PRESESSIONAL 2016 University of Southampton’s Student Magazine
WessexScene.co.uk
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how to survive in england 04 How to make the most out of your stay in the UK
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The pause guide to great britain 10 A comedic tour of the lands
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what’s on in southampton 18 Part of a comprehensive travel section beginning on page 16
Welcome
BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES Editor
WESSEX SCENE TEAM Want to write for us?
Get in touch with a section editor. Editor BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES editor@soton.ac.uk
Deputy Editor MICHAEL OLIVER
deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk
Head of Design SEBASTIAN STEELE design@wessexscene.co.uk
HEAD OF IMAGERY JORDAN STEWART image@wessexscene.co.uk
Features ELLIE WERMTER
features@wessexscene.co.uk
Features ALICE HEARING
features@wessexscene.co.uk
Science & Environment natasha dennington science@wessexscene.co.uk
Politics SAMUEL WILLIAMS
politics@wessexscene.co.uk
Opinion FREYA JEFFRIES
opinion@wessexscene.co.uk
Travel NUALA MCBRIDE
travel@wessexscene.co.uk
Lifestyle Laura Cox
lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk
International CAMERON RIDGWAY
international@wessexscene.co.uk
Sport JACK PETHICK
sports@wessexscene.co.uk
Sport SEAN O’BRIEN
sports@wessexscene.co.uk
News REBECCA LAKE
news@wessexscene.co.uk
News TOM MORGAN
news@wessexscene.co.uk
Pause TOM RANDALL
pause@wessexscene.co.uk
MARKETING DAN LINSTEAD
publicity@wessexscene.co.uk
VP DCI KERRY SCLATER
Hello Freshers of 2016, welcome to Southampton! Studying abroad can be scary, frightening and nerve-racking. Going to University is daunting enough, without having to deal with foreign languages, new cultures, new friends and us weird British folk. But fear not, you’ve made a great decision. Southampton is an amazing city, and an even better University. With over 300 societies and student groups (the most of any University in the UK), you’re guaranteed to find something for you here. Yep, it’s gonna be a fun ride. You’re reading Wessex Scene your go-to guide for all things Southampton over your time here. We’re the official magazine of the University of Southampton, though we’re entirely editorially independent. If you want to read about what to expect here in Southampton, or more about British culture you’ve come to the right place, this magazine is jam packed with words to make sure you have a great start to your journey here in Southampton. Southampton is a great city, full of culture, arts, restaurants, and a really rich history. We’ve also got great transport links if you want to venture to London, the rest of the UK and even out to continental Europe (hop on a plane and you can be there in less than hour!). You can read all about this in this magazine, as well as some classic British recipes, some info about British political systems and even a guide to British humour (it can take a while to grasp just how sarcastic a bunch we are). Everything you see in this magazine is created by students, the words, the images, the design. We’re a hard-working bunch and we’d love for you to join us. Whether you study maths, engineering, law or history we’re always looking for keen students from a variety of different backgrounds to get involved in our multi-award winning publication.You’ll meet our new team at the bunfight (a day during freshers’ week where all 300+ societies get together and try to encourage you to join them), it’s a really fun day and we’d love for you to come and say hello. If you’re a talented artist, writer, designer, marketing guru or fancy yourself good with computers there’s a place for you on our team. If you’ve got no experience, that’s fine too - we’d love for you to get involved. As someone who if about to leave this beautiful institution (and is clinging on to it by any thread I can grasp) if there’s one piece of advice I can give you it is to get involved! Whether that’s a media society, a charity, a sports-team, a performing arts group or something else the one regret I hear time and time again from graduating students is they wish they became active in societies sooner. It’s the best way to make friends, make an impact and build up your CV. With that, I leave you to read this wonderful magazine, which will hopefully be the start to a fantastic adventure here in the best city on the South Coast.
vpdci@susu.org
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WELCOME
How to survive in england as an international student the history of southampton five british phrases your guide to british politics the pause guide to great britain exploring sunny southampton what’s on in southampton ten trips within an hour of southampton uk travel spots european cities to visit from southampton how to make the perfect roast dinner very british recipes: victoria sponge cake and apple crumble a quick guide to british sport guide to british comedy
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presessional ISSUE 2016
22 UK Travel Spots - Sophie Pitman. Image by Tara Shore
wessexscene.co.uk @wessexscene fb.com/wscene
FRONT COVER IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL WELCOME
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How to Survive in England as an International Student
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Making the decision to be an international student during my time at university has provided me with some of the most amazing and challenging times in my life. WORDS BY MACKENZIE BROWN IMAGE BY SAM PENNY
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Let’s face it: attending university abroad sounds amazing but you’re going to feel a bit crazy when you’ve packed all of your belongings into a bag just so you can move to another country which you may not know a single thing about. And that’s scary as all hell. While moving across the globe has been the single best decision I’ve ever made, everything comes with its downsides. Here are my 5 top tips to adapting to live in England as an international student, and how to get the most out of your time here.
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Stay busy and get involved.
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Take time to learn not just about English culture, but about cultures all over the world.
Learning about English culture has been really amazing - I never realized how different it could be from America. With that in mind, one of the most exciting things about living in Southampton is how multi-cultural it is. No matter where you go, you’re bound to be surrounded by people from all over the world. Within your course, accommodation, and time in England, you’ll be given the opportunity to meet such a wide range of people from all sorts of different backgrounds. Take time to learn about each other’s cultures. It’s been so eyeopening for me to see just how different things can be across the globe. Helpful tip: One of my favorite activities with my friends (which I would definitely suggest) is to each host a dinner specific to whatever country you’re from. That way, you can all get to know a bit more about each other’s home.
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But never stop embracing your culture.
Staying true to your roots is important. I remember a time where all I wanted to do as an international student was to just fit in with everyone. I didn’t like being so different. I had a funny accent. I didn’t really understand most of British slang (because really, what actually is a “cheeky Nandos”?). No matter where I went, the second I started speaking, people knew I was different. But once I started embracing my American culture, I realized how much it would enhance my time being away from home. I gained a massive appreciation for my home and American culture. And even better, I learned that being an international student is actually one of the best ways to make friends - you’ve always got a topic of conversation when meeting new people!
For the first few weeks upon arriving into England, get involved with as many events and societies as you possibly can and meet everyone along the way! It may seem really cliche, but you never know who may turn into your next lifelong best friend. You may get homesick, but I’ve found that forcing myself to go out and stay busy was a much better remedy than staying in and moaning about it all day. The more you get involved with, the more people you meet. And the more people you meet, the less likely you are to feel homesick because you’ll have all of these exciting new friends to help you along the way!
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Don’t get nervous if you don’t like to drink.
This seems like a silly thing to say, but when I first moved to England, I was nervous about all of the Freshers activities. I thought that if I didn’t like drinking, I wouldn’t be able to participate in any events, or enjoy the few I went to. The Union puts on a great sum of events, and there are loads of opportunities to get involved in Freshers even if you don’t enjoy drinking. The only important thing to remember is to stay involved, no matter what!
