HIGH FIVE

The Cameo Cinema’s general manager DIANE HENDERSON gives us her top recom- mendations of classic Christmas films.

1 It’s A Wonderful Life THE consummate Christmas film (and by happy coincidence. showing at the Cameo, Edinburgh from Fri 14 Dec and GFT, Glasgow from Fri 21 Dec).

2 The Bishops Wife Directed by Henry Koster in 1947. Cary Grant is truly wonderful as the angel who comes to earth to help a bishop.

3 Edward Scissorhands Because Tim Burton‘s always good at Christmas. and for me this is him at his most festive.

4 A Christmas Carol This 1951 version directed by and starring Alistair Sim. God bless Tiny Tim. Always a cracker at Christmas.

5 The Wizard Of 02 Victor Fleming's 1939 classic. Simply because this was my staple Christmas diet from the age of three.

MIG, booker and music manager at Glasgow’s Nice ’n’

Sleazy

selects his most hated Christmas releases.

1 ‘Mistletoe And Wine‘ by Cliff Richard.

2 ‘Saviour's Day' by Cliff Richard. I'll be taking my hammer to Wimbledon this year.

3 ‘Millennium Prayer' by Cliff Richard. Do you see a pattern forming here?

4 The Christmas EP by Cliff Richard (1991) I hate him because I fear him. How does his mind work? Has he no shame?

5 The Carol-Singers EP by Cliff Richard (1967). He uses Christian guilt as a marketing tool and it works! What's next from this madman? ‘Celibate Christians Of The World. Unite And Take Over' with Johnny Marr on harp? The devil take Cliff Richard! God bless Shaun Ryder.

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Hogmanay in Scotland means ridiculous firework displays. Let’s ban them. Words: Paul Dale

II the joys of New Year. ()11 the strike of midnight. my home city gets to feel like Sarajevo during the worst days of shelling. l'nder the table in my flat. my dog shakes with white fear and. in the hallway. the cat seems to he having an epileptic fit. I pick up the phone and try to ring my granny to wish her all the best. but she's not picking tip because she‘s sunk into her well-worn armchair hyperventilating as her mind shifts through a timewarp of remembrance for the worst horrors of the Second World War hlit/es. It‘s OK though because soft-brained children. delinquents and boorish drunken revellers are getting their kicks in the city centre watching sulphur and saltpetre collide to make streaks of light and heaps of smoke. In the days that follow. the retarded teenagers on the scheme I live on will use their leftover hangers

and rockets as weapons towards anyone their

dI‘ink—addled parents have told them may he the local paedophile. usually resulting in the loss of a fat— filled digit. While I have no

of moronic young neds (in the course of them trying to

the sale of fireworks to children is so ohviotts I have no intention of going into it here. .\'o. let's instead look at what you are

actually buying into every time you purchase or

view fireworks. first a quick history lesson. The birthplace of pyrotechnics is generally recognised to be China. Sometime during the Sung Dynasty (900—4279). some bored idiot

mixed sulphur. saltpetre and charcoal together

and found that it was very flammable and explosive. By l27‘). the (‘hinese were using rocket-powered arrows against the Mongols. Today (‘hina still provides a large percentage of the world‘s fireworks. but at such a cost. 011 l l March 2000. a fireworks factory explosion in

Janine

Next time you problem with the wounding set fire to a rocket, imagine make someone else's life a unpleasant). the debate on in its

The kind of fireworks that spark off a debate for us to bang on about

Shanin (‘ounty claimed 21 lives. and most of them were child workers. In August. a further 33 deaths were recorded from another explosion in the same county. In Sanshui Pujin in Anhui Province another illegal factory explosion claimed 14 lives. I | of which were child workers aged between eight and thirteen.

In India around 50.000 children work in firework and match-making factories around Sivasku in Tamilnada. Their ages range between four and fifteen. they work for as long as twelve hours continuously on wages as low as RsZ to Rs8 per day. depending on the individual’s output. They get little sleep. and their eyes itch. burn and weep from the toxic fumes: but it's OK because we are still buying as long as the US says it’s OK for us to trade with India.

Next time you buy and set fire to a rocket

just try and imagine a broken—hacked child in its

place. You are doing no less than condoning the exploitation of children in developing countries. And don‘t tell me you are only doing it for the kids. We are surrounded by natural beauty teach them to look at the stars.

Disagree? react@list.co.uk

Winter Wonderland ice-rink, Princes Street Gardens East. Edinburgh

Lois Station! Really good. It's different because as open an and p'ett‘, Chixstn‘assy