Albion Continue Poyet Inquiry

By Henry Smith

The saga of Gus Poyet’s suspension continues as Albion Chief Executive Paul Barber has announced ‘inquiries will take as long as necessary.’

Poyet was suspended last month along with first team coach Charlie Oatway and managerial assistant Mauricio Taricco.

The Uruguayan has been manager of Brighton since 2009 and won promotion from League One in 2011.

The problems began after Brighton’s 2-0 loss to arch rivals Crystal Palace in the Championship semi-final of the playoffs.

Brighton officially apologised to The Eagles after excrement was found in the visitor’s dressing room, although no evidence suggests an Amex staff member was responsible.

Barber expressed sympathy to the fans saying, “I appreciate that the issues we have had to face in recent weeks have created some uncertainty and concern for some of our supporters.”

He added, “Unfortunately, this is something we must all live with for the time being.”

Poyet is under contract at Brighton until 2016 but has recently made no secret of his ambitions to manage at Premier League level, despite turning down an offer to manage Reading.

He said shortly after the Palace defeat, “I will analyse where we can go and myself as well. I have got to think about myself as well sometimes.”

There has also been a recent outcry in Spain, with fans of Real Zaragoza, where Poyet made his name as a player, calling for the club executives to make a move for the Albion boss.

Zaragoza’s current boss, Manolo Jimenez, is expected to leave at the end of the season after the club were relegated from Spain’s top division, La Liga.

Poyet’s future will be on mind of every Albion fan, who still seem to be backing the Uruguayan, who guided Brighton to a fourth place finish in the Championship this season, their highest since 1983.

One year on: François Hollande

By Nathalie Jacquemard

It is the story of a popularity in free fall. For the first anniversary of François Hollande’s presidency, numerous are the criticisms.The Cahuzac scandal. A stagnating economy. Unemployment levels going through the roof……..many reasons to be angry. Are we already to conclude that François Hollande underestimated the difficulty of the presidential post? According to Marie-Eve Malouines,head of the political department of France Info, it is more a case of Hollande having taken a clumsy approach to it.

“A normal president, that was a good tactic in a campaign opposite Nicolas Sarkozy but once he arrived at the Élysée, it was clear that it didn’t work. People want a president who knows about his prerogatives, who exhibits his authority. François Hollande just appeared weak and without authority.”

Calm, almost to a fault……that is François Hollande’style. But it’s not ideal in a time of crisis, when people want to know where they are going and want to know that somebody is safely holding the reins and in control.

François Hollande is not a very good communicator. He probably knows where he’s going but he doesn’t necessarily know how to explain it. It seems that the Hollande camp has cottoned on to the communication problem as the “60 promises of the presidential campaign” have just been published on the Matignon web site. The aim seems to try to show people that most of those promises have already been fulfilled.

The problem is that any measures decided on take time to be implied, and in a time of crisis such as France is facing now, people want results right away. If François Hollande had that elusive charisma, he would be able to “talk” his way into making people accept that things do take time.

Are the French so deeply and rapidly disappointed in Hollande because they expected too much of him? It is very possible. He was seen as a kind of saviour during the presidential campaign. A man who would finally end the reign of the ”king” Sarkozy. Sarkozy was so hated by the end of his mandate that the presidential elections became a “let’s get rid of Sarkozy” vote rather than “let’s elect a president” vote. The euphoria that followed was always going to be short-lived, once reality hit again. It is a heavy burden for Hollande to carry. Once Sarkozy was gone, some of the French voters woke up with a hangover and wondered who that man they had chosen actually was.

The Cahuzac scandal has made things worse. Hollande’s selling point during the presidential campaign was the fact that he wanted to “do politics in a different way (to Sarkozy), without the bling, without the focus on money”……and the Cahuzac scandal is pure bling. So it is obviously a hard knock for the president. Several proposed bills are stuck, the 75% tax on high salaries is at a dead end. The opposition says that Hollande is useless, that his plan to reorientate Europe has been an unquestionable failure.

There ARE a few victories to counteract those failures: Mali, same-sex marriage…..but this one has divided opinion. For François Hollande, same-sex marriage is a  great reform but he thinks only time can show that……….and that he will be given full credit and praise for it in the future.

He needs time. That’s unlucky for a president whose slogan during the presidential campaign was : “Change, it’s now”

Comedian set for Brighton return

By Sam Evans

A talented up and coming comedian is set to return back to the Brighton comedy circuit after two years of acclaim and sell out shows.

Stephen Foster, winner of 2011 Search For A Star and finalist of Sky 1’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now.’, will be performing at the Duke Box Theatre alongside fellow comedian Phil Reid.

