Saturday, 11 August 2012

Wellsworth: General Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

School is probably built on knowledge so it seems that you as a parent (or child) should know exactly what is going on at every given moment (or child) but before we get to that, there shall be a brief retelling of all the systems pertaining to the presence of the roots leading to the supplematance of 'the genesicular surgence of the establishment itself, or in other words: ‘the history of the school’.

Our valiant school has been standing for over one hundred and seventy-four years and it hasn’t changed a jot; we still retain the same strict standards of education, excellence and education in excellence. Not that we are overly or unnecessarily strict by any means. The cane, metre ruler, whip, scythe and skewer are sometimes applied but only in extreme circumstances or to reduce staff stress. Having stood for so long the school has picked up somewhat of an overwhelming reputation to people who live locally. Many papers have frequently run front-page headlines proudly bearing the school’s name in bold type. For the teachers of Wellsworth, the content of the stories is insignificant to the fact that there is a mention of the school. There is an old joke that still circulates the corridors, claiming that the Headmaster Mr Atkins would be proud of the publicity if a newspaper were reporting the murder of a pupil![1] This is, of course, untrue but it just goes to show the inimitable, hilarious sense of humour owned by our students.     
The humour perhaps has something to do with the way in which the school was born. In 1828, local government decided that a third school of some sort was in desperate need of being built. They said that education was a way of warding off the possible military coup that could occur due to the sudden death of painter Mollie Flowers. After much deliberation and five deaths, it was agreed that the school was going to be named after the great and famous entrepreneur Sir Corinth Farnsley-Wellsworth, who won national acclaim with his great acts of heroism and selfless courage (such as his single-handed slaughtering of twelve thousand and three ghastly foreigners, on a day trip to France, in the March of 1822). Yes, he was the only person who could grant the school the class it deserved.    
Sir Corinth opened the education pod that is our merry building on the fourteenth of December. He took it upon himself to grasp the role of headmaster, even though another headmaster had already been lined up. Sir Corinth was later found out to have no qualifications but he gave the job his all and did his best to make a difference in children’s lives. All of our present staff loyally follow in his tradition. When the mighty Sir Corinth tragically was killed, the cheeky young nobleman Talbot Rothwell took his place. And on it went. Changes, obviously, took place over the decades. It would be impossible for them not to. One such change was the complete demolition and rebuilding of the school in 1974 when it was found to be structurally unsound (and entirely made from asbestos) but the most important amendment made was the renaming of the school in 1969, from ‘Sir Corinth Farnsley-Wellsworth’s Educational Establishment For The Benefit Of Young Gentlemen Only’ – this name came about because of the yet to be scientifically unproven theory Sir Corinth had that females were spiritually immoral and unable to learn – to the more politically PC ‘Wellsworth’s Comprehensive School For Persons’.

Surely that is enough about the history of the school, ‘what about the now?’ you must be saying. Well, the now is very much in the good here at Wellsworth. This school, Wellsworth, is divided into three School Houses; Nathaniel, Mythane and Buggerias. Each one named after someone who has. Houses all foster an individual sense of identity and create a warm, tingling feeling of belongitude to the pupils. It is also a useful way to push children into competing against each other. Brothers and sisters are always kept in the same House, for reasons of illumination. Your child, whether he be a brother or indeed a sister, will also have a form tutor who sees them through the week. Parents should contact the form tutor if they are having any difficulties and build up a firm bond with them (invite them to play snooker or squash). It will be worth it. Parents will also also get to know Heads of House and House Staff but they’re not as important. They’re a bit like local councillors in that you never notice them or are exactly sure of what they are doing but they’re always there. Every single teacher, no matter who they are, will do their most to keep your child bright, gay and fancy free throughout the duration of their time here at Wellsworth. Every teacher cares. Every teacher, without one exception. Wellsworth thanks you for this, for being such good parents and people. Thank you ever so much. You are what makes Britain great. 

