The bullies

I wake up Monday morning,
And fear walking through the classroom door,
I'm scared the bullies will take my books,
And then just throw them on the floor!

As I walk down the school corridor,
I try to ignore their looks but they see me,
And approach me,
And then steal all my books!

Bullies are quite clever, They wait till I am free
There's never anyone around,
When they are bullying me!

I am so scared and unhappy,
And I don't know what to do,
I put off going to school,
By telling mum I've got the flu!

My friends tell me to say something,
That way I can gain,
By getting rid of all this fear,
And feeling no more pain!

At last I told my mum,
And she went into school,
The teachers said I should have told them before
Instead of acting like a fool!

Things are getting better now,
And I'm actually enjoying school,
If the bullies try to start on me,
I walk away and keep my cool!

Author: Sammie Banks

Bolton iJourno group

The Guardian ruined my film

The Guardian newspaper is solely to blame for this less than rapturous review of the Chronicles of Narnia film. Having last picked up The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the age of seven, all I was left with was a rather hazy memory of a wardrobe, a cloven-hoofed beast called Mr Something and a lot of ice - plus, of course, the Turkish Delight.
Which somewhat lost its tantalising mystery when I finally tried one from a box of Roses by accident and nearly threw up. So when the world of 'always winter, never Christmas' was reintroduced to my consciousness, I was well and truly open to persuasion.

If Polly Toynbee told me I was in for three hours of force-fed, sexist Christianity, my mind gave only a mild shrug before accepting it. Add to this growing infuriation at having seen Susan's clich�d "Impossible!" at least twenty times on trailers and don't-watch-pirate-DVDs adverts, and the film's chances were looking about asgood as those of the Turkish Delight.

I am absolutely convinced that, had it not been for the anti-Christian outrage expressed by half the country, I would have been able to get into that film. I would have shared in Lucy and Susan's horror at the gathering of stereotypically evil creatures tormenting Aslan, rather than hearing a cynical and brightly interested voice in one corner of my brain remark, "Oh look! Golgotha!" I would have experienced their pain as they sobbed over his body, rather than unsympathetically sneering, "Stop being so Magdalenic!" And when the magnificent lion stepped through the enlightened stone frame, alive again, I would certainly not have had to bite my lip to stop myself asking: "So now can we have some chocolate eggs?"

Don't get me wrong. I am neither fervently anti-Christian, nor naturally cynical, but the Guardian ruined that film for me. Even discounting Polly Toynbee's rant entitled 'Down with Aslan!', every review of the film either made some reference to its being Christian propaganda, or elicited dozens of angry letters proclaiming that it should never have been allowed. Looking at it objectively afterwards, I couldn't help acknowledging that some of the special effects had been pretty good - and of course I was utterly taken by the cute factor of the fantastic little actress who played Lucy.

And although I missed the thrill of suspense that immersing yourself in a good film can bring, I didn't miss the pain that comes with it. Thanks to the cynical attitude implanted in me by the newspaper, I was spared from the full horror of the faun Mr Tumnus's frozen grimace of agony and felt no despair when Peter failed to slay the White Witch. I guess cynicism has its moments.

So to the Guardian, Polly Toynbee and all its righteous readers, I owe thanks - but they owe me three completely wasted hours of my Christmas holiday.

I hear the next book was too racist to even be filmed; then again, I'm sure the sequel will have plenty in it to object to if you put your mind to it. I'll just have to hope Polly Toynbee never gets her hands on Shrek.
Author: Kirsty Upham

Bolton iJourno group

An introduction to...Scott Pilgrim

If you look around this page you should see a picture of one Mr Scott Pilgrim. Yes, the one in the blue coat with big eyes. He's 23, lives in Toronto, is between jobs and plays in a rock band called Sex Bob-omb.
It also could be said that he's also something of an idiot, though we won't hold that against him. He's also the eponymous star of a series of Manga-sized B&W graphic novels written and drawn by Bryan Lee O'Malley and published by Oni Press.

Welcome to his the world.So all-in-all, everything's going well for Scott, what with all of the above and the fact he's just dating a 17-year-old high-schooler when we first meet him. But it's not long before he starts having his dreams invaded by a rollerblading delivery girl. When she starts turning up in reality, Scott's smitten. Her name's Ramona Flowers, a delivery girl for Amazon.ca. It's not long before a budding romance develops, but if he wants to date her, Scott'll have to defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends.

Who's to know? Maybe this is a common thing over in Canada. Well, that's the plot out of the way. Here's why you should be reading these books. Their funny. No really, they are. The humour comes from the strong characters and convincing dialogue. And while everything's drawn in a simple, cartoony style Mr O'Malley manages to wring a great deal of character and emotion from so few lines. Everyone is easily distinguishable and you care about every one of these guys and gals. It's fair to say that these books are a little out-there, a mix of relatively real life and superhero/computer game fantasies. But no matter how weird or surreal things gets, it all seems the most natural thing in the world with the books following their own mad internal game-logic.

What I love espically though are the little details. The fact boxes that introduce the characters, the songs (with chords and lyrics so you can play along), the OTT titles. There's even a step-by-step recipe for Vegan Sheperd's Pie.

The series is still in it's early stages so there's still time to catch up, with Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life and Volume 2: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World having been released, and Volume 3: Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness due for release this February.

Also, a movie adaptation based on the first volume and to be directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) has been announced, though it isn't clear if and when it is to be released/filmed.If you're interested in learning more, just head on over to www.scottpilgrim.com
Author: Gareth Hacking

Manchester iJourno Group

Film review: House of Flying Daggers

House of Flying Daggers chronicles the story of two doomed lovers and their quest as they roam across 9th Century China.
Director: Zhang Yimou

Starring: Ziyi Zhang, Takeshi Kanshiro, Andy Lau Tak Wah

Availability: out now to rent or buy

Certificate: 15

Distributor: Pathe

Ziyi Zhang plays Mei, a beautiful and mysterious courtesan. Convinced that she is affiliated with a revolutionary faction determined to overthrow the government, captains Jin (Takeshi Kanshiro) and Leo (Andy Lau Tak Wah) hatch a plan to win the trust of Mei so that she will lead them to the headquarters of the faction, otherwise known as the House of the Flying Daggers.

