Top 10 Christmas Songs

All I want for Christmas is you- Mariah Carey (1994)
Do they know it’s Christmas?- Band Aid (1984)
Last Christmas- Wham! (1984)
Fairy tale of New York- The Pouges (1987)
Merry Xmas Everybody- Slade (1973)
I wish it could be Christmas everyday– Wizzard (1973)
Wonderful Christmastime- Paul McCartney(1979)
Santa Claus is coming to Town- Joel Whitburn (2004)
White Christmas-Michael Buble (2011)
Sleigh Ride- Spice Girls (1996)

There’s nothing better to set a good Christmas atmosphere, whether you’re frantically late night shopping or relaxing round the fire, than your favourite Christmas tune.

There is such a wide variety of different genres ranging from slow ballads such as ‘Last   Christmas’ to the Irish Folk    classic ‘Fairy tale of New York’ possibly the most depressing  lyrics of a song ever written? One of my  personal favourite Christmas songs Is Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is you’. This upbeat and catchy tune has lyrics that are very relatable for women (including myself) who spend many Christmas occasions alone. This song tells a story of how you don’t care for the ‘presents underneath the Christmas tree’ and traditions such as ‘hanging my stocking there upon the fireplace’ but instead just want to be with someone on Christmas day.  I find these lyrics quite amusing as these are the traditions we all do that don’t  really mean anything, they are very true to life and I’m sure I’m not the only one to really enjoy this song!

One of the all-time classic Christmas songs though has to be Do They Know it’s Christmas? by Band Aid. First recorded in 1984 to raise money for the relief of famine in Ethiopia, this single  became the biggest selling single of the UK singles chart selling an amazing million copies in the first week alone! It stayed at number 1 for 5 weeks making Christmas number 1. The Band Aid group consisted of 44 big chart names; including the likes of Paul McCartney and Phil Collins. In all honesty there’s not really anything that gets me in the  mind-set for Christmas more than a good old Christmas song.

Love them or hate them, there really is no way to avoid hearing them. Those Christmas classics from Wham! The Pouges and Wizzard don’t seem to be getting old! And if anyone says they’re out of date then I beg to differ. From about the middle of November pretty much everywhere you go will be filled with the upbeat and catchy songs that we all know and love. If you’re hunting round the shops for them perfect presents you’ll be sure to hear these tunes, as Christmas music boosts sales... It’s been proven!

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without listening to these 10 songs that we all know and love, and it’s really only acceptable to listen to them from around 2 months of the year. so get  listening to these top 10 cracking tunes! I’m sure they’ll brighten even the worst of days!

By Charlotte Hampshire

The Unconventional Side to Christmas

Toys
4 million Chinese slave workers are employed by the toy manufacturing industry, with 80% of all toys sold worldwide being made here there is a huge pressure on workers to be quick and efficient while earning just pennies an hour. There are three Barbie dolls sold ever second, 80% of these are manufactured by Chinese slaves who work 12 hour days, six days a week for as little as 11 pence an hour. Some investigations have suggested these workers are so desperate for work they give into signing factories contracts which commit them to working illegal overtime. In 2010, 12 people from a factory in Beijing committed suicide after being verbally and physically harassed by their bosses in the slave toy factories. This is not a rare event; this appears to be happening all over the world, from China to Brazil, Africa and the rest of South East Asia.

Christmas dinner
It’s estimated that as a nation we eat 22 million units of poultry on Christmas day alone, including chicken, turkey and goose. These animals spent their short lives in appealing conditions and 10 months after their birth, they’re slaughtered ready to be served up on Christmas day. With more than 10,000 creatures in one barn, they are restricted from moving, socialising and performing natural behaviours. The cages become dirty and disease ridden very quickly. Many are physically abuses and mistreated. Around November they’re stunned, hung up and have their throats slit; many of them still live during the process and taking minutes to die from blood loss, ready to be served on your plate on Christmas day.

The global impact
We produce more CO2 in the build up to Christmas than at any other time of year. A fake Christmas tree may last longer than a real tree but the PVC of which it is made creates CO2 both in the production and incineration of the tree after you’ve finished with it. Studies imply that on average each fake tree generates 16KG of Carbon emissions. Investigations by private recycling companies tell us 60% of fake trees are sent to the dump within a year. Another thing which causes issues is wrapping paper; we used 600,000 tons of gift bags, wrapping paper and containers each year. The excessive amounts of paper and bags results in the deforestation of thousands upon thousands of trees, everything we consume uses resources and produces CO2.

Summary
Of course Christmas time is a time of indulgence and fun however just little changes could have a positive impact on a massive scale for the planet and its inhabitants. Not all of our gifts need to be store brought, we don’t have to buy as many factory made gifts and we do not need to consume as much meat. Creating your own gifts or buying more green and ethical products, swapping meat for alternatives or even having smaller portions and being wiser on what we use to wrap our presents, using recycled paper could have a huge positive effect for everyone.

