Drinking our way to oblivion…

By Callum Winterford and Jack Watts

With Euro 2012 due to kick off this weekend, it’s time, once again, for the livers of London’s male population to take a serious battering.

Lager will be our friend while we dream and speculate of tournament victory, before inevitably drowning our footballing woes and kissing goodbye to England.

But lager is our friend at a price.

Using information provided by www.weightlossresources.co.uk, we discovered that the lowest amount of calories one could expect to consume in a normal pint of lager was in a pint of Carling, which still contains an enormous 180 calories.

On the other side of the spectrum, Grolsch and Heineken contain a mammoth 250 calories per pint.

We conducted a poll of men in their twenties at Islington pubs, and 76 per cent said that they wouldn’t change their choice of lager and swap to a different lager if it had less calories.

It seems as if we couldn’t really care less about what it does to our bodies as long as we end up strewn across a pub couch confessing our undying love to a 60 year-old barmaid with a penchant for leather jackets and tattoos of skulls.

Nick Vallottton, a nurse at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and expert on the health effects of alcohol, said: “Lager contains an enormous amount of calories, which will then be converted into energy, and then, if it is not used, into fat.”

He said that 10 pints a week should be an absolute maximum if you want to maintain any sort of healthy lifestyle, and that having three completely alcohol-free days could be highly beneficial.

He also said that people’s lifestyle choices  are often very different on a night out and rather than eating healthily, people would be more likely to indulge in the fine cuisine of the local kebab shop, laying on hundreds of more unnecessary calories.

He said: “Young lads are much more likely to get into fights under the influence of alcohol, especially if they are placed in unfamiliar surroundings. They could get criminal records, preventing them from getting jobs.”

 

Hackney Director’s HBO Heights

By Marysia Doyle and Maria Evrenos (@mishydoyle and @mariaevrenos)

Lindsay Pollock is a London-based independent filmmaker, whose Auschwitz survivor documentary, “The One Who Got Away”, recently premiered on HBO Europe.

Obviously the subject is a serious one but Pollock found the tone changed when he and collaborator Sam Lawlor met the film’s octogenarian protagonist, Thomas Beck.

Pollock said: “He was just this cheerful Hungarian guy that kept plying us with vodka and weed, asking if we wanted to have a swim as he floated by on his pink lilo like some bon vivant.”

Possessing a face that easily betrays his emotions, Pollock’s huge smile shows how much he revels in his work. But it’s no easy ride.

“To me, film-making is trying to get money, trying to book transport, get accommodation, get everyone in the same place at the same time and trying to master the bloody complicated equipment,” he says.

Funding was the biggest problem as they were rejected by major television networks and film festivals alike. Pollock found himself “in slow-turning circles of despair” until friends from the band Hot Chip donated a five-figure sum which helped them to continue.

So off they went, trawling around Eastern Europe, retracing Thomas’ story through concentration camps, close-calls and comforting cuddles. The thudding electro soundtrack bleeps and bloops over scenes of war-torn buildings and daguerrotypes of Thomas’ family, making the film feel immediately contemporary and thrillingly alive.

Pollock is now with HBO, trying to sell the film to the BBC and Channel 4 and is already bubbling over with new ideas. “Sam and I are cooking up a few different films but we need to juice this one first.  We’ve committed so much of our lives to it that we can’t stop. Either we die or we make it.”

You can watch the trailer for ‘The One That Got Away’ here.

Moonrise Kingdom – The Review

By Lou Courtois and Matteo Civillini

Summer 1965, New England. The 12-year-olds Suzy Bishop and Sam Shakutsky, played by Kara Hayward and Jared Giman, live on New Penzance Island. She is the introvert daughter of an unstable family, who hides her feelings behind an excessively blue eye-shadow, books and French music. He is a nerdy scout, who never got to know his parents and whose carers find him too difficult to be looked after.

Since they first accidentally met in the dressing room of the local theatre, they kept exchanging ardent letters, which helped organise their runaway. It is the occasion for the young hero to escape from the orphanage that is waiting for him and for the girl to unleash her urge to break free from an exploding family.
Wes Anderson depicts, as usual, the tournaments of the maladjusted at the boundaries of society but always with colourful decors and funky outfits. Bill Murray, a regular in Anderson’s world – this was their 6th collaboration – , joins an already talented cast as Suzy’s mixed up father.

If Murray may seem condemned to a unique role in Anderson’s filmography (paternal figure with a tendency to alcohol, depression and cigarettes) it is really surprising to discover Bruce Willis (Captain Sharp) in such a low-profile and specific production.
Frances McDormand and Tilda Swinton, respectively Laura Bishop (Suzy’s mother) and the responsible of the Social Services aiming to get Sam to a sordid orphanage, add a crazy flair to the cast.

In conclusion, however, this love story is not as funny and hilarious as previous Anderson’s works, The Royal Tenenbaums for example, or aiming at Anderson’s connoisseurs only . Moonrise Kingdom is addressed to anybody who was/will be 12 years old – being a scout or in love is optional. ‘A really clever and beautiful movie where the dialogues are minimal and sound almost as poems’ to use Paul’s words, a member of the audience, on this rainy Tuesday.

