What is the future for pubs in the UK? Photo credit: Ewan-M / Flickr

From Charles Dickens to Eastenders, pubs are certainly a defining and historic aspect of British culture. Famous for their quirky names, wooden interiors and rows of brass beer taps, they are a familiar and well-loved institution. But according to recent figures, the future of the ‘local boozer’ is in a perilous state.

The Campaign for Real Ale says two pubs are shutting down in the UK every day. Another survey by the British Beer and Pub Association found that some 1,300 pubs were closed in 2010, with London being one of the worst regions.

A combination of factors seems to be responsible for this astonishing trend – rising beer duty and overhead costs, faltering economic growth and changing consumer tastes. Alcohol price wars in supermarkets and declining disposable income have forced people to seek entertainment elsewhere.

However, there could be a silver lining: microbreweries are experiencing a revival, as demand for crafted cask ale is booming. In the capital, microbreweries are now open for business in Greenwich, Twickenham, Battersea and Camden.

Will this be enough to save Britain’s pubs? The First Pint investigates whether there is still hope for these iconic venues.

Filming locations:
Sambrook’s Brewery – Unit 1 & 2 Yelverton Road, Battersea, London SW11 3QG
The Bricklayer’s Arms – 32 Waterman Street, Putney, London SW15 1DD
Society Bar & Restaurant – 33 Blackfriars Lane, London EC4V 6EP
The Prince Arthur – 80-82 Eversholt Street, Euston, London NW1 1BX

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The Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, where the exhibition will run until the end of July. Photo:Bixentro / Flickr

What is believed to be the UK’S largest ever exhibition of student’s art and design has opened in East London. There’s fashion, design, photography and interior architecture. And it gives visitors the chance to enter the world of young and unlimited creativity.The exhibition is open to the public until late July.

The First Pint’s Clémentine Blayo has more.

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It is no different in the arena of performing arts. Artists at this year’s Digital Stages Festival show us just how the latest software and technology has transformed the way they express themselves.

But the big question is: Does it really make any difference to the actual creation of performing art? Our correspondent Heng Lu finds out.

Camera: Cris Reckziegel, Heng Lu

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Busking in the underground. Photo: Annie Mole / Flickr

By Filip Jurzyk

London is home to over seven million and it’s estimated that up to two million people pass through the city centre every day. Amidst the rush of city life, as residents and commuters travel from one end to another, there is a soundtrack to accompany the crowds from underground to street, home to work, east to west or riverside to city. Jason Grant spoke to some of the people behind the music.

This project was organised by the European Youth Press and made possible thanks to funding received through the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation. For more information visit the European Youth Press Orange magazine website.

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Knitting and sewing clubs have become the rage in London. Photo credit: Marieke Kuijjer / Flickr

Knitting needles and thread reels have become this season’s must-have accessories. According to recent figures, these traditional hobbies have gripped the UK – classes in dressmaking and crocheting are on the rise, and sales of sewing machines at major retailers are booming. The First Pint went to find out about this surprising new trend.

Every Saturday afternoon in Brixton about a dozen women attend a sewing workshop at Oh Sew, a private school dedicated to teaching the art of needlework. They chat over the whirring noise of machines in a bright, spacious room while putting finishing touches to colourful bits of cloth. Most of them are young professionals who wouldn’t look out of place in Shoreditch or Kensington – a far cry from the stereotype of grandmothers in rocking chairs.

Fiona Douglas, owner and head teacher, says her students are interested in eco-friendly fashion, especially customising vintage dresses, adding that the biggest push is probably the current economic climate. “It’s kind of make-do-and-mend: saving your money, saving the pennies and saving the environment,” she explains.

The ongoing recession is definitely a factor to consider. Rising inflation, soaring unemployment and uncertainty about the future are forcing people to re-evaluate their spending habits. Cash-strapped shoppers are seeking alternatives without compromising their style. With a few minor alterations or different buttons, an old outfit can be completely transformed. Some even think of it as subtle rebellion against the monotony of high street chains.

