The term’s first student offerings took to the stage this week, but did ‘The Magic Toyshop’ and ‘Far Away’ impress the crowds?
Blog Page 2051
Scenic View: Israel
Israel is a country where religion cannot be ignored. Among the beautiful classical ruins of Bet Shean and Caesarea Maritima, in the archaeological sites of towns which may or may not have been built by Solomon, at the various places where Jesus may or may not have been, you are constantly aware that what you are seeing has significance beyond its face value. This is a land which has been fought over since anyone can remember. It was part of the empires of the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans and Byzantines, even before the crusades began and religious claims were brought to the forefront.
As a tourist in Israel, visiting the famous sites and surrounded by tourist groups from all over the world, it is possible to be completely insulated from the current conflict. Millions of pilgrims pass through the country every year in search of ancient holy sites, not modern politics and violence, and their needs are catered for by the numerous tour packages on offer, by air-conditioned coaches and hotels. The tourist industry is one of the staples of the Israeli economy, and the government is keen to protect it. However, if you look around you, it is almost impossible to ignore the signs of tension and ongoing conflict. The formidable West Bank barrier cuts across the landscape, an aggressive symbol of division. Upon visiting Palestinian areas such as Bethlehem and Jericho, one is forced through numerous checkpoints, with armed guards at every turn. Jericho, the location of one of the oldest urban settlements in the world, is under siege, surrounded by Israeli trenches. I visited not long after the Gaza War, and the increased security and suspicion was intimidating even as a tourist.
With this level of segregation across Israel, Jerusalem comes as a pleasant surprise. Jerusalem is a sacred centre for all three Abrahamic faiths. The rock upon which the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock stand, is variously believed to be the site of the creation of Adam, Abraham’s offering of his son Isaac, Jacob’s dream, and Muhammed’s ascension into the heavens during the Miraj. For this reason, you find members of every denomination of every religion jostling for space. Mosques, churches, monasteries and synagogues of every description fill the city. The city is technically divided- the Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish quarters in the old town each have their own character, and yet the hundreds of shopkeepers and stallholders are happy to hawk their wares in every street as the crowds move freely about the city. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by seven different Christian communities, with the closing ceremony requiring members of the Muslim families who have been given responsibility for the key. This arrangement, known as the status quo, is a little fraught, but demonstrates the religious compromise which is possible, and which is so desperately maintained in this most hallowed of cities.
Guest Columnist: Newspaper letters pages are duller without women
What explains women’s reluctance to write letters to newspapers? The question was raised with anguish recently by the admirably feminist Observer letters editor Stephen Pritchard. I was subsequently invited to discuss the subject on radio 4. Do women still feel excluded by newspapers, and, by extension, public life? Do newspapers fail to cover subjects that interest women?
I have two theories on male dominance in letters pages. The first is to do with male/ female psychology. There is a phrase which I hear often from men, which is: “ If you ask my opinion….” Women do not presume that anyone has asked their opinion, or would. They are historically more comfortable in private rather than public realms.
‘Women are far more tentative and fatally empathetic’
It is not so long ago that women were expected to leave the room at the end of a dinner, so that men could exercise their opinions on affairs of public importance. Men are not necessarily constrained by lack of knowledge or experience of a subject. They are innately confident of their ability to find solutions. Women are far more tentative and fatally empathetic. They are always seeing the sense in their opponent’s argument. They are also peace makers. None of this encourages letter writing in a public domain.
‘The women who do write to newspapers tend to be those who run enterprises or public bodies’
The women who do write to newspapers tend to be those who run enterprises or public bodies. They are therefore talking in a professional capacity. Men will write in any old capacity and on subjects far beyond their specialism. Women who write for personal reasons are usually motivated by shared experience.
In Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph two women wrote in response to the mother who killed her suffering daughter: “As a sufferer from ME for eight years I can understand the late Lynn Gilderdale feeling suicidal..”And, “ I and my son both suffer from ME, are housebound and struggle each day to cope.”
