Innholdsfortegnelse for 28-08-2017 i The Big Issue

Ray of sunshine As always, thanks for a great issue [August 14-20], which included Ray Brooks on page 23 where he’s described as the “cosy voiceover on Mr Benn”, and he’s also shown on page 29 in a photograph from Cathy Come Home. Ray, in his amazing TV and film career, has also been in the great TV institutions Coronation Street and EastEnders, and was narrator for the Mr Benn stable-mate King Rollo. A mention must be made of Skimp – the TV show about how to survive austerity decades before the phrase became sadly all too familiar. If we ever wanted someone to help define ‘Britishness’, Ray would surely be that man. Clive Farrow, Suffolk Hearts in full bloom I can’t find the words to describe what a beautiful…

One Big Issue vendor thinks that Scotland’s former First Minister would make an “alright Big Issue seller”. After years at the forefront of politics, Alex Salmond has turned the tables, becoming a chat show host and commentator during this year’s Edinburgh Fringe in his show, Alex Salmond: Unleashed . The Big Issue has been the production’s social enterprise not-for-profit partner, and vendors (as well as Big Issue competition winners) were invited along to two performances of the sell-out run this week to give their verdict of the show. At one, Big Issue founder Lord John Bird was Salmond’s special guest, alongside comedian Des Clarke. Big Issue vendors Greg and George, both based on Edinburgh’s George Street, went along to watch Tuesday’s show, and shared their thoughts. “It was quite good,…

Say it loud, say it proud – we are all feminists! The Big Issue Shop’s bold ‘Feminist’ range is available in white with black letters, black/white, and grey/ black, in men’s and women’s styles. Part of our issue-led designs, there is a huge range (but this week we like Feminist). So there’s no excuse not to #wearabigissue today. Every T helps The Big Issue continue its work with marginalised people. Feminist T’s are priced £20 (plus shipping). Check out the range at bigissueshop.com/collection/tshirt ON BIGISSUE.COM  THIS WEEK… • The Summer of Love and Hate – As then, now. Stuart Cosgrove on Detroit 1967, and the events that lit the touchpaper for change • A sentence for life – why 60% of women leaving prison are homeless • In a Letter to…

When I took up my role as minister for faith, I set myself the ambitious target of visiting all of England’s 42 Anglican cathedrals in one year, to better understand the role they play in communities throughout the country. I’m now more than three quarters through and the end is rather sadly in sight. I’ll be finishing my tour in Canterbury on September 22. And what a fantastic opportunity it has been to see the work of England’s centres of Christian worship first-hand. I’ve been deeply impressed with what I’ve seen: remarkable architecture, of course, but also cathedrals as renewed focal points for their communities and champions of education, economic growth and regeneration. Almost uniformly, I’ve heard how cathedrals are working to engage with their wider communities, demystifying the cathedral…

Financing models are possibly the least sexy aspect of Hollywood but Steven Soderbergh’s new film Logan Lucky is a game-changer. Before a scene was shot, overseas distribution and non-theatrical rights (to Amazon) were sold. Cutting out the studio system entirely, the money raised from pre-selling the film was the money used to make the film. “As soon as the movie opens and someone buys a ticket we’re in profit,” Soderbergh says. “Under this model we never lose, it’s just a question of how big a win there is.” Trade papers in the US dubbed Logan Lucky a flop after it opened at number three at the box office. While that would spell disaster for a blockbuster trying to salvage its production costs, Soderbergh isn’t concerned: “Just the fact we did…

1. HOW TO BE A WOMAN Caitlin Moran I read this book aged 17 and it woke me up. I credit this for totally kickstarting my feminism. I think it should be part of the syllabus for every pupil in the country. 2. EVERYDAY SEXISM Laura Bates Although by no means a light read, this book opened my eyes to the extraordinary sexism women are facing around the world. Before this, I hadn’t fully appreciated what I was up against every day and what a long way we still had to go in our fight for equality. 3. MAD GIRL Bryony Gordon This is the most honest book that I have ever read, written by one of the strongest women I know. Bryony talks so openly about mental health and…

There was an interesting study published a few years back by a Spotify analyst which found that 33 is the average age at which people – in particular men – give up listening to new artists and succumb to so-called “taste freeze”. “Music was better back then,” these unmoving advocates of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen or any other such safely established signifiers of good taste are known to exclaim with a mixture of earnest zeal and barely disguised confusion, while gesturing angrily at the telly and harbouring an irrational desire to steal Ed Sheeran’s annoyingly small guitar and throw it in a bush. You know the type. Maybe you are the type. I wonder sometimes whether The War on Drugs are a band whose considerable success in recent…

Brought together for the first time since they were originally written, Fear, Innocence, Trickery and War reveals the darker side of one of Britain’s best-loved children’s authors. From the spine-chilling stories of Fear to the semi-autobiographical War, the sinister collection of tales is sure to shake even the most steadfast of adult readers. The collection features cover illustrations from celebrated artist and friend of The Big Issue, Charming Baker. We have five sets of the collection to give away. The lucky winner will receive the collection, signed by illustrator Charming Baker, with four runners up grabbing a collection each. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer this question: Which friend of The Big Issue has produced cover illustrations for the new collection of Roald Dahl short stories?…

