Category: Events

Escape from Lumley Castle

By on 14th December 2018in Entertainment, Events, In & Around, Places To Go, What's New?, What's On?

The Legend surrounding a 630-year-old North East castle is to be brought vividly to life, giving amateur detectives the chance to solve a mystery in a UK first.

Lumley Castle Hotel, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has announced plans to create the country’s first escape room within a historic property.

The 73-room castle has joined forces with the highly acclaimed Escape Rooms Durham, which already runs two games within the city centre, Mr Borrowdale’s Study and Lab Heist.

And the organisation has created a unique new escape room challenge, based on the tragic story of Lily of Lumley, who, in the 14th century, was reputedly thrown down a well by Catholic priests for renouncing her faith.

Lily is said to haunt the castle and there have been many supposed sightings of her ghost over the years – but now everyone who visits Lumley will get the opportunity to come face to face with the tragic heroine.

The escape room is being created in the castle’s former beer cellar and is scheduled to launch on Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2019.

Sam Lupton of Escape Rooms Durham said this will be a unique experience.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past few months to create a game that is not only entertaining but is also completely immersive in its game play and the only one of its kind in the UK,” said Sam.

“We can’t wait to share the experience of Lily of Lumley with visitors to the castle and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with this fantastic hotel.”

Although the story centres around the legend of Lily of Lumley, the experience is set to be family friendly and suitable for anyone over the age of ten.

The Escape Room experience will be open to residents and non-residents alike with the option to add an overnight stay, afternoon tea package, or dinner in the hotel’s highly acclaimed Black Knight restaurant at the time of booking.

Lumley Castle Sales manager Lauren Colledge believes the attraction will be a fantastic asset to the hotel and give visitors another reason to visit.

“This is a very exciting venture for us and we are investing heavily in it,” she said.

It will mean a visit to Lumley will be even more special and we know it will appeal to a wide range of audiences, from corporate guests who want a challenging team building activity to leisure visitors who want to have some fun.”

For more information or to make a booking visit www.escapedurham.co.uk.

North East hosts national organisation’s 100th anniversary celebration of votes for women

By on 19th October 2018in Events, Local Biz

A national organisation devoted to gender equality and promoting change, held its national AGM in Newcastle this month and celebrated the 100th anniversary of votes for women.

The National Council of Women of Great Britain (NCW), originally founded as the National Union of Women Workers in 1895, promotes confidence, public speaking skills and debate among young women, developing the next generation of inclusive leaders who will create a world in which it is no disadvantage to be a girl.

The NCW’s Annual Meeting has taken place for over 100 years. This year, it was held at the Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle and welcomed over 50 delegates as well as a number of schools from the areas in which its youth division operates including York, Nottingham and London.

Dr Andrena Telford, president of the NCW, said: “It was so encouraging to see the interaction between our older and younger members. The young members enjoy being part of an influential national organisation and are excited by our links to international groups.”

Speakers at the event included Guy Oppermann MP, Professor Ron Beadle of Gateshead Council, Veronica Jones of Northumberland County Council and Baroness Joyce Quin, all of whom contributed to the theme of ‘Beyond the Ballot: Women and Parliament’.

Visitors also heard from Marion Anderson, who introduced some of the personalities and activities of Newcastle’s suffrage movement and the work it did to help bring the vote to women.

Dr Telford continued: “It’s an exciting time for us; the world has come a long way since women were given the vote and we are looking to bring our constitution into line with a different type of membership and different lifestyles for women.

“We plan to increase our membership, to open new branches as far as possible and to use modern technology to keep in closer contact with our individual members.”

The NCW is holding a training session on November 17th in Derby for young women members, led by Barbara Maddison, the prime instigator of the youth division.

For more information on NCW or to get involved, see www.ncwgb.org.

Don’t laugh – 2018 really could be England’s World Cup year

By on 6th June 2018in Entertainment, Events

Yeah, we know. We seem to go through the same process every time the England national football team has a big tournament looming: we see the stellar talents at the manager’s disposal, reflect on what has often been a relatively stress-free qualifying campaign (remember Roy Hodgson’s 100% record ahead of Euro 2016?) and do our finest rendition of “Three Lions” as the team’s first match of the competition kicks off.

