Tag: featured

Sedgefield Primary School Are DJs For A Day

By on 7th April 2016in In & Around

Pupils from Sedgefield Primary School were DJs for a day as a reward for being the sustainable travel stars of the winter term…

As part of this year’s ongoing MEGA Motion campaign, supported by Durham County Council, children at schools across south Durham have been using healthier and more environmentally friendly ways of getting to school. Earning points every time they walked, scooted, cycled, car shared or took public transport, Year 6 pupils from Sedgefield Primary accrued the most between October and December 2015 and were rewarded with their own media day with Star Radio.

This saw youngsters, helped by staff from the station, research, plan and then record their very own radio show to be broadcast on Star Radio at 7pm on Easter Sunday.

The special day was the latest MEGA Motion event, which comes under the wider Local Motion campaign, promoting sustainable transport throughout south Durham. The campaign aims to encourage children to try greener and more sustainable journeys to school, making them aware of the health and environmental benefits from an early age.

Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “MEGA Motion is a brilliant scheme that encourages our children, in a fun way, to be healthier and more environmentally friendly every day. We’d like to congratulate Sedgefield Primary School on being the first term winners this year and encourage pupils from other schools to keep up the good work and see if they can be the next!”

Further Durham City Roadworks Begin 11th April

By on 6th April 2016in In & Around

Major works on the main route through Durham City will start on Leazes Bowl roundabout in April which will result in easier journeys in the future…

Durham County Council’s £2.5m SCOOT system will see traffic lights installed on the Gilesgate and Leazes Bowl roundabouts during 2016. The installation of the traffic lights will also see improvements to pedestrian and cycle facilities on both roundabouts.

With work progressing well on Gilesgate roundabout, work on Leazes Bowl roundabout will get underway on Monday, 11 April. Although all measures are being taken to minimise the impact on traffic, motorists should be aware that disruption is likely while the work on Leazes Bowl is carried out.

As well as the installation of traffic lights, the improvements will also see the configuration of the roundabout changed with the number of lanes being increased. Paths will be widened with dropped kerbs installed to improve accessibility and two new eastbound bus stops will be installed, set back from the carriageway.

The work will be carried out in a number of phases over the next 25 weeks to help reduce the impact on people travelling through the city.

From 11 April, the first phase of work will see the eastbound approach to Leazes Bowl roundabout reduced to one lane from just past Milburngate Bridge on the A690 for the first part of the week. However the restriction will be removed during the evening rush hour – between 3.30pm and 7.00pm.

Heading westbound on the A690, there will only be one lane open on the approach to Leazes Bowl roundabout, through the works and over the roundabout for the duration of the week. However the restrictions will be removed during the morning rush hour – 7.00am to 9.30am. All lanes over Milburngate Bridge will remain open and the approach to Leazes Bowl roundabout from New Elvet will also be reduced to one lane at the junction with the roundabout throughout the week. The subway under the bridge will be closed with pedestrians diverted over Claypath.

Future phases of the work will be publicised closer to the time.

People can see full details at either www.durham.gov.uk/LeazesBowl or www.durham.gov.uk/Gilesgate which also includes changes to bus services, links to traffic cameras that people can check before setting off and tips to avoid delays. Motorists are also advised to keep up to date with the latest on social media using #LeazesBowl and #Gilesgate.

Adrian White, Durham County Council’s head of transport and contract services, said: “Once installed the SCOOT system promises to improve journeys for everyone travelling through the city in addition to improving the roundabouts to make life easier for pedestrians.

“While we’ve taken all measures to minimise disruption, we are working on the major route through Durham City so people should be aware there may be delays. We would like to thank everyone for their patience while we carry out these important improvements.”

The work at Gilesgate roundabout is expected to last until May with the work at Leazes Bowl finished by autumn 2016.

Once installed, the new traffic lights will be coordinated with those already in place on the Milburngate roundabout to better manage the flow of vehicles through the city. This will mean much more predictable travel through Durham City at peak times making journeys easier for motorists and helping bus operators to plan services.

It will also enable the council to more effectively deal with the impacts of incidents and planned events on the road network. The council hopes to start using the SCOOT system in 2017.

Olympian And Author Join Runners In Upcoming Sunderland Marathon

By on 5th April 2016in In & Around

Former Olympian Steve Cram and author Terry Deary joined runners gearing up for the Sunderland City 10k and Half Marathon…

Steve’s company, Events of the North, is organising the races on May 1, which are both sponsored by development company Siglion.

