Tag: lifestyle

Tyne & Wear Museums Announce Groundbreaking Creative Technology Workshops

By on 18th January 2016in Lifestyle

Do you know a Future Maker?

Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums has teamed up with Manchester-based digital art organisation FutureEverything to deliver an exciting new programme of creative technology workshops at museums and galleries across Tyneside.

The Future Makers programme is a series of events that will enable children – and adults – to use new technologies for design and making.

From Minecraft sessions at Arbeia Roman Fort to a coders’ ‘hackathon’ at Stephenson Railway Museum, Future Makers seeks to inspire a new breed of creatives whilst challenging preconceptions of what museums and their collections mean in the digital age.

John Coburn, Digital Programmes Manager for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, explains: “We’re thrilled to be working with the internationally acclaimed creators and thinkers FutureEverything on this programme.

“Our nine museums and galleries showcase collections that were the work of pioneering inventors, artists and designers. With Future Makers, we want to invoke the spirit of these creators by using our museums as spaces for playful experimentation and creative thinking.

“It’s about ingenuity from the past inspiring people to imagine and create new futures.”

Drew Hemment, Artistic Director and Founder of FutureEverything, adds: “It is an absolute pleasure to be working with Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on this brand new programme, inspiring the next generation of makers, creatives, collectors and visitors within some of the North East’s best galleries and museums.

“FutureEverything are always looking to bring innovative creative technology to a wider audience, helping to imagine bolder, smarter, futures.”

The programme gets underway at Gateshead’s Shipley Art Gallery on Wednesday 17th February with the Gadgets: Adventures in Design day for 7–11 year olds. Using the gallery’s outstanding collection for inspiration, children will design wearable objects for the people of the future before getting hands on with materials and the starter electronics kit Little Bits to realise the creations.

The main event for adults follows on Sunday 21st February at North Tyneside’s Stephenson Railway Museum. Railway Codes is a 10-hour hackathon for developers, makers, engineers, data scientists, artists and train enthusiasts.

Participants will follow in the footsteps of Robert and George Stephenson and join a team of 30 to experiment with historic data from both the museum collection and the UK rail network before creating new digital prototypes and artworks.

New Inventors on Saturday 27th February takes place at Newcastle’s Discovery Museum, home to some of the region’s most celebrated inventions, including the world’s first lightbulb. This event brings together two fun introductory electronics workshops for 7–11 and 12–14 year olds. The younger children will experiment with conductive dough, bringing it to life with light and sound, whilst older kids create electronic sounds by building their very own synthesiser.

Young fans of the phenomenally popular computer game Minecraft won’t want to miss the TimeCraft event at Arbeia Roman Fort, South Shields on Saturday 23rd April. In this workshop for 7–14 year olds, they will recreate Roman ruins in Minecraft, and imagine what it was like to live in a fort like Arbeia. They will also get to play digital architect and archaeologist and transport themselves 2000 years into the past with the technology of today.

Places for Future Makers events are limited and should be booked in advance via www.twmuseums.org.uk/future-makers.

A further private event exclusively for Newcastle University students – The Museum as Medium – will see the creation of novel sound and visual digital artworks using data from the Great North Museum: Hancock’s vast natural sciences collection. This takes place on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th March.

Venture Properties Co-Owner Celebrates 20 Years In The Industry

By on 17th January 2016in Local Biz

Twenty years after selling his first house, a successful North East estate agent says he still gets the same excited feeling when a sale goes through…

This year will see Venture Properties’ co-owner, Carl Jenkinson, start his 21st year in the industry, and over the last two decades, he has stayed as enthusiastic as the day he began in 1995 – when a three bedroom house could be sold for £35,000.

“It’s surreal how the time has gone so fast, and so much has changed in my 20 years in the industry, but I am still 100% passionate and committed to what I do,” said Carl.

“When I first started, we had no internet and no emails, everything was photocopied and stuck on photos.

“Now we are so much more advanced with technology, which is fantastic, however the job is still the same and still requires the same hard work and dedication.

“When I became an estate agent, I was told good communication, listening to your clients and sound knowledge are the attributes you need to be a success, and this is what I have gone by every day.”