Jin, pretending to be a lone fighter on a quest for justice, 'rescues' Mei from jail and offers to accompany her to a place where she will be safe. Not knowing that Jin is in a fact a captain of the Royal Guard, Mei allows him to join her on her journey back into the heartlands of China to the secret place where the House is based.

The plan begins to unravel when the two adventurers begin to develop feelings for one another, making the final betrayal impossible. As might be expected from a film by Zhag Yimou, director of 'Hero,' House is visually sumptuous, with a lucidity and elegance rarely found in formulaic Hollywood blockbuster movies; his carefully refined aesthetic infuses the whole production, from the costumes to the sets to the fight scenes.

The arresting visual style is complemented by the balletic grace of the main protagonists as they fight their way across the Chinese heartlands. In fact, quite apart from the story of forbidden love that underpins the narrative development of the film, what leaves the biggest impression on the viewer are the astonishing fight scenes and action set pieces.

Yimou never falls into the all-too-common trap of making his fight scenes brash and overstated, never fills them with gratuitous, effects-laden violence. Instead he draws upon the athleticism of his cast and the evident expertise of his choreographers to deliver a series of breathtaking rucks that are as imaginativeas they are well staged.

Yimou also manages to coax decent performances from the main members of the cast. In particular Zhangstands out as the hypnotic and passionate Mei - which, seeing as she commands the greatest amount of screentime, makes a definite difference to the quality of the final film.

House is a refreshing and on occasion genuinely dazzling addition to this year's film repertory. For those who want a change from the interminable procession of explosions and guns typical of most other action flicks, House makes for a viscerally captivating alternative. Highly recommended.

Author: Richard Millington

Manchester iJourno group

Reaction to the news

Some well known literary classics have been converted into text messages to help students revise for exams.
The service condenses classic works such as Bleak House and Pride and Prejudice into a handy memory aids.
So Hamlet's famous line: "To be or not to be, that is the question" becomes "2b? Nt2b? ???"
The BBC website said that Professor John Sutherland, of University College London, who is backing the project, claims it "amply demonstrates text's ability to fillet out the important elements in a plot".
We asked members of the Ashton iJourno group, from the Information Shop to tell us their thoughts:

Stephanie Blackwell: "I think it's a bit like cheating, but it could be a good evaluation. Plus it could be a bit confusing, not everyone texts in the same way. What if you don't actually understand what the message is saying?"
John Power: "Shorthand text messaging contains none of the information that an English Literature student would require in an exam room. The only way to understand quotes, character analysis and the plot for each individual scene is to study the published text in its entirety. How any university professor could give their backing to what is an impractical and useless revision technique puzzles me."
Craig Davies: "I disagree with the professors view and don't think it offers immense educational opportunities. Some people wouldn't understand what was being said an therefore could suffer badly in an exam. People also wouldn't really understand the book fully and this would surely confuse them."

Ashton iJourno group

Volunteers knocked out by Ricky Hatton

Tameside's Young volunteers were treated to a surprise visit from Ricky Hatton recently.
During the summer last year, all the young people that had completed 100 and 200 hours volunteering attended a celebration night, which was held at the Chute Bar, Bow Street, in Ashton.
The Government scheme, called Millennium Volunteers, started in 2000, and anyone aged 16-24 have 12 months to do up to 200 hours volunteering in an area of their choice. It was set up to give young people experience in something they might want to do as a career. It also looks really good on your CV, and it can be great fun, and a way to make new friends.
A few of the placements this year included work at Tameside Hospital, Fundraising, Air Cadets, Journalism, and design work.
The night was a great success and everyone had loads of fun! There was great entertainment including Break dancers and a group of rappers called BlueTape from Ashton's new music project, which is based at Charlestown Industrial Estate.
The Deputy Mayor, Micheal Smith and his wife Teresa, was there along with the Millennium Volunteers co-ordinator, Lindsey Wright to present the young people with their certificates.
Ricky Hatton was also there to announce the winners of the prize draw, altogether raised �190 for Childline.
Some of the prizes were really good including, an hour for 8 in a Limo, a luxury hamper from Marks and Spencers worth �35, Lord of the Rings box set, Meal for 2 at Nando?s, a manicure at Jo Ferns, and loads more. Darren Nixon, 31, won a little girls body warmer, which was worn by Sophie Webster off Coronation Street - hilarious.
James Howarth, 10, also won a few prizes, including a Nike rucksack and a little pink plant!

He said: "It was great meeting Ricky the Hitman Hatton and he gave me his autograph. When I grow up I am going to volunteer."
The night was really good. A big thanks to Lindsey Wright who organised it all and well done to all the volunteers.
Author: Stephanie Blackwell

Ashton iJourno group

Fearing fireworks

I always begin to rush home as soon as the clocks go back in autumn. As soon as it starts to go dark I want to get behind the safety of my own front door. I?m not scared of the bogeyman or anything like that, but I am scared of one thing, fireworks.
As soon as November 5 starts drawing near, I hate it, as more and more bangs and multi-coloured lights fill up the skies where people of all ages have set them off on any piece of land available.
At one time, fireworks were a novelty and were only set off on November 5 or a special occasion, but now they seem to be going off all year round as and when anyone feels like it.
I realised how much a problem fireworks were actually becoming when a lit firework was thrown onto a public transport bus at around 6 o?clock at night with a full bus of people. Luckily no-one was hurt as a quick thinking passenger kicked it off promptly into a grassy area where no-one could get hurt.
The legal age for buying fireworks in England is 18, so why is it that these youths who threw the firework onto the bus, were no more than 16 if that?
As there is a crackdown on buying alcohol if you are under 18, or if you are buying alcohol for an under 18 year old, surely there should be a crackdown on buying fireworks too?
In 2004 alone 1,160 people were injured with fireworks, this is compared with 1,136 in 2003. Almost half of these injuries were to people under 18, who shouldn?t be handling fireworks anyway.
Around the time of November 5, there are many well organised bonfire and firework displays to celebrate, but these are often spoilt by people deciding to set off their own fireworks, causing a danger to all the people watching.
Pre-millennium there was a voluntary code that stated that fireworks should only be sold for a three-week period around Diwali, and November 5. However when the Millennium came, this was extended so that the public could buy fireworks to set off at the new year, causing a disruption in the code. This was never returned to usual after the Millennium celebrations.
Surely with the amount of injuries caused by fireworks, the government should be trying to do something to put a stop to this. Would it not be a suitable idea to ask people (aged 18 or above) to apply for a license to set off fireworks.
This would include one date, a location applied for, and a time, in which they would have to be set off between, and perhaps this would stop people setting them off anywhere and any time.
If there is an on-the-spot fine in place for dropping litter, could there not also be one for setting fireworks off? Anyone found releasing fireworks without a license should be made to pay a fine. This will put people off, resulting in less fireworks being set off, and hopefully reducing the amount of injuries, or deaths due to recklessness of firework release.

