Ten years ago this week plans forBridgewater Place were unveiled. A decadeon and Leeds' economic situation could not

be further from the wide-eyed optimism of thenew millennium.

Bridgewater has radically altered Leeds' skyline,though looking down from its 110-metre-tall roofwould reveal that the landscape below is definedby empty lots and stalled developments.Construction in the city is, it seems, at a standstill.

Leeds City Council’s executive board will meeton Wednesday to discuss the next step in the citycentre’s development. It is likely to bring about au-turn in planning policy, moving the focus togreen spaces and business developments.

This is a marked contrast to the boom in high-rise residential developments inspired byBridgewater. The building has come to symbolisethe optimism that grasped Leeds developersduring what seemed like a period of unrestrictedgrowth. Seen at the time as a “vote of confidencein the move toward inner city living in Leeds,” itwas to inspire a number of ambitiousdevelopment projects that, we now know, wouldnever see the light of day.

Bridgewater Place is the most prominentsuccess story to come out of Leeds’ “propertybubble”. Office spaces within the building –described as “the heart of the Leeds businessdistrict” - are occupied by a number of big-hittinginternational companies, nearly all of its 200apartments are lived in and it has quickly becomeone of the city's most recognisable landmarks.

At the height of Leeds’ economic confidence, twomore high-profile, skyscraping developmentswere greenlit. The £115m Criterion Place, with its“Kissing Towers” on Sovereign Street and the IanSimpson-designed Lumiere Towers on WellingtonStreet would, together, have provided Leeds withover 1,000 apartments, hundreds of hotel roomsand a record-breaking skyline.

Then the bubble burst. The demand for buy-to-let properties dwindled considerably and thisspelt disaster for a number of developments. TheCriterion Place project has been cancelled, and thefate of its proposed site is on the agenda forWednesday’s council meeting. The vacant lot fromwhich Lumiere was supposed to rise sits onWellington Street, untouched now for almost twoyears. The project has been put on indefinite hold

and its original developer, KW Linfoot, has goneinto administration.

Robert Giles, accounts manager at SimonsGroup, the developer responsible for the CriterionPlace project, attributes the failure of the schemeto the wider economic crisis. He said: “The marketmade the decision rather than the council orourselves. Both parties would have liked it to havegone forward. Whether or not that scheme isviable going on into the future is doubtful, givenits size and cost.”

As well as leaving gaps in Leeds’ urbanlandscape, the abandoned developments have leftholes in the pockets of those who invested inthem. After KW Linfoot went into administrationin 2008, those who had paid for off-planapartments were left wondering what wouldhappen to their deposits. Since then, investors inthe project have banded together in an attempt torecoup their money.

As the Lumiere towers have only – officially, atleast - been put on hold and not cancelled outrightthere is uncertainty about how long it will take forinvestment to be refunded, if it can be recoveredat all.

NLN

JULY 16 2010 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 9 www.northleedsnews.co.uk

MOREPage 2 - Facebook privacy

Page 3 - NHS records

Pages 4/5 - Summer fashion

Page 6 - Eating disorders

Page 7 - Latest reviews

Page 8 - Sir Robert Worcester

Continued on page 2

Inner city strifePhoto: Gareth Aveyard

by Tom Richardson

STANDING TALL: Bridgewater Place looms over Leeds.

2 NLN MORE

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Law firm Lupton Fawcett is to hold a meetinglater this month to advise those who put moneyinto the project about the possibility of starting aclass-action lawsuit.

James Naylor, senior associate in propertylitigation at the firm, said: “A lot of investors areworried because they have put large sums ofmoney down as a deposit, with no definite datefor completion. The concern is that, even if thedevelopers do manage to complete the towers, theproperties will be worth far less than wasoriginally paid for them.”

Naylor cited the original contracts as a potentialobstacle investors may face in their quest toregain lost capital.

He said: “The developer will resist the action,claiming that no date for completion wasspecified. We would argue that, as it is nowunlikely or uncertain that the towers will becompleted, under the circumstances it is not

unreasonable to expect that one should beimplied.”