Health issues often trigger letters from women, although this is also related to age.This brings me to my second theory on the curious absence of women in newspaper letters pages.
The most enthusiastic letter writers are the retired. They have the time and are more reflective. They have a historical sweep, so can contrast, for instance, contemporary anxiety about waste, with war time frugality.
‘Pontificating is a low priority’
If women have disappeared from newspaper letters pages between university and grandmotherhood, it is probably because they have multiple demands on their time. Pontificating is a low priority.
‘The female letter is based on observation rather than opinion, so you miss the sharp, amused eye on the world. It is also practical and without pomposity’
However letters pages are duller without women. The female letter is based on observation rather than opinion, so you miss the sharp, amused eye on the world. It is also practical and without pomposity. The following is one of my favourite letters which appeared in the Daily Telegraph: “ Sir – I find labels in sweaters irritating on the neck. The first thing I do on buying a new cashmere jumper is to spend 10 minutes trying to unpick the stitching of the riveted-on itchy label without damaging the knitwear. Couldn’t manufacturers put the labels low on the side seam, where the laundry instructions are? Eva Hancock, Long Itchington, Warwickshire.
Sarah Sands is speaking at the OXWIB/Cherwell ‘Women in Journalism’ forum on Thursday of 3rd Week, at 8pm in Brasenose.
It’s not you, it’s my hormones!
The Pill: invented in 1961 and we’re not looking back. It offers the perfect solution to female fears of being left (literally) holding the baby, renders relationships more equal and provides scope for carefree fun. Apart from some fertility scares and a few potentially nasty side-effects, the pill can do no wrong. Or can it?
Tests are constantly being done about the downsides of this female contraceptive. Are you working out but fail to build up that impressive six pack? The blame may be found within your daily dose of birth control. A 10-week study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh found that women who did not take oral contraceptives gained 60 percent more muscle mass than those on the pill. Women on the Pill also had reduced levels of the hormone DHEA, which helps with muscle growth. But there has been a much more worrying study, which doesn’t just mean holding on to those extra couple of pounds…
Research from the University of Liverpool has suggested that by interfering with women’s hormones, the Pill also interferes with, wait for it: their sense of smell. And it appears that smell plays a crucial part in determining who we’re attracted to. I can see boys reaching for their aftershave now, but this is not a simple case of preferring Diesel to Ralph Lauren; it’s far more primitive. Odour attraction is one of the primary ways that women find compatible mates, naturally seeking out men who have genes that are unlike, yet complementary, to their own. This is a well-known fact in the animal kingdom, with studies showing that female mammals sniff out males who have MHC genes (those responsible for immune responses) that are different from their own, to increase the chances of their offspring’s survival. However its importance for humans has not been so well recognised, until now. The new study suggests that the Pill turns this evolutionary safety mechanism on its head, causing women to become attracted to men who have the most similar genes to them.
If this attraction is strong enough for the long haul, then problems could start to arise. Should a woman come off the Pill at some point during her marriage, she could suddenly be physically repelled by her erstwhile Prince Charming. Rachel Herz, PhD, author of The Scent of Desire and a faculty member at Brown University, says that marriage counsellors have told her that the number one reason women cite for a lack of sexual interest in their husbands, is that they cannot bear how he smells. Superficial as it may sound, one can see how this would have serious effects on the intimacy of a relationship. The problem goes further: if the woman manages to hold her breath long enough to have children, these are likely to be born with a weaker immune system than their parents – effectively taking a step back in the evolutionary process.
The study itself took the form of a T-shirt sniff test. One hundred men were asked to wear the same T-shirt two nights in a row. These were then shredded, and obviously left unwashed, before being produced for the delectation of one hundred female nostrils. The majority of them was attracted to those tops which smelt of men who had the most dissimilar genes. They then began taking hormonal contraceptives, before smelling the same shirts again. Their responses changed. This time they chose genetically similar genes.
