#Square UK Birmingham Pop Up

[daimonclub]

Christmas Markets in England

London Christmas markets Christmas markets in England, the best wonderful Christmas markets in London, and in Bath, Bristol, Chester, Winchester, York, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester The festive period is fast approaching and what better way to celebrate than with a trip to a Christmas market in England? Christmas markets in England mean sparkling lights, gorgeous presents, carol-singers, ice rinks, and mugs of mulled wine, making the winter holiday season a delightful time of year. Every big city has a Christmas Market when the time is right. England’s Christmas Markets are fun, they’re festive and the fragrance of mulled wine on the airwaves keeps the punters coming. Best Christmas markets in London The locations below annually host some of the top Christmas markets in London, which usually stay open until the New Year. Christmas by the River at London Bridge City Christmas By The River at London Bridge City is set against stunning views of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, offering wooden huts packed with original presents, handmade crafts and plenty of delicious snacks. Indulge in mouthwatering food from an array of pop-up stalls and admire one of London's most iconic skyline views with a steaming cup of mulled wine. Selfridges Christmas Market The Selfridges Christmas Market returns to Edwards Mews again this Christmas. Enjoy sizzling street food from vendors curated by the founder of Street Feast, Dominic Cools-Lartigue, including waffles dripping with chocolate, Filipino treats and pie and mash. This outdoor market brings fairground rides for kids and adults, personalised wreaths made in front of you and heaps of stalls selling Christmas goodies. Winter Wonderland Christmas market The annual Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is situated in one of the city’s most spectacular parks. You’ll find over 100 illuminated wooden chalets decorated in Bavarian style selling handicrafts and fantastic gifts from around the world, including handmade crafts and beautiful pieces of jewellery. You can also enjoy traditional German street food and mulled wine. Winter Follow the lights to Hyde Park and immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere of Winter Wonderland, one of the biggest Christmas markets in London. You can also get your skates on at the UK's biggest outdoor ice rink, see London sparkle from the Giant Observation Wheel, or sit back and enjoy one of Winter Wonderland's top Christmas shows.

Winterville Christmas Market Leicester Square Christmas market Experience festive fun with Christmas in Leicester Square, which gives the home of blockbuster film premieres a yuletide makeover. Browse the traditional market filled with a wonderful array of crafts and tempting treats. Afterwards, head to the Belgian spiegeltent to enjoy a brilliant lineup of comedy, cabaret and magic shows. Southbank Centre Winter Market See the South Bank's riverside transformed into a wintry wonderland, where global cuisine and an artisan Christmas market come together in one sparkling location for Southbank Centre's Winter Festival. Amble past the traditional wooden chalets lining the banks of the Thames and pick up gorgeous stocking fillers from the Winter Market. Or, tuck into cheese-based food, cocktails and mulled wine surrounded by the glow of neon artworks, as part of the Winter Lights display. Eccleston Yards Christmas Market Explore the buzzy open-air mall which makes up this stunning courtyard. Browse stalls filled with trinkets and unique gifts at Eccleston Yards Christmas Market, which brings festive cheer, new traders and live music to this open space during the countdown to Christmas. Treat the special people in your life to London vouchers for top spots or browse luxury Christmas gifts and experiences in the city. Borough Market Tour the historical arches of Borough Market, decked out with lights, decorations and twinkling ornaments, as you source the finest seasonal foods while listening to choirs and buskers singing jolly tunes. Indulge in An Evening of Cheese (15 Dec), or pick up foodie tips and tricks during three days of Festive Kitchen demonstrations (7-9 Dec). From 16 Nov Greenwich Christmas market Tick items off your Christmas shopping list while browsing Greenwich Market's 150 stalls and shops, selling a range of stocking fillers, fashion items, crafts and original artworks. Make sure to also wander around the ancient maritime neighbourhood of Greenwich, which is decked out with lights and festive goodies. Plus, watch as brightly coloured lanterns parade through the area during the Christmas lights switch on.

Christmas markets in England Christmas under the Canopy at King's Cross Get hands-on at craft workshops at Christmas under the Canopy, a covered market found in King's Cross. Following your creative work, browse the array of stalls to find live jazz, carol singers, food tastings, mulled wine and masterclasses at Canopy Market, which welcomes a number of independent, ethical and sustainable vendors. Kingston Christmas Market Venture over to picturesque Kingston upon Thames, where you can search the riverside town's Ancient Market Place for unique Christmas gifts at the Kingston Christmas Market. The cosy cabins are packed with a range of handmade arts and crafts, beautiful decorations and stocking fillers. Afterwards, enjoy seasonal entertainment while tucking into some specialist street food. Other Best Christmas Markets in England Manchester Christmas Markets Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market Leeds Christkindelmarkt Bath Christmas Market York’s St Nicholas Christmas Fair Bristol Christmas Market Chester Christmas Market Winchester Christmas Market Manchester Christmas Markets Manchester is home to some of the best Christmas markets in the country and is known as one of the best markets in Europe. There are more than nine of them scattered throughout the city centre, which makes it a true paradise for Christmas enthusiasts! You’ll find a diverse range of food and drink stalls at all of them, each offering a unique experience. The largest market is in Albert Square, which features a German village packed with food and drink stalls. If you’re visiting Manchester in December, it’s a must do!

Manchester Christmas market Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market In Birmingham, you can find the largest authentic German Christmas Market outside of Germany. Anyone looking for some Christmas gifts will find beautiful decorations and handcrafted items to choose from, but the real reason to go is for the fab food and drink. Victoria Square is filled with the most delicious smell of Christmas as stalls sell traditional German food. You can sample authentic bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzels, and hot chestnuts. You can even get half-metre sausages, if that sounds good to you – and if you’re thirsty there are four pint jugs of beer or sweet little mugs of flavoured gluhwein too. Leeds Christkindelmarkt Leeds Chrsitkindelmarkt is one of the oldest German Christmas markets in England. Throughout the square are wooden stalls selling beautiful toys, jewellery, crafts, decorations, and other items. A jingling carousel ride with lively music and vibrant coloured lights creates a festive mood throughout the entire Christmas village. The fairground style rides for children and its ‘Breakfast with Santa’ experience are among its most popular attractions. This is a ticketed event that happens on Saturday and Sunday. The Bavarian style restaurant Alp Chalet is in the centre of Millennium Square, and during Christmas, families and kids are invited to enjoy a Christmas breakfast with Santa in traditional German style. Bath Christmas Market Bath hosts one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in England every year. During the winter months, Bath isn’t only wonderful due to its gorgeous architecture, but even more beautiful thanks to its festive atmosphere, and the excellent Bath Christmas Market. A day out in Bath is always a good idea, particularly in winter when it’s definitely one of the best festive days out in the Cotswolds. “With over 130 twinkling chalets, soak up the sights and scents of Christmas as you meander through the cobbled streets surrounded by some of the South West’s most talented crafters. Enjoy a festive experience like no other, surrounded by some of Britain’s iconic architecture. Christmas Markets with stalls are spread all over Bath, on its streets and in small squares surrounding Bath Cathedral.

Bath Christmas Market It’s possible to find independent producers selling their products on many stalls. It’s a great place to find all kinds of handcrafted gifts and decorations, as well as some of the best food and mulled wine. Festive streetlights are strung on the town’s most iconic buildings and streets. A major feature of Bath Christmas Market is the Victorian merry-go-round, suitable for children and adults on the horses or in carriages. York’s St Nicholas Christmas Fair York’s Christmas Market is one of the most picturesque Christmas markets in England. Wooden, alpine-style chalets border York’s pedestrianised city streets, selling locally manufactured crafts, art, food, and drink. Shoppers can enjoy a range of tantalising free samples to try as well as one-of-a-kind presents to purchase. A big, decorated Christmas tree, live entertainment, and beautiful night time illuminations help to create a bright festive mood. Thor’s Tipi, a massive canvas tipi specially created for the Christmas season, is the show-stopper at the Christmas market. Foot-sore customers can relax on soft blankets in front of a roaring log fire and sip mulled wine or creamy hot chocolate and soak up the atmosphere. York Christmas Market is one of the best Christmas days out in Yorkshire! Bristol Christmas Market Bristol Christmas Market in England is more about spending time to appreciate the ambiance and allowing yourself the opportunity to relax or see friends. The Bristol Christmas Market takes place in Broadmead, the city’s Shopping Quarter. It’s a compact but well structured market with a well-planned assortment of booths offering something unique, ensuring you’ll discover the ideal one-of-a-kind Christmas gift. The bar at the heart of the market attracts families with a singing reindeer at the entrance, and while they do serve alcoholic drinks, you can also get a reasonably priced hot chocolate to keep you warm while listening to your favourite festive tunes and watching the frantic last-minute shoppers running past. “Located in the very heart of Bristol City Centre, the Christmas market is home to over 50 unique stalls, as well as entertainment from the likes of Santa and reindeer visits in December. Visitors can enjoy heated seating, delicious drinks and live music in our Jäger Barn Bar, and also try their hand at the much-loved sport of curling for some competitive fun.“

Christmas markets in the UK Chester Christmas Market This mediaeval city in northwest England is notable for its Roman fortifications and walls, as well as Tudor-style timber houses. Then there’s the magical Chester Christmas Market. This is one of the greatest English Christmas markets to visit if you’re looking for something a bit more traditional. Over 70 traditional wooden chalets are situated on the city’s Town Hall Square, with the magnificent Chester Cathedral as a backdrop. Visiting makes for a great day out in Cheshire. Pick up some mulled wine or a tasty hog roast bap after browsing the stalls for handmade crafts, clothing, jewellery, and local produce. Stop by the Real Ale Bar for a Christmas drink or a local cask ale and take a photo in front of the spectacular Christmas tree to really make your Chester Christmas Market experience. Winchester Christmas Market What better way to immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit than at Winchester Cathedral? The monumental Gothic cathedral, in the centre of Britain’s former capital city, towers imposingly over the quaint English Christmas Market, which promises tidings of joy. Winchester has one of the best Christmas Markets in Hampshire, if not England. Follow your nose to stalls touting fine food and drink. Mulled wine in hand, then follow your ears to join the gathered crowd singing along with the carolling choir. And, full of golden festive spirit, mooch around the stalls and support local craftspeople and traders whilst you do your Christmas shopping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4jsR5PXidU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAJYkO3G8VU Read also our other posts on Christmas  ; Christmas markets in America ; Christmas markets in Italy and Germany ; Christmas quotes ; 60 great Christmas quotes ; Christmas tree origin and quotes ;  Christmas short stories ; Ella Gray A Christmas short story ; Traditional Christmas Carols ; Christmas jokes ; Christmas cracker jokes ; Funny Christmas Stories ; Amusing Christmas stories ; Christmas food ; Christmas thoughts ; Christmas story ; Christmas in Italy ; Christmas holidays ; Christmas songs ; Christmas poems ; An Essay on Christmas by Chesterton ; Read the full article

[skyeheron]

Other Cities:

As someone on my survey responded with Concert Square in Liverpool as a source of what they would want in Bournemouth, I decided to research it.

"Concert Square is located between Wood Street and Fleet Street in the Ropewalks area of Liverpool City Centre. The square continues to evolve and has been at heart of Liverpool’s nightlife for over 20 years.

The best nightclubs and bars in the city, and the North West of England, are in the area. Whether it’s a cocktail or pint, meal, booth booking or a cocktail class there’s something for everyone.

Concert Square – Complete nights out

A 2019 survey of university students in the UK found two Liverpool universities ranked amongst the top 5 for nightlife. Concert Square was cited as a factor for this!

Most of the bars and restaurants are open from 8am to 4am daily. You’ll find Bold Street at it’s doorstep as well as the Bold St area which is jam-packed with independent retailers, bars and restaurants. If you’re here for a stag or hen night, then look no further! Concert Square is centrally located and within short walking distance from the local hotels".

Boxpark: "BOXPARK launched the world’s first pop-up shopping mall in Shoreditch back in 2011, and has since become a staple of the East London scene. The retail revolution built from shipping containers effortlessly fuses the concepts of the modern street food market and the pop-up shopping destination.

With its unique approach to shopping and dining, BOXPARK gives you a variety of both familiar and independent brands to shop along with the convenience of stopping for a bite to eat. The award-winning site stands proudly in the heart of London’s Shoreditch and is home to a community of carefully selected brands specialising in fashion, arts, food and drinks and an ever-growing events programme from some of London’s very best promoters".

I was inspired to look at Boxpark in Shoreditch as I've been here and found it such a cool place that easily hosts different vendors, helping support small businesses and creates a unique space for people to meet and socialise. They have since opened up different venues due to it's success mainly centering around London such as Croydon and Wembley but also in Liverpool and Birmingham. I wanted to use Boxpark as inspiration for how the physical aspect of this project may work, possibly using abandoned department stores/shops in Bournemouth to host companies like this to create an inclusive student space.

"Cargo is a relatively large container park with approximately 35 local businesses operating out of it which has swiftly become not only a destination in its own right, but a wonderful community for the retailers who operate there, and a fantastic attraction to those looking for new homes in the development."

"With regular events which see the retailers working closely alongside and supporting each other, Cargo really is a great example of the retail world being fantastically alive and kicking, just in a slightly different guise.  The community spirit and fun atmosphere translates into the customer experience and makes Cargo a place you want to keep going back to."

[travelerpavilion]

13 things to do in Manchester

Manchester is my favourite city in the UK. It’s smaller and friendlier than London or Birmingham and has more of an indie, creative vibe. There are also so many things to do in Manchester thanks to the city’s rich industrial heritage, vibrant cultural scene, and world-famous football clubs.

Here are my favourite things to do in Manchester:

1. Explore Manchester’s Northern Quarter

This creative hub is filled with independent boutiques, vintage shops, record stores, and street art. Enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and grab a coffee in one of the trendy cafes. Make sure you check out the street art that adorns many of the buildings. Keep an eye out for the famous works of local and international artists like Akse, Qubek, and Nomad Clan. While you’re in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, you can’t miss a shopping trip to Afflecks, an iconic indie emporium. Spread over multiple floors, Afflecks is filled with independent retailers selling everything from vintage clothing and alternative fashion to artwork, records, and quirky gifts. The Northern Quarter is brimming with unique and independent shops. Discover vintage boutiques, record stores, art galleries, design shops, and bookshops. Some popular spots include Pop Boutique, Vinyl Exchange, Oklahoma, and Magma. The Northern Quarter is also home to lots of indie cafes, bars, and restaurants. Grab a coffee at one of the many independent coffee shops like Takk or Fig + Sparrow. Indulge in delicious street food at Mackie Mayor food hall or try innovative cocktails at bars like Science & Industry or Cottonopolis. Read More : BANFF ITINERARY: 4 DAYS IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES If you’re visiting on the second Sunday of the month, the Northern Quarter Market is a great place to browse local crafts, vintage clothing, artisan food, and more. Enjoy live music and soak up the lively atmosphere. If you’re around for evening drinks then you won’t be disappointed in the Northern Quarter. Enjoy live music at venues like Band on the Wall or Night & Day Café. Explore the hidden speakeasies and cocktail bars like The Fitzgerald or The Whiskey Jar. Dance the night away at clubs like YES or Soup Kitchen. For cinema, comedy and theatre lovers, catch a film at the independent cinema, HOME, which showcases a mix of arthouse, classic, and mainstream movies. Enjoy live performances at the iconic Band on the Wall or the intimate, alternative theatre, The Eagle Inn. Check out venues like The Comedy Store or Frog and Bucket for a night of laughter and entertainment. Take a break from the bustling streets and unwind in Stevenson Square or the tranquil Cutting Room Square. These public spaces offer seating areas, greenery, and a place to relax and people-watch.

2. Catch a football match

Manchester and football go hand in hand so if you’re a football fan, watch a game at Old Trafford Stadium (home of Manchester United) or the Etihad Stadium (home of Manchester City). Even if you’re not a massive football fan, it’s worth going to witness the electric atmosphere. Tickets can sometimes be hard to come by so check out GO Sport Travel for some options. 

3. Visit the Manchester Museum

Explore a diverse range of exhibits, including ancient Egyptian artefacts, natural history specimens, and interactive displays.

4. Explore the Science and Industry Museum

Learn about Manchester’s industrial revolution and scientific achievements through hands-on exhibits, vintage machinery, and interactive workshops.

