pugwash Magazine - 2009 03 - March - Money Issue Low by Tom Worman

Pugwash April 2009

Freedom to develop your talent ‘Architecture is about much more than drawing buildings. There’s a poetry to it which has come alive for me during my time at Portsmouth. The architect has to meet with clients and work with the builders on the ground. As a fledgling architect it can be tough to stand your ground and disagree with someone more experienced, but it might be crucial to the success of a project.’ Irene Cortelling, Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture

Do a Master’s, change your life Postgraduate information days • Thursday 27 November 2008 • Tuesday 17 March 2009 • Tuesday 8 September 2009 11.30am–2.00pm and 5.00pm–7.00pm. Purple Door, 28 Guildhall Walk Portsmouth P01 2DD. Drop in or book an appointment online at

www.port.ac.uk/postgraduate

contents

The Editors

Pg 4

University People

Pg 6

Pugwash Asks

Pg 7

Short Story - Bees

Pg 8

Money Doctors

Pg 9

Spending Diaries

Pg 10

Credit Crunch

Pg 12

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Pg 14

The True Cost of Education

Pg 16

Friendship Comes at a Price

Pg 17

Your Guide to Cheap Living

Pg 18

Cheap Night In

Pg 20

Get it Daan Ya

Pg 21

Second Hand Chic

Pg 22

Charity Vintage

Pg 23

Lodon Fashion Week

Pg 24

Clothes on the Cheap

Pg 26

Grow your own Green Thumbs

Pg 27

Budget Eating

Pg 28

Budget Travelling

Pg 30

Reviews: Restaurant

Pg 33

Reviews: Albums

Pg 34

Reviews: Film & DVD

Pg 36

Reviews: Gigs

Pg 37

Reviews: Games

Pg 39

Pugwash April 2009

editorials

the editors

Hey all. What a month it’s been! From controversy over issue two, to a trip to Amsterdam, to winning Best Female at the Pure FM awards. I’m sure many of you are feeling stressed about the sheer workload that there is and worrying about dissertation proposals (I know I am!), but sit back, relax and let Pugwash help you with other issues like money. Email: steph.hall@upsu.net Steph Hall - Editor It’s a good thing Pugwash is free – welcome to our Budget issue. And what an issue it is! We’re students, we’re poor and generally unemployed – how do we cope with that? How can we save money when we don’t have any? What’s the go with the credit crunch? Don’t stress people; the Life & Style team is here to help. This issue we’ve come up with some great ways to save cash to put your wallets at ease. Email: elke.morice@upsu.net Elke Morice-Atkinson - Life & Style Editor Full of great advice, this issue should help you out with any saving vs spending issues you may come up against. Design-wise it’s been pretty focused on coins, notes and all other money-related images. Sarah and I had a lot of fun with the charity articles and got several funny looks as we posed in tiny charity shops. Thanks to the team for all your help! Email: sophie.colverson@upsu.net Sophie Colverson - Design Editor

Wow, what a hectic time it has been! So much has been going on - it’s hard to believe that we’re on Issue 3 already. Time has flown so fast, as has money! Is it just me, or is the gap between our final loan and the one before that ridiculously huge? At least Pugwash is here to help - it seems apt that this is our Budget issue, so read ahead to find out how you can make the most of your money. Don’t forget there is some light relief in the form of the Arts & Ents section. Email: tallie.kane@upsu.net Tallie Kane - Arts & Entertainments Editor For the April issue of Pugwash, I thought I’d do a write up on London Fashion Week, which took place mid February. I was lucky enough to attend LFW and wanted to share the experience with you guys and report back on what’s hot and what’s not. It was wicked fun and I hope you guys enjoy reading the article. Check out the other smashing articles about how to budget and handle your money - I’m not sure about you but I definitely need some tips! Love xxx Email: carys.rolley@upsu.net Carys Rolley - Fashion Editor Pugwash April 2009

sub eds and contributors

Hello, from Arts & Ents! We hope you’re not feeling the strain of empty pockets and purses too much. Here at Pugwash HQ, we’ve been busy little bees, seeking out the best talent to feature in our section. Check out our diverse range of gigs from Annie Mac to Chris Brown to Ray LaMontage. Also, with the release of Notorious at the cinema, we have a selection of albums and classic tracks for your pleasure. Enjoy. sub eds ad contirbs Jack Kane & Dominique O’Mahoney - Arts & Ents Sub-Editors

Hey guys, For those of you whose loans are dwindling, we’ve hopefully come up with some good money saving tips in this issue. We have worked to come up with some advice on cheaper food, holidays, fashion and all round saving ideas. So happy saving (and spending). Nina Tennant, Russell Thomas & Samuel Gbenga Life & Style Sub-Editors

Hey guys, hope you all enjoy the smiley, happy Budget issue! Read your worries away as you learn how you can still look fab with charity-shop chic (check out those models!), and eat your heart out with cheap-as-chips recipes! Hopefully our bright and colourful designs will put a smile on everyone’s faces. Big thanks to everyone who helped out! xx Sarah Matthews - Design Sub-Editor

Earlier this week, we had someone pop into the office and request that UPSU Media do more articles about student finance and debt, as it was getting to that time of the year. I simply smiled at him and told him to wait a week or two... We like this sort of feedback, guys, as it lets us address the issues that matter to you - in this chap’s case we already were! Enjoy! Laura Patricia - Copy Editor

Life & Style contributors: Elisse Ahmet, Mark Carrell, Rachel Cope, Natasha Fish, Benedict Horsman, Aimee Hyatt, Joe Morgan, Sarah Purchase, The Money Doctors, & Tom West. Arts & Ents contributors: Alyson Bain, Tara Clark, Sammy-Jo Pinker, Andrew Tivey, & Calum Walsh. Designers: James Dalgarno, Kayleigh Batchford, Stuart Lambon, Ranee Ng, Craig Osgood, Krishan Mistry, Ivon Evlogieva, Jason James, Cat Davies, & Sam Knight With thanks to: Gamel Oki, Alex Crocker, Ken Lowe, Rajesh Camadoo, & Aakash Naik. Pugwash April 2009

University People

Laura Carpenter, Student Funds Officer

Laura Carpenter started in the Student Finance Centre in September 2000. She is the specialist Further Education (FE) adviser, and deals with all aspects of FE funding including Adult Learning Grant (ALG) and Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

Pugwash April 2009

As well as working with current students, Laura also attends Open Days to inform prospective students of the financial support they can expect once they come to University. Laura is available to discuss any financial difficulties students may have and give guidance on how they may overcome them.

Her other responsibilities are the Access to Learning Fund (ALF) - a government fund to help students who have a shortfall in their essential finances, and the University of Portsmouth Student Support Fund (UOPSSF). The Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s priority groups for ALF are lone parents, students coming from care, mature students who already have financial commitments before coming to University and disabled students. The UOPSSF is available to fulltime home undergraduate or PGCE students who are charged the full tuition fee. If you would like to apply to these funds, please call into the Student Finance Centre to collect an application form.

Pugwash Asks

What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?

Nina Tennant

A one course meal for £50 in Portugal ... material wise though, a pair of heels for £150 - ouch.

Alex Crocker

A steak from this coffee house in Amsterdam for E13.50. It was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life - thick fillet, and I asked for medium rare so it was oozing blood all over the plate. Came with mushrooms, a generous amount of fries and a side salad. Bloody brilliant.

Ken Lowe

An engagement ring - £500

Rajesh Camadoo

My car- Vauxhall Corsa SXi - Irmscher Edition, £16,000.

Elke Morice-Atkinson A return ticket to Brisbane, Australia for a visit home. The flight to Australia, plus internal flights, cost about £800.

Pugwash April 2009

Bees A short story by Russell Thomas Francis (he never liked Francis, call him Frank) watched a swarm of bees cross the school field. They swooped low as one giant thing, aiming for him and the cluster of other pupils around him. At least that distracted him from what he was doing, as they all scattered like something dropped from the air. Francis scattered further than the others straight back to the changing rooms. They were locked. He wanted to shout, he wanted to swear, but he couldn’t. He knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t even bang on the door. The teacher had the keys. Of course the teacher has the keys Francis thought, of course they have the keys. He could almost hear the bees from where he stood, rumbling in his ears. But aside from that, it was the first day he ate money. He took a fiver with him out from the changing rooms, into the summer’s day. He didn’t of course realise that he had taken a fiver out with him, just standing restless as wicket keeper for cricket and crouching bored behind the blue plastic stumps and in between catching the ball and throwing the ball and the sun driving onto his neck he felt something wrong in his shoe. Something wrong, well something uncomfortable and something that shouldn’t have been there, he thought. So he reached into his shoe feeling his sock and there was a lump so he reached inside his sock and wedged by his ankle and half under his foot was a five pound note. He pulled it out and looked at it. Something inside him stirred and perhaps it was the heat but he could not help but stare at the face of the Queen and he missed a ball, and he didn’t hear someone shout at him because he had turned the note round and was looking at Elizabeth Fry - and who was she, he thought? Perhaps it was the heat... but he couldn’t really say. A feeling in him just made him put it in his mouth and start chewing. It tasted metallic, it tasted like paper. It was tough to chew completely because, oh, it was paper after all and it was not supposed to be eaten. In spite that, in spite of all the moneyprinters in the country and their best efforts to try and make banknotes more durable, here was one such banknote being obliterated like a Pugwash April 2009

biscuit. Though it was ragged in Frank’s teeth, not altogether chewed, here the country’s best efforts fell apart. In the mouth. They always did, and it didn’t always take chewing up and swallowing a five pound note to show that. Frank swallowed the paper. He did notice now the shouts around him. Francis what are you doing? He wasn’t quite sure. Is he eating money? Yes, he was. He had eaten money. Why are you eating money Francis? He didn’t know. And they carried on, but then Francis watched this swarm of bees cross the field and arrive at the crowd around him and their monotonous grumble as one diving animal darkening the sky blocking out the sun and, thank God, thought Francis, everyone scarpers like smaller animals to this one massive predator. Francis thinks fast. Francis runs. It is years later and Francis sorry I mean Frank, FRANK lies in bed seeking sleep. After the incident at school, people steered clear of him a little. He didn’t even get teased that much. What nicknames do you give to a money-eater? You couldn’t attach anything to him. People were scared of him somewhat, and after allm pecunia non olet... money doesn’t smell. All sorts of rumours cropped up. Did Francis have so much money that he just ate it? Was he insane? Everyone was so confused that they just decided to leave the issue and to leave the young Francis alone. He ate another note a few weeks after the incident at school. A ten pound note instead of a five pound note. He sat in his room and looked at the note, turning the soft crumpled paper in his hands, and it was insubstantial. Francis smoothed it on the bedside table, flattened it hard, trying to get rid of all the creases. He looked at it again. The Queen, halfsmiling at him, and on the other side Charles Darwin was old and wise and with him was a hummingbird. Francis

had never seen a hummingbird. A boat as well. Ship. Ship, not boat. An HMS something. HMS Francis, he thought, and popped the note into his mouth. Compared to the five pound note with the whowas-she woman on the back, this tenner with Charles Darwin winking at him, egging him on, this ten pound note tasted... well it was gourmet. And so it was when the twenty pound note soon afterwards - Edward Elgar, composer - succumbed to Frank’s teeth and gums, along with some public building or another. The bank of Frank had received yet another pavement. And he continued eating fives upon fives, and tens upon tens, and twenties when he could get them. Years of pocket money between his teeth and down his gullet and swamped in bile in the deep vault of his stomach and in the toilet... So it is now, as Frank is trying to get to sleep. Successful Frank. Frank thinks fast. Frank left alone to his devices. Frank with no distractions at school. Clever Frank. Frank at university. Frank discovers a fifty pound note, a pink lobster, and eats it in his halls, not savouring John Houblon at all... a rich taste, like caviar – an acquired taste. Frank with a job. Frank earning money. He puts a half eaten fifty on his bedside table and thinks of the business trip to Japan tomorrow and he smiles and falls asleep.

