aljazeera--2019-12-05--Lebanon's Daily Star employees on strike, citing unpaid salaries

Beirut, Lebanon - Members of staff at Lebanon's The Daily Star newspaper have gone on strike, saying salaries had gone unpaid for months.  More than a dozen reporters and editors at the English-language daily did not go to work on Thursday. Some said they had not been paid in nearly six months despite working full-time. • Who can lead Lebanon out of political crisis? • Lebanon's Saad Hariri says he does not want to be next PM  "First it was a week, then two, then a month," said Timour Azhari, a reporter at The Daily Star and one of those on strike. "Then suddenly we went for two or three months without anything."  "We've had promises saying the money is coming, we’re working on getting the money… but in the end, we have no money," he said. "So we've been pressuring, we've been holding meetings, we've been asking, sending emails. But generally we felt that our demands were not getting through."  Employees last week had warned management of the impending strike, submitting a document asking for one month's salary to be paid by Wednesday, and for a schedule to be drawn up for the rest of the outstanding payments. The newspaper's editor said it was unable to meet these demands.  "Yes, we have a cashflow problem; yes, salaries have been somewhat delayed, that of course is true," Editor-in-Chief Nadim Ladki told Al Jazeera.  "We are doing as much as we can to resolve the situation. But, as you know, the newspaper industry around the globe is facing challenges, so we are part of that."  Ladki said employees could ask the company accountant to pay small sums in emergency circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Staffers said this system helped them to survive this long, with one likening the process to asking employees to "beg for our salaries".  Previous promises to pay wages soon had gone unfulfilled due to Lebanon's anti-government protests, which have been ongoing for six weeks, having disrupted the banking system and driven down advertising sales, Ladki said.  "I'm not saying the staff are not within their rights to demand the full amount, and of course this is the duty of the paper. But there are circumstances that have really not helped us."  As staffers met on Wednesday afternoon to decide whether or not to proceed with the strike, long-time employee Benjamin Redd received an email from management telling him it was his last day at the newspaper: He was being let go due to financial constraints.  "At the end of my shift I got an email basically saying you're fired, get out, don't come back … on the eve of the strike," Redd said.  "I don't believe it was just a financial decision. The timing is very convenient."  The consensus among staff was that Redd had been fired for appearing to lead calls for a strike, according to Azhari, who submitted his resignation on Thursday, citing Redd's dismissal.  "Management seemed to think that he had taken on a leading role, which I must stress is not true," he said.  "It really was democratically by consensus, with all staff members, but somehow they got the impression that he was leading it and he was fired for that."  Staff said if management had intended firing Redd to dampen calls for a strike, it had the opposite effect.  "[It] was the trigger for a lot of the people who went on strike today, because it came very much out of the blue, and it appeared to be in response to Ben's role in helping organise this action," said one current staffer taking part in the strike, who asked to remain anonymous as they feared jeopardising their job following Redd's dismissal.  "We just weren't convinced that it was done in good faith."  "It was a clear tactic of intimidation coming from upper management … and I received that message as a clear threat," said another.  Ladki insisted Redd was let go solely for financial reasons, but acknowledged that the timing was unfortunate.  "Ben was on a high salary and high expenses … so the idea was that for his salary, I can get three or four younger journalists, that was the decision," Ladki said. "The timing looked very bad, yes."  Several staffers at The Daily Star confirmed to Al Jazeera on Thursday that they had resigned or planned to do so imminently. One said they had been thinking about leaving over the pay issue, but Redd's firing "was the last straw".  Tens of employees have left the newspaper in recent months thanks to payment issues, leaving it severely understaffed.  The Daily Star is almost entirely owned by the family of Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Saad Hariri.  Employees of several media companies owned by the family have consistently gone unpaid. In September, Hariri announced the suspension of operations at Future TV, once one of Lebanon's most-high profile channels, citing financial difficulties.  At the time, the majority of the station's 380 staff had been on a weeks-long strike after going unpaid for months.


anonnews--2019-11-08--CBS Fired Employee Who Leaked Video About Epstein Cover-Up at ABC News

On Tuesday, a video was leaked by Project Veritas, showing ABC’s Amy Robach talk about how the network covered up information about the Epstein case for years. In the previously unaired footage, Robach said that she had conducted an earlier interview with Virginia Roberts, one of Epstein’s victims.  It was suggested that the interview was canceled by ABC due to pressure and threats from the royal family, who was concerned about Prince Andrew being implicated in the scandal. The palace reportedly threatened the network with not allowing them to interview members of the royal family if they aired the footage.  Now, just days after the leak, it was revealed that an employee with CBS news, a different network, was the staffer responsible for the leak. As soon as their identity was discovered, they were swiftly fired from the network.  The following video shows the off the record taping where a very upset Amy Robach talks about how she tried for three years the get her interviews and research published through ABC news but they continually crushed the story because of its connections to the royal family.  Prince Andrew has found himself at the center of the Epstein scandal since the testimony of Virginia Roberts has finally reached the public. As expected, the prince denies any type of illegal behavior and denies that he had ever met Roberts. However, Roberts was able to produce evidence that the two had known each other, including photographs where Prince Andrew is holding the young girl by the waist before she was 18-years-old.  In a recent interview with “60 Minutes Australia,” Roberts says that Prince Andrew should be in jail for what he did to her and other women, who were underage girls at the time. However, she doubts that he will ever see justice because of his position in society.  In the new special, Roberts says that she was trafficked around to the elite of the world, which included a variety of billionaires and politicians.  As ABC’s Amy Robach says in the recently leaked footage, no one knew or cared who Jeffrey Epstein was until very recently. For years there were a small number of activists and reporters who were working to bring his crimes to light, but it was not until this year that the case became national news. The investigation of those who surrounded Epstein was abruptly halted after his alleged suicide in prison, but there are many doubts about the circumstances surrounding his death.  Around the end of October, Epstein’s name was back in the news again, after expert pathologist Michael Baden published a report suggesting that that evidence leads him to believe that a homicide was more likely than a suicide, as the injuries are more associated with strangulation by a large margin. However, this was just an independent ruling, the state’s medical examiner is still standing by the official story.  It was reported by CBS that screams were heard from Epstein’s cell that night. Suspiciously, the security camera that was tasked with monitoring the area malfunctioned at the time of his death as well.  After Epstein was found dead, Attorney General William Barr said that there were “serious irregularities” at the jail where he was being held.  In a speech to a law enforcement group in New Orleans, Barr said that he was angry with the facility for their “failure to adequately secure” the prisoner.


thedailyecho--2019-01-28--Openreach announces plans to create 450 new jobs across the south

OPENREACH today unveiled plans to hire more than 450 trainee engineers across the south as part of a huge recruitment drive.  The new roles being created in Hampshire and six other counties will help Britain’s biggest team of telecoms experts expand and upgrade the company’s national broadband network.  Trainees will be recruited mainly to deliver the Fibre First programme, which is bringing faster and more reliable technology to millions of properties.  Under the proposals Openreach will hire 93 young engineers in Hampshire.  Clive Selley, the company’s chief executive, said: “Openreach is determined to build full fibre as quickly as possible to ensure the country has a reliable broadband network capable of supporting data-hungry services and applications essential for boosting productivity.  “We’re making great progress towards our target of upgrading three million homes and businesses to full fibre by the end of next year.  “Our new apprentices will enable us to fulfil our commitments, with an ultimate ambition to deliver the best possible connectivity to everyone across the entire country.”  The national recruitment drive has been praised by a government minister.  Speaking at the opening of an Openreach training school Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said: “This is a huge expansion in high skilled, well paying jobs across the UK and yet another demonstration of the jobs success we have seen since 2010.  “Behind every employment number is a person whose self-esteem, mental wellbeing and life chances are all vastly improved by being in the workplace.  “Apprenticeships can help create opportunities for women in what are traditionally, male-dominated industries.  “Last year a record number of women moved into work, something reflected in Openreach’s record of hiring more female staff than ever before.”  Regional director David Jordan added: “We want people from all walks of life to apply for roles at Openreach, to build a diverse workforce that reflects the hugely diverse communities we serve.  “Last year we recruited more women than ever before and this year we want to go even further.”


bbcuk--2019-01-21--Stonewall 100 MI5 and law firm among best LGBT employers

Stonewall 100: MI5 and law firm among 'best LGBT employers'

