Issue One - May 2014

This is...
Street
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Two
Contents
Befoulers Page 4
Artsts Page 6

Angels Page 8
Prestdigitators Page 10
Gourmets Page 12
Literers Page 14
Skaters Page 16
Smokers Page 18
Shoppers Page 22
Consumers Page 24
Purveyors Page 26
Environmetalists Page 28
Editorial
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This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Four
Contents
SHIT HAPPENS!
By Eddy OBrien
God knows, there is a lot of shit about in fact
there is so much shit in Notngham, that the
City Council has had to go around stencilling a
pooping dog on the pavement with the slogan
Clean it up writen below. Litle stckers have
even appeared on bins proclaiming that theres
no such thing as the poo fairy
We all daily run a mineeld of dog mess. Dare to
take your eyes of the oor and you could be the
next victm, Yes IT COULD BE YOU! You could
be the lucky person scraping shit of your shoe
with a stck, desperately looking for a grass
verge so you can do the shit shoe shue.
There is only one thing worse than getng dog
mess on your shoes. Thats getng it stuck
between your toes rst thing in the morning
When you're half asleep with your eyes
desperately trying to adjust to the light, just
before that squelching sound as your foot
squashes the sof wet stcky parcel lef for you
by man's best friend.
But thats my dog, and I can just about put up
with my own dog's crap. I grudgingly follow the
wonderfully ignorant animal about, watching
him sni around trying to decide on the perfect
place to lay some eggs, when he squats down
and arches his back. And I swear by the look on
his face hes thinking about all the bitches that
are going to come across this one, and admire
his work. When hes nished, he has a litle
shake of the hips then bounces away all
satsed. At that moment in tme, my dog owns
the pavement!
Then I ruin it all I pull out a litle plastc bag
and remove the item that my mut so lovingly
Contents Page
placed for all the ladys to see and smell. I
ofen feel like leaving the poop - the turd
that my dog put so much damn thought and
eort into. It is his Mona Lisa, his Eiel
Tower, his Sistne Chapel, that piece of shit is
to my dog, what Imagine was to John
Lennon.
But to me its nasty, I pick it up and bin it...
Apart from the stu that people dont pick
up, what is it with people who do pick it up
but then dump the bags anywhere and
everywhere?
It's not like this stu grows on trees is it?
What has to be psychologically wrong with
someone to do that? Soon there will be
children who believe that this plastc bag is
full to the brim with nature's goodness.
How can you go through the hassle of
picking the crap up and then not bother to
bin it - are they using it as a disposable
hand warmer, dumping it when it starts to
cool?
Who knows?
On a weekly basis it is estmated that
800-1000 litres of dog mess is collected
across the city, with the Council spending
around 234,000 per annum. With
machinery and clean up costs, this equates
to an estmated 5 per poop.
In Notngham City, not cleaning up afer
your dog carries a 50 on the spot ne and
a maximum penalty of 1000 if found guilty
in court. Dog fouling is reported as a priority
in every single ward of this great City, and
last year the Council took 2934 reports of
dog's fouling the pavement.
Areas that have already been highlighted as
a problem will be closely monitored by both
the police and the City Council. Community
Protecton ocers carry out enforcement
against individuals who are not picking up
afer their dog.
As potental Hot Spots areas emerge, so
will targeted enforcement areas.
In Notngham you can report dog fouling
either online or by contact the Dog Control
Oce at 0115 9152020.
Theres no such thing as the poo fairy!
Befoulers Page 4
Artsts Page 6

Angels Page 8
Prestdigitators Page 10
Gourmets Page 12
Literers Page 14
Skaters Page 16
Smokers Page 18
Shoppers Page 22
Consumers Page 24
Purveyors Page 26
Environmetalists Page 28
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Six
Graffiti: Art or Crime?
There has been much debate as to whether or not
grat can be classied as a form of art. Some people
view grat as a form of art of the street adding
enhancement to otherwise drab and unimpressive
areas. Some of the perpetrators tag themselves to
make others aware of the originator and also believe
their tag if art. However tags would not necessarily
be classed as street art. A tag is a form of signature,
each one individually styled and known by groups
involved with a gang culture. Tags are seen as a form
of grat which defaces walls however street art
could be seen as an enhancement with even some
local authorites commissioning artsts to promote
their companies through their form of art to atract
the public.
There are some Artsts, such as Banksy, who is a
worldwide known anonymous artst who paints the
streets with his politcal actvist views. The aim of
Banksy was, and is, to give a message to as many
people as possible. He works anonymously but is
known worldwide. His work has actually been sold
and moved into galleries which would suggest it is
art. People have been prepared to pay vast sums of
money to have his work lifed.
Despite this, most street artsts tend to get their
work removed or cleaned o shortly afer being
nished depending on the locaton. On February
26th 2014, Police in New Orleans were called when
two men were caught hacking at a wall which bears a
paintng created by the enigmatc artst, this depicted
a paintng known as Umbrella Girl. They believed the
art to be of considerable value.
Notngham has its ambassador for street art under
the name of Dilk being his last name as his name is
Steven Dilk. He has tried to emulate the work of
Banksy by promotng himself as a professional grat
artst and has gone around the world. There is also a
Notnghamshire based company known as High
Impact Custom Grat which are a company which
are hired to brighten up dull industrial scenes and
By Ben McMaster
transform a boarded up shop into a talking point.
They also believe when some people think of Grat,
they think pointless scribbles on walls and the back
window of the bus, calling it Vandalism Grat is
an urban art form and can be used in a variety of
ways. Notngham has a combinaton of grat and
street art, mostly found in the central areas. Possible
reasons for this are the fact it will get notced by the
public. Depending on the locaton in which street art
is found results in how long the art stays in place.
