The Tories were so proud of their electionposter featuring David Cameron and thewords: We cant go on like this. But within

minutes it had been lampooned and doctored onone of the many websites dedicated to vandalisingpolitical messages.

This general election will be the most mediasavvy one ever held. Dubbed as a digital election,it will be the first in which social media has suchan important role in the way political partiespresent themselves and the way the publicresponds. Digital debates, blogs, Twitter,Facebook, YouTube and mobile phone apps are thenew political sales tools. Manifestos are easilyaccessible through the parties websites.Thedigitalelection.com is a portal to unlimitedpolitical information. BBC, Sky news and Googlehave dedicated pages to the 2010 Election.

Since President Obama used new media in his UScampaign, British politicians have jumped on thebandwagon. It will be the first time that allmediums of communication, bar smoke signals,will be thoroughly exhausted in the race to governGreat Britain.

No-one can complain that they have not beengiven information on the election or that they canttake part. But digital media and its interactiveimmediacy have their downsides. David Wright,former Labour whip and MP for Telford, nearlyhad his political career cut short byunderestimating the power of Twitter when hetweeted about the conservatives. He said: You canput lipstick on a scum-sucking pig, but it's still ascum-sucking pig. He was forced to apologise.Labour MP, Stuart MacLennan, standing for aScottish constituency, was also caught tweetingabout elderly voters as bloody coffin dodgersand complained about chavs. He wasimmediately sacked.

www.tweetlection.co.uk tracks and analysestweets which comment about political parties. Setup by local new media agency Sense Internet andused by the BBCs technology correspondent RoryCellan-Jones, it shows tweeting activity in realtime. Managing director Aidan Cook says: Whileall parties engage in tweeting, until now it hasbeen hard to get a real time picture of what isbeing said on key issues, and by whom. Previouslyit was difficult to get an accurate view of just howmuch excitement or interest a specific event orissue was generating. Now, users can see, at aglance, the frequency of tweets over time for each

party and the common themes in those tweets.This might help the political parties modify theirexisting messages, or create new ones. It will givethem a better understanding of the impact thatparticular policy proposals and Twitterdiscussions about them may be having on voters.

Meanwhile social networking sites are makingthe most of their fling with the political elite.Facebook wont allow the child exploitation andonline protection centre (CEOP) to place a buttonon their site for children to report abuse orcomments of a sexual nature, but are taking chargeof gathering their users to register to vote.

Certainly, Facebook is taking part in what hasbeen dubbed as the alternative election, runningside by side with traditional methods ofelectioneering.

But does it work? A recent study by NationalEndowment for Science, Technology and the Arts(NESTA) observed that 79 per cent of people couldnot recall any online material such as adverts,emails or websites from the main political parties.

Jonathan Kestenbaum, chief executive, says:Although it is being talked of as a digital election,political parties are falling short in delivering whatvoters want online. Currently, they are usingtactical measures such as buying Google AdWordsto raise brand awareness but the internet providesthe means to have a much more dynamic dialoguewith voters. So far weve seen a triumph ofsuperficial tactics over genuine engagement andvoters arent falling for it.

But NESTAs survey also finds 40 per cent wouldlike more opportunity to interact online withpoliticians and political parties and for 18 to 24year olds, an important group of voters, this figurerises to 60 per cent. But will the political partieshave enough nouse to realise this?

Iain Dale, one of Britain's leading politicalcommentators, says on his blog: It is easy toexaggerate the use of and importance of social

media in election campaigns. Sure, in marginalseats, it could well make a bit of a difference, butoverall I just don't see blogging, Facebook andTwitter having a massive impact during thecampaign, apart from possibly a negative onewhere some idiot of a candidate posts somethingwithout thinking.

The worst case scenario in a digital electioncould involve skewed results. Imagine a world inwhich countries could be overthrown or ruled bypeople recklessly voting for one party or anotheron the basis of which online groups they havejoined and how many tweets or pokes they get.

How will the people of Leeds and Bradfordage over the next 20 years, asks JonathanForrester.

Without a crystal ball it is hard to say, but anew website has been made available to showwhat may happen.

Ageing in the UK allows users to seeprojected population changes up to 2031.

Projections show an ageing of thepopulation over the next 20 years. Peopleaged 65 and over will comprise 22.2 per centof the UK population in 2031 compared to16.5 per cent now.

A smaller increase is expected in Leeds andBradford, where the current figures of 14.2and 13.4 per cent respectively are boththought to rise to 15.8 per cent.

The number of people aged 85 and over isalso expected to increase across the country,while the number of people aged between 16and 64 is set to fall slightly.

The tool can be found on the UK NationalStatistics website atwww.statistics.gov.uk/ageingintheuk/agemap.html.

NLN

APRIL 23 2010 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 2

MOREHEALTH&SPORTSPECIAL

Pages2/3-Children of courage

Page4-Swing your way to a fit

body with a kettlebell workout

Page5-Marathon preparation

Page7-The latest reviews

Page8-An interview with the

Bard of the North

10 Downing tweetby Shahzeena Khalid

POSTERBOYS: Doctoredelectionpostersappearontheinternet(leftandabove)

Mapping the changes

Within hours of Stephanie Brown beingborn her body was covered in red, itchyhives. Professionals said they were a

reaction to her new environment, but as the hivesspread it was clear something was seriouslywrong.