5. Take a stroll in Heaton Park

This expansive park offers beautiful landscapes, woodlands, a boating lake, and various sports facilities. You can also visit the historic mansion, Heaton Hall which was built in the late 18th century for the Egerton family, who were prominent landowners in the area. Designed by architect James Wyatt, the mansion is a stunning example of neoclassical architecture. You can take guided tours of Heaton Hall to learn about its history, architecture, and the Egerton family.  Look out for seasonal events and park activities while you’re there!

6. Discover the Manchester Art Gallery

Admire an extensive collection of artworks spanning centuries, including Pre-Raphaelite paintings, contemporary art, and decorative arts.

7. Visit the John Rylands Library

Marvel at the stunning Victorian Gothic architecture and explore the impressive collection of rare books and manuscripts. It feels like stepping into a Harry Potter film in here!

8. Explore Chinatown

Experience the vibrant atmosphere of Manchester’s Chinatown with its traditional Chinese arch, authentic restaurants, and Chinese supermarkets. The main entrance to Manchester’s Chinatown is marked by a beautiful traditional Chinese arch, known as the Chinese Imperial Arch. It’s a great spot to take photos and serves as a symbolic gateway into the neighbourhood. Chinatown is filled with a wide variety of Chinese restaurants and eateries. You can indulge in traditional dishes such as dim sum, Peking duck, Sichuan cuisine, and more.  It’s also fun to visit Chinatown’s supermarkets and shops. You can find a range of imported goods, Asian ingredients, spices, teas, snacks, and other products. It’s a great place to shop for Asian groceries and explore the unique offerings. If you’re in Manchester for the Lunar New Year then Chinatown is the place to be. Chinatown hosts vibrant celebrations during Chinese New Year. The streets come alive with dragon and lion dances, traditional music and performances, fireworks, and street food stalls. It’s a fantastic time to experience the festive atmosphere and cultural traditions.

9. Enjoy live music

Manchester has a thriving music scene, known for its rich musical heritage. Catch a concert at iconic venues like the O2 Apollo, Manchester Arena, or Band on the Wall.

10. Go shopping

If you love shopping then Manchester will be a dream for you. Explore the high-end stores at the Trafford Centre or wander through the Arndale Centre, one of the largest shopping centres in the UK. If you prefer vintage stores and boutiques then stick to the shops I mentioned above in the Northern Quarter.

11. Explore the Manchester Cathedral

Admire the stunning architecture of this mediaeval cathedral and attend one of the regular choral performances or concerts.

12. Visit the Whitworth Art Gallery

Enjoy contemporary art exhibitions, sculpture displays, and beautiful gardens surrounding this gallery located in Whitworth Park.

13. Manchester’s nightlife

Last, but not least, is a mini guide to Manchester’s nightlife because you can’t visit Manchester without a big night out! Deansgate Locks is always a good place to start. Located near Deansgate train station, Deansgate Locks is a popular nightlife area with a variety of bars and clubs housed in converted railway arches. It offers a bustling atmosphere and is a favourite spot for locals and visitors alike. Manchester’s Gay Village, centred around Canal Street, is renowned for its vibrant LGBTQ+ nightlife. There are loads of bars and clubs with a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere. The Northern Quarter is not only a hub for independent shops and cafes but also boasts a thriving nightlife scene. It is known for its eclectic mix of bars, live music venues, and speakeasy-style cocktail bars. If live music is your thing then head to iconic venues like the O2 Apollo and Manchester Arena as well as smaller intimate spaces like Band on the Wall and Soup Kitchen. You can catch performances by local and international artists across various genres. If you want to dance until daylight then opular clubs include Warehouse Project, Gorilla, Hidden, and the famous Hacienda nightclub (reopened as a new venue). These clubs host regular DJ sets, themed nights, and special events. The Comedy Store, Frog and Bucket, and The Comedy Store Manchester are well-known venues that offer regular shows. These are just a few of the many things you can do in Manchester. The city offers something for everyone, whether you’re interested in history, culture, sports, or entertainment. Read the full article

[john-taylor-daily]

Full text of the article:

Want to feel really old? Oh, go on then. Duran Duran turn 40 this year: the band, that is, not the members. For them it’s worse: Simon Le Bon is 61, John and Roger Taylor, each 59, and Nick Rhodes, the baby, 57.

As you would expect of a pop group who always appeared happiest hanging off a yacht in ruffled Antony Price suits, accessorised with a supermodel and a cocktail, they intend to celebrate in style, coronavirus permitting. So the plan, announced this week, is that on July 12, exactly 40 years since their first gig at the Rum Runner in Birmingham, they will perform in Hyde Park, headlining a bill that includes Nile Rodgers & Chic and their pal Gwen Stefani. Four of the original five will be there: the guitarist Andy Taylor, 59, left the band in 1985 and, after rejoining in 2001, walked out again five years later. In the past, the guitarist Warren Cuccurullo has filled in; this time Graham Coxon from Blur will take his place.

Then in autumn Duran Duran are releasing a new album, their 15th, which they are halfway through making.

Growing up in the West Midlands, I was a Duranie; my first gig was theirs at the NEC in Birmingham. To give an idea of the level of devotion, I had house plants named after each of them. John, his initials “JT” written on the pot in nail varnish, was a begonia; Rhodes, a busy lizzie; Le Bon, a rubber plant; Roger and Andy Taylor were cacti. My memory, foggy on so much, still holds the name of Nick Rhodes’s cat at the time (Sebastian). The household appliance “JT” would choose to be? “A refrigerator, so I would stay cool.”

But despite previous opportunities, I’ve avoided them bar an awkward backstage handshake with Le Bon. In the meantime, they have notched up record sales of 100 million, had 21 Top 20 hits in the UK and, unlike many bands who came to fame in the 1980s, they produce different, exciting, if not always lauded albums, working with new producers and musicians. They’ve had top five albums in each of the four decades they’ve worked. Their last album, Paper Gods (2015), produced by Mark Ronson and Rodgers, was their most successful for 25 years.

Now 46 and with no desire to anthropomorphise greenery, I meet Rhodes, the keyboardist, and John Taylor, the bass player, once described as having the squarest jaw in rock. Rhodes suggests his “local”, Blakes hotel in Chelsea, near the home he shares with his Sicilian girlfriend, Nefer Suvio (he and Julie Anne Friedman divorced in 1992; they have one child together, Tatjana). Taylor, just in from Los Angeles, home to his second wife, Gela Nash, who runs the fashion label Juicy Couture, invites me to his flat in Pimlico. Le Bon, still happily married to the supermodel Yasmin Le Bon with three grown-up daughters, is busy in the studio and Roger Taylor, four children and with second wife Gisella Bernales, is otherwise occupied.

Rhodes, who joins me in the bar at Blakes, has the same peroxide mop and alabaster skin that were always his trademark. He wears black trousers by the English designer Neil Barrett and a Savile Row jacket dressed down with a rock T-shirt from the Los Angeles company Punk Masters.

Four days later, I arrive at Taylor’s flat in a garden square where he greets me at the door dressed in black jeans and T-shirt, with sculpted bed-hair. I’m reminded of the time my brother splashed Sun-In on his to emulate Taylor’s bleached New Romantic fringe.

It’s good to have them back. They started on the new album in September at Flood Studios in Willesden, northwest London, and, as well as Coxon, have been working with three producers: Giorgio Moroder, Ronson and the DJ Erol Alkan. “The whole place is filled with analogue synthesizers, so it’s just joy for me,” says Rhodes, who began life as Nicholas Bates but renamed himself after a make of electronic keyboard.

Rhodes met Moroder — the “godfather of electronica” and the man behind Donna Summer’s I Feel Love — through a mutual friend of his girlfriend. “We talked about music and what had happened to us,” Rhodes says. “He is as sharp as a razor, 79 going on 45.” They worked with Ronson, who has produced Amy Winehouse and Adele, in LA. “The first thing Mark always says is, ‘Let me hear the rest of it,’” Rhodes says with a laugh. “He is quite competitive.”

Taylor, who leads me into a room that’s more gentlemen’s club than rock-star pad with an open fire, armchairs, brown furniture and bad Victorian paintings, says the break of five years has refuelled them. “We have to starve ourselves of creativity long enough that when we do show up we have something to say,” he says. “[The studio sessions] are quite exhausting because we have been down this road. We can finish each other’s sentences and I guess, to some extent, we can do that musically as well. We are working with the same cast; it’s like a soap opera. That’s why collaborators become so important as you need to keep the spirit lively.”

Rhodes, who says the new album is more “handmade” and “guitary”, explains the working dynamics: “John and Roger’s rhythm section often drives a track. Simon, the lyricist, gives all the songs our identity; it’s his voice that tells you it’s Duran Duran. My part has more to do with sonic architecture.” That may be the most Nick Rhodes phrase yet.

We move on to Andy Taylor. “Forty years ago we had Andy in the band and he was a strong flavour and a northerner and brought a rigour,” says John Taylor. “Filling that vacuum has always been one of the major challenges of version two of the band; we did it with Warren Cuccurullo and with Graham on this record. But it’s not the same. Andy didn’t mind telling people what they were doing wrong.”

He pauses. “We had a reunion with Andy [in 2001] and that was enormously difficult, actually.” How so? “That’s a book really,” says Taylor, who has written about the saga, along with his struggle with drink and drugs, in his excellent 2012 memoir In the Pleasure Groove. “Or it’s a mini-series.”

“It was very uncomfortable for us,” Rhodes says of Andy leaving in 1985. “For sure, it had become stressful over the previous year — we were all burnt out from not having stopped for five years — but we didn’t see it coming at all.”

What are relations with Andy like now? “I don’t really have any,” says Rhodes. “I haven’t seen him for many years since he left the last time. I was not even slightly surprised when it did fall apart. I was relieved. As much as Andy is a great musician he is not an easy person to play with.”

I mention to Taylor that Andy has just announced his own UK dates in May, playing Duran songs. “Uh-ha,” he says. He didn’t know. Does he mind? “I don’t mind at all. All power to him,” says Taylor. “I would rather he be out playing.”

Taylor has the sanguine air of someone who has spent decades nuking his demons (he’s currently working on guilt; he had a Catholic mother). He has been sober for 26 years after an addiction which in part led to the break-up of his marriage to the TV presenter Amanda de Cadenet in 1997. Was it hard at first? “It was like turning round an ocean liner,” he says, his voice posh Brum with a California chaser. “I work a daily programme and that’s what keeps me sober. It’s not something that just happens; it takes a lot of attention.”

We move on to the themes of the new, as yet untitled, album. Le Bon lost his mother recently, so we can expect songs inspired by loss. Taylor says he took inspiration from “the challenges of long-term relationships . . . Take a song like Save a Prayer, which personally I think is one of the greatest ever songs in praise of the one-night stand,” he says. “It comes to the point where you can’t write something like that. It’s not age-appropriate; yet it is sexy. So how do you write from the perspective of someone who is trying to keep a long-term relationship together? That is the challenge of any late-age pop star. How do you make it chic, to use one of Nick’s favourite words.”

It is hard to forget how impossibly chic Duran were in the 1980s: from their beginnings in Birmingham (Nick and John, anyway), where they met when Rhodes was 10 and Taylor 12, to a world of famous friends, beautiful partners and exotic travel. Le Bon married Yasmin after seeing her in Vogue, Rhodes was with the shipping heiress Friedman and Taylor the teenage de Cadenet. Andy Warhol was a close friend of Rhodes.

While others were singing about the dark side of Thatcher’s Britain, they were . . . more opaque. “In the 1980s a lot of what we did was somewhat misunderstood because we were living in the same gloomy years with high unemployment and miners’ strikes and civil unrest as everybody else,” Rhodes says. “But our answer to it was we have to get away from this and make it a little brighter because it didn’t seem like a particularly promising future.” Don’t expect that coronavirus torch song any time soon.

Their association with Bond — they wrote the 1985 theme A View to a Kill — only added to the glamour. What do they make of the new one by Billie Eilish? Rhodes admits that he mostly listens to classical music these days but “was thrilled to hear Billie Eilish. I think it’s by far the best Bond song since ours.”

But not better than yours?

“I am very happy that she reached No 1.” Duran’s got to No 2.

Taylor is more critical. “I thought it was lacking in a bit of Billie Eilish to be honest. It could have been madder. It was a little bit too grown up,” he says.

Is it as good as A View to a Kill?

“No!” says Taylor, theatrically. “Although,” he admits, “it was the most difficult three mins that we have ever produced.”

It had a great video, in which the boys slunk around the Eiffel Tower. Taylor frowns. “I hate that video. So stupid. I can’t watch it.” One for the fans, then.

A secret of their longevity, Rhodes says, is not bowing to nostalgia. “I like to keep my blinkers on and look forward.” Having said that, he sounds ready to write his own memoir. “I would do a book yes,” he says. “I haven’t read John’s on purpose. I even wrote a foreword for it for the US version without reading it, but I did own up to it. I think mine would be very different from a lot of the rock biographies. The one that sticks with me is David Niven’s.”

Rhodes featured in Warhol’s diaries and Warhol, the subject of a show at Tate Modern in London that opened this week, would surely feature in his. He “invented the 20th century”, Rhodes says. “Andy was making reality TV in the Sixties. Can you imagine what he would have thought about the internet? It was all his dreams come true, but he would never have got any work done.” Rhodes says he stays off social media for that reason. “It’s not that I don’t like it; I fear it. I am going down a rabbit hole I may never get out of.

They’ve spent twice the time being famous as being unknown. Are they the same people they were in Birmingham 40 years ago?

Rhodes nods. “Yes, yes,” he says. “There have been big changes — marriages, divorces, kids, moving countries in John’s case — but when we are all together we have known each other for so long there is no room for anyone to behave in a way that would be unacceptable. There is no room for divas. We have lasted longer than most marriages; it is like being married to three people but we each get to go home on our own every night.”

Taylor tells me: “Without getting into recovery talk, a lot of that is about scrubbing away the masks that you tend to accrue to cope, so I think I am as close to that person as I was 40 years ago.”

Rhodes says tolerance is the key. “Sometimes when I arrive at the studio it is really bright, maybe someone is writing, and so everyone accepts I can’t cope, and so the lighting comes down.” I tell him I once read he always wears dark glasses before noon. He laughs. “Pretty much. That’s funny. I am hyper-sensitive to light. It’s not just pretentiousness. “

They appreciate they will have to prepare physically for the dates. For Rhodes, a terrible insomniac, that means “fruit and vegetables and grains” and lots of walking. But no workouts (“I am not a big fan of gymnasiums”). Taylor says he needs to start practising bass and the need to get back in shape is “keeping him awake at night”. “I like to run, I do Pilates, I do yoga and I think about everything that enters my mouth, everything. I am 90 per cent vegan. I don’t drink, take mind-altering chemicals. I am on and off sugar.”

Perhaps the greatest sign that they still have it is that their children want to see them play. Taylor just heard from his daughter, Atlanta, who lives in New York and is soon to be married to David Macklovitch from the Canadian band Chromeo.

“It’s a surprise when you get a text from a child and they say, ‘You’re playing Hyde Park — my boyfriend and I want to come.’”

[stevecanmakeanythingnerdy]

Battle #5

Duran Duran: S/T ( Side A )

Vs.

Dave Clark Five: Return! ( Side 1 )

Duran Duran: S/T ( Side A )

Duran Duran are an English new wave band formed in Birmingham in 1978. The name of the band is formed from "Dr. Durand Durand", Milo O'Shea's character from the sci-fi film Barbarella. The band were one of the most successful acts of the 1980s and had some of the biggest hits as well...quite a few from this album actually. One of the biggest probably being “Girls on Film”. It’s the lead track, but was actually the 3rd single released. It’s the one that picked up the most steam on the U. S. Charts and apparently the video was shot without the concept of MTV in mind. You see, MTV used to actually play music videos, but it was brand new on the scene at the time and not yet a part of the music industry promo machine. The band filmed the video (which has an uncensored version featuring topless women mud wrestling) to be shown in night clubs and video bars. MTV began playing an edited version and the song took off. I am sure you can guess from my description and the song title exactly what the subject matter is. “Planet Earth” is actually the first single and is a very catchy song, hitting the new wave craze at just the right time. I love the keys on the simple but effective breakdown. There’s also a cheesy 80s video for this where everyone is fully clothed. THIS is planet earth.