More prolic messages, which some people may nd
oensive, are more likely to be removed quickly
rather than a form of street art that maybe regarded
as inventve.
Street art could be viewed as a crime when it has
been produced without permission of the property
owner, some street art could be stereotyped as the
work of delinquent youths. Unemployed young
people without anything beter to do. However, this
type of grat tends not to have the style and nesse
of true street art. It is more likely to be slogans with
explicit content.
However, back in 2011, Notngham took part in a
summer programme based around Street Art. By
including a selecton of local and internatonal artsts
to produce their work and submit it to be shown
within an intmate exhibiton at the Notngham
Castle. The theme of the exhibiton was enttled
Street Art: Contemporary Artsts which was shown
for free to the public for three months. Street Art has
been accepted into insttutons without any
problems. Yet, this is defeatng the original purpose
and meaning that the artsts set out to achieve. By
transferring it into galleries for the public to see, the
impact and ambience that it had on the streets is
lost.
Art will always be controversial as people have
dierent perceptons to its value and worth. Street
Art is no dierent. It is admired by some and loathed
by others.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Eight
By Bethany Darbyshire
Youd think a rainy, windy night would be enough to
put people o going out for Valentnes Day. But as I
make my way to the Malt Cross in Notngham, party
people roam from bar to bar and the door men are
checking the IDs of numerous youngsters. Thats
where the Malt Cross diers from its fellow pubs and
clubs. Not only is it a well known pub in Notngham
but for the past three years, it has been home to the
Notngham Street Pastors team which was set up in
2010. They walk the streets on Friday and Saturday
nights, armed with lollipops, ip ops and rst aid kits
in order to help those who need it.
Upstairs I meet two of the Street Pastors who will be
patrolling the streets, Will and Rachel. On a night like
this when the weather is atrocious, I have to ask them
why they joined the Street Pastors team, knowing
that they will be out in all weathers untl 3am. I heard
about it at church about eight and a half years ago
and it just sounded like the kind of thing I wanted to
get involved in said Will. And hes not alone. There
are over 100 pastors working in 8 teams across
Notngham covering areas from the Market Square to
the Canal. Will tells me as part of the training you do
a one night out as an observer and I loved it. Tonight,
that was my role, idented by a blue observer
armband as well as a blue coat emblazoned with
Street Pastor I was given to wear. Afer the rest of
the friendly faced pastors arrive, we say a prayer and
head downstairs.
Contents Page Flip-Flops and Lollypops
Downstairs in the Malt Cross is a Safe Space where
anyone can go and get help throughout the night.
There is a hustle and bustle as the Pastors gather their
items for the night ahead. Flip ops, check. Lollipops,
check. Blankets, check. Water, check. And with that,
we head out. The willingness of the Pastors to spend
all night on the streets is something that cant be
denied. I ask what keeps them motvated: even on a
quiet night you can stll come across people at 2.30
that really need some help and the conversatons you
have with people are ranging from deep spiritual
conversatons to ridiculous, hilarious conversatons.
In this way, its clear to see that no night is the same
as the last. Rachel adds a lot of people are really
grateful, Street Pastors are generally very well
received.
Despite the dreary elements, I watch as the Street
Pastors chat to door sta and give them lollipops
which seems to put a smile on their faces. Its clear to
see that the Pastors have built up a rapport with the
bouncers and Police ocers. Afer all they all aim to
keep people safe and who can refuse a free lollipop to
make your night just a litle bit beter? And for those
who have nowhere to stay, the Street Pastors hand
out foil blankets, a brilliant idea to help those in need.
On a night out, it is ofen stereotypical to hear of a
ght or violence as a result of the alcohol. But I was
surprised to feel somewhat protected as we walk.
United by our blue coats, I feel a real sense of
teamwork, perhaps what put me at ease. It
seems Im not the only one who thought it
would be risky as Rachel says i thought it would
be before I started but I was told youre always in
a team. Id feel much safer going out with a
street pastor than just going into town. I have to
say I completely agree.
At 11.30 we return to the Safe Space at the Malt
Cross and for me, the night is over. But for the
Street Pastors, its not even half way through their
night. During my tme with the Street Pastors, I was
truly made to feel part of the team. I witnessed the
dedicaton of the Pastors and helpful things they do
to make the streets of Notngham a safer place to
be.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Ten
Its a Kind of Magic
By Komal Jobeen
Walking through the streets of Notngham is just
complete joy for me and what brings me that joy is
seeing such amazing people showing their unique
talent by entertaining the crowd and bringing a
smile to their face.
These performers give us that wonderful chance of
witnessing such brilliant endowments. I believe it
is a raw talent and It takes great patence, grit and
apttude to be a street performer anywhere, these
people execute an art in public places for meagre
donatons of money. In the antcipaton that the
passing crowds will show their grattude.
It really is street entertainment so anything goes:
Singing, comedy, magic or juggling. These
performers simply love what they do and take
great pride in their talent. Today most street
performers simply want to reveal their art to a
wider audience, in vibrant surroundings and touch
on the lives of passers-by.
Only just was I walking through city centre to grab
some lunch when I came across an absolutely
gifed and such an amazing performer, his
name was Yo Ichi. He had such
irreplaceable skills and was so gifed that
not just me but almost every person
walking past managed stop to look at
him. Some took pictures and made
videos just to keep as a
memory. Originally he was
from Japan and had a
very diverse style of
juggling or magic
should I say.
He also put a sign up where he asked many
individuals to follow him on twiter which I
found quiet amusing.
