Wednesday 25th June 2025
Blog Page 1546

Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s pay highest in the UK

Francis Macpherson
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Oxford Vice-Chancellor’s pay highest in the UK

The package, reported in the Times Higher Education Supplement, was decided by the ‘Committee to Review the Salaries of Senior University Officers’. Members include a Non-Executive Director of GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Sir Crispin Davis. 

A university spokesperson said, “Oxford is one of the great universities of the world and makes a major contribution to the economic prosperity of the UK and the UK’s position in the world.” 

“It must remain globally competitive and its Vice-Chancellor’s remuneration needs to reflect that.”

They pointed out that that the package is the same as last year, meaning it is a slight reduction in real terms. Whilst Hamilton’s package has remained the same as last year, on average there was a rise of 2.7% across the country. In his previous role as Provost of Yale, Hamilton earned $442,560. 

Nicola Dandridge, Executive of Universities UK, said, “The salaries Chief University leaders in the UK receive are in line with those in competitor countries and comparable to similarly-sized public and private organizations”.                                                                                                                          

However, some say Vice-Chancellors’ pay is too high, especially when staff have had to face considerable real-term pay cuts.

The Cambridge University Branch of the Unite union sent Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, the Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University with a salary of £271,000, a letter opining that “it is time that you were made aware of the injustice and inequality of the currently single spine wage structure used by the University”. 

Sally Hunt, Universities and College Union General Secretary, stated, “The lack of self-awareness from university leaders when it comes to their own rewards continues to be an embarrassment for the sector, especially when we consider the recent promises that their pay and perks would be reined in”. 

Some Oxford students have voiced concerns with the sum received by Hamilton. One student said, “Semi-autonomous colleges minimise the role of the Vice-Chancellor in contrast to other Universities so I don’t see how this salary is justified.” 

Oliver Troen, a first year Geographer at St Catz, said “it’s outrageous that they can triple our tuition fees and raise management salaries. There has to be give and take from both sides.” 

“The Vice-Chancellor is paid almost 3 times more than the Prime Minister.  Something’s gone wrong there, surely?” 

Yet a first year Economics and Management student said, ‘If you’ve got a top job, and want a top person, you need to pay a top salary. Simple.’

Grand National Horse-by-Horse Guide

Arthur Knaggs
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Grand National Horse-by-Horse Guide

Ratings Guide:

* It would be more efficient to just bin the money…

** Not worth getting excited about

*** Might get round, might even do well.

**** As good a chance as any, get ‘em while they’re hot!

***** My money is very firmly where my mouth is.

 

1. Imperial Commander – Age: 12 / Weight: 11-10 / Stars: ***

The class horse in the race, Imperial Commander won the Gold Cup back in 2010 and is set to run with less weight than he would usually be expected to carry. However, there have only been nine 12 year old winners of the race since the war and Imperial Commander will have to do a lot to change this.

2. What A Friend – Age: 10 / Weight: 11-9 / Stars: **

Part owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, What A Friend is a top race horse. However, while he has finished third in a Cheltenham Cup his previous runs in the National have been particularly uninspiring.

3. Weird Al – Age: 10 / Weight: 11-8 / Stars: ***

I can already hear the hordes of Alistairs and Alexandras clamouring to throw their money away on a name but fate may just have smiled kindly. Trained by Donald McCain, whose father was responsible for Red Rum’s three victories, Weird Al has bags of class. However, a big weight and his fall in last year’s race could yet hamper his chances.

4. Quel Esprit – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-7 / Stars: **

A Grey – which is nice – Quel Esprit is trained by Willie Mullins whose stable is in top form, and has raced well at Grade 1 level. If he can handle the jumps and his weight (neither of which is guaranteed) he might do better than expected.

5. Big Fella Thanks – Age: 11/ Weight: 11-6/ Stars:  ***

If it is possible to have a ‘guilty pleasure’ in horse racing then this is mine.  A horse who has finished in the top seven in all three nationals that he has run, Big Fella Thanks is about as safe a bet as you can make to finish in the top ten. He might not win, but could be there or thereabouts.

6. Seabass – Age: 10 / Weight:  11-6 / Stars ****

Heavily Backed going into last year’s race Seabass finished 3rd after a good round of jumping. His jockey Katie Walsh achieved the best ever result achieved by a female jockey and is looking to go on to win it this time around.

7. Roberto Goldback – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-6/ Stars: ***

If there was ever a case of an unfortunate victory, then Roberto Goldback’s win at Ascot is it. Bought to be a National Horse, his chances in the race are hampered slightly by the heavier load he will now have to cart around Aintree. However, if the ground stays good he could give punters a real run for their money.

