Four years on, contrite thief returns stolen National Trust cigarette case

Originally printed in The Independent on 23rd December 2009 - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/four-years-on-contrite-thief-returns-stolen-national-trust-cigarette-case-1848118.html

In a charming tale of human contrition, a visitor who stole a silver cigarette case from a National Trust property has returned the item after four years with a letter of apology.

A cigarette case dating from the 1950s was stolen in 2005 by an opportunist thief touring the Florence Court in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. But the culprit, who identified themselves only as "DL", explained in a letter to the curator of the classical 18th-century mansion how the shame had become overwhelming.

"I am so appalled when I think of my outrageous behaviour and can only comfort myself slightly in the knowledge that I no longer feel the urge to take things that do not belong to me," the thief wrote.

The light-fingered visitor added: "I realise how splendidly the National Trust engages in Ireland and England minding wonderful houses and properties so that they can be enjoyed and the last thing they need are people stealing items or causing any other kind of damage."

The case features the initials DLC for David Lowry Cole, the 6th Earl of Enniskillen. Florence Court was his family's ancestral home for generations.

Kim Chestnutt, the property manager of Florence Court, said he was "grateful to the person who has expressed remorse and returned this case".

Frances Bailey, curator at Florence House said: "This is a wonderful thing to happen. Although the case isn't worth much in monetary terms, it has great sentimental value and we're delighted that this person has returned it."

The cigarette case will be back on display when Florence Court re-opens in March 2010.

Lord Enniskillen gave the house to the National Trust in 1953, to secure its future. Two years later, a huge fire destroyed two thirds of the interior. It took several years for the building, including fine rococco decoration, to be restored to its former glory and in 1961, as the end to the work approached, Hurricane Debbie devastated the estate.

ONLY QUARTER OF WORKERS PLANNING EARLY

Only one in four older workers plans to retire early, with 43% intending to work on into their late 60s and 70s, research showed today.

Around 26% of people aged over 50 who have not yet retired hope to give up work before they reach the state pension age, according to the Department of Work and Pensions.

But, when Ipsos-MORI questioned 1,196 people born between 1945 and 1960 between September 11 and October 1, 25% said they planned to work on for a few years after being able to claim their state pension, while 12% say they will work for a long time after this date, and 6% will leave their current job but look for other work that suits them better.

Only 31% of those questioned said they planned to retire when they were able to pick up their state pension.

Around 28% said they planned to work for longer due to financial considerations, with 26% saying the recession had changed their retirement plans.

But 22% said they did not feel old enough to retire completely, 21% said they loved their job and 20% said they thought working kept them younger and fitter.

Many people did not know the benefits of working on beyond the state pension age, with 44% not realising they would not have to pay National Insurance, while 38% did not know they could defer taking their state pension in exchange for getting a larger income later.

Minister for Pensions and Ageing Society Angela Eagle said: "The idea that you reach state pension age and suddenly stop work is being challenged by our generation of baby boomers, with many not feeling old enough to stop work completely.

"People want the choice to decide what's right for them but, worryingly, many make this decision based on little or no knowledge of the financial facts."

Andrew Harrop, head of policy at Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: "This survey is yet more evidence that millions of workers in their 50s and 60s are planning to work past state pension age, either because they want to or because they need to.

"Regrettably, the retirement plans of many of these workers could be shattered by the default retirement Age, which allows employers to pension people off at 65.

"Ministers should start listening to what older workers are telling them and scrap forced retirement law immediately.

Migrants treated as second class human beings

In recent years, migrants - including individuals who were possibly refugees - have reportedly been shot dead by security forces, or dumped to die in the desert in their attempts to cross borders in North Africa. Hundreds more are believed to have died after being pushed back out into the Indian Ocean in boats without functioning engines. Many others die on a regular basis as they try to evade coastguard and naval vessels deployed by the world's richer nations, or because they have been packed on unseaworthy vessels by ruthless smugglers who seem, in some countries, to operate with almost total impunity.

Others migrants are killed by landmines, die of exposure in remote mountain areas, or are raped, forced into bonded labour or prostitution, in both developed and developing countries. In some countries, migrant communities have been forcibly rounded up by the authorities, or have had to flee for their lives as they are attacked by mobs, and seen their homes and businesses ransacked.

Despite the heavy toll, remarkably little attention is devoted to all these deaths and the chronic human rights violations against so many extremely vulnerable men, women and children.

The commonest reaction to this horrific reality seems to be a collective shrug: The deaths are sad of course, but it is the indivdual's own fault for trying to enter other countries uninvited. The unmistakable conclusion is that many of us - politicians, state authorities, media and the general public - view migrants, especially poor migrants, as second-class human beings, who are somehow not entitled to the same rights as the rest of us.

It is likely that this year's International Migrants' Day will elicit token expressions of concern before we return to business as usual: keeping migrants out, blaming those in our countries already for some of our social or economic problems - while at the same time readily exploiting them as cheap labour. The trend of criminalization of irregular migration and the use of detention to discourage more people from coming are also likely to continue or get worse.