“Anyone Out There” is a minor B-Side level hit. I don’t know if it actually chartered anywhere but it has that vibe. I never realized just how disco the underlying bass lines sound. They are a very well put together band. Much Duran. “To The Shores” is a new wave ballad if I’ve ever heard one. Now that I think about it, this version is the UK version so it may well be an unreleased song on the US Long Player. Pretty good, so if it is, not sure what the decision was to include/exclude. The last kiss is a track called “Careless Memories”. It’s almost punky. Almost. But certainly a good alternative to the rest of 1981. Simon LeBon even has some moments where he belts it out perfectly! Needless to say for a debut record, it’s certainly up there. I alluded to this earlier but this is an import version of the LP. I bought it completely by accident (probably because the cover looked different?) thinking that I didn’t have the album yet. Turns out I did, but it’s OK because I like The D squared. It has a cool “Polaroid photo-like” cover and it’s made of that nice heavyweight card stock. Yeeaaahhhhh.... other randomness : I vividly remember my sister being obsessed with them for a time with the usual teen beat posters plastered to bedroom walls. Too bad I don’t have those... I might consider putting them up.

Dave Clark Five: Return! ( Side 1 )

The Dave Clark Five, often truncated to the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in Tottenham in 1957. In January 1964 they had their first UK top ten single, "Glad All Over", which knocked the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK Singles Chart. It was the only time that would happen and their only UK #1, but believe me. DC5 have just as many golden hits as The Beatles. I used to (foolishly) compare the two, but they are absolutely different beasts. DC5 have a more soulful approach but still fall squarely into that Mersey madness, back beating stomp. Oh, and they have sax on the regular (#seewhatididthere). This album is them, all five of them, returning. To rock and roll your pants off I assume. I also assume that since there were five of them, they at the very least outnumbered The Beatles in a street brawl. Though McCartney is pretty scrappy I hear. “Can’t You See That She’s Mine” is the first single. I think the only single off this album, but hey when you record 3 FREAKING ALBUMS in one year, I guess what can you really expect. No joke, 1964 saw 3 DC5 albums charted. Oh yeah, the songs. This one is pretty good. “I Need You, I Love You” is another notch on the hit belt. At least it’s on most of the best of comps. Pretty straight up, with Dave Clark Five, you get 2 1/2 minutes of predictable pop ‘64 and all of it is grander than a piano. Love (or lack of) is the theme continued with “I Love You No More” and

“Rumble” (an often covered Link Wray tune) is just there to keep it going...like the kids on the curb shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” I mean that in the best possible way. It’s done up with some nasty distortion and Huxley brings the bravado on his sax-a-ma-phone. In all scenarios this is a fantastic tune, so I appreciate all attempts to cover it. “Funny” is an even faster version of a pop song, hanging in at just under 2 minutes. Same style though, so nothing is groundbreaking by any means. Overall notes: this album was produced BY Dave Clark (yes he is a real dude) himself. He’s actually a musical hero of mine because he has his hands in his music. He understood the industry and was very involved on with his IP. Pioneering really. Dave Clark was also the band's manager and producer (including this one) of their recordings. Dave Clark even went on to write and produce a 1986 stage musical called Time. DC5 has always been a favorite of mine since my DJ days when I discovered them. This was a working band, they used to put out 2 or 3 albums a year AND tour for them. This whole side is laid out like a relationship. Fall in Love, break up, fight, then laugh about it.

So in today’s battle, The D was the key. As in Duran Duran vs. Dave Clark. Duran x two took 20 minutes to blitz through 124 calories and 5 songs. They averaged 24.80 calories burned per song and 6.20 calories burned per minute and earned 12 out of 15 possible stars. The Dave Clark Five took their 12 minutes to rapid fire through 80 calories and 5 tunes. DC5 burned 16 calories per song and 6.67 calories per minute. They earned 11 out of 15 possible stars, but more importantly - they returned...for the win!

Dave Clark Five: “Can’t You See That She’s Mine”

https://youtu.be/Mh_jZxmsmZ0

#Randomrecordworkoutseasonseven

#Randomrecordworkout

[gastronomicgorman]

An Evening with Gizzi Erskine at Square Birmingham Pop-up

An Evening with Gizzi Erskine at Square Birmingham Pop-up

Gizzi Erskine has been an idol of mine for many years. From the first time I saw her huge beehive and bold flavours on Cook Yourself Thin, I knew this love affair would be an enduring one. Today, I own all of her cookbooks, with some of my favourite things to make residing within their pages. She’s won tonnes of awards, brought Asian fusion food to the masses, and even been immortalised in cake.…

[wewerepromisedsomuch]

Live Review: Indoor Pets

Artist: Indoor Pets

Support Act: Gender Roles

Venue:  The Flapper, Birmingham, UK

Date: 15th April 2019

Rating: 8.0/10

A tiny venue, mass singalongs, dancing front rows and a band on stage commanding every square inch; you’d think we’re talking about an established act running through a series of intimate dates before zipping off to slay arenas; not Indoor Pets, a group who’ve headed out on a headline tour for their sumptuous debut LP ‘Be Content’. Such is the confidence on stage and the wide spread adulation, WWPSM has to keep reminding themselves that these boys are only just starting out, albeit with four or so years under the belts, perfecting their live show and honing their own special brand of power-pop flecked rock.

Before Indoor Pets work The Flapper like putty in their hands, Brighton’s Gender Roles have the task of warming up the Brummie crowd. The three piece don’t muck about when it comes to unleashing a delightfully grunge racket that’s rough ‘n’ ready but tinged with a pop sensibility. With their unnamed debut album in the bag, the trio rattle through a host of new tunes as well as belting out choice nuggets from their ‘Lazer Rush’ EP, that sees ‘About Her’ drawing out a singalong from a handful of devotees down the front. ‘Gills’ is greeted like an old friend while ‘Plastic’s caustic sweetness brings the seasider’s sterling support slot to a close. Suffice to say, Gender Roles’ first album can’t drop soon enough.

Apparently, singer/vocalist Jamie Glass has ‘big hands’ according to Indoor Pets’ faithful following. (personally, he doesn’t, they’re average sized.) Not ones to back down from a bit of whimsy, the Kent band’s entrance music is a blurred mix of Stormzy, The Beatles and various other acts, but where applicable, Glass’ deadpan voice blurts: hands….(you might need to have been there but trust us, it was funny!). Firing into ‘Cutie Pie, I’m Bloated’, Indoor Pets charge into their 15-song set list with frantic gusto. The energy levels are soon mirrored onstage with the jostling front rows, as the set’s high-octane opener instigates the first of many singalongs. Tonight’s set is mostly made up from ‘Be Content’ but the oldies like ‘Electrify’ and ‘All My Friends’ make an appearance early on and with the latter in-particular, these non-album tracks go down a treat. As you may have guessed, with an arsenal of songs with more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle box, when the band fire into fan favourites ‘Teriyaki’, ‘Being Strange’ and the effervescent ‘Pro Procrastinator’ these gems are met with hearty singalongs. The same can be said for the rampant ‘Mean Heart’ and ‘Barbiturates’. When the huge sounding, catchier than the common cold, rock songs are dialed back for a moment, ‘The Mapping of Dandruff’ captures Indoor Pets’ tender, sentimental side; a different kind of anthemics from the rest of the set but something wonderful happens when crowd and Glass combine to sing the song’s bruised hookline “I’m so human it hurts”.

They’ve got the tunes and they’ve got the live presence, with Glass throwing multiple, jerky shapes, whilst clambering into the front rows when not tethered to his guitar. Fellow guitarist James Simpson has the same berserker approach to his craft while bass player Ollie Nunn is the living embodiment of Cousin IT, a wall of hair bumbling across the stage. James’ brother Rob remains steadfast at the back of the stage, keeping things in check via his drum kit. What’s charming about Indoor Pets and particularly Glass, is the frontman appears completely lost in the moment when him and the band are powering through their set but between songs, he appears surprised and a little awkward when being faced by the huge wave of adulation being thrown his way. Better get used to that boys, there’s plenty more where that came from!

Indoor Pets are primed and ready for places double the size of The Flapper, catch them while you can in an intimate venue near you!  

 Photography by Naomi Abbs-Williams

[architectnews]

Foster + Partners' City Hall among top ten under-threat buildings in the UK

City Hall in London, the brutalist Derby Assembly Rooms and Swindon's Oasis Leisure Centre are among the UK's top 10 buildings under threat according to architectural campaigning charity Twentieth Century Society.

Revealed today by the Twentieth Century Society (C20 Society), the Top 10 Buildings at Risk List for 2021 highlights structures that the charity believes are in danger of either substantial alteration or demolition.

Other buildings at risk include the Bull Yard shopping precinct in Birmingham, the listed Halls of Residence at the University of Hull and the Cressingham Gardens' housing estate in London.

Above: the Derby Assembly Rooms features in the Top 10 Buildings at Risk List. Top image: Foster + Partners' City Hall is also on the list

The list, which is released every two years aims to illuminate how numerous buildings of various architectural styles are currently under threat in the UK.

"It helps the architectural campaigning charity to demonstrate how severe the threat is to some of the very best examples of the architecture of our period, and ensures that some of its longest and most intractable cases do not fade from view," C20 Society explained.

City Hall among buildings at risk

One of the most significant buildings on the list is London's City Hall, a glass-clad government building on the south bank of the River Thames that Foster + Partners designed as a slanting ovoid.

City Hall has been the home of the Greater London Authority since it opened in 2002, but the C20 Society is concerned for its future as the governing body is set to relocate.

In a bid to ensure suitable reuse of the building by the new occupant, the C20 Society is calling for it to be listed.

However, an application for this was rebuffed by Historic England as it is not considered to be immediately at risk, according to the charity.

The dome of the Oasis Leisure Centre might be removed in its refurbishment. Photo is by Richard Voyce, courtesy of C20 Society

Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon is on the list following the reveal of refurbishment plans involving the demolition of its centrepiece – a perspex-glazed roof dome.

The charity argues that the building, which is best known for informing the name of the band Oasis, needs protecting as it is one of few surviving leisure facilities built in the 1960s to 1980s to be enjoyed by families, rather than for training or competitions.

Brutalist buildings under threat

The brutalist Derby Assembly Rooms made the top 10 list after the local council revealed its plans to demolish the concrete edifice in Derbyshire without plans for a replacement.

Derby City Council's announcement has sparked uproar from architects across the UK, and its proposal for a pop-up market to take the Assembly Rooms' place has been described by C20 Society trustee Otto Saumarez Smith as a "grotesque failure of imagination".

Another brutalist building on the list is Swansea Civic Centre in Wales. Photo is by Richard Porch, courtesy of C20 Society

Another brutalist building on the list is the Swansea Civic Centre in Wales, which the local council is planning to replace as part of the regeneration of the city centre and waterfront.

Like several other structures in the Top 10 Buildings at Risk List for 2021, the C20 Society has submitted an application to have it listed at Grade II.

Only one building under threat currently listed

The Bull Yard shopping precinct in Coventry could suffer a similar fate, with post-war buildings at risk of being lost as part of a 60,000-square-metre redevelopment scheme planned by the local council.

The shopping precinct ranks number one in the Buildings at Risk List because Coventry is shortly due to be named as the UK City of Culture, which the society believes is being ignored as "a brilliant opportunity for the council to showcase its post-war buildings".

The only structure in the top 10 that is already Grade II*-listed is The Lawns, a hall of residence at the University of Hull, built by Gillespie, Kidd & Coia in the 1960s.

Now up for sale and earmarked as housing, the C20 Society has spotlighted the building to help ensure its future owner adopts "a conservation-led scheme".

Two buildings on 2019 list demolished

Other buildings on the list include the Former London Electricity Board HQ and the Cressingham Gardens post-war social housing estate, both of which are facing demolition in London.

The final two are the Halifax swimming pool and its murals and Shirehall, Shropshire Council's modernist headquarters.

A city redevelopment could see the Bull Yard demolished. Photo is by Paul Catherall, courtesy of C20 Society

Structures on the C20 Society's Buildings at Risk List for 2019 included two buildings that have been demolished. These are the Fawley Power Station in Hampshire and Walton Court, the former home of Birds Eye in Walton Surrey.

While the remaining eight buildings are still in place, the charity has said that "no positive solutions have yet been found" for them.

Main image is by Garry Knight.

The post Foster + Partners' City Hall among top ten under-threat buildings in the UK appeared first on Dezeen.

[speedyortizmusic]

did you know speedy ortiz is named after a character created by jaime hernandez for the comic book series love and rockets? those comics changed my life, and it’s so unbelievably cool to have a portrait of the band by jaime. pick up an illustrated poster while supplies last.  

Participating Stores (UK):

Rough Trade

Resident - 28 Kensington Gardens, Brighton BN1 4AL, UK

Piccadilly - 53 Oldham St, Manchester M1 1JR, UK

Jumbo - Merrion Street, 1-3 Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8NG, UK

Drift - 103 High St, Totnes TQ9 5SN, UK

Participating Stores (US):

Music Millennium - 3158 E Burnside Street Portland, OR

The Record Exchange - 1105 West Idaho St Boise, ID

Easy Street - 4559 California Ave SW Seattle, WA

Graywhale - 1773 West 4700 South Salt Lake City, UT

Graywhale - 208 S 1300 E Salt Lake City, UT

Graywhale - 824 E 9400S Sandy, UT

Graywhale - 4062 Riverdale Rd Ogden, UT

Skips Records - 3215 W 11th Ave Eugene, OR

Silver Platters - 2930 1st Avenue South Seattle, WA

Silver Platters - 3715 196th St. SW, Lynnwood, WA

Silver Platters - 2616 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA

Streetlight Records - 980 S Bascom Ave San Jose, CA

Streetlight Records - 939 Pacific Ave Santa Cruz, CA

Boo Boo Records - 978 Monterey Street San Luis Obispo, CA

Ear Candy - 624 S Higgins Ave Missoula, MT

Sonic Boom - 2209 NW Market Street Seattle, WA

Everyday Music - 1313 W. Burnside Portland, OR

Everyday Music - 1931 NE Sandy Blvd Portland, OR

Everyday Music - 3290 SW Cedar Hills Blvd Beaverton, OR

Everyday Music - 115 E. Magnolia Bellingham, WA

Everyday Music - 1520 10th Ave. Seattle, WA

Dimple - 2499 Arden Way Sacramento, CA

Watts Records - 1211 Grant Ave Novato, CA

Sound & Vision - 3444 Main St SLC, UT

Hungry Ear - 675 Auahi St Honolulu, HI

Groovacious Platters - 195 W 650 S Cedar City, UT

The Long Ear - 1620 N Government Way Coeur D'alene, ID

Resurrection Records - 921 W Northwest Blvd Spokane, WA

Obsession Records - 2213 E Tudor Rd #53 Anchorage, AK

Siren Records - 527 Ramona Avenue Monterey, CA

Jackpot Records - 3574 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR

Albums on the Hill - 1128 13th St Boulder, CO

Amoeba - 1855 Haight Street San Francisco, CA

Amoeba - 2455 Telegraph Ave Berkeley, CA

Cactus Music - 2110 Portsmouth Ave Houston, TX

Euclid - 19 N Gore Ave, St. St. Louis, MO

Fingerprints - 420 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA

Freakbeat - 13616 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA

Good Records - 1808 Greenville Ave Dallas, TX

Guestroom - 125 E Main St. Norman, OK

Guestroom - 3701 N. Western Ave OKC, OK

Independent - 3020 Platte Ave Colorado Springs, CO

Josey Records - 2821 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy #100 Farmers Branch, TX