The Money Doctors

At this time of year, I’m sure we all need some good advice on how to deal with our finances, espescially since our loans are not due until late April! The Student Finance Department tell Pugwash how The Money Doctors can help you. The Money Doctors, backed by the Financial Services Authority, aims to promote good money management amongst students. money docs and energy savin tips

Why have Money Doctors? * For many students, money is a major worry. * Students have changing circumstances; for example, moving away from home for the first time, or leaving employment to return to study. * This requires new information and advice. Money problems can lead to students leaving University - we aim to prevent this.

What do the Money Doctors do? * Provide individual support, advice and information. * Run workshops; for example, looking at money management and living independently. * Provide information leaflets.

Who can the Money Doctors help? * All students! Full and part time, Freshers to post graduates

For further information, please contact the Student Finance Centre on 023 9284 3014 or email moneydoctors@port.ac.uk

Back in February, the Student Finance Centre ran a Money Advice Week. The information and liason officer, Dawn Edwards, told Pugwash how the event went. Sessions included in the event were information about: The Citizens Advice Bureau Tips for Job Hunting Keeping your Bank Manager Happy Keeping your Identity Safe Students and Tax They were led by outside speakers and all of them were very informative and interesting. The feedback we have received from the students who attended has been very positive, with every student who attended rating the session as “useful” or “very useful”. One of the highlights of the week was a workshop by Mike Thomas, who is the head of debtwizard.com, one of the UK’s leading debt counselling organisations, offering practical solutions and impartial advice on reducing debt. The Energy Saving Trust ran a stall in the Student Union and provided free light bulbs and advice to help students and staff save money and fight climate change. The Student Finance Centre would like to thank all the presenters who gave up their time to speak: Dawn Lemmon, Citizens Advice Bureau Nicola Barden, Head of Counselling - Christine McCann, Job Shop Mike Thomas, Debt Wizard, Kim Crowhurst, Barclays Bank PC - Dave Fairbrother, University Police Liaison Officer Joanne Moodie, Energy Saving Trust Mike Stangroom, HMRC

Information from the sessions will be available from the Money Doctors’ web pages very soon. If you did miss the Money Advice Week, the Energy Saving Trust has given us these top tips on how to save money on your energy bills. • Don’t keep electrical equipment on standby. • Refrain from obstructing radiators with furniture This will impede the circulation of warm air. • Heat the room you use the most and reduce the heat in others. • Don’t leave lights on when you don’t need them. • Create your own draft excluders by stuffing tights or shirt sleeves with material. • Don’t overfill your kettle. • If you don’t have a full load, get your housemates to put their washing in with yours to reduce wasted water. • Set your hot water to 60 degrees. • Keep lids on saucepans. • Cook at the same time or eat a big meal together to save on energy. • Wear more layers indoors. • If you have access to an outdoor area, dry your washing there instead of using a tumble dryer. • Close doors inside to prevent heat from escaping. • After dusk, close curtains and tuck them behind a radiator if you can.

For more energy saving tips, visit www. energysavingtrustorg.uk or call 0800 512 012 Pugwash April 2009

Spending Diaries Pugwash noses into your lives to find out what students are spending their money on...

Thank you for shopping with Rachel Cope ****************Steph

Rachel lives with her boyfriend and so some of the items are joint purchases

Hall****************

MONDAY Co-op: Sandwich & two drinks (BOGOF) £3.69 Tesco: Cereal variety pack £0.94 Iceland: Basics as well as deals on Super Noodles (3 for £1), Philadelphia (BOGOF) & frozen chicken & veg. £17.33 Total spend

= £21.96

TUESDAY Boots: Shampoo & conditioner (£2 off voucher) & cleansing wipes (BOGOF) £8.12 Tesco: Folders for semester 2 Total spend WEDNESDAY Total spend

£2.04

= £10.16

= £0.00

THURSDAY Co-op: Glamour magazine and snacks £4.69 Total spend FRIDAY Card Factory: Birthday card Boots: Cold relief hot drink medicine Total spend

= £4.69

£1.00 £1.74 = £2.74

SATURDAY Tesco: Ingredients and cleaning products Local chippy £3.60 Total spend SUNDAY Total spend

£8.96

= £12.56

= £0.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Total spend for the week

= £52.11

It’s so easy to spend £50 that it’s quite shocking, as none of that was really for pleasure. Looks like I won’t be having a social life for a while!

Pugwash April 2009

MONDAY Post Office: Ebay postage TUESDAY Co-op: Egg sandwich Cherry drink Galaxy caramel chocolate Crisps Look magazine More magazine WEDNESDAY

£9.93(Jon) £2.20 (Rach) £1.80 (Rach) £0.40 (Rach) £0.45 (Rach) £1.50 (Rach) £1.30 (Rach)

£0.00 THURSDAY Shell station: Petrol £20.00 (Jon) Portland Building: Specials pens for design course £15.00 (Jon) Primark: Plain socks (2 pack) £3.92 (Rach) Bath towel robes (purchased 2) £7.82 (Rach) Plain white vest £0.98 (Rach) Black belt £1.96 (Rach) Men’s yellow top £2.94 (Rach) Blue cardigan £7.83 (Rach) Grey long sleeve plain top £2.45 (Rach) Black long sleeve plain top £2.45 (Rach) White long sleeve plain top £2.45 (Rach) Shoes £3.91 (Rach) Car parking ticket: (1 hour) £0.80 (Jon) Game: Tomb Raider game (pressie for Jon) £24.99 (Rach) Boots: Face wipes £3.91 (Rach) Drink £0.90 (Rach) Asda: Food, drink, essentials £33.96 (Rach) Beer £10.00 (Jon) Asda cashback £40.00 (Rach) WH Smith: Special design pens, pencil case for uni £21.00 (Jon) T.G.I’s: Meal consisting of 1 starter, 2 main meals, 1 dessert, 3 drinks £34.75 (Jon) FRIDAY The Range Warehouse: Ornament Café mocha clock Coffee wall art Dreams Bedstores: Mattress Republic online: Top SATURDAY

£8.99 (Rach) £4.99 (Rach) £14.99 (Rach) £434 (Rach) £9.99 (Rach) £0.00

SUNDAY Ebay: Watch

£22.90 (Jon)

Total: £821 (approx) …only because we bought the mattress we had ordered this week. Looking at what I have bought has made me realise that I should shop in more student-friendly shops rather than online. In the future, I will try and stick to a weekly budget and use anything remaining towards important stuff or to treat myself.

TOM WEST TOM WEST TOM WEST TOM WEST ---------------------------------------MONDAY Cat food Poppadums Mango chutney A bunch of flowers Total: £9.00 (ish) TUESDAY Lunch at uni KFC Two balls of wool A set of knitting needles Total: £20.00 (ish) WEDNESDAY Two coffees Lunch at uni A glass of wine Total: £8.00 (ish)

\//\\/Mark Monday Asda 3 Pizzas Waffles Orange Juices Pasta sauce Salad Fish Fingers Fresh Pasta Bananas Cereal -

£4.00 £0.98 £2.98 £1.84 £0.45 £0.99 £2.70 £0.46 £ 1.21

5 bottles of beer Total:

£5.00 £23.27

Tuesday Deli 2 for lunch Milk Total:

THURSDAY

Wednesday

Lunch from the Co-op Library fines Photocopying Paying for my cat’s cremation Total: £120.00 (ish)

Petrol Total:

FRIDAY Coffee and biscuits A book on sewing Total: £12.00 (ish) SATURDAY A Boots meal deal for lunch A bit of shopping from Tesco Total: £15.00 (ish) SUNDAY A couple of drinks A top-up for the electricity meter Some French fancies Total: £15.00 (ish)

Total for week: £199.00 (ish)

-----------------------------------...out of which I guess about £45.00 wasn’t strictly necessary... I’d spend roughly the same amount of money buying and making food for myself each day so I don’t think that the answer lies in cutting down on eating at uni. The amount of money I think I’d save would be inconsequential. I think my main downfall is my weakness when it comes to all things wool-related. I am however buying it in order to make things to sell on the Internet, so I guess it counts as more of an investment... I’m not clutching at straws trying to justify my spending; I can cut down on things like wine, biscuits and KFC - that’ll not only save me money, but calories too. Overall, I probably spend about £10 - £15 a week on utterly unnecessary rubbish which does scare me a little bit..

Carrell\//\\/

£2.30 £0.82 £3.12

£10.00 £10.00

Thursday Deli 2 Total:

£2.30 £2.30

Friday Snakebites Total:

£2 each. £4.00

Saturday Petrol Lunch Total:

£5.00 £6.00 £11.00

Sunday 2 beers Sandwich Total:

Total at end of week -

£3.00 £2.50 £5.50 -------------------

£57.19

\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\/ Verdict - I am quite pleased, but I didn’t get drunk once all week and I still spent a fair bit! I should definitely make my own lunch everyday!

Pugwash April 2009

credit crunch

What it means, the media’s influence & how the c

“Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises” - Demosthenes (382BC - 322BC) We now live in an age of super-sized everything, an age where we are re-evaluating the worth of systems and institutions - from the drivethrough bank to the relevance of the monarchical government. The 21st century has seen the rapid expansion of communications and telecommunications; we have seen the rise of terrorism and the exponential growth of economic globalisation - that has taken us to the brink of a global recession. With UK markets in decline and the Confederation of British Industry predicting unemployment in the UK to hit three million by 2009, how will this affect students? Should we be planning for a rocky start into the real world?

the credit crunch!

It has been difficult to miss the almost hourly reportage on the latest economic crisis. In the simplest of terms, the credit crunch is a crisis caused by banks being too nervous to lend money to us or each other. The phrase “credit crunch” has been so widely used over the past year it has now been added to the latest edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. According to Sir Alan Sugar, the current ‘credit crunch’ is, “due to the snowball effect financial institutions are experiencing due to a lack of available money across the market”. The beginnings of which are attributed to the financial giants in the United States of America.

