Tag: lifestyle

#ThrowbackThursday: A North East Winter Wonderland

By on 17th December 2015in Lifestyle

A browse through the Tyne & Wear Flickr archive reveals some wintery gems…

The Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums Flickr page is home to nearly 2,000 photographs of North East history. Whether you’re looking for photographs of World War Two factories, turn of the century ship launchings, or criminal mugshots of the ’20s, you’ll likely find it in one of their many albums.

But with Christmas just around the corner, and with a few flashes of snow in our recent memory, we think you might like to check our the ‘Winter Wonderland’ album.

With just a light frosting, our local landscape is transformed into an image straight from the front of a Christmas greetings card.

See for yourself…

Gems include Jesmond Dene, and an awesome aerial view of Alnwick Castle.

To see more of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums photographs, click here.

Do you have wintery photographs of your own to share? Leave a comment below, or email online@inandaroundmag.co.uk!

Lakes Single Malt Whisky One Year On And Maturing Well

By on 17th December 2015in Local Biz

England’s largest whisky distillery raises a glass, as the country’s newest single malt whisky reaches a major milestone in its maturation…

The Lakes Distillery started production of its Lakes Single Malt in December 2014, the same month it officially opened its doors to visitors.

The spirit, which will officially become whisky after three years maturing in oak casks, will be ready for drinking from spring 2018. Early feedback from the distillery’s team, which includes some of the UK’s foremost whisky experts, is that the Lakes Single Malt is on track to be one of the finest.

“After only one year maturing, already it is smooth and sweet and very drinkable” says Distillery Manager John Drake. “It is quite outstanding.”

In just 12 months, The Lakes Distillery has also become one of Cumbria’s leading tourist attractions, welcoming more than 70,000 visitors through its doors. Meanwhile, the acclaimed Bistro at The Lakes Distillery has built up a tremendous reputation, being popular with tourists and locals, thanks to head chef Andrew Beaton with renowned chef Terry Laybourne overseeing the bistro.

The Lakes Distillery has also been named as a ‘Top 50 Cumbrian Icon’ in only its first year.

Founder and Managing Director of The Lakes Distillery, Paul Currie, who founded and ran the award-winning Isle of Arran Distillers in Scotland before opening England’s largest distillery, said: “This has been a phenomenal year for the business. The reaction from the drinks industry, the public and the local businesses in the North West has been fantastic.

“We feel honoured to have been awarded a string of accolades from different industry bodies in our first year. Our spirits have picked up awards at the IWSC and International Spirits Challenge (ISC), while the Bistro at The Distillery has been listed in the Michelin Good Food Guide 2016 and picked up Open Table Diner’s Choice Awards several months in a row.”

In 2016 Paul will not be resting on his laurels, and already has big plans for the distillery’s second year of business – including a series of talks and events at the venue.

He continued: “We’ve run a couple of events this year, including one with former Olympian Jonathan Edwards, an ambassador of our whisky, a gin themed evening with Olympic skier Chemmy Alcott, and a night of fine dining with Michelin-starred chef Nigel Haworth. All the events have been very successful, and we’re planning an exciting schedule for next year.

“We are situated in one of the most stunning places in the world, which we think gives us a real edge, and that, combined with the unique spirits we are producing, makes us a strong contender in this industry. Our aim is to ensure The Lakes Malt is recognised as one of the finest malt whiskies in the world, making us a challenger to Scotland.”

Already the creators of artisan spirits The Lakes Gin and The Lakes Vodka, The Lakes Distillery offers a blended British Isles whisky called The ONE, which is currently available in a limited edition sherry cask finished bottle, marking the distillery’s first birthday.

For more information on The Lakes Distillery, visit www.lakesdistillery.com or for further details on The Bistro at The Lakes Distillery, visit www.bistroatthedistillery.com.

Alex Nelson’s Places To Go: Clacton-On-Sea

By on 16th December 2015in Have Your Say

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

 

As we enter the depths of winter, I always like to look back over great experiences in the warmer summer weather.