Originally from Darlington, Carl had a passion for houses from a very young age. He found properties intriguing, and realised working in the estate sector was the career for him. As most young starters did in those days, Carl started off as a YTS, and since then has done every job possible in the industry.

Remembering the first house he sold isn’t hard for Carl, as it was a house he has come to know all too well.

He said: “My first sale was in a street close by to our office, and funnily enough, I’ve sold the home many times since over the years.

“The feeling I had back then was amazing, but what’s great is I still get that now. There really is no better feeling than making someone’s dreams come true in helping them secure the home they want.”

In 2008, Carl became co-owner – along with Michael O’Connor – of Venture Properties, which is considered one of the leading estate agents in County Durham, with offices in in Darlington, Cockerton village, Chester-le-Street, Crook, Bishop Auckland and Durham City.

This was one of the personal highlights of his career, despite objections at the time from people around him, due to the state of the economy.

Carl said: “I worked for a corporate from school, and felt there was always more I could do, but had my hands tied.

“I decided to open my own agency in the town, and had already dealt with Michael on sales, and he was in the lettings arm so we decided to collaborate and open a fresh agency.

“People thought we were crazy doing this as the recession had hit, however we had great success in such a short period of time and continue to be on the up.”

With the arrival of 2016, Carl is excited about what the future has in store for both himself and Venture Properties. He is looking forward to more exciting ventures and celebrating his next milestone, surrounded by the team of family and friends who have been with him every step of the way.

For more information about Venture Properties, visit www.venturepropertiesuk.com, or follow them on Twitter.

Lumley Castle Host Murder Mystery Afternoon Tea

By on 16th January 2016in Entertainment

Can you guess whodunit and why?

 

Amateur sleuths and budding Miss Marples are invited to an afternoon of cake and crime at an historic North East hotel.

On Sunday 7th February, 600-year-old Lumley Castle, Chester-le-Street, will provide the setting for a Murder Afternoon Tea.

Following the discovery of a body, guests will be invited to turn detective and unmask the murderer, before settling down to a traditional afternoon tea of hand cut sandwiches and freshly baked cakes and pastries.

As the story goes…

“In the early 1970′s, a murder took place at Lumley Castle. Lord Marcus Lumley, the aristocratic but impoverished owner of Lumley Castle has been found dead. He appears to have had a heart attack, despite the fact that a recent check up found him to be in excellent health. Lord Lumley spent his last evening in the company of his wife, a family friend and a clairvoyant that he had invited to the castle. Was his death due to natural causes, or did one of his companions have a motive for murder?”

Tickets for the Murder Afternoon Tea, which begins promptly at 2.30pm, cost £20 and can be booked by calling 0191 389 1111, emailing info@lumleycastle.com or visiting www.lumleycastle.com.

Prestwick Care Unveils New Platinum Range Care Home

By on 15th January 2016in Local Biz

An award-winning North East care home provider has unveiled a state of the art facility overlooking Newcastle racecourse, following a £6.5m investment…

Melton House, Melton Park, Gosforth, is the latest addition to the portfolio of homes owned and operated by Prestwick Care, a division of the privately-owned, Newcastle-based Malhotra Group PLC.

Business leaders and health professionals were among those invited to watch group chairman Meenu Malhotra officially open Melton House, which is due to welcome its first residents within days.

They were then given a tour of the 67-bedroom home, which is aimed at those requiring 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.

Among the guests was Kingsley Smith OBE, chairman of Newcastle Hospital Foundation Trust, who said: “The facilities here are quite remarkable, and what is really impressive are the specialist services and nursing care for people with dementia.

“What we have here is a fantastic example of integrated care in the community, and I have been enormously impressed.”

More than 80 jobs have been created by the development of the purpose-built home, on the site of the former Northumberland Records Office.

Established in 1991, Prestwick Care provides a combination of nursing and residential care for elderly and vulnerable people in homes across the North East.

Prestwick Care’s director of care, Bunty Malhotra, said: “I am delighted to be able to introduce the eleventh home in the Prestwick family.