One of the researchers for the study, S. Craig Roberts, PhD, noted that the findings were compatible with an earlier US study, which had discovered that women in genetically similar couples were more likely to be dissatisfied with their sex life, and consequently were looking for new sexual partners. It appears that this really is the kind of thing that could break up a marriage.
In terms of a possible cause for this phenomenon, Roberts points out that when female animals are pregnant, they start to prefer the scent of genetically similar males. This may happen because they are seeking a mate to help them protect the baby, and are more likely to trust one which has a familiar smell. The Pill could trigger the same effect in human females, because it works as a contraceptive by duping the body into thinking it is pregnant.
Interesting as this research is, and it may certainly cause a few fiancées out there to try a “Pill-free test period” before the big day, I still cannot quite agree with the rather melodramatic views of Marie Hahnenberg, Director of American Life League’s The Pill Kills project, who seemed glad to have her opinions confirmed by the study. “This is significant data. We’ve known for a long time birth control ruins marriages and leaves families emotionally devastated; now we know there’s apparently a biological reason for it. Birth control is duping women into falling for the wrong men.” Personally, I think that the emotional devastation caused by unwanted pregnancy is still powerful enough to affirm the Pill’s validity in the chemist’s.
Of course, one way to avoid all this palaver would be to meet your man on the internet: if you become attracted to someone without smelling them, you can’t be disappointed when you meet them in the flesh. Unless it turns out that he doesn’t believe in showering. Then you wouldn’t even have to rely on your evolutionary instincts to tell that he just might not be your ideal life partner.
OUSU: State of the Union
‘Affiliation fees promote responsibility’
Ben Britton, MCR President, St Catherine’s
OUSU’s financial situation is perilous. Their reserves are totally wiped out by continuing financial incontinence, their projections are similarly unhealthy and unfortunately their attitude remains unhelpful. We are expecting a vast ‘strategic review’ of OUSU’s operations and how it can best serve its students.Yet before this review has even started consultations, a review which OUSU officers have stripped of any financial oversight, OUSU blunders ahead with a drastic modification to its funding model.
Included in these proposals is another change of premises. When the premises in Bonn Square were first lauded in 2002, it was hoped that they could solve many of the institutional failures of OUSU. Yet, 8 years later and OUSU clamours for ‘better suiting’ premises as the current ones are ‘unfit’. However, such projections are at best qualitative as estimates of rent or moving costs are missing, therefore we cannot properly juge the impact of a move.
The registration of the Student Union with the Charity Commission is a huge undertaking, and will see OUSU as a separate legal entity to the University under direct regulation of the Commission. OUSU should be able to stand on its own two feet, but at present, it is on the verge of bankruptcy. The OUSU Executive presents a case which highlights endemic funding failures, yet in the same breath is happily willing to increase its costs; such a schizophrenic attitude to finances shows a fundamental misunderstanding of their duties as trustees of our Student Union. One wonders why no member of the Executive has considered significant spending cuts, unpalatable as they may be, as OUSU must reign in their out of control spending to address their self-made financial crisis; spending is £20K for each of the six elected Sabbatical officers and a further £170K+ to oil their ineffective bureaucratic machine with other OUSU & OSSL staff.
While there are superficial benefits incurred by the removal of affiliation fees, we cannot rush into this without grasping what effects such a change will incur. OUSU will have to beg for around £1 million total funds for 10/11 which will have to come from our University fees, and there will no longer be any significant student voice in OUSU’s level of funding. Where will the control and input from the student population be drawn from if there is no longer a financial incentive for common rooms to insist their officers attend Council?
A review of funding and the operations of our student union are long overdue. OUSU must change to serve and represent students better within our complex institution, yet rashly proposing a massive funding increase in a similarly massive document with minimal consultation will drastically hurt the students of Oxford in the longer term.