The venue, officially named the Iron Duke pub, is based in the Waterloo Road area of Brighton and has a name for showcasing local talent in past Fringe Festivals.

Horsham based Stephen explained how much of a success the show has been during their tour of the country, and gave an indication of what the audience have in store by saying:

“If you have a mucky and dark sense of humour, this show is definitely for you!”

Please see details on how to buy tickets for the show below.

STEPHEN FOSTER & PHIL REID: One Up, One Down

Live at the Dukebox Theatre (The Iron Duke), Waterloo Road, Brighton.

Friday 14th June at 8pm

Tickets £6 each available at http://www.wegottickets.com

Bianco: Brighton Fringe review 2013

Bianco at Brighton Fringe Festival

By Rosie Murphy

Bianco by NoFit State is a health and safety-defying display of human acrobatics set in the Big Top on Hove Lawns.

The award-winning show demonstrates an abundance of elegant yet athletic gymnastics, with an often awe-inspiring affect.

Set to the tunes of a impressively versatile four-piece live band, the performance combines dignified displays of endurance with energetic and humorous pieces set in swim suits.

Brighton rocked after three members of the backroom staff are suspended

BREAKING NEWS:

By Sam Evans

Brighton and Hove Albion have sensationally suspended manager Gus Poyet along with two other members of the backroom staff for an alleged breach of contract.

The Albion, currently reeling from being beaten 2-0 by arch rivals Crystal Palace on Monday; have also suspended Assistant Manager Maurico Tarrico and First Team Coach Charlie Oatway.

The news comes after Poyet revealed in his post-match comments that he was “considering his options” after his side missed out on a chance to go to Wembley in the Championship Play Off Finals.

All three members of the coaching staff have been instructed not to contact first team players or go near the south coast club.

The suspension, handed out by Chairman Tony Bloom, looks like it is the end of a successful three years for former Chelsea star, Poyet, who ends his reign at Brighton as the tenth longest current serving manager.

The man who gave the US authorities the middle finger. Profile: Kim Dotcom

- By James Allen

Megaupload.com used to be the pinnacle of internet sharing and storage hosting. For those of you not in the know: megaupload allowed users to upload data (in the form of videos, pictures, mp3s, etc) and let other users download them for free. It sounds like an internet mecca, a golden peak of the World Wide Web, and indeed it was. This glorious site, which, just before closing, had 180m registered users (roughly one tenth of facebook’s user count) and at least 500m other monthly non-registered users, became a second home of the internet pirates. Along with megaupload, and its sister site, megavideo, users were sharing billions and billions of dollars’ worth of illegal content, pirated movies, bootleg mp3s and illegal images. It became the target of every major anti-pirating agency on US soil: The FBI, the department of justice, and the IPR (intellectual property rights) center. The website was seized, closed, and made an example of to others who considered founding a similar site. This was probably one of the most significant days of the internet since it’s very founding, a bloody battle (more of a slaughter) that left its (now famous) German-born creator, Kim Dotcom, looking for payback.

(see the seized website here, an eerie, yet fitting, gravestone for this slice of internet history)

Well, the day of reckoning is upon us. After a year of solid work, Kim Dotcom, on this very day, January 19^th, 2013, will open a new site simply named “Mega”. A new, revamped, encrypted site, modelled on the original megaupload.

So how is he not expecting history to repeat itself? Surely he, of all people, has reasons to avoid this (I’m sure the military helicopters that swooped in to arrest him in his New Zealand villa left him slightly afraid of Big Brother), but he assures his loyal followers (myself numbered among them) that failure is not an option this time round. The site will use new encryption software that encrypts data that uploads WITHIN the browser, instead of on your computer as it did in megaupload. This new model has been made possible thanks to new HTML5 browsers, powerful enough to handle the code involved in such a project.

Kim has completed this project while held under house arrest in his extravagant Villa in New-Zealand.  When the final megaupload court case was closed, it left Kim with a large part of his vast wealth safely back in the pocket of Hollywood studios, angered with the loss of billions of dollars from Kim’s site, and still complaining that it was not adequate compensation. However, I assure you that this did not get in the way of this slightly odd man’s crazy lifestyle, that involves his own golf course, a superyacht named ‘Amnesia’, a selection of supercars (each with carefully selected license plates: “GOD”, “HACKER” and “MAFIA”), and of course, a stunning modern villa with huge grounds and a maze. While I sadly have not had the chance to meet the man himself, those who have say he is just a jolly German guy who has no bad intentions, and a heart of gold. Pictures taken by the Guardian with him posing around his house, cars and on his yacht reveal some hilariously ludicrous images of a man lost in the life of a Bond villain. Those images can be found here.