The young child was regularly in distress.Painful blisters covered her body and patches ofher skin thickened. The itchy hives even spread tothe palms of her hands, eyelids, ears and cheeks.

Mum Maria Brown, 38, said she could only sleepon her tummy and if she got emotional orstressed her skin would flare up.

When she was six weeks old a dermatologisttold Maria that it could be mastocytosis, a raremast cell disease that affects just one in 500,000people. After a four month wait to be seen atLeeds General Infirmary, Stephanie was finallydiagnosed with a form of the condition calleddiffuse cutaneous mastocytosis.

Maria, a learning mentor from Mirfield, WestYorkshire, worked with a combination ofspecialists to find a cocktail of medication thatwould help her child. It reduced the itching, butthe appearance of her skin alarmed some people.

After attending a family wedding abroad in June2008 Maria and Stephanie were held up on theirconnecting flight home after passengerscomplained about Stephanies appearance. Mariawas delayed from boarding the flight to showmedical papers and prove that her daughterscondition was not contagious.

Maria said: People would often see Stephanie,grab their kids and shoot off. The plane incidentwas the worst though - that was just plainprejudice.

Maria was worried that this behaviour wouldaffect Stephanies social skills and so pursued analternative treatment after finding an articleonline. In it a young boy with mastocytosis had

received a treatment more commonly used foreczema and psoriasis and seen his skin improve.It involves applying psoralen, a family ofphotosensitising chemicals found in plants, to theskin before it is exposed to UVA. It is known asPUVA.

I just thought, I want that, said Maria. BecauseStephanie was so bad at the time I just thoughtenough was enough.

Last August Stephanie became the youngestperson in the country to have the PUVA treatment.She was given two sessions a week over 16 weeksat Leeds General Infirmary, increasing from just16 seconds to nine minutes.

Maria said: It took nearly 20 sessions to reallynotice what was happening. Over the next coupleof sessions though her skin changed dramatically.

It is five months since Stephanie, now two,finished her PUVA treatment and she looksremarkably different. She still has to takemedication four times a day and is covered inpatches of red skin that can cause discomfort, buther skin has not blistered since. There are alsohopes that her mastocytosis will disappear whenshe is older.

Irene Wilson, 63, is group leader for the UKmastocytosis support group. She said: About 60per cent of children can outgrow mastocytosisaround puberty and those who retain it intoadulthood usually have a milder condition.

The type Stephanie has is called diffusecutaneous mastocytosis which presents at birthor in the first few months of life. This type is veryrare. From what we know there is a good chanceof it beginning to improve and even disappearbefore eight years of age.

Since Stephanie was diagnosed withmastocytosis Maria has worked with the UKsupport group to raise awareness and helpimprove conditions for future sufferers. She has

attended conferences in Leeds and Spain andshares Stephanies story with people all over theworld on dedicated social-networking sites.

She said: If I have any advice to give a mastomum it would be to fight, fight and never give up.A specialist told me that he wasnt the expect onthe subject, I was, as he did not have a child withmastocytosis.

For more information and support visitwww.ukmasto.co.uk.

Mast cellsMast cells are essential in the fight againstinfection and are found in greater numbers inareas most likely to encounter infections, suchas the skin. The cells produced in mastocytosissufferers tend to be abnormal in shape and areproduced in greater numbers.

MastocytosisMastocytosis is caused by the proliferation ofmast cells. Like Stephanie, it often presents inthe skin with persistent pink or dark lesionsthat may itch. Several types of the condition arerecognised in the skin under the heading ofcutaneous mastocytosis. The other main formof the condition is systemic mastocytosis,where the bone marrow is always affected.

UK Mastocytosis Support GroupThe group aims to offer support to thoseaffected by mastocytosis and raise awareness ofthe condition. It also raises money to financesupport group meetings with academic andmedical professionals mastocytosis is a rarecondition that many GPs and specialists areunaware of. Last month the group producedtheir own mastocytosis information leafletwhich was sent to every dermatologist in theUK.

LEFT: Stephanie at six months oldBELOW: Two-year-old Stephaniefollowing PUVA treatment

Stephanies storyby Jonathan Forrester

2 NLN MORE

NLN MORE 3

Living with autism

When Izzi was just two years old she wasable to count from one to ten in French.As any parents would be, Helen and

Barry were amazed. Barry recalls: We thoughtwe had a little genius on our hands. Izzi wasexceptionally bright for her age.

But soon, Helen and Barry started to noticethings that indicated that their daughter wasdifferent. She seemed clumsy and lackedcoordination. She was terrified of certain sightsand sounds, such as the hairdryer. Izzi was alsovery reluctant to join in and play with otherchildren.

When she started nursery, aged four, teachingstaff became concerned about Izzis motor skills.She would struggle with putting on her coat. Theywere also apprehensive about Izzis unwillingnessto socialise with other children. The schoolsuggested that Izzi had an eye test and she alsovisited a speech and language specialist. Izzi wasthen referred to a consultant who carried out anumber of assessments by a team of specialistsfrom Belmont House. This resulted in thediagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome.