Then comes the inevitable: a key player gets injured, there’s a baffling tactical or referee decision, a crucial penalty is missed or we just get defeated by a supposed no-hoper team (Iceland, anyone?).

So, why could things be genuinely different for the now Gareth Southgate-managed England when our boys in white begin their World Cup campaign proper against Tunisia at Russia’s Volgograd Arena on 18th June?

Expectations aren’t at their highest…

…and that could work in England’s favour. Past World Cups, after all, saw England teams pretty much pick themselves. The opposition knew they’d be facing off against Beckham, Lampard, Owen, Robson, Shilton or whoever the Three Lions’ biggest stars were at the time.

In 2018, though, we’re a relatively unknown quantity to many of our international rivals. The 2000s ‘Golden Generation’ is long gone, with our defenders especially low in profile. The likes of Joe Gomez, Harry Maguire, James Tarkowski and Nick Pope are hardly the household names that Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and John Terry were.

We do have some rather more established talents in the midfield, such as Dele Alli, Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson – but again, it’s tricky for anyone to predict exactly who Southgate will select for any one match.

Just look at the former Middlesbrough manager’s options up front, for instance – Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford are all competing to be in the first XI, giving England a happy unpredictability that it lacked in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s or Fabio Capello’s time.

There are more factors than just those, though

Everywhere you look, there are further reasons for optimism that might just tempt you to back England for outright glory at its current not-exactly-hot-favourite odds (16/1 at Paddy Power as IN&AROUND headed to press, compared to the 9/2 quoted for both Brazil and Germany).

Southgate’s troops do, after all, have a seemingly easy group, consisting of Panama, Tunisia and Belgium. Sure, the latter could be testing opponents with such aces as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, but they are also England’s last match in Group G, so we may well have secured our passage to the next round by then.

The first knockout round fixture could also be a good one for England. Group H – from which England’s opponents at this stage would be drawn – comprises Colombia, Poland, Senegal and Japan, which are all seemingly beatable sides for a squad as capable as England’s.

Oh, and did you know that whenever Pep Guardiola wins a league title in a World Cup year, the country in which he manages always goes on to win the tournament (Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014)? He emerged victorious as Manchester City’s coach this past league season.

Fair enough, we probably won’t see Henderson or Kane hoisting the FIFA World Cup Trophy in the air on Russian turf at the 15th July Final – but those 52 years of hurt never stopped us dreaming…

Early Bird Offer For Muddy Mayhem At Hardwick Park

By on 21st January 2017in Events

Early birds can catch a discount for a day of muddy good fun at County Durham’s Hardwick Park.

The North East’s ultimate obstacle course returns on Sunday 1 October, with a host of challenges awaiting runners in the beautiful surroundings of the popular 18th century, Grade II listed parkland, near Sedgefield.

Cllr Maria Plews, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “Muddy Mayhem is always a popular event and from cargo ​nets to ​climbing ​walls, ​tunnels, ​freezing ​open ​water and ​lots ​of ​other ​surprises this year once again promises a real test for everyone taking on our tough 5K or 10K courses.”

Anyone who signs up before midnight on Tuesday 31 January 2017 can bag a 5K place for just £35 or £40 for the 10K.

And if you’re considering taking part as a group then there’s no better time to book, as teams of 10 or more will receive an extra 10% discount – making it just £31.50 per person before the end of January.

Once the early bird offer has finished the individual price will increase to £42 for 5K and £48 for 10K.

Runners must be aged 16 and over to enter, and have a reasonable level of fitness.

For more information and to sign up visit  HYPERLINK “http://www.durham.gov.uk/muddymayhem” www.durham.gov.uk/muddymayhem.

The Blues Band Return To Gala Theatre

By on 19th January 2017in Events

Music fans can swap post-festive blues for rhythm and blues as The Blues Band returns to the Gala Theatre on Saturday 4, February 2017 at 7.30pm as part of their 38 Years and Back for More international tour.

Their soulful performances have dazzled audiences at venues throughout Europe including Glastonbury. Formed in 1979 by Paul Jones and Tom McGuiness from Manfred Mann as a band “just to play the blues”, two and a half decades and 16 albums later, the band are still touring and are acknowledged across the world as among the finest rhythm and blues bands around.

