indigo 16.10.12
) k c a b ( u o y s e m indigo welco r a e y w e n a g n i l d n a h r o f s p i t h t i w to Durham
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Tuesday 16st October 2012 | INDIGO
indigo
Indigo Editor: Alexandra Groom indigo@palatinate.org.uk
contents
editor’s letter
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ew term, new academic year, fresh start. We’re all going to work much harder this year because we promised that to ourselves during the exam panic. And we will definitely, definitely, be keeping to that. Maybe. In the mean time, welcome, freshers, to indigo, and welcome back to all the returners. Here our wonderful editors provide you not only with first class journalism, but with valid and guilt-free procrastination. Why would you not want to try our fiendishly difficult yet addictive crossword on the back page, and seriously, those recipes from the food section are just screaming out to be tried by even the most diehard members of the microwave school of cooking. Slotted into the middle of the wonderful mothership that is Palatinate, indigo is here to offer something slightly different, a little more light hearted, and I promise you now that I will try my utmost to ensure nothing depressing or controversial will ever sully this publication. Unless you don’t think Cambodia is a valid “alternative” destination anymore, in which case you’re not going to like p14. In all seriousness however, I hope you enjoy this edition, we have a fantastic team of writers and editors this term whom I know will provide you with more than enough entertainment and diversion throughout the coming months, both online and in our fortnightly print editions. If you want to know more or to become part of the team in any way whatsoever, come to our “Get Involved” meeting tonight at 7:30 in Elvet Riverside 201, where you can meet individual editors from across both indigo and Palatinate and have a chat. Go on, there’s the start of that new leaf you were promising to turn over. AG
Page 3: FASHION: indigo takes an alternative look at costume drama, exploring the role an outfit can play in a film. Pages 4&5: FEATURES: Mrs Elvet and the team take you under their wing with advice on everything important for the upcoming year.
Pages 6&7: FOOD & DRINK: whatever your situation, don’t panic about starting off on the right foot cooking-wise, it’s all here. Pages 8&9: MUSIC: Gig news, a round up as good as they get, and the debut of the infamous new playlist (keep your eye on that one on the bottom right...)
Pages 10&11: FILM & TV: indigo investigates what our neighbours across the pond have to offer, and has a look at where the student body is most accurately represented. Don’t watch these with your parents if they’re of the old school. Page 12: STAGE: indigo brings you all things Shakespeare, with an interesting take on the Olympics and a review from the Edinburgh Fringe. Page 13: BOOKS: If your reading list doesn’t
appeal to a hangover, then this one certainly will.
Pages 14&15: TRAVEL: indigo hears about
travels to Cambodia, and a local’s take on Canada. Jealous? Us?
More articles on palatinate.org.uk. Front page photo: Asher Haynes.
On this day:
They said what?
“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” - J.B. Priestly
1384 – Jadwiga is crowned King of Poland, although she is a woman 1793 – Marie Antoinette, widow of Louis XVI, is guillotined at the height of the French Revolution 1834 – Much of the ancient structure of the Palace of Westminster in London burns to the ground 1846 – William TG Morton first demonstrated ether anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Ether Dome 1854 – Birth of Oscar Wilde, Irish writer (d. 1900) 1916 – In Brooklyn, New York, Margaret Sanger opens the first family planning clinic in the United States 1923 – The Walt Disney Company is founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy 1939 – World War II: First attack on British territory by the German Luftwaffe 1946 – Nuremberg Trials: Execution of the convicted Nazi leaders of the Main Trial 1964 – The People’s Republic of China detonates its first nuclear weapon 1984 – Desmond Tutu is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 1991 – Birth of Jedward (sorry...)
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Fashion Editors: Lois Edmett & Cordelia Yeung Deputy: Jess McGahan fashion@palatinate.org.uk
fashion 3
The costumes behind the drama The V&A Museum makes way for 100 iconic costumes in its upcoming exhibition
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n the 20th October 2012, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London will open the doors to its glamorous exhibition, ‘Hollywood Costume’. This magnificent venture will feature over a hundred of the most iconic costumes ever seen on film. The exhibition will present costume designers as storytellers, historians and social commentators. Not only will it display some of the finest film fashion, but also examine what factors combine to render a costume iconic. In today’s celebrity and fashion-obsessed society, a large part of the multi-million pound entertainment industry relies on visual language to captivate its audience. The aesthetic choices made by costume designers are not only crucial to a picture’s success, but in the best case, can create an iconic look – appreciated as an item separate from the film itself. Jacqueline Durran, costume designer of the 2007 wartime drama Atonement thinks of her craft as a puzzle. “You’re putting fabrics, a time period and a colour scheme together in a way
that makes sense on screen,” she explains. Indeed, following Keira Knightley’s performance as Cecilia Tallis in the film, a certain green dress almost received more critical acclaim than the film itself. Sky Movies and InStyle readers voted it ‘The Best Costume Of All Time’, becoming a favourite on celebrity fashion imitation websites such as courtesan-boutique.com, offering fans their own versions of the gown. The silk dress, which Durran created from scratch, veered away from the frumpy style of the upper-middle classes of the film’s era. Director Joe Wright requested it be made
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The Hardigan - worn and dishevelled - is a cardigan worn by a real man who has experienced hardship
out of green material. This was an unusual choice as the colour green in film supposedly makes audiences feel uncomfortable. The combination of Durran’s innovative skills and the striking use of colour created a piece of costume perfection. The dress became a symbol of mystery, tension and resentful envy to Briony Tallis, a character whose choices shape the tragic events
Tom Hardy, in Lawless, sporting a ‘Hardigan’ Photograph: Just Jared
Atonement’s Keira Knightley in the iconic green dress Photograph: The Storytelling Hour great effect, as audiences are a symbol for the film they were which unfold in the story. lulled into a false sense of secreated for. What characters More recently, costume decurity about Forrest only to be wear become part of who they signer Margot Wilson made inshocked by the explosive behavare, and heavily influence the novating choices in the prohibiiour of his character, explains emotive effect the film has on tion film Lawless, starring Shia Wilson. Today, the cardigan its audience. The importance of LaBeouf and Tom Hardy. In an adapts to a vast range of looks, the costume designer in the eninterview with the Clothes on yet Wilson manages to redefine tertainment industry will only Film website, Wilson discussed it altogether. Journalist Beth continue to grow as fashion and the difficulties she encountered Squires aptly calls it “The Hardifilm become even more interdesigning a wardrobe for Tom gan”. Worn and dishevelled, this twined. Hardy, in the role of Forrest Bonis a cardigan worn by a real man In the meantime, see Durdurant. She made the decision to who has seen and experienced ran’s Atonement dress alongside dress Hardy in a way that would hardship. Makes Indiana Jones many other famous favourites, challenge assumptions about look like a bit of a pansy! including Indiana Jones and Pithe garb traditionally donned Whether or not ‘The Hardigan’ rates of the Caribbean’s Captain by tough Western anti-heroes. gains the same critical reception Jack Sparrow at the V&A exhibiHardy’s knitted cardigan simulas Cecilia’s gown remains to be tion, October 20th 2012 – Janutaneously adds a layer of rough seen. However, the way in which ary 27th 2013. reality and comfort to his role. costume unites dramatic tone, The glamour of fashion during Jojo Cornick character and plot renders them prohibition is stripped away to
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
4 features Behind the scenes: London 2012 Caroline McGrath on VIPs, volleyball and volunteers
Photograph: Nicoletta Asciuto
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ittle did I know it, but my first shift as a London 2012 Gamesmaker would set the scene for the whole experience. Merely a few hours in, I had already been thanked by Lord Coe for “doing a great job” and had served food to Norwegian royalty. I was based at Horse Guards Parade, where the beach volleyball competition was held. The organisers had literally gone and built a beach in David Cameron’s back garden. We were a stone’s throw away from Buckingham Palace and the view from the stands showcased landmarks such as the London Eye and Big Ben. As a member of the Venue Protocol team, it was my job to look after the VIPs of the Games. These people weren’t sponsors (as was commonly believed inthe media), but mainly members of the Olympic Family - those who organise Olympic representation in their respective countries, and included royal guests, politicians, and Team GB gold medallists. You’re probably wondering if I met Prince Harry. The answer is yes, I was lucky enough to be working when he made his visit. I also met David Beckham on the
Photograph: Karen Sherr
Horse Guards Parade, where mere mortals mingled with royalty for beach volleyball Photograph: Caroline McGrath same night and worked out that Laura Trott and Jason Kenny were in a relationship a few hours before the rest of the world. Not bad for an evening’s work! It still baffles me why a nineteen year-old Mancunian girl was let loose in such a role. Essentially, the most important part was to offer excellent customer service. I have worked in retail before and being a friendly, personable representative of London 2012 was not particularly hard given that the clients were so nice. Indeed, meeting the most high-profile people of the Games quickly became the norm. One of my friends was using her French skills whilst chatting with a friendly gentleman. He explained that he was from Monaco and then it dawned upon her: she was in conversation with Prince Albert of Monaco, blissfully unaware of his status. Namedropping aside, in a role that focused so much on people, it was my fellow Gamesmakers that made the whole experience memorable. I genuinely believe that the world would
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be a happier place if every manager was like my bosses.