Lumiere and Criterion Place are not the onlyprojects to have fallen by the wayside. A reportpublished in March by Leeds University academicRachael Unsworth, entitled City Living Beyond theBoom identifies more than 30 schemes whichhave stalled, been cancelled or deemed unlikely toproceed in their original form.

The report also claims that the main problemfacing the market in Leeds was one of supply andnot demand.

Perhaps surprisingly, demand for properties inLeeds is healthy. A survey of six major lettingagents shows that, of the 3153 apartments ontheir books, 92.4 per cent are currently occupied.Rentals in particular have remained strong inspite of the recession, with agents upbeat aboutprospects in this area.

Whether there will be enough apartments tomeet this demand remains to be seen. With somany projects suspended or “mothballed”

entirely, the supply of new residential propertieshas stalled. Currently, no more than two schemesare under construction and only five, comprisingjust 600-700 flats, stand a slim chance of reachingcompletion within the next five years.

As the city strives to expand, a “cap” on citycentre living may deter professionals andbusinesses from setting up in the city.Additionally, an unwillingness from banks to fundconstruction in Leeds means that the supplypipeline of new developments may take sometime to start flowing once again.

Leeds is looking forward to a life after therecession. For the council to achieve its goal oftaking Leeds to the "next level" and putting it onan equal footing with cities such as Manchester, itwill have to attract investment in the city. Until itcan do this, its ambitions may remain, like somany developments in the city, a pipe dream.

Lupton Fawcett’s Lumiere meeting will be held onJuly 29 at 6pm at its East Parade offices.

Continued from page 1

This week Facebook announced the launch of the

new panic button designed to safeguard children

and teenagers from online abuse. Hitting the

panic button on the homepage reports any abuse to the

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

(CEOP) that tracks online sex offenders. The button not

only protects children from paedophiles but can

prevent illicit contact between adopted children and

their birth parents. Jim Lint, from the CEOP, said:

“With the panic button just being launched it is meant

to protect children from exploitation. A child who is

being contacted by some one they don’t know and feels

vulnerable could report it to us, even if the person is

their birth parent. It is not entirely for that reason but

it can still be reported.”

Adoption services have strict guidelines in place when

managing contact between children and their birth

parents. Facebook has made general contact more

accessible between people, blurring the guidelines for

parents desperately wanting to re-connect with their

child. This could be done secretly without services

knowing raising concern.

Louise Garcia, from Leeds,

used to work with the British

Association for Adoption and

Fostering service. She said:

“Monitoring of social

networking sites have increased

recently in our sector because

we are seeing more problems with contact breaches in

families regarding adoption. Facebook is one of the

main culprits but there are other sites out there

contributing. I’m sure this kind of thing will get worse

over time.” In the majority of cases it is the child, no

matter how old, that goes searching for the parents.

Young people can be impulsive and not think about

the consequences of their actions. Facebook provides

an instant messaging application that can feel very

private, which would allow teenagers to speak to people

or write things that they would normally not say out

loud. Miss Garcia added: “When talking to children

about sensetive matters it’s obvious they find it hard to

talk about it outloud. We encourage them to write

down their thoughts.”

Facebook started as a picture sharing site but has

become a powerful social networking tool used by

millions all over the world. Facebook has 400 million

users: Over 23 million people aged 13 and over in the

UK have signed up and this number is expected to

increase. The politics of adoption is complicated,

whether it is the biological parents or adopted child that

wants to track down the other party.

For some people, knowing that they are adopted is

hard enough, having to deal with feelings of rejection

and questioning why they were given up. Yet biological

parents can regret the action and seek out their child

years afterwards. On Facebook you can search by

names, countries, home town, school, university, the

names of any organisations and products that a user

might support, as well as geographic data. Combining

these details makes it easy to find the person you are

looking for providing they have an account on the site.

According to Miss Garcia the majority of cases have

involved teenagers searching for their birth parents,

which seems more acceptable by society because it is

that child’s choice. However, there are cases that “call

for concern”. Elisa Candara, a children’s youth worker

in Leeds, said: “There has been a case recently that

involves a parent getting in touch with their adopted

child through sending a private message on Facebook

without any warning or previous contact with them.

This has caused the child and their parents great

distress, which we are trying to tackle sensitively.”