Helen and Barry recall the support they receivedrunning up to the diagnosis. Helen says: Thesupport given during the lead-up and thenimmediately post-diagnosis was fairly intense.Following the diagnosis the support declined andwe needed to ask for referrals. Support was shortlived with Izzi being signed off after the allocatedsix weeks was over. Barry adds: It was as ifbecause Izzi had been diagnosed, they had tickedthe box. The help went. The family did receivesupport from Izzis school, who were concernedabout her safety. After many incidents, includingslashing her clothes with scissors and chewing onelectrical wires, the school decided to give Izziconstant one-to-one assistance.

This constant support is carried on in everyother aspect of her life. Izzi, who is now nine, hasno awareness of danger. She also has no roadsense, which means that playing out in the streetis impossible as she has to be constantly watched.Izzi struggles to keep on task and needs guidingand reminding of what she is doing. Her parentshave to supervise most everyday things likegetting dressed, brushing her teeth and eating anddrinking. She struggles to communicate withpeople and rarely initiates a conversation. Playingat home is restrictive and repetitive. Izzi will playwith the same toys repeatedly and will only watcha limited number of DVDs and TV programmes.

In general, Izzis behaviour can vary fromextremely challenging to very calm and relaxed.She prefers to not go out and becomes verystressed and angry if asked to do something shedoesnt want to.

Barry likens dealing with her behaviour towalking on eggshells. He says: Its like Buckaroo.You never know how Izzi will respond tosomething. One day something will trigger her, thenext, she wont even react to the same thing thatstressed her out before.

This unpredictable behaviour affects family life,as going out and socialising can become a stressfulevent for Izzi and her parents. Barry describesfeeling isolated as everyone else gives advice onwhat they think would help Izzi without fullyunderstanding her condition and needs.

He says: Until you have had experience of anautistic child and the extremities of it, peopledont have a clue. Helen and Barry also find itdifficult to find people who will look after Izziwhen they want to go out. They now have ababysitter who deals with autistic children, butpreviously not many people would be prepared tolook after their daughter. Barry says: I canunderstand in a way. People are concerned abouthow she will behave.

This has a knock-on effect on their social life asthey cannot go out often.

The constant strain that Helen and Barry areunder never goes away. They are constantlyfighting for help for Izzi. Barry talks about hisdreams for his daughter when she was born. Hesays: Any dreams I had for her, like gettingthrough education, getting a job and a family, havechanged. Now all I hope for is that she will be ableto survive, cope and function in this world.

If support is given to autistic children at an earlyage, the chances of them having a more functionallife increase considerably. There currently isntenough support for people on the autisticspectrum.

In Helen and Barrys case, they have had toconstantly battle to be heard and to get Izzi thehelp and support she deserves. They believe itshouldnt be the sole responsibility of the parentsto fight for help. Support should be readilyavailable, not only for the sufferer, but for theparents and family.

They think coping with an autistic child is tryingenough, but the added pressure of having toconstantly fight to be heard only increases thestrain.

IZZI: now aged nine, suffers from Aspergers Syndrome

April is National Autism

Awareness Month. A

lifelong developmental

disability, it affects over

half a million people in

the UK, and many

sufferers may require a

lifetime of support and

care. Rebecca Elvin

investigates what it is

really like to live with the

condition.

Living with autism is a daily battle and those struggling

with the condition need support.

Some sufferers are able to live a relatively everyday

life, where others may require a lifetime of support

and care.

Early intervention is known to help children with a

range of developmental disorders. Education can

make a real difference for children with autism.

Although it cannot cure an autism spectrum

disorder, well-structured education can do a lot to

improve an autistic childs long term opportunities.

Due to the Special Educational Needs Code of

Practice, schools must provide support for these

children. Jane Sanders, Special Education Needs

Coordinator (SENCO) and deputy head teacher at

Woodlesford Primary School in Leeds, has had various

experiences with autistic children.

When an autistic child enters the school, they are

visited by Education Leeds Specialist Teachers

Autism Response Service (STARS) team who suggest

ways to improve learning experiences. Jane says: Its

so important that we communicate with the parents.

One of the important things to an autistic child is

continuity and routine, so its crucial that the

techniques used at home and in school are

consistent.

She adds: I really think being in a mainstream school

with other children can benefit an autistic child. If

they are in a special school they are not being exposed

to reality.

We try and teach autistic children that come to our

school how to cope with the real world.

Having an autistic child in a mainstream classroom

can be very demanding and some of the teaching

methods used may have to be modified. Jane

explains: We try and balance the type of teaching

for an autistic child. We balance a range of classroom

contact with constant one-on-one support and small

group work so that the child can interact with other

children. We also take them out of the classroom

environment to give them space. Jane also

emphasises the importance of teaching an autistic

child how to cope with daily life and the outside

world, along with academic learning.

Jane expresses how demanding dealing with autistic

children can be, but she also says how rewarding and

fulfilling it is. She says: It is exhausting and you are

constantly watching them. It is slow progress a lot of

the time, but it is so rewarding when you see a

breakthrough. Its so fulfilling because thats what

youre constantly working towards.

Autism and education

1. Clarins Beauty Flash Balmclaims that it brightens and tightens over time, andimmediately improves signs of fatigue. You can use it underfoundation to boost skin before applying makeup. It is suitable for all skin types.

