Latest news with #TheCure
Refinery29
6 days ago
- Business
- Refinery29
Money Diary: A University Lecturer on £46,000
Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We're asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money during a seven-day period — and we're tracking every last penny. Our Money Diaries submission process has changed. If you would like to submit a diary, please use our new form here. If you would rather email us, please send a bit of information about you and your financial situation to moneydiary@ We pay £100 for each published diary. This week:"I'm in my mid-50s and work as a uni lecturer in the North of England with my two cats. For many years, I was a lawyer working in charities, which was a rewarding career in many respects, just not financially! Ten years ago, when I was really struggling to pay the bills, I started teaching fitness classes at my local gym. This has now become an extensive side-hustle. My current financial goal is to pay off the mortgage on my flat before I turn 60, while still enjoying life and travelling occasionally." Occupation: Uni lecturer and fitness instructor Industry: Higher Education Age: 54 Location: North of England Salary: £46,000 (Lecturer salary is £43,000, supplemented by part-time fitness instructor income). Joint income: N/A Assets: £3,000 instant-access ISA, £60,000 pension, £140,000 flat (mortgaged for £70,000), £1,000 Bitcoin, £6,000 car. Debt: £70,000 left of my mortgage. Paycheque Amount: £3,000 Pronouns: She/her Monthly Expenses Monthly Housing Costs: £555 mortgage payment, £114 council tax, plus £294 service charge. Utilities: £222 Number of Housemates: Two cats. Monthly Loan Payments: None. Pension: Yes, I pay in £360. All Other Monthly Expenses: £19 auto-insurance, £20 broadband, £22.64 mobile phone, £125 support to ex-husband, £20.49 life insurance, £29.99 skincare subscription, £17 private dental care, £13 monthly bank account fee, £30 pet insurance. Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it? Yes, one BA paid for with a combination of scholarships and income from work. Then, I did an MA paid with student loans, including a loan I took out to do a fellowship abroad. I then did my law qualifications on scholarships. Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances? Not many conversations about money. There was a sense that money was tight because we were a large family, but we did not have specific conversations. What was your first job and why did you get it? Babysitting for neighbours, so that I could have pocket money. I spent it on outings with friends, as well as albums or singles from The Cure or Siouxie and the Banshees. Did you worry about money growing up? We always had a lot of good food and a lovely big house and garden, but it was clear that my parents were anxious about money. Do you worry about money now? I worked in charities until my early 50s, so my income has always been relatively low. In addition, I separated from my husband in my late 40s, which meant that I had to sort out my own housing and start again. My husband kindly gave me enough to make a down-payment on a shared-ownership flat, where I now live (and have staircased up to 100% ownership). At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and does anyone else cover any aspects of your financial life? No one is supporting me. I suppose if a catastrophe struck, I could ask my ex-husband or some local close friends to help me out, but thankfully, that hasn't been tested. No, nothing. Day One 8 a.m. — It's a marking period at uni, so there are no classes to teach on campus today. After enjoying a lovely lie-in with the cats, I get dressed and go outside for a stroll and get a matcha latte with almond milk, £4.50. I live near a newly renovated park and I treat it like my garden so I steal some wild cherries from a tree (I don't take them all). 9 a.m. — I get back to the flat and start marking. I use a Pomodoro video (music with timed intervals) to help me keep focused. 1 p.m. — Lunch is a pre-prepped salmon salad enjoyed with some TikTok scrolling. I tell myself that the scrolling is research, since I follow some fitness instructors to get some ideas for the class I'll teach tonight. I also indulge in some online shopping and buy vitamin supplements, £16. Then I dive into more marking. Powering through! 5 p.m. — I finish work and walk to the fitness club, where I teach a weights-based class set to music. The walk takes me about 45 minutes through some suburban neighbourhoods. I have taught at this gym since 2021 and I teach a variety of classes with a great range of people. The management there are lovely and allow me to do my own workout in the weight room afterwards. Working with weights has definitely helped with the menopause symptoms. 