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Calvert’s Guide to The British :British stereotypes in order of social rank: Book review



tim-bulmer-main-eccentricCalvert’s Guide to The British

British stereotypes in order of social rank

This is a great weighty tome of snobbery, a wedge of acid tongued closely observed stereotyping straining with humour against the political correctness of our time, it leaves no stone unthrown in its pursuit of a deeply revealing snapshot of the British as they are today.

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It’s a Debretts for the modern age (but far more useful and fun) mashed up with the Top Trumps card game, not listing blood line and heritage, but marking out folk through rigid British tribal lines,  showing their foibles and attitudes, their pretentions and values, pointing out where they choose to live, how they wish to be seen, their weaknesses and their strengths and what they think they are,  also woven in are some funny, dismissive and very irreverent observations about each type mentioned.

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It’s fun and if you’re looking for validation of your xenophobic or snobbish views then you’re both missing the point and a sense of humour.

The book has delightful colour illustrations associated with each stereotype listed, along with an introductory paragraph and a clear list of their characteristics. It feels like a natural history spotter book and I had a happy few hours with it sitting in a café on Brighton seafront watching them all roll by.

It’s finally balanced bit of irony veering widely in and out of Daily Mail territory, taking pot shots and drive by slaggings off , it’s merciless and cruel and utterly spot on.  Anyone reading this book will see part of them mirrored in it, and that’s half the fun of it, and rather than feeling uncomfortable, defensive , egoistical or cross, you may choose to laugh out loud and take comfort form the fact that everyone else reading this book will feel the same way as you.

 

It starts with ‘long term unemployed dad’ and ends on ‘minor royals’  taking no prisoners on the way and exploring every nook and cranny of the multitude of clichés that this wonderful island race of ours, in all its infinite glory, inhabit.

CG2It states it’s volume one, but perhaps this is part of the joke as this covers just about every strata of British Society you can think of, and with a few waspish observations on the LGBT world too.  It’s mock serious tone, done with deft aplomb by the author Tim Bulmer undermines it’s own cruelly accurate observations and it constantly points out that although we may be unique as a nation we are desperately unoriginal as individuals. I imagine Bulmer would make a very entertaining dinner guest he’s certainly an accomplished cartoonist, check out his website here. 

A great gift for that pompous uncle, social climbing friend or anyone who takes delights in ranking themselves against neighbours and strangers…… so that’s you then.

Out now £20

Hardback

For more information or to buy the book  see here:

 

 

 

Pride’s first ‘Ambassador’ chosen

Danny Dwyer
Danny Dwyer

Brighton Pride’s first ever ‘Ambassador’ has been chosen to march at the front of this year’s community parade.

Danny Dwyer, the organiser of Bear- Patrol, received the most nominations in the first selection round. Bear-Patrol is a social networking group for bears and their friends and in the short time they have existed have raised close to £50,000 for the Sussex Beacon and local good causes.

Pride’s second Ambassador will be announced in the June Gscene.

• Do you know someone in Brighton who volunteers for an LGBT or HIV organisation, donating their time to helping others?

• Do you know someone in Brighton who has made a difference to the lives of local LGBT people?

• Is there someone you are proud of who makes a fantastic contribution to the local LGBT community?

Now is your opportunity to say ‘thank you’ and acknowledge the contribution these quiet heroes make to ‘Gay Brighton’.

Email suggestions to:  info@gscene.com

Four Pride Ambassadors will lead the Icon On The Park Parade on Saturday, August 3 as it winds its way from Madeira Drive to Preston Park.

• Brighton Pride is administered by a CIC Company formed to manage the 2013 event. Its directors are Paul Kemp of Aeon Events Ltd, David Hill of E3 and Dulcie Weaver.

• £1 per head for each ticket sold is ring fenced for the Rainbow Fund to distribute through their grants program administered by the Sussex Community Foundation to LGBT organisations in Brighton & Hove.

Danny Dwyer runs for Sussex Beacon
Danny Dwyer runs for Sussex Beacon

Paloma Faith plays Brighton Pride

Paloma Faith
Paloma Faith

The main stage returns to Brighton Pride this year as the focus of the Icons on the Park event on Preston Park with organisers promising the best lineup of performers ever seen at Brighton Pride.

Following  the huge success of Norman Cook’s appearance at Pride 2012, Paloma Faithwill be playing a DJ set on he main stage.

Paloma, has had major chart success with her singles Never Tear Us Apart, Picking Up The Pieces, New York and two top ten albums.

Programming director Dulcie Danger, said:

“Discussions are underway for some great performers to play on the main stage, and Paloma is the first of many big name acts to be announced
throughout the summer. Tickets for the event go up to £17.50 from July 1, so make sure you get your tickets now while they cost just £12.50. All ‘early bird’ tickets at £8.50 have sold out.”

MMR vaccination programme to be rolled out nationally

MeaselsPublic Health England, NHS England and the Department of Health have announced a national catch-up programme to increase MMR vaccination uptake in children and teenagers.

The aim of the programme is to prevent measles outbreaks by vaccinating as many unvaccinated and partially vaccinated 10-16 year olds as possible in time for the next school year.

New figures published today by Public Health England (PHE) show high numbers of confirmed measles cases in England in the first three months of 2013, reaching 587 by end of March, following a record annual high of almost 2,000 cases in 2012. This is despite the highest ever national MMR vaccination level being achieved in England, with 94 per cent of five year olds receiving one dose and 90 per cent receiving two doses, according to latest PHE data.