Tickets are £22 and can be booked online at www.galadurham.co.uk or by calling the Gala Theatre box office on 03000 266 600 or in person.

Spring Season At Bishop Auckland Town Hall

By on 7th January 2017in Events

A varied and exciting line-up of comedy, music, film screenings and much more is set to entertain audiences at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in the New Year.

Tickets for the town centre venue’s spring season are now on sale and there’s plenty of choice to suit all tastes.

A host of top notch comedians are set to entertain audiences over the coming months courtesy of Hilarity Bites Comedy Club, which returns on Friday, 20 January with headliner Carl Hutchinson. Carl recently performed to three sell-out audiences in Gala Theatre’s studio.

Daliso Chaponda headlines Hilarity Bites on Friday, 17 February, with Steve Shanyaski taking the helm on Friday, 17 March and 2014 Comedian’s Comedian Award-winner Gavin Webster stepping up on Friday, 21 April.

There’s Gothic storytelling at its very best on Wednesday, 8 March with Northumberland Theatre Company’s visually exciting production of Dracula. Imaginative, scary and atmospheric yet also funny, the show will appeal to family audiences with a mix of audience participation, music and humour.

There’s more live theatre in the spring with The Chef Show on Wednesday, 25 January. Father and son, Abdul and Kamal, are having a busy night in their restaurant as they struggle to deal with customers ‘out front’ and staff in the kitchen.

And the drama continues on Saturday, 18 March, when Blackeyed Theatre presents a brand new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic horror masterpiece Frankenstein, fusing storytelling, live music and puppetry with stunning theatrics.

There’s also plenty to entertain music fans, with a wide range of acts performing at Bishop Auckland Town Hall throughout the season.

Prolific songwriter John Wrightson and north east entertainer Bert Draycott hit the Town Hall stage with their folk music extravaganza Life in a Pit Village on Saturday, 11 February.

Fusing rock, blues, folk and punk, The Pistoleros, perform on Saturday, 25 February, while award-winning folk singer-songwriters Tilston and Lowe take to the stage on Friday, 7 April, having joined forces for a series of concerts filled with music and banter.

There’s fun for all the family, on Monday, 3 April with Kitchen Zoo bringing to life Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat, a curious tale of an unexpected sea voyage to a curious land.

Film-lovers are also well-catered for this spring with a collection of Hollywood blockbusters and a more local production.

On Thursday, 26 January, the town hall will be screening The Legend of Tarzan; on Thursday, 23 March, it’s the 2016 production of Ben Hur; and on Thursday, 27 April, there’s a chance to catch The Girl on the Train.

There will also be a screening of Chris Anderson’s documentary A Story of Bishop Auckland, celebrating the people and activities that have put the town firmly on the map in recent years, on Wednesday, 1 March.

Capping off the season on Wednesday, 26 April, Ballet Theatre UK presents Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Based on Lewis Carroll’s much-loved children’s books, the show is a captivating piece brimming with wit, humour and charm.

The full programme is available at www.bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk. To book tickets, contact the box office on 03000 269 524.

 

Road Widening Will Reduce Queues At Thinford Roundabout

By on 6th January 2017in Events

Work to widen a section of the A688 to the east of Thinford roundabout is set to begin in the New Year.

The scheme, being carried out by Durham County Council, aims to increase capacity at the junction and reduce traffic queues. Widening of the road at this location has been a longstanding aim which is only now possible due to the demolition of the former Thinford Inn.

It will also include the creation of a new junction, which will provide a right turn lane from the A688 and access to a new development due to open later in the year.

Work will begin on Monday, 16 January and is expected to take about three months to complete, during which time the eastbound lane of the A688 will be closed from the roundabout towards Metal Bridge.

Businesses normally accessed via this section of the road will remain open, with parking provided in the layby to the east of the A167 southbound carriageway approaching Thinford roundabout.

The layby will be closed to other traffic while work is ongoing and will remain closed once the scheme is complete.

A diversion will be in place, taking drivers via the A167 to Rushyford, the A689 to the Sands Hall roundabout at Sedgefield and then the A177 to Tursdale.

Several full closures of the A688 will be required towards the end of the works. Further information will be provided in advance of these closures.