When a child is adopted, their new surname is meant

to be regarded as private but sometimes this

information is leaked. Social networking sites make it a

lot easier for someone to piece together information

they need to find a person. Mrs Candara explained:

“Sometimes information about

the child gets through the

system that shouldn’t, which

offers maybe desperate people

a starting point.” For those who

regret the adoption it is proving

too tempting to get back in the

child’s life with tools like

Facebook readily available to anyone.

Facebook has previously been demonised for some

situations that have spiralled out of control but there

are many people that actually praise Facebook in

adoption cases. Its huge amount of members and

groups make it easier for a child if they want to get in

touch with their real parents. There is a specific group

on Facebook called adoption.com for people involved

in adoptions. It has many posts from people looking for

someone who they wish to re-connect with. Sam Edkert

who was looking for his birth family through the group

said: “I finally met my whole family after finding my

mother on the site. I have four sisters and one brother

and was so glad that I found her. She said there wasn’t

one day that she didn’t think about where I was, or

what I was doing.”

Six weeks ago the company changed what that meant

with a fundamental shift in its privacy policy, which has

caused wide-spread controversary. The social

networking site amended its terms of service and

deleted a provision which said users could remove all

their content at any time, meaning that even if you did

decide to delete your account then information about

you would still be accessible after deletion.

It has not been made clear yet just how much data,

or what types of data is retained on Facebook if a user

decides to shut down their account. Mark Zuckerberg,

the founder of Facebook, said the changes were made

to ensure that if a user deletes his or her account any

comments or messages he or she had left on a friend's

Facebook page would not also disappear. On

Facebook’s official site he said: “We think this is the

right way for Facebook to work, and it is consistent with

how other services work like email.”

For birth parents who find it too painful to re-connect

with their child or for the child who is adamant they

do not want to have any contact with their parents they

both should have control over their own privacy

settings, as neither party knows if they might be

approached one day.

Facebook has taken an important leap in to providing

a safeguarding precaution for children to use if they feel

exploited or in danger. With further developments it

could help to put an end to the heartache caused by

contact breaches that slip through the net.

Chloé Doyle investigates panic stations forFacebook and the vulnerablegroups that can now be helped online.

“Monitoring of social networkingsites have increased recently inour sector because we are seeingmore problems with contact

breaches.”

FACEBOOK: Safe from harm?

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For the recordby Jonathan Forrester

Thousands of people in Leeds and Bradfordhave had their medical records transferredto a government-controlled database,

making them accessible to NHS staff nationwide.A Freedom of Information disclosure has

revealed that 20 GPs in Bradford and nine inLeeds have uploaded patient information to thecentral database, with a further 10 Bradfordpractices agreeing to upload.

Summary Care Records (SCRs) are part of awider plan to digitalise all medical records. Thescheme, which is currently being rolled out acrossthe country, will see basic information such asallergies and prescriptions recorded. Other healthproblems and summaries of care may then beadded every time an NHS service is used.

It is thought that the records will benefitpatients in emergencies or if they are beingtreated in a different partof the country to their GP.They also provideauthorised healthcare staffwith quick and easy accessto patient information.

So far, the governmenthas spent over £96 millionon the scheme, a figure thatis set to rise with reviewsinto its content and opt-outarrangements underway. Of this amount, NHSBradford and Airedale has spent over £123,000while NHS Leeds has spent nearly £30,000.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Ourview is that we see a need for both patients andclinicians to be able to access patient records inan electronic form. This is part of our thinkingabout making information transparent andavailable, involving patients in decisions abouttheir healthcare.”

Despite their benefits, SCRs have attractedwidespread criticism since their announcement.The government has adopted a system of impliedconsent, meaning that a patient’s record will bemade automatically unless they actively object.Patients can, however, change their mind at anytime.

Local NHS services have been charged withsending information to patients in their area toensure they are aware of the changes. Patients inBradford were among the first in the country toreceive letters in 2007, while Leeds patients

received details fromNovember last year.

A report evaluating thescheme, however, haswarned that manypeople have not readthem or have thrownthem away. Letters havealso only been sent topatients approaching the age of 16 and over,leaving parents and guardians to decide children’srecords without them always realising.

