Category Archives: Culture

We Need To Talk About Gun Control

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The news of mass shootings in America has become a depressingly common occurrence. Each time the same thing happens: the debate on gun control.

This year two of the worst shootings happened in America, in a Colorado theatre and a Connecticut elementary school. This excellent Washington Post article has a run down of shootings in America for 2012. What is really interesting about the article is that it tells you what type of gun was used in each shooting. Some of these shootings were done with military assault rifles or automatic weapons. To have a gun is one thing, but for a civilian to buy this type of weapon, which only purpose is to kill people, is something that should be re-examined. In fact it was former President George W Bush that allowed a federal ban on assault weapons to expire in 2004 when he was president. President Obama has previously mentioned his support for a ban on assault weapons.

Yes, I did say those guns are used to only kill people. Aren’t all guns for that? Well, no. Farmers need guns, guns can be used for shooting clays, or animals. For hunting and even for protection. I am not pro-gun, but I do not think the issue is as clear as the hordes on Twitter and Facebook think it is. If you make guns illegal in America then there is an obvious problem: you drive the gun trade underground and people who want to protect themselves would not be able to legally own a gun. I don’t want to live in a world where only the bad people have guns.

On the same day of the mass shooting in Newton there was a similar attack on children in China, but with a knife as a weapon instead. No children actually died in the China attack, but there have been fatalities in similar attacks. it does raise a point: a gun is only a weapon when a human being is holding it. But so is anything else when there is an intention to kill.

President Barack Obama promised “meaningful action”, after the Connecticut shooting. Also saying, “As a country, we have been through this too many times.”

The fact is that most gun legislation is set by states rather than federal government, and Connecticut has relatively tight firearms restrictions by US standards. Some people are saying that the shootings are a mental health problem rather than a gun problem, but what is abundantly clear is that tighter regulation is needed.

According to a 2012 report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US has 3.2 firearms homicides per 100,000 population compared with 1.6 for Canada, 1.0 for Australia and 0.1 for England and Wales,

There are an estimated 300m guns in America, nearly one for every one of the 315m Americans in America, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) has more than 4m members. America is a nation where guns are embedded into it’s very foundation, there constitution even declares the ‘right to bear arms’, even if guns were banned where would all these guns go? What is clear is that we have to talk about gun control, but solving the problem will not be easy.

Festive Flare and Winter Warmers

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With Christmas just around the corner and festive cheer spreading across the city, Gillray’s expertly mixed Winter Warmer Christmas cocktails can help banish the cold winter night blues and get you in to the swing of the party season!

 

This Christmas Gillray’s team of talented mixologists have innovatively and successfully combined those classic flavours, to deliver Christmas in a glass.

 

 

Get in to the swing of the festive season with the deliciously chic Rudolph cocktail;the perfect combination of orange brandy, benedictine and dry Curacao leaves, delicately finished off with dry Curacao flavoured candy floss. This glamorous cocktail is guaranteed to help you celebrate Christmas 2012 in style.

 

 

 

The Sherry Posset is a modern twist on one of oldest classics in British mixology: the Old World Flip. Elegant and smooth, this cocktail combines Bristol Cream, nutmeg, milk and a hint of caramel.

 

 

 

Why not while away a cold winter evening with Gillray’s inspiring take on Mrs Beeton’s 1869 Mulled Wine recipe; the lively claret gently mulled with ginger wine, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, clementines, honey and bay leaves instantly brings the word Christmas to the lips. Gillray’s Mulled Wine is Christmas in a glass.

 

 

 

Alternatively warm up this winter with a Hot Spiced Mead! With the mead delicately combined with orange liqueur, cloves, cinnamon and star anise, it is impossible to resist this hearty winter warmer!

 

 

The winter warmer cocktails are available at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar from 1st December, priced from £10.

 

Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar within the Marriott Hotel County Hall enjoys a prime position on the South Bank, with picturesque views of some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including the London Eye, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the river Thames.

 

Household spending edges higher, while spending patterns differ by income

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The ONS recently revealed their latest report and Frost Magazine found it very interesting. As the seemingly never ending recession kicks our butts, the facts are that we are spending more and more. Check out the survey below.

 

Family Spending, the annual report from ONS on household expenditure in the
UK, found that in 2011, average UK weekly expenditure rose to £483.60, an
increase of £10.00 on the level recorded for 2010. The 2011 average
expenditure is the highest recorded by Family Spending.

