Britain ground to a halt again due to the big freeze last week and these conditions are likely to last for at least another week. Roads, trains, airports and buses have struggled with the latest batch of snow and ice with temperatures of -28˚C being recorded in Scotland.
This has given the public a chance to complain about their favourite subject, the weather. Criticism has been rife for everyone from transport operators to road gritters to the government for being underprepared to face this situation which is estimated to have cost businesses £230million a day in lost custom and staff wages. Road gritters apparently are running out of the salt needed to stop the roads freezing over forcing local councils to ration the supply meaning minor and residential roads are not getting any attention.
Those responsible for this vital task say they carry enough to grit the roads for a week and this second batch of snow in a month has put huge strains on them. The Highways Agency, who deal with maintenance of all motorways and A roads, allegedly have enough supplies to last a fortnight, but now even those are running dangerously low.
Even before last week the public had complained pavements and residential roads were not getting any attention causing treacherous conditions and forcing elderly people to be house bound. Some motorways have been forced to close for periods with lorries and cars struggling to cope.
The lorries struggling to moving has caused other problems with produce rotting in warehouses because it has become impossible to transport them to the destinations. The most recent big freeze has only exacerbated the issue with salt now being diverted from Germany to help the worst effected areas in the North of England and Scotland.
Unfortunately the finite recourses means most back roads will have to wait for the snow and ice to melt away naturally. Another side effect has been the increased use of central heating causing another shortage scare with gas supplies running short, although this now to has apparently been solved.
Airports have struggled to cope with the icy conditions with Gatwick, Stansted and Luton being shut for periods of time and even Heathrow being forced to cancel flights. Train operators have been at the sharp edge of this with the obvious problems caused with electricity mixing with water.
The lack of contingency plans has been the focus of the complaints with many pointing out with the government’s staunch support of climate change theories why was this not foreseen. Others have been quick to respond saying if the government had announced spending money on such a scheme global warming sceptics would have raised hell about the waste of money.
However with this being the third heavy batch of snow to hit London in a year, after nearly 20 years without a heavy snow fall in the capital, the question is could this be proof of a seismic shift in the weather. Sporting events across the country were cancelled including many Premiership football games, which normally avoid being effected by the weather.
This has led to pundits discussing the option of a winter break similar to those on the continent and in Scotland. This has been quickly dismissed because of the unpredictability of the next cold snap.
Whether or not these spells of weather are caused by our carbon footprint or not this certainly looks like a situation we may have to get more used to.
Colin Rowe
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It is never easy to predict the future, as any politician or stock broker will tell you, and when, domestically at least, the years events will be sculpted by an election outcome it becomes even more difficult.
By June a new government will have been formed but what colour they fly is still up in the air. May 6th is currently being touted as the fateful day by the Conservatives, who would no doubt benefit form it coming sooner rather than later. The longer it drags on, expect Gordon Brown and Labour to start making inroads into the poll deficit, and do not rule out the possibility of a hung parliament.
For the first time the leaders of the main parties will take part in televised debates. Liberal Democrat top-dog Nick Clegg has the most to gain and will carefully position himself in case of a tight race. Prime Minister in waiting, David Cameron, will be confident after regularly upstaging Brown at Prime Ministers Questions. How to reduce the deficit, MP’s expenses, the NHS and Afghanistan are going to be at the top of the agenda during what will be the longest general election campaign the UK has ever seen. MP’s expenses will likely be top story early on with current members having to declare their intensions to run again in the very near future which will certainly lead to some embarrassing headlines for some.
Of cause whoever does not get elected is likely to create as many headlines. If Labour lose, Brown will have no choice but to resign, if the Conservatives lose it could mean the end, for now at least, for Cameron and if the Lib Dem’s underperform Clegg may come under pressure.
With Brown the more likely to go who would take over? David Milliband (Foreign Secretary) was put forward as an alternative when Tony Blair stood down, Alan Johnston (Home Secretary) and Ed Balls (Schools Secretary) would be popular in some circles.
But what about Mandelson? The Prince of Darkness has been instrumental since his return, but a leadership run from the Lords is awkward to say the least and finding him a safe Labour seat as an MP creates its own problems.
So what for the new government?
Brown is to host an Afghanistan conference in London in January with the hope of formulating an exit strategy. However much like Copenhagen 2009 the public will take a lot of convincing it is more than posturing.
