NE Online Magazine Issue 17 by Wayne Groves

INTERVIEW

ADDED

Hi Chris and welcome to NE Magazine, for the few readers who must be living in a cave somewhere and don’t know who you are how about giving th em a quick l ow- down o n yourself? - Hello! Can’t help but think I’m writing your interview introduction for you here, oh well… I’m a stand-up comedian from South Shields and I’m also a bit of an actor now and then… but mainly a comedian… that might not come across as well as it should in print form, but I am. So there. At the moment it’s hard not seeing you on the TV when we switch it on as you’re everywhere, but what has been the highlight for you so far? - Not everywhere though am I? If you turn on QVC and I’m selling a frying pan, just assume you’ll find me floating face down in a river very soon. The highlight for me so far was probably being in Hebburn. Since starting comedy I always wanted to try my hand at being in a sitcom too so I was over the moon to do one with my mate and so close to my heart, and I got to work with Vic Reeves. I know you had a bit of a crazy time with fans wanting pics and autographs when you were having a few drinks in a South Shields bar recently, how are you finding this, does it put you off going out? - Not at all. Any person in that position who has been on TV or whatever and people want photos (I’m trying my best not to say celebrity here!) who pretends they hate the attention is a liar. You don’t go for a career on TV because you don’t want anyone to notice you. As long as I’m not eating or having a shit when you want a photo then it’s no problem at all… I meant, like on the toilet, not just in the middle of the dancefloor.

Have you had any weird fan requests or incidents? - Not really. The odd person will show up to a gig with my face on a T-Shirt, or bake me a cake, or send me a dead animal in the post but other than that it’s just photos and autographs. A little kid in Hebburn when we were filming asked me to sign his micro scooter… that was a bit weird. As well as being a bit of a regular on Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats you are now starring in the North East based sitcom Hebburn, how did that come about? - My mate and fellow comedian Jason Cook decided to write a sitcom about the town he was from, Hebburn, and he actually wrote me a little side part which he named after me. But when it came to being made the BBC asked me to read for the main character, and when I got it, Jason took the part that he’d written for me! It came about so gradually that I didn’t really realise the enormity of being lead role in a BBC2 sitcom until I saw the advert on TV. I nearly passed out. How has the response for Hebburn been so far? - Overwhelmingly positive. And we just won Best Drama at the RTS North awards too. And we’ve got a second series! You are now embarking on your biggest tour to date, how do you feel about this? - Yeah incredible! It’s an extension of my last tour, Feeling Lucky. I did 60+ dates in 2012 but the demand for tickets was so high and people enjoyed the show so much that I’m doing another 40 odd dates this year in much bigger venues. I can’t wait to get back out on the road.

Are there any venues on the tour that you are looking forward to playing or any you’re quite nervous about? - The Theatre Royal in Newcastle. I absolutely can’t wait. I used to watch panto there when I was a kid. I’m

We l c o m e N o t e . We l c o m e t o o u r A n t- M a n s p e c i a l o f N E . We h a v e h a d s o m u c h f u n teaming up with Cineworld to help promote Marvels newest and smallest s u p e r h e r o . M a ke s u r e y o u e n t e r o u r f a n t a s t i c c o m p e t i t i o n , i t ’s a b i t l i ke w h e r e ’s Wa l l y, e xc e p t y o u n e e d t o f i n d a l l o f t h e A n t- M a n p i c s h i d d e n all around this issue, so get your magnifying glasses out and start counting. As always, if you have something you want to see in a future issue then d o n ’ t fo r g e t t o d r o p u s a n e m a i l t o wayne. groves@neonlinemagazine.com P l u s r e m e m b e r t o fo l l o w u s o n Fa c e b o o k a n d Tw i t t e r fo r o u r r e g u l a r updates on events and competitions. Till next time Ta ke c a r e Wa y n e

EDITOR & DESIGNER Wayne Groves wayne.groves@neonlinemagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS Ian Berry Photographer www.ianberry.co.uk info@ianberry.co.uk

SPONSORS Cineworld Boldon www.cineworld.co.uk Hall Or Nothing Events www.facebook.com/ hallornothing5511?fref=ts The Sage Gateshead www.thesagegateshead.org Ocean Beach Pleasure Park www.oceanbeach.co.uk Quasar Elite South Shields www.quasarsouthshields.co.uk For all queries or if you would like to feature or advertise in NE Magazine email wayne.groves@neonlinemagazine.com Unless stated otherwise all competition entries should be sent to win@ neonlinemagazine.com Plus you can catch up with us online for news, events, blogs, competitions and more at www.neonlinemagazine.com Follow us on Facebook - www.facebook. com/pages/N-E-Online-Magazine join us on twitter @NEOnlineMag

Greame Baty Photographer www.facebook.com/ GJBPerformancePhotography g.j.baty@gmail.com LEE.GO.BRICK https://instagram.com/lee.go.brick/ Derek Brettle www.facebook.com/ lastlaughcartoons lastlaughcartoons@gmail.com LeeNemsPhotography www.ne-ms.co.uk

P6 Stoneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barber Shop P14 A.R.C. Member Gwyneth Griffiths P22 Dickies Nutz P24 Ricky Stafford, Tempest P36 Ant-Man Competition P38 LEE.GO.BRICK Ant-Man Special P46 Cineworld Boldon P56 HelRazors P62 Ian Berry Photography

P70 The Last Laugh is 4 P74 Laughter for Lasses 2: The Return P78 Silly Simon The Sailor P80 Battle Of Britain 75th Anniversary P84 Jesmond Arts Market P86 Hunter Toys York Comic-Con P88 Douglas Smith Student Award 2015 P90 The Spawning P94 The Overtones NEW INTERVIEW

We chat with one of the North East’s top Barbers and all round nice guy. Ladies and gentleman, I give you the one and only Allan Stone. Hi Allan and welcome to NE, how about introducing yourself to our readers? Hey Wayne, thanks for having me. My name is Allan Stone, I’m 41 years old, I’m originally from Low Fell in Gateshead but I’ve been living in South

Shields now for the past 10 years. I’m married to Rachel Stone and I have a son Sebastian who is two years old. My mother still lives in Low Fell as does my Sister and I have a brother who lives in the United States.

You run Stoney’s Barber Shop near Chichester Metro in South Shields, how long have you been there? Yes I run Stoney’s Barbers, I have done for the past 17 years, though I’ve worked there for 21 years.

What made you want to become a barber? I never thought I’d be a barber/ hairdresser when I left school. (I wanted to be a mechanic lol) I actually fell into it! I used to have a milk round when I was a kid and the lad I worked for used to get his hair cut at Saks Hairdressing in Newcastle. I was after a bit extra money and he managed to get me a Saturday job and I was hooked instantly. It was a great place to train and work, I was fortunate enough to be trained by a great bunch of hairdressers. At that time Saks were flying the flag in the industry and I worked under the tutorage of Gary Hooker and Paul Jerrard. It was a great experience to be doing photo shoots and hair shows at 16. It helped me so much when I transitioned over to barbering. How hard has it been to run your own business when there is a lot of competition around? Running your own business does have its ups and downs but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love being my own boss as I can

make my own decisions on how my business runs. To be honest there wasn’t as many barber shops around when I took over the business as there is now, but to be fair you’re always going to have competition as old shops will close and new ones will open but I’ve never really worried, if you did you wouldn’t get to sleep at night lol. My staff and I just get our heads down and concentrate on what comes through the door and make sure they look great when they walk out.

learned over the years working in the public sector you have to have personality. You have to open up to everybody, create an atmosphere where people instantly feel comfortable when they walk through your door, but also deliver a mean haircut. Believe me there’s nothing worse than going into a barbers, have your haircut and nobody speaks to you! I sometimes go to other places for mine cut to see what there like and it isn’t nice! Barbering is growing by the day at the moment and I love the industry and where its headed. I’m as keen now as I was when I was 15, if not more so. I recently just done a photo shoot which I haven’t done for years , which was awesome. The thing is hairdressing/barbering is always evolving and there always something new you can learn. I’m often away at expos around the country learning new stuff, (Salon International, Barber Connect, Barber UK). You have to keep up with the times, your customer’s demand it, if you don’t you’ll get left behind. You noticed I put the words Hairdressing and barbering together as for a long time they were worlds apart! We’ve moved on from the short back and side days. The two trades are nearly joined at the hip now. Men are so much more vain now or metrosexual, I should say, about how they look which is good! At Stoney’s, apart from all the new and traditional styles were knocking out, were doing wet shaves, facials, nose waxing, ear