Pugwash April 2009

American financial lenders started to lend money to people with poor credit history, who were later unable to repay their debt. This led to falling house prices and rising interest rates. By late spring 2007, Britain’s economic status was looking somewhat better. House prices were rising, unemployment was in decline and the economy was growing at an annual pace in excess of 2.3%. However, by August 2007 the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve injected fortyfive billion pounds into the nervous financial markets.

to food production’s dependence on petroleum, which had a knock-on effect to a range of industries. The substantial credit crisis has lead to the bankruptcy of large and well known investment banks as well as commercial banks across the globe. It has been predicted that at least twenty million jobs will have been lost by the end of 2009, the majority of which will be in the financial services, real estate and construction industries.

US and British consumers were living beyond their means, borrowing money to fund their spending habits. By late August 2007, it was clear that the US housing market was falling We are all going to rapidly. The banks As much as the public would like pay the price for the to blame the media for its role in current credit crisis, stopped the current economic downturn, it through falling house lending to is clear no one really knows who’s prices, large mortgage each other, to blame. costs and increased then tried unemployment. But who is really to to repair their own finances by cutting blame? Kent Cook from Desert News back on lending to their customers. said that we, the consumers, are This made borrowing harder to to blame for the current crisis. For arrange and increasingly expensive. years “We have been living beyond our means, driving a car we cannot afford, buying a house that is way too big - hoping the market would go up and we would get rich quick”, he said. Many would agree with In 2008 it was obvious we were Kent Cook, but what is the media’s entering a time of global economic involvement in all of this? crisis. The price increase in oil led to a large increase in food prices, due

Global Economic Crisis

w the crunch will affect us - Joe Morgan

There are stories all over media sources warning consumers to cut back, sell their car and watch their spending. One cannot help but feel that the national media is over-stating the credit crunch and

scaremongering. We all know the media loves bad news and, let’s face it, bad news sells. Drastic headlines lead to an increase in readers, which inevitably leads to an increase in advertising revenue. As much as the public would like to blame the media for its role in the current economic downturn, it is clear no one really knows who’s to blame. We can point fingers, but like it or not, we’ve all had our part to play in the current crisis.

Effects on Students

Students across the country are relying on their loans to sustain them

unnoticed. However, it is still unclear throughout their studies. But with where the blame lies; the consumers the world in economic crisis, what are blaming the media and the will happen when the money stops banks, and the media are blaming and we are left to enter the real world the consumers. with nothing but a five figure debt to pay off? A student at our very own Those consumers weighed down with University of Portsmouth, said “I debt face worry about Once you are set to enter the real uncertain running out world, having less debt will be a step futures as of money and in the right direction. not being able unemployment and property to pay off my debts. I have found repossessions rise; meanwhile myself spending more this year than governments bail out the banks with previously.” It is clear the crunch has money earned by the consumer not gone unnoticed and is on the in the first place, or by further minds of students, but what are the borrowing. The High Street was government bodies advising? already feeling the squeeze as more consumers made purchases Wes Streeting, president for online - now that the consumers the National Union of Students are tightening their belts many retail commented, “It is clear that many outlets may become extinct. The fall students are sleepwalking into of Woolworths and MFI was just the financial crisis. As the credit crunch beginning. kicks in, we can expect more and more students to get into serious For those students who still have financial difficulty, with many having a year or two of studying left, it to resort to taking out commercial is advised to keep spending to a loans or being bailed out by their minimum. While the credit crunch parents”. Lucy Payne, Student might not affect you directly right Manager from HSBC added, “Most now, once you are set to enter the students have no idea of the cost of real world, having less debt will be a living when going to university. And step in the right direction. For those let’s face it, how many of us knew the students set to graduate this summer, price of a loaf of bread or a dozen be smart with your money. eggs when we left school?” It is clear that the credit crunch is having an effect on everyone, be it the big city spenders or the thousands of students currently studying in the UK. The economic downturn and the effect on revenue is

Pugwash April 2009

“Money makes the world go around, the world go around, the world go around. Money makes the world go around; it makes the world go round.” - Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, Cabaret

The confessions of a real life

he vast majority of you will remember the anticipation with which you waited for your 18th birthday. Some of you will have been excited because you could go and buy your first legal drink, others because they could now vote. I, on the other hand, was excited because I could finally apply for a credit card. I’d had the application form ready for at least two months beforehand. It had been sitting in a drawer in my bedroom and the only thing I needed to do was to sign and date it and hand it in at the bank. I used to take

it out of the drawer every night and read it through, making sure I’d filled it out with the correct information. I would clutch it in my hands and dream of all the fabulous things I would be able to buy with my card, once it arrived. Working in a clothes shop at the time, I’d seen how people with credit cards appeared to be able to afford many more things than people who paid with cash. I’d seen Carrie buy pair after pair of fabulous shoes on SATC and I wholeheartedly believed that with my hands on a Visa, I would be able to become part of that glamorous, perfect world. My birthday dawned. I signed the form with a triumphant flourish and handed it over to a smiling lady at the bank. “Happy birthday!” She said, noticing the date on the form. I smiled as I walked out.

Pugwash April 2009

My card arrived within seven to ten working days and I marvelled at the £1,500 limit they’d given me. I spent hours daydreaming of what I would spend this money on and after a couple of weeks my first opportunity presented itself: a pair of socks (I didn’t have enough cash on me). I didn’t feel the euphoric rush I’d expected and, to be honest, I’d expected a bloody big one. Also, the fact that I’d bought socks deflated

“

I’d thought that the balance of your card reset to zero at the end of each month

”

me a little. I decided that it was a practice purchase and as such didn’t count. My next one would be bigger

Written by Tom West Designed by Ranee Ng and better. The trouble is, all of my subsequent purchases were bigger and better, and before the first month of my having my card had passed, I’d already worked my way up to the limit. It was not the things themselves that spurred me on to spend more and more, but the buzz that signing for my purchase gave me. It was simply the act of shopping. I’d become addicted and I didn’t care. In my naivety, I’d thought that the balance of your card reset to zero at the end of each month. No-one had explained to me that your card would remain ‘full’ until you paid it off. In my haste to get my hands on a card, I hadn’t found out how they work; and I consider myself to have so much common sense… I got a loan to clear the card’s balance but I never got rid of the card, so I ended up maxing it out again. I got another card so I could transfer the balance over and pay less but once again, I didn’t get rid

of my first card and I maxed it out again. I couldn’t resist the sheer thrill I got from spending money I didn’t have on things I didn’t really need but desperately, desperately wanted. Shopping completed me. I’ll cut a long and depressing story short for you. I started university with around £7,500 of personal debt and it’s gone downhill from there. Not earning as much has forced me to rely, this time very much against my will, on more credit cards and overdrafts and I now owe just over £10,000. I haven’t got a clue how I’m going to pay that and my student loan off when I’m about to graduate into the worst economic and employment climate this country’s seen in my lifetime - but that’s my problem and I’ll sort it.

own over the years, because unlike a recovering drug addict where they get off the drugs and don’t take them again, the option to not buy things doesn’t exist for me. Take food and clothes for example; the fairies won’t deliver them to me for free, will they? The moral of my story is to think carefully. Balance what you want versus what you need and remember that plastic isn’t as fantastic as Hollywood would have us believe.

My confession? I’m a shopaholic. I can control it a hell of a lot better now; I’ve had to learn to cope on my

Pugwash April 2009

The True Cost of

Education Written by Elke Morice-Atkinson

An education is apparently priceless, but the true cost of one is a bit of an ‘elephant in the room’. Whilst the government maintain that a graduate can expect to earn more over their lifetime than someone without a degree, research has begun to show that graduates will have to work well into their thirties before they can reap the financial benefits of getting a degree. Bill Rammell, the Higher Education minister said that, “Over their working life, the average graduate will earn over £100,000 more than someone who just had A-levels.” But, it isn’t until the average graduate reaches 33 that their income overtakes the income of someone who began work at 18. Although, critics have been quick to defend Higher Education, claiming that going to university is about more than just earning money in later life – it’s about experiencing student life, meeting lots of people and getting involved in societies. But what’s the point when the ‘credit crunch’ is staring you in the face and the UK is in now in recession for the first time since 1991? The arguments defending going to university just don’t seem to matter in the face of harsh economic realities. We are a generation facing its first recession with our fresh university degrees in hand. But no one really seems too concerned. Unfortunately, according to the Shadow Universities secretary, David

Pugwash April 2009

Willetts, we should be concerned, as he identifies us as the group which will bear the brunt of the economic downturn as we leave school and university, unable to get a job. It seems we’re educated to the eyeballs but unemployable due to the current economic crisis. He also said “All the evidence is that university graduates are finding it much tougher getting a job than for over a decade”, the reason being that, according to Bank of England figures, businesses are planning to cut back on graduate recruitment to reduce head counts. There is truth behind the Shadow Universities secretary’s comments. The Association of Graduate Recruiters has predicted that a third of its members will be employing fewer graduates during 2009. However, this isn’t all news – it seems students already have a heads up, and instead of just making do with so-called ‘McJobs’, which do not require a degree, there is already a trend for students to escape the gloom by working in Australia, volunteering overseas or travelling. However, packing up for Australia is only a short-term solution to a much larger problem. Sooner or later our degrees are going to burn holes in our pockets. We are going to want to cash in our degrees in the industries we studied for – how are we meant to do that when even ‘McJobs’ are scarce? Richard Reeves, director of

the think-tank Demos, says that the Government’s answer to this is to encourage graduates to take on more study. He also divulged that a government minister told him that unemployed graduates will probably just end up doing Masters’ degrees. Reeves commented: “Let them do Masters’ degrees is the modern equivalent of ‘let them eat cake’.” We all know what happened to Marie Antoinette... Our educations are priceless, but the true cost of them has now become a herd of elephants, crashing noisily about the room. Soon-to-begraduates all across the UK are in the same boat as us. But I assure you, in time things will look up. This is after all, the first recession since 1991.

£ 2561

0192

pairs of shoes, 15 pairs of jeans, 20 designer t-shirts, one worn out debit card. The list of my spending habits goes on. I think it is fair to assume that the ‘make do and mend’ culture of war time was lost on our generation. We have become a throw-away nation as prices and availability of things becomes easier to negotiate. However, the credit crunch may cause a revival in survival skills as many people struggle to stay above water in the current financial climate. When I came to university, I left three best friends behind. We laughed at how skint I would be and how they would have to treat me to nights out when I came home. We couldn’t have been more wrong. They all had very different reasons for never considering going to university, they weren’t all just under achievers!