One day in July, I had 22 hours free in London, and instead of staying in an expensive City hotel, I decided to have a trip out of the capital to visit somewhere I’d never been before. I settled on a train trip from Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

Although I stay in all sorts of places on a regular basis, I have a particular fondness for Premier Inns, and there was one on the front at Clacton for £77. London Premier Inns now often top £200 a night, so imagine my happy surprise!

I arrived by train in the late afternoon, and after a walk on the pier I took a First Essex bus out to Jaywick Sands. Jaywick is the most deprived ward in England, where unemployment and crime are high, but there is a strong sense of community spirit. The houses in Brooklands are named after famous British racing marques, but the quality of the houses is highly variable, all private holiday cottages in various states of repair, which have become permanent residences.

I decided to walk the length of Jaywick along the coast, past the golf course and back into Clacton, and I met various people along the way. I wish I could have shared a beer with some lads in one of the houses behind the flood barrier, but although they were friendly, they didn’t invite me to join them.

Local MP Douglas Carswell (the only UKIP MP in the House of Commons) is campaigning for a coherent plan to improve conditions in the area, primarily through the proposed Jaywick Coastal Community Team. I followed the coastal path past Martello Towers and the Golf Course, and ended up in Clacton centre for a pleasant Mexican meal alongside the award-winning golden sands.

The Pirate Radio Museum near the Pier would have been worth a visit, but sadly it was closed during my visit. It tells the story of Radio Caroline and the other late ’60s pirate radio stations, playing music that the BBC Light, Home and Third programmes declined to play. Many operated from ships anchored off the Essex shore or in abandoned wartime forts off the coast. The pirates led to the foundation of Radio 1 in 1967, and set the scene for commercial broadcasting to compete with the BBC. That was in the heyday of Clacton, when it was a daytrip resort for Londoners, which lasted from the 50s to the 70s. Billy Butlin had a holiday camp in the town from 1936 to 1983, which is now covered by housing, but with a few interesting information boards by the site.

I’m not suggesting that all of you should plan a trip to Clacton this summer. Mine was effectively a trip from London, not the North East. However, you might consider a short trip by train somewhere you’ve have never been before for a micro-break away from home. Some suggestions? How about Knaresborough, Berwick, Saltburn, Whitehaven, Hartlepool and Girvan… just for starters.

Atlantean: The Weather Is Snow Joke

By on 15th December 2015in Have Your Say

Long time In & Around contributor Atlantean takes a moment to reflect on what happens following the recent Paris conference…

 

January is a time for New Year’s resolutions.

Following the climate change conference in Paris, the world has one very big resolution to uphold, and it’s signed up to by 195 countries. In mid-December, environmental campaigners Greenpeace asked its supporters which of the following issues were most important to them:

  • Health of the Oceans
  • War and Conflict
  • Corporate Excess
  • Melting of the Arctic
  • Political Corruption
  • Unemployment
  • Global Poverty
  • Deforestation
  • Fracking

If you think about the importance of all these issues for a moment, it’ll make your head spin. When I was a lad, we worried about cold war annihilation, world population growth (then only at 4 billion), and whether the next ice age was on the way.

This year, when winter hit on the afternoon of 12th December, many motorists and householders were caught out. A few years ago, snow rarely came before early January, and it seems many people were completely unprepared to drive in snowy conditions, crawling around at 15mph when conditions demanded faster – but careful – driving… particularly when going up hills. Who had a shovel and de-icer in their cars? Or were prepared with gloves and scarves?

Sat-Navs were overloaded with red and yellow congestion warnings around the region, but why is it that whenever snow falls, so many drivers abandon all use of indicators and signals?

By the next day, a general thaw had helped to ease the situation, and perhaps some of those people who had resolved to buy snow tyres for their vehicles actually then did so. They make a big difference to Mrs. Atlantean’s car (my own vehicle being parked in disgrace after the emissions scandal of last month).

With climate change comes the expectation of much more extreme weather on its way. More snowfall, more heavy rain, and more flooding. We’re seeing evidence of it all the time, yet the naysayers can still be heard. It’s highly convenient to be a climate change denier, since you don’t actually have to do anything, but for how long can we ignore what is happening right in front of us?