Why aren’t we thinking about our pensions?

By Natalie Marsh and David Hutchison

With the future of the economy looking increasingly uncertain, having enough money to live on after retirement is becoming more difficult.

According to the research company Mintel, in 2011 only three out of every ten people at retirement age were able to stop working. “Young people don’t really realise that one day they‘re going to get old,” said David Blake, Director of Pensions Economics at Cass Business School, “and if they do start to think about the time when they get old they actually tend to think that they’re not actually going to live very long after they retire.”

Is this all non-savers can expect in their retirement?

The low level of financial education is said to contribute to the lack of involvement in pensions. “Making financial education a part of school education is very important,” continued David. “You need to teach that.”

Since 1991, the number of people who are involved in private pension schemes has halved and a fifth of all workers are not saving anything at all towards a pension. In an attempt to combat this, the government is introducing a system in October this year, whereby employers will enrol their workers into a pension scheme if they are aged 22 years or over and earn more than £7,475 a year. “In my view, a mandatory pension contribution is the way forward,” said David Blake. “The voluntary system is just not giving you enough to live on.”

Starting a pension early is beneficial in terms of the amount of contribution needed towards it. The younger you start your pension, the lower the contribution rate. Prof. Blake’s warning was clear: “Waiting is not costless in pensions. Waiting is very expensive in terms of lost investment.”

Turning the page on paperbacks

By Aurelia Seidlhofer and Marthe Rosholt

The eBook and its rising popularity is much more than just a replacement of the paperback – eBooks are changing the way we engage with literature and have simultaneously sparked an entirely new reading culture on London’s crowded carriages.

Troublesome tubes and busy buses make for an ideal environment for the compact e-reader, perfectly adept for the limited space in our cramped city and its format has also encouraged growth in certain book genres, while other genres have found it harder to go digital. Jon Howells, Waterstones spokesman says: “We’ve noticed that genre books such as thriller and romance have done well as eBooks on regular e-ink eReaders…Illustrated books and children’s books less so, though that is starting to happen on tablets.“

eReaders have been successful in giving privacy to commuters, a scarce luxury in a city made up of almost 5000 people per square kilometre. Gone are the days of judging a book by its cover. And with this new found privacy, many have started to indulge in more ‘adult’ themes. The huge success of Fifty Shades of Grey proved that London’s eReaders’ lust after much sexier literature than they would like to admit.

But despite eReaders being credited for Londoners’ sexual liberation through literature, their sex lives might not necessarily reap the rewards. Men have complained it has become much harder to pick up a woman on the tube now the digital age has killed book covers. iPads don’t make for good pick-up lines and you could risk hitting on someone who reads something like ‘A Brief Guide to the Supernatural: Ghosts, Vampires and the Paranormal’.

Listen to what Londoners say about their eReaders

Some issues remain to be solved around London’s eReading culture but one thing is certain, the army of Kindles, NOOKS and iPads are likely to put up a good fight in dominating the book shelf.

Do the alternatives, avoid the queues

By Maria Martinez Ugartechea, Panayiota Paschali, Clémence Michallon

If you are tired of huge queues and about to book your tenth trip to the London Eye, it may be time for a change. Luckily, London is full of underestimated attractions that will reveal the city’s secrets. Whether you are a bike rider, a bus catcher, or a walker, here are five spots just waiting to be explored.

London Walks’ Harry Potter London Tour

In London, JK Rowling’s fairy tale comes to life. The Warner Bros studios just opened to the public, but some iconic scenes were filmed on the streets of the capital. Discover the secret passage to Diagon Alley and stop for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron during this walking tour conducted by Richard Walker, an experienced actor and professional entertainer.

The London Bicycle Tour Company’s Olympics Tour

The company has been running bike tours for 21 years – and they’ve prepared something special for the Olympics. This seven-hour tour takes visitors from Tower Bridge to the Olympic Park, allowing for a nice view of the stadium, and passes through Victoria Park. Steve Kopandi, business manager, said: “On a bike you can cover most of central London in a couple of hours, so people believe it’s great value for money because they can see so much in a short space of time.”

 

Street Art London Tour

If you’re keen on underground art culture, a street art tour may be just the thing you are looking for. More than 40 street artists have displayed their creations on East London’s walls. And if you are left craving for more, Street Art London also hosts exhibitions on a regular basis.

Camden Passage

Antique shopping and modern cafés meet in this little passage in Islington, near Angel station. Peter, who has been working on the Open Air Antique Market for 25 years, recommends coming on Saturdays when the best deals are available. Should the shopping make you hungry, the Breakfast Club right around the corner offers one of Timeout London’s Top 50 Breakfasts.

Barbican Centre

Behind the city’s grey buildings, there is a place that combines music, films, libraries, great food and a peaceful terrace. The Centre is currently hosting the largest Bauhaus exhibition in the country in over 40 years – not to be missed!

Islington considers online future for news

By Kevin Buah and Noriane Atahy

Launched in 1856, the Islington Gazette is a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 5, 000 copies a week which is now embracing digital technology.