Phil Booth is national coordinator for NO2ID, anon-partisan campaign opposing the databasestate. He said: “Despite a supposed ‘informationcampaign’, the vast majority of people in Englandsimply don’t know they have to make animportant choice about their family’s medical

privacy.“A three-year independ-

ent study shows that theSummary Care Recordsystem rarely works inthe way people are beingtold it does, that it actuallyintroduces risks and de-lays into frontline healthdelivery.”

The study, carried outby researchers at University College London,concluded that SCRs had only achieved “moderatebenefits”. It found that the records sometimescontain inaccuracies and that, even when they areavailable, clinicians do not always access them.

Criticism also followed the decision to increasethe speed of the scheme’s rollout in time for thegeneral election – in order to prevent the projectbeing scrapped under the Tories.

Booth added: “The current accelerated roll-outwas imposed by a department desperate topreserve its pet project, not for good, evidence-based health reasons. It is a disgrace.”

Confidentiality concerns have already sparkedchanges to the scheme – healthcare staff now haveto ask permission before they access a patient’srecord – but this fresh wave of attack hasencouraged the Department of Health to reviewSCRs once again.

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Webelieve the current processes that are in placeneed reviewing to ensure that both the

information that patients receive, and the processby which they opt out, are as clear and simple aspossible.

“Also, we see a need to review the content of therecord and to agree with key stakeholders whatshould be added to the record and over whattimescale.

“Using Summary Care Records effectivelydepends on patients and doctors feeling anownership of these records, so that care isfocussed on patients’ wishes delivered byclinicians exercising their professionaljudgement.”

For more information or for an opt-out form, visitwww.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk

“The current accelerated

roll-out was imposed by a

department desperate to

preserve its pet project, not

for good, evidence-based

health reasons.” SCRs: Who has uploaded?

Leeds

Manston Surgery, The Medical Centre, MoorGrange View Surgery, Colton Hill MedicalCentre, Foundry Lane Surgery, The AvenueSurgery, West Lodge Surgery, WhitehallSurgery, The Gables Surgery.

Bradford

Ling House Medical Centre, Oakworth HealthCentre, Farfield Group Practice, PhoenixMedical Practice, Holycroft Surgery, BiltonMedical Practice, The Ridge Medical Practice,Horton Bank Practice, The Willows MedicalCentre, Grange Park Surgery, Picton MedicalCentre, Cowgill Surgery, Frizinghall MedicalCentre, Grange Medical Centre, SunnyBankMedical Centre, Ashwell Medical Centre,Little Horton Lane Medical Centre, WestcliffeMedical Centre, The Bradford Moor Practice,Windhill Green Medical Centre.

ONE CLICK: A nurse accesses electronic records.

4 NLN MORE

Tailored maxi dresses, gathered to create some added detail, and classic length cocktail

dresses are ideal for parties, BBQs and nights on the town. Flirt with your feminine

charm with intense pastels, cascading ruffles and plunging necklines and if you’re

feeling daring, opt for a thigh split or provocative cutaways to get male hearts racing on a warm

summer’s afternoon.

Alternatively, try a splash of colour with a scarlet cocktail dress to create a bold statement.

Add a black belt and matching shoes and clutch to break up the colour.

Summer Vogue ...for her

Flippy summer dresses, breezy skirts and shifts, and silk print

blouses with waistcoats create a classic picnic look. Fan pleats

and puff sleeves give a touch of class, or for something

different, try a tailored white dress combined with a striking silver

belt. Add a pair of light coloured gladiators or espadrilles and

complete the look with a straw hat and basket, plus lots of delicate

gold bracelets (to compliment sun-kissed skin).

For something different try the “global traveller” look with a leopard

print, tie-dye, batik or bold African print dress.

Hot nights

Petites rose shiftdressMiss Selfridge

£39

Cool days

Black croc clutchMatalan

£6

Red dress with aknotted bustwww.bonprix.co.uk

£24.90

Black wedge sandalswww.bonprix.co.uk

£9.90

Striped waist skirtRiver Island

£21.99

Lace cape blouseMiss Selfridge

£35

Babylon bowclutchAccessorize

£25Oat broderiewaistcoatMiss Selfridge

£20

by Adam Edwards and Chloé Doyle

NLN MORE 5

White tailored shortsRiver Island

£24.99

and for him...