It is an important part of the philosophy of the school that a child is a pupil is a child is a student and that students are pupils and pupils are students 24 hours a day and 365 days a year (unless it is a Leap Year but we try to avoid those as best we can). We expect high standards from students at all times, especially when they are not on school premises. When they are outside the gates, around the streets, at home, at the doctors, anywhere. We are always watching. Pupils who openly disobey rules about uniform and jewellery whilst outside are horrifically punished when they return to school. For children to be like this, parents must do something as well. They must sign (and so must the school and the child) into an indenture. The Indenture is discussed in the following paragraph.
The Indenture is the foundation of the relationship between all three parties and clarifies what each must achieve. Wellsworth does its utmost to follow TO THE LETTER the contract so that, at ANY breach at all (no matter how slight), The Indenture can be brought up. And it will be, time and time again. It is constantly thrown in the face of all pupils throughout each and every school year. Parents and children are recommended to read the contract fully and, if any rule seems too steep, you can go to another school. Though they won’t be as good. Any breach of The Indenture is rigorously punched in the nose.

The PTA Committee meets approximately eighty-seven times each year. It organises a wide variety of activities and numerous activities to help the work of the school. Functions are regularly organised to welcome overseas visiting students to the school (from places are far apart as Wales and Afghanistan) and to welcome back students who have gone on our legendary School Expeditions to places as fun and exciting as Antarctica and Swindon. New parents are always welcomed to attend and the dates of such meetings are published in the Headmaster’s newsletters - eighty newsletters, of something like ten to twenty-seven sides, are sent out to parents each year, they’re super (enclosed herein is Issue Three Thousand And Sixty-Six)
Every agenda includes an opportunity for parents to raise concerns – unless there isn’t enough time – and the Headmaster’s four-hour lecture on the school’s progress in the weeks between this and the last meeting, as well as the Funny Hat Competition. Parents are advised not to leave their cars outside during the meeting and to generally join in the fun by bringing their own cakes and pastries. Also, you are not allowed to leave once the meeting has started.

Dinners are distributed every fourth day by the trained volunteer dinner staff at 12.40 (just forty minutes past noon), dinnertime lasts twenty minutes. It’s always quite a rush! The price of one meal is £78, with an optional pudding at just £33 extra. Good value, I think you’ll agree when you see the amount of chips you get with each dinner. Mountainous! Oh, my word of words! Yum yum yum! School meals are always delicious, without fail. This is most true during the much-anticipated Christmas dinner, which will start up again in two years time after the inquest is complete.
 
            Fighting will not be tolerated here or anywhere else. Any student found fighting, on or off school ground, would be punished severely as would the student they were fighting with. Parents have a fundamental responsibility in the discipline of their children (almost as important as the responsibility we have) and so must set a good example. You will not be notified of any incident involving your child, of any size, in case it leads to an awkward social moment. It is this partnership between parents, teachers and students (The Parent-Teacher-Student Partnership) that is essential if your child is to gain the maximum benefit from Wellsworth.

On the slight subject of absences, any student found deliberately missing days of school without good reason or their parent’s knowledge, let alone their permission, will be immediately suspended for three months and their parents will be given a hefty fine of up to £26900. We feel this is fair.

            The new students coming into are school will arrive at eleven in the am and assemble in the playground. After forty minutes, in which the new pupils will get used to the rather odd climate we have here, the teachers will lovingly usher them into their first ever morning registration. This is an exciting and perplexing time, in which many things can happen and probably will! Who knows whom you will meet and what you will say to them! Gosh, the possibilities are unbounded.

