Latest 7 magazine

Zara Baker talks to Brighton Dad Dave Jenkins , creator of the phenomenal kids show Roary the Racing Car

Roary the Racing Car is familiar to most pre-school children. The popularity of the animated show has spawned a spin-off in merchandise that’s certain to grace the Christmas wish list of many a small child, including my godson’s. I was keen to find out more about the creation of Roary and discovered it all began right here in Brighton, an idea of local dad Dave Jenkins.

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Children’s laureate Michael Rosen talks about making his job work and bedtime stories with his son

Michael Rosen by Laurence Cendrowicz

Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen – creator of such phantasmagoria as Centrally-Heated Knickers and Super Boring Man, cheerfully describes himself as an egomaniac.

Should I curtsy, you being the children’s laureate?
No, just say hi! There’s no protocol.

How did you get the job – a phone call from the Queen?
A phone call, yes; not from The Queen, though: Shami Chakrabarti (Liberty director). I was on a train – I thought she was ringing me about a benefit gig and the signal kept cutting out. I could hardly hear her at all – it took me a while to realise what she was offering me.
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Josh Brolin talks to Latest 7 about his role as President Bush in Oliver Stone’s new film W

It’s been a rather impressive few years for you, hasn’t it?
Right, but once you confine it to the year, where do you go from there?

But it’s enabled you to take the step up to play the lead in W., doesn’t it?
That was what I hoped, to respect the moment. I had a lot of opportunities and a lot of money came my way, so thank God for my friend Brett Markinson, who taught me most of what I know about trading stocks. That gave me an objectivity to it all. His whole thing is ‘the minute you start to feel greed, sell, and the minute you start to feel fear look and see if it’s something you want to acquire because it’s probably a pretty good time to buy in.’ Read the rest of this article »

Goth-rock legends Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds play the Brighton Centre this week. Nick Aldwinckle spoke to Bad Seeds and Grinderman drummer and frontman of The Vanity Set, Jim Sclavunos

What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been doing a lot of sessions in New York. I have a studio and a friend down in Long Island and we’ve been working with a band called The Bellmer Dolls. They’re named after the Dadaist Hans Bellmer who used to make obscene doll sculptures. I’m about to do a Vanity Set session too. We’ve just finished a US Bad Seeds too, so this is my ‘in-between time’. We played the Hollywood Bowl with Spiritualised and Cat Power on the bill. It was a thrill to play such an iconographic venue. We’re heading to Europe for a tour, playing a few places we haven’t played before.

Do you come to Brighton much?
The last time we were in Brighton was with Grinderman, when we played a secret gig at the King Alfred Centre. It was fun. What’s not to like about Brighton?
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