In&Around May 2018

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MAY 201 8 ISSUE 156

Ready Player One Our verdict on the latest Spielbergian epic

Fizz Festival at Willow Burn A day of cider, Prosecco and live music

Balloons InDurham Very much on the up

The story of Pontop Pike A trailblazer in TV history

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Welcome... to the May issue of IN&AROUND!

Wow! It’s hard to believe that we’re already into May, as well as that we’ve seen so much warm weather over the past month or so, despite the British summer not really starting yet. You might just be in the mood, in fact, to do a bit of travelling, which we can help you with here at IN&AROUND. Yes, that’s right – our regular contributor Alex Nelson is back with another of his popular ‘Places To Go...’ columns, this time focusing on the too often unsung Granite City of Aberdeen (page 26).

ISSUE 156 May 2018 READ ONLINE AT: issuu.com/inandaroundmag DIRECTOR Benjamin Kerry MEDIA SALES Val Atkinson DESIGNER Daniel Haley COPYWRITERS Gavin Lenaghan Craig Lenaghan ACCOUNTS Victoria Pilch CONTRIBUTORS I Bird Photography Alex Nelson - Places to Go George Nairn - Remember When DISTRIBUTOR Paul Emmerson

However, there’s also a lot going on much closer to home this month. You’ll find our latest ‘What’s On’ highlights on page 46, while on page six, we give you the lowdown on one of the most intriguing local events of 2017, and which is set to return this year: Balloons InDurham.

Those are just a few of the fascinating features in this month’s issue, and none of it would have been possible if we didn’t have the support of our wonderful advertisers. Remember that you can promote your own Durham, Chester-le-Street or Derwentside business through our pages by calling 0191 388 2698 or emailing sales@inandaroundmag.co.uk – and when you do, we’ll be able to tell you all about our well-priced longer-term plans.

Please enjoy this month’s issue and don’t be afraid to give us your feedback, so that we can keep making IN&AROUND the best it can be. Bye for now – and keep your eyes peeled for our June issue!

The IN&AROUND Team

ABERDEEN

Places To Go...

Spotlight

PRINTED BY Jak HQ - jakhq.com CONTACT T: 0191 388 26 98 A: IN&AROUND Magazine Unit 4, Station Road, Chester-le-Street DH3 3DY

Congratulations to last month’s competition winners, all winners have been notified.

06

Up, Up, Up and Away

26

Places to Go: Aberdeen

42

British Sandwich Week!

Aberdeen is 255 miles north of Newcastle by Sunday morning after breakfast I went to rail, about the same as London, but fares are the Episcopal (Anglican) cathedral of St. cheaper because there are plenty of trains Andrew’s in the city centre, to a 1045 service competing for your custom. At the age of which happened to be on Mothers’ Day and 56, I am too young for the over-60s Senior every the Mothers’ Union preparing a special DISCLAIMER - Whilst we take care to were ensure accuracy in this magazine, we regret but I am eligible, even as aresponsibility resident of lunch forfor the congregation, to which Iinformation.

– as a thatRailcard, we cannot accept any incorrect All advertisements are England, for the Scotrail Club 50 card which visitor – was warmly invited. Well I don’t need accepted in good faith as Scotland. to their toveracity and for views expressed by gives a discount on journeys within be asked twice for we a freeare mealnot and itresponsible was In the spring or they other offered asources. special openThe fullcopying of African specialities by the ladies contributors of anymade material within this publication is strictly return fare without of £17 in standard bookable or of the very international MU branch.

In the forbidden the class, publishers Studio Managers consent. on the day, so I booked an advance ticket to afternoon, I found the VisitScotland iCentre Edinburgh for a Saturday in mid-March and, on Union Street very helpful, and went to the once there, bought a return to Dyce, just north Maritime Museum. Many of the free museums of Aberdeen, for £17. I had considered going to are open on a Sunday afternoon. It was very

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UP, UP, UP AND AWAY: BALLOONS INDURHAM IS BACK FOR SECONDS

If you’re looking to swap the hot air spouted by your aunts and in-laws this Spring Bank Holiday weekend for, erm, some other hot air, we’ve got the perfect news for you: the Balloons InDurham festival that debuted last year is coming back for a second helping.

