Tag: must read

Primary School Pupils Participate In ISS Science Project

By on 4th February 2016in In & Around

Budding scientists from Witton Gilbert Primary School are preparing for a delivery that’s out of this world – 100 seeds from space…

 

The school will be taking part in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Rocket Science Experiment.

The national project, which is run in partnership with the UK Space Agency, aims to encourage pupils to think about how plants might grow in space and to help them understand the difficulties of living, growing and eating in space.

In September, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the Soyuz 44S.

The seeds will be held in microgravity for six months, and British astronaut Tim Peake will be in charge of them during his time on the ISS.

The seeds will come back down to earth in April, and Witton Gilbert Primary School will be one of the lucky recipients.

The school will then grow the space seeds alongside some seeds from here on earth to find out if there have been any differences in growth.

Nobody from the school will know which seeds have been to space and which have stayed here.

Pupils will care for the seedlings, record their growth and observations over seven weeks, and enter the information into a database. Once all the data has been collected, the results will be analysed by professional statisticians.

Leading scientists from the RHS and European Space Agency will interpret the results and draw possible conclusions before publishing the finds on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening website.

Paula Nelson, Witton Gilbert Primary School head teacher, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in Rocket Science. It will be an exciting way for our young scientists to contribute to a national experiment, and share their learning with the whole school community.

“Hopefully their experience with the project will encourage them to get involved in growing plants, and also inspire them to find out more about future careers in STEM subjects including horticulture, plant science and the space industry as a whole.”

For more information about the Rocket Science project, click here.

The ISS can be tracked here, and you can follow the project on Twitter with #RocketScience, and on Facebook.

John Godber Brings Mining Drama To Durham Gala Theatre

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Miners will take centre stage this month, as BAFTA Award-winning playwright John Godber brings his latest play to Durham’s Gala Theatre…

 

Shafted! follows the lives of former pitman Harry and his wife Dot – played by Godber and his wife Jane Thornton – in the thirty years after the strikes of 1984, as the pair struggle to settle into new jobs and to rebuild their community.

Fresh from its premiere at the Theatre Royal Wakefield, the comedy arrives in Durham on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th February.

For more information about the show, which will be performed at 7.30pm each night, or to book tickets – priced £15 or £13 for concessions – call the Gala box office on 03000 266 600, visit the venue in person, or book online at www.galadurham.co.uk.

Dance Powerhouse Bring Picasso Paintings To The Stage

By on 2nd February 2016in Entertainment

The UK’s longest established contemporary dance powerhouse, Rambert, are back in Newcastle this year with a brand new show celebrating the dual forces of nature and art…

Thought provoking, visually stunning, and featuring Tyneside-born dancer Adam Park, the new tour is set to blow audiences away at Newcastle Theatre Royal from 2nd to 4th February.

The tour programme features two new pieces – the Picasso-inspired The 3 Dancers, and Frames, which takes audiences into a choreographer’s world, and a third piece, which was one of the huge successes of 2014, The Strange Charm of Mother Nature.

The 3 Dancers is inspired by the tragic love triangle behind Picasso’s masterpiece of the same name. A new work from former Rambert dancer Didy Veldman, it will explore the eternal themes of the painter’s work: love, desire and death. Veldman is an internationally-renowned choreographer, and uses a total of six dancers (three dressed in white, and three as their shadows) to delve into the social, psychological and human elements of Picasso’s work.

Veldman, well known for her theatrical style and earthy choreography, reveals how Cubism can be applied to movement to create the fragmented world which is so characteristic of Picasso’s work. The 3 Dancers features an original score by Australia’s leading composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Frames is a new work from another Rambert alumni, Alexander Whitley, which lays bare the process of making a dance performance. Twelve performers assemble and dismantle the set, move lighting and change angles, constantly creating new spaces and playing with what’s revealed and what’s hidden in their sequences of highly technical dancing.

