Category: Places To Go

Lumiere 2015: Details Of Planned Road Closures

By on 2nd November 2015in Entertainment, Events, Lifestyle, Local Biz, Places To Go, What's New?, What's On?

With descriptions ranging from breath-taking to bedazzling and world-class to wonderful, why spoil your experience of the UK’s largest light festival by worrying about how to get there?

Lumiere returns to Durham for the fourth time November 12th to 15th, and tens of thousands of people are expected to enjoy another spectacular show, which includes 28 art works.

The festival is an Artichoke production, commissioned by Durham County Council, and to help visitors make the most of the occasion, there will be:

  • Extra and extended Park and Ride facilities – £2 per person.
  • Additional bus services.
  • A live traffic and travel feed from 2pm until 11pm on each of the four days using #lumieredurham.
  • Limited Park and Stride facility at County Hall and DLI (expected to be very busy very early. We strongly advise people to use Park and Ride services).

Dave Wafer, strategic traffic manager at the council, said: “This year we have more than 6,000 Park and Ride spaces available. These include two additional temporary sites at Merryoaks on the A167 and at New College to the north of County Hall. Merryoaks alone can take 2,500 cars.

“Throughout the event we will provide a live traffic and travel feed using #lumieredurham on Facebook and Twitter. This will include information on which Park and Ride sites have spaces, specific highways or traffic issues, major road closure reminders as well as answering as many questions as we can from the public.

“We hope that together these measures will help people get the most from this fantastic event.”

More information on all the traffic and travel options, including the additional bus services and operating times for Park and Ride, can be found here www.durham.gov.uk/lumiere.

During the festival there will also be some significant road closures and restrictions.

 

LumiereRoadRestrictionsMilburngateBridgeAndNorthRoad

On Milburngate Bridge one lane will be closed eastbound for the duration of the festival. This is necessary to keep the many thousands of spectators expected as safe as possible as they cross the bridge.

Barriers will be put in place to separate pedestrians and motorists using the bridge. Unfortunately this will involve closing the eastbound carriageway overnight on Wednesday November 11th from 8pm, so they can be safely installed. The bridge will also close in an eastbound direction overnight on Sunday 15th November so the barriers can be removed before Monday morning traffic.

This year a section of the A690 – between Milburngate roundabout and North Road Roundabout (next to the viaduct) – will be closed from 4pm each day of the festival. This includes the roundabout, which will only allow access for buses. Alternative routes will be sign posted.

 

Dave Wafer again: “Unfortunately you can’t put on an event of this scale without some interruption, but we hope that by providing advance notice people will have plenty of time to plan their routes. We would strongly suggest that people who usually commute through Durham consider an alternative route during the festival.

“We are keeping road closures to a minimum and where they are needed in the interests of public safety, and to provide the best possible festival experience, we would ask for everyone’s support and patience.”

A full list of road closures is available here www.durham.gov.uk/lumiere.

Alex Nelson’s Places To Go: Bradford

By on 27th October 2015in Have Your Say, Lifestyle, Local Biz, Places To Go, Uncategorised, What's New?

Stationmaster Alex Nelson has been suggesting places to go by train every month for ten years. This month, he’s headed to Bradford…

Chester-le-Track has been promoting Bradford as a fascinating city to visit since 1999. It’s a large (population 528,155), vibrant City in West Yorkshire, reached from the north-east via Leeds on the TransPennine route.

As it happens, Bradford was chosen by Northern Rail for its annual “thank you” event for stakeholders, which I was unable to attend this year. That offered a visit to the Bradford Industrial Museum, lunch in the Abundant Life Centre, and a visit either to the National Media Museum or the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Lister Park.

The National Media Museum is a favourite of mine (formerly known as the National Museum of Film, Television and Photography, until the internet came along and threatened an even longer title). They wisely decided to go for National Media Museum, where I saw an excellent Robert Zemeckis film a few weeks ago called The Walk, about the tightrope walker who walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 7th August 1974. It’s on general release now, but looked its best in 3D on a giant IMAX screen.

Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the “wool capital of the world”. The area’s access to a supply of coal, iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of Bradford’s manufacturing base, which – as textile manufacture grew – led to an explosion in population, and was a stimulus to civic investment. Bradford has much listed Victorian architecture, including the grand Italianate City Hall.

