Community groups, schools, and parish councils in County Durham are being invited to apply for up to £150 to plant up as part of National Tree Week…
The UK’s largest annual tree celebration, which marks the start of the winter tree planting season, this year runs from November 28th to December 6th.
Cllr Eddie Tomlinson, Durham County Council portfolio holder for assets, strategic housing and rural issues, said, “The Tree Council organised the first National Tree Week in 1975, and now up to a million trees are planted nationally each year as a result of this campaign.
“Durham County Council has taken part since 1979, encouraging people to plant trees and raise awareness of the importance of properly caring for and maintaining them. Tree Week grants have proven a great success in previous years, and the money available this year is a great opportunity for the people of County Durham to enhance their local landscape.”
Funding for up to 100% of a well-planned planting project, up to a maximum of £150, is available to parish councils, community groups and schools that wish to take part in National Tree Week. Grants of up to £150 are also available for individuals or organisations to plant individual large open-grown trees, hedgerow trees and field corners of up to 50 square metres.
To be eligible a scheme must not be in a private garden or within the curtilage of a residential property.
Anyone who wants to apply for a grant should contact Durham County Council’s landscape and arboriculture team by calling 03000 267 133 or emailing treeofficers@durham.gov.uk.
The deadline for applications is Friday 13th November 2015, however early bids are encouraged as grants are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Marketing, print and design agency Jak Inc are spreading a little Christmas cheer again. Here’s their latest charity campaign, in their own words…
Looking for a way to make this Christmas extra special for the little ones?
A few years ago, we set up www.myletterfromsanta.co.uk. As Christmas came around, we wanted to do our bit for charity, so we used our experience as a print retailer to devise the best-looking, most magical Santa Claus letters we could.
Each year, we send out hundreds of letters (from Santa) to kids across the North East, and the proceeds of every letter goes to charity. This year, we’ve picked Children In Need.
Jak Inc MD Andy Knowles says, “Handing over the big cheque to St Cuthbert’s Hospice last year was a very proud moment. Giving back to our community is part of the Jak Inc DNA, and we hope this year can be another successful campaign.”
Letters are just £4.99, 100% of which goes to Children In Need. Click here to get yours!
Got a query about Letters From Santa? Call 0191 3882698 (to speak to one of Santa’s little helpers) or email sales@mylettersfromsanta.co.uk.
Laura Tindall, musician, music teacher and Radio Tyneside host, shares the music closest to her heart…
Throughout my adult life, I’ve had a great interest in folk singer-songwriters from the height of the 1960s and 1970s protest song and social activism era. Perhaps I should have been born in a different decade?
We had songs by the likes of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell playing in the car when I was little, back in the eighties when it was a tape player. Songs like The Wild Mountain Thyme (1965), Blowin’ in the Wind (1963), and Both Sides Now (1969) are amongst the defining sound of these artists, as well as a generation, and the lyrics are as relevant today as any day.
My first encounter with the music of Judy Collins was around my late teens/early twenties, when my best friend and I would perform as a duo at various North East venues, and we included Who Knows Where the Time Goes? into our live performance repertoire, taking inspiration from the Judy Collins version. The song was written by Sandy Denny in 1967, and originally recorded as a demo. Judy Collins heard the demo tape in 1968 and decided to cover the song. It became the B-side to her version of Both Sides Now.
My friend and I preferred the Judy Collins version due to her treatment of the song’s metre, and to this day it’s one of our favourite songs to perform.
In October, Judy Collins came to The Sage, Gateshead, and there was no way I would miss the chance to hear this folk legend live.
A piano, an empty stage, and a pretty full audience were what awaited Judy in Hall 2 of The Sage, a great, intimate venue. Just as I had my own story surrounding why I wanted to see this artist live, I wondered what others’ stories were. Most of the audience were close in age to Collins, if my perceptions served me correctly. Some, like me, were alone, while others were in pairs or small groups. It’s the ones who are alone that intrigue me most, as I wonder about their story, their personal music experience, and the lives they’ve lived.
Judy Collins opened with a beautiful performance of Open The Door, on which she played guitar while musical director Russell Walden accompanied on piano. She moved into her second song without saying a word. As soon as I heard the opening few bars and lyrics, I knew I’d be watching the rest of it through misty eyes. Both Sides Now sounds just as wonderful today as it does on any of her recordings. A truly emotional experience as I watched this silver-locked folk legend, 56 years into the business, perform such an iconic song.
“I’ve looked at love from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow, it’s clouds’ illusions I recall, I really don’t know life at all.”
Throughout the evening, Judy’s new and old material was interspersed with stories of friendships, with the likes of Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Joan Rivers, and others who are true friends and icons of the music and entertainment industries.
Another emotional moment was her song In The Twilight, about her mother. It clearly touched many, many people in the audience.
“She’s a lady and she’s going home, she tells me as her eyes close in the twilight. I ask her where and she smiles and she tells me ‘it’s a secret’. And then she’s gone, just like the flowers in her garden.”
