NE Online Magazine Issue 18 by Wayne Groves

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 l w e h a v e h a d s o m e g r e a t n e w s t h i s month, NE are now proud partners of M e t r o - C o n . We w i l l b e c o v e r i n g t h e event as well as even hosting it, more news to come in the next issue, plus t h e n e x t i s s u e w i l l h a v e m o r e i n fo o n t h e B I G N E a n d A R C S t a r Wa r s s p e c i a l that will be taking place at Cineworld i n B o l d o n , s o WATC H T H I S S PA C E ! As always, if you have something you want to see in a future issue then d o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; 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 Chris Kemp https://www.facebook.com/ SpikeybwoyPhotography?fref=ts Derek Brettle www.facebook.com/ lastlaughcartoons lastlaughcartoons@gmail.com LeeNemsPhotography www.ne-ms.co.uk

P6 Diane Studio Nailz & Beauty P12 Dickies Nutz P20 A.R.C Member Robbie Milor P30 Michelle Birbeck P36 The Geek Asylum P46 Cineworld Boldon Top Picks P60 Martyn Jones Photography

P66 York Unleashed Winners P74 Steffen Peddie P80 Jen Stevens & The Hiccups P84 Florence & The Machine P88 Kelly Jowsey Little Haven Hotel P94 Spencer Morgan P96 Touch Rugby

When it comes to looking amazing look no further than Diane from Studio Nailz & Beauty Hi Diane and welcome to NE Online Magazine, how about you give us a quick introduction? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Diane Knott, 36 years old and from Jarrow. Recently married to my husband

Johnpaul who I have had the pleasure of knowing since the age of 17/18. You are the person behind Studio Nailz & Beauty, can you tell us a bit more about

that? Yes thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s correct, I decided to set up on my own a good while ago (2011) and establish my own company. I First started up my business under that name and was

enjoyed playing about with hair and makeup. How difficult has it been for you trying to set up Studio Nailz & Beauty? This was quite difficult to start as I done this all on my own with no help whatsoever from government funding/loans etc. But I persevered and am proud to say I done it on my own. Are you fully mobile or do you have premises that you are based? Yes I am fully mobile, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I would ever go back to being salon based. What has been your proudest moment so far? Hmmm this is a tricky one... I must say I was pleased as punch when I was contacted from a client in Scotland who was competing in a pageant in Newcastle and she had heard of me and checked out my website. I jumped at the chance and went along to Newcastle and done her hair and makeup. She was in end finale and won best hair and makeup. I was over the moon because the other competitors had groups of stylists etc and I went on my own and Won. I have also had great opportunities to work with some salon based but then through changing premises for different reasons I decided I preferred to be mobile and go to clients who may not have the time or transport to get to salons. So what kind of services do you offer? I offer a range of treatments including Makeup application, Bridal Hair and makeup, waxing, tinting, lashes and nail enhancements and also pamper parties. What made you want to get involved in the makeup and beauty industry? I have always since being a child loved girly things and always

What top makeup or beauty tip can you give our readers? Remove all your makeup before you go to bed for great skin, use a primer before foundation for a flawless finish and always clean your makeup brushes thoroughly. When you are not working what do you like to get up to in your free time? I actually enjoy networking and have just recently started to get into the beauty blog side of the industry. I do enjoy socialising of course and love a pamper day now and again with a glass of champagne of course (I would say wine but I don’t like it haha) You recently got married and NE regular Ian Berry was your photographer, how did your big day go, was it everything you imagined it to be? Yes that’s right, I got married 11th April 2015 at St Paul’s church Jarrow and had the reception at The Little Haven Hotel in South Shields. The day was perfect. Ian Berry’s work was outstanding, professional from the day we visited his studio for a chat until the end album after the big day, very highly recommended. The Little Haven, well what can I say, the staff were absolutely brilliant the whole day, nothing was a problem and they

of the Tyne Tees Models, and have done photoshoots and events. If you could do anything in the makeup and beauty industry, what would it be and why? I would love the opportunity to work alongside the talented makeup artists at London/ New York Fashion week. Get to see what goes on backstage first hand. Are there any makeup or beauty trends that you think really should not be around?

I definitely hate the orange tango look, that’s just not a good look at all. I personally do not like the over drawn on brows either or over plucked/ waxed ones for that matter. If you could do the makeup for any celebrity, who would it be and why? I would love to be let loose on Lady Gaga. She has a phenomenal dress sense and seems to pull off some seriously odd looks and gets away with it.

For the rest of 2015 I will be concentrating on work, but will also be attending The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham NEC in December. Where can people follow you and Studio Nailz & Beauty? www.studionailzandbeauty.com Twitter - @studionailz79 Instagram - DIANE_KNOTT Facebook - Studio Nailz and Beauty Email all queries - dianeknott79@ gmail.com Is there anything you would like to add? I would just like to say thank you for taking the time to do this interview with myself and if anyone is wanting wedding bookings etc, book quickly as I get booked up well ahead. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us and we wish you nothing but success for the future Diane.

went above and beyond our expectations. I dealt with Kelly Jowsey at The Little Haven and she ensured every little thing went off smoothly. I couldn’t have asked for anything else. The big question is did you do your own makeup or did you entrust that job to someone else? I honestly was thinking about doing my makeup myself as I don’t usually like anyone doing it as I know what I like. However I thought it’s my big day and I want to feel like a princess and be pampered so I decided to hire a makeup artist who I

actually went to college with and competed in competitions with as a team to do it. Marie Scroggins who works at ND Makeup was brilliant from start to finish, her professionalism was second to none. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I used to live in South Africa. I used to work in South Shields biggest fun pub when I was 18 years old at The Venue (Actually my favourite job). I have taken pole dancing lessons. What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and beyond?

When it comes to double entendre’s this interview has them all, because there is no getting away from the fact that everyone want’s to get their hands on Dickies Nutz Hi Richie and welcome to NE Online Magazine…finally. Now you are well known around the North East fight scene but how about introducing yourself to our readers? Hi Wayne and thanks for getting me in for some questions. I’m a settled family guy with my wife Dawn, and two sons Andrew (15) and Daniel (12). Both Dawn and I are originally from the North East, although we’ve lived in other areas of the UK, until returning to the area nearly 10 years ago. I’m actually a molecular biologist by training and have worked for some of the biggest and best molecular diagnostic companies in the world. I have always enjoyed training and watching martial arts and combat sports, which along

with my other passion of digital photography, video and editing, led me into the local fight scene, recording events and producing DVDs for the promoters. I don’t do loads of shows, but regularly work for Ian Freemans promotion Machine MMA, along with Fight Fest and NTH Promotions.

It’s a great night out! However, my real passion is to set up my own business and hopefully get to a point where I can give up the ‘day job’ and focus on something built from nothing for myself. You are a regular at the fight shows and sporting events for filming the

shows but now you are making a name for yourself for another reason, so tell us all about your Nutz? LOL…..my Nutz are so tasty!……Everyone loves them in their mouth! It all started when I was training at Crossfit Glacier in Washington. I took part in a six week training program lead by Head Trainer Paul Davidson, which included a team exercise and diet program of Crossfit and clean eating. During this program raw nuts were included in the diet plan, which is great, but got rather boring after a time. So, I looked into making ‘clean’ spicy cashews, as an alternative to raw nuts. They were great, and people at the gym loved them too. I got requests to make and sell them (at cost price for friends), which was fine for a while, until the amount started to get up to 5kg at a time! So I looked at how this could work as a business and charge accordingly. I’d knew I’d have to add to the range to address different pallets, so I looked into other ‘clean’ flavours I could make. We also started a range

of ‘clean’ sweet nutz too, which sell really well with athletes as they are all natural, but also with everyone else as they taste great! During 2014 I did a lot of market testing of new flavours, and started putting the business plan together. We registered the limited company in January 2015 (Dickies Nutz Ltd) and started trading in May 2015. So what has the response been like so far? The response so far has been unbelievable to be honest. We seem to have a flavour for everyone, but the top sellers are definitely Chilli & Garlic, Sea Salt & Black Pepper, and the Cajun Cashews, along with the new sweet Chocolate Orange or Chocolate Lime Cashews. We only use top quality ingredients, with no added refined sugars or fats. We use a lot of Manuka honey for the sweet range, and a few sultanas as the only natural sugars in our sweet products. We sell direct to the public through our web site www.dickiesnutz.com and at selected Food Markets. We have a regular stand every Sun-