Testing: I expected this cream to do exactly what it saidbecause Clarins is a highly regarded brand. I couldnt see adifference when I first applied the cream even though it wasapplied thickly enough to use it as a face mask. The cream hada good texture and smell. After a few days it was starting toreduce fine lines and give my skin a more radiant appearance.

2.Lancme Renergie Lift Volumetryis meant to lift, redefine and replump, giving the skin a moreyouthful looking shape.

Testing: The staggering price tag means you want this creamto perform miracles. The cream felt smooth on the skin anddid reduce darkness under the eye area, but I did not noticeany lifting effects after a week of applying the product. Myskin was not plumped, but I would continue to use the creamto see if the benefits started to show after a few weeks.

29.50 59.00

Shimmer this summer Put the radiance back into your complexion with these

Get fit for summer

with kettlebells

At first glance it seems like a standard piece of

equipment favoured by those sweaty men in

the corner of the gym grunting while they lift

impossibly heavy weights. But the recent media hype

surrounding the kettlebell suggests that there is more

to it than meets the eye and it is claimed that a one

hour session can burn up to 1500 calories. For dieters

that is their entire daily allowance and when com-

pared to an aerobics class, which typically burns 300

to 400 calories an hour, it is the obvious choice for

those looking to get in shape fast.

The kettlebell, or girya as it is known in Russia

where it originated, is essentially a cannonball with a

handle on the top. It is swung and lifted while exer-

cising more muscle groups than many other single

forms of exercise. The centre of gravity is different

to a dumbbell as it immediately pulls towards the

floor which triggers core muscles.

Kettlebells have taken the fitness world by storm

over the last few years and celebrities have fallen head

over heels in love with them. Stars such as Geri Hal-

liwell, Jennifer Aniston and Penelope Cruz swear by

the results and this is due to the kettlebells ability to

build muscle without adding bulk, perfect for women

who want to gain strength but do not want to look

like a bodybuilder.

Leeds fitness instructor Jason Dean, who has been

training people since 1992, praises the fast results. He

said: I saw my body change quite dramatically over

a short period of time when I first picked up the ket-

tlebells which is why I was so into them. I have never

found a tool yet that has produced such fast results.

Dean urges caution as the weight of the kettlebell

can increase by up to four times during a lift or swing

and it is therefore essential to seek professional tuition

before picking one up. He warns: If the technique is

wrong or your body is not able to perform certain

movements because of mechanical issues that are pre-

existing - and a lot of people are not aware that they

have mechanical issues - you can do yourself dam-

age.

Despite the worry that swinging an iron ball around

your body could cause a back injury, with professional

instruction the risk is minimal. Some chiropractors ac-

tually endorse the use of kettlebells in treating back

pain. Trevor Killick specialises in chiropractic, sports

and exercise injury management, and has been using

kettlebells for over five years. He uses the device to

strengthen the core muscles that are often weakened

by certain types of back pain.

Killick also warns of the dangers of not following

expert advice. From a rehabilitation point of view

you really have to test and be careful that they are

correct for that person to use, he says. Realistically

youve got to start light and slow and then progress

because if youre giving someone a kettlebell thats

too heavy for them it will cause them more harm.

Classes cost around 10 for an hours group session

and around 35 for a one-to-one session. Kettlebells

cost around 20 for an 8kg weight, which is the rec-

ommended starting weight for women, and 16kg for

men. Once you have learned the basics from a pro-

fessional you can buy your own and exercise at home,

ideal for someone who has little time or space to ex-

ercise. A 15-minute session is comparable to an hour

in the gym and as most of the exercises are done on

the spot it can be done in a small space. There are

also DVDs you can buy and hundreds of online videos

that can enhance the moves you learn in class.

Iput my faith in the hands of kettlebell instructorJason Dean to see what all the fuss was about andan hour later I was converted. Having spent 60

minutes lifting, lunging and swinging an 8kg weightto oblivion I was well and truly shattered, far more sothan in any gym workout I have ever experienced.This was without even exercising for the full class asit is essential to rest muscles in between each shortroutine, and probably impossible to carry on for morethan a few minutes at a time.

Every move was meticulously demonstrated byJason and he then watched closely as we repeated theexercises he had shown us, confirming how importantit was to follow his instruction to avoid injury. I couldsee how easily damage could be done as the weightsare flung around and just one wrong move could endin disaster, or a broken foot at the very least.

The class culminated in 10 double handed swings,five single handed swings on each side, 10 Darcyswings (single handed swings on alternate hands) and10 side-stepping lunges which I had been learninghow to do safely and effectively during the class. Wewere also shown how to do a Turkish stand-up andfor this I switched to a 4kg weight. It begins by lyingon the floor with the kettlebell in one hand and thenslowly and very carefully raising to a standing posi-tion via a series of yoga-style stances. While this maynot sound like much I defy anyone to try this routineand not feel the strain by the end.

It was an ideal all-round workout which had myheart pumping and my muscles stretching. I lovedevery minute of the class and if there is a bandwagon,Im on it.