What makes you stand out over other Barber Shops out there, why should people come to you, what do you offer? At Stoney’s we try to create a nice laid back but professional atmosphere. We have a great team and I wouldn’t be where I am without them. You’re greeted with a smile, a coffee or a whiskey, if you’re not driving, and hopefully we’ll get a smile off you when you leave. We cater for all ages, from young children up to the retired folk. I’ve

so much off each other and you break down some barriers. You never know when you might need a favour. Do you have any pet hates about working as a barber, be it customers doing certain things or even other barbers? Ha ha, I would say the only pet hates I have I would say, (or my wife would say) is the hairs!!! There all over the house when I come in from work, the bath, the washing machine, the furniture etc etc, hair gets everywhere!! There long days sometimes in barber shops and sometimes when you’re not feeling great, or you get some rude or obnoxious customers in, and you do get them, you still have to be nice and smile which can be draining but apart from that it’s all good. I just go home and kick the cat. Like I said before, I don’t worry about the competition, it can get quite hostile but I don’t get sucked in, I just get on doing my own thing and it’s worked for me so far. singeing, colours, perming and straightening guys hair! I have to admit though, I’m a stickler for the old retro ways, the pompadours, low fades and the wet shaves! You are one of the most respected Barbers in the North East with a solid reputation, but unlike some names around you lead the field by actually helping the competition, tell us your reasons behind this? Yes, for the last two years I’ve been teaching at South Tyneside College on a part time basis. I teach young school leavers and apprentices to level 2 and level 3 City and Guilds standards in Barbering. I love it. Don’t get me wrong its stressful lol, teaching kids that want to learn is awesome, teaching kids that don’t isn’t. It’s so rewarding though at the end of the term when you see them go off into industry and

they are starting their careers in Barbering. Which brings me onto my next chapter and your next question nicely lol. You recently held an open night in your place where you teamed up with the staff of HelRazors and you trained them in the art of the Cut Throat Shave, how did this come about? My friend Helen Mcarthur, who owns HelRazors in South Shields approached me and asked if I would teach her staff in the art of wet shaving. I love teaching and I thought, If I don’t teach them somebody else will so I thought why not. We did it over two nights and it was awesome. I know nearly all of the staff there; some have worked for me and others I have taught at college. Some people might find that odd, teaching another business, but getting a bunch of barbers in a room together is fun you can learn

When you sit in the chair getting your hair cut you have the customary hair cut chit chat and I’m sure you have heard some cracking things, is there anything you’ve been told that sticks out as the funniest that you can share with us? Being a barber, you hear all kinds of stories, some funny, some weird. You have to

Well between my business and college there isn’t a lot of spare time though I am making a few adjustments this year to make some time. I love spending time with my Family, whether it’s going to the pictures or a drink with Rachel, then spending time with our son Sebastian who is nearly 3 and my best mate. I’ve always been an active lad and love sports and working out and getting a sweat on, it kind of relieves some of the stress. Me and my wife train together at Black Sheep Fitness Academy which is great. I also follow Newcastle United which isn’t good for my stress levels. Any other time I have I am researching anything to do with barbering lol. I’m a bit of an addict, a barber junkie! You used to be involved with the TFC fight show, how did this all come about? Well, I’ve been around the local MMA scene for about 12 years now, I got involved with TFC with my good friends Alex Enlund and Bryan Moore, I used to train with Bryan and Alex a fair bit and competed, (one fight one win retired the champ lol), they used to organise the shows which were great and I was only too happy to help out. understand that a barber is more than just the guy who cuts your hair. Your returning customers are in nearly every 2 to 3 weeks, so you see quite a bit of them, more than some of their family members see them, so they kinda become your friends and confidants! I’ve heard about affairs, divorces all sorts over the years as you can imagine. There’s one story that sticks to mind though. It was a few years ago now, a customer came in, a regular customer, he was always kinda quiet so you always had to drag a conversation out of him but I knew he liked a drink. Anyway he stunk of booze this day and the conversation was going nowhere, I cut his hair, he paid for his haircut and left. Well about two hours later he returned to the shop and took

a seat in the waiting area!! I thought no way a complaint. Anyway he got back in the chair and just asked for his haircut. I looked at him in the mirror. He’d been so drunk earlier that he’d completely forgot that he already had his haircut! I never said anything; I just cut his hair and charged him again!

We featured South Shields fighter and current Cage Warriors World Champion Alex Enlund in a previous issue, Stoney’s Barbers has been a long time sponsor and supporter of his, so how do you feel knowing that you were there supporting him from the very start and you helped him to fulfil his dreams?

Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? 3 random facts, well I’m a Pisces, my cousin is Steve Stone, ex pro and international footballer and until recently was Newcastle United’s first team coach and assistant manager and I have really bad smelly feet lol. When you are not cutting hair what do you like to get up to in your spare time?

Alex has gone on to great things; he is somewhat a purest of the sport, with his dedication and attitude he was always going to go far. It’s a tough life for a young MMA fighter starting out. When he started his journey I found myself in a position where I could support him a little, he’s a local lad and it’s great for South Shields that he’s flying the flag for combat sports as well as boxer Anthony Nelson. I’m sure as Alex’s career evolves he’ll get

bigger sponsors and will have to leave Stoney’s Barbers behind but I’m hoping one day when he’s headlining in Vegas he’ll have a ringside ticket for me lol. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a barber or a hairdresser? First of all make sure it’s something you definitely want to do. It’s a hard slog the first couple of years but very rewarding once your

qualified. You have to be open minded, thick skinned, artistic and dedicated. Once you’ve got that your half way there. Being a barber’s a great life, it’s like going to work every day with your best mates. I’ve never looked at work as being a chore and getting to work has never been an effort. The day it is you’re in for a long hard slog. Where can people follow you/ the shop and keep up to date with all things Stoney’s? You can follow us at www.

stoneysbarbers.co.uk twitter-@ stoneysbarbers facebookStoneys Barber Shop. Check the sites out, give us a like and see what were up to. You can book appointments with us and we have a wide range of retail products, Fudge, Muk, Percy Nobleman and Paddywack beard oils. Is there anything you would like to add? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to take this opportunity to thank you Wayne for the feature and letting me a part of the magazine. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us and we will be round for a trim soon. Photos by JD Photography

A.R.C. TOP SECRET FILES

A.R.C. MEMBER 003 Gwyneth Griffiths 14

A.R.C. MEMBER 003 - Gwyneth Griffiths Each issue we will be delving into the Top Secret Files of A.R.C. and introducing you to their members, this issue we catch up with Gwyneth Griffiths Hi Gwyneth and welcome to NE, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hey my name is Gwyneth Griffiths but my cosplay name is Jen Tate, I’m from Newcastle and I currently work for Grainger Games. Most of my spare time is taken up with making costumes, attending conventions and playing video games. What characters have our readers seen you as so far, even if they didn’t realise? Haha, well I’ve done a few but my most popular ones are Catwoman (DKR), Slave Leia, Black Widow and most recently Harley Quinn

(Arkham Knight). What made you get started in costuming? I remember looking at a few people on the internet who were dressed as Lara Croft and I just couldn’t believe how awesome

they looked and wished I had the skills to do it. In 2007 I put together a Lara inspired cosplay and even though it wasn’t perfect I loved it and felt great. It wasn’t until 2013 when I got the cosplay bug though. You are one of the most wellknown female costumers on the North East circuit and an inspiration to a lot of female costumers, how do you feel about being such a good role model? I still find it strange when people recognise me and come up to me, I love meeting new people and It feels great to inspire others. I used to be so shy and I had very little

purely by accident? Every character I cosplay I do because I think they are awesome, there are a lot of characters such as Catwoman and Harley Quinn that both men and woman love. I do enjoy bringing such iconic characters to life and I love when I get a good response. I would never make a costume just because I know it would get a few pulses racing.

confidence, cosplay has helped me so much and I always encourage people to give it a try. Most recently I got my Mam into it and it’s been great for

her. There have been quite a few headlines recently about female costumers being groped at events and conventions, is this an issue you have found? I’ve never really had any major issues, I’ve had a few guys pull me in a little too close for a picture and a couple who followed me around and stared a lot but that’s it. Most people are very respectful and always ask nicely for a picture. You have done a few costumes that have sent men’s pulses racing because you have brought their fantasy characters to life, is that something you have done on purpose or has it been

Costuming is an expensive and time consuming hobby, yet you probably have more characters than some groups have if you added all their members together. What makes you push for more new characters and as often as you do? Yeah it’s very expensive but I don’t have kids, mortgage, car and I rarely go out so all my spare money goes into this hobby. It helps that I can make a lot of things myself so I can cut costs that way too. I’ve only been doing this for 2 and a half years so I think I just got carried away and wanted to cosplay as many of my favourite characters as possible. I have slowed down now and I want to focus on bigger builds like

my Gamora I just finished. What outfit/character are you the most proud of? It’s a tough one, I would have to say my movie Black Widow and Gamora because I put so much time and effort into these. Both took just under a year so they were a labour of love. Out of all of your costumes which one is your favourite and why? It has to be my Tomb Raider Anniversary. I’ve been a huge fan of Lara since 1996 and I think it’s amazing to be able to bring her to life and go off on my own little adventures and getting some great pictures.