Another ne artst my eye had caught
atenton to while I was sightng Yo Ichi was
Adam Peterson. This gentleman was
miraculous, the voice he brought out to the
community was amazing, and it makes us
appreciate the thought that he does that for
the people of Notngham. He certainly is an
atracton, Even though he is a musician
himself and makes his own albums, goes to
concerts or sings for countless people he stll
decides to stay on the streets and does it for
the joy of those people. Afer he had nished
performing I decided to ask him a few
questons:
Why are you a busker and is it enjoyable?
I really enjoy it and the
experience is dierent
.
Do you have any issues when busking? Yes I
do, the police will move you if you arent in
the appropriate place, or the shops will nd
you a nuisance and will move you.
What made you be a busker? I really enjoy
music and I make my own albums, Ive been
busking for a while and most people enjoy it,
80% of people are quiet appreciatve.
Notngham indeed is a city so cultvated
that it exudes good music and prodigious
performers from its very seems.
Our city Notngham draws quite a few
buskers and remarkable performers like Yo
Ichi and many more who travel from all
corners of the world and cites to come and
perform here. Well what brings them here?
They say Its the excitng surrounding and
great grattude they get from people. What
are these buskers?
Our buskers are those remarkable upbeat
men and women that stand to one side and
sing their litle hearts out with the
antcipaton of some spare change and a
smile, oer a cultural pleasure that money
cant buy; and while many cites will hold up
their hands and admit that they nd buskers
to be a nuisance, Notngham is one such
city that breaks the patern with a selecton
of amazing buskers we actually like to see.
So I hope the streets of Notngham remain
to be full with these priceless street
performers and only increase in the coming
years.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Twelve
Kebabs! Britains Answer to Street Food
By Shanaj Begum
Are kebabs shops Britains answer to street
food?
And why do we seem love them so much?
Street food is considered to be ready to eat
food that is sold in the street.Many countries
around the world have their own distnct
street food, here in England however, this
phenomenon hasnt really hit use yet.
Sure we have the occasional street food
vendor around Christmas and the odd sad
burger van waitng for a customer to walk up
to it but nothing on the scale of other
countries. Or do we?
While there arent many vendors on the
street, there is one place on the Britsh high
streets that seems to draw us in late at night
with the entcing aroma of meat and fried
foods, much like street food vendors around
the world, is the common kebab shop.
While a kebab may not be seen as a natonal
dish among the Britsh it has undoubtedly
taken over the UKs streets with a rising
17,000 kebab shops in the UK, the Turkish
dish found its way into our hearts.
Since 1966, one place on the Britsh streets
that draw us in late at night with the entcing
aroma of meat and fried foods, much like
stalls on the street, kebab shops in England
are to intoxicated students what exotc
street food stalls are to tourists and locals of
a country.
When asked the queston Where do you get
your post night out food from?
The answers ranged quite vastly from a range
dierent late night eatery in the city.
When asked why most people said, because
it tastes great and the sta are always
friendly and its on the way home.
This made me think that there is no best
kebab shop its all in our heads, all we really
want is somewhere to go afer a night out
that sells greasy food that our sober self
would never think of eatng and to have sta
that will listen to our incoherent rambles all
before we make our journey home.
While kebabs are a Turkish delight they have
now become an staple in the UK.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Fourteen
Trashed!
By Ikemba Brown
A greasy, groty trash bag thrown outside the late night
fast food shop, a freshly chewed chewing gum ball stuck
to the bus seat you were about to sit on, a poorly aimed
McDonalds cup restng next to the oenders original
target, the bin.
Wherever we go it is a prevalent fact that liter is the
main occupant of our streets, just one stroll down a
main street of Notngham your average person can see
some sort of sweet wrapper, bus tcket or cigarete but
hidden in every crack and crevice of the city.
Examples like the ones above are the common context
that liter is perceived by the public; most people think
of litering as a dirty, illegal habit of the modern
humans behaviour. However, liter is a worthy deniton
of a what street culture is. It represents the grimy,
unkempt side of city life and this isnt necessarily a bad
thing.
Alongside the abundance of liter bins on each street
corner. But as a photographer, I found the common dirty
street in Notngham a copious environment of excitng
and gnarly potental photographs to represent street
as best as I could.
It isnt hard to nd liter in
Notngham because of how
widespread it is
On each street corner. But as a photographer, I found
the common dirty street in Notngham a copious
environment of excitng and gnarly Liter is dicult to
capture in ways which display its atheistc quality, even
though I nd some liter eye capturing and unusual this
is not to be said for the rest of the world.
This is what I wanted to display in my photography, how
liter so minimal in its form can stll be used to tell a
story and that some type of meaning can be derived
from each photo.
One of things that interested me while taking
photos was capturing branded products; I found
these to be the best ways to represent liter
because of its familiarity with most readers.
These are also the least o-putng towards most
readers because the majority of people have drank
or eaten out of some type of branded product; so
to see it scrunched up on the street shouldnt give
o connotatons of unpleasantness, unless it is in
a signicantly o-putng situaton.
I also observed people liter,
which became a fascinatng
process to watch afer Id seen it
one or twice
Walking around the town centre I saw young
adults chatng to each other with fast food bags
under their arms and men in suits with coee
cups in one hand and mobile phones in the other.

While these people were eatng or drinking I
observed the way the held their item they had
responsibility and care over whatever they had
purchased.
However, as soon as they were nished eatng or
drinking their behaviour then changed, a sudden
urge to get rid of the product became apparent
through their body language as they looked for a
bin to throw their item away.
If they were lucky, a bin was nearby and their
food or drink was gone in an instant, but if no bin
was in proximity there was quick a nervous scan
of the people around them and then the item
was nonchalantly dropped onto the oor.
From the citys perspectve it seems it is are being
treated unfairly by its citzens, if somebody
dropped their liter in a persons house or room
expectng them to clean up afer their untdy
habit it would seem very rude and very impolite;
so how are people doing this in our city centre?