MI5, a law firm, a fire brigade and the Welsh government are among the best LGBT employers in the UK, according to Stonewall.  Solicitors Pinsent Masons is number one in a list of the top 100 companies for 2019, says the LGBT charity.  Several universities, the British Army, Lloyds Bank and homeless charity St Mungo's also feature.  Its executive director Darren Towers says Pinsent Mansons is "leading the way, championing lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality in the workplace".  "They know that helping staff feel that they can bring their full selves to work doesn't just make a huge difference to individual team members - it makes real business sense too."  Stonewall says the law firm topped the list because of its inclusive policies, attitudes towards transgender staff and visitors, and involvement in campaigns - including marriage equality in Northern Ireland.  "When you are able to bring your whole self to work, you are more productive, you're happier and you stay longer," says 27-year-old lawyer Finlay Fraser, who's LGBT and works at Pinsent Masons.  "A goal for me is to be as authentic as I can be and I definitely feel like I am where I work."  Finlay believes the reason the company is number one is because of its diverse workforce and the support and understanding it has for its staff.  "A person who is LGBT and BAME is going to have a different experience than someone who is white and LGBT," he says.  "This company does a lot of work recognising that those two groups will have different experiences.  "It creates an environment where employees from diverse backgrounds want to work."  As well as Pinsent Masons, the other companies which make the top five are Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, MI5, the National Assembly for Wales and law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.  Cheshire's fire brigade - which is third - was recognised for its support networks and the work it does with LGBT people in the community.  "There are a lot of factors, particularly among older LGBT people that in theory put them at more risk of fire," says Mark Shone, who works in community safety.  "They're more likely to live alone, perhaps have mental health issues, more likely to be affected by substance misuse and they're all factors that make you at risk of fire.  "We've done a lot of work to trying to map where those people are and engage them in community safety."  A 2018 survey by Stonewall found that more than a third of LGBT staff had hidden they were LGBT at work for fear of discrimination.  Darren Towers adds: "We know that people perform better when they can be themselves. They are more productive, creative and overall, morale is better.  "This is the kind of workforce employers should want and it happens when people are in a workplace where they feel supported and included."  Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.


bbcuk--2019-01-22--UK employment total hits record high

UK employment total hits record high

The number of people in work in the UK has reached a record high of 32.54 million, latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show.  Unemployment was flat, with a small increase of 8,000 between September and November for a total of 1.37 million.  Average earnings excluding bonuses increased by 3.3% in the year to November, as wage rises continued to outpace inflation.  The number of job vacancies rose by 10,000 to a record high of 853,000.  ONS head of labour market David Freeman said: "The number of people working grew again, with the share of the population in work now the highest on record.  "Meanwhile, the share of the workforce looking for work and unable to find it remains at its lowest for over 40 years, helped by a record number of job vacancies.  "Wage growth continues to outpace inflation, which fell back slightly in the latest month."  The unemployment total is 68,000 lower than a year ago, with the jobless rate 0.2% down on this time in 2018. The number of job vacancies rose by 10,000 to a record high of 853,000.  The increase in both unemployment and employment is explained by the UK's rising population and fewer people being classed as economically inactive, which includes those on long-term sick leave, students, and people who have given up looking for a job.  The number of economically inactive people fell by 100,000 to 8.6 million, a rate of 21%, which is the lowest on record.  Employment Minister Alok Sharma said: "Our pro-business policies have helped boost private sector employment by 3.8 million since 2010, and as the Resolution Foundation's latest report shows, the 'jobs-boom has helped some of the most disadvantaged groups find employment', providing opportunities across society."  Andrew Wishart, UK economist at Capital Economics, said the figures were "reassuring, showing no sign of any hit to firms' hiring ambitions due to Brexit".  However, Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, warned that the pace of wage increases may begin to ease.  "We doubt that wage growth will be sustained over the next six months at November's strong rate," he said, "Pay settlements likely will weaken this year, as the previous year's inflation rate usually is the starting point for negotiations.  "Nonetheless, the labour market now looks tight enough to ensure that wage growth does not slip below the 3% mark."  At first blush the most surprising thing about the jobs market as portrayed by the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics is how robust it is.  All this talk of Brexit uncertainty and yet employers continued to take people on. The number in work and the proportion in work continued to hit a new record - as it has done now, more or less continuously, for years. And the bulk of the new jobs were full-time; there are now a record 24 million full-time jobs in the UK.  Is the jobs market simply ignoring all the Brexit-induced political chaos?  Does this confirm suspicions that warnings of slower growth owing to the prospect of a no-deal Brexit was merely Project Fear?  The answer to the latter question is "no", and to the former "we don't know yet".  The key is that jobs figures trail the rest of the economy.  Firms that took people on in the September to November period will have decided to do so in the summer, when confidence was higher and the politics less fraught.  So we will still have to wait a few months to know if Brexit uncertainty has hit the jobs market or not.  Tej Parikh, senior economist at the Institute of Directors, said the employment figures may not be a marker for any possible interest rate rises.  "The Bank of England will be little moved by today's data. While the momentum behind wage growth may build support for interest rate hikes, Brexit remains the spanner in the works for the monetary policy committee," he said.  Separate figures from the ONS showed that government borrowing rose last month.  Public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, was £3bn in December, which was higher than expected and up £300m from the same month a year earlier.  Borrowing in the current financial year-to-date was has now reached £35.9bn, £13.1bn less than in the same period in 2017 and the lowest year-to-date figure for 16 years.  However, analysts said that on current trends, borrowing was set to exceed the £25.5bn forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility for the 2018-19 financial year as a whole.  "Much will depend on whether an expected marked pick-up in corporation tax receipts materialises and how well the economy holds up over the first quarter of 2019, particularly given the current heightened Brexit uncertainties," said Howard Archer, chief economic adviser to the EY Item Club


bbcuk--2019-03-19--UK employment at highest since 1971

UK employment at highest since 1971

The number of employed people in the UK has risen again, to a new record number of 32.7 million people between November and January, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.  The 76.1% employment rate is the highest since records began in 1971.  Unemployment fell by 35,000 to 1.34 million in the period, putting the rate below 4% for the first time since 1975.  The figure is 112,000 lower than a year ago, giving a jobless rate of 3.9%, well below the EU average of 6.5%.  Average weekly earnings, excluding bonuses, were estimated to have increased by 3.4%, before adjusting for inflation, down by 0.1% on the previous month but still outpacing inflation.  ONS senior statistician Matt Hughes said: "The employment rate has reached a new record high, while the proportion of people who are neither working nor looking for a job - the so-called 'economic inactivity rate'- is at a new record low."  Employment Minister Alok Sharma said: "Today's employment figures are further evidence of the strong economy the chancellor detailed in last week's Spring Statement, showing how our pro-business policies are delivering record employment."  The number of men in employment increased by 77,000 to a record high of 17.32 million.  The number of employed women rose by 144,000 to a record high of 15.40 million - the largest increase since February-to-April 2014.  The UK's highest regional employment rate was in the south-west of England (79.9%), while the largest estimated increase in workforce jobs was in the south-east of England (59,000).  In December, London (91.5%) had the highest estimated proportion of people working in the services sector, while the East Midlands had the biggest proportion of production jobs (14.5%).  The ONS figures also reveal a record number of 1.67 million people working for the NHS in December - 32,000 more than a year earlier.  The unemployment rates for both men and women aged 16 years and above have been generally falling since late 2013.  Men's unemployment then stood at 7.4% and women's at 6.9%.  The new total unemployment rate of 3.9% has not been lower since the November 1974 to January 2015 period.  The 4% figure for men is at its lowest since April to June 1975, while the 3.8% for women is the lowest since comparable records began in 1971.  Meanwhile, the number of economically inactive people fell by 117,000 to 8.55 million, a rate of 20.7%, the lowest on record.  The number of job vacancies in the economy increased by 4,000 to 854,000.  If you were being uncharitable to politicians, you might say today's jobs figures demonstrate how little they matter. "Crisis, what crisis?" said recruiters as they hired 220,000 people in the three months to the end of January.  How can you reconcile all that job creation with talk of a Brexit-induced slowdown?  One answer is that the jobs market lags behind the rest of the economy.  Recruiting people takes time; it can be months between noticing you need some new staff and their starting work, so the recruitment decisions reflect recruiters' sentiments months ago.  Another reason may be that our jobs market is highly flexible, which is to say the risks fall on employees.  In uncertain times, a company whose order book is expanding may prefer to take on people who can be "let go" later if things go wrong.  That can be less costly than investing large sums in new plant and machinery, for example - investment which might prove wasted if demand for your goods shudders to a halt in a few months' time.  If that story is right, it helps explain why the economy is generating jobs, but not much investment.  And although there are more of us working, notably women and older people joining the workforce, the amount we each produce is barely growing. That puts a question mark over the sustainability of real wage growth of 1.4% - the strongest in more than two years.  It appears that Brexit is not stopping firms hiring staff - at least, not yet.  Tej Parikh, senior economist at the Institute of Directors, said: "Businesses have been steadfast in bringing on board new staff and in creating vacancies, despite question marks over the future path of the economy.  "But with uncertainty around Brexit reaching a crescendo, firms are becoming more and more cagey over their hiring decisions."  Andrew Wishart, UK economist with Capital Economics, said: "There was no sign in the labour market data of Brexit concerns at the start of the year, as the data beat expectations in every regard."  Stephen Clarke, senior economic analyst at the Resolution Foundation think tank, said that Britain was closing in on Nordic employment rates and added: "While business investment has stagnated, firms are choosing instead to invest heavily in new staff."  Wages are still ahead of inflation, despite a lower increase than last month.  Analysts think that the outcome of Brexit could lead to an interest rates rise later this year.  Mr Wishart said: "If there is a long delay to Brexit or a deal is struck, we suspect the [Bank of England's] Monetary Policy Committee will raise interest rates this summer."  And Mr Parikh added: "Employers will want to avoid a disorderly withdrawal from the EU and will above all be urging policymakers to return some much-needed oxygen to the skills and productivity agenda."


bbcuk--2019-06-04--Avon and Somerset employs 19 officers with criminal convictions

