Tag: featured

SOL Announce Series Of Spring Offers

By on 8th March 2016in Local Biz

One of the North East’s leading venues is springing into action with a seasonal offer for corporate events…

SOL, the brand behind conferences and celebrations at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light, has announced a limited availability day delegate rate for bookings made before the end of March.

The offer, valid for events involving more than 40 people, includes full day hire of any of the stadium’s purpose built function rooms, including the signature Montgomery Suite, capable of seating up to 1000 people.

It also incorporates food for a working lunch, use of a flipchart, LCD projector, conference stationery, welcome signage and three servings of tea and coffee throughout the day.

As with all SOL events at the Stadium of Light, those booking the special spring conference package will also benefit from a dedicated duty manager, housekeeping staff, ample free parking and complimentary WiFi access.

Gary Hutchinson, Commercial Director for SAFC, said: “The Stadium of Light has played host to a wide range of events over the past 20 years, including product launches, exhibitions and conferences for large multi-nationals.

“This spring offer is designed to reward our loyal customers and open our doors to companies who may not have used our facilities before.”

SOL’s spring conference offer at the Stadium of Light is priced at £20.16 per person and subject to availability.

It is one of a number of tailored packages being introduced by SOL to cater for specific sectors, including charity events and personal celebrations.

For more information, or to book, call 0871 911 1555, email conf&banq@safc.com or visit www.safc.com.

Further details about SoL, which also incorporates catering and events at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland and specialist subsidiary 1879 Events Management, can also be found by visiting www.1879events, calling 0871 911 1269, emailing info@1879events.com or following @1879Events on Twitter.

Further Acts Announced For North East LGBT Festival

By on 8th March 2016in Entertainment

One of the UK’s leading LGBT events now has even more reasons to be ‘Proud’ after announcing the first acts in its new extended line-up…

Newcastle Pride, one of the largest free festivals of its kind in the country, is returning with its longest ever programme of live entertainment for summer 2016.

Among the many highlights will be three days of live music at Newcastle Town Moor, starting Friday July 15, including a headline performance by singing superstar, Heather Small.

Heather, who is best known as frontwoman for 90s favourites M People, has lent her vocal talents to a string of hits, including Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero.

Her signature solo tune, Proud, which was used as the theme song for a host of key events, including London’s successful 2012 Olympic BID, is in-keeping with Newcastle Pride 2016’s theme, be yourself, change the world, #be proud.

Heather, who also appeared on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, will be joined during the festival’s main music weekend by a host of top talent, including fellow reality TV star Jake Quickenden and actress and singer Heather Peace, who wowed the crowd in 2015.

Also set to appear are 80s chart success and club favourite Hazell Dean, former Brother Beyond star, Nathan Moore, boyband The Ambition and South Shields singing sensation, Cortney Dixon, with more big names still to be announced.

Mark Nichols, Chair of Northern Pride which organises the popular event, said: “The line-up for Newcastle Pride 2016 looks set to be one of our strongest ever and these are only half of the acts that are taking part.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that Heather has agreed to be one of our headliners, especially as her anthem Proud fits in so well with this year’s theme and we’re sure that people will be just as pleased with our second headliner, which we hope to announce in the next few weeks.”

Newcastle Pride, which is now in its 9th year, attracted a record 71,000 visitors in 2015, with an additional 480,000 listening live around the world on Pride Radio.

This year, to cope with increased demand, Northern Pride are extending the festival to include more satellite events at venues around Newcastle.

The full schedule for these functions will be announced in the coming months, but they are expected to span from the start of June until the end of July.

“Newcastle Pride 2015 was more popular than anyone expected,” said Mark, “contributing more than £9m to the North East economy.

“This year we’re working hard to make it bigger and better than ever before and have extended our line up to cover two full months in an effort to give more visitors the chance to enjoy themselves and get involved.”

