Home//BN1 Magazine/Winter 2020-21/In This Issue
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21Editor’s LetterNormally at this this time of year, we’d be casting a glib glance back at the year, detailing a few of the ludicrous social media trends, dumb news stories and anecdotes of amazing accomplishments. Obviously 2020 has made that a little difficult. Lockdown has reduced many of us to a more sedentary lifestyle, concerned mostly with fighting over the last bottle of bubble-gum scented hand soap and trying not to finish Netflix in a single afternoon. It’s even more tough to get excited about Christmas. The bright lights seem a little cold and inconsequential for once. Perhaps we place too much faith in this one weekend, framing it as a moment to come together and rejoice when we should be doing just that all year round. The associated problems of…2 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21The Property BubbleBritain has recently faced some of its biggest challenges in half a century, and now booming transactions and prices might indicate the approach of a dangerous property bubble. Although the economy is facing recession, a post-lockdown burst of activity and government support is fuelling the market. But what will it look like next year? Will this ‘bubble’ burst? While the market has seen a resurgence recently, it faces a tricky time in the new year. We need to look out for potential economic impact from Brexit, along with base rate changes from the Bank of England. Of course, this year saw two cuts to the rate, a seven-week market shutdown of the property market and a cut stamp duty. The next four months could be an exciting time to sell,…2 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21RANDOM FACTS…KICKING INTO SPACE Stefan Schwarz would have voided his contract with Sunderland if he’d blasted off into space. The Swiss midfielder signed to Sunderland AFC for £4m in 1999, when the idea of commercial spaceflight was just emerging. As his agent had already publicly booked him a seat into orbit, the club light-heartedly expanded their dangerous activities provisions in the player’s contract – just to be sure. (We could make a joke about Schwarz struggling to find space on the pitch, but we won’t.) TURTLES BACKSIDE BREATHING Some turtles can breathe through their backside! Chrysemys picta, the North American Painted Turtle, often sees its habitat freeze over. In response, they hibernate, their body temperatures and metabolism reduced by up to 95 percent. To still process oxygen, they rely on cloacal…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21QUIZ1 Thank goodness the sometimes hilarious, but always terrifying, reign of Teletubby-come-Darth Vader, Donald Trump has come to an end. Even before his inexplicable election to the Presidency in 2016 he’d become famous for his ranting, nonsensical tweets, generally bereft of any fact or truth. But which of the following did the gormless little f*ckwit NOT tweet after 2020’s Presidential campaign? A) “STOP THE COUNT!” B) “I WON THIS ELECTION, BY A LOT!” C) “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest - and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure, it’s not your fault.” D) “I will be making a statement tonight. A big WIN!” 2 As his Tweets are so hilarious, lets stick with them. Which of these famous tweets…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21SOUP DOGGY DOGGYOU TRY AND RESIST THAT PUN Greek: Avgolemono (Serves 6-8) I don’t know about you, but when I think of warming winter food, I think soup. A specific image comes to mind of a young woman coming in from the cold rain and warming up with a tin of tomato soup, steaming her glasses in the process. But that’s because I saw it on a Heinz advert and I’m extremely easily manipulated. What’s that, Ms Longoria? You’re right, I am worth it! I’ll be back… Sorry about that, back now, and with hair bouncier than ever. And I’ve turned the TV off before I go out and buy a new car because mine doesn’t have a ‘keyless entry system’. Hmmm, thinking about it, maybe I am too lazy to use…12 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21InterviewALBUM - FAKE IT FLOWERS“Still working on Tom Hanks. It will soon come!” From the outside looking in, Beabadoobee’s success story resembles a grungy, 90’s coming of age film. A teenage private school dropout with an uncontrollable crush on Tom Hanks teaches herself “how to play on an acoustic guitar,” and watches in awe as her Elliot Smith-inspired debut track accidentally spins her into a whirlwind of fame and opportunity. “It has been all so quick and sometimes I don’t even have time to think about what’s happening, I’m just living in the moment and always working on something from music to videos to photos,” Beatrice Kristi tells me. Her claim to fame? The cutesy bedroom-pop single, Coffee, which has racked up a humble 51 million streams on Spotify so far, and was sampled…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21FATBod SLim“The head is a little ungainly, and you can’t actually see anything,” Norman Cook tells me, cheerfully describing, of all things, his new Pink Panther costume. “But the rest of it works really well as a onesie. It also works well if you’re doing late night deliveries, it keeps the wind off.” He’s just released a new album, and, with the