Judy Collins’ support act for the evening was Ari Hest, a singer-songwriter from New York. He’s one to watch, with a rounded, slightly husky voice and a penchant for Brazilian-style guitar playing. To me, he’s cut from the same cloth as Collins, with songs celebrating the simple things in life, as well as giving hope for the future. Check out songs After The Thunder and Harvest from his new album, Shouts and Whispers.
The years have been kind to Judy Collins, her voice as soaring and beautiful as ever. Whether you listen to Both Sides Now today or yesterday, in 1968, 2015, or somewhere in between, you have your own story. Live it and remember it.
Stationmaster Alex Nelson has been suggesting places to go by train every month for ten years. This month, he’s headed to Bradford…
Chester-le-Track has been promoting Bradford as a fascinating city to visit since 1999. It’s a large (population 528,155), vibrant City in West Yorkshire, reached from the north-east via Leeds on the TransPennine route.
The National Media Museum is a favourite of mine (formerly known as the National Museum of Film, Television and Photography, until the internet came along and threatened an even longer title). They wisely decided to go for National Media Museum, where I saw an excellent Robert Zemeckis film a few weeks ago called The Walk, about the tightrope walker who walked between the twin towers of the World Trade Center on 7th August 1974. It’s on general release now, but looked its best in 3D on a giant IMAX screen.
Bradford rose to prominence during the 19th century as an international centre of textile manufacture, particularly wool. It was a boomtown of the Industrial Revolution, and amongst the earliest industrialised settlements, rapidly becoming the “wool capital of the world”. The area’s access to a supply of coal, iron ore and soft water facilitated the growth of Bradford’s manufacturing base, which – as textile manufacture grew – led to an explosion in population, and was a stimulus to civic investment. Bradford has much listed Victorian architecture, including the grand Italianate City Hall.
A major London company ran a textiles conference in Bradford during mid-October, bringing students into Bradford from many colleges and universities. Chester-le-Track was pleased to provide rail tickets for the participants, which was done by getting each institution to ring us with their ticket orders, and the transactions were all billed to the London company’s credit card. Not only did they get the best fares, but it saved all the invoices flying around from the various colleges.
We’re equipped to handle travel to large conferences and events by rail, so just ask us what we can do.
There are two good hotels to use for an overnight stay, next to Bradford’s two rail stations. The Interchange station has the Victoria hotel opposite, while the Midland Hotel is close to the other station at Bradford Forster Square. Both stations have direct services to London, with an electric service from Bradford Forster Square (more trains are available from Leeds), and a diesel service from Bradford Interchange four times a day. Trains from Leeds, with connections from the north-east, run into both stations frequently.
As stationmaster, I spend some of my time travelling around the network, frequently accompanied by our apprentices. I also speak to clubs and societies about rail ticketing, most recently at Marton near Middlesbrough, and at Alnwick. I have a particularly good knowledge of London, which is important since 70% of our tickets on the National Rail network are issued to, from, or via London.
I can speak on several railway subjects (including history, time, my adventures in Bradford, and most particularly railway fares), and if you would like to speak to an association of any sort, you are welcome to email me.
One of the North East’s most haunted venues is inviting small spooks – and grown-up ghosts – to two special events this week…
Six-hundred-year-old Lumley Castle, in Chester-le-Street, is holding a children’s Hallowe’en party on Thursday 29th October, with an emphasis on fun rather than fright.
On arrival at the castle, the youngsters will be led to Lumley’s dungeon before being served a three course banquet feast in the majestic Baron’s Hall, while accompanying adults are served a glass of wine.
They will then be entertained by some of the castle’s friendlier ghosts, and a prize will be given to the child with the best fancy dress costume, with all children receiving a small memento of the event before they leave.
The following night, Friday 30th October, it will be the turn of adults, who are invited to a five course banquet, with live entertainment and a late night disco in the four-star hotel’s dungeon.
“Lumley Castle is a perfect Hallowe’en venue,” says Director of Sales and Marketing, Nola Collinson, “and we hope as many diners as possible will enter into the ‘spirit’ and come suitably – and spookily – dressed for the occasion.”
The children’s party is suitable for those aged between 5 and 12, and doors will open at 6.30pm, with the banquet served at 7pm.
Tickets, which must be pre-booked, cost £16 per child and £29 for each accompanying adult.
The adult Hallowe’en Party on 30th October begins in the Dungeon bar at 7pm, with the banquet at 8pm, followed by a disco until 1am.
The party is for those aged over 16, and tickets cost £41.50 per person.
Grace Stringer, owner of Middlesbrough’s hottest vintage and retro boutique, Vintageous Rags, shares this week’s favourite outfit…
With Halloween just around the corner, I thought we’d have a little fun with this week’s outfit, pulling inspiration from one of Disney’s biggest villains. Can you guess who it is?
Cruella de Vil!
This outfit would be fab for Halloween, but the pieces all work great on their own too, so they can be worn again separately.
First of all, faux fur is back again. Like always, it creeps back around this season, and I love it! This fur cape (Small £26) is a perfectly cosy example, perfect for Autumn and Winter.
