NE Online Magazine Issue 23 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 . W i t h t h e U F C s e l l i n g fo r $ 4 B i l l i o n i t i s s a fe t o s a y t h a t c o m b a t s p o r t s a r e p o p u l a r. T h e N o r t h E a s t i s a h o t b e d o f t a l e n t a n d w e s p e a k t o s e v e ra l people from the North East Fight S c e n e p l u s w e h a v e m o r e i n fo o n my upcoming charity fight at Fight Fest Championships on Friday 23rd S e p t e m b e r. 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

SPONSORS Cineworld Boldon www.cineworld.co.uk The Theatre Royal Newcastle & Newcastle City Hall www.theatreroyal.co.uk/ 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

CONTRIBUTORS Ian Berry Photographer www.ianberry.co.uk info@ianberry.co.uk Martyn Jones Photography www.martynjonesphotography.co.uk/ martynjonesphotography@hotmail.co.uk Derek Brettle www.facebook.com/ lastlaughcartoons lastlaughcartoons@gmail.com Roly Todd - Hero Images Facebook Roly Todd LeeNemsPhotography www.ne-ms.co.uk

P6 James Bay @ Mouth Of The Tyne Festival P12 Emily - REC Therapies P24 The Home Show P27 Tony Cunningham Millennium MMA P32 Kyle K1ller Todd P36 John Joker Cairns

P40 F.F.C. 13 – Fighting For Frankie P46 Metro Radio’s Karen P62 Yard Food P68 Cineworld Boldon Film Round Up P92 Ice FC P96 An Evening With Paul Heynow

James Bay Review Mouth Of The Tyne Festival 9th July 2016 James Bay walked on stage with his signature hat and showed true Geordie grit by taking off his leather jacket and performing to a sell out crowd in just a T shirt. It was a double whammy when later during his set he even took off THE hat.

It was clear everyone had been waiting eagerly for him to take to the stage as the crowd dumped the umbrellas and sprang to their feet as he

started playing classics like Let It Go and When We Were On Fire. A few songs in as Bay started

to sing Need The Sun To Break, some kind of musical wizzardry occured, the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and the sun shone. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure if this was coincidence or perfect timing on the singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s part, but it certainly turned up the whole evening. After a brief interlude Bay came back on stage with an amazing guitar solo moving into an unbelievable cover of Proud Mary. The sun was finally shining and everywhere you looked people of all ages were singing and dancing along, it

really was the highlight of the entire night. Bay closed the show with Hold Back The River, and although Proud Mary was hard to top, it would have seemed very strange walking away without hearing him blast out this time-honoured tune. His performance was second to none and it really was an absolutely perfect way to end an absolutely faultless evening at the coast. Hope the next time we see James Bay he is selling out a uk arena tour at the Metro Radio Arena Newcastle. Festival Rating 10/10 Review Helen Shaw Photos by Lee Photography

Nems

Hi Emily and welcome to NE, can we start off with you introducing yourself to our readers? Hi I’m Emily Owen I’m 35 and live in South Shields. I have two gorgeous daughters that make me proud everyday and a dog called Arctic because she’s white. I’m a physical therapist qualified in a number of therapies and I love my job. You are well known in the sporting community as the person behind REC Therapies, can you explain to people what REC Therapies is? It’s a sports injury and relaxation clinic providing a range of therapies to provide pain relief and rehabilitation from muscular injuries. The clinic also works with clients on a maintenance level in order to prevent injury, and muscular skeletal dysfunction. A range of relaxation and general well being treatments are also available.

You have recently given up your job to pursue this full time, how hard of a decision was it to do that? It was difficult at the time to take the step to being fully selfemployed. As a parent with two daughters to provide for and the worry of the business not becoming as successful as it needed to be to cover my employed earnings, were the reasons that held me back, but in a typical catch twentytwo the business was unable to grow while I was still committed to another job. It was the reality of how hectic my life became trying to juggle everything that finally gave me the push I needed to resign and put all my attention into the business. It was a scary but

exciting time in my life that I’m pleased to say was the right decision to make, I’ve never looked back. What has been the hardest part in getting set up as a full time business? The same difficulties that I think all new business face, getting people through the door. When did you first set up REC Therapies? I set up the REC after I completed my level 3 body massage back in 2011, giving Swedish massage to family and friends in their homes. I knew then that I had found my passion to help and heal people, which has led me to continually educate myself within the field. What made you want to pursue that field as a career? I’ve always been good at massage. I remember as a child my Mam used to always get me to

able an REC Therapies monthly care plan which will include monthly appointments, free treatments for unexpected injuries and any further treatments required at a discounted rate. The monthly care plan aims to ensure the client is free from any muscular skeletal problems as massage is a necessity not a luxury and regular treatments prevent injury