8. Sunnyhill Boy – Age: 10 / Weight: 11-4 / Stars: ****

Coming second in the Grand National’s first ever photo finish last year, Sunnyhill Boy has shown that he liked the course and is looking to do one better. However, he does have to carry 7lb more in a strong field, which could cause problems and champion jockey AP McCoy’s decision to ride Colbert Station instead of Sunnyhill boy could be telling.

9. Ballabriggs – Age: 12 / Weight: 11-4 / Stars: ***

The winner in 2011 and a gallant 6th in 2012, Ballabriggs is a horse for the course. Whether he can repeat his performance of 2011 at the age of 12 is another question. A win for Ballabriggs would be another notch in the Aintree cap of the McCain training dynasty.

10. Teaforthree – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-3 / Stars: *****

Having already won over 4 miles, Teaforthree has plenty of go and – in all likelihood – will keep on going. One of the horses in the field who looks to tick all the boxes of a National Prospect.

11. Across The Bay – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-2 / Stars: ****

Another trained by Donald McCain, Across The Bay has been run mainly over hurdles this season but looks to have been trained specifically for the race. If he can handle his weight then he has every chance of being involved at the finish.

12. Join Together – Age: 8 / Weight: 11-2 / Stars: ***

Runner up at the Becher’s Chase in 2012, Join Together finished well and seems to have plenty of stamina. While he is only 8 he has shown that he relishes the fences. Could be an exciting prospect.

13. Colbert Station – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-1 / Stars ****

Winning half his races this season, the only negative to place behind Colbert Station is that he has only run 5 times over fences. If he takes to the course though, he looks like he will be in real contention. The chosen mount of champion jockey AP McCoy, so there’s at least one other person who thinks he’s got a real shot at the big one.

14. Forpaddydeplasterer – Age: 11/ Weight: 11-0 / Stars **

Normally runs over shorter distances and will do well to finish let alone win. There are better horses, with less weight and bigger chances.

15. On His Own – Age: 9 / Weight: 11-0 / Stars *****

Trained By Willie Mullins, who is in a rich vein of form. Mullins left Cheltenham as the festivals top trainer of 2013. The horse ran is last years National and looked to be going well before falling on the second circuit. Has a huge chance this year.

16. Joncol – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-13 / Stars *

Has won big races in the past but this year’s National looks a step too far. If he performs to his best though, there is nothing to say he couldn’t spring a surprise.

17. Balthazar King – Age: 9 / Weight: 10-12 / Stars: ****

A very good jumper, with a solid record in the races that he has run in this year. He has been run primarily over cross-country events and looks every inch a contender this year.

18: Cappa Bleu – Age: 11 / Weight: 10-11 / Stars *****

After his fast-finishing 4th place last year, Cappa Bleu is my pick of the bunch. He is trained by Evan Williams, who was responsible for State of Play’s remarkable record in the race (placed three times out of four) and there is every reason to suggest that Cappa Bleu will reproduce his form of last year.

19. Oscar Time – Age: 12 / Weight: 10-11 / Stars ***

Runner up in 2011, he will be partnered by amateur jockey Sam Whaley-Cohen. Oscar Time is well weighted but might be a little too old to repeat his feat of two years ago.

20. Always Waining – Age: 12 / Weight: 10-10 / Stars: **

Aimed specifically at the National this year, his connections – like most cult leaders – have a faith that I simply do not share.

21. Tatenen – Age: 9 / Weight; 10-10 / Stars **

If he had some proven stamina over three miles, Tatenen would be a definite contender for the race. Having said that, he doesn’t and fell in last year’s running. It could happen… but probably won’t.

22.  Treacle – Age: 12 / Weight: 10-09 / Stars *

Fell last year after a pretty haphazard attempt at the course. Has been aimed at the race, however, all being said and done that means very little.

23. Lost Glory – Age: 8 / Weight: 10-8 / Stars **

Bred in New Zealand, which means almost nothing outside of rugby. Sadly, without an oval ball in sight, Lost Glory doesn’t look like he’s going to change this.

24. Swing Bill – Age: 12 / Weight: 10-08 / Stars *

A bold-jumping grey, Swing Bill came home a gallant 10th last year. He will be easy to spot in the field, but that is just about all he’s got going for him this year.

25. Saint Are – Age: 7 / Weight: 10-08 / Stars **

Has done well at Aintree before but never over the big fences. You have to go back before the war to find a seven year old who has won the race and you’re money would probably be safer in Cyprus.

26. Chicago Grey – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-07 / Stars: *****

Very well handicapped, Chicago Grey looked to be in great shape when brought down last year. Having not had a grey winner since 1951, we could be on for a run of two in a row. Huzzah.