Such policies often violate the human rights of migrants and contribute to anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobia. Immigrants arriving irregularly in a new country are often detained as a routine procedure and at times without proper judicial safeguards. In addition, irregular migrants intercepted at sea, and others seized by law enforcement officials during raids, are increasingly facing violence, arbitrary detention and premature expulsion. Such actions rarely take into account the mixed character of migration flows, and often lack necessary measures to protect the most vulnerable amongst irregular migrants, such as unaccompanied children, asylum-seekers and victims of trafficking.

Migrants who reach their final destination often face severe discrimination in the fields of housing, education, health, work or social security. Laws discriminating - or allowing for discriminatory practices - against non-nationals, along with programmes and policies that fail to address specific needs and vulnerabilities of migrants, often result in them being unable to access basic services or only able to do so at levels that do not meet international human rights standards.

International human rights law recognizes this heightened vulnerability of migrants, but here too the 'collective shrug' is having a noticeably negative impact.

GBL and other 'legal highs' banned

The number of children being treated for cocaine addiction has increased by 50% in three years, figures showed today.

Last year 745 under 18s in England sought help from the National Treatment Agency for coke abuse, up from 453 in 2005/6. Among them was a small group of very young children. Fourteen twelve to fourteen year-olds and 169 14-16 year-olds needed help to get off the Class A drug.

Worryingly the figures showed 15 children aged 12 or younger were treated for all Class A drug use last year. Overall, nearly 25,000 under 18s needed addiction treatment for drugs and alcohol misuse last year, an increase of 150. Half of those were for cannabis, more than a third for alcohol, but fewer teenagers are seeking treatment for crack and heroin.

Last year the agency treated 657 crack and heroin users, down from 1,081 in 2005/6. Rosanna O'Connor, director of delivery at the NTA, said the figures indicated the heroin "epidemic" had peaked. The falls reflect similar declines in crack and heroin use among young adults aged 18 to 24.

She said: "Most young people receiving substance misuse interventions cannot be described as addicts in the same way as adults in treatment.

"Addiction is normally the result of regular, consistent use of substances over time; most under-18s who have problems have not pursued drug taking long enough to result in dependency."

Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Norman Lamb said: "There is a real problem with young people receiving mixed messages because of the alleged glamour associated with drugs like cocaine.

"We need to get the message across about the dangers of experimenting with a massively addictive drug like cocaine.The Government has been obsessed with trying to look tough on drugs while slashing funding for information services and refusing to listen to scientific opinion. Ministers must do a lot more to make people aware of the serious damage that drug use can do to your long-term health."

These accusations of sending mixed messages coincide with the a new ban on 'legal highs' that came into force today. The ban covers GBL, BZP and man-made chemicals sprayed on herbal smoking products such as "Spice", which are now classed as controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

The crackdown comes after the high-profile case of medical student Hester Stewart, 21, who died in Brighton in April after taking GBL. But her mother Maryon believes the new rules "do not go far enough" because GBL is only classified as a Class C illegal drug.

She said: "In America, it is schedule A, which is the equivalent of a Class A drug here."

However, Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "We are sending out a clear message to anyone who is thinking about experimenting with them (the drugs), particularly over the festive period, that not only are they putting themselves in danger, they will also be breaking the law."

Fifteen anabolic steroids are also to be controlled as Class C drugs, alongside two growth promoters.

Free lunches handed out to highlight food waste

This article was originally printed in The Independent - http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/free-lunches-handed-out-to-highlight-food-waste-1842653.html

With countries stalling over policies in Copenhagen, one easy way to cut down on emissions seems rather obvious - eat food more carefully. Recent estimations show that 10 per cent of the worlds richest countries greenhouse gas emissions come from growing food which is never eaten.

Speaking today at the 'Feeding the 5000' event in Trafalgar Square, London, leading food waste campaigner Tristram Stuart teamed up with charities to highlight the global problems with food waste and demonstrate some practical ways to solve it.

'Food is a basic human need but 1 billion people in the world are malnourished' he said. 'Even in the UK there are 4 million people unable to afford a healthy diet. There is plenty in the world, yet the amount of waste at every level of the system means many still go without. What we're showing here is that the easiest solution to this problem is quite simply to eat it. This isn't just about showing people how to save money, its about showing everyone how we can help protect the environment.'

The ingredients used in the feast were collected from local traders. Most was either excess stock or had been deemed unsellable due to irregular shape or size. With this volunteers worked from early in the morning to provide enough free curries, fruit bags and smoothies for five thousand passers-by.

The other food used was donated having passed its sell-by dates. Confusion over date labelling on food is estimated to result in 400,000 tonnes of food being thrown into landfill each year. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has called for supermarkets and food manufacturers to scrap the use of best-before and sell-by dates on food packaging.

He said, 'Thousands of tonnes are being thrown unnecessarily into landfill. There it converts in greenhouse gases and adds to the climate problem. Its not just costing us money, it's costing us the earth.'

Speaking on this, Mr Stuart told the Independent, 'politicians like Mr Benn have the right ideas on food waste, they just seem to lack the power to enforce them upon the supermarkets.'

the best-before mythology

In the UK, nearly 400,000 tonnes of food is misguidedly thrown away each year after passing its best-before date. In monetary figures this amounts to £424 worth of food being thrown away by each adult.And despite all the information being thrown at the public to use materials more efficiently, the situation appears to be getting worse. According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) domestic waste is increasing each year by 1-2% and overall there is an estimated 5.4 million tonnes of food thrown away in Britain each year.

Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is calling for supermarkets and food manufacturers to scrap the use of best-before and sell-by dates on food packaging. In an interview with Roses for Arcadie Mr Benn MP spelt out the seriousness of the problem and stated the first step to reducing waste is to educate society to 'reduce less and recycle more.'

'It's about changing attitudes' he said, 'Millions of tonnes are going to landfill and there it converts into greenhouse gases and adds to the climate problem. It's not just costing us money; it's costing us the earth.'

'One of the things we need to do is think about why customers are confused by labelling on food. Use-by dates are a necessity as they are about food safety, but best-before and sell-by are more about food quality and are there to help stores manage stock effectively.'

Campaigners assert that supermarkets are in favour of the current system as the more food that gets wasted by the consumer means the more they are likely spend. The big retailers are however beginning to show some responsibility in combating the issue. Recent experiments at Sainsbury’s and Tesco have piloted a 'buy one now, get one later' initiative where customers receive a coupon at the checkout and return to the store at a later date to collect the second item.

Food waste will never go away, it is a natural outcome of modern society. But for Mr Benn MP finding alternatives to landfill is key to for a more sustainable future. 'I don't want to see us any more plough waste into landfill. An increasing number of local authorities are now collecting food waste and turning it into compost. Really usefully though you can turn it into renewable energy - biogas and electricity.'

'I shall be consulting just after Christmas to moving to fate where then after we will no longer put food waste into landfill as it doesn't make sense.'

To listen to the interview in full click here

Thousands live destititute in Leeds

Destitution (n) 1. extreme want of resources or the means of subsistence, complete poverty
2. a deprivation or lack, a deficiency

There is a hidden, largely unreported population in British society which survives on less than a dollar a day - the yardstick that defines acute and unacceptable poverty across the globe. These people are rejected asylum seekers who have 'chosen' to live in destitution because they fear that their lives will be in danger if they return to their home countries.

The section of the Home Office responsible for asylum seekers, the UK Border Agency (UKBA) does not put an exact figure on this population but estimates range from 300,000 to 500,000. These 'failed' applicants are given 21 days, known as the 'move-on' period before financial, legal and health aid is severed. Without a home, thousands of people have taken to living under the radar in Britain, enduring severe poverty, extreme hunger, mental and physical ill health and multiple forms of abuse. Amnesty International believe this to be a deliberate tactic to rush people out of the country. Even the House of Lords deemed that by 'refusing permission for asylum seekers to work and operating a system of support which results in widespread destitution, the Governments treatment of asylum seekers in a number of cases reaches Article 3 ECHP threshold of inhuman and degrading treatment'.

A recent report published by PAFRAS, a charity that works with asylum seekers and refuges in Leeds revealed over half of the people it works with survive on one meal a day and less than £5 a week. Severe depression is widespread and many have experienced racial and physical abuse (including rape) by 'white English people.' Crucially, 95% of the people PAFRAS speak to are from affluent professional backgrounds including lawyers, teachers and television presenters. So the question must be asked, why would they choose to remain here and suffer such neglect and privation?

According to the Refugee Council, half of all recorded destitution cases come from only four countries, Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe and Eritrea - all places of conflict or that have human rights records. Many were forced to flee these countries because they dared speak out against oppressive regimes in countries where opposing the government leads to detention, torture and sometimes death. Yet despite the government arguing it has 'a proud tradition of offering a place of safety for genuine refugees', many people from these troubled countries continually find their application rejected. But in the case facing many Zimbabweans, legal action currently prevents the government from removing refused asylum seekers back to the country and therefore many have little choice but to slip off the radar.

In contrast to popular opinion, the UK does not receive the most asylum seeker applications in Europe; last year both France and Italy took higher numbers. There are 10.6 million refugees in the world and 90% live in Africa and Asia. In 2006, only 23,610 people claimed asylum and up to two-thirds of these were refused - asylum was just 4% of overall immigration in 2007. Those who do it make to the UK have done so through people smugglers, often paying $10,000 to get passage to a safe country. Their socio-economic status then in their home country debunks the myth that asylum seekers are poverty-stricken individuals whose primary aim when in the UK is to claim benefit and secure council housing.

The destitute asylum seeker population is invisible, it statistically does not exist. But the human stories are there to be discovered. PAFRAS has seen demand for its services (free meals, toiletries, clothes, support and advice) rise from 2,230 visits in 2006 to 6,112 in 2008. Much of the help received by asylum seekers is provided by other impoverished asylum seekers but who are on Section 4 Support - £35 supermarket vouchers a week and no choice accommodation). As one put it, ''It's left to those of us with almost nothing to support those with absolutely nothing.'' This leaves many homeless, starving and open to exploitation and racist attacks.

Thirty-five percent of the women in the PAFRAS report who have no choice put to sleep on the street claim they had been sexually assaulted. One woman was attacked by a gang of five men while she was sleeping in a park - two of these men raping her. Another man was racially abused and stabbed in the eye with a piece of broken glass. But, the vast majority of attacks go unreported as failed asylum seekers are fearful of the police liaising with immigration officials to expedite their removal from the UK.