I started writing this article but a few hours ago, and Kim promised early this morning that the site would open any time now. Those of us who relish the opportunity to use a site like mega have our eyes carefully glued to the screen and our mouse pointers hovering over the refresh button. Join the wait and prepare for a new page of internet history to be written at http://mega.co.nz/

North Korea’s hidden internet, and hacking warriors ‘unit 121′.

- James Allen

As the Korean peninsula braces for war, the first conflicts have already begun as underground hacker groups race to gain access to North Korean networks, both military and public access.
In this article, I interview a notorious hacker, known only as “Jester”, and contactable only through his twitter account @JΞSTΞR™. He casts speculation on the danger of North Korea’s government run “Unit 121” hacking squad and reveals his own personal efforts behind the attacks on North Korean cables.

On April the 16th, the hacker collective “anonymous” claimed responsibility for hacking 5 North Korean sites which usually broadcast propaganda. The hacks took place on the 101st birthday of North Korea’s founder, an extremely important day in North Korea, also known as “The day of sun.”

Anonymous claims it was able to plant defamatory images on the sites, depicting Kim Jong Un complete with pig ears and nose, with the text “Wanted. Kim Jong Un.” sprawled at either end of the image.

However, the lone wolf hacker ‘Jester’ has a different story to tell. After a few attempts to interview him about his work, he agreed through a direct message on his twitter account to a short interview. I was keen to see just what he made of the ongoing conflict and what his involvement in the recent hacks

@jjamieallen: So what do you make of the recent anonymous hacks of North Korean websites? do you feel there is a genuine intent behind them or is it just a sporadic uncoordinated attack?

@JΞSTΞR™: I was quick to highlight on my blog that I started these attacks and provided the foundation for the hacks. Anonymous ‘hi-jacked’ my efforts, and whereas is started out as a genuine attempt to gain an insight into North Korea, it ended up being a media showcase, a chance for anonymous to claim the spotlight.

@jjamieallen: I’m sorry to hear that, having read about your efforts, I am aware just how much your exploits go unseen by the media. The western world has quite a good insight into North Koreas technical abilities, with various defectors and other sources clarifying what the North is capable of, but what parts of North Korea’s electronic arsenal remain unseen? What do you know of their ‘hidden internet’?

@JΞSTΞR™: The vast majority of North Korean internet surfers have never actually seen the Web. At libraries and educational facilities, they log on to something called Kwangmyong (roughly translated as “bright”). It’s been around since the early 2000s and it’s a completely closed intranet system, operating via fiber optic cable. It most likely has no more than a few dozen sites, most of them for education or propaganda. We have a relatively good view of the server layout of this network, however, and hidden military cables remain to be seen.

@jjamieallen: Interesting, so there may be less of a military presence in North Korea’s internet network than previously assumed. One story that surfaces every now and again in conversations about North Korea’s technical capabilities is something named ‘Unit 121’, an undercover army of North Korean hackers. What do you know of them, and do you consider them a genuine threat?

@JΞSTΞR™: I don’t think NK cyber threat is anywhere near as advanced as PLA/China, for them to have competitive edge in the cyber world they have to be part of it. They have to have a pool of talent to recruit from, and considering nobody in NK can get on the web, there is no talent. The biggest threat is the fact their ‘glorious leader’ is a basket case.

@jjamieallen: Certainly reassuring words. Some journalists have compared North Korea’s military power to be only marginally more powerful than Ethiopia’s…

@JΞSTΞR™: Their capability may be lacking but the fact Kimmy is crazy makes up for it. After all this shit-talking for weeks, he has to do something or he will never be taken seriously again on a world stage. He knows this.

@jjamieallen: This means they will be using outdated communication methods and very little electronic warfare should they choose to act. Does South Korea have any grassroots hacker programs throwing stones northwards, or are the efforts entirely from American soil?

@JΞSTΞR™: I am pretty sure South K have got their own talent ‘throwing stones’ even if it’s not officially sanctioned. But again, targets are very slim, if you look at NK address space using SHODAN there’s under 20 targets, for the whole country.

Read more technology features from James Allen Here

Love Supreme Festival

By James Rugg

It’s here, it’s here! And after that horrendously long winter it’s about bloody time too.

The sun has been out long enough now to warrant short shorts and summer dresses and some of us have even managed to attain that much desired radiant lobster-pink glow already. Our thoughts are already turning to the possibility of a summer filled with music, sun block, cool shades and cider.

We dream of a chance to forget about the stresses of work through scarcely-clothed, somewhat inebriated dancing. But where can we fulfil all of these desires in one convenient place? Well, a music festival of course!

With a world filled with notorious festivals ready to drain your wallet faster than an intoxicated casino visit, it is perhaps time to look at the smaller, lesser known options available. For those of you who have an insatiable appetite for all kinds of swanky music – Jazz, Soul, Funk or the Blues – I am happy to present Love Supreme festival.