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Make your room feel like home.
One of the most helpful tips I’ve learned when moving to a new country is to make yourself feel at home, no matter where you are. A room of blank walls and empty desks will only make you upset. Hang photos of your family and friends from home. Buy picture frames to make your room look nice. Throughout your time at university, add photos of your new friends alongside. Having a space which you feel comfortable and happy in is key to enjoying your time away from home. Everyone needs their own space, and without the effort of making your room feel home-y, you won’t feel like you have your own space anywhere. 5
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The History of Southampton WORDS BY HANNAH BEESON IMAGE BY HEATHER RANKINE
The City of Southampton Southampton’s first major mention is an important coastal trading port during the medieval period. Sadly, however, during the 16th and 17th centuries, it became a decaying port and the town itself was became neglected. Later during the 17th century, members of the royal family and other upper class families began to visit Southampton again, due to an interesting idea that bathing in seawater could heal many diseases that were common at the time. At the same time, Southampton started to recover to once again become a popular trading port. Later during the 1700’s, places such as the Common and West Quay started to become developed.
destroyed as well as many shops at the time. After the war, there was a severe housing shortage. Eventually though, throughout the 1950’s more and more houses were built and the city started to recovered from the war; so that in 1964 Southampton was officially named a city. In the 21st century, Southampton has continued to flourish, with the large shopping centre West Quay opening in 2000. The population today is 236,000.
The University of Southampton
Southampton, also, has important heritage in terms of aviation and military. King Henry V’s troops marched through Southampton to sail for France where the famous Battle of Agincourt occurred. The Titanic, also, set sail from Southampton on its famous voyage to New York City.
Henry Robinson Hartley was the heir to a family of wine merchants. He was a reclusive man and after turning his back on the family business, he left his estate to the Corporation of Southampton to promote study and the advancement of science and learning. The result was the Hartley Institution, formed in 1862. Within three years, the Hartley Institution had a membership of almost 700 people.
During the 1800’s Jane Austen - author of ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Sense and Sensibility’ and many other novels - visited and stayed in Southampton. The cottage where she lived during this time is now open for visits, where you can see artefacts from when she herself lived there. There is, also, a Jane Austen trail through the old town.
During the 1900s, the Institution gained an impressive reputation. It became a University College in 1902 and won national grants for its work in Chemistry and Engineering. In 1952 it was granted full University status. There was, also, a rapid intake of students in the 1950s; which led to the expansion of the Highfield campus.
In 1838 the first hospital in Southampton was built and in 1840 the railway station was, also, added to the town. Southampton’s first electric street lights were turned on in 1889.
The 21st century has seen the University of Southampton become renowned for its research-driven teaching and it now has well over 20,000 full time students.
World War II in particular severely affected Southampton. 631 people were killed by bombs, with 4,000 houses being 7
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British Phrases
The English language can be confusing and hard to understand in some situations, particularly when it comes to the British sense of humour. Here’s an explanation of a few phrases you may hear without having quite understood the meaning. WORDS BY CAMERON RIDGWAY
IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL
1. To lose the plot
This one is rather confusing as a plot can be the a plan or the series of events in a story, neither of which is particularly easy to lose! This expression is basically another way of saying that someone or something has gone mad.
2. Donkey’s years
You may be wondering what a donkey has to do with time! This expression means that something has been happening or going on for a long period of time - more often than not a period of several years. Often the amount of time which it represents isn’t clear, it just indicates that something is old.
3. At a loose end 4. Cheeky
If you’re at a loose end it means that you have lots of free time and don’t have that much to do.
This word has multiple meanings and makes almost no sense on its own. In terms of an attitude or personality it can mean both rude or offensive as well as funny or endearing, or perhaps doing something which is not appropriate in a certain situation. It can also be used to describe a food or drink that you are eating but is perhaps not the best for you, such as fast food.
5. Mardy
This is an example of an expression that only exists in certain regions of the UK and is something which you are only likely to hear Britons from the north of the country say. Basically, it means angry or in a bad mood and is more of a colloquial expression. If you’re interested in learning more about British idioms and the British sense of humour, one of the best ways to do so is to start watching British TV shows and reading a bit more about some of the phrases you pick up so you know how to use them and when. Many of the UK’s main TV channels such as those run by the BBC as well as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 have websites where you can go and watch various TV programmes, from 8
comedy to the news. Watching a wide range of shows will let you pick up both formal and informal language and help you to work out the difference. If you’re still stuck or feel like you need more help with the language, you can always get assistance through the Erasmus Society’s Buddy Scheme or the Language Exchange Board on Avenue Campus where you can arrange to meet up and practice with a native speaker.
Your Guide to British Politics The UK is home to one of the most vibrant and competitive parliamentary democracies in the world, but it can often be confusing to many people. Here's a guide to how it all works and a who's who of the British political world. WORDS BY MICHAEL OLIVER IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL
David Cameron David Cameron is the current Prime Minister, responsible for the day-to-day running of the nation.
Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt is the Health Secretary. He is currently trying to alter the way the NHS runs, and has met considerable opposition, particularly amongst junior doctors and medical students.
Alan Whitehead Alan Whitehead is the MP for Southampton Test, which includes the University of Southampton’s Highfield Campus and Mayflower Halls.
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Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of the Opposition (the secondlargest political party).
Theresa May Theresa May is the Home Secretary. She is responsible for the police & jail systems, as well as immigration and border controls.
Royston Smith Royston Smith is the MP for Southampton Itchen, where Wessex Lane Halls and City Gateway Halls are located.
The Queen Queen Elizabeth II is the current Head of State, and is responsible for signing successful government policy into law. Although she has the power to dissolve Parliament and refuse to put in place certain laws, she does not and her role is largely ceremonial.
Boris Johnson Boris Johnson is the former Mayor of London, current Conservative MP and wellknown for his charisma.
Philip Hammond Philip Hammond is the Foreign Secretary. He is responsible for managing the UK’s relations with the rest of the world, and often visits many nations to broker trade deals and other agreements.
Caroline Nokes Caroline Nokes is the MP for Romsey and Southampton North, where Glen Eyre is based.
George Osborne George Osborne is the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and is responsible for setting the government’s budget every year, and deciding what areas to spend money on.
Sadiq Khan Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London, and London’s first Muslim Mayor. Representing the Labour Party, he recently succeeded Boris Johnson.
Steve Brine Steve Brine is the MP for Winchester, and his constituency is home to the Winchester School of Art.
HOW THE UK ELECTIONS WORK
Every five years, the UK votes to elect 650 MPs in something called a general election, each of whom represent 650 constituencies (areas) across the UK. The most recent general election took place in 2015, and it resulted in a victory for the Conservative Party. This meant that David Cameron, the Prime Minister, will serve in his position until the 2020 General Election, where he has said that he will step down.
