Cabaret Voltaire Rumours Quashed

A popular Edinburgh club venue officially closed its doors last week sparking fears for many Edinburgh students and locals.

Cabaret Voltaire, which has played host to such acts as Florence & The Machine, Hot Chip, Adele and Mumford & Sons shut on February 20^th but is set to reopen in March after a multi-million pound refurbishment.

However it seems that regulars of the nightclub and music venue fear that Edinburgh’s scene has been irreparably damaged and the new venture will simply be another club similar to that already available in the city.

After a recent gig at the venue which ended in many punters paying simply to see the band playing on a television screen, Scottish band, Frightened Rabbit’s frontman Scott Hutchison had this to say: “It's a shame. Aside from the recent disaster we had there, I have some great memories of Cab Vol. Some of our first Edinburgh shows took place there. The previous gig bookers were good people who cared about music. Though, as it stands I won't miss it. That said, it's a bit of a blow for Edinburgh's live music scene.”

Rumours that the club would be re-opening as “Prism” abounded online which was perpetuated further by a Facebook page which appeared for the apparent new venue.

 Messages were posted on the page such as “Cab Vol lives on. Like the main fanpage to be among the first to know about the launch party of the new club.” Furthermore the motto featured on its Facebook page is “New Name, Same Soul”.

However Rory Weller, Marketing and Communications Manager of G1 Group (who now own Cabaret Voltaire) confirmed that this was untrue. He said: “Curious about Prism - that's not something that we've ever mentioned. I've seen some Twitter chat about it but it's not something we're planning.”

Leisure industry giant G1 Group purchased the freehold of the nightclub in July 2011 and, while they suggested some changes may be made, promised that the promoter Sarah David would be given full autonomy running the venue.

Edinburgh’s nightlife has seen blow after blow as The Forest, Roxy Art House and The Lot all shut in 2011 and this year Bongo Club was given a notice to leave it’s premises in Moray House by the owners Edinburgh University,

Cabaret Voltaire is a mainstay with students in Edinburgh has won Best Nightclub at the Dram Awards and runner-up of the Best Late Night Venue at the Theme Awards.

The club is set over two rooms in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh and hosts around 30 gigs a month, helping many young Scottish bands find fame, including the aforementioned Frightened Rabbit among others.

Floristry Industry

VALENTINE’S Day and Mother’s Day, which used to bring in an increased amount of business to florists are now failing to attract customers, experts warned last night.

Florists have expressed their worry for the state of the industry due to the drop in trade they have been experiencing during the current recession.

The economic downturn has hit flower shops hard as competition from supermarkets and online operators is strong.

Caroline Marshall-Foster, editor of Florist and Wholesale Buyer magazine, warns that smaller retailers simply cannot match their large corporate spend and the convenience in which they offer which has left them fighting to keep their premises and livelihoods.

She said: “What doesn’t help florists is that you get an awful lot of online operators who order gather on an online basis which means local florists lose traffic due to the fact these companies have a much larger corporate spend and users are used to online purchasing.

More than 70% of the public’s current spend on flowers is confined to supermarkets, which may be linked to the fact that the average budget is £10.

As costs rise it seems everybody is feeling the pinch, with even the biggest supermarkets such as Tesco or Asda reducing the square footage devoted to flowers and the range available.”

Local florists, however, cannot match such low prices as they are unable to take advantage of economies of scale.

Due to the fact that flowers are a non-essential purchase people seem to be spending less on them as their disposable incomes decrease.

Jean Baker, owner of Rococo florists on Dalry Road, Edinburgh, says that she has had to in order to stay afloat: “I’ve had to drop my prices just to get by. People just can’t afford to spend what little money they have on flowers and what with the internet, there’s just so much more to choose from”.