Last year’s fiesta, organised by Durham BID (Business Improvement District), was as thoroughly appreciated as it was eagerly anticipated, attracting some 20,000 people to the city to watch the hot air balloon launches and the night glow.

Hopes for a fault-free event As so often with inaugural events, though, not everything went to plan, with high winds forcing the cancellation of some of the balloon launches. Still, such experiences will have stood the organisers in good stead for this year’s event, so there’s probably never been a better time to discover the joys of balloons in Durham.

Sure enough, Adam Deathe of Durham BID said the team had learned many lessons from last year’s festival and the feedback received from it. He added that the organisers would be doing everything they could to make this year’s Balloons InDurham festival the biggest and best yet - and we don’t doubt them.

What’s planned for this year?

Durham BID sent out a ‘save the date’ tweet on 21st March with the hashtag #BalloonsInDurham, urging 6 | IN&AROUND

its social followers to make space in their diaries for 25th to 28th May. The full programme of events was yet to be released at the time IN&AROUND went to press, but we already know certain things about what will take place over the four days.

The 2018 festival will be held across various locations within Durham, with an array of hot air balloons set to take off in both the early mornings and later in the evenings from the Houghall Campus of East Durham College.

The public will also be able to enjoy tethered balloon rides at Palace Green next to the cathedral, in addition to an assortment of other family-friendly activities.

With Balloons InDurham set to be just one of many balloon events happening across the UK this year, it promises to be quite the celebration for people of all ages. But don’t just look to the skies, as on the ground, the weekend also gives you the ideal opportunity to shop, dine and enjoy the many other fine things about this remarkable city and part of England.

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EASY TO OVERLOOK GEMS

Pontop Pike When settling down on their sofas to watch Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation live on 2nd June 1953, many residents of the North East would have had a hill to thank for the privilege. No, not Harry Hill or Benny Hill – we do actually mean a raised area of land. Well, more to the point –a transmitting station built on that hill and named after it.

The hill in question is Pontop Pike, where the transmission mast still stands between the County Durham towns of Stanley and Consett.

In conventional circumstances, many people of the region in the early 1950s might have actually been denied the opportunity to watch that momentous coronation live at all. However, the mast’s construction was, on the BBC’s initiative, brought forward. Test transmissions only started on 20th April 1953 before the mast first transmitted programmes on 1st May, although this still allowed a comfortable amount of time before the coronation took place on 2nd June.

Today, the mast broadcasts digital television programmes to not only County Durham, but also the neighbouring Tyne and Wear and Tees Valley areas on either side, plus further-flung places like parts of Northumberland and North Yorkshire. The transmitter has not, however, been responsible for analogue television since 2012. At 149 metres (489 feet) high, the mast towers above Pontop Pike itself – which, despite its name having been used for Pontop Pike Park and Pontop Pike Farm in the local area, remains most strongly associated with its transmitting station.

10 | IN&AROUND

Coal wagon at Beamish Museum entrance Do you often visit Beamish Museum? We wouldn’t be at all surprised if you do. After all, it’s an amazing open-air museum that proves rewarding with repeat visits – and just one £19.99 ‘Unlimited Ticket’ allows you to make those visits for a year at no extra charge. However, in travelling to the museum, you may have often been struck by the sight of the large coal wagon that stands just outside the museum’s entrance. Yes, the wagon with ‘189’ on it…

Except that, well, that wagon isn’t actually no. 189; instead, it’s no.

389. Yes, it’s incorrectly numbered. That inaccurate numbering has been captured in many photographs over the years – including one in which the museum’s founding director, Frank Atkinson, is sat beside the wagon in 1987. However, as recorded in a Beamish Museum stock list, the wagon – of the 4T cauldron type – is no. 389 and was built in the 1870s for use on the Londonderry Railway.