Technological advances  have led to what editor Amie Brannen describes as “an easier publication process”. Brannen also states that the emergence of online publishing is a way of offering something different to readers giving them choices in the way they receive their news.

She adds: “Our online newspaper is also a way of encouraging the younger generation to read.”

Most of the Islington locals Londone spoken to showed great interest in the Gazette. Most said they read it and that they preferred it to national newspapers as they felt they could relate to the content.

But not all were enthusiastic about the title. Market trader Thomas Archer said  “the London newspapers  in general always publish negative content and do nothing of interest for the community”.

The internet has helped drive a drop in circulation across practically every local newspaper in the country, making the future of local newspapers uncertain. The majority of locals we spoke to said they preferred getting their news online, rather than in print. Other locals however, such as Joan Mcluden,  said: “I prefer to get the local Islington Gazette on prints just because I love all the supplements.”

Locals enjoyed reading the Gazette for different reasons, some for entertainment, some only for news and being aware of the issues in their community. Memet Osarie, a newsstand owner, spoke to us about his reasons for reading the Islington Gazette, and gave us his thoughts on digital versus print.

Alternatively, click here to listen.

Disappointing bookings for London hotels

By Rosemary Nankabirwa and John Mills

London hotels were hoping for a big increase in bookings over the Olympics — but high expectations haven’t been reached.

With the Games just weeks away, hotels have been planning since late last year for a forecast increase in bookings but reports have shown that bookings are a third down on last summer. But it hasn’t been bad news for every hotelier. Gautam Dhiren, manager of St Marks Hotel, Angel, said: “Unlike the other hotels that doesn’t really affect us. The minimum stay here for us is seven nights, so we get mostly corporate long-stay guests.”

Even LOCOG, the London Olympics organising body, has been affected after it pre-booked 40,000 London rooms for Olympic officials late last year when prices were lower, anticipating a hike in prices during the Games. But LOCOG then returned 20 per cent of the rooms it booked in January, leaving many hotels stuck with unsold rooms.

Tommy Miah’s Raj Hotel in Islington remains unaffected, as receptionist Kabir Chowdry said: “This year is more expensive as we have done refurbishment work; we’ve refused corporate clients too because they weren’t giving us a good enough deal. We prefer individual clients and we’re now fully booked for the Olympics.”

Tommy Miah’s Raj Hotel- Islington

With anticipated congestion, some Londoners are intending to get out of London during the Olympics but Alan Carr, who runs a flower stall near Angel tube station,  plans to enjoy the events at home even though he believes London will be overcrowded. He said: “I’m not going anywhere – but I live just round the corner from my stall, so travelling’s not an issue.”

A 4-star central London hotel last year was on average £80-£120 per night, while during the Olympics it’s up to £200-£415. But as we approach the July 27 opening ceremony, London hotels are now in a race against time to encourage last-minute travellers to London.

Big budgets, small steps

By Sahar Khatiri and Unsah Malik

Living in London is great – iconic attractions, streets full of famous stores and the buzzing nightlife only a city can offer. But as the UK is hit by recession, the need for careful budgeting in Britain’s (very expensive) capital is vital.

Naz Sultana, a personal advisor at Santander at London’s City University, said today: “Budgeting prevents you from running up debt. Debt attracts interest. And you then have to repay it”.

Travel is an obvious place to start. Travel expenses to any London Zone 1 – 2 areas currently average £282 for buses, £239 for trains/tubes, and an average of £50 for a Boris Bike per month. The introduction of the Barclays Cycle Hire enables Londoners to travel a greater distance for less with membership rates varying from £1 for 24 hours, to an annual fee of £45. Using alternative methods of travel sufficiently cuts expenditure costs.

Contrary to popular belief, food shopping in London doesn’t have to be as pricey as it’s made out to be. Inexpensive supermarkets like Lidl, Asda, Aldi and Morrisons provide the cheaper alternative to Waitrose, Marks & Spencers. However, for those more confident in preparing own meals, cheap recipe books are available. “The Packed Lunch”, by Susan Tomnay, is priced at £3.50 and is filled with quick and easy lunch ideas for an everyday lunch.

As simple as it sounds, budgeting leisure costs in London is one of the hardest money-management moves to take.  Splurges on expensive nightclub tickets and gym memberships can be easily substituted for more reasonable prices: Fabric nightclub often hold events with tickets half the price of those in Chelsea and Soho, and TheGymClub offers a fantastic monthly membership of £16.99 per month in comparison to Virgin Active members who typically pay £70 per month.

Although taking small steps to improve your budget plan will prove valuable, it is advisable to save some income for emergency funds. Many online sites provide reliable budget calculators to aid financial planning to keep budgets on track. Careful investments during a recession period will prevent financial pressure, allowing a more stress-free lifestyle.

Santander in City University

Creating a budget – expert advice

By Sahar Khatiri

With money tighter than ever, it’s crucial to construct a budget that will let you get to the end of the month in credit. Sahar Khatiri asked Naz Sultana, a personal advisor at Santander, for tips for young Londoners.

Naz Sultana ( Picture by Sahar Khatiri)