What event/moment in costume stands out the most for you? The event that started it all for me was Scream Con 2013, I heard that Craig Charles and Chris Barrie were going to be

there and got very excited. I had no intention of cosplaying until a month before when my friend let me borrow her Mr Flibble and gave me the idea to cosplay Holo Virus Rimmer. I was so nervous and felt really silly when I first got there but everyone was so lovely and the atmosphere was great. Chris and Craig also mentioned me in there Q&A and I came second in the costume competition. This was a great confidence boost and I was hooked from then on. You have met a lot of famous guests at various conventions but if you could meet anyone, past or present, who would it be and why? Bill Murray! He’s one of my

favourite actors and seems like a genuinely nice guy, it would be amazing to get to meet him although I would probably lose the ability to speak and just blurt out gibberish if I did. Have you had any funny or embarrassing incidents whilst in costume? That would probably be when I was getting pictures in my Leia Gold Bikini on a wall outside Teeside Unleashed, there was a lot of traffic and it was windy. I will leave it at that. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I play the trumpet I’m incredibly messy I talk to my cat way too much

When you are not in costume how do you like to spend your free time? Free time? I don’t know what

that is haha. It’s rare but when I do I play video games, read comics and watch movies. You recently got married, but how does your husband feel about you costuming as it must take a lot of your time up? It has taken up way too much of my time at the moment and I really need to slow it down a

bit so we can spend more time together. It becomes an obsession so it’s good to take some time to chill out. Luckily he’s a photographer so when I do a costume we like to go on a drive and get some cool location photos. There are lots of big movies coming out but which one has got you the most excited? I’m looking forward to all the Marvel movies that have been announced and also the new Star Wars. Superheroes are the mainstream now with so many movies and TV shows, is this good or bad and why? When I was younger people thought I was weird because I loved super heroes and said it was a boy thing. I love how big superheroes have become and that boys and girls love them.

Seeing all my favourite comics come to life on the big screen is amazing and superheroes are great role models too. There are a lot of people saying there should be more stronger female characters getting their own movies, who would you like to see get their own movie? My favourite is Black Widow, she has such an amazing back story that would make a great movie, there’s no way it could be a 12A like most marvel movies though. Gender swopping costumes is quite the in thing at the moment, what are your thoughts on this? I think it’s great, I’ve seen some absolutely amazing ones. If you love a character there’s no reason you shouldn’t cosplay them because of gender. I’ve done some gender swaps with the Red Dwarf characters and they are so much fun to do. What is your biggest pet hate when at events? I have two pet hates, one is when people go to an event and just complain the whole time, some people don’t realise how hard it is to organise these events and sometimes things can go wrong. The other is something which seems to be getting worse which is bullying and nasty comments behind people’s backs. I don’t understand why people feel the need to put others down, most people do this to have fun and to meet up with friends and meet new ones. What advice would you give to anyone that wants to get involved in costuming? I think what really helped me

is joining Facebook groups, there are loads of North East cosplay groups and geeky groups who are always there to give advice and support. Try to keep your first costume simple and remember it’s a learning curve. Don’t get disheartened if things don’t turn out the way the wanted, I’ve never made a costume without having any issues and if you don’t want to make one you can buy great

quality cosplays online. The best thing is to have a group of great friends who are there to support you and don’t let bullies bring you down. What can we expect from you during 2015? Next up for me is Wonder Woman (comic), Rey (Star Wars), Agent Carter and 1960s Catwoman. There’s a lot of events coming up like Teesside

Unleashed, Blackpool Comic Con, Ultra Con and hopefully I will be doing some cinema appearances for the new Start Wars movie. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE GWYNETH AND OTHER ARC MEMBERS AT A BIG STAR WARS EVENT COMING TO CINEWORLD BOLDON IN DECEMBER SO WATCH THIS SPACE!!! Where can people follow you and keep up to date with A.R.C. events and appearances? My Cosplay page is https:// www.facebook.com/JenTateCosplay I also have a separate one for Red Dwarf cosplay which is https://www.facebook.com/Girlinginghamdress

We do a lot of appearances with ARC through our North East Avengers group which is

https://www.facebook.com/ pages/North-East-Avengers/1554631951458651 Is there anything you would like to add? If you want to ask me anything feel free to send me a message via facebookor if you see me at an event come and say hi.

Well thanks for taking the time to talk to us and we will see you at the next event. Photos by Paul Flannigan. Nicholas Gray. And Jon Dea.

A new website has been launched to allow customers to buy snack products from a new company in the North East of England. Dawn and Richie Pallin have created Dickiez Nuts, a business which supplies healthy nut snacks which do not contain harmful additives, from premises in Shiney Row, near Sunderland. The business started as a hobby but quickly took off and Dawn said: “We initially started producing the nut snacks for ourselves but when other people became interested in what we were doing it quickly became clear that there was a gap in the market. “The new website will allow

people to find out about the commitment to healthy snacks that drives us and also purchase our products online. It is a significant step forward in the development of the business.” Dickiez Nuts buys in the nuts wholesale, produces the healthy snacks then supplies them to gyms, where users have a healthy living ethos, and now there are plans to extend into shops as well. The company offers a wide range of products both sweet and savoury and also a range of bars. The savoury range

falls into flavour and hot and spicy, including Balti, Chinese five spice and tandoori cashews. The piri piri and super hot cashews have lots of heat as they are made with chillies. The sweet range includes cashews with coconut or sesame seeds and bars such as the fruity nutta or the Brazilian. All are made with manuka honey as a natural sweetener.

The website is at www.dickieznuts.com

SCREEN-CON has firmly established itself as the fan favourite of all the conventions that take place here in the North East. It is a well ran event ran by fans for fans, something that clearly shows. Despite the pressure and bully boy tactics of some of the bigger conventions, SCREEN-CON is back and it is even bigger! Saturday May the 3rd will see the Park Leisure Centre in North Shields invaded by all manner of creatures, monsters and very recognisable people from the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy., Film and TV, Comics and Books, even the odd Computer Game Character thrown in for good measure. Expect to see all of your favourites from Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel and DC plus a whole hos of characters you may not be so familiar with. One thing that is guaranteed...every one is going to have an amazing time. Doors open at 10am for those with the early bird tickets, those paying on the door will be let in from 11am onwards, but judging from the previous 2 SCREENCONS I would suggest you

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get there early to make sure you don’t have to wait ages. Though the one thing that is guaranteed, unlike other supposed “Big Conventions” who shall remain nameless, If you come to SCREEN-CON then YOU WILL ALL GET IN! Granted, you may have to Q for a little while, you won’t be stuck outside in the cold all day. This convention does actually look after it’s fans and will make sure you are not left waiting for hours.

The line up for SCREEN-CON 2014 is looking fantastic. They have some great guests in attendance, all wowing the crowds with photo’s, autographs and some good banter. You will have to pay extra for autographs but you won’t be charged silly money for them and you won’t have

to pay more for a photo and you will not be herded through like cattle only there to fill someones bank balance. As I said earlier, this is a convention ran by a fan for the fans. So this issue will introduce you to the guests appearing at this May’s SCREEN-CON as well as showcase last years SCREAM-CON which was held at the Park hotel last October. We will have the winner of the Horror Short Story Competition plus we will be showing off the photo’s that you all sent in from SCREAMCON with prizes going to our favourite photos. It is time to wet your appetite and get you all excited for Saturday May the 3rd and the return of SCREEN-CON 2014...I can’t wait!

