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  • Interview: From Sheffield to showbiz legend

    Interview: From Sheffield to showbiz legend

    Steve Legg interviewed Mike Watson live and discovered how an ordinary lad from Sheffield ventured into show biz.

    Mike Watson first arrived in Sweden in 1964 as part of the Hi-Grades, American singer Larry Finnegan’s backing group during his Sweden tour of that year. Subsequently, Watson became a member of various Swedish bands, most notably Lenne and the Lee Kings (who scored two Number Two hits in 1966 with Stop The Music and L.O.D.), and Lasse Samuelsson’s Dynamite Brass.

    Mike started working as a session musician in 1969 and did his first known ABBA related session in July 1971 when he played bass on a Frida single, produced by Benny. Watson also contributed to People Need Love, the very first recording issued under the name Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid.

    Although Rutger Gunnarsson was to be ABBA’s most frequently used bass player, Mike Watson played on notable tracks such as SOS, Mamma Mia, If It Wasn’t For The Nights, The Winner Takes It All, and Super Trouper. He is also the man dressed up as Napoleon on the cover of ABBA’s Waterloo album.

    Mike Watson

    THE INTERVIEW

    Steve Legg (SL): Mike. What a career over 50 years, I believe, in the business. Are you living the dream?

    Mike Watson (MW): Yeah, I started … I’ve been living the dream, yeah, that’s for sure. I’ve toured all over the world. In the last 10 years I’ve been with these Abba tributes and we’ve been … well, everywhere. China, America. This year, I’ve been in America doing five tours. So yeah, I’m pretty busy, still.

    SL: Do you still enjoy traveling to gigs, driving, stopping at service stations, picking up a pork pie somewhere or the Swedish equivalent?

    MW: Well, there’s a lot of waiting around. It’s waiting for the sound check and do the sound check. Then there’s waiting to do the show. But it’s the life I’ve chosen. And enjoying it.

    SL: Yeah, well that’s good. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? So how did a Sheffield lad end up in Sweden in 1964? It doesn’t seem the most logical career path, perhaps.

    MW: Well, I was with a group in London called The Hi-Grades and we came to Sweden to accompany on tour, an American singer, rock and roll singer. And we ended up staying here, two of the band, since 1965. Yeah, it’s been a long time.

    SL: So, what made you stay? What is it about Sweden?

    MW: I got the jobs, I got the gigs. And then I started playing with different bands in the ’60s and then around ’70 I started a … became a studio musician in Stockholm playing with all the Swedish groups or recordings. And then I started with Abba in 1973, 1972, recording with them. As a studio musician. I was in the studio maybe three or four days a week when I lived in Stockholm.

    SL: So, what do you love most about Sweden? Are you a meatballs, hygge, Norrlands Guld fan?

    MW: Yeah, yeah, Swedish meatballs. Yeah, great. Ikea, I Love Ikea.

    SL: And of course, hygge. We know all about hygge these days in the UK. It’s candles, it’s twinkly lights, it’s snuggling down and getting cosy.

    MW: Yeah, well there’s a lot of snow in Sweden, so I hope we get … I live on the west coast, down between Malmö and Gothenburg and we don’t really get a lot of much snow down there, but I hope there’ll be snow for Christmas. When you got all the Christmas lights … we’re very into the Christmas with the lights around the house. Love it.

    SL: And how do you celebrate Christmas? Do you celebrate on Christmas Eve? Which I know is the Scandinavian tradition, roast duck and opening all your presents.

    MW: Yeah, we do that and usually my kids come and all my grandchildren, my great grandchildren. So, the house is really full around Christmas and New Year.

    SL: Oh, sounds beautiful. Were you musical as a kid, Mike?

    MW: Well, my mother was in show business and that’s where I started in 1958, ’59. They were working for the American forces, entertaining in Germany, France, Spain, all over Europe. And she put me in the show when I was 11, 12 years old and that’s when I started playing guitar and doing an Elvis copy. And then they took in a drummer and another guitar player. And then in the end we were a group. We were called The Hi-Grades and that’s where I started playing. We were three guitars and I was playing bass on a guitar and then I bought a bass and that’s where I started playing bass.