day at Tynemouth Market, and every first Sunday each month at Rainton Meadows Food and Craft Market. We will also be at loads of Christmas Fairs from now until Christmas. We supply several gyms in the area particularly with the sweet range of cashews, almonds, and nut bars. We are currently in discussions with several north east outlets to stock and re-sell our products. Anyone out there that thinks these products would be a suitable addition to your business offering just get in touch, this could include independent coffee shops, cafes, delicatessens, and farm food shops, also catering and event planners. How difficult has it been to get Dickies Nuts set up properly and trading as a business? For us so far it hasn’t been too difficult, however, no one gives it to you on a plate. You have to go out and do loads of research to get all the bits in place. I’m not the best with ‘rules and regulations’ and I’m a natural ‘rule breaker’ which is great to get things moving, but not good for adhering to guidance for setting up an industrial kitchen! So, I left most of that to Dawn as I get frustrated

with being ‘put in a box’! I try to channel my energy into getting to the end point without always considering the possible pitfalls, but if I do find pitfalls I tend to deal with them as they arise. Dawn is much more a ‘planner’ so we work well together……………most of the time …….It’s resulted in a top 5 star rating from Sunderland Environmental Health for Food Hygiene following the inspection! What has been the hardest part so far? I think there have been 2 hard parts so far. One was getting the kitchen facility ready and up to a level for inspection by environmental health. This was done with friends helping and getting the right people in for the jobs we couldn’t do ourselves. We have turned our home garage into the industrial kitchen for production and packaging. This has the advantage of minimising our costs in the early start up period while we find our feet and customers to help us grow. The plan is to be in our own unit as soon as possible if we grow enough from our initial set up. The other hard part was Dawn

making the decision to come out of her employment to run this business on a ‘day to day’ basis while I continue to bring in a wage while we start up. So far it’s working out! You have sold Dickies Nuts at several shows and sporting events as well as a few markets as well but what stands out as your favourite/proudest mo-

ment so far? I think the best is yet to come! However, so far, it’s definitely the positive feedback we get from people who try the products. We seem to have a flavour for everyone, and the great reviews we’ve received convince me more and more that this is the right direction. What flavours are available so far and who came up with the ideas for them? We currently have 11 savoury flavours grouped into “The Curry Club” (Vindaloo, Madras, Balti Masala, and Tandoori Masala) “Flavours of the World” (Cajun, Jamaican Jerk, Chinese 5 Spice, and Sea Salt & Black Pepper) and “Hot and Spicy” (Chilli & Garlic, Peri Peri, and Supahot). We have sweet cashews and Almonds in toasted coconut or toasted sesame seeds. For these we make a ‘clean’ caramel and

use it to stick the coconut or sesame seeds to the nuts. Also in the sweet range are the new Chocolate Orange or Chocolate Lime Cashews…….these taste fantastic and are already causing a headache to produce enough! We only use 100% Venezuelan Cacao which gives a fantastic chocolate taste, but without any added refined sugar! The savoury range was my idea, Dawn suggested a sweet range, but I developed the recipes etc. Now we both have ideas for expanding the range…..but we need to focus for now on what we have, to be successful. Between us we have too many ideas to be honest!

What flavour is your favourite? Easy, I have 2! Chilli & garlic and Cajun, from the savoury range and Chocolate Orange from the sweet!

Do you have any new flavours in the pipeline that you can tell us about? Yes, but we’re not letting the ‘cat out of the bag’ just yet! You’ll have to come and see us at a market or keep checking the web site and Facebook page for new lines launching! Are Nuts the only product you sell? Yes, we have based all our products so far around Cashew nuts and Almonds as they are the most healthy for humans to eat. We use a few brazils and pistachios in some of the sweet bars. We don’t use peanuts………..as they’re not a nut! Peanuts a legume closer relation to peas and beans than nuts! This may change as we grow, and will look to adding other lines based on our core philosophy of ‘clean’ and ‘tasting great’

When you are not busy being the Willy Wonka of the snack world what do you like to do in your free time? What is this thing you call ‘free time’? I have 2 teenage sons and 2 Bull Terriers so any free time is spent with this gang! I really appreciate Sunday morning walking the dogs with the kids at Whitburn Beach, followed by a coffee at Latimers! Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I once ‘stumbled’ into a police sting in Romania trying to catch ‘bent coppers’ extorting money from people for traffic offences. The next day I was main witness in the courtroom giving evidence sending 2 bent Romanian coppers to the can for a few years! I’m a scientist by trade……..I can be a bit of a nerd if you discuss molecular biology, DNA

and viruses with me! I have a habit of telling it ‘as it is’…………without thinking about other peoples feelings! I try to control it, but it’s difficult with some people! Are you still going to be doing the fight scene videos or is your new focus going to be on Dickies Nutz? I will keep going with the ones I do now……I enjoy the nights out and most of the people involved are great. The main focus is definitely on Dickies Nutz as I see this as my ‘out card’ from being a wage slave. Where can people buy Dickies Nutz? Online from our web site www. dickiesnutz.com…….Every Sunday on Tynemouth Market (West platform at the moment), Rainton Meadows Food & Craft Market every first Sunday of the month, various Food Markets in the area, Crossfit Glacier Washington, and more to be announced on the web site shortly. What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and into 2016? Keep going, but focus more and more on getting quality outlets selling our products. We’re going in the right direction and could be in a ‘deli’, or ‘farm food shop’, or gym, or large outlet near you……soon!

Is there anything you would like to add? Everyone loves Dickies Nutz in their mouth! Coming soon for Christmas and birthdays……. Dickies Nut Sack, a ready made gift for someone special. Also watch out for ‘The nut case’ by mail order through the

website…….4 snack size packs delivered through your letterbox! Thanks for taking the time to talk to us and we look forward to getting our hands on your Nutz soon. Thanks Wayne, you’re always welcome to grab my Nutz!

And where can people follow you? Yes, both Facebook, and Twitter, search for DickiesNutz! www.dickiesnutz.com and anyone can drop us a line at dickiesnutz@sky.com for information and we even arrange local drop off for larger orders. We’re based in Washington.

#MyBigIdea

A.R.C. TOP SECRET FILES

A.R.C. MEMBER 004

Robbie Milor 20

A.R.C. MEMBER 004 - Robbie Milor 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 Robbie Milor Hi Robbie and welcome to NE, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Hi my name is Robbie Milor I’m 38 and I’m from Ponteland. I have a wife and three daughters and I’m a caretaker of a school in Newcastle. You are well known as the God of Mischief, Loki, but what other characters have our readers seen you as so far, even if they didn’t realise? Over my years of costuming I

have worn a number of costumes, people mostly know me as Batman, The Riddler and Indiana Jones, along with my most recent costume Loki. So how did you get started in costuming? After a romantic night away at Lumley Castle with my wife, we stopped off at the Metrocentre on the way home and to her misfortune we bumped into The 99th Garrison, only joking my wife has been very supportive and even

costumed herself on a couple of occasions along with my daughters. That moment seeing them guys in their Star Wars costumes I got the costume bug, I’ve always been a show off! and wanted to be part of it, especially getting to dress up as my childhood heroes. Costuming not only takes up your time but also a lot of money, tell us your thoughts on this? Costuming can be very expensive and time consuming but the more you get into the scene the more

There’s so many great moments I’ve had but a few that stand out are being on stage at the Sage with a full orchestra playing Star Wars dressed as a biker scout, my first ever Knightcon event with my wife as The Riddler and Harley Quinn, getting up at 5am on Fathers Day to see a brave little boy off on his trip to America with my fellow North East Avengers are all special memories for me. Conventions are well known for having big name guests, who would you like to meet and why? Bruce Campbell is simply a legend and my all time hero I would love to meet him and Harrison Ford would be second on my list. Have you had any funny or embarrassing incidents? I have had so many funny moments in my time costuming, from driving through a Macdonalds drive through in full Batman costume to weekends away to Scifi weekender. One of the most embarrassing moments was at the Antman premier in front of a crowd and photographers I bent down to friends and contacts you get. What I have done is started with a basic costume and built it up over time as I am doing with my Loki and Ash at the moment, plus there is always options of swaps and trades. Something doesn’t have to cost the earth to look good if you put the passion into it. You have already brought many characters to life but if you could suit up as any character who would it be and why?