The first day is basically a starter; where the teachers are, what rooms they’re in and where they can be found if needed. Apart from all the other times, this is the only time in which children can meet up with each other and talk about who they are, what pets they have, where they live, recent bereavements, etc. Socialising with people of the same age and social group is incredibly important and we know this. Talking is only legal way to make friends and form those precious bonds that last a lifetime. Chatting is permitted during morning break only.
It is inside this day that the Student’s Planners are given out. These are what make the smiles on their little faces meet in the middle. These planner things are a marvellous idea and to whoever invented them we at Wellsworth tip our hats and cry with glee. They are, simply put, the best possible way to keep an up to date and easily comprehensible account of your home-works. But there’s more!
The first day ends with the singing of the traditional school song ‘Ao Ie Au Lansygnie Tri Elva Cancumpta Trans Perzurous Ninot Aelchikivia’ (‘For My School, I Would Willingly Sacrifice My Life and the Lives of My Entire Family’) which is also used in times of calamity. It is a ceremonious and triumphant occasion. The next school day starts with the register at 10.20am instead of 9.50am that it will be on a normal day, then as the day before it goes with two lessons before break before two before two. The normal day, and that day, both end at 3.15pmgmt. It is not yet known when the building work will be completed.

A child’s first day in a frightening new school is a period of anxiety indeed. We suggest that parents make this an easier time for their child by walking with them up to the school gates. Grasp their hands, reassure things are fine by refusing to let go, pat them on the head and hug them. It really does make a difference to how the child feels, you can see it on their faces, and how others perceive them. The older pupils will watch as you do this and they will think, ‘Look! There goes a well-balanced boy/girl who comes from a stable home. They are truly special, a thing of beauty that can only be treasured until the moment they leave, and they would make a marvellous new friend.’ We have found from years of experience that this is the best way to ensure that your child will meet others. You will notice as you leave that children will be talking to your son or daughter straight away; laughing and indulging in jolly japes. For parents who are unsure as how to do this, remember nothing comes close to shouting ‘I love you’ across the playground.

With your help and our knowledge, your child can enjoy a full and boisterous first day! And learn.    


[1] As a matter of interest, it is worthy to note that such an incident did occur and indeed it was reported in The Harlotsford Heralder (7/6/93). Mr Atkins would like me to add that the article is there for all to see hanging to the right of the reception desk; he points you to the second paragraph in which Wellsworth is referred to as ‘very clean’.  

Wellsworth School Promotion


IT WILL BE BETTER IN THE LONG RUN

It will. School, we here at Wellsworth know and sympathise, is a horribly long run and to complete it adequately you need to know what you are going to be dealing with before you start because life at school can be trying – yes, trying to get good GCSE grades, ha! - and we here at Wellsworth have many marvellous ways that make school-life better and more tolerable for the students. These are detailed in this current chapter. For instance, we keep the corridors spotlessly clean so that bullying is not a problem and students are allowed to wear brown shoes if they feel the urge (excl. February-November).

To help your children get through some of the days of hard labour with barely any scratches on them, here is our own guide to staying good in school (issued to students on their third year). Read this section very carefully indeed. Always keep it safely at hand. Take notice of all the points and memorise them each night. Do as it advises. The lives of you and your family may depend upon it:

ü  Always keep a pen on you! It really, really will make lessons so much easier and you will be given a preference when a teacher is torn between helping two pupils! It’s all you’ll ever need!

ü  You will also need a pencil, a pencil sharpener, a rubber, a protractor, a compass, a dictionary, a thesaurus, a standard ruler, a calculator, a gonk, money for school dinners, test tubes, filter funnels, a Bunsen burner, educational videotapes, money for the Shoe Appeal and other school-based charities, extra pencils, extra pens, a stick of glue, two or three pieces of scrap paper, an extra ruler, an extra rubber, an extra protractor, an extra calculator, a pencil case, a pen case, an extra pencil case, an extra pen case, a support gonk, an extra compass, your Student’s Planner, your poetry anthology, your learning manual, your Bible, a semi-enhanced personal retrophaliser and a smile.

ü  Turn up at school with a smile!

ü  Have a positive and friendly attitude!

ü  Don’t throw anything at the teaching staff or be racist.

ü  Always swing for the tallest, reach for highest shelf and be the best you you can be!

ü  Don’t be promiscuous.

ü  You shouldn’t chew chewing gum in lessons because the teacher could accidentally knock you, causing you to swallow the gum and you would die.

ü  Make friends with the biggest bully.

ü  Blink periodically to lubricate your eyes.

ü  You shouldn’t swing on your chair in lessons because the teacher could accidentally knock you, causing you to fall off your chair (breaking your neck) and you would die.