Many destitute asylum seekers are in poor health, both physically and mentally. Seventy-five percent of those who use PAFRAS have been diagnosed with clinical depression. Peoples psychological problems are a toxic combination of trauma endured in their home country and trauma endured here. But it is not just the adult asylum seeker population crippled by destitution. Five percent of the women interviewed in Leeds have children under the age of 5 born in the UK. Like their mothers, these children are enduring severe poverty and extreme hunger. What will happen when they reach school age?

Jon Burnett of PAFRAS perhaps offers the best possible summary when he states 'the fact that so many people who have escaped persecution are suffering such extreme privations is nothing short of a completely avoidable humanitarian disaster in our own backyard'.

interview with.... Graham Aitken - SSDP UK Secretary

Last year the ‘Students for Sensible Drug Policy’ society successfully campaigned for ecstasy testing kits to be sold in Leeds University Union. The motion was voted in by 1750 votes to 670, but subsequent political conflicts between the Student Executive and the society means the motion remains in the bureaucracy stage.

The following interview with Graham Aitken, SSDP UK Secretary, debates the stigma attached to the campaign group, the need for reform of drug policy and the resistance against changes in drug policy.

click here to listen to the full interview

more information can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15813827917&ref=search&sid=504047638.1577371698..1

an interview with... Pete Lazenby - a life in newsprint

There probably isn't a person living in West Yorkshire who hasn't read the words of local journalist Pete Lazenby. His traditional 'old hack' style of reporting means he has been at the forefront of many social and political issues in the region. However, Pete's desire to expose and infiltrate the darker issues in local society hasn't come without its troubles.
In 2006 his face appeared on the homepage of neo-fascist website 'Redwatch' and he has seen a previous residential address in Guiseley published on the internet. He has also found himself confronted physically in the street on many occasions.
"In some ways being on 'Redwatch' is recognition that as a journalist you must be doing something right and it makes you more determined to keep going."
Pete has worked for the Yorkshire Evening Post (YEP) since 1972, writing at least five million words in the process. Be it the last remaining mole catcher in the Dales or reporting from the front line during the miners strike, Pete has pretty much seen it all.
"I have always loved the written word and even at the age of 10 my head teacher recognised my journalistic endeavour. I was always writing at school and that's just stayed with me ever since. In fact, I was so eager to get in to the industry that I started my role as a trainee for the Wharfedale Observer the day after I sat my last O-Level exam!"
Pete's 'old-school' style of reporting and enthusiasm to get out and about in the local community has meant he was the man to cover many of the major stories to have happened around the region.
"My 'break' really came during the Miners Strike. The media was seen as being biased towards the government, however I was able to get into the mining communities and report their side of the argument. Ever since then I have worked closely alongside trade unions and social groups."
Over the years, Pete has also reported from India, Uzbekistan and following his time spent in reporting from Red Square he was given an honorary Russian citizenship.
"I feel so lucky to have been able to travel and meet so many people through my work. Something that has really stuck with me is when I went to South Africa to report on Nelson Mandela’s election in 1994. Not only was the occasion wonderfully historic but I ended up staying with an ANC activist couple. They took me round to see the places the cameras never showed and I got a glimpse of the true South African state."
Despite all these adventures though, Pete has remained devoted to working and reporting on social issues around Leeds.
"I'm really very interested in homelessness, the poverty caused by unemployment, benefit cuts and racism around Leeds. I've found that I have become much more active and involved in anti-fascism and anti-racism over the years due to my desire to combat the increasing extremism in the area."
This enthusiasm means Pete arrives for work at half past six every morning to see that his stories make the days print and he averages about 4,000 words, each shift. He also writes columns for the Guardian online, the National Union of Journalists magazine (of which he is 'Father of the Chapel' - like a shop steward - for the region) and many other magazines and publications. He was also an instrumental figure in the recent strikes at the Yorkshire Post Newspapers which fought to protect staff from redundancies. However, as he nears his 60s, Pete is looking forward to a more relaxed way of life.
"Next month I'm taking myself down to part-time here at the YEP which will be great as it will allow me to plough some new fields, rebuild some old contacts and focus on the stories that matter most to me. My wife and I have formed Red Lead Media, a freelance journalism operation, which again is really exciting as it's a bit of a change and there are all kinds of different areas we're hoping to branch into. Journalism still gives me that buzz, until that energy dissolves I intend carry on writing and digging for the truth."

an interview with... M - fleeing from Uganda

I originally come from Gulu in the northern part of Uganda, which for the past twenty years has been subjected to violent armed struggle between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a militia group opposed to the government. The LRA has terrorised large parts of the country, particularly the north where I come from.

My husband was an army commander for the Uganda People’s Defence Force, which was set up by the government to defeat the LRA. My husband was involved in covert missions against the LRA and because the rebels never gave up without a fight, many of them were killed in the skirmishes. Often the LRA would retaliate by killing innocent civilians, including my parents who they killed in 1999.

One day in October 2002, one month after my husband had returned from a particularly gruesome encounter with the LRA, we were woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of gunfire and shouting. The next thing we knew, our front door was being kicked down by what sounded like a large group of angry men. My husband rushed out of bed with a pistol he had kept in a drawer by the bed. He confronted the group of men and as they hurled abuse at him I rushed into the room next door where my children were screaming.