aim of lifting 2020 fatigue amongst his fans, personally handling local deliveries – while dressed as an iconic 60s cartoon character. By Cook’s own admission, he’s always looking for new ways to reach out to his audience. An impending second Covid lockdown meant there were limited promotional opportunities for his new compilation, Back To Mine. No celebrity-packed launch parties, no Olympic Games closing ceremonies and certainly no sweaty club-rocking…9 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21CAROLINE LUCASThere ought to be laws on politicians lying. They ought to be held accountable for deliberately misleading the people they are elected to serve. Political campaigns ought to have a higher benchmark than the Advertising Standards Authority. These keep UK advertising “legal, decent, honest and truthful”. But no such standards are required of politicians. They can print what they like on a bus and say what they wish on TV. Because the truth isn't what people voted for. They elected a professional liar as Prime Minister. A man repeatedly sacked from jobs for inventing fiction that serves his own inflated ego. Even the leader of the opposition, an ex-human rights lawyer no less, is busy misquoting his predecessor and failing to make good on his pledge to be the ‘unity…8 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21WINTER FASHION GUIDEA public service announcement (PSA): Winter is on its way; if the dreary weather and sun setting before 5pm weren’t enough to remind you. But just because lockdown is keeping you (mostly) indoors doesn’t mean you need to, dare I say, suffer a life of pyjamas and dressing gowns all day, every day. We’ve come up with 5 fashion trends from sustainable and small businesses to revitalise those work from home Zoom calls, daily walks and socially distanced festivities this winter. Neutral Tones: Neutrals are a stone-cold classic no matter the season, and winter is no exception. Timeless and easy to replicate, these tones are sure to warm you up this winter. Enjoy some much-needed time with friends outdoors, or rather, one friend outside your household, whilst staying cosy in…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21GAMING GUIDEThere is a new generation of swanky, new, far-too-big consoles out, and with a brand-new console generation comes a brand-new set of games for us to fangirl over. So, we will take the leg work out of the oh-so-strenuous task of Googling “new games coming out soon”, and do it for you. Here is our Very Best of Winter Gaming Round-Up. NEW CONSOLES Who cares if there are barely any games out on them yet? They’re sparkly, sexy and don’t even fit in the cabinet under your TV anymore. What more could anyone else want? All joking aside, these goliath beasts are brimming with new fangled fancy features, powerful new internal gizmos and can cast even more pixels making up Crash Bandicoot than ever. Finally, there is a reason for…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21ETHICAL FOOD SHOPPINGConsumers are blessed with more choice than ever, and it’s becoming easier to make a real impact through our shopping choices. Ethical shopping is often subtle but can be an enormously powerful tool for change. There are several approaches. Positive buying centres around attempting to stick with ethically-focused products, usually fair trade, organic or cruelty free, which directly supports companies with progressive attitudes. While negative purchasing involves consciously avoiding problematic products, like battery eggs or GM wheat. If you are determined to make a wider impact with your purchases, you can also view businesses as a whole. Does the manufacturer of your favourite drink have a subsidiary with objectionable political views or deploy environmentally unsound farming practices? Swapping to favour brands from more wholesome companies can have real impact. A…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21ART WITH A HEART: SUPPORT BRIGHTON DOME & BRIGHTON FESTIVAL WITH ART GIFTS THIS CHRISTMASAre you looking for unique Christmas gifts for friends and family which will help support the arts? Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) have released six high-quality screen prints as part of its fundraising campaign. Priced from £100 to £150, the art works offer a glimpse of brochure covers from Brighton Festival’s 54-year history. They include Turner Prize nominee David Shrigley; tattoo artist Adam Sage with design agency Johnson Banks and the late pop artist Martin Sharp. In addition, there’s a brand-new signed print from award-winning graphic artist Morag Myerscough. Following Brighton Dome’s closure in March and the cancellation of Brighton Festival, the organisation lost 67% of its self-generated income. The sale of prints will provide a crucial source of revenue which will help keep the venue and the annual…2 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21WINTER EDITION 20-21It’s undoubtedly been a tricky year for everyone! If you are a business owner, events organiser, institution or charity looking to build connections with the general public, please get in contact and see how we can help promote your message and engage with a large audience. BN1 Magazine can offer tailored campaigns to suit all budgets through our print and digital strategies. Contact one of our team