ü  Do what is asked of you by ALL staff without question.

ü  Aim for two hundred percent attendance and be happy/punctual about it!

ü  Work to the very best of your ability at all times!

ü  Keep to the rules about uniform and jewellery.

ü  Walk and behave sensibly and quietly in the corridors and classrooms.

ü  We expect you to listen and talk in silence to each other and the teacher. Also, don’t talk whilst the teacher is talking or you will be landed with a severe reprimand.

ü  Put everything in the bin (excl. work and the smaller boys, obviously)!



Those eighteen easy-to-remember-and-stick-to points are how to survive in this school. This school. This marvellous, awe-inspiring school that is the best one in the area. Not many other schools, it must be said, give eighteen handy hints to students. No no. Not eighteen. No, not by any measure. No. Our style is completely of our own and independent of modern trends or under-cultures.

However, the best way to illustrate, in a way you will understand, how terrific this school is would be to show you what we have achieved on the next pages. I think you will all agree with us when we say that. All these snatches of information, along with the fact that school’s highest ever year of realization being last year, builds up to a strong and rightful decision on your part.



Achievement

Achievement levels in children have increased vertically upwards in amount from 1997 onwards. This is due, mainly, to our elongated summer term that now lasts forty-seven weeks. In 1996, for the whole of the three upper years the achievement levels were 25% but nowadays that has increased almost three times with the average being in the region of 31%. This is an irrevocably great improvement and one that we – as a school – are especially proud of, considering that it is what children achieve in school that prepares them for later life. Achievement is so good and important.



Attendance and Punctuality (in students)

There are four basic ways of deciphering a child’s willingness to learn: whether they listen, whether they take it in, whether they play sports and whether they attend classes. This last one is probably the most effective way of working out if a child will know what has been said in the lesson. They will not have even the faintest idea of what was said in lessons if they do not attend. ‘This must stop and it must stop now!’ Nelson Mandela once famously shrieked. He wasn’t talking about low school attendance but if he was then he well might have been. We know all this obviously and we have set up many systems that tussle against absenteeism, which are discussed in Chapter Twelve alongside ‘bullying’.

A governmental supervisor from the organisation ATTSIC (Educational Attendance Monitoring Through School Supervision) runs checks on all the students every fifteen years. These checks are vigorous and many women are known to faint! Wellsworth always comes up trumps in these examinations, as we do in all examinations, and it would be fair to say that this school ranks amongst one of the highest attending colleges in a six-mile radius. One such method we have used to keep attendance at bay (omitted from the twelfth chapter due to certain parties being unhappy) was the Attendance Blitz Month, in which child found ‘wogging’ lessons had their house bombed to the ground. This method was immensely successful between January 1981 and March 1981.

Punctuality is another barrel of simians altogether. Turning up late at a class only succeeds in disrupting the lesson, distracting the other pupils, confusing the teacher and making a mockery out of everything. If a child is unpunctual to a lesson, he may have missed a flippant comment made towards something that is barely integral to a minor question in a mock test. To eradicate yourself of a problem you need to act against it straight off the bat. That is why, in their first year of our school, pupils are issued with condoms in the second minute of each lesson. An incitement to learn if ever we heard of one! But also something that doesn’t encourage scurrilous sexual behaviour in minors.



Bullying

See Chapter Twelve for more details. Needless to say, it has decreased slightly. We believe, and so do the children, that bullying is a terrible thing when it used in the wrong circumstances. One aborted technique saw Heads of House encouraging pupils, in assembly, to get all the bullying out of their system in a single day. This created more questions than answers.  



School Safety

An emotive subject because children must be protected! If a quote from the Staff Information Sheet (given out every morning with the registers) that was dated 13th September 2002 can be used: ‘A parent entered the school unnoticed last Thursday. He apparently barged his way through the open Lesley Road entrance and proceeded to walk across the corridors, with no one obstructing him or asking him what he was doing, all the way to reception. There he raised questions about school security.’