Josey Records - 1814 Oak St. Kansas City, MO

Lou’s Records - 434 N Coast Highway 101 Encinitas, CA

Mills Record Co - 4045 Broadway Blvd. Kansas City, MO

Moldy Toes - 221 S Ola Vista San Clemente, CA

M-Theory - 827 W Washington St, San Diego, CA

Ralph’s Records - 3322 82nd St, Lubbock, Lubbock, TX

Rhino Records - 235 Yale Ave, Claremont Claremont, CA

Salzer’s - 5777 Valentine Rd, Ventura, TX

Stinkweeds - 12 W Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ

Vintage Vinyl - 6610 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis, MO

Vinyl Renaissance - 7932 Santa Fe Dr. Overland, KS

Vinyl Renaissance - 111 S 9th St Columbia, MO

Zia Records - 3839 N 16th St. Phoenix, AZ

Bull Moose - 219 Waterman Drive, Attn: Sebastian Grass South Portland, ME

Scotti’s Record Shop - 351 Springfield Ave, Summit, NJ

Songbyrd - 2475 18th St NW, Washington, DC

Main Street Music - 4444 Main St Philadelphia, PA

Darkside Records - 611 Dutchess Turnpike Arlington, NY

Record Archive - 33 1/3 Rockwood St, Rochester, NY

Vintage Vinyl - 51 Lafayette Rd Fords, NJ

The Sound Garden - 1616 Thames St Baltimore, MD

Princeton Record Exchange - 20 S Tulane St Princeton, NJ

Angry Mom Records - 115 E State St Ithaca, NY

Creep Records - 1050 N Hancock St #76, Philadelphia, PA

Juke Records - 4526 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA

Hill & Dale Records - 1054 31st St NW #010 Washington, DC

Pure Pop - 115 S Winooski Ave Burlington, VT

Ka-Chunk Records - 78 Maryland Ave Annapolis, MD

Flat Black & Circular - 541 E Grand River East Lansing, MI

Reckless Records - 3126 Broadway Chicago, IL

Reckless Records - 26 E Madison Chicago, IL

Reckless Records - 1379 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL

Shuga - 1272 N Milwaukee Ave Chicago, IL

Drastic Plastic - 1118B Howard St Omaha, NE

Toxic Beauty Records - 220 Xenia Yellow Springs, OH

Shake it - 4156 Hamilton Cincinnati, OH

Homer’s - 1210 Howard St Omaha, NE

Strictly Discs - 1900 Monroe St Madison, WI

Luna Music - 5202 N College Av Indianapolis, IN

Landlocked Music - 202 Walnut Bloomington, IN

Used Kids - 2500 Summit St Columbus, OH

Plaid Room Records - 120 Karl Brown Way Loveland, OH

Mile Long Records - 350 W Front St Wheaton, IL

Lucky Records - 126 S Market St Wooster, OH

Electric Fetus - 2000 4th Ave So Minneapolis, MN

Electric Fetus - 12E. Superior Duluth, MN

Exclusive Co - 318 E Main St Oshkosh, WI

Dearborn Music - 22501 Michigan Ave Dearborn, MI

Culture Clash - 4020 Secor Rd Toledo, OH

Laurie’s - 4639 N Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL

Finders - 128 N Main St Bowling Green, OH

Magnolia T- Pussy - 1155 N High St, Columbus, OH

Record Den - 7661 Mentor Rd Mentor, OH

ZZZ - 2200 Ingersoll Ave Des Moines, IA

Rolling Stone - 7300 W Irving Pk Rd Norridge, IL

Waiting Room - 113 W North Normal, IL

Wazoo - 336 ½ S State Ann Arbor, MI

Spoonful - 2960 N High St Columbus, OH

Down In The Valley - 8020 Olsen Memorial HWY Golden Valley Shopping Center Golden Valley, MN

Indy CD - 806 Broadripple Av Indianapolis, IN

Dave’s - 2604 N Clark St Chicago, IL

Lost Weekend - 2960 N High St Columbus, OH

Radio Kaos - 968 Min St Stevens Point, WI

Records Per Minute - 2579 High ST Columbus, OH

Karma Records - 21 N Post Rd Indianapolis, IN

Wooden Nickle Records - 3422 Anthony Rd Ft. Wayne, IN

Technique Records - 853 NE 79th Street Miami, FL

The End Of All Music - 103A Courthouse Square Oxford, MS

Criminal Records - 1154-A Euclid Avenue NE Atlanta, GA

Park Ave CDs - 2916 Corrine Dr Orlando, FL

Monster Music - 946 Orleans Rd Charleston, SC

Grimey’s - 1604 8th Ave S Nashville, TN

SchoolKids Records - 2237 Avent Ferry Rd Ste. 101 Raleigh, NC

Sweat Records - 5505 NE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL

Oz Music - 506 14th St, Tuscaloosa, AL

Arkansas Record Exchange - 4212 Mac Arthur N Little Rock, AR

Daddy Kool Records - 666 Central Ave St. Petersburg, FL

T-Bones - 2101 Hardy St Hattiesburg, MS

CD Cellar - 913 Noble St Anniston, AL

CD Central - 377 S Limestone Lexington, KY

Lunchbox Records - 825 Central Ave Charlotte, NC

Decatur CD - 356 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA

Earshot - 3254 Silas Creek Pkwy Salem, NC

Wax N Facts - 432 Moreland Ave NE Atlanta, GA

Wuxtry - 197 E Clayton St Athens, GA

Wuxtry - 2096 N Decatur Rd Decatur, GA

The Groove - 1103 Calvin Ave Nashville, TN

East West Records - 4895 Orange Ave S Orlando, FL

Radio Active - 845 N Federal Hwy Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Seasick Records - 5508 Crestwood Blvd Birmingham, AL

Horizon Records - 2-A West Stone Ave, Greenville, SC

Central Square - 89 Central Sq, Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Guestroom Records - 1806 Frankfort Ave. Louisville, KY

Al Bums Record Shoppe - 4606 S. Main St. ��Acworth, GA

Fantasyland Records - 360 Pharr RD. NE Atlanta, GA

Mojo Books & Records - 2540 E Fowler Ave Tampa, FL

Magnolia Records - 214 W. Magnolia Ave Knoxville, TN

Vinyl Tap - 2038 Greenwood Ave Nashville, TN

[coopdigitalnewsletter]

29 Jun 2018: Self-driving shops, Amazon buys online pharmacy, Co-op economy, Alexa for hotels, Tesco Go

Hello, this is the Co-op Digital newsletter - it looks at what's happening in the internet/digital world and how it's relevant to the Co-op, to retail businesses, and most importantly to people, communities and society. Thank you for reading and please do send ideas, questions, corrections etc to @rod on Twitter. If you have enjoyed reading please consider telling a friend about it!

[Image: Minh Uong/The New York Times]

Co-op economy report

The Co-op economy report shows that co-operative economic activity is growing. The standout line: “co-operative start-ups are almost twice as likely to survive their first five years when compared to companies”, probably because it’s easier to align interests when the employees are the owners.

Related: Co-op Group will buy four convenience stores from John Lewis, which is refreshing the JL and Waitrose brands to add “& partners” in order to emphasise employee ownership. Hopefully they’ll reinstate their brilliant JL&p logo from the 1970s.

Self-driving shops

If cars didn’t have drivers or passengers, they wouldn’t need to drive at busy-human speeds, which might make it easier to deploy certain kinds of self-driving car - like Robomart’s “autonomous shops on wheels”. The basic promise: instead of you having to pop to the shops, the shop pops to you. Robomart says that customers will prefer to inspect perishable goods in person, and that looking at shelves that bring themselves to your driveway is easier than tapping away on a grocery app.

But it might be decades before full self-driving autonomy is ubiquitous. Before then you could imagine a temporary stage in which if you want to pick up a loaf of bread and some milk you wait until Freshco’s automated shop comes to you - it might slowly cruise around the neighbourhood, being flagged to a stop by pedestrians. But if you want to order an uncommon product or you want it in a hurry, maybe it’s delivered to you by a human driver, and more expensively. And you might even still be able to pop to the local store!

After that, perhaps transport and shopping merge. You wave away that Gregg’s Steakbake-n-ride Bus because you want something different today, and the queue for the FalaFellers Gondola is always insane. So instead you “step into a Starbucks Van, or a Burger King Coupe, to dine and commute at the same time”.

Amazon buys online pharmacy PillPack

Amazon is buying US online pharmacy startup, PillPack. You can see how PillPack fits with Amazon’s “efficiently sending things” strand, just as the wider Improving Healthcare Services joint venture with Morgan Stanley and Berkshire Hathaway fits their “efficiently running info-rich services” capability.

Employee power and indifferent technology

Big tech employees are criticising their employers for taking contracts with government agencies. Amazon employees demanded it cut ties with ICE, the US immigration and customs enforcement agency, saying “we should not be in the business of supporting those who monitor and oppress marginalized populations”. Salesforce, Google and Microsoft employees are also pushing back on their employers’ gov contracts.

The problem is that the same technology that underpins the friendly, free-and-pay-with-your-behaviour services that users love can often be put to use elsewhere, and in ways that more obviously seem objectionable. Technology isn’t neutral, but it is indifferent to how it’s used.

Alexa for hotels

Amazon announced Alexa for hospitality. Contexts and jobs that have constrained use cases are easier to build a voice assistant for because you can build for a predictable set of requests, and the users already know what kinds of thing they can ask. “What time is breakfast/checkout/breakfast served from?”, “Turn up the heating please”, “Can you send up a cheese sandwich/ironing board?” and so on, but not “Hotel! Can you improve this sales presentation for tomorrow’s important meeting because aaaaaah?” (You can imagine that a shop or an insurance company might have some similarly narrow requests.) Interesting: they plan that hotel guests will be able to sign into their own Amazon accounts, to be able to “call home” etc. And maybe even watch their own Prime Video content?

Related: a robot that delivers in hotels.

Tesco Go

Tesco is looking at cashierless/checkoutless shopping - shops in which you can put things in your bag and just walk out. Tescoboss: “In our stores in central London, Manchester and Birmingham, lunchtime queues are a problem. Anything we can do to speed that up will be a benefit for customers.” But Tesco is “still figuring out how it could be introduced at some of its 1,800 UK express stores without increasing theft”.

Amazon’s Go shop in Seattle is a bit further along: “Amazon Go, for the most part, is designed to make the process of "oh, I changed my mind" very visually clean. Shelves are stocked with shape and color variety in mind, and they have rigid item-placement spots. Those factors combine to make it very difficult to put stuff where Amazon doesn't want you to.”

Other news

Ticketmaster was hacked - the fraudulent activity was spotted by the bank Monzo, which acted quickly and has explained itself well. By comparison Ticketmaster and their chat vendor look a bit preoccupied with pointing the finger at each other.

Better Internetter from Doteveryone - “some handy hints to make your tech work better for you when you shop, search and share online.”

Building the GOV.UK of the future - including a mundane but profound use of machine learning: categorising and structuring content.

Lots of stories in the last fortnight about companies moving jobs, activity, headquarters etc outside of the UK if the Brexit disast destination is no customs union. Insurance giant AIG is moving to the UK though - it was previously serving its UK customers from Luxembourg.

Slack had a rare service outage - team communications tool/office gossip supercharger was down for three hours, during which co-workers had to fall back to email or nervously clear their throats and use speech. They posted an update every 30 minutes - a good practice.

Elon Musk drawn into farting unicorn dispute with potter. Reasons why this story is being linked: 1. Elon Musk/Tesla. 2. The way that tech firms are sometimes a bit casual about other people’s intellectual property. 3. pottery. 4. the headline.

Magic: here is a Colombian football fan helping his deaf and blind friend experience their team's World Cup.

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Co-op Digital news

Introducing our software development standards.

Now’s the time to enter new markets.

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Events

Code your future summit - Sat 30 Jun 9.30am at Federation House.

Healthcare ventures show & tell - Tue 3 Jul 10am at Federation House 5th floor.

Funeralcare show & tell - Tue 3 Jul 2pm at Angel Square 12th floor.

Update from Heads of Practice - Wed 4 Jul 11.45am at Federation House 5th floor.

Shifts show & tell - Thu 5 Jul 11am at Angel Square 4th floor.

Cremation without ceremony show & tell - Thu 5 Jul 2pm at Angel Square 12th floor.

Marketplace ventures show & tell - Tue 10 Jul 10am at Federation House 5th floor.

Update from Heads of Practice - Wed 11 Jul 11.45am at Federation House 5th floor.

Turning GDPR into an opportunity - Wed 11 Jul 4pm at Federation House.

How to improve and innovate customer experiences using service design with Co-op Digital’s Jack Fletcher - Thu 12 Jul 8.30am at LABS in London.

Cremation without ceremony show & tell - Thu 12 Jul 2pm at Angel Square 12th floor.

Manchester Masterclass in Decentralised Organising - Fri 13 Jul 9.30am at Federation House.

More events coming up at Federation House. And TechNW has a useful calendar of events happening in the North West.

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Thanks for reading. If you want to find out more about Co-op Digital, follow us @CoopDigital on Twitter and read the Co-op Digital Blog.

[mollysearle24]

Final presentation and script

Charlotte –

Our brand story is, here at Gaia, we want you to feel like the true Earth Goddess you are. With our size inclusive, stylish and elegant designs made both ethically and sustainably. We aim for our loungewear to leave you looking great and feeling empowered. We are diving deep into clean production that is not only beneficial to you but for the earth as well.​

Heather –

Sustainability- All of our fabrics, yarns, trimmings and finishings are either organic and sustainably sourced or are made from 100% post consumer recycled material. This means we never deplete our planets natural resources faster than we can produce them. Responsibility- Everybody who works at Gaia are insured a competitive wage and our places of work are regularly inspected to guarantee safe working conditions. Inclusivity- We want all women to feel comfortable and confident when they shop with us. Our sizing ranges from a UK size 4-24 with hopes to increase this in the future.

Narnia-

Although at GAIA we pride ourselves in our inclusivity we do find our main customer audience to be a woman between the ages of 25 to 40 years old who are at a middle-class economic level. Demographically, we at GAIA want our customers to be economically aware, professional women earning a sufficient wage of 30k a year and above, who while wanting comfort also seek fashionable and classy loungewear that can be dressed up and worn out as well as dressed down. The psychological makeup of our customer is an art lover who is fashion conscious, a discriminating buyer, university educated with occupational accomplishment and an economic activist.The habits of our customer include shopping, reading, walking, yoga, watching movies and spending time with family. In terms of their consumer habits, our customers enjoy shopping around once every month or two months at middle to high profile retail establishments, fashionable good quality products, consciously seeks out sustainable and economically friendly brands.

Narnia and Zhante-

For our brand we decided to call ourselves Gaia. Gaia was venerated as the goddess of earth or land in ancient Greece. We think the name clearly reflects our goals of being sustainable and inclusive- supporting women empowerment through the use of a goddess accompanied with our ‘all goddesses welcome’ tagline. The logo is formed with Amalfi coasts cursive text that projects a feminine tone overall. Partnered with that is the alchemical symbol for the earth element, which further helps us to be identified as a sustainable brand. Both elements are identifiable to our brand and can be separated and used as standalone logos across our collection and promotional front. We decided to keep the colour palette quite simple as the black and white creates a more refined, elegant and professional look as it reflects our target audience of professional women aged 25-40 and we also want our collection to speak for itself.

Charlotte -

Our trend is a combination of the colour palette from the spring summer 22 euphoric and the concept of home comforts from spring summer 22 connected, both from WGSN. The concept of home comforts is based around comfy, loungewear home styles lasting long after lockdown. Loungewear isn’t just about comfort anymore it also needs to look into wellbeing with health being a consumer priority. Home comforts is relevant for loungewear and sets with cocooning adaptable silhouettes and adjustable features including elasticated closures and button-down finishes. The recommended materials for home comforts are organic fabrics including hemp, linen and cotton with hypoallergenic, rejuvenating and deodorising benefits. We have taken away aspects of home comforts for our brand including the loungewear home styles, organic materials and adaptable and adjustable silhouettes with elasticated features and tie-waist closures. With a future plan to look into smart fabrics.

Molly (me) -

The reason why we decided not to keep the home comforts colour palette is because we wanted something bolder and brighter. We went with the forecasted trend euphoric and the colour palette is inspired by the trend board colour me happy.

The colour palette consists of lavender Silk, Fresh Ginger, Nectar, Daylight Blue, Turquoise Tonic, Orchard Flower and Red Glow.

Charlotte -

The first loungewear collection for Gaia consists of three outfits designed for release in the spring of 2022. We’d like to consider ourselves as an inclusive brand to all and offer all of our products in sizes XXS to 4XL. The first outfit in our range is a plunge V neck sleeveless full-length dress, with an elasticated ruffled waist. The dress is paired with a collarless full length quilted coat with wide sleeves, complete with a long sash belt. The second outfit consists of three items including elasticated paper bag style lounge pants, a sleeveless tank in the same style as the dress, these are paired with a quilted wide sleeved crop jacket with a tie waste. The third outfit is a pair of elasticated paper bag shorts with a cropped square neck t-shirt with ruffled sleeve detailing matching that of the bottoms and dress. All of the outerwear and bottoms from this collection have seam pockets and there is a paper bag style detail running across all three looks of the collection.