You’re probably wondering if I met Prince Harry...
It was nice to work with people of a variety of different ages and our team was truly international, given that some were providing interpretation services. I have group photos in which every single volunteer is a different nationality. As a Modern Languages student and self-confessed xenophile, I was in heaven. In my opinion, London’s multiculturalism was most definitely a factor in the success of these Olympics. Most teams playing could count on a fellow countryman to be watching them at Horse Guards, willing them to succeed. Witnessing crowds re-
ally getting behind the athletes regardless of race or nationality was powerful. It defined what the Olympic movement stands for and brought people together through sport, irrespective of their heritage. As a volunteer, my salary was the experience. Away from the seriousness of the Olympic Park, we had music booming and dancers during the interval. The infectious atmosphere certainly made amends for the unflattering purple uniform. The sport itself certainly didn’t disappoint either. I challenge anybody who believes that beach volleyball is unworthy of the Olympics to try running around on sand, whilst maintaining pinpoint precision in handling the ball. At times London seemed like a Rio street carnival, particularly unusual in a city where the busy rush hour of an ordinary day is often a reserved and quiet affair. Even commuters on the tube were entering unchartered territories by acknowledging one another!
The first day I wore my uniform, a stranger came up to me on the street to wish me well. It is a sad fact, but at any other time I probably would have assumed she was crazy for speaking to me. Given the amount of scepticism there was in the months leading up to the Games, the way in which the Olympics gripped the nation is slightly ironic. I hate to say I told you so, but I always knew the whole thing would be a stirring success. Why else would I have bothered with expensive trips to London for training? Everyone in Britain was glued to their television screens, and Gamesmakers were given the opportunity to be first-hand witnesses to the excitement and victories of London 2012. That’s certainly something you can’t put a price on.
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For more on volunteering antics at the Olympics, go to palatinate.org.uk
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Mrs Elvet sorts you out
Features Editor: Sophia Chan Deputy: Emily Woodhouse feature@palatinate.org.uk
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indigo’s very own Agony Aunt solves all your problems Dear Mrs Elvet, I would really like to bring my car back up to University this term, but got so frustrated by people hassling me for lifts and not contributing towards petrol last year that I’m not sure it’s worth it. How can I make my friends behave more considerately? Jack Stone, Stephenson’s College You can’t, so you might as well sink to their antisocial level. Start playing Ed Sheeran at full volume with the windows down whilst singing along at the top of your voice. Say his music brings out your emotional side, go the wrong way round roundabouts and summon up a few tears. You’ll drive your friends mad, although potentially yourself too.
Dear Mrs Elvet, Do you know of anywhere in Durham that does a good spray tan? All my friends have spent their summers in Puerto Banus, and I don’t want to let on that my only holiday was a wet weekend in Wales. Rose English, Collingwood College
There is no such thing as a good spray tan. Pretend you holidayed in Morocco, where you were covered head to toe out of respect to the locals. Whilst they are gaping in awe at your cultured lifestyle, gently enquire whether they’re feeling ok, as you volunteered at a hospital for jaundiced patients whilst out there and know how self-conscious it can make sufferers feel. Dear Mrs Elvet, I really want a pet in our house this year. How can I convince my housemates that it’s a good idea? K9KT, Trevelyan College
Buy really thin binbags, then overload them. Each time one breaks, leave the leftover food all over the floor. Point out that if you had a micro pig, you wouldn’t have rotting waste. Alternatively, watch Heston Blumenthal with your house and explain how well a boar can provide an occasion to bring friends closer together. Dear Mrs Elvet, I signed up to loads of societies during freshers’ fair, and
I’m fed up of receiving emails from people like ’The Rainbow Smiles and Chocolate Society’. How can I stop them from sending me emails? Fresher, St. Aidan’s College You could of course reply and ask to be removed from the mailing list. However, that would take away the bonding first year fun of being able to complain about it.
Dear Mrs Elvet, One of my housemates is absolutely lovely, but she always bakes cakes that are average at best before smothering them in icing and expecting us to eat them. She is clearly desperate to be a ‘yummy mummy’ and thinks this is a way to make a good catch - unfortunately we are both after the same guy. What do I do?! Francesca Lemon, St Cuth’s Society Let her carry on. She clearly hasn’t realised that boys are more into steak than the Humingbird Bakery.
Dear Mrs Elvet, I totally found myself on my year abroad. I joined a collective of Paris intellectuals and spent the year discussing the really important questions in life. Now I’ve come back to Durham it just feels like something is missing. My old friends seem immature and everything is just so shallow and pointless. How can I hope to adjust when I’ve changed so much and everything here is still the same? Tortured Artist, Hatfield College Don’t worry, there are many yah abroaders out there just like you. If an existence punctuated by college dinners, quaddies and doing the macarena just doesn’t seem worth the bother, comfort yourself that you have the rest of your life to be overeducated, underworked and a drain on society. In the meantime, why not spend the year sitting morosely in the garden of Fishtank and bemoaning the banality of your existence. You might even encounter some kindred spirits. Elizabeth Briggs and Olivia Rudgard
indigo’s definitive guide to lecture etiquette Forget official advice, we tell you what to bring, where to sit and when you should just stay in bed Choose appropriate attire. Do not wear pyjamas and flip flops. You will, without fail, look ridiculous. Last night’s clubbing outfit disguised by a giant hoodie filched from a random person’s bedroom floor is also unacceptable. There’s an art to arriving late. If you’re going to arrive late to an Elvet Riverside 140 lecture, don’t choose a seat at the front, in the middle. It’s annoying. Conversely, we get that you took an advanced course at A level and already know all that the lecturer is droning on about, but it is still highly annoying when someone ups and makes a bid for freedom half an hour early. It’s just plain rude. How to ask questions. Do not ask a question and keep everyone from their long-awaited lunch. Wait patiently and ask your lecturer personally at the end. You’ll probably get more
brownie points that way anyway.
Turn your phone on silent. You’re the one going to be embarrassed when Sexy Bitch by Akon comes on loudly half-way through.
If you’re ill, stay at home. It’s inevitable that you will catch the annoyingly persistent freshers’ flu in your first few weeks. Cue lectures played out to a soundtrack of sniffling freshers. But when your booming coughs are echoing off the walls and your insistent noseblowing means no one can hear the lecturer’s already muted tones, you’re not being brave, you’re being annoying. Contrary to what you might have heard, the University doesn’t hand out medals for valour in lecture attendance. Go back to bed. Sit somewhere practical. If you do arrive super early and have your pick of the seats,
please don’t be the idiot who sits on the end of an empty row, thereby forcing everyone else to clamber over you. It’s completely unnecessary. And for the uber keen out there- we know you are trying to be friendly and all, but sitting right next to someone on an entire row of empty seats is just too close for comfort. Respect people’s personal space.