If you know anything about the North East fight scene then you will know the name Tempest, we chat with one of the people behind it, Tempest’s very own Ricky Stafford. Hi Ricky and welcome to NE Online Magazine. Let’s start things off nice an easy with a quick introduction? My names Ricky Stafford, I’m 25 years old from costa del Blyth and I run Tempest with my father Peter Wilson. You are well known around the North East fight scene because of Tempest, can you tell us a bit more about that? Tempest was established in 1994 by Peter Wilson. Since then Tempest has produced 1 World Champion, 12 British Champions and 35 North East Champions, with Academies all over the North East and Spain. I first started teaching at the young age of 14, I done this every Saturday morning and had kids in there from 6 years old to adults in their 40’s. I was teaching XMA which is a combination of elements from martial arts, acrobatics and gymnastics, with an emphasis on showmanship. I then took some time out from the martial arts world and got back into it all a few years back when I opened Tempest Boxing. That started

out with me just coaching a few mates in someone’s garage, but little did I know it would explode! Me and Peter decided to open a full time fully equipped academy in Blyth. Peter runs Kids karate there along with adults MMA and I run the boxing. I also run a full time Kickboxing Academy in North Shields with my wife, who is the brains of the operation. The fight scene is just a very very small part of what and who we are. But fighting is in the blood and is a passion of ours and any of our students that WISH to do so are guided in the correct way to enable

them to step through those rope. Tempest first and foremost is a family martial arts Academy where everyone is treated with respect and come to train and have some fun in a safe and friendly environment. At present, we have over 200 active members and love what we do! There are quite a lot of good clubs/teams around the North East, what makes Tempest stand out, why should people come to you rather than another club/team? I agree, people are very lucky to have so many quality clubs here in the North East. We are very different to many clubs, not saying better but different. We run professional academies that really strive to not only teach martial arts but life skills! Everyone that steps through the door is made to feel welcome, and is expected to behave in a respectable and professional manner. Not everyone that starts boxing/ MMA/kickboxing wants to be a champion, some do it for fitness, self-defence,

many more successful shows with some huge crowds and had some fantastic evenings helping many different charities raise money on the night also.

confidence or simply just to socialise. Whatever you want out of it we will do our best to provide. What made you get involved in running Tempest? Well I can’t dance or sing too well. Plus Boxing/Kickboxing is probably the only thing I’ve ever really been good at or had a passion for .My mam was a kickboxing world champion and Dad Peter fought all over Europe. I’ve been around this from a very young age and basically lived in the gym from the age of 6. As a teen I attended many instructor courses here in the UK and US, and competed weekly. There’s nothing more that I love than passing on the knowledge that I have to others, and working with the children at Tempest has to be one of the most rewarding things I could ever do.

Is Tempest a full time thing or part time for you? Yep running Tempest is my full time job and passion. I put all my time and effort working on the group classes, 1-2-

1 private training, helping the community and running Tempest events. Tempest has a few offshoot clubs/teams, can you tell us a bit more about that? Because Tempest is so large we have our individual sub-brands spread over the 2 gyms. I run Tempest boxing in Blyth and also Tempest Martial Arts which is a kickboxing and Karate Academy in North Shields. At Tempest Martial Arts I teach children aged 4-6 (Tiny Tigers), Kids aged 7-12 (Kenpo Kids) and Teens and Adults KickBoxing classes. Peter Runs the same kids classes in Blyth plus Tempest Free Fighters which is his kickboxing and MMA team. As well as the club/team you also run a very successful event as well, how did that all come about? Peter has been running shows all over the North East and abroad since the 90’s and I’ve always tried to help and loved being a part of it as a kid. I ran my first show with peters guidance in 2013. Since then we have ran

People think being a fight show promoter is easy and they make lots of money from doing it but I know that is not the case, give us your thoughts on running your own show, the highs and the lows? Honestly, there’s been many times I’ve thought this is the last one. It can be very difficult at times mainly due to last minute drop outs and other legal obligations that may pop up, but all in all I love it! The support I receive from my friends and family to make it work is the real difference. But the biggest help I get is from my wife who puts up with a very stressful Ricky at times. She’s the one who see’s certain situations with a clear head and always helps make the right choices. She doesn’t actually have any idea how much she helps. Overall the highs really do outweigh the lows and every time it come’s together perfect on the night. Do you have any plans for the next event? There’s always something in the pipeline and me and Peter like to keep our cards close to our chest. Nothing is set just yet, but there is something special we are looking to do. I was lucky enough to be involved with your most recent show

which was a great night, it was well ran and the fights were all very evenly matched, but one of the stand out things for me was seeing the friendly rivalry between the different Tempest camps, how does that make you feel seeing that? Thank you very much. And once again thank you for stepping in last minute to help us out, it was greatly appreciated and you done an amazing job. Tempest is a family with different branches/teams to it. Personally, I love to match Tempest on Tempest and have them as internal fights. The main reason is that way when I match I know its 100% an even, fair match up and we can have a bit banter between the different Tempest clubs. Doing these kind of matches does come as a surprise to some people, but what they may not realise is Tempest

is huge and the lads that are matched internally most likely have never trained together. They will also have been coached by different coaches; either me, Peter, my mam Janine or my brother Jamie. Although we all have the same ethos in Martial Arts, we do still have very different teaching/fighting styles. There are quite a lot of shows here in the North East, is that a

good or bad thing? Some people think so, they say too many is bad for business. To be honest I couldn’t care less, I do what I do and don’t really concern myself with anyone else. I try to help other promoters where possible and never say a bad word about anyone, but don’t get too involved with anyone else. All in all, it can only be good. If you’re a fight fan there’s pretty much a show on every weekend in the North East, sometimes many on the same night. When did you have your first fight and how did it go? I’ll never forget my first time in the ring! Not sure if it was my first fight or not as I used to do mat tournaments pretty much every weekend. But my first time in the ring was when I was 6years old at the sports club in Blyth. I loved Prince Nazim as a kid and his big entrance, so that’s what I done, but on a

ornaments and martial arts movies!!!! I think since I’ve done martial arts all my life people think I like that kind of thing but I can’t stand it! 3, I had septic arthritis in my knee as a baby and the Doctor’s weren’t sure if I’d be able to walk. Now I kick people in the head for a living. Who can come down and get involved with Tempest and how can they go about it? Anyone is welcome to pop in and try out a free class, all new members receive free boxing gloves and wraps when they join. We offer a wide range of group classes, 1-2-1 private training and classes specially designed by child psychologists for kids. These classes not only teach martial arts, but life skills such as respect, confidence and sense of achievement. zero budget. I came down to the ring on some big guys shoulders bopping away to my walk out song… GO GO Power Rangers! It was a kickboxing bout with head guards on and I’m sure the lad I fought was called Tommy from a gym in Middlesbrough. We were both super game and stood toetoe and went for it, there was no tap tap stuff then. Unfortunately on that occasion I lost. But have to say I didn’t care, I just loved the buzz and got the bug. Do you still compete? If so when can people expect to see you in action next? I had a long time out of training for many different reasons but got back in the ring for the first time in a while in September last year and had another one in the November. The plan was to compete as much as possible this year, but business comes first and I haven’t had the chance to do so. I do, however, plan on getting back in there a few times before the end of the year.

If you could fight anyone, past or present, who would it be and why? Personally there’s a canny size list, but professionally I’d love

to fight a young Bill Wallace. I’d probably eat a million hook and sidekicks but I’m sure it would be fun and I’d learn a lot. Plus he’s one funny guy and a total gent. When you are not working or training hard what do you like to do in your spare time? I’m often a busy guy and get a bit stressy, so to de-stress I love nothing more than going to the woods or beach with my wife and dog. A nice long walk and maybe an ice cream. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? 1, I’m totally OCD, need to check things at least 3 times before I leave my house or gym. 2, I HATE oriental pictures,

Where can people follow you and Tempest and keep up to date with the club/team or your events? We have Facebook, twitter and Instagram. Search for Tempest Boxing or Tempest Martial Arts. Alternatively go to tempestmartialarts.com or call me directly on 07896 276968. Is there anything you would like to add? Thanks for taking your time to speak with me today and I would just like to thank every member of Tempest past and present for being part of our journey. We aren’t just a club, we are a family. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us Ricky and we look forward to seeing you at the next event

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RAFFLE BENEFITING 55

We speak to South Shield’s very own HelRazor, Helen Mcarthur and we find out her plans for taking over the world one shop at a time. to two small children and most evenings they would have to be with me in the salon as I just couldn’t afford childcare costs. It was hard, I look back and wonder how we managed, but I knew it wouldn’t be for ever. I took on two apprentices which was at the time a huge decision financially but I knew that I needed barbers that seen this industry from my eyes to be able to make it work. I actually woke up one day physically and mentally exhausted and the doctor told me I needed rest /time out, I cut my hours back to 51/2 days in the salon but a barbering business is not just working in the salon as there’s loads going on behind the scenes and that’s without the added pressures and constant worry running a business entails.