27. Quiscover Fontaine – Age: 9 / Weight: 10-07 / Stars ***

Fell at the 17th last year when going well. There is no guarantee that he would have stayed the distance but if you’re feeling brave, his odds look pretty handy.

28. Rare Bob – Age: 11 / Weight: 10-06 / Stars ****

Another who was unlucky to be brought down last year. Rare Bob looks as well placed as any to make amends come Saturday. Certainly worth consideration.

29. The Rainbow Hunter – Age: 9 / Weight: 10-06 / Stars **

Definitely an outsider, but could spring a surprise. That being said, it would be a surprise and The Rainbow Hunter will have to improve a lot to beat all the horses around him.

30. Becauseicouldn’tsee – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-06 / Stars: *

Trying the same things over and over again, expecting different results is one of the first signs of insanity. The horse has been run in the last two editions of the National and has made very little impact. Your call.

31. Harry The Viking – Age: 8 / Weight: 10-06 / Stars ***

Runner up to Teaforthree at Cheltenham in 2012, Harry The Viking should get the distance well. He is Sir Alex Ferguson’s best chance at glory in the race but will need to improve if the United boss is to get his hands on one of the very few major trophies that still evades him.

32. Mr Moonshine – Age: 9 / Weight: 10-05 / Stars **

Will do well to stay in contention and needs a lot to go his way if he is to come in ahead of all the other horses in the race. That being said, he is running in very fetching silks. A win for fashion if nothing else.

33. Mumbles Head – Age: 12 / Weight: 10-04 / Stars *

I can count the reasons to bet on Mumbles Head using all of France’s 2013 Six Nations’ victories. For those of you who need to be reminded, that is a grand total of Zilch.

34. Ninetieth Minute – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-03 / Stars **

I can already see gleeful journalist conjouring up awful, football related, puns in the hope that this outsider romps to victory. I’ll need some extra-time to come up with my own though.

35. Auroras Encore – Age: 11 / Weight: 10-03 / Stars ***

Runner up in the 2012 Scottish National so Auroras Encore has definitely got stamina. If he can manage the fences then he could be one of the outsiders to watch.

36. Tarquinius – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-02 / Stars *

Has been aimed at the Grand National, but much like North Korea’s war-talk, this is probably ill-considered.

37. Any Currency – Age: 10 / Weight: 10-00 / Stars ***

Usually runs well and is rarely out of the frame. While there are better horses in the race, his low weight could work in his favour.

38. Major Malarkey – Age: 10 / Weight: 9-13 / Stars *

Another horse carrying very little weight. This gives him an advantage over his rivals but will it be enough? To be in contention, he will need a lot of  things to go his way.

39. Soll – Age: 8 / Weight: 9-12 / Stars **

Won well last time out and has been treated kindly by the handicapper. Will need to improve, but if having watched enough YouTube I can attest that many more bizarre things happen on a daily basis. Mostly involving cats.

40 Viking Blond – Age: 8 / Weight: 9-11 / Stars **

He fell at the first last year and can only do better this time around. That being said, this doesn’t mean all that much

Reserves:

Pentific – Age: 10 / Weight: 9-08 / Stars *

Mortimers – Age: 12 / Weight: 9-06 / Stars *

Review: George Catlin’s American Indian Portraits

Beth Timmins
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Review: George Catlin’s American Indian Portraits

George Catlin was born in Pennsylvania in 1796, just as the world of the American Indian was being irreversibly transformed.

A visionary and entrepreneur, the sense of showmanship and spectacle comes through in the exoticism of Catlin’s portraits. The exhibition holds more than fifty, all of prominent American Indian Chiefs, fur traders and villagers. During his time spent painting and collecting artefacts in America, Catlin created an ‘Indian Gallery’, which he took with him to show across all of Europe and America. This is the first time since the 1850s travelling exhibitions that they have been shown collectively outside the United States. In 1839, Catlin’s collection amassed nearly 500 objects and portraits, yet he was bankrupted and forced to sell his ‘Indian Gallery’ to pay his creditors. He even sold two grizzly bears to London Zoo in 1840 after his travelling show had failed to attract enough visitors. The Gallery was later bequeathed to the Smithsonian where it has remained, until this selection was chosen for exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.

During Catlin’s five journeys to the United States in the 1830s, his practice was to paint on site, sketching and showing his subjects their portraits.  Although some of the portraits are unfinished and have rushed brush strokes, owing to the haste with which Catlin painted, the subjects override the occasional dearth of technical skill. Catlin truly captures the considered expressions of his subjects, obviously aware of how acculturation was altering their society. A particularly interesting portrait documents the change of one Wi-Jun-Jon after his first visit to Western America. His profile is depicted in traditional dress, including the Mandan shirt, one of which is exhibited alongside the portraits. The other half of the painting depicts him with his back facing the audience; he is shown fully ‘westernised’. He wears a full suit, top hat and holds a fan, illustrating how all aspects of culture and custom were to be affected with the arrival of the West.