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The University doesn’t hand out medals for valour in attendance
Bring suitable equipment... What on earth is the point of turning up armed with nothing but a restorative bottle of water, a mobile phone and a loud voice intent on recounting all
the banter from Market Vaults last night? If you want to spend the entire hour staring into space that’s your prerogative, but please don’t fill your time by playing angry birds and nudging your neighbour every time the lecturer says a rude word.
smells, it’s noisy and it’s completely antisocial. We’d rather put up with your tummy rumblings than suffer ridiculously loud open-mouth chewing. AG, SC, OR and CT
...but don’t go overboard. Equally, it really isn’t necessary to bring all the set texts, 15 different coloured pens and highlighters, printouts of the lecture slides, a Macbook, notepad and Dictaphone. It’s a lecture on the Hundred Years War, not an MI5 briefing, and you really don’t have to meticulously record every word that comes out of the lecturer’s mouth. Eating is cheating . We know you missed lunch because you were fervently cramming for this afternoon’s seminar, but that’s no excuse to turn up with a Gregg’s pasty and eat it very loudly in the back row. It
Illustration: Katherine Berks
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
6 food & drink
Beyond your daily bread Find yourself cooking the same recipes day in, day out? indigo gives you some innovative twists on an everyday staple - bread
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read, from time immemorial, has been the staple stuff of the western diet; an economic marker, the food of thousands and the bane of bikini diets. It’s also a constituent element of almost every student shopping basket. From toast to, well, beans on toast, the humble loaf is a post-lecture hunger saviour. Yet the versatility of this starch is too often undermined; today’s sorry looking crust is tomorrow’s supper. Look to the French, whose pain perdu, is a classic example of leftovers turned good. Just soak a couple of slices in beaten egg and fry gently in butter until golden, then drench in sugar and cinnamon. Or do as the Spanish do, and use it as a vehicle for tapas; try the classic pan con tomate, and add a couple of slices of chorizo or ham to bulk it up. Or smear with chickpeas mashed with olive oil and garlic, then drizzle
with lemon and sprinkle with paprika. These, and the ideas below, might be simple but they’re anything but stale…
Panzanella An autumnal twist on an Italian classic. Chop 300g of fresh tomatoes (the plum variety have great flavour) and half a small cucumber, finely dice half a red onion and tear your leftover bread into large chunks. To make this salad more autumnal, lightly toast the bread to warm you could even swap the raw tomato and cucumber for roasted tomato and courgette. Toss all the ingredients lightly, and season well. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, capers (if you have them), a pinch of sugar and some extra salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and leave the flavours to absorb. If you fancy, scatter over leftover roast chicken or shavings of cheese to make it more substantial.
Migas Migas means ‘crumbs’ in Spanish. Place your finely sliced bread in a bowl. Season and sprinkle with a little water, then leave to stand. Heat some oil in a pan and add a clove of finely chopped garlic and a bit of paprika if you want some extra heat. Add chopped red pepper and sliced chorizo, then remove once browned. Add the bread to the frying pan and cook in the fragrant oil. Add bread to pepper and chorizo mixture, and lightly toss. Tuscan bread and tomato soup The Italians often use bread as a thickener in soups. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook a chopped onion and 3 cloves of chopped garlic until softened. Add a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes and another tin full of water. Bring to the boil and season well. Reduce the heat and leave to
simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or so, until the soup has thickened. Add the torn up bread and stir into the soup. To finish, a bit of basil wouldn’t go amiss, nor would an extra drizzle of olive oil. Apple Bread Pie Bread doesn’t have to be savoury. Peel and chop 2 medium sized bramley apples, cook on a low heat in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons sugar until the apple has reduced to a puree. Remove from heat. Take 3 slices of white bread (crusts removed), melt 1 ½ tablespoons of butter and brush both sides of the bread slices. Line a small pie dish or ramekin with the buttery bread, leaving some bread aside to cover the top as a lid. Fill the rest of the dish with cooked apple. Use the remaining bread to cover the top. Sprinkle with a little sugar, bake in the oven at 200oC for 15 minutes until
golden brown.
Piña Colada Pudding Or how to get rid of Malibu. In a bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoons of coconut milk and 1 full measure of white rum. Remove the crusts of 2 slices of white bread and soak the slices in the mixture for 5 minutes. Melt ½ tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Line the bottom of an ovenproof-dish with tinned pineapple rings. Cover the pineapple with the butter/sugar syrup. Take the soaked bread slices and cover the pineapple. Sprinkle liberally with sugar and bake in the oven at 200oC for 20 minutes until light-brown and crispy on top. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, follow the same recipe, but before serving invert the dish onto the plate so the pineapple is facing upwards to create an upside-down cake effect.
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Food & Drink Editor: Kirsten Riddick food@palatinate.org.uk
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You know you’re hooked on college food when... Five signs that show you’re fully embracing the joys of college catering 1) You queue for college dinner like Mexican Bake is an iPhone 5 Dinner in college is served at 5:30pm - the last time you ate at this hour, you were probably in a highchair. Not that this does anything to dampen enthusiasm levels. Come five-fifteen, the queue is out the door. This is all about technique: let anyone in, and you’re likely to be joined by their entire corridor. It’s every man for himself in this game. 2) You have tried to steal milk and caused gang warfare The milk hoarder is a special breed of fresher. On the surface, they appear warm and friendly and they probably are. But mess with their dairy supplies and you’ll see a new side. Notes in the vein of “You won’t just be crying if you spill my milk, BITCH” are likely to be found on every lactose-containing item in your corridor fridge. 3) You combine carbohydrates like you’re Michael Phelps Lasagne and chips, plus bread and a healthy dollop of mash, is now just a standard lunch snack. And are those curly fries in the corner? Being catered
means, inexplicably, you must pile as much starch onto your plate as possible. You might not be doing a triathlon the next day, but you have got that swimming test for rowing. Bulking up is thus obligatory - you won’t get through that length of breaststroke without it. 4) You have already identified your college parents as a potential food source Not in the cannibalistic sense. Rather, your college parents have probably made claims about a “family dinner party.” Second years will try and conveniently shirk this responsibility for as long as possible. Don’t let them get away with it. Turn up uninvited one evening, and they’ll have to produce something. 5) You realise that Saturday morning brunch is now the highlight of your entire week Maybe even your life. The only stress factor is the item limit rule. Choosing between hash brown and croissant requires more intellectual investment than your average Medieval English literature tutorial.
Recipes and photographs: Kirsten Riddick and Emma Richardson
Culinary adventures Alex Yandell, a French and Classics student at Trevs, has just moved to France for his year abroad. He gives indigo a gastronomic insight into his first few weeks in Bordeaux
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year living in a foreign country and speaking another language is a daunting, if exciting prospect. From setting up bank accounts to finding accommodation, the start of an Erasmus placement is fraught with potential problems and anxieties. The town centre is dominated by smart wine shops and bars where people enjoy a glass of white with a platter of oysters, brought in from the nearby port at Arcachon – a pretty seaside town famous for them. Aside from oysters, Bordeaux’s main speciality is ‘canelé’, a mini fluted cake made with egg yolks and flavoured with vanilla and rum. The story goes that nuns at the city’s convent originally made them with yolks provided by local winemakers. The winemakers used the whites to clarify the wine and had no use for the rest of the egg. Personally, I’m not a fan; they’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, but the predominant flavours are rum and egg. In any case, the ‘Bordelaises’ (the people of Bordeaux) are immensely proud of them, and when you’re given one to try there’s no option but to nod appreciatively. Other regional specialities include foie gras, confit de canard, and macaroons of every flavour imaginable.
