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Transcript of Youth Unlimited Issue 2a
YOUTHUNLIMITEDISSUE 002A
THEVENT
The localrock band
night page
HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN A WEEK
Do this and you ca
n get ridof your m
an
OBESITY
The BIGissue
By young people, foryoung people
A VOICE FOR TODAY...
... AN IMPACT ON TOMORROW
THIS ISSUE
Welcome back tothe magazine tha
t puts the ‘you’ back in
youth. Young people face a lot of is
sues these days,and
we have pulled together a whole bu
nch of different young
people to help deal with some of th
ose issues.
This edition provides a range of fun,
cool and interesting
articles for you toenjoy. You’ll find e
verything from fashion
to football to festivals in these page
s.
So what is it like being part of Youth
Unlimited magazine?
Well for a start weare all great friend
s and have a huge
amount of fun! Overall we get to ma
ke our voices heard
over the whole borough whilst gettin
g together and having
a brilliant time.
Because of the big team we have, we get a
ll kinds of
opinions and views from loads of different
people. This
means that in themagazine there re
ally is somethingfor
everyone! Don’t forget folks, that un
like most youth
magazines, this iscompletely written
and designed by
young people fromthe team, so it rea
lly is by youth for
youth!
Over the last year, this magazine h
as come really far, really
quickly. There is however, always ro
om for more opinions
and more improvements. So if there
is anything in the
magazine that you think could be im
proved, please email
us at [email protected] with
your opinions.
Thanks very much for picking up a
copy and we really hope
you enjoy it!
Thanks! From the team
HIYA
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& Merry Christmas
PAGE 2
FEATURES
Homeless YoungPeople > > > > page 04
Reading Festival> > > > > > > > >
page 08
TheVent > > > >> > > > > > > > >
page 09
Red Storm Rising Music Review page 10
Obesity > > > > > > > > >> > > > page 13
How to Lose a Guy in 1 Week > > p
age 14
New Malden > >> > > > > > > > >
page 15
Gap Years > > >> > > > > > > > >
page 20
Young Carers > > > > > > > > >> page 22
PAYP > > > > > > > > >> > > > > page 23
INFO, HELP ANDUS
Kingston Youth Council > > > > >
page 06
Reel Event > > > > > > > > >> > page 07
Schools > > > > > > > > >> > > > page 20
REGULARS
Tom’s Regular Rant > > > > > > > p
age 12
COMPETITIONS
Puzzle Page > >> > > > > > > > >
page 16
YOUTH EVENTSAND INFO
KU19 > > > > > > > > >> > > > > page 17
Youth Centres info > > > > > > > >
page 24
Info for Young People > > > > > > page
24
CONTENTS
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PAGE 3
PAGE 4
Ilooked up the word homeless in adictionary and found it to mean“Someone with no housing.” At firstI was able to accept this on face
value, it made sense. If you have nohouse you must be homeless. Aftersome further research I have found thatthis definition is not strictly true. You canbe counted as homeless if: you areliving in temporary accommodation suchas a hostel or B&B, you are living inunsafe or overcrowded housing that youshould not be expected to live in or youare living with friends or relations whocannot house you permanently.In 2004 local authorities found that
204,750 households/families werehomeless (this figure does not includethose families who do not seek advicefrom local councils). At the end ofDecember of the same year, 101,040homeless families had been placed intemporary accommodation; 6,450families were placed in hotels and10,080 families were placed in hostels.
Again figures do not include those whosought their own accommodation orthose who received help from socialservices.Given that Britain is the 4th
wealthiest country in the world, why areso may people living in temporaryaccommodation or housing that is unfitto live in? Why do so many people haveno accommodation at all?Money is a huge problem. The
average weekly housing benefit is£63.20, however the average weeklyrent is £77.30. With a large family orindeed any family, and perhaps a jobthat doesn’t pay so well, what arefamilies supposed to live on? There arearound 700,000 empty dwellings inEngland and more than enough peopleto fill them, the problem is people justcan’t afford the cost of living.According to the latest figures, well
over 1 million houses in the UK are unfitto live in, however 90% of them areunoccupied. Thanks to outdated
guidelines the government does notrecognise the situation of a lot of thesefamilies. These ancient standards meanthat rooms such as the kitchen andliving room count as spaces to be sleptin. When taking a people count, babiesunder 1 year of age do not count as aperson and children under 10 only countas half a person. By these standards afamily of 6 could easily only count as 3½ people. These guidelines mean thatwell over 1 million children are living inunfit housing and it is estimated thathomeless children miss out on a quarterof their schooling. With education beingone of the most important things in life, Ibelieve we are setting our children up toget poorly paid jobs and the whole cycleof not being able to afford housingbegins again.
If you walk down the streets of London, or indeed any majorcity, it is obvious that the number of homeless people livingon the streets is ridiculously high and it is obvious that thisnumber should not be so high. However, when researchingthis article I discovered that there are many more homelesspeople. Homeless people that we do not see…
BY LUCY SAWYER
1) As a Project Worker what actuallyis your role?Well I’m a project worker for aChristian centre in Waterloo; I getinto work at around 7:30 to 8:30amand set up all the breakfast things.When people start arriving at around9am I serve tea and coffee. Duringthe rest of the day I create orders forclothing and showers.
2) Do you think the government havedone anything particularly effective intrying to both prevent and help thecurrent homeless situation?I have mixed feelings on this. Thegovernment seems to think thathomeless centres are prolonginghomelessness. They think that aslong as these people get a meal anda shower they don’t need to get ajob, so they are closing centresdown. This is ok only if they openrehab centres. A lot of people use
the homeless centres as a place tobuild relationships and gain self-esteem. If you have been on yourown for a long time it is a hard thingto do. Some people just aren’t readyto get a job. If they have beenhomeless for 15 years, that is 15years of habits to deal with.
3) In your experience as a ProjectWorker what effect doeshomelessness have on youngpeople both now and later onin life?Low self-esteem is a major problemwith homeless young people. It is adownward spiral that can lead tousing substances; it is a way ofputting up barriers so as not to haveto face the world. Certain attitudesdevelop and it is a self-perpetuatingproblem where the young personpushes people away and eventuallypeople end up not wanting to go
near them. It is difficult to generaliseas the young people are alreadysuffering. Something causeshomelessness and it is not justpeople from this country. At themoment there are a lot of peoplefrom Poland who have been told thatthey will be able to get jobs here andthey can’t.
4) Again in your experience what arethe most frequent causes ofhomelessness and what are the bestpreventatives?It is usually something that hashappened in the early years.Perhaps they didn’t fit in or haddifficulty at school. People soonbecome outcasts at any early age.Sometimes they can’t cope and don’tget any support. It is very easy to getisolated quickly.
Something has to be done and fast but what? I spoke to WayneSmith (pictured, right), a Homeless Project worker to find out.
END
PAGE 6
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KYC IS THE YOUTH COUNCIL WORKINGSPECIFICALLY FOR YOU IN OUR ROYALBOROUGH. MEETING ONCE A MONTHAND HAVING REPRESENTATIVES ONMANY OTHER LOCAL COUNCILS WE AREWORKING FAIRLY HARD.“KYC
”
CONTACT DETAILS
If you want to have your say on youth issues or concerns andyou want something done about it email:
////////
KINGSTON YOUTH COUNCIL
Welcome to the KYC page. Firstly I hope you all gotwhat you wanted in your various exams and thenew school year isn’t getting you down already.However you have in your trembling hands issue
two of the vastly superior youth magazine, compiled by theyoung people of Kingston. Young people such as yourselves,people you no doubt cheer or jeer in your school corridors.These dedicated folk were not chosen, no youth worker covertlyenlisted them, they simply offered their skills and were given thechance to demonstrate them, the outcome of which is spilledover each page.Short of this being part of a recruitment drive, this is a
message that I think we all too often block out. School is hard,sure and it may seem like you seldom have time for much else,so why not prove to yourself that the things you’re picking upcan come to some use and get you noticed? If you don’t likebeing branded as a lazy teen then get up, say you’re going to dosomething and do it. Join a sports team; get involved in yourschool’s council, get up ten minutes earlier, it’s not that any ofthe above is difficult; it’s just effort. Granted, it would be reallyeasy to dismiss this too and keep cruising through your youth,but my advice is, leave a mark, have something to talk about,have something that makes you, you, individuality is a trait seento be lacking in our generation.As my year as Kingston’s Member of Youth Parliament ends I
can say that the youth council continues to go from strength tostrength. Very recently we ran a racial justice event in CoombeGirls and are currently preparing for an exchange to our sistertown in Germany; both have come out of dedication and someinspired ideas. What would be great is for each person to vote inthe upcoming election, take some interest in the candidates and,if you see something you like in it all, to act on it.