Hi Helen and welcome to NE, how about introducing yourself to our readers? Hi and thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk about myself/ Helrazors , im 36 years old , born in south shields , live south shields and work in south shields , I guess I love south shields. You are the person behind the very successful Barber shop, HelRazors, which has grown from strength to strength,

but how hard was it for you starting out? Yes I am and I’m very lucky to the fact I was given an opportunity to do this. Opening my own barber shop was always something I wanted to achieve and in 2008 it was my year. I opened with one comb, one pair of clippers and a nervous smile on my face. I worked 6 days in the salon on my own and it was hard going. At the time I was a single parent

HelRazors has undergone a major transformation recently, can you tell our readers a bit more about that and what the new changes and improvements are? This is so exciting for me/us right now and again im so lucky and thankful for this opportunity. The Barbering industry/male grooming is growing rapidly at present and Helrazors is literally bursting at the seams (we have been desperate for more space and relocating was never going to be an option for us). With

these two key things in mind, as soon as our neighbouring shop became available we knew it was time for Helrazors as a business to progress. We will be offering a bigger more current salon with 10 styling/ cutting stations, bigger waiting area, sunbed rooms and our very own children’s hair salon. What made you want to become a barber rather than a hairdresser? The barbering industry wasn’t like it is now. 20 years ago there were mainly two barbers in South Shields, one was very good and one was not so good. I was very lucky to get an apprenticeship in the very good one which I will name ‘ Paul Sextons’ Paul Sextons had a ladies and gents separate salon over two floors, I found myself always wanting to help out and spend most of my time in the barbershop rather than in the salon. I think it was to do with the fact it had a much more relaxed atmosphere and there was a lot of laughter between the stylists and clients alike. I had amazing training and was never treated just ‘ like a floor sweeper’ which really give me the confidence with in this industry. How hard has it been to run your own business when there is a lot of competition around? Good question, and do you know what, its trending to be a barber and barber shops seem to be popping up all over

the place. But I’ve always just focused on what we are doing and making ourselves stronger as a team. As a business we are always trying to improve our service to our clients, customer care for us is paramount. We have a lot of regular clients from over the years and are lucky enough to now call them friends. What makes you stand out over other Barber Shops out there, why should people come to you? I really don’t know…... I suppose we have a lot of skilled professional’s/master barbers on our team that know there job inside out, it really does make a difference when you are trained in all aspects of hairdressing/barbering as it’s not all about short back and sides. For us this kind of training is mandatory, you must have at least three years training before you work on the floor at HelRazors. So I guess because we have the knowledge it gives our clients the confidence to trust us with their hair.

where he trained your staff in the art of the Cut Throat Shave, how did this come about? Do you know what, we loved this! The course was only for two evenings, but we all said we wished it was for longer as the shop was buzzing and it was such an enjoyable experience with such a skilled professional. We are introducing some knew packages to our clients using the cutthroat razor so we brushed up on our technique to make our service flawless. I contacted Allan and he was only happy to help his support has been amazing throughout. Thanks Allan. How did your staff take to learning a new skill that is seen as very dangerous and must

You recently teamed up with Allan at Stoney’s Barbers

anymore they think I have retired ) ha ha. I love spending time with my children and their hobbies/ activities and time out with my partner, I am very lucky.

have been very daunting for them? Most of our Team already had cutthroat/wetshave training so it was more just a refresher to make sure we are flawless with our new approach, if it’s done properly it can be made to look easy. You have also launched HelzAngels, but what exactly is HelzAngels? Now this makes me get butterflies, its exciting HelzAngels is a salon for children. With my knowledge within this industry and my love for children I have realised there is a huge gap in the market for a salon that caters for children alone. Helrazors introduced “ My First Haircut” 2 years ago and we have gained strength along the way to now be known as children’s haircutting specialists . We have a team of stylists who have the patience to work with children at the child’s pace, building salon confidence and making it as enjoyable as possible.

HelzAngels will be situated within HelRazors, it will be a children only part of the salon. The range of superhero capes, car styling chairs and reward stickers are all something I have put together with all our little clients in mind. We understand that children are important too and being in a male orientated environment some of them can find it intimidating. We cater for children of all abilities. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? Hmmmmmm, I’m a mother of 4. I can make myself sneeze. I’ve always wanted to be a midwife. When you are not working what do you like to get up to in your spare time? I work from home most of the time now. Running a barbering business is not just salon based work, there’s loads going on behind the scenes ( I think because people don’t see me much

You are involved with an amazing local charity called The Charlie Cookson Foundation, can you tell us a bit more about that and how you came to be involved? Yes I am indeed; this is a big part of my life now. I started raising money for Charlie Cookson in 2013. Charlie needed his home adapting to meet his needs; he spent most of his life in hospital with his parents Chris and Sarah Cookson being his main carers. Chris and Sarah greatly reduced there working hours to care for their seriously ill little boy, so paying bills alone was a huge strain without the added pressure of adapting there home for their son’s needs. I started cutting hair for Charlie on a Friday afternoon in the salon and this took off before the Tuesdays, I was fully booked and every penny I earned that day would go straight to Charlie. I then organised a Halloween party that was sold out within minutes of the tickets going on sale. We then adapted the day so we put on two parties one straight after the other and both where complete sell outs. It became big very quickly as most of South Shields where doing everything they could to make this event

successful in raising funds for such a special little boy who was known as a local hero who was melting so many people’s hearts . Tragically just days before our fundraising event Charlie passed away his fight for life had become too much, it hurts just thinking of that time, I did not want to continue with the party, how could I? Charlies parent’s wishes where for the party to go ahead and all monies raised would go towards children and families alike. We did and raised over 4k and it was lovely to see some of Charlies family there showing support at such a heart breaking time. Charlies parents knew they had to make a difference and they believe their precious little boy was here to make them see that

children and families in their situation struggle immensely financially and they continue to make a difference in their sons name. I was asked by Charlies parents to be a Trustee of Charlies foundation and I will always be very honoured of that. The local support we have had raising vital funds has been amazing and they enable us to carry out our quest and financially support families with terminally/seriously ill children. Working alongside two inspirational people who have lost so much makes your general outlook so much different, and a hard day no longer seem as hard. www. charliecookson.co.uk So how can people follow you and HelRazors? We have a facebook page which informs our clients of booking info, offers and basically everything we do. That is HelRazors please find us and give us a like! We are also on instagram updating photos of all trending styles. That’s Helrazorsformen We keep you posted on twitter also so follow us if you like on HelenHelrazors We are soon to launch our new website www.helrazors.

co.uk so visit and subscribe. We are just fine tuning so it’s coming very soon…..... Is there anything you would like to add? Yes loads as I can talk forever! Mainly just to thank all of our amazing team. We Really do have the best barbers on board, they show commitment and dedication to their work and it shows in the response and feedback we receive. Also to our clients, thank you so much for your ever valued custom we will continue in perfecting our service to you. Well thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to talk with us and we wish you luck with the expansion of HelRazors.

Each issue we will be delving into the Top Secret Files of A.R.C. and introducing you to their members, this issue we catch up with Gwyneth Griffiths Hi Ian and welcome back to NE, it has been a while since we featured you last, how about introducing yourself to our newer readers who might not know you? Hi, you’re right it has been a while, where has the time gone?! For those who don’t know I own and manage Ian Berry Photography Studio in South Shields, my home town. I’m father to 3 amazing kids Bethany, Nathan and Freya oh and not forgetting Maisy, my Dalmatian. You were featured in our Preview issue a few years ago and have been involved with several features since, but there have been a lot of changes with you since then including your brand new studio, how did that all come about? Since my last feature I’ve gone through quite a few changes as you mentioned, not only have I moved to a new studio I’ve also refreshed my branding and have a new logo which I feel is important to keep moving with the times and stay current. The new logo tied in with the move to the new studio, I felt if I’m moving to a new modern studio it was only right I had a fresh new logo to go with it. The move was brought on by the acquisition of my old building by the councils

365 regeneration plans in South Shields town centre, although I was already looking for more suitable premises so the timing was perfect as I had the backing of my local council who I have to say were fantastic in making this move possible.

are young families with prams, car seats and little toddlers in tow so the upstairs space was too much hassle, it was time to move to a ground floor location to make the overall experience a lot easier for my customers.

Was it a hard decision for you to move from your old studio after all of the work you have put in? It was sad to move from my old studio after all the hard work I’d put into it but I felt the time was right, I’d outgrown it, so to move my business forward I needed more suitable premises. The majority of my customers

What where the main reasons for you moving? The main reason behind the move was the issue of the stairs, it was a struggle for a lot of my customers as the majority of them have prams which as you can appreciate isn’t ideal for an upstairs studio. The council acquiring my build-

events, even a few model shoots, but what do you tend to concentrate on these days? Studio family portraits and weddings are my main business, they’re what I love doing. It’s a great feeling being part of someone’s special day or photographing a family in the studio helping them create lasting memories. How tough has it been for you since you first took the plunge and set up your studio full time? It’s been very tough at times, there’s been occasions I’ve questioned myself and if I’m doing the right thing, I’ve had to make a lot of sacrifices but things have worked out in the long run, my business is growing from strength to strength thanks to my amazing customers.

ing was perfect timing for my business as it meant I had the council helping and assisting in my search for new premises and as previously mentioned they were fantastic! What can your customers expect from you now that you have relocated what benefits have the new studio brought? The new studio is ideal for families, it’s located on the ground floor, there’s ample free parking directly behind the studio but most importantly it has full disabled access and facilities which also means it’s pram friendly!