    SL: Why did you choose the bass?

    MW: Well, we were three guitars. Somebody had to play bass.

    SL: Simple as that.

    MW: So, I started playing bass. Yeah, it was as simple as that.

    SL: So how does someone become a session musician? You’ve obviously got to be really good. And I’m assuming right place at the right time, meeting the right people?

    MW: I was at the right place in the right time. There was a changeover in Sweden from like a stand-up bass to electric bass and there wasn’t a lot of electric bass players around pop. And then I learnt to read music and became a session musician. I don’t think it’s anything you train for, it’s just that you got the contacts and you just play.

    SL: Mike, 1971, was a pretty key moment. You met Abba for the first time, is that right?

    MW: Well, I met Björn and Benny around in the middle of the ’60s because I was in a Swedish pop band in ’66 and you’d meet them on tour, all the bands, playing a festival or something. So I met them already then, and that’s maybe why they used me later on, because I knew them.

    SL: Did you have any idea they’d become global superstars back then?

    MW: Never, never. I mean, you thought you were going to be a musician after, or I’ll do this for a few years and I’ll have to do something else. But I couldn’t do anything else. So I never thought it would last this long and that. I’ve been working since 1979 with different tribute bands all over the world.

    SL: Wow. So you never had a plan B?

    MW: Never, never. I’ve never had a real job.

    SL: But I’ve got some comedian friends who do painting and decorating and all sorts of stuff when it’s quiet. But I love the fact you never had a plan B.

    MW: Never also, and I’ve always had a lot of work, except for this big lockdown that came in 2020. I didn’t work for a year and a half. Everything has started up again now, so it’s back to normal, yeah. It really is. And I’m very fortunately able to still play. I mean, I’m 75 and I’m still on tour. It’s great. Love it.

    SL: So I’m a huge Abba fan. What was it like sessioning with them? Are we talking an early start or getting together halfway through the day with coffee and pastries?

    MW: Well, all the sessions started at ten o’clock in the morning and there would be a coffee for me because they started with the drums and getting the sound and then we’d start paying about 11 o’clock. A usual session would be Benny would sit at the piano. He’d run through the songs and we’d maybe write some chords down and we’d start messing around with the song. And we could play all day till five, six, seven o’clock in the evening just to get really the bass and the drums right, and then they’d do everything again later on.

    So we never really saw the girls in the studio, Frida and Agnetha. They might come by to say hello to their husbands at that time, but we never saw them. For us, it was just working with Björn and Benny, and Björn would sit with an acoustic guitar and he would sing. Sometimes the lyrics were not really written yet. And that was a session and we might play all day and maybe the day after just to get the bass and drums right. But it was a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun. We were all young and enthusiastic.

    SL: How would you describe the process? Collaborative, experimental, or anything else?

    MW: Experimental because there was no music to read. Benny would sit at the piano and we’d play around with the songs. We might do it as a tango and there’d be another style. We’d play, try to find things, and then when the bass and drums were right, they’d say, “Okay, we’ll go from there.” And then the bass and drums were ready and then they would do all the dubbing over that.

    SL: And you played bass on a number of very notable tracks, SOS, Mamma Mia, Super Trooper. Probably my favourite one, The Winner Takes it All, with a great bass line, if you don’t mind me saying so, Mike.

    MW: That is my favourite song as well actually. I love that song. The lyrics are great. And I loved playing when we played with Abba. It’s always, that song’s absolutely my favourite, or, I should say, Abba-solutely.

    SL: I see what you did there. And it’s a poignant song as well, isn’t it?

    MW: Yeah. It’s a beautiful song. The lyrics came at the right time. They were splitting up, so it always hits you, the lyric, when we play it. Great song.

    SL: Could you tell that was going to be a mega hit?