Kevin Cunningham Ranked World #1 Ju Jit Su Blue Belt rub her shoulder, not that I really knew what I was doing. After my second child I decided to change career my best friend wanted to enrol on a fitness instructors course and talked me into joining her, which I did and completed but knew it wasn’t really for me so I side stepped into the remedial therapy and never looked back. My friend also went on to open her own successful training studio Dare2BFit check her out @ https://www.facebook.com/ Dare2bfitpt?rf=584737824940648

How have things changed since you set up your own clinic? Well less driving for a start, although I do still do some house calls, for my old faithful’s, clients that have been with me from the

beginning or any clients who are physically unable to come to me. It’s allowed me to see more clients due to less time travelling to appointments so life is slightly less hectic now. Also it allows me to demonstrate exercises more effectively and all equipment needed is to hand. What kind of services and treatments do you provide? Each treatment is individually tailored to the client’s needs using all my skills and knowledge in order to achieve their desired goal. However, all treatments are also offered as standalone’s, for example, Swedish massage, Deep tissue massage, Sports Massage, Hot stones therapy and the Emmett technique. Also soon to be avail-

Emmett Therapy that sounds new can you tell the readers some more about it? The EMMETT Technique is an amazingly gentle, safe and simple to apply muscle release therapy. It is used to address pain and discomfort, improve body movement, restore a positive emotional state and improve the quality of life. It is an internationally recognised technique developed by Ross Emmett and taught in over 26 countries worldwide, which is equally effective on both people and animals. The EMMETT Technique is an understanding of the body’s response to light touch. It has been suggested that the body reacts in a similar way to the workings of a touch-screen. Small sensors allow access to the brain via the therapists’ touch. As well as the ability to directly influence muscle action, these points may have a memory and emotional attachment. I have been practising Emmett for almost 2 years now and became a full practitioner in

the therapy at the end of 2015. The results I have experienced with my clients using this technique have been quite simply amazing .For more information please visit @ http://www.rossemmett.com.au/. Do customers have to be athletes to benefit from your clinic? Not at all, massage is for everyone. Everything you do has an effect on the body, it’s not just about exercise, in fact those that don’t participate in regular exercise often need it more. It’s all about muscular balance and bio- mechanics, basically using your body in the correct way. Just consider everything your muscles allow you to do on a daily basis, muscular movement causes tension, soreness, fatigue, muscular knots and scar tissue, which build up regardless of exercise but people don’t realise until they are in pain, one of which could have been prevented. There are a lot of local athletes in the North East doing everything from Football, Athletics, boxing and MMA, but what benefit will your service bring them, why should they come and see you and how often would you recommend a visit? Any athlete wants the perfect body but no one is problem free, there is always room for improvement, REC offers full postural assessment including muscle balance/ strength, and range of movements test. Treatment and exercise plans can then be devised and integrated into their training regime to maximise potential and reduce risk of injury. I have been privileged to work with many athletes most of which attend the clinic on a regular basis they train hard and compete at high levels in the sporting world without any major injuries. I have also treated athletes, who, because they let a niggle go too

UAR Welterweight MMA Champion Davie Mclaughlin far, it then became more serious and forced them to stop training, something any athlete hates to happen. You can’t see what is happening under the skin but I can feel it before you will ever be aware of it. Physical therapy should be treat as a preventative method, rather than just the cure. I recommend anyone, not just athletes, to have a treatment at

least once a month, and not let a niggle grow into something more serious. When you are not hard at work how do you like to spend your time? My daughters are Freestyle Dancer’s and compete throughout Great Britain most weekends so that takes up a lot of my time, they are both extremely talented and I love to watch them dance its great family time away that we all enjoy. I also play bass guitar and write songs in an original rock band INFRICA, I love playing live seeing everyone jumping around to our songs is priceless. I keep fit, well I have to in my job, it’s hard work at times and any spare time after