If money was no object I would love to have a screen accurate Boba Fett. Out of all of your costumes which is your favourite and why? Ash from Evil Dead is my favourite character, I grew up with the film Evil Dead 2 and cannot wait for the new TV show it’s going to be groovy! What event/moment in costume stands out the most for you?

help award some gifts to some young Avengers when my Loki pants completely ripped at the back and I had to get up slowly and shuffle off sideways like a crab to the changing area a little red faced. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I have a Powerpuff Girls tattoo in honour of my three daughters. I have been playing street fighter for 28 years and have competed in regional and national competitions in that time as well as being in Games Master magazine. I have been a WWE/WCW wrestling fan for as long as I

can remember, my favourite wrestlers of all time are Shawn Michaels the Hart Break Kid and Rick Flair. When you are not costuming

what do you like to get up to? I love spending time with my family taking trips to the beach and we are big movie fans so love to spend a Saturday night watching a good film with nice

food and drink. I am also a big animal lover we have two cats, a rabbit and a guinea pig. I’m passionately into Politics and social justice, having been a Labour Party member for the last twenty years. It’s nearly time for Star Wars The Force Awakens, how excited are you for this?

I’m probably more excited for this than Christmas!! I love all Star Wars from the six movies to Clone wars so this is going to be epic. Marvel or DC? DC the Dark Knight Returns was the first comic I ever read. People are saying the Superhero bubble is about to burst, what do you think about this? I think people will always need heroes from Greek Gods to King Arthur, I think Super Heroes will always be here. What character/comic would you like to see made into a film or TV show? I would love to see a Street Fighter TV show based on the character Cammy White. What is your biggest pet hate when at events? My biggest hate at events is

when costumers let ego go to their head and act like they are in the TA or something and talk down to people and boss them about, when at the end of the day they are just adults playing dress up. What advice would you give to anyone that wants to get involved in costuming? My advice would be less is more, I have learned that having loads of costumes is not as good as having two or three. If you put your passion into

a single costume and wear it consistently for events you will become known for that character. Choose a character that you really love and respect and have fun! What can we expect from you during 2015? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m only doing a handful of appearances for the rest of the year as I have cut back a lot of my costumes and am just concentrating on upgrading my Loki and Ash, I hope to be adding a Doctor Strange costume by next year.

East Avengers Facebook page and the ARC fan base Facebook page. Is there anything you would like to add? Respect to all my ARC and

North East Avengers crew and my other costume friends around the globe, be excellent to each other and party on dudes!! Photos by Jon Dea, Nicholas Gray and Ian Tennick

Where can people follow you and keep up to date with A.R.C. and North East Avengers events and appearances? I have my costume page MERC Milorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Emporium Replica Costumes and on the North

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

30 30

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!

MICHELLE BIRBECK

much of a story if all she had was normal days!

We catch up with North East Wordsmith Michelle Birbeck after he launch of a couple of her new books. Hi Michelle and welcome to NE Online Magazine, we will start off with something nice and easy, why don’t you introduce yourself to our readers? Hello! I’m Michelle, obviously, and I live in the North East and write novels and short stories. I live with my husband of fourteen years, and a cat of the same age who still acts like a kitten. These days, writing is my full time job, when I’m not sewing, running, or chasing the cat off my sewing machine. We saw you earlier in the year at Teesside Unleashed when you

were promoting some of your books but you now have some new books out now that are the conclusion to your Keepers’ Chronicles series, tell us a bit more about those? They are books 3 and 4 in The Keepers’ Chronicles, and are the conclusion to the series. The first book came out in 2012 and is called The Last Keeper. The series follows Serenity Cardea, an immortal tasked with looking after the balance between the races. Between vampires, rogue Weres, and witches, she has a full time job on a normal day. Of course, there wouldn’t be

Where did you get the idea for the Keepers’ Chronicles series? I read a lot. There is barely a time when I’m not reading or re-reading one thing or another. And ever since I was in school, I’ve been reading about vampires, witches, wereanimals, anything that is supernatural and different. Then one day, about eight years ago now, I started thinking about why exactly the immortal races don’t just rise up and take over. If they’ve got all these extra powers, then why don’t they use them? And if they’re not using them, then what’s stopping them? From there, Serenity was born. She’s part of a race called the Keepers, and they job is simple: to stop the immortals rising up and going, oohh, nom nom humans! After that it was a case of sitting down and staring at a blank page until words appeared. How and when did you start off writing? I began many years ago when I was in school, with stories that featured my friends and me. But life being what it is, got in the way after I left school, and

hardest staring at a completely blank page and wondering where exactly to begin. The obvious answer would be at the beginning, but that isn’t always the case. So getting that first line down can be the most difficult part, but once that is down, everything flows much easier. Who is your favourite author and why? No one who knows me will be surprised by this answer. If I have to pick just one author, it has to be Richard Laymon. Not only do I have every one of his books in paperback, but I have been working on a first edition and signed collection of his, too. He writes horror, including monsters, magic, and the supernatural. Out of all the books he has written, there isn’t a one I disliked. And your favourite book? Just one? There is no way I can pick just one! I have several books that I go back to time and time again, and several series. The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a staple re-read of mine, as is the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, along with a romance series that I discovered many years ago. The most recent addition to my reading list of favourites is the Richard Castle Nikki Heat series.

it wasn’t until I left work about eight years ago that I took it up again as a way to keep busy.

How difficult has it been getting your work published? There have been ups, downs, absolute insanity, and many days where I look at the books I have published and think, wow, how did I get here? I kind of stumbled into being published. Christmas 2010 I was invited to an online launch party for a friend of mine, and there I got talking to her publisher. Eighteen months later, and more ups and downs that I care to remember, The Last Keeper was released.

Some authors say they find it a real struggle to write, is this the case with you? It really depends on the day. There are days when I don’t write anything at all. And there are days when I do nothing but write and will write 10,000 words in one day. I find when writing is difficult that music helps. It has to be the right sort of music for the writing, though. No point listening to heavy metal when writing a love scene, unless that’s what the characters are into! What do you find is the hardest part of writing a book? The first sentence. It’s always

When you are not writing what do you like to do with your free time? Other than reading, which I spend a whole lot of time doing, I love to sew and cosplay. Sewing is something I have been able to do for years, from making my

anywhere you can buy books. Just search for Michelle Birbeck and they will all come up. Where can they follow you and keep up to date with you? I’m on Facebook, twitter, tumblr, and I have my website, though I must admit that my Tumblr is full or more pretty pictures than it is writing! Facebook: www.facebook.com/ michellebirbeck Twitter: @michellebirbeck Tumblr: www.michellebirbeck. tumblr.com

own clothes, to making bags and cushion covers and curtains. And lately, I’ve been putting that talent to use making cosplays. My first one was a rather ambitious project of a dress from the show Firefly. If you’ve seen the show, then you’ll know that the dress in question is big, poufy, and covered in layers upon layers of pink ruffles. Since then I’ve made several costumes, including my most recent one of a female Ming the Merciless. So when I’m not writing, I am sat at my machine, cursing myself for deciding on the most complicated costume I can think of.

Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I’m badly allergic to coconut, which makes shopping an interesting task, as coconut is everywhere at the moment. Unfortunately, this includes all my favourite hot chocolates and ice creams. Every Monday night I go to a drumming club, where a bunch of us sit around and play drums (djembe drums) for a couple of hours. When I was five, I tried to teach the fish to read by putting my entire Beatrix Potter collection in the fish tank.

Website: www.michellebirbeck. co.uk (There’s a theme there somewhere!) Is there anything you would like to add? I also write short horror stories and sci-fi novels. The horror shorts are dark and it’s not recommended to read them before bed. A nice, bright day is always the better option! And the sci-fi is set in York, which apparently counts as the north of England, despite it being fairly south from where I live. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us and we look forward to reading your new work

What advice would you give to any of our readers that are interested in writing a book themselves? Write a book, in full. No matter whether you’re the kind of person to plan every inch of the book beforehand or to just let it flow, the best place to start is to finish a whole book. And then when you’ve written one, write another. Getting published doesn’t happen overnight, even if you choose self-publishing, so absolutely keep writing whilst you’re looking to get published. Where can people buy your books? They are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, pretty much

If you were ever going to get committed then this is the Asylum for you, it is full of the craziest geeks out there, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you to The Geek Asylum. Hi Guys and welcome to NE, we have been members of the Geek Asylum for ages now but I think it’s time we introduced the people behind it, the crazy loving admin team, so away you go, tell us who you are? Hi NE, thanks so much for this wonderful opportunity, the Admin Team of the Asylum would like to introduce themselves first, James Wilkinson(JW) - I’m James and it was my fault this all started in the first place, I’m originally from South Shields but now live in Darlington. I work in a local secondary school and am interested in most things ‘geek’ I am a bit of a party animal as most of my Facebook friends will see with the running commentary of photos and selfies. I enjoy travelling and regularly enjoy visiting Northumberland where my parents live. Mike ‘Deadman’ Kell (MDK) - I’m Mike, from Bishop Auckland in County Durham, work in Business Technical Support for a mobile phone company.