Lisa -

Looking at the garments we create, we plan to use recycled polyester and organic cotton. Which would be coloured through a natural dye process and use of sublimation for the polyester fibres which wouldn’t be as harmful or wasteful. And with the jackets and coat we would use cotton batting.​

Heather –

Our first clothing line is priced from £47 - £428. Being a sustainable and ethically inspired brand it is expected that our products may cost more than less ethical companies on the market. As an example we pay all of our employees an average wage of £12 an hour including everyone involved with the production of our garments. Compared to one of our main ethical competitors girlfriend collective, who pay the living wage for seamstresses in Vietnam, our employees earn over 10x the amount they do. We believe that this will not deter our customer base as they care far more about the impact they have than how much things cost. Our pricing is based on a direct to customer market. We hope to operate a circular economy in the future so at this time we are not taking on wholesale options to keep things simple.

Molly (me) -

Our clothing will be predominately sold online and you can purchase the items through our website or through our Instagram shop. We decided to open an Instagram shop as well as just our website because Instagram is a massive social media platform where we can gain a large following, we will also be able to reach a bigger target market of customers. One other reason why we wanted to promote and sell through Instagram is due to the current pandemic, as more and more people are now shopping online and turning to Instagram to pass the time so we hope our brand reaches a wider range of customers through our posts and advertisements. we also plan to set up a pop-up shop in the bull ring in Birmingham city Centre, where we will also sell our products.

Pranil –

As for our pop-up store, we had scouted out a location that we had deemed perfect for our brand, and we had found an open and well-lit store for hire in the heart of the Birmingham, within the Bullring. This store is ideal for our brand as the Bullring is a highly populated area, and we feel customers going in and out the building will be inclined to help local businesses in the area, and our demographic will surely be around the building. The price for this renting out this store totals out to £132/day and we all agreed that having the store up for a month would be enough time for people to notice us, which come to final cost of £5,160, for 31 days.

Zhante –

Looking at the ways in which we can get Gaia as brand out there and create a sense of validity around us, we will be using such means as reaching out to sustainable fashion bloggers like the sustainable edit and magazines such as KeiSei and more commercial magazines like vogue for featured interviews so our consumers can get to know Gaia as a brand better and to answer any unanswered questions as well as write and review our products spreading our message across a wider audience. We will also be looking at future collaborations with other sustainable brands which support our ideals, such as girlfriend collective as an example to help gain international recognition. We will also be hiring out billboard spots across the UK to visually promote our collection and to create further interest eventually moving this worldwide. In addition to this, we will also be working with the fashion of nature exhibition to display our collection within a live event as well as taking part in the first ever sustainable fashion week, sporting our collection on the runway later this year in autumn 2021. In the near future we will be looking into partnering with campaigns and charities surrounding the idea of sustainability and slow fashion and hopefully create our own campaigns and produce panel talks that support and help spread our message even further.

[puephung-fy]

[2.20] Final Presentation + Script

For the final presentation we’ve all prepared something to say about the brand in our respected places we worked on.

^ Charlotte – Good Morning, we are group one, and throughout this presentation we will be introducing you to our new brand Gaia.  

^ Charlotte – Our brand story is, here at Gaia, we want you to feel like the true Earth Goddess you are. With our size inclusive, stylish and elegant designs made both ethically and sustainably. We aim for our loungewear to leave you looking great and feeling empowered. We are diving deep into clean production that is not only beneficial to you but for the earth as well.​

^ Heather - Sustainability - All of our fabrics, yarns, trimmings and finishing's are either organic and sustainably sourced or are made from 100% post consumer recycled material. This means we never deplete our planets natural resources faster than we can produce them. Responsibility - Everybody who works at Gaia are insured a competitive wage and our places of work are regularly inspected to guarantee safe working conditions. Inclusivity - We want all women to feel comfortable and confident when they shop with us. Our sizing ranges from a UK size 4-24 with hopes to increase this in the future.

^ Narnia - Although at GAIA we pride ourselves in our inclusivity we do find our main customer audience to be a woman between the ages of 25 to 40 years old who are at a middle-class economic level. Demographically, we at GAIA want our customers to be economically aware, professional women earning a sufficient wage of 30k a year and above, who while wanting comfort also seek fashionable and classy loungewear that can be dressed up and worn out as well as dressed down.

The psychological makeup of our customer is an art lover who is fashion conscious, a discriminating buyer, university educated with occupational accomplishment and an economic activist.

The habits of our customer include shopping, reading, walking, yoga, watching movies and spending time with family.   In terms of their consumer habits, our customers enjoy shopping around once every month or two months at middle to high profile retail establishments, fashionable good quality products, consciously seeks out sustainable and economically friendly brands.

^ Narnia/Zhante – For our brand we decided to call ourselves Gaia. Gaia was venerated as the goddess of earth or land in ancient Greece. We think the name clearly reflects our goals of being sustainable and inclusive- supporting women empowerment through the use of a goddess accompanied with our ‘all goddesses welcome’ tagline. The logo is formed with Amalfi coasts cursive text that projects a feminine tone overall. Partnered with that is the alchemical symbol for the earth element, which further helps us to be identified as a sustainable brand. Both elements are identifiable to our brand and can be separated and used as standalone logos across our collection and promotional front. We decided to keep the colour palette quite simple as the black and white creates a more refined, elegant and professional look as it reflects our target audience of professional women aged 25-40 and we also want our collection to speak for itself. 

^ Charlotte - Our trend is a combination of the colour palette from the spring summer 22 euphoric and the concept of home comforts from spring summer 22 connected, both from WGSN.  The concept of home comforts is based around comfy, loungewear home styles lasting long after lockdown. Loungewear isn’t just about comfort anymore it also needs to look into wellbeing with health being a consumer priority. Home comforts is relevant for loungewear and sets with cocooning adaptable silhouettes and adjustable features including elasticated closures and button-down finishes. The recommended materials for home comforts are organic fabrics including hemp, linen and cotton with hypoallergenic, rejuvenating and deodorising benefits. We have taken away aspects of home comforts for our brand including the loungewear home styles, organic materials and adaptable and adjustable silhouettes with elasticated features and tie-waist closures. With a future plan to look into smart fabrics. 

Molly – The reason why we decided not to keep the home comforts colour palette is because we wanted something bolder and brighter. We went with the forecasted trend euphoric and the colour palette is inspired by the trend board colour me happy.   The colour palette consists of lavender Silk, Fresh Ginger, Nectar, Daylight Blue, Turquoise Tonic, Orchard Flower and Red Glow.   

^ Charlotte - The first loungewear collection for Gaia consists of three outfits designed for release in the spring of 2022. We’d like to consider ourselves as an inclusive brand to all and offer all of our products in sizes XXS to 4XL.  The first outfit in our range is a plunge V neck sleeveless full-length dress, with an elasticated ruffled waist. The dress is paired with a collarless full length quilted coat with wide sleeves, complete with a long sash belt. The second outfit consists of three items including elasticated paper bag style lounge pants, a sleeveless tank in the same style as the dress, these are paired with a quilted wide sleeved crop jacket with a tie waste. The third outfit is a pair of elasticated paper bag shorts with a cropped square neck t-shirt with ruffled sleeve detailing matching that of the bottoms and dress. All of the outerwear and bottoms from this collection have seam pockets and there is a paper bag style detail running across all three looks of the collection.

Lisa - Looking at the garments we create, we plan to use recycled polyester and organic cotton. Which would be coloured through a natural dye process and use of sublimation for the polyester fibres which wouldn’t be as harmful or wasteful. And with the jackets and coat we would use cotton batting.​ 

^  Heather – Our first clothing line is priced from £47 - £428. Being a sustainable and ethically inspired brand it is expected that our products may cost more than less ethical companies on the market. As an example we pay all of our employees an average wage of £12 an hour including everyone involved with the production of our garments. Compared to one of our main ethical competitors girlfriend collective, who pay the living wage for seamstresses in Vietnam, our employees earn over 10x the amount they do. We believe that this will not deter our customer base as they care far more about the impact they have than how much things cost. Our pricing is based on a direct to customer market. We hope to operate a circular economy in the future so at this time we are not taking on wholesale options to keep things simple.

^ Molly - Our clothing will be predominately sold online and you can purchase the items through our website or through our Instagram shop. We decided to open an Instagram shop as well as just our website because Instagram is a massive social media platform where we can gain a large following, we will also be able to reach a bigger target market of customers. One other reason why we wanted to promote and sell through Instagram is due to the current pandemic, as more and more people are now shopping online and turning to Instagram to pass the time so we hope our brand reaches a wider range of customers through our posts and advertisements. we also plan to set up a pop-up shop in the bull ring in Birmingham city Centre, where we will also sell our products.  

Pranil – As for our pop-up store, we had scouted out a location that we had deemed perfect for our brand, and we had found an open and well-lit store for hire in the heart of the Birmingham, within the Bullring. This store is ideal for our brand as the Bullring is a highly populated area, and we feel customers going in and out the building will be inclined to help local businesses in the area, and our demographic will surely be around the building. The price for this renting out this store totals out to £132/day and we all agreed that having the store up for a month would be enough time for people to notice us, which come to final cost of £5,160, for 31 days. 

^  Zhante – Looking at the ways in which we can get Gaia as brand out there and create a sense of validity around us, we will be using such means as reaching out to sustainable fashion bloggers like the sustainable edit and magazines such as KeiSei and more commercial magazines like vogue for featured interviews so our consumers can get to know Gaia as a brand better and to answer any unanswered questions as well as write and review our products spreading our message across a wider audience. We will also be looking at future collaborations with other sustainable brands which support our ideals, such as girlfriend collective as an example to help gain international recognition. We will also be hiring out billboard spots across the UK to visually promote our collection and to create further interest eventually moving this worldwide. In addition to this, we will also be working with the fashion of nature exhibition to display our collection within a live event as well as taking part in the first ever sustainable fashion week, sporting our collection on the runway later this year in autumn 2021. In the near future we will be looking into partnering with campaigns and charities surrounding the idea of sustainability and slow fashion and hopefully create our own campaigns and produce panel talks that support and help spread our message even further.

^ Narnia – As Instagram is a big platform to promote brands and is the easiest way to garner attention, we will be reaching out to Instagrammers, sending PR so they can review and promote our collection through Instagram stories and reels to their audience which will create more traffic to both our website and Instagram page. Through this we can then run giveaways and competitions. And as Gaia gains more and more attention we will be looking into eventually expanding our group of influencers which can eventually lead us into celebrity brand endorsements and possible collaborations. 

^ Zhante – We tried to be as thoughtful about the materials we use for our packaging as we are with our collection and are constantly looking for innovative ways to minimise the use of single-use packaging. We recognise that single-use packaging exerts an impact on ecosystems at their extraction point, during production and in disposal. Therefore, we have worked with companies like TIPA and Iggesund who are manufacturers known for their bio based, fully compostable, flexible and sustainable packaging solutions to create the perfect blend. Our BPI certified packaging is 100% sustainable, 100% eco-friendly and is 100% good for the planet; made from a selection of paperboard box packaging which can either be recycled or composted. Our garments will be protected and wrapped in clear TIPA plastic made from vegetables, which is designed to breakdown into compost, replacing the overuse of industrial cast film packaging. This is great as it allows us to be consistent with our sustainability without compromising on the aesthetics.  Our thank you notes that will be inside every packaged delivery will be made from 100% recycled and plantable flower seed paper as well as our tags for both our bags and clothing. The bags will then be a combination of sustainable paperboard and again coated with a plastic film wrap-created using things such as cellulose and compostable gloss. And our Gift cards will be plastic free and made from a similar material called invercote paperboard. 

We have consciously decided not to include any unnecessary extras within the packaging such as tissue paper as we believe this will just create more unnecessary waste and recycling in the long run.

We recognise that this is a more costly approach than typical packaging and would likely have to bump up the delivery prices to help compensate for this, but we believe that the cost of this is cheaper than the cost of damaging the planet.

^ Lisa – After establishing our brand, in the short midterm we plan to open a physical store including the expansion of our range for a more inclusive collection through sizing which we plan to use CLO3D technology which would allow us to reduce the waste in pattern making and thus being more sustainable. In the long-term we aim to use self-healing fabric as it would reduce the damage on the garment and less waste as well as encouraging customers to return the clothing that we would then recycle into new clothing so that this creates a more circular ecosystem. 

^ Heather - Thank you for listening. Are there any questions?

[onetouchinvestment-blog]

Where is the UK’s Second City for Property Investment?

Whilst Birmingham and Manchester compete over the UK’s “second city” status. They also compete on which place is more lucrative for investment

The birthplace of The Smiths vs the birthplace of Duran Duran; Manchester and Birmingham both contribute massive amounts to the UK in terms of culture. Manchester boasts two world class football teams and the infamous Eccles cake; Birmingham has the Balti Triangle and the most Michelin star restaurants outside of London. The recent regeneration of the cities, and influx of new companies means that they have become increasingly attractive to young professionals looking to kick-start their career. These two cities go head-to-head as we compare them to see which place is better for buy to let property investments.

Businesses moving to Birmingham and Manchester from London

Both Birmingham and Manchester are enticing professionals out of London. 7,620 people left London for Birmingham and 10,200 people left London for greater Manchester according to figures from the Office for National Statistics and Reach PLC respectively. Both cities have experienced a large amount of investment and some companies have been moving their headquarters from London to Birmingham and Manchester due to cheaper rents. Amazon are setting up their first building in Manchester later this year and the transformation of MediaCityUK has attracted brands such as ITV and Kellogg’s. Similarly, companies are finding Birmingham increasingly attractive, PwC has announced it will take up all the commercial space at One Chamberlain Square and BBC Three have moved part of their business to the city.

Young professionals leaving London for Birmingham and Manchester chasing jobs and a cheaper way of life

One reason why people are moving out of London in such numbers could be the cost of living, including rent and house prices. According to Rightmove, the average house price in Birmingham is £202,721 and in Manchester it is £203,203. This is compared to London which has an overall average house price of £618,065. Rent is also considerably cheaper in Birmingham and Manchester compared to London, which stands at a whopping £1,473 per month on average.

With more affordable rents and job opportunities like what is available in London, it is understandable that young professionals have been moving to Manchester and Birmingham. In fact, Birmingham has one of the youngest populations in Europe, with 40% of the city’s inhabitants being under the age of 25. Manchester’s city centre population has grown by 149% between 2002 – 2015 and job growth has been 84% between 1998 and 2015.

Areas such as Digbeth in Birmingham are attracting a young, artistic crowd and this is reflected in the number of creative working spaces and craft breweries that are popping up – mirroring the popularity of Shoreditch in London. One particular investment option in Digbeth is Moseley Gardens, a new development comprising 67 one and two-bedroom apartments. Due for completion in Q2 2020, one-bedroom flats in Moseley Gardens start from £185,000. These could be an ideal option for someone looking to live in the area, or the astute investor who knows Digbeth will soon be one of the most coveted areas in Birmingham.

Similarly, Salford Quays is an area in Manchester which has been propelled into popularity due to the creation of MediaCityUK and the relocation of broadcasting companies such as the BBC and ITV to the area. A waterside location with polished high-rise flats, it is like the Canary Wharf of Manchester.

Manchester’s city centre has experienced a lot of regeneration, from Spinningfields and Deansgate to Ancoats and New Islington. Local Blackfriars is a new development on Blackfriars Street close to the Northern Quarter and Manchester’s shopping district. Residents will be spoilt for choice in terms of eateries, bars and shops to explore. Local Blackfriars boasts impressive communal spaces and amenities such as a 24/7 concierge service, bistro, bar, a gymnasium, cinema room and fully equipped laundry room.

Birmingham v Manchester head to head in investment terms

With regards to population growth, Cushman & Wakefield estimate that Manchester’s population will swell by 56,000 by 2034. Between 2018 and 2028 Birmingham’s population is estimated to increase by 7.2% (81,400) according to Birmingham city council.

Although Birmingham’s population is predicted to increase more than Manchester’s, Manchester has a higher average house price indicating that property is more in demand in the northern city. Not only that, it got named as the best place to live in 2018 in the UK by The Economist’s ‘Global Livability Index”. Birmingham holds no such accolades, which may swing things in favour of Manchester in terms of how much people are willing to pay for homes in the area.