Many other wagons of the same type and origin are on display – or even operational – in the museum’s colliery area. The mention of ‘Londonderry’ in that previously mentioned railway’s name isn’t primarily referring to the Northern Ireland city also known as Derry. Instead, it refers to the Londonderry family responsible for the 1850s development of this railway, which ran between Seaham and Sunderland and was owned by the Londonderry family until 1906. At that point, ownership passed to the North Eastern Railway company, which helped to develop the UK rail network.

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Batman is a timeless and celebrated character in not just millions of comic books, but also box-office-blitzing movies, iconic TV shows, video games and cartoons. To generations of superhero fans, he is the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader and today, one of the mainstays of the DC Comics empire.

Rewind to 1939, though, and National Comics – which would later become DC Comics – was seeking a new awe-inspiring superhero to build on Superman’s success.

Few at the time would have considered gag cartoonist Bob Kane the most likely man to design the next big superhero – yet it was he to whom National Comics editor Vin Sullivan turned. It proved to be an inspired choice, and the first comic book to feature the Kane-drawn star hit newsstands on 30th March 1939, with a cover date of May 1939.

Birthing a crime-fighting legend It should be noted at this point that Kane was not working alone.

Indeed, while the original idea and character design for Batman were unquestionably his, various uncredited refinements were also made by writer Bill Finger, including the design of the mask, the costume colour scheme and the addition of a cape and gloves.

Batman looks through Lambert’s contacts, and comes across the names of his former business partners, Steven Crane, Paul Rogers and Alfred Stryker.

However, Crane is then found dead in his home.

When Rogers learns of the murder, he seeks out the last surviving business partner, Stryker, who admits responsibility for the crimes and kidnaps Rogers in his pursuit of complete control over their business interests.

It’s therefore left to Batman to swoop down inside Stryker’s chemical factory and rescue Rogers.

Although Stryker attempts to attack Batman, the superhero beats back and topples the criminal into a vat of acid, commenting with grim satisfaction: “A fitting end for his kind.”

Finger was also the writer of the first Batman story, working in league with Kane. “The Case of the Criminal Syndicate” jumped out from the pages of Detective Comics #27, introducing Batman – or ‘The Batman’, as he was then described – as bored socialite Bruce Wayne.

A truly timeless superhero Today, of course, Batman isn’t a mere comic book character, but instead an all-encompassing media juggernaut. The comics that followed Detective Comics #27 introduced us to such characters as The Joker, Catwoman and Alfred Pennyworth and the other franchise fixtures, Gotham City and the Batmobile.

Robin, meanwhile, made his first appearance in Detective Comics #38 in 1940.

So, what became of the ‘criminal syndicate’?

The story itself told of Commissioner Gordon’s discovery that a chemical industrialist called Lambert had just been murdered.

Lambert’s son seems to be guilty of the crime, but will only confess to finding his father’s body. Wayne, however, is present at the crime scene and decides to investigate as Batman.

The 21st-century Batman continues to be a defining feature of childhood, in addition to taking back many a comic-geek adult to their younger days. However, none of the legendary Batman stories we’ve seen since would have been possible if it weren’t for “The Case of the Criminal Syndicate” and Detective Comics #27.

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Care Connect 24/7 service ‘right up your street’ Care Connect, Durham County Council’s community alarm service is helping people to maintain independence in their own home.

The monitoring and response service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, offering residents assistance and assurance whenever it is needed.

The service is suitable for anybody who believes they may be at risk or vulnerable and their families want security and peace of mind. Customers are provided with a unit alarm system and pendant, which is installed in their home. When the alert button is pressed for assistance a call is placed directly to Care Connect’s control room.

The service operates 24/7 so staff are always available to offer support and assistance, dispatch responders to a customer’s home, or contact the emergency services when necessary.