My first friend is working almost full time in a restaurant trying to earn her money, but all the money she does earn is spent on dance lessons to train as a dance teacher. As well as spending all the money she earns, and living hand to mouth, she is in debt to her boyfriend, who lends her money for petrol so that she can get to college and work everyday, as well as being in debt to her parents for odd sums she has borrowed off her mum over the past few months. I don’t think being in debt to your parents is too much to worry about, better than having the bank on your back anyway! But owing your boyfriend money must put a serious strain on your relationship, obviously varying on how much you owe and how long you have owed it for! My second friend was also working full time; alongside this, she was living in an overdraft of £900 that fed her shopping addiction. She never went bargain hunting and hated the sales, saying that she couldn’t be bothered to root around for things she liked. She has incurred charges of £200 on her overdraft and so now in fact owes the bank even more money. She also lives hand to mouth and has just let go from her job. She had been with the company for less than two years so didn’t get a payout for being made

redundant, but she did still have two months pay from when she was told of the situation. Instead of using her final pay packet to clear her overdraft, she decided that it would be wiser to keep it in case she should need it again. Flawed logic in my opinion, as there was nothing going into her account to keep her from totalling her overdraft. Looks like the sales are the only place she will be shopping for a while! My third friend has her head more tightly screwed on; she has planned her career, has set herself along the path for accomplishing her ambitions and has a steady job. Her partner also has established his own business and they are well above water. Then I get the great news that she is pregnant, becoming a mum for the first time. The celebrating was fun until the realisation hit that babies are expensive and they cant just make do, or go without. Luckily she has money saved and her partner would work every hour God sends to support her. Despite this, the news that she was not going to return to work after the baby for at least a year did come as a bit of a shock! In a nation well and truly in a recession will my friends break the habit of a lifetime? Will the nation become more conscientious of what we currently so flippantly replace? Will we continue our outrageous spending routine without regard of the hard times until it is too late? Or do we rely on the decision makers to take action whilst we sit back and watch our country fall from recession to depression? Pugwash April 2009

Your Guide

to Cheap Living Illustrations by Jason James

After the first few days of my First Year, days of drinking, clubbing and eating out, it dawned on me that I would actually have to go and shop for myself. Food didn’t magically appear in the fridge as it did at home and this lifestyle of going out for every meal was hitting my bank account hard. This is when I discovered cheap living. After just a few weeks of fitting in at uni, I started to work out ways of saving money and, now, in my Third Year, I have perfected this fine art. This is a guide on how to eat, drink and live cheaply, but comfortably.

Bulk buy. This is often the cheapest way of buying food, and if you club together with your flatmates then that large sack of potatoes will be eaten in no time. A prime example would be the 3kg bags of pasta from ASDA which could last months. This can, however, lead to large amounts of food going off and being wasted, so this doesn’t mean buying six pints of milk. Shop at the big supermarkets, not the small corner shops, even though they’re easier to get to. I would recommend ASDA as the

cheapest. Then stick to the smart price products. Meat would be the exception; here it’s wise to visit the local butcher, as you receive more meat for your money and it’s much better quality. Spot the deals. Supermarkets always have cheap offers, 2 for 1, 3 for £4, or the all important reduced shelf. If you arrive just before the supermarket is closing, all the broken and damaged stock will be out for sale at reduced prices. Instead of going out and paying for an expensive meal, cook one with your mates and eat at home. Often this can be more fun, a lot cheaper, and tastier. A good choice would be the Sunday roast, as no-one wants to go clubbing on a Sunday. After all this cheap food, your nutrition levels might be low, so make sure you take some good multi-vitamins just to keep you healthy. These are especially handy for combating “Freshers’ flu”. Find out when the cheap meal offers are on: and here’s a tip, sign up to www.studentbeans.com and you can get 2 for 1 meal deals at many restaurants in Gunwharf. Another option would be the Water Margin, with its “all you can eat” deal. Find out when the cheap drinks offers are on, and where the cheapest places are. Wetherspoons is always the best bet for a few drinks, followed by a wander down to the Fleet with its cheap doubles - but beware of the extortionate prices on other drinks. Clubs do student nights, such as Mondays at Tiger Tiger, Wednesdays

Pugwash November 2008

Even though it’s a bit chilly, don’t turn that heating up - stick on a jumper. Quite often students are slammed with a huge gas bill at the end of the quarter, verging far into the hundreds. But beware of damp, as this can make the home feel colder and lead to bad health. Keep your curtains closed, use draft excluders where possible and take a hot water bottle to bed with you.

worthwhile and more enjoyable. The most important thing of all is to budget and save your money. I work out a certain amount to spend each week and if I don’t have enough I cut back on the luxuries. Following these easy steps can make money go further and also trains you for the future. You don’t want to be dipping into that overdraft just yet!

Instead of always taking a taxi, buy yourself and your housemates some cheap bikes. The best place is a store round the back of the ASDA car park, next to Farm Foods. Be sure to use lights, otherwise you could end up receiving a £30 fine!

at the Union and Fridays at Jonglueurs, with their half-price comedy club followed by clubbing. Clothing wise, for the basics there’s ASDA, Tesco and Primark (but remember it might not be an ethical buy). Let’s face it, people really don’t expect hoodie-wearing students to be dressed in fine fashion labels. Or for the better dressed, then there’s always TK Maxx and the outlet stores at Gunwharf. At the moment many stores are having closing down sales; the recession does have its perks! Then there’s always the all-famous eBay, where you can always score a cheap deal or even shift some of those unwanted shirts your Mum bought you and receive a bit more for the food fund. Unfortunately course materials are often specialist, but the best places to buy them are online through Amazon and eBay; this includes books and stationary. Computer programmes can, however, be acquired through “other means”. But, beware of illegal copies - they can often crash and corrupt your work, causing you hours of lost time.

When kitting out your house, ASDA and Wilkinsons are the best places to go, in particular for pots and pans. These things only have to last a few years, so don’t buy anything too expensive. But, if you want a really good griddle pan for that all important steak, then there’s always TK Maxx. If it’s someone’s birthday, then don’t go out and buy a generic bottle of wine, make something instead. Find other activities to do that are free, such as cycling, running or BBQs on the Common. If you’re out at uni for the day, or off for a day trip then take a packed lunch. Fast food is expensive and after a few days of eating on the go it mounts up. Homemade lunches are also far tastier and more healthy. Think really hard before buying that skirt or computer game. Do you really need it? If not then just go without. Life will go on if you don’t buy it. When going out, make it a special event or treat, don’t just go out for the sake of it. This will make it more Pugwash April 2009

by Natasha Fish

A Cheap Night In

Being students, we have to live with the fact that we cannot always have the finer things in life - but that doesn’t stop us from having a good time! When it comes to food shopping, should we have to eat everything Tesco Value or ASDA Smart Price? I don’t think so. I have compiled a list of ingredients for the perfect student night in, comparing the prices of the necessities across three supermarkets so that we students get the best deal. I began by visiting mysupermarket.co.uk, where I was able to tally up a shopping basket of products, looking at the current deals on offer, and finally comparing the totals between supermarket giants Tesco, ASDA and Sainsbury’s. I think a great night in has three stages, so I created a separate shopping basket for each stage, using Tesco to do my shop. So here goes… Stage One: the “pig-out-on-tastysnacks” stage. Ingredients: potato wedges £0.69, Goodfellas frozen pizzas two for £4.00, garlic baguette (two-pack) £0.77, and sour cream £0.55. Snacks from Tesco came to a total of £5.97, ASDA came in at £5.98 (for 1p more you can get an extra pizza), and the same shop at Sainsbury’s was £6.55. ASDA wins for value for money, if you chose to go with ASDA’s own range of frozen pizzas. Stage Two: the “drinking session”. Everyone has a different preference, so here are some of the most popular student drinks. Ingredients: drinking games - free, Tesco cola (2L) £0.43, Tesco lemonade (2L) = £0.43, lime cordial £0.55, Carling (24x440ml) £16.59, Blossom Hill white wine £4.48, Vodkat vodka (700ml) £4.90, and Strongbow cider (2L) £2.71. Tesco totals £30.09, while ASDA comes up at £39.50 and finally, Sainsbury’s at £30.56. Tesco wins for value for money, with Sainsbury’s surprisingly following a close second with ASDA being far more expensive than the other two. Stage Three: the “cure-for-thehangover-you-wake-up-with-in-themorning-having-consumed-copiousamounts-of-alcohol-the-night-before” part. (Not that I condone drinking yourself into a coma). Ingredients: water, free from your kitchen tap, Lucozade (1L) £0.77, half dozen large free range eggs £1.52, and thick sliced white bread £0.72. Tesco came out at £3.01, ASDA at £3.34, and Sainsbury’s was the most expensive at £4.16. Tesco wins for value for money again! Pugwash April 2009

The amounts don’t differ too much for a small shop, but Tesco wins for value for money overall. Obviously, the cost can be shared between friends, and there is no need to buy all the items in the drinking session list either. A night in can be much cheaper than a night out and as much fun.

“

Go shopping with friends, be regimental, and split the costs...

”

If you are considering where to do your weekly shop, then the supermarket you use can make a big difference to your bank balance. I worked out what my weekly shop cost at each of the supermarket giants; Tesco was the cheapest at £41.69, while ASDA came in second with £49.83 and Sainsbury’s went over the £50 mark at £55.21!

Tesco won by a mile for value for money and is generally where I prefer to shop, because ASDA has far too many offers which look great but send the end total rocketing. With offers constantly changing, you can pick up great deals from each supermarket, but the core prices and brands are what make the biggest difference to the total of the bill. So next time you think about having a night out, why not make it a night in; but try not to get lulled into buying too many of the supermarkets’ tantalising offers. Go shopping with friends, be regimental, and split the costs. Happy Shopping!

”

Git it daan ya son! In these times of economic turmoil and financial upheaval there can be only one solution: drink. Yes, drink. In this post-Woolworths apocalypse, there is sympathy only in drink. Alcoholic, of course. So we drink and drink... and drink a little more. And, when we get back home after a night out, student-like as we are, with our various trophies and grazes and missing clothes (even in winter), there is nothing more depressing than opening our wallets or our purses, or our pockets, to find nothing but shrapnel. Our coffers are left desolate, and we watch a few moths make their way drunkenly from out of our various money-holding devices before collapsing on the bed, not even half as drunk as we wanted to be, but having spent more than double what we were planning to spend in the first place. “Cheaper drugs, now, make poverty history.” Indeed, Frank Gallagher would have had our predicament right if he had replaced “drugs” for “drink” (or maybe in some of our cases, he would have been spot on). We are students. We fork out ridiculous amounts of money every week on alcohol alone, putting aside all other expenditure, because it is a necessity. A student who doesn’t drink is like a dead fish – not very exciting (but still edible). What can we do? Gordon won’t help us: for him and most people, drinking is a nationwide problem of epidemic proportions. So who do we turn to?

“

The only reason we are going there is because it is 99p a pint night.