Newcastle Pride’s Main Stage weekend is free to attend, however a number of Gold Circle and VIP tickets are available for those who want to guarantee prime viewing spots.  These are priced from £12 per person and are on sale now at www.northern-pride.com/shop/tickets. Some of the satellite events may also incur a charge and these will be detailed where appropriate.

For information about the event, including a full line up, visit www.northern-pride.com or by searching northernprideuk on Facebook and Twitter.

Conservative Mayoral Candidate Hits Back At Anti-Mayor Group

By on 7th March 2016in Have Your Say

Self-made businessman and North East Mayoral Candidate Jeremy Middleton says the “Campaign Against an Elected Mayor” group, demonstrates a lack of coherence within the Labour Party about the direction they want to take the North…

Mr Middleton will address a rally of his own supporters on Saturday about the need for devolved powers and the benefit of an elected mayor, and will formally ask them to support his bid to be the Conservative candidate in the North East mayoral election.

The event is being held at the same time as the ‘Campaign Against an Elected Mayor’ launch. Both follow Newcastle City Council’s announcement that they will back the North East Devolution Deal, signed by Chancellor George Osborne and all seven North East Combined Authority leaders in late 2015.

Jeremy Middleton said: “A directly-elected mayor is the key to making devolution work for the North East. We need someone to unite the region, someone can speak up for us in Westminster, and make our voice heard among the other Northern Powerhouse leaders.

“The organisers of this event, whose list of speakers almost entirely consists of figures from the left-wing of the Labour party, have chosen to hold this event in the same week Newcastle’s Labour-led City Council have given the green light to the devo-deal, this is perhaps more about infighting within their party than about whether or not we have a mayor.”

North East Housebuilder Collects Easter Eggs For Charity

By on 7th March 2016in In & Around

MILLER Homes North East is looking to bring smiles to the faces of disadvantaged and poorly children across the region with the launch of the Miller Homes Easter Egg Drop this March…

The leading housebuilder is collecting chocolate Easter eggs to donate to local children’s charities which will help to provide a special surprise to youngsters who may not otherwise receive a treat this Easter.

Easter egg donations from members of the public, as well as a donation from Miller Homes, will be shared between the Sunshine Fund in Newcastle, Action for Children in Bedlington and Home Start in Teesside, to be distributed to children who benefit from the services of these charities.

Donations of chocolate Easter eggs can be dropped off at any of Miller Homes’ sales centres in the North East until 5:30pm on Monday 21 March 2016.

Andrew Somerville, regional sales manager at Miller Homes North East, said: “We are committed to supporting the local communities which surround our developments and we’re excited to be launching the Miller Homes Easter Egg Drop in support of the Sunshine Fund, Action for Children and Home Start.

“To help our campaign, we’d very much appreciate if local members of the community would be so kind as to buy just one extra Easter egg which we will donate to these great causes, who do fantastic work in the North East.”

Easter egg donations can be dropped off at the sales centres at any of Miller Homes’ North East developments. Sales centres are open Mondays from 12:30pm to 5:30pm and Thursdays to Sundays from 10:30am to 5:30pm. All donations must be made by 5:30pm on Monday 21 March 2016.

With prices starting from £95,960, Miller Homes’ North East developments include Park View in Gateshead, Heritage Green in Backworth, The Acres in Bedlington, Wheatfields in Seaton Delaval, Portland Wynd in Blyth, The Meadows in Framwellgate Moor, Wheatlands Chase in Redcar, Acklam Woods in Acklam and Clairville Grange in Middlesbrough, and also coming soon, Scholars Gate, in Sunderland, in spring 2016.

For more information on Miller Homes and its North East developments call 0808 250 6426 or visit www.millerhomes.co.uk.

Major Roadworks To Begin On A690 This Weekend

By on 3rd March 2016in In & Around

Essential resurfacing work is to take place in Willington…

Work to resurface the A690 West Road between The Burn Inn mini roundabout and Helmington Row will begin on Saturday 5th March, and will be carried out over three consecutive weekends.