A major London company ran a textiles conference in Bradford during mid-October, bringing students into Bradford from many colleges and universities. Chester-le-Track was pleased to provide rail tickets for the participants, which was done by getting each institution to ring us with their ticket orders, and the transactions were all billed to the London company’s credit card. Not only did they get the best fares, but it saved all the invoices flying around from the various colleges.

We’re equipped to handle travel to large conferences and events by rail, so just ask us what we can do.

 

There are two good hotels to use for an overnight stay, next to Bradford’s two rail stations. The Interchange station has the Victoria hotel opposite, while the Midland Hotel is close to the other station at Bradford Forster Square. Both stations have direct services to London, with an electric service from Bradford Forster Square (more trains are available from Leeds), and a diesel service from Bradford Interchange four times a day. Trains from Leeds, with connections from the north-east, run into both stations frequently.

As stationmaster, I spend some of my time travelling around the network, frequently accompanied by our apprentices. I also speak to clubs and societies about rail ticketing, most recently at Marton near Middlesbrough, and at Alnwick. I have a particularly good knowledge of London, which is important since 70% of our tickets on the National Rail network are issued to, from, or via London.

I can speak on several railway subjects (including history, time, my adventures in Bradford, and most particularly railway fares), and if you would like to speak to an association of any sort, you are welcome to email me.

Alex Nelson

5 Half Term Events To Keep The Kids Entertained

By on 20th October 2015in Events, Lifestyle, Places To Go, What's New?, What's On?

Half term is on its way (23rd October until 2nd November), so here are five events to keep the little ones occupied…

 

Saturday 24th October
Atoms To Astrophysics, Hancock Museum
Meet scientists from Newcastle University and learn about our universe with hands on demonstrations and experiments.

Tuesday 27 October
Time Traveller Tuesday, Discovery Museum
Take a journey through the Discovery Museum that even The Doctor would be proud of! Come dressed in your favourite sci-fi costume, go on a Tardis trial, and watch some Doctor Who re-runs in the Great Hall.

Wednesday 28th October
Big Wednesday: Big Draw, Laing Art Gallery
Take inspiration from the beautiful works in the Arts & Crafts exhibition, and help to design giant wallpaper! Create your very own Arts & Crafts room in a box, and join in the Arts & Craft trail through the gallery.

Thursday 29th October
Young People’s Art Workshop, Hatton Gallery
This sketchbook workshop allows youngsters to explore their creative side. Specifically designed with teenagers in mind. Free, but booking is essential!

Sunday 1st November
Diesel Day, Stephenson Railway Museum
See both of the museum’s heritage diesel engines in action! The 08 class will be hauling the passenger service, and the 03 will be out in the yard. This is also the last day of the year that you’ll be able to drop in for heritage train rides.

Wynyard Christmas Fayre Set To Be Bigger Than Ever

By on 19th October 2015in Lifestyle, Local Biz, Places To Go, What's New?, What's On?

Champagne, carols and a Continental Christmas market are coming to one of the North East’s most popular events next month…

The annual Wynyard Christmas Fayre, at Wynyard Hall, Tees Valley, has become a firm favourite with shoppers keen to snap up locally sourced food, jewellery, fashion, gifts and homeware.

It is now set to be even bigger and better than ever, with 160 stalls and an avenue of German-style, fairylit, wooden chalets lining the route from the hall itself to the Grand Marquee at the edge of the recently opened Walled Garden.

Throughout the three day event, from 20th to 22nd November, visitors will be able to enjoy mulled wine or afternoon tea in front of open, log fires in the Hall’s state rooms, while singers perform traditional Christmas carols.

Meanwhile, those looking to give themselves an early Christmas treat can head to the Hall’s Mirror Room, where therapists from the hotel’s lakeside Spa will shape and paint their nails over a glass of sparkling wine for £15.

They can then either make their way on foot through the outdoor Christmas market, or take a shuttle bus to the Grand Marquee, where there will be further stalls and the chance to explore the adjacent Walled Garden’s visitor centre and café.

There, they can choose from a wide range of food and gifts sourced from suppliers in the North East and North Yorkshire and enjoy a light meal or snack overlooking the garden.

Those wishing to walk from the Hall to the Grand Marquee and Walled Garden should wear appropriate footwear.