‘Success usually comes to those who are too busy to belooking for it’
By Chris Fullbrook
THE R–RACIAL JUS
PAGE 7
Each year Kingston holds amemorial event in remembrance ofRicky Reel. This year we chose tolook forward, asking questions like,
what is racial justice and is there racial justicein Kingston?The ‘Reel Event’ involved groups of pupils
from schools all over the borough comingtogether and discussing ways of promotingracial justice. The afternoon was spent inworkshops discussing not only ways in whichracial injustice can be stopped, but also abouthow young people think racism affects them.
The Story of Ricky ReelOn the night of 14th October 1997 Lakhvinder‘Ricky’ Reel and three of his friends wereracially attacked in Kingston upon Thames.Ricky was separated from his friends andnever returned home that night. The incidentwas immediately reported to the police, buthis parents felt that no action was taken.Fearing for Ricky’s safety the family thenbegan their investigation and discovered vitalvideo evidence and witnesses. Seven dayslater, Ricky’s body was found in the Thames,less than half a mile away from the location ofthe incident. The police concluded that furtherinvestigation was not required.The family instigated a complaint against
the police because they believed that theyhad responded poorly. This was undertakenby the Surrey Constabulary and supervisedby the Police Complaints Authority. The policemaintained that Ricky died by slipping over
the edge after urinating in the river. Theyrefused to investigate other theories.Consequently the circumstances of Ricky’sdeath still remain a mystery.In 1998 the investigation was taken over
by the Race and Violent Crime Task force.Their report was completed in 1998 and inearly 1999 it was released to the family andtheir solicitor on the condition that it is notdisclosed to the public. In November 1999the inquest into Ricky’s death began atFulham Town Hall. As the inquest progressed,the new investigating team announced thatthey did not believe that Ricky died in anyother circumstances than an accident.This was a shock to the family who had
some faith that this team was at last lookingseriously into Ricky’s death. Despite thepolice arguing that the death was accidental,the jury returned an open verdict. The familycontinues to demand that the report be madepublic and will continue their campaign todiscover how Ricky Reel died.
What is Racial Justice?Racial Justice is all about achieving equalityand fair judgement for all races in society. Itdoesn’t matter where you’re from, thereshould be justice for all racial groups andjustice against racism. Those who attendedthe Reel Event learnt that people should betreated the same, regardless of their colour,race religion and culture. No one should bebullied or hurt due to where they come from.Racial justice is based on the belief that we
About Racial Justice…
Stop racism
Stand up for yourrights
Stop racial injustice in schools
Start racial Justice
Always be safe
Racism and Racial Justice is an ongoing issue, some ideason how to take this topic further involve…
Talking to more young people and getting more opinions
Finding out more about racial justice in schools
If you have any ideas on this topic or want to get involved let usknow, you can email us at [email protected] can also check out the younglivin’ bulletin board atwww.younglivin.org.uk to give us your opinions on racial justice.
Lyrics by Chris Smoove
Ok waitSome of u thinking what’s thisWhat I dealing with is Racial InjusticeIf you don’t know get to know about thisGather round when I’m done to discuss thisAnd ask yourselves where u find it existsIn your townYour countryYour estateYour nicheHow can it be helpedHow can we get rid of itThe system ain’t doing much about it so I gotta tell of itIt’s relevantSo I’m leading by example in hope to influenceBeing unjust to someone because if their raceTheir colourTheir beliefsIs just not rightNo matter who you are no matter where you beIn Life we should all get treated equally
I hope you listening to everything I sayI need you to think about everything I sayA whole bunch of things ain’t really right todayAnd racial injustice is one of them
This is the realLets think about what happened to Ricky ReelIf it happened to your family how would you feelTell you what, here’s what I’ll doLets think about this like this was youYou’re out one night with three of your matesFor a drink, laugh and maybe score datesThen you and your mates get racial abuseSituation blows out of control like a fuseNext think you know you’re being attackedSo in fear you gotta run for your lifeWhen reported Police don’t believe the hypeA week later your body is found in the ThamesNo investigationNo suspect namesA sad incidentWritten off as an accident
I hope you listening to everything I sayI need you to think about everything I sayA whole bunch of things ain’t really right todayAnd racial injustice is one of them
WHAT PEOPLE SAID WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
RACIAL INJUSTICE
About Racial Justice in Schools…There is racial injustice in schoolsTeachers can be racistIt’s bullyingIt’s not talked about
What people thought of the event itself…
It was good and taught them a lot
People shouldn’t be treated differently
The event was inspiring
There should be a lot more events like it
REEL EVENTSTICE IN KINGSTON
BY LUCY SAWYER, IZZI WOODHO
USE, NIKI PATEL,
TOM WHITEHEAD-CLARKE, CHRIS F
ULLBROOK,
HALIMA MOIN, MICHAELJOSLIN AND MORGAN MEAD
On the 20th October, an event took place at CoombeGirls School in order to raise awareness of the racialjustice initiative in Kingston.
END
Armed with flowery wellies, as the g
round was still muddy
from the heavy downpours of the last few
days, we left
our tent ready to get down and dirty
in yet another
tent…yes, the Carling Tent was the f
irst stop of the day,
and we were on asearch for hot new
talent. We found
the Aussie band, Thirsty Merc. We p
artied on to the
NME/Radio 1 Tent where, during the
day, you’ll always
find bands that areon the verge of m
aking it HUGE. Of
course, as the night draws in, the ba
nds get bigger andbigger with
The Killers headlining the Main Stage
, but we’ll never forget
Kasabian’s spectacular set leaving e
veryone singing the “Ah-ahhh-
ahhh-ahh-ahh-ahhh-ahhh-ahhh-ah!”
chorus of LSF intothe night.
Bands seen: Thirsty Merc, The Dead
60s, Death From Above
1979, Graham Coxon, Elbow, The Coral, Queens o
f the Stone
Age, The Killers, Black Rebel Motorc
ycle Club and Kasabian.
Highlight: Stayingup until 3am so that we’d be, a
s our mate Nick
said, “hardcore.” There was a countd
own and everything and then we all
passed out in ourtents at approxima
tely 3:01am.
Lowlight: Getting crushed at the very
front of the Main Stage during The C
oral
by crazy youths (you’d think The Co
ral would be slightly chilled but no…
mosh
pit for every band…thank God we did
n’t stay there for QOTSA).
Best band: Kasabian.
FRIDAY
Woke up fairly lateafter being “hardc
ore” the night
before, so we onlycaught the last of
The Cribs.
Today was really all about getting in
there with the
hardcore Arctic Monkeys fans. Amo
ngst them all,
standing there, singing along to tune
s like ‘Fake Talesof
San Francisco’ and ‘Put on Your Da
ncing Shoes’ withAlex Turner
telling us “don’t believe the hype”…it
all felt a bit surreal. Magical.
Gotta love those Monkeys. With the s
etting sun came Johnny Borrell
stealing other people’s hats, dusk br
ought Country-rock Gods, Kings
of Leon, and the Foos dazzled us wi
th cool laser effects. But
Saturday night was all about Trolley.
Take two trolleys,put a crazed
youth in each andram them into each other se
nding people flying! It
gives a whole newmeaning to yob cu
lture. Not even security
confiscating the trolleys could stop ‘
em. There
were people climbing over the toilet
walls to
liberate the trolley. God speed. Liter
ally.
Bands seen: TheCribs, Nine Black
Alps, Biffy
Clyro, The Arctic Monkeys, The Othe
rs, The
Charlatans, Hot Hot Heat, Razorligh
t, Kings of
Leon and Foo Fighters.