Tailored striped shorts, off-white jeans or chinos, a tunic neck, linen shirt

(scrunch up the arms to create a bohemian look) or a grandad striped shirt

create the perfect look for all occasions. To look the part this summer, ditch

the brassy logos, ripped jeans and cartoon T-shirts and dress up a little.

For a smarter occasion try the “English dandy” look with a cream cotton suit and

a bright shirt and tie combo. You may feel out of your comfort zone in something

so “showy” but it beats a stuffy penguin suit and is a lot more comfortable on a

hot summer’s day.

Hot nights

Long sleeve grandad topBurton

£15

Crinkle blazerRiver Island

£59.99

Mohan shortsFrench Connection

£30

Cool days

Anything “nautical” is in style right now from deck shoes

to trilbies so think “yachting” when you’re next in the

high street. A pair of checked shorts, white vest and a

nice casual shirt (rolled up at the sleeves with only the bottom

few buttons done up) create a classic, grown-up look that is

perfect for any occasion.

A straw trilby, shades and white espadrilles finish the sailor

look. If espadrilles really aren’t for you and you’d rather stick

with the more versatile white plimsolls, buy some pumps with

just a small amount of detail to break up the squeaky clean look.

Rocha John Rocha grey jeansDebenhams

£45

Sol Cal trilby straw hatRepublic

£12.99

White and blue stripe espadrillesBurton

£22.00

Dark mauveMexico shirt Jack & Jones

£40

6 NLN MORE

Imagine feeling scared, alone and desperate for

support. You finally pluck up the courage to ask for

help and you’re met by a system that is starved of

knowledge, funding and services and hindered by

waiting lists. For sufferers of eating disorders in Leeds,

the system has, only too often, failed them.

Samantha* from Leeds, mother of 16-year-old

Hannah*, who has been battling with an eating disorder

for about five years, spoke of her disappointing

experience with the health service. When Hannah was

11 she started showing symptoms of an eating disorder.

Samantha took Hannah, who was deteriorating rapidly,

to see the GP. They experienced a real sense of

inconsistency with GPs help.

Samantha says: “The first GP we went to see weighed

my daughter and said her weight was fine, but I knew

something wasn’t right. He said to come back in a

month and he’d assess her again.” Upon the second

visit, the family saw a different GP who weighed her on

a different pair of scales to the first weighing.

“He weighed her and said she’d lost half a stone in

just one month but he put that down to it being a

different pair of scales and never checked again.

Looking back I should have made him check but he

referred Hannah to Cringle Bar House anyway, which

deals with children’s mental health issues.”

This experience mirrors the statistics released by

BEAT, the UK’s leading charity for eating disorders,

which showed that only 15 per cent of sufferers felt that

their GP understood their illness and knew how to help.

A spokesperson from BEAT says: “Although there are

many well informed GPs today and first class treatment

available, the picture is not consistent across the

country. Too often we hear of individuals who have

experienced difficulties accessing the treatment they

need through lack of awareness and understanding.”

Speaking out about an eating disorder is the first step

to recovery but the majority of people felt that when

they did their GP did not know about available

treatments and how to access them.

Following the survey, The National Institute for

Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published

guidelines stating that, providing GPs listen and act

quickly, recovery is possible. BEAT then carried out the

Health Check Report to see if the quality of treatment

for eating disorders in UK was getting better. The

findings were disappointing, with 42 per cent of GPs

failing to make an early diagnosis and 55 per cent not

being treated for their illness by a specialist.

Samantha recalls a long waiting time before Hannah

got a step further in the system but she was still no

closer to specialist treatment. She says: “Between the

referral and going to Cringle Bar we were left on our

own but Hannah’s deterioration was so rapid that I rang

Cringle Bar House who told me there was a 12-week

waiting list.” Hannah’s condition worsened and Cringle

Bar House sent her to A&E to get blood samples as she

was about to go into a diabetic coma. Hannah was then

transferred to Littlewood House Hall, which is an in-

patient service for children with mental health

problems. Samantha was concerned about this but

didn’t know where else to turn. She says: “Littlewood

House Hall doesn’t specifically specialise in eating

disorders which I wasn’t keen on but I had no choice.