Giving my honest point of view
I nd some litering completely
unacceptable
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Sixteen
A General History of Skateboarding
By Chris Repton
In the 1950s, the rst skateboard was created
by snapping the pushbar o a scooter.
When the surng craze was in full swing,
people realised skateboarding could recreate
the feeling of riding a wave. This gave it a sense
of directon, which would inuence everything
linked to this newly found sport.
In the 1960s, companies such as Larry
Stevensons Makaha and Hobie Alters Hobie
began mass producton of skateboards.
Skateboarding, as a result became popular
overnight and companies was struggling to
keep up with the demand for boards. Over 50
million decks were sold in a 3 year period.
Later, in the 1970s, Larry Stevenson invented
the kicktail, and the rst generaton of
skateboarders laid down the foundaton of
tricks and style.
By 1973 the urethane wheel was invented,
revolutonizing the sport. The new wheels
provided much beter tracton and speed and,
combined with new skateboard specic trucks,
allowed skaters to push the diculty of
maneuvers to new levels.
Empty swimming pools and cylindrical pipes
were exploited as terrain for the rst tme.
In the 80s the plywood ramp and streetstyle
revitalized skateboarding just as the urethane
wheel had revitalized the sport in the 70s.
Forced to take an underground, do-it-yourself
attude, skaters began to create their own
wooden ramps in backyards and empty lots
and turn previously unrideable terrain, such as
walls an handrails, into free skate parks.
This generaton had its own group of skate
stars, some of whom stll compete today
including Tony Hawk and Steve Caballero.
The sport once again started on an upward
swing in 1995, due in part to exposure it
received from ESPNs rst Extreme Games in
Rhode Island.
Many of the skaters who competed felt that
ESPNs coverage of the sport raised
skateboardings overall image with the general
public and is a good thing for the future of the
sport.
In 1996 the Extreme Games were again held in
Rhode Island, once more exposing the sport of
skateboarding to millions of people.
Skateboarding was also included in the 1997
Winter X Games in the form of a CrossOver
event that also included in-line skatng, bicycle
stunt, and snowboarding.
Since then, skateboarders have been present
in campaigns for products from sof drinks to
crisps, sweets to phone companies. Thus,
most of what is happening in skateboarding
today is coming not from the skateboarders
themselves, but from corporate sponsors and
the mass media.
The primary focus of the sport remains on
street skatng, as can be seen throughout both
the editorial and advertsing pages of the
major skateboard magazines, where street
skatng photos contnue to dominate.
However vert skatng is making a comeback,
due in part to the large number of new
skateparks being built, for example FLO
Skatepark (pictured at the botom on the next
page) based in Sneinton Dale near Lady Bay
Retail Park, as well as others doted all over
the city of Notngham.
These skateparks have also given boost to
the skatng community in many towns. The
many dierent ramps, pipes and bowls
present at these parks have led to a change
in equipment.
A few skateparks to list that are worth
trying out (According to skateboarders I
have had a chat with) are as follows:
FLO Skatepark (Indoor) -
htp://www.o-skateparks.com/
Clifon Skatepark (Outdoor)
Lady Bay Skatepark (Outdoor)

(Background Image - Flickr - Acquired Under
CC License)
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Eighteen
Smokers Choice
By Angelika Brol
Vaping is so new that science has barley had
a chance to catch up on the questons of
safety, but some small studies have begun to
show the pros and cons.
Various studies have been published about
the safety of e-cigaretes in which
researchers analysed two foreground brands
and concluded that the devices contained
trace elements of dangerous substances.
Vaping utlizes a propylene glycol or
vegetable glycerine-based liquid, mixed with
small amounts of nicotne and food
grade avouring that then get vaporized in a
small batery- powered atomizer, simulatng
the experience of smoking.
the actve principle found in the chemical
substance is antfreeze
Although Kiklas, whose brand the e-cigarete
werent included in the research, we should
point out that recent FDA reports found only
nine pollutants against 11.000 contained in
tabaco cigaretes, and that the level of the
toxicity was far lower than from tabaco.
However, whilst e-cigaretes remain
non-regulated, it isnt possible to place
restrictons on what they may contain.
I interviewed Al Needham who uses one of
the e-cigarete style products to help him to
quit smoking:
Me: How long have you been smoking for?
Al: I was a smoker for...I started really late, I
started 21 and then I gave up. So I started in
1990, and I gave up three years ago so that
would make it 2011.
Me: When you were a smoker, have you
smoked a lot?
Al: I was a proper chainer, I used to have at
least 30 a day. I worked in the oce where
you could smoke, I was working in you
know...basic group in smoking culture, you
smoked in the oce, you smoked in the pub. I
just fell into it and I resisted it. Basically what
happened to me was I had a mini stroke about
3-4 years ago, well... believed it was a mini
stroke, I done the tests and everything and I
thought right beter do something about it
Me: What is the reason that makes you stop
smoking?
Al: That was the main reason but the other
reasons was too expensive, it was screwing
me teeth up, it was just... smoking was also
getng less tolerated by people as well. It
wasnt seen as the done thing anymore. But
the problem is, and the one and the one thing
that people do not smoke they will never
understand about smoking is actually
enjoyable to smoke. Like a having a good fag
on end of a sex, or the end of a meals.
Me: So I guess you have been using other
things to help you to stop smoking, what have
you used?
Al: I tried the chewing gum and I tried the
patches and I tried the inhalers but they all
absolutely not good at all.
Me: They didnt work?
Al: They dont recreate the actual... I have
been smoking the rollers as well so... I had
something to do with my ngers, its oral
xaton smoking, and a patch cant replicate
that, all it can do its gave you nicotne.