President Obama has already made it known he want to see the first stages of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by 2011. This means serious progress must be made this year. Many high profile experts and military personnel have said the situation may get worse before it gets better and with over 100 British deaths last year the question is how much worse. A lot of this may boil down to President Hamid Karzai’s job performance in the coming months.
Iran clearly is also going to be a major issue this year. President Ahmadinejad is already under pressure while opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi has already said he would be willing to die for the reform movement. With the death of the Grand Ayatollah this may be the window the reform movement needs.
Iraq too is to hold elections this year, most likely in March if security allows with the hope it can confine an unpopular chapter to the history books. North Korea will also be on the agenda with continued rumours of Kim Jong Ill’s health and of cause their feared nuclear capabilities.
In May the 189 signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty congregate in New York to review the plan with some predicting the collapse of the deal leading to the possibility of the nations mentioned above developing Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Security is certainly going to be a watch word for this year, as it has for many years now.
With Brown in full conference mode following the G20, Copenhagen and the upcoming Afghanistan talks he also wants to add another to discuss terrorism in the Yemen following the alleged failed bomb plot on Christmas Day.
A major question for many is can the western world go another year without a successful attack on our shores?
President Obama’s self imposed deadline for closing Guantanamo Bay will not be met, by his own admission.
The plans are still active with the possibility of a maximum security prison in Illinois being the next host of allegedly the most dangerous terrorists on the planet. Globally the economic situation will dominate for another twelve months. The eyes of the world will focus on Dubai as the western world keeps its fingers crossed the blip seen there in November and December will no become a long term trend.
There are of cause several issues at home we need to attack.
Feelings are split over what will happen to unemployment figures this year while the election result will determine exactly how the deficit is to be addressed. Unemployment is currently at 2.5million with many claiming it could top 2.8million before it starts to get better. The £820billion deficit will be a more difficult problem to tackle especially when you consider it must be done while jeopardising the recovery both in terms of growth and unemployment.
When and how we go about this is another one of these issues which will only be known after the election.
Will the renewed British economy be based on finance as in the naughties or will a new industry brake forth and dominate the teenies?
Will French President Sarkozy’s railing against the ‘freewheeling Anglo Saxon model’ have its desired effect?
Will the New EU President Herman Van Rompuy bare any teeth at all? The problem with a new industry dominating is manufacturing in this country was devastated in the 1980s and will struggle to return while financial industries are unpopular and will be heavily regulated in the coming years.
A banking presence in London is inevitable but with a greater chance of international banks heading to Europe dumping us freewheeling Anglo Saxons. Although even as the New Year begins the London Stock Exchange is being boosted by improved performance in the manufacturing sector.
As for Mr Van Rompuy, it is unlikely the force of his particular role will be known until a few EU Presidents down the line.
There are other troubling international problems.
The results of Copenhagen will become more apparent this year and its critics and supporters will have something to either laugh or cry about sooner rather than later.
Environmental issues are a major part of all politicians’ manifestos and some action will no doubt be taken but whether it can have any serious effect is debatable and in even bigger doubt is the $100bn promised to help developing nations. The environmental lobby must get past the ‘climategate’ affair if their beliefs are to hold any legitimacy and its supporters need to learn the violence which dogged Copenhagen and London needs to stop if progress is to be made.
In the UK, after two years with major flooding, can we expect the same or will our particular brand of climate change now bring a major drought? Although it was only a few years ago meteorologists were talking of a monsoon style season in this country.
But as we all know there is only going to be one story any of us truly care about this year and it is taking place in South Africa this summer. Football fever will hit our shores once again with wall-to-wall international games on the television prompting complaints from those who care little for the beautiful game.
Once again Andy Murray will raise our hopes of a British champion at Wimbledon while our athletes head to India in November for the Commonwealth Games. There will be no doubt which team British F1 fans will be cheering for this year with the McLaren world champion dream team of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set to battle the returning Michael Schumacher.
Whatever happens, 2010 will be a huge year both in the UK and across the world with many major issues coming to the fore.
Can progress be made in Afghanistan, will David Cameron be the next resident of number 10 and can Fabio Capello lead us to victory?
Only time will tell.
Colin Rowe
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Twelve months ago there was a shop called Woolworths, Michael Jackson was planning 40 nights at the O2 Arena and taxpayers were unaware they had bought a duck house and adult movies.
