Inter-Varsity
Cardiff's lucky students societies have received a boost this month. A new shop has opened in Cardiff's Castle arcade - among its products it is offering a personalised condom service. University clubs and societies can order specially designed condoms bearing their names and logos. Johnnies is Wales' first and only condom store, with its owners describing it as a "family business for those who don't want a family." It is also the only store in Wales to sell vegan condoms - apparently milk is used in the condom washing proccess. Cardiff sources do not give details of which - if any - societies have taken up the offer.
Two Cardiff students dressed in a cow costume were threatened with arrest after entering their local MacDonalds andhanding out leaflets. The protest was organised by Animal Rights, One World and the Green Society who claim that McDonalds promote unhealthy food, exploit workers and damage the environment. Students standing outside the restaurant were also threatened by the police. The president of the Animal Rights Society said that the intervention was "ridiculous. This is a totally peaceful protest, whose only aim is to raise public awareness of McDonalds' practices."
An antifees sit-in at Goldsmiths last Febuary has been revealed as a sham. 260 students staged a sit in protest for a week at the college's Whitehead building, stopping the protest after claiming to have gained concessions for six non-fee payers to stay at the collge. However, it has emerged that college warden Ben Pimlott had written to the then headof Goldsmith's student Union promising the non-fee payers could stay before the sit-in began. However Sophie Bolt, the ex-President, (and now an Executive for the NUS) denies that the existence of the letter makes the protest a sham, saying that, "none of us wanted a week of no sleep andthe trauma of being in an occupation. It was a fucking hard thing to do."
John Major - in town to promote his autobiography - disappointed punters at a Cambridge book singing this week when he refused to chat to them. Members of his entourage had always said that the former premier's schedule was too busy to accomodate talking to members of the public. The atmosphere in Heffers' bookshop was described as "ordered, bland and passive". Apparently that surprised the Tabs. However, book-buyers were delighted by a fleeting appearance from Norma.
Compiled by Cressida Finch and Adam Fleming
4th Nov 1999