8 p.m. — I get the bus home because I'm tired, £2. I have a sort of second supper when I get home, watch reruns of Friends on Netflix, then crash. Total: £22.50 Day Two 8 a.m. — I get an early start because I want to skive off early today. Just for a change of scenery, I decide to try to get some work done in a local cafe, which means of course, buying another matcha. I spend about two hours in the cafe and to my surprise, get a fair amount of work done. On my way home I get some top-up groceries, £13.50. 12 p.m. — Marking the same coursework over and over can make you feel like you're in a time loop. I'm too lazy to go outside again, so I play with the cats and put some laundry on. Being too lazy to go outside means there's no possibility of spending any more money and I manage a passable lunch of leftover pasta. 2 p.m. — I am mulling over getting an extra qualification as a yoga teacher, so I am looking at a course being offered in my area. It's expensive, over £900, but would it pay for itself over time? I decide to keep it under consideration for a while. 4 p.m. — I have an afternoon full of meetings, starting with dissertation supervision sessions, and finishing with a meeting about a new assessment I've designed. I then finish work at 4 p.m. so that I can walk to a yoga class. The walk is about an hour, including a shortcut through a park, so it's a lovely way to get some fresh air after a long day cooped up inside. 6 p.m. — The class is harder than expected, literally everyone else in the class can do headstands! I hold my own (but use the wall for headstands). I get the bus home afterwards. The yoga class is £10 and the bus £2. Total: £25.50 Day Three 7 a.m. — I need to teach on campus today, so I get the train into the city centre. My favourite thing about my flat is that I can see the railway station from my kitchen window and it's a very easy stroll. I don't have to teach until 9 a.m., but I get the early train to avoid the crowds, £8.60. It's nice to get onto campus and see everyone, and they provide free tea and coffee which encourages socialising in the break room. 12 p.m — I don't get a whole lot of time for lunch today because I'm meeting with a student, however, I do treat myself to another matcha, £4.50. It adds some glamour to my home-made sandwich. 2 p.m — An afternoon of teaching workshops and seminars. I teach a variety of levels: undergrads and post-grads, with some challenging material. I've taught these modules a few times now, but every group will have new insights and ask me new questions. It is great to see how enthusiastic students can be, particularly since most students have to work quite a lot of hours in order to fund their studies nowadays. I stay after the last workshop to answer some questions. When I get back to my desk I've got a great plan to mark a few courseworks, but I decide I'm out of steam and I close my laptop instead. 7 p.m — After getting home, I do an online Pilates workout and then go for a walk. The walk takes me by the local Tesco, where I top up my grocery shop with some salmon and vegetables, £12. Total: £25.10 Day Four 6:45 a.m. — I am covering for someone at the gym this morning, so I get there for 6:45 a.m. and teach two classes. On these work-at-home days, I like to cover classes when I can. I am absolutely not an exercise-in-the-morning person, but I power through and end up having a lot of fun. Teaching at the gym does not feel like work. It's like working out with friends, but I get to choose the music. Afterwards, I reward myself with a matcha and then sit in the sun until it's time to start marking again, £4.50. 12 p.m. — Another day working at home, marking and having meetings. Just before lunch, I power through quite a lot of marking and I decide to reward myself. I buy a second-hand skirt on eBay for £11. Thankfully, the afternoon has a variety of student supervision meetings and staff meetings, so I get a mental break from marking. The cats muscle in on one of my supervision meetings, strutting back and forth in front of the camera to the delight of my students. 7 p.m. — I go back to the gym to teach an evening class. I drive this time, stopping to top up petrol and fill my tyres with air, £15. When I get home, I remember that I'm meant to travel to another city tomorrow for work, so I get organised and buy a train ticket online using my work's travel booking system, expensed. Total: £30.50 Day Five 6 a.m. — I travel to another city to teach today, about 90 minutes by train. It's an early start; my first lecture starts at 9:30 a.m. but I get the earliest train at 6:15 a.m. The tech in our satellite campus can be unpredictable and I like to get there early to iron out any issues. Thankfully, the trains are running on time. I'm armed with good podcasts and I get a matcha latte on the way, £4.50. I get to campus very early and have time to catch up with some colleagues before the students arrive. 