The Love Supreme Jazz festival is taking place from the fifth to the seventh of July within the grounds of the Elizabethan manor house, Glynde Place, Sussex. In association with Jazz FM, Love Supreme will play host to some of the finest musical talent that the worlds of jazz, funk, soul, blues and fusion have to offer. It is also the first greenfield three-day jazz festival in over 20 years!

The line up has a little something for almost everyone and includes the legendary Bryan Ferry & The Bryan Ferry Orchestra, Jools Holland, and the jazz saxophonist master that is Courtney Pine. Here is a link to the line up thus far: check it out.

Personally, I can’t wait to bop soulfully to the funky Snarky Puppy and relish in the jazz-hip-hop fusion that is Soweto Kinch. And all while basking in the sun’s rays… Hopefully.

Weekend tickets, including camping and booking fee, are £129.60 and can be bought here.

Dreadlocked Banana finds a new home

Lucy Songi

A man spent his life savings on a carnival game, baffled commuters were shocked to read on their journeys to work early last week. Henry Gibbohm, from New Hampshire USA spent $2,600 on a game called ‘Tubs of Fun’ at a carnival in Manchester, New Hampshire, run by ‘Fiesta Shows’ while attempting to win the top prize of an X-Box Kinect.

He has commented in an interview with WBZ News, ‘it’s not possible that it wasn’t rigged’, defending his loss. He added that the decision to dip into his life savings came after the men at the stall had offered to refund his money if he won as he had gathered such a large audience.

The unlucky contestant returned home with only a stuffed banana complete with dreadlocks. He said in an interview with CollegeHumour ‘I had to actually walk away to figure out how I was ‘gonna handle this. I didn’t think that they could up and vanish like carnies do.’

After a week of mockery from all over the US, Henry’s luck took a U-turn. CollegeHumour, an American comedy website, bargained that if their Facebook page of the story got over ‘30,000 likes’ they would buy the Rasta banana from the Henry for $2600 and give him the X-Box Kinect he so desperately wanted.

Exceeding the target, Henry is now making others question whether good things can come to those who fail. CollegeHumour stuck to their word and Dreadlocked Banana now has a permanent residence in their office.

Having been captured doing some pretty extensive office work, it seems Dreadlocked Banana has become an integral part of the CollegeHumour team. I’m sure we all wish him well in his new career and will see him as a testament to how far you can come in just a week!

News: Mourinho keeps us guessing

By Tom Groom

 Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho insists he has not decided to leave the Spanish giants despite being heavily linked with a return to former club Chelsea.

Speculation linking the Portuguese coach with his former employers began when earlier in the week he said he wanted to go ‘some where people love me’.

Mourinho left the Blues in 2007 after a fall-out with owner Roman Abramovich, but remains the club’s most successful manager, having won two Premier League titles and three domestic cups.

Mourinho said: “When I decide on my future, my wife and kids will be the first to know, then the president and general director (at Real)”

“I’m working with total professionalism and I still have the same honour and pleasure to work for this club as I did a month or two ago”.

Despite being under contract at Madrid until 2016, the ‘Special One’ hinted that he might return by talking about the ‘love’ he felt from fans in England.

Many bosses in the Premier League are already excited at the prospect of having Mourinho back in the Premier League next year, including Chelsea’s former charge and Mourinho understudy, Andres Villas-Boas.

The now-Tottenham manager said a return of Jose Mourinho to the Premier League would be a ‘spectacular’ event, saying: “he has a wonderful history in this league”.

Mourinho, 50, has won the Champions League with Inter Milan and Porto, and Chelsea fans were heard chanting his name in their Europa League semi-final last night.

However, it would take a huge £12million to free Mourinho from his Real Madrid contract, but then Abramovich has never been afraid to loosen the purse-strings.

In fact, trigger-happy Roman paid £18million to get rid of Mourinho and his staff in 2007, but will be eager to appease fans after the controversial appointment of Rafael Benitez as interim manager after sacking Roberto Di Matteo.

The Blues powered through to their second European final in as many years, thanks to goals from Fernando Torres, Victor Moses and a stunner from an invigorated David Luiz.

However, they have yet to guarantee themselves a Champions League spot for next year, and with big-spending French outfit PSG also after Mourinho, they could miss out on their former boss.

The former favourite Mourinho would certainly be welcomed back by the fans, but it was his tempestuous clash of egos with Russian owner Abramovich that caused the parting of ways.

The fans will hope at least that this time around Mourinho and Abramovich will put aside their differences and try to bring more major honours to the South London club. 