    MW: Not when we actually played the song in the studio, because I never heard the song when it was finished until I got the LP, they sent the LP home to me, and we just heard without any, the girls singing on the song. There was a lot of experimenting going on. I remember doing, “I do, I do, I do,” and I thought, oh, I’ll do this bass line, and that was the first thing I did. Then they said, “No, no, we’ll do something else. Do something else.” And then at four o’clock in the afternoon, well, we tried lots of things. I did the same thing that I did at the beginning, and they said, “Yeah, that’s what we want.” Yeah.

    Also, when you hear a song, you just know. We’re like, “That’s what you should play.” So a lot of experimenting going on.

    SL: What heady, exciting times. And you’re very modest. You’ve not mentioned your modelling career either, have you, yet?

    MW: Ooh, my modelling career. Yeah, well, you want to hear about that?

    SL: Of course we do.

    MW: I think Björn and Benny phoned me one morning and said, “Oh, tomorrow we’re going to do a photo session and we need a little guy to stand in the background.” That’s why they called me Little Mike, anyway. And we went to this old café outside of Stockholm. We were taking photos all day long. The photos became the album cover for the Waterloo album with the Abba in the front and I’m standing in the background with my back to the camera dressed as Napoleon. That was my modelling career. Very short.

    SL: So Mike, this show, 6th of January, next year at the Brighton Centre. Have you performed in Brighton before?

    MW: Yes. Last time was 1973. We worked with three brothers called The Brotherly Love. They were from Liverpool. I made a short trip back to England a few months, and then I was back in Sweden. But that was the last time, 1973.

    SL: And of course the ABBA were there in 1974, winning the Eurovision Song Contest, weren’t they?

    MW: Yeah. We should be coming in 1974, it would’ve been exactly 50 years. Yeah.

    SL: So this show, Arrival From Sweden Show, what can we expect on the 6th of January in Brighton Centre?

    MW: You’re going to expect ABBA because they’ve got all the clothes, the hits. All the hits in the show. And ABBA Arrival from Sweden, they’ve been going since 1995. Not with the same people all the time, of course, but they’ve done a hundred tours in America. They’ve been all over the world. But the show is like ABBA. It’s like seeing ABBA. They’ve got the costumes and there’s great musicians. Swedish musicians are very competent, so you’re going to enjoy it.

    SL: Oh, do you know what, I can’t wait. And you’ve got the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra as well.

    MW: Yeah, yeah. It’s great. They’ve done a lot of concerts for all over America, everywhere with the Philharmonic, so it’s going to be an extra thing. It’s going to be very big.

    SL: Wow. What an amazing night for all ages. I can’t wait Mike. It’s been fascinating chatting to you. Highlights of your career, is there one big thing that you think, “Yeah, that was it”?

    MW: Oh, well, probably ABBA is the big thing because it’s worldwide. I played with Elton John, Wilson Picket, Arthur Conley. There was a lot of artists coming over to Sweden in the 70’s for the radio TV show, and I was the bass player there, so I met a lot of artists coming over from England and America in those days.

    SL: It’s been a blast Mike. Thank you so much. There’s only one way I can end this, and I’m sure people say to you many times, but thank you for the music.

    MW: You’re welcome.

    THE SHOW

    Arrival From Sweden The World’s Greatest ABBA Show With ABBA Original Musicians – Brighton Centre 6th January 2023

    ‘ARRIVAL From Sweden in the production The Music of ABBA’ comes to the Brighton Centre, featuring original ABBA Musicians and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The press, the audience and the ABBA-fan club all agree this is the closest you will ever come to see the real ABBA live on stage.

    The 11-piece live band with ABBA original musicians including bass player Mike Watson who performed with ABBA in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest and on such notable tracks such as SOS, Mamma Mia and the Winner Takes It All, to name but a few, will take you on a musical journey performed by ARRIVAL from Sweden this world-renowned group, bringing the music of ABBA to life, together with Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.

    ARRIVAL From Sweden is the most successful ABBA show touring the world today. To date they have performed concerts and tours in over 70 countries. With 80 SOLD OUT tours in the USA since 2005 and playing over a thousand shows in America, ARRIVAL from Sweden has also performed with almost 100 symphony orchestras which all together has given them the reputation as the world’s greatest ABBA show.