HOUSE OF COMMONS
One of two ‘houses’ in the UK’s political system. The House of Commons, which is the ‘lower’ house, is situated in the Palace of Westminster (where Big Ben is) in London. This is where the MPs who are elected in the general election report. Their day-to-day activities involve debating pieces of legislation the government proposes (called a ‘white paper’) and relaying the questions, concerns and ideas of their constituents (the people who elected them in their constituencies). Every Wednesday the Prime Minister reports to the House of Commons for ‘Prime Minister’s Questions’, which is the most popular of all sessions in the House of Commons.
HOUSE OF LORDS
The second of the two ‘houses’, the House of Lords is the Upper House, and is situated in the Palace of Westminster, close to the House of Commons. The job of the Lords who are part of this House is to further debate and make a decision on the government’s proposed legislation, once it passes through the House of Commons. Think of this house as the ‘second stage’ of the law-making process. Of course, if legislation passes this stage, then it will have to be signed off by the Queen.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF UK POLITICS
You may have heard of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair before, and indeed these are probably the most famous Prime Ministers the UK has ever had, but there have been a few more Prime Ministers who made an impact. Winston Churchill was of course heavily involved in World War II, and his successor Clement Attlee introduced the NHS. In the 1960’s, Harold Wilson started the process of decriminalising homosexuality, the 1970’s saw Ted Heath bring us in to the EU and the government under James Callaghan in the presided over the Winter of Discontent, where bins weren’t collected and dead bodies weren’t buried or cremated. The government under Margaret Thatcher oversaw probably the biggest social and economic revolution in Britain’s recent history, with the increasing influence of the financial sector and the high-profile Miners’ Strikes being key events in the 1980’s. Tony Blair’s government brought legal peace in Northern Ireland and also helped start the Iraq War. Gordon Brown presided over the recent financial crisis and the bailing out of the banks. David Cameron’s government legalised gay marriage.
WHAT ABOUT ALL THESE OTHER ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS?
Despite the General Election being held every five years, nationwide there are elections held every year in different places throughout the country, called local elections. These elect local councillors, who are responsible for the dayto-day running of a certain place, e.g. Southampton, in everything from collecting tax to organising bin collections. Different places hold their local elections on different years, so the results of these elections are a good way to measure the government’s popularity while they are in power. 11
MPs in House of Commons (650 Total)
Con 330 Lab 229 SNP 54 Lib Dem 9 Plaid Cymru 3 Green 1 UKIP 1 Others 24
Percentage of Vote Obtained
Con 36.9% Lab 30.4% UKIP 12.6% Lib Dem 7.9% SNP 4.7% Green 3.8% Plaid Cymru 0.6% Others 3.1!
We Use the First Past The Post voting system, so the person with the most votes wins, hence the difference between number of votes and number of MP’s
View with standardised constiuency sizes 12
Conservatives Plaid Cymru
Labour Others
UKIP
Liberal Democrats
Scottish National Party
Green Party
Voter Turnout Percentage
Southampton Vote Majorities
Smallest National Majority
Largest National Majority
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The Pause
Ultimate Guide to Great Britain WORDS BY TOM RANDALL IMAGES BY SEBASTIAN STEELE
O
ne of the strongest aspects of the university experience in this country is meeting lots of people from places that you may not know anybody from, and being an international student is just the same. Britain has such a bewildering range of accents and regional differences that it is important for us to print an article full of lazy stereotypes so you can understand all the jokes and British culture at large. All views expressed are not to be taken seriously. A note on terminology: The United Kingdom is made up of 4 nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the island which has England, Scotland, and Wales, but Northern Ireland is in Ireland, not Britain. [An informative and useful article in Pause? Stop this nonsense at once. Editor.] These nations are then divided up into counties, many of which end with –shire in their name. It sounds a little complicated but that’s just how it is. Blame the Normans for invading. Firstly, Southampton. Your home for potentially the next few years is just another city rebuilt badly after the ‘urban redevelopment’ of the wartime years. With a road layout that was designed by goats and grey architecture to boot, the main good things about Southampton are the people and the sheer ease with which you can get drunk cheaply. Most British students 14
will probably have some sort of chart in their head telling them where that day’s student night or happy hours are (a time when you can get 2-for-1 drinks), facilitating cheap nights out. If that’s your thing, you should do that same. Excel spreadsheets with this vital information are not unknown. Hampshire, the county Southampton is the largest (and best according to everybody not from Portsmouth) city in, is another matter altogether. A little too far from London to be part of the urban sprawl and not quite far enough to be excessively remote, Hampshire is a great place to be if you like the countryside. It is believed by many that Hampshire apparently has six black Labrador dogs for every person, as the average person in Hampshire is a retired Army officer and aged about 62, owning huge packs of large dogs to frighten visitors and ethnically cleanse foxes from the county. Hampshire borders the West Country, a region where every day is ‘talk like a pirate day’ after a practical joke by Sir Francis Drake, who gained fame by setting boats on fire in
1586, which then went tragically out of control. When not committing piracy on the high seas, especially against the Spanish treasure fleets, the locals, known to all as ‘Wurzels’, can be found drinking orange paint-stripper they believe to be cider and driving tractors slowly down main roads. The region is a popular tourist destination with many beautiful beaches, a mild climate and charming villages, however many are concerned by the number of Londoners in the region opening gourmet restaurants and pretentious bars destroying the flavour of this very culturally distinct region. Just above the West Country, over the sea a bit, is Wales. Wales is perhaps the most misunderstood region of this great nation. Their language is lovely to hear through singing, but perhaps less lovely to read. Rather than spelling, the Welsh road-sign makers load a shotgun full of letters and fire it at the poor signs. The Welsh enjoy playing rugby, giving way to England’s annual humiliation at never having a better rugby team than their far smaller neighbours, and riding dragons over the mountains. If you have played the video game ‘Skyrim’, you have basically played Wales Simulator. Wales borders Northern England to the East. The North, or t’North, as the pasty-faced inhabitants call it, is known for its dour and bleak landscape. It’s ‘Grim Up North’ as they say, and a popular pastime in the North is discussing who had the roughest childhood, and who spent working 15 hours a day in a steelworks or coal mine. Northerners speak like wayward children of the Vikings who spent the last 900 years living in caves. Which is sort of what happened. Until 2006 it was impossible to see in colour in Northern England, although
it may have been that this bizarre visual phenomenon was caused by soot. Northerners enjoy drinking cold ale, fighting, and disliking all who do not come from their town. On the other side of Hadrian’s Wall, the inspiration for a current US presidential candidate, we find the Scots. Although Scotland has the best landscapes of anywhere in this country and the best whisky in the world, the region also enjoys deep-frying mars bars, not spending money, and considers the screeches of a cat trapped in some bagpipes to be tuneful music. The people of this land talk a lot about independence, with an economy to be fuelled by the potent mix of strong lager and oil, they actually won’t vote for it as it would annoy the English more to have 50 Scottish Nationalists in parliament. And finally the tour stops at London, the beating heart of this country or a leech sucking it dry depending on which newspaper you read. The Queen lives here with 11 million others. Everyone in Britain gets to have tea with the Queen once in their life. The author’s turn is in July 2034. Historically London had problems with air pollution, known as smog. Now the pollution is the smug problem. London is the smuggiest city in the world. Worse, the smug is beginning to cause problems in surrounding areas as Londoners immune to this take the smug out to the rest of the country. This is best seen in the pages of The Guardian. London is apparently a beacon of civilisation in another otherwise wild and backward island. We at Pause hope you enjoy your time at Southampton and use the opportunity to visit some of the regions discussed in this piece. 15
Exploring Sunny
Southampton WORDS BY FARIHAH CHOUDHURY IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL
As a fresher, you will undoubtedly be excited to explore your new home. In busy cities like Southampton it is difficult to know where to start first, so here is a list of different types of activities you can enjoy in your time here. 16
SHOPPING Head to West Quay and Above Bar High Street in the town centre for just about every shop you could ever need; it is very tourist-friendly with signs everywhere and it is extremely simple to navigate. A few crowd-pleasers include a massive John Lewis, Topshop, Urban Outfitters, Zara and Victoria’s Secret amongst others. The hub of student living in Southampton is Portswood. Pay a visit to the High Street (You’ll end up there at some point anyway) for charity shops and grocery shopping as well as a few high street shops such as Boots and New Look.