Chris Kemp (CK) - Chris, born and bred in Darlington, I’ve been involved in the convention scene for about 3 years now and usually take photos at events organised by Lee Hunter under the pseudonym ‘Spikeybwoy Photography’. My secret identity is not that exciting as I work for a Government contractor but at the weekends I love that I get to do awesome things with awesome people. Kerry King-Neale (KK) - I’m Kerry from Hebburn in Tyne & Wear. I’m a full-time carer to my mum and have enjoyed going to conventions for a couple of

years, but only started cosplaying a year ago. Robert Brad (RB) - I’m Rob originally from Darlington, now living in a little village called Ramshaw. I’m a Field Ecologist during the day and prop maker by night. Lawrence Grech (LG) - I am Lawrence Grech from Oklahoma City. I was originally born in London but fell in love with an American girl 10 years ago and now live in the USA. I am an artist by trade and a children’s entertainer on the weekends.

The Geek Asylum is one of those rare pages on Facebook that is all about the positivity and of course everything geek, so how did the page come about? The Geek Asylum started about a year ago. There was 6 members who were James, Chris, James’ little brother, cousin, nephew and a couple of friends. It was basically a place to post things relating to anything geeky, to avoid annoying our none geeky friends with a stream of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and other posts. Since then, mostly from attending conventions more and

more people have been added and joined us and it has exploded in number to becoming one of the most active groups on Facebook for geeks. Did you ever expect the page/ group to become so popular and to become as big as it has? JW - Not at all it has really taken off and has become a haven for people to post their funny posts, costume photos, asking for advice relating to cosplay, debates as well as competitions to keep people involved. It makes me feel so proud that so many people have joined and enjoy the group for what it

is. A fun loving place. It’s great to know that people are going to conventions and meeting people which they have met through the asylum. I love how passionate our inmates are when it comes to talking about things like “Who would win out of a fight between Thor and Kratos” or giving advice on how to make the best armour for their Skyrim costume – it’s brilliant! There’s so many creative and talented people in the asylum. Be it armour making, drawing pictures, sewing and much more! If you’re ever stuck then please pop a post up and ask away – you’ll get the help you need. We hope more people join up of course. We are North East based but want people from all over to get locked up in the madhouse. MDK - Nope, it is a massive honour that the group has become as popular and big as it has. I’m just pleased to be a part of it and hope it goes from strength to strength. CK - If someone had told me that James’ little geek group would become the rapidly expanding community it is today, I would have never believed them. There are so many brilliant and fantastic inmates in the Asylum and the community spirit of the group is amazing, everyone is extremely supportive and we are now known as one of the nicest groups on Facebook. KK - I thought it’d literally be friends we already knew, not this global beast it’s grown and still growing - into! RB - Nope, I was one of the first people in the group and back then it was just a place for a few friends to express their geekiness but seeing how big it has become is fantastic!

LG – I still cannot believe how much the Geek Asylum has grown and think it is great that it is going international. So how did the collaboration with official Geek Asylum merchandisers BlueCyborg come about? (Get yours at http:// bluecyborg.com/official-merchandise/the-geek-asylum) BlueCyborg is amazing!! We got chatting about caps and Tshirts and Andy agreed to put some out. Since then it’s become very popular to have a cap, tshirt, hoody and even badges. Watch this space though as there’ll be more merchandise coming out very soon! BlueCyborg provide a fast efficient service and can have a Tshirt on your doorstep within a day or so. It’s amazing when you are at a con and see a fellow inmate wearing their merchandise with pride - it’s usually followed by shriek-

ing, hugging and a great way for us to recognise our fellow inmates.

Some people love Star Wars, some Star Trek, maybe Marvel over DC or Disney or Doctor Who. I know it’s hard to pick just one thing but what is your biggest geek passion? JW - STAR WARS!!! Growing up with my older brothers who loved Star Wars it was going to be hard to avoid watching it. Even now my little brother and I watch them as much as

we can. We have filled our flat with so much merchandise it’s like walking into The Forbidden Planet or Disney Store. MDK - That’s a tough one as it changes over the years but I guess at the moment it’s Horror. Films, books, games, whatever. CK - For me, it has to be Marvel, I do love the whole spectrum of geeky subjects listed above but the fantastical universe launched by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby back in the 60s is my favourite. Growing up as a child, I always wanted to see the fantastical adventures of these characters on the big screen and now I can plus I get to buy the action figures my seven year old self would have loved. KK - RED DWARF!! I’m a total smeghead and proud! My auntie introduced me to it in the 80s and it’s my all-time favourite TV programme ever! I’m also a massive fan of Ray Harry-

bottom and move around this way Inmates are often seen attending conventions, what has been your all time favourite event and why? JW - Our inmates are at more and more conventions, our aim is to try and get an asylum photo at the end of each convention to ‘spread the madness’. My favourite event was Teesside Unleashed in Middlesbrough which was organised by our super friend Lee Hall. I got to meet the original Boba Fett, Jeremy Bulloch – I was in total awe! He was just so great and took the time to chat to as many people as he could. I remember the queue being massive that day (I didn’t realise there were so many fans in Teesside) it was amazing! MDK - Has to be Dimension Jump (Red Dwarf Convention) Having shots with Hattie Hayridge, sharing a pint and discussing Micro-Breweries

hausen. RB - Star Wars without a seconds thought. I love everything Star Wars to the point there are figures, books and displays in every room of my house, I have more Stormtrooper helmets than sense and watch the movies at least once a week. LG - My biggest geek passion has to be Superheroes Marvel or DC. I believe there is a Superhero in all of us and the thing I love about Cosplay is that it helps bring out our inner hero.

Tell us 1 random thing about yourselves? JW - I have a huge crush on Christian Bale, so if you’re reading Chrissy get in touch!!! MDK - I used to have long hair down to my waist. CK - As a boy, I had two drawings published in Star Wars weekly. KK - I once said “Boo” to a goose. It wasn’t as empowering as I’d hoped. RB - I feel asleep in a bin at a nightclub once!!! LG - One random thing about myself is that I can hop on my

with Chris Barrie and discussing “Borderlands” an amazing British Horror film with its star Gordon Kennedy being my favourite highlights. CK - I would go with James’ response but as he has already covered that one, Knight-Con last year blew my mind, I had been to a lot of cons but this was my first big event, the whole day absolutely flew by and I am really looking forward to seeing who Rob and his team have up their sleeves for 2015. KK - The Red Dwarf convention, Dimension Jump. It was just incredible, from the organisation to the activities and having a night out with Rimmer, Holly & co. Quite surreal! RB - Would have to be Newcastle Film and Comic Con, just because its close enough to go with all of my friends and the atmosphere is really amazing and everyone is so friendly. LG - I have not attended any comic cons myself yet but hope to in the near future. My all time favourite event was going to see the Dark Knight trilogy premier in London and getting to see all the Batmobiles from past and current movies was awesome. Do you all cosplay at the events, if you do, what is your favourite costume? JW - I do cosplay and love it. Not at all the events though. I helped at York Comic Con a couple of weeks ago on the front door and enjoyed it. Meeting so many people and talking to them about their costumes was great. They also got to have my initials on their hands as a ‘stamper’. Some people got my scribble on their necks too! I cosplay as Darth

Revan from Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars game) He’s a bit of a bad boy. If you see him please go up and say hi – you’ll get a muffled response due to the mask but I’ll be smiling underneath. MDK - I do, my current one is my favourite Dr Hugo Strange (Batman Villain). CK - I have only been cosplaying about 10 months now and I really can’t choose between

Spike and Riddler. Both are bad boys and I have real fun playing them. It’s really strange that Mums love Spike and kids run a mile where with Riddler, it’s Dads and kids who want photos. KK - My favourite cosplay is Ursula the sea witch from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”. I chose to cosplay her because I’ve always been a big girl and there aren’t many big characters portrayed

in films! I’m a huge advocate of cosplaying whatever you like no matter what size you are, but I actually wanted use what I already had naturally and do something I hadn’t seen before. Even though I’ve lost a lot of weight since first being Ursula, I think I’ll always cosplay her because I love her sass!!! RB - I don’t often get about due to my work but when I do I like to don my Shadow Trooper armour and constantly get mistaken for Darth Vader. LG - Me and my wife got into Cosplay about 3 or 4 years ago. We love the dressing up part but also building the costumes is the most fun as we are always trying to push ourselves to be more creative. I’m currently working on a seven foot tall Hulk.