    Hits like Dancing Queen, Mamma Mia, Does Your Mother Know, The Winner Takes It All, Gimme, Gimme and many more are delivered with such accuracy that it’s hard to believe it’s not the real ABBA on Stage.

    For a limited time (midnight on 30/11) fans can get £10 off a pair of tickets with the promo code ‘SORTED’

    Tickets: ABBA Arrival from Sweden, Brighton | Fri, 6 Jan 2023, 18:30 | Ticketmaster UK

  • Sport: Who has the most valuable World Cup squad?

    Sport: Who has the most valuable World Cup squad?

    Brazil might be the bookie’s favourites to win the World Cup but based on squad value, England will be bringing football home for the first time since 1966. Experts at marketing firm Motive have published an online World Cup Team Value Index which highlights and compares the value of each of the 32 squads competing in Qatar. Researchers looked at every squad’s market value on Transfermarkt and calculated how the tournament would pan out based on squad values alone.

    England’s squad is worth an eye-watering £1102.9m making them the only team competing for the trophy to have a value of more than one billion pounds. Brazil are tipped to be runners up with a squad value of £995.2m, while Portugal, with a value of £807.9m are forecast to take third place by overcoming Argentina, valued at £620.8m.

    Despite having a squad value of £933.1m, France have been tipped to go no further than the quarterfinals where they are predicted to lose to the eventual champions, England. Researchers also ranked the teams taking part in the tournament based on squad value and compared that value with the official FIFA rankings. At the bottom end of the table are Costa Rica with a squad valued at just £16.1m and hosts Qatar, whose entire squad could be bought for £16.2m.

    The England players are worth more than the entire squads of 12 nations taking part in the tournament – Canada, Wales, South Korea, Ecuador, Cameroon, Japan, Iran, Tunisia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Costa Rica. The teams from those 12 nations have a collective value of £1043.6m, that’s £59.3m less than the England squad.

    Steve McComish from researchers Motive said: “If success on the football pitch were based solely on the value of the players taking part then we would see Harry Kane lifting the World Cup for England on December 18th after England defeated Brazil in the final. Looking at our World Cup Team Value Index every England fan can dream of Qatar glory and picture a triumphant team parading the trophy through Trafalgar Square in the days before Christmas. What an incredible start to the Christmas season that would be, to see England win their first major trophy since 1966.

    “But sadly success on the pitch doesn’t always correlate to the value of the players involved and, as every England fan already knows all too well, dreams can quickly turn into nightmares. Even with the most expensive squad in the history of world football only the most dedicated England fan would feel entirely confident of Qatar glory.”

    To read more about the World Cup Team Value Index and to look up the value of every squad competing in Qatar, please visit: www.motivepr.co.uk/blog/world-cup-team-value-index

  • Birdwatching goes high tech

    Birdwatching goes high tech

    John and Natalie White are co-founders of the new birdwatching app and social media platform, Birda. They told Sorted Magazine: “The popularity of birdwatching has grown exponentially across the country. RSPB’s annual garden survey revealed that the number of people reporting which birds they could see in their gardens rose by 85%. Currently around six million people in the UK are regularly engaged in birdwatching and it has also overtaken fishing as the number one hobby.”

    Birda turns your phone into a tool for logging the birds you spot and the app is free to download. The interface is user friendly for casual and serious birdwatchers alike. Birds can be logged one at a time or several birds can be logged as part of a longer birding session. Progress can be tracked and lists built.

    The app features home lists, curated lists, badges, goal setting, offline mode, and a Birda community functions, offline mode.

    Natalie enthused: “Birda is great for teams, brand building, and community outreach. It encourages connection and competition between colleagues or companies. In Birda, you can earn individual badges for specific goals and species, compete with your followers to see who can stay at the top of the leader board, and participate in local and national birdwatching challenges. All the while, you’ll be helping conservationists protect a myriad of bird species. Anonymous combined logs from the app can be used by scientists and environmental protection organisations to create a picture of species movement. This will help to put the proper measures in place to support and safeguard them. You’ll also find local conservation activities to join and projects to donate to through the app.”

