in 'what’s meant to be will be.'

It takes a heart-wrenching story to make us cry, and this isn't one of them. Firstly, let's lower expectations - you did meet her at FAB. Secondly, surely this entitles you to at least one more free-run before things get serious? (You do sound like you need the practice). Thirdly, have you forgotten the age-old expression, 'sharing is caring'? You have, after all, only been on two dates, hardly the stuff Hollywood romances are made of. Perhaps you need to stop claiming her as your own.

Anyway, if this "trust thing" really is an issue, there are plenty more Freshers running around FAB, where you can show Katy what she's missing. However, if you do "really" like her after two dates, wipe away the tears and give her a hard reason not to stray. After all, without sex, you won't be her boyfriend but just a friend who turns out her light and carries her books.

Term Style Guide: The Best Looks

Fierce Jasmine Stewart Life&Style Writer Tarantino: Django Unchained came Tarantino out on Friday but we’ll be waiting until Orange Wednesdays to see it. In the meantime, we’ll definitely be rewatching Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds and Kill Bill.

Wellies: With the amount of snow and ice on the streets, it’s a good time to invest in cute new Wellington boots.

Girls: This slightly pretentious, but hilarious US show is back for another series. Expect plenty of awkwardlooking sex scenes.

Spring/Summer Fashion: The sales are over at last! Time to stop impulse buying stuff you’ll never wear just because it’s cheap and invest in something for the new season.

The Snow: The one time of the year when you can behave like a child again and go sledging, make snowmen and have snowball fights.

Post-Christmas Poverty: January is never fun as the only pounds you’ve managed to stack up are on the scales.

Life&Style writer Simran Bhogal guides us through the biggest fashion trends for Spring/Summer '13.

Gothic

Imagine 19th century meets the 21st: delicate lace, bold ruffles and elegant chiffon defines this trend. While black is the essential base colour, add personal touches to an outfit with bursts of colourful accessories. Statement jewellery is a must, accentuating the intricacy of the fabrics whilst adding some gothic drama.

Baroque

Decadent patterns on traditional brocade fabrics often make the best statement pieces; opt for printed dresses or trousers and team them with minimalistic accessories. For an edgier look, combine clashing textures and prints with baroque inspired jewellery.

Leather

Perfect for adding glamour or edge to any look, luxe leather continues to be a wardrobe staple. Faux leather shorts, jackets and trousers are the best investment pieces as they are in fashion all year round. Move over black, coloured leathers are monopolising our stores: rich wine tones and beiges are among the new additions.

Valentine’s Day: It’s almost here.14th February is just another day to most of us, but brace yourself for vomit-inducing couples professing their undying love and everyone going out on the big day completely desperate to pull.

Azealia Banks Twitter Feuds: Starting Twitter feuds with everyone and anyone is not cool and definitely not clever. Who are you again?

Gavin and Stacey USA: It’s been confirmed that there will be an American remake of the comedy series that brought us Nessa and James Corden.

Why can’t Hollywood think of something original instead of butchering classics?

Certain YouTube Videos: Not for the faint hearted. The trending vids of recent are downright disgusting. Girl Vs. Tampon. Just no.

Studded

Available in a myriad of shapes and colours, studs and spikes are here to stay! Embellished clothing, accessories, shoes and jewellery give you multiple options for working this trend.

Oxblood

Red’s glamorous alter-ego. A more sumptuous shade, Oxblood works fabulously well in statement pieces such as dresses or coats.

Team it with natural tones to emphasise the depth of colour, or combine Oxblood with vibrant colours, such as blues, magentas and oranges.

Finished

'

28 | 1st - 7th February 2013

Birmingham V

@RedbrickSport

Birmingham thump rivals to return to winning ways Men's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

7

Nottingham 1sts

3

Ed Tyler Sport Reporter

@Tyleed05

They say revenge is the sweetest medicine and the Birmingham Men’s 1st hockey team proved that on Wednesday, romping to a 7-3 victory over a strong Nottingham side, who had dramatically emerged as 5-4 winners in the reverse fixture back in November.

This defeat had clearly been playing on the mind of Birmingham coach Steve Floyd with the prospect of making amends clearly in his thoughts. ‘This is our chance to turn it around’ he said, also noting his team were ‘playing with confidence’ despite their poor recent run of

form.