that I like to go to gigs, festivals and any random adventure, life’s for living. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I’m a time served electrical mechanical fitter, I completed a marathon in 4hours 52 minutes and I’m a Pisces. What are your aims for the rest of 2016 and beyond? After becoming and Emmett Practitioner I am now progressing through the advanced levels and every level just amazes me more, this will be completed by the end of 2017. I’m also studying Dry Needling (medical acupuncture) and Spinal Manipulation this year, which will be available from the REC by the end of the year. As for beyond, I plan to continue to learn and advance my skills and knowledge as much as I can in order to bring the best possible all round treatment to my clients, and possibly in the future, expand the clinic

and employ other therapists. Where can people follow REC Therapies and keep up to date with you?

Find us on Facebook https://www. facebook.com/R.E.C.Therapies. A website is currently under construction and will be launched alongside the REC Care Plan through the Facebook page. Is there anything you would like to add? I absolutely love my job and I’m extremely passionate about it, making a real difference to people’s lives is so rewarding. I care about everyone who walks through my door and take pride in offering an effective and professional treatment in a friendly manor with individual aftercare and advice. I believe no one should simply get on with and live with muscular pain or dysfunction, so come visit the REC Therapies Clinic where you’re always in safe hands. I would also like to thank all of my clients to date, as their word of mouth with such high recommendation, has led me to be where I am today.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with us Emily

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he operated! Hugh was also a fullbody puppeteer on the films ‘The Dark Crystal’ (where he played the Mystic Cook and a Land Strider) and ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’, they even produced an action figure of him! On the credits of Star Wars, Hugh’s surname was actually misspelled as ‘Hugh Spirit’ for over 30 years until, recently, fans tracked him down to be able to give him the credit he so rightly deserves.

Geekdom, an event to inspire wonderment and escapism. 4th December 2016, Nissan Sports and Leisure Complex. Mark this in your diary now as you will not want to miss this epic event. Geekdom is taking over Nissan Leisure with an amazing amount of attractions to lure you in, from all sorts of genres, including tabletop gaming, film props, interactive workshops and visiting celebrity guests. Throughout your visit you’ll be tempted in the Tardis Market, find yourself part of the action with curious demos from thought-provoking exhibitors and watch performances from mesmerising local stage groups and bands. There will even be opportunities to meet guest celebs and get a photo and autograph. We will also have inquisitive displays which show our weird and wonderful realm,

including how real props are made for films. Ever wondered how to play tabletop games or get involved in UK tournaments? We’ve got you covered with local specialists visiting to give you all the hints and tips you will need to get involved and become an expert!

For all us geeks who like dressing up, we’re having a cosplay competition, get imaginative and go for gold. For those all-important costume changes, we have access to changing rooms. Outside the venue, we have free parking and easy access to bus stops. The Tonic Café onsite will be serving themed snacks and drinks. Tickets are available to buy online at skiddle.com For updates, please like our Facebook page; facebook.com/geekdomevents

“Tell me about these celebrity guests you mentioned earlier”, I hear you say. For the first time in the North East, we are delighted to announce the extremely talented Hugh Spight. Hugh is infamous for his work as a dalek operator in Doctor Who during the 1980s. At Geekdom, Hugh will be alongside a full size replica of the dalek that

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The Home Show has well and truly put Millennium Martial Arts and the town of Blythe on the fight show map, for their show on the 2nd of July was an event to rival the big promotions out there. Not only was the event sold out, but each and every fight was a treat for casual and serious fight fans alike with some absolute wars fought in the ring. From the local juniors right through to the international proâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, The Home Show was without a doubt a well-executed event that has got everyone talking. Blythe Sports Centre was transformed into an arena not unlike something you would expect to see from big promotions like the

UFC or BAMMA, with its full light show, pumping sound system and full walkway entrance for the fighters to make their way to the ring complete with 2 giant screens on either side showing the fighters images and stats as they walked into the ring. Promoters Tony and Carole Cunningham really pulled out all of the stops to give the fighters an experience that they will never forget. Then on top of that Tony has really matched all

of the fights well making sure his home team fighters had to leave it all in the ring if they wanted the victory, unlike some events, there were no easy fights for the home fighters. He then topped the show with 2 international bouts that any big promotion would be proud to have as their main events. For those that were not lucky enough to be there watching the show with its electric atmosphere do not worry, because Tony and