A police force has been criticised for employing officers who have broken the law.  A BBC freedom of information (FOI) application found 19 officers from Avon and Somerset Police have a criminal record.  The force said the suitability of those convicted of an offence to keep their job would always be reviewed.  Steven Smith, who was assaulted by an officer from Avon and Somerset, said he wanted a change in the law.  The force said nine of the convictions came before the individuals joined the constabulary, while 10 were committed by serving officers.  The force, which employs 2,771 officers, said the offences included burglary, assault and deception.  PC Mark Foster was convicted of assault after placing Steven Smith in a hold outside a Bristol pub in 2014.  He was found guilty of assault at Bristol Crown Court in 2016 but the judge said he would still be "an asset to the force".  Following a police misconduct hearing, PC Foster was permitted to keep his job.  Mr Smith thinks the force should not employ anyone with a criminal record.  "If it's violence or excessive force I do think maybe a law change could be a good idea," he said.  Avon and Somerset Police said: "When officers are charged with offences, they will be subject to open and transparent court procedures and could then face internal misconduct processes.  "The suitability of those convicted of an offence to remain employed by the constabulary will always be reviewed and the circumstances relating to their conviction will be taken into consideration when a decision is made."  The Police Federation said officers were "human", adding "does one mistake mean that they're no longer a value to society?"  In 2012, figures released by 33 of the 43 forces in England and Wales after FOI requests, found more than 900 serving police officers and community support officers had a criminal record.


bbcuk--2019-06-21--Lap dancers sign union deal with Glasgow club employers

Dancers and staff at a Glasgow lap-dancing club have signed a trade union agreement with their employers.  They will be now able to bargain collectively over their terms and conditions following the deal between GMB Scotland and Seventh Heaven.  The deal formalises the presence of a recognised trade union in the industry for the first time in Scotland.  It will cover annual pay negotiations, disciplinary and grievance procedures and health and safety at work.  The agreement comes as Glasgow City Council launches a public consultation over the future licensing regulations of the city's lap-dancing venues.  Scottish government ministers have also proposed a licensing scheme which would give local authorities the power to set the number of licences at zero.  GMB Scotland described the move as an important milestone in the union's efforts to "organise workers across Glasgow's lap-dancing bars and wider adult entertainment sector".  Spokeswoman Rhea Wolfson said: "Workers should always have a voice over decisions that affect their livelihoods.  "Dancers and staff in our lap-dancing venues should be no different, which is why we are delighted to get this agreement signed.  "This is bread-and-butter trade unionism and if people look beyond the intrigue they'll see this agreement gives our members a framework to collectively bargain over their terms and conditions of employment - the same is it would in any other workplace."  She added: "This agreement is good news for employees at Seventh Heaven and good news for our campaign to improve standards across the wider adult entertainment sector in Glasgow."


bbcuk--2019-07-02--Newport soldier says employers discriminate because of PTSD

Newport soldier says employers 'discriminate' because of PTSD

A former soldier injured in two blasts in Afghanistan believes employers are discriminating against him because of his post-traumatic stress disorder.  Anthony Lock, 37, a former corporal in the Royal Welsh, also criticised Jobcentre staff for not being aware of their own scheme to support veterans.  Mr Lock, from Newport, is unemployed despite a citation for "exemplary leadership and bravery" and submitting "hundreds" of job applications.  Mr Lock said: "No-one will employ me because I have post-traumatic stress disorder.  "That's how I feel, it's discrimination - it's always when I have to tell them why I've got a six or seven year gap off work, and that's when it goes dead.  "So it's either because I've got PTSD, mental health issues or I've had a number of injuries and they think I'm going to be on the sick all the time."  On one trip to a Jobcentre, Mr Lock said staff had no knowledge of the armed forces champions scheme, aimed at helping veterans into work, and told him to contact the Salvation Army.  A UK government spokesman said: "We deeply value the service of our armed forces and apologise to Mr Lock if he feels his visit to the Jobcentre fell below his expectations.  "Every Jobcentre has an armed forces champion and if he'd like to make contact with us again, then we'd be happy to speak to him about the support we can provide."  Mr Lock was injured twice in six weeks by two separate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan in 2009, resulting "serious life-changing injuries" including a broken neck and ruptured spleen.  He feels he has been let down by the Army, UK Government and employers, saying: "The Army cannot even find the English and maths qualifications I gained while serving".  His mental health declined in the years after leaving the Army and said he was close to suicide when he decided to write a book about his experiences.  He said: "I was looking at the view, and there was a massive drop in front of me, and I thought 'I can do this now, I can end my suffering' - and something just stopped me.  "It was almost like somebody grabbed me from the back, I'd like to believe it was one of the boys who passed away".  He wants more employers to realise PTSD is not a barrier to giving someone a job and added: "We're not bad people, a lot of us come with some really, really good skills that can help your business."  Newport East MP Jessica Morden raised Mr Lock's story in the House of Commons during an armed forces debate, saying there was "a lack of support for veterans like Anthony" and too little oversight of the Jobcentre.  She added: "We need to do far more with our veterans to help them into employment, to ease that transition into civilian life."  The Army has been asked to comment.


bbcuk--2019-07-22--Employment tribunals I sued my boss and won

Employment tribunals: 'I sued my boss and won'

In the early stages of a difficult second pregnancy, Charlotte Loubser had been sick, nauseous and found herself unable get out of bed.  The birth of her first child had been troubled and her second pregnancy was considered high risk, so the doctor signed her off work in the early months.  However, after she passed the 12-week stage in the pregnancy, Charlotte felt ready to go back to work at a hairdressing salon where she was a receptionist.  But on the afternoon she was supposed to return, in January last year, she received a phone call saying she was no longer needed.  "I was obviously extremely upset, my husband was angry," Charlotte said.  When she didn't receive her wages, Malcolm, her husband, wrote an email to the salon owner. But after receiving no reply the couple joined a growing number of people who are bringing claims against their former employers.  It wasn't easy. "It's a lot of work, it's really emotional and it's very, very draining," said Malcolm who did a lot of the legal work on the case, even though he's not a lawyer.  And it worked. Charlotte was awarded about £2,000 in wages that had been withheld and £15,000 in compensation, although the couple have only seen a fraction of the cash.  Charlotte would warn anyone considering bringing a claim to "take it seriously".  "It was so much hard work and it was so emotional."  The Loubsers did not have the money to pay for a lawyer but even if they had, it may not have paid off. In almost all cases, claimants are left to pay their own costs and that leaves many with no choice but to go it alone. That can leave them at a huge disadvantage, according to employment barrister Bruce Carr.  He's seen an increase in the number of people representing themselves in employment tribunal cases. But he says the complexity of the process is a "huge disincentive" for those considering bringing a claim. "It's quite intimidating," he says.  In the past year, the number of people making a claim to an employment tribunal has increased by 10%. The courts accepted a total of 121,075 claims last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).  The number of claims soared in 2017 when tribunal fees were scrapped after the Supreme Court ruled that it was unlawful to charge people to bring a case. That has left the tribunal system understaffed.  "There are more delays than there used to be because there just aren't enough people to handle those claims at the moment," says Daniel Cotton, an employment lawyer at law firm DWF.  Whereas claims used to be dealt with in a matter of months, Mr Cotton says it's not unusual for the process to take more than a year now.  The Ministry of Justice told the BBC it had hired an extra 58 judges to deal with additional claims. But Mr Cotton says the tribunal system is more complicated than it used to be.  "The tribunal system was designed to be user friendly, so to be accessible to general members of the public without legal representation," he says. "It probably has moved quite a long way away from that."  However, the MoJ said it had spent £8m on support measures for litigants in person and has pledged another £3m.  Even though he is representing himself, Paul (not his real name) says he felt relaxed walking into the tribunal room, which looks more like a conference room than a court.  Paul is suing his former employer for racial discrimination and constructive dismissal after he was let go last year.  He didn't want the BBC to report his name or the specifics of his case for fear of harming his future employment prospects.  He filed his claim in December last year and since then he reckons he's spent a month working full-time on the case. He swotted up on the law by reading cases online and watching YouTube videos.  In the hearing, Paul is the first to take the stand. The pressure is on, as his former employer has threatened to try to force him to pay its costs if he loses the case.  In employment tribunals, those bringing claims are rarely asked to pay the other side's costs, unless the judge decides that they were acting maliciously and deliberately making things more expensive for their former bosses.  Paul said the threats over costs were an attempt to intimidate him and he thinks the lawyers used that tactic because he's a litigant in person.  Mark Doherty - who went through an employment tribunal five years ago - thinks that's a problem with the system.  After he filed his claim, lawyers bombarded him with paperwork.  He said "letters came in almost daily" from the law firms "in order to wear you down and make sure that you collapsed and did not take [the case] any further".  "It is bullying tactics on the parts of lawyers that pummel claimants into submission," he said.  Mark describes himself as "long in the tooth" but he fears younger workers may be intimidated by the tactics.  "They wouldn't have done it, they would not have gone all the way through because the big lawyers would have pummelled them into the ground with document after document."  "A lot of youngsters do not have the wherewithal to contend with that," he fears.


bbcuk--2019-11-04--'Why I want to sue Asda over new employment contract'