Yes, 2009 has been a busy year. It has been dominated by MPs expenses and the credit crunch but the last year of the noughties was also the year of swine flu, Somali pirates, the end of the Tamil Tigers and 104 British deaths in Afghanistan.
The expenses scandal, unearthed by The Daily Telegraph in May, has cast a shadow over UK politics from which it seems it may not recover. Numerous current members have been forced to either resign or not seek re-election and Sir Thomas Legg has made no friends asking several of them to pay back expenses retrospectively.
The big name resignation was Speaker of the House Michael Martin, the first speaker to be forced out in 300 years. However, his successor was not without controversy. John Bercow began his career as a staunch right winger but won the election for speaker thanks to support from Labour who favour his maturing moderate tendencies.
However this years Lazareth Award goes to Peter Mandleson.
The EU Trade Commissioner rejoined UK politics after two resignations as a Lord and has been instrumental in keeping Labour in with a shot at next year’s election.As he said at the Labour party conference ‘Tony said our project would only be complete when the Labour Party learned to love Peter Mandelson.’
Although Mandleson has certainly stopped the free-fall in Labour’s polling numbers this year certainly belongs to Conservative leader David Cameron.The Prime Minister elect has been on great form both inside and out of the House of Commons, despite his communications director being implicated in tapping phone calls from members of the royal family while editor of The News of the World.
BNP leader Nick Griffin was a regular fixture this year winning a seat in the European Parliament and contentiously appearing on BBC flagship Question Time where he struggled against some tough interrogation.
Outside of Westminster it has also been a busy political year.
The EU appointed its first President and Foreign Minister in Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton respectively, a decision heavily criticised for lacking public involvement and ignoring diplomatic heavy weights like Tony Blair.
This was not the first time Europe had caused controversy in 2009.
In August Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, otherwise known as the Lockerbie bomber, was released on companionate grounds from a Scottish prison cell and returned to a heroes welcome in Libya.
This caused a huge stir across the world but most notably in America, where most of the victims had come from. The Secretary of State and heads of the FBI and CIA objected to his transfer despite al-Magrahi suffering from terminal cancer.
Later in the year another trial halfway across the globe caused a stir in the United States when American student Amanda Knox was convicted in Italy of the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher. The effects of the American complaints, which are heavily critical of the Italian police and legal system, are not likely to be known soon and Miss Knox will spend a significant amount of time behind bars in Italy.
In America the infamous Washington sniper John Allen Muhammad, who shot and killed ten people over three weeks in 2002, was put to death in Virginia after failing in his appeal to the US Supreme Court.
There has however been some good across the pond. In January the first black President was inaugurated (Twice), but President Obama has since seen his approval ratings crumble. He did controversially win the Nobel Peace Prize for his ‘aspirations’ towards world peace beating Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Recently Obama was forced to deal with substantial backlash from proposed health care reforms which, in a diluted form, now look set to take effect in 2010,
However, he did fail in his attempt to close Guantanamo Bay detention centre by the end of this year, although it may now move to Illinois.
2009 did see one detainee return to England. Binyam Mohammed had been held at the Cuban army base and is now searching to prosecute his captors for prolonged torture over his four year stay.
This his year it was an act of domestic terrorism which shook America to its core. In November at Fort Hood, Texas, 13 were left dead after an American Army psychiatrist went on the rampage. This was followed on Christmas Day with the attempted attack on a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit where a British educated Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up the plane. In 2006 the liquid bomb plot caused a similar security scare and the men responsible for the attempted attack were found guilty in the UK this year and were all given hefty prison sentences.
According to Bush, Blair, Brown and Obama a large reason for our presence in Afghanistan is to stop terrorists like this. However it has come at a terrible price this year. 310 Americans and 104 British troops have lots their lives battling the Taliban and al Qaeda this year alone. Their sacrifice was unable to provide a democratic election with widespread rumours of fraud in President Hamid Karzai’s win which eventually were declared after Dr Abdulla Abdulla withdrew. Apparently there is light at the end of the Afghan tunnel with President Obama hoping the latest troop surge from both sides of the Atlantic will see soldiers returning home as soon as 2011.
Iran also struggled to hold elections this year with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad apparent election victory triggering protests in Tehran in which several people were killed. In December Ayatollah Montazeri died casting doubt over the reform movement in this strictly Muslim country.
One conflict did end with the British handing over power in Basra in June and the Americans withdrawing from Iraq in September.