As well as fur, we love a bit of sparkle. This glam, black maxi dress (UK12 £22) would work great as a festive party dress, as well as a crucial part of our Cruella homage.
I’ve accessorised this outfit with glam 80s dead stock sunnies (£12), and a vintage 70s pendant necklace with matching earrings (£12). Finally, because we all know Cruella loved her animal skin, I’ve added a snake skin bag (£15) to complete the look.
Oh, and the shoes are mine 😉
You can find this outfit in our Baker Street store, Middlesbrough, or you can shop online at www.vintageousrags.com. See you soon!
Witches brew, blood red chips and gruesome graveyard pizza are being added to the menu at a North East eatery next week…
The Beach House bistro, Roker, run by 1879 Events Management, is marking Halloween with six days of spine-tingling activities starting Monday October 26th.
This includes a chance for visitors of all ages to decorate themed biscuits from noon until 2pm Monday to Saturday, with a face painter and fancy dress competition also running on Saturday October 31st only.
Throughout the week the bistro will be serving a creepy and creative Halloween-inspired menu, with different dishes for adults and kids to sink their fangs into.
For grown-ups this includes witches brew (bean and bacon soup), spooky mince pie and poison pepper (stuffed pepper with chilli, rice and potato chips), while younger trick or treaters can enjoy a mummy (hot) dog, monster cheeseburger or gruesome graveyard pizza, all served with blood red chips.
David Moses, General Manager at 1879 Events Management, which also manages catering and events at the Stadium of Light and National Glass Centre, said, “Halloween is a holiday for children of all ages, as well as those that are young of heart.
“Our regular menu will still be available for those too scared to sample the special themed one, while our free activities will help families make more of the build-up.”
This year’s MEGA Motion campaign received royal blessing when it was kicked off by a Prince Bishop…
Pupils from schools across South Durham taking part in the competition came together at Auckland Castle to mark the start of this year’s scheme. As well as hearing all about the benefits of healthy and environmentally-friendly ways of getting to school, the children also enjoyed a tour of the castle and enjoyed trying lawn games and archery.
Throughout the academic year, ten competition winning pupils will get to lead their classmates to school in a fancy dress theme of their choice. The Durham County Council backed MEGA Motion scheme aims to encourage children to walk, scoot or ride to school, hoping to make them aware of the benefits from an early age.
As well as fun walks, pupils earn points every time they use sustainable travel to get to school, with those collecting the most points throughout the year being crowned MEGA heroes.
Cllr Neil Foster, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said, “We’re delighted that MEGA Motion is underway again, and would like to wish the children good luck in this year’s competition. MEGA Motion is a brilliant scheme that encourages our children – in a fun way – to be healthier and more environmentally-friendly every day. As well as being great fun for the kids, it also cuts down traffic, meaning whole communities benefit from a greener, healthier environment.”
MEGA Motion comes under the wider Local Motion campaign promoting sustainable transport throughout South Durham.
We’re developing a collection of the finest local businesses, all stored in one handy location for ease of access. For customers, it’s a great way for you to find the services you need in a pinch, and for business owners, it’s a great way to get your brand in front of a massive audience.
To find out how you can have your own business featured in the directory, click here.
A North East mum, worried her autistic son was missing out on the fun of Christmas, has come to the rescue – by arranging a festive lunch with Santa…
Not only will it be held at one of the sporting world’s most well-known venues, but all families living with autism are welcome, and Santa Claus himself will be making a special visit to meet them.
Samantha Doyle, from Chester-le-Street, set about planning the event (to be held on Monday 21st December at Newcastle United’s St James’ Park stadium) after realising six-year-old Freddie was missingout on a lot of the events and activities other children take for granted.
“Due to Freddie’s autism, his reactions to things can be extreme and unpredictable and, over the years, I’d gradually stopped taking him to the sort of events most children go to,” said Samantha.
“He couldn’t stand in a queue in a department store to meet Santa Claus, for example, and even going out to a restaurant for lunch can be difficult,” she added.
“And, because you can’t see autism, people don’t realise he has the condition. They just think he’s being naughty and badly behaved.
“Then I realised that my concerns about what other people might think were stopping Freddie having the sort of fun all children should have, especially at Christmas, and so I decided to organise this special event.”
And when it came to choosing a venue, Samantha, area sales manager for leading UK catering company, Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, at St James’ Park, had a head start.
“The stadium’s the perfect venue,” she said. “Not only has it got the space and the catering facilities, but it’s a venue that attracts kids and families.”
On the day, the children will not only meet Santa Claus but also enjoy a festive three course lunch with their families and a special mini tour of the stadium.
Samantha’s idea has not only received the backing of the North East Autism Society but staff have also agreed to assist with the planning and will be there on the day.
The society’s family development manager Kerrie Highcock said, “I think it’s a great idea. A lot of families can feel socially isolated and the children do miss out on a lot so I think this is amazing – it’s going to be fantastic.”
Tickets cost £18.95 for a three course meal for adults and £10.95 for those aged 12 and under, with two course options also available. Bookings are now being taken and tables can be reserved by calling 0191 201 8525 or e-mailing candb@nufc.co.uk.
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