Spending was highest on the transport costs category at £65.70 per week, up
80p from the previous year. Over half of all transport (£36.40) was on
running costs, which rose by £3.10 (an increase of nine per cent, following
last year’s 14 per cent increase). Most of the increase in running costs
was due to spending on fuel, as petrol, diesel and other motor oils
increased by £3.30. Higher expenditure on personal transport was also
reflected in vehicle insurance (£9.40 in 2011 compared with £8.00 in 2010).
On average, household expenditure was more than twice as much on
second-hand cars (£12.90) as new cars (£5.50). Unlike most types of
transport expenditure, spending on new cars decreased in 2011, from £6.50
per week in 2010.

The second highest expenditure category was recreation and culture (£63.90
per week). There was a small decrease in expenditure on audio-visual
equipment (including computers) averaging £6.30 per week in 2011 compared
with £7.20 in 2010. Spending on many recreation items remained fairly
constant, including games and toys (£2.20) and garden equipment (£2.60).
Spending on newspapers, books and stationery was similar in 2011 at £5.70
per week. However, there was a small increase in spending on recreational
services, including cinema tickets, leisure classes and admission to
sporting events, from £17.80 to £19.80. A weekly average of £4.00 was also
spent on pets and pet food. Average expenditure levels in the third highest
category: housing, fuel and power increased to £63.30 in 2011 from £60.40
in 2010. This was partly due to an increase in maintenance and repair of
dwellings, which rose by £1.00 to £7.70. Gross rent rose by 70p in 2011, to
£40.60. Average expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels was £22.10
per week, an increase of 70p.

Weekly household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic drinks increased
from £53.20 in 2010 to £54.80 in 2011. However, the amounts spent on fresh
fruit (£3.10) and vegetables (£4.00) were unchanged.

Some types of expenditure decreased in 2011. This was notable for household
goods and services, which saw a drop of £4.10 to £27.30. This was mainly
due to a decrease of £2.80 in spending on furniture, to £13.80. Expenditure
on clothing and footwear was also lower in 2011 than in 2010, decreasing by
£1.70 to reach an average weekly expenditure of £21.70; of this decrease,
£1.00 was in clothing, which fell to £17.60. Spending on men’s outer
garments decreased by 60p to £4.20, while spending on women’s outer
garments fell by 70p but remained much higher than men’s at £7.70 per week.
Footwear for adults decreased by 40p in 2011, men’s footwear fell by 10p to
£1.30 and women’s fell by 30p to £2.10.

There were notable differences in expenditure patterns by income, seen by
comparing the ten per cent of households with the lowest incomes and the
ten per cent of households with the highest incomes. The lowest-income
group spent a larger proportion of their total average weekly expenditure
on housing, fuel and power (23 per cent), and food and non-alcoholic drinks
(16 per cent), than those in the highest income group (8 per cent in both
expenditure categories). Households in the highest income group spent a
greater proportion on transport (16 per cent) and recreation and culture
(14 per cent) than those in the lowest income group (7 and 10 per cent
respectively). Differences by income were also evident for internet access,
with 41 per cent of households in the lowest income group having access to
the internet at home, compared with 99 per cent of the highest income
households.

Overall, average household expenditure in the UK was £470.70 per week for
the years 2009–11 combined. There were five regions in which expenditure
over this period was higher than the UK average: expenditure was highest in
London (£574.90 per week), followed by the South East (£539.30), the East
(£497.10), Northern Ireland (£489.40) and the South West (£479.90).
Spending was lowest among households in the North East (£384.20 per week),
Wales (£398.20) and Yorkshire and the Humber (£410.10).

The high spending of London households of £574.90 was partly due to the
housing, fuel and power category, £91.30 per week, compared with the UK
national average of £60.30 per week. Households in rural areas had higher
overall expenditure (£510.50 per week) than those in urban areas (£458.30
per week). This was reflected in expenditure on transport, where spending
was highest (£77.40 in rural areas and £58.80 in urban areas), and
recreation and culture (£68.80 in rural areas and £57.20 in urban areas).
However, expenditure on the housing, fuel and power category was higher in
urban areas (£61.30 per week) than in rural areas (£58.30 per week).

Read the full report at
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/family-spending/family-spending/family-spending-2012-edition/index.html

Kate’s Royal Morning Sickness explained and top tips on keeping nausea at bay

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Following the news that The Duchess of Cambridge has been hospitalized due to severe morning sickness (otherwise known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum), we enlist the help of the UK’s leading women’s health expert and nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD and Russell Bowman, expert nutritionist at The Nutri Centre to shed light on this rare condition and give us their top tips on keeping morning sickness at bay

In the first three months of pregnancy, more than 90% of expectant mothers will suffer some level of morning sickness – which despite its name, doesn’t occur only in the morning.