Author: Sammie Banks

Bolton iJourno group

Your Planet, Your Choice

On Monday August 29 2005, Hurricane Katrina smashed into America's Gulf coast. Winds blowing faster than 140 miles an hour tore through the streets of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, leaving destruction in their wake. Within hours more than 80 per cent of the low-lying city of New Orleans was submerged.
Survivors clung to the roofs of buildings as cars were flung across the streets like toys, while rescuers below had to push the floating bodies away from them as they searched. President Bush was on holiday in Texas at the time, but returned in order to co-ordinate the relief effort. He toured the region to see the devastation caused, travelling - as always - by helicopter and private jet.
These two events may seem relatively independent. But the terrifying truth is that, if we continue our current trend of disregarding our planet's trouble and contributing towards climate change - just as Bush in his jet was doing unawares - horrific disasters like Hurricane Katrina are going to become ever more commonplace.
Whenever we burn fossil fuels, as we do without thinking in our day-to-day car journeys, we release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere - and since the year 1900, the amount we have produced has increased by 600 per cent.

Along with other gases emitted by humans in various ways, these have formed a 'blanket' around the earth and produced a result commonly known as the 'greenhouse effect'; that is, the gases act rather like the glass of a greenhouse in that much less heat escapes them than is let in. Slowly but surely, the planet is heating up. Without our greenhouse blanket, the earth's temperature would drop by a massive 33�C.
Hurricanes and other tropical storms, meanwhile, are directly influenced by this climate change. They are formed by moisture evaporating from the surface of the sea; as it evaporates, it rises until enormous amounts of heated moist air are twisted high in the atmosphere.

The hotter the air, the more moisture evaporates - and the more moisture, the stronger and more devastating the hurricane. In the last 35 years, as our use of fossil fuels has continued to rise, the frequency of powerful tropical storms like hurricanes has increased by a staggering 80 per cent.
So what can we do? What is "our bit" - the crucial step we can take towards trying to prevent rising levels of such destruction in the future? The answer is a simple one: reduce our carbon emissions, as much as we can. And one of the easiest ways to start doing this is by leaving the car in the garage and using public transport instead.
Many people's perception of public transport is of an expensive, time-consuming, uncomfortable journey fraught with hassle - this, now, is completely outdated. Many bus services now operate with one vehicle every ten minutes or better, and numerous student passes are available for all modes of public transport. It needn't be a lengthy process either: for example, the train journey from Bolton to Manchester Victoria for a spot of shopping in the Arndale takes just 22 minutes.

Even using the AA's up-to-the-minute route planner, that same journey still takes 30 minutes in a car - and that's not accounting for traffic jams or finding a parking spot. So when you make the decision to step onto a bus rather than into a car, you are preserving the world for yourself, your friends and future generations to come.

Forget the hairy armpits, tofu and sandals in winter: the green lifestyle is often far more easy and convenient than being wasteful. It really is as easy as 123 - that is, if that's your local bus number?

Author: Kirsty Upham

Bolton iJourno group

Book review: Love Lesson by David Belbin

The debate over teacher-pupil relationships is a highly controversial one. One that most writers would probably fear.
But author David Belbin found the courage to approach the subject. Such an issue is usually handled with due care, and a strong message of wrong is portrayed to the reader. Belbin, however, put love at the forefront of the story, the love between a teacher and a pupil.
The theme of love is debated throughout, whether the love is real, or just a lustful feeling at the beginning of a relationship. The main characters of Rachel and the teacher Mike go through a rollercoaster of passionate, secretive love, that eventually fizzles out into nothing, leaving behind only a negative view of what love is about.
The strong sexual content makes this book suitable for older teenagers, but the mention of teenage pregnancy allows it to be a warning to younger readers. And although it is predominantly a teen novel, with narrative from the point of view of both Rachel and Mike, the book could also appeal to an adult readership.
Belbin is an excellent writer who can bring controversial issues to life in a much more real, and accepted way.

Author: Fiona Bond

Bolton iJourno group

Rugby Football League deserves more!

Full house for the Powergen Cup Final. Sell out for the Grand Final at Old Trafford. Sell out crowds for the play offs in leagues one and two. Tickets selling well for the Tri-Nation Games.
This is a sport with little or no help from the media, but is still managing to quietly get noticed.
The Rugby Football League deserves praise for its sensible prices, with a regard to strong family ties. If dads go, the kids often go, and even mum gets involved, and invariably all the players play their part.
The upsurge in league attendances is set to continue with the return of Castleford to the top flight. The Tigers, as they are known, fully embrace the concept of league from the offset.

A colourful, noisy atmosphere from both sets of supporters, makes the day as opinionated as possible, but with very little trouble reported, if any. Problems that have occurred have been jumped on by the league straight away and extinguished.
So why is league not given the support by the general that it deserves? Is the working class game now becoming more cosmopolitan or does it still scare the other rugby code? Who knows?
Rugby league players don't just look the part but play the part, so come on let's see more of this great game, where everyone is treated as an equal.
Respect for the official by the players, and if the referee makes a mistake he admits it and a review of the positions is held. Football take note!

Author: Paul Taylor

Rochdale iJourno group

Calling all volunteers!