12 p.m. — A good friend of mine lives in this city, so we take advantage of the opportunity to meet up for lunch. She kindly meets me near campus and we go to a sushi place which feels very posh. She is retired and the busiest person I know. I grab another coffee on the way back to campus because I can feel myself flagging. The total for both comes to £16. 5 p.m. — After teaching seminars throughout the afternoon, I speed-walk to the rail station and get the train home. The station is absolutely heaving. There's some kind of event going on, but I manage to catch the express train and I even find a seat. It's payday and I do some online banking, putting a £300 overpayment into my mortgage. Once home, I have an early night (for some reason, the travelling always tires me out). Day Six 10 a.m. — Saturday after payday, so I'm feeling rich. I start the day with an online Pilates workout, then head to the spa for a gel pedicure and brow lamination, totalling £70. I also get some sandals at a charity shop for £3.99. I stop briefly in the local art gallery, where there are landscape paintings of my neighbourhood from the 1950s. In some of the paintings, I can pick out my block of flats. I marvel at how much the area has developed since then: there used to be so many trees and sandy banks! I realise I have lived here for five years already and (hopefully) will never move house again, so one day I will be looking back on 2025 as the olden days. 12 p.m. — I get a takeaway falafel sandwich on the way home because I can't face the boring salad in the fridge, £9. I spend the afternoon cleaning the flat and changing the cat litter, while binge-listening to Dubai Bling. Two indoor cats means a lot of cleaning. I wonder if I need to get them some more scratching posts because they're shredding the dining room table. I then spend an hour or so planning fitness classes for next week. I try to incorporate some new moves and music every week. 6:00 p.m. — I head out to Tesco's for the weekly big shop. It's high this week because I'm stocking up on laundry things and cat litter. Possibly the least glamorous Saturday night activity but the marking period is always like this, £82. Total: £164.99 Day Seven 8:30 a.m. — I teach my regular Sunday-morning classes at the gym, two in a row. We get a pretty good-sized crowd on the weekend and the mood is very relaxed and social compared to the rushed weeknights. I get in a mini-workout afterwards and cheekily use the fitness club's steam room and jacuzzi. The jacuzzi might have been a mistake because by the time I drag myself out of it and get dressed, I just want to go back to bed. I walk home the long way, through a park. I wasn't planning to buy anything but when I see a coffee van, I decide it would be rude to just walk by. I stop for a latte and some sunbathing before heading home, £4.50. 12 p.m. — The marking period is so busy that some marking needs to happen on a Sunday afternoon. I tell myself that getting through some coursework now will take a bit of pressure off the coming week. I put some music on and keep myself focused for as long as possible, finally breaking down late afternoon for a nap. I dream about marking coursework, but in the dream, each coursework is different and some of them just contain cryptic diagrams instead of words. I think I need a holiday. 6 p.m. — I head out for a walk and then catch a film: a studio recording of Macbeth, £9. I realise it's been nearly 40 years since I read the play. I remember being confused about the plot in school, thinking that it was Lady Macbeth who did all the killing. Watching it again, I can see where I got that idea. The film is terrific: fast-paced and spooky. When I get home, I find the play online to read again. Total: £13.50 The Breakdown Conclusion "When I separated from my husband and moved to my flat over five years ago, it was, of course, a big change. I kept hold of the idea that somehow things would work out okay. Taking up teaching at the gym was a good decision: it's kept me active and it's given me connections and friends in this new community. I am working quite a lot lately, but it's with the goal of paying off my mortgage by the time I'm 60. This does not leave a whole lot of time for socialising, which is especially apparent when I look back over this past week! I might need to think a bit more about work-life balance and maintaining relationships. Overall, however, things have worked out okay so far, touch wood."