Putting themto the test

SIZE MATTERS: Kettlebells

MAN SIZE: 16kg weight

KETTLEBELL: In action

by Stephanie Burns

4 NLN MORE

6/10 5/10

Waking up on a Sunday morning and running 26.2 miles is noteverybodys idea of fun. To some it may even sound like their ideaof hell. Yet this Sunday, come rain or shine, 36,000 people will be

doing just that when they take part in the London Marathon.Completion of this arduous race demands respect, and for every intrigued

television spectator eating their bacon sandwich, there are many who wishthey too could share the feeling of running past Canary Wharf and acrossTower Bridge. There are those among us who think: I quite fancy a go at that.

So what do you need to do in order to go from dressing gown and slippersto running gear and trainers?

It may give you some comfort to know that the hardest part of the marathonexperience is generally not the race day itself. Instead the real grind is in thetraining. The race is the pay off for months of hard work in all weathers.

Ed Pritchard, 24, from Huddersfield, is no stranger to the unique experiencethat is the London Marathon. Having competed in both the 2008 and 2009events, like thousands of competitors, he can attest to the huge feeling ofreward that comes with conquering such a challenge.

The pain is temporary but the medal lasts for ever, said Ed. Its a fantasticachievement and it makes your family really proud.

He trained for six months for his first attempt, starting in October as theskies got dark and the weather turned cold. Yet come April and race day, hewas in no doubt all the hard effort was worth it.

It really is an incredible event, the atmosphere is magical everyone cheersyou on all the way round, he said.

It is advised that runners should have either completed or got very close tothe 26.2 mile distance in training. Its worth bearing in mind a marathonshould not be your first major event. So that you arent jumping in at the deepend, it is strongly advised that you build up your training gradually over a longperiod. Running a race of this magnitude is not something that should betaken lightly.

A good idea is to compete in a half marathon prior to running the full length.There are a number of local 10K runs under the Jane Tomlinson banner: Hull(May 23), Leeds (July 4) and York (August 1). These are high-profile eventsin their own right and are regarded as some of the best for beginners.

With a huge emphasis on raising money for charity, running an event likethe London Marathon can become a time-consuming process. Last yearrunners raised 47.2million, confirming the marathon as the largest annualone-day fundraising event in the world. So this weekend spare a thought forthe amount of work every competitor has put in even before they line up inBlackheath for the start.

by Richard Simpson

In it for the long runNLN MORE 5

Tips and HintsHere are a few handy tips to help get you started with a training plan. MORE

spoke to local fitness expert Lawrence Hunter to get his advice.

EatingWhen running long distances it is important to

maximise your potential by eating properly

beforehand. Loading up on carbohydrates is

important, but dont go for a run five minutes after

youve scoffed a bowl of pasta. Eating too much, or

not enough, will also hamper your training.

Hunter says:

Carbs, carbs, carbs. There are two kinds of

carbohydrates - fast release (sugary foods) and slow

release (starch, pasta, rice and bread). Fast release takes five to ten minutes to

break down into your blood stream and produce glucose. Slow release takes

two to three hours. So a couple of hours before training have a high carb meal

like tuna pasta. Then 20 minutes before training have some sugary carbs like

wine gums or fruit with a sports drink.

SchedulingTraining for a marathon is a long-term commitment

that should result in a gradual build up of fitness and

stamina. In order to peak for the big day you need

months of preparation to get used to running long

distances. Exactly how long this takes depends on the

athlete, but 4-6 months concentrated training should

put you in a strong position. It is important to

remember that training is not a race and everyone

will develop at their own rate.

Hunter says:

I would definitely suggest a few months depending on the person and whether

they are generally a fit person. But it can take up to a year. Someone with a

good level of fitness could train for 3-4 months and be up to speed but it also

depends how many times a week you are out there running.

Fartlek TrainingIt may sound peculiar, but mixing up distance

running with Fartlek training (derived from the

Swedish speed play) can be a welcome change of

pace. The idea here is you train with goal-based

targets and use short bursts of speed over set

distances. For example, set off at jogging pace, pick

a marker in the distance and run towards it at a set

speed. So run to a tree at 80 per cent of your

maximum pace then go back to jogging pace. Using

varying speeds, distances and markers is a great way

to break up the monotony of a training run.

Hunter says:

Fartlek is mixed training, so you can run different terrains, gradients and

paces. Its great for strength and endurance and lends itself to mixing in with

a marathon programme. Its also makes runs seem to pass a lot quicker.

If you havent been put off yet here is what you are aiming for:

World Marathon Record

2h 03 59 set by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia (2008 Berlin Marathon)

London Marathon Course Record

2h 05 10 set by Samuel Wanjiru of Kenya (2009 Edition)

3. Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviveris a vitamin infused reviver that claims to boost the skinsvitality and radiance, leaving the skin smooth and supple. Itcontains concentrated vitamins and super conditioners,including vitamin C, orange oil, and grapefruit essential oil.

Testing: The cream was thick and luxurious. I wasdisappointed by the lack of delicious scents which I expectedfrom the list of ingredients. However, even after just a fewdays of use, I noticed that my skin was brighter and felthydrated.

4. No7 Luminating Radiance Beautyis a serum claiming to have the power to turn back the clockin just four weeks by reducing fine lines, leaving your skinwith a youthful glow.

Testing: The cream was silky to the touch and had a pleasantsmell. After just the first week, my skin felt tighter andappeared brighter. It was good value for money, as I could seethe results more quickly than promised compared with thehigher priced alternatives.