There is a small weekly charge for the service, and this is discussed with customers signing up The service, which currently helps around 11,000 households across County Durham, promotes

independence through the use of technology so people can remain in their own homes as long as possible. Where a customer is assessed as needing additional support, equipment known as telecare can be installed, giving carers and families further peace of mind. Customers who do not wish to go through a social care assessment can agree a private arrangement with Care Connect to have telecare equipment installed.

There are numerous types of equipment available including items for people who are at risk of falling, have dementia (or some memory loss), are deaf, blind, or have epilepsy. An example of this technology is a fall detector for people who are frail and/or at risk of falling. The device is unobtrusive and worn about the person and will identify a genuine fall and immediately alert the control room so appropriate action can be taken.

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ABERDEEN

Places To Go...

Aberdeen is 255 miles north of Newcastle by rail, about the same as London, but fares are cheaper because there are plenty of trains competing for your custom. At the age of 56, I am too young for the over-60s Senior Railcard, but I am eligible, even as a resident of England, for the Scotrail Club 50 card which gives a discount on journeys within Scotland.

In the spring they offered a special open return fare of £17 in standard class, bookable on the day, so I booked an advance ticket to Edinburgh for a Saturday in mid-March and, once there, bought a return to Dyce, just north of Aberdeen, for £17. I had considered going to Thurso and Wick to get best value for my £17 but there was not a suitable itinerary available for such a long journey, and I discovered a cheap flight with Loganair from Aberdeen on the Monday morning back to Durham Tees Valley in the last week before the end of the operation, so I thought that would be an interesting quick way back home.

The train provided a lovely journey up the coast, a couple of hours sightseeing in Edinburgh on the way, more coastal scenery north of Dundee and then a cheap room in the Station Hotel on arrival in Aberdeen.

A swanky modern hotel it is not, but it is perfectly comfortable and ideally close, as the name implies, to the railway station. Indeed half of it was originally the head office of the railway company based in Aberdeen, which had a grand staircase, and it is now managed by the Newcastle-based Cairn Group. An economy single room was only £75 for TWO nights, with a delicious optional breakfast at £9.50 extra. I arrived to find there was a Jazz festival on so I booked the Blue Lamp venue with two bands playing on Sunday night.

Sunday morning after breakfast I went to the Episcopal (Anglican) cathedral of St. Andrew’s in the city centre, to a 1045 service which happened to be on Mothers’ Day and the Mothers’ Union were preparing a special lunch for the congregation, to which I – as a visitor – was warmly invited. Well I don’t need to be asked twice for a free meal and it was full of African specialities made by the ladies of the very international MU branch. In the afternoon, I found the VisitScotland iCentre on Union Street very helpful, and went to the Maritime Museum. Many of the free museums are open on a Sunday afternoon. It was very good on the history of the harbour, dating back to 1136, and the modern oil and gas industry, including the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster. Then I walked down to the city beach and enjoyed coffee on the front by Codona’s amusements, and back for the jazz.

On Monday morning, early bus 727 to the airport to find my flight was first delayed, then cancelled, so using my return half of the £17 train ticket I got back to Edinburgh, only having to buy a single from there to Newcastle.

Good news - I was eligible for a €250 (£217!) compensation payment, so the whole trip has paid for itself!

To thank you for reading this far, let me confide that TransPennine are running their popular Club 55 promotion (for one or more passengers over 55) from Sunday 22nd April to Saturday 19th May 2018. They are offering OPEN RETURNS valid for the day or up to one month from the outward journey for only £21 standard and £41 in first class, across Northern England.

Alex Nelson. www.nationalrail.com

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FILM REVIEW

READY PLAYER ONE What do you expect the world to be like in 2045?

You might imagine, given the pretty dystopian terms in which we already speak of the years ahead, that it might be pretty badly beaten-up.

However, the two seemingly cataclysmic events merely referred-to in passing in Ready Player One – the “corn syrup droughts” and the “bandwidth riots” – might not have been the causes you’d imagined.

Escaping the slums of mid-21st century Ohio Anyway, imagine that in the intervening time, Ohio’s state capital and most populous city – Columbus – has been rendered a grim favela of trailers mounted on top of each other, a world in which the drudgery of the slums drives the remaining citizens to hook themselves on escapism.