The work from 7am to 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays will require temporary road closures, with a signposted diversion route in place. On the first weekends, 5th and 6th and 12th and 13th March, the A690 will be closed between the B6299 North Lane and Helmington Row.

On 19th and 20th March, it will be closed between The Burn Inn mini-roundabout and Helmington Row. The diversion route will take motorists between Crook and Willington via the A689 and B6286, through Howden-le-Wear and Hunwick.

Changes will be made to local bus routes while the work is carried out.

On the first two weekends, services will divert from Willington via the B6299 Watling Terrace, travel up North Lane then back into Crook past the golf course, picking up the usual route from High Jobs Hill.

On the third weekend, services will divert from Willington to Hunswick via the B6286, pass along Holy Well Lane, picking up the normal route from High Jobs Hill. The work is being carried out on behalf of Durham County Council and forms part of its highway capital maintenance programme.

John Reed, the council’s head of technical services, said: “This work is part our essential resurfacing programme to maintain the highway network for everyone who uses the roads across the county. We would like to thank road users for their patience.”

Journalism Student Nominated For National Radio Award

By on 3rd March 2016in Lifestyle

A final year Journalism student from Northumbria University has been nominated for a national award that recognises her talent for broadcasting…

Lizzie Longley has been shortlisted for ‘Student Journalist of the Year’ in the prestigious IRN (Independent Radio News) awards, which are run in association with Sky News.

The awards celebrate and showcase the very best journalism in UK commercial radio – and this year has seen a record number of entries.

Lizzie submitted a piece of radio news which looked at the debate around the provision of sexual consent workshops for young men in UK universities. The 20 year-old travelled around the country to interview key individuals, before recording and editing all the footage herself – all while studying for the final year of her degree. She was over the moon to find out that the hard work paid off.

Lizzie said: “I couldn’t believe it when I saw my name alongside the other nominees – I kept having to double check, then I rang my Mum and burst into tears.

“I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was 10 years old, so to be graduating from university in a few months with so many opportunities ahead of me is just a dream come true.”

The ‘Student Journalist of the Year’ award recognises an individual who ‘excels in producing and presenting news content’, and is sponsored by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) – the UK’s largest independent journalism accreditation body who accredit Northumbria’s journalism courses.

But the IRN judges aren’t the first to spot Lizzie’s talent. Mark Davenport, Programme Leader for Journalism at Northumbria, whose industry background includes 12 years as a Senior Producer with ITV Tyne Tees, said: “Lizzie has a flair for broadcasting and has shone as a radio reporter as well as a TV presenter.

“Our journalism course aims to give students practical skills like interviewing technique, writing across a range of media, and audio and video editing. We also ensure they are given an insight into theories so they can understand and analyse news.

“Lizzie’s brought those skills together and combined them with her own drive and determination, and her nomination is the fruit of her efforts. I think we’ll be hearing and seeing a lot of her in the industry in the very near future.”

The winners of the IRN awards will be announced on Thursday 10th March at a ceremony in London, hosted by Sky News and Sky Sports presenter Sarah-Jane Mee.

For Lizzie, this will be the perfect networking opportunity ahead of her graduation – which she admits will be bittersweet.

“I’m so glad I studied at Northumbria. It’s the best thing I could have done, so I’m excited to start my career, but really sad to be leaving university.

“The lecturers have been so supportive. They will always make time to help you if you need it, and really go above and beyond to make sure you have the best possible experience. You can completely trust their opinions because they have had successful careers as journalists themselves.

“For me, the biggest thing I’ve gained over the past three years is confidence. At school, teachers said I had no confidence, but the academics here really make you believe in yourself and feel like you can achieve anything you put your mind to.”

For more information about studying Media and Communication courses at Northumbria, click here.