Highlight: MeetingJohnny Borrell at
the NME
Signing Tent! He signed our arms an
d Nazrene
got a kiss J…andTROLLEY! Look o
ut for variations ofthe legendary
Trolley at Reading2006.
Lowlight: Alice having to be saved by
our friend Jake from a creepy
creepy man who swore he was only
“nuzzling.”
Best band: Kingsof Leon.
SATURDAY
If you’re like us, Sunday was all abo
ut the
NME/Radio 1 Tent. If you exclude s
mall intervals to mosh
on the outskirts ofthe, shall we say,
more heavier-
inclined crowd during Marilyn Manso
n, the day was
dedicated to the Kings of Indie Rock
and Roll and their
pretenders. The lead singer of the R
akes was ill or
something (at thetime we didn’t rea
lly care) so they were
joined on stage bymany a cool Indie
mofo. Then we got
to stand at the very front to observe
Maxïmo Park’s
keyboardist doingfreakish chopping
hand gestures, but having the chanc
e to
see The Futureheads followed by B
loc Party, well, that has to be a gig th
at
only fools dream of, surely? Well, fools and dreamers
we are, but see them
both we did! We left the arena to the
sounds of an organiser thanking us,
no
less, for making the weekend what it
was. We ate Super Noodles that we
cooked ourselvesand cried a little b
ecause it was all over (and secretly,
mostly because there was so much
smoke in the air).We left to the sou
nds of
people still chanting, “We all follow th
e Trolley” and came home smelling l
ike
wood smoke.
Bands seen: TheRakes, Sons and
Daughters, HAL, Maxïmo Park, The R
ifles,
Incubus, Marilyn Manson, LCD Soun
dsystem, The Futureheads and Bloc
Party.Highlight: Enjoying
the thumping dance beats in the Bac
ardi B-Bar and being
dragged to the front by Jake (bigges
t, strongest man you’ll ever meet) in
the
NME tent for TheFutureheads.
Lowlight: Four/Five days of no sleep
and heavy rockingstarts taking its tol
l.
AWARDS
Best Dressed: ’Crazy Welsh People
’
The Cutest Couple: Nick and Jimmy
Best Fire: Our one, hehe.
Best Signing: Razorlight (Johnny go
t around)
Best band of the weekend: Can’t dec
ide…even
the most decisiveperson couldn’t do
it.
Best up and coming band: The Arctic
Monkeys, no doubt. And now, with
a Number One under their belts, not
hing and no one can stop them.
Thank you, Reading, we were dirty
and
we were rocking. And we’d do it all
again.
See you next year!
Nazrene and Alicexxxx
P.S. Don’t forget your wellies trolley.
OVERVIEW
SUNDAY
Take the Bank Holiday weekend in August, mix in somebands both old and new, sprinkle thousands of music-crazy, rockstar hungry fans, and leave to simmer in themud, the rain, and the scorching summer sun…
As usual, the summer of 2005 broughtus a whole range of music festivals, butif you really like your ROCK, you had tobe at Reading. As Dave Grohl told thescreaming crowd, “V Festival’s for theclean people, Glastonbury’s for thehippies. Reading’s for the dirty f*ckingrockers!”WELCOME TO READING FESTIVAL 2005
BY NAZRENE HANIF AND ALICE MARMION
END
Hoards of teenagers were millingabout in cliques in the church inanticipation of the doors openingto THEVENT; a night where local
bands come to play for those organisedenough to book a ticket on time.I lounged on a sofa inside and wondered
why I didn’t feel at all intimidated by thespiked lip piercings, studded boots, wild hairand uniformly black clothes that sucked alllight from the surrounding area. I put it downto the general friendliness and happiness ofmost of the people there. Many people satoutside to chat over free drinks of hotchocolate.Others sat in the prayer tent for deeper
conversation and prayer (hence the name).Most people appeared to know each other,yet even if they didn’t they were ready to getto know new people. If given half a chanceconsidering the deafening rock music inside.Whether people had come to see the
bands or just meet with friends, everyoneenjoyed the music, jumping together, moshingtogether, dancing together…I reckon they all agree with me that
THEVENT is one of the easiest places tohave a good time.
(To get tickets for the next Vent visitwww.oxygen-online.org)
THEVENT
BY THOMAS HOLMES
LETTING OFF STEAM AT
END
PAGE 9
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TOMUSIC: SHOWCASING THEHOTTEST NEW TALENT INYOUR AREA AND REVIEWINGTHE LATEST SINGLE ANDALBUM RELEASES…
RedStorm Rising are John, Spencer,Duncan and Craig. Now, they writetheir own songs and play gigs atvenues like The Peel and The
Garage. Three years ago, they did a coversgig. Before that, each were part of various otherbands "who rocked". Before that, like everymusician in the business and any aspiring rockstars you might know, they had to learn how toplay their instruments.
But why'd they start anyway?Duncan: Because bass looked easier to playthan guitar…John: There are only four strings!Duncan: I started after I saw that gig withThree Colours Red and Pete wore a nice suitwhile playing and he's got nice hair as well. Isuppose I was just inspired by that if weneeded one sort of inciting incident.John: Well I started doing music becausemy mum plays the piano and by granddadplays the accordion, started playing piano whenI was about four and then other instrument. Istarted guitar at seventeen. So it all stems backto my mum and my granddad - that's how coolI am. It wasn't a gig that did it; it was my mumand granddad.Craig: Um, I, well, I actually started playingthe clarinet and I sucked at that, so I gave thatup. I was about ten.John: And those hopes of playing theAlbert Hall were dashed forever.Craig: I started having an interest inplaying the drums after listening to my dad'srecord collection and listening to The Who,which was the most incredible sound I've everheard. I actually started playing air drums in mybedroom for about a year, I used two woodenspoons and tried to play along to Keith Moon. Igot my first actual drumkit when I wasseventeen and just kind of developed.Spencer: I'm similar to John, I think my dadand my grandparents were all sort of concertpianists, concert violinists, and I learnt violinwhen I was five and I finished all the gradeswhen I was about fifteen. My sister told me itwas cool to play the drums so I went to havelessons - it was good fun. After that, I startedplaying around on bass and started to take an
interest in acoustic guitars. I got my first electricwhen I got my first credit card.
Any tips for young scenesters who mightjust be starting out?John: Do it for the fun.Craig: Do it for the girls!John: Don't sit there and start playing andthink you're good enough to play because youwon't be. I'm not being mean there, am I?Duncan: Yeah, you are.John: If you're gonna be a rhythm guitaristlisten to GreenDay because it's nice and easyto play along to. If you're gonna be a leadguitarist listen to stuff that's got lots of Slash init, Van Halen, Hendrix. Practice until you getgood, don't practice until you think you're kindof all right and mess up, otherwise people willwatch you and think "Oh you're a bit rubbisharen't you?"Craig: I'd say the best thing to do isprobably to listen. I never learnt to play thedrums properly, I never had a lesson, so I'd justsay listen to as many drummers as you canand develop your style - find a guy that you likeand try and play like them, if you can get ateacher then all the better, because there's stillthings that I don't know and will never knowbecause I was never taught properly. Just listenand develop your sound.
So how would you describe your soundthen?John: We're Pop Rock Punk or thosethree words in some kind of order. That's theeasiest and loosest term to put us in.Spencer: Craig's very influenced by 60s/70sbands like The Who so his drumming is likepure rock and Duncan's a bit of a punk bassistat heart and I'm influenced by 80s bands likeVan Halen and Guns 'n' Roses, stuff like that,and John's big on pop rock.John: Yeah, I love Wild Hearts and everyrelated band to them - Yo Yos - and also stufflike Butch Walker who's been working a lot withAvril Lavigne recvently. And he did a song withTommy Lee, which was so cheesy it hurt.Spencer: So it's quite a mix…and also - don'tquote us on this one - John and I are quitebig…Beach Boys fans.
Do you guys do this professionally? Is thisyour jobs?John: Yeah, we're unsigned, we've gotthis album that we've been working on sincelike June, it's kind of nearing the end, we'rehoping that it'll be out by Christmas and thatthrough that we'll get some kind of interest fromrecord companies. I mean, we just sort of dothis for fun but to do this for a living and getloads of money out of it would be great as well!