”

We turn to the men and women who have been the saviour of this fine country for hundreds and hundreds of years. Landlords. Bartenders. Drink-givers. Beer-deliverers. Vodkasmugglers. The kings and the queens of the pubs. If we could convince them to make things a little cheaper for us

by Russell Thomas

we would be out all the time, spending money at their bars and clubs. We would be drunk. They would be rich. Everybody wins. But is there a problem? Perhaps there would be a problem. Although drink (and lots of it) is a beautiful solution, it unfortunately happens to be its own problem as well. Silly things happen when we are all drunk. Fights erupt; men and women tear each other’s hair out; longstanding couples who are fine without drink veer into a terrible and speedy decay when they are drunk; people are sick literally everywhere and need to have their stomachs pumped; these, among an assortment of other, more imaginative nasty things, are the negative outcomes of drinking. We all know that it’s a problem, but most of us like a bit of chaos, and some of us live for it. I always feel a little proud when I can hear the wordless chants of beer-hounds as they stumble down the street - “That’s it boys,” I think, “keep it up!” I may be going out tomorrow night, and the first place we are going is rubbish. It’s lovely inside, but older people go there and make it into a dive just by their presence. The only reason we are going there is because it is 99p a pint night. This is good enough to orchestrate a night of imbalanced madness and happiness. And yes, there might be problems and hiccoughs along the way, but we are adults after all, we aren’t the 14 and 15 year-olds that the government are having trouble with. No. So I advise you to contact your local pub/club/bar/ bistro/brewery/crack-den and tell them that perhaps their drinks prices should be lowered. Perhaps our own Union should do it themselves. After all, when you’re at home in your room with the room spinning more violently than something at a NASA training facility, tears in your eyes (optional), a severe disability with your tongue and legs, and the prospect of an insane hangover, you only have yourself to blame. Designed by Stuart Lambon & Sam Knight Pugwash April 2009

Second�Hand�Chic You’re waiting in the queue to get into the club. You have had a few pre-drinks and you’re feeling confident. The outfit you bought earlier in the day is feeling great, so what if it cost you your week’s rent? Totally worth it! The bouncer checks your ID, and you move on into the busy club. You do a quick scan of the room to see who is there, when, to your horror, you notice someone with the exact same outfit! They have even accessorised with the same belt! Even worse still, they look better than you! Many high street shoppers will be familiar with this embarrassing “fashion faux pas”. However, there is a solution. Finding an individual outfit that no-one else will have does not always mean travelling far and wide in search of independent boutiques that charge a fortune for a one off item. In fact, the answer to your problems is simple and on your doorstep.

Salvation Army: jeans - £3.50 belt - £2 top - £2.50 necklace - £1.50 bag - £2.50

Pugwash April 2009

Portsmouth has over 30 shops where you can buy an amazing new outfit that’s quirky, individual and will cost you less than a tenner. These shops are often overlooked due to their uninviting shop fronts and stigmatised reputation. Yep, you guessed it, the humble charity shop. Charity shops can be a treasure trove of quirky and exciting garments. All clothes are washed before they are put on sale, and when your wallet is bulging with the money you have saved you will soon forget that somebody else once owned your outfit. If you are willing to take the time to search inside, some true diamonds can be found. If you’re lucky you may even find some designer labels hiding away in there, calling out for a home. If you are looking to nab a bargain in Portsmouth then Albert Road is probably the best place to go.

Salvation Army: bag - £1.50 jumper- £3

There are also quite a few charity shops in and around Southsea shopping centre, which are more pleasant to shop in but tend to be slightly more expensive (but still cheap enough). If you have some time to spare (and, let’s be honest, most students do) then a trek up to North End via Fratton Road is worth the trip, as there are numerous charity shops where lots of hidden treasures can be found. Buying from charity shops not only benefits your purse or wallet, but you get the added bonus of the warm glow you will feel inside for spending your money to a worthy cause. In financial times like these, we students are not the only ones suffering. The money you donate will go direct to those who need it most. It’s the ultimate guilt free shopping. Written by Sarah Purchase Designed by Sarah Matthews and Sophie Colverson

Cat Charity Shop: top - £2 skirt - £2

Charity vintage Okay, huge breath; I’m going to suggest a way of saving money that may, at first, leave you dryheaving into your designer purse. Nevertheless, how about you walk past Topshop (and even Primark), and head straight to your local charity shop? The charity shop taboo is one I’ve never really understood. Some of my best clothes come from charity shops. You know, the “Oh-my-godI-love-your dress-where’s-it-from?” type dress. That one is from the charity shop, my friend.

It’s just assumed. But when you visit a charity shop and spend time rooting through all the size 16 ladies nightwear and used lace table cloths, (for some reason there seems to be an abundance of these) you spot it. You see your prey and you pounce. There’s something so much more satisfying about finding vintage then buying vintage. Besides, when people say “oh yes, it’s vintage”, it feels like snobbery. It’s like saying you shop at Waitrose when you really bought your delectable delicacy from Asda.

While many of you may sneer and blush at the sheer suggestion of stepping into the wild Amazon world of charity, stop and think about this. Have you ever considered the meaning of the term vintage clothing? It’s just a fancy expression that laces the charity bargain that it really should’ve been. The difference is the price tag of that delicious fur coat that should be £4 and not £40! (What do you think professional buyers are for?) The other thing about vintage; you can visit an awesome shop, like Beyond Retro in Brick Lane expecting to find amazing treasures.

And it’s not just for girls either, oh no. My brother, aka up and coming hipster, spotted a real leather jacket in our local Red Cross yesterday for, I kid you not, £14. Real leather! His £100 Topshop leather was not looking so fresh in comparison. Imagine what else you could get with that money? Us paupers, *cough*, students, need all the cash we can get, and this is the perfect remedy.

Cat Charity Shop: dress - £3 belt - 50p

Unashamedly, a few years back, I was like all you sceptics out there and had not taken the leap from high street to second hand, but, with an open mind, I went in and

Bag - £1

23 Written by Elisse Ahmet Designed by Sarah Matthews and Sophie Colverson

was amazed at all the intricate frills and fancies I came across. My first purchase was a patent, authentic Chanel clutch for £3.50. I think you can safely assume the shop became my heavenly treasure chest of cheap thrills. Finally, be creative. If you see a handsome tea-dress but “it’s just too long”, think about cutting and crafting it yourself. I’ve often found delicate floral prints on ankle-length skirts that look like they belong to the crazy-cat lady rather than me but I’ve persevered, paid the £1 price tag and snipped away. And the bonus is, if it goes wrong it was only a £1 and your latest fix may have helped some third-world deprivation. Could you feel any better about yourself?! I think not. If you are interested by my super cool advice, head to Fratton for your nearest charity shop. Albert Road also has some vintage and second-hand shops if you want to take baby steps into the world of charity. So, despite revealing my most underground hobby, this tip is a keeper. But for sharing this nugget of gold guidance, make sure you leave some stuff for me! Cat Charity Shop: skirt - £2 (worn as dress) belt - 50p

Pugwash April 2009

Style Guide: London onto the catwalk, the most obvious thing about the whole collection was that it was predominantly black, a little depressing - however rather appropriate for our current economy crisis. There was definitely a Tudor Court vibe to the collection, with exaggerated and stiff sleeves and pockets, plumped hips (let’s face you weren’t getting any natural Thank God for styleit,guuuide padding from the models) and London Fashion exaggerated collars. The shapes to Week, the garments were voluminous and otherwise the majority of us might filled – amplifying the natural female just hibernate for the entire month of form. The majority of the models February. Once again, I sent out my were sporting stuffed headbands, emails begging designers to send which looked a little like overgrown me an invitation to their Autumn/ bananas, however, they did Winter 09 shows, and, once again, compliment the garments perfectly I got shot down by the majority of in style. Just when I thought I’d them. However I did get lucky and sussed out the Autumn/Winter 09/10 received positive responses from collection (Ann Boleyn cast-offs), Caroline Charles, John Rocha and colour burst onto the catwalk. The Betty Jackson. whole collection appeared not to be a John Rocha’s show took place stream of mourning attire after all and on the Saturday morning at South was speckled with the occasional Kensington and the show was hint of coral, gold and diamante absolutely heaving with keen – fantastic! The first hint that John fashionistas - everyone trying to Rocha had injected some life into the edge a little closer to the catwalk. collection was a wonderful adorned Amazingly, I had managed to get collar, embellished with crystals and a reserved seat, so my Mum (or beautiful metallic embroidery, which ‘“official note taker”) and I sat was attached to a sheer topped comfortably, feeling rather smug, evening dress - very structured waiting for the show to begin whilst in shape and complicated in people fought amongst themselves appearance. over who shoved who. I even The outfits following this were of a managed to get a lap dance from the piercing burning coral in woollen woman on my left trying to barge in. suiting – the dresses and jackets (Love, your arse just isn’t going to fit absolutely swamped the in that space, I’m sorry.). February is a dreary time of year - it’s cold, it’s dark, and everyone feels poor. It’s especially dread-worthy if you’re a singleton and you don’t even have Valentine’s Day to look forward to, so as the end of January looms before you, you may just wish that March would begin and that February could be skipped all together.

The show started 20 minutes late, which made the crowd a little fidgety, however 20 minutes in the warm was nothing to complain about considering John Galliano made his guests wait a whole hour outside last season. Ouch. As the stick thin models spilled Pugwash April 2009

teeny tiny models

– however, they did look wonderfully warm, which, sadly, is definitely a necessity if you hope to stay in the UK over the winter months without nearly dying. Soon after this coral coloured

excitement, the males strutted onto the catwalk to show off their oversized brown teddy bear fur coats. I was struck by the amount of attitude some of these boys had when showcasing Rocha’s work with their walk seeming far too fast paced, making no effort to slow down to pose at the end of the catwalk for the photographers to capture. Maybe this was intentional? I wasn’t sure, but I did feel a little puzzled as to why they were so impatient - they only get to do this twice a year! Belted long ‘frock’ coats followed, teamed with tapered short trousers and heavy military looking footwear. Plaid was another key fabric used within the Autumn/Winter 09/10 collection, with single breasted suits and matching trousers in a black/ brown and white combination of colours and a panelled tweed looking shirt, which shockingly actually went well with the pin stripe shirting fabric. The trousers were what should be known as “ ankle swingers”, but the intentional kind, not the embarrassing kind you used to wear with a backpack on your first day of school. Not entirely convinced that this was a hit, or that it will be a trend that catches on, however it was a brave move by Rocha all the same. The collection turned a little playful with the female fur coats, one long and belted, another cropped with a matching ‘banana’ headpiece and another in a nude colour with cropped sleeves and matching hat – very cute next to the models perfect porcelain looking skin. A success for Rocha, in my opinion, was the violin case oversized clutch, a very kitsch accessory and actually, I’d quite like one please. The tinsel collars made a

Fashion Week comeback later on in the show, with even more bling than before, teamed with plaid suiting around the edges and a sheer dress,

plenty of nipples on show

talented fashion designer, and has an eye for fabric manipulation and bold silhouettes; however I’m not sure I’ll be buying any of the collection to hang in my own wardrobe. But hey, everyone else seemed to be having the time of their lives!

during this show! The collection ended with a heavily embellished cape and, of course, Written by Carys Rolley the banana hat. Very pretty, just not as ground breaking as I’d expected styleDesigned guuuide by Sarah Matthews and Kayleigh Batchford his finale to be. As Mr Rocha himself walked onto the catwalk there was a huge outburst of applause for this very small Irish man, and looks of both astonishment and deep respect for him. Do I think the Autumn/Winter collection was a huge success? I definitely enjoyed the show and was deeply grateful for the tickets he’d sent - I’m just not entirely sure I understood the collection, even after I read the press release a few times over, which was a challenge in itself! Rocha is obviously an incredibly

Pugwash April 2009

Clothes on the Cheap – ...Sweet!