Duncan Carson has just lost his job as a baker at an Asda store near Stoke, but he is preparing to put up a fight.  He is among the Asda workers who have been sacked after refusing to sign up to new contracts, but he aims to take the supermarket to an employment tribunal.  "I think someone should stand up to them," he said. "What is the point in having a contract if they can unilaterally change it?"  Asda gave its workers until midnight on Saturday to agree to new terms, which include unpaid breaks, changes to night shift payments and being called to work at shorter notice.  The supermarket said 120,000 workers had agreed to the deal, and that fewer than 300 had yet to sign up to the new contract.  But Mr Carson, who has worked for Asda for 13 years, said the new contract was "unacceptable".  "I have an appointment with my union officer on Thursday to start the process," he said.  He usually works from 06:00 until noon as a baker, which he says suits him as he is used to working mornings. The new contract means he can be asked to work any hours from 05:00 until midnight.  The move will destroy trust in the business, he says. While the new terms stipulate that Asda must give four weeks' notice of new shift patterns, "what will stop them changing it again?" he asks.  Asda has extended its deadline to accept the new term by a week, meaning workers who return can do so on the new terms. Those who do not will remain sacked, however.  "We have been clear that we do not want anyone to leave us as a result of this necessary change and so we have written to the fewer than 300 colleagues who have not signed the contract to offer a little more time to sign up and continue to work with us, should they wish," the company said.  It added that it had always been clear that it understood people had responsibilities outside of work and would "always help them to balance these with their work life". • Asda workers are 'terrified for their jobs' • Asda's contract changes are 'just not fair'  Neil Derrick, GMB regional officer for Yorkshire and North Derbyshire, said his union would offer advice on what legal challenges his members can mount.  "We are working with every individual member with a view to lodging a claim," he said, which might be based on unfair dismissal, sex discrimination or potentially disability discrimination.  Many Asda workers are women who are on part-time contracts to fit in with looking after family members, he added.  "This new contract completely turns that on its head," he said.  However, Sarah Crowther, a barrister at Outer Temple Chambers, noted that other retailers had made similar contract changes and that they were perfectly legal.  She said employees that refused to accept the changes had two potential ways to make a claim: unfair dismissal or indirect discrimination.  "Those with two years of qualifying employment could bring a claim for unfair dismissal. In that situation it would depend on whether the tribunal was satisfied that there was a good business reason and that procedurally everything had been done with adequate consultation," she told the BBC's Today Programme.  Ms Crowther added that people "disproportionately affected" by the change such as "those less able to accommodate the flexibility... might have a case, but then it would be open to an employer to justify that".  Last week, Leeds-based Asda said it was increasing its hourly pay rates.  The supermarket said it would raise its basic rate for its hourly-paid retail employees to £9.18 an hour from 1 April next year, following an increase to £9 from 3 November.  In London, which has an additional allowance to reflect the higher cost of living, basic pay will increase to £10.31 an hour.  The retailer, owned by Walmart, acknowledged that the announcement for April pay rises had come earlier that usual.


bbcuk--2019-11-26--Election 2019, Your Questions Answered: What's being done for the self-employed?

With the general election fewer than three weeks away, parties' views on tax, finances and jobs have been topics on the minds of our readers.  Here, we answer a selection of your questions we have received.  What is each party planning to do with the tax regulations for the self-employed? - Kim Rahbek, Milton Keynes  The UK's IR35 legislation makes sure that contractors, or self-employed people, pay the same tax and National Insurance (NI) contributions as employees do.  Changes in April will mean that big private companies will be responsible for assessing contractors' employment status and NI contributions, rather than individuals.  In their manifesto, the Liberal Democrats have called for a review of recent proposals to change the IR35 rules.  No other parties mention the regulation specifically in their campaign pledges. But the Conservatives have said that they would make the tax system "easier to navigate" for the self-employed.  Labour has promised to end "bogus self-employment", where self-employed people work for just one company using a middle man like a limited company, which can cut tax bills for them and their employer. In this case, they should often be classed as an employee.  Will anyone address the huge unfair tax burden on single income families by introducing tax allowance transfer between parents? - Becky, Houghton  Married couples or those in a civil partnership are able to claim a tax break if they have a combined income of under £62,500.  The marriage allowance was introduced in 2015, and lets people transfer £1,250 of their personal allowance to the higher earning partner to reduce their tax bill.  In the 2018 financial year, 1.78 million people claimed marriage allowance, costing the UK government £485m.  However, the tax break doesn't apply to co-habiting couples, regardless of how much they earn or how long they've been together.  Both the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats have committed to scrapping the tax break altogether. Other parties have not mentioned the policy in their manifestos. • How much do British people pay in tax?  Some parties are advocating borrowing massive amounts of money each year to invest in services. Where will this money be borrowed from? - Rose Lee, Guildford  The amount the government borrows to make up the difference between what it spends and what it collects is known as "public sector net borrowing". It's also often referred to as "the deficit".  The government borrows this money in financial markets, by selling bonds.  A bond is a promise to make payments to whoever holds it on certain dates. There is a large payment on the final date - in effect the repayment.  Interest is also paid to whoever owns the bond in the meantime. So it's basically an interest-paying "IOU".  The buyers of these bonds, or "gilts", are mainly financial institutions, like pension funds, investment funds, banks and insurance companies. Private savers also buy some.  The appeal to the investors is that British government bonds are seen as essentially no risk - there is no risk that the money won't be paid. • Read more on how government borrowing works • POLICY GUIDE: Who should I vote for? • POLLS: How are the parties doing? • A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words • REGISTER: What you need to do to vote  Are any of the party leaders obliged to provide a copy of their tax returns during the election process? - Mark Errington, Egerton  There's no legal obligation for party leaders to publish their tax returns during an election period.  But some senior politicians have chosen to do so in the past.  Former prime minister Theresa May published four years' worth of returns in the 2016 Conservative leadership contest, for example.  Boris Johnson published a tax statement covering four years when he was mayor of London. It showed that in 2016 he paid £1m on his mayoral salary, earnings from newspaper columns and speaking engagements.  Both Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell have made their returns public since 2015.  Mr Corbyn's 2017-18 tax return shows that he paid just over £46,000 for that tax year.  Do elected MPs have the equivalent of a contract of employment and job description? - Paul Sayer, Milton Keynes  The simple answer is "no".  People tend to regard it as a contract between the voters and the MP - it's down to the voters whether MPs have a position and whether they keep it.  There is no job description and the office holder can choose how to run things. There are many different management styles and it's up to each MP to decide how to carry out their duties. Most MPs will choose to run constituency surgeries, perhaps once a week or once a month - but some choose not to have any.  All MPs receive the same annual basic salary (currently £79,468) although it varies with extra responsibilities, for example if they're a minister or committee member. MPs are paid a salary from the day they are elected to the day they lose their seat.  MPs' pensions are similar to the rest of the public sector and depend on the number of years they are in the job, as well as their salary. So if you've been an MP for 30 to 40 years you will have a good pension, but if you were elected in 2017 and lose your seat at this election, you won't have earned a very good pension. • Are there record numbers of NHS staff? • Could my student debt be written off?  What are your questions about the general election? You can let us know by completing the form below.  In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.


bigleaguepolitics--2019-12-26--‘Transmasculine’ Employee Sues Nike for $1.1 Million After Being Called ‘Wrong’ Pronouns at Work

Jazz Lyles, a former engineering contractor with Nike, is suing the far-left corporation for $1.1 million for being “misgendered” by their co-workers.  Lyles, who was born a female before undergoing a transition of sorts, demands compensation because co-workers would not use the preferred pronouns of “they, them, and their.”  “The lawsuit, filed this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges Nike … exposed Lyles to gender identity-based discrimination and harassment and retaliation,” Willamette Week reported last Tuesday. “Lyles identifies as transmasculine/nonbinary. That means Lyles was assigned the female gender at birth but identifies with masculinity and is a nonbinary person.”  Trending: Joe Biden Tells Audience at Democrat Debate to “Get Used to” Mass Migration  The lawsuit contains a great deal of “woke” gobbledygook, and represents the latest encroachment upon civil society by a deranged LGBT activist.  take our poll - story continues below  “Gender identity is the personal sense of one’s own gender,” Lyles’ lawsuit reads. “One’s gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth. An individual’s gender identity is at the core of an individual’s self-concept.”  Lyles filed the lawsuit in the Multnomah County Circuit Court last week. Lyles has also accused Mainz Brady, an IT staffing firm based in San Mateo, Calif., of discrimination as well.  “Nike had a pattern and practice of turning a blind eye to reported and known harassment,” the lawsuit states, “instead blaming the harassed, treating them as the problem and as troublemakers, all the while failing to ever investigate or take corrective action to remedy the harassment.”  Lyles blames the fact that “they” were not hired as a permanent employee because of the discrimination, and believes that their civil rights were not adequately protected.  Nike is finally paying the price after pushing washed up NFL QB Colin Kaepernick as a hero for dropping to his knees because he hates the American flag.  Big League Politics has reported on Nike’s work to divide the country in order to maximize their profits:  A former NFL quarterback has been selected as the face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign for its 30-year anniversary. Colin Kaepernick Tweeted the first image from this year’s campaign Monday afternoon. “Believe in something,” he said. “Even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt” … Kaepernick started the NFL’s National Anthem protest controversy by kneeling for the Anthem in 2016. Players who have joined in the protest say that it is about recognizing unfair treatment of minorities by police. In August of the same year, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in the same month, and has been jobless ever since.  Nike is starting to pay the price for fanning the flames of social justice insanity.