This thought-provoking work, which sees dancers create a stage within a stage, is a continuation of Whitley’s collaboration with award-winning visual artists Tuur Van Balen and Revital Cohen, and is accompanied by a new score from Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason.

The Strange Charm of Mother Nature, which premiered in September 2014, is inspired by particle physics and the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson ‘God Particle’. Continuing choreographer Mark Baldwin’s fascination with science, which has seen previous pieces inspired by the theories of Einstein and Darwin, the show sees dancers fizz with the energy of the miniscule building blocks that created life, the universe and everything. The work is set to a musical score of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks, and a new piece by Cheryl Frances-Hoad.

This season, the company once again features 24-year-old North East dancer Adam Park, from Jesmond, who trained at Dame Allan’s and Dance City, and has been in the company for four years.  Adam last performed with Rambert at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2012 as part of the Seven for a Secret tour.

Rambert appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 2nd to Thursday 4th February 2016 (evenings: 7.30pm, matinee: Thursday 2pm). Tickets are from £12 (less online), and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Durham PCC Calls For Local Opinion Over Crime Prevention

By on 2nd February 2016in Have Your Say

The Institute of Directors in the North East is bringing together all three of the region’s Police and Crime Commissioners, to allow the region’s business community to actively participate in the debate on crime prevention and enforcement…

The event, which is open to all business people, will be held in the Durham Centre at Belmont Business Park between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday 25th February. It will include talks by the region’s three PCCs; Vera Baird QC, Ron Hogg, and Barry Coppinger, alongside experts on cyber security, human trafficking, and slavery. The three PCCs will also lead seminars to hear the views of business people from their respective areas.

David Cliff, Vice-Chairman of the IoD in the North East, who is completing a four year study into Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “Businesses in the North East are rightly concerned about crime. On average, one in three are affected by economic crime each year. On top of age old concerns about the security of their premises and employees, there are modern issues like cyber-crime, which costs the UK £27 billion a year, and workplace bullying.

“Good policing provides a stable environment for our businesses to operate in, and is at the heard of cohesive communities, so getting our PCCs and business leaders together is a positive thing for the North East as it can boost both our security and prosperity.

“Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, said: “It is really important that businesses tell us what their priorities are for reducing and preventing crime. The nature of crime is changing, and this will be an excellent opportunity to plan together how to address it. I hope as many business people as possible are able to attend.”

To book tickets for the event, which cost £10 plus VAT and are free to IoD members and their guests, email Sukie Ranken on iod.northeast@iod.com.

North East Marketing Agency Expand Into Central London

By on 1st February 2016in Local Biz

A North East design and marketing agency has opened the doors of a brand new office in London, looking to expand on a successful 2015…

Jak Inc has taken up a second residence within a thriving Central London business community, which is the first stage of an extensive business expansion plan created by Managing Director Andrew Knowles.

The Chester-le-Street based company, which last year celebrated its ten-year anniversary, has plans to take their brand further across the UK, and eventually into Europe.

Andrew Knowles said: “Since rebranding our business in 2014, Jak Inc has become a uniquely modern and exciting company, and one that suits the cutting-edge business hub of London perfectly.

“The services we offer are highly sought after across the country, but by being based in the North East, we’re able to provide top quality and efficiency, but without the London price tags.”

Jak Inc’s new office is suitably fresh, with open-plan space for collaborative work, and smaller glass booths for working privately. Volcano Coffee is available on a whim, plus beer on tap for chilled evenings, and table tennis for periods of down time.

 

Andrew said: “The environment is perfect for us, especially as it places us constantly in the midst of other businesses and like-minded creatives. For example, we’re only a stones throw from the likes of Skyscanner and BlaBlaCar.”

The expansion into London follows Andrew’s completion of a three-year Business Growth Plan under the guidance of Goldman Sachs.

As a part of the growth plan, the company is also looking to recruit a Business Development Manager. Enquiries can be sent to a.knowles@jakinc.uk.

