3D craze hits Canterbury's Cinema

"3D...the technology of the '80s, but hey, it's now!" - rants Wooldor Sockbat, a fictional character in the popular "old school" 2D animated series Drawn Together.

To a certain extent, the statement is true as early 3D technology has been existing in the motion picture industry for over 20 years. Today, the big difference is that movies are no longer converted to a three-dimensional format, but shot with the help of special 3D cameras and watched with the new polarized glasses.

With his blockbuster "Avatar", James Cameron paved the way and 3D re-entered the mainstream cinemas across the world. UK's Odeon chain informed that they have installed 3D projectors in many of its cinemas. The new project will deliver 3D images at a resolution of 2K (2,048x1,080 pixels).

If up until now movie fans had to take a trip to cinemas in Ashford -or even London- to watch a 3D motion picture, Odeon is the first movie theatre in Canterbury that offers this great visual experience.

Joanne Holmes, the cinema's duty manager talked to me about the major shift to three dimensional movies.

How did your clients receive the news that Odeon will be screening movies in 3D? Have you noticed a significant increase in ticket sales?
Yes, definitely. It is perceived as being a very good experience, everybody knows about it in Canterbuy and our attendance has shot up. We struggled a little bit, as we got our 3D screens installed this year, at the end of March, so we missed out on all the Avatar crowd. We played it in 3D for only a week but even so, it was performing very well, if you consider it's been released for 3 months.
Do you think 3D movies represent merely a trend or, soon, every cinema across the UK will have embodied the technology?
I am positive it will take over the world, because it's a totally new visual experience and totally unlike the traditional red and green 3D. You can't even compare it to that. The new real 3D is fantastic to watch, things are flying at you, everything is a completely different dimension than what it used to be.

Besides movies, is Odeon screening any sporting events?
Other cinemas in the chain are, but not in Canterbury. It's quite difficult for us because there are only two screens. Showing sporting events means that we would have to lose a film.

Some cinemas inform people beforehand that headaches or nausea might actually occur while watching a 3D movie. Have you received any complaints about this so far?
None at all, no one ever complained about being unwell afterwards or during a movie.

Environmentalists have expressed their worries towards millions of plastic 3D glasses having been distributed worldwide. What is your policy on recycling them?
Up until very recently we had recycling bins. We also show ads on the screen encouraging guests to recycle their glasses. As of today, we're moving towards guest ownership glasses whereas they own them and will be encouraged to bring them back for further showings and pay a reduced ticket, which is the ultimate option in recycling.

Can you give us a tip on the 3D movies that are to be screened in this cinema, in the future?
Well, a lot of animated features. Toy story 3 is going to be huge, massive! Other that that, we'll be playing Shrek in 3D towards the latter part of the year and the new Resident Evil that I expect to be a quite similar experience to Avatar.

Cameron is PM, what do students think about it?

By Sam Smith, Jamie Feltham and James Crouch

So it’s official; David Cameron is in, Gordon Brown is out and the first coalition government since the 70s is here. We’ve been speaking to students on the Christ Church campus to find out what they make of our new Prime Minister.

"I think he could actually be quite a good PM, I think we have to move on from the Labour government and I don't think anyone can deny that the country has gone back in the years since Blair and Brown have been in charge."

"I like him, but I'm a little bit cautious about where he is going to take the country."

"He's just a top man."

"I don't really think much of David Cameron."

"I'm not sure at the moment, because what I thought of him last week is not the same as what I think of him this week. So the verdict is out.

"I'm disappointed that Gordon Brown still isn't in office."

"I like him, not massive fan of the coalition government, but I;m a bit of Tory boy, so hopefully Cameron will do well."

"I think he tries too hard to be relevant to other people, he calls himself "Dave", doesn't really suit him, no-one really likes him, and I think he's really just a posh boy."

Unsurprisingly, opinion seems to be divided when it comes to our new PM. Like it or not, Cameron is here to stay, for a while at least, with his new deputy PM Nick Clegg and their coalition government. Only time will tell how successful they will be in getting along, and how well they will do in running the country.