today on sales@bn1magazine.co.uk or 01273 022991 to find out how we can help you stand out from the crowd. Request a Media Pack for Spring edition 2021 from Jenny.rushton@bn1magazine.co.uk @bn1magazine…1 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21ENVIRONMENTAL GOOD NEWSIs it just me, or does it feel like Mother Nature got a good few jabs in against humanity this year? After years and years of the relentless onslaught of pollution and casually arrogant destruction of the planet by the one species that has the ability to save it, 2020 saw us get a taste of our own medicine. And, like every childhood medicine we ever had to swallow, it tasted bad. And although the world is all but completely f*cked, there is still a sliver of hope that we can prevent our lovely little planet turning once and for all into one giant dumpster fire. Of course, it doesn’t help when people like Donald Trump (thankfully now replaced as President by Methuselah – I mean Joe Biden, who’s primary…9 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21CROSSWORDCrossword provided by @thompuntoncrosswords Semi-cryptic Skeleton Crossword The two nine-letter solutions are to be placed in the pink squares. They can be entered in either direction. The four-letter words fit in the other spaces, creating new nine-letter words along the edges of the grid. Type of Christmas time? (9) Like an invertebrate. Or a chicken (9) Part of foot / Cure on the radio (4) Advantage / Heart of rested gentleman (4) Fruit / Girl in Paris endlessly backtracks (4) Wagon / Go with it? (4) Cut / First portion of craft beer ingredient (4) Colour / Eton mess (4) Mark correct / Pass without alien (4) Recognise / Opener of kind present (4) Across 2 Fold sewn or pressed into cloth (5) 6 Tickled cans (anag) (11) 8 Creepy…1 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21SPICED WINTER RECIPES FOR COSY NIGHTS INAdmittedly, most nights are nights in at the moment, but we may as well make them as cosy and delicious as possible. As the evenings have grown ever shorter, we have found ourselves seeking comfort in our kitchens, hunting for recipes to keep spirits high. This winter, a good dinner is more of an event than ever, and can help soften the blow of missing the warm embraces of loved ones or dancing at the Christmas party. Getting up to go to work before the sun has risen and wistfully wishing the pubs were open as we walk home in the dark, or simply staring out of the windows as we work from home - our usual traditions have adapted into to a very different wintertime indeed, leaving us all…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21PALOMA FAITHIt’s certainly been a memorable year for British pop sensation Paloma Faith. Amidst the Covid chaos, lockdown and the stalling of the country’s live music scene, she’s expecting her second child and has just completed a sparkling fifth album, Infinite Things. Since her last album, The Architect, topped the charts, Paloma has featured as a coach on ITV’s The Voice Kids and acted in Batman spin-off, Pennyworth. As with most of Britain, she’s had to adapt to a big impact on her life this year. Born from an enforced slowing of her schedule, Infinite Things’ writing and recording also had to adapt to the responsibilities of looking after a three-year-old. If anything, it’s made the album feel even more ambitious and relevant. “We live in a very volatile world that…5 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21KaiSince gaining notoriety from a slew of hits in 2016, ranging from featuring on Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet and lending her buttery smooth vocal chops to Electronic legends Skrillex and Diplo’s Mind, Canadian singer-songwriter, kai, has been pretty quiet. Now, after four years of musical silence, Alessia De Gasperis-Brigante is back, this time with her debut EP, like water. It has been four years since singer-songwriter, kai (Alessia De Gasperis-Brigante) got her big break with a slew of featuring roles on some of 2016’s biggest singles from the likes of Gambino and Jack U. Yet in recent years her release schedule has been pretty easy going, releasing no solo music or features for fans to assimilate. However, four years later and there she was. Sat in front of my…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21MURMURTell me about the musical makeup of this new single Shame, the drum sound is incredible! George: We wanted to experiment, so when we got in the studio we just started setting up drums in the vocal booth. Jack: Everyone who records at Brighton Electric sets up in the big room for that big drum sound. It was our producer Alex Gordon’s idea to try the vocal booth, avoid the old Vox AC30 setup and all the other great amps there and use a crappy Peavey Bandit. We wanted to force ourselves out of our comfort zone, which was so much more rewarding. Your producer Alex is also a good friend – is that dynamic important to you? George: Alex is as keen to produce music as detached from the…5 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21BN1 Chats With Geoff MacCormack Friend and Photographer to David BowieHow far would you go for a friend? For Geoff MacCormack, he’d accompany one around the world, perform in his band and help document the emergence of a global music icon. He met the 8-year-old David Jones whilst