Do you do any voluntary work? Do you want to do any voluntary work? Are you aged 16-24? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then we have a scheme for you! Millennium Volunteers is a government project that rewards any voluntary work you do. This could be anything from helping in a local school, being part of a summer scheme, lending a hand at your local youth club to cleaning up your local environment to raising issues that affect young people. All the time that you spend on volunteering instead of hanging around bored with your mates or watching the television can be accredited under the Millennium Volunteers scheme. This means that once you do 100 hours of volunteering you are awarded a Certificate of Achievement, when you continue on to complete 200 hours, you are presented with an Award of Excellence. Both awards are nationally recognised, plus they look great on your CV! If you think about it, it?s only means getting involved for around four hours a week and most people spend that playing on their X-Box or being bored anyway. We have both received our 200 hours Awards of Excellence through Bully Free Zone?s Millennium Volunteers based in Bolton town centre. Bully Free Zone was launched in 1996, and has become one of the leading peer support projects in Britain. They aim to raise awareness of alternative ways of resolving conflict and reducing bullying. They work closely with children, young people, parents, teachers, and anyone else who requires information from them. Bully Free Zone has a warm, friendly and welcoming atmosphere, with Millennium Volunteers, young people and children being part of their close family. As there are many children and young people at Bully Free Zone, this gives the Millennium Volunteers a chance to interact with them and an opportunity to share experiences about what has happened. Sometimes the young people just want a chance to be listened to and the MVs are there for them in most cases. During the summer, Bully Free Zone ran a video project, in which young people and MVs came together to produce a video to show the effects of bullying and how it makes people feel. There were many skills learnt during the summer, we participated in exercises on trust, friendships, team building as well as learning how to use the video equipment as well as all the technical aspects of film making. This is just one example of how the Bully Free Zone manages to bring together MVs and young people, helping to make them feel more at ease and be able to form relationships as it is often easier for young people to talk to someone closer to their own age than an adult or a parent. If by reading this you think that becoming a Millennium Volunteer could be for you, or someone who you know, and you live in the Manchester area, contact Bully Free Zone on 01204 454958 and ask for Pete Kobryn. Bolton area, contact Bully Free Zone on 01204 454958 and ask for Kevin Walsh. Alternatively you could e-mail them on office@bullyfreezone.freeserve.co.uk

Author: Sammie Banks and Fiona Bond

Bolton iJourno group

Volunteering at the Greater Manchester Youth Games 2005

My preparation for the 2005 Youth Games began some weeks before the events of June 11 and 12, at a venue on Pink Bank Lane in Manchester. I had been taking part in the sports journalism course in Rochdale through Greater Sport, where I had been approached to do some volunteer work.
Jill Mayers, volunteer co-ordinator for Greater Sport, was one of the planners for the event and was very keen for the event to do well.
The training night was basically a run through of what would happen during the weekend. It looked pretty daunting to me. Buses running at regular intervals to ferry competitors around as well as volunteers? Would it work? I was slightly sceptical!
Many of the volunteers on the training night were a lot older than me, but they seemed very experienced and confident. Everything it seemed, looked great on paper, but would it work on the day.
When the Saturday arrived, I turned up bright and early in Bolton, and was given the job of car park attendant, but with not many cars to co-ordinate I was moved back to the main gates with my volunteer partner Phil. Our new role was to check people coming into the ground with cameras.
As the day went on, seeing all that was around me, I was proud to be part of the event. Then organisation and hard work that Jill and her colleagues put in to make the event possible, would probably never get noticed by the general public.
But I couldn't fail to be impressed by everything I saw, and in the breaks that I go, I managed to catch as many of the events taking place as I could.
Well done to Jill and thanks for asking me to help!

Author: Paul Taylor

Rochdale iJourno group

Volunteer your opinion!

Greater Sport's Volunteer Development Officer, Jill Mayers, is looking for a group of both males and females, aged 16 to 24, to voice their opinions to improve the volunteer scheme.
She is calling out for a group of young, enthusiastic people from the Greater Manchester area, to meet up to put their ideas and opinions forward on various oppurtunities to improve the scheme.
Greater Sport is looking for brand new ideas, to develop a new, cooler uniform, to make volunteers stand out.
Jill would also like to discuss opportunities to organise events to recruit new volunteers, to help out with the fast growing number of youngsters involved in the Greater Sport programmes. These meetings would also allow all those attending, to put forward their ideas, and discuss ways to encourage people to become involved.
These ideas could include organising events to make people more aware of the programme, or even organising functions to explain to the public what the Greater Sport scheme is all about and different ways they could help to impove the organisation.
These meetings would be very informal, and would also incluse refreshments, and would takemplace two o three times a year.
A date and place is yet to be arranged but if you are interested in putting forward your ideas, you can either contact Jill either by e.mailing her at: jillm@greatersport.co.uk, or by texting her on 07881900384, giving her your age and the area you livein Greater Manchester.
Anyone interested in helping out with the sports scheme for young people is welcome. Volunteering can be rewarding in many ways and the meetings will benefit both the volunteers and the young people who take part in the Gretaer Sport scheme. So for more information just get in touch with Jill by either e.mailing or texting her, and she will give you any arrangements and further information as and when she gets it.