As a keen chef, and cookbook author, I was curious to see what the food at the university was like. With 18 hours of lectures a week – twice what I have in Durham – I’m likely to be getting breakfast and lunch there every day of the week. My French housemate, who was in Durham on an exchange last year, had simply said that it was good value so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
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For the equivalent of £2.50 I was stunned by what the kitchen managed to produce
Lectures here start at 8am, which is a shock to the system after a three month holiday, so I was grateful for the shot of espresso and large croissant, costing just €1 at the cafeteria. The French don’t really seem to do instant coffee, which is absolutely fine with me, but the lack of fresh milk is a problem. I can’t understand how people with such pride in their food can be happy with long-life UHT milk and cream. Lunch in the university costs
€3.10 for 3 courses, and the selection is good provided you’re not a vegetarian. The portions are large and much of the food is cooked in front of you on open grills. Main course options on the day I went were: steak (cooked rare) with red wine sauce and chips, roasted chicken with ratatouille and pasta, or cheese and bacon omelette with creamed spinach. For the equivalent of £2.50 I was stunned by what the kitchens managed to produce. Perhaps as the term goes on and the budget gets tight the quality of the food will deteriorate, as so often seems to happen at college in Durham, but the first impressions are excellent. In fact, aside from the 18 hours of lectures a week and the hour-long tram ride into the uni, life in Bordeaux isn’t bad at all. Photographs: Alex Yandell
See www.cooktastesmile. co.uk for more information on Alex’s cookbook company.
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For more mouthwatering food ideas and recipes, go to palatinate.org.uk
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
music Durham music: the un-scene? 8
Before you dismiss the local music scene, Patrick Bernard examines what the north-east has to offer and whether it is all that it is made out not to be
what’s on? gig guide OCTOBER 16 Bastille / Digital, The Enemy / 02 Academy 17 Butler Rock Soc / Fishtank, Grizzly Bear / Sage Gateshead 18 Punk in Drublic / Fishtank, Flux Pavilion / 02 Academy 19 The Sixteen / Durham Cathedral 20 Josh Flowers + Dancing Years / Vane Tempest 21 Steven Finn / Old Cinema Laundrette
Tender Whips performing live at Fishtank - an alternative venue with a wide range of events Photograph: David Gunton
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he essential question, music scene or lack thereof? Durham might not be a part of the same heavyweight division as some of those larger and more plausible cities, but let’s not be too hasty. The Durham music scene is as intimate as you might expect from the handful of small venues which it sports, which is both its charm and its major shortcoming. Although in the past Durham has been able to attract its fair share of big names, it is otherwise difficult to create and support any influx of artists, which has inspired a defeatist attitude in some, and it is easy to throw in the towel and wallow. But not to despair, for if there is a will there is always a way. The alternative music scene is notorious for its D.I.Y. resolve, and its successes are largely the result of the determination of the students themselves. As you (should) find, the more that you dig, the more you find that Durham can be every bit as exciting
and eclectic as its large student population should necessitate. The popular indie/folk/ acoustic live music scene is well suited to the cosy environs of Durham, and the success of the Vane Tempest Sessions and A Deer For Your Lamb is a testament to this and the caliber of the artists that are booked. TheBubbleBurning, an independent, student project, has been a further impetus and platform for musicians to showcase their talent and has always been a welcome spot in the calendar. Market Vaults, Osbourne’s, Whiskey River, Head of Steam and a number of others all have played host to open mic nights and live music, so it is no challenge to display or discover talent. The plentiful alternative venue space across Durham always has things to offer in abundance. Fishtank, the modest and yet always lively haunt, has been able to generate a strong and affectionate fan base and has a regular selection of events, such
as the ever-popular ‘space age indie disco’ Grammar. Alington House, a little further beneath the radar and yet in the middle of town, boasts the weird and wonderful Jam Jah among other curiosities. The Old Cinema Launderette in Gilesgate Moor is a particular treasure and should attend to all of your needs, music and laundry, as it opens its retro-chic floor to acoustic performers and punters. If you have more specific needs, it is simple to find anyone of your musical persuasion. The Alternative Music Society continues to encourage all interests across the board and is a useful resource to find the people and the events relevant to your own discerning tastes. Newcastle is always an option, and with the O2 Academy, Digital, The Cluny, Sage Gateshead, Metro Radio Arena and Riverside at the other end of a short train ride, there is no reason why you should not have a gander. If you would like to
partake in ‘real bands’ this will often have to be your first port of call, but there is no shame in that. Of course we cannot forget, the wealth of music that is easy to overlook on our own doorstep, which is often much of the best. Durham University Music Society represents a large selection of classical, jazz, gospel and folk ensembles, all of which are of a remarkable standard and are not to be missed as you peruse what Durham has to offer at your leisure. So there, you have no excuse. There will always be more than you might expect, but it will not come without a little effort on your behalf. If there is something that you want, either find it, or make it happen.
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For more Music coverage visit palatinate.org.uk
22 Ben Montague / 02 Academy 23 Grammar / Fishtank, Delphic / Digital 24 Ace Bushy Striptease / Fishtank 25 dan le sac / 02 Academy 26 Jam Jah / Alington House 27 Sam Airey / Vane Tempest 28 Mr Scruff / Digital 29 The Cribs / 02 Academy, Toy / The Cluny 30 Lucy Rose / 02 Academy
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Music Editors: Patrick Bernard & Alex Denby Deputy: Robin Marshall music@palatinate.org.uk
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Reviewed: The xx - Coexist
Alex Denby finds something comfortingly familiar yet also remarkably forward-thinking about the latest offering from the popular London-based trio
Coexist is a fitting name for The xx’s second album. It is a record of laudable ambition that attempts to synthesise the band’s pop-friendly melodies with complicated song structures and distinctive instrumentation, offering a collection of remarkable, engrossing songs. It was always going to be tough following up xx, their Mercury Prize winning debut, which won the hearts of critics and fans alike. Whilst it may disappoint fans hoping for the perfect follow-up, Coexist retains the band’s trusted formula and pushes it in an absorbing, progressive direction. The captivating vocal dynamic of Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft is sweeter than ever, whilst Jamie Smith’s production work is reliably second to none. Those who prefer Smith’s solo work (as Jamie xx) may be in want of a greater contribution to the album, but his strength lies in the subtlety of his percussion. Unusually, his impact on Coexist is notable because of his refusal to make himself the album’s focus.
The songs themselves showcase more variety than those of xx. Album opener ‘Angels’ is a sparse, beautiful landscape with Croft’s sultry whispers layered gently over. For a band celebrated for its outstanding producer and the partnership of Croft and Sim, it’s incredibly brave to open Coexist with a track devoid of Sim’s vocal talents and with only the slightest hint of percussion drifting in and out.