Do you have any crazy stories fromgigging? What was with the spacehopperthing?John: I think it was last Christmas, I gaveyou my heart, but then…no, wait, that's a song.The Christmas gig was excellent - really goodfun - we had about ten or a dozen differentspacehoppers and they were bouncing up anddown and I don't think I've ever signed so manyspacehoppers in all my life! And then it kind ofhappened again around Easter but it's kind ofstalled since then because I don't think peoplecan be bothered to take their spacehoppersanymore.
What bands going around nowadays wouldyou like to support on tour?John: Blue.They're over though!John: Lee Ryan, he's got his solo careergoing…oh I dunno.So not Simon Webbe?John: …No. Not Simon Webbe. I meanobviously your best bet is to be supportingpeople who are a similar sort of style really butthat you're also different enough from. So anyof those punk bands…Blink-182…just anything.Duncan: I'd love to support The Pixies.Spencer: I'd love to be headlining really.What do you think about the rock 'n' rollstereotype? Are you all wild like Pete Doherty?Craig: F*cking wasted knob.John: He just acts like an arse. At Live 8,he just came on stage and just made noise inthe microphone and didn't actually perform ordo anything and there's all these peopleworshipping him like he's the new saviour ofmusic.
When can you smash drumkits, play with plenty o' pedals, be secret fans of The BeachBoys in a "Pop Rock Punk" band AND find loads of fit girls armed with spacehoppers?Why, when there's a Red Storm Rising of course…
PAGE 10
INTERVIEW ANDPHOTOGRAPHY BYNAZRENE HANIF
Stuck for the ultimate Xmas gift? Here are myTop Tracks for November/December. Glad tohelp, Nazrene xxx
- - - SINGLES - - -
WHEN I’M GONE – EMINEM (12/12/05)Hooray! The only rapper out there – at least, inmy view – that has attitude, style and thought-provoking lyrics. Thank God he’s back…aworthwhile investment, and hopefully a goodindication of his upcoming album.
JERUSALEM – KEEDIE: ENGLAND CRICKET TEAM(12/12/05)It’s Christmas so songs like these areinevitable, but what can I say? People out thereseem to buy them, so I thought I’d give you ahead’s up.
MASTER HAS COME BACK – DAMIAN JR GONGMARLEY (12/12/05)It’s as if Bob Marley was back (for me, henever left us), and the true spirit of reggaecertainly resides within young Damian. His lastsingle was superb and this one’s just as toe-tappingly good.
NO GOODBYES – THE SUBWAYS (12/12/05)Very few rock/alternative bands at the momentare quite so pretty. Boys love Charlotte, I likeBilly, but nothing will separate them, as therewill be ‘no goodbyes’. Catchy tune. Clever stuff.
ULTRAVIOLET/BALLAD OF PAUL K – MCFLY(12/12/05)I love McFLY. The new album was far morecreative and musically brilliant than the first, ittook a while to get into, so if you’re still notsure…invest in this CD, which features two ofthe best tracks!
STAY AWAY FROM…Crazy Frog’s Jingle Bells/U Can’t TouchThis…unless you are that way inclined.
- - - ALBUMS - - -
CHEMISTRY – GIRLS ALOUD (5/12/05)I don’t usually like TV-manufactured pop, butthere’s no doubt about it, Girls Aloud can struttheir sassy stuff and make good music too.Relating back to the singles…this album’s justas funky.
HYPNOTIZE – SYSTEM OF A DOWN (5/12/05)The great return of System of a Down. Still aseccentrically alternative and heavy as ever, ifyou loved them back in their Toxicity days, youwill still have a place on your CD rack for themnow.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF EARTH – STROKES(02/01/06)I LOVE the new Strokes. Their single Juice Boxwas a little bit weird but tonnes of fun and thisalbum is exactly that and will get those indierockers out there jumping like a…jumping bean.
ARCTIC MONKEYS (30/01/06)BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT!There is no better album available in Dec/Janand the title of it’s still TBC but you gottareserve your copy fast. Who knows how fastthis little number’s gonna fly off the shelves!
Spencer: Craig and Duncan take care of thewild side; John and I have responsibilities.John: I have responsibilities in the respectthat I have a girlfriend. And I'm a teacher so Ican't really go mental generally. The most crazystory I've got is that I was in a folk band and I rankaraoke at Uni, that's the most crazy I get, I think,or the fact that I know all the words to Vanilla Ice- Ice Ice Baby. By heart. That's either very verysad or very very impressive.Duncan: There was that Halloween party youturned up to at Uni dressed as Ginger SpiceJohn: Yeah, I was with four mates and wethought, "Let's go as the Spice Girls".Craig: I break drumkits.John: Yeah, very often.Spencer: I haven't done anything. I've been good.
So no groupies at all?Spencer: Not groupies in the traditional sensebut we have people who follow us around.John: Anyone interested in the traditionalsense see Duncan or Craig.Well, ok, going back to the Spice Girls, what partsdo you each play in the band? Scary? Sporty?Spencer: Duncan's the moody bassist.John: Yeah, definitely the moody bassist.Duncan: I'm not a moody bassist!John: Craig is a beast. He is like Animalfrom The Muppets but not quite as mellow. I'vegot a double persona, I'm either absolutely stupidand cracking bad jokes all the time or I'm kind ofscarily intense and it depends on what mood I'min…but I'm mostly stupid. I do crap jokes. That'smy thing.Duncan: Spencer is our guitar hero.John: The man with more pedals thanbrains.Duncan: To be fair we only have one brain.John: All right, fair enough. Though I've gotfive.Duncan: And I'm not moody.John: No, you're not moody. OK, Duncan isactually completely stupid.Craig: Yeah, we don't mean stupid as in he'scrazy stupid…as in he's just stupid.John: Yeah, he's just a bit dim.Duncan: Cheers.Craig: You're coming out really well in this,mate - moody bassist or dim.
John: He's very moody if you compare himto someone who's very happy.
And finally, aspirations for the future - whereare you gonna take your band?Craig: Get signed, tour the world, spend allthe money, split up in a hail of drugs and boozeand then…John: I'll claim that I wrote everything in theworld EVER. Spencer will do a side project withall guitars, I'll do a side project with all the songsthat never made it to Red Storm Rising becausethey were a bit rubbish and so that will sell aboutfifty copies and then people will realize how bad itis and take it back and then they'll all buyDuncan's album which will be a spoken wordalbum, I reckon.Spencer: Yeah, I mean, I think with the albumcoming out I think we're gonna push it as muchas we can next year to try and actually dosomething.Craig: Next year, it's make or break.John: If we don't make it we'll kill ourselves.Spencer: Well, even if we don't' make it we'restill gonna be playing and doing this.John: I think we'll stop playing togetherwhen I stop writing cheesy songs, Duncan stopswriting cheesy lyrics, Craig loses…Craig: An arm.Spencer: And I stop playing guitar to take onproducing.John: 'Cause then we'd have no cool solos.Anything else you'd like to add?Craig: Stay in school, kids!John: Yeah, stay in school, don't play withfire, don't cross the road without looking, don'tdrink and drive.Duncan: Don't do drugs.John: Don't follow the crowd, staycool…thank you Renton mosh pit for the greattimes and thank you to my girlfriend for letting melive with her for the last year. Thank you to theseguys for letting me be in a band with them, er,thank you to my car for not dying…Craig: And we want to thank you for puttingus in the magazine.John: Yeah, we want lots of fifteen year oldsat our next gig! So, fans, if you want to be on ourmailing list, e-mail us [email protected]
PAGE 11
Every issue our resident grumbler Tommy WC has a whinge about the latest things that get right uphis nose. This month, Tom has a major problem with: TAGGERS
This issue, I thought I wouldlook at taggers, and how exactlythey can get fun from what theydo. So, why do some people find itnecessary to write their names onwalls? Well I guess it is their wayof gaining a bit of fame aroundtheir area. I suppose they thinkthat this is the only way of themgetting their 15 minutes withoutactually having any talent. What Ilike to call the “Peter Andreeffect”….. It’s insania.As for what they actually write,
I’ve seen such brilliant tags suchas: “NET” and “PROTO” whichleave me wanting to buy electricalgoods, but also make me wonder ifhalf the word has been scrubbedout. Other great ones include “TopBlunk,” probably David Blunkettout there spray painting walls forcheap thrills under the cover ofdarkness. However, my favouritehas got to be one found on theinternet saying “sucker”… sheerbrilliance! You have to love the factthat this person had theopportunity to be known as anyname in the world that theywanted, and they chose “sucker”.Please if you find any other greattags such as “dunce” or “divcheese” contact me at themagazine so we can all have agood laugh!I’m not talking about big proper
3D dub writing on walls, but ratherjust people with no talent wantingto mark their territory. The problemis, that the actually GOOD graffitiartists get (please excuse the pun)tarred with the same brush asthose who simply write theirnames on walls. There has been alot of talk about legal graffiti areasin the borough and if they would
be possible. Myself and othersbelieve that this is a definitepossibility, but only if we sort outthe problem of taggers. If therewas a definite chance of wallsbeing saved just for respectfulgood graffiti artists, there would bea chance. The problem is thateveryone and his uncle think thatthey are clever if they can writethings like “YOGE” on the side of abus shelter. I don’t actuallyunderstand why people do it…Reputation?…Respect?… Somesort of cults?The fact is, I personally believe
that graffiti done properly takesamazing skill and talent. Far morethan any of nowadays “modernartists”... who just seem to signtoilets and proclaim they havecreated a new genre. The onlyproblem with graffiti being treatedas a major art form is its reputationfor spoiling urban landscapesaround the country. I would justsay to all those people out therewho “tag,” that if they want morerespect for graffiti artists, stopspraying words on walls, (stick to apen and some paper) and let thetrue artists get the credit theydeserve!