Carole made sure fight fans would not miss out by having Fight Show Photographers Martyn Jones (Martyn Jones Photography) and Roly Todd (Hero Images) there capturing the moment with some breathtaking images that you will see on their websites and social media plus the images in this very issue including our amazing front cover. Plus if that wasn’t enough, they also had the team from PEEP Magazine there to film all of the action, so instead of me listing the fights and results and spoiling it for you, you can check out the PEEP Magazine YouTube Channel just CLICK HERE to watch the fights for yourself We also managed to get an interview with Tony and Millennium Fighter Kyle Todd after

the show so read on and enjoy. Now it is just a case of waiting for the next event which is too far away but will be well worth the wait. So get your diary out and keep February 25th 2017 free for The Home Show, just make sure you get your tickets as soon as they go on sale as it will be another action packed

sell out, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Tony cunningham tony Hi Tony and welcome to NE, well the first question is nice and easy, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself? Hi my name is Tony Cunningham I live in Blyth Northumberland, I'm married to Carole I have 3 children Holly (13) Reade (10) and Grayson (5) I'm the owner of Millennium Martial Arts and I run the gym full time as my job.

to start off a small class twice per week. Before long we had some good numbers coming to train. How hard has it been to get yourself set up and established? It's very hard but if you believe in what your doing and are passionate people will stick with you. Who can train at Millennium Martial Arts, is it open to anyone?

Yes we are a family gym we have classes from kids aged 4 right the way through to fitness classes for people in their senior years. What advice would you give to anyone that might be interested in training with you are getting started in Martial Arts? Walking through the door is the hardest part ! Once your there you will wonder why you didn't do it

Now people that know the North East fight scene will know you because of Millennium Martial Arts, but can you explain what that is? Millennium martial arts is my life ! Everyone who knows me will know how passionate I am about what the gym stands for and associate's me with Millennium. What made you want to start your own gym up? Basically the gym I trained in closed down and me and a few of my training partners needed somewhere to train so we decided

earlier. What makes Millennium different to other gyms out there? We are one big family at Millennium, we all help each other on and off the mat. We do alot of charity work for local needs and like to

think it makes a big impact on people's lives. We also pride ourselves on developing young people giving them responsibilities and taking them onto being assistant instructors within the gym leading onto taking classes for themselves.

Along with the gym you have your own fight show promotion with the now famous â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home Showâ&#x20AC;?, tell us a bit more about that, why you put yourself through the stress of putting on an event? The Home Show is a humble Show that started in a social club (300 seater) and it's goal is to give the fighters from Millennium a chance to show their skills in front of the Home crowd. Year by year our fighters have got better and better ! The opponents have also got better and better and now the Homeshow in 2016 was a international event with a 1000 people in attendance. Your recent show at Blythe Sports Centre has really grabbed the headlines for all of the right reasons, not only did you feature some of the biggest names in K1 and Thai but you also went above and beyond with the full production with a set up that actually

puts the so called big promotions to shame, give us your reasons behind it all? I will be totally honest! I was cheeky and asked Gaz Mcallister (Phoenix Thai) what would it take to get his son the superstar Reece Mcallister on our show. We talked and the fight was made. After that the fights came in thick and fast ! The production was completely out of my budget but these fighters deserve to feel great out there ! The fighters always come first on The Home Show because without them we don't have a show. With the light show, the music and the gigantic screens showing the fighters stats and images you really did set the tone for what was a well-executed night, the fact that all of the fights were so well matched really does show how much effort you have put into it, you should definitely be proud of you and your team. But now that it is all over can you share your thoughts on the show and how you feel it went? Thank you, the feedback has been amazing from fighters, coaches and the spectators. We will always improve Show by Show but I was very happy with the overall night. What was the highlight of the night for you? Cornering my fighters ! I hate it and love it at the same time ! I

never give my fighters easy fights but they battled hard and got some amazing results.