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The xx are at their best when the characters Croft and Sim create are lyrically at odds but sonically wedded
Latest single ‘Chained’ is an accessible taster of the album and without doubt one of Coexist’s highlights. The repeated refrain of ‘we used to be closer than this’ harks back to an xx staple: a dysfunctional relationship. The vocal duo play off one another - one’s verse often overlapping and intertwining with
the other in an understated but powerful way. ‘Reunion’ revisits that theme, showing that The xx are at their best when the characters that Croft and Sim create are lyrically at odds but sonically wedded. The song also brings out the sentiment of the album title, with its steel drums giving way to a muffled dance beat. It’s the most notable instance of the band attempting to harmonise their pop sensibilities with their interest in more obscure, shuffling electronica. From this point in Coexist, the scene is set. If xx was an album to listen to in quiet retrospection, this record tries to show that people can dance to tales of heartbreak as well. While hardly upbeat in the pop sense, the instrumentation (evident on ‘Sunset’, ‘Tides’, and ‘Swept Away’) now shuffles, rather than drags, along. Even with this blueprint, the album still manages to surprise. ‘Missing’ is a dark, mysterious and unsettling song. Here, Sim tells us somewhat disquietingly, ‘my heart is beating in a different way’, as his
voice clashes with the harsh percussion and Croft’s pained backing vocals. It is this ability to surprise whilst sticking to what the band does best that makes Coexist such a fascinating and ultimately rewarding
our list but not least Atoms For Peace / Default
Azealia Banks / Luxury
Animal Collective Centipede Hz
Mumford and Sons Alt-J Babel An Awesome Wave
“When considered as part of their varied discography, Centipede Hz makes sense as the next step of a band who have always been defined by constant experimentation. Animal Collective are still one of the most idiosyncratically brilliant bands making music today.” MV
“It is an album that is incredibly rewarding to listen to, however, it does not quite sit on the same level as Sigh No More. A great effort, a strong second album but they’ve not given themselves room to mess up their next step. They shouldn’t lose any fans on this one, but nor will they gain many.” AE
“The album has been growing slowly but surely in popularity as the hype around Alt-J builds. They manage to execute a bizarre sense of coherence and unity. Songs like ‘Tessellate‘ are understated and meaningful, which somehow works next to more bombastic efforts like ‘Breezeblocks’.” PW
album. It may not receive the plaudits of the band’s extraordinary debut, but there’s no doubting that The xx are moving forward, at the forefront of a field, heading somewhere only they know.
Lucy Rose / Bikes The xx / Reunion
Grizzly Bear / Yet Again Kanye West / Clique Daughter / Smother
Flying Lotus / Putty Boy Strut King Krule / Octopus
Trimbal / Confidence Boost
Cave Painting / So Calm (Vondelpark Remix) Bastille / Of The Night Alt-J / Tessellate
Ghostpoet / Garden Path Nick Clegg / I’m Sorry (The Autotune Remix)
Angel Olsen / Acrobat PSY / Gangnam Style
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
10 film & tv Programme potential Durham welcomes new documentary discussion society, The Lumieres
A documentary on the captive dolphin industry seemed the last thing a group of hung-over friends wanted to watch on New Year’s Day. Yet it proved to be the spark behind a fascination with the documentary medium that has inspired three Durham students to set up a new filmdebate society, premiering this October. The immediate reaction to the suggestion of watching Oscar award-winning film, The Cove, one hungover morning was strikingly homogenous: no one really saw the point of it. Documentaries are often viewed as the antithesis to ‘easy-viewing’. However, after watching the film, there was a unanimously positive feeling of not just having learnt, but of wanting to know more about something important that would otherwise have passed us by. This highlights the role of documentaries in enabling one to consider new issues and develop nuanced approaches to the themes they draw on. Bringing students and the general public together to watch independent documentaries in an informal social setting makes the most of the mix of people living in a university town, to learn from each other’s diverse viewpoints. The new society Durham Lumières is inspired by a belief in the enlightening power of great documentaries, coupled with a desire to redress some of the dichotomies that exist unnecessarily in Durham: the divide between academic and social cultures, town versus gown, and ‘the bubble’ as dislocated from the wider world. The opening screening will be held on Monday 22nd October in the World Heritage Visitor Centre, just off Palace Green. Subsequent venues for screenings will switch between Castle’s Senate Suite and the World Heritage Vistor Centre. To sign up to the mailing list or find out more, please visit the website http://durhamlumieres.webs. com. Entry is free.
Young ones: students on screen Freddie Wassell guides us through a selection of the best representations of university life in film and on television
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ou would have thought that TV bosses would be eagerly commissioning a barrage of student-aimed shows, rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of imminent riches. The cliché is that students spend the majority of their days glued to the box, so it’s curious that university is quite under-represented on screen. There have, however, been a few brave attempts at tackling the highs and lows of student life.
fresh meat
This series was marketed as “The Inbetweeners with university students”, and initially looks like an outright copy: a group of outcasts trying to shake their uncool image and a lot of filthy sayings. Actually, Fresh Meat’s characters are even more inspired. The reality of Jack Whitehall’s public schoolboy character, sleeping with unremarkable girls as a palate-cleansing “sorbet”, then popping on his initialed dressing gown and drawing knobs on sleeping housemates, is all too familiar. It also dares to show that student life can be a faintly
Fresh Meat returns to our screens this autumn Photograph: Channel 4 depressing one of empty fridges, freezing rooms and Jeremy Kyle.
grading and disgusting”. There’s no pleasing some people.
anything else about students on screen.
Starring lovable moron Will Ferrell and the immortal line, “We are going to get so much ass here, I’m talking crazy boy band ass”, Old School is many a teenager’s dream. The film depicts a group of friends forced into a dead-end life of uneventful stability by their domineering wives who start a college fraternity to relive the days of their
Instead of Old School’s idealized “sex, drugs and rock and roll” idea of student life, Starter For 10 focuses on the decidedly geeky world of University Challenge. You might be surprised, then, to see that the film’s student protagonist, obsessed with the intellectual quiz show and an all-round nerd, is juggling relationships with a beautiful blond and an equally attractive brunette. A disappointingly middle of the road rom-com, whose star, James McAvoy, was once highly sought after, but whose most prominent role of late was voice-acting in Gnomeo and Juliet.
An honorary mention should go Alan Bennett’s play The History Boys, which isn’t actually about university, but rather getting a place at Oxbridge. The film, unusually untainted for me after studying the play at A-level, has some brilliant scenes of the boys messing around and trying to wind up the teachers. Lovable old rogue Mr Hector, aside from an occasional spot of pupil’s crotch fiddling, is a teacher many wish they’d had, and the film as a whole is a genuinely inspiring take on the role of education.
old school
starter for 10
the inbetweeners
r e nowned drinking skills. It centers around one typically bizarre running joke about a breadmaking machine, but some critics called the film “de-
It says a lot that a ten minute section about a student house in Warwick eclipses all the rest of what I’ve talked about so far. The bewildering drinking game rules (“What? Zulu Warrior? Are you alright?”), the bonsai tree, and Jay’s futile optimism about the Dutch girl is funnier and more real than
the history boys
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Film & TV Editor: Alex Leadbeater film@palatinate.org.uk
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British versus American TV - is there finally some genuine competition? The likes of Accused and Downton Abbey are heralding a closing of the gap in quality between US and UK television, proposes Danni’elle Barker
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ritish TV has, for some years now, been suffering from a drought of new and innovative shows. Granted, there have been some excellent offerings from the BBC – the Life on Mars franchise, Luther, Sherlock and Shadowline, to name a few. But with the lack of anything remotely original from ITV and an almost complete void of anything home-grown on Channel 4, British broadcasters have undeniably taken a beating from their American counterparts. The U.S., in recent years, has offered up a staggering array of original and critically acclaimed shows spanning genres from comedy (Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives) to political thrillers (Homeland and the West Wing) and gripping dramas (The Wire and Mad Men). Compare this to the British TV schedule, packed full of tired shows with plots as predictable as they are clichéd, and tasteless embarrassing ‘reality’ TV that seems purely designed to spawn the next “heard-of”, orange-painted, talentless wannabes. British TV looks pitiful.