Permanently Unique

Individualism. What does this mean? Definition: an individual quirk or peculiarity.

Not only does everyone seem to be striving for a sense of individuality but unknowingly to some of us, we all show this in a certain way. How, you may ask. If you think about it logically, it’s simple...

Beginning college, I saw everything from Nike Blazers to Military Jackets to Bobbled Beanies. Which may have been expected? People are following the ‘latest trends’. Aiming to stand out, we subconsciously buy clothes which are seen to be in fashion and by doing this, we represent our individuality. However, some of us want to rebel against this ‘following’ tendency and represent our own identities in a completely different way.

My thoughts about this continued throughout the days, weeks and first couple of months of college. Personally, I know how eager I was to represent who I am through what I wore, so I felt obliged to notice others, too.

The more I think about it, the more this intrigues me. Every day we wake up, each and every one of us think about what top or bottoms or shoes we’ll wear. We think about the colours, the materials, whether the outfit ‘goes’ (some more than others). We all consciously or subconsciously make the effort; we know we’ll be looked at by someone this day. So continuously we want to show people who we really are. We put up a front. We know that others who do not know us are going to judge us; not on our ‘personalities’, but by what we wear.

Thus, fashion plays an important role in how one is perceived and wants to be perceived.

None of us want to be ‘the same’. Some of us may choose to shop in TOPSHOP or River Island, others may prefer Charity Shops. And how interesting it is that each and every one of us has our own, individual preference. A question I constantly ask myself is ‘do others notice this?’

Perhaps we’re all caught up in worrying what we wear, that we don’t notice others. We’re all determined to represent ourselves through our clothes; do we really pay attention to the amount of effort one puts into them?

Although the case may be that we do not, I definitely feel that we should. Waking up every day I know that subconsciously my aim is to look my best. Yes, even when I’m at college, I’ll admit. So, if I were told that nobody ever looks at how I represent myself, I’d be truly offended, wouldn’t you? Being noticed isn’t a bad thing and representing our own identity is even better; so remember to embrace it.  Embrace the colours, the materials, the peculiarity or quirkiness and take time to notice how  each and everyone of us show our true selves.

By Frances McClean

How can I achieve the perfect look?

Above: Ginta Lapina AUTUMN/WINTER VOGUE 2012-13 - Shades of grey. 

Tips and tricks for perfect results: Alice Wood looks into the secrets of beauty to see what’s best for our skin this season.

According to the experts at Vogue, the secret to achieving flawless, healthy-looking skin lies with a good skin cleansing and moisturising regime. These days that means a bit more than dabbing your face with soap; the skin trade is now a multi-million pound business, with thousands of products promising to rejuvenate and revitalise your skin. All we need is a bit of time (and a few quid) and we too could be sporting that movie star ‘glow’.

But the reality is that most of us buy a product, use it a couple of times, forget to moisturise, moan when the spots appear and then have a panic attack with the concealer stick. Of course there is no quick fix. The advice from Vogue is to keep it simple. Once you find the cleanser and moisturiser that suit your skin type (and budget) it’s a question of adopting and sticking with a daily cleansing routine.

Building from the base

Choosing the right foundation - both colour and texture – is also key to achieving that perfect look. Vogue says that we should find our ‘true’ skin colour before buying a foundation. How? By testing the product (powder, cream or liquid) on the area of skin between your neck and ear, to determine exactly what shade you need. Who knew that? And does that mean an end to the tell-tale sign of bad foundation – the dreaded tide mark around the chin?

It’s all in the eyes

Foundation perfectly matched, it’s on to the eyes, or more specifically, the eyebrows. The golden rule here is simple: do not pluck your eyebrows too thinly, as they will never grow back properly. Eyebrows that have been drawn back do little to enhance your facial features. They can look quite scary too.

As for mascara, Vogue tell us to make our eyes ‘pop’, to make them more feminine and alluring. This means using a gentle, smooth brushing technique to lift and lengthen’ lashes, rather than short, dabbing movements – which leave unsightly lumps and clumps.

When it comes to choosing eye shadow, do you know your perfect colour match? Blue shades are a definite no-no for blue eyes, in the same way that excessively dark make-up does nothing for brown eyes – in both cases they make the eyes look smaller and less prominent on the face. If you use eye pencils, stick to brown, black or grey, as they complement the tones in your eyes, and effectively work with most outfits. Do not wear coloured eyeliner on the inner rim of the eye.

Violet and purple are this season’s shades; as all skin tones have a touch of purple, you should find they give you a warmer glow – and are definitely more funky than ‘safe’ old brown and grey.

Black should not be used as a shading colour, and should be limited to the lid, inner and outer rims – avoid any shading above the eyelid. For the final twinkling touch, don’t forget your eye drops!

Don’t be cheeky 

When it comes to blusher, less is definitely more. Tans are preferable to pinks and reds, to prevent the ‘clown’ look. However, a subtle blend of pinks and apricots, on the apple part of the cheek will give you a fresh, youthful glow.