Hannah was in there for nine weeks.”

Although Hannah eventually got into the system her

treatment was short lived and, much to her families

despair, her treatment was cut short. When Hannah was

admitted to Littlewood House Hall she weighed just

21.8kg with a BMI of 11.7. Sufferers generally undertake

a 12 to 16 weeks treatment programme but Hannah was

discharged after just nine weeks. Samantha says: “After

nine weeks I got a call saying she was well enough to

come home. It wasn’t until later that I found out that

they needed her bed for another patient and they had

decided that Hannah was the fittest to come home even

though she still had a BMI of 16.3. She wasn’t ready to

come home. It was terrifying.”

This experience has left the family feeling let down

and cheated. They feel that their poor experience was

mainly down to the lack of understanding and funding

of eating disorders within the system. Samantha says:

“They do everything by the book but there’s no

compassion or understanding. I remember a GP telling

me that he thought too much time is spent on trying

to cure it rather than prevent it. In Hannah’s case this

is true. She nearly went into a coma before we got any

help. If we hadn’t have pushed for help, my daughter

would have died. We did all the leg work and it’s left

me feeling totally let down by the whole system.”

Another sufferer from Leeds, Jessica*, 22, has also had

a frustrating experience with the health services. After

three years she finally admitted she needed help and

went to her GP but he didn’t seem to understand. He

told her it was probably just a phase she was going

through and took some blood tests. Jessica says: “I felt

helpless. I had finally plucked up the courage to admit

to a problem and ask for help and my doctor just

ignored it. I don’t think he knew what to do.”

Jessica persisted and went back to the GP. This time

he seemed to listen more and referred her to the Leeds

Mental Health service. “I thought this was a step closer

to some help but I waited about 13 weeks before I got

an appointment and when I did I was met with the same

lack of understanding of what I needed as I got from

my GP.”

Jessica was told that they would consider treatment

options and call her. Two weeks went by until she got

a phone call from them. She recalls: “They said that

the only option they thought I would benefit from had

a long waiting list and asked me if I wanted to bother

waiting. When I said I wanted some sort of support they

said they needed to have another think and would get

back to me.”

Jessica is currently still waiting for them to get back

to her and the experience so far with the health service

has left her feeling inadequate. She says: “I feel like they

are trying to cast me aside. I’m still no closer to any

help – in fact I feel further away from it now. I feel like

an inconvenience.” This is the case for many people

who are struggling to get into the system.

Despite recommendations by NICE, there is still a lack

in specialist services with long waiting lists and high

costs. NHS specialist inpatient treatment can cost up to

£25,000 per person and only 33 per cent of local health

authorities in the UK have specialist services.

There are about two dozen NHS eating disorders

clinics in the UK. The Yorkshire Centre for Eating

Disorders has become the largest service in the north,

receiving referrals from all over the UK. The service is

in high demand - so much so that the clinic had to

expand to increase the number of inpatient beds.

BEAT believes that there needs to be a change in the

system. The spokesperson adds: “In view of the recent

health service changes we would wish to see GPs

generally better informed about eating disorders and

able to refer their patient to the appropriate specialist

service.”

Samantha also firmly believes that there needs to be

shorter waiting times, more accessible services and

better understanding throughout the profession. She

adds: “When you go into a GP surgery you hardly ever

see leaflets on eating disorders so people don’t have

any knowledge about them. Something has to change

– more specialist services are definitely needed.”

Since 2002 there has been a 162 per cent increase in

the number of people affected and BEAT estimates that

1.6 million people in the UK are affected by eating

disorders. The BEAT spokesperson says: “Eating

disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental

illness – 12 times higher than in the general population

and early intervention is crucial.”

It’s time for the waiting game to end and for the

health profession to start providing specialist services

that are not hindered by waiting lists and a lack of

funding and understanding. However, with the

proposed public service cutbacks these life-saving

services may continue to be starved of resources.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

Weighing it all up

by Rebecca Elvin

“She nearly went intoa coma before we got

any help.”

MOREreviewsNLN MORE 7

Anew, hugely-anticipatedplay, This Land: The Storyof Woody Guthrie, tells the

fascinating story of the life ofAmerica’s much-loved folkmusic hero.