Time Out
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
BBC's ‘Mix Tape' Soundtrack: Full Tracklist of Songs by Episode
One of those decades-spanning love stories that puts you through the emotional wringer, Mix Tape is a perfect binge for anyone who still wistfully remembers One Day (Netflix series, book or movie). And in a twist of fate, the BBC/Binge four-parter also stars Jim Sturgess, the lead in the 2011 One Day movie, as another lovelorn character who holds a torch for an old flame from his teenage years into his middle years. Sturgess plays Daniel and The Fall Guy 's Teresa Palmer is his long-time crush Alison in a music-soaked romantic drama that follows the pair from their partying youths (where they're played by Bridgerton 's Florence Hunt and newcomer Rory Walton-Smith) to wobbly married lives with other people on different continents. As its title implies, the bond of music – especially alternative anthems of the '80s and '90s – offers a motif for the pair's enduring connection throughout the series. And what a soundtrack it is, reflecting the music scenes of its two cities – Sheffield and Sydney – in fairly iconic style. In common with the novel on which its based, the show packs in a crate load of tunes: from Aussie bands like 1927 and The Church, to British post-punk legends like The Psychedelic Furs and The Cure, and Sheffield hometown heroes Arctic Monkeys and Richard Hawley. Listen out for the great Nick Drake too. Here's the soundtrack in full: EPISODE 1 Fool's Gold – The Stone Roses Home is the Range – The Comsat Angels Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order Fluorescent Adolescent – Arctic Monkeys Sweet Tooth Outlaw – The Psychs Prize – Kitchens of Distinction Northern Sky – Nick Drake Late Again - ALWAYS Road – Nick Drake Outro – Jackson Reid Briggs & The Heaters Under The Milky Way - The Church Close To Me - The Cure Stephanie Says - The Velvet Underground Some Candy Talking - The Jesus and Mary Chain EPISODE 2 Hit the North – The Fall That's When I Think of You - 1927 Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs Lovesong - The Cure Tainted Love - Gloria Jones The Deepest Sighs, The Frankest Shadow s - Gang of Youths EPISODE 3 Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone Something Is - Richard Hawley Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division Bizarre Love Triangle - Frente! EPISODE 4 I Fall Apart - Rory Gallagher She is Everything – Blue In Heaven Background Check - Display Homes I Love You - The Brian Jonestown Massacre Live It Up - Mental As Anything Lovesong - The Cure How can I watch Mix Tape? All four episodes are on BBC iPlayer now. The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far). The 101 most romantic movies of all time.
Spectator
21-07-2025
- General
- Spectator
The ‘Gen Z stare' is another act of teenage rebellion
The latest complaint made against Generation Z is that its members now frequently assume a blank, glassy-eyed expression of indifference and boredom. The 'Gen Z stare', as it's known, has become so prevalent among those born between 1997 and 2012 that it's now a source of habitual frustration and annoyance among their elders – the millennials who coined this term. According to a Times report over the weekend, young parents now continually protest at having to confront this pose among their offspring, a demeanour that manifests itself in lack of eye contact and disregard for basic social niceties. This won't come as a surprise to those who recognise that modern technology, particularly smartphones, has had a deleterious influence on the youngest members of society. The increasing inability of Gen Z to engage in forms of ordinary social engagement is one widely accepted symptom of our technological revolution. There may be other factors, too. The lockdown years of 2020-21 severely stalled and stilted the socialisation and development of a youth at a crucial stage. Some people, speaking in their defence, say that the 'Gen Z stare' reflects a justified gloom and pessimism in that, in relation to future job prospects or the likelihood of ever owning their own home, the youth today have much reason to look disenchanted. In truth, teenagers and those in their early twenties have always been prone to behave like this. Geoff Beattie, a psychology professor at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, explains this perceived disengagement as 'a generational marker, an attempt to project the generation's values of authenticity and individuality'. It's always been thus with teenagers, ever since that word became common parlance in the 1950s. That was the decade which saw the publication of The Catcher In The Rye and the release of the film Rebel Without A Cause. These are two works that encapsulated a generational conflict between rebellious adolescents whose elders didn't understand them – a mutual misunderstanding hindered by teenagers never being masters at expressing themselves articulately or coherently. Affected nonchalance or genuine anomie has been a rite of passage for youths making their first, difficult and sometimes traumatic steps into the mental and physical grown-up world. It's why it's featured prominently in another offshoot of the 1950s: rock 'n' roll. Since then, pop groups have been fond of gazing from the front cover of their albums with looks of distraction, whether it be the Beatles appearing jaded and distorted on the sleeve of Rubber Soul (1965), or The Cure appearing in warped, morbid infra-red on the cover of Pornography (1982), their ultimate tribute to adolescent misery. Along with The Smiths, The Cure appealed most to the alienated and disaffected youths in the 1980s, and to judge by their undimmed popularity to this day, to adolescents of succeeding generations. This is a demographic eternally prone to existential angst. It was no coincidence that songs by The Cure referenced Albert Camus ('Killing an Arab') or Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast series ('The Drowning Man'). Robert Smith, their lead singer and intellectual driving force, did what David Bowie and Patti Smith had done in the 1970s, when they had drawn inspiration from Rimbaud and William Burroughs: appeal to a romantic or introspective artistic inheritance. The Goths, of whom The Cure were the undisputed figureheads, assumed that name for a good reason. Their heirs of the 21st century, Emo kids, came to dress in black and lock themselves in their bedrooms for the same reasons: they hated a world that didn't understand them. This spirit of disenchantment has continued to manifest itself over the years. We witnessed it in grunge in the 1990s, whose aficionados bore an appearance of world-weary disaffection – the dishevelled hobo uniform of that scene was not accidental. Tragically, it turned out that Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain was deadly serious when he sung in 1993 'I Hate Myself And Want To Die', but that track did encapsulate a mood of detachment and indifference. Oasis even immortalised in song that decade's youthful declaration of nonchalance: 'whatever'. The 'Gen Z stare' is, in many respects, the latest manifestation of a decades-old phenomenon. As the sociologist Dick Hebdige wrote in his 1979 work on youth culture, Subculture, The Meaning of Style, in respect of this tendency: Punk represents the most recent phrase in this process. In punk, alienation assumed an almost tangible quality. It could almost be grasped. It gave itself up to the cameras in 'blandness', the removal of expression (see any photograph of any punk group), refusal to speak and be positioned… the solipsism, the neurosis, the cosmetic rage. Teens will forever present themselves as bored. Those mired in that troubling transitional point in life will often do so out of defiance and self-differentiation, in rebellion against a world they often don't understand, and one which will seldom understand them.
