Travel the World as an English Language Teacher for as little as £195 training...

Szekszard's famous wine museum.

Would you like to work abroad as an English teacher for as little as £195? Evan Burgess found out more.

Have you wondered what it would be like to work in a different field or find a profession where living abroad is a realistic option? How about studying two of those weeks in a highly regarded wine county?

Discover firsthand how to teach English where the occident and orient collide. In this Trinity College London course, you will find yourself studying for two out of five weeks in Hungary.   LT&D based in Witney run an Erasmus Plus partnered course that gives intensive training over 5 weeks. After that, the student is able to work as an English teacher all around the world, but also in the UK, where demand is steady for learning in the country.

A tribute to the grape in Tolna County

Osijek's Catholic church on a day trip

LT&D’s course runs for three weeks in Witney and two weeks in a town in southern Hungary called Szekszard. 1 and a ½ hours from Budapest and near the Serbian and Croatian borders, the town is an idyllic wine producing hotbed. In Hungary teaching candidates are given opportunities to work in a local classroom as a part of their observation process. This first hand opportunity is of great value in applying for work afterwards and forging bonds with the local teaching staff.

Budapest by Night

The course is currently operating with Erasmus Plus funding in alignment with the E.U, which allows the course fees to be drastically reduced. Flights to Hungary are included in the fee. Candidates ideally will have a degree and some familiarity with language, be it native or foreign. Grammar and phonetics are a part of the course that will quite likely develop new skills for the candidate. If accepted on the course it is best to do some reading up on these subjects to help prepare for the intense nature of study.

Art from Osijek in Croatia, just 80 miles from Szekszard

No need to fight over a slice with these pizzas

Usually there is time to take in the culture of Hungary whilst on location, be sure to enjoy the cheap and friendly nightlife. A good pizza can be as little as £5 in a stylish restaurant with a glass of wine in a night club can be as little as £1.50. Do not worry about cutting back too much when abroad and enjoy the intense but greatly developmental experience!

For more details contact LT&D:

phil@ltd-oxford.com or david@ltd-oxford.com

Address: Windrush Court, 56A High Street, Witney OX28 6ET

Telephone: 01993 708637

Brewery Jazz Review 27th March 2015 Kings Head Vaulted Cellar Lounge

Full of atmosphere.

Evan Burgess reviewed the new monthly Jazz night at The Kings Head

Something new began in a humble cellar right off the market place. With recent talk of underground tunnels going through the whole of the town centre, being down in the lounge let the public’s imagination run wild. The neat and polished bar was an idyllic locale for music. Jazz was the style that brought about 100 people into the well seated hall. Table service meant people didn’t have to get up every time they wanted drinks. They could instead enjoy the slick and smooth music coming from a band of well drilled professionals.

 

John Law sat behind his array of instruments. His piano and keyboards were beautifully ornamental over Will Harris’ fine double bass playing. Italian drummer Paolo Adamo displayed an uncanny ability to master all playing techniques needed to drive the intricate melodies along.

A show containing these three individuals would have been a draw, but bringing with him a bold melodic layer saxophonist Andy Sheppard took the role of figurehead for the diverse and evocative music. The music was often demure before swelling into an unexpected new realm. No better example of this was when the group merged into Nick Drake’s ‘Riverman”, a wonderfully haunting song from late 60s album Five Leaves Left. The instrumentation made the tune familiar yet distant until Sheppard’s melodies brought home the vocal line in a timbre as beautiful as the original voice.

The quality of the music was something Cirencester will look forward to as Brewery Jazz carries on alongside Brewery Blues into the coming year.

Be sure to check out the next show with Jake McMurchie on Friday 24 April, tickets can be reserved by ringing 01285 700900.

Brewery Blues Review: The Curious Little Big Band-George Montague-Rosie Blackallar Band and Landslide. 27th Feb 2015

On 27th Feb Evan Burgess checked out the last gig at the Niccol Centre...