So what are the causes?

‘Morning sickness is due to the changes in the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone which women experience early in pregnancy’, Russell Bouwman, Nutritionist, The Nutri Centre.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of morning sickness don’t just include nauseas and sickness.  Marilyn says ‘Symptoms can include cramps, heart-burn, cravings, intense hunger, a metallic taste in your mouth and feeling of weakness and tiredness. Morning sickness may also be related to the increased sensitivity to odours that pregnant women experience, which can trigger nausea. Unfortunately this is all just part of being pregnant, and your doctor won’t be able to prescribe you anything to relieve the symptoms, which are usually confined to the first trimester of pregnancy.  But its not all bad news, according to a study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the USA, women who vomit during pregnancy are more likely to carry all the way to term and deliver healthier babies’

The Royal Sickness

Kate Middleton is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute and potentially dangerous form of morning sickness.  For most women, the symptoms of morning sickness are mild to moderate but for an unlucky few, (on average 1 in 50 expectant mothers), morning sickness occurs in its most severe form.  ‘If you suffer from this condition, you may vomit so much that you are unable to keep any food or drink down and hospitalization may be necessary in order to be intravenously fed fluids.  This condition can also be dangerous for you and your baby, so if you’re vomiting so much that you can’t eat or drink, it’s essential that you consult your doctor immediately’ warns Marilyn.

 

Mother Nature to the Rescue –

9 natural remedies to help you achieve a morning sickness-free 9 months

Apple Cider Vinegar – ‘Apple cider vinegar is pH neutral, so it can help settle the stomach acid which causes nausea. Add 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar to a cup of warm water first thing in the morning to help keep nausea at bay’ advises Marilyn. Try Higher Nature’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, £6.50 from www.nutrientre.com.

Almonds – ‘Almonds are a great source of protein and calcium, both of which can settle your stomach.’  Take Marilyn’s sickness-busting tip and soak 10 almonds (unroasted) over-night, peel off the skins in the morning before eating.

Water – drinking water is essential to compensate for the fluids lost during vomiting.  Marilyn suggests you ‘keep a pint of mineral water by your bed with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt.  The lemon juice makes the water more alkaline and this seems to settle he stomach.’

Vitamin B6 – Some experts believe morning sickness is caused by high levels of oestrogen in the system.  Marilyn explains ‘oestrogen can build up when the liver isn’t efficiently flushing away the excess. ‘Vitamin B6 can help clear away excess toxins by optimising liver function.’ BioCare’s Vitamin B6 is a water soluble B vitamin which is yeast free and suitable for vegans. Biocare’s Vitamin B6 is £8.80 for a 2 months supply and is available from www.biocare.co.uk.

Ginger – Ginger supplements have been proven to ease nausea by helping food to pass more rapidly through the digestive system, as well as reducing the stimulation to the part of the brain that prompts a burst of nausea or vomiting. Russell says ‘Ginger can be helpful in preventing nausea and morning sickness, and research suggests that it can be effective. Ginger contains many active ingredients including phenols, which can improve gastroduodenal motility and reduce the sensations that cause nausea’. Ginger can affect certain heart and blood medications, so speak to your GP if you are taking these’.  Russell recommends:

Ginger People’s Ginger Chews Original, £1.55 from www.nutricentre.com. Containing fresh ginger this is a handy remedy to keep in your handbag on the go or by your bed ready to take first thing in the morning.

BioCare’s Gingerdophilus (Ginger and Probiotic Combination), £20.40 for a months supply from www.biocare.co.uk.  This product combines powdered ginger with the benefit of probiotics, which can assist in digestive complaints as well as the nausea associated with morning sickness. 3 capsules provides 900mg of ginger which can be effective for short term use (4-5 days at a time).

Lemon therapy – ‘Lemon juice can help to relieve nausea, even by just inhaling its fragrance. Cut a lemon in half and rub the juice on your hands, then hold your hands to your face and take a deep breath whenever you feel nauseous.’ advises Marilyn. To replenish fluids try Pukka’s Lemon Green Tea, a light blend of smooth green tea with a subtle twist of Sicilian lemon and fragrant lemon verbana. Available from www.pukkaherbs.com for £2.25

Homeopathy – Marilyn advises you take the most appropriate in a 30c potency, 4 times a day for 3 days:

Arsenicum – is best if you have a sense of constant nausea, some vomiting and if you feel exhausted or faint.