12.5017.50

brightening, tightening and illuminating creams by Rebecca Elvin and Chole Doyle

8/109/10

by Chloe Doyle

Out with the stodgy and in with the healthyas soldiers get more variety andnourishment from the conventional army

rat pack. The packs have seen the British militarythrough some tough times over the years, but thenew pack is going to be distributed in Afghanistanthis year.

With tinned corned beef now out of vogue, armyration packs have been given a well neededmakeover by the Ministry of Defence. The newpacks have been specially formulated to meet thenutritional needs of soldiers in an extreme climatewhile supplying enough energy and vitamins for24 hours.

Cpt Paul Cunningham, project leader at theDefence Food Services, said: Some of the troopsliked the biscuit browns that used to be includedin the ration packs but the younger troops likemore modern varied food, and they like the brandnames.

The pack as a whole contains a whopping 4,100calories, 670 grams of carbohydrates, 115 gramsof fat and 105 grams of protein per pack to aid thevigorous routines and environment that thetroops endure. This amount of sustenance wouldlast the average person around two days.

There are now 20 different menus to choosefrom instead of the previous 10, and the contentsof the pack have been significantly changed toincrease the nutrition and sustenance theyprovide. Lt Cdr Neil Horwood, project manager ofthe new menu, has also taken into account thepalette of a younger lesstraditional eater.

With temperatures reaching50C it is important for thesoldiers to keep eating anddrinking as the heat can reducetheir appetite. So it is veryimportant that there is something the troops likein the packs. He said: We came up with the ideaof going from 10 menus to 20, because we knewwe needed to come up with something better.

Also included are six new offerings of halal,vegetarian , Sikh and Hindu food for soldiers withmore dietary restrictions.

Cpt Peter Down, 41, who has been in the armyfor over 20 years and has done long stints in Iraq,said: The dieticians have recognised that a lot ofthought has to go into these rations. If the guys arehaving the same boring food day in, day out, then

its going to demoralise them. You have to think ofthe youngsters who joined the army already

having a poor diet. I know ofyoung lads out in Iraq thathave tried to live off crisps andchocolate, they need to knowwhat the body requires: theyneed to be educated. Thepacks are designed to keep an

infantry soldier fighting for a whole day and night.Cpt Down added: There has been a vast

improvement made to the food. Back in the olddays we were issued tin cans, which adds weightto our ruck sacks. Also you have to get rid of theplastic waste and the army doesnt leave wastebehind - we leave the area like we found it. Younever used to be able to eat them cold and Ichallenge anybody to eat a pack of cold sausageswrapped in lard that hasnt been boiled.

MOD spokeswoman for the Yorkshire regionPenny Veale said: We have had a lot of good feed

back about the new ration packs. They are really important to keep energy levels up, and keep thetroops going. Their wellbeing is vital to us.

Each ration pack has an 18-month shelf life andincludes a mixture of dry foods like nuts and fruit,energy drinks, boil-in-the-bag pouches like pastaor curry, cereals, seasonings and tiny bottles ofTabasco sauce.

Lt Helen Willis, 24, has been in the army sinceshe was 12, starting out as a young cadet so hasgood knowledge and experience of the armyration packs. She said: Over the past few yearsthere has been definite improvement. They havebrought in a lot more flavours. There is morevariety, obviously following the American type ofration packs. You get little bottles of sauces now,and genuine Yorkie chocolate.

She added: I usually just eat the breakfast anda main meal. I cant eat everything in the pack over24 hours, its just too much for me. I give thepuddings to the guys.

Army fashions its rations

RATIONS: Picnic on patrol

PACKED OUT: Rations on display

I challenge anybodyto eat a pack of coldsausages wrapped in

lard

6 NLN MORE

Chloe Doyle tests a ration pack and eats like a soldier for a day. ~ Breakfast ~

Muesli with powered milk, fruit pocket, pineapple tidbits, cup of tea, blackcurrant juice

~ Lunch ~Pasta salad, Lucozade sports drink, boiled sweets

~ Dinner ~Yellow chicken curry, pilau rice, Tabasco sauce, energy drink, coffee

~ Supper ~Hot chocolate, Oreos

The pack also included water purifying tablets, tissues, matches, sugar,powdered milk, a teaspoon, chewable dental gum and moist wipes.

My favourite items from the pack were the muesli with powdered milk,the pasta salad, the hot chocolate, and the Oreos, as they all tasted likesomething I would normally eat. They didnt taste like they came out ofan army ration pack. I disliked the yellow chicken curry and pilau rice. Ifound the rice hard and the curry itself looked, tasted, and smelt like babyfood. The look of it put me off. But overall I would definitely say there issomething for everyone that would suit all tastes and dietary restrictions.

In the rat pack: tried and tested

Strolling onto the stage at Manchesters Apollo

Theatre in his trademark black t-shirt tucked into

jeans, Gervais welcomed the audience with a four

letter expletive. A term of endearment, as he called

it, and this set the scene for the rest of the show. It was

rife with political incorrectness, something a Gervais fan

has come to expect. Touching on everything from

mental illness to religion, he did not apologise for his

views and made countless references to people

complaining about his material.