The portrait of La-Doo-Ke-A or Buffalo Bull is also notable for its influence in the later legend of Buffalo Bill. A Grand Pawnee Warrior, he sits with arrow in hand and the Buffalo horns across his chest. The portraits display the colourful ornamentation and ceremony of American Indian tradition in a manner that only a great showman could do justice to.   

Catlin’s work, as he intended, captures an important moment in world history. Many of the people depicted in his portraits would soon be affected by catastrophic smallpox outbreaks, but their memory lives in the ethnography of Catlin’s collection. The vibrancy of the American Indian people is caught in the russet ochre and burnt reds of the portraits, which remain to be a colourfully historical tribute to their subjects.             

Covered Market thief dies in hospital

Sean Ford
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Covered Market thief dies in hospital

At 9 o’clock on the 30th of March, two men were seen walking through the Covered Market in motorcycle helmets and pushing a motorbike. They are said to have been armed with a pickaxe. Police received a phone call from the jeweller at around 9.15 to report the robbery. 

Whilst the thieves failed to retrieve anything from the jeweller, one of the thieves was detained by a member of the public as they tried to make their escape. The man, who was treated on the scene by members of the South Central Ambulance Service was rushed to the John Radcliffe hospital, where he died on Sunday. He was later identified as Clint Townsend, aged 33.

A post mortem is scheduled in order to determine cause of death but it is believed that the man suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene. 

The other thief left the Market and disposed of the helmet in Blue Boar Street before boarding a bus. According to the police he got off the bus somewhere in the Clarendon area. He was described as being white and wearing a black and white t-shirt and blue jeans.

Police have confirmed that the motorbike used during the robbery, a green Kawasaki ZX600 was stolen from an address in Botley Road on the previous Wednesday.

Two men aged 31 and 32 were arrested by the police on suspicion of robbery,  but have since been released on bail.

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that a smoke grenade was used by the thieves but failed to detonate.

Esther Hodges, a first year student at Keble commented that “you just don’t expect it, it happens in Morse but that is about it. It’s good to get a reminder of the real world problems that are out there, especiallywhen exams are coming up – revision is put into perspective by this incident”.

Aditya Pandey a classicist at Somerville was blunter, telling Cherwell that while “maybe crime doesn’t pay, Oxford’s  reputation as a safe town, devoid of crime seems to be breaking down.”

Det Supt Chris Ward who is leading the investigation said: “I am asking anyone who has any information, no matter how insignificant they believe it to be, to get in touch.

“I would like to reassure residents that I have a team of detectives working on this investigation to ensure that we catch whoever is responsible and I urge anyone who might have been in the area of the Covered Market and seen any suspicious activity, to contact the police immediately.”

Employees at the John Gowing jeweller declined to comment.

How to Win (money) on Grand National Day

Arthur Knaggs
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How to Win (money) on Grand National Day

The Grand National is rumbling its inexorable way towards us and with it comes the sound of pounding hoofs, pounding hearts and frustrated punters whose wallets, more often than not, have suffered a similar fate. 

It is the one day of the year when you would be concerned if you didn’t see your granny coming out of the bookies, gleefully clutching the slip that might just fund an all-inclusive trip around the archipelago. With higher odds than any other horse race in the world, making the most of this annual bonanza is not only sensible but practically an obligation. Pick a horse, watch the race, rake in the cash and celebrate wildly, while gloating shamelessly to your friends and family who weren’t quite so on the ball.

However, with 40 runners and no guarantee that any one horse will get round the National really can feel like a lottery. Often, plumping for the horse that shares your name, carries your lucky number or happens to occupy the square of the racing post where you stuck your fate-instructed pin can seem as good a way as any to pick the winner.

Looking at colours is by far the most popular selection criteria for small children and a distressing number of the general adult population. However, for those of you who  – along with your penchant for obscure herbal remedies – look for pretty patterns in the pretty patterned silks worn by the jockeys, it is worth noting that, since 2000, only four horses have won the grand national without carrying some green. If this isn’t concrete statistical data then I don’t know what is. 

“Utter Bollocks!” I hear you cry and you would not be wrong. Fear not though, after literally years of (I am assured) mindless obsession, I come to you with a guide to pick a horse, which will carry your hopes and dreams all the way to the finish and hopefully, all the way to the pub. Where you end up after that is very much your own concern.

I will save you the chore of rattling through an analysis of key statistical trends but since 2000, grand national winners have all fallen within most (if not all) of the following categories and they are worth taking into consideration.