Graduate retention

Manchester and Birmingham are relatively evenly matched when it comes to graduate retention and attraction, probably due to the multi-national companies moving to the cities. These young professionals will obviously contribute to rental yield and eventually capital growth, as they will rent whilst getting settled in their career and will eventually buy. Manchester retains 51% of the city’s graduates and Birmingham retains 49% of all its graduates. Birmingham saw the third largest inflow of graduates who had no prior links to the city – just behind Manchester. 53% of those who grew up in Birmingham returned to the city after graduation, and it was 58% for Manchester. There is no great disparity between graduate figures and we do not think the difference will be enough to swing investment fundamentals in either city’s favour.

Rental yield and capital growth prospects in Birmingham and Manchester

Manchester performs slightly better than Birmingham in terms of rental yields, offering an average of 5.55% compared to Birmingham’s 4.61%.

In Birmingham, the average weekly wage is £527, this is compared to an average weekly wage of £512 in Manchester. Although not a massive disparity, the higher wages coupled with lower property prices could mean that in future residents in Birmingham are in a better position to buy property compared to residents in Manchester. A larger proportion of wealthy young professionals looking to buy property will obviously have a positive effect on capital growth. This is reflected in house price growth, with Birmingham edging Manchester slightly at 16% compared to 15% since June 2016.

Birmingham also has the advantage of more rapidly improving transport infrastructure. HS2 will shorten travel times to London from 82 minutes to 45 minutes. Being in the midlands, it is also easier to access other parts of the United Kingdom. Manchester’s transport infrastructure is also improving as part of the Great North Rail Project. All of Manchester’s train stations have been connected by a 300m long bridge called the Ordsall Chord which helped people travel across Manchester more easily, as well as making Manchester Airport more accessible.

So, where is the UK’s second city in terms of investment?

Manchester certainly commands higher rental yields, and more people have left London for Manchester compared to Birmingham. However, the transport infrastructure improvements in Birmingham will make it increasingly attractive and this is reflected in the fact that its population is due to increase at a higher rate than Manchester’s.

If investors are looking for a more short-term investment, we would recommend investing in property in Manchester as it is already attractive to tenants and buyers. Manchester has already enticed global companies and young professionals to the city. Longer term, is there scope for much more growth and regeneration? It appears Birmingham has more regeneration in the pipeline and room for property prices to increase more, whilst still allowing investors to buy into the market at a lower price.

Contact a property investment company such as One Touch Property Investment today, as we have ideal investments in each city and we can provide guidance to help you achieve your financial goals.

Which is the UK’s second city for you?

[un-enfant-immature]

Amazon launches physical kiosks in UK train stations, a local extension of its Treasure Trucks

After announcing a year-long pilot of pop-up shops in the UK earlier this week to sell items from smaller marketplace merchants, Amazon has added another development to its brick-and-mortar efforts in the country. Starting today, the company is setting up physical kiosks, initially in train stations, to sell passers-by a rotating range of items at discounted prices.

The first of these will be in London, where Amazon is situating them in rail stations — Charing Cross, King’s Cross, Paddington, Liverpool Street and my local station London Bridge — and will start off by selling Boodles Mulberry Gin for £14.99 a bottle (a 40% discount on the normal price, Amazon notes).

The kiosks, Amazon says, are an extension of the company’s Treasure Truck concept, which sees a large vehicle doing the rounds across various towns — currently London, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds, York, Birmingham, Coventry, Portsmouth, Southampton, Nottingham, Leicester, Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading and Slough (for US readers: the original site of The Office) — offering a rotating selection of items at discounted prices. These have been operating in the UK for a couple of years now.

With Treasure Truck in the UK, you sign up for the service (by texting “truck” to 87377) and Amazon texts you to let you know when the truck is coming your way. Users can pre-order and pay for items to collect them from the truck. It looks like the same format will apply to the kiosks, which will also become pick-up points. To incentivise more signups, Amazon said that new users will get an additional introductory discount of £5 per bottle.

Kiosks are a practical adaptation of the Treasure Truck concept for Amazon: as with other cities in Europe, the locations Amazon visits in the UK have narrow streets sometimes clogged with traffic and generally not designed for speedy arrivals of giant vehicles, and the population is more dense.

Also, situating kiosks in rail stations to catch people during their commutes means more may buy knowing they are on their way home or to an office so will not have to carry items around all day.

“Kiosks are a natural extension of the exciting shopping experience of Amazon’s Treasure Truck. Whether you’re on the way to work or heading home for the day, Amazon customers and passersby will have a fun and convenient way to shop for an amazing deal, get their hands on a trending product or take part in a fun event. Kiosks will help turn an ordinary day into something a bit more special,” said Suruchi Saxena Bansal, Country Leader, Amazon Treasure Truck, in a statement.

More generally, Amazon has been slowly increasing the different channels that it uses to connect with potential customers beyond its basic website and mobile app.

This is because “omnichannel” is the order of the day in commerce: in markets that are especially competitive and mature, we’ve seen a big shift among retailers to cater to a wider variety of audiences and sell to them in whichever channel where they are spending time and discovering things.

That’s included selling on social media (Instagram for one is making a big push with this), through email (see: Mailchimp’s efforts here), and of course doing things the old-fashioned way, by selling in person (something that efforts from the likes of Square and PayPal have also helped to grow).

That in-person experience is something that Amazon — born in the virtual world of cyberspace — has been doubling down on for years to reach a wider set of shoppers.

Its efforts have included bookstores near college campuses, cashier-free Amazon Go stores, the whopping acquisition of Whole Foods, and — as of earlier this week — setting up pop-up shops.

The latter are particularly ironic, given that the Amazon name is regularly invoked when people discuss how brick-and-mortar shops — and in the UK, “high street” shopping precincts — have died a death.

A year ago, there was a rumor that Amazon was negotiating in the UK to acquire a selection of large retail locations that were being vacated by the bankrupt hardware and DIY chain Homebase.

These sprawling locations, situated often in town outskirts among other large stores with huge parking lots, are a far cry from little kiosks in crowded train stations. And indeed, the Homebase deal, if it was every really on the cards, never came to pass.

But the report and Amazon’s wider track record are sure signs that the commerce is only going to get more physical, not less. It’s not a question of “if”, but rather of how and when.

[dakotahiggins-blog1]

Birmingham is home to some of the best clubs, bars and restaurants in the country. It is truly one of the great party cities. Here at GoHen, because we didn’t want you to miss out on any of the great cocktail bars which Birmingham has to offer, we compiled a list of some of the top hangouts about. So next time you’re in the brilliant city of Brum, be sure to check them out!

The Cuban Embassy

The ideal haunt for rum lovers and the perfect venue if you’re looking for Latin American flair. The Cuban Embassy is a fabulous independent venue with a passion for live music, great food and most definitely, rum. They boast a selection of over 120 varieties of the finest Caribbean liquor and pride themselves on their wonderfully authentic Cuban cocktails. With a fantastic atmosphere, Latin music performances and extensive drinks range, The Cuban Embassy is a truly unmissable establishment.

You must try: Havana Style Mojito

Address | 23 St Mary’s Row, Birmingham, B13 8HW

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Bourne & Co.

Bourne & Co. is a fantastic prohibition themed bar, which provides an unbelievably realistic feeling peak into 1920s New York-style speakeasies. They have an amazing range of expertly crafted cocktails on offer, from vintage classics and cocktails with a twist, to vegan inspired concoctions. Stylish and swanky, this intimate bar is perfect if you’re looking to marry a brilliant atmosphere with an impeccably made cocktail.

You must try: Clover Club

Address | 7/8 Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham, B1 1LT

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The Edgbaston

If you’re looking for an evening of refined sophistication, The Edgbaston meets every requirement you could possibly want – and then some! This multi-award-winning establishment prides itself on its excellent service, unrivalled elegance and amazing cocktails – and they do not disappoint. With three cocktail lounges to choose from and a drinks list as long as the dress you’re dying to wear, you could come back multiple times and feel as if you’re somewhere completely new. But don’t take our word for it, go and try it for yourself!

You must try: A Summer in the Bath

Address | 18 Highfield Rd, Birmingham B15 3DU

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Gas Street Social

A bustling bar and restaurant which is the perfect place for a catch-up over a cocktail (or three). If you’re looking for somewhere a little more down to earth – with no pomp, no pretention – the Gas Street Social will hit the spot. Enjoy a genuinely laid-back atmosphere and have a natter over some exciting signature cocktails. So grab a friend, grab a booth and get tasting!

You must try: Espresso Mootini

Address | 166-168 Wharfside St, Birmingham B1 1RL

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40 St Paul’s

Ladies, gin is in and we have found the best gin bar in the country. That’s not an opinion, 40 St Paul’s were awarded the ‘Best Gin Bar’ and the ‘Best Gin Menu’ in the UK for 2018. Now, that’s got your attention hasn’t it?! With over 140 varieties on offer it’s fair to say that they’ll be able to satisfy your every gin-related need. With only 24 seats, booking is highly recommended as space is by no means guaranteed. However, when you do get a spot, the cosy, intimate atmosphere just adds to the fantastic ambiance. It is truly gin-credible!

You must try: Herno Juniper Cask Gin Old Fashioned

Address | 40 Cox St, Birmingham, B3 1RD

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Fumo

If you’re looking for some glamour and sophistication, then look no further. A splendid, high-end cocktail bar, Fumo radiates elegance and grace. So doll up and get ready to sparkle in this wonderfully stylish establishment which boasts some of the best cocktails in town, as well as some excellent cuisine. A perfect setting for a classy night with the girls or an evening with that special someone.

You must try: The Hugo

Address | 1 Waterloo St, Birmingham B2 5PG

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The Jekyll & Hyde

Where to be-gin? This vintage gin bar encapsulates ‘The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mr Hyde’ in its creatively constructed menus, which offer a wide variety of drinks – many of which have a devilishly sweet element. Served in retro-styled candy jars, you can satisfy your sweet tooth as you indulge in one of their excellent confectionery cocktails. Lemon bonbon anyone? So, whether you’re relaxing in Dr Jekyll’s Gin Parlour or you’re in Mr Hyde’s Main Bar, they cater for all personalities.

You must try: Rhubarb & Custard

Address | 28 Steelhouse Lane, City Centre, Birmingham B4 6BJ

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Island Bar

Leave the pretention at the door! This tiki-inspired bar pays homage to what’s truly important – the drinks (we’ll raise a glass to that!). So ditch those ball gowns and don the hula skirts as you bask in the soulful party atmosphere. Enjoy one of their own signature cocktails or let the bartender know what you fancy, and they’ll come up with something just for you. Count me in!

You must try: The Zombie

Address | 14-16 Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1LT

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The Botanist

Never visited the Botanist? Well it’s about thyme you went! Enjoy a floral themed evening which is a must for any plant lover and definitely a must for anybody who enjoys a rather tasty cocktail in a lovely environment. They have an extensive, greenhouse inspired, drinks menu which contains unusual cocktails as well as your favourite classics. In a quirky twist, some cocktails are served in a variety of garden-related vessels. Plant pot of booze anyone?

You must try: The Botanist

Address | 14-16 Temple St, Birmingham B2 5BG

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Buffalo & Rye

Their alcoholic milkshakes bring all the girls to their bar…! Enjoy a boozy milkshake in a gloriously rustic setting at the quite frankly fabulous, Buffalo & Rye. Though they have an extensive menu, including a wide variety of luxurious cocktails, their adult milkshakes are the undoubted showstoppers. Choose from a selection of deliciously sweet shake flavours; from apple crumble to birthday cake, and add an alcoholic twist. If that’s not enough of a selling point, I don’t know what is!

You must try: Reese’s Peanut Butter Alcoholic Shake

Address | 11 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham B2 5RS

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Bodega

As well as some fantastic South American-style street food, Bodega serves up a superb array of beautifully crafted cocktails. Whether it’s some fiery Mexican Mezcal, some stunning Caribbean Rum or a drop of beautifully Brazilian cachaça, they have plenty cocktails made with different bases to satisfy your every desire. So kick back, relax and enjoy the carnival atmosphere as you bask in all things South American!

You must try: Blue Brazil

Address | 12 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham B2 5RS

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The Loft

A funky establishment which specialises in spirits, cocktails and craft beers, as well as serving up some truly delicious food. Enjoy one of their sumptuous signature cocktails in their award-winning weather-proof garden, with some cosy blankets on offer for those cold winter evenings. Indulge in a traditional cocktail or select something sweeter from their fun tuck shop range. From Refresher flavour to Parma Violet there are some tantalisingly tasty options available. How sweet!

You must try: Glitter S*it!

Address | 143 Bromsgrove St, Birmingham B5 6RG

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Nuvo

Fancy an evening of upmarket elegance? The stylish décor and refined ambiance of Nuvo’s cocktail lounge will provide the perfect backdrop to that evening of sophistication. Sample some of their signature cocktails, a traditional classic or something with a twist if you’re feeling adventurous, whilst you enjoy the high-end atmosphere of one of Birmingham’s favourite haunts. Be sure to stick around when it transforms into one of the hottest dance venues, with top DJ’s regularly dropping the best urban, house and pop beats. Let’s Party!

You must try: Tanqueray Bramble

Address | Eleven Brindley Place, 2 Brunswick Square, Birmingham B1 2LP

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The Button Factory

More exciting than the name suggests, The Button Factory is the perfect venue if you’re looking for a relaxed, casual cocktail. With high ceilings, big windows, leather seats and wooden floors it is has a wonderfully vintage feel which is enough to keep you there all afternoon. As well as some excellent food, they have an extensive list of classic cocktails on offer to cater for your every need. So get dialing and invite the girls to a tour of The Button Factory!

You must try: Sloe Negroni

Address | 25 Frederick St, Birmingham B1 3HH

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That Was the Year That Was – 1979 Image by brizzle born and bred 1979 For the first time in history in 1979 a woman Margaret Thatcher is elected Prime minister in the UK. As technology becomes smaller Sony released the Walkman a worldwide success costing 0 which at that time was a significant amount of money. Also the first Snowboard is invented in the USA. The bombing by the IRA in England continues with Lord Mountbatten and three others assassinated. Following the return of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Iran becomes an Islamic Republic and 63 Americans are taken hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran on 4th November.

1979 the Britain Thatcher Inherited

The Conservative Party appointed her as their leader on 11 February 1975. She was the first woman to head a British political party, and went on to become the country’s first female Prime Minister in 1979.

Britain wasn’t a country gagging for modernization in 1979 so much as one in a state of nostalgia-tinged denial: a country still traumatized by the retreat from empire and the loss of its global economic clout, symbolized by its humiliation at the hands of the International Monetary Fund three years earlier. A generation on, and the political and economic debate is still tinged as much by the nostalgia as the modernization.

In the “Winter of Discontent” in 1979, almost half of the hospitals in the U.K. were accepting only emergency patients. Household rubbish collection stopped. Petrol shortages loomed as flying pickets of transport workers blocked refineries. And it was the coldest winter in 20 years to boot.

One of Margaret Thatcher’s first political battles after becoming Prime Minister in 1979 was with the unions and Red Robbo in Birmingham.

The British Leyland era at Longbridge became a byword for wildcat walkouts, union militancy and industrial chaos – and helped clear the path to political power for Margaret Thatcher. Just two years after the arrival of hardliner Michael Edwardes, the diminutive South African car chief who took on Red Robbo and the unions at Longbridge, she was voted in as Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. The former Communist works convenor was drummed out of Longbridge after 38 years in November 1979 – within six months of Thatcher’s ascent to power.

The mood of the country had changed dramatically.

Robinson was sacked by BL for putting his name to a pamphlet that had criticised the BL management. A strike ballot opposing the dismissal was held but was thrown out by an overwhelming 14,000 against to just 600 in favour. It was the end of the road for Red Robbo at Longbridge and a watershed in industrial relations in the West Midlands car industry. Significantly, in her memoirs, Thatcher later described Robinson as a ‘notorious agitator’.

The BBC had once claimed that between 1978 and 1979 Robinson was credited with causing 523 walkouts at British Leyland, costing an estimated £200 million in lost production. The BL-style disruption had spread across the nation, and the so-called Winter of Discontent in 1978-79 saw 29.2 million working days lost, with bodies left unburied following a gravediggers’ strike and uncollected rubbish piled high in the frozen streets, when dustbin workers walked out.