With neither team having played in 2013, Nottingham captain Andrew Monty was not prepared to make too many bold statements. ‘Both teams have been out for so long so we don’t know how it’ll go’ he stated just before kickoff, however one could not help but feel a quiet confidence oozing from the visitors’ ranks.

This confidence found its way into the early stages of the match, with Nottingham working the ball forward well from the back and playing on the break. In the final third the hosts had nothing and were made to pay for their sloppiness when the opposition caught them on the break, leading to a good save from Birmingham keeper Paddy Smith, before the ball was bundled in to make it 1-0 to the away-team. This soon became 2-0 as another blistering attack saw Chris Hardens put the ball in the back of the net as Nottingham threatened to take full control.

The frustration was beginning to build for the home-side; great play from Will Bias led to a fantastic long through-ball being played to Matt Pacey, who duly mistimed his run to groans all around.

Within minutes though, Pacey bravely dived in on another brilliant long ball to put Birmingham back in the game. It was 2-2 shortly after, a new found confidence had seemingly been brought to the fore, and this was duly converted into an equaliser. As the whistle blew for halftime, Floyd and his players could smell blood.

Less than five minutes into the second half, the hosts had taken the lead through Harry Loxton, who made the most of a brilliantly drilled in cross to give his side the advantage. Nick Bandurak was then quickly rewarded for his solid performance so far with the fourth goal of what was turning into a very one-sided affair, smashing the ball into the top corner.

Nottingham’s goalkeeper was the only man preventing a complete slaughter

with a couple of fine saves to keep his team just about in the match. This finger-hold on the game all but disappeared when the hosts, who until this point had been extremely wasteful from set-plays, finally took advantage from a penalty corner to make it 5-2.

To Nottingham’s credit, they now began playing with no fear and found a lifeline with a goal from a penalty corner of their own, the ball deflecting off captain Monty. As they began searching for a vital fourth goal which would have certainly made the Birmingham nerves jangle, the home-side calmly defended, and it should have been game over when Bandurak thumped the ball well over the bar late in the game. Not too long after, as the game entered its closing moments, Richard Gear-Evans scored the killer goal to make it 6-3, and with one of the last actions of the match, Richard Marshall wrapped the game up very nicely with a beautiful chip finish to put finishing touch to a great team performance..

Jack Schofield

@JSchofield92

www.redbrick.me/sports | 29

V Nottingham Poor finishing haults Brum's march Women's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

2

Nottingham 1sts

2

Sam Price Sport Reporter

@Sam_Price19

A mood of frustration greeted the final whistle at Bournbrook as the women’s hockey first team, who dominated every aspect of this match with Nottingham, were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw.

In an archetypal clash of styles, Nottingham employed a strategy of sitting deep, soaking up the pressure and attempting to hit their more talented opponents on the counter-attack, while Birmingham, who controlled possession from beginning to end, appeared to do everything but find that elusive winner.

The girls are Birmingham’s most successful sports team in recent history,

having reached four BUCS Championship finals in a row, but with a number of their brightest stars graduating in the last two years the side is unmistakably in transition. In spite of this, the current crop is still bursting with talent, with five players returning from Australia last week having helped Great Britain to a bronze medal in the Youth Olympics.

One of those junior Olympians, Birmingham skipper Alice Sharp, showed no signs of fatigue as she dictated the early play, creating the opening goal when her measured penalty corner found Faye Curran, who lashed the ball home. But the hosts failed to build on this encouraging start and the game became disjointed, playing into the hands of the more conservative Nottingham, who punished a defensive lapse to equalise through Abi Krone after 20 minutes. And it soon went from bad to worse for Brum as, pressing too high, they were caught out by a long pass which found Notts attacker Lucy

Wood, who rounded Polly Oakman in the Birmingham goal to give the visitors an unprecedented 2-1 lead. ‘We need to be more patient, find the space and be more specific with our passing when we’re attacking’, said Birmingham coach Phil Gooderham as the team trudged off at half-time, incredulous that they were behind following a spell of prolonged procession.