Seeing your students perform as well as they did on such a big stage must make you feel on top of the world, win, lose or draw they really did all pull together, how does that make you feel as a coach? It just shows how much time and effort my fighters put in ! That's the part the spectators don't see. They only see 3 rounds but the sacrifice and weeks of work that goes into a fight is very admirable.

think that's the key to a good show so we will just continue with that. Roly Todd is the man behind our graphics and photography he makes our show what it is ! He is a absolute genius ! It's his hard work before during and after the show that really does give it the professional edge. Our runners Callum and Jayden after a shaky start where brilliant and kept the cogs turning backstage. Also I had 9 fighters fighting out of Millennium, Callum and Paul made sure everyone was wrapped and ready for their fights and without them I would have been lost. Carole my wife looked after the floor making sure every one of our 1000 guests knew where to sit and welcomed them into the arena with a smile. Team work was the key to the show running so well.

With a show that has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;hailed as one of the best in the worldâ&#x20AC;? the big question is what comes next, how do you top that? I don't know about that haha. We just have good standards and I

If you could have any match up on your next show what would it be and why? Big names are great but the crowd came alive with the local fighters !! My next show will be headlined by

Was there any part of the show that you are disappointed in or that you think needs to be improved? I always like to keep to times on the order of the fights. We ran off schedule by 30-40mins because of a late start but we got that back to 20mins by the end.

one of my fighters but who will it be? You have recently held seminars at Millennium with famous fighters like Nieky Holzken and Melvin Manhoef, what has it been like having such well known fighters at your gym? It's always a pleasure having the big named fighters at the gym, it's good for my students to train with

their idols. We have also had some great coaches visit Millennium for seminars such as Horia Radulescu and Paul Pearson they help me learn new teaching skills which helps me massively. If you could have any fighter for a seminar, who would it be and why? Gokhan Saki is probably the best I've seen and a big favourite in the gym. When you are not working hard at the gym what do you like to get up to in your free time? I have 3 kids, Carole and me like to spend time with them either footy, swimming, shopping and we love our holidays. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? 1. I'm addicted to tattoos 2. I hate training but love fighting 3. I could live on pizza

How can people get involved with Millennium Martial Arts and The Home Show?

Facebook. We have a Millennium martial arts page and for the Homeshow we have our events page The Homeshow. Is there anything you would like to add? Thank you for reading this and our next show is February 25th at Blyth Sports centre. Well thank you for taking the time to talk with us and we look forward to the next event Thank you Osu.

Name - Kyle Todd Nickname - K1ller Age - 19 Fight record - Semi-pro record: • 17 Fights (11W, 4L, 2D) • WTKA English champion • FFC champion Pro record: • 2 Fights (2W 0L OD) How long have you trained at Millennium? 6yrs What made you choose Millennium over other gyms/clubs around? At first it was mainly because it was a local gym in the area, if I am honest I hadn’t really heard anything about Millennium as it hadn’t been open long when I joined about 6years ago. However it has built up quite a lot of good reputation since then it caters for all ages and we call ourselves family and I have never known any-

thing different since the minute I set foot through the door. Every time me and the boys train or fight we are always there for each other and it’s such a great feeling when you have them backing you all the way. To be the best you have to work and train hard, but what do you find the hardest part of training? I believe that to be a true fighter you have to be 100% mentally, physically and emotionally ready, for all those that know me I never show any emotion I have always been a blank canvas. I think the hardest part of training is probably the fight camp because that’s when it becomes more real, when you get to that stage all you want is to be let loose and for me to live up to my name of the K1LLER. What is the best part of training? The best part about training has got to be turning up every session

learning new skills and building on what I already know and of course practising all this in our sparring sessions that’s what I love the most. It’s such a good feeling when you know you are fit and sharp and are potentially ready to take a fight at anytime. What is your aim? My ultimate aim in is to fight full time as a professional kickboxer, to take on big names, fight on huge shows all over the world and eventually get to the top and make a career out of something that I love. How did the nickname come about? I got the name through my documentary that was made last year ‘K1LLER Kyle Todd’s story` ever since then it is what I am known as, if you have ever seen me fight then you will know why it was chosen.

Who would you say has been your toughest opponent so far and why? Probably my toughest fight yet was my last one on the Home Show July 2nd, mainly because the fact that it was scheduled to be at 70kg which is my normal fighting weight however about 2 weeks before the show my opponent pulled out, fortunately there was a replacement so the fight would still go ahead however at a new weight category 75kg which is something i have never done since I had my first fights at the age of 15. I felt that it was a good performance but I was carrying a lot of extra weight that I was not used to, my opponent was a tough lad and had quite a bit of experience himself, but I never take easy fights because I would never become the best if I done that.

