John Terry steps down from England duty

“Nobody thinks that John Terry is a racist so the FA need to leave it” – the thoughts of Avram Grant, ex-manager of John Terry at Chelsea, somebody who knows him all to well. But the FA have yet too make up their mind and Terry’s head remains placed precariously in their guillotine. Terry’s decision to step down as an England player at the weekend raised the eyebrow of football fans around the country, not least the Stamford Bridge contingent who idolise him and consider him as iconic as the lion on the club’s crest. Today’s Premier League game is brimming with passion and excitement, which often results in players being caught up in fiery foul-mouthed exchanges.

 In a match at Loftus Road in October 2011, things appeared to surpass this normal level of tension. And In July, Westminster Magistrates Court revealed the gloomy details of that clash between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand, where a side of football most thought was left in the terraces and pitches of the 1980s reared its ugly head again. Racism. "F**k off, f**k off … f**king black c*nt. F**king nobhead,” were the words that landed Terry in court. Terry argued there should have been a question mark after “f**king black c*nt”. Exclaiming that he was simply being sarcastic, mirroring a slur uttered by the QPR defender. Howard Riddle, Chief Magistrate, agreed and he was acquitted, consequently being spared the punishment of prison. But it did lead to the FA taking Terry’s England armband without consent, which in turn caused a rift between them and Fabio Capello, eventually leading to his exit. This was not the first time this happened – in February 2010, Terry first lost the England armband following revelations he had an affair with a teammate’s girlfriend, Wayne Bridge. Although the law has cleared his name, the FA has brought its own charge to the fore. An independent panel are this week examining the fact he referenced the ethnicity and race of Ferdinand. If this was proven, Terry would surely be removed from the England squad anyway.

Terry stated that the FA had made his position with England "untenable" indicating he wanted to leave with grace. Head held aloft. Riddle’s decision shocked many and with the FA now being handed back authority, is it an opportunity for him to be rightfully reprimanded for his actions? His off-field behaviour has been lambasted time and time again, and this could be another fatal blow to his reputation. Ultimately, on this occasion the FA's hard line against the player has pushed him over the edge. Although the racism argument has yet to be silenced there is no doubt about his quality on the pitch. As an integral cog for England in the last three major tournaments, Terry has been outstanding; for Chelsea over fourteen years, he has been an inspiration; he was captain aged 20 and has helped them claim the league title three times and the FA cup five. As BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson remarked on Sunday’s Match of the Day 2 programme: “Forget about what else has been going on, on the pitch, as a leader generally, he’s been outstanding. He’s looking at that (the FA hearing) and thinking at the end of this week I won’t be playing for England anyway – I’m just going to beat them too it.” And with the door slamming shut for Terry, another could open for Rio Ferdinand.

The Man United player was also caught up in the racism fiasco surrounding his brother Anton. And then Rio was dropped from the Euro 2012 squad, with Roy Hodgson citing his poor fitness as a  reason for his exclusion. This seems all to suspicious after he retweeted a comment calling England defender Ashley Cole a “choc-ice” after he defended Terry in court and was then accused of racism himself. But one thing for sure is, Rio’s inclusion will surely test team spirit, risk continuing this grim story in the media even further and damage the reputation of English football even more.

Dalai Lama visits UK

A link to my exclusive story for Mancunian Matters on the Dalai Lama's visit to the UK.

Peaceful, easy, sunny reggae vibes

For most people ten years ago a festival would mean a three day trip somewhere for the weekend that was booze fuelled, full of mayhem, dance or rock, in the wonderful English mud. Indeed until recently it would not be ridiculous for somebody to go to two or three festivals in a year. And the lure of the UK festival scene is not to be scoffed at. Arguably one of the best in the world for its choice, with the gem in the crown being Glastonbury.

Not that much has changed over the years, in fact the number of festivals has bloomed. On the outset we have a booming market for festivals, with a hefty 500 going off this year. Although, bright and rosy in numbers, 2011 has seen a decline in ticket sales as people become tighter on their wallets. Figures released by music mag, Music Week, said that 30 events had been cancelled in August alone. Existing festivals have been struggling to book fresh new acts that are capable of pulling the crowds. Artist like Muse have played eight UK festival headline shows in the last seven years and Kings of Leon have played five times in the last four years, excluding their two Hyde Park shows this summer.

Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic explained to The Guardian that between Reading, Leeds and Creamfields, a quarter of a million people went to a festival – meaning the love for festivals is not gone but people are feeling the effects of recession.

I wanted to take the opportunity this year to try something different at Spain’s Rototom Sunsplash 2011, which offered me a chance to enjoy one of my favoured music genres - reggae. I am one of those feeling the pinch of the economic downturn and wanted to be strategic about the choice I made. And with this and a need to wind down after my journalism training in mind (and for no other reason…) I decided to head to the sun soaked Med with some friends.

After two train journeys, a taxi ride, a flight and an overnight stay in Barcelona I arrived in Bennicassim, where Sunsplash is hosted. Located in the sun baked setting of a coastal town situated between Valencia and Barcelona, hoards of Reggae fans descended upon the festival to enjoy its 17th offering. And I was gleefully there to be part of it.

Okay so the trip was a little longer than my summer jaunt to a festival but the alluring factor of this was both the price (180 Euros) for ten days camping and the location.The great thing about it is it's both festival and beach holiday rolled into one and I was happily trading the mud for the sand and sea of glorious Spain. How was this not a good idea?

I as a first time attendee I had mixed expectations. I of course expected a blanket of reggae to cover me throughout with chilled out vibes and musical offerings from a wealth of talent both old and new. But I suspected that I may succumb to the intensity of ten whole days straight of Reggae. And I felt it begged the question: Is ten days of chilled out vibes too much and will I have my fill after just a few days?

Any fears were wiped away from me instantly. Ten days was just not enough to enjoy the wealth that was on offer.


There was so much more here than the sun to soak in. As well as fantastic reggae acts from all regions of the globe at night, during the day there was a whole host of activities to keep the mind active. From Capoiera classes, the history of Reggae explained via film in the Reggae University tent , as well as a host of art workshops for children. And just a few miles away to top this all off you could be at the beautiful beach. Now doesn’t that sound perfect?

Admittedly, for a Brit abroad like myself, any sort of day-time movement proved difficult. When presented with 30 °C heat I have a tendency to lie down like a dead dog, but often after a litre or so of water I often had a second wind. Although predominately a Spanish festival it was still easy enough to speak to staff who were well versed in basic English and all the announcements were well translated. Occasionally, I found it was best I kept my basic Spanish to myself -- simple requests such as “ Tiene cerveza,” (I would like a beer) were often met with confused stares by bar staff. My semi-Latin looks crossed with my poor pronunciation gave the impression that I was more drunk lunatic than just a mere Englishman.

The music itself was top-class this year in all areas. The main stage was graced by acts that originated from eras gone by Toots & the Maytals, Johnny Clarke, Lee Scratch Perry, Ali Cambell (of UB40 fame), Michael Prophet and dub poet Lynton Kwesi Johnson. All of which can still captivate a crowd and are still going strong. Newer kids on the block, Mr Vegas, Capleton, Gentleman, Konshens Lutan Fyah and Queen Ifrica carried the torch for modern reggae with style and vigour.

Other main areas such as the Dancehall tent gave a refreshing wind-down from the main arena and hosted acts such as Delly, Kinpower and Urtica Sound. The Dubstation, a brilliant large domed shaped tent, coupled with an exquisite sound system, was flooded night after night by many UK dub acts like Channel One, Iration Steppa’s featuring YT and Maki Banton and Abashanti. What really stunned me was the Lion stage, which gave a colourful taste of reggae-ska had a great sense of fun surrounding. It had me coming back for more night after night with Train to Roots from New Zealand particularly impressing and stealing the show for me.


Bob Marley added the flavour to Rototom 2011; this year being a massive tribute to the legend on the 20th anniversary of his death. Bob’s children Stephen, Ziggy and Kwma Wani all played out some vivacious performances. A particularly emotional evening was concluded on the third night, when Rita Marley (Bob’s first wife) joined the stage with Ziggy to play ‘One Love’ at the end of his set.