 
The last time I saw The Curious Little Big Band it was a special occasion. Again, this occasion merited a band good enough to fill a venue 10 times the size. It was natural The Curious Little Big Band were headliners for the last ever Brewery Blues at the Niccol Centre. It was not the end, but the beginning of a new venture for the Brewery Blues. As such there was still a feeling of optimism and a party atmosphere. What can’t be understated however, is whatever the occasion, The Curious Little Big Band are a party. Without a hint of irony they pull off perfect harmonies dressed in trashy wigs. The atmosphere was like a mass regression to a kid’s party and no one questioned it. The only thing missing was perhaps some burlesque dancers and a rendition of Time Warp.

But before we get to the headliners we had several acts that nearly convinced us we were at a circuit gig. There wasn’t a boa in sight as opener Landslide riddled their set with a series of great covers. On a high note they finished on Pearl Jam’s Even Flow. The crowd were polite and tapped their feet and clapped appropriately.  There is definitely a great deal of potential for Landslide. Most bands of that age don’t have the ability to play a song like Even Flow with the authenticity Henry Blackaller mustered. The rhythm section was spot on which added an extra edge to the song selection. At some points you could have thought you had walked in with the radio playing. 

Next up was Rosie Blackaller. Accompanied with Andy Hughes on drums, her brother Henry alternated between the guitar and bass. Rosie played the keyboard and guitar competently, using her left hand to fill in the low end when Henry was on the acoustic. Original songs and covers were well received and got some crowd participation. It seems Rosie can make her choices where she wants to go with her music.

Someone who definitely made the choice to go all the way in music was the penultimate act George Montague. Playing solo, he showed no inhibition in performing without the protection of a full band. Having seen George in the summer of 2014 headlining at the same venue, I was impressed how delicate some of his songs were rendered acoustically. Tunes were recognisable from before and the crowd knew him well.

Despite loving the previous artists, everyone was hungry for the final act. With a popularity not matched by many other local groups, The Curious Little Big Band transformed the crowd from a polite mass to a dynamic group of individuals. Space was made where there had been none before to enable a closer proximity to the action. Miles’ dressing up box brought out the vampish side in the ladies present. It came to a point where men were being forced to dance and anyone too still was frowned upon. Excuses like arthritis and gout were not going to hold up against the onslaught of beats.

One of the remarkable things about the act was that they could make the audience like any song or kind of music because they played it. The older generation didn’t bat an eyelid at a Dizzee Rascal style rap dropped in between some crooning. It isn’t possible to pick a highlight from the set but certainly some songs got most of the audience singing along. I Will Survive being one of them. Playing in May at the South Cerney festival, don’t forget your wig and boa when you push your way into the crowd. Miles often performs with a cane, perhaps soon it will be the only thing keeping the audience off his stage.

Electric Bikes at eCycle UK Review

Evan Burgess went to Stroud to find out more about eCycle Uk´s range of powered bikes...

The Ørsted bike, better than a car in built up areas!

A2B bikes are a marvellous product which I discovered first hand on the 7^th Feb in Stroud. If you have ever had a flying dream, you will know what it was like for me coming down the hill on Parliament Rd on a Ferber electric bicycle. Sat quite high up on the bicycle at a steep incline, it almost felt like I was floating. Anyone going down the hill in question will know what it is like, so steep that you find the ground falling away from you even when walking. With the electric motor kicking in to propel me along until I shut it off, the odd sensation of levitation allowed me to see Stroud in all its glory. The closest thing I’ve experienced to coming down the hill on an electric bike is landing in an aeroplane. Ironically, the Ferber is named after Wright Brother´s early supporter Ferdinand Ferber.

Stroud being one of the hilliest towns in the Cotswolds, it makes sense that a shop specialising in powered pedal bikes would set up. More interesting than coming down the hill perhaps, is the fact I got up it in the first place at up to 14mph thanks to the Ferber’s electric motor. The bike weighs roughly 4 stone, add me on top for a combined weight of 18 stone going up the hill, the motor certainly has some power. On the straights I managed to get up to 17mph and the 2 mile round journey only took 10 minutes. Interestingly, I ended up coming down the hill slower than going up it. This was due to the fact the momentum could soon have taken over. It was thanks to the solidity of the brakes that things kept stable, whilst I was ever on the lookout for parked cars opening their doors.

