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The Chlorinated Chicken Debate; Woody Johnson, the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, has published an article defending his country’s agricultural practices whilst discarding the EU’s “museum of agriculture”. His comments come as Washington publishes its negotiating objectives for a US-UK trade deal with the backing of the Trump administration. The document asserts “the […]

As Honda Announces Swindon Plant Closure, Is Japan Turning its Back on Britain? In 1984 Margaret Thatcher personally lobbied the chairman of Nissan Motor Company, Katsuji Kawamata, and the Japanese Prime Minister to come to a deal attracting a 6000+ job manufacturing plant in Sunderland and establishing the UK as the natural outpost in the […]

Laura Muir is a 25-year-old Scot who likes to run, and she’s a force of nature. Muir specialises in long-distance disciplines as the 2018 European Champion in 1500m and the 2017 European indoor champion winning both the 1500m and 3000m races. On Saturday she broke the 31-year-old British record for a women’s indoor mile to […]

Sir Christopher Chope is the sitting Conservative MP for Christchurch since 1997. A qualified barrister, Chope was inexplicably bestowed a knighthood for “political and public service”. In many ways, Chope is a fairly run of the mill (although of the type that is becoming less common) Conservative backbench MP. He’s socially conservative, voting consistently against […]

“So if I’m not black enough and if I’m not white enough, then tell me what am I?” Peter Farrelly’s ‘Green Book’ is inspired by the true story of Dr. Don Shirley – a black American classical pianist – who hires Tony “Lip” Vallelonga as his driver and bodyguard for a concert tour of the […]

‘Mary Queen of Scots’ recently stood out by casting a black actor (Adrian Lester) in the role of Queen Elizabeth’s Ambassador to Scotland. “I was really clear, I would not direct an all-white period drama,” said director Josie Rourke. Whilst it can’t be doubted that Lester, an accomplished star of stage and screen, played the part […]

Newcastle United have finally broken their longstanding transfer record with the purchase of Miguel Almiron from MLS high-flyers Atlanta United. Whilst the fee is officially undisclosed, Newcastle is believed to have paid £20 million for the playmaker. Rafa Benitez has gotten used to having his transfer ambitions cut back by Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley, […]

Much of the United Kingdom has been beset by snow this week with weather warnings issued across much of the country. Areas of higher ground can expect “very significant” snow of up to 10cm whilst schools, airports and railway stations have all seen disruption. So that’s the current situation, but what about the bigger picture? Were […]

In what is being dubbed ‘Super Tuesday’ MP’s were asked to vote on seven amendments to set a precedent for the final months of Brexit negotiations. As Brexit continues to tear apart parliament and sever the country in two, Tuesday’s votes have given rise to a fresh mandate for the Prime Minister to take to […]

Brexit is sending shockwaves throughout the business community; Airbus has publicly branded the government ‘a disgrace’. The prospect of a no-deal or hostile Brexit will undoubtedly bring some severe implications to the way businesses conduct themselves in this country and probably damage our economy too, at least in the short term. It might be expected […]

Mary Queen of Scots chronicles the notorious rivalry between Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scotland, which culminated with the Scottish claimant to the English throne beheaded after being found to be implicated in a plot to kill Elizabeth. The cinematic production takes an invariably feminist view of history, portraying two strong-willed women […]

There are very few parts of the world where incest is deemed to be a good idea, and this article isn’t going to embrace incestual practices either. I am sorry for any disappointment that causes. Attitudes and legislation regarding incest actually vary enormously around the world. Even in Europe legislation is split, with some countries […]

“The hand that holds the pen writes history” is a powerful turn of phrase that crops up often in Wash Westmoreland’s literary biopic, Colette. It’s originally a means to reassure the titular characters concerns about being liberal, with the truth in her semi-autobiographical novels, but eventually comes to signify her perpetual quest for recognition as […]

A tourist arrives at an airport in the south of England. When questioned by immigration officials, she told them she wanted to spend the week in Gateshead. Officials quickly concluded that such a prospect would be so ghastly that it must be a fabrication; so they were denied entry into the country. J.B Priestley once […]

Towards the end of the 20th century, home ownership in the United Kingdom reached record levels. Margaret Thatcher spent eleven years trying to build a property-owning democracy. One of her successors, David Cameron described ownership as the ‘Conservative Dream’. Today, what was once deemed as a fair reward for aspiration is becoming increasingly unachievable – […]