growing up in Bromley, the dull brown uniform of Burnt Ash Primary School a far cry from the flamboyant stage persona of David Bowie. “When David called me, I was selling advertising space,” MacCormack says, with a chuckle. “He didn’t ask me, he just told me we were going on tour. After those three years, it took me quite a while to readjust when we came back.” It was the second year of Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust Tour, which was slowly winding its way around the globe. The star’s aversion to flying saw…6 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21BN1’S TOTALLY SERIOUS WAYS TO KEEP FIT!Even at the best of times, most of us need to move a bit more. But lockdown has made staying in shape noticeably difficult. That walk to the pub on a Friday night still had a positive effect even if the subsequent eight pints didn’t. So, how can we keep active? Mark Twain once said: “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection” But he lived in the Middle Ages, when people stayed fit by running away from dinosaurs, so it’s probably irrelevant. It’s more important than ever to get active. A healthy lifestyle has proven benefits for mental wellbeing. And with the full impact of Brexit about to reveal itself, you may have to battle to the death for a dented tin of beans in the Goring-Upon-Sea Thunderdome quite soon.…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-212020 It Wasn’t All BadIt goes without saying that 2020 won’t be a year that’s easy to forget. I mean, who will ever forget Novak Djokovic creaming a tennis ball into the throat of a poor line judge? Of course, as hilarious as that was (perhaps not for the stricken lady struggling to breathe), there were bigger stories this year that occupied more column inches. I’m talking, of course, about the launch of Little Mix The Search, one of the worst TV shows to ever be commissioned, and perhaps the clearest example yet of the BBC trying ITV themselves, and appeal to the lowest fathomable denominator. Oh, that, and the world is on fire, there’s civil unrest across nations, with an American president fuelling the fires of racism and gender inequality, and we’re all…10 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21JESS Robinson Impressionist forSPITTING IMAGEWhile 2020 has been tough going for Jess Robinson, it’s also offered quite a few triumphs. With a second season of her quirky and energetic Stars In Their Ears podcast winning fans around the world, and a leading role in the reboot of acclaimed TV satire Spitting Image, this Hove resident is setting out her pitch as one of the UK’s leading impressionists. It might have been so different. Originally training as a classical singer, she saw her future lying with musical theatre. Taking a year out from studying to perform in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, where she performed in the style of Judy Garland, Billie Holiday and Marlene Dietrich, she took a gamble on a particular audition. “I found out Dead Ringers were looking for impressionists,”…8 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21CELEBRITIESA Quiz Titled so Bombastically it Distracts us from the sh*tpit Year it’s Been. It doesn’t, obviously. But it’s the time of year we all need a bit of a treat, and this year, with the constant onslaught of devastating news and all-consuming concerns over our welfares and futures, 20 minutes of not thinking about such horrors and fears feels like two weeks sunbathing in the Seychelles, with a piña colada in either hand. So, here follows 20 questions about 2020. 1 In May, gazillionaire-crackpot Elon Musk, and his partner, Canadian musician, Grimes, welcomed their first son into the world by bestowing upon him the most pretentious name in the history of celebrities giving their kids pretentious names. What was it? a) T @ 7-OC b) X Æ A-12 c)…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21SPORT1 “Well done New Zealand.” What was Dan Carter talking about here in June 2020? A) Having fans back in a sports stadium B) The Black Caps beating Australia at cricket to win the Trans-Tasman Trophy C) The All Blacks beating the Wallabies in their most recent rugby union battle D) Winning the Joe Paewai Memorial, Best Individual Shearer at The Golden Shears: The World Premier Shearing and Woolhandling Championship 2 After three-and-a-quarter months without having any prima donna footballers to watch diving, feigning injury, and brandishing imaginary cards at referees, the Premier League returned after lockdown on the 17th June. What was the first game to be played? A) Manchester United v Manchester City B) Leicester City v Aston Villa C) Aston Villa v Sheffield United D) Manchester City…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21BLACK HONEY“Ultimately we’re a rock band” With IZZY B PHILLIPS (LEAD) Since their inception in 2014, Brighton four-piece Black Honey have proved themselves one of the UK’s most ambitious, uncompromising bands. Their expansive 2018 debut, Black Honey, incorporated trap and disco alongside their own brand of fizzy grunge pop, and was accompanied by a saga of videos aired from a retro world of pink coffins, cowboys and neon-lit murder scenes. A rollercoaster of exhaustive touring followed, including supports with Queens of the Stoneage, Royal Blood and slots at Glastonbury. Their