birminghammail--2019-01-04--Indian restaurant which fed the Home Secretary employed illegal immigrants

A 'popular' Indian restaurant which counts the Home Secretary Sajid Javid among its high profile customers employed illegal immigrants, it has been revealed.  Jilabi, in Sheldon, this week (Thursday, January 3) had its alcohol licence stripped permanently by Birmingham City Council in a landmark immigration case for the authority.  A licensing sub-committee heard that police, alongside Home Office and immigration officials, swooped on the premises on Coventry Road around 8pm on November 23 following a tip-off.  Five men tried to run out of the back door where awaiting police officers ushered them back inside the restaurant.  The restaurant was nominated as one of best Indian restaurants in Birmingham according to the English Curry Awards 2017.  Three men, all from Bangladesh, were ultimately arrested, the longest offender having been an illegal immigrant since 2010.  Inspectors were later told up to ten further men had removed their staff clothing and blended in with customers to avoid detection, although investigators could not confirm the allegations.  Police also found that CCTV was not installed, in breach of the restaurant's licence, and that staff training was not up to standard.  All three immigrants have since been returned or are due to be returned to their home country.  Addressing the committee PC Abdool Rohomon, West Midlands Police licensing officer, said: "This is not about how well they are run, how good the curry is and how popular they are.  "It is a very popular place there are pictures of the Home Secretary having been there, I'm sure he'd love that now."  He added: "You instil upon them trust and they have to comply. The trust has totally been eroded by their actions."  The council took an interim step to suspend the licence on December 7 prior to today's expedited review.  Around a dozen customers had wrote to the authority in support of the restaurant calling for the sanction to be lifted.  One claimed that Home Secretary Sajid Javid was a regular.  The MP for Bromsgrove was photographed at Jilabi in August and the venue even subsequently renamed its Railway Lamb Curry to Sajid's Railway Lamb in honour of the visit according to a post on its Facebook page.  Other high profile customers have also frequented the venue in recent months.  A Facebook post in October pictured Midsomer Murders actor Jason Hughes saying he had joined the 'Jilabi Club of fame' while another stated Watford FC captain - and Birmingham City fan - Troy Deeney was a weekly regular.  Jilabi opened in 2002 and expanded into the former Chinese restaurant next door in 2014.  The fact that they had two licences, one for Jilabi and another for Delicious Buffet, was another thorny issue with police who argued they had been effectively operating as one business.  Abdul Rouf, one of the joint licence holders at the premises, claimed two of the immigrants had started a trial period the day before the police raid and that he had delegated responsibility for checking their paperwork because he had taken a day off at short notice.  He admitted that the third man had been there around two weeks and they had only seen his driving licence.  Mr Rouf pointed out that since the inspection he had hired an administrator to help with checks and paperwork, installed CCTV and updated staff training.  He said: "I apologise profusely. I am sorry for having to bring everybody here.  "I'm responsible for everything that went on and going forward I have taken on board our mistakes. They happened inadvertently and I want to reassure that nothing of this nature or any other mishap will occur under my watch."  Mr Rouf confirmed he would have to lay off a number of staff due to the licence revocation - the strongest sanction available to the council.  He added: "I have let myself down, my customers down and the environment around me down."


birminghammail--2019-03-18--Big Johns fast food restaurant in Solihull fined for employing illegal worker

Big John's fast food restaurant in Solihull fined for employing illegal worker

One of Birmingham’s fast food joints has been whacked with a whopping £10,000 fine for employing an illegal worker.  Home Office inspectors discovered the worker, who did not have the right to work in the country, when they visited Big John’s on Station Road, Solihull, in January 2018.  Dobhai Franchise, the company behind the brand, was later handed the fine by the Home Office, which published the case in its illegal working civil penalties quarterly list.  A home office spokeswoman said: “Big John’s, Station Road, Solihull, was visited by Immigration Enforcement officers on 4 January 2018.  “A civil penalty of £10,000 was imposed on 6 March 2018 to Dobhai Franchise Ltd in relation to one illegal worker who was encountered during this visit.  “The penalty is still outstanding and the case is progressing through the debt recovery stage.”  Big John’s is one of the city’s main takeaway chains.  The company has 14 branches in West Bromwich, Solihull, Handsworth, Shirley, Selly Oak, Quinton, Perry Barr, Kingstanding, the Lawley Middleway, Highgate, Erdington, the city centre, Chelmseley Wood and Acocks Green.  The quarterly reports show the number of illegal workers found and the value of the fine imposed.  The Halal Meat Centre on the High Street in Dudley and Perry Barr Hair and Cosmetics, off Wellington Road, also featured on the list. They were fined £15,000 each after illegal workers were also found on their respective premises.  Illegal working leaves people vulnerable to exploitation and ends up with unscrupulous employers undercutting complaint businesses.  It can also impact the wages of lawful workers and is linked to other labour market abuse such as tax evasion, breach of national minimum wage and exploitative working conditions including modern slavery.  Employers are advised to read the Home Office’s Right To Work guide on their website before recruiting new workers.


birminghammail--2019-06-03--The incredible coffee cup test employers are using at job interviews - and how to pass

The incredible 'coffee cup test' employers are using at job interviews - and how to pass

We all get nervous at job interviews, and that's only natural, given the feeling you're being put under the microscope.  Of course, prospective employers are well within their rights to size you up and put you through the ringer.  After all, they're going to be tasked with working alongside you - should you be successful - for years, potentially.  That means they need to find the perfect person to fit their company's values, ethics and atmosphere.  And a job interview - which typically lasts between half an hour and 90 minutes - can be too quick to truly do this.  Thankfully, employers have a handy hack (or trick) to try and separate the wheat from the chaff.  The 'coffee cup trick' was initially reported by Metro.  Trent Innes of software firm Zero Australia uses the trick in every single interview.  Trent will take candidates on a walk when they arrive for their interview, he says.  He will deliberately pass the kitchen and make sure they come away with a hot drink.  After the interview is all done, Trent watches to see if the person offers or attempts to take the empty coffee/tea cup back to the kitchen.  It's an easy way to find out how selfless someone is.  If they just leave their cup at the table and leave, they won’t get the job.  Trent Innes said: "If you do come in and have an interview, as soon as you come in and you do meet me, I will always take you for a walk down to one of our kitchens and somehow you always end up walking away with a drink.  "Then we take that back, have our interview, and one of the things I’m always looking for at the end of the interview is, does the person doing the interview want to take that empty cup back to the kitchen?  "You can develop skills, you can gain knowledge and experience but it really does come down to attitude, and the attitude that we talk a lot about is the concept of “wash your own coffee cup”."


birminghammail--2019-07-31--Gambling addict gets job working at casino - after stealing 10000 from ex-employers

Gambling addict gets job working at casino - after stealing £10,000 from ex-employers

A gambling addict who stole £10,000 from his former employer at a café has a new job - at a CASINO.  Daniel Harrington siphoned £10,000 from his bosses while working as the chef-manager of an eatery.  The café was operated by a catering company and now the 24-year-old has found new work as a team leader at a casino.  The 24-year-old was 'highly regarded' and 'well spoken of' at the firm, Warrington-based Dine Contract Catering.  But the Manchester Evening News reports the new role poses a 'very dangerous environment' for 'someone like' the Oldham man, according to a judge.  He had worked at the firm for three years, a court heard, and his duties included cashing up proceeds from the café and providing financial reports to company bosses.  But cash due to be collected started going missing, Manchester Crown Court was told.  Harrington gave a number of excuses, saying he had forgot to send some cash for collection,and that he had cancelled one cash collection to reduce costs.  Prosecuting, Mark Kellet said bosses were not suspicious at first because Harrington was a trusted employee.  Company bosses then asked Harrington for the key to a safe so they could get another cut.  Harrington told them he had forgotten it, saying he had been up all night as his grandmother was ill.  He then provided a key which didn't fit, so the company took the safe to a locksmith.  When it was opened, they found only £120 in coins.  Asked why the safe was 'empty', Harrington said: "I don't know. My head is up my a***."  Harrington was unable to explain where the money was, the court heard.  He was suspended and the police were called in.  In interview with officers, Harrington accepted being responsible for losing the money, but denied stealing it.  But he pleaded guilty to one count of theft by employee before magistrates, admitting stealing a total of £10,787.  For the latest on trials and court cases from across Birmingham and the West Midlands, join BirminghamLive's Court Facebook group .  In a message to his former employers, Harrington, who defended himself in court, said: "I can only apologise for what I put them through and for letting them down.  "Obviously I was highly regarded and worked very hard there, but I spiralled a long way.  "I am not trying to justify anything I have done whatsoever. At the time I was under a great deal of stress."  Harrington said he had a 'horrible gambling addiction' and suffered from mental health problems.  He now combines jobs as a chef and a role as a team leader at a casino in the evenings, the court was told.  After Judge Suzanne Goddard QC said a casino could be a 'very dangerous environment' for him, Harrington said: "I have not once had any negative thoughts about it, and it has helped me a lot."  Harrington, of Victoria Street, Lees, said he has limited his gambling to £10 a week, and is working towards cutting it out altogether.  Sentencing, the judge told him: "This was a responsible job. Unbeknown to your employer and your family, you were in the midst of a gambling addiction.  "It seems robbing Peter to pay Paul was always going to be found out.  "By the time of the magistrates hearing you realised you had nowhere else to go."  The judge was told that the loss to the company didn't have a significant impact on staff or trading, but said any loss of £10,000 is 'significant for any company at all'.  Harrington was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months.  He was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

newsdesk@birminghamlive.co.uk (Andrew Bardsley, James Rodger)


birminghammail--2019-08-08--Unison seeks clarification over major issue with council employee wages