 

The Wynyard Christmas Fayre will take place from 10am to 5pm on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st November and from 10am to 4pm on Sunday 22nd November.

There will also be a special preview evening on Thursday 19th November between 5.30pm and 9pm for holders of advance tickets purchased from the hotel’s website.

Tickets for the Fayre cost £4 if bought in advance and £5 on the door and can be purchased by calling 01740 644811 or via www.wynyardhall.co.uk.

While entry to the visitor centre is free, there is a £5 charge for entry to the Walled Garden and bookings are now being taken for Afternoon Tea at the Hall.

North East Walks: God’s Bridge

By on 8th October 2015in Lifestyle, Places To Go, What's New?

Gary Richardson, Darlington-based freelance photographer and writer, details the North East’s best walks. This month, he’s visiting God’s Bridge…

 

Route Info:

7.5 miles/12 Km with 630 feet/190m of ascent
Maps: 1:25K OS Outdoor Leisure 31 or 1:50K OS Landranger 92
Start: Bowes village. Grid ref: NY995135 …. Post Code: DL2 9HU
Parking: small parking area opposite the village hall.
Where to Eat and Drink: The Ancient Unicorn Inn, Bowes village. 01833 628321

Route Map

An interesting walk around through the River Greta valley, which before the local government reorganisation in 1974 was part of North Yorkshire, but now is part of County Durham.

The walk makes use of the two sections of the ‘Bowes Loop’ on the Pennine Way. The first half, over the bleak remote heather covered Bowes Moor, is in stark contrast to the return leg which follows, for most of the way, the wild flower meadows along the banks of the River Greta.

The walk starts in Bowes village, located a few miles south of Barnard Castle, alongside the busy A66 trans Pennine road.

 

 

From village hall car park head west straight along main street through village. Just after passing Dotheboys Hall, which features in Charles Dickens novel Nicholas Nickleby, turn right with the road to cross the A66 and climb up to Clint Top. There are good views over the Greta valley from here.

Continue along road passing through remains of an old military storage site, where the foundations of many bunkers can still be seen. There are plenty of warnings signs advising of unexploded bombs and poisonous gas. Don’t worry! It’s years since this site was used, and as long as you stay on the road, there will be no danger.

After about 1.5 miles you will reach the isolated farm of West Stoney Keld (A).

 

Here go through gate in stone wall, and then leave Pennine Way by turning left and take rough vehicle track heading SW towards Ravock, at first following the wall on the left. Where this track makes a sharp right turn, go straight ahead to follow a faint path through heather which is waymarked with posts and cairns, to reach a boundary stone (B).

Even though there is a faint path, in poor weather/visibility this section of the walk could require the use of map and compass.

 

 

Keep on across the heather moor and after about a mile another wall is reached. Turn right to follow it west to reach the other branch of the Bowes Loop on the Pennine Way, close to the farm buildings at Pasture End. Turn left and follow the track downhill towards the busy A66.

Luckily there’s no need to risk your life having to cross this, on reaching the fence beside the road, go to the right to find an underpass. Go through this and go left over the fields, following the track downhill to God’s Bridge (C).

This is a natural limestone bridge over the River Greta. The river bed is usually dry, as it runs underground, as is common with lots of rivers and streams in limestone areas.

Leave God’s Bridge by going through gate in wall to find a new graded track through the fields (a permissive path not shown on OS map). This takes you through the meadows along banks of river, past East Mellwaters to footbridge over Sleightholme Beck at West Charity (D).

 

After crossing bridge, go left across the field to reach a track. Go right along this and pass through yard of the farm. The track then turns left and heads through fields towards Lady Myres. Pass through farm and continue on track to reach a finger post. Turn left and head across field to reach footbridge over River Greta.

Cross this and climb to Swinholme where a lane is joined heading back towards Bowes. There are good views of the castle from here. Upon reaching a stile over the fence on the right you have a choice of routes. Either follow Pennine Way over the fields to Bowes Castle and back to the village, or follow the stream (right) downhill through the field to reach River Greta again.

Turn left and take the path downstream to reach the lovely waterfall of Mill Force. From there take the path heading diagonally uphill across field to walled lane, and follow it uphill to reach lane close to church and castle. Turn right and follow this lane back to car park.

For more of Gary’s work, visit www.garyrichardson.me.

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