Ask yourself… where is the harm in turning down the heating and wearing a thicker jumper? Where is the harm in parking the car and trying public transport?

If we accept that it is happening, and that it is the fault of mankind, then we can move on to the more important questions… like are we past the tipping point already? Can global warming be prevented, or is our only option now to limit the damage we’re causing?

I have sad news for those poor people who have been flooded out twice in places like Cumbria over the last few years. Get used to the idea that it will probably happen again very soon.

Ramside Spa Celebrates 12 Days Of Christmas With Festive Prizes

By on 15th December 2015in Lifestyle

There may not be any maids a-milking or geese a-laying, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty on offer at one of the North East’s leading spas this Christmas…

The Spa at Ramside, Ramside Hall Hotel, County Durham – which opened earlier this year – will be running a special prize draw from December 12th until December 24th.

The 12 Days of Christmas, which started at the weekend, gives anyone who books a visit to the venue’s state-of-the-art spa the chance to enter the prize draw and win some special upgrades and added extras.

One name will be drawn each day, with the winner then selecting one of the 12 baubles behind the spa reception, each of which contains a unique prize.

“The festive season is all about giving a little bit extra, and that is what the 12 Days of Christmas prize draw is all about,” said Jill Russell, the spa director at Ramside Hall Hotel.

“The prizes that are up for grabs will make a great early Christmas present for some of our guests.

“There’s so much on offer at the spa this Christmas, and hopefully this will help to make our winners’ visits extra special.”

Throughout the festive season, the Spa at Ramside will also be running a selection of Christmas spa packages, designed to help visitors unwind during the festive season.

The Sleep and Beauty package and The Lady and The Vamp package includes use of the spa facilities until 5pm, a choice of treatments and a two course lunch in the Fusion Spa Restaurant.

Guests looking to use the spa facilities in the afternoon can opt for The Beauty and the Feast package, which includes use of the spa facilities for three hours, a choice of either a 45 minute personalised facial or a back, neck and shoulder massage and a spa afternoon tea.

There is also a number of packages available between Christmas and New Year, including the Twixmas Treat, the Winter Warmer, the Winter Wonderland and Rock that Resolution.

All the packages include a welcome smoothie on arrival, a choice of treatments, and complimentary use of robes and spa flip flops.

Prices start from £75 per person, and packages are subject to availability.

For more information about the festive packages available at The Spa at Ramside, visit www.ramsidespa.co.uk or contact the spa reception on 0191 375 3088.

Ramside Spa Offers Relaxing Alternative To Boxing Day Dip

By on 13th December 2015in Lifestyle

North East people who don’t want to brave the cold of the sea on Boxing Day are being offered a warmer alternative by the region’s top spa…

The award-winning Spa at Ramside, at Ramside Hall Hotel near Durham, has unveiled a special Boxing Day package which includes doing a very different kind of dipping.

Guests can book in for a special spa day which includes a welcome drink on arrival, full use of the spa facilities, and a choice of either a two course brunch or a spa Asian-inspired afternoon tea.

The package costs £65 per person, with an additional attraction for groups of between four and eight people – exclusive use of the balcony infinity pool for an hour.

A number of extras can also be added to the package at £30 each, including a 30 minute back or foot massage, a 30 min salt and oil scrub, or an express facial.

“Boxing Day is a time when people often just want to chill out after the excesses of Christmas Day,” said Jill Russell, Spa Director.

“And not everyone is brave enough to go into the sea, so our Boxing Day is a much warmer alternative!”

Bookings for the Boxing Day package can be made by contacting the spa on 0191 375 3088, or by emailing enquiries@ramsidespa.co.uk.

Xmas Recipe: Gingerbread Christmas Trees

By on 12th December 2015in Food & Drink, Lifestyle

Nothing says ‘Christmas’ like gingerbread…

 

Ingredients:

  • 120g Greenvale Unsalted Butter
  • 150g The Pantry Demerara Sugar
  • 150g Grandessa Honey
  • 350g The Pantry Plain Flour
  • 1 tsp The Pantry Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 3 tsp Stonemill Ground Ginger
  • 1 tsp Stonemill Ground Cinnamon

To Decorate:

  • 100g Icing Sugar, plus extra for dusting
  • 1 tbsp Water
  • Silver Ball Decorations

Method:

To begin with, slowly melt the butter, sugar and honey in a pan, then sieve together all of the remaining ingredients. When the sugar, butter and honey have completely melted, they can be added to the dry ingredients and mixed until well combined.