It was good to hear from Daniel that discussions in Edinburgh after a performance of Cathy included the “suggestion of linking the living wage to rent prices” [Left: All the World’s a Stage, August 14-20]. A living rent linked to the living wage was proposed at the London Citizens Mayoral Assembly in 2008. It was agreed by all the candidates. On May 3 Mayor Sadiq Khan visited Londoners who have already begun moving into 76 homes made available for London Living Rent at 33 per cent of average local wages. Sadly that is a drop in the ocean with no chance of preventing record evictions because ‘affordable’ rent is officially linked to 80 per cent of the ever-rising local market rent, and so many of the truly affordable council houses…

George and Amal Clooney are donating $1m to the Southern Poverty Law Centre (SPLC), an organisation that tracks hate groups in the US. This comes just days after The Big Issue reported on the SPLC’s sterling work. It’snotthe first time we have reported on the SPLC. Amal is a celebrated human rights lawyer and George a keen humanitarian who likes to travel to Scotland to support homeless organisations. Coincidence? The Clooney Foundation for Justice will partner with the SPLC in a bid to help combat hate groups in the US, following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month. “Amal and I wanted to add our voice (and financial assistance) to the ongoing fight for equality,” George said. “There are no two sides to bigotry and hate. We are proud…

Sixties pop icon Donovan sang, ‘Caterpillar sheds his skin to find a butterfly within’. I don’t know whether Donovan knew, for the sake of poetry, this was biologically inaccurate (caterpillars actually shed their skin to find a chrysalis within). Caterpillars for many people are indeed ‘creepy crawlies’ but like puppies, ducklings and even children, they can be more interesting and charismatic than the adults they grow up to be! Butterflies and moths do not grow, they only get bigger as caterpillars. To eat and survive is the caterpillar mantra. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are camouflaged and hidden from view – others shout their presence with colour, though usually distasteful or poisonous. Some are spiny and others incredibly hairy; both are physically unpalatable. Some recruit ants for…

EVENT FROM TRAUMA TO SOLIDARITY Lili’s relationship with Kensington has evolved from being a place she associates with past traumas to a community she stands in solidarity with, especially after the Grenfell tragedy. The 26-year-old mother of two is one of 10 care leavers to be profiled in a new exhibition organised by the Drive Forward Foundation. THIS IS ME celebrates the diverse voices and challenges the perceptions of people who have gone through the care system.…

“As long as I have the energy, I would like to sell The Big Issue” I happen to sell magazines in three separate locations in Sinchon, which is an area in central Seoul that is home to some of South Korea’s prestigious universities, such as Yonsei, Sogang and Ewha Womans University. It is a popular attraction for students and has a lot of restaurants, bars, and places for shopping. During the school year, I sell in front of Sogang University. During the holidays, I can be found in front of Sinchon Station, Exit 5. On Saturdays, I am still in Sinchon, but this time in front of a movie theatre. This has been my regular routine ever since I became a distributor of The Big Issue back in 2011. Even…

Let’s start with Kyle Gunn. He’s 19, a talented young trainee journalist. He has recently completed his first level journalism qualifications at Glasgow Clyde College. He does the sort of thing that editors want to see. With an interest in sports reporting, he has interviewed footballers and managers and shown ability, appetite and proper self-starting ambition. When he went to progress to the next stage of his course and gain a full qualification, he was told he wouldn’t be allowed to get it. He has cerebral palsy and this prevents him being able to do shorthand. But it’s essential, the Scottish Qualifications Authority told him. And then closed the door. They hadn’t reckoned on Kyle’s tenacity. He told his story, made it a national piece, gained the support of senior…

Every week The Big Issue celebrates the genius of social enterprises changing lives across the planet. Now you can too, by voting in the Social Enterprise UK 2017 Awards. We are partners for the Consumer Facing Social Enterprise category, and it’s up to our readers to decide which takes the trophy at the glittering awards ceremony on November 23. The shortlist is: Alnwick Garden, Belu water, Café Direct coffee, Change Please coffee carts, Divine Chocolate, From Babies with Love clothing, Stand 4 Socks, Soap Co. toiletries, and Toast Ale. We will be reporting on all these social enterprises’ stories in coming months, and stay tuned to find out how you can vote for them. We are also delighted to announce that Big Issue Invest has been nominated in the Social…

When I left the Dundonald Street apartment lent us for the Edinburgh Festival I got great joy out of washing up with my children, cleaning the kitchen surfaces, puffing up the sofa cushions, tidying the bedroom, and generally making it look as if we had not been there for two days. And then depositing the two sets of keys on a little wooden plate by the door. I had in the course of making scrambled eggs for both breakfasts splashed egg on to the splash board behind the cooker. That took a bit of removing. And then I had used the wrong implement on the first day, a saucepan rather than a non-stick frying pan, and that took 10 minutes at least to bring it back to pristine. We walked…

I was an only child brought up by his father. So it could be quite lonely. I was happy at school but I didn’t have any friends locally. My father and I got on okay. He was the difficult one, not me. He was the one slamming doors. I learned to cope with his moods – he could be very irritable to the point of anger. But I learned how to calm him down and just accept it. Looking back, I think I really clipped his wings. If it hadn’t been for me he’d have had much more of a social life, had far more girlfriends. I didn’t see my mother at all at that time. That’s the really sad thing. She left my father when I was six because…