C4 Rugby in a new dimension

By Nicolas Verdier

Two months after the end of the season and with just a few weeks until the end of the academic year, I caught up with Sam Clark, the newly elected president of Christ Church Men’s Rugby Club.

“This year was great but the other members of the committee and I want to take the club to a new dimension,” declared the Sports and Science student.

On the field, this season was brilliant for the 1^st XV and the 2^nd XV, with both teams finishing second in their respective leagues. While the seconds won the Varsity Trophy for the second year in a row against local rivals from University of Kent 13-7, the first team lost in a close game 7-13.

“The results on the pitch have been great even if we should have won both leagues but we now want to improve off the field. We are looking at bigger and better sponsorship deals. We are also about to sign a deal regarding the kit with Samurai,” he precised.

The new three-year deal will lower the cost of the membership each year for the players. They would have to pay for their kit in their first year but would pay only the membership the following two years saving around £100.

Sam Clark is also looking for a new coach in order to strengthen both squads to win the leagues, Varsity and for a good run in the Cup for the first team.

With new sponsors, a stronger squad and a highly organised new committee, C4 Rugby has got all the cards in hand to have an amazing academic year 2010-2011.

Lounge on the Farm 2010

by Josh Gray

Lounge on the Farm is Kent's most well known, and newest festival. Created in 2006 and based at Merton Farm; the amount of visitors has steadily but greatly increased from a thousand in it's first year, to a modest five thousand in 2009.

This year however is coined to be bigger and better! Last year LotF introduced, "you say they play", this is a competition where the general public vote for which local acts who they wish to see play at the festival. Last year twelve bands won this opportunity and this year thirty-six lucky contestants have the chance to win! LotF continuously sticks to the fact that they only try to promote local acts and local produce at their festival whilst at the same time producing a mind-blowing spectacular weekend. This is probably one of the factors which has enabled them to win "Best UK festival 2009".

During the past 4 years some of the UK's most well known acts have made appearances on the main stage, featuring Super Furry Animals, The Noisettes, Ellie Goulding and the Mystery Jets to name a few. Although the acts aren't quite on par with larger festivals such as Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury, V Festival etc, it is slowly making a name for itself and perhaps it will only be a short time until it's one of the national festivals.

According to the founders, Lounge on the Farm was an idea initially created in 2004, when the founders first met in the center of Canterbury watching a band play in a flat bed lorry. They decided amongst themselves creating a festival that supports local bands would be a great thing to do, they exchanged numbers on 'the back of a pack of fags' and started work on what would be Kent's most successful music festival, and in six years time one of the most famous festivals in England

(Moving on to some swift promotion! My band Zephyrus has been placed up for nomination, so if you can vote for us here it would be fantastic, thanks!

Canterbury Goes Eco in Climate Fair

by Joe Gustafson

Global warming is becoming a bigger and bigger issue and recently Canterbury has decided to get in on the act by hosting is first climate in Canterbury in High Street this weekend on the 15^th May. Organizers Greenpeace have managed to bring 35 stallholders for a market that extends from C&H Fabrics up to the clock tower.

The market stalls will have a variety of products available to the public such as organic bread, pedal powered smoothies plus a variety of other environmentally centered products. Members of public will also be able to enjoy some of the exhibits that have been set up alongside the market. The exhibits include electric motorbikes, electric skateboards, road trikes and ecological builders.

Organizer of the fair and Canterbury Greenpeace coordinator John Halladay has been speaking ahead of the fair ‘What I really intended to do was put something together to show the people of Canterbury there are a lot of organisations, groups, charities and so on who are still taking positive steps to try and reduce their carbon output and therefore contribute to the fight against climate change’

Halladay also spoke of his inspiration to bring this event to Canterbury ‘We got the idea for the climate fair towards the end of last year. I had been in Copenhagen at the climate summit trying to make the marches there a success, but it all fell to pieces. I came back determined we should continue to fight somehow, keeping climate change in the public eye. I thought quite a good way to do it would be to bring it onto the streets in Canterbury.’