People seem to think that smoking is all about
nicotne when the actual fact to me it was
something between my ngers, it was catch at
the back of the throat when I inhaled, it was a
litle rush you got that making you smoke, is
it...
And also the other thing is when you work in
the oce or if you work anywhere and you
smoke, you basically got the licence to piss of
the oce for 5 minutes and no one kicks o, if
I didnt smoke and I was in the oce, and I
kept walking out for 5 minutes just to get away
from things, people would kick o about it,
but when you smoke people go oh well you
know...
Me: So they didnt work...you been using a lot
of them? Dierent things to help you?
Al: I tried the patches, I tried the chewing
gum, they really nasty. I mean inhalers you got
the thing between your ngers, but you
breathing in...it just makes me choke to be
honest. So nothing really recreates the feeling
of smoking, the sense that this is my break.
Me: Tell me now where from you heard about
vaping?
Al: I think I heard about them from internet,
they were stll prety new. There was a
tobacconist underneath the council house,
they were selling pack and they were 40 at
the tme, and it was... it look like cigarete as
well and they were great, you know.
I think a lot of people were worried about
going out and be seen with something that
obviously didnt look like a cigarete. I think
tmes are changed now, I think people are
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Twenty
Vaping is so new that science has barley had
a chance to catch up on the questons of
safety, but some small studies have begun to
show the pros and cons.
Various studies have been published about
the safety of e-cigaretes in which
researchers analysed two foreground brands
and concluded that the devices contained
trace elements of dangerous substances.
Vaping utlizes a propylene glycol or
vegetable glycerine-based liquid, mixed with
small amounts of nicotne and food
grade avouring that then get vaporized in a
small batery- powered atomizer, simulatng
the experience of smoking.
the actve principle found in the chemical
substance is antfreeze
Although Kiklas, whose brand the e-cigarete
werent included in the research, we should
point out that recent FDA reports found only
nine pollutants against 11.000 contained in
tabaco cigaretes, and that the level of the
toxicity was far lower than from tabaco.
However, whilst e-cigaretes remain
non-regulated, it isnt possible to place
restrictons on what they may contain.
I interviewed Al Needham who uses one of
the e-cigarete style products to help him to
quit smoking:
Me: How long have you been smoking for?
Al: I was a smoker for...I started really late, I
started 21 and then I gave up. So I started in
1990, and I gave up three years ago so that
would make it 2011.
Me: When you were a smoker, have you
smoked a lot?
Al: I was a proper chainer, I used to have at
least 30 a day. I worked in the oce where
you could smoke, I was working in you
know...basic group in smoking culture, you
smoked in the oce, you smoked in the pub. I
just fell into it and I resisted it. Basically what
happened to me was I had a mini stroke about
3-4 years ago, well... believed it was a mini
stroke, I done the tests and everything and I
thought right beter do something about it
Me: What is the reason that makes you stop
smoking?
Al: That was the main reason but the other
reasons was too expensive, it was screwing
me teeth up, it was just... smoking was also
getng less tolerated by people as well. It
wasnt seen as the done thing anymore. But
the problem is, and the one and the one thing
that people do not smoke they will never
understand about smoking is actually
enjoyable to smoke. Like a having a good fag
on end of a sex, or the end of a meals.
Me: So I guess you have been using other
things to help you to stop smoking, what have
you used?
Al: I tried the chewing gum and I tried the
patches and I tried the inhalers but they all
absolutely not good at all.
Me: They didnt work?
Al: They dont recreate the actual... I have
been smoking the rollers as well so... I had
something to do with my ngers, its oral
xaton smoking, and a patch cant replicate
that, all it can do its gave you nicotne.
People seem to think that smoking is all about
nicotne when the actual fact to me it was
something between my ngers, it was catch at
the back of the throat when I inhaled, it was a
litle rush you got that making you smoke, is
it...
alright with it now, but I mean when I rst started
doing it, it was afer the smoking ban and like a
doing in pubs I found that I get such looks from
people when I used it, as if they going to start on
me. Because they obviously thought that I was
smoking in the public place, and the early ones
And also the other thing is when you work in
the oce or if you work anywhere and you
smoke, you basically got the licence to piss of
the oce for 5 minutes and no one kicks o, if
I didnt smoke and I was in the oce, and I
kept walking out for 5 minutes just to get away
from things, people would kick o about it,
but when you smoke people go oh well you
know...
Me: So they didnt work...you been using a lot
of them? Dierent things to help you?
Al: I tried the patches, I tried the chewing
gum, they really nasty. I mean inhalers you got
the thing between your ngers, but you
breathing in...it just makes me choke to be
honest. So nothing really recreates the feeling
of smoking, the sense that this is my break.
Me: Tell me now where from you heard about
vaping?
Al: I think I heard about them from internet,
they were stll prety new. There was a
tobacconist underneath the council house,
they were selling pack and they were 40 at
the tme, and it was... it look like cigarete as
well and they were great, you know.
I think a lot of people were worried about
going out and be seen with something that
obviously didnt look like a cigarete. I think
tmes are changed now, I think people are
they had a blue or green light to kind a
show people that is not actual fag. And I had
it, but in the end people staring at me so
much that I had to say,
look its ain a real fag, look...
and I take a pu on it and I stub it out on my
tongue or on my head, just to say look
you know... its not a cigarete or Im a
psycho, so let me get on with it. So yeah it
was really hard at the rst, but it works for
me, completely work for me I didnt want a
cigarete again.
Me: When have you start vaping?
Al: I used it for about 3-4 months on the rst
tme, and the great think about them for me
you could step down of a nicotne, so you
start with full nicotne and afer a month I
step down to lower nicotne level to the
point where I spend a last month on no
nicotne, and I used it so much that it broke,
so I just thought sorry I dont need it
anymore and I came o completely.