The world was however nearly brought to its knees by the H1N1 Swine Flu virus. Cases started in Mexico during March and spread rapidly across the world. Although the feared global pandemic has not yet come to fruition people still hold reservations it may make a return in 2010.
There were also attempts to curb larger global problems. The G20 in London, marred by violence from protesters and heavy handed conduct by police led the way to the Copenhagen Climate Conference, and also global solutions to the economic crisis. Unfortunately for environmental activists the infamous Climategate e-mails dominated the news in the run up to Copenhagen with revelations of results tampering and selective publishing.
The summit, marred by protesters, police and poor organisation, may not have led to the deal which many campaigners wanted, but may have set the ground work for legally binding deals including financing for developing nations to develop green energy.
Available funds have been an issue now for nearly two years with both businesses and governments alike struggling to find liquid capital. Brown, Cameron and Clegg, along with every other party leader across the world have clashed over the issue of public spending cuts to cure the £820bn deficit. The right argues for rapid deficit reduction while the left believes it should be a more gradual process. Both claim theirs will avoid the dreaded double dip.
Bankers dominated the news with repeated calls for government bailouts and with the full extent of their involvement in the global economic collapse becoming clear. Sir Fred Goodwin, the head of Royal Bank of Scotland at the start of the crisis, retired with a £16million pension pot while unemployment rates rocketed to nearly 2.5million. As Christmas approached the some banks announced they were going to pay bonuses this year despite their taxpayer owned status.
Other countries have made progress with their problems.
In May Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was found dead after bloody fighting in North Eastern Sri Lanka effectively ending 26 years of civil conflict.
Nigeria also saw tentative steps towards peace with the surrender of militant leaders in May. It is hoped this may release valuable oil in the Delta region and encourage tourism in what many see as a failed state.
In other parts of Africa the problems keep mounting. Somali pirates have been a constant challenge regularly hijacking ship off their cost and holding the vessel and crew ransom. They are still holding a British couple snatched from their yacht in October.
Globally the biggest story of the year was the sudden death of the King of Pop Michael Jackson. The often controversial icon passed away in June.
More recently Tiger Woods drove into the headlines after a car crash led to revelations about extra marital affairs which have left his personal and professional life in the rough.
It has been a year of surprises and disappointments, the end of the first decade of the new millennium.
So what will dominate 2010?
Read the New Years instalment to find out.
Colin Rowe
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Whether it be technology or model train-building, niche interests have always carried jargon with them, which enthuses the hobbyists and frankly scares the outsiders. Horse-racing is one of the few mainstream spectacles which continues to baffle and intrigue those not engrossed in its entertaining world. My grandmother would religiously watch The Morning Line, and so by proxy I couldn’t help but pick up various bits of racing psycho babble. Since then I’ve always viewed the betting shop as a dystopian limbo, a sort of holding pen for anyone who’s had too much to drink and too little cash.
That said, horse racing and betting are big business. Over $100 million a year is waged on bets in over 53 countries. You’d think with animal rights movements gaining momentum that horse racing would have cantered to a halt by now. Indeed, it does have it’s critics, amongst several high profile animal rights groups, but horse racing refuses to die, because it has a small and loyal following who will always turn out to the races, lay bets, and then discuss it at work afterwards.
What follows here is a review of 2009 in horse racing:
2009 started, and indeed ended all about Kauto Star. Denman had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat whether he would make Cheltenham. His absence was noted at all the big post Christmas and new years meetings (where Kauto Star put in an impressive win in the King George, and winning once again yesterday), and was well beaten in February over hurdles. At Cheltenham Kauto Star put faith to the hype, and Denman finished a long way second to his next door neighbour. Ruby Walsh, second only to AP McCoy described him as the greatest horse he had ever ridden. Denman’s next big appearance was at Aintree on Grand National week, where he fell after travelling well. There was heartbreak, and there were many fears that this was the end.
However on November the 28th at Newbury he took the Hennessy Gold Cup in fine style, beating another stable mate; What a Friend, in doing so became the only horse since Arkle to win two. For many this showed the promise of great things to come, and another year of battles between Paul Nicholls’ two best.On February the 9th, Restless D’Artaix jumped flawlessly round Plumpton, taking AP McCoy to the massive landmark of 3000 winners, made even more remarkable by the fact that just over a year previous the Ulsterman had broken his back following a horrific fall from Arnold Lane.