At the bottom of that notice was a brief paragraph telling the staff that it would be abhorrent if we let that happen again. And we never have. School security has never been better or more efficient. Anywhere. It has increased in number by 16% over the last with the inclusion of CCTV cameras positioned in the staff car park and pupils’ toilets. Due to our respect for privacy, the cameras are turned to the opposite direction whenever the Headmaster has a pupil in his office. The school also has a paling perimeter fence that has been further reinforced this year to heighten security, with the addition of signs at a higher level in several locations. The signs read ‘No Climbing’ in bold, authoritative type.   

We have also made it very clear, with several large signs, that parents are not allowed to enter school during the day unless they are requested to do so. A pass system was also thrown into play; any parent who deposits their children here has to collect their special Entrance Pass before they are allowed on school premises at any time. Many people have asked how parents could obtain these passes considering they weren’t allowed in school in the first place. The answer is simple: letters sent to parents containing the passes. To collect their Letter Pass, parents must visit school and go to reception. With these exciting new schemes in place, we hope to eventually lower the number of deaths.

Vaccinations are regularly given to your children to ensure their wellbeing. We however, being Wellsworth, have put our collective minds together and come up with a simple yet brilliant way of reducing the amount of inoculations whilst increasing the number of pupils cured. We thought to ourselves ‘if one small sample of a disease is enough to cure a child of it for a year or two, think how much longer an extremely large sample will last and imagine how many will be saved’. This has worked amazingly well over the last few years with diseases such as Tuberculosis, Meningitis B, Syphilis, Smallpox and The Plague.     

Fire safety practice drills are held every two weeks. It is important to perform this duty because nobody knows at what point there will be a real fire, apart from the arsonist himself. To make it clear when there is a genuine fire risk, instead of just a drill, the bell will sound for sixty-seven minutes. After that time, children will be escorted by teachers to the back of the school where they can discuss the effects the fire will have on their education and how deeply they resent missing vital minutes of lessons. 



Sanitation

The toilets are now cleaned twice a month of with a special ‘industrial strength’ cleanser only available to schools called ‘Lemon Quintessence’. In order to keep these tricky areas at the height of cleanliness, we have positioned two hand driers and a floss dispenser. The mirrors could attract germs, as could the taps and sinks, so we have had all those things removed. Better safe than solemn.

Sanitation has also been upheld in other areas of the school with litter being targeted as a main cause of the problem. Eye-catching poster campaigns inform the children not to drop crisp packets and empty pop cans in the school but to take them outside. The serious litter problem around the outside of school is not going to be addressed in future. Litter spreads disease and we want to put a stop to it (both of those things) here at Wellsworth. Also, the cleaners have a hard enough time as it is having to whiz to work in those funny mini-scooter-car things so don’t make their job harder than it already is. It takes twelve people to pick up a chocolate wrapper because of all the different parts.

To put a stop to all this frightful jiggery-pokery, last year students were told to take the challenge of avoiding the urge to drop litter for a day in order to win a ruler signed by the England Eleven. This worked slightly better than some teachers presumed it would and the unsuspecting winner refused to accept her prize in assembly, which proves that tidiness is its own reward.



Corporal Punishment

Certain methods are still practised in this school effectively (much to the delight of parents, teachers and children). Watch out, children, teachers can get a bit carried away! We are proud to say that it has reduced the noisy clatter of cutlery in the Dinner Hall altogether. We are very proud of this, and so should you be because you are going to send your children here after all.



Country Dancing (and other fun Christmas activities)

Christmas is a fun time of the year when all our troubles are behind us and we can have a laugh while we discuss the beauty of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We know this and we like to celebrate it by letting the children loosen their hair and shirts whilst they let themselves go and have fun in an orderly fashion. Country Dancing, especially, is a favourite of the Headmaster’s. In it, children can jive to the sounds of Billy Joel (‘Uptown Girl’), Westlife (‘Uptown Girl’) and Samantha Mumba (‘Bohemian Rhapsody’). For all the children who have had enough funky music and prefer something with a bit more depth, the second and third hours of dancing are played to the groove of Gregorian Chanting. Seven hours is ample dancing time and, with all the new dancing moves being constantly thrown at them, they will be kept on their toes. Quite literally, actually, it’s surprising. That was intended as a metaphor.  