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In recent years the U.S. has offered up a staggering array of orginal and critically acclaimed shows
However, is this all about to change? Are British Broadcasters finally being recognised and rising to the challenge posed by the U.S.? It would seem so. 2012 has proved to be a vintage year for British television. The BBC has been on top form, opening the year with an interesting reworking of Charles
Dickens’ unfinished novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood and a dramatic retelling of Sebastian Faulk’s Birdsong. Whilst these shows remained firmly within the BBC’s comfort zone - i.e. period dramas - they were brilliantly presented and ingeniously cast. Edwin Drood juxtaposed fresh, up-coming talent in the form of Freddie Fox and Tamzin Merchant with seasoned actors Matthew Rhys and Rory Kinnear. Similarly, Birdsong – with its intense amalgamation of love and war that gradually built to be an epic and enjoyable, if slightly depressing, piece of historical drama. The BBC, however, did explore genres outside their usual repertoire with The Syndicate, a rather far-fetched but entertaining tale of five cashiers who win the lottery soon after staging a fake robbery, and the return of Accused. This star-studded, four-part drama demonstrated exactly what is brilliant about British television. Each episode focused on a different set of characters but the plot lines ultimately intertwined to produce a gripping and original drama series. I mean, Sean Bean playing a transvestite – does television get any better? Even ITV, after years of sitting on the bench, seem to have finally entered the game. Along with the successful return of Downton Abbey, they finally produced something worth watching in the form of their new and intriguing summer dramas. Leaving, a ‘Mrs Robinson’-esque romantic series, hadn’t the most original plot line but was endearing and believable. However, the real star of ITV’s summer offerings was Mrs Biggs. The inspired casting of Sheridan Smith, whose versatility appears boundless, and the – rather typecast – resident villain Daniel Mays as Ronnie Biggs bring heart and warmth to the story of one of Britain’s most notorious criminals. Smith and Mays successfully and
skilfully make these characters likable and relatable which is a true credit to their talent. Channel 4, however, has significantly let the side down. They only seem capable of producing humourless comedies and insensitive documentaries, replaying tired sitcoms and being used as a puppet by the American broadcasting giants to air their shows.
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All that is required from Britain is to maintain the epic standard we have seen this year
However, there is some hope in the battle between Britain and the U.S. in the form of Sky1. New, inventive and imaginative shows are continually emerging from this new player. From classic stories such as Sinbad and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, to riveting dramas Mad Dogs and the Martine Cole series and fantastic comedies such as Trollied and Moone Boy, which has been deemed, by some critics, as the new Father Ted. 2012 has therefore seen the BBC step up their game, ITV actually participate in the revival of British television and has welcomed a new player, Sky TV. All that is required from Britain to be a genuine rival against their American counterparts is to maintain the epic standard that we have seen this year. For more film reviews and features from The Dark Knight Rises to Cycling on Screen, head to www.palatinate.org.uk
Homeland: exemplar of quality US drama Photograph: Showtime
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
12 stage
Stage Editor: Victoria Ferguson Deputy: Gabriel Samuels stage@palatinate.org.uk
All the world’s a stadium The Olympics were about so much more than just the sport, writes Gabriel Samuels. It was a chance to celebrate Britain’s greatest cultural gift – the man from Stratford.
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couldn’t have been the only one to get goose bumps. With the eyes of the world trained on the capital, one of this country’s greatest actors donned mutton chops and a top hat to stride out in front of 80,000 people. He ascended a vast green hill and, clearing his throat, intoned the famous words of Caliban the mooncalf, as machines and chimney pots groaned all around: “Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments will hum about mine ear... The clouds I thought would open, and show riches ready to drop upon me, that when I waked I cried to dream again...” They are words that were first transcribed 400 years ago; yet, illuminated as he was by the burst of flash bulbs and the shimmer of futuristic pixels, it scarcely seemed as if Kenneth Branagh could recite any passage more perfectly fitting from the entire English literary canon. As people from all nations descended on Shakespeare’s fatherland for the 30th Olympiad this summer, Britain paid homage to
As You Like It Cambridge University at the Edinburgh Fringe
««««« Simon Lynch
arguably our greatest gift to the world: the Bard’s unrivalled collection of works. On 23rd April, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) unveiled the World Shakespeare Festival to coincide with the Games’ Cultural Olympiad, a nationwide outpouring of joyous Bard-related activity that included productions in over 40 different languages (ranging from a Russian Midsummer Night’s Dream in Stratford, to an Iraqi Romeo and Juliet transferred from Baghdad) and the BBC’s outstanding Hollow Crown cycle of the history plays in July. The festival’s triumphant centrepiece has been a wildly popular mega-exhibition at the British Museum entitled Staging the World. I was fortunate enough to get tickets for it in early September, and what an incredible spread they have put on. The show combines an extraordinary range of artefacts from Shakespeare’s time — including the world’s only surviving manuscript in the playwright’s own handwriting — with recorded readings by RSC actors, to illustrate a London that is both familiar and archaic to a modern viewer.
The items range from the remarkable - the funerary arms of Henry V, a famous portrait of Richard II and the ancient preserved eyeball of the Jesuit martyr Edward Oldcorne (as gross as it sounds) – to the commonplace, including Tudor coinage and clothing, all of
which combine to give a powerful impression of the England in which Shakespeare lived and worked. In Shakespeare’s day, London was just beginning to attract people from around the world, emerging as the centre of a blossoming empire. The parallels with our own era of migration, global expansionism and political ambiguity are highlighted, with Shakespeare portrayed as a truly ‘global figure’. He encouraged a world view in the minds of spectators with plays set in Venice, Verona and Denmark, places he himself never visited. The final article in the exhibition is arguably the most exceptional – a battered one-volume collection of the Bard’s plays. The edition belongs to Sonny Venkatrathnam, who was an inmate of Robben Island Prison in South Africa at the same time as Nelson Mandela. Venkatrathnam served 12 years on the island as a political prisoner under apartheid. During his incarceration his wife smuggled the collection in for him to read to pass the time. When prison guards tried to take the book away, he disguised it with postcards of Hindu deities and proclaimed it his ‘Bible’. Branding it ‘The Robben Island Bible’, Venkatrathnam passed the edition amongst his fellow prisoners and asked them to mark their favourite passages. In December 1977, a passage from Julius Caesar was signed by a certain Mr Mandela: “Cowards die many times before their deaths/The valiant never taste of death but once...” The passage bears his initials to this day. How telling a reminder of the universal, eternal influence of the man from Stratford that, even in a prison thousands of miles from the Globe and over 400 years since his birth, strangers can unite in appreciation of his genius. An Englishman with the ability to speak to anyone on any theme and level – now that’s something worth celebrating.
One of my highlights on the Mile was witnessing a group of male Cambridge University students popping and grinding to Beyoncé’s recent hit, ‘Run The World (Girls)’. When I discovered these young men were the cast of an all-male As You Like It (one of my favourite Shakespeare plays), I was simultaneously worried and intrigued by what this show would bring to the
table. Yet, any doubts I had were soon dispelled. The show shone in its ability to poke fun at itself. By combining the Shakespearean tradition of an all-male cast with a modern world of mobile phones,
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The themes that link Shakespeare’s world to an Olympic London are plain to see
Branagh on stage at London 2012 Image: DigitalSpy
Shaking up Shakespeare Beyoncé and cheerleaders, the comedic elements of the play were heightened to Fringe-worthy excellence. For the majority, individual performances were strong, with Rosalind in particular treading the line perfectly between pantomime dame and mature young woman. As far as scene-stealers go, the shepherdess Phebe is perhaps the sassiest character encountered at
this year’s Fringe, interpreted as a highly camp, highly scorned and highly hysterical Latin woman. However, it was the direction and a clever reimagining of Shakespeare that truly made this production stand out. Aided by well thought-out staging, new life was breathed into old text, creating a production that was both accessible and entertaining.
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
books 13
Books Editor: Justina Crabtree books@palatinate.org.uk
Classic books from your childhood could help alleviate homesickness Photograph: Nicoletta Asciuto
Strolling down memory lane Rose Mortimer looks to the books of her childhood as a cure for first-term homesickness
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eaving home to shack up somewhere completely new can be intimidating, and leave us – freshers or not – feeling homesick. But when you’re missing home comforts the most, why not use fiction to escape to somewhere warm and fuzzy? Here, Rose Mortimer compiles a list of her favourite childhood reads. Everyone must be familiar with at least one book in this selection – and any world in which caterpillars smoke hookahs, or White Witches offer Turkish delight, is well worth a revisit.