PARKS Southampton is blessed with lots of green spaces and as a result there is plenty of nature for you to explore! Start with Southampton Common; the central stretch of grass equipped with a duck pond and play park that hosts the bi-annual fair as well as festivals such as the Mela Festival and Common People. It is bike, dog, exercise and sportfriendly! Mayflower Park overlooks the dockyard and is beautiful to visit to see the sun setting, or just enjoy an ice cream sat on a bench overlooking the water. Riverside Park is a hidden gem but a must visit! There is a path following the river all the way round that ends up at the White Swan pub which sets the scene for a perfect afternoon. Turn right just before Montefiore Halls of Residence and you will be able to follow the path of the river round.
LEISURE You can try your hand at bowling. It is not close to any student areas so you will have to either get a taxi or go into the town centre and then get a bus, but it is worth the journey. The same goes for the recently opened Oxygen Freejumping in Bitterne which is a huge trampoline park where you can perform air acrobatics to your heart’s content!
FOOD As a highly cosmopolitan city, Southampton offers an impressive range of cuisines all over the city ranging from Mauritian to Mexican and everything in between; you can find a restaurant or takeaway to suit every occasion and budget. There are lots of Chinese/Japanese places on Burgess Road, and you can find your standard Italian/American/Mexican food in the food court at the top of West Quay. Alternatively, you can go to the pricier restaurants in Ocean Village or try the huge range of food on offer on Portswood High Street. For dessertlook no further than Tooti’s, Sprinkles Gelato and Scoops dotted around the city. Hopefully this list has proved that there is no limit to the adventures to be had in Southampton! Make the most of your time here by soaking it all up…
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What’s On in Southampton WORDS BY JOANNA PANG
LET’S ROCK SOUTHAMPTON! 9 Juky, 12pm - 10:30pm Southampton Common
MAYFLOWER THEATRE Various dates Mayflower Theatre
HAMPSHIRE FARMERS’ MARKET
24 July, 10am - 2pm Guildhall Square
IMAGE BY SEBASTIAN STEELE
A festival filled with 80s music. The line-up features Rick Astley, the subject of the rickrolling meme. More information is available at: www.letsrocksouthampton.com and www.facebook.com/letsrocksouthampton.
Catch a show at the South Coast’s largest theatre. Amongst the performances are Thriller Live (18 – 23 July), Cats (9 – 20 August) and Mamma Mia! (13 September – 8 October). Take a look at www.mayflower.org.uk to find out more.
Have a browse through the wide selection of locally-produced foods, plants, crafts and gifts available. Additional information can be found at: www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/events/hampshire-farmers-market-8241 and www.hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk.
CLOCK TOWER TOURS
Climb up the city’s clock tower to view Southampton from a different angle! The tours are available every first Saturday (2 July, 6 August, 3 September) or every third Sunday (17 July, 21 August, 18 September) of the month at SeaCity Museum. The cost is £6 (excluding admission to the museum). Book in advance to avoid disappointment. Want more information? Visit seacitymuseum.co.uk.
OUTDOOR CINEMA
This is a cinema experience with a difference! Watch the classic films The Breakfast Club (2 July), The Lion King (3 July), Back To The Future (5 August) or The Notebook (6 August) under the stars. You can find out more and book tickets at www.hijackcinema.co.uk.
2 July - 18 Sept SeaCity Museum
1 Jul – 3 Sept Hoglands Park
SOUTHAMPTON MELA FAIR 16 Juky, 12pm - 9pm Hoglands Park
SOUTHAMPTON THAI FESTIVAL 2&3 July Mayflower Park
Enjoy music and dance styles from around the world. Have a go at Zumba, join in an African drumming workshop or try Bollywood dancing. Free entry! The programme can be found at www.southamptonmela.com/programme. This event will feature live music and performances, cooking demonstrations, Thai food stalls, arts and crafts, dancing, a live Thai boxing tournament, plus more. There is an entry fee of £3. See www.facebook.com/southamptonTF for more information.
WANT TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS ON?
• Discover Southampton (www.discoversouthampton.co.uk) is a good place to check out. • A general guide about what to do in Southampton can be found at www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/life-in-city/ southampton.page. • For events organised by the University of Southampton’s Students’ Union, visit www.unionsouthampton.org/calendar.
VENTURING FURTHER AFIELD…
Southampton has very good transport links to the rest of the country, so there should be very few things stopping you from visiting places beyond the city! For instance, the historic city of Winchester is only a 10-minute train ride from Southampton Airport Parkway station. Take a browse through the rest of this magazine for more ideas… 18
10 Trips Within an Hour of Southampton The city of Southampton offers a wealth of activities that will keep you entertained throughout your time here. However, in those initial summer months you may want to make the most of Southampton’s location in England by visiting other parts of the South, before you settle in for your time in the city. Here’s ten of the best within an hour of Southampton...
Portsmouth Portchester Castle How to get there: Get the train to Portsmouth Harbour How to get there: Get the train to Portchester in 39 in 47 minutes
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First on the list is Southampton’s sister city that local residents love to hate. The Portsmouth-Southampton rivalry goes back a long way, but don’t let that put your off checking out some of Portsmouth’s best bits. The Historic Dockyard is right next to the train station and is home to HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Mary Rose (a ship that belonged to Henry VII). Located inside Gunwharf is the Spinnaker tower which at 110m tall offers glorious views of the Solent and the Isle of Wight.
Rich in history, Portchester castle is a medieval castle built within a former Roman fort. This ancient monument is well worth a visit as it is steeped in history, and set in lovely green surroundings with views across to Portsmouth.