How did it feel to walk out at The Home Shoe and fight in front of a packed Blyth sports centre and a crowd that was going crazy? I was honoured to fight on the home show as it was a big event to be involved with and such a great platform for even bigger events, in terms of all the people that came to watch although I am so grateful for all the support I have when I fight you have to learn to blank them out and focus on what needs to be done, there should be only one thought that goes through your mind and it is to finish the guy in front of you, some people get all hyped up and buzzed when the crowd chants their name whereas on the other hand I stay calm and stick to my plan. When you are not training and fighting what do you do? I always train every single day

and never rest, even after a fight I am straight back in on the next session at the end of the day I only have one goal and that is to try and be the best which is only possible if you are willing to put in the effort. If any of our readers wanted to get involved with K-1 or any kind of

combat sport what advice would you give them? Go for it or you will regret it. When I first started 6years ago I weighed 87kg at the age of 13 which is borderline obese to be honest I was very shy and my confidence was very poor, I never had any intentions of fighting because at the time all I wanted to do was lose some weight. After a couple of years I took greater interest in wanting to compete Tony got me my first fight when I was 15 and I have never looked back since. I am still a person that keeps myself quiet but I have found that since joining millennium I definitely feel like part of the family and can now open up and be myself. Who or when are you fighting next? My next fight is against some lad called Jordan Carr on the 1st October for a ISKA Northern Area Title, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know much about him but I have every confidence

that I will finish the lad and take home that belt. Is there anything you would like to add? Finally I just want to say a mas-

sive thank you for everyone that supports me when I fight, the lads at the gym and to Tony because without him I would not be where I am today, I just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to see what the future brings.

Name - John Cairns Nickname - Joker Age - 20 Fight Record - Pro 2 W 0L How long have you trained at Millennium? I have trained at millennium for 6 years now. What made you choose Millennium over other gyms/clubs around? I chose Millennium because my close friend Ross Laidlaw dragged me in and it’s stuck since! To be the best you have to work and train hard, but what do you find the hardest part of training? The hardest part of training is resting, it shouldn’t happen. What is your aim? My aim is to be global and hit the big stage!

How did the nickname come

about? The nickname came about because I have a laugh in between my sessions; I joke and carry on even on fight days. I’m also very tricky in sparring and fighting.

toughest opponent so far and why? My toughest opponent so far is Jack Sample, a very unorthodox southpaw, he stopped me but it was a great fight!

Who would you say has been your

If you could fight anyone who

would it be and why? If I could fight anyone it would be our very own Kyle Todd , we are very competitive between each other so it would be a giggle to see who would actually be the best.. Eh Kyle? Who is your favourite fighter or biggest inspiration, past or present? Got to be Nickey Holzken, and my gym and family, all inspirations! How did it feel to walk out at The Home Show and fight in front of a packed Blythe Sports Centre and a

crowd that was going crazy? Coming out to The Home Show was awesome, your own town shouting you and fighting alongside you own family…best feeling ever!

If any of our readers wanted to get involved with K1 or any kind of combat sport what advice would you give them? If you want to take part in it then go for it! And don’t look back.

When you are not training and fighting what do you do? When I’m not training I’m an assistant manager for Travis Perkins at Blaydon.

Who or when are you fighting next? I’m fighting a lad called Craig Shadforth, he’s good and it’ll be a tough fight on Kings Of Glory at Rainton Meadow Arena.

Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? Fun, outgoing and barmy!

Is there anything you would like to add? ONE DAY I WILL BE THE BEST!

Fight Fest Championships 13 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fighting For Frankie is a show that is overcoming hurdle after hurdle in the battle to bring you another top notch event as there is a lot at stake with this show on a personal level for the promoter Stephen Sinclair and his family. The show is dedicated to Stephens Grandfather, Frankie, who sadly passed away earlier in the year. Frankie has been a big supporter of the show and was a major factor in Stephen taking over the rains from Graham Madderson, the founder of F.F.C.