Adrian White, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “These essential works will support the regeneration of the area and reduce waiting traffic at what has become something of a bottleneck.

“There will be a diversion in place and motorists should expect some disruption. We would like to thank them in advance for their patience.”

As well as street lighting, signage and drainage works, the scheme will include the diversion of utilities.

 

 

Tickets On Sale For Spring Shows At Gala Theatre

By on 20th December 2016in Events

A new production of Willy Russell’s classic play Educating Rita is among the highlights of another packed season at Gala Theatre.

The spring programme at the Durham City venue also includes a varied and exciting line-up of comedy, music, film screenings and much more.

Intelligent, funny, and as relevant today as it was when it was written in 1980, Educating Rita is a modern classic. Hairdresser Rita is unhappy in her job. With a thirst for knowledge, she signs up for an Open University course in English Literature, where her tutor Frank is a middle-aged alcoholic. Forming an unlikely bond, brash Rita and academic Frank begin to inspire each other.

The Gala-produced show follows September’s critically acclaimed The Fighting Bradfords, which was the venue’s first theatre production outside of its pantomime for six years.

Educating Rita runs from Tuesday, 4 April to Saturday 8 April, with a two-for-one ticket offer for Gala members on opening night.

There’s more live theatre in February, with The Empty Nester’s Club. Mum Vicky shares her story of empty bedrooms, fresher’s flu, boyfriends, long goodbyes, motorway service stations and trips to Ikea. She also tells how she fought back to be the woman she is today.

Presented by the John Godber Company and Theatre Royal Wakefield, who return to Durham after last year’s Shafted!, The Empty Nester’s Club is at Gala Theatre on Monday, 6 February and Tuesday, 7 February.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) presents The Tempest via the big screen on Friday, 3 February. The production sees Simon Russell Beale return to the RSC after 20 years to play Prospero in a ground-breaking and unforgettable show.

On a distant island a man awaits. Robbed of his position, power and wealth, his enemies have left him in isolation. But this is no ordinary man and no ordinary island. Prospero is a magician, able to bend nature to his will.

There’s a second RSC screening on Wednesday, 26 April with Julius Caesar. As the race to claim the empire spirals out of control, betrayal turns to violence in Shakespeare’s epic political tragedy.

The new season also brings more screenings from the National Theatre’s NT Live programme. Game of Thrones star Lucian Msamati takes on the role of Amadeus on Thursday, 2 February, while The Affair’s Ruth Wilson stars as Hedda Gabler on Thursday 9 March.

Spring also brings music to Gala Theatre with songs and sounds to suit all tastes.

The Pitmen Poets share songs and stories on Sunday, 5 February and there’s a chance to relive the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr on Saturday, 25 February with The Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular.

Elkie Brooks, one of the most popular singers the UK has ever produced, performs on Sunday, 5 March. With numerous hit singles and million-selling albums, Elkie promises an evening that will be a treat for fans new and old.

Also taking to the stage are the Yamato Drummers, who will be captivating audiences with an explosive visual spectacular on Tuesday, 11 April, while guitarist and singer-songwriter Chantel McGregor, showcases a bigger and bolder rock sound on Thursday, 13 April.

There are also plenty of laughs lined up with a gaggle of top class comedians set to entertain audiences over the coming months.

Susan Calman celebrates her 10th year in comedy with a brand new show, which she brings to Gala on Sunday, 12 February.

And, later in the month, on Friday, 24 February, audiences can expect a heady mix of spontaneous stand-up and outlandish musical talent courtesy of Alex Horne and The Horne Section.

In The Sound of Mucus, showbiz legend Count Arthur Strong pays tribute to one of the best musicals he can remember, recreating the salient and poignant moments for the audience’s enjoyment. Demand for tickets has led to a second date being added, with the show now running on Wednesday, 22 February and Thursday, 23 February.

Publican, politician and philosopher Al Murray – The Pub Landlord embarks on a common sense campaign to re-Great Britain in his brand new show at Gala on Saturday, 18 March, while Lee Nelson is back on the road, visiting Durham on Sunday, 30 April.