A record 220,000 attended the festival over the ten days making it a record year, which is admirable for an event only just steadying its feet in Spain. Now in its second year here after being forced to move from, Ossopo in the province of Udine in Italy. The move was made after it was alleged by Sunsplash chiefs that police criminalised many festival goers and arrested them for carry marijuana. After so many years where a blind eye was taken to this type of drug use it is widely believed that the cracking of the whip was very much politically motivated, by the newly formed government leaders and far right conservatives Forza Italia and National Alliance. The finger was pointed at festival organisers for facilitating marijuana smoking by promoting Rasta culture - an accusation, which they firmly denied. The festival though was forced to leave the country and bosses called in their lawyers to fight the impending legal case.

That kink in the Sunsplash chain is seemingly forgotten about now though as Bennicassim and the Spanish authorities have received the festival with open arms. There was very little in the way of aggressive police and pot hungry sniffer dogs this year.

One could argue that illicit drug use at these festivals, whilst obviously illegal is expected and can never be controlled. Such is the nature of the genre and its home Jamaica that these things simply won’t happen. I for one didn’t see any hoodlums, or aggression or blatant criminal goings on. I saw peace, I saw unity and I saw love – I saw happy people brought together by the music, with a reggae arrow buried deep in their souls. I saw Rasta culture which ,yes, involved marijuana smoking but there was a whole lot more to what the festival offered. The wide selection of music and activities for both the young and old was the intervening factor in Rototom 2011.

For the value and the quality that was on offer this is undoubtedly the pinnacle of festivals for me and fiercely rivals anything coming out of the UK at the moment-- it was a real refreshing change. While the purse strings are tightened on our shores I wonder if the price of a budget flight to festivals like Rototom and the many other cheap European options such as Dour (France) and Exit (Serbia) could become more worthwhile.

Geshe Graham Woodhouse: a teacher in Buddhism

Born in 566 BC, in Lumbini, Nepal, Siddhartha Gautama, was born into a privileged upbringing. He was son of the king, blessed with many riches and comforts and was destined to take the throne. Aged 29, after spending his life entirely inside the grounds of the palace, he ventured outside the royal courtyard, and saw pains of the world: sickness, death and suffering. This disturbed him so much he set out into the world on a journey to seek wisdom. As a holy man he spent over six years on a path of meditation and ascetic practices. He was intent on finding the meaning of life and so looked deep inside himself; one day he sat at the Bodhi tree and after 40 days, on the full moon in May, Siddhartha finally attained enlightenment. He had realised true freedom.
And so Buddhism was born. From there on in Siddhartha, was known as the Buddha and spent the rest of his life until his death aged 80 spreading his teachings.
Fast-forward over 2,500 years and the remnants of the Buddha’s schoolings are very much still existent. Today, many types of Buddhism exist and while some vary in techniques, all share the same goals and beliefs.
“It helps understand how the mind works internal and external, why we are here, what we can best do with our lives and then fundamentally understand suffering. That’s the bottom line – why do we suffer? Where do we find happiness of a lasting kind and not just temporary? Because happiness sort of gets snatched away from us.”
Words spoken by Tibetan Buddhism monk, Geshe Graham Woodhouse, who took little persuasion to talk to me. I was happily invited into his home in a leafy Sheffield suburb to hear his views and beliefs.
Sheffield man Geshe Graham, has spent a mammoth 16 years in studying in India, at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, with exiled monks, completing the “Geshe ,” program, which is the monks equivalent of four PhD’s. And strikingly he is only one of only six western people to have ever completed this ancient course.
The makeup of the Geshe program is the study of five key topics, which help the student understand how to reach “enlightenment”; it is a guide to understanding the path to enlightenment, which can aid the student to realise it.
Typical days on the programme are spent studying from engraved wooden blocks, before the student conducts Tibetan style debate with fellow students in the school's courtyard.
Debate is a key factor in Tibetan monk’s training, and is a way of stretching the mind, increasing mental sharpness, developing methodical capability, and achieving internal clarity.
“It’s quite an entertaining way of studying” says Geshe Graham, “ it’s not just going into a library and studying, though you had to do that as well. But when it came to a response you had to be able to argue and answer questions and ask questions to see if the other persons actually understood and not just think he’s understood. It’s not people letting their hair down when they’re young, it’s people shaving their head and trying to build up these qualities of good behaviour and turning away from things like the negative minds of anger and attachment, selfishness, pride and so forth.”
Graham’s institute of study with banished monks is an example of the effects felt after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950, which saw thousands of Tibetans flee the country. Chinas’ then leader Chairman Mao had a strong communist ethos which starkly opposed Buddhism. And thus cruelly destroyed nearly all of Tibets’ 9,000 monasteries and took control of the country.
“In India these types of Tibetan institutions have flourished in exile to a certain extent, but there in exile you see, so they’re in a foreign country and the completely wrong climate for Tibet.” Geshe Graham explains, “They’re doing their best in exile to keep that going and they deserve all the help that they can get.”
This exodus helps explain how Tibetan Buddhism doors were opened up on our own doorsteps. The noninterventionist nature of the 60s and early 70s, saw young free willed youth, set out overland to India and Nepal on the hippy-trail for a budget travel experience and for some spiritual enlightenment
So what could lead a western man so far from his cultural upbringing? I pose the question to Geshe Graham, who in his twenties qualified as a teacher from Sheffield University, then left the UK to tutor in Africa and the Middle East, before finding appeal in the Tibetan monks’ way of life in India.
“You look at civilisation and all the wars that have been fought and you wonder where does society lie – why can’t men organise themselves in a way such that we do look after each other? What are the flaws? The Buddha comes along and provides an analysis that beats all forms of other truths. And gives the truth of suffering which we can all understand.”