If you could meet anyone famous, past or present, who would it be and why? JW - I want to meet Madonna! I love her to bits, though I’ve heard she can be hard to talk to

sometimes. I’d talk to her about all the things she has done. How she stays so fit. She is very versatile (In more ways than one). She’s achieved so much! MDK - Robert E Howard, my favourite author and friend/ collaborator to H. P. Lovecraft CK - Joss Whedon, I’d love to go for dinner with him and talk all things Avengers, Buffy, Serenity... it would need to be a very long meal. KK - My great grandad on my mother’s side. He was grammar school educated and I’m told he was an amazing magician! RB - Professor Steven Hawking, he is a massive inspiration to me. He has overcome so much, both physically and mentally whilst constantly pushing forwards the boundaries of science and never letting the negative bring him down or define him. Not to mention I’m a huuuuge science geek and have a love of Physics. LG - I would love to meet Stan Lee as I know he is getting on a bit and it would be so cool

to meet the person that helped create some of the Superheroes that I aspire to be in my everyday life. How can readers become inmates of the Asylum? It’s dead easy. You need to be on Facebook and you just search for ‘The Geek Asylum’ and click ‘Join’ one of us will accept you as we do a quick check to see if you are going to post fake Raybans Sunglasses posts or not. What else can we expect from the Geek Asylum during the rest of the year? We will be popping up at as many conventions as possible. More competitions and of course more fun! It’s quicker to tell you what NOT to expect - BOREDOM! Keep watching guys. Thanks for chatting with us guys and we look forward to catching up with you at the next event

June is a big month for us with some fantastic films coming your way, so we have teamed up with Cineworld Boldon to give you a quick run down on a few films that reall have got us excited. Plus make sure you check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with their daily competitions and updates. www.facebook.com/cineboldon

Released 26th October 12A Starring Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz, Naomie Harris, Monica Bellucci, Andrew Scott, Léa Seydoux, David Bautista

In the latest James Bond adventure, a cryptic message from 007’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organisation. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE... The team behind the recordbreaking ‘Skyfall’ return for the 24th spectacular Bond extravaganza. The universally

acclaimed ‘Skyfall’ took more than $1 billion worldwide and became the UK’s highest grossing film of all time. Now Daniel Craig is back for his fourth outing as the legendary 007. ‘Skyfall’ director Sam Mendes and writer John Logan are also

onboard for what promises to be another brilliant and action-packed blockbuster. CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 released 19th November Starring Julianne Moore, Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Natalie Dormer, Willow Shields

Katniss Everdeen’s rebellion against the Capitol reaches its long-awaited, actionpacked climax! A year after Part 1 hit the screens, the dramatic conclusion of the Hunger Games saga finally arrives. Having reluctantly

agreed to become the ‘mockingjay’ - or poster child - for the rebellion, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) now holds the key to the fate

of Panem. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Crimson Peak - 16th October Starring Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam Acclaimed Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro returns with this chilling Gothic horror. In 19th century England, comely young author Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) finds herself taken with the dashing, mysterious Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston). A whirlwind romance soon leads to marriage and Thomas whisks her off to live at his forbidding, isolated mansion. Whilst attempting to acclimatise to her new surroundings, Edith begins to suspect that her new husband is harbouring his fair share of secrets, suspicions exacerbated

by the presence of his sister Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain). Soon, she discovers that the house is haunted by mysterious entities, each of whom appears to be connected to ThomasÃ¢?? past Ã¢?? but what is the real secret of Crimson Peak? Celebrated director of PanÃ¢??s Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro returns to his horror and fairy tale roots with this lavishly appointed, all-star period horror story, one in which nothing is at it seems.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Hotel Transylvania 2 released 16th october Starring Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Mel Brooks The gang of Hotel Transylvania return in this eagerly-awaited sequel to the 2012 monster hit. Count Dracula isn’t happy. Though

he has a grandson now in the shape of Dennis, he’s disappointed that the little chap isn’t, well, enough of a proper vampire. So when Dennis’ parents, Mavis and Johnny, go on holiday, the Count enlists his friends Frank, Murray, Wayne, Griffin and Blobbie, to help put Dennis through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. Meanwhile, to add to Dracula’s woes, his father, Vlad, turns up, and blows his top when he finds

out that Hotel Transylvania now accepts humans... The world’s most fangtastic hotel proprietor, Count Dracula (Adam Sandler), returns for another hilarious animated adventure. Joining Sandler on voice duties are Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Kevin James, and - as Dracula’s father - the legendary Mel Brooks! CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Star Wars: The Force Awakens released 17th December ‘Star Trek’ director JJ Abrams takes the helm for the start

of an epic ‘Star Wars’ sequel trilogy. Episode VII of the world’s most popular space opera is co-written by ‘Star Wars’ veteran Lawrence Kasdan. He was co-writer of fan favourites ‘The Empire

Strikes Back’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’. Cast and story details are being kept strictly under wraps. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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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. Hi Martyn and welcome to NE, it’s took a while but we have ﬁnally got you in here. So let’s start of with an introduction who are you where are you from? Hi thanks for the opportunity to share my work with you. I’m Martyn Jones, owner of Martyn Jones Photography based in County Durham. Martyn Jones Photography is a regular at a lot of Fight shows, how did you get started doing them? It all started about 3 years ago, I have always mucked about with cameras as far back as I can remember but a friend of mine mentioned to me that there was a ﬁght gym in Stockton looking for someone to photograph a show. That Gym was Contender Promotions, I did a show loved every second

and was hooked! I have been very blessed that people have given me opportunities and stuck by me because they know they will get 110%. What do you think makes a good sports photographer?

Dedication, to be honest you have to find your outlet, find that passion that burns inside you. For some people that’s rugby or football, for me its combat sports . If you could shoot any fighter

who would it be and why? I have been very lucky over the last few years to work with the best of the best, the likes of Paul Semtex Dayley , Melvin Manhoef even Frank Bruno. I see a lot of fights from the best seat in the house and the fighters I love working with are ones with the fire in their bellies and the heart of a lion, be that a seasoned pro or a grass routes amatuer, if the passion is there it makes for great photography . You are well known for your striking Black & White images, tell us your reasons behind this? Last year I set my self a challenge to do a year in black and white , when you strip away the colour you bare your soul you take away that crutch and makes the image a lot rawer. The composition and lighting has to be spot on and certainly makes you work with what you have got . After a while you kind of see the shots in black and white.

There are big things happening with a new venture on the way, do you want to share it with us? Yeah I’m taking the documentary style I use to capture the emotion and story of the ﬁght nights and putting a vintage boho chic spin on it and bringing it to the wedding scene to produce some captivating images. I’m bored of seeing the same

12 wedding photos done by everyone because that’s the way it’s been done since 1972. Time to mix it up and break the rules that’s what Martyn Jones Photography is all about. How hard has it been to get it all set up? It has been tough but I have a very supporng family who understand I need to do what I do, it will all be worth it in

capturing that special event? It is scary the camera on the phone in my pocket has the same spec as my back up camera but its the time, dedication and experience that the professional gives you. There is a vast diﬀerence between taking a picture and making a photograph especially with sport photography. Some ﬁghters on the scene I know what they’re going to throw next before they do. You have to be able to be that step ahead or see that shot no one else has seen, that split second of emotion which I think makes a good photo into a great one. You have to be able to read people and that only comes with putting lots of hours in. What advice would you give to anyone that wants to really get into photography? Find your own style, it doesn’t happen straight away. I wore many hats getting to where I am now but it will click. Live and breath your kit, read the manual, go out there and shoot landscape shots on portrait mode, change the settings, see what happens. It has to be an extention of your eyes, got to be intuative, it takes time and I always live by 3 simple rules. 1. Don’t tell everybody everything......

the end. There are a lot of people who claim to oﬀer what I’m putting on the table but don’t have the kahunas to mix it up . The boho and vintage wedding scene is massive, I want to bring my documentary style to capture that amazing day in a unique way. So what made you want to be a photographer? It’s always something I have been around my camera is never more than 6 feet away from me and to be honest people telling me I shouldn’t or can’t shoot things the

way I do “you can’t shoot a ﬁght night using a ﬁxed lens” DONE! “ you can’t do a full year in black and white” Nearly DONE “What you do won’t work in a wedding environment” tell me I can’t then watch me work twice as hard to prove you wrong. Unfortunately these days’ people think that just because they have bought an iphone or an expensive camera it means that they are a photographer, give us your thoughts on this and why people should really go to a professional when it comes to

When you are not taking photos what do you like to do in your free me? Well I have a young family so when I’m not taking photos my time is spent with them but my camera never that far away lol. My other big passion is music especially when I have editing to do I’m always looking for

that inspiration, that spark. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I own over 100 80s movies. I’m a massive Pink Floyd fan with the tatoos to prove it. My super powers come from my beard!