It was in that climate of lingering industrial chaos that Margaret Thatcher came to power the following spring.

In his last newspaper interview at the time of the closure of MG Rover in April 2005, Robinson, who is now in his 80s, told the Mail: “Edwardes wanted to reduce it to a small motor company and closed 13 factories, but he never made a profit. “I grew up with the company, joining as a toolmaker at 14 in 1941 and loved my time, both as an ordinary worker and then convenor. “But when Edwardes took over the writing was on the wall. Shutting plants down was not the way to go.”

He described his Red Robbo tag as a badge of honour.

The backdrop to the industrial climate which saw Sir Michael Edwardes – and his spiritual political leader at Number 10, Mrs T – defeat Red Robbo is described in Gillian Bardsley and Colin Corke’s history of the famous Birmingham car factory, Making Cars at Longbridge. The authors wrote: “The formation of British Leyland in 1968 created the fourth biggest motor manufacturer in the world, a formidable player in terms of jobs, finance and exports, something no Government could afford to ignore.

“BL dominance of the home market evaporated as Ford strengthened and imports grew in volume, including the rapidly improving products of Japan.

“The company changed its name to Rover Group in 1986, officially banishing the last vestiges of British Leyland, though it would prove more difficult than this to wipe these words from the British consciousness. “Margaret Thatcher, the Conservative Prime Minister elected in 1979, would certainly not be fooled by a change of name. Nevertheless in 1988 she sold the Government’s unwanted shareholding in Rover Group to British Aerospace.”

Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, head of the WMG manufacturing arm of Warwick University, who was an industrial adviser to Mrs Thatcher for much of her period in office, said: “She came to the fore at a time when the perception of Britain as an economic entity was very low.

“I can’t think of anyone else in recent history who was so single-minded in her determination to turn Britain round. Today we are enjoying the fruits of what she put in place. “She gave power to young people and the working class. She ensured that Britain escaped the image of being strike ridden and suffering a lack of competitiveness.”

All had disappeared forever by the time Mrs. Thatcher left the stage in 1990, many of them succeeded by privatized versions of the same companies that have come to be every bit as bitterly resented, for various reasons.

1979

Population: 56.27 million

Gross domestic product: £199.22bn

Average household income per week: £248.96

Average house price: £83,169

Life expectancy: men, 70.33 years; women, 76.41 years

Britain in 1979

The average house cost £13,650, and inflation was 17%. Sony launched a portable cassette player called a Walkman, marketed in the US at 0, and McDonalds introduced Happy Meals. Mother Theresa won the Nobel peace prize, China ordered its citizens to have no more than one child, and smallpox was eliminated.

Britain’s trade unions entered 1979 in a state of deep discontent at Jim Callaghan’s attempt to control soaring inflation by limiting pay. But while graveyards were locked and civic squares piled high with uncollected rubbish, popular culture offered merciful release. Britons watched home-grown favourites Are You Being Served and Last of the Summer Wine, and indulged in the comparative glamour of American imports Dallas and Charlie’s Angels . For most of 1979 they were unable to read the Times, which did not appear for almost a year owing to an industrial dispute.

The Clash released London Calling and Pink Floyd released The Wall, while Off the Wall became Michael Jackson’s breakthrough solo album. 1979 was also the year the performer had what is thought to be his first cosmetic surgery, after breaking his nose while dancing.

The release of the Sugarhill Gang’s Rapper’s Delight in October 1979 was credited with heralding the birth of hip-hop. Sid Vicious died of a heroin overdose while on bail for the murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Kramer vs Kramer was the year’s top-grossing movie in the US, and Alien and Apocalypse Now were also in the top 10, with The Muppet Movie.

Punk and new wave dominated the music scene, with Ian Dury & The Blockheads’ ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’ and Blondie’s ‘Heart Of Glass’ two of the year’s first number one singles. Joy Division’s debut album Unknown Pleasures – an aptly dark, brooding picture of despair – was released in June. Amid the gloom, the television schedules were packed with what would become Britain’s most affectionately remembered comedy series. New episodes of Fawlty Towers, Yes, Minister, Terry and June, Minder, and To The Manor Born were all screened throughout the year. The two Hollywood blockbusters Alien and Mad Max proved hits in cinemas, propelling their stars Sigourney Weaver and Mel Gibson into the 1980s A-list.

1979 was a unique year for Top of the Pops, which saw the show record its highest audience of 19 million viewers and in which physical format singles sales hit an all-time high of 79 million. 1979 is maybe the most diverse year ever for acts on Top of the Pops with disco at its peak, new wave, 2 Tone, reggae, rock, folk and electro records all making the top five.

Original interviews with Gary Numan, Nile Rodgers, Woody from Madness, Jah Wobble, Chas and Dave, Janet Kay, Linda Nolan, Jim Dooley, Secret Affair, the Ruts, Legs and Co and many others tell the story of an exceptional year.

In the year that the ‘winter of discontent’ saw continuing strikes black out ITV and TOTP reduced during a technicians strike to a narrator introducing videos, the show also found itself the site of conflict backstage. TOTP’s old guard of 70s MOR acts had their feathers continually ruffled by new wave bands, as the Skids spat at the Nolan Sisters backstage and Generation X urinated off the roof onto the Dooleys.

Elsewhere in the corridors of TV Centre, in preparation for playing their single Death Disco, Public Image Ltd demanded their teeth were blacked out in make-up to appear ugly while Gary Numan remembers the overbearing union presence which prevented TOTP artists moving their own microphones without a union technician and the Musicians Union trying to ban him from the show for his use of synthesizers.

The most popular musical styles of 1979 were 2 Tone, reggae and disco. The latter saw Nile Rodgers, the man of the year, score four hits with Chic as well as writing and producing a further four hits with Sister Sledge, Sheila B Devotion and Sugarhill Gang, who appeared with what would prove to be the first ever rap hit.

Jamaican and UK reggae artists scored continual hits through the year and then watched as the Police notched up three hits with white reggae and the label 2 Tone revived the 60s reggae style known as ska. In November, in what is remembered as the 2 Tone edition, all three of the label’s new acts – Madness, Specials and Selecter – appeared on one historic night and took the show by storm, with Madness capping off their performance of One Step Beyond by leading a ‘nutty train’ conga through the studio.

The Murder of Earl Mountbatten

2015 – The Irish police have been accused of failing to fully investigate IRA terror suspects responsible for the Mountbatten killings in 1979, along with other terror attacks. A Westminster source has made clear his suspicion that the Irish authorities were fully aware of who caused the death of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, the Queen’s cousin. But the source continued that the motivation to investigate past terrorist attacks had dissipated following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The agreement gave those suspected of attacks an amnesty, the source told the Sunday Telegraph, in a secret deal for peace. The source added that ‘of course’ the Irish knew who had committed the murders, as they were ‘very good at gathering intelligence’ but were not successful when it came to taking the cases to court.

The revelations have emerged in the lead up to the ground-breaking first official visit by the Prince of Wales – the murdered Earl’s great-nephew – to the site of the attack, to be made this week. Prince Charles will visit the scene of the murder in the fishing village Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, as part of a four-day tour of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Only one man has ever been convicted over the Mountbatten killings, the now 67-year-old bomb-maker Thomas McMahon. But as he was 70 miles away in police custody – and therefore unable to detonate the bomb – when the boat was blown up it is clear that at least one accomplice managed to escape justice. A bomb packed with 50lb of explosives was stashed aboard the Earl’s boat, Shadow V, in August 1979.

The bomb was detonated when the boat was about 200 yards from Mullaghmore harbour, as it was being taken out to sea. It is certain that the bomb was detonated by an accomplice keeping watch, and not by an automatic timer, because it was not certain when the group of passengers would board the boat. Two teenage boys were also killed in the explosion, the Earl’s 14-year-old grandson Nicholas Knatchbull and 15-year-old Paul Maxwell, a local boat hand.

The 83-year-old Dowager Lady Brabourne – who was also aboard the boat – died from shock and internal injuries the day after the attack. Mountbatten’s daughter Lady Brabourne and her husband Lord Brabourne were both injured but survived the blast, as did their son Timothy, Nicholas’ twin brother. McMahon served 18 years before being released in 1998 under the Good Friday peace agreement. But a spokesman for the Irish police – known as the Garda – has insisted that the case remains open while urging any members of the public who may have information about the killings to come forward.

Onlookers have insisted that the Westminster sources claims, along with the upcoming visit of Prince Charles, should inspire a renewed urgency within the investigation.

The source insisted that the Garda was in fact aware of names of those suspected of carrying out the Mountbatten bombing, as well as other terror attacks. But he continued that they failed to act on that knowledge as a result of an ‘amnesty’ struck up as a result of the Good Friday Agreement, signed by the British and Irish governments.

IRA suspects received what have become known as ‘comfort’ letters from the British government, it has previously been revealed. The letters reassured suspects who had not yet been prosecuted and were ‘on-the-run’, that they were not being pursued for any specific offence. The ‘comfort’ letter controversy emerged after the trial of John Downey collapsed last year. Downey had been charged with the murder of four soldiers in the Hyde Park bombing in 1982, but had received a ‘comfort’ letter while he was on the run.

The source insisted that as a result of this covert amnesty, the authorities did not pursue those suspected of carrying out these notorious attacks. Although Charles’ visit comes 36 years after the bombing, it is believed that he has wanted to visit the village for some time. The Prince of Wales – accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall – will arrive on Tuesday, when they fly to Galway for a reception at the city’s university to celebrate the area’s links with Britain.

They will later attend a private dinner hosted by the Irish president, Michael D. Higgins, in Lough Cutra Castle in South Galway. On Wednesday they will attend a service of peace and reconciliation at Drumcliffe church in Sligo.

Car bomb kills Airey Neave

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Airey Neave killed by a car bomb as he left the House of Commons car park. The bomb, said to be highly sophisticated, exploded as Mr Neave began driving up the exit ramp shortly before 1500GMT. Emergency services were on the scene in minutes. The 63-year-old Conservative MP, known for his tough line on anti-IRA security, was taken to Westminster Hospital where he died from his injuries. So far two groups, the Provisional IRA and the Irish Natonal Liberation Army, have claimed they carried out the killing.

It is not yet known when the bomb was attached to his car but investigators believe a timing device and trembler – which detonates the bomb through movement – were used to ensure the bomb went off as Mr Neave was leaving the Commons. The area around Parliament Square was immediately closed as police began a full-scale search of the premises. Despite increased threats to the safety of MPs not all cars are checked fully as they enter the car park. Gilbert Kellard, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police said Mr Neave was aware of the dangers and was "happy and content" with his security.

Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher led tributes to Mr Neave saying: "He was one of freedom’s warriors. Courageous, staunch, true. He lived for his beliefs and now he has died for them." Prime Minister James Callaghan said: "No effort will be spared to bring the murderers to justice and to rid the United Kingdom of the scourge of terrorism."

The killing is thought to have been timed to coincide with the start of the election campaign which was announced yesterday. Mr Neave was a close adviser to Mrs Thatcher, he led her campaign to become the Conservative Party leader and headed her private office.

Teacher dies in Southall race riots

A 33-year-old man has died from head injuries after a bloody battle broke out between police and demonstrators in Southall. The fighting began when thousands of protesters gathered to demonstrate against a National Front campaign meeting. The extreme right-wing organisation had chosen Southall Town Hall to hold its St George’s Day election meeting. The area has one of the country’s biggest Asian communities.

Police had sealed off the area, and anti-racism demonstrators trying to make their way to the town hall were blocked. In the confrontation that followed, more than 40 people, including 21 police, were injured, and 300 were arrested. Bricks and bottles were hurled at police, who described the rioting as the most violent they have handled in London. Among the demonstrators was Blair Peach, a New Zealand-born member of the Anti-Nazi League. A teacher for special needs children in east London, he was a committed anti-racism activist.

During an incident in a side street 100 yards from the town hall, he was seriously injured and collapsed, blood running down his face from serious head injuries. He died later in hospital. Witnesses said his injuries were caused by police baton blows. Martin Gerrald, one of the protestors, was nearby Mr Peach at the time. "Mr Peach was hit twice in the head with police truncheons and left unconscious," he said. "The police were wielding truncheons and riot shields. It was a case of the boot just going in – there was no attempt to arrest anybody."

Another witness, 24-year-old Parminder Atwal, took the injured teacher into his house and called an ambulance. He said, "I saw a policeman hit a man on the head as he sat on the pavement. The man tried to get up, fell back and then reeled across the road to my house." The Anti-Nazi League claim Mr Peach bore the brunt of a "brutal" and "excessively violent" police baton charge.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said it was impossible to comment on the death until a full-scale inquiry had been completed.

Thorpe cleared of murder charges

Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe has walked out of the Old Bailey a free man, after a jury cleared him of the attempted murder of Norman Scott. Mr Thorpe, who resigned as leader in 1976 amid allegations that he had had a homosexual affair with Mr Scott, hailed his acquittal as "a complete vindication".

Mr Thorpe and three other men were charged with conspiracy to murder, after the bungled assassination attempt of Mr Scott on a deserted moor in Southern England.

All were found not guilty. It took the jury 15 hours of deliberation spread over three days to reach its verdict. Mr Thorpe was also acquitted on a charge of inciting one of his co-defendants, David Holmes, to murder Mr Scott.

The trial lasted 31 days but Mr Thorpe’s ordeal began when he was charged last August. Although he was found not guilty, the case has probably ruined Mr Thorpe’s political career. As the verdict was read out he sat motionless. Afterwards he leant over to give his wife a long kiss.

Speaking later he said: "I have always maintained that I was innocent of the charges brought against me and the verdict of the jury, after a prolonged and careful investigation by them, I regard as totally fair and a complete vindication."

He added that he would be taking "a short period of rest" away from the glare of publicity.

Jeremy Thorpe’s political career was indeed ruined by the case.

Mr Thorpe had risen to prominence in 1967 when he became leader of the Liberal Party, but stepped down in 1976 as Norman Scott’s allegations about their relationship surfaced. At the May general election, shortly before the trial began, the voters of north Devon threw him out of the Parliamentary seat he had held for 20 years.

In 1999, two decades after disappearing from public life, Mr Thorpe published his memoirs in which he asserted that he never had any doubt about the acquittal of all the defendants on trial. Not long after the trial, Thorpe was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and retired from public life. For many years, the disease was at an advanced stage. In 1997 he visited the Liberal Democrat party conference, where he was given a standing ovation, and he attended the funeral of Roy Jenkins in 2003.

In 1999, Thorpe published his memoirs, In My Own Time, describing key episodes in his political life. He did not shed any light on the Norman Scott affair and never made any public statements regarding his sexual orientation.

On 4 December 2014, Thorpe died at his home in London of Parkinson’s disease, aged 85.

David Steel, who succeeded him as party leader, said: "He had a genuine sympathy for the underprivileged – whether in his beloved North Devon where his first campaign was for ‘mains, drains and a little bit of light’ or in Africa, where he was a resolute fighter against apartheid and became a respected friend of people like President Kaunda of Zambia."

1979 The Yorkshire Ripper Murders

4 April – Josephine Whitaker, a 19-year-old bank worker, is murdered in Halifax; police believe that she is the 11th woman to be murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper.

Police found in the wounds of Josephine Whitaker traces of milling oil used in engineering shops. Unfortunately, they also found traces of a similar oil on one of the envelopes from Sunderland sent by a man claiming to be the Ripper, but who turned out to be a hoaxer. This gave the letters an added credibility to the claims contained in them. They also found pinhead traces of metal particles in Josephine Whitaker’s wounds (possibly from when Sutcliffe sharpened the screwdriver into a bradawl). The police thought the killer might be a skilled machine tool-fitter, or an electrical or maintenance engineer, or a skilled or semi-skilled worker with engineering or mechanical connections.

2 September – Police discover a woman’s body in an alleyway near Bradford city centre. The woman, 20-year-old student Barbara Leach, is believed to be the 12th victim of the mysterious Yorkshire Ripper mass murderer.

Barbara Leach’s roommates were concerned when she still had not returned late Sunday night and called the police. The following day at 3:55 pm, while engaged in a police search of the area to find the missing student, Police Constable Simon Greaves found her body where Sutcliffe had hidden it in Back Ash Grove, about 200 yards from where she had left her friends. Her wounds, similar to the wounds received by Josephine Whitaker, clearly indicated to the police that the Yorkshire Ripper had struck again, and as in the previous murder, not in a red-light area.