“It is the first in our new, Platinum range of homes and, in terms of care and quality of accommodation and facilities, I would like to think it is one of the best homes in the north of England.

“My joy has been doubled in that, by opening this facility, we are able to save 50 jobs being lost as a result of the imminent closure of a nearby care home.

“And, most importantly, we will be able to provide the continuity of care for that home’s elderly and vulnerable residents that is critical to their welfare.”

Building work is already underway to create the second home in Prestwick Care’s Platinum range; an 87-bedroom facility in the centre of Alnwick.

Work will also begin in the summer on a new care facility at Sunderland, with the company planning to open a further three new care facilities over the next three years.

The company is also involved in a range of other initiatives, working closely with Occupation Therapy students at Newcastle University and with Northumbria Health Care Trust on research around the therapeutic value of medication.

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

Northern Youth Fashion Show Secures Big Name Guests

By on 15th January 2016in Lifestyle

Organisers of a special North East fashion show with one of the industry’s biggest names have announced the entertainment line-up for the event…

The Northern Youth Fashion Show, which will be attended by Anna Wintour, the Editor-in Chief of American Vogue and Artistic Director of Conde Nast, will take place on January 29th.

The event, which will be held at the University of York’s Central Hall, will include a live performance from 17-year-old Billie Marten from North Yorkshire.

The folk singer, who will open the show with an acoustic set, has been nominated for BBC’s Sound of 2016, a competition designed to identify the music industry’s rising stars, which has previously been won by Adele, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding, HAIM and Years & Years.

The fashion show will give fashion students from across the UK the chance to showcase their designs in front of Anna Wintour, who will give a talk on the evening.

There will also be a Q&A session with Ms. Wintour led by Katharine Viner, Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian News & Media.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have Billie on board for the fashion show,” said Ellie Wintour, one of the event organisers.

“It’s fantastic to have such a rising northern star showcase their talent whilst also raising money for some really important causes too.

“So far, the event has been unbelievably popular. We only have one last batch of student tickets. We’re just beginning to see all the students’ designs. It’s incredibly exciting”

Friendly Fires and Metronomy, who have never collaborated together before, are creating a piece of music especially for the show. The piece will be placed during the final section of the show, which is based on the incredible future of northern talent.

Proceeds from the event will be split between Refugee Action York, which helps to integrate refugees into the local area, and the Xavier Project, which delivers mentoring schemes, offers job opportunities and runs schools for refugees across the world.

The show will include designs by students from the University of York, Leeds College of Art, Newcastle College, Hull College, University of Central Lancashire, Liverpool John Moores University and Leeds Beckett University.

Tickets to the event, which is being sponsored by a number of well-known organisations including train company Grand Central, makeup brand Bobbi Brown, and Yorkshire Living Magazine, are £30 per person.

The Students have also secured the hair brand Milkshake to sponsor the event. Milkshake will be leading a team of stylists backstage.

There is also a “Ticket And A Tin” option, which has now sold out. The tickets include a donation of a tin of food to go to York foodbank.

To buy tickets, visit www.yusu.org/tickets.

Metrocentre Puts The Kettle On For ‘Brew Monday’

By on 15th January 2016in In & Around

Retailers in Europe’s largest shopping centre are helping shoppers beat the January blues – by putting the kettle on…

Monday 18th January, or ‘Blue Monday,’ is widely believed to be one of the most depressing days of the year, as the excitement of Christmas wears off, the temperature plummets, and people return to work.

However, retailers at intu Metrocentre are hoping to sweeten the day by renaming it ‘Brew Monday’ and offering shoppers a range of free hot drinks, special offers and surprises.

Among the treats available at the centre on Monday will be free tea and coffee vouchers for Wetherspoon, while Oh You Pretty Things Champagne Bar is creating special blue cocktails and mocktails.

And, for those who are too blue to leave the house, intu Metrocentre will be running online competitions, including the chance to win a free afternoon tea for four at Lumley Castle Hotel, on Facebook.

The centre will also be giving away Muffin Break vouchers to Twitter users who share selfies having a brew on the day.