Geshe Graham's forthcoming book Tsongkhapa's Praise for Dependent Relativity, out in October, is a transcription and explanation of an ancient script by famous Tibetan lama Tsong Khapa on the subject of emptiness.

http://www.wisdom-books.com/ProductDetail.asp?PID=23041

Architecture in Helsinki

The intimate location of Manchester Academy 3 played host to Architecture in Helsinki who arrived as part of their whistle-stop-trip around the UK in their current world tour.

The group hail from Melbourne, Australia, and brand themselves as modernist pop who offer original, fastidious, light and soothing tones conveyed via decoders, hand claps, brass and synths. A broad spectrum of their work is on show tonight, including their newest album Moment Bends, which is very much a slick slice of vivacious electro-pop that pulls the band forward and a tad away from their jolly indie-pop routes. The construction of heavily synthetic, decoder-driven choruses, although slightly different from previous LPs Places Like This and In Case We Die, still holds dear their astute, spacey twinkly tones.Glimmers of 1980s electronic acts Soft Cell and The Human League can be heard in grand, atmospheric choruses like ‘Escapee’ and ‘Everything’s Blue’, in contrast to their rather bouncy, leisurely rhythm; a modern day twist on the genre.

Treats like 'Contact High' and hit-single ‘That Beep’ have the crowd tapping their feet and nodding their heads in appreciation. As do the flowing, bouncy exuberance in tracks like ‘It’5’ and ‘Yr Go To,’ and the soothing, passionate intricacies of ‘W.O.W.'.

Cameron Bird on vocals delivers clear and crisp tones and is supported by Kellie Barnes, who complements him well via a mesmerising high-pitched accompaniment.The group bow out with conviction and euphoria courtesy of LondonBeat’s ‘I’ve been thinking about you,’ which sends a wave of excitement through the venue; It was a fitting way to end the evening, played out to an animated, receptive audience. In fact, the maturity of their sound and their development as a band has seen an admirable progression since their formation in the late 1990s and this is glaringly apparent tonight, with their tamer, more brass driven roots being less evident.