I was terrified. I pulled my children close to me and we crept into a wardrobe, cowering with fear. I heard a number of shots in quick succession and could hear the men screaming abuse and insults at our whole family and my husband in particular. I then heard loud thuds and thought they must have overpowered my husband and were beating him up.

The mood in the room next door then changed and I heard someone ask ‘where is the woman?’. They soon found us and pulled us out of the wardrobe. They pulled me away from the children and hurled me on to the floor where they proceeded to rape me one after another. I do not know how many raped me, but I do remember my children sobbing behind their bed.

Suddenly, all the men in the room panicked and ran out of the room - some of them treading on me in their rush to get out. I could smell smoke and knew our house was on fire. I cried to my children who were so petrified they could not move from behind the bed. I somehow gathered enough strength to drag them out of the collapsing building.

I later learnt that my husband had been shot in the head and that his body had been badly mutilated by multiple beatings from rifle butts. I also learnt that the attack was retaliation for the successful mission led by my husband the month before.

With the help of my husband’s best friend, I went into hiding with my two daughters in another part of Uganda. They kept asking for their father, but they were too young to understand what had happened. I was hoping that we would be left in peace, but it was a forlorn hope. Less than three months after my husband had been killed and I was raped, I returned to our new home one day after coming back from church and found our flat had been ransacked and all our belongings were strewn all over the place, including smashed crockery outside the flat. A badly shaken neighbour with a bruised face warned me that the LRA were looking for me and they had attacked him instead, hoping to get information out of him about our whereabouts.

Leaving your country for an unknown destination is traumatic. I did not know I was coming to Britain. It could have been anywhere as long as it was safe for me and my children. But as an asylum seeker in Britain, I soon discovered that it was far from being a warm and welcoming place and I was presented with more traumas.

No one seemed to understand the traumas I had faced and I was refused asylum in the UK. The threat of being sent back to Uganda made me suffer from terrible anxiety and my physical health deteriorated. While I was trying to recover from all my traumas, my house in Leeds was raided in the middle of the night by immigration officials in April 2005 and I was sent to Yarlswood Detention Centre for a month. It was a traumatic experience and reminded me of the time when our house was raided by the LRA rebels 18 months before.

After I was released from Yarlswood, I was referred to Solace for counselling. I was struggling to cope with life when I met Anne, my therapist, at Solace. I had lost hope and life no longer had any meaning for me. Since going to Solace, my state of mind started to improve. The counselling really helped me. But then, in April 2007, I was raided at dawn for a second time and sent back to Yarlswood for four months with my children. Like the first time I was detained, I had committed no crime. It was a real setback for me and once again I lost all hope and was petrified of being deported.

Throughout my time in the detention centre, Solace worked with my solicitor to get me out. Anne came to visit me and offer me support. I applied for bail as that was the only way they would release me. Anne provided surety for me, which I really appreciated as there was no one else to help me.

Solace has always been there for me, especially in the dark times. All the staff are welcoming, friendly and understanding and for me it is like a second home.

At the beginning of 2008, while I was still being subjected to stringent bail conditions, I received a letter from the Home Office saying that I had been granted refugee status, which is a huge relief for me. It came completely out of the blue. Hopefully, my nightmare is over, but I am still going to Solace to try and heal my wounds.

an interview with... Arthur France MBE

Article also featured on BBC Leeds website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2009/06/05/people_arthur_france_feature.shtml

Arthur France has become not just a figurehead for the black community in Leeds, but for Afro-Caribbeans across the UK. His work has been celebrated with multiple awards, his initiative has produced society-changing projects and his desire to improve standards in the community means he is heralded as a hero by those who have grown up influenced by his optimism and leadership.

"I have always been very proactive, and back in the '60s when I was a member of the Afro-Caribbean and Asian Society I wanted to do as much as possible to celebrate our heritage and background."

Arthur grew up in Nevis, one of the Leeward Islands, moving to the Chapeltown area of Leeds when he was 22 and he's stayed in the area ever since. Despite being away from the Caribbean for over 50 years, Arthur remains sentimental and passionate about his roots.

"In 2007, I was invited to do a presentation about the Leeds Carnival's 40th Anniversary. As it was the first one to ever take place in Europe and attracts thousands and thousands of people each year, there is always a lot of interest in it."

"However that year also marked the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. As the event is a celebration of freedom I felt it was more necessary to talk about that, rather than just the Carnival itself."

Arthur has always had this belief in following what he believes. After establishing the United Caribbean Association (UCA) in 1964 with his close friends George Archibald and Cedric Clarke (who later became the first black Councillor in Leeds) Arthur used his role as leader to take on the education system. After setting up supplementary after-school classes at the city's newly opened black youth club, residents were able to teach local children in English, Maths and History.

"The system wasn't suited to children from our culture so we felt we had to do something ourselves to give our kids as much chance as possible of advancing their education. In the end, all the parents withdrew the children from Chapeltown Primary School, which resulted in a new Headteacher being brought in."

By this stage, Arthur wasn't just tackling social agendas, but political ones as well. In 1969 he helped establish a national umbrella organisation after the Immigration Bill which he saw as unsympathetic to the black community.