‘Affiliation fees prevent financial stability’
Jason Keen, ex-JCR President, St John’s
Our students’ union is at a crossroads. Facing a funding crisis brought on by a funding model that is not fit for purpose, whilst at the same time preparing to register with the Charity Commission and approaching the end of the lease on our current premises. Never before has the question of what our student union should be, what it should do and how we should pay for it been of greater importance.
The timing could not be more critical: as the University prepares to absorb deep government funding cuts over the next few years, the type of education we all receive at Oxford is at stake. We need a strong students’ union to make sure our voices are heard.
To achieve this we need to move away from the current funding model that leaves our union crippled by debt and we must end the destructive culture that sees us trying to tear down OUSU rather than talking about the problems it was created to try and help solve.
We need to support the OUSU President’s proposal to abolish common room affiliation fees and campaign for the University to properly fund our students’ union.
Our student union was founded in recognition of the fact that students needed representation and support beyond college level, and that a body with the mandate to petition the University on behalf of all Oxford students was far more likely to be successful. That’s why OUSU still works for and provides services to all students today – regardless of whether you belong to an affiliated common room.
With that in mind, it fundamentally does not make sense for OUSU to be funded by contributions from JCRs and MCRs. It also creates a situation where some common rooms will disaffiliate, for financial rather than ideological reasons. Afterall, why pay for affiliation when students will receive representation, access and support regardless? Thus our student union is currently propped up on a funding model that not only doesn’t fit with the makeup of the organisation, but is also inherently unstable. Disaffiliation by a single common room reduces OUSU’s monetary resources, increases its deficit and hinders its ability to provide for you.
Some would argue that OUSU can cut its way out of trouble, but the maths just don’t add up: if OUSU stopped all campaigning, cut all publicity, abolished Oxford’s student radio station, cut its non-commercial publications and training for the Student Advice Service tomorrow, then it would save just £19,000 – less than a third of the deficit for this year. Thousands of pounds worth of savings have already been made this year, yet the organisation is still projected to make a substantial loss – as it has in eight of the last ten years. This is not a spending problem. It is a funding problem.
If we were funded as other student unions are – by University block grant – this would be solved. Russell Group student unions such as UCL and Warwick are given as much as £98 and £91 per student in funding by their institutions. OUSU receives just £11.53 per student. If we could convince the University to increase this to as little as £17.85, then we could set our student union on firm foundations, leaving it more able to cater to your needs and abolish affiliations fees.
New research clinic opened
Last week the Oxford Academic Tariq RaA £3 million development to house research into causes of infertility and assisted reproduction techniques such as IVF has opened on the Oxford Business Park in Cowley. The new ‘Institute for Reproductive Sciences’ will bring together Oxford’s world-class research in reproductive medicine and the Oxford Fertility Unit, a research-led IVF clinic known for pioneering new treatments. In addition to this it will have new teaching and laboratory space for the University of Oxford’s MSc in Clinical Embryology.
Dr Child, one of two co-directors with Dr McVeigh, has said that ‘All IVF couples are offered the opportunity to become involved in research studies going on at the University’, while Dr McVeigh was enthusiastic about the new Institute, claiming that it ‘concentrates the best research and clinical provision of fertility treatments in one place’.
Stanners left without hot water
Students at St Anne’s are seeking compensation from the College after they went two weeks without hot water.
The College has blamed the problem on extensive issues with the plumbing, but some students have criticised what they described as a ‘complacent attitude’ of the College when it came to rectifying the situation.
The problem was first drawn to the Maintenance team when students returning from the vac were unable to run hot water in the Wolfson Block.
What was initially thought to be a simple fault ended up requiring a new pump, specialists and two weeks worth of work.
St Anne’s JCR President, Owen Evans, met with the Bursar on Wednesday to discuss potential compensation.
He commented, “We had a very open and balanced discussion on the matter, as we sought to represent the views of the affected students. We’re currently awaiting a reply from college, as they go through their figures and assess the situation.”
