Tag: lifestyle

Witton Gilbert Flood Defences Completed

By on 14th February 2016in In & Around

Work to protect homes from flooding in a County Durham village has been completed…

 

Durham County Council has developed a new flood defence scheme at Witton Gilbert with funding from the Environment Agency. It will help to protect 50 properties which were affected by flooding during severe weather in 2012.

The scheme was designed following an investigation into the flooding in 2012, and has involved the creation of a series of basins to the rear of Durham Gardens and South Lea.

The five basins can store up to 1,000 cubic meters of rain water, which would otherwise flow through the village, putting properties at risk of flooding.

The council has also worked with local landowners who have allowed existing ditches at the back of Brookside to be extended in order to divert water flows away from houses and towards the basins.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships at Durham County Council, said: “I am delighted that this work has been completed, and very much hope that it will provide peace of mind to local people who have previously suffered the effects of flooding caused by severe weather.

“The scheme is designed to protect streets and properties from any further flood damage by diverting rain and surface water away towards the new basins.”

As well as working with the Environment Agency, which has contributed funding for the scheme, the county council has also worked alongside local contractor Hall Construction, which carried out the work on site.

John Reed, head of technical services at Durham County Council, said: “The flooding of homes and businesses can have a devastating impact on people’s lives.

“We have worked successfully with the Environment Agency and local landowners to construct a flood prevention scheme to protect homes and businesses in Witton Gilbert from flooding in the future.”

Prestwick Care Home Resident Celebrates 100th Birthday

By on 13th February 2016in Lifestyle

Champagne corks were popping as one of the first residents to move into the North East’s newest residential care home hit a birthday milestone…

Grandmother of eight, Norah Wilson, moved into purpose-built Melton House, Gosforth, Newcastle, just a few weeks ago.

As the former shop worker turned 100, staff at the home, owned by Newcastle-based Prestwick Care, joined Norah’s friends and family to make sure the occasion went with a swing.

Not only did they bake her a cake and lay on a birthday tea, but they also invited the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Newcastle, Cllr Ian and Margaret Graham, to join in the celebrations.

And, in keeping with tradition, a greeting from HM The Queen took pride of place among Norah’s flowers and cards.

“It was a fantastic day,” said Norah’s son Robert, 63, from Fenham. “The staff pulled out all the stops and made sure she had a lovely time.”

Margaret Burn, manager of the 67-bedroom home, built on the site of the former Northumberland Records Office, overlooking Gosforth racecourse, said: “In the short time we have been open, the staff and residents have become like one, happy, family.

“Norah is a wonderful lady and we were delighted to join her family in celebrating her special birthday.”

Melton House provides residential care, as well as general and dementia nursing, and boasts a range of services and facilities, including in-house physiotherapy, a cinema, full laundry service and hairdressing salon.

For further information visit www.prestwickcare.co.uk.

30% Off Train Fares In Support Of Flood Hit Areas

By on 13th February 2016in Lifestyle

A discount of 30% on Off Peak Advance fares to regions hit by floods is now available as part of Virgin Trains’ partnership with VisitEngland for their ‘Love the North’ campaign…

Virgin Trains, which operates passenger services on both the East Coast and West Coast, has teamed up with VisitEngland to support ‘Love the North’, which aims to promote tourism in the North of England and demonstrate that Cumbria, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire are #OpenForBusiness following the damage caused by storms Desmond, Eva and Frank in December 2015.

The offer is available for travel between 19th February and 13th May, and is timed to coincide with the February half-term holiday and the Easter break in March.

Discounted fares can be purchased on direct Virgin Trains services to destinations including Carlisle, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith and Preston on the West Coast route, and Berwick-upon-Tweed, Doncaster, Leeds, Morpeth and York on the East Coast until Tuesday 1st March.

Destination organisations along the East and West Coast have pulled together some accommodation offers and deals to help customers make the most of this great travel discount.

Phil Whittingham, Managing Director at Virgin Trains, said: “We care about the local communities and want to show our continued support for them. We’re pleased to launch this 30% discount as part of VisitEngland’s ‘Love the North’ campaign. We look forward to welcoming visitors on board our trains, and hope they make the most of the many offers that show the region is very much open for business.”

David Horne, Managing Director of Virgin Trains East Coast, said: “This is a fantastic initiative to bolster areas affected by flooding and put them back on the map for visitors. As our head offices are in York, we have seen firsthand the damage the storms caused to communities and businesses this winter. Indeed we were one of many businesses affected as our offices were flooded.