1. Age – Pick a horse aged between 9 and 11. This is when horses are at their peak. Seven of the last eight winners have been 9 or 10.

2. Weight – Four and a bit miles, as anyone who has run cross country at school will tell you is a bloody long way.  However the effect that weight has on a horse’s chances depends on the ground.

– If the ground is soft, it is harder to run on and jumping takes more energy. Consequently try and pick a horse who is carrying less than 11st 1lb.

– However, as the last three Grand Nationals have shown us, weight is less of an issue if the ground is good (drier.) If the ground is good, set the upper weight limit to 11st 5lb.

3. Your horse should have run at least 8 times over fences. National fences are colossal and an inexperienced horse can get spooked.

4. Because the fences are monumental, it is worth looking for a horse with a good jumping record. Go for a horse that hasn’t fallen more than once in his career. Watch out for horses with too many “P” marks on their race-card as this shows that they have been stopped mid-race because they didn’t fancy it.

5. A horse that has run and run well in races over 3 miles long. The Grand National is a test of stamina. If a horse doesn’t have it, it won’t get the distance and will not win.

6. Don’t pick a horse that has run at Cheltenham. IF they’ve been at the festival the chances are that they were trained to peak at the festival and won’t run as well.

7. A Grand National winning horse will have an official BHA handicap rating of 140 + 

Applying these stats whittles down the field and leaves you with the much more manageable task of picking from a closer to 10 than 40.

The Horses who best fit this selection criteria are:

On His Own, Seabass, Cappa Bleu, Colbert Station, Sunnyhill Boy, Teaforthree, Chicago Grey, Balthazar King, Rare Bob and Across The Bay

Notable Others:

Ballabriggs, Join Together and Imperial Commander

My tips for the 2013 Grand National are: Cappa Bleu, Across the Bay and Teaforthree while I wouldn’t be surprised if Ballabriggs also grabbed himself a place.

The East London Group: Artists Worth Remembering

Alexander Woolley
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The East London Group: Artists Worth Remembering

“Were they Frenchmen and, preferably, dead,” the works of the East London Group artists would “already command high prices”. This was the verdict of one contemporary critic on the group’s 1930 show at the Alex, Reid and Lefevre Gallery.

These East London artists – working class men whose only artistic training had been evening classes in Bow under an ambitious Yorkshireman, John Cooper – enjoyed a string of successful exhibitions at the Lefevre before the Second World War. They had previously exhibited at the Whitechapel, of which one critic wrote, “the excellence, good taste and originality of the work… would easily hold its own by comparison with many seen in our West-end galleries.” By 1936 two of the group reached the summit of exhibitions: the Venice Biennale.

Despite the enthusiasm of contemporaries and the quality of their output, today this group is barely remembered. They suffered the double blow of war and the demise of their leader and teacher Cooper, who died of encephalomyelitis in 1943. Cohesive continuation proved impossible, although individual members carried on painting.

But a hefty new book, and accompanying exhibition of several of their extant works, may do something to reverse this trend. From Bow to Biennale: Artists of the East London Group, written by David Buckman, has been extensively researched, (the credits run to several pages) and was done so in the nick of time. Buckman began work in the late eighties, and managed to meet and interview several artists involved with the group, most of whom died in the mid-nineties. The result is something both academic and entertaining; much of the work is focussed on establishing the facts, but it is brought to life by the opinions and memories of those the author managed to track down.

From Bow to Biennale is lavishly illustrated, too. Much of the East London Group’s output was rooted in the everyday experiences of the artists. Particularly stunning is Bow Road (1931) by Elwin Hawthorne (or, Elwin Hawthorn; the “e” was a mistake introduced in a catalogue of the first Lefevre show). The scene is, at first glance, quite tedious: a few people stand around on a grey street, one of whom seems to wait for a bus. Yet Hawthorne introduces a sense of mystery. The shadows are long, and the outermost branches of the trees appear as thin as spiders’ webs. One cannot help wonder why there are so few people on what appears to be a main road, and why everything is so desolate. And this was painted well before the notion of nuclear holocaust was conceivable.

But their output was not restricted to scenes of East London. There are pictures of Brighton and Ilfracombe. Nor did they just paint. Their lithographs were used for Shell adverts, and Cooper produced a number of mosaics. The artists were of humble backgrounds, but their work was far from parochial.

The exhibition at the Abbott and Holder gallery celebrates the publication of the book. Buckman talked of how difficult it had been even to assemble the paintings that they had, and of how, given the productivity of the group, there must be tens of works by the East London Group lying forgotten in attics and under beds – so it might be worth getting round to that spring clean.

From Bow to Biennale: Artists of the East London Group, by David Blackman, is published by Francis Boutle. The accompanying exhibition takes place until 6th April at Abbott and Holder, 30 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LH.