Author: Hayley Kinder

Rochdale iJourno group

Sporting heroes: Peter Stewart

We asked our sports reporters in Rochdale to think of people from the world of sport - local or national or even international - who they considered to be heroes. One of our older journalists, Paul Taylor, chose the chairman of his local football team Heywood casuals who he has known for more than 20 years. Here?s what he had to say:
Peter Stewart, what can I say about him? "The chairman" as he is more fondly referred to. He is probably the funniest individual I?ve ever worked with in Sport. His attitude to everything is so positive. It is difficult to find the words to describe the guy - he is the finest.
Anytime, morning, noon or night, his words are always ?don?t worry, I?ll ring them and sort it!?
I started to play for Heywood Casuals in 83-84 as a 20 year old up and coming player, joining a team of very good players who were sadly getting older. The next few years were probably the most enjoyable of my career.
But people were getting older and all of a sudden we were struggling. People weren?t turning up, then we lost our treasurer. Then in stepped Peter Stewart.
The show must go on! Peter, who is now 62, went from full time supporter, to the kitman, linesman and then eventually the chairman.
All the time his infectious enthusiasm continuing to rub off on all around, especially myself. A succession of managers followed, with things becoming slowly worse. Peter was bringing in his daughter?s boyfriend just to make the numbers up, anything just to get a team out.
Then at the age of 27 I had my first taste as player-manager. Frustration and anger were never far away. But again, the chairman was there with his usual brand of humour - ?Well we might have the worst team in the league, but we?ve certainly got the best kit.?
His fundraising skills through his contacts, his constant questioning of people involved in the club, made us realise that this i the kind of chairman that would attract new, young people to the club.
Peter gave us a base to build on again. And so the rebuilding began with my contacts in local football and a team of enthusiastic committee members - it all bode well for the future.
The chairman had done it!
And it is only now that the dream is over that I realise how much work is needed to make a sporting team a success. But I always think it is the people behind the scenes who make a club and a player successful - not just the player.
I?ve had the pleasure of working with some great players and committee at Heywood Casuals, but Peter ?The Chairman? Stewart will always be remembered for his work, not just by me, but by all the other teams and players that came across him. To say he left his mark in local Sunday football is an understatement.

Author: Paul Taylor

Rochdale iJourno group

Poetry: I am a person

I am a person
Not a bin for your waste
I am a person
Not a dartboard for your anger
I am a person
Not a lake to drown your sorrows
I am a person
Not a meaningless object you can smash or break
I am a person
Not something on the floor to walk right over
I am a person
Not a mindless insect you can look right down at
I am a person
Not a clown you can laugh at
I am a person
Not a thing you can control
I am a person
Not your personal punchbag
I am a person
Have you got it yet?!
Author: Crystal Cosgrove
Bolton iJourno group

The Global Climate; An Apocalyptic Catastrophe Waiting to Rage

The greatest and most challenging problem that humans have faced as yet has gone unsolved so far. The world's refusal to unite, even to accept the crisis, and tackle the problem together, has hindered the attempts of any one nation trying to restore balance.
And now it has spiralled out of control. Too late to annul the causes and minimise the effects of global warming. The full might of environmental imbalance may descend upon us in the next 20 years. Glaciers will melt, countries will flood, deserts will grow vast-spreading out to beyond the deserts and savannahs, ecosystems will wither, habitats will be lost and humans may even cease to exist. The irony, of course, is that we have caused the problem that is gearing up to wipe us out. We were the ones who released thousands of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere each day, we were the ones who cut down and burnt three thousand acres of trees and vegetation, a day, and we were the ones who ignored all the hallmark signs, and warnings from experts, and carried on. Carried on, that is, until recently.
Now, the greenhouse effect has caused global warming on such a scale that, in 2003, the first Eskimos had to migrate south because their homes had melted into the sea. This, combined with quickly rising temperatures, strange rainfall patterns and a 16 per cent increase in the number of people contracting skin cancers has forced governments to take serious precautionary actions. That is most governments; America has remained unsurprisingly aloof, and they are, unfortunately, the world's number one polluter. In fact they run away with the award, with China, Russia and Canada (second, third and fourth respectively) combined, don't output as many greenhouse gases!
The British Government, similar to many other European Governments has signed up to the Kyoto Protocol (and more importantly, but less famously has cemented the Montreal Agreement, this year), has increased investment in renewable resources as an alternative fuel, subsidised clean energies and has imposed the use of filters on power stations. The effect? Global temperatures have risen faster than ever.
At first this startling observation baffled scientists, and then it became downright infuriating. The explanation; global dimming.
Global dimming is the theory that as more pollutants and aerosols are released into the atmosphere the suns intensity will be reduced, so negating the temperature rises caused by global warming.
The theory gathered substance when experiments showed in the Maldives, evaporation was lowest in areas where the prevailing wind came from India, or, in other words, where soot pollution, and other light reflectors, caused light pollution.
Historical archives kept up the momentum of the theory as they showed evaporation had fallen by one-hundred millilitres over the last thirty years.
The clinching, and scariest piece of evidence came from 9/11. A study compared the temperatures before and during the three day plane grounding. The results were drastic. On average the temperature range (the high during the day and low during the night) increased by almost three degrees! Global dimming is real and serious. In fact, both global dimming and warming are more real and serious than we have ever before appreciated.
What happened during the plane grounding? Global warming and dimming are precariously balanced, locked in a titanic struggle as opposing processes. When global dimming was ever so slightly weakened, by the reduction in fumes released by planes, global warming, which chiefly relies on the greenhouse effect, rocketed up.
So, just try and comprehend; if in just three days of no air traffic in America the temperature change is three degrees (quite enormous), just imagine the extremes that would result if power stations, cars and planes were halted for longer. Fourteen, fifteen even sixteen degree rises? Substantial enough to push humans to the limit.
But we don't want to get cooler either. If global dimming gains an edge the consequences will be just as severe; famine, flooding, disease, mass migration, to name but a few.
When Britain, and other European countries, applied filters to power stations the reduction in strength of global dimming allowed global warming to push up temperatures. Scientists now admit they seriously underestimated the sensitivity of the earth, and now claim the only way to save the earth as we know it in the long run would be to gradually cut back on both greenhouse gas emissions and soot and particle pollutions in equal measures.
Whether governments and nations listen however, is another matter.
But, if recent events have illustrated nothing else, it is that nature finds a way to bite back; we can't carry on tipping waste into what is, now more obviously than ever, a finite, delicate earth. We will pay an unforgiving, heavy price for our uncontrolled selfishness and blind ignorance unless we do something significant now.
Pessimistic? No! Look on the bright side; scientists have been wrong before, they could be wrong again, who knows?