Profile: Muse’s Matt Bellamy

Bellamy playing his signature custom ‘Glitterati’ Manson electric guitar

By Tom Groom

For a man like Matthew Bellamy, abnormal is normal. The Devon-born Muse frontman started out his musical life by figuring out the Dallas theme tune and playing it on the piano for his brothers’ friends’ amusement. He then decided, at 11, he wanted to buy a guitar after seeing a recording of Jimi Hendrix’s famous fiery jam at the Monterey Pop Festival. The rest, as they say, is history. He and fellow Devonians Chris Wolstenholme and Dom Howard have gone on to produce 7 studio albums and sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

Bellamy, who never ‘had a dream of becoming a rock star’ didn’t have a normal upbringing – his mother and older brother used a Ouija Board to contact the dead and his mother also cursed him for breaking a mirror which led to his parents’ break-up. He says of the incident, “It was ok at home, middle class, we had money – until the age of 13. Then, everything changed, parents got divorced, and I went to live with my grand mother”. His father was George Bellamy, member of a band called the Tornadoes who were the first UK band to get a number one in America. Bellamy however, is normally not one for the spotlight, especially when out in public with wife and mother of his child, Bing, Kate Hudson. This prompted a bizarre stunt in which Bellamy wore a Tesco carrier bag over his head.

Matt is known for his extravagant vocals and guitar manipulation, and is probably the main reason for Muse’s success in the category for Live awards. What other people may see as incessant wailing, fans hear as g#5 in all it’s glory. What others see as guitar wankery fans hear as beautiful rock melodies. Muse aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and neither is Matt Bellamy. His capability of reaching such extremely high notes with relatively little practice can be attributed to the fact that a doctor once told him he had unnaturally small vocal chords according to bandmate Dom Howard, speaking at Route du Rock 2001. His beliefs in the supernatural and conspiracy theories lead many to believe he’s just a nutter with an axe, but there is an intelligence to the man, who holds an honorary doctorate in music from the University of Plymouth.

The 5ft 7in frontman (named Sexiest Man in the NME Awards 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013) tied himself down in 2011 to actress Kate Hudson, with whom he had his first child Bingham Bellamy, whose heartbeat was recorded and used on a track from The 2^nd Law, ‘Follow Me’. Despite his experiences with shrooms and alcohol in his younger years (and the latter during an interview with NME in 2011) the rocker has settled down, but still continues to play with Muse. Speaking about his experience with drugs Bellamy said, “I’m not afraid of seeing something horrible. It’s a way of connecting with yourself in a way that you can’t normally do”. However he always avoided ‘hard drugs’, and described a flat he moved into with a drug dealer aged 18 as a ‘scene from Trainspotting, white powders and mirrors and tin foil everywhere”. Matt holds the world record for most amount of guitars smashed on a single tour (140 during Absolution Tour) and can also say the alphabet backwards. He is one of rock’s most celebrated and strange celebrities, who continues to be able to sell out a 75,000 capacity Wembley Stadium.

So while Bellamy may not be the stereotypical rock star, there is something different about him, a kind of odd charm that doesn’t really coincide with the style of music he plays. Behind the brash, falsetto-belting dancing-around-the-stage exterior, there is a complex and intelligence to Matt Bellamy rarely viewed from the outside. Often though, shades of this bizarre brilliance filter into songs, such as the self-composed 13-minute three-part ‘Exogenesis Symphony’ featured on Muse’s 5^th album, ‘The Resistance’. The Symphony is composed by Bellamy, and according to him, “It is a story of humanity coming to an end and everyone pinning their hopes on a group of astronauts who go out to explore space and spread humanity to another planet”.

 

Not many people can predict what Bellamy is going to do next in his life as he continues to rise higher and higher with Muse. He once said he would like to ‘play a gig in space’ and also ‘in the constellation of Pleiades’ – a star system that (according to one of his favourite conspiracy theories) aligns with the Eygyptian and Cydonian pyramid systems, so be on the lookout for tickets to those gigs. For now though, him and Muse are beginning the second leg of their world tour in the UK, playing a host of stadium shows over the summer. Grab tickets if you want to experience being in the presence of one of the most fascinating men in rock.

Mistreated Miniatures

By Lucy Songi

Live animals in airtight bags being sold as key chains are a popular creation that has been sold in many parts of China for years.

They are sold normally for the 10 Yuan, the equivalent of less than one pound, for which the miniature turtles, salamanders, and fish are put in a seven centimetres worth of coloured water and given full reign of their plastic prison.

That is until they die if kept sealed, about a day or two later, due to a lack of oxygen and basic nutrients.

Petitions for banning this practice have once again started to return through the likes of ‘Il n’y a Pas de Mauvais chiens, Seulement de Mauvais Maîtres !!!!’ translated as ‘There are no bad dogs, only bad owners!’ a Facebook group that protests for animal rights.