On a sour note, while there are some great tracks on show, the energy in Architecture In Helsinki's songs isn’t matched by the musical expression and onstage vigour that you would expect to go hand-in-hand with this type of sound. They often look a little static and lethargic. As the face of the band, vocalist Bird’s whilst looking quite humbled and passionate on the mic, his impressive falsetto is not mirrored by his stage work. . Keyboard player Gus Franklin was the bright spark for me though; his rhythmic dancing to the music was that absorbing I was suspect that it hadn’t been choreographed beforehand. His colourful expressionisms could and should have been shared by his companions.

Grumbles aside, this is a fresh performance from an experienced band on top of their game at the moment; more than a moderate acclaim in an age of where many indie-pop groups disintegrate after one good album. What Architecture do is deliver a sheer brand of glee and jingle-jangly fairground playfulness that surprisingly has a wider appeal than to teddy bear loving children.

What they do they do very well, but you wonder whether if they are to progress any further then they must cast aside the playful happy school prom band sound and move forwards to begin a new chapter. After 10 years, Architecture look very different from their humble beginnings as art students from Melbourne, but maturity is shining through and they are taking positive steps in their musical journey.

A brighter mind a brighter future

I consider myself to be a good spirited, healthy and able bodied person. I love to keep active, I often jog, I kick a football when I can, I even ski (albeit dangerously) and my newest pursuit climbing really enthrals me to the max. You can often find me in and around the city, drinking, dancing, exploring new tastes and cultures at will.

I have the world at my feet and embrace it with bright wide-open receptive eyes - always willing to help as many others as I can along the way. I have many dreams and the horizon beckons me to them.

I am simply like most people my age and until recently upon speaking to a friend about his job for a charity that works within care homes I never realised I have had a rather screwed on approach to my present but a clouded naivety to my future. I have found that river runs deeper with wider berth than I had consciously cared to imagine.

The young, active, and virile among you have it all to look forward to, however, as we get older, people inevitably slow down and body-clocks slowly grind to a halt. As this natural progression dawns among us we expect the best care from those around us. The state provides the best it can for our needs with a compulsory state pensions and care facilities. A number of 450,000 residents make up the numbers of our care home population, who are left to live out their days in what should be exemplary physical care. What sometimes is overlooked though is that mandatory thirst for mental stimulus that is core in human nature.

It is often a neglected and unseen notion that those once active minds of our older generation are lacking in that nourishment. The ex-musicians, architects and sportsmen of days gone by can keep their treasured token memories of past success and happiness but it can often all left behind for a routine of tv, dinner and dominoes. This may seem a standard approach to the latter stage of life but have we just been conditioned to believing this?. The staff that work in your average home will often do as their title suggests ‘care’ but that can sometimes only be on a physical level; It is an unfortunate situation, but bureaucratic and financial shackles wrapped around care homes mean that the residents don’t get that beneficial one-on-one mental care they need. However, this is not the only hope we should accept and hope for. A resident does not have to believe the old cliché ”I’m too old for this, “ - they need to be encouraged.
Luckily, Sheffield has its own answer to this unrest in the senior ranks in an initiative that is driven to shine a light into the life of persons in this period of their lives.

My friends charity Learning for the Fourth Age are a new pioneering organisation that work tirelessly to bring joy and fulfilment to our senior citizens, with an inspiring effort from a team of volunteers who are funded on a non-profit basis. Their staff will head into the homes and sit and complete activities with a resident. They give them a one-on-one mentoring service where they can encourage and dually complete tasks with the residents; this can range from arts, crafts, learning a foreign language and music. What the mentor will do for them is asses their individual needs, and provide them with all the assistance necessary for them to push forward; for example, an ex-artist who hasn’t drawn in years due to ill-health can expect a encouraging volunteer to sit and complete drawing exercises with them – in time that person with his new found confidence can continue in his new latest work, his first in twenty-years perhaps.

Charity development coordinator, Jason Briggs, is enthusiastic about what their work can do for people ”People like this depend on other people but doing this makes them feel worth while again,” he said ”It improves an old persons well being and gives them lots to look forward to.”
Alzheimer’s is often rife around homes and with this is mind mentors for the charity, take the time to assess a person and stimulate their minds with activities that cater for their every need and desire. This in turn brings a refreshing breath of fresh air to their lives; the once able and active contributors to society are allowed to feel like givers again.