“York is just one of the wonderful destinations on our route which is linked by some of Britain’s most breathtaking scenery. From the Flying Scotsman season at York’s National Railway Museum to the great shopping on offer in Leeds or the spectacular backdrop of Berwick-upon-Tweed, there are plenty of great reasons to visit, and we hope customers take advantage of this offer.”

Week Long Roadworks Begin On A688 Over Weekend

By on 12th February 2016in In & Around

Drivers will be diverted as a week of resurfacing takes place on the A688 Spennymoor Bypass…

 

Resurfacing of the carriageway will begin on Saturday 13th February 2016, with lanes closed as Rainton Construction carries out work on behalf of Durham County Council.

John Reed, the council’s head of technical services, said: “These vital works are part of our continuing highway capital maintenance programme to maintain the condition of the highway network.”

The resurfacing is expected to be completed by Sunday 21st February.

During the works westbound traffic will still be able to use the A688, however eastbound traffic will be directed to use a signed diversion.

Bestselling Writer To Headline Crime Story 2016 Festival

By on 12th February 2016in Entertainment

Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train, will headline this year’s Crime Story festival, delivered in partnership by Northumbria University and New Writing North…

Crime Story is an innovative festival for readers and writers of crime fiction, providing rare access to experts from the fields of forensics, criminology, pathology and law, who reveal and interrogate the facts behind crime fiction.

Appealing to crime readers, as well as fans of TV series such as Serial and Making a Murderer, the day-long festival invites audience and experts to pick apart a fictional crime, which will be written by Paula Hawkins. For crime writers, the festival also offers an extraordinary opportunity to challenge and improve the authenticity of their writing, by giving unique access to a wide range of experts in police science, as well as crime writers and publishing industry leaders.

Paula Hawkins said: “I attended Crime Story in June 2014 on a whim. I thought the concept sounded interesting – a group of crime writers and readers get together to try to solve a fictional murder aided by a handful of experts – detectives, forensic specialists and legal experts. I expected to have an entertaining weekend. I didn’t expect to walk away with ten A4 pages crammed with detailed notes covering all aspects of police procedure, and a head brimming with new ideas.

“Crime Story gives writers the kind of access to senior detectives, blood-spatter experts and forensic psychiatrists that most of us could only dream about. I found it fascinating and invaluable, and have been looking forward to the next one ever since, so am absolutely thrilled to have been asked to come up with a murder scenario for this year’s event.”

Northumbria’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Engagement), Lucy Winskell OBE, said: “I was delighted to hear that international bestselling author Paula Hawkins will be headlining Crime Story 2016 at Northumbria University. Her involvement in this year’s event is hugely exciting news and a real endorsement of this innovative festival’s appeal to writers, readers, academics and professionals in the field.

“Delivered in partnership by Northumbria and New Writing North, Crime Story draws on the University’s teaching and research expertise across criminology, criminal law, forensic science and creative writing, to explore the facts behind the fiction.

“I’m sure Paula will write a fascinating and compelling whodunit for our experts and audience members to investigate during the course of this unique day-long festival.”

Crime Story takes place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on Saturday 11th June. The full programme will be announced and tickets released on Thursday 10th March at Crime Story: Portrait of a Criminal, a special event in which two award-winning writers explore the minds of two of the most notorious criminals of recent times. Writers Dan Davies and Andrew Hankinson will discuss the subjects of their work, their own methods and the place of true crime in literary writing. Ticket holders for Portrait of a Criminal: Crime Story will receive £10/£8 off their Crime Story festival ticket price.

Tickets are now available for Crime Story: Portrait of a Criminal on Thursday 10th March by clicking here. Find out more about Crime Story 2016, taking place on Saturday 11th June at Northumbria University at www.crimestory.co.uk. Northumbria offers courses in a wide range of disciplines related to this special event, including criminology, criminal law, forensic science and creative writing. For more information about studying at Northumbria, go to www.northumbria.ac.uk/courses.

St. James’ Park Invite Mums Over For Tea

By on 11th February 2016in Lifestyle

Mums can be wined, dined and serenaded on their special day, all within sight of Newcastle’s hallowed St James’ Park turf…

Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, which runs the conference and banqueting facilities at the Newcastle United ground, has organised a special Mother’s Day lunch on Sunday 6th March.

Families can choose either a two or three course table d’hôte meal, prepared by Sodexo’s award-winning team of chefs, followed by a taster tour of the stadium.