Review: Doctor Who

Huw Fullerton
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Review: Doctor Who

Doctor Who’s return in ‘The Bells of St John’ was a funny mishmash of an episode, that welcomed (well, sort of) a new companion with what seemed like a rehash of several episodes from the last few seasons. We had a monster consuming people through new technology (as in ‘The Idiot’s Lantern’), spinning head robots (as in ‘The Beast Below’), and the Doctor using a robot to act as himself (mirroring The Tesseract). More generally, the style of the episode was very reminiscent of series four’s first episode (in which humans are converted into walking fat). The list goes on, and this level of recycling came across as a little odd in my book — though almost certainly unintentional, it made the episode one of the weaker openings since Steven Moffat took over the franchise; even though I didn’t like ‘Asylum of the Daleks’ all that much, it had a bit of originality to it.

The episode saw the Doctor trying to track down his sort-of companion from the Christmas special, Clara, who is also both a futuristic Butlins redcoat-Dalek and a Victorian governess. Sort of. Her importance and mystery was front and centre, but it’s hard to fully engage with such a similar storyline to that of River Song, and it doesn’t feel like Clara’s been around long enough for us to get on board with the Doctor’s obsession. Also, given that he hadn’t really met Clara before, the amount of physical contact he made with her was genuinely slightly uncomfortable – I mean, he stroked her hair a lot. I’ve never been more aware that the Doctor is supposed to be a 1,000-year old alien, and that the women he picks up are generally in their twenties. 

Clara certainly seems a lot less insufferable than her Oswin persona last year (I was concerned we might end up with a Jar Jar kind of scenario), but it’s early days. Certainly, I would say that it’s becoming harder and harder for the companions to seem distinct from one another as the series goes on. The recent backlash against Doctor Who’s treatment of women has been slightly blown out of proportion I think (especially the online arguments about Amy changing her surname), but as time and actors move on it is becoming clear that female characters do come across as less developed than their male counterparts in the series. Compared with characters like Rory or Captain Jack who really brought something different to the TARDIS crew, it feels that the primary companion role is in danger of becoming generic. Admittedly it is part of the structure of the show to have a character acting as a surrogate for the audience, but Doctor Who should be capable of meeting higher expectations. Amy Pond, for example, really did seem quite different to her predecessors.

It wasn’t a bad start to this run by any means — it looked great, some of the ideas were pretty cool and a motorbike charge up The Shard will always get my vote. But fundamentally it just didn’t seem particularly original, and the ‘modern technology is trying to kill us’ trope has been done to death (in Who and elsewhere). Still, while Clara may never eclipse Amy, I’m willing to give her the chance over a series that includes a long-overdue journey through the TARDIS and a Cyberman episode written by Neil Gaiman. 

Oh, but please stop doing the ‘Doctor Who?’ question. It was never funny or deep, but now it’s starting to grate.

3 stars

Feature: One Direction World (no, that’s not an April Fool)

Toby Huelin
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Feature: One Direction World (no, that’s not an April Fool)
Last Christmas, my girlfriend bought me a One Direction calendar. Intended as a joke (I think…), the calendar is but a mere splash in the ocean of One Direction merchandise, the latest and grandest iteration of which is the newly opened ‘1D World’ pop up store at the O2 Arena in London, following ‘1D World’ successes in Leeds, New York, Sydney and elsewhere. Through 5,000 square feet, loyal fans and exasperated parents can buy everything from T-shirts and posters to One Direction onesies and life-size cardboard models.
 

At this point in their career, One Direction are less of a band than a brand, a factory of consumer gratification of which the music is but one part. The way in which Harry, Louis, Zayn, Niall and Liam are totally idolised by such a significant portion of the (mostly) teenage, female population is surely a result of this brand manifestation: it is not merely that One Direction are on your radio, or your iPod, but that they are everywhere. They are not a purely sonic phenomenon, but a machine which intersects all aspects of daily life. For example, a friend tells the story of her younger cousin who, on hearing that Liam has a phobia of spoons, declaimed that they would cease using spoons as a mark of solidarity. Scary and impractical.

Whatever one may think of One Direction, it is clear that their unique brand of charm, charisma and, I would add, remarkably strong work ethic, has paid off. According to the Sunday Times Rich List, to be released later this month, they are the richest boy band in the country, with a combined wealth of £25 million. Not bad considering they only formed in 2010, as the result of not winning The X Factor. It’s a little simplistic to say they found a ‘gap in the market’ and shuffled into it (anyone remember One True Voice, 3LS, Rooster?), but it is certainly true that they followed JLS in creating a new, dynamic form of all-male pop group, and a radically changed conception of the genre of ‘boyband’.