But Im back on them now as I went away
on a holiday couple of weeks ago, and I saw
a mate havent had cigarete for ages and
we just get pissed and the fags came up oh
sorry Im on my holiday. But it got to a
point where I really recently I have a dream
about Im having a fag and Im wake up
really angry on myself.
So yeah...I was totally of them and then I
just fell back into them again, I think one
thing is stop that does help when you try to
give a fags away its just cost it everything
out and working out that I can spent
something like 4 a week, not even that, I
can even spent 3 now on a botle of
vapour uid that going to last me a week.
Me: Afer your holiday you start smoke
again, have you smoked a lot?
Al: I came back, I bumped a couple of fags of
a people and I thought oh no Im falling, Im
on the slippery sled now so I thought
beter go out and one of the e-cigaretes
and you know I brought mine one from the
market square, and so I just thought I dont
want to spend 40 on one cause I know it
going to be short term x. So the market
store, bloke selling them all with a liquids, so
I thought Ill do that, 15 and that it.
Me: What impact did it had on your life?
Al: Well, I have more money to spend, just
basically all the symptoms that people said
that you have when you give up smoking, my
blood pressure came right down I did a test
in the Victoria Centre and it told me that I
had the highest blood pressure of all the
people that tested that day, and if you see
the Victoria Centre there are some really
unhealthy people walking around.
Me: What kind of avour do you have in you
device?
Al: When I rst started people say look we
got all this dierent avours, which one you
want? and I just said do you have just a fag
favour please? thats what Im trying
replicate. I think that...I mean when I was
giving up I did new leaf this scheme, and
when I was on it I could get free patches,
free this, free that and I went to see my
chemist who was kind a like overseen it, and
I said look I dont want these anymore I
really going to go on the electric cigarete
and he goes whats that? he didnt even
know, and he was selling them.
Me: So if you asking people who selling
them to tell you something more they dont
really know anything about them.
Al: I mean the thing is the e-cigarete they
ew under the raid of for quiet the while,
youve thought that the NHS or the
government would go oh hang on lets have
a look at these, let see what they are about.
But because they didnt youve immediately
got all these scary stories about them, youve
got all this crap about oh well is a way of
getng kids onto fags its a bullshit cause if
kids want to smoke they wont go for the
imitaton theyll go for the real thing.
To be honest with you I believe that if these
e-cigs would be put on the Natonal Health
Service, and they are cheap enough now it
would cut smoking dramatcally it really
would. But the problem is now is that theory
about them, all they seen as a novel to...
I mean the idea of dierent avours I think
thats kind of a grey area because yes you
could say that you know, having a avour is
going to encourage someone to smoke and
they havent before, and again you could say
that about avoured cigarete papers.
So I think and the idea that you not really
should do it in the pub, and Im asking why
not? Its a water vapour but people dont
know that they think you must have
something else in it. Its almost like ketamine
because the government dont jump on
things right from the start and go ok whats
this all about?
This is fallow period where its available but
nobody knows whether is legal or not,
nobody knows whats in it, nobody knows
whats in it, nobody takes the tme to go
what eects its gonna have on people?, I
mean its something like this right, to my
mind thats the only way I couldve giving up
smoking absolutely, that has the potental to
save so many lives.
So the choice is ours or we want to keep our
lives healthy and have the pleasure of the
tabaco taste with vaporisers or we want to
keep ruing our health and our budgets and
also keep supportng the tabaco industries by
smoking their cigaretes.
Shop Till You Drop
By Kelly Varney-Gee
Shopping! Lets face it we all love a bit of retail
therapy, whether its just to buy our favourite
thing or to go mad and have a huge shopping
spree, everyone loves to shop. From small
independently owned shops to well known high
street retailers, everyone and anyone will shop
and with such a large variety of places to shop
its no wonder people love it so much; and the
city of Notngham is no excepton to that.
So I went out to investgate for myself what
Notngham has to oer with its vibrant
shopping scene. From the moment you arrive in
the busy city centre, there are shops galore for
you to venture into; from Pound Shop to Next,
theres every type of shop out there to go to.
You cant go down a single street in the city
without seeing another one that catches your
eye, many shops are ideal for the money saving
students with many giving student discount and
savings for those all important bargains.
With the many dierent areas of Notnghams
town centre for shopping from the prestge
Flying Horse Walk, lled with designer brands
and top quality products; to Old Market Square
which is lled with well known big brand names
such as Primark, Debenhams and Schuh as well
as small independent shops; theres something
for everyone tastes and budget for a great
shopping experience.
One area of Notnghams shopping scene that is
dierent and unique to venture to is the Hockley
area, which is lled with a vast amount of
vintage shops and small independently owned
businesses. This partcular area of Notngham
has a very dierent vibe from the hustle and
bustle you will experience in the main
market square; with a quiet and relaxed
atmosphere you can enjoy a leisurely stroll
through the area and shop through the vast
amount of glorious products on oer to you.
One shop there is in Hockley to go to is COW,
a small vintage shop that sells vintage
clothes and accessories from around the
world. I went and spoke to the Notngham
stores manager, Roxanne Hudson, to get her
opinion on Notnghams shopping scene
and more informaton about the store.
When I had my interview with Roxanne she
told that she had worked at COW
Notngham since April 2013 and was
originally a supervisor before getng
promoted to manager for 6 months whilst
the previous manager went travelling. About
the store she told me,
Cow is a vintage based retail shop which is
independent to Notngham with this store
but has 3 other stores in the midlands and a
bit up north which are in Birmingham,
Sheeld and Manchester; Cow is mainly
based on vintage clothing that is imported
from America from places such as New York
and Atlanta, as well as being imported from
Italy and Europe.