Gervais mimicked the angry critic after every non-

PC comment but continued in the same vein

regardless and even though at times it made the

audience squirm in their seats, they always laughed

along with him. There was even one joke that he

asked the audience not to repeat so he could retain

the shock value for his DVD release.

The stage was set up like a mad scientists lab to

match the science theme, however very little

actually fit under this heading and Gervais was the

first to admit it. It was more about his rationality and

to illustrate this he used the example of Noahs Ark,a book he had kept from his childhood it even had

his name written in the front cover. In keeping with

the lecture theme that is the format of his stand-up

shows, he projected the book on a display screen for

the audience. With a huge lecturers pointer he

demonstrated the downfalls of the religious story,

highlighting pictures with homosexual undertones and

the unfeasibility of the concept.

The jokes were not laugh-a-minute as with the fast

one-liners of warm-up act Stuart Francis who had the

audience in stitches from the first time he opened his

mouth. The Canadians material was parallel to

Gervais humour, with offensive jokes and contorted

impressions galore. Gervais style was a slower process

with witty musings leading to an eventual punch line,

which was more likely to have the audience gasping

in shock than belly-laughing.

Between glugs of his can of Fosters present at

every show and this time stored behind an oversized,

bubbling brain tank he once again ridiculed the

obese. Although the audience still found his view on

the topic amusing, it had been covered in his previous

stand-up shows and so felt like rehashed material.

Many would have expected him to branch out into

other avenues rather than revisiting old subjects.

Gervais put on a good show and did not disappoint

with his latest offering and, although in parts the

material was not as fresh as his former efforts, it seems

the bubble is yet to burst on the Gervais brand.

Ricky Gervais Live: Science will be released on DVDAutumn 2010

More Scores: 7/10

THE FESTIVALZombie Film Festivalby Tom Richardson

The only half-alive, flesh-hungry creaturesyoud usually encounter on a Sundayafternoon in Leeds are casualties from the

previous night nursing hangovers and looking fora fry-up.

But shambling, pale-faced beasts of a differentkind will descend on Cottage Road cinema thisweek as the Leeds Zombie Film Festival (LZFF)shuffles into Headingley on Sunday.

Now in its third year, the festival is organised byEmmerdale stars and fully signed-up zombienerds Dominic Brunt and Mark Charnock (alsoknown as Paddy and Marlon). Based on theirshared love of all things zombie-related, the pairstarted the event after spending much of theirspare time mulling over the conundrum ofsurviving a zombie holocaust.

They arent alone in their obsession. Each year,the festival is overrun by hordes of fellow zombiefans sporting make-up, masks and the undeaduniform of tattered jeans and ripped t-shirts.

For Mark and Dominic, its the audienceparticipation that makes the festival. Mark said:Without them, itd just have been me and Dom ina big cinema and one monumental act of selfindulgence. Its felt like a real undead family, withfamiliar faces turning up each year and scaringthe bejesus out of us.

There will be plenty for zombie devotees to sinktheir teeth into this year. 28 Days Later, Shaun ofthe Dead and micro-budget indie film Colin willsate fans of British flesh-eater flicks. From abroad,theres Norwegian Nazi zombie comedy DeadSnow, George A. Romeros Day of the Dead and70s Italian schlocker Burial Ground.

All profits from the day will go to the WorldSociety for the Protection of Animals. Dominicsaw their work firsthand when he travelled toRomania to witness the rescue of bears kept inappalling conditions. He said: The bears werekept in tiny cages going insane through restrictionand boredom, being fed the scraps from therestaurants that kept them for up to 10 years asliving dustbins.

While the festival has a serious side, theemphasis is on fun and the love of all thingszombie. In addition to the usual line-up ofmovies, make-up artists will be on hand to helpaudience members get the effortless just-perished look so popular among the undead.Therell also be a Q&A with director Marc Price,who took Cannes by storm with his made-for-45mini-masterpiece Colin.

Dominic is keen to frame the festival as a light-hearted affair. He said: Po-faced film buffs on latenight TV tell us these films are something morethan they are. He adds: To me they will alwaysbe something to enjoy and laugh at.

If the idea of spending a sunny spring afternoonin the park fills you with dread, you can maintainyour pasty complexion by spending 12 hours in adarkened room with 300 zombie fans, facespainted, jeans torn and hungry for gore thisSunday.

The LZFF takes place at Cottage Road Cinema,Headingley, on Sunday from noon to midnight. TheNew Inn Pub (opposite the cinema) will be offeringdiscount drinks all day and hosting an after partywhen the festival ends.

THE TV SERIESJoanna Lumleys Nileby Adam Edwards

Absolutely Fabulous? Try utterly refreshing.

Joanna Lumleys Nile is one of the mostenjoyable series to have graced the box in years.

Part Wish You Were Here, part Out of Africa, Lumleyspoetic voice, infectious laugh and English rose-panache

is a much needed breath of fresh air and surprisingly

funny.

If youre a National Geographic buff you may beslightly disappointed - documentary its not. But what

the show lacks in content it more than makes up for

with Lumleys life-long passion for Africa. The four part

series sees Lumley travel through five countries, braving

war-zones, rapids and jungles. Lumleys odyssey takes

her through Egypt and Sudan and the highlands of

Ethiopia, before heading on to Uganda and the source

of the Nile in Rwanda.