Durham Confirmed To Feature In Major Cycling Event

By on 2nd March 2016in Entertainment

Organisers of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series cycling event have confirmed that Durham City will feature in this year’s race calendar…

The event, now in its eighth year, will take place at 10 different venues between Thursday 12th May and Thursday 9th June.

The series will see six top British professional cycling teams, and possibly some local guest teams, competing in the challenging town and city centre races, which begin in the Isle of Man and end in Portsmouth.

Organisers SweetSpot have confirmed that the Durham circuit, with its tough cobbles and climbs, will feature in round six of the series on Tuesday 31st May.

Last year’s event brought a significant boost to the local economy, with spectators spending an estimated £281,310 during the event.

In total the race attracted 12,500 spectators, and a report commissioned by SweetSpot showed that 82 per cent were from outside of Durham, and that 17 per cent of those visitors booked overnight stays in the city.

The report showed that groups who stayed overnight spent an average of £107 during the event, and those who visited just for the day spent an average of £52.

Cllr Maria Plews, Cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning at Durham County Council, said: “We’re delighted to welcome back the Pearl Izumu Tour Series to the streets of Durham.

“This will be the seventh consecutive year that Durham has hosted the event, which offers an exhilarating experience for both cyclists and spectators, as well as bringing a welcome boost to the local economy.”

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series is unique in world cycling, focussing on a team concept that see’s Britain’s professional cycling teams competing to be the fastest in an action packed, one-hour circuit race.

Highlights of every round are screened on ITV4 and available on demand via the ITV Player.

Newcastle Bar Introduces Menu For Doggy Visitors

By on 2nd March 2016in Local Biz

An award winning Newcastle bar has created a special menu for its four legged clients – which even includes a doggy beer…

City Tavern on Northumberland Road is renowned for being dog friendly, and has come up with a menu of dog treats to complement the food offering that is available to its human visitors.

Dogs can enjoy a range of biscuits, flavoured with everything from Scottish salmon to country game, venison chews, and fruit and vegetable flavoured snacks.

And there’s also the option to wash it down with a pint of Belgian Snuffles Dog Beer, which is non-alcoholic and made with beef and chicken, along with malt barley extracts, minerals and vitamins.

Bar owner David King is a dog lover, and his own pooches – three Irish terriers – also have pride of place at the bar.

David said: “We have three ales which have been specially created for us, and one of our dogs, Dillon, appears on one of the logos.

“We’ve also named our Hector’s Cloudy House cider after another one of our dogs.”

The rareness of Irish terriers means that other Irish Terrier owners have also travelled from far and wide to see David’s dogs.

He said: “We’ve had people ring up to check if the dogs are in, as they want to come especially to see them.

“But of course, we welcome any breed, and we find people really appreciate a city centre pub where dogs are also valuable customers.”

City Tavern, widely recognised for its Tudor style façade, was taken over by Mr King early in 2014, and then enjoyed a £450k refurbishment to create a state-of-the-art bar, while still retaining the venue’s historic features.

Barnard Castle Welcomes Royal Visitor Today

By on 2nd March 2016in In & Around

One of the region’s most historic buildings will welcome a royal visitor today (Wednesday March 2nd)…

Following a £3.2m regeneration project, which saw The Witham in Barnard Castle restored, refurbished and extended to incorporate the library and customer access point, HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO, a former architect, will tour the popular arts, business and community venue.

The visit follows an expression of interest from His Royal Highness to tour the collection of Grade II listed buildings which date back to 1846, during his visit to the county. The award winning renovation project was completed in October 2013, and was delivered by Barnard Castle Vision, Durham County Council and The Witham Trustees. It resulted in a mixed use community facility offering a café, arts and exhibition areas, performance and events facilities, as well as small business units and a shop featuring local crafts. The original features and historic attributes of the building have been carefully combined with modern additions. Supported by a raft of volunteers, and true to its public service roots, The Witham is one of the most important historical assets in the county and beyond.