Author: Ben Storrs

Manchester iJourno group

GMPTE Website Launch and Theatre Night

Journalists from the Bolton Young Journalists group got to see where their stories would be also be published (as well as on here) at a special launch night on December 2. Here's Sammie Banks' view of how the night went and of the show.
"Charles Dickens' classic novel "Oliver Twist" was revamped by director Neil Bartlett at the Library Theatre in Manchester on the same night as Bolton's Young Journalism group went for a night out. Myself and four other young journalists from Bolton, along with Josephine Wynne-Eyton from GMPTE and James Corner from Greater Manchester Connexions went along for a sneak preview of where the articles that we had written would be published, along with the iJourno site. We were treated to speeches and meetings with MPs and other important people as well as being interviewed by the Manchester Evening News. As soon as speeches were over we posed for pictures promoting the evening and then dashed across town to get to Croma. And after pizza, pasta and garlic breads, we just made it back to the theatre in time for the opening prologue of Oliver Twist. Each young person at the launch had also been given a ticket to catch the liveshow. This wonderful piece of epic theatre was staged beautifully, consisting of 24 scenes with several songs to make the audience feel that they are encountering the story anew. The Library Theatre has a very limited space, but this didn't affect the set in any way during this perfectly put together performance. With its light-hearted humour, gruesome death scenes and an overall general atmosphere of suspense which kept the audience on the edge of their seats, this performance had something for everybody throughout. Oliver Twist is of course an orphan who is left to roam the streets after running away from his new owner when he is sold as an apprentice. Cue audience participation. Oliver, played by three boys taking it in turns each night, was brought before us to have a good look at before we were asked to hand over £5 for him. The audience was involved throughout the performance, with actors talking directly to those watching. There were cleverly disguised on-stage dress changes, hand-held signs telling us what and where the action was happening and many, many trap doors to rid of unneeded props. All of the music and songs were performed on stage by the actors, and characters appeared in the audience taking the visitors by surprise. You were easily drawn into this world of child labour and the fight over this poor child's welfare. Dickens did not attempt to hide the truth about what was happening on the streets of London, and truly reflected the events taking place in the Victorian era when this novel was written. And these are carried on by the Library Theatre and their perfect depiction.

While this performance has been adapted to be very dark and menacing, it portrays the uproar and grime that was typical of Dickens' time by sticking to the original text that he wrote more faithfully than some other adaptations around. With a cast of only 10, multi-rolling is obviously the only answer, cast members including Peter Macqueen (Fagin), Stephen Finegold (Bill Sykes), Adam Price (MrBumble), and Michelle Butt as Mrs Corney are all played brilliantly. But deserving a special mention, are Tom Lawrence as the Artful Dodger, who also narrated his way through the play, and Ella Vale as Nancy. The star of the show however, must be young Oliver, played on the night of our viewing by Daniel Shaw. If you are after a play to watch the Christmas, Oliver Twist comes highly recommended both by myself, by others members of the group, and by professional journalist reviewers too. This performance has been awarded a five star rating on the Manchester Evening News website, and quite rightly too. This performance appeals to both old and young, male and female, and whether or not you like horror, I can guarantee you will enjoy this adaptation and there must be something wrong for you not to.
Author: Sammie Banks

Bolton iJourno group

The Wolves in the Walls

A children's pandemonium, is a spot-on description for this, the first production of the Scottish National Theatre's new season. The Wolves In The Walls is an adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's picture book of the same name. Combining singing, dancing, puppetry and live tuba, this is a cleverly staged production, with all sorts of scenery flying about the place, walls constantly spinning, opening and closing.
It's a simple story. Lucy is bored. Whilst the rest of her family have their hobbies to keep them busy, she occupies herself with drawing. Then she starts hearing noises from behind the walls of her house. Her jam-making mum, tuba-playing dad and video game playing brother all think it might be mice, rats or bats but Lucy's convinced it's wolves. As her family tell her though, if the wolves come out of the walls, then it's all over.
The cast of eight, with four principals as the family are energetic, constantly moving about the stage, so much so it's lucky they don't have an accident. The other four cast members are household fairies early on, constantly moving furniture around but unnoticed by the family and then later they puppeteer the wolves. These are exceptionally well-made and emotive puppets, so much so that you forget the puppeteers are in plain sight. They could very easily be terrifying creations but they're portrayed in such a way to keep them just the right side of horrifying.
Any problems? Only that the production is only 70 minutes. I would have loved to have seen more, but as it is, it's the perfect length for youngsters to enjoy.
The Wolves in the Walls runs from March 29 to April 8 in the Tramway, Glasgow before going on down to London and then around Scotland.

Author: Gareth Hacking

Manchester iJourno group

British Bores?

Some could say we're boring. Others may simply say we're not patriotic enough. Are these reasons why we don't have a day to celebrate the simple fact that we're English?
It's not a British problem - St Andrew's day is celebrated in Scotland, as is St David's day in Wales. But what do the English do to celebrate St George's day?St George has been England's patron saint for nearly 600 years, and has been passed through time not only in the form of a day dedicated to him, but also in the form of that red cross on a white background you see so often on an British flag. Yet each year on that special day we fail to acknowledge his existence. Sure you may see a few flags around, or do a small exercise in school or college. But that's where the celebration ends. Maybe the religious history behind St George has caused a lack of celebration, particularly since an increasing percentage of the population is now non-Christian. But why should that stop us celebrating being English? Or better still, celebrating with the Scots, the Welsh and the Northern Irish the fact that we're British? I'm not the only one who thinks so, Chancellor Gordon Brown also thinks it's a good idea. In a speech in London he said that people should feel proud to "embrace the Union flag". In terms of celebrating our country, our history and our future, we're falling behind many countries. The United States of America celebrate a day every single year, the 4th of July - Independence Day. A day in which they celebrate their freedom and independence invarious different ways. Barbecues, picnics and general family gatherings celebrate the day when the Americans broke free of the British and took control of their own country. As with the French celebration, Bastille Day. A day that celebrates a changing form of the country's government, no longer were they ruled over by Kings or Queens. These days both have very historical reasons behind their being. But one day in one of the youngest countries in the world, is a day we should be looking to replicate. That of Australia Day. Australia Day is a national holiday, celebrated on January 26 (the middle of summer in Australia), which is used simply to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. A day to "re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future." A day to be Australian. Surely celebrating our countries and the fact that we belong there should be a priority on any calendar. Particularly since so much has been happening to tear apart different ethnic groups in the past few years. We are white, we are black, we are south Asian, we are Chinese, we are mixed raced, we are every race in the world. But most importantly we are British and now is no better time than ever to celebrate that.
Author: Fiona Bond

Bolton iJourno group

A world without books - Can you imagine it?