Although arguably Roby Walsh is many times more stylish a jockey, there is good reason why AP is dubbed the finest jump jockey to date. Since riding his first winner over hurdles; Legal Steps in 1992, aged 17 he has been unbeatable, taking the title every year since the 1994/5 season. He royally thumped the record for numbers of winners in a season in 2001/2002, which had been held for 55 years previously, by a flat racing jockey (without wishing to bore people with mathematics, it’s a lot easier to rack up winners on the flat than it is over jumps). Realistically all he has left to do is 300 winners in a season and the Grand National, which has eluded him so many times.
Whatever happens he will go down as one of the greats, and should his records ever be broken I would imagine it would be by someone not yet born.
In a year of heroics and unlikely champions (such as Mon Mome – the 100/1 chance taking the National) there were a few very sad losses. The ones I feel I have to note are Pressgang, Commercial Flyer and Russian Trigger. However the saddest loss of all was that of Exotic Dancer, a truly lovely horse who I have followed for many years. It was a horse on the way to the top, only outclassed by Kauto Star. The only departure that has been sadder so far in the 21st Century has been that of Gloria Victis, as we would never see how good Gloria Victis was; there was a huge amount of speculation as to how it would become one of the greats. Exotic Dancer showed he had class and his death overshadowed the remainder of the season.
Emma Louise-Kerwin
Introduction by Joseph Stashko-Adamaszek
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‘Tis the season once again, not only to be jolly and overindulge, but to receive bad presents. The anticipation is high, a relative who often gives you a tenner stuffed in an envelope has given you a gift this year and you want to know what it is. You gingerly peel away the wrapping paper bit by bit to reveal disappointment – and a 50 Cent calendar.
Rubbish presents are now a fundamental part of Christmas and can cause endless confusion: are they carefully thought out gifts from a kind acquaintance who pays too much attention (“Now they have a lot of CDs and may need to transport them one day, I’ll get them CD wallets”) or from a well-intentioned person who stumbled into Poundland and blindly picked up the first thing they see?
One Christmas from years ago stands out in particular for the latter; a family friend was sent out to get presents for us and they were stunning – my six year old sister received Christmas-themed candles and I, clearly a huge fan at four years old, received a Coronation Street annual.
After a little research, I’ve found I’m not the only one on the receiving end of some truly terrible presents.
A close friend of mine was quite upset to receive a key ring from a cracker, especially as the stingy present giver happened to be her boyfriend. Needless to say they’re not together anymore.
Many friends felt that their gift-giver was somewhat out of touch with the recipient’s interests and were often more than a decade over or under their age group. In the over category, one girl was surprised to receive a quality Maeve Binchy novel from a boyfriend and in the under category another friend was surprised to find a Postman Pat money box under his tree at the tender age of 17.
It has to be said that some bad presents can be pretty useful; you shouldn’t run out of shower gels or deodorants too quickly with all those toiletry packs. Furthermore ,not everyone manages to get their five a day, so a yearly orange from your grandmother should help towards that.
Now I know that the reason rubbish presents came into existence (besides chronic ungratefulness) is the increased commercialisation of Christmas, the focus being more on presents and the aching need to get the right gift rather than on the birth of Jesus and the nativity story. Granted, CD wallets are likely to be quite useful at some point in your life, but I think the three wise men got it right with the gift of frankincense, myrrh and gold – even if you don’t find much use for it, you could certainly get a tidy profit from putting them on eBay with all the other bad presents you receive this year.
Happy ungrateful Christmas, FiX readers!
Kate Preston
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As I type this with frozen fingers and even more frozen feet, I’m sure you, like me, are sick of being assaulted by a neverending stream of perfume adverts at this time of year.
I love Christmas. I love the food, I love the goodwill, I even love bad presents. But I’ve never bought perfume on the back of a Christmas advert. For all the things that Christmas is, sexy is not one of them. There’s nothing amorous about me having shovelled down my umpteenth helping of turkey, sat infront of a “best of” TV show while present wrappings adorn the sofa. So why the fascination with the year on year adverts, and why do so many get it so wrong?
Here’s a selection of the best and the worst supposedly enchanting scents you can buy for a loved one this Christmas.
We start off with Dolce & Gabbana’s Rose The One. Scarlett Johannson nonchalantly drapes herself across a bed, with only a smattering of clothes and a bowl of strawberries for company.
The message is “It’s funny what you forget, but you never forget The One”. 30 repeat viewings later, and ironically I’ve forgotten what I was watching.
