Dorset Drug Addict Denied Appeal

By Andrew Hendry

A drug addict with a £700 a week habit is today behind bars after producing crack cocaine in his dad’s garden shed.

David Eaton, 32, was denied appeal by Bournemouth Crown Court after being found guilty of possessing cocaine with intent to supply, as well as being concerned with its supply.

Eaton was arrested on October 23rd 2007 following a police raid on his father’s house on Michelen Close, Poole.
Police found a hydraulic press, typically used to prepare cocaine, in a shed at the bottom of the garden. Eaton was also found to be in possession of the drug when arrested.

Eaton claimed that he had been holding the press since 2004, for a friend who later died in prison.
He told the court that an associate had recently offered him £100 to use the press, but that he himself was not involved in the production of cocaine.

Judge Christopher Harvey-Clark QC denied Eaton’s appeal for a lesser charge, after he concluded that the condition of the hydraulic press showed clear signs that it was frequently in use.

He also discussed Eaton’s lifestyle, saying Eaton had “spent £700 on cocaine in the past few weeks”.
Eaton previously said that all his friends are drug users and admitted to borrowing money off of a number of them to fund his own habit.

Harvey-Clark QC ordered for the immediate destruction of the drugs found at the scene and adjourned the court until Friday 18th April, when Eaton will hear his final sentence.

Extra Ice Skating Sessions Added At The BIC

By Andrew Hendry

The Bournemouth International Centre has added extra dates to its public ice-skating sessions after drawing in thousands of people.

Management have added 18 extra dates to the public sessions, which began on 5th December.

Chris Jenkins, a 28-year-old Business Development Manager at the BIC, said ‘demand for ice skating is always there’, with the Christmas holidays being ‘the most successful period to date’.

The BIC’s skating sessions usually attract 50,000 people in the summer and have managed to draw in crowds of around 70,000 this Christmas – equivalent to the population of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

Hugo Taylor, a 17-year-old Bournemouth resident, said ‘I don’t usually enjoy ice skating, but it has been so popular this year, I’ve been twice’.

The centre has worked closely with Simon Maddox, an ice expert from the ITV reality show Dancing on Ice, to provide a high quality temporary rink.

Anne Monk, a 39 year-old-mother of two, said ‘The rink is great, I was able to relax with a coffee while watch my boys skate’.

As well as the public skating in the Purbeck Hall, the BIC offers performances on ice, as well as a vast range of ballets, exhibitions and shows, and was the venue of the Labour Party Conference last September.

David Lunn, an international ice-skating coach recently revealed that the BIC could potentially make up to £2 million a year, if it were to accommodate a permanent indoor ice rink.

Barry Wilson, the BIC's senior operations manager said ‘We would like to build on our success in future years’.

Local News Story

By Andrew Hendry

The government has announced plans to build a motorway extension from Southampton to the West Country, which will cut through many Dorset coastal areas, including Bournemouth.

The aim of the plan is to cope with an expected 12 million extra cars on the road, within the next 30 years.
There have been mixed views towards the scheme, with many people concerned about environmental issues raised by the proposal.

Paul Tltschik a 43-year-old lawyer from Bath Road, feels strongly, that instead, ‘more money should be spent on public transport’. This view is also shared by 67-year-old retiree, Susan Healy, from New Milton, who labelled the scheme as ‘unnecessary.’

On the other hand many believe that the proposal will enhance tourism in the Dorset region. Carolyn Humphreys, a 58-year-old driving instructor, also from the New Milton area, noted successes of current motorways in other areas and hopes that the scheme will follow suit. Similarly, Rebekah Turner, a 26-year-old estate agent from Branksome Park, believes ‘tourist areas need people’ and a new motorway will provide this.

Some however, do not share the same line of thought. Sophie Pratt, an 18-year-old sales advisor from Winton, is ‘aggravated’ by the scheme, believing an increase in tourism ‘will cause problems for smaller villages.’ Kelly Buxton, 22, a Foot-care assistant from Kinson, already believes traffic is a problem in Bournemouth and this will only add to the trouble.

Despite this, frequent drivers see the proposal in a positive light. Vicky Woodman, 22, who regularly drives from Bristol to Bournemouth, believes the new motorway will “make travelling a lot easier.’ Selena Haig, a 21-year-old sales consultant from the Winton area, agrees that the scheme will increase traffic flow and therefore shorten journeys.

The greatest concern however, is the effect that this proposal may have on the environment. Lukas Dymlang a 27-year-old security guard from Boscombe, is worried about environmental problems that may arise from the construction of a new motorway. Mark Donnelly, a 29-year-old environmentalist from Southampton believes that the new motorway will not only increase traffic in the Dorset area, but will also ‘destroy the landscape we have all grown to love’.

Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

By Andrew Hendry

Lupe Fiasco’s second album ‘The Cool’ sees the return of one of the most anticipated and exciting artists of today. After his debut album ‘Food and Liquor’ was nominated for three Grammy awards, fans and critics alike were left wondering if he would be able to build upon his success – and with this release, Fiasco does more than deliver.

Fiasco takes a bold step in shying away from the gangster mentality, which is central to much of modern hip-hop. Instead, he chooses to address many social issues, presenting a much more honest and personal representation of the genre. On tracks such as ‘Intruder Alert’, he bravely confronts sensitive matters such as drug abuse, immigration and rape, in an attempt to open the eyes of those who prefer to ignore the troubles of the ‘real’ world.