Besides the variety of sessions on offer, sewing and knitting enthusiasts have started their own clubs. They arrange weekly meetings at their local pub or coffee shop, sharing balls of wool and slices of cake. Sandra Rhule, a knitting expert, has followed the growing popularity of arts and crafts. She credits this resurgence to Debbie Stoller, an American author who wrote a book entitled Stitch ‘n’ Bitch.

By creating an official online forum, Stoller encouraged people to use the internet to share tips and form neighbourhood groups. Indeed a quick scan of the website shows that there are over twenty groups in London alone. From Chelsea to Whitechapel, hundreds are eager to get together with their kit to make jumpers, socks and scarves. Ravelry and Etsy are other important bookmarks for the tech-inclined.

So whether it is to relax, protect the bank statement or become involved in a social activity, the sew-and-knit-it-yourself culture is back in vogue.

Places to start:
Oh Sew Brixton
9 Brighton Terrace
London SW9 8DJ

I Knit London
106 Lower Marsh
London SE1 7AB

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The concept of male grooming differs widely amongst cultures, but is globalisation changing that? Photo credit: Suhel Sheikh/Flickr

From Troy to Indiana Jones, we used to like our men raw – full of sweat and rough-skinned, or even better, with a few scars. Those were the symbols of manhood and heroism. But times have changed; there is a new definition of masculinity and attractiveness around the world nowadays.

The growing phenomenon of male grooming does not only appear in the UK. Nikolai Zech, a 23-year-old sports event management student from Hamburg, thinks that male grooming is becoming more important and almost necessary in Germany.

“With icons like David Beckham, Brad Pitt and George Clooney to set the trend, in addition to new lines of male beauty products coming out from the industry, men have suddenly paid more attention to their outer appearance,” he says.

Zech thinks that on average, men spend at least about 10-25 euros a month for skin products. For him, skin and hand lotion, anti-acne, peeling and anti-wrinkle products are a part of daily life.

The Latin side

European men aren’t the only ones becoming more beauty-obsessed – Latin America is catching up, secretly.

“Latin American men do not like to admit that they buy as many products as they actually do,” Andrés Navarrete, a 23-year-old Venezuelan, confesses.

“Males are increasingly paying attention to their appearance in Latin America. The normal Venezuelan would have a jar of gel in their bathroom and never-to-be-missed branded cologne.”

However, limited access in Venezuela makes it hard for men to spend too much money on grooming. Navarrete speculates that if a wider variety of products existed in the country, male Venezuelans would be happily diving in treatments.

“But never as much as some guys do in Germany, spending 15 euro on a bottle of moisturiser,” he argues.

So what about our stereotype of macho Latin Americans, with gorgeous tans and unmovable hair with too much gel? Is that all an illusion?

“As far as the stereotype goes, I think it’s true but has manifested in other realms. In clothing, for example, the average middle-class would invest good money in branded polo shirts and shoes.”

Surprisingly, according to Navarrete, Asian immigrants in Venezuela have a completely different attitude towards grooming.

“We have a lot of Hong Kong immigrants there, and you see them in the mall and they really stand out.”

He thinks that the Asian culture tends to make men more fashionable and prone to take better care of their appearance.

Asian attitudes to male grooming

Derek Chung, a 23-year-old university student from Hong Kong, agrees.

He has observed a growing business targeting men in Asia, with more accessibility to skincare products, perfume, make-up, slimming classes and facial treatments.

“The drive for such a trend is the changing gender roles and increased level of demand for an ideal man: you need to be masculine, smart, rich, successful, have a great physique but also have flawless skin and great hair,” Chung explains.

He calls this “neo-masculinity” and spends around 10% of his income on skincare products.

With the world being more open to metrosexual culture, male grooming seems to be the next big thing for men. So superheroes, drop your Taekwondo class, and opt for some deep skin cleansing sessions instead.

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Cris spent eight years as a TV reporter in his home country of Brazil before moving to London. He is now doing an MA in Screen Documentary at Goldsmiths.

