Emma Warren

‘Youth clubs have always existed. They always will, because there will always be young people. How we care for our youth, and what we owe them, is a question for all of us.’In Up the Youth Club, Emma Warren maps the shifting story of youth clubs in the UK and Northern Ireland, from factory workers in Victorian Boys’ and Girls’ clubs to renegade self-emancipatory spaces in the 1970s and the music-generating youth clubs of more recent decades. With a mixed lineage in church evangelism, the patronage of the upper classes, grassroots’ DIY, and erratic state funding, the youth club has had a huge, yet almost invisible, effect on music, sport, culture and society.Arguing that we cannot advocate for what we do not understand, Warren positions youth clubs as a kind of engine room – from the famous success stories to come out of their doors, such as The Specials or Stormzy, to the untold stories of young people finding shelter, sustenance and stimulation for over a century – and why their dwindling numbers, largely due to austerity and funding cuts, is of serious concern for us all.With this impassioned history, Warren invites us to pick up the torch and play an active part in protecting and re-igniting this vital part of UK society.

Embroidering your own clothes with the exact design you'd like adds a fun hint of personality to your wardrobe - try stitching dogs, flowers, slogans or patterns on to any garment. Using a range of stitches, techniques, materials and designs, Customize Your Clothes guides you through which tools to use, which stitches work best with certain designs, and also teaches you how to embellish with a range of materials to add a special personal statement to your items that costs next to nothing. Projects such as a plant T-shirt, a monogrammed sweater and a fun star hat make up this collection of ideas and inspiration for personalising your wardrobe. Even learn to decorate an old sweater with pom poms and cut shapes out of a pair of jeans you've had lurking in the back of your cupboard - the possibilities are endless, you just need some thread, a needle and a bit of inspiration! By customising your clothes you will have your own unique collection of items all embroidered to your taste, colour, style and design - hand-stitched by you.