Ipecac – for morning sickness that isn’t relieved by either vomiting or stress

Nux vomica – if you feel nauseous, but better if you actually vomit

Sepia – if you feel constantly nauseous, but a little better if you eat little and often.

Acupressure – One study showed a 60% improvement in morning sickness in women who used acupressure.  The acupressure point for nausea is at the base of your wrist, about 5cm fro the crease of your wrist on the inside of your rm.  Press on this point for several seconds each time you feel nausea coming on.  Alternatively you can buy acupressure bands to do this job for you.

Aromatherapy – Try putting a few drops each of rosewood and lavender essential oils onto a tissue or handkerchief and inhale during the day.

 

Russell Bouwman gives us his top tips on avoiding morning sickness

  • Become a protein grazer – Eat small, frequent meals and snacks throughout the day so your stomach is not too empty or too full at once. Research suggests that high-protein foods were more likely to ease symptoms.
  • Snack attack – keep simple snacks such as ginger biscuits or crackers by your bed. When you first wake up, eat a small amount and then rest for a while longer before getting up. Snacking may also help you feel better if you wake up nauseated in the middle of the night.
  • Take it slow – Getting up slowly in the morning, by sitting on the bed for a few minutes rather than jumping right up may also be helpful.
  • Smell the roses, or not – Try to avoid foods and smells that trigger your nausea. Due to your heightened sense of smell, you may find that certain foods that you enjoyed before you fell pregnant may make you feel queasy now. If so, you could try sticking to more bland smelling or tasting foods for the short term.

Dr Marilyn Glenville PhD is the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health. She is the author of 10 internationally bestselling books, including the recently re-launched Getting Pregnant Faster and The Natural Health Bible for Women. Marilyn practices in her clinics in Tunbridge Wells (Kent), St John’s Wood (London), Kensington (London) and Rathmines (Dublin). For more information on specific health problems see Dr Glenville’s website www.marilynglenville.com.

 

The Most Searched 2012

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who did brits search for in 2012?

TULISA HAS THE X FACTOR, KATE AND HARRY REIGN, VIC PENDLETON GOES FOR GOLD AND BIEBER LOSES HIS GRIP AS BING RELEASES ITS UK MOST-SEARCHED LISTS FOR 2012

 

Bing UK searches show 2012 was a year in which Britons clamoured to see more (literally) of their favourite people than ever before. The search engine today releases its most-searched lists, based on the aggregation of billions of search queries conducted by Brits on Bing.com this year.

 

Singer Tulisa Contostavlos shows she has the X Factor as the UK’s most searched person in 2012, beating 2011 winner Justin Bieber, who dropped to fifth place this year. And while Tulisa’s singing career and role as X Factor judge no doubt inspired many of these searches, the leak of a certain video in March might also have played a part.

 

It was also a big year for 2012’s second-most-searched person, Kate Middleton, with not just the Royal Wedding but some unauthorised holiday snaps sending people online in their droves to find out more. Prince Harry also got people searching after his right royal Vegas antics. The third in line to the throne was the UK’s sixth most-searched person, behind Cheryl Cole, the late Whitney Houston and Justin Bieber.

 

Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and disgraced TV presenter Jimmy Savile round out the top 10.

 

In the afterglow of the Games, it’s to be expected that Olympics and London 2012 were the most-searched events of 2012, with Olympians leading the most-searched sports stars list. Gold-winning cyclist and Strictly Come Dancing star Victoria Pendleton raced to the top, followed by sprinter Usain Bolt and gold medallist tennis star Andy Murray. Stricken footballer Fabrice Muamba was the fourth most searched sportsperson, with heptathlete Jessica Ennis in fifth place.

 

Most-searched celebrity couple Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart kept Britons guessing with their on-again, off-again romance this year, but their new movie, Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2, could only muster fifth place in the most-searched movies list, with the top spot taken out by The Avengers. EastEnders beat out reality TV rivals Big Brother and X Factor to become 2012’s most searched TV show.

 

Bing UK Director of Search Dave Coplin says: “Every year, the Bing search results give us a unique insight into what and who is top of mind for Brits. It’s always fascinating to see which celebrities have had the biggest impact on Britons throughout the year, and of course it’s no surprise to see that the 2012 Olympics and Olympians have captured our hearts and minds after such a golden summer.”

 

See below for more fascinating insights into what Brits searched for – from fashion to Facebook to food to festivals – this year on Bing.com.