The first complaint was received on Monday of 0th week, but it was not until Monday of this week that the students were finally able to shower in their accommodation.
The prolonged repairs have sparked criticisms from students that the College showed a lack of urgency when dealing with the issue. Martin Jackson, bursar for St Anne’s, hit back at these claims saying, “The speed of response would not have been any different whether the residents were Fellows, students or conference delegates.”
Jackson stated that after the tank was cleaned, specialists who had been called in, doubted whether the pump was ‘man’ enough to circulate the hot water. This has lead to a new pump being installed at a cost of £850.
Eleanor Taylor, who lives in the affected block said,”The lack of hot water has been a huge inconvenience to all the residents of our building and initially we were left entirely in the dark about what the problem was.”
She went to say that this could have had very serious consequences for the students. “College is quite frankly very lucky that no one came down with any serious diseases, given that we were unable to wash up with hot water for over 10 days.”
Ben West, who was angered that it had taken so long for the college to react, said, “If students at Oxford are going to be expected to fork out ever increasing sums of money for the privilege of being here, we should be able to expect more than the complacent attitude towards students that we’ve seen in this particular episode.”
Landlords face tighter regulation
Drastic new measures to curb landlords scamming students and creating student ‘ghettos’ were introduced by the government last Wednesday.
The Housing and Planning Minister John Healey revealed a range of new powers for local authorities aimed at tackling unsafe and substandard rented accommodation.
The plans include a new National Landlords Register, giving local government the power to set up a landlord licensing scheme and making it harder for landlords to set up new shared homes.
The proposals come in a week which has seen an outpouring of complaints about landlords from Oxford students.
The anger was shown in Cherwell’s report last week on the North Oxford Property Service (NOPS). The letting agents were criticised for allowing 36-hour queues in the lead up to the release time for student houses, and other concerns about their practices were raised.
Since then, a Cherwell survey has revealed that 70% of Oxford students living out of college accommodation were unhappy with their properties, and saw that they needed repairs once they arrived. Less than half of these believed that repairs were dealt with sufficiently by their landlords.
Over 70% of those surveyed found that their property was in need of repairs on the first day of their tenancy. Only half believed that letting agents were dealing with repairs quickly enough.
Some complained of mould and rats as long-standing problems which had even required the attention of Oxford City Council.
Over a quarter of Oxford’s colleges cannot house undergraduates for the entirety of their course. Students with no choice but to rent alternative property pay between £300 and £450 per month for a single room in a shared house.
Ben Stevens, together with his house mates, paid £1,660 per month for a property during his second year at Somerville College. His experience with NOPS was not positive. “When we moved in to the house the garden was strewn with rubbish – signs, a trolley, broken barbecue – and some bricks and rubble.
“The conservatory where the shower was wasn’t properly insulated so it was freezing most of the time and there was some sort of bush growing in from outside…The path in the front garden was also broken and uneven, so pretty unsafe.”
Other bad experiences include a house so unclean it was unfit for habitation for a month.
Health and safety questions were also raised by problems with mould and gas leaks. A third year student said, “We discovered a gas leak a few weeks after we moved in and the gas man told us we should not have been living in the house at all.”
Problems occurred despite nearly all respondents having visited their houses prior to signing a contract. Some suggested that although they did view their rented property, with hindsight they regret that they had not inspected it properly. “We didn’t ask the right questions. This is the most important thing,” a current tenant of a Lyttons’ property said
Dani Quinn, OUSU welfare officer, urges students to “take their time when selecting an agency, selecting a house, and signing the tenancy agreement. Agencies have made efforts to create panic and give the impression there is a shortage of housing – this is completely untrue, and causes people to rush decisions and pay too much.”
All letting agents spoken to reiterated that they dealt with complaints as quickly as possible. A spokesperson for Hutten Parker added, “once we hear a complaint we contact the landlord and should be able to respond within a few hours”.