It seems as though the climate fair will prove very popular for people of all ages in the city of Canterbury but the most pressing matter is making people aware of the threat that climate change can have upon our planet.

A festival with a difference

By Alex Dodds

Summer is fast on approach, and it’s the time of year that students and young people adore…festival season. However, things could be a little different from crowd surfing and getting beer thrown all over you, as this year sees the return of the walking festival.

This event has been increasing in popularity over recent years and is gaining more and more followers. The festival lasts a total of 12 weeks and has been given the fresh new title “Explore Kent”. The aim of the activity is to show local residents what is on their own doorsteps and the beauty that is to be seen in Kent. And with the ash cloud expected to halt even more expeditions abroad this year, something like this is exactly what is needed to fill the void. Senior project officer for Explore Kent Rebecca Hoffman said “We know it won’t appeal to everyone, but families, groups of friends and people wanting to meet others will really enjoy it. “It really is an underestimated activity. There are stunning guided walks around the coastline and countryside for a range of abilities for different types of people”.

The festival went underway just over two weeks ago in Sturry Road, Canterbury and kicked off with a family fun day. There was a total 900 people that attended, with 150 of those attendees joining in with the walks.

This revolutionary festival has also been aimed at tackling some of the severe health problems that the country is experiencing at the moment. Obesity and depression are at the forefront of this. The Explore Kent teams have worked closely with NHS officials in order to carry out research about the beneficial effects of walking. Rebecca Hoffman explained, “Prevention is easier than cure. This activity is extremely important in maintaining good health. It makes people feel better mentally so they can tackle their problems head on.”

Local hero still pursuing his dream

by Alex Dodds

It’s hard to believe that it’s been four years since a marquee erector from Whitstable swapped the seaside for the X-Factor stage, in an achievement that saw a man become a local hero. This man is of course Ben Mills.

After just missing out on the £1,000,000 recording contract with infamous judge Simon Cowell, Ben hit the studio and crafted his debut album ‘Picture of You’, but unfortunately it didn’t do as well as hoped. His new album ‘Freedom’ however, has been 3 years in the making and he’s been showcasing his new material in numerous gigs up and down Kent. This culminated in one big show at the Gulbenkian theatre in Canterbury, which received a terrific turnout and good reviews from critics. Ben has received praise on his unique voice, and also that he could be the new Rod Stewart of the music world.

On the new album, he has worked with the Mark Owen of Take That fame and a writer that has previously worked with the incredible talent that is James Morrison. Ben’s self-penned songs are really honest and beautiful and would probably shock some of his critics.

Ben is now set to headline at the Bands of the Belmont in Whitstable. This will be a nice treat for his supportive local fans that have given him so much encouragement in his career. He will be making copies of his new album available to purchase here. It will first be released locally and then be taken nationally too see if it can gain a place in the official UK album chart.

Below is Ben's original X Factor audition:

Murder rocks quiet Kent village

by James Crouch

A local Chartham resident has been found stabbed to death in a field behind her house.

Karen Barton, 51, was found in Pickett’s Field, off Rentain Road, Chartham, at 12.40am on Sunday, discovered by a couple walking their dog.

Phoebe Barton and Karen Barton

Her sister, Phoebe Barton, 49, is the chief suspect, and was found just last night – Thursday 13th May 2010 – ending a four day manhunt involving police helicopters, thermal imaging cameras, 20 police officers and a marine search team on the river Stour.

The police report Phoebe Barton as having mental health problems. This is said to have been something she has been suffering throughout the year. Barton’s only daughter, Rachel, was killed in a road accident on May 27th last year, and the anniversary of her death is believed to have contributed to her ill health.
The last time either Phoebe or Karen Barton had been seen was as they were setting off for their regular Saturday evening walk at around 7pm. However, since that moment, and the time the body was discovered, nobody had seen or heard from Phoebe Barton, and she had not been answering her mobile phone.