 

2012’s most searched people
1.       Tulisa Contostavlos

2.       Kate Middleton

3.       Cheryl Cole

4.       Whitney Houston

5.       Justin Bieber

6.       Prince Harry

7.       Robert Pattinson

8.       Rihanna

9.       Kim Kardashian

10.   Jimmy Savile

 

 2011 results1.       Justin Bieber

2.       Kim Kardashian

3.       Lady Gaga

4.       Jennifer Aniston

5.       Pippa Middleton

6.       Katy Perry

7.       Kate Middleton

8.       Tulisa Contostavlos

9.       Scarlett Johansson

10.   Angelina Jolie

 

2012’s most searched sports stars1.       Victoria Pendleton

2.       Usain Bolt

3.       Andy Murray

4.       Fabrice Muamba

5.       Jessica Ennis

6.       Tom Daley

7.       Cristiano Ronaldo

8.       Lance Armstrong

9.       David Beckham

10.   Mo Farah

 

 2011 results1.       David Beckham

2.       Ryan Giggs

3.       Lewis Hamilton

4.       Andy Murray

5.       Maria Sharapova

6.       Wayne Rooney

7.       Cristiano Ronaldo

8.       Usain Bolt

9.       Jessica Ennis

10.   Jenson Button

2012’s most searched events

1.       Olympics

2.       London 2012

3.       Euro 2012

4.       Diamond Jubilee

5.       Paralympics

6.       Wimbledon

7.       Tour de France

8.       Hurricane Sandy

9.       US election

10.   Leveson Inquiry

iggs

2012’s most searched movies

1.       The Avengers

2.       The Hunger Games

3.       Prometheus

4.       Skyfall

5.       Twilight Breaking Dawn II

6.       Dark Knight Rises

7.       The Amazing Spiderman

8.       Snow White & The Huntsman

9.       Taken 2

10.   The Dictator

 

2012’s most searched TV shows

1.       EastEnders

2.       Big Brother

3.       X Factor

4.       Doctor Who

5.       Coronation Street

6.       Strictly Come Dancing

7.       The Only Way Is Essex

8.       Celebrity Big Brother

9.       Game of Thrones

10.   The Walking Dead

 

Most searched social networks

1.       Facebook
2.       YouTube
3.       Twitter
4.       LinkedIn
5.       Tumblr
6.       Spotify7.       Pinterest
8.       Myspace
9.       Instagram
10.   WordPress

 

 

Top searches:

Celebrity couple               Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart

Celebrity wedding           Jessica Biel’s pink wedding dress

Celebrity death                 Robin Gibb death

Celebrity divorce              Katie Holmes divorce

Celebrity baby                   Robbie Williams baby pics

Celebrity pregnant          Imogen Thomas pregnant

Celebrity chef                    Jamie Oliver

Girl band                              Little Mix

Boy band                             One Direction

Lyrics                                     Call Me Maybe

Festival                                 V Festival

Fashion brand                   Next

Store                                     Argos

Supermarket                     Tesco

Football club                      Liverpool FC

Movie trailer                      Skyfall

Politician                              David Cameron

US politician                       Barack Obama

Car model                           Nissan Qashqai

Car make                             BMW

Airline                                   Ryanair

Holiday destination         Turkey

Viral video                           Gangnam Style

Diet                                        Cambridge diet

Recipe                                  Pancakes

Astrologer                           Jonathan Cainer

Who…                                   unfollowed me

What…                                  car

How…                                   I met your mother


Equal Education Unequal Pay

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It’s 2012 and close to four years after the Lilly ledbetter Fair Pay Act was signed into law. Surely, the gender wage gap has been closed, right? Wrong.

Even with moves toward equalizing pay between men and women, men still make almost 20% more than women in nearly all industries. This is despite the fact that women receive the same education, with the same tuition price tags and levels of debt upon graduation. The only major differences are that there are more ladies in college and they have better average GPAs to boot. The benefits of paying women their fair share include increasing the GDP while reducing the poverty rates for families.

Check out the infographic below to see what else the gender wage gap affects.

Equal_Education_Unequal_Pay

Equal Education Unequal Pay by LearnStuff.com

Team GB starlet Jessica Ennis admits ‘I’d love to start my own fashion label

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Jessica Ennis has had quite a year, winning gold at the Olympics and becoming an idol for young girls everywhere. Now Jessica is branching out.

Speaking exclusively in City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke, Olympic starlet Jessica Ennis said:

“I ADORE Victoria Beckham and Alexander McQueen…”

“I’d love to start my own fashion label…”

“I’ve been to two award ceremonies in the last two nights…”

You could be forgiven for thinking these were the words of a Hollywood starlet or seasoned pop star. But this is Jessica Ennis – the poster girl for the 2012 Olympics and contender for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, who, in the mind of the nation, wears lycra as a second skin.