Winchester How to get there: Get the train to Winchester in 17
An old Roman town, Chichester is well worth a visit if for no reason other than enjoying excellent shopping in a more scenic setting than West Quay (the big shopping centre in Southampton). As well as numerous independent cafés and restaurants that are well worth a visit. Other highlights include the Cathedral, and the secret Bishop’s Palace Gardens for a secluded quiet space in the heart of the city.
minutes The ancient capital of England, Winchester is your quintessential English city. Filled with cobbled streets, historic buildings, traditional pubs, and a gorgeous cathedral, its a city worth taking an afternoon to get lost in. Highlights include King Arthur’s Great Hall and Round Table, or a visit near Christmas offers the best local Christmas market complete with an ice rink.
WORDS BY MOLLY EVANS IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE MIELL
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Chichester How to get there: Get the train to Chichester in 51 minutes
New Forest How to get there: Get the train to Ashurst New Forest in 10 minutes The New Forest is renowned for its gorgeous countryside and wildlife, including cute New Forest Ponies that roam freely across the fields. Lyndhurst and Bolton’s Bench are gorgeous green spaces that allow you an escape from city life and enjoy a traditional pub lunch.
Bournemouth How to get there: Get the train to Bournemouth in 30 minutes A typically English seaside town combined with a social hub - Bournemouth can offer a relaxing day at the beach and a trip to the shops, and is equally renowned for its nightlife if you’re wanting to stay late, with clubs such as Halo, Cameo and The Lost Garden offering a great night out. If you want to be really British, get some fish and chips and eat them on the beach.
Lymington How to get there: Get the train to Lymington Pier in 35 minutes Another New Forest gem, the town of Lymington is a beautiful Georgain market town and a renowned sailing resort with two marinas and two sailing clubs. This small town offers independent boutiques to shop round and is well worth a trip just to walk along the water’s edge. Highlights include a market in the High Street on Saturdays the origins of which probably date back to the 13th century.
Salisbury How to get there: Get the train to Salisbury in 29
bars, cafés and restaurants, as well as a renowned selection of museums based in the centre of town.
Isle of Wight How to get there: Get the U1 bus to Town Quay, then get the Red Jet High Speed Ferry to West Cowes in 25 minutes The bus journey and ferry trip from Sothampton docks to Cowes takes roundabout an hour, meaning the Isle of Wight just about makes it onto this list, but it is well worth the journey for a fabulous day trip. The island is home to lovely beaches, with a very English seaside feel. There’s history to be seen as well in the form of Queen Victoria’s beloved Osborne House, as well as dramatic scenery in the form of white cliffs and serene sand dunes.
Romsey How to get there: Get the train to Romsey in 11 minutes This small market town is so close to Southampton its worth visiting. Romsey Abbey can be found in the centre of town, famous for its rare medieval hall house built in the 12th century. For more history visit King John’s house and heritage centre next door, and be sure to try out a quaint little tea shop.
minutes Another fabled historic city filled with a rich history of over 1,000 years. The focus of Salisbury is its huge cathedral which has the tallest spire in England. Salisbury offers a range of
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UK Travel Spots
While Southampton does have an array of hidden cultural gems scattered across the city centre and surrounding suburbs, the UK is rich in historical landmarks, beautiful idyllic countryside and stunning coastlines. Whether you consider yourself as more of a beach lover or you prefer the quaint cobbled streets of derelict towns in the country - the UK has something for everyone to enjoy. Here’s just a small selection of our favourite travel hotspots, that we recommend exploring during your time in the UK. WORDS BY SOPHIE PITMAN
Brighton Brighton is situated on the South coast and a mere two hour train journey from Southampton. It is a large seaside resort town that is known for its unrivalled, regency-era architecture and vast shingle beaches that are brimming with Instagram-worthy ornate kiosks and quintessentially-British colourful beach 22
IMAGE BY TARA SHORE
huts. Regularly voted amongst Britain’s best beaches, Brighton’s shore is home to one of the town’s main attractions - Palace Pier. Located on the central waterfront, the pier is arguably a day-out in itself, with the promenade overflowing with traditional fairground favourites including a Carousel and a terrifying haunted house, as well as the Turbo Coaster for any thrill seekers. Palace
Pier’s food and drink services will send you on a cultural trip around the world, offering you multiple different tastes from UK’s classic fish and chips and German bratwursts to Mexican churros and French crêpes. As a vibrant, colourful town, Brighton is, also, popular for its laid-back, bohemian atmosphere and no where is this statement more true than in the
town’s unique collection of independent boutiques and outlets that can be found in Brighton’s famous ‘Lanes’ - a spectacular maze of meandering alleyways that feature some of Brighton’s best galleries and bespoke shops. Make sure to check out Choccywoocydoodah during your visit, if you’re a chocolate lover. The shop’s talented team of artists will give you a chocolate indulgence of the kind Willy Wonka would definitely approve of.
Cardiff The dynamic capital of Wales is rich with years of history, epitomised by the large castle that lies at the heart of the city. Located amongst the city’s stunning parkland, Cardiff Castle is one Wales’ most popular heritage sites whose foundations date as far back as 50AD. Join one of the Castle’s many tours to fully immerse yourself in its complex history or visit the site in August during its Grand Medieval Mêlée festival to experience the authentic sights and sounds of life centuries ago with fantastic demonstrations of falconry and jousting. Cardiff is also home to some of the finest collections of art and archaeology in the world. National Museum Cardiff has an extensive range of art, including world-renowned Impressionist and post-Impressionist work and 1930’s Surrealism as well as various archaeological collections following the geographical evolution of Wales. Before you leave, make sure to swing by the Wales Millennium Centre, with its impressive slate and steel structure radiating across Cardiff Bay - it’s not hard to miss. Nicknamed the Armadillo because of its copper-coloured spherical exterior, the centre hosts a huge
selection of concerts and performances, with upcoming shows including the Welsh National Opera and the stage production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
Lake District Escape the city life by visiting a unique corner of England’s countryside. The Lake District is the country’s largest National Park and famous for its gorgeous clear lakes, luscious green forests and rugged mountains. In fact, the National Park is home to England’s highest mountain - Scafell Pike. If you can brave the moderately steep walk, you can climb the mountain which stands at a modest 987m above sea level. From its summit, you can enjoy the spectacular panoramic views and on a clear, sunny day, you can see several other mountain peaks as far away as Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Local market towns (such as Ambleside, Kendal and Keswick) are sites for delving into the Lake District’s customs as well as being home to tradition English pubs and multiple galleries filled with local art pieces. During the last weekend of August, you can join the residential communities in their efforts to promote this stunning region; as it bids for World Heritage status in 2017. Through the Lakes Alive festival, the regional districts organise various art demonstrations against the backdrop of the beautiful landscape. Keep an eye on the festival’s website, http://lakesalive. co.uk, for the festival’s art programme announcements. Other popular attractions in the Lake District include various animal conservation centres; which protecting endangered species such as Lar Gibbons and giant zebras as well as the Keswick brewery and a museum dedicated to
famous British film stars - Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Edinburgh As a bustling and energetic city steeped in history and culture, there is no shortage of things to do in Edinburgh. Scotland’s capital combines the past of the medieval Old Town and the stately Georgian New Town. Perched atop Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano, is the world-renowned Edinburgh Castle; which is home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny (an oblong block of red stone that was traditionally used in the coronation of Scottish rulers). The stone was last used in 1953 for the coronation of current Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II. But, arguably, Edinburgh is most wellknown for its Fringe Festival - the largest arts festival in the world - which takes place every August for three weeks in the capital. Thousands of performers take to the multiple stages all over the city to present shows for every taste, from comedy and drama to dance and music. In 2015, the event spanned 25 days and featured 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows in 313 venues! Previous performers include Rowan Atkinson (Mr Bean), Eddie Izzard and Billy Connelly. If you’re an animal lover, Edinburgh Zoo is not to be missed. Set in 82 acres of sloping parkland, the zoo is home to a variety of animals including the only giant pandas in the UK - Tian Tian and Yang Guang. Spaces to see the famous pair are limited, however; so book your ticket before you go to avoid disappointment!