To me, what defines One Direction’s success is the music. In the place of the piano, strings, soothing melodies and soaring modulations of say, Westlife, One Direction’s music sounds like five guys having a lot of fun: their songs are catchy, well-crafted and appropriate to their target audience, owing much more to 50s rock ‘n’ roll bands and to current trends in popular and dance music in their musical language than they do to ‘boybands’ per se.

For some, the One Direction store is a horrendous example of how popular music today is all about making money. However, the commercialisation of music is nothing new. Music has always been commoditised, and will always continue to be, with musicians thriving on the industry that surrounds them. It is not enough to write a catchy song and hope that it will land you fame and fortune. Instead, through hard work, keen business and a lot of luck, One Direction show the results that can be achieved.

I’m really bored of people hating One Direction. They have managed, like a collection of bands and artists before them, to turn abstract sound into money and lifestyle, something for which they can only be congratulated.

Now, time to unpack my life-size cardboard model of Harry Styles…

Edinburgh DO: not just a bunch of hippies

Alexandra Bleasdale
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Edinburgh DO: not just a bunch of hippies

I’m engaged in a long-distance love affair with Edinburgh (having worked at the Fringe in the summer) and got the excuse to visit again in the form of the Edinburgh DO, a “skills-sharing collective” lasting three days. Never mind that I didn’t really know what a skills-sharing collective was (having never knowingly been to one before) – the website looked interesting, I was bored, and the word Edinburgh was in the title. Standing at a bus stop in Birmingham City Centre (anyone living in the south shudders) at 6.30am (all except rowers blanch) in four inches of snow and a freezing cold wind (who wouldn’t be shivering,) I couldn’t help but feel I might have made a rash decision. In the coldest March for over fifty years, was it really a good idea to travel 300 miles further north to attend an event at which I knew less than a handful of people?

As I really didn’t know what to expect, I arrived at the DO with an entirely open mind (a pretty rare occurrence), which proved both necessary and sufficient for the weekend. The website promised “a space to share zany ideas and collaborate on new initiatives”. What this boiled down to was an attempt to inspire and support change (however big or small) and have a good time doing it. Straight away, I can wholeheartedly confirm it fulfilled this promise. Words like “sustainability”, “environmentally-friendly”, “community”, “freedom from oppression” and “rights” littered the pages of description of the many workshops and activities that were being offered. Whilst most of us are aware of these concepts, the difference here was the focus on DO-ing rather than sitting around complaining. The creator of the event explained, “young people are passionate and bold and creative. We want to take hold of the direction of our future and this is an opportunity to learn new skills, gain confidence and make new links for collaboration.”

The sheer number and variety of workshops offered something for everyone; here is but a small cross-section. The braver and more intrepid (or masochistic) ventured out into the cold to learn to forage, help build a roof-top garden or transform an area of wasteland close to the castle. For those interested in activism and demonstrations, there was legal observer training and a ‘know your rights’ workshop with the Green and Black Cross. Rhythms of Resistance London, a politically-orientated samba band, and Rebel Clowning shared music and skills as well as explaining how it can be beneficial to change the mood of a demonstration in the face of confrontation with the police. There was ‘flash mob singing’ and an acting workshop. You could learn to make your own solar panels, or how to repair and maintain your bike with the Bike Station. I found the latter particularly useful, having been woefully ignorant of the workings of all things two-wheeled for the last couple of years, despite riding a bike virtually every day. Eighteen-pound puncture repairs, no more! 

Food-orientated activities – always good in my book – included the laying out of a mandala, a spiritually-significant pattern from the Hindu and Buddhist traditions, comprising solely of items salvaged from local grocers that would otherwise have gone in the skip. This provided enough ingredients to feed, or rather stuff full, more than a hundred people at the dinner on Saturday. The menu was the following: a salad with beetroot, carrot, spinach and orange; Bombay potatoes with parsnips; green vegetable curry; red lentil dhal; aubergine chutney and for good measure for afters, a banana and apple cake with red fruit sauce. All for free. Interestingly, the food was all vegan; it was actually very tasty. That’s not to say I didn’t get the dairy munchies and consume an entire block of cheese in one sitting on the Monday. As far as I’m aware, no-one died from eating the dinner (even if they did, we’d all signed a disclaimer in the morning). Volunteers from Bristol Food Cycle had come up to lead this mammoth task. Food Cycle groups around the UK redirect food that is thrown out by food retailers (more often than not due to overstocking) to be used to cook free vegetarian meals once a week for people in the local community.  Putting aside the fact that as impecunious students we all love a cheap meal, there’s plenty of food for thought (excuse the pun).