Other comedy highlights include Love Island narrator Iain Stirling (Monday, 27 February), Mock the Week’s Andy Parsons (Sunday, 23 April) and writer, journalist and DJ Danny Baker (Wednesday, 8 March).

Fans of Gala’s regular The Comedy Store slot, meanwhile, can snap up a season ticket. Valid for three shows (Sunday 29 January, 26 February and 16 April), it means a saving of £2 per show.

The new season at Gala also includes plenty of fun for all the family with a selection of shows aimed at younger theatre-goers.

Sponge is a fabulously kitsch adventure for babies aged from six months to children under four and their grown-ups. At Gala on Friday, 24 February and Saturday, 25 February, the show is infused with audience participation, improvisation and multi-sensory experiences.

Dare you take on the dangers of Dinosaur World? Grab your compass for a journey across uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing and remarkably realistic dinosaurs. The whole family can enjoy the interactive show on Saturday, 15 April and Sunday, 16 April.

The Scarecrow’s Wedding is at Gala on Tuesday, 18 April and Wednesday, 19 April. From the creators of The Gruffalo, this truly heart-warming show is bursting at the seams with style, wit, drama and wedding bells.

Robin Byers, Durham County Council’s service manager for place and experience, said: “Gala is well established on the touring circuit for many of the country’s top comedians, musicians and performers, and each season we try to select the very best of that work for our audiences.

“We feel we have a really strong season this spring, and we know it will appeal to our regular Gala customers, as well as bringing new people to the venue.”

To view the full spring programme and book tickets, visit Gala Theatre box office, call 03000 266 600 or go online at www.galadurham.co.uk

Discover The North East’s ‘Luckiest Woman’ At Durham County Record Office

By on 17th December 2016in Events

Standing in the kitchen of her small, County Durham pit village home Barbara Mortenson had the luckiest of escapes.

With her children and Danish husband Carl in bed upstairs, at 10.30pm on a clear summer night, a 3in wide shell demolished part of the family’s back yard wall, drilled a hole clean through the kitchen wall, flew past her, across the room and landed near the front door – but failed to explode.

A short distance away Mary Slaughter was not so fortunate.

Walking through the New Seaham colliery yard with her cousin, the 35-year-old from Hebburn was hit by another of the 39 missiles launched from a German submarine that had surfaced 1.5 miles away. She would die from her injuries the next day.

Their contrasting stories are among the subjects of Durham County Record Office’s first talk of 2017, which takes a look at one of the less well known incidents of the First World War.

Education and outreach archivist Dawn Layland said: “If you are familiar with the history of County Durham you may know that Hartlepool was bombarded by the German fleet in 1914, but many may not know that Seaham also came under enemy fire in 1916.

“In the colliery village of New Seaham, 1.5 miles inland from Seaham Harbour, the quiet of a July evening was shattered by a German submarine attack.

“Staff at the Record Office have built up a huge wealth of knowledge about the archives we hold and the history of the county, and our Third Thursday talks are our chance to share that knowledge.

“The first talk – Coastal Seaham Investigation: Submarine Bombardment – is a great story.

“Come and find out about the luckiest woman in County Durham.”

The talk – which costs £2 per person – will be held on Thursday 19 January 2017, from 12.30pm to 1.15pm at Durham County Record Office at County Hall in Aykley Heads.

Further talks, titled “Relieving the Monotony”: DLI Regimental Journals, 1857-1968, and “From Idea to Act of Parliament”: Local Legislation in the Eighteenth Century , will follow on the third Thursday of March and May.

To book a place call 03000 267626 or for more information visit www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk.

 

Coffee, Crafts And Cards At Spennymoor Library

By on 10th December 2016in Events

Coffee, crafts and card-making are among the Christmas activities at a County Durham library.

Spennymoor Library is hosting a series of festive special events over the coming weeks.

On Thursday, 15 December, there’s a Christmas coffee morning between 9.30am and 11.30am, with warm drinks, nibbles and a tombola.

Youngsters can make their own Christmas tree decoration at a craft session on Tuesday, 20 December. Starting at 10.30am, the session costs £1 per child and places should be booked in advance.

Free Christmas card-making workshops are also taking place from Monday to Saturday throughout December.

For more information on any activities, contact Spennymoor Library on 03000 269 531.

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