Over the years you have done all kinds of photography, from family portraits to sports

It seems every Tom, Dick and Harry sees themselves as a photographer these days because they have a half decent camera or even an app on their phone, tell us your thoughts on this and why they should always go to a professional like yourself to capture those big moments?

You’re right, having studied photography in the early 90’s I’ve watched the introduction and rise of digital photography, since the introduction of digital there seems to be more and more people calling themselves ‘professionals’. Whilst digital photography has revolutionised the industry it has also brought some issues, namely the people who think all they have to do is buy an expensive camera and that’s it they’re now a professional. Professional photographers such as myself study for years in order to master the art, in fact we’re always learning as new technology is introduced. Equipment is also an issue, not only do you need a good camera you also need

to invest in a range of lenses, which sometimes cost more than the camera body itself. If you’re hiring a photographer for the most important day of your life you want to know the photographer knows what they’re doing and you trust them 100%. Over the years I’ve had lots of married couples contact me close to tears asking if I can help salvage their wedding photos as the photographer they hired had done such a poor job. If they are quoting a much cheaper price you have to ask why and how can they charge that? Is this their main job? Are they fully insured with both public liability and professional indemnity? What experience do they

have? How many weddings have they shot? What backup equipment do they have? These are just some of the questions you should be asking your potential wedding photographer. What are your pet hates when you see other photographers at work? The only pet hate I have is when you see some wedding photographers being very controlling

and not letting guests take pictures of shots they’ve setup. Don’t get me wrong it’s important for the photographer to capture their photos as ultimately they’re being paid to capture the bride and grooms special day but I’ve seen photographers shout at guests and tell them to go away whilst they were setting up some shots, there’s no need for that just let them know they can take some pictures once you’ve captured yours. Have you ever had any nightmare clients, like someone you see on the show Bridezilla, if so tell us a bit more about that? Luckily I’ve never had any situations like that, so far all the weddings I’ve shot the bride and guests have been really friendly and accommodating. Or maybe you have some funny or embarrassing stories from a shoot that you can

share? Haha I couldn’t possibly comment. What advice would you give to anyone that is serious about getting into photography of any kind? I would recommend joining a local camera club and gaining some experience before you invest in expensive

equipment. I would also highly recommend studying film photography alongside digital, understanding the basics of film photography will give you a greater understanding of the process. Is there any kind of photography that you would like to do more of if you could? No, I’m really lucky to be doing what I love, family portraits

and weddings are such an important part of a families history it’s an amazing feeling knowing I’m helping create memories for families! When you are not hard at work how do you like to spend your free time? Free time, what’s that? Haha when I’m not working my children and dog keep me busy, we are always going for long walks on the beach, we’re so lucky living in such a beautiful town. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? 1) I used to work on cruise ships as a photographer 2) I was supposed to be in New York City on 9/11 3) I’m a Sunderland fan What have you got planned for the rest of 2015? There’s lots of exciting things planned for the rest of 2015, you’ll have to check my website for further details though haha. Where can people follow you and keep up to date with you and the studio? You can follow me on twitter, instagram, and facebook, or my website www.ianberry.co.uk . Should you wish to speak to me direct you can call the studio on 0191 447 68 68. Is there anything you would like to add? Thanks to all my amazing customers over the years and thanks to you for another great interview and all your support over the years, keep up the good work!

A big congratulations to NE’s regular cartoonist and our very good friend, Derek Brettle, as The Last Laugh celebrates its 4th Birthday.

Now if you still don’t know The Last Laugh yet then where have you been hiding?

How about you all go and show him some love by visiting his Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ lastlaughcartoons and have a look through his fantastic cartoons, some of which you will recognise from these very pages.

Also if you are looking for an unusual gift for someone why don’t you have a chat with Derek about doing a commission? A one of a kind gift for that special person in your life, something you can’t buy in the shops!

Funny Women Return Thanks to Comic Relief Comic Relief funded Launchpad, a Newcastle based mental health awareness group, to run a series of comedy workshops resulting in a comedy showcase by the participants, ‘Laughter for Lasses 2: The Return’. This was the second round of ‘Laughter for Lasses’ workshops ran for female service users, mental health survivors and supporters living in Tyne & Wear, following a successful run and showcase in the Spring to celebrate International Women’s Day. Some of the participants comments from that included: “The workshops offered a valuable experience and enabled me a platform to challenge myself on all sorts of levels.” “Inspiral! Thank you so much...!”

“Such a great experience...” ‘Laughter for Lasses 2: The Return’ comedy workshops combined discussion,

creative writing, stand-up and drama based games to explore themes and issues that are relevant to women. ‘Laughter for Lasses 2: The Return’ stand up showcase coincided with Disability Awareness Day and took place on Tuesday 14th July 2015 at The Cluny 2 in Ouseburn. ‘Laughter for Lasses’ was MC’d by Sharon Race, a local writer and performer and the promoter and Resident MC of Laughing Lasses Comedy Club, Newcastle’s regular all

female act comedy night. Laughing Lasses hosted Funny’s Funny New Female Comedienne of the Year, a national competition, in 2011 and 2012. Additionally, they worked in conjunction with TV Channel Dave’s Comedy Society national press ticket offer, subsequently being short-listed for Dave’s One Night Stand Award 2012, a national best comedy club award. “‘Laughter for Lasses 2: The Return’ has been empowering for the female participants and we’ve had

many a laugh. How very apt that it was funded by Comic Relief!” Sharon said. The event received positive feedback and the audience loved the interactive aspects of the showcase, including a quiz and a local singersongwriter, Jackie Sams, who kicked off the evening. The sketches the participants contributed got glowing reviews with Angela Slater, the North East co-ordinator for mental health charity Time to Change, closing the night with a stand-up comedy set which stormed the room! It was the first time Angela had performed stand-up comedy.

up. Launchpad works to redress the balance, and offers the chance for anyone who uses mental health services in Newcastle to have their voice heard by the people who run these services. Endeavouring to improve mental health services for all, and to promote the views and opinions of service users, all in a friendly, safe environment.

“It was terrifying and thrilling all at the same time!” she said. “The audience were fantastic and responded to my set well. Thanks to Laughter for Lasses – I can’t wait to do it again!”

Alisdair Cameron, Launchpad’s Project Coordinator, said “It was a brilliant opportunity for Launchpad focussing on the creativity of our females service users and those who are interested in mental health. We are grateful to the Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Comic Relief for supporting this great project.”

Semi-professionals Julie Grady Thomas and Marie Kiernan also performed, reading the sketches and performing stand

STOP PRESS! Launchpad have received further funding to stage ‘Launching Forward’, a series of workshops open to

any age or gender for mental health survivors, workers and supporters, service users, carers. These new workshops will cover a varied range of creativity platforms from poetry to storytelling and everything in between. The workshops will be free and again facilitated by local writer/performer, Sharon Race. They will run over the course of a year, with periodic showcases where participants can read, perform and show off their creative efforts! The project has been funded by the Linden Family Fund at the Tyne & Wear Community Foundation. Details of the ‘Launching Forward’ are being devised as we go to press. For further information, or to register your interest, please visit http://launchpadncl.org. uk. Photos by Les Higgins

Silly Simon the Sailor and had songs they can join in with. Santa’s Naughty Elf was the result. Was the success of Santa’s Naughty Elf to reason to create more children’s theatre? The success of that show has meant we felt confident there was an audience for that type of theatre at The Customs House. There were many school holidays throughout the year that had no plays or musicals for children and families. It made sense to cater for them with something that followed a similar formula to Naughty Elf.

Children’s Theatre creator Wayne Miller discusses his new summer adventure Silly Simon the Sailor.