The one word most frequently used when discussing CovertCandy is FREE! CovertCandy is a new online clothes exchange website. Launched on 4th January 2009, it already has over 1300 members. It is a great way to make friends and choose items of clothing for free! CovertCandy works by asking new users to create an account, like any online community does, and then allows you to upload photos and descriptions of clothes, shoes or accessories that you no longer use and would be happy to sell. You give each of your items a ‘credit’ value, this is the item’s second-hand value in pounds, for example £25.00 = 25.00 C’s. You gain credits when people chose to purchase one of your items; once you have managed to sell an item, and have credits available, you are able to browse though users’ items and “request an item”.

Pugwash April 2009

Once your request is accepted, the product is sent to you free of charge. The only aspect of CovertCandy that is not free is the cost of postage and packaging when sending one of your items to its requested buyer. This tends to be around £3.00, depending on the weight of the item, but all in all it is nothing compared to the value of the product! When I heard about the site I signed up straight away - clothes for free, who can argue with that?! I was quickly added as a friend by a few existing members, and have exchanged messages about the site. After a couple of days I received an email from CovertCandy to say I was being made a “Founding Member” and received 25 free credits. This was brilliant, as I already had my eye on a River Island handbag, which otherwise I would not have been able to get without selling one of my own items at the same value. I requested the item, my request was accepted, and four days later I had a new handbag! It was exactly what I had expected, the item fully fitted its description, and, best of all, it was FREE!

Talking to one of the four brains behind CovertCandy, it was clear to see they had one aim in mind when creating the site. “We realised that clothes swapping on the internet left people with limited choice, as it relied on a direct one-on-one swap. On our site, once you have sold your item and earnt credits you can then purchase clothes from anyone. This means users on CovertCandy have infinitely more choice” says Harry Follett. Harry is right, users have a wide range of choice; each member has a different taste and style, so guaranteed there is something for everyone. The only problem I had with the site was difficulty in uploading some of the images of my items. Despite this I have still had some interest in them and have been asked to email the photos to members’ personal emails outside of CovertCandy. This level of communication is great, and helps to illustrate CovertCandy as the friendly site it is. Right now my only frustration is that there is another bag I really want, but do not have enough credits! Designed by Ivon Evlogieva

p–

Cost of four (as in four single) “Tesco Organic Large Tomatoes on the Vine”: £1.88. Cost of B&Q’s “Tomato Seed Kit” (where you will have tomatoes growing out your ears): £2.98 The BBC claims that half the vegetables and 95% of the fruit eaten in the UK comes from beyond our shores. It arrives by plane, gets shipped around the country for a bit, then ends up in our supermarkets, all the way from Africa or South America – unfortunately adding to CO2 emissions, greenhouse gasses, pollution and traffic congestion. Your fruit and veg shouldn’t have travelled further than you did to get it. Food miles are a big issue. It’s been said that it’s

more energy efficient to import tomatoes from Spain by lorry than to grow them in a heated greenhouse in the UK; same with growing a lettuce out of season in the UK, compared with imported Spanish salad, when total carbon emissions were considered. However, don’t let this put you off - growing your own fruit and veg can be rewarding and a bit cheaper when you’re a student.

The cost of each tomato bought from Tesco is 47p. If you grew your own, you could produce an entire crop of tomatoes, organic and on the vine, which would keep you going for weeks. Here’s how... 1. Get yourself down to B&Q and pick up a “Tomato Seed Kit” for £2.98. The kit comes with three packets of tomato seeds, a propagator tray and lid (the bit you grow the seedlings in, and 12 expanding compost pellets. 2. Tell your housemates that you’re trying to sustain life, so they’d better stay away from your seedlings. 3. Read the instructions on the kit, which will be something along the lines of... 4. Get your timing right and don’t sow seeds until February/late March. 5. Set up your propagator tray and sow the seeds, but don’t bury them too much. 6. Put the tray somewhere where it won’t get knocked over, stood on or trampled upon by anyone. Make sure it’s a place where there is natural light. 7. In about eight weeks time, you’ll be able to move your seedlings into separate (3in) pots. 8. When the roots come through the drainage holes in your pots, move the plants into 5in pots. 9. When you’ve got some flowers, move your plants to a more permanent spot in your garden, or grab yourself a bigger pot, then tie the plants to some cane or sticks for support. 10. Make sure you keep feeding the plants with fertilizer and remove the side shoots. You want your tomatoes to stand tall and straight. 11. Keep tending to your plants until you’ve gotten your first tomato! It might at first cost more (and take a lot longer) than picking up a few tomatoes at Tesco, but won’t you be proud to be eating tomatoes you produced with your own two green thumbs? If you’re successful enough in your tomato efforts, here’s a recipe for a cheap and tasty Italian dish, Insalata Caprese. Ingredients 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes (sliced ¼ inch thick) 1 mozzarella ball (sliced ¼ inch thick) ¼ cup fresh basil leaves Sprinkling of dried oregano 3-4 tablespoons virgin olive oil Sea salt to taste Black pepper to taste Method On a plate, arrange your tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves, alternating and overlapping them. Sprinkle the salad with oregano and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Finito! Pugwash April 2009

Budget Eating

Eating as a student is never easy. On a strict budget, ready made meals always seem like the easiest option, opposed to shopping for a selection of ingredients for just one meal. But they’re not. Included are some clever tips on shopping on a budget and also a selection of low-cost recipes. Make your own meals from scratch It’s easier than it sounds! Although ready-meals may seem like a cheaper option, these dishes are created using the poorest selection of ingredients available. There’s nothing appetizing about chicken that takes on the characteristics of rubber!

swap it with your housemate and gain some of their ingredients or you can put them back in the fridge, as most foods will keep for up to four days. If you think you’re not going to eat it within four days, still don’t throw it away! You can even freeze it for a long period of time. I keep leftover bolognese mince in my freezer for months! Most foods reheat fine as long as you thoroughly reheat

Plan ahead Knowing what meals you’re going to make before you buy them helps you to refrain from picking up needless items (such as Rustler’s burgers and doughnuts), most of which go off before you even use them. There are plenty of menu planning devices available online; a good one to use is cheapcooking.com which even gives you healthy tips on what sorts of recipes you should be making.

them until the items are piping hot. Don’t reheat fish and anything frozen more than once. Think sharp All supermarkets try and make money out of you. They keep all the enticing food on eye-level shelves whilst most of the cheaper options remain un-noticed on the bottom shelves. Cheaper is usually better

Avoid wasting food If you have leftovers don’t throw them away! Either

Don’t be afraid of buying smart price options. Most of the food is just as good as the more expensive stuff; they just use cheaper packaging.

Four Cheese & Ham Pasta Makes: 4 portions

Prep time: 15 mins, Cooking time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Method: 1.Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

500g dried pasta

Bring a large pan of salted water to

25g Butter

the boil. Add in the pasta and cook

200g full-fat soft cheese

until al dente. Drain the pasta and

70g Gorgonzola cheese, chopped

place back in the saucepan.

70g Cheddar cheese, grated

2. Add the butter, soft cheese,

100ml Milk, full-fat at room

Gorgonzola and cheddar cheese.

temperature

Mix well and then add the milk

150g cooked ham, diced

and stir on a low heat until you get

3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

a creamy texture. Add the ham,

50g grated Parmesan

season with salt and freshly ground

the Parmesan cheese and bake in

pepper and stir in the parsley.

the oven for 15 minutes until the

3. Place the pasta mixture into a

top is golden and crispy. Serve

large baking tray, sprinkle over

immediately.

Pugwash April 2009

Photo: rdpeyton

on Flickr

Article: Nina Tennant Design: Krishan Mistry

ant stry

Spicy Chicken Pepper Pot Makes: 4 portions

Prep time: 15 mins, Cooking time: 20 mins

2. Meanwhile, cook the rice in lightly salted boiling water until tender -

Ingredients:

about 12 minutes. Drain well and

2 tbsp olive oil

share between 4 warmed plates.

500g skinless, boneless chicken,

3. Stir the chopped coriander

chopped into chunks

through the chicken, then spoon

1 green pepper, deseeded and

onto the plates. Season with black

chopped into chunks

Method:

pepper and garnish with the yogurt

1 red pepper, deseeded and

1. Heat the olive oil in a large non-

and coriander sprigs. Serve at once.

chopped into chunks

stick frying pan and add the chunks

Top tip: If you prefer, use flat-leaf

500g jar spicy Bolognese sauce

of chicken, searing them until

parsley instead of coriander, and

200g long grain rice

browned. Add the red and green

substitute sour cream or crème

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (re-

pepper, cook for 1-2 minutes, then

fraiche for the yogurt. This recipe

use with chillies and curries)

tip in the jar of bolognese sauce

is an ideal way of using up leftover

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

(carefully, or it can end up splattered

meat from a cooked chicken or

4 tbsp low fat natural yogurt (re-use

on your kitchen wall). Add 100ml

turkey. Simply cut the meat into

for breakfast with fruit)

cold water, then heat and simmer

chunks and follow the recipe,

gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring

though reduce the cooking time to

often.

8-10 minutes.

Photo: Soon. on Flick

Lamb Burgers Makes: 4 portions

Prep time: 20 mins, Cooking time: 35 mins

(A Sainsbury’s Feed The Family for Under A Fiver recipe) Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan Photo: Simon Welsh on Flickr

180°C, gas 6.

and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes.

2. In a blender, whiz two of the

5. When the potatoes are nearly

bread rolls to make breadcrumbs.

cooked, griddle or fry the burgers

If you don’t have a form of blender

for 4 minutes on each side, until

Ingredients:

you can always buy breadcrumbs or

cooked thoroughly and piping hot

500g lamb mince

break them up by hand.

throughout. Lightly toast the bread

5 thin slices of chorizo (from the

3. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs,

rolls.

counter)

500g lamb mince, lemon zest,

6. Peel the carrots and coarsely

4 baking potatoes

a teaspoon of mustard and a

grate into a bowl. Drizzle with olive

4 loose carrots

generous pinch of salt and pepper.

oil and season with salt and pepper.