China is known to have a lack of welfare legislation for the protection of animals, making treatment such as this legal.

There is some animal rights legislation in China; the Wild Animal Protection Act is in effect.

However, even with this legislation in place it is still legal and common practice for dog control officers to kill unaccompanied dogs on sight, and for these key-chains to be sold.

Lindsay Wright, manager of PETA’s campaigns department, said, ‘They are a form of extreme cruelty.

‘Being sealed in a tiny plastic bag full of water and jostled around would be terrifying for any animal.’

In a CNN interview with a vendor of these animals, the vendor explained that crystals of oxygen and nutrients were also in the bag so that the animal could last for some days.

After which, the vendor goes on, they can be taken out and kept as pets.

This is very alarming as the amphibians that are being sold are not kept to any standard, and there is no tracking of their origin, like any UK domestic pet being sold in stores.

David Neale, animal welfare director of Animals Asia, explains, ‘Individuals should also be aware of the potential human health risks associated with being in close contact with animals such as turtles.

‘Turtles frequently carry salmonella bacteria that can cause serious illness.’

The fight to prevent the sale of these live animal key-chains is on-going for many activists, but as yet there is still no clear sign that it is going to stop.

But for so many people being seemingly against this ‘uncivilised act’ it leaves wonder as to who is actually buying these creatures?

A Quest to Make Rampion the Champion

By Samuel Peace

Ever since the proposal to build a wind farm off the coast of Brighton & Hove was made public, controversy was sure to follow. Protests against turbines is nothing new as farms can take up lots of land, destroy habitats and are considered eyesores by many people. Off-shore sites can often solve these issues. However, for a project the size of the proposed wind farm (named Rampion), there are still hurdles to overcome. The E.ON owned venture which will stretch between the Newhaven and Worthing coasts, has to please many people before it has the chance to make Sussex one of the UK’s greenest areas.

What is Rampion? – Rampion (named after the county flower of Sussex) is a proposed wind farm which will be located 13-23km off the coast of Sussex. The area of the site will take up 167 square kilometres with water depths of between 19 and 50 metres. The installed electrical capacity of the farm is going to be around 700 megawatts; however, the number of turbines is as of yet unknown (though it will be no more than 195). The generating capacity for each turbine will be between 3MW (maximum height being 180 metres) and 7MW (210 metres). Based on wind speed data from existing off-shore wind farms around the UK*, E.ON is hoping to be able to generate over 2,100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity each year. According to the Office of National Statistics census data, this would be enough to power 450,000 average homes, which is over two thirds of the homes in Sussex (including Brighton & Hove).

Sussex was chosen as an ideal place for such a venture via the Government’s Off-shore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The Crown Estate who owns the seabed around the UK awarded E.ON the development rights for Sussex in January 2010. With many old fossil fuelled power stations being closed because they can no longer viably meet the emissions regulations, the Government’s now looking for ways in which to get renewable (and cleaner) energy. Off-shore wind farms are one source they are focusing on. In the last three years E.ON has been working hard to build up the prospective plans, and to consult all relevant and interested parties. This also included the local community under section 47 of the Planning Act 2008.

The Sussex Wildlife Trust was one of the organisations who was consulted. They helped assess the possible effects the farm could have on the natural heritage of the county. Although the trust is all for cleaner energy, they found a number of issues which could seriously affect the local marine life. The main concern is over the seahorse population which has been spotted around the location of the proposed site. The seahorses are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly harm or disturb them or to damage their place of shelter. Shell fish, herrings and other sea creatures were also thought to be at risk.

Timothy Loughton MP for East Worthing and Shoreham commented on concerns raised about the safety of sea creatures by saying that the turbines would be “Beneficial for creating new marine feeding grounds”. His constituents were ‘mostly in favour’ however he said: “Those on Shoreham Beach were split 50-50 in a survey I carried out there”.

E.ON went on to create an Environmental Statement – made available online for the public to see in mid-2012. It details the project and the steps taken to ensure every potentiality is covered. This includes reports on all surveys undertaken and every consultation held. Because the farm will generate more than 100MW it is classed as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) under the Planning Act 2008. This means unlike most planning applications which are submitted to local authorities under the Town and Country Planning Act, the Rampion proposal will instead be seen and considered by the Planning Inspectorate (formerly the Infrastructure Planning Commission).

The statement was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate alongside the planning application for the development on the 1st March 2013. After 28 days E.ON’s application was accepted for examination. This means that the Planning Inspectorate will fully examine the details of the proposal and will make the final decision of whether or not to grant or deny planning permission by mid-2014.