 

The Ferber, good for going up steep hills or shopping trips!

With a digital display documenting my speed and the battery power at all times, it was a joy to see my progress. If you live in a town and want to avoid driving and parking, the Ferber is a great option. Considering gridlock means that cars are often shuffling along at 8mph, I managed to squeeze through traffic and get around faster than if I had driven. For an older person with the money to spare, going for country rides (fully charged the bike has a range of 62 miles) with battery enhanced power would be great. Adding some bags/containers to the bike would also make it useful for shopping.

The fun didn’t stop for me as manager Jacob Kirby demanded I try out the Ørsted. Named after a Danish physicist who in turn gave his name to Denmark´s first satellite, how far was I going to end up being launched? It turned out I was just going to make a move to the Stroud Brewery on the London Road. No drinking was involved, but it´s situated along the straightest road Stroud has to offer. Taking a convoluted ride through the town centre, I then headed past Waitrose up to 19mph. This was a thrilling and immense journey and after 1.6 miles in five minutes, I turned around. Considering Google Maps estimates the car journey at 4 minutes, that isn´t bad! Trying to get back up the driveway I had gone down into the industrial estate from a standing start however was a bit harder than I expected. With the incline too steep for the 4stone bicycle, I had to get onto more level ground before taking off and getting up to 10mph in a few seconds. Even an ambulance passing me didn´t stop me from a round trip of just 12 minutes. The speed back into the town was largely thanks to being able to zigzag through the traffic.

Electric bikes are quality items and not cheap. But if you are a professional, retired or simply don´t want the hassle of a car, the bikes I reviewed would be ideal. When a decent car costs the same to run in a few years as a Ferber or Ørsted costs to buy, it could be a long term financial certainty to go for an electric bike over a car.

Find out more about eCycle Uk here!

Cirencester College: Loserville 10/12/14

Evan Burgess checked out the young casts slick production...

The Cirencester College performing arts students put on a musical show with great stage design, lighting and sound. This retro comedy set in 1971 tells the tale of Michael Dork, who is named appropriately for his social status. Trying to build a network between computers, he sees himself beaten back at every turn by those who want his idea or just don’t like seeing him succeed. Played by Sam Stafford, the character isn’t a natural communicator. The comedy and friction comes from his need to rely on others to reach his goals when he is banned from the computer room. Usually matters turn farcical as soon as he opens his mouth.

We find the glamorous and sweet voiced Joely Barbour playing Michael’s love interest, and (suspend your disbelief) chief geek. Will she however be able to withstand the testosterone filled advances of bad boy Eddie, whose idea of a gift is giving girls pictures of himself? We can only hope the good in human nature comes out when the jocks and cheerleaders fall for peer pressure and stick a wedge between the geeks friendship.

The version of the show I saw was good fun and full of claps and cheers as the audience congratulated the cast on each number. As with most theatre shows at this level, there were a few more girls to make up the numbers than boys. This lead to no doubt stylish ladies Olivia Raeburn and Lucy Soanes playing creepy and respectively geeky guys. It wasn’t without a cheeky glint in their eyes when they convincingly delivered laddish behaviour to their roles.

Shockingly we discover that amongst the crowd of cheerleaders is a secret geek. Chloe Smith did a good job playing both cheerleader and competition winning nerd Samantha, who falls for dashing dungeons and dragons player, Marvin. Brad Clark who played the role did a good job convincing us of Marvin’s love of sci-fi, sporting some very trendy tartan trousers.

 

Though it isn’t possible to name everyone’s good work, the spirit of the show was bright and bouncy throughout. The team effort will no doubt stand the students in good stead for future endeavours.