Such escapism is provided by the alternate wholly virtual reality world known as the Oasis, in which most of the population live their lives, generally play-acting and mashing together favourite elements of 20th-century pop culture.

Those references, by the way, are truly teeming, encompassing everything from King Kong,

30 | IN&AROUND

the Tyrannosaurus rex from Jurassic Park and Marty McFly’s Back to the Future DeLorean to a soundtrack covering such ‘70s and ‘80s touchstones as George Michael’s “Faith” and Prince’s “I Wanna Be Your Lover”.

A high-octane chase for the keys to the Oasis The heavyweight-of-all-heavyweights reputation of producer and director Steven Spielberg was undoubtedly instrumental in securing the necessary rights for the scores of references to films, television shows, movies and other media littered throughout Ready Player One, which is based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel of the same name.

It’s a suitably Spielbergian cast, too, headed by Tye Sheridan, who plays Wade Watts, very much the kind of determined, single-minded male lead to whom we have become accustomed across the director’s epics ranging from E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial (Henry Thomas) to Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).

Contributing a performance of vital quiet and humanity in an otherwise top-speed, overwhelming universe is Mark Rylance as James Halliday, the celebrated but socially awkward

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Willy Wonka-meets-Steve Jobs-like figure who was the creator of the Oasis, but is already dead as the film’s story begins.

Nonetheless, Halliday has left behind quite the enticing ‘Easter egg’: the opportunity for a mere mortal to take the helm of his trillion-dollar empire and rule the Oasis. All that players need to do is complete the dizzying treasure-hunt that stands between them and this most seemingly unobtainable of honours.

This double-life romp may be worth a second helping Ready Player One therefore revolves around the two separate worlds of ‘reality reality’ and ‘virtual reality’, as while immersed in the latter, such ‘gunters’ – or egghunters – as Watts, Samantha Cook (played by Olivia Cooke), Helen Harris (Lena Waithe) and Toshiro (Win Morisaki) race for the literal keys to the Oasis.

All the while, these heroes of humble origin are forced to look over their shoulders for any signs of chilling corporate villain Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) and his massive army of mercenaries, who have their own designs on exploiting the Oasis for profit.

It all adds up to a searing and ever-stimulating adventure, albeit one also occasionally too slick for its own good, that falls tantalisingly short of timelessly transcending its rich seam of source material.

Gavin Lenaghan Copywriter

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The girls from the church school at Pelton Celebrate May Day in the grounds of Pelton House in the nineteenth century it was called Pelton Hall.

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YOU’VE GOT A PARTICULARLY GREAT REASON TO SMILE IN MAY – IT’S NATIONAL SMILE MONTH It’s so easy for many of us to underestimate just how important a healthy smile is. Of course, you need good teeth for the simple practical reason that they help you to chew and digest food, but it’s easy to forget that they also assist the act of talking and give your face its shape.

Quite frankly, your oral health is something that you should be smiling, rather than frowning about. That’s precisely why National Smile Month is so important, with the annual campaign by the Oral Health Foundation running this year from 14th May to 14th June.

It’s come a long way...

You might initially wonder why we need a National Smile Month, especially these days.

After all, don’t most of us look after our teeth and mouths fairly well?

Alas, even today, that’s often not the case. There are still too many of us who continually forget to brush our teeth twice a day, or who too frequently spend less than two minutes brushing. We’ve also seen our diets become overly reliant on added sugars, and millions of us haven’t even seen a dentist in the last two years.

When you also consider that back in 1977 – when the forerunner to National Smile Month, the week-long ‘Smile 77’ project was held – only one in three people had their natural teeth, you can probably begin to appreciate just how crucial a role the event has long played in educating Britons about their oral health.

So... how can you look after your mouth better?

There are a lot of things that you can do to help to ensure the best possible oral health. You’ll find 38 | IN&AROUND

a more comprehensive list on the National Smile Month website at nationalsmilemonth.org, but here are a few to be getting on with...