Julia Koskella, a third year student and previous NOPS tenant, explained, “What angered me is that there were tonnes of hidden charges – you get back some of your ‘holding deposit’, but half of it is taken as a holding fee, and most of the rest of it is a ‘check-out charge’ even if your property was left spotless at the end, as ours was.”
NOPS were keen to point out that “all our charges are clearly explained to prospective tenants (students or otherwise) at the application stage before they agree to let a property from us.
“They are standard charges within the industry and are largely related to issues that protect both the landlord and tenant.”
However, Koskella insists, “NOPS attempted to retain all of our £550 deposit on leaving the house in the summer, and it was only after a real effort that we managed to keep the majority of it. Many students, however, will not have the ability or the inclination to stand up to them.”
Before the new letting laws come into effect, Jo Holland, JCR welfare officer at Somerville College, advised students to “go and talk to a letting agent before signing anything with them, preferably on a day when you have time.
“Let them explain to you all the fees and deposits they will need and note them down, question which will be returned to you and under what premises.”
It is hoped that Wednesday’s plans will help students living out by making the rights and responsibilities of their landlords clearer. Oxford Council further hopes to improve standards by requiring all landlords to register with them.
In order to register, they will have to sign up to universal quality standards.
Charlotte Carnegie, OUSU Rents and Accommodation officer and OULC co-chairwoman, welcomed the plans. She commented, “I am really excited about the landlord licensing scheme as I think it will make student tenants feel more confident about living out, knowing that they will be renting a property which meets recognised standards.
“For most students the first time they rent is at or directly after university. The National Landlord Register will provide quick and easy access to information, bolstering students’ ability to know their rights and ensure they are protected.”
Oxford East’s Liberal Democrats parliamentary spokesperson, Steve Goddard added, “I welcome this Labour U-turn… 70% of local people want mandatory licensing, and I am pleased to hear that Labour are finally paying attention. The Liberal Democrats will keep putting pressure on Labour to introduce mandatory licensing in Oxford as soon as possible.”
However, some landlords have been angered by the news. Steven Hilton of the National Landlords Association argues, “By making it more difficult and costly for landlords to provide this type of accommodation, these measures will reduce choice for tenants and increase pressure on local authority housing lists.”
Footballing Frustration
The men’s football Blues fell agonisingly and disappointingly short of capturing the BUCS Midlands Division 1A title on Wednesday: a 0 -0 draw was enough for their opponents, Nottingham Trent, to claim the championship instead. With only the league’s top side gaining promotion, this was a doubly bitter blow for the Blues.
Oxford endured a desperately frustrating afternoon at Iffley Road, failing to break the resilience of a determined Trent defensive line. The side from Nottingham began the day one point clear of the Blues, knowing that they would wrap up promotion if they avoided defeat here. Perhaps inevitably, the game began tentatively, both teams settling in for a high-stakes, winner-takes-all encounter. The standard of football was not particularly high, and neither side looked capable of asserting themselves upon the contest.
The first real chance of the game fell to Oxford in the 15th minute, when centre-forward Tom Mayou found himself in behind the last man; his slightly heavy touch invited the Trent goalkeeper to smother the loose ball and nullify Oxford’s most penetrating move of the first half. Trent offered little threat going forward in the early exchanges, content to sit on their cushion of an ultimately decisive one point advantage: Oxford’s full-backs and centre-backs dealt comfortably with Nottingham’s blunt attacks, and the Blues goal was rarely troubled until midway through the second half.
After the break though, the game opened up, as did the heavens above Iffley. On a slick surface, both sides began to pass the ball with more zip and quality. Blues captain Leon Farr uregd his team forward, his determined commands echoing around the grandstand: the heart and desire of the Blues could not be faulted. Oxford needed a spark, a catalyst to propel them towards a coveted championship, but it became harder and harder to see where it would come
from. The Trent keeper and captain was exceptional, both in his shotstopping and distribution, but he was not tested enough by an Oxford attack that was, at best, ineffective.