The hosts started the second half as they ended the first, bombing forward at every opportunity, and were rewarded five minutes after the restart when Curran, a constant threat down the righthand side, teed up Anna Griffiths who duly scored to level it at 2-2. Birmingham settled at this point, with midfielders Sharp and Anna Toman almost telepath-

'We need to be more patient, find the space and be more specific with our passing when attacking'

ic in their interplay, which nearly paid dividends when the latter was foiled by the impressive away keeper. However, just when it looked like Birmingham were going to turn the screw, loose passing and slack defending halted their momentum. ‘Do it properly!’ yelled the frustrated Gooderham, as Nottingham enjoyed a rare spell of pressure in which the influential Krone and winger Alice Madden nearly forced an unlikely lead.

The away side faded in the closing stages, however, and Birmingham smelt blood. Griffiths, Curran and Becky Watkins all went close before Rosie Bailey missed a gilt-edged chance from point-blank range with five minutes left, signifying that it wasn’t going to be Birmingham’s day. 2-2 it finished, the draw condemning Birmingham to a battle for second place in the Northern Premier, which could be decided next week when they travel to their closelymatched archenemies Loughborough.

Birmingham ladies hold on for victory Women's Rugby

Birmingham 1sts

14

Nottingham 1sts

10

Ellie Jones Sport Reporter

@EllieJones_bham

Birmingham welcomed Nottingham 1st to the windswept Metchley pitches in what was to be a very close match. With Nottingham trailing second bottom in the table, Birmingham were ready to take full advantage of their home turf and their nervous visitors.

From the first whistle both teams showed their speed and agility, in spite of the wind making handling the ball extremely tricky. Birmingham showed their power early on but as soon as Nottingham got possession, they attacked the Birmingham line, almost registering a try in the first two minutes.

However the home side’s defence held firm, ripped possession and the ball was kicked safely away by Garnett MacKinder.

A break from Ashley Byrne gave space for Emma Boyd and MacKinder to pass seamlessly as the latter sped away, batting away the Nottingham defence as she went, to score the first try of the game which was converted to make it 7-0. Nottingham counter attacked well with a constant barrage of forwards hurtling themselves towards their opponents try line. But a dropped

ball and another huge clearing kick from MacKinder gave the home side yet more space to run with the ball.

A run of successful rucks, orchestrated by Hannah Mather, Fran Strong and Mel McIrdle kept up Birmingham’s momentum but a tough tackle from Nottingham stopped play and each side caught their breath. From the restart Birmingham kept their strong push up the pitch and took full advantage of the scrums they were given. After a knock on by Nottingham, scrum half McIrdle got the ball out of the scrum and passed straight to MacKinder who ran the length

of the pitch to score her second try. As with her first, the outside centre converted her try and doubled the home side's lead. On the whistle, it was 14-0 to the home side and the first half ended well for the girls in blue.

The away team were not down and out as the second half started. Nottingham soon found themselves on Birmingham’s five metre line in another early test for their defence. Nottingham’s big forwards pushed hard but again, showing the greater strength of the two sides, Brum won the battle of the scrum and had the confidence to push their way up

the field, with strong runs from MacKinder and Byrne.

However Nottingham countered and it was the visitors who were to end the game the stronger, with Birmingham’s defence put under immense pressure.

After four scrums on the five metre line, the visitors scored but failed to kick the conversion. After the restart Nottingham seemed more confident, breaking again with speed. As the clock ran down a final push saw a second try for the away team but another failed conversion meant Birmingham ran out winners with a score of 14-10.

Charlotte Wilson

@wilsonscribbles

30 | 1st-7th February 2013

UK Sport.

Funding alone no guarantee of success Fraser Kesteven Sport Reporter

The increased funding for British sport is to be welcomed. Earmarked by both UK Sport and Sport England, the bodies responsible for sport at both an elite and grassroots level, this additional funding will undoubtedly help further our sporting horizons and assure many that the legacy of the London Olympics will remain secure. At a time of deep economic malaise and uncertainly, something exemplified with the repeated warnings of a triple-dip recession, the decision to increase investment in sport is incredibly important, and a comfort to those seriously concerned with the role of sport in our national life. Indeed, if scenes reminiscent of those in London are to be repeated, it is crucial that the economic health of sport in general is secure. Without such assurances Britain may well experience the same fate as all previous host cities: a sharp decline in performance warranting less Olympic medals.