Almost overnight she has become a focal point for the post-Olympics revival of Cool Britannia, as likely to be spotted in Stella McCartney as the new Adidas collection (which she is modelling the day City’s AM luxury magazine Bespoke caught up with her).

The change must be startling: one moment she’s a promising heptathlete, relatively unknown outside a group of loyal fans committed to the sport, the next, she’s an unexpected fashion darling.

So how is she enjoying the transition from tracksuits – and looking very good in them, mind you – to being dressed by some of the most sought after labels in the world? “It’s a brilliant position to be in,” she says. “It’s nice to have the option to pick and choose – it’s less stressful when you’re deciding what to wear.”

Her reinvention as a poster-girl has also given her design ambitions of her own and she confides that a collection is definitely on the horizon. “I would love to go down that road,” she says, “whether it’s collaborating with [a big sportswear brand] or doing the more fashiony side of things.”

With the amount of work coming her way, plus the prospects of further gold on the horizon, don’t expect Jessica Ennis, national treasure, unlikely fashion queen, to take her foot off the pedal for long.

Vanessa Bailey & Richard Perryman on Three Days Film | Film interview

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When I interviewed Vanessa Bailey and Richard Perryman about their new film, Three Days, we had so much fun and laughed so hard. Vanessa has co-written and is starring in the age gap romance alongside Richard who is fresh out of drama school. Vanessa is beautiful and talented but doesn’t seem to know it, as is Richard. They are both also wonderful company and building quite a following for their film which will start shooting early next year. To find out more, read on….

;

Tell us about your character.

Richard Perryman: ‘I am playing James, a recent graduate, a young guy who does odd jobs. He is flyering for a jazz club and has a care-free lifestyle. He is not really looking for love but just by chance it happens. We were talking about this earlier. It just happens and he is not looking for a long term thing. It just happens to him and he can’t really get away. [laughter]

Vanessa Bailey: [laughing] He can’t really get away! These two characters are not the two people you would expect to see in a relationship. Not just with the age gap, which does sometimes happen, but also with their personalities. She is no a cougar, she is not predatory. She hasn’t been walking around looking for impressionable young leafleters to drag back to her hotel room. He’s not a lad.

;

Richard: It’s not a trophy for him.

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Vanessa: It is just a sexual connection between them.

;

Richard: Well, not the main one.

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Vanessa: [laughing] No, not the main one. It is about two real people. It is about finding what that connection would be and how it would work out in real life. They are not caricatures. It is not about romantic cliches. If two people really did connect, how would that work. Can it work?

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Richard: Can that relationship last or is it just a fling?

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Vanessa: And we don’t know the answer yet.

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Richard: I think they are probably both going into it thinking it is just a fling. And not expecting to find that they actually fall in love.

Age gap relationships are popular in film at the moment. Why do you think they are popular and what is your favourite?

Vanessa: I really liked the ITV one, Leaving, although I kinda thought they had stolen our thunder because we had written the script before it came out. What appealed to me about that one, and about Three Days, is most of the other films, the age gape in The Graduate isn’t that big. There is only six-years between them because they are playing up and down. So what I really liked about the ITV one was that they had Helen McCrory who is really gorgeous. They were able to make the audience believe. It was a slightly different story and it was about self-improvement. That one would be my favourite because it was anchored in real life. You can recognise it in real life. Whereas with the other ones, they are lovely stories, but they are not real.

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Richard: I have only seen The Graduate. I think with that one he has that relationship thrust upon him. It is much darker. She is more of a cougar and she reels him in. This is more of a chance. It is a more filmic story.

;

Vanessa: It is more of a romance. It is not dark in any way. Which is more challenging. There is no gender game. It is more, ‘why has this happened and what should we do with it?’.

;

Why do you think there is still a stigma attached to the older women/younger man thing?

Richard: There has been a rise in those type of films. I think there is a stigma attached but it is becoming less and less. There is still that taboo and it is still fine with older men and younger women.

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Vanessa: Again, we were talking about that earlier. I think with the older man and younger women, largely they are a physical manifestation of his success and being sexually attractive to women. It is more of a trophy thing. It is interesting because, as you said, the storyline is really popular. We have 1,300 people following us on Twitter. We have no media, no trailer, nothing really about the film, but I think the story has lots of appeal. We have a lot of different people following us. Younger girls, 17 or 18 years old and older men.

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We had a guy who said when I was in my 20s I had a relationship with a women who was 20 years older than me because it is common. See I am 43.

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Richard: And I am 22.

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Vanessa: Oh my god it has gotten bigger! What is that gap?