“To combat the January Blues, we want our customers to share a cup of tea or coffee with their loved ones, or have a brew on us,” said Helen Atkinson, marketing manager at intu Metrocentre.

“If we all join together, then there’s no reason why we can’t beat the blues and get the year off to a much happier start.”

For more information, click here.

Council To Close 12 Adult Day Care Centres Across County Durham

By on 14th January 2016in In & Around

Changes to council-run adult day services in County Durham have now been agreed…

 

Members of Durham County Council’s Cabinet agreed a reorganisation of services that will result in the closure of 12 centres by September 2016.

People using the 12 centres which will close will be supported in finding alternative provision to meet their needs in the independent and/or voluntary sector.

All people who are assessed as needing a service will continue to receive one, and any changes will be carefully planned.

The decision was made in response to significant changes to the way in which people choose day services, which has led to drop in demand for traditional council-run centres, as well as the need to make £1.59m savings during 2016/17.

The council will continue to run five centres from across the county in order to continue to offer specialist services to people with complex needs. Around 101 people currently fall into this category.

Cllr Lucy Hovvels, cabinet member for adult and health services at Durham County Council, said: “This was not an easy decision to make, and we recognise that it will be disappointing for many of those affected.

“However, we must respond to the changing demand for these services, as well as the financial pressures we face, and therefore we must make these changes.

“Many people are already choosing alternative care services in the community and voluntary sector – particularly as a result of national changes such as the introduction of Direct Payments, which enables people to make their own choices about where and how to get support.

“Our staff are very experienced in helping people to make the right choices for their needs and in supporting people through the move to a new service.

“We will continue to work with people to understand their needs, and any concerns they have so that we can support them through any changes.”

The five centres which will provide specialist day services are Durham Pathways, Pity Me; Spennymoor Pathways, Spennymoor Leisure Centre; Newton Aycliffe Pathways, Aycliffe Leisure Centre; Peterlee Pathways; and Stanley Pathways, Louisa Leisure Centre.

The 12 day services which will close are Ebony Woodwork Unit, Consett; Chester-le-Street Pathways; Crook Pathways; Proudfoot Centre, Bishop Auckland; Annfield Plain Pathways; Silver Street, Spennymoor; Consett Pathways; Harmire Unit, Barnard Castle; Bishop Auckland Pathways, Tindale Crescent; Bracken Hill Centre, Peterlee; Bede Day Centre, Barnard Castle; and Stanhope Pathways.

All people who use the existing 17 centres, their carers and staff at the centres have been consulted on the proposals, and their feedback was included in the report to Cabinet.

Mr And Mrs Winter Exchange Wedding Vows As Snow Falls

By on 14th January 2016in Lifestyle

Meet Mr and Mrs Winter – a North East couple who exchanged their wedding vows just as snow began to fall…

As bride Rebecca Thompson walked down the aisle at 600-year-old Lumley Castle, Chester-le-Street, to marry 31-year-old civil servant, Michael Winter, morning rain had turned to sleet.

And by the time the happy couple, from North Shields, had exchanged their wedding rings, the ancient castle was crowned with snow, giving their Winter’s tale a truly story book ending.

“It was magical, really,” said Rebecca, a 28-year-old recruitment consultant. “Michael’s surname was the inspiration for us having a winter wedding in the first place, but we never dreamed it would actually snow.”

Around 100 friends and family members attended the wedding in the four-star hotel’s Garter Suite, followed by a reception in the Baron’s Hall for 140.

“We’d chosen William Shakespeare’s play, The Winter’s Tale, as our theme,” said Rebecca, “and our table centrepieces were copies of the play.

“Lumley Castle is a story book setting at the best of times, but the snow turned it into a fairy tale.”

“A very great deal of thought and care went in to planning the wedding,” said Lumley Castle’s wedding coordinator Claire Sanderson.

“But, of course, no one can plan the weather – and it couldn’t have been more perfect.”

To book your own fairytale wedding at Lumley Castle, call 0191 389 1111, email reservations@lumleycastle.com or visit www.lumleycastle.com.