The sums involved are incredible. At an elite level, UK Sport has increased funding to £347m for the period 20122016, an 11% increase on the £313m provided before the London games.

This has been divided according to the organisation's 'no compromise' approach, an action that has only rewarded those sports that performed well at the Olympics. Sports that met or exceeded their medal targets in London are obviously the main beneficiaries of this, with boxing being the most prominent example. Indeed, their distributed share has increased exponentially, with their five Olympic medals ensuring they receive £13.8m for the road to Rio, a 44.5% rise on what they were previously afforded. Other sports to have benefitted from this decision have been gymnastics, equestrian and fencing, whose budgets will all profit from greater than 20% increases to funding.

These budgetary increases will also be seen at a grassroots level, where Sport England has invested an additional £54.7m for 2013-2017. The sports of cycling and netball are the biggest winners of this decision, enjoying a greater than 30% rise in their budgets. Indeed, of the 46 sports entitled to a share of the £493m available, 32 of these have received an overall increase to their budgets. These financial assurances should undoubtedly help in promoting sport more widely, and will hopefully encourage greater participation throughout the country.

Yet, with any stringent 'no compromise' approach, there will inevitably be losers. Those sports that failed to meet their performance objectives in London have seen their budgets cut, with bas-

Clockwise from top left: Jessic Ennis, Olympic gold medalist, Liz Nicholl, Chief Executive of Uk Sport, Laura Robson, Olympic Silver Medalist, and Rebecca Adlington, two time bronze medalist at London 2012.

ketball and handball being the biggest losers, having their whole elite level funding withdrawn. This 'tough love' approach is necessary if Britain is to enhance its credentials as a centre for elite sporting achievement.

However, whilst increased funding should generally be welcomed, there still remain problems to overcome.

Generally held assumptions that greater funding will inevitably result in better performances is specious folly, demonstrating a flawed understanding of the vastly different components that determine sporting achievement. One only has to look at the performances of British sportsmen in tennis and swimming, sports that have received generous funding over many years, to see

this clearly. Sport England have decided that £10.3m of £17.4m should be withheld from the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) because both its results and inadequate management are ‘not strong enough’, having failed to sufficiently increase grassroots participation. Similarly, swimming has struggled to meet expectations, only securing three medals at the Olympics, and have accordingly seen their funding reduced by 14.9% to £21.4m.

In both these instances administrative mismanagement has hindered sporting progression, even despite the large support they receive in overall funding. The LTA, which has been described as ‘a communist state in a capitalist world’ because of its fiscal

backwardness, has long mishandled the extensive resources afforded them, often facing calls for reform to streamline and allocate funding more appropriately. This criticism has similarly been levelled against the administration of Swimming, which had been forced to subsidise the expensive travelling privileges of its Chief Executive and Performance Director, who attempted to run the sport from their homes in Australia and Germany respectively.

It is from these examples of mismanagement that UK Athletics (UKA) should learn, and reverse some of their bizarre new proposals which have seen Toni Minichiello, Jessica Ennis’ coach, made redundant. The decision by the sport’s governing body to force all coaches to base themselves in Loughborough unless training more than one Olympic or World Championship medallist, a category Minichiello falls outside of, is inexplicable and could well hinder the medal prospects of British athletics. Let us remember that Minichiello was recently voted ‘Coach of the Year’ for successfully guiding Jessica Ennis to Olympic gold, and it is difficult to fathom how withdrawing his salary, whilst Athletics funding is going up, will help ensure further enhancements in performance throughout the sport.

Rather than concentrating money on relocating coaches to Loughborough, the administrators of UKA should instead provide enough financial support to those coaches like Minichiello to work successful where they choose.

Just because Athletics will be benefitting from greater overall funding does not mean that better performances will be guaranteed; indeed, UKA need to prove that they have suitable policy initiatives to ensure that the money will be used to the greatest effect.

The examples of tennis and swimming have shown that money does not automatically guarantee results, and it is something which all sports especially athletics should heed.

Funding is only one factor that helps contribute to an athlete's overall performance, with motivation, good coaching, external support and a strong, clear-headed governing body also proving significant. This latter point should be of greatest concern to those interested in athletics, as their recent proposals seem both feeble and confused, likely to misuse the greater funds afforded them and impede any significant progress in athletic performance. If Britain is to exceed its extraordinary accomplishments in London, then this extra money will have to be used effectively.

www.redbrick.me/sports | 31

Page 31 Sports Shorts

Tweet of the Week

Online this week @GaryLineker

Heroes...