  • Style tips: How to layer up this winter

    Style tips: How to layer up this winter

    Winter is fast approaching and with 339.9M views on tiktok #winterstyle is at the forefront of our minds. Lennie Law, style expert at custom fit menswear brand Spoke London shared the following five tips for creating a winter wardrobe that is both functional and stylish.

    Opt for quality fabrics

    There are certain fabrics you should lean towards in the winter months; merino wool and

    cashmere are both luxurious to wear and practical, providing extra warmth. Investing in higher quality fabrics will mean they will last longer, becoming investment pieces you can wear for years.

    Add contrast with accessories

    An easy way to elevate your winter look is by adding accessories in bold colours; think gloves, hats and scarves. These can provide the much needed warmth throughout the winter months while also allowing you to show your personality. Try contrasting colours like a bright orange with a navy or black coat, or opt for neutral shades for a classic tonal look.

    Layer your favourite pieces with thermals underneath

    Wearing your favourite pieces all year round is good for the soul, while also being more sustainably conscious. Try adding a thermal vest under your favourite t-shirt or layering a thermal roll neck under your favourite jumper for a stylish, yet practical look.

    Layering pieces can add additional interest to an outfit. It allows you to wear what is already in your wardrobe in several different ways. One of the most stylish ways to layer is to add different textures, think soft wool fabric layers with more structured cotton or leather pieces.

    Add a gilet

    A super on trend way to add that little bit of extra warmth without compromising on style is to add a gilet. You can opt for more sporty styles, such as a padded gilet for a casual look, or choose leather and denim styles for something more fashion forward.

    Reach for textured fabrics

    Brushed fabrics have raised fibres which trap air particles in between them, creating good insulation and making them a much warmer choice in the winter months. 

    Cord trousers offer both style and substance, as the grooves will keep you toasty warm. They can be dressed down with a casual jumper or dressed up with a shirt, making them perfect for winter and the festive season.

  • Dream car or dream partner? Survey reveals findings

    Dream car or dream partner? Survey reveals findings

    A new survey has revealed that 24% of motorists would opt for their dream car over their dream partner if given a choice. The survey was undertaken by price comparison platform Quotezone.co.uk. Founder, Greg Wilson, said: “We may not be out and about in our cars as much as we used to, given hybrid working life post-pandemic and the cost of fuel, but our enduring love affair with our vehicles appears stronger than ever. Despite Covid impacting how frequently we drive to work and the cost-of-living crisis squeezing our budgets, more than a quarter of us love our cars more than we ever have before. The time we get to spend in our cars is often time alone away from our busy everyday lives when we get to clear our minds and just focus on the road ahead. This may be just one of the reasons why the special relationship we have with our cars has not only endured but is blossoming during challenging times.”

    Despite the rising cost of fuel, more than a quarter of drivers (26%) said their love affair with the car had blossomed over the past 12 months and they loved their vehicle more now than they did this time last year. Almost half of those surveyed (49%) said they still liked their cars while a further 40% described their relationship with their vehicle as a love affair. Only 13% of drivers said their feelings towards their vehicle had cooled over the past year despite the rising costs associated with being behind the wheel.

    Gregg explained: “Our love affair with our cars doesn’t look like it will end any time soon either, with half of us saying we would only change our current car when we absolutely have to. Interestingly though, when we do eventually change our car, one in three of us plans to get a hybrid vehicle with the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles now only seven years away.” 

  • Book Review: You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy

    Book Review: You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why it Matters by Kate Murphy

    Author and journalist Kate Murphy describes herself as someone who “listens for a living”. In this thoroughly researched non-fiction tome she gathers up the experience and ideas of others who also “listen for a living”. She speaks to a range of priests, therapists, hairdressers, bartenders and researchers. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. True to her message, Murphy hardly speaks to them at all, what she actually does is “listen” to these folks. She gleans information, understands where they’re coming from and formulates their thinking into an overall case for the benefit of true listening.