The advice to consumers from Florist and Wholesale Buyer is to keep on buying from your local florists but shop around. “Order gatherers such as Interflora have a huge marketing budget which means you pay towards that. You also pay for the convenience of buying online or over the phone. Many local florists simply have what’s called lifestyle businesses whereby they don’t try and make a huge profit – just enough to get by. There’s also haggle room in smaller businesses, and that’s where customers make the savings.”

Valentine’s Day falls on the 14^th of February each year as a celebration of love and lovers. Traditionally red roses are given as gifts as well as other keepsakes. A study by Travelodge this year found that Brits spent over £880million on gifts with flowers being the top choice.

Mother’s Day is a day specifically for mother’s where children buy them gifts and cards. It occurs on the fourth Sunday of Lent which can fall between the 1^st of March and the 4^th of April.

Both of these dates are synonymous with commercialisation and it is often said that they were created by greetings card companies in order to make money.

For more information on the floristry industry go to www.fandwb.com

Evolution Of The Feminist

The stereotypical image of the hairy-legged, plump, saggy-breasted feminist is one which haunts women sharing their values even now. Feminists are frumpy with dank hair and wear jumpers made of hemp. They are dowdy and grey and boring. This is no longer the case. I believe, and it seems many others agree, that to go against oppression and subservience is to embrace your femininity rather than shun it.

Yes we are women! We look like them too! It's not about dressing for men as the more radical feminists would have you believe. They are, in fact, the ones dressing for men - Trying to look invisible or purposely unattractive. The modern liberated woman dresses for herself, mixing comfort with style in order to feel confident and assertive. If men find her attractive? So be it! That isn't what it's about. A successful businessman goes to work in a sharp suit not to impress women but to show he has made an effort. Looking good on the outside makes him feel good on the inside. To act any differently to this makes a mockery of feminism - where equality is at the core of the ideology.

Michelle Mone - Founder and CEO of MGM International; Lauren Laverne - Television and radio personality; Kate Nash - Singer/songwriter. These women can easily hold their own in a debate with a man and have all excelled in their chosen field while still having fun with fashion and not feeling the need to take on a masculine look.

If we women all dressed for men we would be wearing PVC bras and knickers not maxi dresses, cigarette pants and quilted waterproof jackets. Fashion itself is liberation. Women pay for their Chanel or Moschino themselves and such coveted items are emblems of their economic autonomy, showing that they make as much money as a man without having to mimic one with their wardrobe.

So the item I've got my eye on at the minute? A faux leather pencil skirt from the Topshop A/W collection. Am I buying it so my bum looks good to a man? No. Is it being bought for me by a man who wishes for me to look good on his arm? No. It's a foxy, fiesty piece with enough originality to be noticed by the fashion-savvy crowd but enough sophistication to show that I am dressing for me and wearing what I love rather than what men lust after.