Peter Hunter a Specialist Off-Shore Wind Energy Consultant believes that the visibility shouldn’t be too much of an issue. He said: “The ‘cons’ are only visual and only applicable for those to whom it means something. What people did not realise then, but do today, is that it is very rare that the view at just above sea level is absolutely clear.  There is nearly always a sea mist or, during the summer, a sea haze.  Consequently the white/grey structures fade considerably to the land based eye.  At that time I said in a BBC interview that; “the wind turbines would appear as sea gulls dancing on the horizon”.

Simon Kirby MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven also doesn’t think the visual aspect will be a problem. He said: “I think tourism may be enhanced because there will be people who will want to see the turbines.”

If permission is granted, E.ON expects to complete the farm by 2017/18. They estimate it will take two years to finalize plans and two years to construct, with a total cost of £2 billon.

Norman Baker MP for Lewes and Newhaven said in the Leader newspaper “I’m pleased that matters are moving forward. This development, if given permission, will create an initial 85 jobs in Newhaven, as well as helping the UK both to become more energy self-sufficient and cut carbon emissions.”

For more information on the project visit the links below:

Rampion Proposal & Map

Environmental Statement

Rampion FAQ

Current Status

To see the final proposal currently under examination from the Planning Inspectorate and to register your interest visit: http://infrastructure.planningportal.gov.uk/projects/south-east/rampion-offshore-wind-farm/?ipcsection=overview

*As stated on E.ON’s project information page.

A chance to enjoy Stand up for Labour

The Labour Party goes through its ups and downs, well don’t we all?  A group has started that encompasses a lot of what Labour is about.  Labour party people have a great sense of humour, a strong belief in what they feel is right for the country, a determination to achieve that and a desire to support each other in the process.  The Stand up for Labour group is all of that and is something that even a Tory can enjoy (occasionally).  They have been to Eastbourne recently and there is another chance to see them coming up in the South-East for people who just want to have a great laugh.

Stand up for Labour are putting on shows with great comedians and guest speakers, the proceeds after paying for promotion and the venue all go to the Constituency Labour Party in the area to spend on campaigning.  For areas such as Eastbourne that are struggling to do much because of low membership, it can be a great financial boost.  On March 9th the Underground Theatre was packed out as people roared with laughter at the antics of Grainne Maguire, Crispin Flintoff, Arthur Smith and Lord Denis Healey.

The party gained from the promotional material, it gave a great visual presence to Labour outside of election time.  Manos gave a hysterically funny view of the Greek crises and the approach of Angela Merkel.  Arthur Smith got even the Tories in the theatre laughing (there were two  brave enough to come along).  Jon Rogers from Unison was the guest speaker who added some confirmation about why we were all there.

They aim to keep ticket prices low and get the largest number of people coming along.  On May 25th Stand up for Labour will be at the OLd Market House in Hove as part of the Brighton Festival.  They have their own website where you can find out more and if anyone really wants a boost to their morale it will surely be all they are looking for.  Appearing in Hove will be Joe Wells, Manos Kanellos, Arnold Brown and Claire Summerskill.

The work of a cameraman at Pinewood studios

By Anna Hayward

Jeff Paynter on the set of Voyage of the Damned in 1976 with Faye Dunaway

British film has been thrust into the spotlight this week with the news that Pinewood studios are broadening their horizons to America. Pinewood studios announced today that they would be building their first film and TV studio in the US in Atlanta, Georgia. This exciting endeavour aims to expand Pinewood’s global name and target US audiences. Pinewood is teaming up with RiverRock which is owned by fast food company, Cathy’s, but will be run under the name of Pinewood Atlanta. Brighton Lite speaks to Jeff Paynter about his experiences at Pinewood and about his career as a British cameraman.

Jeff, 60, of Shaveswood Lane, Devil’s Dyke, has had a long career in film spanning thirty-five years. He has worked on blockbuster films such as Voyage of the Damned, American Werewolf in London, Blade Runner and Superman 2 and 3. He left school at eighteen to build his career as a cameraman. He joined the film rental company, Rank, in 1971 which supplied camera equipment for Pinewood studios. Jeff had no college training and has learnt everything he knows while working on films. He said: “There weren’t a lot of film classes or courses at colleges in those days. So most people in the film industry started at the bottom making tea and worked their way up. It was a great way of doing it.”

Much like Jeff’s start in film work the road to building Pinewood studios was not an easy one. The origin of British film in 1888 was when the first moving picture was shot in Leeds by Louis Le Prince. The success of British film rests on Pinewood which was built by Charles Boot in and brought talking films to the British masses. After years of struggling to find financial backing Boot eventually bought a distinguished bankrupt’s estate to build the studios in 1936. James Sloan was brought in to design the studios and together they turned the hundreds of acres of land Boot had bought into one large and small stage, several dressing rooms, offices and anything you can imagine a films studio would require. Pinewood was built with the philosophy that the studio should be self-contained and that the workers should live next door to their work. Pinewood’s first completed production was Talk of the Devil, made in 1936. This cemented the roots of Pinewood as a film studio.