Other enjoyable Christmas activities are the First Year’s Play (this year: Harold Shipman), the assembly, the other assembly, the assembly at The Harangue and the Carol Service held every year at St Josemat The Rehtorist Church of The Lord Saviour Our God in Fulham Industrial Estate. However, lessons are as important at this time of year as they are at any other. You and your children have been warned fully.



Space (e.g. unoccupied areas of land mass)

The school has more than enough space for children to walk around in without getting intentionally pushed and knocked. The corridors are sixty-five metres in length and half a metre in width (each), which means that anyone can easily fit and take full pleasure in the hike to the next lesson. Classrooms are just about big enough to fit at maximum two members of teaching staff in, along with the pupils. To emphasise the amounts of the space this school has, we have dedicated four rooms completely to it. Children are forbidden from entering at any time of the day or night.                     



Caring For Disableds

It is always important to make children feel as if they are normal, even if they are not. It is for the purposes of confidence mainly. With this in mind, children who are underly skilled spend three months in solitary confinement when they first arrive in the school. After that period they are given their own personal co-ordinator or ‘Critical Friend’. These follow the children to their lessons and sit by them, telling them it will be okay. The classes attended by these DEATs (Differently Educationally Abled Things) are not the kind used by ordinary people, they are special lessons that deal with issues surrounding ‘Life-Skills’. Model ironing boards and cookers are given out, as are toys and hats, and the children are allowed to play with them for a majority of the day. Rooms 201 and 202 upstairs are where DEATs are kept during school-time. Don’t worry, they are locked up for the duration so they can’t cause any harm! The teachers that look over these humans are all specially trained in how to speak extremely slowly so that the message sinks in, one way or another. Despite being segregated from lessons, DEATs are still entered into all mainstream exams. Their grades are multiplied by five obviously, you have to be fair.    



Examinations

The results of examinations in recent have been astoundingly raised dramatically. The first sign of minor improvement came from the Key Stage Three tests (little pupils). Year Nine took national KS3 tests during the summer term in English, Maths and Science and achieved the best results ever. More than half of the students achieved over 12% in English. In Maths, over 78% of children achieved extremely well. This was a particularly good improvement in Science.

GCSE results are always something to shout about here at Wellsworth. 87% gained at least 1 pass at GCSE and 77.5.2% gained 5 or less passes. 25% to more or less achieved 4 or under passes at A* to C grade B, under the new administrative guidelines. 4 students got 4 or more high grade passes at high grade levels to equal 5 points mark basis perimeter to C or G grade and a further 27% of 15 students got 5 or more A to C to G level grade passes which equals the best results in the history of the school.

Post 16 exams are very difficult, it must be said. We are very grateful of the results that we have got this year at A Level. There were 41 entries (in unsuspicious circumstances) and 2 passes. 

All departments have access to Exam Board training as required, even PE. The teacher(s) who design the best and most imaginative poster win a place on the Board for two years, in which time they have 76000 F’s to administer, 5 B’s and .5 of an A. We feel this is fair.  



School Targets

Targets are there to help children build their natural talents and strengthen their weaknesses. Teachers review targets strenuously before handing them out. Each student is issued with his or her own target on their first day in the school and, upon handing it in on their last day, they each receive a lollipop.

Thursday, 5 July 2012

Sloosh Festival 2012 is here


Sloosh Festival 2012

Well, it’s here again.
The bouncing boychild of Ethnic Directive 108 and the Teesside Music n’ Dance Alliance is celebrating its tenth year of unique fun and unbridled creativity, with the festivities kicking off last weekend and a full seven days left. Here’s a quirky poke at what some of the highlights got up to, and what the region still has on offer.
Nyrian Slash reports