1979 Timeline

5 January – Lorry drivers go on strike, causing new shortages of heating oil and fresh food.

10 January – Prime Minister James Callaghan returns from an international summit to a Britain in a state of industrial unrest. The Sun newspaper reports his comments with a famous headline: "Crisis? What Crisis?"

15 January – Rail workers begin a 24-hour strike.

22 January – Tens of thousands of public-workers strike in the beginning of what becomes known as the "Winter of Discontent".

1 February – Grave-diggers call off a strike in Liverpool which has delayed dozens of burials.

2 February – Sid Vicious, the former Sex Pistols guitarist, is found dead in New York after apparently suffocating on his own vomit as a result of a heroin overdose. 21-year-old London-born Vicious (real name John Simon Ritchie) is on bail for the second degree murder of his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, who was found stabbed to death in a hotel room on 12 October last year.

9 February – Trevor Francis signs for Nottingham Forest in British football’s first £1 million deal.

12 February – Over 1,000 schools close due to the heating oil shortage caused by the lorry drivers’ strike.

14 February – "Saint Valentine’s Day Concordat" between Trades Union Congress and Government, The Economy, the Government, and Trade Union Responsibilities, marks an end to the "Winter of Discontent".

15 February – Opinion polls show the Conservatives up to 20 points ahead of Labour, whose popularity has slumped due to the Winter of Discontent.

22 February – Saint Lucia becomes independent of the United Kingdom.

1 March – Scottish devolution referendum: Scotland votes by a majority of 77,437 for a Scottish Assembly, which is not implemented due to a condition that at least 40% of the electorate must support the proposal.

Welsh devolution referendum: Wales votes against devolution.

Conservative candidate David Waddington retains the seat for his party in the Clitheroe by-election.

National Health Service workers in the West Midlands threaten to go on strike in their bid to win a nine per cent pay rise.

17 March – Nottingham Forest beat Southampton 3-2 at Wembley Stadium to win the Football League Cup for the second year running.

18 March – An explosion at the Golborne colliery in Golborne, Greater Manchester, kills three men.

22 March – Sir Richard Sykes, ambassador to the Netherlands, is shot dead by a Provisional Irish Republican Army member in The Hague.

28 March – James Callaghan’s government loses a motion of confidence by one vote, forcing a General Election.

29 March – James Callaghan announces that the General Election will be held on 3 May. All of the major opinion polls point towards a Conservative win which would make Margaret Thatcher the first female Prime Minister of Britain.

30 March – Airey Neave, World War Two veteran and Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman, is killed by an Irish National Liberation Army bomb in the House of Commons car park.

31 March – The Royal Navy withdraws from Malta.

April – Statistics show that the economy shrank by 0.8% in the first quarter of the year, largely due to the Winter Of Discontent, sparking fears that Britain could soon be faced with its second recession in four years.

4 April – Josephine Whitaker, a 19-year-old bank worker, is murdered in Halifax; police believe that she is the 11th woman to be murdered by the Yorkshire Ripper.

23 April – Anti-Nazi League protestor Blair Peach is fatally injured after being struck on the head probably by a member of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Patrol Group.

1 May – The London Underground Jubilee line is inaugurated.

4 May – The Conservatives win the General Election by a 43-seat majority and Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe is the most notable MP to lose his seat in the election. Despite losing the first General Election he has contested, James Callaghan is expected to stay on as leader of a Labour Party now in opposition after five years in government. Among the new members of parliament is John Major, 36-year-old MP for Huntingdon and Thatcher’s successor.

8 May – Former Liberal Party leader and MP Jeremy Thorpe goes on trial at the Old Bailey charged with attempted murder.

9 May – Liverpool win the Football League First Division title for the 12th time.

12 May – Arsenal defeat Manchester United 3-2 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, with Alan Sunderland scoring a last gasp winner in response to two United goals inside the last five minutes which had seen the scores level at 2-2.

15 May – Government abolishes the Prices Commission.

21 May – Elton John becomes the first musician from the west to perform live in the Soviet Union.

Conservative MPs back Margaret Thatcher’s proposals to sell off parts of nationalised industries. During the year, the Government will begin to sell its stake in British Petroleum.

24 May – Thorpe Park at Chertsey in Surrey is opened; it becomes one of the top three most popular theme parks in the country.

25 May – Price of milk increases more than 10% to 15 pence a pint.

30 May – Nottingham Forest F.C. defeat Malmö FF, the Swedish football league champions, 1-0 in the European Cup final at Olympiastadion, Munich. The only goal of the game is scored by Trevor Francis.

7 June – European Parliament election, the first direct election to the European Parliament; the turnout in Britain is low at 32%. The Conservatives have the most MEPs at 60, while Labour only have 17. The Liberals gain a 12.6% share of the vote but not a single MEP, while the Scottish National Party, Democratic Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party and Official Ulster Unionist Party all gain an MEP each.

12 June – The new Conservative government’s first budget sees chancellor Geoffrey Howe cut the standard tax rate by 3p and slashing the top rate from 83% to 60%.

18 June – Neil Kinnock, 37-year-old Labour MP for Islwyn in South Wales, becomes shadow education spokesman.

22 June – Former Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe is cleared in court of the allegations of attempted murder which ruined his career.

5 July – The Queen attends the millennium celebrations of the Isle of Man’s Parliament, Tynwald.

12 July – Kiribati (formerly Gilbert Islands) becomes independent of the United Kingdom.

17 July – The athlete Sebastian Coe sets a record time for running a mile, completing it in 3 minutes 48.95 seconds.

23 July – The government announces £4 billion worth of public spending cuts.

1 August – Following the recent takeover of Chrysler’s European division by French carmaker Peugeot, the historic Talbot marque is revived for the range of cars previously sold in Britain as Chryslers, also taking over from the Simca brand in France.

9 August – A nudist beach is established in Brighton.

10 August–23 October – The entire ITV network in the UK is shut down by a technicians’ strike. But Channel Television remains unaffected.

14 August – A storm in the Irish Sea hits the Fastnet yacht race. Fifteen lives and dozens of yachts are lost.

Disgraced ex-MP John Stonehouse is released from jail after serving four years of his seven-year sentence for faking his own death.

24 August – The Ford Cortina receives a major facelift.

27 August – Lord Mountbatten of Burma, his nephew and a boatboy are assassinated by a Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb while holidaying in the Republic of Ireland, the Dowager Lady Brabourne dying the following day in hospital of injuries received. He was an admiral, statesman and an uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh.

Warrenpoint ambush: eighteen British soldiers killed in Northern Ireland by IRA bombs.

30 August – Two men are arrested in Dublin and charged with the murder of Lord Mountbatten and the three other victims of the bombing.

2 September – Police discover a woman’s body in an alleyway near Bradford city centre. The woman, 20-year-old student Barbara Leach, is believed to be the 12th victim of the mysterious Yorkshire Ripper mass murderer.

5 September – The Queen leads the mourning at the funeral of Lord Mountbatten of Burma.

Manchester City F.C. pay a British club record fee of £1,450,000 for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Steve Daley.

8 September – Wolverhampton Wanderers set a new national transfer record by paying just under £1,500,000 for Aston Villa and Scotland striker Andy Gray.

10 September – British Leyland announces that production of MG cars will finish in the autumn of next year, in a move which will see the Abingdon plant closed.

14 September – The government announces plans to regenerate the London Docklands with housing and commercial developments.

21 September – A Royal Air Force Harrier jet crashes into a house in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire killing two men and a boy.

25 September – Margaret Thatcher opens the new Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, the largest indoor shopping centre in Britain, after its final phase is completed six years after development of the huge complex first began.

October – Statistics show a 2.3% contraction in the economy for the third quarter of the year, sparking fresh fears of another recession.

11 October – Godfrey Hounsfield wins the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Allan McLeod Cormack "for the development of computer assisted tomography".

23 October – All remaining foreign exchange controls abolished.

27 October – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines gains independence.

28 October – Chairman Hua Guofeng becomes the first Chinese leader to visit Britain.

30 October – Martin Webster of the National Front is found guilty of inciting racial hatred.

November – British Leyland chief executive Michael Edwardes wins the overwhelming backing of more than 100,000 of the carmaker’s employees for his restructuring plans, which over the next few years will result in the closure of several plants and the loss of some 25,000 jobs.

1 November – The government announces £3.5 billion in public spending cuts and an increase in prescription charges.

5 November – The two men accused of murdering Lord Mountbatten and three others go on trial in Dublin.

9 November – Four men are found guilty over the killing of paperboy Carl Bridgewater, who was shot dead at a farmhouse in the Staffordshire countryside 14 months ago. James Robinson and Vincent Hickey receive life sentences with a recommended minimum of 25 years for murder, Michael Hickey (also guilty of murder) receives an indefinite custodial sentence, while Patrick Molloy is guilty of manslaughter and jailed for 12 years.

11 November – Last episode of the first series of the sitcom To the Manor Born on BBC1 receives 23.95 million viewers, the all-time highest figure for a recorded programme in the UK.

13 November – The Times is published for the first time in nearly a year after a dispute between management and unions over staffing levels and new technology.

Miners reject a 20% pay increase and threaten to go on strike until they get their desired pay rise of 65%.

14 November – Vauxhall launches its first-ever front-wheel drive car – the Astra range of hatchbacks and estates – to compete in the growing family hatchback sector. It replaces the traditional rear-wheel drive Viva saloon, which had been produced in three incarnations since 1963. Initial production of the Astra will take place at the Opel factory in West Germany, with production set to be transferred to Britain by 1981.

15 November – Minimum Lending Rate reaches an all-time high of 17%.

Art historian and former Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures Anthony Blunt’s role as the "fourth man" of the ‘Cambridge Five’ double agents for the Soviet NKVD during World War II is revealed by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the House of Commons; she gives further details on 21 November.

21 November – Six months after winning the General Election, the Conservatives are five points behind Labour (who have a 45% share of the vote) in an MORI opinion poll.

23 November – In Dublin, Ireland, Irish Republican Army member Thomas McMahon is sentenced to life in prison for the assassination of Lord Mountbatten.

4 December – The Hastie Fire in Hull leads to the deaths of 3 boys and begins the hunt for Bruce George Peter Lee, the UK’s most prolific killer.

7 December – Lord Soames appointed as the transitional governor of Rhodesia to oversee its move to independence.

10 December – William Arthur Lewis wins the Nobel Prize in Economics with Theodore Schultz "for their pioneering research into economic development research with particular consideration of the problems of developing countries".

Daredevil Eddie Kidd performs an 80 ft jump on a motorcycle.

14 December – Doubts are raised over the convictions of the four men in the Carl Bridgewater case after Hubert Vincent Spencer is charged with murdering 70-year-old farmer Hubert Wilkes at a farmhouse less than half a mile away from the one where Carl Bridgewater was murdered.

The Clash release post-punk album London Calling.

20 December – The government publishes the Housing Bill which will give council house tenants the right to buy their homes from the following year. More than 5 million households in the United Kingdom currently occupy council houses.

Inflation rises to 13.4%.

The largest number of working days lost through strike action since 1926.

Dame Josephine Barnes becomes first woman president of the British Medical Association.

The first J D Wetherspoon pub is established by Tim Martin in the London Borough of Haringey.

The band Spandau Ballet begin to play under this name.

Scottish Gaelic service Radio nan Eilean established in Stornoway.

New plant species, Senecio eboracensis, the York groundsel, is discovered.

A record of more than 1.7 million new cars are sold in the United Kingdom this year, with the best selling car, the Ford Cortina, selling more than 190,000 units. Ford Motor Company enjoys the largest share of the new car market, following in second place by British Leyland, the former Chrysler Europe brands (now owned by Peugeot) in third place, and Vauxhall in fourth place. Foreign brands including Datsun, Renault and Volkswagen also prove popular.

1979 in British music

23 February – Dire Straits begin their first American tour, in Boston.

27 March – Eric Clapton marries Patti Boyd, ex-wife of Clapton’s friend George Harrison.

31 March – In the Eurovision Song Contest, UK representatives Black Lace finish 7th.

2 April – Kate Bush begins her first and, to date, her only live tour.

6 April – Rod Stewart marries Alana Hamilton.

1 May – Elton John becomes the first overseas pop music artist to perform in Israel.

2 May – The Who perform their first concert following the death of drummer Keith Moon. The band performed with new drummer Kenney Jones.

11 August – Led Zeppelin play their last ever British concert at Knebworth in Hertfordshire.

21 August – Cliff Richard achieves his tenth UK No.1 and the first for over 11 years.

August – Brotherhood of Man members Martin Lee and Sandra Stevens marry.

26 November – Bill Haley & His Comets perform at the Drury Lane Theatre in London in a command performance for The Queen. This was Haley’s final recorded performance of "Rock Around the Clock".

The Welsh Philharmonia becomes the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera.

Richard Rodney Bennett becomes a resident of New York City.

Arthur Oldham founds the Concertgebouw Orchestra Chorus in Amsterdam.

Number one singles

"Y.M.C.A." – Village People "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" – Ian Dury and the Blockheads "Heart of Glass" – Blondie "Tragedy" – Bee Gees "I Will Survive" – Gloria Gaynor "Bright Eyes" – Art Garfunkel "Sunday Girl" – Blondie "Ring My Bell" – Anita Ward "Are ‘Friends’ Electric?" – Tubeway Army "I Don’t Like Mondays" – The Boomtown Rats "We Don’t Talk Anymore" – Cliff Richard "Cars" – Gary Numan "Message in a Bottle" – The Police "Video Killed the Radio Star" – The Buggles "One Day at a Time" – Lena Martell "When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman" – Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show "Walking on the Moon" – The Police "Another Brick in the Wall Part II" – Pink Floyd

1979 in British television

2 January – BBC2 broadcasts the first in Michael Wood’s groundbreaking history documentary series, In Search of the Dark Ages.

28 January – Thomas & Sarah, a spin-off of Upstairs, Downstairs premieres on LWT. It runs for only one series.

24 March – Tales of the Unexpected, an Anglia Television series based on the short stories of Roald Dahl, makes its debut on ITV.

3 May–4 May – BBC1 and ITV broadcast coverage of the 1979 General Election. The election is won by the Conservatives and sees Margaret Thatcher become the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

6 August – Technicians at Thames Television go on strike following a long-running dispute.

10 August – The whole of the ITV network except the Channel Islands is affected by a technicians’ strike for eleven weeks.

27 August – Lord Mountbatten was murdered by IRA bombers. His death set a record audience for a news bulletin, as 26 million viewers watched the coverage on BBC1. Strike action at ITN led to the record viewing figures.

2 September – Subtitling of television programmes on Ceefax begins.

25 September – Robin Day presents the first edition of the long-running political debate programme Question Time on BBC1. The programme continues to air to the present day.

24 October – On ITV’s first night back on the air after the strike, Quatermass, the fourth and final serial featuring Professor Bernard Quatermass, begins its run on the network.

11 November – Last episode of the first series of the sitcom To the Manor Born on BBC1 receives 23.95 million viewers, the all-time highest figure for a recorded programme in the UK.

1 December – BBC2 unveils the first computer-generated television presentation symbol in the world. US broadcaster NBC unveils their first computer-generated symbol later that year.

BBC1

18 January – Blankety Blank (1979–1990, BBC1 1997–1999, ITV 2001–2002) 18 February – Antiques Roadshow (1979–present) 9 June – The Paul Daniels Magic Show (1979–1994) 25 September – Question Time (1979–present) 30 September -To the Manor Born (1979–1981, 2007) Shoestring (1979–1980) 24 October – Terry and June (1979–1987)

BBC2

28 September – Friday Night, Saturday Morning (1979–1982) 16 October – Not the Nine O’Clock News (1979–1982)

ITV

3 January – The Book Tower (1979–1989) 6 January – Dick Turpin (1979–1982) 14 January – Thomas & Sarah (1979) 25 February – Worzel Gummidge (1979–1981) 11 March – Agony (1979–1981) 24 March – Tales of the Unexpected (1979–1985; 1987–1988) 15 April – End of Part One (1979–1980) 10 July – Sapphire & Steel (1979–1982) 12 July – Shelley (1979–1992) 25 September – Once Upon a Time (1979–present) 29 October – Only When I Laugh (1979–1982) Minder (1979–1994; 2009)