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Richard: 21 years.

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Vanessa: Yes, 21 years. That is quite a big gap.

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Richard: It’s not that big.

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Vanessa: Oh, bless you. We can make it work. But I think people are really fascinated by that. I am not going to name names but I had a lot of people say I had this relationship with this women who was 20 years older than me. It is really interesting. It does actually happen but I don’t think film shows that as much as the older guy.

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Another issue with younger men with older women is the fertility issue….

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Vanessa: Yes, I think that is true. It doesn’t work quite as well from a family point of view, biologically the other way around. Maybe some women are at the point when they don’t want to have kids.

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Richard: I think going into that relationship they won’t really think about it and then when they did the pressure would start adding on to it. Like, ‘what do we do?’

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Vanessa: I was talking to some friends about it and they were like, ‘lucky you’ and then I was thinking, no, because in reality when you are an older women it is hard. You have insecurities.

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Richard: Yeah, you were saying to me that when we go out people will be like, ‘Your son is waiting for you’ or ‘Is that your mum?’ or something. Which would be really tough.

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Vanessa: [laughing] There is always a 21-year-old girl around the corner and you are getting older, and you look older, and the point of this, of Three Days, is also when older women are portrayed in films they don’t look their age. They have had all of that plastic surgery and they don’t look their age. I do look my age [she doesn’t] so it is not like, yeah, she is a hot 43 but she looks 33. She is just 43. So there is that whole physical insecurity.

There is also this myth that is spread that men get better looking as they get older but women don’t. It places a lot of pressure on women and it also happens a lot in film. Then when you do get a part it is not a really good part. In this film it is a women in a really good role, which could actually have a lot of significance.

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Vanessa: And that is the great thing about indie film. You have raised a great point actually and that is the good thing about Three Days. There are not the parts out there that actresses my age necessarily want to play. You get typecast in commercials and then you have to wait until you are 75 to play a dowager in Downton Abbey. There is a massive gap in-between. You are just wandering around wondering what you are going to do. A few of us do have a natural look so you are not going to get the barmaid parts or the cougar parts. So I kind of wanted to come up with a part that a lot of women my age would want to play because it is interesting and it is fun. There is a massive gap for older actresses.

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How did you come on-board

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Richard: I didn’t really do anything.

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Vanessa: That is the joy of Twitter. I am going to write a book. Instead of the Joy of Sex I am going to write The Joy of Twitter, and [to Richard] you are probably too young to even know the book. It was out in the 1970s. [to me] You know the book? [Yes, I know the book] See, women know the book.

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So, Twitter, we were looking for someone. I was looking at showreels because I love watching showreels. I saw Richard’s headshot and someone tweeted a link to a short film he was in called Emmeline, which was gorgeous. So I stalked him. I asked him to be in a film with me.

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Richard: I got an email asking me if I wanted to be in the film. We met up for a coffee. Then I wanted to do it. She reeled me in. We were both on the same page in terms of character and what we wanted for the film.

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Vanessa: What clinched it was that halfway through we were talking about the dialogue and how we wanted it to be really natural, and be very real and he said it should be like ‘Before Sunrise’, which is my favourite film. At that point I was really hoping he wanted to be in the film.

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So it was the power of Twitter and short film. And the mocha that I bought him that I then drank.

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Richard: Yeah, I had a latte and she had my mocha.

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Vanessa: Start as you mean to go on.

Tell us about the process of the film so far.

Vanessa: It has been a long time actually, nearly a year. I wrote it. I wrote a really bad script originally. I sent if to Jon Rennie, our director, and basically what he did was he rewrote it from a cinematic point of view. Jon said he liked the story but this is how he thought the physical journey of the film would go. We have beautiful locations we are filming in. Then he gave it back to me to fill in the dialogue. We knew we had Huw onboard who is just phenomenally good.

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The film is quite like Notting Hill on acid. Huw Walters (Cinematographer) and Jon and myself all worked on Bubbles [an excellent short film. See it] Our composer had seen Bubbles and asked us if we had a composer. Then I looked at his credits and I was like, wow. He has worked with the BBC, with Tom Jones, with loads of people.

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Our hair designer, Jason Hall, also asked to come onboard and he had done London Fashion Week. He was also from twitter. He contacted us and asked us if we needed a hair stylist.

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The producer, Sam Smith-Higgins, was following the film since it started on Facebook and she said she would really like to collaborate and asked if we had a producer. She has an entire production company that she is bringing with her. The Executive Producer, Suzie Boudier, has been a constant source of inspiration.