Other great tags Ihave foundinclude:“Jimmy”“Double dose dave”
(possibly an aspiring chemist/
TOM’S RANTREGULAR
PAGE 12
So why do I feel aneed to stop it? W
ell for a
start they’re just rubbish. graffiti do
ne properly
takes amazing skill and talent.
Cheers
Food is good but being able tocompete in sports and feel goodabout your appearance is alsogood
Life these days is an unhealthybusiness for many our age. Thequestion is, is it the fault of the piepushing corporates takingadvantage of our wealth or shouldwe look further into ourselves forthe root of the problem?
First off, there is being overweight and being obese, the latterbeing the worse for you and your armchair. In 2004 thegovernment believed that 15% of UK school children wereobese and overweight. Young people are eating more, they
are doing so because it is easier to find cheap food but since JamieOliver’s attack on our lifestyles our schools’ vending machines arebeing removed. The problem with this over consumption for theindividual is an increased chance of obtaining:
A heart attackDiabetesBowel cancerHigh blood pressureNasty Nicknames
There is also the issue of self-esteem. Larger people can be foundless attractive, less able at sports, and in an increasingly shallowsociety these impediments can greatly hinder your enjoyment of schoollife.I could now go on about what you must do to maintain a healthy
weight but every one of us is aware what makes us fat and what wecan do to sort it out. However it is this fact that makes the largernumber of overweight people around harder to swallow (pause forlaughter), people simply can’t be bothered to stay healthy. If sport isnot a regular part of your weekly schedule make it so, join a gym, takeup tennis, or cycle more. Simply doing enough to negate the caloriesyou consume that week will keep you healthy enough. I feel it is alsoworth dispelling a popular myth among the portly population, geneticsmake little or no difference on your size, it is your lifestyle and the foodyou eat that makes you out of your trousers’ reach.Should obese children be treated with contempt? No, of course not,
they should instead be given support. Parents who maintain that their‘little darling’ is just enjoying his food and should be left to do so are inthe wrong. Constructive criticism has to be put out there, if it’s left, thenthe bigger they are the harder they will fall. Food is good but beingable to compete in sports and feel good about your appearance is alsogood, and sacrificing one for the other is both foolish and ignorant. Ifyou can help it (and you can) don’t have another helping.
FULL TOBURSTING?
BYCHRIS FULLBROOK
END
PAGE 13
� Tell him all your problems. When I say all, Imean all! Tell him everything! Even thestuff he doesn’t want to hear… (Girlyissues… you get me…)
� Always complain that he never talks toyou, even if he does.
� Say you know what he thinks. This willreally make him mad. Say, “I know whatyou think of me!”
� Always talk about, and compare him to,your ‘wonderful’ ex-boyfriend.
� Create a big problem and tell him about it.Say how it’s tearing you up inside and cryall over him!
� Just say ‘Sorry mate, but you’re not mytype.’
� Give him really embarrassing nicknames.Such as ‘Princey’ or call him ‘Yours.’
� Buy him a girlfriend/ boyfriend wristbandand make him wear it, especially in front ofall his friends! Mahwah!
� Insult his football team or support hisopposition team.
� Make him listen to really girly music likeMaria Carey and sing and dance all thetime!
� Make him meet your parents in the firstweek you’re going out. Tell him that yourdad is very protective of his ‘little girl’ andsay “he is a boxer, but once you get toknow him he’s great!”
� Ask him loads of questions about hispersonal life and life in general. Basicallyannoy him by asking loads!
� Forget his name or worse call him your ex-boyfriend or his best friend!! Oh deary me!
� Complain all the time! “Nothing is evergood enough!” “Why did you buy meflowers?” “Why are we sitting here?”
� Say you pulled another guy but ask him tostill go out with you.
� Go really emotionally unstable on him.Keep having mood swings! First be reallyhappy and hyper with him, and thensuddenly change to being cold and distant.Then go all depressed then be happyagain.
� Dump him and then 30 minutes later askhim back out again. My guess the answerwill be…NO!
� Make sure you don’t get on with any of hisfriends. Annoy them and make sure theyhate you. This way you can get them tobitch about you.
� “Accidentally” pass msn conversations tohim from other guys saying how much theylike you. This will either make him crazy,jealous or he will just ignore it and go on.
� Tell him how you have beenasked out 4 times in onenight! He will then thinkhow much of a flirt youare with everyone andanyone.
ALL THESE
HAVE BEEN
TRIED AND
TESTED
HOW TO LOSE A GUY......IN 1 WEEK
This boy has no brains,no emotion... Let thedoctors of pure girlieevil help you out….
THE CURES
BY ABBI WEBBAND BEKA GHOSH
Ok, so you meet this really hot emo guy with his cute lip-ring and black hair, or this reallyamazing sporty blonde, or this totally cute Usher look-a-like. You flirted, used your girliecharm and wrapped him around your little finger. Sounds sweet! Urm, no, actually yourealised you’ve messed up. This boy has no brains, no emotion and can’t even mutter threesimple words, ‘I love you’. Or even worse, he uses them at the end of every sentence.Damn girl, what are you going to do to get rid of him? Let the doctors of pure girlie evil help
THE SYMPTOMS
END
PAGE 14
First of all, here’s the finger to all your narrow-minded, preconceptions of NewMalden as a “dump of a town”. I mean, how can the greatest concentration ofKoreans outside Korea be casually dismissed as just “a disorganisedhotchpotch of chicken noodles”? Hmm? This is the kind of belligerently
ignorant attitude that I hope to expose to you, (yes you) in all its ugly prejudicedwrongness.Now New Malden may look a bit shabby on the outside but, to paraphrase a
common proverb, you really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and accordingly atown by its looks. After all, good looks lose their charm if there’s nothing within to
BY ADOL EMERITUS SCENCE
Good aftermorning to thee, ladies, gentlemenand all in-between or both
NEW MALDEN
- A HIDDEN BEAUTY
attract; like one night stands that don’t blossom and all that kinda lovelessphilandering. If you can see through the façade designed perhaps to deter the faint-hearted British tourist, there’s a wealth of things you can indulge yourself in…There be beautiful cafes with plush, sexy sofas for seats as standard, internet
cafes with an byte transfer rate to die for, shops selling hot Korean food, dirt cheapDVD rental, a swimming pool much more decently sized than the Kingfisher, Beefmountain, Teletubby hill, a free outdoor basketball court, a cool roundabout to vroomround and round when you’re bored and of course loads of stylishly attired Koreans toadmire as this already overlarge list swells and groans with growing pains.I suppose some of these hot spots aforementioned are so well hidden that they
are only found by the favoured few, and some you just have to be Korean to knowabout… Well, I hope now that some will appreciate the nature of New Malden as ahidden beauty, as of yet undiscovered by most of the non-Korean world.