MUSIC

Fans of music include Wayne Rooney and TV’s Pat Cash

What’s Gone
Think yourself lucky if you managed to catch Ellysian Dream at the Heaton Converge last Saturday. Word is frontman Neil Ashley gave the audience a roller-thrill of a ride thanks to an eclectic collection of numbers, ranging from ‘Coconut Glimpse’ (obviously) and other of the band’s earlier tracks to the full contents from his new album City of Forever, including sleevenotes. He also caused quite a stir by giving away free pills and his new wife Chrissie’s knickers at the after-show hand-me-down at Barravadus Gulch. A blow-out time was enjoyed by all and footage from the show will appear in the upcoming documentary A World Without War: Neil Ashley’s Own Dream, so watch out for yourselves.
Also in attendance over the penultimate were Bastions of Moral Cowardice, a surprise bout of Rhymes With Carrot, 482.3659, Stenley Sniper, Lesbian Apocalypse and dressage from The Indecipherables.


Live sets from Bubbles Gyro on Wednesday at the Tornado House (upstairs at 36 Melville Terrace, Rothbury, ask for Darren) feat. ‘Car Crash Suicide’, ‘Mother’s Effigy’, ‘The Murderer is Inside My Head’ and ‘Blatant Cry For Help Before It All Goes Tits Up’. Starts 8.15. Catered.
And a treat for fans of something a little lighter, the lunar crooner Harrison Brimmel is finally back in the country and he just won’t stop singing. So bring your gran along to The Mangaloid Beacon this coming Friday afternoon to hear a pleasant selection of his all-time classics, whether your favourite is the sweet, lyrical ‘Suck It and See’ or that Grammy-winning anthem ‘Big Lick-Out In Chicago’, he won’t rarely disappoint.

FORGET THE BUSINESS!! JUST DO SLOOSH INSTEAD
Yes indeed, Mr Business Monster! A great festival atmosphere and loads to do for every member of the family. The organisers of Sloosh and all affiliates do not condone the use of recreational drugs in any form.





tHe stage
Theatre Yizz * Delayed Gratification * Rachel Zumpf
Jewish Reggae outfit Theatre Yizz have gained massive plaudits for their nude dance show 'Randomwords', sold out yesterday. If you fancy some improv-is-ation-al com-ed-y, the old boys from DG should be around on Tuesday. And who could forget Rachel Zumpf, whose terrifying new work 'Hell's Picnic' is sure to depress everyone. G8 Complex, Mon. It's racism a'plenty so get your thinking caps on! 'Modern themes are my concern', yep. 



WHAT'S THIS NOW? A FILM!

The inventor of the boom mike was Steven Nibbot

For those who are tired of outsidey sounds and visuals, there are a number of films organised by local groups showing in The Big Tent, off Parton Gall. Who knows – you may meet your new soulmate! Here’s your listings.


Free Film Showings (Saturday 24th)

‘Why Not Cork?’ (Put A Cork In It! Productions)                               14.20

‘The History of Wool’ (Ouseburn Wow!)                                              16.00

‘What’s Inside Her Next Door?’ (Rabies Watch)                                 18.40

‘Praise Be To Cuba’ (Anti-Capitalist Film Society)*                           20.00

‘Daisy Does Durham’ (Durham Temperance Group)                         22.30

*Entry £25


Sunday 25th

‘How Xtemplar Can Revitalise Your Office’ (Zenstrap Plc.)                12.01

‘I Protest At It!’ (Stop Activism Today)                                                     14.22

‘How to Lengthen Your Cat’ (Cat Lovers League)                                 15.32-1

‘Soot Can Be Fun’ (St. Michael’s Parish Church)*                                 17.53

‘Why Not Massage?’ (Thai Enthusiasts)                                                   19.02

*In association with Give Soot A Chance (Youth Division)



Each film day is opened by an illuminating lecture from Marjorie Chambers on ‘The History of Light’ – that most forgotten of film’s components. You won’t be left in the dark! Text copies available. If wet, Patricia Hodge.                         
Don't forget: in case of any sort of technical difficulty Daz Shrimp is always on hand with a VHS of his award-winning 1996 debut ‘The Making of “Get Shorty”’ – which I’m sure will never grate. It’s quite the thing.


 
latino dance thrump

Sloosh's progenitor Eduardo Slavel (of La Pescaria Dance Classes, and Proctor & Gamble) will be with us once again on Thursday to show off his Latino dancing skills in a hope to encourage young school-children to join in the fun. It's a load of fun and you may learn something about Latino dancing. 'I am invigorated', says Eduardo from his tomb, 'by the skill and panache of these talented children. They are my lifeblood and long may this continue. I am so glad that Sloosh has continued, and hope that more people will learn what Latino dancing is all about. Et cetera.'