Unison 'seeks clarification' over 'major issue' with council employee wages

Could not subscribe, try again later  Staff at Dudley council are being told their wages are safe after a recent audit report warned their pay could be late or wrongly calculated.     Local authority bosses are now reassuring their 13,000 staff they will be paid on time and correctly after a recent report stated there was a ‘major’ issue in the payroll service.  In a corporate risk register presented to councillors on the audit and standards committee, senior officers gave the issue its highest rating of 20, stating: “Failure to address the actions in the internal audit report may result in staff not being paid or not being paid correctly”  It added: “Payroll, ICT and Finance are working closely to identify the root causes of the issues.”  “If necessary, the previous payroll months would be applied, with priority efforts concentrated on new starters and over payments.“  The report did not specify what the problem was but said the risk level had increased from a previous rating of 16 .  In response to a request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for procurement, transformation and commercialisation, said:  “Dudley Council cares about the welfare and wellbeing of everyone on our payroll, our employees and the employees we pay on behalf of other organisations."  "We always prioritise work to ensure they are paid correctly and on time.  “Internal audit work has identified scope for improvement to our payroll.  “We are now working hard to strengthen the relevant processes and this will be reviewed by Audit and Standards Committee later this year.”  A spokesperson for the town hall trade union, Unison, said they had not seen an increase in complaints over wages but it would now be seeking clarification from senior management.


dailyheraldchicago--2019-11-09--Indo American museum plans permanent gallery in Lombard

A national hub for recognizing the contributions Indian Americans have made to the broader American culture is coming to Lombard.  The National Indo American Museum has been established for 10 years and has an office in Chicago, but it is planning to open its first permanent gallery and event space sometime next year in the Lilac Village.  The museum's facility at 815 S. Main St. has been donated by Umang and Paragi Patel, who also are funding a renovation to turn the 8,000-square-foot building into a place to host exhibits, contests, educational programs and children's activities.  Amita Banerji, vice president of the organization that became a national group last December, said the museum aims to celebrate the stories of Indian Americans across generations and document the ways they have contributed to the shaping of America.  "The Patel Center will serve as a model for sharing and connecting the community's stories in Indian American museums across the country," Banerji said. "We strive to tell stories beyond those that regularly surface in the media."  The museum has been a largely digital effort so far, with much of its outreach and storytelling conducted through technology, educational programs or pop-up events.  The museum engages schoolkids in Chicago with courses called Ethnic Dialogues, which covers cultural elements such as religion, festivals and food, and the Gandhi Peace Program, which brings ethicist Mahatma Gandhi's message of nonviolence to the classroom.  The museum also celebrates Indian culture with festivals in the suburbs called "Cricket Melas," using the Sanskrit word for a gathering or a fair in the name of the events designed to enjoy the heritage games of cricket and kite-flying.  Banerji said museum leaders, staff members and volunteers are looking forward to the advent of a permanent physical space next year but do not yet have a target date for the opening.  To raise funds for the Patel Center's operations, the museum is hosting a gala at 6 p.m. Sunday at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center. The event aims to raise $100,000 and will honor former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi by making her the second inductee into the National Indo American Museum's Hall of Fame. Jazz pianist Vijay Iyer became the first when he was inducted in 2016.  During the gala, Nooyi is set to engage in conversation with Lakshmi Menon, one of the museum's founding board members, to answer questions and connect with younger audience members.  "That has raised a lot of excitement," Banerji said.


eveningstandard--2019-01-24--Tower of London Museum tour history facts tickets and all you need to know before visiting

Tower of London: Museum tour, history, facts, tickets and all you need to know before visiting

London is home to a fascinating history which is immortalised in landmarks dotted around the capital.  We are even lucky enough to have four UNESCO World Heritage Sites on our doorstep which are an excellent place to start if you want to soak up the best of London's culture.  Here is all you need to know about one of the most famous fortresses in the world - The Tower of London.  Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, to use its official name, is a castle on the north bank of the River Thames that was built in 1066 during the Norman Conquest of England.  It is a prime tourist attraction, with thousands of people flocking there every year, itching to catch a glimpse of the crown jewels, which are on display under armed guard.  From the year 1100 until 1952, the Tower was used as a prison – with the Kray twins among some of the last criminals to be kept there.  Other prisoners kept in the Tower were Queen Elizabeth I before she took the throne, and Richard III’s two nephews – The Princes in the Tower – who were famously found dead in their cell in 1483 after their father, Kind Edward IV, died.  The Tower has been used for many other purposes over the centuries – including a public record office and the home of the Royal Mint.  The Yeoman Warders – more commonly known as Beefeaters – are the guardians of the Tower of London.  The traditional Beefeater uniform is a black and red long coat with a matching hat – just like on the label of a bottle of Beefeater Gin.  Originally, they would have been responsible for guarding any prisoners in the Tower and keeping the crown jewels safe.  Since the Victorian era, they have conducted guided tours around the Tower. At the moment, there are an estimated 38 beefeaters working there.  The Yeoman Warder tours, which are an hour long, run every 30 minutes from 10am on Tuesday-Saturday and from 10.30 on Sunday and Monday.  The last tour of the day is at 2.30pm in winter and 3.30pm in summer.  During the tour, the Beefeaters will guide you through the Tower while teaching you about its history, from the grand to the gruesome.  Among the stops you can visit are the crown jewels themselves and the infamous torture chamber.  NB: The Tower of London’s website warns some parts of the tour might be a bit scary for young children.  The Yeoman Warder tours are included in the price of your ticket, so no need to pay extra.  You can buy tickets here (buy online to get a 15% discount).  The closest stations to the Tower of London are Tower Hill (district and circle lines) and Tower Gateway (DLR), at just 2-3 minute walk from the site.


eveningstandard--2019-01-30--Best London exhibitions in March 2019 Art galleries museums and culture in the capital

Best London exhibitions in March 2019: Art galleries, museums and culture in the capital

With the likes of Van Gogh and Henry Moore on display, March is looking especially good for exhibitions to enjoy across London.  Culture lovers have plenty to get to grips with this spring, from vibrant shows exploring big name artists to thought-provoking displays on lesser-known creatives.  Ready to hit the galleries? These are the standout shows more than worthy of a visit this March.  London is bracing itself for a whole lot of nakedness this March. A new exhibition at the Royal Academy is diving into the heart of Renaissance art — the nude figure. The 15th and 16th centuries were a pivotal time for the nude in Western art and this show charts its gradual developments, from anatomical studies to miniature portraits, through the works of Renaissance titans including da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Michelangelo, Durer and Cranach.  Green fingered enthusiasts and art lovers alike will enjoy this new exhibition at the Garden Museum, which focuses on Emma Tennant’s botanical watercolours. The show will track Tennant’s career, from her early days in her garden in southern Scotland to her travels to Norfolk, Suffolk, north Wales and beyond. The works will be accompanied by artist notes that detail the history of her horticultural subjects, paying tribute to explorers and gardens that have cultivated the plants in her pieces.  If headwear is your thing, this exhibition at the Wallace Collection will be just the ticket. British sculptor Henry Moore had something of a fascination with helmets and armour and this show will be the first time his works have been on display alongside the Renaissance armour that inspired them. Visitors will find more than sixty sketches, drawings and full-sized sculptures in plaster, lead and bronze, all created by Moore himself.  A new exhibition on Polish artist Joanna Piotrowska opens as part of Tate Britain’s ongoing Art Now series, which shines a spotlight on new and recent work by emerging artists. Piotrowska is known for pieces that explore human power dynamics and relationships, and this exhibition will show 16mm films and black and white photographs that explore ideas of the human body and social structures. Each of her pieces are deliberately staged and directed.  The Saatchi Gallery is offering a trip down memory lane with an installation taking inspiration from kaleidoscopes. The exhibition will feature works from nine contemporary artists and explore how human perception can be distorted. Visitors can expect sculptural works from Tillman Kaiser and still-life paintings from Florence Hutchings, alongside the interactive large-scale kaleidoscope by artist Laura Buckley.  Following a major restoration project, the Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery will open with a solo show by British sculptor Anish Kapoor. The exhibition will feature a series of sculptures, some of which have never been seen before in Britain, each which challenge traditional ideas of form and space by disorientating the observer.  This show at the National Gallery will be the first UK exhibition on Spanish Impressionist Sorolla in over a century. Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida may be a lesser-known name in the UK but this London show will highlight how he captured light on his dynamic canvases. Set to showcase 60 works spanning Sorolla's career, the exhibition will feature some of his most renowned seascapes and garden views alongside portraits and landscapes.  The Serpentine Gallery will host the first UK solo exhibition on the late Swiss artist Emma Kunz. As both a healer and researcher, Kunz considered her drawings to be energy fields and used a pendulum to plan the structure of them. The show will explore how her works demonstrate philosophical, spiritual and scientific themes, all of which held relevance during her life in the late 19th and early 20th century, and still do today.  One of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year is landing at the Tate Britain. The show will bring together 45 iconic works by Vincent van Gogh, exploring how his pieces were inspired by Britain and its artists. Specifically, the show will focus on Van Gogh’s love for British culture, including his fondness of Charles Dickens and George Eliot, and how this impacted his paintings through his lifetime. Set to be the largest collection of his artwork in the UK for almost a decade, the exhibition will feature some of his most famous pieces from around the world, including Shoes, Starry Night on the Rhône and L'Arlésienne.