So, less of the ignorant comments, if you please? yes/no/maybe?
� If yes, you be enlightened and have gained true separation from thewheely of life.
� If no, ye shalt know that ye be wrong, when ye start the next life as ano-legged turtle.
� If maybe… Step thyself down from thy fence and choose. Life is aboutchoices as literature is all about consolation… Beefeaters.
Disclaimer: The narrator/thesis proponent/moomoo of this here heavily opinionated,largely whimsical exposition accepts no responsibility for feelings of outrage orannoyance caused to any conservative/boring/bored/clinically depressed readers, partlybecause he/she/it couldn’t care less, and partly because he/she/it is a fictional constructthat (hopefully) cannot be taken to court against. So *ahem* scootle along to Longtownand leave me alone if you hate this article. As they say… Like it or lump it. Have a niceday L. You all know that the big mango shaped revolution will eventually roll down the hillEND
MUSIC CROSSWORD1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13
14
15 16
17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24 25
26
27 28
29
30
Across:1. Automatic, supersonic _______ funky fresh. (8)3. Let me take some of the _______ for you. (7)7. Taking over the show, with this new ____. (4)10. Just to be _____ in your arms. (5)12. Standing in line to see the show _______ & there’s a light on. (7)14. A door without a key a face without a ____. (4)15. Whatever I ____, whatever I did I didn’t mean it. (4)16. Got me looking so _____ right now. (5)17. Made to feel the way that every child should ___ and listen. (3)18. I ____ I knew how it would feel to be free. (4)19. Jealousy, turning ______ into the sea. (6)23. You’re watching your back, like you can’t _____. (5)24. as long as there’s a bed beneath the _____ that shine. (5)26. Maybe we need some time _____. We need to let it breathe. (5)27. I’m just a love _______. (7)28. If you never try, you’ll never ____. (4)29. Snap back to reality, oh there goes _______. (7)30. My heart’s in overdrive & your ______ the steering wheel. (6)
Down:1. Air _______, I like the way you dress. (7)2. And through it all, she ______ me protection. (6)4. For the love you bring, don’t mean a thing, unless you ____. (4)5. You say it ____ when you say nothing at all. (4)6. Knock on my door. I want to make you feel _________. (9)8. ________ for the land. Turn forever hand in hand. (8)9. And you promise me faithfully, that you will be my ____ man. (4)11. So when I bust my rhyme, you break your _____. (5)12. A few times I’ve been around that _____. (5)13. And if my _____ falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue. (5)20. I’m addicted to you. Don’t you know that your _____? (5)21. Words can’t _____ you down. (5)22. On the boulevard of ______ dreams. (6)23. I’m getting old & I need something to ____ on. (4)24. _____ you’ve been gone, I can breathe for the first time. (5)25. In the ____, where I was born. (4)27. She was with another ___. (3)
BY THOMAS HOLMES
Help and advice on smoking, drinking, drugs,general health, feeling low
...or anything else you want to talk about
We also provide free contraception and sexual health advice.No appointment needed.
PAGE 18
SCHOOLS//////////
Ihaveno idea what sprin
gs
to mind when youhear
the words ‘Tiffin Girls’
School.’ I don’t know if
what you’re thinking is good or
bad, but for me, Ithink back to
the busiest and most bizarre
few years of the school’s life.
On the evening ofMonday
15th December 2003, much of
the main teachingblock was
completely destroyed by a fire.
This left the majority of
students crammedinto the
school’s main hall, two gyms,
and even the dining hall.
Obviously, funds had to be
raised; we could not carry on
this way. Soon, the girls were
moved into huts on the field,
which seemed tobe of a
better quality thanthe
teaching rooms inthe old
building. This realisation
pushed the school to aim for a
substantial sum of £100,000
or more towards building,
refitting and equipping a new
building of 21st century
standards. At present, the
school has already beaten its
target, raising £167,091.
We’ve had Rory Bremner,
Matthew Pincent,David
Attenborough andLawrence
Dallaglio grace our hall (to
name but a few).We’ve had
an Auction of Promises,
concerts, meals, raffles, and of
course the Tiffin Trek. You try
walking the sevenmiles
around RichmondPark for
charity and see ifyou can still
keep in mind thatit’s all for a
good cause. And that’s what
will strike you themost, the
fact that the girls all enjoy
contributing whenit comes to
fundraising. Whether
individually like Lauren Russell
in Upper Sixth who raised
over £80 by swimming 5,000m
in one and a half hours, or as
a class like 11F who raised
over £570, or even as one of
our Young Enterprise teams
did when they putonto the
market (would youbelieve it)
Tiffin bricks. Yes, that’s the
bricks from the old burnt-down
building.So now it’s all go,
go, go,
and builders haveinvaded
Tiffin Girls’ School. We seem
to be getting moreand more
involved in construction
projects, as moreinnovative
plans for the future are
cropping up. WithThe Fire
Appeal still goingstrong and
the new building set for
completion in July2006, the
long postponed plans for a
revamp of the Music and
Drama facilities isnow under
way. There are even ideas
circulating of doingup the
Sixthform block and sports
halls, and if that happens, who
knows where to next?
Don’t think all thisfire
business means TGS isn’t
thinking about others
anymore. On Friday 4th
November, the school held a
Pink Day for Breast Cancer
and has become one of the
first Fairtrade Schools thanks
to our terribly hardworking
International Schools’
Committee. Yes, we supply
Fairtrade chocolate and it
tastes doubly good.
I have no idea what came
to mind when I mentioned the
words ‘Tiffin Girls’School’ but
here are the facts. Our present
site on RichmondRoad was
originally a 1950sschool for
boys. Now we’re on our way
to becoming a very updated,
very cool (if a school can truly
be cool) 21st century building
fit for all you 21stcentury girls
out there. But what’s really
important is that despite the
last two years being the
busiest and mostbizarre years
of the school’s life, the staff
and the girls all got through it,
and the girls are still all having
fun.
“GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN”
BY NAZRENE HANIF
//////The nebe mgive smore
e
much of the mainteaching block wascompletely destroyed
by a fire.
END
PAGE 19
Beverly Boys, or Coombe Boysas they will be known fromJanuary, is about to undergomany changes. Theseinclude:Design and Technology/ Art Rooms:The new rooms will be bigger, newerand updated…therefore giving us betteropportunities in subjects such as Artand DT. The new classrooms will bemuch lighter and give students a muchmore pleasant learning environment,with good facilities to display people‘sartwork.
Canteen: The new canteen will bebigger; currently lunch times are fairly
chaotic with huge queues, so the newcanteen will make lunch times muchmore relaxed!Bike sheds: The previous bike shedswere rusty and unsafe, with very littlesecurity for student’s bikes. The newsheds will be much more secure, givinggreen minded cycling students greaterpiece of mind about the safety of theirbikes and allowing them to concentrateon their lessons!
The Name: As a student at Beverly,soon to be Coombe Boys, the namechange doesn’t really seem too much ofa big deal. Apart from the change inhead teachers, the transition from
CHANGE COMES TO BEVERLY BOYSBY LEWIS WOODHEAD
Have you ever gone to school think
ing that
you are incrediblylucky? I doubt ma
ny have,
but we really should start to look aro
und at
everything we areblessed with at ou
r
schools. Living ina democratic coun
try with
laws saying we have to attend schoo
l should
feel like a luxury not a chore. Tuesda
y 20th
September was the day it truly hit m
e that I
have a large amount to be thankful fo
r.
This was the daywhen Coombe Gir
ls’
School held a veryauspicious ceremo
ny
within their newlybuilt Sports hall an
d
Performing Arts Centre. It was a day
to
celebrate the opening of the new fac
ility as
well as the school’s 50th birthday. M
any
guests were invited including the Ma
yor of
the Royal Boroughof Kingston upon
Thames Yogan Yoganathan, and HR
H
Princess Alexandra officially opened
the new
facilities. Also to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of theschool, many peo
ple who
once attended Coombe Girls’ were i
nvited
for a reunion.