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it is V o t s ie it C n a e p o Eur from Southampton First thing’s first. Living in Southampton makes it super convenient to travel to Europe and beyond. Southampton Airport is just a 15 minute drive from the University, and we have the Southampton Cruise Terminal too, with major cruise companies such as P&O Cruises, Princess and Royal Caribbean (with its very new and massive ship Harmony of the Seas) departing from there! Here are some nice places that I would highly recommend visiting during your time at Southampton. WORDS BY NICOLE ST. LEWIS
Naples (Italy) Euros - ££££
Naples is a beautiful city on the south coast of Italy. It is a great city to experience rich architecture and art. If you go, you must eat its distinctive thin-crust pizza which it is particularly famous for! You must also visit Pompeii, which is a buried Roman City. Although I’m not a history nerd, the visual evidence of Roman Civilisation and the deconstructed landscape is great for gaining some cultural knowledge and the site is a big hit with photographers!
Sicily (Italy) Euros - ££££
Sicily is a well known island in the Mediterranean Sea, and is definitely a hit with a lot of tourists! It is a great spot for art lovers, shopaholics and nature-lovers! I would personally recommend visiting a small town called Marina (in the south of Sicily) for the day. On a hot day you can visit the fine sandy beach called ‘Marina di Monica’ which is a small corner of paradise for lovers of surfing and windsurfing thanks to its exposure, which guarantees favorable wind conditions. The presence of shops and nightlife makes this spot lively and 24
IMAGE BY ABBIE RUNCIE
vibrant during the summer season. During low and midseason, however, this stretch of coastline is converted into a charming seaside town, ideal for a holiday of relaxation and tranquility. I would also recommend cycling around the town; bicycle hire in the high season costs approximately €10 per day; scooter hire €35 to €45.
Dubrovnik (Croatia) Croatian Kuna - ££££
Croatia is the place to visit this year! With clear blue water, beautiful cliffs to walk up, picturesque landscapes and hot weather, what else is it missing? It is a hit with almost everyone! When visiting Dubrovnik I would definitely recommend that you walk the Ancient Walls of the Old Town - you get to walk atop the giant castle walls that surround and protect the Old Town of Dubrovnik. The walk around the walls is about 1.2 miles long and can be done at a fast or leisurely pace. Some parts of the castle walls reach up to an impressive eighty-two feet in height, and up to twenty feet wide. You get to capture some amazing photo opportunities along the way! Also, if you are a Game of Thrones fan, the tour of the film-set is not worth missing out on, and there is a three hour tour
which takes you to many of the locations used to film the hit series. With an expert guide by your side, you’ll climb the city walls (via stairs) while reminiscing about some of those bloody battle scenes you saw on the show. You’ll get to visit Lovrijenac Fortress to learn about the evil ways of King Joffrey and so much more. Check out this site to know more about these tours and many more: www.dubrovnik-walking-tours.com
Venice (Italy) Euros - ££££ (Save up!)
By now you’ll have guessed that I love Italy, and Venice is the height of this love! This floating city lives up the hype and is a definite must see! During the day there are beautiful lanes to wander through, with beautiful shops and restaurants (complete with Gelato ice-cream) to try out. I would recommend purchasing Murano glass and Venetian Masks, as that is what Venice is famous for. One must also visit the Churches - from its Byzantine domes and luminous mosaics to the 24-carat gold leaf paint, Basilica di San Marco is a sight that won’t be forgotten. Dress modestly when you visit (i.e. cover your knees and shoulders).
The evenings in Venice are also just as enchanting. St Mark’s square is beautifully lit and surrounded by live music, classy bars and positive vibes... you will probably witness a proposal there too! Venice is best explored in small groups (max 3) or with a loved one. When you arrive in Venice be warned, there is old venice and new venice: Old venice is the famous one, and there are plenty of hotels and hostels to stay in. If you are travelling on a budget, I would recommend staying in Camping Jolly (located in New Venice and takes around 30 mins to get to Old venice) or if you are on a higher budget, I would recommend staying in Carnival Palace Venice (great breakfasts, great location and fantastic views of Old Venice). Here is just a snippet of some the cities you can visit whilst studying in Southampton. We are so spoilt for choice because of our location, and whether you choose to fly or cruise, there is a beautiful Europe to explore. Remember to travel safe, ensure you’re travelling with the correct VISA and to have fun! More information can be found at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website, or why not check out Southampton University’s Travelling Society Happy Travelling! 25
How to Make the
Perfect Roast Dinner in Six Simple Steps
For some bizarre reason,
British food has a terrible reputation. No one British actually eats Spotted Dick, Jellied Eel, Haggis or Black Pudding. These are weird, horrible stereotypes that have very little basis in truth. A food that Brits are very proud of (and you have to have something wrong with you to dislike) is a Sunday Roast. Traditionally eaten on a Sunday (surprise, surprise) as lunch and dinner (it’s a pretty big meal), British people love this food - and rightfully so. Cooking a Sunday Roast is a great way to make friends with your new flatmates and celebrate British culture at the same time. Plus, when you go home in Summer or at Christmas, your family will definitely appreciate this amazing food! WORDS BY BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES IMAGE BY LOWENA HOSKIN 26
Stage 1 - Pick your meat
Traditionally Sunday roasts are cooked with a roast chicken or roast beef as a centre piece, but pork and lamb works pretty well too, or Turkey if it’s Christmas. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, I’d recommend getting a nut roast (Waitrose in Portswood do some great ones). If you’re cooking chicken, get a whole chicken ready the day before you want to serve it as sprinkle in inside and out with salt. Put it in a deep dish and refrigerate over night. In the morning, pre-heat the oven to 190C and brush all the excess salt off. If you’re feeling adventurous, add some root vegetables (I’d recommend carrots) in the bottom of the roasting tin - leave the chicken out for an hour or so until it reaches room temperature. Squeeze some lemon over the chicken and push the skins inside the cavity of the bird. Pop the chicken in the oven for around an hour until golden. If you’re cooking with beef: rub the meat with salt and then spread a thin layer of mustard (or a sauce of your choice) over the fat. Then heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7 and cook the meat for 20 minutes. Then, turn the heat down to 180C/gas mark 4 and cook for another 20 minutes (depending on how much you’re cooking).