Having been royally entertained by the epic Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ all my mother could do was apologise to me. Apologise that I wasn’t alive to experience their outrageous live concerts during the high times of the 1980s. Exuberant on stage, the private lives of the bandmates were just as colourful, although they were masters […]

At the time of writing, we are two days into 2019 and I’ve already seen two new releases at my local cinema. That’s a 100% attendance record so far! For the previous twelve months, I recorded a measly one visit to watch a film, yet the beginning of a new year has instilled me a […]

How many landlords can compete with a portfolio that includes 66 castles, 23 historic gardens and one (very famous) battlefield? Not many. In excess of 400 sites of national significance are managed by English Heritage, the government-funded organisation entrusted to care for England’s protected heritage collection, or – as they put it – ‘telling England’s […]

Peter Jackson’s ‘They Shall Not Grow Old’ makes for stirring television. It was public broadcasting at it’s finest designed to showcase the harrowing experiences of nearly six million Brits in a more intimate manner than ever before. Jackson’s film – four years in the making – was by no means a history of the first […]

If you live in the north of England you’ll no doubt be familiar with the much maligned, nodding donkey ‘Pacer’ trains. With the introduction of new rolling stock across the Northern Rail network, they are due to be phased out between the end of this year and the beginning of 2020. A saving grace for […]

Teaching is not a route to power; teachers should stop pretending it is one. The power trip that so many teachers seem to be on amounts to no less than the systematic bullying of children and young adults. Teaching is rarely seen as a desirable route for young people to go into; some see teaching […]

Philip Hammond (a.k.a ‘Spreadsheet Phil’) has stood proudly with his red briefcase to deliver his annual budget across the dispatch box. Hammond had been facing political pressure from number 10 prior to his speech after the Prime Minister proudly announced ‘the end of austerity’ at the Conservative Party Conference. What can we take from this […]

You may or may not be familiar with Lady Godiva. She’s hardly contemporary, apart from being referenced in a Queen song. Godiva, Countess of Mercia – to give her full title – was an English noblewoman in the 11th century whose husband ruled over the much-revered kingdom of, er… Coventry. Lady Godiva was, however, a […]

Does the North East of England have a problem with hate crime? If so, why? The North East has one of the lowest levels of immigration in the UK. The Non-UK born population in Northumberland is just 2% and 4% in County Durham yet Northumbria Police has reported a staggering 69% increase in recorded hate […]

According to the Guardian Newspaper, cheating at British Universities has risen by 40% in the last three years and professional essay writing services (or ‘essay mills’) are behind the rise. Why do an ever-increasing number of students feel the need to cheat their way through a degree? Is it because they’re simply lazy and irresponsible; […]

Premier League Roundup – Week 6 Game week six of the Premier League season didn’t throw up many surprises but did start to separate the best from the rest. Liverpool continued their fine form with victory over a Southampton side whose main concern quickly became damage limitation. The Reds are the only team to have […]

Leisure Centre’s are easily overlooked and some of them are drastically underused. That’s a real shame because Leisure Centres are unique in offering such breadth of health and fitness activities all under one roof within easy reach of so many people. A catch-all of the exercise world. A typical leisure centre serves so many purposes, […]

International breaks often come at unwelcome times, just as the season was beginning to take shape and teams were starting to show their potential (or lack of) for the season ahead. Week 5 has left Manuel Pellegrini as the most relieved man in sports as West Ham ended their abominable run with a 3-1 victory […]

How to Pass Your Driving Test – First Time Don’t let other people make you nervous; Leading up to my driving test I heard all manner of complaints from friends who had recently failed their practical test. ‘It was the sat-navs fault’, ‘my examiner had failed me even before we set off’. Contrary to popular […]

You’re a cross-country skier but there’s no snow. What do you do? Simply swap a pair of skies for a pair of walking boots and carry on as before. The recreational activity of Nordic Walking first came about as a training method for cross-country skiers in Finland during the off-season. Before long, the Finns realised […]

Alex Salmond, former Scottish First Minister and one of the principal advocates of Scottish Independence, has resigned from the Scottish National Party after 45 years. Salmond, who led the SNP for 20 years, has said his resignation is a temporary measure whilst he attempts to distance himself from sexual misconduct allegations which emerged last week. […]