eveningstandard--2019-03-12--The worldaposs first floating museum is opening in Paris

The world's first floating museum is opening in Paris

This May, Paris will welcome a new museum to its already-impressive culture hub.  On the banks of the Seine River, next to the Invalides Bridge, Fluctuart will be the world’s first floating museum.  The sustainable three-storey floating structure will be entirely dedicated to urban art and will be free to enter and open all year round.  The first travelling exhibition to be showcased at the new age museum will be works from the urban artist Swoon – the name used by Caledonia Curry, an American classically trained visual artist and printmaker.  The museum will welcome artworks from both French and international urban artists, with at least three different exhibitions per year.  Fluctuart’s rooftop will offer panoramic views of the Grand Palais, located across the river, a brunch service, workshops and a space for children.  The museum was the winner of the 2017 ‘Réinventer la Seine’ (Reinvent the Seine) which saw the city of Paris look for projects that could revamp its iconic river. The plan is to launch 40 projects along the banks of the Seine and its canals – with Fluctuart being just one of the projects.  Fluctuart will open in May and will be free to the public. You can find it at 2 port du Gros Caillou, 75007 Paris, France, fluctuart.fr/


eveningstandard--2019-04-04--Imperial War Museum exhibitions look at how war eradicates culture

In 1942 Hitler launched the Baedeker Raids. The Luftwaffe wanted to destroy picture postcard Britain and so bombed towns and cities with high cultural value that had been written about in the famous German Baedeker travel guide. Exeter was first city to be bombed, followed by Bath, Norwich and then York.  The story of the Baedeker blitz is one of many being explored in a new season of exhibitions at the Imperial War Museum that looks at how war eradicates culture.  Taking place between July 5 and January 5 2020, the 'Culture Under Attack' season looks at architecture, photography, art and music. As well as exploring why some people try to exploit it, the exhibitions also explore why others risk everything to protect and rebuild it.  Created in partnership with Historic England, the first exhibition 'What Remains' looks at contemporary buildings, places, art and artefacts that have been deliberately targeted. As well as the story of the Baedeker Raids, the exhibition looks at the Taliban's destruction of Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddas in 2001.  Carl Warner, head of Cold War and Late 20th Century at IWM said: "Culture has become victim of both indiscriminate and deliberate damage, especially as the line between the home front and the battlefield continues to blur. We hope that the visitors to the exhibition are encouraged to question how we respond as individuals, communities and nations to the void often left behind".  'Art in Exile' is another exhibition at IWM that looks at how cultural treasures in British museums and galleries have been protected.  At the outbreak of the Second World War, a small proportion of IWM's collection was chosen to be evacuated. This included 281 works of art and 305 albums or photographs which accounted for less than one per cent of the entire collection.  The works were by prominent twentieth-century artists including Paul Nash, John Singer Sargent, John Lavery and William Orpen. They were put in storage in the country homes of IWN's Trustees where it was thought German bombers were unlikely to go. The National Gallery, the V&A and the British Museum also moved work to country estates and later to underground quarries.  Alex Walton, curator of First World War and Early Twentieth Century at IWM and curator of Art in Exile said: "Early in its existence, IWM was ground-breaking in the way it collected everyday items about ordinary people's war experiences, such as the ration books, diaries and clothing seen in the museum today.  "However, its collection also contained many important paintings and sculptures. Over eighty years ago, IWM London was the scene of hurried planning and quick decision making, as an evacuation project was put into motion to transport artworks that were considered in the 1930s to be some of the most precious items in the museum's collection out of London."  Another exhibition 'Rebel Sounds' looks at how people have used music to speak out against war and oppression. Specifically it looks at Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Northern Ireland in the 1970s, Serbia in the 1990s and present day Mali.  One story explored is that of the Cold War Russian bootleggers who defied government bans on Western music. They did this by secretly etching forbidden music onto discarded X-rays called 'bone records'.  The 'Culture Under Attack' season of exhibition takes places at the IWM London from July 5 to January 5 2020.


eveningstandard--2019-05-21--Manga exhibition at the British Museum From Tezuka Osamu to Higashimura Akiko the manga artist you

Manga exhibition at the British Museum: From Tezuka Osamu to Higashimura Akiko, the manga artist you need to know

From a jellyfish-loving introvert to a dog that’s half eel, the world of manga is full of eclectic characters.  The Japanese visual narrative storytelling form is already a global phenomenon, and now it’s about to take over London, with the British Museum opening the biggest exhibition ever held outside of Japan.  It’s the only type of book that you’re reading correctly if you start from back to front, and such is its popularity that even texts like Karl Marx’s Das Kapital have been given the manga treatment.  Originating in the 1800s from satirical cartoon strips in newspapers, manga is now a multi-billion dollar business that has spawned hundreds of movie franchises and merchandise. Early handscroll illustrations from the 1100s, Disney films, and the influence of American culture in post-war Japan have all been cited as influences on the artform, which hundreds of subgenres.  The British Museum’s exhibition explores manga’s cultural dominance, from the cosplay conventions it has inspired to its most iconic characters. With hundreds of illustrations and texts - and even a replica bookshop where visitors can get stuck into some of the world’s most famous manga books - it’s only a slice of the versatile visual artform.  If you don’t know your comic book from your cosplay, we’ve rounded up some of the most influential manga artists that you’ll find in the British Museum’s exhibition.  Considered by many to be the founding father of the artform, ‘God of manga’ Tezuka Osamu (1928-1989) first came to prominence when he was just 18. His first book New Treasure Island was published in 1947 and defined modern manga as we know it, using everything from early Japanese illustration to Disney as his inspiration. One of his best known characters, Astro Boy, will be one of the officially licensed products sold in Japan during the 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games taking place in Tokyo next year.  With her iconic character Princess Jellyfish, Higashimura Akiko (b. 1975) is a contemporary pioneer of one of manga’s most popular genres: shōjo manga (manga for girls). The central character in her Princess Jellyfish series, which ran for almost ten years until 2017, is Kurashita Tsukimi, an introvert who loves jellyfish and dreams of becoming an illustrator.  The appetite for cute cat stories is strong with manga fans, who have been loving Konami Kanata’s (b. 1958) work for over 30 years. Her best known character is little lost kitten Chi - so popular that it was even recently adapted into English for Amazon Prime - and appeals to audiences young and old. In the stories, kitten Chi is adopted by a family but frustrated by the humans who can’t understand her.  During the 1970s, a collective of female manga artists calling themselves the Year 24 Group became influential within the scene. One of the leading figures was Hagio Moto (b. 1949), who established a new genre within shōjo manga: BL, or boy’s love. Aimed at a female readership, it explored the love between men with homoerotic scenes and deep psychological insights. One of her most famous works, The Poe Clan, was published in 1972 and tells the story of a family of vampires in Europe.  One of the striking things about Kōno Fumiyo’s (b. 1968) work is that some of the frames are completely bare other than words within them. It’s a fitting treatment for some of the more difficult subjects that her work has explored, such as Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms, which looks at the aftermath of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima.  The British Museum has been acquiring manga for its collection for over a decade - and it’s also the subject of a manga too. Professor Munakata’s British Museum Adventure, published in 2011, is the work of Hoshino Yukinobu (b. 1954), a prolific science fiction manga artist.  Manga always has a playful side, and never more so than in the work of Akatsuka Fujio (1935 - 2008), who specialised in comedy manga. His iconic characters range from Eel-dog (half dog, half eel), to his longest-running creation, The Genius Bakabon. Alongside his influential illustrations, he also set up an award for new comedy manga artists which has nurtured new talent since 1974.  Tagame Gengoro (b. 1964) published his first work at the young age of 18 and has gone on to become a leading artist of gay erotic manga. His work depicts men in ways that are not often portrayed, with facial and body hair, and directly deals with the issues around coming out in Japan. His work My Brother’s Husband explores the relationship between a Japanese man and the widowed Canadian husband of his twin brother.  Manga is at the British Museum from May 23 to August 26; britishmuseum.org


eveningstandard--2019-07-04--Culture Under Attack New exhibit at Imperial War Museum looks at importance of art and music during

Culture Under Attack: New exhibit at Imperial War Museum looks at importance of art and music during wartime