The Witches – Roald Dahl One of Dahl’s most popular books, The Witches has it all, from talking mice to a quirky, feisty grandma that always reminded me of my Nana. Read it in a day, suspend your disbelief and indulge in a good old adventure story. Pooh – A. A. Milne The advice of Pooh Bear will get you through an academic year at Durham; he is a philosopher, an inspirer and a fountain of knowledge. Take, for example, Pooh’s musings on procrastination: “did you ever stop to think,
then forget to start again?” and Eeyore’s assessment of summative essays: “This writing business. Pencils and what-not. Over-rated, if you ask me. Silly stuff. Nothing in it.” I couldn’t agree more.
Harry Potter – J. K. Rowling Yes, it’s an obvious one – but the entire set needs to be reread every once in a while. You’ll be surprised the little details you’ve forgotten – remember the Polyjuice Potion in The Chamber of Secrets? Harry’s first flying lesson in The Philosopher’s Stone? The best way to revisit this series is to read them all, then have a movie marathon and ponder the ultimate question – how did Hermione get so hot? And how did Harry so totally … not? The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne This story is told through the eyes of Bruno, the son of the Commandant of Auschwitz concentration camp. Though immensely sad, Bruno’s relationship with an imprisoned Jewish boy provides a poignant look at the issues of the Holocaust. The familiar atrocities of Nazi Germany are somehow even
more moving and frightening when told in a story meant for children.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll Re-reading this novel will make you realise how fantastic and intelligent it really is. Carroll muses on the philosophical puzzles raised by a cat whose smile exists independently of its face, whilst the Mad Hatter considers the trials of mathematics over tea with his friends. Whether you’re a linguist, a philosopher, a mathematician or just someone in need of a good story, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is perfect!
Peter Pan – J. M. Barrie “When the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” Look beyond the Disney film version of Peter Pan and appreciate Barrie’s beautiful writing style and vivid imagination. Essentially a story about the inevitability of growing up, an older reader can appreciate the novel’s subtle exploration of romance, with Peter’s love for Wendy, Tiger Lily and Tinker
Bell (each representing a different female archetype), making it a wonderful novel to return to again and again.
Goodnight Mister Tom – Michelle Magorian In summary, the plot of this novel sounds twee and corny: a poor London schoolboy is taken in by a gruff but kind old man during World War II, taught to read and made to feel loved. In reality, Goodnight Mister Tom is anything but cheesy – it’s touching, sad and poignant. Read this now and lose yourself in the countryside of war-torn England, where simple pleasures and loved ones are what really matters.
The Chronicles of Narnia – C. S. Lewis If you’ve never read The Chronicles of Narnia may I advise you do so immediately. C. S. Lewis is a master storyteller and these books can be read on any number of levels, be it as simple adventure stories of talking lions and evil snow queens, or as an allegory of the Christian faith. If you’ve seen the movies, you should read the books. The books (as always) are better.
Facts more your thing? Sarah Holmes remembers Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories … From Groovy Greeks to Gorgeous Georgians, there is something grimly glorious in the awful alliteration and puerile puns that make up a Horrible Histories book. This series captivated me as a child and you might even say it changed my life – or at least my conversational interests. I think it safe to say my parents were somewhat hesitant about leaving me uncensored with any adults for a good chunk of my childhood, for fear of my impromptu “interesting facts.” Quizzing people on what Roman soldiers used for knickers; dropping details of heretic-burning in Tudor England over a family barbecue; Aztec sacrifice banter at church coffee mornings – those were the days! And sure, I’ve long since learnt that people get a little weirded out by trivia on Incan shampoo (urine, apparently). But Deary’s books gave me one hell of a history lesson.
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For more from Books, head to palatinate.org.uk
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
14 travel
‘Same same but different’
Katie Strick in rural Cambodia
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ith Cambodia such a vibrant and spectacular country, the prospect of squeezing one month’s worth of eye-opening and inspiring experiences into this article was daunting. My experiences in Cambodia revolve around the familiar tagline for those travelling around Southeast Asia, being the ‘Same Same But Different’. At first I cast this aside as a touristy catchphrase but the further I travelled and the more I saw, I discovered how these four words perfectly epitomised my trip. On my arrival at the famous Cambodian night market in Siem Reap, I was overwhelmed by the sheer mass of exciting things on offer: endless bustling stalls boasting a hoard of scarves, bags and a vibrant mass of eponymous t-shirts amidst a sea of colourful harem pants which my mother was quick to remark made me look like “some kind of hippie”. Yet with their wonders, every market we attended was often the same. Cambodia offered the opportunity to leave mass-produced western cuisine, even if thinly veiled as different concoctions of a rice and chicken staple. When my appetite for field crickets waned the quest for western fast food led us to those
Breaking off the established tourist trails can yield more enriching experiences of the country Photograph: Katie Strick too familiar golden arches, though you won’t see the ‘Samurai Pork Burger’ back in the UK. Similarly, we were unable to escape a stereotype of travellers associated with the streets of Dur-
ham; a blend of blonde hair, school leavers and harem pants which though sold as a cultural necessity were not worn by any locals I saw. Until then, I had been naïve, seeing myself as some intrepid ex-
The stunning scenery of rural Cambodia is worth seeking out Photograph: Katie Strick
plorer travelling through exotic and undiscovered places far removed from home. The revelation that I was not alone in my experience grew as I read online blogs of others who’d seen, tasted and smelt the same things as I did. We were sharing the same experiences and simultaneously creating unique ones. Despite poverty, Cambodian people are some of the most carefree and generous I have ever met - something that I learned in an unexpected circumstance on a toilet stop between Poipet and Siem Reap. Combining our impeccable Khmer, “Bon Tub Teuk”, with more obvious signs of discomfort, we pulled into a shanty-town and were lead to a tiny wooden shack furnished with plastic arm chair. We greeted two elderly women cutting eel-like creatures squirming in a bowl. Giggling in amusement at my limited Khmer and my lanky ginger companion, they carried on their business as we did similar. The Khmer people and their children amazed me. I had the opportunity to teach at the Safe Haven School for children vulnerable to trafficking. Despite terrible circumstances they were constantly eager
to learn and, unlikely to be heard on the science site, students recited “thank-you-teacher!” every time I entered the classroom. I also met children attending a ‘school on a mat’ (a tarpaulin and a flipchart in the middle of a poor rural village), whose English was limited to ‘hello’, ‘heads, shoulders, knees and toes’ and soon resorted to activities such as teaching the Macarena. We were taught traditional dancing and by the end of the class, the children had been taught to ceilidh almost better than a post-formal Durham student. Even better, their dance floor wasn’t a JCR or the Great Hall of Castle - it was the village scrapheap. In many ways it was the Southeast Asia experience where I did, bought and saw the same things as many others have and will have. Yet it was also different. I experienced paradise and saw huge poverty, shared the tunes of a ceilidh and Los Del Rio with rural Cambodia, ate a cricket and swum with elephants. An unforgettable trip, and I left the country wishing I’d bought the “same same but different” tshirt after all.
INDIGO | Tuesday 16th October 2012
Travel Editor: Dan Hunt travel@palatinate.org.uk
15
The Rodeo is the centrepiece of the Calgary Stampede, with riders commemorating cultural history through popular sport Photograph: Liza Kozowyk
Saddle up for an incredible show Liza Kozowyk explains why the Calgary Stampede is the greatest outdoor show on Earth
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oots? Check. Buckle? Check. Hat? Check. Attitude: Cowboy. Ready.