Loose lemon

Shape into four burger patties and

Squeeze over the juice of half a

Salad cress

chill for at least 30 minutes.

lemon and sprinkle with washed

2 loose tomatoes

4. Boil a large pan of salted water.

cress. Pop each burger into

6 white rolls

Cut each potato into six wedges

a toasted roll and top with a couple

Salt & pepper

boil for 5 minutes. Drain and toss

of slices of tomato. Serve the

Mustard

together with five roughly chopped

burgers on a large platter with the

Olive oil

slices of chorizo and a pinch of salt

carrot salad and wedges. Pugwash April 2009

Pugwash April 2009

The credit crunch - words we are starting to hear more and more as our climate spirals into an economic downfall. Not that I’ve noticed any difference in my own lifestyle; my weekend job’s wages are still the same and have risen twice this last year and everywhere I look in supermarkets, there seems to be “rollbacks” and “food under a fiver” schemes. I haven’t even noticed any difference in the clothes shops I frequent weekly. So where are us students really going to feel this

sting on our wallets? I believe it will be on holidays. I’ve found that an average one week holiday in Spain with Thomson will set you back £434...for a week! And that’s not including the copious amounts of spending money you would use, especially with the Euro in the state that it’s in. It’s going to be the same with any of the countries which hold the Euro and don’t even get me started on one of the most expensive of all, Dublin, where an average pint of lager costs 6 euros!

Absolute disgrace! As well as the three places below, other budget haunts to consider include Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt.

Bulgaria is due to join the Euro in 2012 so take advantage now. Bulgaria has had a vast amount of money put into it in the last few years to increase its tourism and apart from the price and the accent, you wouldn’t even realise you weren’t on a Spanish island. A good option to take on here is an all

inclusive board, so you don’t have to worry about the language barrier and be worried about eating fresh pig’s brain. Through directline-holidays. co.uk you can stay at the Hotel Panorama, a 3 star resort in Albena, which is 650 metres from the beach AND has a pool, for £499 each, including

flights to and from Gatwick. This is based on a one week stay from the 4th August. Although that seems expensive, that includes everything so no spending money is needed. As a student the idea of free alcoholic beverages 24/7 thrills me to the core!

Turkey has it all; turquoise waters, sandy beaches, history and culture. It covers all the amenities a Spanish beach resort would have, such as windsurfing, jet-skiing, snorkelling and Para-sailing. Turkey is a great combination for a someone on a

budget, as it is cheap to get to and incredibly cheap once you’re there. If you leave on the 7th July, you can stay at the Hotel Parador for 7 nights for £251, including flights. The earlier

Although flights aren’t exactly what you’d call budget, the Rand is 12% weaker than it was last year, which makes the pound incredibly strong in South Africa and makes it a great time to go and take advantage of what this place has to offer. There are plenty of budget options available, with hostel rooms being as cheap as £2.50 a

night. The price of a local beer last year would have cost you £1.16 - not exactly a hardship, but because of its exchange rate you would now get the same beer this year for £1.03. A good place to start here is statravel.co.uk which specializes in student travel and you can get great discounts on flights

Although I’m a student, I’m not skint enough to not want to fork out a bit of money for a nice summer holiday. So where can I go that won’t set me even further back into an overdraft than I already am? Here are some of the best options for holiday destinations for summer 2009.

you go in summer, the cheaper it will be. Turkey can also be a good place for all-inclusive if you go early, as you can get this option for the same price as self catering in August!

and accommodation just because you’re a student! Obviously the earlier on in the summer months you go to these places, the cheaper its going to be. Look out for school holidays, as the prices get bumped up in these periods. The best times to go are June and September but if you particularly want to go in August, then there are still some great deals to be had if you go to one of these countries.

Pugwash April 2009

Garage & MOT Centre ‘the complete car care centre’

Rodney Road, Southsea. Near Fratton Park Special Portsmouth Uni Student offer.

02392 655555 Call for details

*MOT £24.95 *Pick up and drop off service available *Fantastic service deals *Main dealer facilities *10% off all works *Unbeatable service

Warranty work undertaken

Restaurant Review

It’s kind of like walking into a theme park restaurant; photos of Giuseppes and Marios stare across the wood-panelled walls at each other and appear to judge you as you place your order, throwing disapproving glances as you order a burger instead of a pizza... I wouldn’t call it intimidating, just... Cliched. Still, it didn’t put me off of my food. The bumps that I felt in the ambience were smoothed out by efficient service from our friendly and enthusiastic waitress.

Starter: Tom: A more erotic bruschetta I have never encountered. Juicy, tangy tomatoes on a gorgeously garlicky ciabatta that simply exploded in my mouth and a balsamic vinegar that got my juices flowing in anticipation for the main course. A well-executed starter that reflects the proud Italian heritage of the business. Steph: Like Tom, I too had an orally tantalising experience.... with a Mushroom Alfredo - button mushrooms in a creamy cheese sauce. It was a pleasure to see a decent sized portion for a starter. Served with garlic bread (which seems to be a staple of most dishes), it was the perfet accompaniment to whet my appetite.

eOrg on Flick

Photo: Coke

Main: Tom: Hi, Frankie & Benny’s? Tom calling. A piece of advice, yeah? It’s OK to give me more than two onion rings - did you know that? Oof, honestly... I had the F&B New York Chicken. What was there was cooked to perfection, despite my needing to employ the services of a microscope to find the portions served up. Whether or not the miniscule servings were intentional, I now fear that every main course on the menu will be an equal disappointment. Steph: My main course was a disappointment given the deliciousness of my first course. I ordered the Cajun Chicken Pasta Bake priced at £8.95 which is fairly dear for a pasta dish. It’s consisted of about two dollops of pasta in a watery carbonara sauce with “fresh roasted peppers” making a background appearance. This is the first time I’ve been dissatisfied with something at F&B.

Pudding: Tom: I couldn’t finish my half of the Giant Cookie Sandwich. All I’ll say is gut-wrenchingly sweet satisfaction that made up for what was lacking in the main course. Couldn’t finish it but I didn’t care a single bit. All I wanted to do was go and sleep it off. A rather wellperformed finale for our lunchtime feast. Steph: At £6.75, we had high hopes of this dish redeeming the whole experience and that it definitely did! However, it was almost rock hard. After several attempts at pretty much hacking in to it, we succeeded as the cookie softened with the melted ice-cream.

Photo: Odd Bod on Flick

Overall: Tom: A satisfying experience that I would indeed repeat again; I’ll give them another chance to put a decent amount of food on my plate... Steph: An enjoyable experience. Our table was ready by the time we had ordered our drinks at the bar and we weren’t rushed into ordering our food. One thing I noticed was the constant push to order more drinks, but apart from that and the let down that was the main course, I had a great time. I would definitely recommend this to a friend, although I would tell them to steer clear of the pasta bakes and smothered chicken! Tom West & Steph Hall

Pugwash April 2009

Classic Albums

This issue will take you back to the start of the nineties, and to the very beginning of hip hop as we know it. With the release of the motion picture Notorious, there is no better time to rumble through your CD collection and replay some of the classic albums that defined a generation. Hip Hop has changed a lot since this golden age of East Coast vs West Coast, but these two albums will remain timeless.

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die that it was hardcore music straight from the gutter of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The autobiographical album stabs hard immediately with tracks such as, ‘Gimme the Loot’ and ‘Machine Gun Funk,’ which glorify B.I.G’s experiences as a crackpushing, stick up kid. No matter how controversial the content is, it is undeniable that DJ Premier’s production adds the perfect flavour to such coarse vocals, classic album which force the listener to head nod and neck snap. The scratching and soulful sampling is timeless and at its date of release the music contrasted so greatly to To mark the release of the new epic film the mellow g-funk style of Hip Hop that was Notorious, we revisit a masterpiece that predominantly banging out of low-rider’s refined and added new shape to Hip Hop along California’s coastline and sound in the 90’s. Notorious B.I.G’s ‘Ready to systems around the world. Die’ debuted in 1994 amongst the tide of West Coast Rap, such as Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and Warren G. With huge commercial appeal due to classic anthems like ‘Juicy’ that conveyed deep R’n’B tones, Biggie’s raw delivery and brutal lyricism ensured

The album is aggressively intimate, as it offers an insight into the stress and troubles of a powerful man struggling to succeed. Although Biggie will always be

imagined as rocking a natural bomb proof armour due to his ability to destroy every opponent who touched the microphone (and possibly due to his size) he reveals his anger at those envious of his success and mentions personal strife such as his mother’s cancer. These details however are almost intricate snippets that sneak quietly into the ferocious nature of the album, which is brilliantly saturated with bravado, crack, Uzi’s, revenge, pimping and the endless list of a typical gangster’s lifestyle. Think of it as a Scorsese film delivered stunningly through your headphones. Undoubtedly, this album will be preserved for years as a definitive Hip Hop classic and the next time you ‘sit back relax, ssip a becks’ make sure you spin this gem in the background. 4/5 Calum Walsh

Dr. Dre- The Chronic After falling out with Eazy-E in the group NWA, the early nineties promoted Dre to become more independent in making music. 1991 saw the Los Angeles based rapper set up the Death Row record label with Suge Knight, and it was on this label, that his debut was released. The album is highly rated amongst the hip hop community and it is arguably one of the best rap albums ever made. The life of a gangster is turned into an upbeat lifestyle of partying and fun.

So much has changed since Dre released his first album, and with rumour circulating that his last album “Detox” will be released this year; its a good time to go back to where it all began, with the classic the The “Chronic”.

Pugwash April 2009

With “The Chronic” Dre experiments with a completely new sound that was soon to become known as the G-Funk era of West Coast Rap. Characterised by a more soulful influence from 70s funk and gangsta rap, the G-funk movement transformed the nature of mainstream rap music.

This sound was to dominate the state of west coast rap for several years to come ,with artists like Nate Dogg, Tupac and Warren G taking the ingredients of Dre’s success story and incorporating this funky sound into their work. This album’s attitude towards thug life, 64 impala cars, hookers, marijuana, guns, drive-bys, drug dealing was strictly west coast, and it put the california music scene on the map. It is what this album represents in terms of the mark and influence on the hip hop industry that makes “The Chronic” a timeless classic. Is it the best hip hop album of all time? 5/5 Jack Kane

Five Top Tracks

From East And West Coast On Our Stereo This Month East Coast

Notorious B.I.G. Bullshit And Party Big L Put It On Wu-Tang Clan C.R.E.A.M. Nas New York State Of Mind Mobb Deep Shooks One

West Coast

2Pac & Bone Thugs N Harmony Thug Love Dr. Dre Ring Ding Dong Ice Cube It Was A Good Day N.W.A. 100 Miles And Running The Game and Lil Wayne My Life

Pugwash April 2009

Film & DVD

FilmNotorious

Chris Wallace tragically died in 1997. Better known as Biggie Smalls or The Notorious B.I.G., the motion picture Notorious, gives us an in-depth look into the rapper’s rise to the top.