Where can people follow you and keep up to date with Martyn Jones Photography? Well I’m available to follow on Most social media Facebook www.facebook.com/ MartynJonesPhotography And Twitter @Martynjonesphot Is there anything you would like to add? Watch this space there is lots and lots coming. Thanks for taking the me to talk to us and we will see you at the next show.

YORK UNLEASHED COSTUME COMPETITION WINNERS Snow White Rachel Tate aka ‘Irish Rach’ And Jawa Lewis Rutter Sunday the 30th of August saw York Unleashed take over the York Racecourse for York’s very first Con and thiis was an absolute sell out! Though when you find out that the people behind it are Hunters Toys and Hall Or Nothing Events who run the incredible Teesside Unleashed then really it should come as no surprise at all. NE work closely with Lee Hunter and his team to help promote the events and this was no different, so we decided to give an awesome prize to the winners of the kids and the adults costume competition, we offered a feature and the front cover. A big thank you goes to official Unleashehed Photographer Chris Kemp from Spikeybwoy Photography for shooting our winners. So over the next few pages we will introduce you to our York Unleashed Winneres and even one of the Judges.

Did you buy the costume or was it made by yourself or with help? The costume I wore was borrowed by my cool next door neighbours (who are also huge comic-con fans!). Detail is really important to me, (I think that’s my OCD) I was really particular about having the correct shoes, head band, hair, make up and props. I always think if you’re going to dress up you cannot do it in halves you have to put everything into it! (Even if it means walking around with an apple in your hand all day!!) How did you feel when you were announced as the winner? Honestly? I was completely shocked - it was a huge surprise! It was my neighbours (Laura & Aimee) that recommended I enter the competition, (thank you ladies!). It was a very exciting experience and a huge honour to win. Every single person who entered the CosPlay was incredible in their own way...and were all winners

Hi Rachel and welcome to NE, can you introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Rachel Tate aka ‘Irish Rach’, I am 28 years old (originally from Dublin, Ireland) now living just outside of Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Congratulations on winning the York Comic-Con Unleashed Cosplay Competition, why did you chose the costume you did? Thank you so much! I am over the moon to be a winner of the York Comic-Con Cos-

play competition. Choosing a costume for my first Cosplay was really difficult for me. It was my first comic con and I really wanted to choose something a little bit different to showcase my character ability, and really try stand out from the crowd. Snow White is one of my favourite Disney characters; she is sweet, innocent and just full of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of being able to play and act out scenes with some really interesting and unique characters from different genres.

in my eyes. The time, level and skill used on the costumes at the CosPlay was really impressive. I left their very motivated and Inspired. Is this the first time you have entered this kind of competition or have you entered at other conventions? I have always been involved in acting and performance from a very young age (that is where my love for dress up has come from). However I have never entered any similar competition - York Unleashed was my very first convention and competition. This was the very first York Unleashed event, how did you enjoy it? York Unleashed was a fantastic event with a brilliant atmosphere! I thoroughly enjoyed the varied stalls, I could have literally bought everything for my house! I absolutely loved being in character all day (and no one thinking I was strange), it was so much fun being asked to pose in photographs with other characters and the general public! It was a very exciting, event which was ran very smoothly. I cannot wait for the next one!!! Apart from winning what was your favourite part? My favourite part of the event (apart from winning) was the people at the event. I was blown away by how friendly everyone was. I was made to feel very welcome and each person made such an effort to say hello, and interact with me in character. I made some fantastic friends at the event and I am very excited about CosPlaying at future events!

Are there any other characters that you want to bring to life at future events? Yes! I am already thinking about what characters I can bring to life at the next Comiccons. Without giving too much away...I am looking at the SciFi genre! (watch this space)...

role in Game of Thrones. 2. I have a strange obsession with eating Jaffa Cakes and water. 3. I am currently being used for an up and coming original comic book by Mike Clarke Still Brown Studios Canada.

Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? 1. I was short listed for a lead

tion or have you entered at other conventions? It’s only the second time I’ve worn this costume and it’s the first time I’ve been in a competition. This was the very first York Comic-Con Unleashed event, how did you enjoy it? I had a lot of fun; I liked seeing all the other people dressed in costumes, and all the stalls selling funko pops and comics. Apart from winning what was your favourite part? Getting to have my picture taken with Iron man. Are there any other characters that you want to bring to life at future events? I would like to be a Storm Trooper Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? • I like Pokémon • My brother costumes too he’s a mini death stroke • I like to read the Beano

Hi and welcome to NE, can you introduce yourself to our readers? My Name is Lewis Rutter, I have just had my 8th birthday last month and I live in York. Congratulations on winning the York Unleashed Cosplay Competition, why did you choose the costume you did? My Mum has Star Wars costumes and I saw the film and I liked Jawa’s because they are small like me.

Did you buy the costume or was it made by yourself or with help? My Mum made it for me. How did you feel when you were announced as the winner? I was very happy, and a bit scared too, there were lots of people clapping and looking at me. Is this the first time you have entered this kind of competi-

Judge Gary Scarbrough from Scunthorpe North Lincs TV & film Comic Con What are your thoughts on York Unleashed? The event itself was a good event for an ever growing market of these types of events, these type of events are really starting to grow in to a popular stage for people to attend and enjoy. Being a judge is never easy, but how hard was it to pick a winner? Being a judge is never easy, as all the costumes are very good and excellent throughout. It is a hard choice to make, one

that I have made at other shows before, so the things you have to watch for is the detail now in the costume. Why did you chose our winners over the other entrants, what made them stand out more than the rest? The winners, well they are all winners, every costume that enters is a winner, but the two that stood out for me, was the detail in the outfits and the acting on stage of that character. Would you want to judge another one or was once hard enough? Yes I would be happy to judge other events if I was asked to help.

STEFFEN PEDDIE

HE HAS 99 PROBLEMS One of the busiest men in the North East, Steffen Peddie is everywhere doing pretty much everything, but he has taken 5 minutes out to talk to us so read on. Hi Steffen and welcome to NE. I really don’t know how people cannot know who you are seeing as you are on TV, Radio and in venues all over the UK, but how about an introduction for those people who have been living in a cave? I am just a bloke from Newcastle who has got around a bit. Along the way I have had a rather colourful life, including being a kids tv presenter, a Dad, a pro wrestler, acting, singing, playing monsters on film, being a husband and working as a Stand Up Comedian. So a bit of a varied CV. But it’s the stand up and acting that most people know me from. You are currently on tour at the moment; tell us a bit more about that? It’s a new thing for me, and for most comics it’s their agents

who sort all of this out for them. As I am my own agent, it’s a bit more work organising everything but makes it that bit more rewarding when it works. And if it doesn’t sell well, then I only have myself to blame. Your show is very unusual to most other stand up shows, is there a reason behind your format? The show is completely different every time. The show is called “99 Problems and the Chips Aren’t One” so it involves the audience writing different questions or “problems” for me to try and answer or solve. Why should people get a ticket to come and see you? It’s unlike any stand up show you will have seen, really it’s a “choose your own adventure” comedy show. And you the audience make it about what you

want to talk about. And that’s the scary bit. What is the hardest part in doing the tour? Not knowing what the show is going to be about! As it’s all improvised from the audience questions I never know what’s going to happen. The

most people have, but getting the chance to work with him, or even just having a cup of tea was fantastic, and never a dull moment. Whenever you shoot a scene of people drinking, it’s always Kaliber or another alcohol free lager, however when we first started, there was proper working kegs on the bar. If you watch the first episode in the bar, me and Jason are steaming legit. Sadly they found out as we were pissed by 10:30am and it was the boring alcohol free stuff after that.

questions have ranged from “Who picks up guide dog poo” to “Who would win between Terminator and Predator” and “How do I stop Charvers bothering me on the Bus”

And I have managed to answer almost all questions so far, a few have got by but I am not perfect!