Dream School Exposes Reality of Nightmare School System

If anyone has been watching Channel 4 over the past few weeks, they will have seen the adverts for the new show pioneered by TV chef Jamie Oliver. "Jamie's Dream School" takes failing students and puts them into a school where all the teachers are celebrities. David Starkey will teach history, Daley Thomson will be PE coaching and Sir Robert Winston will be the science professor. The question Mr Oliver is asking is "Could we get our kids' brains working differently? Make them want to actually turn up at school". Through taking people who children admire and look up to, Oliver is trying to see whether despondent pupils will find a new-found love for learning. It's something of a revolutionary idea, which many argue may change the British school system forever. However it is one which is creating a lot of opposition among 'everyday' teachers who are wondering why it is seemingly them who are being blamed for failing students across Britain.
On the forums on TES Connect, the leading website in the UK for teaching professionals, a storm seems to be brewing. Angry teachers are questioning Oliver's authority over the matter. What gives him the right to say that there are no 'dream teachers' already in schools?  Does he take the opinion that there is simply no skill in  the actual art of teaching itself? Is he saying that the failings of the education system are down to the lack of expertise on teachers' behalf? Many members are outraged at the fact that Oliver seems to be assuming such things. On the site's weekly poll the members were asked whether they think Jamie Oliver has what it takes to improve British schools. In a somewhat damning inictment 79.7% said no.
It would seem that the show has served to reveal many problems within the British teaching system from the over-zealous Ofsted to the highly restrictive health and safety requirements which prevent many teachers from being able the help children reach their full potential. Teachers on the site are speaking of how they are struggling daily in oversized classes with students who simply do not want to learn. Oliver is showing an idealised classroom with very few pupils where they are able to have much more attention lavished upon them than in a real classroom. One member on the forum, dogbert82 gave their opinion on the matter; "[He is] in a much better position to make [his] tutoring sessions fun because [he is] taking small, probably one-on-one sessions where they have specifically elected to be taught [the] particular subject. I'm sure it's a jolly little party for them. Try performing a regular job doing the same thing with 30 random 15 year olds and you'll find it doesn't work so well." Another member lizburf writes; " I worry this type of dream school undermines the value of trained teachers, continuing to support the theory that 'those that can; DO, those that can't; Teach.'" The daily school regime needs routine and formality - some state institutions have one thousand plus pupils and often staff shortages. Teachers are unsung heroes who often have to also be social workers, riot police and any number of other roles yet this show implies they are completely incompetent and failing children nationwide.
I honestly do not see what Jamie Oliver is trying to do with this new experiment of his. Hopefully some good will come out of it and he will get a harsh wake up call that the problems within the education system go far deeper than teachers and that his judgement was completely skewed in the first place by his own bad experiences with school.

A 21st Century Disturbance

Looking back on the riots of a few weeks ago I still feel almost dirty. It is as though by committing such crimes that particular group of young Brits have tarred the rest of their age group and nationality with the same brush. I recently heard something which completely illustrated exactly the reason for people's disdain for these criminals-

In Africa they're looting the grocery stores because they're starving to death. In Britain they loot and destroy simply because they can.

It is an apt statement. These kids may feel like they're deprived because they live on a council estate and don't have an ipad or a 3DTV. Yet they have no real experience of deprivation. Our welfare system, while ridiculed every day by tabloids, is one of the greatest in the world and provides as much as possible to make sure kids get the best start in life. I can guarantee that none of the rioters has ever experienced real hunger, having not eaten for weeks. I am sure that they have never not been able to receive inoculations, medical treatment or a social worker or counsellor to speak to about their problems. And if they have it is the fault of either themselves or their parents. In Britain today all you have to do is ask... And half the time you don't even have to!

They looted because they were bored or greedy. A modern disease in the western world. They want it, so regardless of whether or not they have worked for it, they think they can take it. They beat the corner shop owners they have seen most days of their lives, they burn down the homes of neighbours and schoolmates, they make aunties, uncles and friends forcibly redundant by wrecking their workplace. And who cares? Not them. They got a new flat screen.

All I could say to these people is how disappointed I am. They are despicable, stupid and completely ignorant and the sooner they learn not to bite the hand that feeds them the better. As for a solution.. Well, at risk of sounding like your grandmother they need a good hiding. Send them to prison with the big boys - The killers, the rapists, the hardened criminals. Then let them see how hard they are. Their greed and disregard for others is a modern capitalist epidemic which needs to be cured. Of course I agree with the idea that you need grassroots education and support in inner city areas synonymous with deprivation but I think these events showed us just how successful they have been. The softly softly approach has lost us a generation of people who now seem to be in a state of anomie. They looked almost feral as they ran through the streets with their bricks and poles. So if they want to act like animals they should be treated as such. And the best way to make a dog behave? Show them who's boss/