    The chapter which explains the neuroscience of listening is meaty yet uses clear, everyday language. I subscribe to that shocking school of thought which says it’s totally acceptable to underline the best bits of a book provided you’ve paid for it with your own money. I found myself underlining much of Murphy’s writing. Including her daring claim that “listening, more than other activity, plugs you into life.” More than any other activity? What? That’s a pretty big emphasis isn’t it? But Murphy knows her stuff, makes a compelling argument and delivers plenty of evidence to substantiate her bold claim.

    It would sound so corny to say that this book changed my life, but I’m gonna say it anyway. This book changed my life, for the better and in so many ways. Murphy describes not listening as withholding “the gift that the people who love you, or could love you, most desire”. It’s what they “most” desire? Really? There’s she goes selling that big emphasis again. And I’m inclined to buy into it.

    You’re Not Listening is a seminal work from Kate Murphy which has empowered and encouraged me to give the gift of listening to more and more of the people who love me.

    Main photo credit: Saeed Karimi via Unsplash

  • Interview: From shaky and shy to confident communicator

    Interview: From shaky and shy to confident communicator

    Diana Robertson helps people gain confidence through her work as a Communication Skills Trainer with Toastmasters International, but she was a shy teenager and has learned her techniques through the school of hard knocks. She was often crushed by her own lack of confidence and revealed to Sorted Magazine: “I used to be extremely bad at speaking in public. In fact, on the occasion of my first presentation, I ended up totally forgetting my script despite spending three days memorising it. I felt so terrible, that my hands started to shake, which made my job even harder; not only did I forget what to say but I could not even read it from my script due to all the shaking! As you can imagine, this experience absolutely shattered my confidence. But after a couple of days, instead of focusing on how bad I was overall, I chose to focus only on how poor my skill of speaking in front of the public was. Separating myself from my skill was crucial because it gave me clarity on what I could do about it. The next thing I did was to join one of Toastmasters’ public speaking clubs where I received the help and support I needed to become a confident presenter.”

    Diana shares four actionable ways she has used to effectively build confidence:

    1. Cash in on current confidence

    The first and most important step towards building confidence is to be aware of what you have already been successfully doing in your life. Diana has this advice: “All of us feel confident about particular aspects we know we are good at. Equally, each and every one of us struggles with a specific area that needs improvement. And yet, when we face our pain points, instead of offering constructive solutions, our minds may find that there is something wrong with our whole being. This is a trap because each of us is a completely whole being with numerous qualities. Once you start working on developing a new skill, your confidence will grow with it. Thus, you track what you’re good at and don’t let yourself identify your overall confidence with the areas you feel least certain about.”

    2. Change your negative thoughts with positive statements

    Use positive affirmations. When Diana was learning to speak in front of a crowd she found that saying, “I’m excited to be called out onto the stage” worked like magic. She repeated it to herself as her turn approached. She enthused: “After six presentations I started to get genuinely excited about my turn instead of being terrified.”

    3. Challenge your negative thoughts

    Diana invites you to ask the questions below. She said: “You will find out the fears that are hidden behind your lack of confidence and learn how to transform your destructive thought patterns into constructive ones.”

    • How can I describe the exact negative thoughts on this particular subject in only one sentence?
    • Is this thought 100% true? Is it a fact or is it my assumption?
    • What proves that this negative thought is completely or partially false?
    • If the event that I most fear happened, how would it truly affect my life? What would I do (realistically and without exaggeration)?
    • If my best friend had this exact thought, what would I tell them?

    4. Celebrate small achievements

    “Sometimes, when we take on difficult projects they don’t go according to plan. In such situations, it’s easy to forget that one unsuccessful event means little, and that true success is achieved by taking small but consistent steps towards the goal. So, if you’ve just failed at something, remember; the key to becoming better at anything is to shift your focus onto your progress over longer periods rather than holding on to the setbacks along the way.”