Imagine if you couldn't get hold of the latest Harry Potter book or if you couldn't join in debates over The Da Vinci Code. Or if you couldn't have access to recipes to cook, or movie listings to go to the cinema, or read Heat magazine. Imagine how different your life would be if you couldn't read the newspaper.
Most people have probably not considered what reading means to them. However, being an English and American literature student at the University of Manchester, I am aware of the importance of books in my life and to society as a whole. When I was a child, the tales of Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton and Judy Blume enhanced my life and imagination so much. Fairytales such as Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood have been proven to be crucial to children's understanding of morality. And it is the actual reading and grappling with the stories that encourages this ethical appreciation. After reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe I checked the wardrobe faithfully everyday just in case a magical world would appear! It was this growth of my imagination that reading fuelled which compelled me to study books until degree level and beyond. I relish nothing more than reading and become very involved with certain characters, as I am sure many people do. With the recent hype over the Harry Potter series, reading and books have once again come into the limelight. I know that when Sirrius Black was killed, I was devastated and quietly admit to shedding a tear! Everyone has a personal connection with reading, from reading Harry Potter to Shakespeare to reading movie reviews to the football updates. Well, this is what I thought until some shocking statistics came to my knowledge: two million people in the UK suffer with blindness or visual impairment, and only 5 per cent of books published every year are made available in a format suitable for the visually impaired to read. Also, due to the poor design of 86 per cent of web-sites, blind people are cut off from the wealth of information and communication the internet provides. The web-sites are not incorporated to work with the specialist software visually impaired people need. I encourage you to think about how different your life would be if you had all this cut off from you. However, the visually impaired do have a chance with help from the National Library for the Blind. They hold Europe's largest collection of Braille and Moon books and provide free postal service to the visually impaired. The library adds 700 books to their collection a year, but it costs £730 to produce a single Braille book and they receive no Government funding. They organise many sponsored events, including 'Go Book Bonkers' on World Book Day, March 2, where anyone who sells books on Amazon can donate 10 per cent of profits to the library. I was involved in a gift-wrapping service in bookshops at Christmas, where we offered the service in return for a small donation. So, the next time you pick up a newspaper or a book, whether it is for study or pleasure, take a minute to consider just how lucky you are to have that privilege.
Author: Alison Bramley

Manchester iJourno group

Michael Shields - Injustice?

Liverpool football fan Michael Shields is now just months into his 15 year prison sentence for a crime that he and his supporters insist he did not even commit.
Shields was arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of Bulgarian waiter Martin Georgiev at the resort of Golden Sands in Bulgaria, earlier last year.
The then 18 year old was travelling home to Liverpool via Bulgaria after attending the European Cup Final in Istanbul. On July 26 2005, Shields was convicted despite claiming his innocence throughout.
Meanwhile back in the UK, Graham Sankey actually admitted to the offence himself in front of UK police. He confessed in a statement that he slammed a paving stone onto the head of Georgiev. Although, due to the fact that he confessed in the UK, Bulgarian courts will not accept this despite his telling them that Michael Shields was nothing to do with the crime.
On returning to Bulgaria, Sankey will face trial himself and be sent down for 15 years also, therefore he is putting off returning while UK police have no control over his return. Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher is backing a newspaper campaign started last year to release Shields from this false imprisonment.

Author: Sammie Banks

Bolton iJourno group

Facebook: A student/stalker's ideal networking tool - is it really beneficial to us?

In case you hadn't heard, www.Facebook.com is the latest phenomenon to sweep Universities in the UK. To access it, you have to enter your University email address and make a profile, where you can put your full address, mobile phone number and email address. There is also space to write your interests, favourite films and music and even a section entitled, about me, so you can write as much as you like about the most important thing in your life! Then you add friends, and people can write you wall postings for all to see or private messages just for your eyes, and you can join groups and upload photos. Facebook differs from other communication sites such as MySpace.com and the ever-popular blog sites because it is exclusively for students.
So is Facebook a positive tool to bring students closer, or is it simply replacing face-to-face interactions? There is the small fact that three Harvard students created it, adding the American-popularity-contest element to it, with many people adding randoms to their friends list to achieve the buzz of increasing the crucial number. However, I don't see the great problem of meeting like-minded people on Facebook, it's not as if we're logging onto the dangerous chat-rooms that paedophiles use to get their kicks. Everyone you see on Facebook goes to the same University as you. And it was certainly a minority of students who didn't catch on to the addiction, with 6,000 students joining within the first three weeks of its launch.
Facebook is a useful tool for seeing events going on at your University, arranging nights out and catching up the next day, and uploading pictures so your friends can see the night (just in case it was a blur for them!) And the fact that people are arranging events and putting photos on the site must mean that they are actually seeing each other. That is surely evidence enough that Facebook enhances social life rather than replacing it?
Facebook reports that its users spend an average of 18 minutes a day surfing profiles which isn't really that bad, considering students are well known-procrastinators. The only time you have to start worrying about it is when you go on a 10 minute study break and check Facebook, then 2 hours later you check the clock only to realise you have been looking at some strangers photos all that time! It's interesting to find out who knows who and how you are linked with people, and I definitely disagree with Michael Duffy, who calls Facebook one giant time vortex. He is overestimating how much time students spend on the web-site. I would say that my friends, myself included, check Facebook as you would check e-mails and if we have no new messages or wall-postings we log straight off.
30 English Universities and over 70,000 users have succumbed to the lure of Facebook, and it continues to grow with new users signing up every day. There are definitely more benefits than drawbacks of this craze, so if you don't have a profile, get with the times!
Author: Alison Bramley
Manchester iJourno group

Re-thinking The Da Vinci Code: Fiction or fact?