Wayne Miller has appeared on many stages as an actor in such theatre productions as The Machine Gunners, Dangle In The Dust, Alf Ramsey Knew My Grandfather, Cuddy’s Miles, Ted Nasty’s Park Bench of Mild Surprise and Tom and Catherine The Musical to name but a few. However the South Shields actor is becoming best known for his fun family creations. Starting with Elfluent; otherwise known as Santa’s Naughty Elf, Wayne set out to bring his own brand of children’s Theatre to his home town venue The Customs House. That journey began eight years ago and in that time he was brought many more creations to life. Delivering a number of well

received productions such as the well-loved Santa’s Naughty Elf, The Three Little Pigs, Wendy the Witch he looks set to continue with his hapless sailor Silly Simon. Wayne answers some questions about his plays, characters and what his future in children’s theatre holds. How did you get started with children’s theatre? In my years training as a performer I always found it easier to act the fool and get a reaction for silly antics. This led to enjoying many years in panto both on touring the North East and at The Customs House. It was the success in this field that brought Customs House director and friend Ray Spencer, to bring me in to create a panto for the under seven audiences over Christmas. Something that was a little shorter, silly

You write, direct and star in a lot of your plays! How do you handle so many roles? Handling all that helps keep costs low and productivity high. Only one person to pay and I only have to rely on myself to finish things on time. I write the script, the songs and record all the music. That way I can rewrite and change if I need, rather than worrying about going to a writer with changes. As the director I can cast the shows with actors I know can do a great job and will fit in with everything the show needs. It does double…triple the stress on me but I’d rather the stress

on me than others. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Silly Simon the Sailor. Mainly I wanted to have a character like Santa’s Naughty Elf that I could perform with out of the Christmas season. South Shields being a seaside town and a once famous port I thought about a character who’d be a sailor. Only this sailor wouldn’t be very good, meaning he could get into many scrapes and misadventures. He began last year learning how to sail, this year he has set sail and goes in search or treasure. What can an audience expect from Silly Simon the Sailor & The Lost Treasure? They can expect lots of silly jokes, songs and swashbuckling fights. It’s a show that’s very interactive with its audience, lots of participation to help Simon find the treasure and defeat the evil Captain Bugeye. The audience can also see the return of Lauren Waine, a fabulous actress who appeared in Santa’s Naughty Elf before leaving to train at Paul McCartney’s drama school L.I.P.A. I’m excited to be working alongside such a talented young actress again. She plays the tough but caring Sally Clatterbang. What do you have planned after Silly Simon? Wendy the Witch makes a return to The Customs House. Last Halloween she moved into a haunted house, this year she is throwing a Full Moon Party. Following that

Santa’s Naughty Elf is back in a new adventure about an Elf who tries to steal Christmas. So I’m hoping we continue to offer fun entertainment that keeps bringing the family audiences to The Customs House.

Treasure runs from the 11th to the 13th of August at The Customs House Tickets priced £7.50 and £6.50 To book tickets call box office 01914541234 or visit www.customshouse.co.uk

Silly Simon the Sailor & The Lost

With the 75th Anniversary of The Battle Of Britain, we speak to Graeme Whitworth about his search to find out more about his great great uncle who served on a Lancaster during the Battle Of Britain. Hi Graeme and welcome to NE Online Magazine, how about you introduce yourself to our readers? Hi NE Magazine readers I am Graeme Whitworth, 44 years of age and I am from County Durham. This month sees the 75th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain, which really was a turning point in the war for us. But for you it is also a time to proudly remember one of your family members who took part, can you tell us a bit more about him? My Great Great Uncle Stanley Welsh was in the 626 Squadron based at Wickenby in Lincolnshire, he was the Flight Engineer on board a Lancaster Bomber. What inspired you to research

your uncle in more depth? It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until my father said he was in a Lancaster bomber and it crashed, it was then that I decided to research his Lancaster, where it was based and where it crashed, when he was killed. I found out that he never knew he became a Sgt. How hard has it been to do on a personal level and also on a practical level? With him being my uncle, yeah at times it has brought me to tears knowing my uncle was killed in a Lancaster. It has taken me 7 years to get what information I have, by writing to the MOD, getting his service records. I found out he had been awarded a medal so I contacted the war medal department at the MOD and within a few weeks I

received his war medal, which I believe none of his family had ever requested. I was over the moon to receive it and again it brought a tear to my eye knowing that I have his war medal, I am so proud of it. Have you learnt anything that has come as a surprise to you? His age was a surprise; he was only 19 years of age when he was killed, that was a shock as he was so young. The Lancaster came down in the middle of a thunder storm after it was hit by lightning. You have even done some research on his plane as well, what did you find out? What I found out about his Lancaster was that it was built in Birmingham and the model was the Avro Lancaster Ver 1, the very first Lancaster that was built.

You have also been talking to the family of his fellow crew members, have they been a big help? I have emailed the pilots great niece who was Sgt Sydney Bell, the pilot, my uncle would have been sat right next to him as the co-pilot, I have also been in touch with the Late John Critchleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s son. When the Lancaster crashed there was only 1 survivor Mr John Critchly, sadly he passed away 2 years ago.

Have you found out anything about your uncle that really stands out? The only thing that stands out is that he was sat right next to the pilot, it took me a good 2 years to find out for definite where he used to sit. Any man or woman that puts on a uniform to fight for their country deserves our respect, but I bet knowing what he actually did has made you even more proud of him? Yeah I am very proud of him, every year I never forget 11/11 or his birthday.

I would advise anybody trying to research a family member who was in the war to try and find out what regiment or squadron they were in first. Well thank you for taking the time to share your story with us Graeme, it really is amazing to hear about these things from a personal level rather than just in a history book, plus our war time heroes deserve to have their stories told, so thank you.

Have you found out everything you wanted or will you be continuing the search? I am still on the lookout for the remainder of the crews family to see if they may have any info. What advice would you give to anyone that has thought about researching their family members that had served during the war?

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR JESMOND ARTS MARKET

Some years have passed since the last traders pitched their stalls full of vibrant, hand crafted goods on William Armstrong’s iron bridge in Sunday morning sunshine. But August will see a change to that as Lesley McNish brings her band of talented artists and crafts people to the famous Jesmond landmark for a revival of the bridge’s arts market. Amongst the traders on 8th August will be Kate Stuart, a local artist and craftswoman who started trading with her recycled and upcycled makes in February this year, and whose small enterprise is growing steadily. The Phoenix Green Store is built on the idea of make do and mend –

the sense of breathing new life into old stuff by making new things out of old. Kate specialises in quilt making and uses this process to create stunning patchwork quilts from old clothes and materials that would otherwise end up in landfill. She also paints, embroiders and makes hand drawn greetings cards. Trading at Armstrong Bridge is a dream come true for her – “I remember passing Jesmond Dene as a child, and dreaming about one day selling my paintings and crafty creations on the bridge there with all the other artists,” she told me. But the dream has been a long time coming. “After studying art and education at university, friends and family tried to get me to take some of my stuff down to the Sunday markets, but I was terrified at the thought of it! When my job of 15 years ended just before Christmas last year, it didn’t seem to feel so scary anymore and I thought – it’s now or never! I couldn’t be

happier to have found myself in the company of Lesley and all the wonderful traders that have been part of Jesmond Dene Arts Markets this year and I’m so excited to be finally realising the dream of bringing my work to the Bridge.” Kate will be setting up her stall on Armstrong Bridge, along with other artists and craftspeople on Saturday 8th August and Saturday 12th September from 10am until 4pm. http://www.facebook.com/ thephoenixgreenstore http://www.facebook.com/ jesmonddenemarket

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Hunter Toys are very pleased to announce that York Comic-Con, will be taking place at York Racecourse on Sunday 30th August 2015. From the same team that brought you Teesside Unleashed! The huge iconic venue in the beautiful historic city of York is perfect for York Comic-Con! Urban Dictionary definition of Comic-Con: “A large scale gettogether of people who are fans of comics, art, anime, and sci-fi pop culture.” We have our special guests Terry Molloy, Pixie Le Knot, Chris Bunn, Spencer Wilding and Pam Rose will be along to talk to fans about their experiences both on and off the screen and signing autographs for fans. (subject to work commitments, there will be a charge for autographs). We will have around 100 dealer tables selling all your favourite cool and geeky wares, exhibits, attractions, cosplay competitions and loads of other geeky stuff to see and do this will be a great day! We hope York Comic-Con will blow you away, and we look forward to seeing you there! This huge venue offers completely free car parking to all visitors.

We’ll also be having a Costume Contest on the day and the winners of first prize will get to appear on the front of this very magazine!

2015 DOUGLAS SMITH

STUDENT AWARD WINNERS

Douglas Smith Student Award recognises brightest PR talent. Three Sunderland University students have won the 2015 Douglas Smith Student Award, a national competition to find the most talented PR students, organised by CIPR International. Eva Maclaine, chair of CIPR International and board member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, presented Lauren Old, Hannah Lennox and Arianne Williams a cheque for a total of £1,000 and a crystal trophy. The award ceremony took place at the Northern Insight magazine launch party in Newcastle upon Tyne. Students faced a challenging campaign brief addressing one of PR’s burning issues. They were to develop an international public relations campaign about a new wearable technology product: a contact lens. They were instructed to either support or oppose the launch of such a product with high regards to ethical considerations.