Tom Howell worked hard, often as a lone forward, but was rewarded with few chances in front of net: the Blues just seemed to lack creative talent, relying upon predictable channel balls that were easily handled by Trent’s competent defenders. Lacking invention in the midfield areas, Oxford could not muster a cutting edge to complete their decent passing play. The balance of domination swung back and forth as the second half progressed, both teams enjoying spells of pressure and possession. A whipped Oxford cross into the box narrowly evaded the head of an oncoming midfielder, and the Blues were unlucky not to gain more from several dangerous corners. Cameron Knight made some enterprising runs for the Blues, striving to forge something
that would test the Trent defence.
Opportunities were difficult to engineer though, and composure deserted Oxford at vital times. Trent too were wasteful, squandering their sporadic chances with a series of miscues and weak shots: without doubt, neither side did enough to justify victory on a day that impartial spectators will quickly forget.
One moment that will haunt Oxford arrived in the dying minutes, when a ball from wide right deflected, bobbled and squirmed its way across the gaping goalmouth: an Oxford player, unmarked at the back post, swung a leg, almost ready to wheel away in glorious celebration- unfortunately for the luckless Blues, only the damp air received a lashing from his boot as the ball trickled away to Trent safety.
The final whistle brought jubiliant cheers from Nottingham’s champions, now promoted to the Midlands Premier. The Blues left their home pitch humbled and disconsolate, regretting the two draws in the season’s final two games (the other coming last week at Lincoln) that have cost them a league title and a much sought-after promotion to the region’s top division.
Nonetheless, Oxford must now focus on the upcoming Varsity match against Cambridge’s Light Blues, for which they have a couple of months to prepare. On this evidence, they will need to use that time wisely and profitably, lest disappointment here become even more intensified with a loss to the rival Tabs. The Blues will require no greater motivation than what they witnessed today, ushered away from their own field by Trent’s taunting chants and flowing champagne.
Interview: Graham Cole
Having played the role of PC Tony Stamp for 25 years in the long-running ITV police drama ‘The Bill’, Graham Cole has plenty of experience of life on the beat. The 57 year-old actor was part of the show since its beginning in 1984 and clocked up 1317 episodes during his time there. The decision to axe his character last year sparked uproar from many viewers, with online petitions attracting thousands of signatures to ‘Save Our Stamp!’ ‘It’s very easy being a baddie. I tried to play Tony as an ordinary cop, like the guys and girls on the street, but to make him interesting too’
‘I thought they might move Tony up to Sergeant but they had other ideas,’ he admits, with a tinge of sadness. ‘But I enjoyed my time on The Bill beyond belief. To have fans from little kids to old grannies is hugely humbling.’ Having started on the show as an extra in fight sequences, Cole eventually became one of the show’s most popular characters and the last of the original cast to leave. ‘I was hoping to get into the Guinness Book of Records as the longest serving TV cop,’ he chuckles.
Since leaving The Bill, Cole has successfully released his autobiography, ‘On the Beat’ which has received favourable reviews. ‘I didn’t do a Jordan,’ he smiles, ‘It’s all my own words.’ Several other new projects are also in the pipeline, with a role in Ben Treblicook’s film ‘Vauxhall Crossed’ as Head of MI5 Sir Edward Jago, as well as the possibility of West End theatre roles and a return to his theatrical roots. A visit to the Oxford Union, at which he spoke eight years ago in a Law and Order debate, is another idea he welcomes.