She also told me the main target customers
we have are students and we are normally
busiest around September to November
tme when all the students come back for
university afer the summer period. When
asked about her opinion on what she
thought of Notnghams shopping scene she
said
Im from Leicester originally so I think
Notngham has a nice shopping area and I
like that all the independent shops are
mainly based in the Hockley area
Asked about whether Notngham needs any
more independently owned businesses
Roxanne said I dont know if Notngham
really does need any more independent
shops but personally I like them cause I like
to have my own piece of unique clothing so
it would be nice if there was more, she also
told me that I think small businesses do
need more advertsement as they dont get
as much publicity as larger high street shops
that can aord more advertsement ,but
there are places in Notngham that can help
out with advertsement such as the Creatve
Quarter in Hockley.
So with all the fantastc areas in
Notnghams town centre to go and have a
look around at, whether your afer a big
brand high street piece of clothing or want
something original and fresh from one of the
many vintage or independently owned shops
in Hockley, Notngham really does have it all
for the savvy smart shopper in us all, so you
really can aord to shop tll you drop.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Twenty-Two
Coming Soon, This is... Underground- Issue Two- July 2014 This is... Twenty-Four This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014
Woln it!
By Niki White
For todays generaton, nding the tme to dine is fast
becoming a problem. What are the optons we are lef
with when we have litle tme for lunch? Fast food!
Why? Because fast food is quick, convenient, lling and
mouth wateringly delicious.
Whether you are a student going to a lesson or an adult
in the work place, you will understand the rush to get
food, and the amount of people who are thinking the
same idea at lunch tme. When it comes to deciding on
fast food, you also need to be quick on deciding whether
you want a healthy opton or an unhealthy opton. So
lets take a look at what unhealthy fast food has to oer.
As we all know, fast food restaurants such as
McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and many others who are
allegedly 'unhealthy' fast food chains, all present their
food in an irresistable and eye catching way, that it looks
too delicious to not eat. However, it may be a quick tasty
opton, but it is also low in nutriton, high in trans-fat,
saturated fat, sodium and calories. Do we think about
these problems when we are so hungry and have litle
tme to spare? More than likely not, but we may feel
guilty about it later.
"IT MAKES ME FEEL VERY FULL AND
UNHAPPY ABOUT MY WEIGHT
With the world surrounded by fast paced lives, social
networking has become a normal lifestyle, especially for
the younger generaton. But what has social networking
got to do with food? Well as a vast number of you may
already know through websites such as Facebook and
Instagram, people have a tendency to take images of
themselves with their food or just an image of the food
itself. I joined in on this viral happening and took some
wonderful seles with my food as well (refer to image
above). So how come it is possible that they are able to
take a quick image of their food, despite having such
litle tme before their lunch break is over?
Eloise Heart, is currently a full tme apprentceship and
indulges on fast food regularly.
What is your favourite fast food restaurant and
why?
Subway, because it is healthy and tasty.
Would you say there is a connecton with social
networking when it comes to food?
Yes and no, I guess it would depend on the person,
but you do see a lot of images of food on social
networking sites like Instagram.
Do you take seles with food and does tme not
mater to you when youre taking these pictures if
you have only have a short lunch break?
Yes I take seles and you kind of forget about tme
when youre on your phone and that can
sometmes end up in you being late.
What psychological feelings do you feel when
youve eaten supposed unhealthy fast food or
healthy fast food, do you feel guilty afer eatng
unhealthy fast food?
It makes me feel very full and unhappy about my
weight.
Healthy fast food is a life style choice.
Following the problems that come from eatng
unhealthy fast food, a lot of health experts and
magazines will suggest to you to make healthier
choices at fast food restaurants by preparing
ahead. This means by checking guides that show
you the nutritonal content. Here are some tps
for making sure you pick healthy choices at fast
food restaurants.
Drink water with your meal instead
of soda.
Avoid Supersized portons
Avoid Bacon as it is high in fat and
calories.
Avoid salt as it can be a major
contributor to high blood pressure.
Chew your food more thoroughly and
avoid eatng whilst walking.
Tips such as the chew your food more thoroughly
and avoid eatng whilst walking, can prove to be
quite dicult if you are in a mad rush to get back
to work or to a lesson, so make sure you have
given yourself sucient tme at lunch to eat or
even make sure it isnt such a large porton so you
are able to do this.
In the street
Because of the rush to get back to work or to a
lesson, you will nd a large number of students,
workers etc in the street, shoving food into their
mouths and that is where I found the opportunity
to take some fantastc shots up close of them
eatng.
Being surrounded by dierent events in the
street, which can be a dangerous or a wonderful
place to be, you will nd an ordinary (or unusual
human if it may be) human stung their face (or
in other words, woln it) quicker than you can
say fast food.
Afer questoning ve students about whether
they prefer healthy fast foods as appose to
unhealthy fast food optons, they all said that
they prefer unhealthy fast food optons but would
use more healthy fast food choices if they were
available.
So all in all, more healthy fast food restaurants
should open up!
For more informaton on whre to eat, and aviod
piling on the calories, visit:
htp://www.happycow.net/europe/england/not
ngham/
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Twenty-Six
Salesmen of the Street
By Luke Richards
There are many occupatons that use the streets to
operate their business, ranging from music performers
to drug dealers. Its a unique concept, working on the
street, vastly dierent to the everyday oce job.
Whether it be that people take to the streets to work
out of choice, or whether circumstances dictate it, street
professions can ofen be gruelling.
Selling The Big Issue magazine, a profession undertaken
by many in a desperate bid to survive in the harsh
economic climate. In numerous cites across the United
Kingdom, there are dozens of men and women trying to
turn their fortunes around and make some money.