“It’s interesting to think about how people react in a crisis,” says Alex Walton, Curator of First World War and Early Twentieth Century at Imperial War Museum and the curator of the museum’s latest exhibition, Art in Exile.  Part of the Culture Under Attack programme, the exhibit focusses on how the Imperial War Museum set about protecting its artefacts in the Second World War and decided what was worth saving.  “I think one thing that seems to have happened during this lead up to the Second World War is certain values are brought into stark relief,” says Walton.  “Culture was clearly important for people’s hearts and minds, and we see that when we talk about how the National Gallery opened up its building for different cultural events, like concerts. But clearly culture has monetary value as well, and we can see that from the Imperial War Museum’s decisions about what objects to evacuate. So it’s about ownership as much as it’s about accessing cultural objects.”  A relatively new museum, which focussed on military history, the Imperial War Museum took the unusual decision to only evacuate a very small proportion of its collection, unlike the older and more established British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. And its choices reveal a lot about what ‘culture’ meant to the museum staff.  Just 281 works of art and 305 albums of photographs were moved, less than one per cent of the museum’s entire collection. Not a single piece of art was by a woman.  “It was a surprise because the Imperial War Museum during the First World War was quite interesting in the way that they collected, they set up sub-committees, and those sub committees had particular focuses,” says Walton.  “One of the sub-committees was the women’s work sub-committee headed up by Lady Priscilla Norman. So the museum had a definite wish to represent the work of women during the First World War.  “The one thing that they were very good at doing was commissioning great female artists of the day to create works for them and the museum ultimately ended up with a very strong collection of work by female artists, usually with the women’s work theme. Some of these women, Anna Airy and Norah Neilson Gray, they were very prominent,” she said.  Never before seen documents displayed at exhibition include a typed notice issued to staff at the Imperial War Museum in 1939 as part of a collection ‘priority list’ of what items should be saved.  “When it came to the priority list, we can see that women’s work as a subject matter for works of art was definitely a feature of the priority list, so they wanted to save works which showed women’s work. But, for some reason, all of the works showing women’s work were by male artists.”  “I can’t account for it really, but the only thing I can say when looking at the priority list as a whole is that they were being in some ways a bit conservative in their tastes and decision making. It’s interesting to think about how people react in a crisis.  “When it came to making this priority list for evacuation just before the Second World War, they chose objects that you would say are more elite. So they definitely chose artworks from the collection that were by prominent artists and especially maybe from an older generation of artists who were a bit more established. So any works by John Singer Sargent, for example.  “Others that we are very familiar with today, who were part of a slightly younger generation and a bit more modernist and that type of thing such as John Nash, they certainly weren’t left off the priority list but they were just represented by a few works.”  Walton also emphasised that oil paintings were preferred over works on paper, probably because of their monetary value: “Oil paintings are usually a bit more expensive, a bit more robust, and on the art market, they go for more money,” she said.  In this way, culture came to have an increasingly monetary and even propagandistic value. Because of the museum’s military collection, the Imperial War Museum became very useful to the government.  “They didn’t want to hide it away, in fact what they did was make a lot of their research library collection and things like that available to people who needed to do research, basically war research, even propaganda purposes, all kinds of training purposes, they had books, they had maps, all kinds of diaries,” said Walton.  All of the photographs that were evacuated at the beginning of the war were also returned to be accessed by the public and the military and put to use.  Walton also emphasises how much money was spent by the government to protect these ‘cultural treasures’. “They are a possession that the country has, and they mean something with their status.”  The government went to great expense to create underground quarries in Wales to store the country’s possessions, and continued to pay for their upkeep for many years after the war in case London came under attack again, and Walton believes the government would do the same again today.  “There’s all sorts of ethical questions that come up with these things, but even when Notre Dame was damaged there were a few billionaires that committed money. There is a question about where we allocate resources. I do think that the world always seems to be prepared to spend money on culture, especially on objects or buildings that are very established cultural icons. It is bound with patriotism,” she said.  However, she highlighted the changes we may see in ‘priority lists’ of today’s artworks. “One thing that collections are for is to represent the whole population and make sure the diversity of the population is present and part of the collection, so I think today, it’s hard to know how we will behave in a crisis, but diversity would be something that we would think about. Diversity of artists that are included, diversity of portraits of people are included, are we getting a diversity of subjects represented? Even diversity of media possibly, painting, sculpture, new media. In a way we might think that is representative of our collection. I think we’d like to think that today we’d think along those lines. That it’s a kind of important, it’s almost a cultural shift within museums themselves.”  Art in Exile is part of the Imperial War Museum’s Culture Under Attack programme, running from July 5 to January 5, 2020. There will be a variety of free exhibitions, live music and performances at the museum looking at how war threatens people’s lives, and the things that make their lives worth living.


eveningstandard--2019-11-12--Vagina Museum founder Florence Schechter on body politics, teasing trolls and millennia of marginali

Vagina Museum founder Florence Schechter on body politics, teasing trolls and millennia of marginalisation

Ask Florence Schechter why she is opening the world’s first bricks-and-mortar vagina museum in Camden Market — naturally — and she will not miss a beat. “Why not?” she shrugs, evenly. “I discovered there’s a penis museum in Iceland, but no vagina equivalent anywhere in the world. And I thought that was bulls***.”  So Schechter did not fanny around. She spent six months workshopping the idea with “people from museums, medical people, random people I knew, saying, ‘Do you think this is something you’d visit?’” She drew up a plan, pitched successfully to some trustees and registered as a charity. “And here we are.”  Here we are indeed: sitting inside the museum, an airy Grade II-listed site in the Stables, on a drizzly autumn day. It opens to the public on Saturday, with its inaugural (free) exhibition, Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How to Fight Them. While none of the artefacts will be “super-old or precious, because you need to have temperature control, humidity control”, examples of potential props include menstrual cups and artworks. There’ll also be a programme of events on many evenings — including Bajingo Bingo next Monday (“Have you ever wished you could play bingo and learn about the world’s most misunderstood body part?”), and a monthly “cliterature” book club, and the premises has a small bar. “If you’re coming to a play about abortion, sometimes it’s nice to have a glass of wine to help it go down easier.”  Despite Schechter’s breeziness, inevitably the news that a vagina museum was coming to town has raised certain fairly predictable reactions from certain fairly predictable cohorts; a Venn of prudes, trolls and misogynists. “We’ve got a fair amount of backlash, but I think it’s probably only 10 per cent of the reactions we’ve got,” Schechter shrugs. “A minority.” She convinces the “morality brigade” by arguing for the importance of destigmatising vaginas in order to tackle gynaecological cancers. Trolls — the museum has almost 31,000 followers on Twitter — are also easy to detoxify. “What you need to do is get in on the joke with them.” Easy, since they’re not very unimaginative. “‘I thought there already was a vagina museum — it’s called the House of Commons.’ We get that one all the time.” L-O-L. There have also been clashes with a few people who contest the museum’s trans-inclusive stance. “I’m happy to have a conversation if they want to come in.”  In the last few years, the body in all its fleshy glory has become the cornerstone of a new fourth wave of feminism, — or as Schechter puts it, “vaginas are definitely having a moment”. Books such as Period, by the BBC presenter Emma Barnett, and Vagina: A Re-education, by journalist Lynn Enright, both published this year, have taken discourse about female anatomy from the margins into the mainstream, destigmatising and consequently prioritising the conversations. “I think it’s been brewing for a few years now, and then I think Harvey Weinstein was the cultural trigger that turned fourth wave into something that was going to happen into something that is happening,” Schechter agrees. “I think one of the things that it’s concerned about is the body, how it’s represented, how we’re looking after it.”  Femtech — software and products that focus on women’s health, from breast pumps to pelvic floor trainers to organic tampons — is expected to be worth £39 billion by 2025, which, admittedly, might be more to do with the mercenary savviness of investors than fourth-wave feminism, but has had some impact in driving conversations (and money) towards female health. And activists such as Jameela Jamil and Lizzo — two of Schechter’s dream patrons — have amplified conversations about body positivity online. “Body positivity is what we’re all about.”  Still, there’s millennia of marginalisation to overturn here; a museum is a potent symbol. “Museums are used by society to showcase what they think is important,” Schechter observes. “We have museums set up to our most important artists to set the art canon, museums to tell the official history of our nation. Communities use museums to inform their cultural identity and I think a vagina museum is important because that’s then us as a community making this official statement, ‘Hey, this is something we think is important.’” Well put. The team will be launching a podcast, too, and the dream is to “have a big permanent collection and exhibitions on everything from science to culture to history.”  Schechter hopes school parties will be some of the first through the doors. “The first exhibition is going to be about vagina myths, so it’s good for kids and teenagers.” Frankly, it would take a fairly robust teacher to lead a scrum of teenagers into a vagina museum, but Schechter is more than up to the task of tour guide (besides her, there are two full-time members of staff and 40 volunteers who’ll play front of house). She is “unembarrassable” — “I was a healthcare assistant for four years so I’ve seen a lot of fannies in my life” — plus her background in “science communication” (namely documentaries and podcasts) and a degree in biochemistry means she also speaks fluently and eloquently on the science part — and has become used to being introduced at parties as “vagina museum lady”. Watercooler conversation in the office skews gynaecologically, “but we have regular office chats, too”.  Inevitably, saying vagina or vulva countless times in a meeting comes with her territory — though Schechter has been “surprised” by others who have taken it in their stride. On the day we meet, she has spent the morning “with our solicitors and a policeman, who were checking out our premises licence. I was surrounded by older men, and they were all just saying the word ‘vagina’ really casually, which was interesting — because older men is one of the demographics that I was sure we were never going to be able to engage. It was really weird to hear them be super-cool.” All the traders in the Market are “really excited” about the new kids on the block. “All the security guards think we’re hilarious.”  So, who would she like to cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony? “Helen O’Connell, an Australian surgeon who did the first scientific study on the clitoris. I really like her.”  The Vagina Museum is at Unit 17 & 18 Stables Market, Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8AH, vaginamuseum.co.uk