Fight Fest has always been involved in raising money for local charities since the very first show, with fans helping to raise tens of thousands of pounds for charities like Cains Dream To Walk and Caring For Kian. This time they are raising money for the real life heroes of the Freeman Hospitals Coronary Care Ward 24A

who fought their hardest to save Frankie, so Stephen and his family want to show their appreciation by raising as much money as they can for them. So with a great cause sorted, Fight Fest now needed a great fight card to make sure this was another sell out show. For the main event, in steps local fighter Michael Ter-

ril, who is a world class kickboxer and more recently, the Knuckle Promotions BKB Champion. His opponent was going to be Prizefighter Winner Travis Dickinson, but he had to pull out of the main event at in the last week of July due to a hand injury. Now the problem was trying to find another fighter good enough to give Terril a challenge. There were

a few names thrown in, but no one was brave enough to take on Terril, which was a shame. But Stephen did not give up and in a stroke of genius and a bit of good fortune, a video of a past fight surfaced that gave Stephen a glimmer of hope. A few messages later and the main event was not only saved...but in fact is now a fight that I think is actually going to be bigger and better than the original scheduled fight between Terril and Dickinson. The F.F.C. 13 main event now sees Michael Terril Vs Romelleo Da Silva. These two have met in the ring twice before when they fought K1, with Da Silva winning the first fight by stoppage and Terrill winning the second fight by decision, so this has now turned into the defining trilogy with both fighters wanting to walk away victorious and putting a stamp on this fight. Terril has faced some tough opponent’s both in the UK and across Europe, but he is quoted as saying “Da Silva was without a doubt his toughest fight to date”. So the stage is now set for one very explosive title fight between two very tough guys, Romelleo Da Silva (Mikes Gym) taking on Michael Terrill (The Manor) in a 95kg boxing contest that will be fought over 5x2 minute rounds for the F.F.C. Title. The card is filling up nicely with some amazing fights including Chad Ellis Vs Stew Mcbrearty for the FFC Middleweight Boxing title, John Spencer Vs Mark Platts, John Hawthorn Vs Christian ‘Show Time’ Jopling, Tony Howla Vs Joseph Mullin and more, though one of the fights has been 4 years in the making and is guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet as two Super Heavyweight’s clash for the F.F.C. Charity Belt.

The Super Heavyweight’s in question are none other than fight show videographer Richie Palin, aka Dickies Nutz and NE Magazine Editor and Fight Fest’s very own MC Wayne Rambo Groves! These guys were going to fight for charity 4 years ago but due to personal issues it just didn’t come about. The plan was both guys would train with a gym similar to what you see in the Ultimate Fighter TV show, that way there was a bit of rivalry between the

gyms as well. Richie had fought when he was younger but at the time he would have been starting again. Wayne had never even worn a pair of boxing gloves let alone fought, so if nothing else it would be a good laugh. Richie went on to train with UFC Legend Ian “The Machine” Freeman for a few years whilst Wayne continued to sit on his fat arse. But when Stephen decided to dedicate the show to Frankie and raise money for the Freeman Hospital it made Wayne think about the fight that never was. So he made a call to Richie to see if he fancied stepping up and stepping into the ring for a great cause, Richie jumped at the chance to give Wayne a damn good kicking and the rest they say is history. Both guys will have 8 weeks to get themselves fighting fit and battle ready. They have enlisted the help of The Manor Gym who

have kindly offered to train them both for free. For Richie it is more a case of trying to get back into shape and dust off the cobwebs as he has had a good year off from training. Wayne on the other hand has to learn everything, so the guys at The Manor have really got their work cut out for them. They had hoped that he would have a fairly good idea considering how many shows he has MC’ed over the years, but his first sparring session put heed to that thought.

Wayne is the Boxing equivalent of a dancer with 2 left feet. But one thing is for sure, both of these guys will give it 110% in the ring, they will enter as friends and will even leave as friends, but during those 3 x 1 minute rounds you can be certain of one thing…they will BOTH be trying to knock the other one clean out and win that belt! So the only thing left to say is make sure you get your tickets

ASAP for Fight Fest Championships 13 – Fighting For Frankie as this is going to be one hell of a show and 70% of the tickets are already gone. The event is at the NE6 Suite in Walker on Friday 23rd September, for more info CLICK ON THE LINK CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION TO THE CORONARY CARE WARD

with

KAREN WIGHT

Hi Karen and welcome back to NE. Our readers will have seen you in the June Issue after you had just finished your ELITE 6 Week 20lb Transformation Camp, where you did amazing, but how do you feel about the camp now that you have had time to reflect on it and how it has changed you? I still feel great and think it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It totally re-educated me on

nutrition and portion size, and drinking! No more cider for me, I’m a gin n slimline girl all the way now. Your ELITE journey didn’t stop after your 20lb challenge, how did you chose to continue with them? I signed up for their Focus classes which are intense 45 minute bootcamp style classes with lots of variety, cardio, weights, boxing!