A 5K run was held on the beach at Seaburn, led by Steve and Terry, the author of the Horrible Histories books, with running clubs and members of the public training for the Sunderland races. It was one of a number of Start Me Up for Sunderland training sessions being organised around the city, in the lead up to the events.

Steve said: “The seafront section in both the half marathon and 10K routes is always very popular with runners and spectators alike, and we love being able to showcase that Sunderland is a city by the sea. “This year’s Start Me Up For Sunderland sessions have all been really successful and this was no exception, thanks in no small part to the contributions of Siglion and Terry.”

John Seager, chief executive of Siglion, said: “The training session was really well attended.

“It was a great opportunity for people who have perhaps never run at Seaburn to take advantage of the wonderful stretch of beach and seafront location.

“There was the added bonus of training with Steve Cram and Terry Deary, who is from Seaburn, and is supporting our plans to put the area back on the map as a major leisure destination for the North East.

“Sunderland is a fantastic city by the sea and we’re lucky to have a location like Seaburn, which can attract people into Sunderland.

“Our proposals for Seaburn are very much geared towards turning the area back into a great destination for local people and visitors alike.”

To find out more about the two runs visit www.sunderlandcity10k.com.

Film ReVue: Batman V Superman

By on 5th April 2016in Entertainment

Zack Snyder returns to the DC cinematic universe with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the hype for its release has been exponential since its announcement in 2013. A follow up to Snyder’s Man of Steel, BVS marks to start of a yearly Justice League franchise and sets the pace for DC’s movie legacy. While elements of the movie are groundbreaking, BVS ultimately falls flat and fails to live up to the hype, but whether its successors will do the same remains to be seen.

Henry Cavill reprises his role as the righteous wonder-boy Superman and Ben Affleck takes up the mantle of the Dark Knight in a much grittier superhero movie than we’ve seen before. Also featuring Gal Godot as Wonder Woman, BVS follows up the devastating events of Man of Steel which saw the destruction of Metropolis by Kryptonian invader General Zod. Now, Superman must face the consequences of his actions and consider whether the world really needs him. Bruce Wayne, Gotham City’s eccentric playboy billionaire and secretly Batman, is among the victims of Superman’s consequential destruction, and vows to stop him at all costs. A number of DC’s well known comic book characters weigh in, including Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) who seeks to gain knowledge of the mysterious Kryptonite and assume control of Superman. Pitting him against Gotham’s brutal masked avenger, we see the two forces clash in a dramatic fight that answers once and for all: who will win.

There are some moments in BVS that live up to its great expectations. Among the highlights are Jeremy Irons’s portrayal of Alfred, Batman’s trusted accomplice and family butler. There is definitely a sense the two have been at it for a long time and their on-screen chemistry is engaging . Something Snyder’s captures very well is the inner turmoil of the Dark Knight; flashbacks of his parents’ murder haunt Bruce Wayne as he avenges the injustices of the world. Batman’s character in this film is given the perfect amount of back story, setting him up well for the films to come, and Affleck delivers a good performance, if not everyone’s cup of tea. Cavill delivers a convincing Superman, but still there is no development of his secret identity Clark Kent, who is essentially reduced to a cameo. Gal Godot’s Wonder Woman is perhaps the finest character in this film, and although her screen time isn’t considerably long she is set up nicely for the rest of the cinematic franchise. The most interesting performance, however, is in Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor. A different character entirely to the portrayals of Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey, he is both interesting and detestable.

Unfortunately, BVS is a convoluted mash-up of characters and story lines. Scenes are short and hard to follow, and the overall pace of the movie is questionable. Half the time BVS feels like a Batman standalone; other times a Man of Steel sequel; not quite a Lex Luthor origin story, not quite a Wonder Woman standalone. There is no consistency, and while Snyder creates a distinct look he has failed deliver a coherent story. Characters often feel crammed in, and other times BVS’s main heroes seem like polar opposites to their cherished comic book depictions.

BVS:DoJ begs the question whether it was worth pitting Batman against Superman in the first place. Moments of awesomeness are few and far between; there are some, but they are scattered and easily forgotten. With a lacklustre story and confusing premise, Snyder fills DC’s cinematic void with more questions and hardly any answers. The Justice League heroes are teased in this movie but ultimately we’ll have to wait a long time to see them in action. If nothing else, Gal Godot as Wonder Woman in her upcoming standalone is shining ray of hope after a disappointing start to DC’s cinematic universe.

Cutting Crew And Blurred Vision Tour Together For First Time

By on 4th April 2016in Entertainment

On April 29th Cutting Crew’s main men, vocalist/founder Nick Van Eede and guitarist Gareth Moulton, head out with Blurred Vision as one unit to play a handful of selected UK dates…

Sometimes it takes a chance meeting, sometimes a span of years, sometimes it’s plain old synergy. Then sometimes it’s simply that old chestnut, six degrees of separation. There’s an argument for all points of view here.