Live entertainment will be provided by North East singer Tom Wyllie, and all mums will be given a gift as a memento of their special day.

The Mother’s Day Lunch at St James’ Park is priced at £18.95 per person for three courses, or £15.95 for two, with children aged under 12 dining at half price. Or, for an additional £10 per person, diners can opt for a private executive box overlooking the pitch.

For more information, or to make a reservation, contact St James’s Park on 0191 201 8525 or e-mail candb@nufc.co.uk.

County Durham Hotel Set To Save £250,000 In Energy Bills

By on 11th February 2016in Local Biz

The Ramside Hall Hotel & Golf Club is set to make a six-figure saving on its energy bills after forging an alliance with a cost management specialist…

Nine months ago, the prestigious leisure venue entered a three-year contract with Great Annual Savings Group (GAS) in a bid to cut its soaring energy bills, which amount to around £800,000 a year. Since then, Seaham-based GAS has renegotiated Ramside’s electricity and gas contracts, resulting in a saving of more than £60,000.

Over the period of the contract, Ramside will expect to make savings of up to £250,000, which will allow the company to reinvest the money in other parts of the business. The hotel is currently in the middle of a £16m investment programme, which has seen the opening of a brand new luxury spa, a second championship golf course, and a new wing of 47 premier rooms with state-of-the-art bathrooms. The expansion plans have already created around 100 jobs at Ramside, which now employs more than 400 people.

John Adamson, Managing Director at Ramside Estates, said: “We’re well on the way to establishing the hotel as one of the most exciting leisure destinations in the region. However, while we’ve invested a significant amount of money in new facilities, we’re also conscious of the need to keep costs under control, which is why we’ve teamed up with Great Annual Savings Group.

“They’ve helped us to secure a good deal on our utility bills, which has given us extra security and cashflow visibility at a time when energy prices are quite volatile.”

GAS helps businesses reduce their variable costs and save money in a range of areas including energy procurement, energy and water cost management, fire safety, telecoms and insurance. The company has built up a portfolio of more than 950 customers, which include Ramside, food service distributor Tyneside Foodservices, and the Parkmore Hotel in Eaglescliffe.

Bradley Groves, chief executive and chairman of Great Annual Savings Group, said: “In this era of austerity, cost control is just as important as generating revenue and new business. Through our negotiations with key suppliers, Ramside has been able to make significant savings that will improve its financial performance – with the prospect of further savings to come.”

GAS has also embarked on a major investment programme that has seen the firm treble headcount to more than 100 in the last twelve months.  As well as an expanding team of Business Solutions Managers, a raft of new senior staff have now joined the business, strengthening the management team in preparation for further expansion.

For further information about Great Annual Savings Group, visit www.greatannualsavings.com.

Atlantean: Behind The TV License

By on 10th February 2016in Have Your Say

Long time In & Around contributor Atlantean takes a moment to reflect on the TV license…

I don’t suppose many of us think much about TV licensing, especially since 77% of us pay by direct debit.

I own a small house which will be sold shortly, but which has been used for storage for several years. Although it’s furnished and has two old computers (both incapable of receiving television programmes), it hasn’t had a TV licence since 1995, when I bought it. Nevertheless, when clearing out the post the other week, I came across several letters from TV licensing. There were 22 in all, which in postage alone cost them over £13. 

I usually chuck them away, occasionally sending a reply in to state there is no TV on the premises. Still, I was interested in why they would send 22 letters when I had made clear on many occasions that there was no TV on the premises.

Instead of stating that ‘court papers were being prepared’, why not just send a chap round to check and settle the matter once and for all? Apparently 3.9m visits were made by enforcement officers, so why didn’t one put a note through the door? Obviously you can’t get them to come by appointment in case you just shipped the telly next door for a few hours, but this deluge of paper backed up by no action didn’t seem very effective.

Meanwhile, 95% of some 31m properties are correctly licensed, and 4,119,530 free licences for the over 75s are in force. An interesting statistic is that in County Durham there are 13 households still watching black and white television – even though BBC2 Colour transmissions started in 1968 – and 9,356 across the rest of the nation. Further, the analogue signal was progressively turned off three years ago, and we all now receive a digital signal.

So what on earth are these people watching?

Even if their old black and white televisions still worked, there isn’t a signal for them to receive! If they are only listening to radio, no licence is required, as the radio licence (which started in 1922) had been phased out in the same month as decimalisation in February 1971.