Three games into the 2018/19 Premier League season and gaps are starting to open up on the points table. Only Watford, Liverpool and Chelsea have pieced together a perfect start whilst West Ham United are the only team yet to record a point. Hammers fans may well be feeling a familiar pang of dread for […]

Arsenal and Chelsea – old foes, both under new stewardship – met at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a turbulent affair with five goals scored split 3-2 to Sarri’s men. Both sides showed potency going forward but saw their defensive shortcomings laid bare. Chelsea got off lightly on a number of occasions courtesy of wasted […]

A Quick Roundup of Transfer Records In football, the buck normally stops on the pitch. It is on-field performances that determine a clubs fortunes, decide upon relegations and promotions and, crucially, award valuable prize money. With each position in the table garnering around £2 million more than the next lowest, every point really is worth […]

Premier League Roundup – Week One Ladies and Gentlemen….   The Premier League is back! The 2018/19 season opened on Friday evening as Jose Mourinho overcame his transfer window blues with a 2-1 triumph over Leicester. It took all of three minutes for the first penalty to be awarded, confidently buried by World Cup winner […]

The Madness of Buying New Cars Car Depreciation. If you’re in the market for a new (or even a first) motor then those are two words you need to get in your head. Sometimes we lack the foresight to consider the effects of vehicle depreciation. Either we expect to keep the car longer than we […]

Airport Lounge Passes – Are They Worth it? Passing through a busy airport is not an enjoyable experience by anyone’s standards. They’re congested, confusing and unwelcoming, and the worst of it is that they’re vicious money-making machines. In busier airports, you are more likely to be held in the airport due to delays or feel […]

Picture the scene:  Armed with your ‘special occasion’ stationery and favourite writing paper, you’re approaching the end of another arduous English essay, embellishing it with your finest joined up writing – that you spent 6 years learning in primary school – and festooning it with the type of adjectives one could only dream of, when […]

Nicholas Witchell: Royal Correspondent may seem like one of the cushiest jobs at the BBC. After all, you get to follow the Royal Family around the world, enjoy privileged access to Britain’s most treasured institution and spend most of your time covering births and weddings. How idyllic! You would also think that as royal correspondent […]

Visiting the gym for the first time can be an intimidating experience. Not only do you have to get comfortable swimming in sweat, you also have to manage any embarrassment that comes with working out in front of strangers. Read on for my tips on navigating your first gym session. Remember that you’re not out […]

You may not notice, but the makeup of nation-states in the world changes fairly regularly. In the land-grabbing era of colonialism, the trend was for states to lose their sovereignty and become assimilated into an altogether more powerful entity. Today, the opposite is occurring – new states have emerged at pace since the mid 20th century. The British colony of […]

The motto of the Royal Navy is: “If you wish for peace, prepare for war”. The completion of HMS Queen Elizabeth seems to be an indication of that very idea – a phenomenally powerful warship, but also one that lacks a clearly defined role in our navy. Although Brittania no longer rules the waves – […]

The British justice system is widely regarded as being either too harsh and wrongly focused or too soft, depending on who you ask. To what extent should the punishment fit the crime? And what form should the punishment take? British laws outline a number of offences that are judged to be worthy of a lifetime […]

Warkworth Castle – the product of around 500 years of Northumbrian history – sits perched atop a naturally defensible spur of land in the form of a tight meander on the River Coquet, which bypasses the castle on three of its side and floods into the North Sea about two miles east at Amble. The […]

Here in Tyne and Wear we have a number of well known generous travel schemes to help keep young people on the move, such as Nexus’s Pop Card and Metrosaver or Go North East’s offer of single journeys for a pound or an all day ticket for £3.75. However, one scheme that slips under the […]

What do we value more? Our online messaging privacy or our national security? Amber Rudd (home secretary) has told us that ‘real people’ don’t value end to end encryption like that found on ‘Whats App’, as well as remarking online companies are not doing enough to counter terrorism and hate preaching. Messaging services such as […]

“I can see a situation where Brexit does not happen,” chirped a somewhat smug Vince Cable as he warned that an “exit from Brexit” may be on the cards whilst on the Andrew Marr show. Perhaps he’s going to be proven right now that the current government has begun to lay down to foundations for […]

The planned procurement of new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro are at risk of being stalled, according to local councils. The current life-expired trains are almost 40 years old and still operating an intensive service beyond their original service life of 30 years. “Reliability has become a problem”, Nexus conceded, although the most […]