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Grow Heathrow took back green spaces from Heathrow airport and gave it back to the community. Photo credit: Silvia Rothlisberger

Plane Stupid is a network of grass-roots groups all over the UK that take non-violent direct action against aviation expansion, one of these groups is Transition Heathrow.

On 1 March 2010 Transition Heathrow members squatted in an abandoned garden site in an area near Heathrow Airport.

Before the activists took over the site, the owners had neglected it – using it to illegally dump cars and other waste.

This project by Transition Heathrow is Grow Heathrow, where volunteers cleaned and restored the greenhouses of the area with the help of local residents and the local council.

Grow Heathrow aims to return the garden to the community in the hopes that it will teach them grass-root solutions to climate change while helping mobilise residents against the expansion of Heathrow Airport.

When the Grow Heathrow project started, the owner of the land took them to court in order to evict them. However, with support of the community and the local council, the activists put on a fight and prevented their eviction. They offered to buy the land, but the owner refused the proposal. They still don’t own the land, but they’re still there pushing their cause forward.

Another victory happened on 12 May 2010 when the government cancelled the expansion of Heathrow Airport, as Grow Heathrow is located on the site where the third runway was going to take place.

The First Pint visited the Grow Heathrow green space on its first anniversary:

Grow Heathrow: First Anniversary from blrwk on Vimeo.

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London gets a taste of some prehistoric fun outside of the museum. Photo courtesy of Dinosaurs Unleashed

A new exhibition has opened at the O2 Arena in London, featuring dinosaurs. Visitors to this animated show can walk alongside these life-sized creatures of the ancient world.

Dinosaurs were the dominant land animals for 160 million years. According to one of the very informative tour guides of Dinosaurs Unleashed, if the history of the Earth could be measured in the span of a year, dinosaurs could be said to have existed from January to September while humans have been alive from just September and would hardly reach New Year’s Eve.

Last year, the exhibition attracted over 100,000 visitors when it was displayed in Oxford Street. After moving to the O2 Arena, Nicky Allison, the project’s director, said that Dinosaurs Unleashed is “bigger and better than ever, we have more dinosaurs, more interactive games, more quizzes, we have more fun for the family and we’ll be adding to the exhibition through at the year we are here.”

And indeed the experience is an interactive one. Future palaeontologists could arise out from the ‘Activity Zone’ where kids can look for dinosaur fossils buried in the sand. The more creative ones can also create their own dinosaurs by choosing skins and colours at the popular ‘Dino-Paint’. “We don’t know what was the dinosaurs’ skin colours, so we can imagine,” said 8 year-old Tom.

Since the only thing that remains of them are bones, the sounds they made is also a mystery. The designers of the exhibit use this as a pretext to let their imagination run wild.. Between the 22 dinosaurs, the sounds they make range from bored, scary, weak, scowling and sinister.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex remains the most impressive and popular specimen of the tour. “It was quite cool when I saw the Tyrannosaurus Rex because it was very big!” Tom said. Between fear and admiration, dinosaurs continue to arouse fascination in us… but why?

Even though they were extinct 65 million years ago, the reason of this disappearance is still a mystery. “We don’t really know how they were extinct but palaeontologists have all sorts of theories, like different changes in the weather,” Allison said.

Exploring a long gone species is a great way to spend a weekend, and just by travelling to Greenwich, you can bridge a 65 million year gap between species. But, you have to admit, you’ll probably go because they look pretty awesome.

Dinosaurs Unleashed is on until 31 December.

Dinosaurs Unleashed
The O2 Arena
Meridian Gardens

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Students protesting on Parliament Square last year. Photo: Bobby D'Marca / Flickr

Students are back protesting on the streets of England, more than a month after the education bill was passed in British Parliament. The end of January saw demonstrations in Manchester and London and another protest has been organised for 24 February. But with the fees raised, and the teaching cuts in place, some wonder what the point of the protests have become.

The First Pint reports:

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