I was fortunate enough to be involve
d
with the ceremony. Part of the event
involved groups of pupils, all repres
enting
different aspects of the school, formi
ng one
great parade full of colour and spirit
to greet
the guests insidethe sports hall. Be
ing a
year eleven prefect I was representin
g the
prefects. We made our way to the fr
ont
where we greetedthe Princess. It tru
ly was
a great experienceto walk in with the
orchestra playingto there full capac
ity, the
many flags wavinghigh and to see th
e
happy faces of allthe guests.
After the ceremony had ended it wa
s time
for the prefects togive tours to any e
x-
pupils. Another prefect and I were tou
r
guides to someone who attended C
oombe
Girls’ School in 1973. As you can pr
obably
imagine a lot would have changed s
ince she
attended Coombe. As we went roun
d the
school I had a feel of what it was lik
e when
the school was first open. She descr
ibed
their uniform which included a green beret.
We walked through, looking at the s
chool in
a completely different way. She wen
t on to
tell us how muchthe school had ch
anged
and how much more we have now.
Retrospectively, the day helped me r
ealise
that school todayis such a luxury.
Coombe now hasa state of the art s
ports
hall, along with brand new trampolin
es and
mats, two drama rooms connected w
ith
videoing and sound recording facilitie
s and
also a magnificent music recital roo
m with
apple computers each connected wit
h their
own keyboards. This is a great step
up to
what I had experienced starting back
in
year 7.I, and many other
s, have never
experienced so much school spirit a
t one
time. What else could you ask from your
school when its sole aim is to prepare you
for the world of opportunity?
COOMBE GIRLSSCHOOL UNVEIL
S NEW SPORTS
HALL AND ARTS CENTRE
BY NATASHA PATEL
/////////////////
ew classrooms willmuch lighter andstudents a muchpleasant learningenvironment
school tod
ay issuch
a luxury
END
END
If you want to include some news about your school or an interesting story, call Vicky Metcalf on 07795 813052
PAGE 19
GAP YEAR PROGRAMMES
Parents’ view:
Some parents worry that their children might stop working andlose the interest to continue with their education, especiallythose who have to be encouraged to work hard at school, butall in all, few are actually against the idea. There have beensome very sad and well-publicised cases of accidents andeven deaths occurring during gap year programmes, whichwould naturally make most parents worry, especially if theirchild is doing a physically demanding activity or is in a remotearea of the world. However, most organisations take healthand safety very seriously; the Year Out Group works hard topromote common aims among organisations and hasgovernment backing to ensure gapers are safe.
University views:
Uni tutors are usually happy for people to differ entry but thereare some exceptions, mainly in the science and maths field orin strongly academic universities. If tutors can see that a gapyear will help the subject of study then they’re bound to beimpressed. In fact some tutors notice that gapers are usuallyhighly motivated, well organised, communicative and mature.Similarly, employers are aware of the skills that could begained or enhanced by a year out.
Not sure what to do after school? Confusedabout university or just don’t feel ready to getback into study just yet? A gap year may bejust what you need to get yourself sorted…
ONE MORESTEP ALONGTHE WORLD I GO
Most gapyear proj
ects give
you skillsthat are v
alued by
employers
BY ALICE MARMION
PAGE 20
Every year thousands of youngBrits take a year out ofeducation in search of anexperience of a lifetime,
escaping from the pressures of sixthform, exams, the endless universitycourses on offer, or the thrilling prospectof having to find a job. Last year 20% ofuni applicants applied for a differedentry so they could take a “gap” and theincreasing interest has sparked newand exciting programmes which caterfor everything, from round the worldtrips to voluntary work in the UK. Thedeadline for university applications isdrawing closer and closer, and as thecost of higher education increases with
top-up fees and living expenses it’smore important that if we do go to uni,we can start our course knowing we’vemade a good choice instead of feelingthat it was just the next step up theladder. So for anyone who isn’t surewhich direction they’re headed afterschool, then a gap year could help sortyou out. For example, you might end uptrying different types of work that youwouldn’t normally consider, and your CVwill benefit from the new skills.Most gap year projects give you
skills that are valued by employers,such as team work, communication andresilience, simply because you’d be in anew situation with new people. For
anyone who already has a career inmind then it’s a great time to gain workexperience that isn’t boring - forinstance teaching English abroad tochildren could help with teaching orpsychology, as well as being fun!
The possibilities a
re neverending,
so choosing the pr
ogrammeright for y
ou couldseem a bit daun
ting. You
can go abroad on a
cultural exchange,
work withchildren,
animals or
people with disabi
lities, participate in
conservation proje
cts or community
projects,learn a la
nguage or gain spo
rt qualifications…
just to mention a
few! Thebest prog
rammesusually h
ave a mixof paid w
ork, volunteer
work, learning and
travelling, but can
be expensive. Is it
a waste of money
or a chance of a lif
etime? Some orga
nisationsoffer finan
cial helpto
school leavers to r
aise funds for trips
through sponsorsh
ip, or some
gapers work full tim
e for halfa year to
pay for a3-6 mont
h courseduring
the second half of t
he year.
On the other hand
, when travelling th
ere’s more to think
of than just the
pluses. You have t
o think ofmedical i
ssues likejabs and
first aid kits,
visas andany extra
travel expenses as
well as guidebook
s and maps in
case youget lost!
So, to end, if you f
eel lost and don’t k
now what you wan
t to do or
simply want to have
a good year doing
something a bit dif
ferent then there
are plentyof gap ye
ar programmes ou
t there for you, sho
wing thatgetting
a job or going to un
i isn’t theonly optio
n after school. The
most important
thing is just to do s
omethingthat you e
njoy, andnot be pr
essurisedinto
doing anything you
don’t want to do. A
bove all else,
have fun!
�
� www.changingworlds.co.uk� www.gapwork.com
(masses of online info, guidance about choosing, publications andsurveys as well as parents pages)
� www.gaoyeardirectory.co.uk� www.gapyearfaires.co.uk
(defiantly worth a look to see if one’s happening near you)� www.yearoutgroup.org� www.worldwidevolunteering.org.uk
(has a huge searchable database for young people)� www.i-to-i.co.uk� www.findagap.com
USEFUL INFORMATION
Is it a waste of mo
ney or a
chance of a lifetim
e?
PAGE 21
PAGE 22
SUBSTANCE
SISTERS!
Earlier this
year, I, together
with 6 other young
carers,
took partin a serie
s of
workshops about d
rug
awareness. During
the project, we
learnt about differen
t drugs, and we
ended theproject by
holding our own
drugs workshop fo
r other young
carers. We started
the program in
January by having
an evening out
ice-skating togethe
r to get toknow
each other and the
person running
the workshops, Do
ra, from the
KingstonYouth Se
rvice. Wethen met
up everyThursday
evening at the
FountainYouth Ce
ntre for the
workshops. We lea
rnt aboutdifferent
drugs andthe effect
s that they can
have on different pe
ople. Wemade
posters, played gam
es and used a
CD-rom to revisewhat we’d
learnt.
Dora alsoexplained
a lot about how
we stereotype drug
users andhow
our opinions were s
ometimeswrong.
It’s true –some of o
ur opinions
changedwith what
we’d learnt. In one
of the workshops,
we also came up
with our team name…th
e Substance
Sisters!
During the Februa
ry half term, we
went to Hindleap W
arren Activity
Centre for a few da
ys, wherewe had
some more worksh
ops combined with
outdoor activities. S
ome of us were
really eager to do t
he outdoor
activities,which inc
luded muddy
underground tunne
ls and a zip-wire.
But someof us nee
ded a bitof
persuasion. “The a
ctivities were
scary, but I did som
e of them,” says
one young carer, A
lka. We all had a
lot of funon the re
sidential,and we
got to know each o
ther better. Well,
it’s hard to not get
to know each other
better when we’re
all sleeping in the
same dorm for 3 nigh
ts!
In March,we held o
ur own
workshopto teach o
ther young carers
what we’dlearnt. Th
ere weredifferent
stations –one wher
e peoplehad to
roll a dicewith a su
bstance on it and
then match it with i
ts effect,one
where people used
the CD-rom. It
was quitea busy da
y, but everybody
enjoyed it. Afterwa
rds, everyone went
to LaserQuest to
relax after a hard
day’s work!