The normal colour licence is £145.50, but the B/W one is only £49. 26p a day extra would give them the right to full colour viewing… and a signal.

If you have a black and white licence, I would love to know what you use it for. I would invite you to send me an email at atlantean247@yahoo.co.uk, but you probably don’t have a computer either, so please contact me via the editor.

Meanwhile, if you want to have a B/W licence, you won’t be able to buy it on the website, as it’s only available over the phone on 0300 790 6165. I think I’ll ring them and ask…

The monthly fee works out at £12.13 per month, of which £7.27 goes on television, £1.94 on radio, plus a further 73p on World Service and 73p more on other services, plus 61p on online services. The actual fee collection by Capita, PayPoint and others costs 85p. These figures are for 2014/5, so the BBC’s comprehensive internet service currently costs less than the charge to collect the licence fee. Interestingly, the postal address for TV Licensing is in our area, at Greenbank Road in Darlington DL98 1TL. I wonder what goes on there – perhaps I ought to find out!

CBeebies Star Brings Fun-Filled Children’s Show To Durham

By on 10th February 2016in Entertainment

CBeebies star Sid Sloane is bringing a fun-filled adventure to Durham’s Gala Theatre this half term, and it’s sure to knock your socks off…

 

The children’s TV presenter and host of dressing up show Let’s Play will take families on a heroic quest from the bottom of the sea to the depths of the jungle and outer space, as he looks to find out just what’s happened to his favourite footwear.

Along the way, mums, dads and children aged three and over will meet funny characters, play games, sing songs, and even help to create a little magic – all of which is sure to leave you with a smile on your face, and a spring in your step.

Tickets for Sid’s Show, at 2pm on Sunday 14th February, are priced £12 for adults, £10 for concessions, and £40 for a family.

To book, call the Gala box office on 03000 266 600, visit the venue in person, or go to www.galadurham.co.uk.

Applications For Metrocentre’s Next ‘Head Of Fun’ Now Open

By on 10th February 2016in Local Biz

The boy with the best job in Britain is preparing to hand over his keys to the board (game) room – and now the hunt is on for a new Head of Fun…

Nine-year-old Mac Toal, from Prudhoe, was the envy of youngsters across the North East when he landed the ‘top’ job at Gateshead’s intu Metrocentre.

In a first for the North East shopping mall, Mac and Deputy Head of Fun, seven-year-old Myah Rose Wilson, from Sunderland, were appointed 12 months ago. The pair were tasked with making sure the centre provided lots of free fun for all the children in the region and to continue to ensure that it is child friendly.

But now their year-long ‘contract’ is coming to an end, and the search has begun to find their replacements.

Mac said: “It’s been the best year ever. We’ve played a really big part in leading intu Metrocentre Kids’ Club and become best friends with the Metrognomes!

“We’ve opened and reviewed new restaurants, and even given our verdicts on fashion and Christmas toys.

“We’ll both be very sad to hand over our jobs, but we know that whoever gets them next will have a brilliant time.”

The centre is looking for a new Head and Deputy Head of Fun, aged between 6 and 10 to provide specialist advice on all its children’s activities. In exchange, they will be paid in gift vouchers, toys, and fun experiences.

The roles will not clash with school, as the pair, who will be first in line to meet any stars and special guests visiting the centre, will only be asked to help out during holidays and half term breaks.

“Our Heads of Fun have been amazing,” said Helen Atkinson, marketing manager at intu Metrocentre.

“They’ve opened Santa’s grotto, turned on the Christmas lights, and our Head of Fun even had his own magazine column.

“Now, we’re calling on the region’s youngsters to get in touch and see if they have what it takes to land one of the best jobs in the country.”

To apply, children must explain in up to 200 words why they think they should be Head of Fun.

Applications can be in the form of a letter, song or even a video – the more creative the better – and must be accompanied by a recent photograph. They can then be posted in the post box at Exhibition Square during the centre’s half term activities to celebrate the release of Kung Fu Panda 3.

Children can learn the skills of a true Kung Fu master at Kung Fu school, as well as creating headwear, panda masks and Chinese New Year lanterns between Monday 15th and Friday 19th February.

Alternatively, children can email their applications to headoffun@intu.co.uk or post them to intu Metrocentre, Centre Management, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 9YG.

All applications must be received by Sunday 6th March, and interviews will take place on the lead up to the Easter half term break.

For more information, visit www.intu.co.uk/metrocentre/fun or visit the online job application.

ADVERTISERS