Jak Inc is one of the North East’s leading design and marketing agencies, with the unique ability to provide extensive printing solutions as well. To find out more, visit www.jakinc.uk.

Help Needed In Search For 1966 County Durham Footballers

By on 29th January 2016in Have Your Say

An appeal is being made to help find members of a County Durham youth football team that beat the Germans in their own back garden the day after England won the World Cup…

 

As part of an exchange with County Durham’s partner area of Kreis Moers (now known as Kreis Wesel), a team of under-18s from schools and youth clubs across the county defeated their German counterparts on 31st July 1966. With the 50th anniversary this year, Durham County Council’s International Office is trying to help two of the players track down their former teammates so they can hold a reunion to commemorate the victory.

As well as being key players for the team, Graham Comer and Brian Hopkins were best friends in 1966, and remain so nearly fifty years later.

With the exchange arranged months in advance, neither of them dared to dream that England would reach the final, let alone against Germany and go on to win. But on 30th July 1966, the group found themselves watching the match on a big screen in a dance hall in Rheinhausen, cheering England on alongside over 100 Germans students.

Graham, a former physics teacher who is now semi-retired (though still working part time at Tanfield School), said: “The atmosphere was good natured but fraught at times – especially when Germany equalised in the 89th minute! Our hosts were extremely gracious in defeat, though, and when we all went back to the homes of the families we were staying with, they insisted that we sat at the head of the table in celebration of England winning.”

The real match, however, was still to come, and the boys lined up the next day against the Kreis Moers team, determined to do as well as the national side.

And they did, with a solid victory, although exactly how solid is slightly uncertain some 49 years later. Graham and Brian are certain that they scored six and won, with Brian getting two goals – one a tap-in after a free kick from Graham came back off the bar – and think the final result was County Durham 6-4 Kreis Moers.

Graham continued: “With the fiftieth anniversary coming up, we’d love to be able to have a reunion with the other lads from the team, so we’re hoping they see this, or someone they know does and gets in touch with the council so we can make it a reality. It would be great if we could all get together again after so many years, and even better if one of them can remember the final score!”

Brian Stobie, Durham County Council’s international officer, said: “We’re delighted to try and help reunite the team. Over the years we’ve arranged many collaborations and exchanges with our partner area in Germany and across the world which have strengthened County Durham’s international standing, and given unique learning experiences to hundreds of young people.”

People with information about the team and their current whereabouts are asked to email the council’s International Office at international@durham.gov.uk.

County Durham and Kreis Wesel have a long history of exchanges and collaborations. Recent projects include pupils from Park View School visiting Germany in autumn last year researching employability and language skills. Pupils from Germany also memorably visited their counterparts at Seaham School of Technology to re-enact the First World War’s Christmas Day truce football match in December 2014.

Chance To #HaveYourSay Over Future Of Sedgefield And Lanchester

By on 28th January 2016in Have Your Say

People at Lanchester and Sedgefield are being invited to help shape the future of where they live, work and shop…

 

Durham County Council has launched a consultation on new character appraisals which have been produced for the communities’ historic conservation areas.

An appraisal helps raise awareness of the special character and interest of an historic area. The documents recommend ways to improve a conservation area and to manage change, and also provide an interesting history and snapshot of the area.

The Lanchester appraisal includes proposed extensions to the designated boundary, changes to rules on external alterations to some properties, and management proposals. The Sedgefield document includes minor changes to the boundary, no alternations to the rules on external alterations, and management proposals.

Both appraisals are at the draft stage, and people who live, own businesses and shop in the two communities are now being encouraged to have their say.

Drop in information sessions are being held at Lynwood House, Lanchester, on Wednesday 3rd February 2016 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm, and Ceddesfeld Hall, Sedgefield, on Tuesday 16th February 2016 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.

Staff from the design and conservation team, who are leading on the publication of the appraisals, will be in attendance.