Welcome to Calgary Stampede: ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’. This wild west festival, fair, and rodeo holds all the fun, sun, and beer a gal can wish for, and the good looking rodeo-bull-riding cowboy to go with it. Evenings and days are filled with blaring country music and dancing, holding more carefree joy than any doubtful Durham student can imagine. As a born and raised Canadian, the Stampede was a regular event in my calendar all my life and this year I had the joy of experiencing it with both my Canadian friends and two bona fide English citizens. What they were hit with was ten days full of the ‘wild’ in ‘wild west’. Dubbed “the greatest fun you can have with your boots on”, Stampede, for those who are willing to let their hair down and kick up their heels, can be a truly crazy
and enjoyable experience. And don’t think line-dancing is only for the pensioners... some of those get tricky! Of course, if dancing in lines isn’t your thing, there’s the fastpaced ‘two-step’ which ends up looking (when the pros do it) like a combination of the best parts of swing dance and Scottish ceilidh with a country beat. The nightlife includes most bars in the city, and a giant tent called ‘Nashville North’ on the grounds which is free with entry to Stampede. This means seeing famous bands for a quarter of what you’d expect to pay for a concert. As a result, by 9pm the hub of town is a blur of energy, excitement and sounds, with packed venues and lines can be up to five hours long. So, for the seasoned Stampeder, the thing to do is get in good and early. This year, to be extra safe we opted for noon. That means at least 12 hours in the tent. It’s a commitment, and totally worth it. The drinks aren’t very cheap but the
savvy cowgirl knows that’s what boots with flasks in are for. Another bonus is that you’ll likely be able to meet and greet the bands before they start playing, and they’re flattered knowing you got there nine hours early for their gig!
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The speed and danger of the rodeo can be a surprise to those who have never seen anything like it
One daytime must-see is the rodeo itself. For the twelve hours of waiting, the nine seconds a cowboy is expected to remain aboard a writhing bull or bronco can seem like an inordinately short period of time. That is, until you start watching. The speed and agility with which the bulls jump and twist, combined
with the commentators excited tones, make each nine seconds a whirlwind of thrill for the audience. After you watch a few competitors triumphantly enter and prematurely exit the stage you may be left thinking ‘how hard can it be?’ That and a Canadian competitive attitude mean mechanical bulls are often a feature at the bars. Suddenly nine seconds feels like an awfully long time, especially when you consider you’re on the ‘beginner’ setting. The speed and danger of the rodeo can be a surprise to those who have never seen anything like it, as can the names of the cowboys competing: “Tanner”, “Kody”, and Dusty” are prime examples. Not a Charles or Richard in sight. Of course, it’s not just the cowboys that form the rich history of the Calgary Stampede. The Native American hoop dancing and tepee-raising is a strong reminder of the unmissable cultural heritage associated with such a popular
sport. The Stampede also serves as an important gathering place for tribes from all across Canada and they live on site in their tee-pees for the duration of the event as an iconic reminder of the Stampede’s strong commercial present with its historical past. Dream-catchers abound, and if you like what you see, their traditional goods and gifts are handmade and on sale for very reasonable prices. All in all, from the live bands to the moreish margarita in a can, the Hicksville experience is not for the faint of heart, but if you throw yourself all in it’s the best ten days of the year. Testimony to this is the fact that my English friends have gone back to the rain and pubs wearing cowboy boots and a hat. And they’ll be back. In the words of country singer Blake Shelton: “we all have a hillbilly bone down deep inside”, and once you find it, you’re hooked. So next time you’re looking for a new experience, think cowboy, and book a plane ticket.
Tuesday 16th October 2012 | INDIGO
the back page 1
Coffee break: You can’t have that long overdue catch up in Klute. Go up the hill to Flat White, where in its harmoniously matched decor you can have delicious tea and cake from £3.45. Sensible dressing: Boys, no one is impressed by a tee and flip flops in this weather, even if that tan is still great. Keep your extremeties the right side of freezing in a Superdry Windcheater Jacket with Fleece lining for £75. Curl up: ASOS do a great selection of snoods; the perfect way to keep warm as you get to grips with your reading lists on the sofa. Just don’t fall asleep. Umbrella: A proper umbrella is essential - I’m sorry freshers, the weather can, and will, get worse. Invest wisely now, thank us later.
crossword
Durham Festivals
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new term essentials
Check out the Durham Book Festival running from the 13th-30th October. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy reinterprets a classic fairy tale, and there are talks by P.D. James and Ian Ranking about the books that made them famous.
the indigo diary
app hype
recipe
cook.taste.autumn. smile is the follow up to
Chorizo and chickpeas. Our food editor imparts her culinary wisdom with a mouthwatering feature on pulses, including recipes on how to cook with chickpeas, lentils and pearl barley, a dream for vegetarians or those trying to cut down on meat. Read the full article at palatinate.org.uk
the innovative and hugely successful summer edition, and this packs just as much punch. Currently on the ibookstore with a flawless 5 star review rating, the delicious recipes and stunning photographs from fellow Trevs student Alex Yandell are putting Durham on the culinary map.
5 minutes with... i: Who was your last text from and what did it say? J: From our illustrious leader Archie Dallas to the sabb team and said “Jenny’s a glutton for punishment, so it’s 8.30 instead of 9 at the café for our Monday morning meeting”. A decision that I regret-
Check out the Durham City Food Festival running from the 27th-28th October. Regional, national and international food producers unite for a giant celebration of food and drink in Market Square. www.durhamfoodfestival.com
visual arts
A visit to the Musée D’Orsay’s newly opened Galerie Symboliste leads Priyanka Hutschenreiter to consider how such a diverse range of Art is united within the symbolist movement, in an accessible exhibtion which considers what is actually meant by symbolism in the art world... Read the full article at palatinate.org.uk
indigo online
ted when my alarm went off.
i: Worst student cooking experience? J: I was home alone and made some pasta and tomato sauce thinking that nothing could go wrong. I then got absorbed by
ACROSS
1 Ghostly elephant: omen is secret (7) 5 Drives fast in both directions (7) 9 Territorial army drive out giant grave-robbing armadillo! (5) 10 Our Latin reasoning is lacking or sentimental (9) 11 Rickety way to tether sheep (10) 12 The finery of footwear (4) 14 Disposition, in the morning, after all but last three emperors held under canvas (11) 18 Well spoken sister followed endless worker and referenced features article (11) 21 Lazy, so lied badly (4) 22 Forced to alternate as hundred behind operating system head off poorly and turn back schedule (10) 25 Head off centre, tip askew (9) 26 Large honour placed on home counties (5) 27 Partially developed smell lingers past unfinished nap (7) 28 Lecherous part of wanderlust fulfilled (7)
2 Wheezing due to mother after most of the arsenic is over (6) 3 Handle granite benchmark? (10) 4 Fellow sounds cool but is made frenzied (5) 5 Though speechless after regarding hiding one, recovers quickly (9) 6 Artist collected capital from Covent Garden bluff (4) 7 Grand, broken bearings wear jackets of similar descent (8) 8 Restyle during leisure activity that’s free of charge but requires energy (8) 13 They thrive in mixed, rough end and bad soil (10) 15 Rope crucial bedding (9) 16 Conjurer is cynical, initially, in once more following head spy (8) 17 Pumps up mushrooms (8) 19 Pronoun used to stifle error (6) 20 Otherwise German bounds April tribulation (6) 23 Lentil trimmed and stewed for information (6) 24 Rightly loyal (4)
DOWN 1 Hoist with one’s own (6)
Jenny James, Education and Welfare Officer Grand Designs, forgetting that I’d left the hob on and only realised when the fire alarm went off! It took me ages to turn it off so I managed to anger the neighbours, ruin my housemate’s pan and leave our kitchen with a faint smell of smoke for a good few weeks.
i: Most embarrassing moment ? J: Last winter I walked in the snow and ice from the Viaduct to the Science Site and reached for the Calman Centre door whilst loudly boasting to my friends about how I hadn’t fallen over, missed the door completely, tripped and landed on
the feet of my lecturer who was walking right behind me.
i: Tell us your best joke. J: What’s the difference between roast beef and pea soup? Anyone can roast beef! (cited: Louise Corrigan, Mary’s President)