Shimmering powders really do add an extra sparkle to skin on show. For best results, apply to your neckline, collar bone, sternum and arms.

So with all that in mind, (and all secrets revealed!) we too can achieve not only the model complexion but the complete look with professional tips to abide by, and used to achieve perfection! We also need not spend a fortune—all of these products are available to us on the market for a very reasonable price!  Get looking, get buying and get doing!

Orange Pumpkin Face Cookies Recipe

Makes 12 Cookies

Cookie
150g Softened Butter
175g Plain Flour
50g Icing Sugar
Zest of 1 Medium Orange

Filling
100g Mascarpone
1 tsp Icing Sugar
25g Plain Chocolate

Glaze
50g Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Orange Juice


1. Preheat the oven to fan 160C/ conventional 180C/gas 4. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add the flour, icing sugar and orange zest and beat together to make a soft dough. Knead into a ball and wrap in cling film. Chill for 1 hour.

2. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm. Cut 24 circles with a 7.5 cm round plain cutter. Put them on a couple of baking sheets.

3. Using a small sharp knife, cut out Halloween faces on 12 of the circles. Gather up the spare biscuit dough and press into pumpkin stem shapes, trimming with a sharp knife. Press to the top of each biscuit with a knife to join. Make lines on the face biscuits with the back of a knife, to look like the markings on a pumpkin. Bake all the biscuits for about 15 minutes until pale golden. Leave to set for a while and then cool completely on a wire rack.

4. Mix the glaze ingredients to make a smooth, runny icing, adding a bit more juice if needed, and then set aside. For the filling, beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar, then stir in the cooled melted chocolate.

5. Spread the filling over the cooled plain biscuits, then press the 'face' ones on top - do this just before you want to eat them, otherwise they go soft. Brush with the glaze, using a clean paint brush or pastry brush. Eat the same day.

By Kelly Thake

How Not To Farm

These are all real life experiences about farming life

Working hard, driving the tractor down the hill, then BANG. Sinking in the mud, not being able to move, and then the tractor tips, being held up by a tree. This is why you concentrate when driving a 120 horse power vehicle. Climb out the back window, the window shuts  after, and the keys are locked in…. Then falling over in the muddy puddle…. That was a good day.

Walking around the show ring at a farm show, this is make or break, the judge is looking, so stand up and make everything look the best possible. The judge comes to ask questions and all that is said is “can you hold this a for second”,  passed the judge the cow with a chance of winning and throw up over the fence… it was The National Competition, chance of being the best, and that failed.

It shouldn't have been too bad, I mean, just like getting ears pierced. That is all it was, a quick little ear tag, so the pig could go away, the brothers and sisters were good as gold. But there is always one, it is    cornered, stand on one leg to catch it, but it runs into the one on the ground, flipped over on the ground, in a pile of mud… never to be lived down.

Its not even dawn and there is work to be done: milking, feeding, mucking out, fairly easy and simple, yes? Get up at 4:30, not to be late for College, walk down the yard, to find all the cows, had escaped from the field. All alone, herding 50 cows back into the field…. That is mission impossible Tom Cruise.

Come of Age by The Vaccines - Album Review

Come of Age is The Vaccines follow up album to their debut album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ (Released on the 11th March 2011.) Their debut album reached no. 4 in the UK album chart, and received mixed reviews, although many listeners found that some of the songs were too short. However the latest edition from The Vaccines (which made it to number 1 in the UK album chart) delivered 11 unforgettable songs, all of which were over two minutes!

The album starts off with lead single ‘No Hope’ which was released on the 8th July. One of the lines featured in the song is ‘…when I haven’t got my own life figured out…’ When listening to the song for the first time it made me dubious that if Justin is writing about how he hasn’t sorted out his own life, how is he going to manage to write an equally (or even better) follow up album, in such a short space of time. However, as the songs keep playing you begin to realise that Justin and the rest of the band have really pulled together to sort out the album, and create an array of songs, that almost all fit together and work as a whole album.

As with almost every album there are a couple of songs that feel as though they were simply put on ‘just to fill space’ and for me these tracks are ‘Weirdo’ and ‘Bad Mood.’ Bad Mood is just 3 minutes and six seconds of erratic guitar playing, and Justin almost shouting into the microphone. Perhaps this song was recorded to vent out the bands frustrations, and I can’t help wondering if it should have just been left in the editing room?

Each song is different to the next, with the band attempting to establish a difference between then (What Did You Expect From The Vaccines) and now (Come of Age) and you can clearly hear the difference between the more structured  songs on their debut album and the more loosely structured songs on this album.

After the success of their debut album, and subsequent sold out venues, I can only hope and believe that 2012/2013 will hold great things for the album and The Vaccines, and who knows maybe even a number 1!

My Rating

Tracks to listen to:
No Hope
Teenage Icon
Aftershave Ocean

Tracks to Avoid:
Weirdo
Bad Mood

By Rebecca Knightsbridge