Cllr Neil Foster, the council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “The purpose of character appraisals is to make sure that the unique characteristics and historic features of our conservation areas are preserved, whilst ensuring that they meet the needs of modern communities.

“I hope local residents and businesses will help us build a detailed picture of what is special about the area in which they live and work, by taking part in the consultation events.”

To find out more about the appraisals and to #HaveYourSay, visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultation, email design.conservation@durham.gov.uk or phone 03000 267146.

The consultation period for both documents ends on Friday 27th February.

One Week Left To Enter Northern Writers’ Awards

By on 28th January 2016in Entertainment

Writers based in the North of England have one week left to enter the Northern Writers’ Awards 2016…

Northumbria University is a key supporter of the awards, with £40,000 available for writers, including cash awards and developmental bursaries. This year will also see a brand new category introduced that is specifically for Northumbria students and alumni.

The Northern Writers’ Awards are free to enter and are open until 11pm, Wednesday 3rd February 2016 at www.northerwritersawards.com.

The awards were founded by New Writing North in 2000, and are the country’s premiere talent development programme for writers. They offer opportunities for both new and established writers to develop their work towards publication or broadcast, and to progress their careers as writers. The Northern Writers’ Awards receive support from Northumbria University and funding from Arts Council England.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Engagement), Northumbria University, said: “The Northern Writers’ Awards are a fantastic opportunity for new and emerging writers in the North of England. I’m 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.”

Claire Malcolm, chief executive of New Writing North, said: “It is always incredibly exciting nearing the deadline of the Northern Writers’ Awards and watching the entries coming in. Each year we are introduced to new writers whose work we can support in many ways, from developmental support or introductions to publishers and agents to future commissions.”

The literary agent Euan Thorneycroft (AM Heath), publisher Hannah Westland (Serpent’s Tail), poet Patience Agbabi and children’s book publisher Leah Thaxton (Faber), will judge the flagship Northern Writers’ Awards, which are open to poets, novelists, children’s writers and writers of creative non-fiction. Graphic novels are also accepted in this category for the first time in 2016.

Other awards on offer in 2016 include the Channel 4/Northumbria University Writing for Television Awards, which offer three new writers the rare opportunity of a 12-month development period with independent production company Lime Pictures. The Clare Swift Award, sponsored by North East Chamber of Commerce, is open exclusively to writers in the North East, and will award £1000 to the best unpublished short story. It will be judged by the journalist and editor Peter Wilby, a former colleague of Clare Swift, who died in 2013.

Northumbria is a key partner in the Northern Writers’ Awards, and a new award, the Northumbria University Student and Alumni Award, will be presented to one past or current student of the university. For a full list of awards and criteria, including information on how to enter, go to www.northernwritersawards.com.

Holocaust Survivor Marks Memorial Day At Northumbria Uni

By on 28th January 2016in Have Your Say

One of the youngest known survivors of the Holocaust has spoken about her experiences at Northumbria University, Newcastle, to mark this year’s Memorial Day…

Eva Clarke was born in Mauthausen Concentration Camp, Austria in 1945, three days prior to the collapse of the Third Reich and liberation of the camp by the US Army. Eva and Anka, her mother, were the only remaining survivors, following the death of 15 other family members in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Northumbria student Michaela Crawley contacted Eva to give a talk at the University, and helped organise the lecture for Holocaust Memorial Day, which was held in partnership with Newcastle City Council, and in conjunction with the Holocaust Education Trust and the Anne Frank Trust.

Michaela, a first-year History student, said: “For the last three years I have been active in organising Holocaust Memorial Day events following a Holocaust Educational Trust course known as the Lessons From Auschwitz. This, coincidentally, was also when I came into contact with Eva for the first time. Following a very successful event that I arranged last year in my school, I felt I had to try and bring the event to the University with me to involve even more people in Holocaust education.