Experts believe the rise in measles cases can be mostly attributed to the proportion of unprotected 10-16 year olds who missed out on vaccination in the late 1990s and early 2000s when concern around the discredited link between autism and the vaccine was widespread. At this time measles had been eliminated in the UK, but coverage fell nationally to less than 80 per cent in 2005, with even lower uptake in some parts of the country. After many years of low vaccination uptake, measles became re-established in 2007.

Cases are distributed across England with the highest numbers of cases in the North West and North East. Almost 20 per cent of cases (108) were hospitalised and 15 people experienced complications such as pneumonia, chest infection, meningitis and gastroenteritis.

The catch-up programme announced today sets out a national framework within which local teams – led by NHS England Area Teams, working alongside Directors of Public Health in Local Government, and supported by PHE Centres – will produce tailored plans to identify and give MMR to unvaccinated and partially vaccinated 10-16 year olds through GPs and/or school programmes.

Local intelligence may reveal the need to expand the focus of the catch-up activity beyond the 10-16 year old age groups and where this is recognised, further local action will be taken.

Best estimates indicate that there are approximately one third of a million 10-16 year olds (around eight per cent) who are unvaccinated and another third of a million who need at least one further dose of MMR to give them full protection. It is also estimated that there are around another one third of a million children below and above this age band who need at least one further dose of MMR. The target population for this catch-up programme is therefore of the order of one million doses.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation at PHE, said:

“Measles is a potentially fatal but entirely preventable disease so we are very disappointed that measles cases have recently increased in England. The catch-up programme set out today recommends an approach to specifically target those young people most at risk. Those who have not been vaccinated should urgently seek at least one dose of MMR vaccination which will give them 95 per cent protection against measles. A second dose is then needed to provide almost complete protection. 

“The only way to prevent measles outbreaks, such as the one we are seeing in South Wales, is to ensure good uptake of the MMR vaccine across all age groups. Measles is not a mild illness – it is very unpleasant and can lead to serious complications as we have seen with more than 100 children in England being hospitalised so far this year.

Dr Paul Cosford, Director for Health Protection at PHE, said:

“We believe this national framework for a catch-up programme sets out an appropriate response to the situation in England, using the range of expertise and skills across the new public health system. Although nationally the numbers needing catch-up vaccination is quite large, there are relatively few in each local area. We are confident that local teams have the resources to identify and vaccinate those children most at risk, and that the NHS has sufficient vaccine to cover the approaches described in the action plan.
“Our plan specifically aims to strengthen current routine approaches to vaccination and specifically to target “hard to reach” populations with known low vaccination rates. We will aim to generate demand for vaccination among the parents of 10-16 year olds through clear messages, for example through written materials and the launch of a new Facebook page www.facebook.com/getvaccinatedEngland* in conjunction with NHS Choices, and shall be using #getthemmr with partners on Twitter.”

Professor David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation at the Department of Health, said:

“It is essential that we get ahead of measles and the only way to do this is to protect people before measles catches them. The safety record of MMR is not in doubt and the best thing that parents can do, if their children have not had two doses of MMR, is to make an appointment with the GP now.”

Brighton £5 Fringe is easy on the wallet

Brighton £5 FringeThis year’s Brighton Five Pound Fringe, a festival where no ticket costs more than a fiver, takes place between May 3 and June 3 throughout Brighton & Hove.

Now in its second year, the festival, which is run entirely through website and social media, is Britain’s first festival to operate without a brochure and includes a range of comedy, theatre and music events which will be easy on the wallet.

Events include:

• The inaugural bash with Brighton Beach Boys at The Lord Nelson Inn, Brighton on May 3 at 8pm

• Michael J Flexer’s theatre piece Compulsion at The Caxton Arms, Brighton on May 4 & 5 at 8pm

• Absurd comedy & theatre with Dave Suit at The Caxton Arms on May 8-10 at 8pm

• Doug Devaney’s theatre piece The Angina Monologue at Emporium Theatre, Brighton on May 9-12 at 8pm

• Terry Garoghan’s Shoestring Acoustic Cabaret at The Lord Nelson Inn, Brighton on May 10, 17 & 24

• Sam Hewitt’s Bargain Open Studio at The Workhaus, Hove on May 11 at 11am

• Double Header with Count Adriano Fettucini & Marion Deprez at The Lord Nelson Inn on May 11 & 12

• Comedy show Dave Mounfield’s Best of Enemies at the Komedia on May 12 & 19

• Music with The Shauna Parker Band – A Celebration of the music of Patsy Cline at Latest Music Bar on May 13 at 8pm and The Lord Nelson Inn on May 27 at 8pm

• Glen Berger’s theatre piece Underneath the Lintel at Emporium Theatre on May 15 & 17 at 8.30pm

• Brian Mitchell & Joseph Nixon’s theatre piece Seven Studies in Salesmanship at The Lord Nelson Inn on May 15, 16 & 19 at 8pm

Trumpton Comes Alive, a tribute to the music of Freddie Phillips at The Lord Nelson Inn on May 18 at 8pm

• Comedy with Adam Acidophilus at The Lord Nelson on May 26 at 8pm

• Robert Cohen’s theatre piece The Trials of Harvey Matusow at The Caxton Arms on May 27 & 28 at 8pm

For future listings and more info, CLICK HERE:  

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