Stage 2 - Pick your sauce.
For pork, apple sauce is classic - but anything tangy and sweet works. You can get this from any big supermarket. For lamb, it’s got to be mint sauce - again you can pick this up in any major supermarket. If you’ve chosen chicken or turkey, bread sauce is the traditional go-to. To make this for 5 people, heat half a pint of milk with 1 tablespoon of butter, a chopped onion, a clove and a bayleaf. Boil this all up, leave to cool, and then strain it. Add 60 grams of breadcrumbs to the pan and a little bit of nutmeg. If you want it creamier keep adding milk and butter. For beef, simple english mustard and horseradish are essential. I’d recommend Coleman’s if you’re trying to be classically British.
Stage 3 - Gravy
Here’s a little secret to the perfect roast - it’s ALL about the gravy baby. The rules are pretty much the same for whatever meat you cook with. Once the meat is cooked, remove it from whatever you’ve roasted it in and rest it in a warm place. Pour the excess liquid into a jug, and 300ml of water/stock and place on the hob, then bring it to the boil. Add a little fat or flour if you want to - some people add pureed carrots and onions to make it a little sweeter.
Stage 4 - Yorkshire Pudding (often referred to as Yorkshires)
Honestly, these are really tricky to make. You can buy them frozen from any supermarket and it will be cheaper and easier. They’re just like pancakes but in a funny shape - if you do chose to make them, there’s lots of recipes online (just google ‘yorkshire pudding recipes’). Also remember to make the batter a day ahead of time, then they will be lighter and even more delicious and that the fat needs to be hotter than hot before adding the batter.
Stage 5 - Potatoes
There are lots of ways to cook potatoes: mash, boiled, baked - but with a Sunday Roast obviously they need to be roasted. If you’re serving 4-6 people, you want to grab about 1.5kg of potatoes, a little bit of flour, fat, and rosemary. First step, peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks (I’d go for about the size of an egg). Boil them in salted water until cooked, and then drain. Leave them to dry in a sieve, then place a tea towel over the top. At this point, heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Put fat in a roasting tin (I’d recommend goose fat), and heat it up in the oven until it’s so hot it shimmers. Meanwhile, mix the potatoes and flour with a tablespoon of salt. Tip this into the fat and turn the potatoes until they’re covered. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn and roast for 20 minutes more, by the end they should be crisp and golden. Chop up some rosemary and sprinkle it on top.
Stage 6 - The Vegetable side dish
This is down to personal choice really. Some people go for sprouts, broccoli and cabbage but a lot of people don’t like them. Carrots and very easy to cook and pretty inoffensive. Other root veg, like parsnips and gorgeous and very easy to cook. I’d also recommend getting a bit of green on the plate, you can’t go wrong with some simple peas. Spinach, butternut squash, shallots, and mushrooms are also great gotos than anyone can manage. So there you have it. The perfect roast dinner you can impress your new friends with!
Bonus: if you fancy a dessert, I’d recommend an apple crumble.
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s e ip c e R h is it r B y r e V
with your host, Bridie Pearson-Jones image by Sophie Williams
Victoria Sponge The classic Victoria Sponge (also known as “Victoria Sandwich”) is two sponge cakes placed together with some raspberry jam (and cream, optional) with icing or caster sugar dusted on top. It’s pretty much the quintessential English teatime treat - and became popular due to Queen Victoria - who gave the sweet treat her name. The bonus is, it’s very easy to make. All you need is eggs, flour, sugar and butter (of equal weight). Where does it come from? The Victoria Sponge was the Queen of the same name’s favourite dish (legend has it that she was deprived on sweet things as a child, and very much made up for that when she took the throne). In her day, most cakes had lots of fruits and seeds in, which were seen as choking hazards for children. So, this was made as an alternative, and was so tasty it eventually made it’s way to the adult tea table. This recipe (adapted from BBC food) cuts nicely into 10 slices, and takes about 30 minutes to make (plus cooling time). 28
Ingredients
Method
For the cake
1
•200g caster sugar •200g softened butter •4 eggs, beaten •200g self-raising flour •1 tsp baking powder •2 tbsp milk
For the filling
•100g butter, softened •140g icing sugar, sifted •drop vanilla extract (optional) •half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry or raspberry jam •icing sugar, to decorate
What you’ll need
•A mixing bowl •Two 20cm sandwich tins •Non-stick baking paper •Wooden spoon or whisk •Spatula (although, the back of a spoon works too). •Cooling rack
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
2
Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
3
To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract if you’re using it. Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the sponges, top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.
Apple Crumble Apple Crumble is a delicious British dish that’s perfect with freshly picked apples in the summer or to warm you up in the winter. A much nicer alternative to the very American apple pie, crumble is something all British school kids would have eaten, and it tastes very very nice. Once you’ve mastered the toppings, you can switch this up for pretty much any fruit. Apple and Rhubarb, apple and blackberry, rhubarb and ginger, pear, spiced plum. You can even cook it as a main course with lots of vegetables in the middle. This is a great dessert to go with your Sunday roast, and it’s Recipe adapted from Nigel Slater.
Ingredients •1kg/2lb 3oz Bramley apples •pinch sugar, to taste •1 tbsp water or apple juice
Method
1 2
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/ Gas 6.
Wipe the apples and cut them into quarters, then remove the cores and slice each piece in two. Put them into a pan, taste a slice for sweetness and add a sprinkling of sugar accordingly. Add a tablespoon of water or apple juice and cook over a medium heat for about five minutes, until the apples start to soften.
•100g/3oz plain flour •75g/2oz butter •50g/2oz rolled oats •100g/3oz demerara sugar
3 4
Transfer the apple mixture to a shallow ovenproof pie dish.
Blend the flour and butter in a food processor for a few seconds, until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
5
Stir in the oats and the brown sugar and sprinkle over the cooked apples in the pie dish. Transfer to the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until crisp and goldenbrown on top. 29
A Quick Guide to Sport has always held a central role in British culture, shown by the great success of the 2012 London Olympics. Football definitely claims the crown of the most popular sport in Britain, with its domestic leagues having gained a global following. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for other sports to find their own place within the wider British Sports community. 32
A
s I have already said, football is massive here in the UK, shown by the four professional leagues we have with the top being the Premiership which is the most watched football league in the world. It consists of twenty teams battling for the crown, as well as several spots to qualify for the European competitions on offer. This year has been one of the most exciting seasons with Leicester City, a team facing relegation before the season started, managing to win the title against all odds, breaking the general trend of the “Big Four” (Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, with Manchester City recently taking Liverpool’s place). Southampton also has a team that has seen success at this level of football in the past few years. They managed to finish 6th this season and qualify for the Europa League, so next year should be a great one to follow. They also have a great following, and you’ll know when its match day in Southampton, as their avid fan base will be out wearing the famous red and white stripes.