Cape Verde The minnows of the African Cup of Nations have made it through the group stages. Finishing above Morocco and Angola in Group A is a major achievement for a team surprsingly ranked 70th in the world by Fifa and also making their first AFCON appearance.

Sarah Taylor The trailblazer of women's cricket; an Ashes, World Cup and World T20 winner she has helped to put women's cricket on the map.

She now may be the first woman to play men's cricket, having signed for Sussex second XI.

'Seems like Mario Balotelli is on his way to Milan. Must say, I think I'll miss the madness.'

Weekend Wager

11/2 The Six Nations begins this weekend with Wales vs Ireland, followed by England vs Scotland.

England enter the tournament as favourites and stand a good chance of completing the grand slam. With a good mixture of youth and experience, expect strong performances.

Redbrick Sport Quiz

Is ODI cricket dead?

Joel Lamy ponders whether there is a place for the 50 over format in todays cricketing calendar. Should we stick to just T20 and Test?

Superbowl Preview

5. What is the highest possible check out in darts?

Men's Golf 1sts Won 4.5-1.5 Loughborough 1sts Women's Lacrosse 1sts Won 15-3 Newcastle 1sts Men's Tennis 1sts Won 12-0 Oxford 3rds Women's Badminton 1sts Lost 5-3 Leeds Met 1sts Men's Table Tennis 1sts Won 13-4 Oxford 1sts

Josh Hunt previews the upcoming finale to the American Football season between The Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

International Netball

Fixtures - 6th February Women's Netball 1sts v Nottingham 1sts Munrow Sports Hall 3pm Men's Rugby 1sts v Manchester 1sts Bournbrook 3pm

...and Villains ESPN & ITV The FA Cup is the only competition where non league sides can upset the big names in the top divisions. So why ESPN and ITV chose to show us two all Premier League ties is beyond us.

Serena Williams Her back problems were documented when she went out to Sloane Stephens last week in the Australian Open, but smashing her racquet and saying it has been 'the worst two weeks of her life' seems overly dramatic.

Women's Lacrosse 2nds v UEA 1sts Metchley 2.30pm

2. Who has won the most snooker world championships in the modern era?

4. Which team has won the most Six Nations titles?

Men's Football 1sts Won 1-0 Worcester 1sts Women's Football 1sts Won 3-0 Coventry 1sts

1.Which team won the last African Cup of Nations?

3. Who are currently top of the ODI rankings?

Results - 30th January

Men's Badminton 1sts v Warwick 1sts Munrow Sports Hall1pm Ellie Jones looks back on the historical 3-0 series victory for England against Australia. The victory was completed at the NIA in Birmingham last Saturday.

Women's Rugby 1sts v Leeds Met 1sts Metchley 2pm Men's Hockey 2nds v Loughborough 2nds Bournbrook, 2.15pm

Interested in being part of Redbrick Sport? sports@redbrick.me @redbricksports Redbrick Sport

1.Zambia 2.Stephen Henry 3.

India 4. France 5. 170

The Redbrick Crossword

Donovan Mike Crossword Editor

This week's prize is a £5 Waterstones Gift Voucher Completed crosswords to be submitted to the Redbrick office, located in the Guild basement

Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword to the Redbrick office.

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3. A glass containing 50% water, 50% air is half __ (5) 5. Baywatch star Pamela __ (8) 7. Shakespearian antagonist (4) 8. Home-made incendiary weapon, __ cocktail (7) 10. Overly anal and concerned with small details (8) 12. Element with an atomic number of 30 (4) 13. Excruciating pain (5) 17. The world’s last known Pinta Island tortoise who sadly passed away in 2012, __ George (8) 18. __ the Hun, famous historical leader (6) 19. Star of the 1966 film ‘Alfie’ (7,5)