upcoming sophom*ore, Written & Directed, was recorded in the brief gaps of that gruelling schedule; some of it was even written on the road. According to singer and guitarist Izzy B Phillips, it’s Black Honey distilled and on steroids. We talked…6 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21learn professional graphic design fast!What we’re doing at the Strohacker Design School, is providing students with a pathway that is increasingly absent from our overburdened modern educational system. We are offering them a direct path into the graphic design industry through an industry-ready course. As part of my work in setting up the Strohacker Design School, I contacted almost 100 companies across the country and asked them what they wanted from graphic design graduates and what they felt they weren’t getting. The feedback was crystal clear: “THEY ARE NOT INDUSTRY READY”; “THEIR PORTFOLIOS LOOK GREAT BUT THEY AREN’T EQUIPPED TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND DO SOME WORK”; “THEY HAVEN’T GOT WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR”. The need to better equip students for today’s workplace is what drives my school. How are we doing it?…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21CHRIS KAMARAHe was one of the surprise contenders for the Christmas charts last year and now Chris ‘Kammy’ Kamara is ready to go again. The beloved Sky Sports reporter’s festive album Here’s To Christmas was that rare thing, a genuinely worthwhile record being made by someone from outside of the music industry. Backed by a 23-piece big band, Kammy delivered a collection of swinging seasonal classics that was impossible not to be carried away by and finished up at Number Eight in the UK album charts. As much as he loved every moment of it, Chris was fully expecting to hang up his lounge suit and microphone at the end of it all, but before he knew it, plans were being made for a follow-up, the brilliant And A Happy New…6 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21AC/DCSince we last saw them in 2016, AC/DC have had a tumultuous time, taking in vocalist Brian Johnson’s withdrawal due to hearing issues, bassist Cliff Williams’ retirement and of course, the tragic loss of founding member, rhythm guitarist and guiding light Malcolm Young. Now, though, against the odds and to the delight of devoted fans across the globe, they are back and have brought with them their 17th studio album, Power Up. It’s a true reunion, with Williams and Johnson returning to join mainstay Angus Young, drummer Phil Rudd and cousin Stevie Young, all overseen by long-term producer Brendan O’Brien. The absence of Malcolm Young is still keenly felt by the members of the band, but with all the songs on the album co-written by him with his brother Angus,…4 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21The STATE of Politics‘306. Landslide. Blowout. Historic.’ Kellyanne Conway victoriously proclaimed when Trump won the Presidential race in 2016. As results were confirmed last week that Trump is now on the receiving end of that exact same tally of electoral seats, Biden supporting satirists/activists, The Lincoln Project, couldn't help themselves jumping in on this historic tweet with ‘Agreed’. That the recipient of the Twitter burn, Conway, was after all the inventor of ‘Alternative Facts’ from the White House, there is something about this exchange that exemplifies the state of 2020 politics. In a world of ever-reductive circles, this is as peak political debate as we can hope for these days. Them V Us. Polarised mass tribalism. Was anyone expecting a peaceful transition? As Trump goes down fighting everyone, including Fox News and his…8 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21ALTERNATIVES TO AMAZONThe convenience, speed and cutthroat low prices of Amazon can make it the default choice for any online purchase, but there are some serious ethical concerns at the centre of their business model. For a start, there’s their colossal tax avoidance. They generate massive revenues in the UK but pay very little corporation tax by funnelling money through their tax haven of Luxembourg. Whilst the availability of tax loopholes like these is clearly a systemic issue, surely Amazon CEO and richest person in the world, Jeff Bezos, could pass some of these financial gains onto workers and not just the shareholders? On the contrary. There have been reports of Amazon employees being treated appallingly, with workers living in constant fear of being sanctioned and pregnant women being forced to work…3 min
BN1 Magazine|Winter 2020-21HIRE, CLUB OR OWN?Brighton. It’s a remarkable place, full of culture, amazing characters and iconic landmarks. What it’s not full of is parking spaces. Not only are there not enough, but those that there are cost an arm and a leg, and most likely an internal organ of your choosing. Partly in response to such difficulties and expenses of car ownership, and partly due to greater environmental awareness, more and more people are giving up the headache of owning a car, preferring to hire one in the traditional way, or join a car club instead. So, what are car clubs, how easy are they to use, and do they make financial sense to join one? Well, the short answers are, a syndicate of drivers, very, and yes, potentially. There you go, thanks for…6 min