Fiasco uses the tracks on his new album as a means of exploring himself as a person. In ‘Superstar’, the first single from the new album, he criticises the life of a celebrity, labelling himself as ‘too much of a newcomer and too uncool’. The rapper takes a step further in ‘Hip Hop Saved My Life’, in which he illustrates the hardships of the music industry and the struggle endured by artists trying to live the dream.

Fiasco is clearly not afraid to speak his mind, especially in regards to the direction in which the hip-hop genre is moving. In ‘Put You On Game’, he attacks the violence and misogyny expressed by his peers. ‘Dumb it Down’, also sees Fiasco criticising record labels and their financial motives. In response to many claims that artists are forced to dumb-down their material, Fiasco states, ‘I ain’t dumbing- down nothing!’

Fiasco is quickly emerging as a figurehead for a new form of hip-hop, which is characterised by mainstream pop and culture. In ‘Gold Watch’, he delves deeper into this new world, discussing the many labels and cultures, which make him who he is as an artist as well as an individual.

‘The Cool’ ultimately stands as strong evidence of Fiasco improving as an artist. On tracks such as ‘Hello Goodbye’ and ‘Go Go Gadget Flow’, he is able to rhyme complex lyrics over intricate beats with ease, sending a strong message to those who still regard him as an amateur. The album is also a clear indication of artists becoming more conscious of the industry in which they function and realising their worth as role models. For this reason, ‘The Cool’ marks a pivotal change in the hip-hop genre.

The Feeling - Join With Us

By Andrew Hendry

2 years after their debut release, The Feeling are back to swim the dangerous waters of pop music and delight fans with a further instalment of tales of love and heartache.

‘Join With Us’ starts on a high, and the latest single ‘I Thought It Was Over’, with its rocking guitar rifts and catchy lyrics, provides a great start to the album. ‘Without You’ is a clever little track expressing love for either an unobtainable woman, or the paved streets of London.

What appears to be a promising release quickly falls into an abyss of obscurity. The band’s attempt to establish a new sound leaves a number of songs sounding quite Disney-like and one of the lad’s children singing on the outro of ‘I Did It For Everyone’ is just plain scary. ‘Join With Us’ attempts to provide listeners with upbeat, stadium tracks, but sadly delivers a number of songs which sound patronising, and at times, rather boring.

This said, the band still performs well throughout and fans will surely fall in love with the lads’ second release. It’s a shame that with the exception of ‘I Thought It Was Over’ and ‘Won’t Go Away’, the album lacks any real pop anthems, which its predecessor provided by the barrel. In an era in which bands are experimenting with different sounds and throwing away the rulebook, perhaps The Feeling shouldn’t have played safe and stuck so closely to the pop genre.

Kanye West @ Bournemouth International Centre

25th November 2007
By Andrew Hendry

The past months have proved pivotal in both Kanye West’s career as well as his personal life. Not only did his 3rd album, ‘Graduation’, reach double platinum status after selling 957,000 copies in its first week alone, but his mother and manager, Donda West, sadly passed away this month, due to ‘complications from cosmetic surgery’. It is the latter which has been the focus of much media attention this week, after it was thought he would have to pull out of his ‘Glow In The Dark Tour’. It was only a week ago that he broke down on stage in Paris while trying to sing ‘Hey Mama’, in which he tells his mother, ‘I just want you to be proud of me’. However, never one to disappoint, West blessed 8,000 Bournemouth fans with his presence, only 5 days after his mother’s funeral – and what a show it was.

The support acts from Common and Consequence, both signed to West’s G.O.O.D Music label, gave a different sight into the hip-hop genre, with Common performing an inspiring set in which he called for fans to hold their fist in the air whilst he rapped about unity and justice.

By the time the lights finally went out, the atmosphere was electric, with the whole venue chanting Kanye’s name. The superstar stepped onto the Windsor Hall stage, which had been transformed into a futuristic landscape, launching straight into ‘Good Morning’, the first song from his latest album. West proudly strolled amongst his vocalists, band and 5 piece violinists that have now become a feature of his live performances. West told his crowd ‘I don’t want to be compared to no hip-hop show. That’s like an insult to me!’

West’s personality on stage was a lot more personal than his previous tours. During ‘Everything I Am’ and ‘I Wonder’, he reflected on his successes and those who weren’t so quick to support him and even disassociated himself from the violence and gun-crime, which has now become such a large part of hip-hop.

West’s stage accompaniments really helped bring his music to life, making hits such as ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘Touch The Sky’ sound truly epic. Courteous as ever, West made sure to introduce every single member of his band, allowing them to perform brief solos for the crowd.

The rapper managed to hold himself together to perform ‘Hey Mama’, bearing his soul under a single spotlight, while images of angels danced slowly behind him. Throughout the song, the crowd was there for their hero, clapping along to the beat and giving him a long cheer of appreciation when that single light finally died. Afterwards, his band played a cover version of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’, which Kanye dedicated to the memory of his mother.

After a brief interlude, West came bounding back on stage to give an electric performance of his number one single, ‘Stronger’. At the end, he stood centre stage, hand outstretched, yelling, ‘I need you right now!’ – clearly acknowledging his troubles.

From the start, Kanye looked a different man – talented as ever, but something underneath all the superstardom looked uneasy. Perhaps the grabbing hands of his adoring fans are the only thing which can truly heal his pain right now.