Chris Ramsey was cast already playing a younger version of Jason (the show is based on Jason’s family and friends) So I got a phone call saying come on down to Manchester, three days later we had a live pilot episode in front of a studio audience and BBC Top Brass. It went down a storm and the show was picked up.

A lot of people will know you as Big Keith from the TV show Hebburn. How did you get the part in the show? The person who created the show, Jason Cook, is one of my best mates, and I was lucky enough to get asked to join the ride.

What was it like working alongside fellow comedians Chris Ramsey and Vic Reeves? Great fun, Jason and Chris are two of my best mates, so we got to have a lot of fun all through filming. Working with Vic was surreal all the way through. I had watched him and like

You have recently finished a stint hosting Metro Radio’s Night Owls, covering for Alan Robson, how have you enjoyed that? I have always been a “long time listener” and used to call in and do wind up calls on Night Owls, so to be on the receiving end was unique to say the least. It’s a great job and you are laughing one moment then talking about some terrible situations that people are in the next. Lots of people call the show as they feel it’s like speaking to a friend, which can be a large responsibility to do, but you also get to speak to some of the more herbally relaxed members of the public which can bring it full circle. What was the best call you received? Quite a few to choose from, but I did enjoy the bloke from the west end of Newcastle who claimed to be abducted by aliens (his proof was that he had woken up feeling like he had been “probed”). It turned out after 15 minutes of chat that he had taken some

Ketamine before bed, had eaten a Vindaloo and the copper chopper had been overhead giving him his flashing lights. Like I say, some of the best callers are the people you get stuck with in a club at the end of the night, or the queue in the kebab shop. Not content with TV, Radio and Stand Up, you are also the MC for Total Combat, how have you enjoyed doing that? I have been lucky enough to make some good friends in the MMA world, and at the Total Combat shows see some of the stars from the North cutting their teeth before hitting the UFC. For such a hard hitting sport, it genuinely has some of the friendliest people competing and involved. The crowds can be a challenge at times, but love doing the shows. When you are not mega busy working, if you ever stop that

is, what do you like to do with your free time? Spending time with the family. Just doing the everyday stuff is fun. I love a night in rather than going out to be honest, or a BBQ with some mates. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I used to be a pro wrestler, I had a double set of canine teeth when I was a kid making me look like a crap werewolf and I used to play Trombone. Random enough? What is your favourite joke? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an old kids one

Patient = Doctor Doctor, I feel like a pig Doctor = How long have you felt like that? Patient = For a Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek! Its shite, but I love it. What else have you got coming up throughout the rest of 2015 and into 2016? Well the tour is going into next year now, with more dates being added which is great. Lots of normal stand up shows and after dinner gigs which keep me on my toes. Then about six dates with the rest of the Geordie Rat Pack (Jason Cook, Neil Grainger, Glen Roughead and myself with a 15 piece band) A few of them have already sold out but some are still to be announced yet, and a few auditions for other bits and pieces so you never know. And on the

last Sunday of each month I have a Chat Show at The Stand Comedy Club Newcastle with various guests. Something different every day! How can people follow you and keep up to date with your projects? Website for all gigs www.steffenpeddie.com I am on twitter at @steffenpeddie Facebook is just Steffen Peddie Is there anything you would like to add? Thanks for having me, I enjoy reading the mag as it covers what I like! So to be a guest has got me chuffed. Cheers! I hope to see all of your readers on Monday the 5th of October at the Stand Newcastle. Photos by Andy Hollingworth and Jean Staley

Jen Stevens & The Hiccups have just released their new album Camera Obscura but instead of us reviewing it we are going to get a track by track explanation from Jen herself, her thoughts and reasons behind each song plus if you click on the links on P80 you can listen to snippets of each song yourself before you head over to itunes to buy your copy, or message them direct to buy a limited CD Album 5. Child of Earth - 2.59 Excerpts from poems that Mum wrote when she was dying, mixed with my own words. I performed this at her funeral. Badly. 6. The Sound - 3.58 Striving to be heard. Noone being bothered about me or my music. As long as I’ve got music it doesn’t matter what the world throws at me. Turn it up loud, especially in the middle section for the ‘BOOOOOM!’ Jen Stevens - Piano & Vocals Aaron Dixon-Cave - Guitar Tony Pottinger - Bass Adam Barnes - Drums 1. Foundations - 3.36 Written about Mum’s garden, and the gardens at the hospice where she spent her last days. “Waiting in the garden.” Love the acoustic. Loads of harmonies. 2. He - 2.11 A lack of self-worth. Craving attention from anyone. Feeling shut out.

3. She - 3.32 Probably the bitchiest song I’ve ever written! Waging war on my musical nemesis. Hugely proud of the piano solo. ANGRYYYY! 4. Nancy - 5.02 Being pressured to start a family. Making excuses. Too busy, too selfish…too frightened to say outright that I didn’t want to. “Take your favourite thought…” is about holding onto positives when it feels like everything is falling apart. I had SO much fun conducting/arranging the strings on this!

7. Run - 3.46 Some more of Mum’s words mixed with mine. She likened chemotherapy to feeling like a skyscraper with the lights turning out floor by floor. I just wanted it to be me that was suffering, instead of her. I’ve always wanted to record a song

with just vocals and a string quartet, and felt that this was special enough to warrant that. I did the vocals in one take because I knew I wouldn’t get through it again, so you can hear me crying at times. 8. Make Up Your Mind (Rhythm ’n’ Blues) - 4.18 Trying to appear ‘fine’ after Mum was gone. Holding onto the thought that she’s still beside me when I need her most. I love the hammond organ on this track. 9. My Heart - 4.17 Realisation that my marriage wasn’t working. I didn’t have it in me to love anyone else because I didn’t care enough about myself. Ridiculous amount of harmonies!

Very ‘Carpenters’-y. 10. Your Name In Lights - 4.01 Angry as fuck! Angry with Mum for leaving me, with myself for being utterly useless, with everyone around me for not understanding, and with a songwriter who bore the brunt of all this anger because she ripped off one of my songs! All I had was music, and she took it away from me. “Sing because it’s the only thing you have left.” CRANK IT UP!!!

Hiccups at...

11. He (reprise) - 1.26 A ‘bookend’ to finish the album, and a hint at the story to be continued on the next album… :)

www.jenstevens.co.uk

You can follow Jen Stevens & The

Twitter - @jenstevensmusic / @ jenfahiccups

www.facebook.com/jenstevensandthehiccups

www.soundcloud.com/jenstevensmusic Youtube also holds a lot of our material. Camera Obscura artwork by local artist Nikki Brewster

Jen Stevens And The Hiccups - Camera Obscura 1) Foundations 2) He 3) She

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

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4) Nancy

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

5) Child of Earth 6) The Sound 7) Run

CLICK HERE TO PLAY CLICK HERE TO PLAY

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8) Make Up Your Mind (Rhythm ‘N’ Blues) 9) My Heart

CLICK HERE TO PLAY

10) Your Name in Lights 11) He (Reprise)

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CLICK HERE TO PLAY CLICK HERE TO PLAY