Next up Chanel No. 5’s typically overblown advertising campaign. Following Catherine Deneuve and Nicole Kidman is Audrey Tautou. Pouting, wide eyed and with an undeniable beauté Française, Tautou is the perfect match for the fragrance. I’ve always loved Chanel’s throw the kitchen sink attitude to advertising, and this lives up to expectation, delivering a gloriously lush and heart-warming short film that is at odds with other brands smug efforts.
Gucci by Gucci has to be one of the worst advertising campaigns of yuletide. I’ve probably shattered a million girl’s hearts with this savage attack on James “Angel Eyes” Franco, but there you go. Franco assures us that “You’re running with me. The world is changing. I will be the same”. Despite this clear admission that he’s a fusty old conservative set in his ways, Franco still does nothing throughout the whole 30 second run except stalk around dark corridors that look like offcuts from the Bourne trilogy. His frankly piss poor attempt at being dark and mysterious falls flat on his face, and remember, this is from a man who thought Spiderman 3 was a good idea.
Bad, bad, bad.
What’s interesting about perfume and aftershave adverts is that it’s very difficult to sell a product you can’t see in action. Sell a Ferrari? Show a clip of it driving very fast. Sell a DIY kit? Show a clip of me chasing down kids with a chainsaw. You get the idea. Perfume isn’t a visual medium, and until we’re all plugged into our TV’s by virtual reality it shall remain so.
So instead what we have is associations of glamour. You too can have chiselled cheekbones and a barrel-like chest like Matthew McConaughey! Just buy The One, by Dolce & Gabbana! And so the great British public are once again, slaves to the charms of celebrity and falsified glamour. Fashion has been victim this to years. Just because something looks good on Kate Moss, does not mean it’ll look good on you on your way to the corner shop…
Still, it’s not all bad. When you’re feeling worse for wear on boxing day, rest assured that all the adverts will have vanished from the schedules, only to be replaced by Boxing Day sales. Who knew that a sofa was such a must-have buy the day after Christmas?
Joseph Stashko-Adamaszek
Single people beware – our favourite Christmas tradition is on the verge of being ruined in a collaboration between swine flu and etiquette specialists Debrett’s.
For time immemorial the unattached among us have always had a smile on our face at the festive end of the year thanks to the white berried plant known as Mistletoe. However, this year your lips may have to be kept to themselves to avoid spreading swine flu, and be replaced with a more health conscious kiss on the cheek. Although the thought of a global pandemic spread by festive kissing is bizarre the warning itself is surprisingly, not the worst of it.
Debrett’s started publishing books on social manners in the mid 1900s to go along with other publications about the social hierarchy of England. Their most famous magnum-opus, Correct Form, was recently updated to include business etiquette and American customs.
However the 18 do’s and do not do’s of mistletoe encounters on their website (www.debretts.com) make for hilarious reading. They encourage people to ‘not be a sleaze with wandering hands’, ‘pick a willing target’ and ‘not to leave a saliva trace. And yes, they could have phrased the last one better.
Also included is the fact that you should never reject a kiss under the mistletoe. What kind of up-tight prudes are they inviting to their Christmas get-togethers?They continue on the anti-swine flu rap informing people it is bad form to kiss the air and to make sound effects. They mean the “mwah” sound by the way before anybody thinks making aeroplane noises are acceptable.
Also included are two points which surely even the the most socially inept of us were aware of.
‘Don’t kiss anyone if you, or they, have a mouthful of food or drink’ (Obviously that could get rather messy or embarrassing if they have been eating twiglets).
‘Keep away from the mistletoe if you’ve had too much to drink – your social skills will be impaired & you don’t want any of those morning-after regrets’.
Now they just want you to have no fun whatsoever. The office Christmas party is the only time you can do this because nobody will remember it the day after. So for the swine flu conscious, avoid any mistletoe and for the daredevils among us walk around with a bit constantly tucked behind your ear.
Either way another Christmas tradition is being slowly eroded away.
Colin Rowe
Compelling. Petite. Passionate. Ella Pearce Heath has been inflicting her British sense of style upon rock’n’rollers, classical beauties and influential designers all around London. Having styled the likes of Noush Skaugen, winner of the Rising Star category at the Download Music Awards and Escala, the electric string-quarter for the final of Britains Got Talent on ITV, Ella’s thirst for styling hasn’t gone unnoticed. Having got into the industry through working with ‘bands and musicians and making wacky clothes to shoot with a photographer friend’ her clients have evolved to include publications such as the Financial Times ‘How To Spend IT’, JFW Magazine, Vanity Fair and the Daily Mail.