When mentioning the DO to friends, I’ve had the inevitable questions: Have I become a hippie? Am I going to join a commune? No, and no. The fact is I’ve never felt more welcomed by a group despite knowing virtually no-one. The idea behind it all, that we each have something to teach others, and that we’re better off co-operating (that highly novel concept), makes complete sense to me and I suspect to most. However, it wasn’t all worthy do-gooding.  Breaks were filled with music and circus skills, again with the most experienced always happy to teach. The final night Ceilidh was my first and it was so much fun I wouldn’t mind if it was my last. It was frenetic, (overly-)enthusiastic, exuberant and spontaneous, with everyone collapsed in a heap on the floor, red-faced and sweaty, by the end. Even the background slide show of the activities was powered by people cycling on bicycles.

Perhaps the most exciting thing was the feeling that the DO was also a springboard for the spreading of ideas for future projects. The weekend provided a hub to bring together like-minded people to collaborate and brainstorm. ‘Pollination sessions’ were held at lunchtime at which people could advertise a proposal for a project and meet in groups to discuss how to take it forwards. These sessions ran alongside ‘How-Tos’: how to set up a workers’ co-operative, run environmental education workshops or set up a community skill-share to enable people to realise their ideas.

I hope, and would not be surprised, to see other DOs springing up around the country. Of course, the growth of ethical and sustainable awareness has been going on for some time, but it was the coming together that felt really valuable. We spend years looking for something to be really passionate about, and it was clear that many of the DO-ers had not only already found that something, but also a desire to share it, which is central to their ethos.

Review: New Girl Season Two

Sophie Hall-Luke
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Review: New Girl Season Two

At the end of the first season of New Girl, we were largely left where we started, with the four central characters all back in the apartment. Nick had decided to stay rather than move out with his ex-girlfriend Caroline. Jess was recovering from her break-up with older man Russell. Schmidt had ended things with Cece and had his penis broken. Yes, that’s right. He broke his penis.

Several months down the line and we rejoin the friends after a period of healing. In the first episode, Relaunch, Schmidt decides to host a danger-themed party to reaffirm his ‘personal brand’ now that his penis cast is off. Jess is made redundant from her teaching job and tries her hand at being a shot-girl for the evening, to limited effect. Schmidt goes out of his way to impress Cece, who arrives at the party with new boyfriend, Robbie. 

The seeds for some of this season’s key narrative arcs are established in the first episode. In the next weeks, Jess will have to come to terms with her unemployment, Schmidt must suppress his infatuation with Cece, and Nick’s protective instinct towards Jess will continue to grow. This is a season in which many supporting cast members will come and go. But the core of New Girl is immutable: Schmidt, Nick, Winston and Jess muddling along in their warped little loft world. 

My relationship with the New Girl characters is difficult to define. Frequently they annoy me: they’re overly loud, melodramatic and barely believable. Yet I have an affection for them which keeps me tuning in. Many criticisms of the show seem to stem from Zooey Deschanel’s image as a manic pixie dream girl, and while this does appear to be her default setting, it is an unfair judgement. Her character, Jessica Day, is more nuanced than that. Sure, Jess is super optimistic and ‘quirky’. But she also gets low sometimes, is wholly dedicated to her profession and is a reliable friend. Could I tolerate her company for more than thirty minutes? No. But she’s an almost-plausible human.

The biggest laughs, however, come from her male flatmates: Schmidt, Nick and Winston. Schmidt is a corporate narcissist whose overinflated sense of his own brilliance manifests itself in naivety. Winston is an anxiety-riddled ex-professional basketball player who mediates the group. Nick is a grouchy barman with crushingly low self-confidence. Every time he and Jess have an intimate conversation, I fear that they will end up kissing. This has seemed like a foregone conclusion since the pilot episode, and I desperately hope New Girl can resist the fulfilment of this romantic cliché.

Although it would be impossible to definitively say which of the characters is the lead, the show certainly does not favour Winston, who for the most part continues to be restricted to subplots. In a moment of introspection, Schmidt analyses the characters’ unique brands. ‘Winston,’ he says, ‘your brand is Winston.’ Although I have appreciated how New Girl’s gradual development of Winston’s character has made him a more complex and intriguing persona, I think it is a shame that he remains the character we have got to know the least. Lamorne Morris is a talented comic actor, and deserves greater attention from the show’s writers. 

The opening episode of season two of New Girl is on a par with the quality viewers had come to expect from the first. It’s certainly still amusing, if not always laugh-out-loud funny. The fact is, there is almost no distinction between the first and second season of New Girl, and disappointingly, Relaunch falls back on New Girl’s staple devices: Jess talks like an old time gal, Nick gets shouty, and some combination of the cast break into ridiculous song and dance. Rather than treading new ground, the coming episodes reinforce the lacklustre but comforting repetitivity which New Girl has by the bucketload. 

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