"I was probably more of a Malcolm X character back in the day, very out-spoken in my beliefs. Any time I am told I can't do something, it just energises me to try harder. But I am a realist, I don't enjoy arguing, I enjoy discussions. I'm an optimist and believe a resolution can always be made - it's through these tactics that real change comes about and this has been crucial to helping the community of Chapeltown. Many now say I'm more in line with Martin Luther King - that radical side of me has calmed a little, but the drive still remains."

Now 74, Arthur still travels around the country to attend many of the other Carnivals established since the inaugural Chapeltown celebration in 1967.

"The Carnival is very unique and a beautiful way to showcase our culture. It nearly didn’t happen though. I spent three years researching it on my own and then was thrown out the UCA meeting after presenting my ideas - they all thought I was mad!"

Yet again Arthur persisted and the Leeds Carnival has set the precedent for many similar celebrations across Europe. As a result, black communities around the country look at Leeds with jealousy and admiration of all that has been achieved in the city.

"We're the only organisation in the country to have these projects, I guess that's why we've attracted so much attention over the years."

This 'attention' has come in the form of various awards, from an MBE in 1997 to travelling to Downing Street to meet Tony Blair in recognition of his valuable contribution to the local community. Although, he's now in his 70s, Arthur still has the energy of a man half his age and retains a belief in the ability of a community to help itself.

an interview with... Jack Sparrow - Leeds' most promising dubstep producer

This article was also published in Leeds Guide - http://www.leedsguide.co.uk/review/view/11602

Dubstep has been established in Leeds for some time now. The Exodus and Subdub nights have become epicentres for bass driven music and the sound that they have created is now being felt reverberating across Europe.

Born out of this dubstep renaissance is Jack Sparrow. His melancholic sound has recently captured the attention of Radio 1’s Mary Anne Hobbs and DJ Pinch, perhaps the biggest name in Dubstep outside London, has signed him up to his highly-respected ‘tectonic’ label.

Can you describe your style of Dubstep?

It’s hard to explain. No tracks ever sound the same, they each have their own character. My tunes are quite dark but I like to put some uplifting bits in there too.

For me it’s all about atmosphere, deep drums and crossing other genres with dubstep. I have been feeling the carnival style drums and basses for a while and anything Latin, really love the movement of the drums and general vibe….I’ve just made it dark in my own way.

What’s your background in music?

Since I can remember, I’ve had a special bond with music, I would say it’s up there with oxygen for survival. My dad had thousands of tapes and vinyl’s that I used to be really curious about and that started off my obsession with collecting music.

I was 17 when I bought my first music pc and started building a studio. I was completely obsessed with music by this point. I became a bit of a loaner at school… a bit like now actually.

How do you produce you tracks?

Firstly, I need tea, biscuits and late nights. I use logic 8 I have bonded with that program really well and its really user friendly and powerful. I’ll start with drums and then layer incidentals, beeps, crackles etc. over the top to create atmosphere. The bass takes the most time though because dubstep relies on a deep bass with movement, a bit like jungle. I can end up spending days mastering a song that took 2 hours to complete, I just love playing around. After all is done it’s sent off to the cutting house to play that weekend.

How important has the Leeds scene been to you development as an artist?

The Leeds scene is growing and growing. Exodus and Subdub at the West Indian Centre are massive and now there’s a handful of local DJ’s making moves on the scene. We’re all really good mates, it’s a real community vibe going on - we all just like dubstep. What’s special though is that we’re all from broad backgrounds musically. I just want to see more of the frequency fm boys getting abroad and spreading the Leeds vibe in Europe – that would be wicked.

Mary Anne Hobbs says you making some ‘absolutely incredible moves,’ how does it feel to have the mother of electronic music backing you?

When I heard Mary playing my track I did a little dance. She’s been very supportive of my sound and she’s really cool to chat to. She asked me to do a mix for her show over the show which was immense. I put loads of my new stuff into it and it really symbolised my personality and how I feel right now.

You’ve been working with DJ Pinch as well, how did that come about?
Pinch is an absolute legend he has pretty much built up Tectonic recordings in Bristol to be one of the top 3 labels on the scene, He is a wicked producer too. I have done 4 tracks for him now and I’m working on an album for him so things are just getting started. I sent him a track called ‘for me’ last year and it got his attention and since then we have worked close growing my sound and releasing tracks. The Bristol sound is my favourite its so technical and thought out and pinch’s album was a masterpiece, he’s recently signed stuff from flying lotus and joker which are amazing. I feel at home with tectonic and earwax labels.

You’ve played overseas quite a bit now, how well is your music going down abroad?

My gigs in San Francisco, Poland and Croatia really stick in my mind. The crowds just love music there, it’s like going back in time to when the scene started and it was fresh, they just go nuts for it.

Do you believe their a certain spirituality to dubstep?

Yeah. It’s a physical thing and anyone who’s been to one of the nights in the West Indian Centre knows what I’m talking about. It’s like having a bath in bass, it’s amazing. I won’t get into the specifics but certain bass frequencies can do strange but positive things to people. Dubstep will be around forever there will just be people moving forward all the time creating new sounds and rhythms. Mala’s blog on myspace is a very interesting read if anyone ants to know more. When he asked me to play London DMZ I was so honoured as that’s where dubstep started and you could really feel the roots of it all and what he means down there.

Who’s making the biggest moves in Leeds in your opinion?