Karen Barton is believed to have been stabbed a number of times, though the police are refusing to state how many times exactly.

Police had earlier issued a plea to homeowners around the area, asking them to remain vigilant and check outbuildings for the missing woman.

Phoebe Barton was eventually found in the neighbouring village of Chilham.

To have a look at the story on Kent News Online, click here.

Canterbury Rugby Club looking to improve

By Nicolas Verdier

After a brilliant 2008-2009 season on National League 3, Canterbury Rugby Club was promoted in National League 2. Playing at their highest level ever, the black and amber had amore than a promising season for a newcomer with a record of thirteen wins in twenty-eight games.

Indeed, head coach Danny Vaughan was proud of his players, including Christ Church student Jack Davis, as they finished in 7^th place in the top half of the table. But like every team knows, consistency is the key of success and the least we can say is that Canterbury Rugby Club has been lacking of it all year long.

The season started pretty well with three wins in four games. But this good start was followed by a disappointing five loses in six games in October including their biggest defeat of the season against high flyer Roselyn Park 70-19.

Lead by captain Chris Hinkins and his 171 games for the club, their season went back on track when they bagged four successes in five matches before and just after Christmas and their largest victory against Clifton 51-17 at the end of November. But the end of the season was a long journey with eight defeats in thirteen games.

However, if the overall result looks average, it is very encouraging for the future and next year in particular. With more consistency, there is no doubt they will be playing for a play-off position as soon as next year and play for promotion by 2012. The Guinness Premiership is only three divisions above…

http://www.cantrugby.co.uk/

Bands at the Belmont Confirmed for 2010

By Joe Gustafson

It has been announced Bands at the Belmont will return to Whitstable this summer with X Factor star Ben Mills heading the bill after last year’s event turned out a huge success. The music event hosted at Whitstable FC’s ground, The Belmont, also includes last year’s performers Hullabaloo and Rubber Biscuit.

Where as last year the event was held in May, this year it has been pushed forward to 19^th June in a bid to avoid the torrential rain, which poured down upon Whitstable last year. Event organisers also have claimed that they have managed to cut queue’s for the beer tent which last year were reported to have up to 90 minute waits, organiser Neil Harrison has said ‘We are also hiring a 36-feet long marquee as a beer tent to ensure no one has to wait so long to get a drink. That is our biggest priority.’

The Kent Estate Agencies employee has been looking ahead to what should be a memorable night “This is Whitstable’s biggest open-air music event. It features local bands playing to local people raising funds for the local football club’ adding, ‘We have put it back five weeks in a bid to avoid the rain of last year and have switched it to a Saturday to give people more time to get ready.’

Doors will open at 5pm and the first of three bands will begin their set at 6.30pm. Tickets £10 in advance and £15 on the door and are now available either by purchasing directly from Kent Estate Agencies, the Labour Club, Turbo Print as well as the football ground. Tickets can also be purchased online by clicking the link below.

Buy tickets now! http://eventsatthebelmont.co.uk/

Night-time blaze threatens care home residents

By Jamie Feltham

What should have been a peaceful night for the residents of a Canterbury care home turned into one of confusion and panic yesterday. Fourteen residents had to be evacuated when a fire was discovered in the laundry room at 10:50 pm.

The residents were taken to Kent and Canterbury hospitals while fire crews quickly disposed of the fire before it spread to other rooms. Because of the condition of some residents, including a 94 year old women, great care had to be taken in handling the situation.

Let back one by one, the last resident arrived back home at 5:30am.

“All residents are safe, which was our main priority,” said Terri Wall, home manager, “Some suffered from shock and some were unaware of what was happening but they have all had breakfast and a cup of tea and are resting.”

Conservatives hold Canterbury in election win

By Sam Smith

On a very exciting election night, Tory MP Julian Brazier has retained his position as the incumbent MP for Canterbury. The Conservatives swept the board in regards to Kent, with every seat in the county now held by a Tory MP. Brazier, who has held his position since 1987, won the polls with 44% of the votes, gaining 22,050 in all. Although a larger overall number of votes than in 2005, it is also a smaller majority than last time.