Florence and

the Machine

Tuesday night saw the roof raised off the Metro Radio Arena as Florence and the Machine took to the stage for the third night of their How Big tour, which will see them play 12 dates across the UK. Since exploding onto the scene in 2009 with their multi-platinum debut album Lungs, Florence and the Machine have earned themselves over 5 million album sales worldwide, 2 BRIT awards for Critics Choice (2009) and British album of the year (2010) as well as an army of dedicated fans who were out in force to support them in Newcastle. The evening began with a half hour support set from 3-piece indie collective, The Staves, who set the scene for Florence beautifully, with their haunting harmonies and cool melodic sound. In the prelude to the main

event, a steady stream of dry ice crept onto the stage, creating an air of mystery

around the silhouettes of the instruments scattered around. By the time Florence was ready to reveal herself, the tension in the arena was palpable, and the wall of noise which greeted the barefooted redhead caused ripples in the giant mirrorball curtain which provided the back drop against which Florence, and her extremely well-oiled Machine played hits from their extensive repertoire for the next electrifying two hours. Florence is a true entertainer. A fireball of seemingly limitless energy, she commands the stage and the attention of the crowd as she danced and twirled before the band, all the while never missing a note. Between songs, Florence floated to the back of the stage to take sips of water. With her hair covering her face whenever she did

address the crowd over the mic, a more timid character emerged, and she seemed almost surprised at the crowd’s reactions to her as they screamed and whistled for more. Displaying her vocal prowess as she belted out classics including ‘You’ve got the Love’, ‘Shake it off’ and ‘Spectrum (Say my name)’, Florence gave the crowd her absolute all, despite sometimes appearing to be in her own little world. During the group’s rendition of Rabbit Heart (Raise it up), Florence suddenly vanished from the stage, and sprinted full-tilt out into the crowd, reappearing on a

small platform completely obscured from view at the rear of the arena. Throwing her arms high into the air as though paying some kind of homage to a higher power, the crowd around her reached up to touch her. Not that she seemed to notice as she continued the performance, the audience singing her lyrics back to her with just as much gusto as she delivered them. The group’s latest studio album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful was released in June 2015 and made it straight to the number one spot. Described by critics as the band’s first “concept album”, each track takes the listener on an emotional journey. Raw, impassioned and compelling in all the right ways, the Geordie crowd were equally captivated by the Machine’s new material as they were delighted by the more familiar classics. Ending the show on a dramatic high; after encouraging the crowd to strip and throw their unwanted garments to her on the stage, Florence performed the band’s new single ‘Queen of Peace’ whilst whirling a ladies bra above her head, before throwing herself down onto the stage to rapturous applause. Rising only to join the rest of the band take a quick curtain call, Florence and her fabulous Machine

slipped from the stage to return mere minutes later to blast out not one, but two encore tracks; finally closing the show with smash hit ‘Drumming Song’ from their first album. Never mind Florence and the Machine, Florence Welch is a machine, long live the Queen of Peace. Photos and review By Leanne Tonks

Hi Kelly and welcome to NE, how about we start off with an introduction? Hi Wayne, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pleasure to meet you and be a feature in your magazine, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m Kelly Jowsey 36 from South Shields. I have 1 daughter Ella who is 8 years old. You currently work at one of South Shields most popular hotels, The Little Haven, what is your role there and how long have you worked there? I am Conference & Banqueting Manager within the Hotel. I have been here for 6 years and

worked in various departments of the hotel before settling into my current role. The Little Haven is situated at the mouth of the Tyne, what is it like working with such breathtaking views all around you? I feel very proud and privileged of the views they are breath taking from all angles of the hotel, such as the mouth of the Tyne, or the new promenade which connects us to the rest of the coastline. There is so many fascinating ships, ferries and boats which pass us daily.

Have you had any famous residents stay there? Over the years we have had a lot of famous people stop with us at the Little Haven, however we would like to keep their identity anonymous. You are not just a Hotel though, what else do you offer that readers may not even know

about? We have so much to offer within the hotel such as 4 elegant function rooms, a large conservatory overlooking the sea, as well as 59 bedrooms and 3 penthouse suites. Throughout the year we hold different events such as Wedding Fayres, our very popular karaoke nights on a Wednesday as well as entertainment shows. The renowned Typsy Kings of Tenerife, X-Faxtor competitor Rick Moorhouse and many many more entertainers who host evenings here at the little haven hotel. You have a Wedding fair coming up in October, how hard has it been to put that together? Yes we do have a wedding fayre on the 4th of October 2015, it is something we do twice a year and it is well established and comes together with ease. Our wedding fayre is a free event to attend and will be on between 12 and 4pm, to be honest Wayne I like to plan these events as it gives us a chance to show exactly what the hotel has got to offer as well as work with some local suppliers and meet a lot of new potential Brides & Grooms. It’s not long until Christmas which I am sure will be a busy time for you, what sort of things can your customers look forward to? Again Wayne we have a lot of different entertainment on during the Christmas period, such as Chicagoland Blues Brothers, Madness, Bublé, the Ultimate Party Nights, Soul Fever and the Tenerife Typsy Kings. We

are also taking bookings now for Christmas Day Lunch, Boxing Day and New Years Day Brunch as well as New Year’s Eve.

having been involved with organising charities close to our hearts at the Little Haven Hotel they have always been a success.

If you could hold any event there at all what would it be and why? Why weddings and conferences of course!! Ones I also like are the charity events of any type,

Have you had any funny or memorable incidents at the hotel that you can share with us? I am known to have a drama or two! However we have an amazingly close team who make it a fun place to work. One incident is unexpectedly winning Hotel of the Year 2015 for What’s On Where Awards. Where we were later told on more than one occasion our tables reaction to winning was priceless!!!. We all jumped up sending the chairs flying! When you are not working how do you like to spend your free time? I like to spend most of my free

time with my Beautiful daughter and family appreciating the finer things in life. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I think I can sing when I cant!!! I have organised a Doggy Wedding & Christening for the Great North Dog Walk I am known as Hells Bells at work from HR for obvious reasons. Where can people follow the Little Haven and keep up to date with events? We can be found on our own website www.littlehavenhotel. com/, our Facebook page , our Twitter @L1ttlehaven and Instagram. This is where you will find our most up to date offers we have on throughout the year.

A A FEW FEW ROUNDS ROUNDS WITH WITH SPENCER SPENCER MORGAN MORGAN

We catch up with Spencer Morgan, one of the people behind South Shields MMA and the Charity MMA show The Beginning! Hi Spencer and welcome to NE, can you introduce yourself to the readers who may not know who you are? Spencer Morgan, 2 kids Gabrielle and Sonny, South Shields We were guests at your last MMA show “The Beginning” and it was an amazing event, the atmosphere was electric, but how did the show come about? It was just an idea to start off with. So me and my friend then got in touch with James Mulheron to see if he would like to do the training, he

agreed and I took it from there. How hard was it putting it all together and did you have any problems? The first show was a big risk, I had to find all the fighters so I got posters done we used

Facebook and word of mouth to try and get people interested, the main problem was keeping everybody who entered to stay on at the training and fight at the end of the training camp as without the fighters there’s no show. The fighters all did an amazing job but did anyone stand out for you and why? All the fighters who took part are all amazing as they step into that cage and that takes a lot of guts and they’re doing it for various charities which have affected their lives in so many ways and I find that is

the main thing that stands out for me. You have just announced The Beginning 2, what can people expect at the next show and why should they buy a ticket? I’m always trying to make the next show better than the last, which so far I think I have, I think I put on a good show for everyone the atmosphere is electric on the night and it’s good that people support the fighters. Are there any changes to the format with the 2nd show? Yeah this time we have 2 coaches, James Mulheron and Paul Cook. I’m making this training camp like The Ultimate Fighter series from the UFC where there will be 2 teams competing against each other, #teamjuggernaught vs #teamcooky I thought that would drum up more interest in the show and it makes the night better as there’s more on the line to fight for 2 teams but only one winner, and the

night after the next show both James and Cooky are fighting on Made 4 The cage show at Rainton Meadows. When you are not working on the show what do you get up to? I run a cleaning business as my day job but mainly spending time with my kids and spoiling them really lol. Where can people follow you and keep up to date with the events? We have a facebook page South Shields MMA and I also post

from my personal page a lot about the show as well. Is there anything you would like to add? Just like to thank our sponsors for the show, Craig Lumley from RHA who has helped me out loads, Tony from Olympia Fightwear, Les from Powerhouse Gym and Kris from H2N Nutrition and obviously the 2 coaches James and Cooky Thanks for taking the time to chat with us and we look forward to the next show

Just for Fun !! Touch Rugby is growing from strength to strength each week in Durham City. This is a great way to give rugby a go with out the problem of cauliflower ears. A true social game for both males and females. Teams of 10 people with 6 playing at once. Why not enter your work, club or even just yourself with options to make teams up each week. Email grant@popthefizz.co.uk for more info There is a slight competitive edge being introduced once every one gets to grips with the game and the rules with a £100 prize money for winning side.

£2 a man each week or £20 a team. This will be running every Tuesday evening from 7 till 8pm at Durham City Rugby Club. Email grant@popthefizz.co.uk for more info

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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.

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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

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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.

#MyBigIdea

the Queen was sat. I suppose you just take those moments in and you pinch yourself. That’s my ‘pinch yourself’ moment. 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? 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 embarrassing things happen to you while you’ve been on tour? 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 nervewracking, 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.

(Laughter) 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)

You

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

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