Episode one began with Lumley sailing into the mouth

of the great river from the Mediterranean. From nearby

Alexandria, the ancient capital of Alexander the Great,

she headed to Cairo - where the Indian-born actress

made her way across the sands on camel, arriving at the

pyramids in true colonial style. In Luxor Lumley

assumed the role of an Agatha Christie character,

floating up the Nile in a cruise ship.

But its not all champagne and canapes with Lumley

donning a Cleopatra costume and helping to judge the

toilet roll-mummy competition being held below deck.

She has class and is a good sport.

And if the first episode is anything to go by the rest

of Lumleys adventure should be well worth watching.

Watch Joanna in action on ITV1 at 9pm on Monday.The series runs until May 3.

More Scores: 10/10

MORE ReviewsNLN MORE 7

THE GIGRicky Gervais: Science Tourby Stephanie Burns and Chloe Doyle

Find out more about the WSPAs work at :http://www.wspa.org

The Yorkshire accent and cattle markets are two

things you dont normally associate with the

works of Shakespeare or Chaucer, but for

classically-trained thespian Barrie Rutter they are

something of an everyday occurrence.

The artistic director of Halifax-based production

company Northern Broadsides has made a career out

of touring alternative venues and performing the classics

in an accent more closely associated with flatcaps and

whippets than the Globe Theatre.

After a successful stint with the Royal Shakespeare

Company and the National Theatre, the Hull-born

actor decided to form his own theatre company so he

could act in his natural voice. I just thought I had a

great idea, he says. My inspiration came from a Tony

Harrison play [in which he produced an ancient Greek

play written for a northern accent]. We toured Salts

Mill where we used formal language written in

Yorkshire voice. And I had a road to Damascus

moment and decided to set up my own company.

In 1992 it was a revolutionary idea. Dont get me

wrong, people had done accent pieces before but I

made a lot of publicity and it just took off.

Rutter believes that the language of Shakespeare and

other classical writers is better suited to a northern

voice. He points out that words such as thee and

thou sound less archaic when they are spoken by

someone from the north of England than by someone

with a BBC accent.

What we do know is that the syntax would have

been different in Shakespeares day and the syntax you

used would have marked you out as to where you came

from. I was not trying to turn the clock back. The voices

[in Shakespeares plays] wouldnt necessarily sound like

Yorkshire. This is my natural voice and I just wanted to

perform using my own voice.

Rutters dream proved an immediate success and his

performances drew packed crowds around the UK. In

its early years the company toured a number of

alternative venues like the Tower of London, Victorian

mills, train sheds and churches something they have

been forced to cut back on due to legislation.

Health and safety rules mean we cant do open air

performances as much. We still go to as many places as

we can but the majority of the performances we do

now are in theatres - much to my slight

disappointment, says Rutter.

As well as touring the UK, the company has

performed its unique take on the classics around the

world in countries as distinct as America, India,

China, Germany, Cyprus and Poland. In Austria, Rutter

and his colleagues even performed at a Roman

amphitheatre alongside live lions and bears.

While a foreign tour may seem odd given the nature

of Northern Broadsides performances, Rutter insists

that their reception from foreign audiences is generally

as good, if not better, than in the UK.

Its not about Yorkshire when youre abroad, its

about clarity of speech.

When you are dealing in a foreign language, which

Shakespeare effectively is it was written 400 years ago

the jokes dont always go down well [with English

audiences]. Shakespeares work was extremely comical

and sometimes this is still picked up on [in other

countries].

A Shakespeare play like The Tempest containsheartfelt moments. Itll make you laugh, itll make you

cry and at the same time slap you in the face. Theres

an immediacy and clarity which I insist upon. This has

been in all our productions over the years.

The company has won a number of awards. The first

award Northern Broadsides won was for making

Shakespeare more accessible, he says. I didnt set out

to make Shakespeare more accessible. That would have

been pompous.

Rutter has strong views on this topic and is against

moves to dumb down classic works of literature. It

says nothing about the language, the creativity, and

syntax used. Education is in the language of

Shakespeare.

I recently took part in a discussion on the radio

where the other panellist said that Shakespeare would

be writing for soap operas if he were alive today. I think

this is complete nonsense.

But despite his strong views Rutter is no purist. He

cast comedian Lenny Henry a long-standing critic of

Shakespeare as Othello in 2009. The gamble proved

hugely successful though, with Henry receiving the

London Evening Standards best newcomer award forhis performance.

It came about through sheer serendipity. We worked

together on radio and I invited him to join us. He was

a very willing and energetic first timer and the success

of it was down to his application.

Rutter says his inspiration has always been language

above anything else.

Northern Broadsides are performing ChauchersCanterbury Tales at The Viaduct in Halifax from June1 to 5 (01422 255266) and at York Theatre Royal fromJune 9 to 12 (01904 623568)

Friends, Romans,Yorkshiremen... lend us yer ears

ContactNLNMORE

T: 0113 283 7318

E: editor@northleedsnews.co.uk

Issue two edited by Adam Edwards

and Jonathan Forrester

Next issue: April 30

8 NLN MORE

ONSTAGE:Rutter(right)inaction

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Adam Edwards speaks to Barrie Rutter

about producing classic plays in a

Yorkshire accent.