Songs played on the radio

Three 15-year-old school children are on the phone, in class. No, it’s OK, they’re supposed to be; they’ve been told to, by me, with permission from their teacher. And they’re not actually on the phone, because they don’t know how to use it. It’s an old-fashioned rotary telephone, finger-in-the-dial variety. They’re tapping it, prodding at the holes. Hahahaha – they haven’t got a clue. Loxford is an academy in Ilford, east London. I’ve come here with a suitcase stuffed full of the past, tech from my own childhood, mostly borrowed from nostalgic hoarder colleagues. Everything in the case is obsolete: it’s all been shrunk to fit into the smartphones today’s 15-year-olds almost all have. It’s a kind of social experiment, about different generations, lost skills, changing technology – what Loxford media studies teacher Mr Rushworth calls “convergence”. OK, and it’s also about having a … [Read more...] about ‘Do you wind it up?’: today’s teens tackle rotary phones, FM radio and map reading

‘How to talk about it? That’s been a struggle from the start.” Jeff Edwards, 58, pauses and shifts his weight in the armchair. We’re sitting in the front room of his house in Aberfan where for the past hour Jeff has been describing for me some of the difficulties experienced by the village in trying to negotiate the ongoing tightrope between memorial and healing, between sharing and silence, in the wake of the disaster that befell them 50 years ago. “Personally I found speaking about it better for me,” he continues, “in terms of my recovery. But other people, well, they just cannot speak about it at all.” It was the last Friday before half term – 21 October 1966 – and, like hundreds of other children across Aberfan, Jeff set off for school that day looking forward to the holiday ahead of him. School would finish early, at midday, after which lay the promise of a whole week of playing with his friends in the orchards and farmed … [Read more...] about Aberfan 50 years on: how best to remember the tragedy?

Newsbeat 11 October 2019 Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share this with Facebook Share this with WhatsApp Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share Share this with These are external links and will open in a new window Email Share this with Email Facebook Share this with Facebook Messenger Share this with Messenger Messenger Share this with Messenger Twitter Share this with Twitter Pinterest Share this with Pinterest WhatsApp Share this with WhatsApp LinkedIn Share this with LinkedIn Copy this link https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-50004033 Read more about sharing. These are external links and will open in a new window Close share panel You're backstage and can feel the butterflies in your stomach. You can hear the noise of the crowd and the hum from the amps.It's nearly … [Read more...] about Shut up and listen: How it feels being a support act

FINNEAS: Blood Harmony (Oyoy) Verdict: Perfect pitch from Billie Eilish's brother Rating: MIKA: My Name Is Michael Holbrook (Virgin EMI) Verdict: Confessional comeback  Rating: These are exhilarating times for the O’Connell siblings of Los Angeles. With a debut album that has struck a chord with a legion of female fans, Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell is the biggest new star of 2019. Her UK tour next July has driven parents of teenage daughters into a frenzy in the scramble for tickets. Billie’s older brother is part of the picture, too. Finneas O’Connell co-writes and produces his 17-year-old sister’s music, and accompanies her on tour playing guitar and keyboards. It was a song he wrote and gave to Billie, Ocean Eyes, that kick-started her career when they recorded it in their childhood home in Highland Park and shared it online. Billie Eilish's older brother Finneas O’Connell co-writes and produces his 17-year-old … [Read more...] about ADRIAN THRILLS: Big brother steps out of Billie Eilish’s shadow

A former make-up artist to the stars turned glamorous performer has revealed her top beauty hacks to give you that A-list look.  La Voix, from the UK, plays to theatres across the country and presents her own Friday Night BBC Radio show - but she actually started her career as a make-up pro. Training with the renowned Laura Mercier, La Voix, who has appeared on TV shows such as Britain's Got Talent and has starred in Ab Fab The Movie, has painted the faces of the likes of Pamela Anderson, Ruby Wax, Zoe Ball and Bonnie Langford.  Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, she has shared some of her top beauty secrets to help anyone achieve a touch of celebrity glam... La Voix, from the UK, who has painted the faces of Pamela Anderson and Ruby Wax, has revealed her top beauty hacks. Pictured, stock image VALUABLE TIP  The most valuable tip I've ever learned was from Laura Mercier herself - and that was an eyeliner technique.  When applying mascara it is very hard … [Read more...] about Celebrity make-up artist reveals her beauty secrets to help you achieve A-list glam – and why you should AVOID shimmer foundation for the perfect selfie