When UK based Canadians Blurred Vision, founded by Iranian born brothers Sepp and Sohl Osley, met world rockers Cutting Crew it was their producer, the renowned Terry Brown, who made the introduction.

The Crew were just one of a host of luminaries that Terry had worked with. Always drawn to a cracking song – he produced the mega hit ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’ amongst others – he was instinctively drawn to Blurred Vision. The two groups met through him and, regardless of age gap existed, the music was on the same page.

Fast forward to 2016 and a one off merger of like minded souls and superlative musicians…

All the hits will be featured along with new material from both bands’ recent albums. The dates also mark the 30th Anniversary celebration of ‘(I Just) Died In Your Arms’. With the first leg of the tour already on sale, subsequent dates will be announced shortly.

Cutting Crew have sold millions of records world-wide and their huge radio play continues to grow. Their new album ‘Add To Favourites’ has already been called the ‘best of their career’ (Discussion magazine). Alongside his work with the band, Nick Van Eede is an in-demand song writer with credits including Pixie Lott, Mika, Marillion and Cher amongst others.

Blurred Vision have already caused quite a stir. Their version of ‘Another Brick In the Wall’ led to world-wide acclaim and a ringing endorsement from Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters. Their debut album ‘Organised Insanity’ was hailed by Team Rock UK as “one of the best of 2015” while Record Collector Magazine praised their live show as “Stadium/Arena sound with intellectual clout”.

The first leg of the tour has just been announced including the following venues: The Forum, Tunbridge Wells (April 29); Stockton ARC, Stockton On Tees (May 6) http://bit.ly/CC-BV-StocktonARC; The Fleece, Bristol (May 7) http://bit.ly/CC-BV-TheFleece; 100 Club, London (May 8) http://bit.ly/CC-BV-London;

Tickets are priced £12.50 – £15 and are on sale now from all venues.

It could be said there’s a blurring of lines between old and new, but the cutting edge stays the same. The message is clear…this is going to be one unique show!

Sunderland Bridges Hosts Fashion Weekend

By on 3rd April 2016in Lifestyle

Top trends from leading retailers will be on show this month as Sunderland’s leading shopping centre hosts its Fashion Weekend…

From April 21 – 24 the Bridges will be holding daily fashion shows, showcasing the exciting new looks being offered in a range of the centre’s shops.

Already a whole host of major names have signed up to participate including Debenhams, Miss Selfridge, New Look, Next and Primark.

Also taking part in the shows are Roman Originals, Select, Swarovksi, Topman, Topshop and TX Maxx, with the promise of others signing up to showcase their latest looks on the catwalk.

“We have a wide variety of retailers at the Bridges with clothes for both men and women and for all ages,” said Andy Bradley, Centre Director.

“The Fashion Weekend gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we have to offer in what promises to be a number of fun and exciting shows.

“We are delighted to see so many of our leading retailers getting behind the event and we look forward to welcoming lots of fashion conscious visitors.”

Daytime shows will run at various times throughout the Fashion Weekend (April 21-24).

A fashion show will also feature as part of the Retail and Style Awards being held at the Bridges on Saturday April 23, in an evening which includes a black tie dinner and performances by top musical acts Lawson, Izzy Bizu and the Lake Poets.

Sound Advice From AYP Financial Planning

By on 2nd April 2016in Lifestyle

It’s a fact of modern life that as many as 40% of all marriages in the UK end in divorce. The break-up can be a traumatic time for all concerned and brings with it the need to make financial arrangements that can have ramifications for years after the settlement is made.

There are no hard and fast rules governing how assets should be divided, although there is a broad starting point of 50:50. If the divorcing couple are unable to come to an agreement on the division of their financial assets, the court will decide how these should be apportioned between them, based on factors such as their age, earnings ability, property and investments and role in the relationship (e.g. breadwinner or primary carer). The needs of any children of the marriage are always considered paramount.

AYP Financial Planning specialise in providing advice on divorce and can offer sympathetic, patient and pragmatic support throughout the whole process. You will need help to decide on your future financial goals, review your mortgage, life insurance, savings and investment plans and you’ll need to remake your will. Post-divorce, reorganising your finances is an essential step in moving forward to a new life.

Contact AYP Financial Planning for a confidential review now. First meeting is without charge but could prove to be the best time you ever spend. We can help, contact AYP Financial Planning on 01434 607808 or email info@aypfinancial.co.uk.