In a captivating production,the story tells of highs and lows,from the heartbreaking death ofhis mother in a fire, to therousing gigs at rallies and transitcamps to his dance of death withHuntington’s Chorea.

The riveting 75 minutes ofdrama and live musicdocuments the life, loves andsongs of a figure who hasarguably had an impact on all ofmodern music.

Artistic director of InterplayProductions and author of ThisLand, Steve Byrne, says:“Audiences who see This Landwill find themselvesexperiencing a type of theatrethey are unlikely to findanywhere else. Through hismusic Guthrie told the story ofthe downtrodden, of people whodidn’t have a voice.

“I thought his story was reallypertinent to what we do atInterplay. He had a powerfulvoice that spoke acrossgenerations and this was

evident in the legion of fans whoare fans of his music.”

The music of Woody Guthriehas inspired the work of manymodern-day singer-songwritersand entertainers, from the musicof Bob Dylan and Christy Mooreto Ani DiFranco and BruceSpringsteen.

To music lovers, folk fans andcasual listeners, Guthrie is seenas the godfather of folk musicand his influence can be heardeverywhere. His colourful lifehas become as legendary as thesongs he wrote.

Interplay is marking its 40thanniversary this year and isbringing the story of WoodyGuthrie to the stage as part of itscelebrations.

With a highly professional andenergetic approach, five actorsand musicians performincredible live renditions ofGuthrie’s songs to bring theperformance alive.

The production has been hotlytipped as one of the top five“must see” theatre pieces thisyear.

This Land is at the West YorkshirePlayhouse from July 15 to 17 andtickets are on sale now.

THE PREVIEWThis Land: The Story of Woody Guthrieby Shahzeena Khalid

THE DVDChloe (15, 96 mins)by Richard Simpson

Twenty three years after Fatal Attractioncoined the phrase “bunny boiler”, 2010 seesa new contender in the category of “woman

most scorned.”The premise is simple. A successful married

couple (Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore)seemingly have the perfect life but it begins tounravel as tension slowly bubbles up to thesurface.

Continuing Hollywood’s trend of turning around

remakes of popular foreign films, Chloe rehashes2004 French film Nathalie, taking it out of Franceand on to American soil with mixed results.

After a humiliating no show at his own surprisebirthday party, suspicious Catherine (Moore)decides to test the loyalty of her husband, David(Neeson), as niggling doubts manifest themselvesin her head.

In a fit of jealous desperation she turns to Chloe(Amanda Seyfried), a young and beautiful call girland asks her to test her husband’s fidelity to itslimit. A murky love triangle ensues, as a confusedCatherine finds herself becoming more and moredrawn to the seductive but vulnerable Chloe.

The acting is strong, with dependable leads anda rising star in Seyfried. The cast represents someof the strongest acting talent in the Hollywood, itis just a shame they are not best served by a filmthat has a plot so slow it is almost reduced to acrawl.

Director, Atom Egoyan, (Where the Truth Lies,Adoration) brings independent and arthousecinematic pedigree but perhaps struggles withmaterial that could, for once, have benefitted froma more established Hollywood director at thehelm.

To his credit, utilising go-to cinematographerPaul Sarossy, the duo create a film that is visuallyalluring, full of soft focus warmth contrasted withwashed-out flashback sequences.

At the heart of the film is a young, disturbed girlwho needs help. She is old enough to beCatherine’s daughter, but at no point is theaudience made to feel sorry for a girl who, as thefilm reaches its climax, has much bigger problemsthan it first appears. The uneven script sees a oncestrong woman come apart at the seams in the

space of a few short minutes.The film marks an admirable departure for

Seyfried, playing one of the more complex roles ofa career that has so far seen her stick to a boxoffice safety net after successful turns in MammaMia! and Dear John.

Carrying the eyebrow-raising mantle of an“erotic thriller”, Chloe tries to deliver suspense butoften falls flat at the times it most needs toperform. A set-piece climax and twist are notdifficult to spot, leaving the film short of theimpact Fatal Attraction had in abundance.

It is a shame that with such stellar talent ondisplay, the film may end up being reduced tointernet notoriety due to a number of steamyscenes featuring one of the brightest young starsin Hollywood.