    Find out more about Diana Robertson’s work with Toastmasters International here

  • Free garlic bread for Peter Kay fans

    Free garlic bread for Peter Kay fans

    Pub goers can bag themselves a free portion of garlic bread this weekend to mark Peter Kay’s return to the UK comedy scene. To celebrate the renowned comedian’s first UK tour in 12 years, pub chain Flaming Grill is offering free garlic bread in a selection of pubs located near to the Peter Kay tour circuit.

    Customers will have to give their best rendition of Kay’s infamous catchphrase when they order and ask for “garlic bread” in their very best outraged Lancashire accent. The limited time offer will run on Saturday November 12th when tickets go on sale. The giveaway is limited to one free portion of garlic bread per customer.

    Although famous for many one liners and catchphrases across his career, Peter Kay’s delivery of “garlic bread” remains a fan favourite, resulting in a 17% spike in searches for garlic bread back in 2010 when he announced his last tour.

    Andrew Gallagher, marketing director at Greene King’s Flaming Grill said: “Even though it’s been years since Peter Kay last took to the stage, his iconic one liners are still such a huge part of popular culture. What better way to celebrate the return of one of the UK’s best comedians than with a slice of free garlic bread at Flaming Grill?”

    *only valid at these participating sites; Bent Brook (Urmston), Lutley Oak (West Midlands), Jolly Miller (West Derby), Angel Inn (West Yorkshire), Ridgeway Arms (South Yorkshire), Cardiff Bay Tavern (Cardiff), Bowman (Hucknall), Shovels (Blackpool), Yarrow Bridge (Chorley). T&Cs at Greene King Pubs | Peter Kay Giveaway | Greene King Pubs (greeneking-pubs.co.uk)

  • Education: Stress levels soar as mock exams loom

    Education: Stress levels soar as mock exams loom

    A new poll commissioned by the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) found that more than two-thirds of London teachers reported increased stress among secondary school pupils over the last two months, at a higher rate than other parts of the country. This may be fuelled by the higher average attainment levels, pressure from parents, and students feeling the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis.

    The poll revealed:

    • 43% of parents agree their child’s self-esteem is linked to the grades they achieved at school and university.
    • 59% of parents agree that since the Covid pandemic their child has fallen out of a routine with regards to their education and their motivation to work has declined.
    • 68% of parents agree that their child benefits from one-to-one learning environments, alongside the classroom experience.
    • 47% of students said they enjoy learning from a Tutor they can relate to (age, interests, personal experiences, communication styles, etc).
    • 49% of students said they learn better from people who share a similar life experience to them.

    In light of these findings, MyTutor has launched free online courses to help ease student stress in the run up to mock exams. MyTutor Squads runs group tutoring sessions throughout the autumn term. Sessions will cover core topics such as Maths and Coding relevant to GCSE Computer Science. Additional ‘Study Squad’ sessions teach a series of techniques to help with learning, remembering and revising. Sign up here.

    Main photo credit: Yogendra Sing via Unsplash

  • News: UK charities fight slavery and injustice

    News: UK charities fight slavery and injustice

    The World Cup in Qatar is marred with controversy: reports of migrant workers exploited, injured or killed, working in terrible conditions to build stadiums, hotels and infrastructure for the tournament. Sadly, these issues aren’t limited to this football tournament: exploitation and slavery is happening everywhere; it’s rife in the supply chains of the smartphone we check the latest score on, and in the clothing we wear.

    An estimated 28 million people are in forced labour slavery globally, three million more than five years ago. Three charities, Compassion, IJM, and Tearfund have joined forces to take a stand against the injustices that force people into slavery around the world. They had this message for Sorted readers: “With your support we will help families through the global food crisis and empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty so that they are less vulnerable to traffickers; and we will bring victims of slavery and violence around the world to safety and see perpetrators brought to justice so that they can’t harm others. We believe in a God who calls us to seek justice, and that when churches and charities unite, miraculous change becomes possible.”

    Desmond Tutu famously said: “There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”

    Find out how you can get involved at: Justice United