It has been proven that in many scientific studies that Alzheimers can be improved by brain stimulation in later life.

The Nuns Study carried out by a team from The University of Minnesota in the US adds weight to their ethos.Researchers found in cognitive activities with aged nuns, that whether it be filling in a crossword, playing mind stimulating games or drawing - the effects of the disease were significantly numbed.

At a time where cost for care facilities are ever rising for residents and their families a charity like this is needed. The government’s care home model at it stands says persons who own more than £22,250 in property and savings will astonishingly find that they must finance most of their care themselves. For this amount of cash it is not far fetched to expect the sort of care Learning for the Fourth Age provides. What is needed is that same level of care that is given to our young children and that isn’t given to them.

Mueti Mbado, manager of Fulwood Lodge residential home, uses the charity and says he can see a positive difference in his residents.
He said: "We sometimes have difficulty with spending time with each resident individually but the charities' volunteers are people that can spend up to two hours with them so they are a great help.

“It’s definitely very beneficial to residents, the volunteers are all very good and the activities that they do are specific to each patient which is important. The residents who take part and their families are all very pleased.

“The residents are getting one-on-one time and they are always happy and refreshed after sessions.

“They have worked well and we will continue to use them.”

The charity currently works in 8 homes in Sheffield alone, 11 in Leicester and 1 in Leeds. For the future they would like to work to the same ethos with persons who suffer from drug and mental health problems.
Helping a person who thinks they’re over the hill continue to keep on climbing mountains is perhaps something we should all consider.

LEARNING FOR THE FOURTH AGE

With green fingers and hearts

The year is 15,000 BC. The nomadic tribespeople of the Urn stand and admire their finished showpiece, a stone circle in Crookes. It has taken a month, but now all that hard handcraft has paid off. It stands etched in the landscape, giving Sheffield one of its first symbols of civilization. Utus, the head of his clan, has seen his dream realised. He has built his talisman, constructed to acknowledge and ward off the spirits of nature and provide a place of ceremony for his bloodline. His work is now complete, his family are now settled and they will continue to live and hunt in the land for generations to come.

This ancient Bronze Age tribe is long gone from our midst, but still ingrained in Sheffield is its serene natural landscape setting in the heart of The Peak District. It has seen industry and commerce take over, but still shines though as the greenest city in Europe. Nowadays, our lovely landscape is in part tended to by the careful hands of the people at Sheffield Wildlife Trust. As part of a network of 47 trusts, they have one core mission – to help local people and wildlife. They are the single largest conservation and environmental group operating in the region and have created 11 sites within the boundaries of the seven hills. They also run a trading arm known as Wildscapes, which provides a high quality landscape and ecology consultancy service. Various training opportunities are on offer, with a wide range of NVQs in conservation, wild food and geographical information systems.

They reassuringly have a strong backbone behind them and are more than well equipped, with support from the national Wildlife Trusts network and from Sheffield Council and Sheffield regeneration agencies on home turf.

In a society that has been condemned to an impending carbon death by scientists – not a day goes by that we don’t hear damning news reports of melting ice caps and the increasing temperature of the Earth – nature and our ecology are slowly disappearing into a swamp of nothingness. While politicians argue what can be done on a national level, Sheffield Wildlife Trust makes a valuable contribution right here and now. Their 50 dedicated employees work all out and there are no less than 4,000 members, always leaving an open door for others to play a part.

For those of you who have a David Attenborough edge to their sword, there is more voluntary work than you can shake an oak branch at. The charity provides environmental training and food & health living development, offering an excellent range of opportunities on a casual or regular basis for people who are looking for work in the environmental sector or just want to lend a hand. From backroom media and marketing representatives to in-the-field outdoor volunteers helping on participation projects at the nature reserves, there is something for everyone.

Regular events held by Sheffield Wildlife Trust aim to involve the public in their work, with a particular importance placed on involving families in play activities, practical conservation days and watch groups.

With green fingers and hearts, you can help preserve this city, which has remained picturesque for thousands of years.