I would say on the do front Signus from radio frequency he can seriously mix!
Dom Ruckspin from Ranking Records the guy is very talented and his tunes always leave me wanting more from him.

Finally, what’s next?

I’ve got my album coming out and I’ve started doing a lot of UK funky tracks and a few remixes of big commercial artists so there’s still.

www.myspace.com/sparradubz

an interview with... Russell - homeless in Leeds

The challenge was set in the first evening sermon preached at St. Georges Church by the new Vicar, Rev Percy Donald. It was 1930, and society was plighted with the consequences of the Great Depression. Enforced idleness, extreme hunger and wide spread despair had consumed many across the Leeds.

Beneath the church lay the Crypt, full of vaults, coffins and walls gaping with holes making it look more like a connect 4 board. It was here that ‘Don’ was to meet his challenge.

Nearly 80 years on and the vision of Don remains - an inspirational symbol of good-will, compassion and generosity - a solace for a marginalised, neglected and often desperate society.

St. Georges Crypt provides unconditional support for Leeds’ homeless. Unsurprisingly many here will ‘possess’ a significant drink problem. Alcoholism remains as significant aspect of any fringe society as it did back at the Crypt’s beginning - a destroyer of relationships, of families and households, of jobs and future dreams, of a person’s mental and physical capability and ultimately, a destroyer of a life itself.

For many, prejudiced away from our ‘civilised’ community these voluntary organisations become their only refuge. Homelessness is the downfall of modern civilisation for those most unfortunate – a downfall which is now so recognised and integrated into society that, day to day, it goes largely unregistered.

But homelessness is about more than just begging and it is more than simply not having a home. It is about the loss of self-pride, of self-esteem and of self-respect, all of which are beaten and bullied out of a person by narrow minded prejudice of the ‘accepted’ members of society. And it is this which makes homelessness so fertile for people to fall ever deeper into its murky shadows, closing off their emotions, losing conscientiousness and distancing themselves from personal responsibility.

There will be over 1,600 people sleep rough in England tonight. Around 1 in 16 hospital admission this year will be related to alcohol abuse and it is thought that in Leeds alone, over 25,000 battle every day with some form of alcohol enslavement.

Figures however, no matter how shocking or disturbing are only two-dimensional. To find the emotion and reality behind the numbers you have to search out the individuality - to do so, to talk to these people and absorb their experiences offers one of the greatest commentaries of modern society. To analyse their lives and understand their feelings provides a wonderful insight in to intricacies of our community’s dirty underbelly.

For homeless people are not different breeds of person. These people were not born to be homeless. Many have once been respected members of society, moralistic and proud, working nine to fives and earning an honest living. Many are or once were free-thinking independent minds with nearly 20% possessing A-Levels.

In my time spent researching this topic, I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with a man named Russell. His story quickly confirmed to me my naivety in the subject. A simple interview at first, I expected it to take no longer than ten minutes. An hour and half later we were still discussing his descent from society and fight back into civilisation.

***

Realising his childhood dream, at 16 Russell joined the Royal Marines. His job took him around the world; colleagues became the closest of friends with camaraderie and boozing going hand in hand.

It was during this time Russell learnt of his ability to out drink many others - a feat which when you see his slightly smaller than average build, understandably gave elevation of his reputation to near hero status.

Seven years in however and Russell was discharged following a road traffic accident - deemed unfit to continue his military adventure. Having left school only one month before enrolment, he had very little preparation for life in the ‘real world.’

Russell remained near the barracks in Devon with a local lady who he would later marry, but living close enough to old foes meant that the despair at losing the career he loved, mixed with the lack of discipline, obligation and responsibility in his new life meant drinking would begin to dominate. It soon got to a point where his wife called it a day.

Having moved back up to Leeds, found a good job and a new lady, alcohol began taking grip again. A couple of drinks after work turned in to a bottle of White Lightning for breakfast. Russell’s life eroded around him until he was left with nothing but what he could carry. Drifting from psychiatric wards for suicidal depression, to alcohol rehabilitation centres, Russell began the life of a homeless person - sleeping in alleyways, underneath arches and hidden between discarded old carpets in skips before eventually discovering the St. Georges.

After a few months, spending his days reading in the city library before trudging over at night to take his spot on the canteen floor to spend the night, Russell was moved to Regent Terrace – a wet house run by St. Georges where residents can drink to their hearts contend in a safe, controlled environment. Russell flourished in this new lifestyle, downing up to 16 litres of white cider a day before eventually becoming so sick his skin turned a light shade of Colman’s mustard. Waking up two weeks later from his coma, he was told he was often considered hours away from death.

It was two and half months before Russell was to be released.


So what does any of this show? Well obviously everyone is different and so what worked for Russell may not be the right method for another. Russell was helped significantly by his past. He was raised in a stable and loving family, and is adamant that is was the morals and politeness installed in him as a child which allowed him to continue to communicate effectively with those helping him. For example, be it his charm or just peoples general fondness for him, but staff at the Crypt has given him a saxophone and a car, purely through acts of kindness and goodwill. Russell was constantly given something to aspire to, given something to think about and a reason to battle his way out.

This highlights the importance of support, understanding and acceptance. Shunned by the public as scum, the attitude the public aggresses against these people creates one of the largest obstacles pinning them into this shadowy and empty lifestyle. It is only those professionally trained who ever look beyond the tatty clothes and mangled hair and provide a release from the demoralisation.