In the end the film is a frustrating remake thatcould have been great but lacked the punch andthe know-how to get there.

Chloe is released on Monday.

More scores: 5/10

“Ibelieve in the public and democracy,” saysSir Robert Worcester during his lecture atLeeds Trinity University College about the

media’s effect on the 2010 General Election. Sir Robert has been in the opinion poll industry

for over 40 years and his passion for politics is asevident as ever. His dominance over the specially-selected audience is impressive and he rattles offfigure after figure with ease, indisputably masterof his trade. He speaks of the relationship betweenvalues, attitudes and opinions and throughout thelecture we are given insight into his own values,which have clearly driven his career.

Sir Robert founded Market Opinion ResearchInternational (MORI) in 1969, which was once theUK’s largest independent research organisation.In 2005 it joined with French organisation Ipsosto form Ipsos MORI – one of the largest surveyorganisations in the UK.

“I can be very boring,” he warns. “When I do abook, there’s numbers. When I do a lecture,there’s numbers.” Numbers there were, boring hewas not.

When I catch up with him after the lecture he issomewhat less intimidating as he wraps up a sliceof cake from the buffet lunch to eat on his trainjourney back to Canterbury. I get the impressionthat he never stops working and, at over a decadepassed the retirement age, he is still very muchgoing strong.

“I’ve got a secret, which I’ll share with you – Iwork 364 days a year,” he says. “The one day Idon’t work is Christmas day because it’s my wife’sbirthday. An American heard me say that once andhe said ‘I bet you had to wait a long time to find awoman whose birthday was Christmas day’.”

His many accolades are testament to hisdedication, the most recent of which is becomingpresident of the Institute of Business Ethics, a postthat fits his moral values. “When I was asked to dothis I thought ‘it is in keeping with my beliefs andif I can make a contribution I will do my best to doso’,” he says. “Business leaders are often very quickto complain that they’re not trusted, that theydon’t have the confidence of the British public, butthey’re not going to have it if they don’t actethically – and not only act ethically but be seento act ethically.”

However, it is a different role that is exciting himmost at the moment. “I’ve been asked to do thechairmanship of the 800th anniversary of theMagna Carta in 2015. I’m really proud to have thisnew job as my first visit to a British museum wasto see the Magna Carta.”

Born in Kansas, Missouri, in 1933, Sir Robertmoved over to Britain and set up MORI when hewas 35, but work was not the only reason he hasstayed here. “I’m an ‘Anglo-freak’,” he admits. “It isnot British politics so much as Britain. With afamily name like Worcester you must haveguessed that my heritage was English.

“My ancestor was a priest who refused, on theinstruction of the Bishop of Lincoln, to allow theparishioners to play sport on a Sunday, whichexplains a lot about me. He couldn’t get a parish

here so took the offer of a parish in Massachusettsin 1638, so I was just coming home.”

Sir Robert was knighted in 2004 and becamechancellor of the University of Kent in 2006, healso has numerous honorary doctorates andfellowships, but his most important achievementis rather more modest. “The most challengingthing I’ve done is being a non-executive directoron a failing NHS hospital where everything theydid, and much of what they do, is a matter of lifeand death,” he says. “They have to work literally24/7, 365 days a year and they’re in a constantstate of crisis – and if that’s not a managementchallenge, I don’t know what is.” It’s a touchinganswer and I wonder if the fact that his father diedof a heart attack at the age of 47 when Sir Robertwas just 13 has anything to do with it.

Despite his ancestral roots, he doesn’t follow afaith but says there is a noticeable differencebetween here and his native country when itcomes to religion. “I’m an atheist by faith, or lackthereof, but I’m always surprised how irreligiousthe British are in terms of church going in contrastto America. Only four per cent here attend churchevery Sunday.” He adds: “I believe you only get thisway but once and if you don’t do it all in this life,you won’t get another chance.”

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Issue nine edited by Richard Simpson and

Stephanie Burns

www.northleedsnews.co.uk

Next issue: July 23

MORI

founder

Sir Robert

Worcester

speaks to

Stephanie

Burns about

work ethics,

religion and

his love of

Britain.

“I’ve got a secret, which I’llshare with you – I work 364

days a year.”