‘’I am delighted to be involved in the second year of the Douglas Smith Student Award. On behalf of the judges I’m pleased to recognise the work of the outstanding students who entered this award. It was a pleasure to read their submissions and be able to highlight the exceptional work of one group of students, who won this year’s award. Their project was exceptionally creative, ethically sound, multiculturally relevant and took an international outlook,’’ says Sarah Pinch, President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations CIPR and one of this year’s judges. In addition to the CIPR President, the judging panel included top public relations experts from both the industry and academy: Stephen Davies, digital consultant and guru, Prof Anne Gregory, chair of the Global Alliance, and Stephen Waddington, European Digital and Social Media director, Ketchum, and Visiting Professor, Newcastle University. “These students are the

future of PR and supporting and nurturing them is a key strand of the work of CIPR International,” added Eva Maclaine. “We are very pleased to be able to help them on the start of their journey towards PR.” The presentation was preceded by a visit in the afternoon to Press Ahead in Sunderland, a PR, marketing, research, creative and media consultancy. Here they had a tour around the offices and met with the head of PR Sally Pearson, who was able to tell them what employers are looking for from young PR professionals.

Film-maker Simon M Riley (Kerrang TV & MTV) and Mersey actress, Portia Victoria (Game of Thrones, From There To Here) have teamed up to create Liverpool based, horror movie: The Spawning. They have a 40 day challenge to raise a £10,000 budget for their feature length production via crowd-funding website, Indiegogo. Despite only having 40 days to reach their target amount, nothing is impossible for the DarkHeart team who have already started raising funds for their alien horror film. ‘The Spawning’ is a real passion project directed by Simon Riley and produced by Portia Victoria. The story line revolves around an alien creature (played by Alex Walton) who imprisons a woman in her own home and breeds her for food. It’s ‘Alien’ meets ‘Misery’ set against the gritty backdrop of inner city life in Northern England. “In our hearts we believe that we have a great story to tell: a horror film that people will want to see. More than this though: if we can get the campaign funded it would provide inspiration for all struggling filmmakers and send a clear message that you don’t have to have millions of pounds or live in the big cities like London or L.A. If people like the story you have to tell they will help fund it no matter where you come from; you don’t need the clout of a big studio behind you. We are David aiming to make a movie that can compete with the Goliath that is the big studio system. A system which spawns endless remakes and

sequels: unoriginal garbage. As independent filmmakers we aim to offer you quality film-making with an original story that doesn’t insult your intelligence with a cheap cash in. “ - Simon M Riley. “Everybody on the team is a huge horror fan, but none of us can remember a recent horror film that left us wanting to hide under our bed covers with the lights on at night,” Simon explains, “We want to change that and create a horror film that really gets under your skin and leaves you terrified and shaken to the core.” “There are few feature length movies made in Liverpool”, Portia says, “Although often misconstrued in the media, Liverpool is an amazing city of culture. As a proud Liverpudlian, I want to give something back to the community and showcase

Liverpool in a positive light.” The full cast list is yet to be finalized, but it has publicly been announced that London based actor, Alex Walton will be featured as the male lead and Portia Victoria will be playing a supporting role. Anybody can contribute to the film via the Indiegogo link: http://igg.me/at/ spawninghorror . Donations at any level would help to make the film and funders will receive exclusive gifts including:  Digital Download of the film  Special Edition Blu-Ray  Featured in the ‘special thanks’ section of the film credits  Official merchandise  VIP tickets to the premiere  Be featured in the film  Executive producer title  Dinner with the cast & crew.

As well as being a bit of a regular on Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats you are now starring in the North East based sitcom Hebburn, how did that come about? - My mate and fellow comedian Jason Cook decided to write a sitcom about the town he was from, Hebburn, and he actually wrote me a little side part which he named after me. But when it came to being made the BBC asked me to read for the main character, and when I got it, Jason took the part that he’d written for me! It came about so gradually that I didn’t really realise the enormity of being lead role in a BBC2 sitcom until I saw the advert on TV. I nearly passed out. How has the response for Hebburn been so far? - Overwhelmingly positive. And we just won Best Drama at the RTS North awards too. And we’ve got a second series! You are now embarking on your biggest tour to date, how do you feel about this? - Yeah incredible! It’s an extension of my last tour, Feeling Lucky. I did 60+ dates in 2012 but the demand for tickets was so high and people enjoyed the show so much that I’m doing another 40 odd dates this year in much bigger venues. I can’t wait to get back out on the road.

The Overtones recently wowed the Newcastle crowd and Leenems1 & Leanne Tonks were there to speak to them plus some amazing pics from our friends at NEMS Photography Five-piece vocal harmony group The Overtones burst onto the music scene back in 2010 when their debut album ‘Good Ol’ Fashioned Love’ soared to number 16 in the UK album chart. Five years down the line, they have just completed a 25-date tour of the UK and Ireland with their fourth studio album, ‘Sweet Soul Music.’ NE Music Scene correspondent @Leenems1, caught up with the lads at Newcastle’s prestigious City Hall for an exclusive backstage

interview. Lee: How did it all happen from the beginning? Lachie: I guess from the very start, the group has been together for about 8 years now, and it happened really, through London; the place where lots of people come to try to make a dream happen, and a band was formed. The reason, well, the way we got signed was quite interesting. We were overheard singing

whilst having a quiet rehearsal outside, and a woman walked past whilst we were rehearsing and said, “Can I ask you a couple of questions?” and she actually put us in contact with one of the presidents of Warner Brothers, and it lead to a bit of a surprise meeting. A few months down the track, there was a lot of meetings, it didn’t just sort of come to us is one fell swoop, we were offered a record deal with Warner Brothers, and that was about 5 years ago. Lee: Did you have an audition in front of a panel of people? Lachie: Oh yeah, it was terrifying! They said, we want you to sing this, this and this, but do it in your 1950s/60s style, and there was a big old panel of people listening with the big ‘WB’ Warner Brothers sign behind their heads. It was very nerve-wracking, but we also had that feeling that, this is the moment. When that moment’s in front of you, you make it happen.

Lee: How much creative control have you had from the beginning? Would they let you set your style and go where you wanted to go? Mike: [We’ve had] Massive amounts of creative control. Because obviously, we’re not teenagers, we’re not kids, we have our own opinions, and as we were a band before, we weren’t manufactured, the label have been really good all the way through our career so far in allowing us to spread our creative wings and you know, do what we feel is the right thing for The Overtones in how we look, how we dance and how we sound. We’ve been very lucky in that way. Lee: What’s been your most memorable moment to date? Timmy: I would say, for me, (we probably all have different answers!) but a moment I will definitely always remember will be playing at the Royal Albert Hall at the Festival of Remembrance, and looking up at the box where the Queen was sat. I suppose you just take those moments in

and you pinch yourself. That’s my ‘pinch yourself’ moment.

embarrassing things happen to you while you’ve been on tour?

Lee: What about people that you would love to play with, is there anyone in the world, past or present, that you would love to play with, and why?

(Laughter)

Timmy: Stevie Wonder, because he’s a complete music legend and I think he’s an incredible musician, singer, and he’s still as relevant today as... [Sic] Lee: Do you think that could ever happen? All of the overtones: Never say never! Lachie: If it was in the past, I think singing with the rat pack, in Las Vegas in the 1960s would have been an absolute ball! In a dinner suit, in a tuxedo, with a big black bow tie at Caesars Palace or something, and sitting having a stiff whiskey afterwards, or maybe during, or maybe even before! I’m sure that’s what they’re up to. Lee:

Have

you

had

any

Mark: Over to me! I fell down the stairs in Glasgow. We had a set with this big set of stairs, and I decided during a ballad to fall headfirst from top to bottom... Darren: (Interrupting) wanted the attention!

You

Mark Yeah, I did it for the effect and the round of applause I got at the end! Timmy: Most recently, during Sweet Soul Music, there’s a little kick where we kind of throw all the mics down, and catch them with our feet, and I didn’t catch it with my foot, I kicked it back up, and then for a second, I had it, and then dropped it on the floor, and the audience laughed. Lachie: It just looked like a tantrum, like you’d thrown your mic. Timmy: I had to do a little shimmy to pick it back up, I was trying

to make it look like it was in the choreography, when it certainly wasn’t! Lee: Bit of a hard question, if you had to pick one of your albums, which would be your favourite album Mike: I think this one. Darren: Yeah, I think the new one. By this, the boys are referring to their latest album, ‘Sweet Soul Music’ which was released earlier this year. Mike: I love the way that when we recorded it, we recorded it all together, singing harmonies and leads alike, together, at the same time, in the same way that the doo-wop groups in the fifties and sixties used to do it. I feel like we got a really authentic sound on this album, so for me, it’s this one. It just suits our music.

Timmy: I’d say the first one

(Good Ol’ Fashioned Love) is close to my heart, just because, that was ‘The One’, do you know what I mean? “...” For me, it will always come back to that one, it’s like our baby. The Overtones new album ‘Sweet Soul Music’ is available

now. Check out www.theovertones.tv for all the latest news and tour dates. Keep up to date with all the great North East music news and events at www.ne-ms.co.uk