Lastly, a person will drink for as long as they wish to drink. Just like a drug addict, a smoker or even a chocoholic, for as long as a person enjoys, accepts and respects their vice, they will continue with it. Only when a person’s heart wants out will the brain respond. Russell was never ready to quit those first times in rehab and especially wasn’t when he was on his 16th bottle for the day. But it requires patience, both from them and from those there to help, to be there when the person reaches their turning. The point where enough genuinely does become enough. And for Russell the crypt was by his side the whole way.

what's going on at Kirkgate Market?

Despite being heralded as the cities ‘crown jewel’, Kirkgate Market is in a continual state of decline.

It has recently been played out in the press that the council are grooming the site for gentrification, purposely running down the market in order to facilitate and rationalise redevelopment.

Yet rather than act as a shining light that seeks to provide answers to the debate, this ‘conversation’ has actually further subtracted and obscured the reality within a cesspool of political spin. Many outspoken traders are now keeping quiet through fear of repercussions and feel helpless to the dictatorial powers which will ultimately determine the future of their business and the market as a whole.

Is the market going to be knocked-down and lost forever? Is it to be redeveloped? Is anyone brave enough to come forward with the plans?

Each week seems to see a long standing trader close down, taking with them some of the spirit and character that once personified the vibrancy of Kirkgate market. To walk around it as it currently is, to see the neglect, to hear the silence and to absorb the depression leaves the unnerving feeling of a market in desperate and dire health.

Depending on what source you look at, anywhere between 15 to 25 percent of all stalls now stand idle and destitute. Yet the market operates at a profit to the council of £1.5 million per year.

But this money isn’t pumped back into the building (only £80,000 is spent on upkeep); instead it is siphoned off into the overall council kitty. At a time when fewer people are spending and when traders are facing one of the harshest economic times in modern history, the council has cut Kirkgate markets advertising budget from £105,000 to £70,000. If you consider that the council spends £750,000 on adult social care every day, you really must wonder just how necessary that extra £35,000 really is.

Higher rents

Whilst numbers are being batted about, it is crucial to raise the issue of rent. This has probably been the most commonly contested theme in the press so far as it is alleged that since 2004 - when the new manager was installed - some rents have increased by up to 90% and, despite the recession and the decreased footfall of shoppers in the market, those in charge refuse to lower rates from the current unsustainable levels.

Some measures were taken a few years ago to help traders struggling to keep up with payments, but that support seems to have evaporated and now traders are threatened with bailiff action if payments are even a day late.

I spent a couple of days at the market discussing the situation with traders and most of the heartache was directed at the ‘bullying tactics’ deployed by the markets managers. Traders claim this hard-line, top-down approach that, for example, now means the guys on Butchers Row must be quiet and prohibits them from hawking their produce, has created the dispirited and downtrodden atmosphere that currently haunts the building.

Unfortunately, despite several attempts, the management has so far refused my approaches to discuss these matters. This seems to be symbolic of the limited interaction traders allege to receive from the market officials.

What needs to be mentioned here however, is not all fingers deserved to be pointed at the authorities. The commercial market simply isn’t supportive of local traders anymore. The environment has changed. Supermarkets and internet shopping now means we no longer have to trudge around city centre markets seeking out the bargains.

We are in a time when society is changing and revolving quicker than ever and perhaps the traders need to begin to show the innovation themselves to adapt in order to stay at the forefront of local produce.

Equally, the managers are trying to entice new traders in to the empty stalls by offering a 90% reduction on the rate – making rent roughly £50 per week. However, whilst this may sound enterprising in theory, in practise it appears to be little more than pretence of finding short term solutions with little or no sustainability.

Resultantly many believe that the council are knowingly and purposely allowing the market to weaken and perish to make the argument ever greater to sell off parts of it to private companies.

What lies ahead…

The redevelopment plans themselves are no secret, it’s just the extend of them which is rather hazy. Following the fire in the 1970’s, the indoor stalls (behind the listed main building) were rebuilt with a lifespan of only 30 years. Clearly then, they are quickly deteriorating and in need of attention. However, the estimated £20 million needed to implement these changes would be undertaken by private investors and resultantly the ‘release of equity’ is likely to have fundamental changes upon the markets genetic composition.

Building modern offices may further extend the desire for urban renaissance within the market and additionally marginalise the current ‘lower-class’ traders and public space on offer there.

The market is a public space, not a private business

It is argued that, as 60% of the Leeds population do not use the market, it therefore does not qualify as a public space. But Kirkgate market is representative of things unique to Leeds, of its local produce, its individual culture and heritage, and perhaps most importantly now, a genuine alternative nationwide, multi-chain companies that Leeds transform into the homogenised and cloned city it now is.

In fact, a survey conducted in 2008 by the Geography department at Leeds University found that the majority of people see the market as the most important component of the city centre.

Yet, tt appears that under the guise of people turning to supermarkets and high-street chains, the market managers are fostering the feeling that the public no longer care about Kirkgate market.

Although the price of the land is potentially worth millions, the cost of losing such a hub of local activity would be enormously detrimental to the native residents of Leeds and the cities character as a whole.

Join the Kirkgate Market facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110776305370&ref=ts