Exactly thirty years later Jeff started his very first job as a freelance clapper boy on Voyage of the Damned starring Faye Dunaway. It was directed by Stuart Rosenburg and Jeff describes it as a ‘fantastic’ experience. The story was inspired by true events concerning the fate of the MS St. Louis ocean liner carrying Jewish refugees from Germany to Cuba in 1939. Jeff described going freelance as ‘tough’ but it helped him build up a reputation in film. A camera crew consists of four people and for each film Pinewood would use a crew like this. The basic crew starts with the camera man, then the camera operator, then the focus puller (the man who focuses the camera while it’s shooting and moving) and finally the clapper loader (the man who maintains the film equipment and loads the film into the camera). He said: “Those are the people that when you watch a movie, they are responsible for the visual look of that film. If a film is well made and the photography is good quality, you shouldn’t be aware of the camera because you become involved in it.” A typical camera crew shooting at Pinewood would shoot with a 35mm film. However this is now ‘dying out’ because of the expense and the invasion of video which is cheaper and more versatile. Jeff said: “It has had a big effect on film production. It’s becoming more CGI.”

 

Jeff’s big break came when he worked as a focus puller on Superman 2 which was directed by British director Richard Lester. The Superman films were one of the most important productions for Pinewood studios as they were among the top grossing box office successes of all time. Jeff has fond memories of playing darts with Christopher Reeve in between filming. He said: “He was a great guy to work with. He used to do most of his own stunts and sometimes he could be 50 to 75 ft off the ground. The wires were gossamer thin and he was lifted by a huge crane. He worked very hard to get the shots. They were very convincing.” In the late 70’s and early 80’s CGI was an unheard of concept and so Pinewood had to shoot stunts for real. Explosions were shot using dynamite and cranes were used to lift Christopher Reeve in the flying shots. Jeff found it was a ‘pleasure to go to work’ at Pinewood and thought the producers were very good. His favourite moments on Superman 2 were the night shots at Pinewood where the whole New York metropolis was replicated. He said: “It was just like walking down a normal high street. There were real products in the store, very authentic.”

Jeff’s cameraman career is long behind him after leaving the industry ten years ago to set up his own Hi-Fi company. He felt he left at the right time because the magic of films is “not what it used to be”. Jeff added: “It’s lost a bit of the sparkle than when you had to do it all for real. Seeing an actor or an actress do a really good performance is still the most wonderful aspect of a film I think.”

The future of Pinewood seems to be looking across the seas to America. In the past Pinewood resembled a shepherd among sheep in the film industry. However in recent times it has tragically followed other film studios which invest in U.S films to keep their financial heads above water. In 1980 only 31 British films were made because American backing was withdrawn proving that the crux of the British film industry is fuelled by U.S funding.  In the same way that video killed the ‘radio star’; CGI seems to be killing the magic of ‘real’ film as more directors turn to 3D to enhance the viewer experience. In the face of financial and technological adversity, the one thing that is certain is that Pinewood will adapt and its legacy as one of the greatest film studios in history will live on.

 

People do need to vote, there is nothing to lose

by Lucette Davies

Britain has a representative democracy but over recent years has moved steadily away from this, and not just because of how our politicians behave; but in part because of the way the public are now behaving.  This could easily change, with county council elections approaching the  public could act to show the politicians that we do value our democracy.

At the core of a representative democracy is, the people voting for who they want to represent them in parliament.  It relies on the public  finding out what the different candidates are offering if they are elected.  It relies on the public then making a decision based on this, about who will best represent them during the next term of office.

In the 201o general election only six out of ten voters turned out on the day and in local elections it is usually around one in three voters actually voting.  Only 42% turned out for the referendum on changing Britain’s voting system for General Election.

The public have become disillusioned with politics but however disillusioned you are, politicians will be making decisions that will impact on your life in many ways.

Party membership has fallen dramatically over the last ten years, but the public can influence a party if they join and have a say in how that party behaves.

At what point will it be said that as Britain has such a low turnout at elections we can no longer say we have a representative democracy?  A democracy demands more from the public than simply turning out to vote.  If people want change there is a lot they can do now to influence change.  The growth of online campaign groups such as 38 degrees and Avaaz are ways of having some input.  Anyone can start up an e-petition and there are so many campaign groups running now.  There has never been more reason for the public to do all they can to challenge the political system.