You may think it is strange to be writing a review of The Da Vinci Code three years after its release in 2003. However, in light of the court case surrounding which began on February 27, ideas about copyright and the act of fiction-writing need to be considered.
Briefly, writers of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, are suing Random House, the publishers of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, on a claim that he lifted ideas from their 1982 publication for his novel.
This court case seems to be a jealous attack on Brown’s novel, which has sold 40 million copies to date, compared with non-fiction The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail’s two million. Baigent and Leigh appear to be making a desperate attempt for publicity and the scary fact is that their case has a good chance.
Brown's novel has not grown in popularity simply because he stole ideas from Baigent and Leigh's book about Jesus Christ having children and not dying on the cross. On the contrary, Brown is one of the cleverest writers of modern times, managing to write to a massive audience.
The Da Vinci Code is at once a gripping thriller, a detective novel, an alternative history and a puzzle solver. To clarify, two years ago when I went on holiday, I was overwhelmed by the vast number of copies of the novel being read around the pool. For a book that popular to make it onto my reading list for English Literature at the University of Manchester is incredible. It is, as Brown intended, a springboard for debate about religion in all circles of society.
The book is truly a page-turner, action moves at break-neck speed. Small chapters and various sharp switches in perspective increase suspense to the limit. So in essence, Baigent and Leigh are agitated because Dan Brown managed to make a complex and shocking interpretation of history not only interesting to mainstream popular culture, but also incredibly exciting.
It is perhaps the blurring of fact and fiction in the novel that made it more of an intense read, made more tangible by Brown's prelude to the novel entitled Fact. He includes The Priory of Sion, Opus Dei and references to architecture, artwork and secret rituals in this list. This in all probability contributed to much controversy about the novel, but this happens everywhere. It is hard to think of a writer who does not allude to history at all, or have an interpretation of historical events. However, as a writer of fiction, does Brown not have the artistic license to take these historical ideas and take whatever perspective he desires? Surely this is a mark of good fiction writing - taking an obscure argument and convincing millions to question deeply rooted ideas in society. In addition, a question raised by Brown himself adds much clarity to my argument: How historically accurate is history itself?
The Da Vinci Code is circulating at a perfect time in society - a time when people are questioning beliefs and becoming interested in conspiracy theories. Whatever happens in the court case, the novel will go down in history, and will be debated and studied for years to come. I want to admire this book for its wonderful capability to keep readers on the edge of their seat throughout. It is not necessary to chastise Dan Brown for his views; like he says, readers can make their own minds up about the material. The only thing that differentiates Dan Brown from you and I is that he wrote his opinions down and earned millions for doing so. Copyright laws protect writers from having their actual text lifted, but if ideas were to be included in copyright laws following the court case, all artists would have much trouble publishing anything.
Author: Alison Bramley
Manchester iJourno group

An Introduction To...Dinner For One

'Dinner for One' is something of a unique anomaly, a forgotten piece of British comedy that has taken root and become an integral part of European culture. Since its first screening on German television in 1964, the 18-minute black and white sketch has been shown every New Year's Eve, spreading outward as a tradition to Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.
And while the actors and dialogue are English, it remains unknown in the UK, having never been screened on British television. The basic set-up is that every year Miss Sophie (May Warden) celebrates her birthday by enjoying a meal with four of her closest friends - Sir Toby, Admiralvon Schneider, Mr Pommeroy and Mr Winterbottom. Unfortunately, since these gentlemen have all passed away many years before, her butler, James (Freddie Frinton) has to impersonate each of these guests. At the beginning of every course he asks: "Same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?" and always receives the reply: "Same procedure as every year, James." The comedy comes from the toasts that accompany every course. As James must drink every guest's drinks in turn, what begins as a very formal meal slowly degenerates, with James going from reserved servitude to staggering fool with Miss Sophie seemingly unaware of her butler's inebriated condition. Finally the sketch draws to a close with a surprisingly suggestive final punch line.The sketch was first performed in 1948. It was only later that Freddie Frinton began performing it around England, with the role of Miss Sophie being played by a young actress called Audrey Maye - who's mother, May Warden later took over the part. The filming for German television came about after a German entertainer, Peter Frankenfeld and a friend, saw a performance in Blackpool in 1963. Afterwards, they managed to persuade Frinton and Warden to come to Germany although Frinton was not all that keen. Because of this he refused to perform the sketch in German, requiring a German announcer to introduce the sketch. Unfortunately, 'Dinner for One' was Freddie Frinton's only success, and he died at an early age, passing away just three weeks before filming a colour version of the sketch. So why has it endured for so long? As Mr Bean's worldwide popularity has demonstrated, physical comedy is appreciated universally. And 'Dinner for One' is very physical, with James tripping over, staggering around and generally attempting the most unorthodox methods of dinner service. Key to its success is Frinton's performance in what essentially is a one-man performance. His comic timing is spot-on and it's a marvel to watch. He also convincingly looks and plays a doddering old man; so much so that it's hard to believe he was only 35 years old when filming took place. It's a performance that has stood the test of time,demonstrated by the fact that while various remakes have been created over the years, the original's popularity remains undimmed, with 10+ screenings every New Years Eve. It's a part of people's lives, expected every year the same way the Queen's speech is here. Personally, I'd have to say that watching 'Dinner for One' would be the better option. Who say's German's don't have a sense of humour?
Author: Gareth Hacking

Manchester iJourno group

Art: LS Lowry

The Lowry Centre in Salford Quays houses an exhibition of some of the most brilliant historical paintings, from one of Manchester's artists, Lawrence Stephen Lowry.
My interest in Lowry has grown from studying his work during my A-level art course and at school.
The exhibition has the widest collection of Lowry's paintings in the world and includes the famous paintings such as The Man with the Red Eyes and Going to the Match.
I had always dreamt of seeing the latter after seeing it in an art book years ago, and my fascination with it stems from my love of football.
The painting has received a lot of praise, and in my opinion, rightly so. I consider Lowry to be the best artist to represent the chaotic life of Manchester - the way that Lowry achieves this by layers of cramped houses in the distance and crowds of busy stick men and women.
I would recommend this exhibition to anybody, of any age who is interested in the history of Manchester or the work of Lowry.
I believe that his work holds many qualities, and he would have produced work to suit any tastes.

Tameside iJourno group