The Retail Blues

I write this while finishing the fifth consecutive day at work in a retail store. I've worked there since Christmas and I've got to be honest.. It is DRAINING. Yeah, there's the usual job gripes: Feet hurt from standing up all day, don't get paid enough, hours are too long, breaks are too short. That stuff, though, is easy. It comes with the territory of any job. However there's only one thing that really REALLY annoys me.. Customers.
Before I start let me say that I certainly don't mean all customers. Customer service is the best part of my job.. I enjoy helping people and I love it when someone leaves happy because of the assistance I gave them. The customers I'm referring to are the difficult, ignorant and aggressive people that I have to deal with on a daily basis. My proposal is that everyone on earth has to do a short, mandatory stint as a sales assistant in a clothes shop to learn some retail etiquette.. But I somehow don't think it's gonna catch on.
So here's some rules on how NOT to be that customer that every sales assistant hates.

• Politely ask for help if you need it. So that's no 'oi's' no clicking of fingers and no whistling. We are not dogs. It puts you on an already good footing if you simply say 'excuse me have you got a minute? I was looking for this in a different size/colour/fit/whatever'. 
• If you don't need help and staff ask if you're ok or need anything don't scowl or be rude to them. It's part of their job. You'd be quick to complain if you needed help and weren't approached.
• In the event of that particular shop not having the item you want don't blame the staff. It's not the end of the world that you can't have that new pair of shoes right this instant. Accept it as one of life's mild annoyances.. Like rain on a Saturday.
• When rifling through clothes on the rack keep in mind that the mess you make will eventually have to be cleaned up. That top that fell off the hanger won't miraculously jump back on and that dress you placed on a rail full of trousers won't somehow walk back to it's allocated spot. Yes it is a sales assistant's job to do such things and we will do it.. But it shows a distinct lack of respect to have no regard for that fact. If you were in a fast food restaurant you'd clear your table - It's the same principle.
• Remember that we WANT to help you. It makes our days go much quicker when we have a creative task such as picking your outfit for your work night out. This, again, is within reason. Asking for every shoe in stock in a size 8 because you can't decide crosses that line.
• SMILE!!!!

Trouble In Egypt

Two days ago, stories filled the pages of every newspaper in the country of the riots in Egypt; We saw scenes of vehement civilians running through the streets showing their defiance against their political leader. One man steadfastly held his position in front of a huge tank which looked as though it would have had no problem swiftly crushing him. Another climbed up and tore into a colossal canvas poster of the Eqyptian Prime Minister Hosni Mubarak and plumetted to the ground in a positively cringe-worthy fall.
Most Westerners have been conditioned into believing that when Muslim communities come out in their droves to protest about something it is usually to oppose American or British interference. We picture hysterical radicals chanting in Arabic and shrieking and hollering wildly, cars being set on fire and naive young children following their parents into the dangerous crowd. It may be stereotypical but this is all we have seen from the news coverage of Muslim countries. We fear Eastern nations as we know them to have different values and very different rules about what is right and wrong.
Yet, I could not help but feel wholly proud after seeing this coverage, and also astounded at my own level of ignorance and small-mindedness. Here were well educated, well informed individuals speaking rationally about their struggle for democracy and why they were revolting against Mubarak's three decade regime. No shrieking or hysterical behaviour whatsoever; just young and old alike coming together for democracy - something we Westerners hold so dearly in our own countries.
Furthermore, women and men were involved. It's so easy to think that Muslim cultures treat women as second class citizens because they are 'forced' to wear burkhas and seemingly not encouraged into education. However these women i saw were speaking with the utmost intelligence and the burkhas only served to show that they themselves were preserving their decorum and dignity so as not to be objectified as mere female bodies (which is unlike most of us British women can say for ourselves).
I was impressed with a wise and richly cultured people and i felt truly ashamed that i, like many others, had held unjustified preconceptions about predominantly Muslim cultures. I think what is needed more than anything in these uncertain times between the east and west is education. Education about how others live their lives, about the people behind the dictators and about the similarities we share. Otherwise, i fear it could be too late for us to reconcile our behaviour - and i feel strongly that half of the world is too many people to alienate ourselves from.