• Brushing your teeth last thing at night and at least one other time during the day with a fluoride toothpaste • Cleaning in-between your teeth at least once a day using interdental brushes or floss • Visiting your dentist regularly, or as often as they recommend • Chewing sugar-free gum after eating or drinking, especially sugary foods • Following a varied diet rich in vitamins, minerals, fresh fruit and vegetables • Avoiding snacking and only having sugary foods and drinks at mealtimes • Changing your toothbrush every two to three months or sooner • Quitting smoking

Plenty of events are also taking place during the month

Every National Smile Month, supporters and organisers hold all manner of events in a varied range of settings – including dental practices, hospitals, pharmacies, retailers and even just out on the street – to spread the message of how to maintain optimum oral health.

With the likes of Smileathons, Two Minute Challenges, school visits and much more taking place over the month, there’s a lot to get excited about – and you can find out more about it all by visiting www.nationalsmilemonth.org.

However you choose to celebrate National Smile Month, always remember to keep smiling!

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Competition Corner.

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Simply complete the sudoku and entry form to be in with a chance.

entry form.

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You can win a Meal & Drink for 2 to the value of ÂŁ20 courtesy of....

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Send all entries to: Competition Department, Unit 4, Station Road, Chester-le-Street, DH3 3DY

COMPETITION TIME We are offering family ticket for any film at Vue Gateshead (valid for 2 adults and 2 children or 1 adult and 3 children). All you have to do to enter is answer the following question...

the original Star Wars Trilogoy Q: InHarrison Ford plays which protagonist?

Answer: Name: Address:

Post Code: Email: Please send all entries to: Competitions Department, Unit 4, Station Road, Chester-le-St, Co. Durham, DH3 3DY

Entrants can view Terms & Conditions at www.inandaroundmag.co.uk Vue guest admission policy terms and conditions apply, visit myvue.com/legal for details.

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See our range of quality UPVC and Aluminium products: bi-folding doors, entrance doors and windows.

We manufacture all our own products ensuring we deliver on quality, service and price every time.

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IT’S TIME FOR ONE OF THE UNEXPECTEDLY TASTY HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018 – BRITISH SANDWICH WEEK!

Ah... the humble British sarnie. The very fact that we all casually call it a ‘sarnie’ – or ‘buttie’, ‘barm’, ‘bap’ or all manner of other names – goes to show how much this distinctly European culinary invention has entrenched itself into everyday British culture.

So, what’s British Sandwich Week about?

There are also a lot of fascinating things that you might not know about sandwiches. You might not have been aware, for example, that about 57% of all commercially bought sandwiches are made with traditional square sandwich bread, or that more than 3,500,000,000 sandwiches are bought from UK retail or catering outlets every year.

At a time when consumers have so much choice and might well be tempted to purchase something other than a sandwich for their lunch, it’s nice to know there’s a week dedicated to this simple and traditional pleasure (including for many of us here at IN&AROUND).

Over 300,000 people are also employed in the UK sandwich industry, which gets at the nub of what this article is really about – British Sandwich Week. Yes, there is such a thing, and it takes place this year from Sunday 20th to Saturday 26th May 2018.

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It’s exactly what it sounds like – a week-long celebration of surely the greatest ‘food to go’ ever invented, organised by The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association.

What that means for you, the consumer, is that you can expect many sandwich retailers near you to offer special promotions and ranges during the week. Several will also be drumming up their association with charity, such as by donating some of their proceeds or even advertising ‘buy one, donate one’ initiatives to get customers involved.

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All of the events you’d expect from a very special week

As you might imagine, various events are customarily held to mark what is a key week in the British culinary calendar. These include what are known rather wittily as ‘The Sammies’ – The British Sandwich Industry Awards – which are open to everyone involved in the sandwich industry.