Rejected from his father at a young age, Biggie learns the difficulties presented to any black boy growing up in 1980s Brooklyn. Disillusioned with school, and the opportunities education would give him, Biggie picked up a pen and paper and began to write lyrics about life and things that annoyed the young teenager. Listening to the rappers of the time, who rapped about their trainers, cars and chains, the young student wanted a taste albumofreview money. He quickly manages to find his way into dealing crack cocaine, soon film falling and DVD out review with his mother and dropping out of school. The arrival of his daughter prompts Biggie to change his lifestyle, and having been able to avoid prison a second time, he decides to leave the street and enter the studio. From here onwards we see Biggie’s struggle to fame, under the wing of Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records. Complications in his life begin to appear

DVDTaken

Pugwash April 2009

after having trouble with his wife, and finding out his mother has breast cancer. The rise to fame of Biggie is portrayed in a short timespan, and helps to highlight the shock of his death in the industry, as it shows how short a time he was in the limelight for. The film shows a lot of Biggie in the studio, recording classics such as “Big Poppa” and “Bullshit and Party”, and gives us an insight into his champagne lifestyle. As Biggie said “more money more problems”, and money and power soon complicates the star’s relationship with 2pac. 2Pac’s representation in the film is quite amusing, with the actor wearing a thug life beanie hat, jumping around quickly and saying “West Coast” a lot. In contrast, the actor, who plays Biggie quickly falls into the role and personality of the Notorious B.I.G., providing an authentic representation of the rapper. The film Notorious certainly has a shout as the top film based on a rappers life. It shows the inspiring story of a fat fatherless boy from Brooklyn, who became one of the greatest rappers to ever live. Rating: 4/5

Taken sees the character of Bryan Mills facing the most horrific situation a parent can find themselves in; his daughter has been kidnapped. However, Mills isn’t any ordinary parent. He’s just become a part of his daughter’s life again, having dedicating most of it to working as a secret agent.

your attention falter throughout this flick, and the casting of Neeson, surprisingly, is the reason why. He thrives in this role, and despite the age of this character, it would most definitely have been ruined with the likes of any obvious greats, such as Pacino, taking on the role.

At first, when viewing the trailer, you have to question Bryan Mills’ (Liam NeesonKinsey, Love Actually) rather unorthodox reaction to his daughter’s kidnapping. However,10 minutes in, and you’re already on his side and sliding from your seat into the, literally, breath-taking chase this character bestows. Written by the popular Luc Besson, who is responsible for The Fifth Element and The Transporter series, the utterly unstoppable suspense oozing from this film’s plot is so addictive you’ll want to put the film straight back in the DVD player. Not once does

My only nag about this film is the rather shoddy casting of ex-Neighbours star Holly Valance as the pop star that Mills plays body-guard to, and maybe the slightly unrealistic and ‘quickly wrappedup’ ending, once Mills finds and saves his daughter from a future in human trafficking. However, as mentioned, Neeson definitely makes this one worth a place on any movie buff’s collection shelves. Also starring Famke Janssen (X-Men). Rating: 4/5 Tara Clark

Gig Reviews

Munroe Effect

Supports: Shapes, Attack! Vipers!, Hold Fast (The Fat Fox, 19th Feb) From Birmingham came Shapes, with a four-song set that was an unexpected surprise, relatively unknown downsouth, the band kept it short and sweet which suited the three-piece perfectly, as any more and your head would be blown off. The immense amount of energy that ran throughout the band was apparent by their tight A and E stereo as a bolt timing and the proximity that they held with each other, occasionally exploding to deliver a brand of math rock soaked in glorious discords and gigs rapidly manipulated time signatures. Up next was Attack! Vipers!, a Portsmouth band that are already hardcore heavyweights in their own right - it’s hard not to get excited about a band that have been named as one of the Top Five Hardcore Acts in Europe by Rock Sound, and as seen tonight, didn’t disappoint. Opening with an instrumental reminiscent of

the calm before a storm, it kicks it hard and fast into a brutal combination of movement and relentless energy that mark the band out as something to keep your eye on. The music itself is a huge towering testimony to gutwrenching sentiment, and each comes with its own narration, from living a meat-free lifestyle to the coal strikes during the 80’s. Singer Joe Watson, exhausted by his own fervent movement, collapses on stage, and seems to get lost in the moment as the wall of perfectly constructed noise kicks into the audience. Munroe Effect are cleaner than A!V! by a long mile, imagine early Biffy Clyro around The Vertigo of Bliss era - carefully controlled vocals which are blasted every now and again by a well placed scream and a spaz-rock interlude. The bands’ delicately constructed pauses allow

melodic interjection by guitarist Andy, which break down into sparkling heavy creations that are immensely satisfying. Although their energy is more controlled, they are a great live band to sink your teeth into, with wellwritten lyrics that breathe emotion on every word. 4/5 Tallie Kane

aham Raven

Photo: Paul Gr

on Flickr

Chris Brown

(London O2, 11th Jan) January 11th at the London 02, Chris Brown stunned his fans with a breathtaking concert. The RnB singer entered the stage upside down, from the ceiling, which took everyone by surprise. The concert lasted for about two hours, where CB sang (not mimed) many of his songs from his new album, Exclusive, and many old ones such as his first song ‘Run It’ which he released when he was 16 years old. CB doesn’t only have an amazing voice; he is also an amazing dancer which he shows off regularly in his performances. During the performance, CB spoke to the audience and also brought fans onto the stage to dance with him, while many envious girls watched! The singer shocked the audience by appearing in the middle of the audience on a podium which was

raised to the ceiling so fans at the top of the arena got a good view of him, which I thought was a nice twist. The graphics used in the background were amazing. When singing ‘Gimme what you got’ featuring Lil’ Wayne, Lil’ Wayne came up as a hologram and sang his part as if he was there with. It was really clever. CB then ended the show with one of his most famous songs ‘Forever’, which he got the audience to sing along to. He was really good at getting the fans involved in the show. Overall the concert was amazing. CB completely related to his audience and made sure that he interacted with them, rather than just singing his songs. The only disappointment was

the no show of Rihanna, who was rumoured to be appearing as a star guest as she had done at a few of Brown’s other concerts. 4/5 Sammy Jo Pinker

Photo: O.M.Gee! on Flick

Pugwash April 2009

Ray LaMontagne

(Southampton Guildhall, 17th Feb) A sold out show in Southampton Guildhall, but one unlike any other that I have been to recently. The fully seated hall looks unfamiliar, and the mixed bag of people filter in and take a seat in one of the neat rows. Sedate is the word muttered often. LaMontagne had requested the bar to close during his performance, and the doors locked to prevent any unnecessary light entering the hall... myself and the three other photographers were instructed to shoot only from the doors to the bar, no one was allowed anywhere near the stage. A little extreme some might say, but there certainly was an ‘ambience’ to the evening. Ray LaMontagne enters the stage, quietly. He appears shy and uncomfortable, accompanied by a five piece band who also appear to want to blend in with the scenery. The band strike up and as soon as he opens

his mouth and starts to sing he takes on a new strength. Standing with his guitar like a shield to the audience, and with the microphone right up to his face, Ray delivers a strong, soulful set, comprising of material from his new album ‘ Til the Sun Turns Black’, as well as a tuneful back catalogue. The stage arrangement looks odd, the band were arranged in a semi circle, and Ray was firmly stationed to the right of the stage. More than a few onlookers wondered aloud about the empty space at centre stage where a microphone normally stands. LaMontagne rarely speaks to the crowd other than a quiet ‘thank you’ at the end of each song, met with gigs applause. When the enthusiastic applause has died down there is an uneasy complete silence, a dropping pin could be heard with ease!

There were few complaints that the bar was closed, it appeared to be more a pillow and horlics kind of event, rather than a beer fueled atmosphere, that said it was a memorable and relaxing evening. 3/5 Alyson Bain

Photo: benzpics63 on Flickr

Annie Mac (Liquid)

February started with a bang as Annie Mac headlined a night of the best in UK dance music at Liquid. The Radio One DJ introduced well established artists including Yoda, Grooverider, High Contrast and the legendary dubstep DJ Benga. Flaunting a wide range of complementary, but different dance styles, ranging from electro, dubstep, drum and bass, hip hop and pop inspired sounds. The charismatic Annie also showed her versatility behind the wheels of steel, incorporating all of these contrasting styles into her lively performance. A stage was set up with additional speakers and lights to add to the already impressive system that Liquid has, producing an amazing sound and visual display. The bass was literally pumping through bodies,

Pugwash April 2009

as heads bounced in approval, feet shuffled and arms waved in the air. From the outset the atmosphere was electric and this level of excitement and tension remained throughout the night, as each DJ got behind the decks. Annie’s set was typical of her, constantly moving in style, genre and speed, playing the known and the unknown to perfection. Expertly dictating the dance floor, dropping the beats and baselines at exactly the right point to make everyone go mental.

alternative dance nights happening for students in Portsmouth, we can only hope the scene continues to grow! Watch out for the dirty electro beats over the next few weeks, with The Little Johnny Russells soon hosting Fake Blood and Sinden, who are both due to soon go on tour with Annie Mac. 5/5 Jack Kane

Energy from the decks transferred to the crowd, with people being brave enough to crowd surf out over the barrier, only to sacrifice the rest of their night at the hands of security, who promptly threw the ravers out! With more and more successful

Photo: rizzo1 on Flickr

Game Review

Castle Crashers

Bored? Not getting excited by the current big releases? Not really feeling going out and spending a hard earned 40 quid on 5-10 hours of “cheap” thrills? Then get onto Xbox live and download Castle Crashers! Castle Crashers is a simple, cheap and fun multiplayer game which you can download via the Xbox Live Arcade. The premise is simple; The King has had his magical crystal and the princesses stolen by an evil wizard. The adventure begins as you and your friends (local or over Xbox live) take control of between one and four Knights (each with an elemental affinity to poison, fire, lightning or Ice) and chase down the Dark Wizard butchering his army of Barbarians as you go. The game is deceptively straightforward yet incredibly fun. It plays as a hilariously violent side scrolling “beat ‘em up”, with small RPG elements thrown in to boot.

You’ll fight from location to location, going up against Barbarians, yetis, ninjas, aliens and cute teddy-bear like creatures armed with dead fish. As you do so your chosen Knight can upgrade his stats through a simple experience system and thus can learn new combos and magical spells. This isn’t a serious game, it’s a side splittingly funny take on classic side scrolling “beat ‘em ups”. Featuring bosses such as a giant bat with poisonous diarrhoea, a dragon and his sock-puppet sidekick, and a cat fish with dangerous hair balls, the game takes a light hearted approach to the genre which gave us the likes of Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. The graphical presentation of Castle Crashers is immaculate, with small details working to create an overall polish that is not always seen in games from smaller developers. This immaculate presentation only

works to accentuate the humour and ultimately the charm of the title. Castle Crashers isn’t a very long game, but does have that replay value, especially if you love finding secrets or collecting items, there are plenty of weapons, animal helpers and hidden characters to find and unlock, not to mention the extra downloadable content that’s already available for it. But this game wouldn’t be nearly as fun without your friends sat next to you; and on single player I imagine the game would get pretty stale pretty quickly. Despite this next time you’re sitting in on a rainy Sunday wondering what to do with three other mates don’t hesitate to pop onto Xbox live and download this hilarious, ridiculous and amazingly fun game.

4/5

Written by Gamel Oki Designed by Sarah Matthews Pugwash April 2009

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