When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead and form a ball, and then leave it in the fridge (wrapped in cling film) for half an hour to become more manageable.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas mark 6.

When the dough has cooled, roll it out between two pieces of greaseproof paper to about half a centimetre thick, and – using 3 different sized star cutters – cut out 4 large stars, 4 medium stars and 8 small stars.

Place the stars on a baking tray and press the dough back together. Roll it out again and cut out the same amount of stars.

Bake them for 4-8 minutes (you may have to remove the smaller stars earlier as the larger ones will take longer to cook).

While the biscuits cool, make the icing by mixing the icing sugar and water.

To complete the gingerbread Christmas trees, place a small amount of icing on a big star, and then stack the stars on top of each other in size order, using the icing to bind them together.

Decorate with a dusting of icing sugar and the silver balls.

Makes:

  • 4 large or 8 small trees

Ready:

  • 20 minutes

Prep Time:

  • 10 minutes

Cook Time:

  • 8 minutes

Have you followed this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Call For County Durham To Donate Unwanted Furniture

By on 11th December 2015in In & Around

A call for people to donate unwanted furniture has been issued in County Durham…

 

The County Durham Reuse Forum, a partnership between five local charities and Durham County Council, is urging people to pass on unwanted items which could be used by other people.

The forum is hoping that people getting new furniture and household items delivered in time for Christmas will consider giving their old items to charity.

As well as providing low cost furniture to local people, the forum also provides training and volunteering opportunities and helps to reduce waste – with more than 140 tonnes of furniture reused so far this year.

Anyone with furniture they are looking to donate can contact one of the five charities which make up the forum.

Contact details are:

  • Consett YMCA. Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 4.30pm. Tel: 01207 588 302.
  • County Durham Furniture Help Scheme, Chilton. Monday to Friday, 9am – 4pm; Saturday, 9am – 1pm. Tel: 01388 721 509.
  • East Durham Partnership, Horden. Monday to Friday, 9am – 4.30pm (Wednesday late opening until 6pm); Saturday 9am until midday. Tel: 0191 586 8493.
  • Haswell Mencap Furniture Enterprise. Monday to Friday, 9am – 3pm. Tel: 0191 516 0957.
  • Woodhouse Close Church Furniture Project. Tuesday and Thursday, 9am – 2pm. Tel: 01388 602 935. (collection within an eight-mile radius of Bishop Auckland)

All of the charities collect unwanted household items, such as beds, furniture and electrical items, free of charge if they are reusable and in good condition.

Upholstered items, such as sofas, chairs and beds, should be clean, without tears, and must have the current UK fire safety standard labels attached.

All electrical items should be working, be free from rust, reasonably clean and have intact seals.

Items will need to be checked before collection is agreed and if there is any reason why an item cannot be accepted, this will be explained.

For further information on which household items can be donated and purchased via one of the charities, please visit www.durham.gov.uk/reuse.

Durham County Council Offer Three Months Free Gym Membership

By on 9th December 2015in Lifestyle

Fitness fans are encouraged to start their New Year’s Resolution a bit earlier this year…

 

Fitness fans are being offered an early Christmas present, with three months free membership if they take out an annual gym membership during December.

Visitors to Durham County Council leisure centres will receive 15 months for the price of 12 if they take out a membership, and pay up front, between Tuesday 1st December and Thursday 31st December.

Andy Brown, the council’s principal physical activity manager, said: “We know following the festive period many people’s minds turn to getting fit.

“But if they sign up now, they can look forward to three free months of membership – giving them plenty of chance to improve their wellbeing all the way through until the spring of 2017.”

The offer will be available at Abbey, Chester-le-Street, Freeman’s Quay, Meadowfield, Newton Aycliffe, Riverside, Shildon-Sunnydale, Spennymoor, Teesdale and Woodhouse Close leisure centres.

