Celebrating older people for a change

October 1st is the UN International Day for Older People. A couple of weeks after the Pope (aged 83) was welcomed by the Queen (aged 84) and the Duke of Edinburgh (aged 89) there might seem to be no need in Britain to argue the case for incorporating older people into broader society. But there [...]

By Sir Richard Jolly | Notebook | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 5:23 pm

How I took on three England rugby internationals… and lived to tell the tale

What happens when a 20-a-day smoker who’s never been to a gym goes up against three England rugby internationals? Simon Rice donned his tracksuit to find out…
When I arrived at Twickenham Stoop, I was handed a waver to sign that stated I wouldn’t sue if I broke my leg. I knew then that my concerns [...]

By Simon Rice | Sport | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 1:20 pm

Shadow Catchers: Camera-less photography

Smudgy and beautiful photographs can be captured without a camera using a variety of methods, including casting shadows on chemically treated surfaces.

The Shadow Catchers exhibition includes the work of five international contemporary artists Floris Neusüss, Pierre Cordier, Susan Derges, Garry Fabian Miller and Adam Fuss.

By Matilda Battersby | Arts | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 12:30 pm

Games review roundup: FIFA 11; Formula 1 2010; Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock; Tumble; UFC Undisputed: 2010

A weekly review roundup of the newest games available, this week featuring the beautiful game in FIFA 11; Grand Prix racing from Formula 1 2010; interactive rock ‘n’ roll from Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock; a spot of tower building courtesy of Tumble and ultimate fighting in UFC Undisputed: 2010.

By Michael Plant | Games, Notebook | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 12:06 pm

Whatever It Took

In a miserable failure of self-promotion by the seventh most popular media blog, I forgot to link to my review of Steve Richards’s excellent book, Whatever It Takes, on Sunday. The title of the book is taken from Brown’s speech at Labour conference in Manchester in September 2008, just after Lehman Brothers went bust: “When people [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 11:40 am

Ignoring the social benefits of drinking

Socialising with alcohol is fun and we should not pretend otherwise. We also shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking that young adults won’t eventually discover this and want to do it themselves. There is a reason why a taste for alcohol is not specific to a single demographic in society; why it is not something we “grow out of” and why, no matter how many times the NHS warns of it detrimental effects, we won’t stop drinking the stuff. That’s because chatting with friends over a pint or a bottle of wine is an enjoyable cultural tradition: the fuel of conversation, intimacy and the exchange of ideas.

By Suzy Dean | Battle of Ideas, Eagle Eye | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 11:27 am

Sonic Team’s Iizuka-san shows his Colours

We speak to Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka, lead producer of the upcoming Nintendo console exclusive, Sonic Colours. Sonic on a Nintendo console? It’s common practice these days but back in the 80s, did you ever think you’d see the day?

By Michael Plant | Games, Notebook | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 9:30 am

The Friday Playlist: The sax men

Somewhat surprisingly “Coronado”, the penultimate track (and also a standout) on Deerhunter’s fantastic new album Halcyon Digest,  is greatly aided by the appearance of a saxophone throughout.
The use of sax in rock has always been a risky endeavour: there’s the jazz-inflected self indulgence potential, the extreme cheese factor, and the general image of a dude [...]

By Larry Ryan | Arts | Friday, 1 October 2010 at 9:00 am

Gay Suicide Spate in America

The homophobes are out in force in America. Yesterday I came across the shocking story of a young and talented musician who took his own life after some thoughtless idiot posted a secret video of him embracing another man – there was, of course, also a background of mocking and abuse towards him, all due [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook | Thursday, 30 September 2010 at 9:40 pm

Cycle Chic: What to wear when the weather turns nasty

Having been won over by the bike evangelists at the beginning of the summer, I’ve been cycling (and surviving) for over three months now, and with only one fall. I’m don’t claim to have scaled the heights that this blog has previously reached (no crazy mountain rides for me, thanks), but I’ve stayed upright for [...]

By Harriet Walker | Fashion | Thursday, 30 September 2010 at 6:38 pm