The Big Issue Foundaton is a registered charity, seeking
out the homeless, vulnerably housed or marginalized in
any form to oer them a chance to get rid of their
problems. The objectve for this co-operaton is
enabling their homeless and troubled
workforce to take control of their lives.
The vendors operate using a buy and sell
scheme, they purchase copies of the magazine
at 1.25 each and sell on for 2.50, making
100% prot on each purchase. Of course, the
stumbling block that awaits them is trying to
get enough atenton from potental customers
in the street.
Through a combinaton of peoples busy
schedules, and ofen viewing these street
vendors in a stereotypical way, the majority of
the Britsh public pay no atenton to the
vendors, or intentonally avoid them.
I wanted to gain some perspectve straight from
a Big Issue Vendor, so I took to the street in an
atempt to gain this perspectve
Afer purchasing the magazine myself, I was
able to have some words with Christopher
Hughes, 47, a Big Issue Vendor of ve years. I
was keen to nd out how business was going.
Most days I make enough to live on, Ive had
days where Ive raked in forty-fy quid, which
is great! But then there are others where
business isnt so great.
It depends on the type of people walking
about, busy, work-horse types dont usually bat
me an eyelid. But there are a lot of kind people
out there who always want to help people like
me, and Im grateful for that. said Christopher.
This raises the queston, why do people like
Christopher get ignored by so many people?
Is it simply down to people not having enough
tme, or is it lack of compassion? Of course,
there is a pre-conceived view of street sellers
buried in peoples minds, the thought that any
money given to them will be spent in the wrong
places, i.e. alcohol and drugs.
However that is not the case with Big Issue
Vendors, these are people who have endured the
hard tmes and are on the upward journey to x
their lives.
I wanted to nd out what its like living on the
streets. Its horrible, Ive gone to sleep wearing as
much as I can get to keep me warm, not knowing
if I would survive the night.
Its worse in the colder months, even wrapping
myself in foil wasnt enough for warmth. he said.
Have The Big Issue Foundaton helped turn things
around for you?
I asked. Absolutely, selling the magazine has
brought purpose and drive back to my life,
something to work towards each day,aswellasthe-
nancesallowingme to have a home. Christopher
is one of many among the homeless community to
have turned his life around.
He now lives in a rented at and is able to aord
food and drink. The Big Issue Foundaton, to this
day, contnues to make a massive contributon to
the homeless and vulnerably housed community.
Appreciatng Our Environment is Benecial
to Our Health
As the sun peaks behind the hills of Notngham, I nd
myself perched on top of Colwick Woods glancing
outwards melancholy and pensive, afer a mission to
capture the crucial moment of the working day
transitoning to tme for relief, chill and play. A pink aura
setles itself on hazy trails of peach, a lone plane gliding
across the early sun set, beyond a smog of thick gas
emited courtesy of the
energy industry, and each house slowly popping on light
bulbs in a concrete jungle...
At the heart of the city is a consistent grey to
compliment the expression on each Monday face of this
diverse community. Surrounding this however, is a vast
density of
forest, animals and other naturally occurring life forms.
Where buildings are demolished, nature takes over.
Breaking through the cracks in bricks, down muddy
decking and ourishing trees where who knows what
used to be. Because man made wonders are not
permanent. They will not stand the test of tme, or be
forever
necessary, for when they reach the fullment of their
purpose, a new idea will be thrown up by the contrac-
these small actons deplete the quality of the
environment, therefore our quality of life also.
Mr Shortlands pro actve attude and positve
energy tdisplayed a truly important message; that
we need to appreciate wildlife more, as
conserving its beauty and abundance, will surely
provide beter health for urban life.
To volunteer for tasks or join a workshop email
wildlifeinthecity@notswt.co.uk
or visit
www.notnghamshirewildlife.org
for further informaton.
tors. Otherwise, the cycle of life contnues. We
can not stop it, neither should we hinder its
course.
Conservaton of urban nature is essental to our
survival and well being amongst the challenging,
and sometmes draining, city life.
I took a visit down to the Notnghamshire
Wildlife Trusts oce in the city centre to make an
inquiry about the actvites and work that goes
into our nature reserves. I spoke to Jamie
Shortland, Wildlife in the City Young Persons
worker, who helps co-ordinate events and
encourages youth groups to become involved in
wildlife conservaton, of all backgrounds and
abilites. This is an essental element of the ethics
behind the teams functoning, with great
recogniton that,
The volunteering project is supported by the
Natonal Lotery Heritage Fund and Ecominds,
which is organised by volunteers. For young
people who have endured hardship growing up in
the city, this is a fantastc way of giving them the
freedom to strengthen community spirit and
condence, whilst promotng a meaningful cause,
plus personal well-being from the inside that
radiates and reects in day to day life. Physical
exercise clears the mind of stress, in additon to
working the body to relieve tension and get ter
in a natural atmosphere.
Sometmes a Breath of fresh air is fundamen-
tally what we need, therefore protectng and
developing our rural outskirts is vital for the
physical and mental health of everybody.
Traditonally, associatons of this category such as
The Natonal Trust, aimed memberships at the
middle class, however in recent tmes it has
atained a more diverse approach, with growing
concern of the destructon of huge green spaces,
its tme we all considered the eects of this for
the sake of future generatons.
It could be as small as throwing your crisp packet
in the liter bin, as opposed to a passing bush, but
Anyone is capable of taking part, we do not segregate by ability.
People who contribute are given the opportunity to build valuable skills
and form new friendships.
This is... Street Editon - Issue One - May 2014 This is... Twenty-Eight
By Sabrina Wineld
Coming Soon, This is... Underground- Issue Two- July 2014