For more information, and to find your local council run leisure centre, visit www.durham.gov.uk/leisurecentres.

5 DIY Christmas Gifts That Won’t Break The Bank

By on 9th December 2015in Lifestyle

Sophie Appleton shares five DIY creations to keep Christmas crafty…

 

 

I’m a big fan of Christmas, but like most of us, I’m no stranger to opening up my purse and having a few festive moths fly out of it. The familiar “Yikes, only one more pay day before Christmas” feeling is something we can all relate to, but it can be beaten!

DIY gifts are a dangerous game to play with less than a month before the big day, but if you do it right, you can come up with something that will be as well-received as it is cheap.

So if you’re struggling with the pre-Christmas panic, check out my top five DIY Christmas gifts…

1. DIY Scrabble Art

 

Now that our smartphones have replaced most of our board games, it’s time to fish out your old Scrabble box and put those letters to good use. You can even buy sets of assorted letter tiles on eBay or Amazon for very cheap, and if you’re clever about it, you can get two or three gifts out of just one set of letters!

Combine the letters to make names and words, then glue them down in a frame along with photos or trinkets. Use scraps of wrapping paper, wall paper or magazine cuttings for a background to make the gift that extra bit special.

If you can’t get your hands on Scrabble tiles, a great alternative is to create a Word Cloud. Visit wordle.net, enter a list of words (or names), then click create. Now you have a personalised piece of art to put in a frame and wrap up!

2. The Lazy Man’s Cookbook

 

Cook books are always a great gift, and at Christmas time there are plenty to be found on shop shelves… at a premium price. But what if your loved ones just don’t cook? What if no matter how quick Jamie Oliver makes his meals, it’s still not quick enough?

If that’s the case, give them a cook book they’ll really appreciate… The Student/Bachelor Cookbook!

Buy a ring binder and decorate the front cover with their name and a funny message, then have a walk around the town to collect heaps of takeaway menus (or if you’re extra lazy and you don’t fancy tackling the busy streets and freezing weather, get them posted through the letterbox). Put them all in the ring binder and – depending on how many you have – add a contents page and dividers for different types of food.

3. DIY Kid’s Cushions

 

There’s nothing kids love more than making a mess, and with time off school they’re bound to do it at some point. So… you might as well get a gift out of it!

Find an old cushion (or pick one up for cheap online) and create a fun design using their paint-covered hands and feet. Accessorise using scraps of material from old clothing tied into bows, or stitch on some sequins and googly eyes to give it extra character. Don’t forget to sign and date it so you can embarrass the kids later in their teens!

4. Personalised Candles

 

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a present for her is a candle. Nobody can have enough candles, and especially not in the winter months. Yankee jars are the obvious choice, but why burn a hole in your pocket when you can make them yourself?

That afternoon tea set you’ve been saving for a raining day for the last fifteen years is finally going to come in handy here, or alternatively you can nip to the local charity shop for a nice, pretty cup and saucer.

Place wax beads (or even just some old, half-burnt candles of your own) in a bowl over a pan of hot water, or in a slow cooker (with a non-stick insert). For colour, use a vegetable peeler to shave bits of crayon into the wax, and stir to blend. Add more shavings for darker colour. Place a wick into the centre of the cup, and pour the wax into it. Leave it over night to harden, trim the wick, and simply wrap with cellophane and tie with a ribbon. Lovely!

 

5. Bespoke Chocolate Slabs

 

On a rainy December Saturday, this is a great one to keep the kids busy… and it’s great value for money. Chocolate slabs are worth upwards of £7 in fancy chocolate shops, but can be made at home for next to nothing.

Grab a silicone cake or loaf tin (pound shops recommended), then melt two or three bars of supermarket chocolate. You can find a good selection of milk, dark, and white chocolate for around 40p each, but anything more expensive is a bit of a non-starter, cost-wise. Fill the melted chocolate with jellies, popping candy, nuts or marshmallows. Decorate it however you like – perhaps with their name or favourite treats? Pop it in the fridge to set, and then wrap it in a clear bag of cellophane and some ribbon. Yummy!

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