After theworkshop
we had a
dinner atNandos a
s a farewell. It was
a terribleexperienc
e. Louisegot
ketchup all over he
r new white top.
Vix didn’tget the fo
od she wanted. It
was awful. Howeve
r that wasnot our
last goodbye. We
designeda logo for
the youngpeople’s
substance misuse
team.On the 8t
h of Aprilwe went
to the
Launch of the new
‘Information
Dealers’and their
new logo. We
listened to all the s
peechesof the
workers there. The
n as theywere
using part of our fo
unded name we
got a JDsports Vo
ucher each. The
food thatwas prov
ided at the launch
was excellent.
At the end of May,
we wenton a
visit to Coldingley P
rison. Some of the
prisonersthere held
a workshop for
us and some other
groups, telling us
about prison life. It
was really
interesting to hear
about their
experiences, and s
ome toldus how
drugs have affected
them personally.
It was also great to
meet upwith the
other Substance Si
sters after such a
long time.
Overall, we all reall
y enjoyedthe
project and learned
a lot about drugs,
group skills, and h
ow to runa
workshopfor other
people our own
age. Weall got a l
ot out ofit. The
most important thin
g that most of us
BY CATHERINE R
ICHARDSON AND AMBER
HILL
Some ofthe priso
ners... told
us how drugs hav
e affected
them personally
Drug Information
END
PAGE 23
POSITIVE
ACTIVITIES FOR
YOUNG PEOPLE
PROGRAMME
Over the su
mmer term,
KingstonYouth Se
rvice
ran theirPositive
Activitiesfor Young
people programme
offering avariety
of challenging, fun,
educational and
new activities for y
oung people who
normallywouldn’t
have these unique
opportunities. The
young people
were referred by d
ifferent agencies,
includingthe Youth
OffendingTeam,
EducationWelfare,
Mechlenburg,
PRU andYouth an
d Social Service.
Activitiesoffered in
cluded Mural
drawing,animation
and music
workshop, Three P
eaks outdoor
pursuit centre, mou
ntain biking,
GuildfordSpectrum
, Go Karting,
water activities, ca
noeing, football
training and horse
riding. Young
people were able
to try these
activitiesover the
summerholiday
learning new skills
as well as building
confidence and sel
f esteem.They
were alsogiven the
opportunity to
receive accredited
and recorded
outcomes.
When theprogramm
e finished, the
big question asked
by the young
people was “what
happensnext?” W
e
are happy to repo
rt that wealready
have ournext prog
ramme ready;
again looking at ed
ucational, fun,
challenging and re
warding activities
that young people
can enjoy, enabling
them to learn and grow f
rom the
experience. We loo
k forwardto
reportingon these
activitiesin the
next magazine.
To continue suppo
rt for theyoung
people over the sch
ool termwe have
now set up a week
ly music/arts
project onWednesd
ay evening. This
project gives the y
oung people an
opportunity to try v
arious activities
includingguitars, b
ass, drumming,
d’jing, singing, stop
motion, 3D
animationand film making. Y
oung
people are continu
ing to complete the
mural painting on t
he wallsin the gym
at Barnfield that wa
s startedduring
the summer PAYP
programme
achievingrecorded
outcomesand
AQA’s fortheir effor
ts.
The programme a
ims to create a
safe andsecure en
vironment where
our youngpeople ar
e happy to
attend. The young
people are
learning to support
each other and
gain support for the
ir needs/concerns.
We havesucceede
d in building up
a projectthat is rea
ching a much-
needed support fo
r the young people
BY ANIFE FARIA
END
Info for Young People In and Around Kingston & Richmond
SEXUAL HEALTH
Magic Roundabout23 Richmond Road, KingstonMon 3.30-6.30pm, Sat 9.30am-12noon(Megan Dawson) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8974 9252
Off the Record2 Church Street, TwickenhamMon 3.30-5.30pm, No fri service(Deborah Kerpner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8744 1644
Wolverton Centre, Kingston Hospital, Galsworthy RoadWalk-in: Tues 9-11am, Thurs 2-4pmApp. only: Mon 8.30-11.30am, Weds 4.30-7.30pm,Thurs 9-11.30am, Fri 8.30-11am (Was unable to checkthese times) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8974 9331
Roehampton Clinic, Queen Mary’s Hospital,RoehamptonWalk-in: Mon 3.30-5pm (under 18s only),Mon 9-11am, Fri 9-11.30amApp. only Tues 2-6.30pm, Weds 8.30am-12.30noon,Thurs 8.30-11.45am, 2-4pm(Dorinda Philby) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8355 2470/2077
West Middlesex Hospital Sexual Health Clinic,Twickenham Road, IsleworthMon 9am-12noon, 2-6.30pm, Tues 2-4.30pmWeds 1.30-3.30pm (family planning), 4-7.30pmThurs 9am-12noon (women only), 2-4.30pmFri 9am-12noonPlease arrive half an hour before closing time
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8565 5718
Sexwise Helpline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0800 28 29 30
National AIDS Helpline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0800 567 123
TRAVEL
Train Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08457 484950
London Transport Travel Information . . .020 7222 1234
National Express Coach Enquires . . . . . . .0990 808080
GENERAL WELFARE & BENEFITS ADVICE
Kingston Citizens Advice BureauNeville House, 55 Eden Street, Kingston, KT1 1BWWalk-in Monday, Tuesday & Friday 11.30 - 1.30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0870 126 4019
Richmond Citizens Advice BureauLinfield House, 26 Kew Road, Richmond TW9 2NA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08457 0505152/020 894 2501
GENERAL HEALTH
NHS Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0845 4647
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Community Drug & Alcohol Team,Kingston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .202 549 9279
Community Drug & Alcohol Team,Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8940 3331
Alcohol ServicesKingston & Richmond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8940 1160
Kaleidoscope, Kingston . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8549 2681
National Drugs Helpline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0800 776600
Release – drugs & legal advice helpline .020 7729 9904
EDUCATION, TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT
Kingston ConnexionsSwan House, 51 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1LQWalk-in: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri 9am-5pm, Weds10.30am-5pm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8410 4105
CfBT Connexions1 Ilex House, 94 Holly Road, Twickenham TW1 4HFMon – Fri 9.30am-5.30pm . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8891 6162
INFORMATION, ADVICE, COUNSELLING & SUPPORT
Off the Record2 Church Street, TwickenhamTues, weds, thurs 4-8pmFri, 2.30-6.30pmSat, 10am-2pm(Deborah Kerpner) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .020 8744 1644
///////////////////////////////// YOUTH EVENTS AND STUFF GOING ON ////////
BARNFIELD Youth CentreParkfields RoadKingstonSurreyKT2 5LL020 8546 4103
KINGSTON TOWN
MALDENS& COOMBE
SURBITON
SOUTH OF THEBOROUGH
YOUR LOCAL YOUTHCENTRES
KINGSTON YOUTH SERVICE,
LEARNING AND CHILDREN SERVICES
FOUNTAIN Youth Centre1 Kingston Road
New MaldenSurrey
KT3 3PE020 8942 5251
HEAD OFFICEGuildhall One, Room 103GuildhallSurreyKT1 1EUEmail: [email protected]
KINGSNYMPTON Youth CentreKingsnympton Park Estate
Kingston HillSurrey
KT2 7RR020 8549 5705
DICKERAGE AdventurePlayground
Dickerage LaneNew Malden
SurreyKT3 3EQ
020 8942 1707
The Venner Youth CentreThe Manor DriveWorcester Park
KT4 7LG0208 8330 2805
CHESSINGTON Youth CentreChurch LaneChessingtonSurreyKT9 2DR020 8397 2495
HOOK Youth CentreDevon WayChessingtonSurreyKT9 2RJ020 8397 2216
ALBANY PARK Canoeingand Sailing CentreAlbany MewsKingstonKT2 5SL020 8549 3066
SCHOOL LANE Youth CentreSchool LaneSurbitonSurreyKT6 7QJ020 8390 2056
SEARCHLIGHT Youth CentreKingston RoadKingstonSurreyKT3 3RX020 8549 4514
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE GO TO YOUTH SERVICE
AT WWW.YOUNGLIVIN.ORG.UK
FOR INFORMATIONON ACTIVITIES AN
D EVENTS