With the range of gongs to be handed out including the likes of The Sandwich Industry Award, The Independent Sandwich Retailer Award, The En-Route Sandwich Retailer Award and The Sandwich Convenience Retailer Award, it’s fair to say that this year’s black-tie event at the Lancaster London Hotel in Hyde Park will be eagerly anticipated and well-attended.

sandwich enthusiast: the British Sandwich Designer of the Year Award.

This is a competition open to sandwich designers from across the UK, with those working in sandwich bar, catering or manufacturing environments alike duking it out for the honour of being declared the Overall Sandwich Designer of the Year. Oh, and the winner also gets a cheque for £5,000.

Phew, we bet you never realised sandwiches could be so exciting! Make sure you don’t miss out on the festivities of this very special week, or if you can’t do that, at least take the time to eat a sandwich or two this month to celebrate this evergreen British food classic.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, British Sandwich Week also sees the grand final of what is surely one of the most important competitions in the world if you’re a www.inandaroundonline.co.uk | 43

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Coco tanning hair & beauty salon Call to book your appointment 0191 447 4900 Next to Falcon Pub, Hilda Park, South Pelaw, Chester le Street, DH2 2JP

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Birdsong, Gala Theatre, Durham

What’s on May

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War, the horror of which led the world to hope “never again”… ultimately in vain. Adapted from Sebastian Faulks’ novel of the same name, this theatre production of Birdsong follows young Englishman Stephen Wraysford as the war disrupts his previously idyllic life. Performances will run from Monday 21st May to Saturday 26th May with 2:30pm matinees on Thursday and Saturday.

Jason Donovan and his Amazing Midlife Crisis, Gala Theatre, Durham Jason Donovan has done a lot in his decades-long time in the spotlight – like starring in Neighbours with Kylie Minogue, topping the UK chart alongside the same Kylie, befriending David Gest on I’m a Celebrity, and playing the eponymous role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. On Friday 11th May, less than a month before his 50th birthday, he will be regaling a Durham audience with autobiographical tales as colourful as a certain dreamcoat…

Robots – then and now, Life Science Centre, Newcastle Judging from Siri’s inability to even understand accents sometimes, we probably don’t need to fear technology posing any Terminator-style threat to humanity any time soon. Incidentally, a T800 Terminator from the 2009 film Terminator Salvation features among various robots from popular culture in this exhibition – which, from 26th May until 2nd December, will show centuries of robot history in a family-friendly fashion. This exhibition has been put together by the London-based Science Museum.

Georgian Fair, Beamish Museum

Tim Vine: Sunset Milk Idiot, Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle

All year round, Beamish Museum lets you step straight into the 1820s at its Pockerley area, which includes Pockerley Old Hall and Pockerley Gardens. However, at the museum’s Georgian Fair this year, from 31st May until 3rd June, you will be able to enjoy many other Georgian treats – including wearing traditional Georgian attire and enjoying live music and clog dancing typical of the era.

You will even be able to watch a fire eater!

To call Tim Vine fond of puns would be rather understating the case – but, for once, he hasn’t bothered coming up with one for the simply silly title of his current tour. You can expect more silliness than the semiskimmed stuff if you come along to the Tyne Theatre for 8pm on Tuesday 22nd or Wednesday 23rd May. As Tim says insightfully: “Sunsets are in the sky, milk’s nice, and I’m an idiot.”

Siren, Syfy UK The folklore of mermaids has long fascinated humanity; a particularly early depiction of a mermaid even features in the Norman Chapel of Durham Castle. However, the enduring popularity of Disney’s The Little Mermaid has given many of us the romantic perception of mermaids as princesses.

We see a darker take on the mermaid myth in the new American TV drama series Siren – which, in this country, will debut on Syfy UK come 9pm on Thursday 3rd May. The series is set in Bristol Cove, a fictional town in a coastal location and known to legend as once a home for mermaids.

A mysterious girl, Ryn (played by British actress Eline Powell) arrives in the town where she soon causes havoc, leading two marine biologists to investigate the mystery of this far-from-stereotypical sea person. Zimbabwean actress Sibongile Mlambo also stars.

www.inandaroundmag.co.uk | 46

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