“I spoke to the Head of History at Northumbria, Michael Cullinane, to ask if it would be possible, and managed to contact Eva and confirm that she would speak at our event. I have heard Eva’s testimony twice now, and I am honoured to finally get to meet her in person, as it was her story that convinced me that I wanted to teach and that History was definitely the discipline I wanted to specialise in.”

She added: “One of the first sources I was ever presented with when learning about the Holocaust was a quotation from a German philosopher claiming ‘we learn from History that we do not learn from history.’ I believe through education we can prevent humanity from repeating its mistakes, and that is why I am taking an active role in Holocaust education and preventing prejudice.”

Eva has shared her story with communities, schools, colleges and prisons, and has campaigned to ensure that those who died during the Holocaust are remembered. Her mother’s story is also featured in a new book by bestselling author and journalist Wendy Holden. Born Survivors highlights the experiences of three expectant and new mothers living in concentration camps.

Also speaking at the event at Northumbria was Newcastle City Council Leader, Councillor Nick Forbes, and the University’s Associate Dean for Arts, Design and Social Sciences, Professor Tom Lawson.

He said: “We are delighted that Eva Clarke has been able to join us for Holocaust Memorial Day. Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on our collective past and our obligations to all members of the international community in the past, present and future.

“The theme of this year’s commemorations encourages us to think about our role as bystanders to atrocity, which is an essential theme as we face the challenges of our interconnected world. We are especially pleased to host this event as it is organised by one of our History undergraduates, showing how far Northumbria students are impacting on the world from the very beginnings of their studies with us.”

Michaela’s tutor, Dr Michael Cullinane, Reader in US History and Head of History, added: “This event owes a great debt to one of our most enterprising undergraduate students, Michaela Crawley. Michaela, a first-year student on the single-honours History programme, expressed an interest in raising awareness of the Holocaust, and reached out to the Head of History and Associate Dean Academic of the Faculty of Arts, Design, and Social Sciences.

“While the University often hosts public events on Holocaust Memorial Day to stress the social importance of holocaust education, the initiative to do so has never come from a first-year student. We in the History subject group are proud that Michaela has organized a wonderful event, and are as proud that she is one of ours.”

Northumbria offers a range of courses in History. In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, the University was rated Top 20 in the UK for the quality of its History research publications. For more information about studying History at Northumbria, go to www.northumbria.ac.uk/history.

Northumbria is a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence. To find out more about courses, go to www.northumbria.ac.uk.

Wedding Wonder Show Returns To Sunderland This February

By on 26th January 2016in Lifestyle

Bride and grooms-to-be can shine a light on their wedding plans at a special event taking place next week…

Sunderland’s largest wedding fair, The Wedding Wonder Show, returns to the Stadium of Light from noon until 3pm on Sunday February 7th.

Guests at the event, which has a Valentine’s Day theme, will have the chance to meet more than 100 exhibitors from across the North East, including top suppliers offering everything from flowers to photography.

There will also be a designer fashion show featuring glamorous gowns, grooms wear and flower girl ideas, as well as a dedicated bridesmaid zone to ensure all members of the wedding party can look their best.

Live entertainment will be running throughout the afternoon, with representatives from 1879 Events Management also on hand to discuss wedding day options at the Stadium of Light and its sister site National Glass Centre.

David Moses, General Manager at 1879 Events Management, said: “The Stadium of Light has become an increasingly popular setting for weddings of all styles and sizes, and 1879 Events Management are delighted to cater for happy couples both here, and at National Glass Centre, as well as at external venues across the North East.

“The Wedding Wonder Show is an ideal opportunity for us to share our expertise with brides and grooms-to-be, as well as offering them a chance to meet key suppliers and plan key aspects of their big day.”

Entry to the Wedding Wonder Show, in association with Belle Bridal, are priced at £2 per person, £1 concessions or £6 for a family of four.

A limited number of VIP goodie bags will also be available, and these can be reserved in advance at www.weddingwondershow.co.uk.

For more information, and full details of the wedding packages available at the Stadium of Light, visit www.safc.com or call 0871 911 1555.

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