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The great thing about this film is that everyone has come on-board because they really want to make this film rather than just a film. It has been a really long process. I am really excited.

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How did you approach funding.

Vanessa: We will be crowd funding in February. Consolidating everything in March and then we are shooting in April. We are looking at different crowd funding options at the moment.

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Tell us about you.

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Richard: I just graduated from E15 from a contemporary theatre course. I set up my own theatre company with a couple of friends called Antler. We took two shows up to Edinburgh.

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Vanessa: Who have got some amazing reviews. Should I quote some of them? Richard excels in dry humour. That is what it said.

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Richard: We got some lovely reviews. Since then I have done a short film with the same company. I was lucky to be a part of that. And from that I got this. Which is great and exciting.

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Vanessa: I am completely different. No training. I am a teacher. A music specialist whatever that means. I came out of it after I had my children and decided I wanted to be an actress. So I did a lot of background work just to get into the scene and I was lucky to break that rule that you never become an actor after being an extra. I managed to get there. I have managed to blag my way to some good jobs so far.

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You are so self deprecating

Vanessa: Yes I am. But I have no reason to be here. Once I got Spotlight and a DVD I sent it out and Sam [Samantha from Simon & How, out mutual agent] was the first person to give me an audition. I absolutely love it.

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Do you think the age of the actor is dead and you have to be an actorpreneur and do your own projects.

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Richard: I have only ever done my own projects. So I think, yes, you can’t really trust anyone else to do anything for you. You have to do it yourself. If you are lucky enough you will be handed lots of jobs. It is the luck of the draw. If not you have to go out and do it yourself. [to Vanessa] Like you are doing.

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Vanessa: All actors know that it is a really small pool that people fish from. Especially in television. It is hard and it is not going to talent unfortunately. You see people who work regularly who are not good and lots of people who are very talented who don’t get any work. So, yes, I do think you have to be an actorpreneur.

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Richard: I am very bad at selling myself because I am not on Twitter.

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I often lose roles to people who are more famous or someone’s girlfriend.

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Vanessa: Yes, that is frustrating. I can see the other side of that. We all work with people we know because it is better the devil you know.

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Richard: Then that creates those little cliques who work with the same people and you can’t break into it.

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That is why I left Scotland. I had to commute from Glasgow to London because there was the group of Scottish actors who always got work and I could not break into the industry.

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Vanessa: There are a couple of casting directors who fight it. A casting director said to me that he was sick of seeing the same faces in television over and over again.

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And you do. You see the same faces over and over again. We need pioneers who are bringing new faces in and trying to get people seen.

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Richard: But we are a little family. [We all have the same agent. Samantha at Simon & How]

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That’s right.

So is the process to make a short and then a feature film.

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Vanessa: I would love to. I would love to make a feature. Are you playing footsie with me Richard?

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Richard: Yes, I am getting into character.

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Vanessa: Two things with the short film. Firstly, I would like it to get into festivals. But also it is like a calling card. Hopefully people will see this. When we had one of our first meetings with Jon and Huw you could very much see the potential of the film and the ensemble cast. I would love to make a feature film.

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Richard: It has the potential to be a great British film.

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Vanessa: I am such a champion of British film so I would love to make it into a feature.

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What are you shooting on?

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Vanessa: I’m not sure. I have left that to Jon. Not film. Because it is too expensive. We want to do a few different takes on this film and we don’t want to worry about how expensive it would be. I know Jon was talking about filming on mono. So a combination I think.

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What’s next?

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Richard: I just graduated. I am not sure what is next. I am just putting myself out there.

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Vanessa: You are developing….

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Richard: Oh yeah, with my company, Antler, we are constantly developing work. Putting things together and trying out new ideas.

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Vanessa: Everything at the moment is Three Days. Then hopefully after that it will be the festivals. [Vanessa also has a lot of acting work coming up. Including a part in Southcliffe and some short films]

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Thanks Vanessa and Richard.

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Director: Jon Rennie @jon_rennie
Writers: Vanessa Bailey, Jon Rennie @vbaileyactor @jon_rennie
Producer: Sam Smith-Higgins http://www.redbeetlefilms.co.uk/ @SamSmith-Higgins
Executive Producer: Suzie Boudier @Superboooo
Cinematographer: Huw Walters http://vimeo.com/user4428776 @huwcamera
Composer: William Goodchild http://www.williamgoodchild.com/ @WGoodchildMusic
PR: FireflyPR http://www.firefly-pr.com/ @FireflyPR

Hair Design: Jason Hall http://www.jasonhallhairdressing.co.uk/ @Jhhair