Cole’s route into the world of acting was an unconventional one, not attending drama school. Yet from a young age his heart was set on a career on the stage. ‘From the age of eight and going to Saturday morning cinema I knew I wanted to be an actor’, he recalls fondly, ‘but my Dad wanted me to do something sensible. I was useless at everything at school except for English and Sport. Everyone thought I would go to university to study English and become a teacher but I knew I didn’t want to do that. The only thing I’d really done outside of school was Saint John’s Ambulance so I got a job working in the NHS as an Orthopaedic Technician in Middlesex. At the age of 21 I went to my Dad and asked him, “Can I go and act now Dad?”
He became a Butlins Redcoat, a job he describes as ‘a great way into the industry’. Successful auditions for pantomimes led to parts in repertory theatre around the country and began a passion for researching a character that would greatly influence his time on The Bill as Stamp.
‘During my time in rep I would always go to reference libraries for research. On the Bill I would talk to as many policemen as I could. I used to go out with them in their cars on their ten hour shifts. When an episode comes up, the chances are you’ve been there before.’ However, Cole did far more than merely observe the workings of the police, taking part in the Hendon police training programme on eight occasions.
‘I only had to do the fun bit, which annoyed some people,’ he laughs. Gaining qualifications with the Institute of Advanced Motorists enabled him to drive in chase sequences and perform many roles usually considered too dangerous for an actor. ‘It’s a case of boys and toys. I never used a stunt double in 25 years. I was the only actor allowed to do all their own stunts,’ he proudly reveals.
In 2002 Cole took on what was perhaps the most controversial and distressing storyline ever featured in The Bill. Stamp was wrongly accused of sexually abusing a young boy whoM he had taken under his wing and was forced to prove his innocence over a series of six episodes. Both on and off-screen the strain and emotional impact of the events was extreme.
‘One time I was driving home and I had to pull into a pub car park and have a cry, just to let it out. The directors told me that they didn’t want to have Stamp breakdown on-screen, but they wanted it just below the surface. To watch a big man fall apart is special. On TV acting is all about the eyes. If you’re going to get the eyes right then you’ve got to get your gut right. Your audience invest in you and if you’re doing it properly your mailbag should be bulging. When TV stops eliciting emotion then it’s time to pull the plug. But filming the show hour by hour, it takes a lot out of you.’
‘The storyline had all the gambits of emotions. On all of the occasions when Stamp was accused, the audience knew he wasn’t guilty. I know many people who have been put in a similar position, accused and having to try and prove your innocence. The response I had from schoolteachers in particular was incredible.’
When told by producers about the plotline they had in mind for his character, Cole saw the opportunity to integrate one of the causes close to his heart into the programme. ‘At the time I’d been with ChildLine for 15 years, that’s 23 years now. ITV brilliantly agreed to put up the organisation’s logo after every show for children who were affected by the story to ring.’
Cole’s commitment to his charitable work is evident, being President of The National Holiday Fund, a patron of ChildLine and heavily involved with The Police National Memorial Fund as a few examples. He attended 84 charity events last year.
One of his more unusual commitments is his role as King Rat, the Head of the Grand Order of Water Rats, an entertainment industry charity established in 1889. Stars ranging from Charlie Chaplin to Sir John Mills have been members of the fraternity and Cole describes the title as ‘a huge honour’. Their London headquarters, the Water Rats’ Pub, was the location for Oasis’ first gig in the capital and many new bands perform there today. ‘It’s fantastic to have the old and the brand new trying to make their way in the industry come together’.
The connection between Cole’s achievements, both professional and personal, and his extensive charity work is obvious. It is by no means a box to be ticked on a public relations checklist. For him, using his celebrity in order to do good is a moral duty. In his own words, ‘If you’ve been blessed with a wonderful career and family, I do believe that you must pay something back. By just turning up, a famous face can double the gates.’
Yet what is his abiding feeling about his 25 years on The Bill, the programme that defined his career and created this ‘famous face’ that has so greatly contributed to his charity work and its success? A simple sentence is all Graham Cole needs. ‘I absolutely loved it.’
Graham Cole’s autobiography On The Beat is published by www.splendidbooks.co.uk and is out now.