Training at the Royal Academy of Music for three years seems like an unlikely origin; from a musical marvel to a conversant stylist. Ella stuck to her belief in fashion as an ‘art form that can reflect our society in a way that many other parts of the arts cannot.’
Clothes became an interest ‘Because not only are they objects of beauty worthy of admiration and a route of identity, forming transformation, but they are also part of a multi-million pound industry across the globe that cannot be ignored’. Holding an awareness surrounding the importance of fashion within our society has not only influenced Ella’s style and aesthetic, but the people she works with too.
The look that Ella creates, both for her clients and herself, is ‘British Eccentricity’. Drawing inspiration from everyday life to create looks that are fresh and exclusive, ‘I’m inspired by everything around me – nature, architecture, art, literature, cultures, politics, history, tradition and probably most importantly, people with a unique voice that aren’t afraid to stand out and go against the mainstream’.
Certainly not one to suppress any sense of creativity, Ella delves into the deeper depths of fashion through her writing (www.Ellapearceheath.com). But which does she prefer, styling or writing? ‘I think they need to go together, how can I write effectively if I don’t work hands on in the industry? Similarly, how can I style without understanding the wider cultural implications, and having my own theory on beauty. I couldn’t pick between them.’
Unlike many ‘Fashion Journalists’ today, Ella doesn’t just write for the sake of writing. Nor has she succumbed to the ease of writing about ‘must-have items’ and celebrity trends. She writes about the role of Fashion in Society ‘because you can’t fully understand anything until you place it in its context’. Constantly scouring the city for fresh designers untainted by the artistic restraint of sponsorship, it was Ella who recognised Fannie Schiavoni as an emerging new talent before she was acknowledged by the likes of Browns and Tank Magazine.
But why choose to use young, unrecognised designers? ‘Because they often are still in the position to place the aesthetic, a unique voice and forward thinking at the forefront of their collection as they haven’t yet been compromised by the buyers need for ‘2 of this in 3 different colour-ways attitude’. Not to be misunderstood, Ella is of course aware of the importance of influential high-end brands such as Alexander McQueen, Lanvin and Iris Van Herpen, and her inspiration and admiration is still drawn by ‘Prada for innovation and single-mindedness, Stella McCartney for feminine simplicity and Antonio Berardi for amazing dresses’.
The next step for Ella is preparing the Look-Book for Komodo, an ‘ethical, hempy and hand-made’ brand. Individuality and artistic exploration are both equally as important as sustainability, influencing Ella’s belief that the future of fashion ‘must move away from celebrity; collections by non-designers just trying to make money or boost their fame etc are just a gimmick. True fashion is an art form, and this needs to be recognised’.
How can the effects of the recession be seen in Fashion? ‘I think it has bred a new wave of designers who realise we aren’t infallible as a society or a people, and therefore has resulted in a rise of ecological and sustainable fashion designers who see a responsibility to our world’. It seems that Ella’s plans for the future are simple and to be honest, slightly understated , ‘I hope to make people think and to make beautiful images! Can that be a plan, even if it’s an ever so naive one?’
She’s headstrong, determined and knows exactly what she wants, and how she wants it done. Her ideal clients include Alexander McQueen, Gareth Pugh and Vivienne Westwood – who would be ‘pretty fantastic to work with, with all her rebellious attitude and strong opinions’.
Perhaps there’s a little bit of Vivienne in all of us.
Hattie MacAndrews
There are usually two types of reactions that the majority of people experience when confronted with the term “The Turner Prize”.
The first type of reaction involves a certain image springing to mind, usually resembling the notorious “My Bed” kindly contributed by artist Tracey Emin, in all of its blood-stained and defecated glory. This may then induce a grimace, or at the very least a raised eyebrow. The second type of reaction is more complex – drawing subconsciously on society’s depiction of the Turner Prize in recent history, certain words are flung about in the head; words such as “PRETENTIOUS”, “BULLSHIT”, “SADISTIC”, “INCOMPREHENSIBLE”. Thus, a decision not to spend a mere £8 at the Tate Britain is made.
Aside from the fact that £8 is hardly a fortune, (£6 with a student card, FYI) my fervent argument is that this year’s portrayal of young British artistry is actually quite compelling; with my task to convey this without giving the game away so after reading someone will willingly witness it for themselves (i.e. wishful thinking.)