Guy Voizey, the Lib Dem candidate, came second with 16,002 votes, an increase from the 10,059 they gained last time around. Coming last with a meagre 173 votes was Anne Belsey of the Money Reform Party.

After his victory, Brazier set out his priorities for the years ahead, saying "we need jobs here for young people, we have got to tackle anti-social behavior and social breakdown."

Julian Brazier was educated at Wellington College and won a scholarship in Mathematics to Oxford University. He worked for nine years with Charter Consolidated plc, doing economic research, corporate finance and as secretary to the executive directors. Brazier also served as an officer in the Territorial Army for thirteen years, six of them in Airborne forces. A practising Christian (R.C.), he is married to Katharine and they have three sons.

First elected as MP for Canterbury and Whitstable in 1987, Brazier's early campaigns ranged from woodland preservation to protecting intellectual property rights against government confiscation. Now, 23 years later, it is clear the people like having him as the man in charge of their county.

Click HERE to read more about Julian Brazier.

“If he’s old enough to vote, he should be old enough to have a say.” Potential teen councillor brings mixed views.

by James Crouch

The news that local teenager Alex Ellis-Roswell, 16, could potentially become the UK’s youngest councillor in the 2011 local elections has been met with a mixed response from the public in Canterbury.

The Libertarian Party member says he has long been interested in politics, and the former pupil of Barton Court Grammar School in Canterbury, hopes to bring fresh ideas to the city. “There is a south east branch but I am planning to set up one in Canterbury to help raise the party’s profile locally in time for the elections” said the youngster.

Some Canterbury residents don’t seem to be so sure, though. Ruth Wood went as far as to call the idea “ridiculous”, as he was “not experienced enough”. The 58 year-old also questioned whether “should someone that young have that responsibility?” 79 year-old Betty Winslow also gave a scathing view, not only on Alex, but also on Kent County Council in general, as she said she had “given up all hope with them.”

Though some remained indifferent to the possibility, others were in fact rather supportive of young Alex, as many argued he deserved as fair a chance as anyone. “I think it’s a good idea – if he’s old enough to vote, he should be old enough to have a say” claimed Lorraine Peachy, herself a former Council Worker. Tim Hedgecock, 29, agreed, remarking “if it can help young people get a say in their local community, it must be a good thing.”

Though many may feel worried about Alex’s lack of experience, others obviously feel it is a step in the right direction for politics. It could well be an opportunity for one youngster, and maybe others in the future, to really make a difference to their local community.

Pope missing Canterbury on UK visit

by Jamie Feltham and Josh Gray

Disappointment hit Canterbury recently as it was revealed that Pope Benedict XVI will be not be visiting during his trip to the UK from September 16 – 19th this year. The news came with particular surprise seeing as Pope John Paul II included the city in his visit in 1982.

CCCU Student News spoke to a member of staff at the Canterbury Cathedral, one of the main reasons for the Pope to visit “Of course, in 1982 the archbishop and the pope prayed together, so it is a shame. This Cathedral is the mother church of the Anglican Communion. The St. Peter’s Church in Rome was the mother church of the Catholic communion, so that shows how important the Cathedral is to Canterbury.”

We also asked a few students what they thought on the matter. The response was generally one of disappointment, “Personally I think it’s a bit of a disgrace considering its one of the most religious cities in England.” Says first year, Marcus “Just given the Cathedral and the history I think it’s right that he visit.”

Luke Bridgestock, also a first year, agreed, “When people ask you what the most religious place in the country is, the answer is nearly always Canterbury so I think it’s a bit of a joke that he’s not coming and meeting up with the archbishop.” So Canterbury will have to sit this one out it seems.

Where to eat on campus?

by Sam Smith and Jamie Feltham

Nobody loves food like a hungry student, and the CCCU campus has lots of options when it comes to getting a bite to eat. But where is the best place to go for the discerning gastronome?