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Emily Atack engaged months after baby's arrival as she shares stunning diamond ring
Emily Atack has announced her engagement in a sweet social media post. The actress took to Instagram to share the exciting news that boyfriend Alistair Garner has proposed. The duo, who welcomed son Barney in June last year, revealed their big news with a happy image and cute picture caption. In the snap, Emily is seen hugging into her man while her stunning diamond ring is on full show on his bare chest. She was seen with a big smile on her face as she nestled into her man while wearing a white vest top. Emily referenced a tune from the nineties in her caption. Sharing a lyric by The Cure, she wrote: "It's Friday, I'm in love." She added three diamond ring emojis. Her followers were quick to head to the comments section to share their delight at the news. Among those sending their love was Laura Whitmore. The former Love Island presenter said: "Yassssss! Delighted for you both you cuties xxx." Fleur East also joined in the praise, gushing: "Woooo! Let's gooo!!! Congrats," alongside two love heart emojis. And Sophie Ellis Bextor shared heart and clapping hand emojis too in her show of appreciation at the news.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Olivia Rodrigo's Guitarist Cried Upon Learning Robert Smith Would Join Glastonbury Set
The surprise appearance of The Cure's Robert Smith during Olivia Rodrigo's Glastonbury 2025 set has been widely celebrated by fans and critics alike, but few were as overcome with emotion as Rodrigo's own guitarist, Arianna Powell. In a new interview with Guitar World, Powell recalled the moment she first found out Smith would be joining them onstage for duets of The Cure's 'Friday I'm in Love' and 'Just Like Heaven' at Worthy Farm last month. More from Billboard Tomorrowland 2025 Mainstage Destroyed by Fire Ahead of Festival Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings Lead 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees Ariana Grande Teases 'A Plan to Sing for You All Next Year': See What She Said 'We found out in Nashville when we were rehearsing for Bonnaroo, which ended up getting cancelled,' Powell said. 'Stacy [Jones], our music director, came and told us, and was like, 'This is very secret – you cannot tell anyone, but he's going to be joining us.' And I swear to God, I started crying. Like, I started tearing up.' Powell, a longtime fan of The Cure, said the news hit her particularly hard because of her deep admiration for Smith's guitar work. 'I'm a huge fan, especially those guitar parts,' she shared. 'I love, love, love the guitar parts, specifically in those songs, especially 'Friday I'm in Love'. So I was just so stoked to get to actually play that with the artist.' Beyond the onstage collaboration, Powell spoke about Smith's generosity and warmth backstage. 'He was so cool. He was leaving his dressing room door open for us to hang out. He wanted to talk and be social,' she said. 'Through conversations with him, he was just saying, 'It's just another show.' And he was talking about how much he enjoys performing, and he loves it every time. That really inspired me and my energy for that night. Like, 'Yeah, it's just another show – and I love doing this.' The collective energy of the band that day was really infectious.' The performance also marked a milestone for Rodrigo, who has spent 2025 on a global tour supporting her sophomore album GUTS. The LP, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2023, has seen a resurgence in streams following her Glastonbury appearance, with 'vampire' and 'bad idea right?' climbing back into the upper reaches of the Billboard Global 200. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