So this year’s victims shape themselves to be Lucy Skaer, Richard Wright, Enrico David and Roger Hiorns. Collectively their diversity in medium is noticeable – from Wright’s use of paint and gold leaf to Hiorn’s scattering of atomised jet engine.
However it’s how they effectively DEAL with the art they have produced within the gallery space and the response it provokes that is most striking. One would think Skaer’s gargantuan partial adult male sperm whale skull (below) is the focal point of awe in the exhibition, but really it’s the way in which she hides its vastness from view so the only way we can mentally assemble it is through small gaps between the walls.
Labelled by various critics as “a modern fresco painter”, the viewer is naturally drawn to the physical intricacy of Richard Wright’s luxurious work, a wall of pattern convoluting and entangling itself.
Yet, the way in which it is placed speaks decibels louder than the work itself – at the very end of a truly humongous and very empty white room, commanding its own serenity.
Now, perhaps, a better understanding can be ascertained as to why the general public are so quick to judge this unjustly named “postmodernism”. It’s both easy and safe to form an opinion on a static image, but that only half-represents the work of the artist; the other half is the spatial gallery itself. The cliché “you had to be there” doesn’t just apply itself to a past it’s sell-by date joke. Granted, the setting itself is artificial, with major emphasis around the £25,000 prize. But the work, the very fruit of these artists labour if you like, speaks beyond such a competition. So disregard feeble headlines such as the Daily Mail’s oh-so-funny “A whale skull, heap of dust and rocking eggmen? Must be this year’s shortlist for the Turner Prize…” and trek to the Tate Britain yourselves.
Sophie McHiggins
The Turner Prize is announced Monday 7th December and the exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 3rd Janurary 2010.
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It’s remarkable how some people in power either ignore, or refuse to see things which are staring them straight in the face.
This was the prevailing theme today when myself and an audience met with Ivan Lewis, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth affairs. The topic on the agenda was primarily the war in Afghanistan, the logistics, ethics and practicalities involved in such a war. Lewis spoke for around a quarter of an hour before opening it up to the floor for questions.
It’s here when I’m going to check myself slightly. I am constantly defending politicians against others’ insults. For every expenses abusing, sleaze ridden corrupt cabinet minister, there are constituency MPs who work hard for their electorate, and want (to use a cliché) “to make a difference”. But given the responses supplied by Lewis today, can you blame young people for feeling disenfranchised and apathetic about politics? Typical politicians answers were given, instead of answering the question directly, policy was trotted out with all the panache of a Michael Howard Newsnight interview. The audience looked on incredulously as good, constructive questions were left unanswered.
Lewis is currently on a roadshow (his own words) visiting every region in the UK to stir up support for the war in Afghanistan, to “assure forces that the British people support them”. I have no doubt that the British people support them, but their ringleaders…I’m not so sure. Lions led by Lambs indeed.
Furthermore, Lewis constantly emphasised that we were in Afghanistan to rid the world of the greatest threat to our way of life. It would be churlish to point out the not-insignificant problem of climate change as our greatest threat, but you can’t have everything. For a man so clearly preoccupied with the modern threat of terrorism (Lewis voted for the Iraq war, for ID cards and against an investigation into the Iraq war) he seemed stupendously blind to it’s root causes. Much of the argument seemed to take the view that we stamp out any insurgents in Iraq and by proxy safeguard our own country. What he fails to take into account is that much of the terrorist bombings in the UK (including July 7th in London) were propagated by British residents. How exterminating members of Al-Qaeda 3000 miles around the world is going to help us, I don’t know.
Moreover, he incessantly referred to the British people being in a state of fear as “the security of the people of this country lay in the hands of extremists”. Have I ruptured the space-time continuum into a Daily Mail alternate reality? I’ve yet to meet a single person who is genuinely worried about the threat of terrorism to this country. It’s happened before, but the chances of you being in the wrong place at the wrong time are so minute that it’s hardly worth thinking about. Did people stop using the Tube when London was under threat? No, because they had to get on with their lives and it was business as usual.
Towards the end of the talk we were bombarded with statistics showing “improving” living conditions in Afghanistan. Much has been made of the effort to rebuild and reinvigorate Afghanistan. While this may be true, it still doesn’t explain the fundamental point of the whole debate:
Why are we there in the first place?
Joseph Stashko-Adamaszek
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