During his visit, His Royal Highness will meet the architects and project team responsible for successfully integrating the historic parts of the building with modern structures, and will be shown a display of before and after images.

He will also meet a number of the trustees, staff, volunteers, groups, organisations and partners involved in the management and events programme at the hall.

Amongst those to be introduced is 23 year old Maddy Sutton. Maddy is the marketing and administration intern at The Witham. A keen busker with a first class degree in music from the University of Huddersfield, Maddy was awarded the undergraduate piano prize having majored in performance studies and musical theatre.

Maddy will perform for The Duke in the County Room, scene of many historic public announcements since the building was first opened as Testimonial Hall in 1846.

Also set to meet the royal guest is Mickleton ceramic artist, Judy Caplin. Judy was commissioned to design a piece of public art, which hangs in pride of place above the café.

Inspired by one of Teesdale’s best-known historical figures, Henry Witham, and specifically his interest in botany, the eye-catching installation is entitled Hesperides. It consists of more than 650 individually produced porcelain tiles featuring fossilised plant materials, which Judy collected locally.

His Royal Highness will be presented with a specially produced commemorative tile made by the artist at the end of his tour.

As well as meeting some of the many volunteers involved in running the box office and supporting the wide range of events, theatre, cinema and other performances at the hall, The Duke will enjoy some shadow theatre staged by local children from the Kando Youth Theatre Company. The group runs weekly drama sessions in the auditorium, and will perform a powerful war shadow theatre workshop with historical costumes and imagery, before presenting their visitor with a gift.

Katie Taylor, The Witham CEO, said: “It’s delightful to welcome His Royal Highness to The Witham, our vibrant arts centre – as an exciting venue hub for theatre, music, comedy, business arts and film, we appreciate the recognition that this visit bestows. To have the Friends and Volunteers of The Witham, as well as our hard-working staff, recognised on the day means a huge amount. Come and visit this gem in Barnard Castle high street.”

Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for culture and regeneration at Durham County Council, said: “Supporting the refurbishment of this fantastic community venue is something we are immensely proud of. It is a wonderful example of how history, art, architecture and modern ways of living can combine to truly service local needs on so many levels. I am delighted HRH The Duke of Gloucester is honouring us by coming to see what we have done together. I am sure as an architect he will find his tour particularly rewarding.”

Before leaving, The Duke will unveil a commemorative plaque and sign the visitor’s book.

Share Your Memories Of Barnard Castle

By on 29th February 2016in Have Your Say

Do you have memories of the way Horse Market in Barnard Castle was in the past?

Hist-BodyImg

Where exactly was the Co-op? Where was the best place to meet friends, or get your hair cut? Which businesses always seem to have been there, and whatever happened to places like the Star Inn and Angel Hotel? How has market day changed over the years?

Children in Barnard Castle will soon be working on a fascinating project to develop a new walk booklet aimed at children, looking at the history of Horse Market in Barnard Castle. The project is seeking memories and stories about the shops, the pubs and the market itself.

This project is part of the Heart of Teesdale’s ‘Trails Through Teesdale’ Programme. This programme aims to provide local people and visitors with the knowledge they need to make the most of exploring the area, by providing leaflets, booklets and audio trails. Children from local groups will be involved in developing the walk book, as well as families and other members of the community.

“The project will result in a walk booklet taking in the history and stories of Horse Market,” says project leader Jude Irwin.

“For example, several people have already told me about a shop where takings were put into a container and whizzed around the shop on wires, with the person’s change being delivered moments later in the same container. It must have seemed pretty high tech at the time. I’d love to know which shop this was, and whether anyone remembers working or shopping there.”

The project has already started gathering photos and anecdotes about the street’s past. The project is also willing to hold reminiscence sessions in local care homes and with community groups to collect more.

If you have some memories or photos you would like to share, or if you would like to arrange a visit to your care home or group, call Jude Irwin on 07766 485188 or email theworddoctor@btinternet.com.

ADVERTISERS