North East Youngsters Represent UK In Euro Photography Exhibit

By on 13th January 2016in Have Your Say

A free photography exhibition featuring young people from across Europe revealing their hopes and wishes for the future is now on display at Gala Durham…

The Portrait of a Continent exhibition features pictures of youngsters from 23 countries across Europe along with their inspirational messages. The UK is represented by two pupils from St Mary’s Primary School in South Moor, Jack and Katie, both 10. They call on the other youngsters to inspire and shape the world around them, and many of the children are hoping for a more peaceful future for the next generation.

Funded by the European Union, Durham County Council hosts the Europe Direct Information Centre and the council’s International Relations Team invited the youngsters to take part. As well as the pictures and messages, a selection of free publications are also available to browse as part of the exhibition for people who would like to learn more about the work of the European Union.

The photographs are also available online here to allow the participating countries to see the exhibit. There’s also a quiz aimed at young people that can be downloaded from the site.

 

Durham County Council’s Brian Stobie, Europe Direct Information Centre Manager, said: “The exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the hopes and dreams of the next generation across the continent. The European Union was initially created as a means to prevent further war, so it’s both fitting and inspiring that peace, understanding and working together are recurring themes in the wishes of young people across Europe.”

Northern Writers’ Awards Open For Applications

By on 13th January 2016in Entertainment

Northumbria’s final year students and alumni have the chance to show their literary promise this month…

Applications are now open for a brand new award exclusively created for Northumbria students and alumni as part of this year’s Northern Writers Awards. The Northumbria Student and Alumni Award is open to final-year undergraduates, current postgraduates or alumni who have graduated from the University since 2013.

Worth £2,000, the award is open to writers of fiction and poetry who are based in the North of England. To enter, you must submit between 3,000 and 6,000 words of prose, up to three short stories (of no more than 6,000 words in total) or up to 30 poems, by the deadline of 3rd February 2016. The award will be judged by Professor Michael Green and colleagues from the Creative Writing team at Northumbria.

Supported by Northumbria University and Arts Council England, the Northern Writers Awards are the country’s leading talent development programme for writers, and attracted more than 850 entries from across the region last year. Organised by New Writing North, this year’s awards are worth more than £40,000 to emerging writers and poets.

Northumbria University Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Engagement) Lucy Winskell OBE said: “The Northern Writers’ Awards are a fantastic opportunity for new and emerging writers in the North of England, and I’m delighted to see the awards open for submissions once again in their 16th year.

“I’ll be very excited to see which talented writers win this year’s awards, and I’m especially pleased to see a number of new categories, including the new Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award, which is open to final year students and alumni of the University.”

She added: “The awards are at the heart of Northumbria’s partnership with New Writing North, and we were delighted to confirm a further three years of support earlier this year. Our continued investment demonstrates our commitment to celebrating and nurturing creative talent in the region. Northumbria’s partnership with New Writing North goes from strength to strength each year as we develop exciting collaborations for our students, staff and the wider writing and cultural community. This enables us to share expertise, develop innovative research and provide a wealth of unique creative opportunities.”

For aspiring writers, winning a Northern Writers’ Award can offer introductions to publishers and agents, support from New Writing North, and the possibility of mentoring and other professional development advice. The awards available for 2016 include the flagship Northern Writers’ Awards, which offer cash prizes of up to £5,000 for writers of prose and poetry, New Fiction Bursaries, which provide new writers an in-depth editorial report from The Literary Consultancy, and the new Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award.

The Channel 4/Northumbria University Writing for Television Award and The Clare Swift Short Story Award, sponsored by the North East Chamber of Commerce, are also among the categories. To find out more about these awards and to read the full terms and conditions for all categories, go to: www.northernwritersawards.com. To enter the Northumbria Student and Alumni Award click here.

The Northern Writers’ Awards are open for entry until Wednesday 3rd February 2016. Winners will be notified in June 2016, with the awards ceremony taking place on Thursday 30th June 2016. Northumbria University offers a wide range of courses in English Literature and Creative Writing. To find out more go to www.northumbria.ac.uk/humanities.

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