Rugby, although not as big as football, is the other big sport. It does gain quite a following when the Six Nations competition happens every year, where England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy play each other in a round-robin style tournament. With many people having links to a variety of these countries the rivalries have developed into hotly-contested matches. Within England there’s a 12 team Premiership with a promotion and relegation system set in place for other teams earn a place in the top league. Southampton lost their closest team this year, as London Irish, who play in Reading, were relegated. But there is definitely still a strong following for Rugby here, largely shown by the large and active Rugby Society at the university. Cricket is a sport not many countries around the world have a large following for, but fortunately Britain, particularly England, has a strong fan base. Generally accepted as a very “English” sport, it
British Sport can definitely be quite hard to get into if you’re new to the sport. Test cricket matches are often played over five days and to the untrained eye, and it can appear as if nothing is really happening a lot of time. As well as this, there are oneday variations and ‘twenty20’ games also occur (a limit of 120 bowls per team). If you are looking to give cricket a try you should visit the Ageas Bowl, as the Hampshire team play their games here in Southampton or you could watch the “Ashes Series”. The Ashes is a best of five game series where England and Australia play for the trophy of the ashes of a cricket ball. The series gets a lot of beginners into cricket and the commentators take more care to explain the game during these matches. For those of you more familiar with sports played across the pond in North America you will be glad to hear the Southampton region has teams playing American Football and Ice Hockey: Holding the title as the largest indoor
sport in the UK, Ice Hockey is definitely gaining more and more support. There are two top professional leagues and Basingstoke, which is a twenty minute train ride from Southampton, compete in the lower of these two with great success. They won the league for the first time this year. If you are looking for a closer team to follow, then the Solent Devils, who play nearer to home in nearby Gosport, play at a semi-pro level. American Football has an everincreasing following over here in Britain, and with NFL games being played in London there certainly is an opportunity to watch some of the best teams from the USA go head-to-head at Wembley. However, if you are short for cash or want something easier to get to, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the UK has its own amateur league system, which Southampton’s very own Solent Thrashers compete in. Also be sure to keep an eye out for the yearly events that capture the nation
such as Wimbledon. When tennis fever takes hold, everyone is gripped for two weeks and all eyes turn to British star Andy Murray to see if he can win this famous tournament. Another great event to follow is the National Track Cycling Championships where you can see UK Olympic heroes such as Laura Trott and Jason Kenny. Of course this is only a very brief look at some of the sports played around the UK, there are many more to get involved with and chances are that if there’s a sport you want to find out more about or get involved with, the University will have a society for it!
WORDS BY JAMES MOSELEY IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL 33
WORDS BY TOM RANDALL
B
ritish humour and comedy is perhaps the best insight into British culture and society there is, but is difficult to explain properly. What exactly is ‘British humour’? Let us consider some of the best known and loved comedy shows and comedy actors, from both today and the ‘classics’ from previous years. It is said that many English people would rather be told they were terrible lovers than be told they had no sense of humour. The national sense of humour carries strong themes of sarcasm, often with a ‘deadpan’ delivery trying to convince the audience that you are serious about what you are saying, and self-depreciation. There are few people more disliked in society than those who make jokes about others but cannot laugh along when someone makes a joke at their expense. In a society that is still perhaps more emotionally repressive than many, humour often acts as an important outlet for emotions and criticising others, particularly the government. This can especially be seen, not only in satire, but in the genre of ‘cringe humour’, where the humour is gained from the characters in a situation-comedy embarrassing themselves without being aware they are being made fun of. Although jokes about other countries and national stereotypes within Britain are still common and not considered particularly 34
HUGH LAURIE
GUIDE TO BRITISH COMEDY IMAGE BY ALEX WILLETTS
offensive, in many comedy shows the teller of such jokes is generally the actual target of the joke. The comedian Al Murray has a stage character, the Pub Landlord, who frequently tells anti-French jokes but fails to realise the audience are laughing at him as much as they are laughing with him. Comedians who make such jokes without a good-natured manner or a good amount of jokes about themselves are generally not widely popular. There are three main groups of comedians you might see on TV. Firstly, the situation-comedies (more commonly known as sitcoms). These tend to satirise everyday life, focusing on characters meant to be ordinary people. Unlike sitcoms from many other countries, which tend to feature likeable or goodnatured main characters, the characters in these shows are meant to be unlikeable losers. John Cleese’s ‘Fawlty Towers’, considered one of the best situation comedies ever, features the main character as a bad-tempered bully. The more recent ‘Inbetweeners’, which has massive popularity amongst students, features a similar cast of four awkward teenagers. Sometimes, like the Irish show ‘Father Ted’, these comedies have a fairly serious message or criticism of those in power, but more often they tend to focus on everyday life. The comedy ‘Peep Show’ is an excellent example of this, where the audience can hear the thoughts of the two main characters. The other classic show is ‘Blackadder’, in which each series is
Sketch shows are also popular, where the show consists of a series of short ‘sketches’, which generally last no longer than four minutes. These tend to be more surreal and revolve around talking to the audience, jokes that run between sketches and catchphrases. Monty Python is the classic sketch show, with an appeal that has lasted the 45 years since they were on television. More recent popular sketch shows include ‘Mitchell and Webb’, which tends to be more in this style, and ‘Harry and Paul’, which relies heavily on British cultural stereotypes. There is also a strong tradition of stand-up comedy. These are both commonly played on TV and through live performances. Some comedians, such as Frankie Boyle, are often seen as telling jokes in bad taste because they can, not because it really adds much to their acts. Nonetheless, stand-up comedians who specialise in dark jokes are wildly popular, if controversial at times. The best stand-up comedians are household names who have national tours of live shows that sell out months in advance, but there are many lower-level comedians, many of
DAVID MITCHELL
JOHN CLEESE a different period of time, but the cast is the same. Edmund Blackadder is perhaps the archetypal comedy character, being both sarcastic and witty but also foolish and unlikeable as an individual.
whom are part-time or even amateur. Most large towns have a ‘comedy club’, a mixture of theatre and bar that specialises in stand-up comedians, some of which run ‘open mic nights’, where anybody can go and perform on the stage for a few minutes. The Union hosts ‘laughter lounge’ nights every other week, so be sure to pop down and sample some ‘British humour’! Satire of government acts as a common way to criticise those in power. This has been a strong element in comedy for centuries, however the modern ‘satire boom’ is seen to have started in the 1960s, a legacy of which is the popular magazine ‘Private Eye’, which combines investigative journalism and social commentary from a relatively cynical perspective with a dozen pages of fake news articles and speeches in each issue, mocking politics and those who have been in the news. Whereas this caused a stir at the time, today it is not unknown for politicians to appear in comedy sketches about themselves and show themselves being able to take a joke. Many of the shows listed here are on Netflix or Youtube, as well as being re-aired on the BBC. We hope this guide will be of use to you and that you are able to enjoy some of the shows and acts listed in this article at some point.
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