Master Glaze NE: What Makes Our Business Stand Out

By on 1st April 2016in Local Biz

Local biz Master Glaze tell us what makes their business special…

Master Glaze NE Ltd is a small family run business, established in 2001. We are proud to be FENSA registered, assuring our customers of our high standards, and as a member of the Glass And Glazing Federation offer an insurance backed guarantee with our installations.

Keeping the company small ensures that we can stay with our customers every step of the way on their journey to having new windows, doors or maybe a conservatory. We specialise in traditional sliding sash windows, and also offer a totally unique composite bespoke design service if your looking for the wow factor at the entrance to you home, or something a little more traditional we have a huge range of door and window designs to choose from in a fantastic rainbow of colours.

We can help with planning and design where required to take some of the leg work and pressure from our customers. We recycle all of our waste products and so are working towards a greener environment.

masterglazebody2

We also work closely with landlord and letting agency’s, offering a repair and remedial service. So everything from a failed/misted unit to a broken lock.

We use all local suppliers and can offer our customers a hands on visit to our showroom in Birtley where they can see the quality and range of products available.

We offer genuine quotes and great prices for the highest quality products we use Duraflex diamond plus profile is a market leader.

We do not employ salesmen so no hard sell from us either.

If you would like some advice or for one of us to pop out and see you then just TEXT windows and we will call you back or call on  Graham 07947804983 /  Dawn 07904501431 / 01207 231481.

Or email us on masterglazene@gmail.com and we will get right back to you.

Canny Beds Celebrate Newly Opened Team Valley Store

By on 31st March 2016in Local Biz

Leading North East furniture supplier Canny Beds are celebrating the opening of their brand new store…

We all know how difficult it can be to find good quality furniture and beds at prices you can afford, which is why Canny Beds & Furniture believe they have brought together the best possible furniture at down to earth prices.

Whether it is the bedroom, dining room or living room you’re looking to add beautiful furniture to, you can rest assured that you’ll find it here for the best price online.

CannyBedsApr 16

Canny Beds’ brand new store is now open in Team Valley, which means you can choose between that or the Chester-le-Street store to pop in and find your new furniture. Want to check availability beforehand? Call 0191 410 9994 to chat to one of their staff in advance.

Testimonials:

“Seamless ordering and delivery. Bed of good quality and assembled easily. Great price.”

“Brilliant communication, bought bed for my 3 year old and it is excellent quality and very easy to assemble. All round excellent product for price.”

“Speedy delivery and the cheapest I found the bed anywhere!”

“Brilliant. Lovely comfy mattress. Great price and service.”

Seaham Solicitor Calls For Care Fees Cap In Budget

By on 30th March 2016in Lifestyle

A Seaham solicitor is calling on the Chancellor to end the worry about the unlimited cost of old age care by finally introducing his long promised and much delayed cap on personal care fees in the Budget…

Andrew Simpson, Lead Panel Solicitor with Seaham-based legal and financial planning specialist Ensure Inheritance, says that introducing a cap on costs for personal care would allow people to make plans for their long term care and reduce the widely held fear of being forced to sell the family home to pay for it.

He says: “A cap of £72,000 for personal care costs was to have been introduced this April (2016), but has been delayed until at least 2020. I would like to see the Chancellor stick to his earlier promise and bring in the care fees cap next month.

“With current legislation demanding that anyone owning assets valued in excess of £23,250 is required to make a 100% contribution towards the cost of their care, it’s no wonder that this a major concern for older people.

“Although this legislation also prevents people from deliberately moving their assets in order to avoid paying care fees, it is possible to protect the family home by using a Wealth Preservation Trust, provided the owner is in relatively good health and not presently intending going into long term care, and has genuine concerns about who will benefit from their assets.

“Unfortunately the lack of a care fees cap has meant that there has been little provision or take-up of insurance products for care, so establishing a trust for estate planning purposes is being increasingly used by people keen to avoid sacrificing the family home to pay for their care.”

Ensure Inheritance has produced a booklet which provides further information on Wealth Preservation Trusts. For a free copy, please contact Ensure Inheritance on tel. 0191 338 5143, via email at info@ensureinheritance.co.uk or via its website www.ensureinheritance.co.uk.

Based in Seaham in County Durham, Ensure Inheritance provides a range of legal and financial planning services which help protect financial assets to provide their clients and their loved ones with peace of mind. In addition to long term care planning and wealth preservation trusts, services include Wills and Estate planning, funeral planning, inheritance tax planning, powers of attorney, court of protection deputyships, and probate.

ADVERTISERS