ALSO 'APPENIN'!
HORSE SESSIONS.
Tuesday-Thursday, East Bank. £4 a horse.
ANTI-ABORTION FUNDRAISER.
Friday, 3am, West Tent. Activities include Synchronised Bible-waving and Pin-the-tail-on-the-foetus.
JOIN THE FIRE BRIGADE
Free of charge, no training necessary.
MR BRIGHTSIDE TENT
You asked for it, you got it. The Killer's most well-known track played constantly for fourteen hours in our cosy, air-conditioned marquee.



and finally
The Finale will take place at Last Light in The Place, as usual. MC Urinary Tract Infection and Snizzy Lennox accompany the flat-box doombeats, just awaiting your engendered parlance before groomblasting you into the arsehole of nethinity. It'll be a strong one and - after some frenzied lobbying - the pigs have finally agreed to ignore any discrepancies between the number of people who enter and leave. Come along, chill out, now lay down on the floor and die.

SO what are you waiting for?
join in the fun,
before the fun
joins in you

Peace up, N.S

Monday, 17 October 2011

Tyrannosaur (dir. Paddy Considine)

TYRANNOSAUR (still in cinemas)
Paddy Considine has been one of the most prolific (and versatile) British actors of modern film and his first unbridled foray into filmmaking does not disappoint.
Telling the tale of ageing anti-social yob Joseph, it begins with the gruelling depiction of his dog being kicked to death then ferments into an unconventional love story. The cinematography is beautifully grim. Pauses are revelled in, as conversely are abrupt scene changes when nothing else can be said. Peter Mullan (a renowned director in his own right, cf. The Magdalene Sisters and several short films) is terrifying and utterly believable as the violent loner in this perfectly realised council background. Within eight minutes he has killed an animal, attacked some young men in the pub and smashed the Post Office window. Things simmer a bit after that but such a role deserves qualified understatement and thankfully that’s what it gets, his twitchy lips underlining each abhorrent impulse.

Hiding from a gang seeking revenge, Joseph runs into a charity shop and meets Hannah (Olivia Colman). As the kind Christian trapped in an abusive relationship, Colman is a revelation. Her last speech is heart-rending and indeed, when I saw it, one woman left the cinema in tears. Hannah’s relationship is torrid and this is made immediately clear. Her unstable husband James (Eddie Marsden) is first seen arriving home drunk and pissing on his sleeping wife.

This is a film that plays with audience sympathies and, while it is incredibly hard to empathise with Joseph, through his care of Hannah and a young lad on his estate (Samuel Bottomley) we root for him. That rooting is further confounded by constant reminders, including the dark explanation of the film’s title, that he is by his own definition ‘a cunt’. And ultimately Hannah is not without blame as we come to the bittersweet yet still underplayed denouement. Perhaps by this point we realise that just as Hannah is not to be idolised, Joseph is not to be demonised. Not because he is trying – however slightly – to redeem himself but he is, like all of us, merely an animal.
As you’ll understand this is not an easy film to watch. It is however a brilliant piece of naturalistic storytelling featuring perfect dialogue and a masterclass in subdued performance, as is surely evidenced by the many awards it has already received including one each for Considine, Mullan and Colman at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. The film also boasts some fine turns from the supporting cast, most notably Ned Dennehy and Samuel Bottomley.

If you enjoy this film, please try Paul Andrew Williams’ Cherry Tree Lane (2010) which is similar not only in its fine performances but its horrid naturalistic feel and satisfying end.