1. Capital of Vietnam (5) 2. A person's individual speech pattern (8) 3. The __ Machine, used by Nazi coders to encrypt and decrypt messages in WW2 (6) 4. (Slang) To eat voraciously (3,3) 6. A Muscovite pre-1991 (6) 9. Large, thick-skinned, hoofed mammal (9) 11. To date, the last city to be hit by an atomic bomb (8) 14. Italian football club Roma’s current captain and their highest goal-scorer of all time, Francesco __ (5) 15. Action movie starring Wesley Snipes (5) 16. A playful or silly act or prank (5)

~1~2~~~~3`4`` ~5````6``~`~~ ~`~`~~`~7```~ 8``````~`~`~9 ~`~`~~`~`~`~` ~~~`~0```-``` =```~~`~~`~~` ~~~`~~~~q```` ~w~~~e~r~`~~` ~`~~~t``````` y`````~`~`~~` ~`~~~`~`~`~~` u```````````~

32 |1st-7th February 2013

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Brum vs Nottingham

UK Sport Funding

Birmingham take on midlands rivals Nottingham across the sports

p28-9

Fraser Kesteven examines the winners and losers

p30

V

RedbrickSport

Birmingham Bulls Crash Through Nottingham Rugby League

Birmingham 1sts

44

Nottingham 1sts

24

Tom Walsh Sport Reporter

At a bitter Bournbrook Birmingham ran out comfortable winners over a decent Nottingham side, having produced an attacking masterclass. Despite the windy conditions, the intention was clear from the off, with ever star performer, full back Anthony West collecting the kick off to feed Matt Beaumont who’s bulldozing run down to left flank put the agile Andy Gale into space before offloading to winger Josh Bull who raced under the sticks to round off a perfect attacking move. Captain Sam Edgar nonchalantly added the extras to put Birmingham 6-0 up inside 30 seconds.

What was possibly most pleasing was Birmingham’s ability to blend attacking finesse with hard hitting old fashioned rugby running. In particular forwards Adam Cusack, Nathan Roberts and Matt Beaumont all proved hard to stop for the Nottingham defence.

However, despite the early onslaught, Nottingham had the better of the first ten minutes which saw Mark Dillimore slide over, before Felix Hill’s converted try put Birmingham back in front.

Consistent pressure gave Playmakers Edgar and Gale a lot of ball to play with and proved vital in Birmingham’s attacking presence as both were involved in arguably the try of the day, when Gale fed West who ran a beautiful line slicing open the defence before stepping the full back to dive under the posts.

What followed was a rather stale period of play for Birmingham.

Nottingham capitalised scoring two well worked tries. At 18-16 the game seemed

George Evans

@georgeevanss

to be finely poised only for Birmingham’s key men to produce yet more scintillating attacking play. After some big running by Beaumont allowed Sam Edgar, West and James Martin to combine in midfield to send Martin over. Edgar converted to make the score 24-16.

What will have pleased coach Russell Parker most was the diversity in Birmingham’s attack; Edgar used the boot well, in particular a cross kick which was not dealt with well by Nottingham, which allowed Sam Clark in for the score. Dan Rollo-Walker scored before half time to leave the score at 28-20 at the break.

The start of the second half saw an error strewn period but what again must be praised is Birmingham’s outstanding defence, with the ever dependable trio of West, Roberts and Beaumont making big hits. After a dry period without the ball, Edgar’s creativity began to shine through with Birmingham regularly challenging the Nottingham defence with a range of running lines and clever kicks which lead to a sixth try for Birmingham as Cusack offloaded to Sam Clark who went over for his second to make the score 32-20. By this point it became obvious that Birmingham were superior in offense and defence. The ever creative Gale put Martin through a huge hole in the Nott’s defence to race 50m up field before being brought down 10m from the line, and with the tackle count being reset to zero, substitute Ross Cooper linked up with Edgar to barrel his way over from close range, showing great strength, Edgar duly knocked over the 2 points. The rest of the game represented Birmingham dominance, in both attack and defence.

Candidate for man of the match Nathan Roberts crashed his way over for a welldeserved converted try before Nottingham winger Will Hinksey bagged an unconverted consolation try to make the full-time score 44-24.

Coach Russell Parker highlighted the ‘flare and creativity that Birmingham showed’ as big factors in the win, while also highlighting the sides ‘determination and hard work the boys were prepared to put in to get the win.’

Birmingham now look forward to hosting Northampton on Sunday 3rd as they push for a top 3 BUCS spot.