They also give you recipe and diet tips on clean eating too. How have you found this compared to your 20lb challenge? The classes never get easier but the diet is much less strict. What made you want to stay on with them? I found I really enjoyed the training, the trainers themselves are

great and my energy levels are so much higher than before. What are the differences, good or bad, between this and the 20lb challenge? Probably going to different time classes and all being at levels you don’t have exactly the same level of camaraderie as our transformation group did, but everyone is still really friendly. I fear the scales less too! How do you feel now after training for several months with ELITE, what difference has it made to your everyday life? Energy is the number one factor for me, I have bags more than I used to have and I actively look forward to training, not dreading the gym and dragging myself there kicking and screaming like I used to.

burpees, some people seem to hate them. You have even taken some of your training home with you, though that didn’t quite go according to plan now did it? Ha ha not really! I bought some boxing gloves and pads and asked my fiancé to pad for me which he

kindly did. I got a bit over enthusiastic showing him my uppercuts though, and smashed our lovely glass lampshade! Gloves are now banned from the house, garden only! You have also inspired some of your work colleagues to take part, so how does it feel to be an inspi-

Have you completely changed your lifestyle or do you still have a few guilty pleasures like some food and drinks that you know you probably shouldn’t have? It’s all about moderation! I tend to eat pretty clean during the week then reward myself with a few drinks at the weekend! Is there any part of the training that you find you really enjoy more than you thought you would? I am amazed that I don’t mind

ration to people? It feels great to be able to encourage people to make such a positive change. How have they found doing the 20lb challenge? Our newsreader Micky is doing great and smashed the 20lbs by week 4! He’s struggled a bit with the porridge and mackerel though. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start with ELITE? Do it, I wish I’d done it years ago! Do you have an end goal/date in mind or will you keep going with ELITE in one way or another? I’ve just cancelled my old gym membership as I plan to stay on at ELITE forever! They’ll be sick of the sight of me!

Is there anything you would like to add? Just more thanks to all of the trainers for their continued support and everyone I train with for keeping me laughing through the pain!

You are very welcome.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your ELITE experience with us Karen

For info on ELITE click on the LINK

Make sure you check out Steve and Karen on air weekdays from 6am - 10am. For more info on the Breakfast show visit www.metroradio.co.uk/djs/breakfast/

WITH

SARAH LITTLE pared to your first 20lb challenge? The 2nd transformation was so much harder. My weight loss slowed right down, only loosing a couple of pound a week compared to the 7 and 8lb I was loosing in the 1st. It is a little disheartening when that happens but make you work twice as hard as your determined to hit your target. What made you want to stay on with them and do a second one? I’ve never been able to loose a big chuck of weight and staying on to do another made me more determined to keep going and give me the massive kick start I need.

Hi Sarah and welcome back to NE. Our readers will have seen you in the June Issue after you had just finished your first ELITE 6 Week 20lb Transformation Camp, where you did amazing, but how do you feel about the camp now that you have just completed a second 20lb challenge? I feel absolutely fantastic. I can’t keep the smile off my face now I’m so much happier in myself.

So in 12 weeks with ELITE how much have you lost in total? 42lb

What are the differences, good or bad, between this and your first 20lb challenge? My fitness levels have improved alot. I couldn’t do a burpee at the start and now I can although there not 100% I can still do them better than I first started. It’s those little differences that give you a boost.

That really is an amazing result; did you think you would hit that figure when you first started? Never in a million years did I think I would complete 1 never mind 2 and to hit the 20lb in both is amazing

How do you feel now after training for several months with ELITE, what difference has it made to your everyday life? I feel happier, stronger and I’ve now had to go out and buy new clothes as most of mine don’t fit.

How have you found this com-

teams and doing exercise/games against each other. It makes it fun and exciting. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start with ELITE? Just go for it. You won’t regret it. It’s a life changer! Do you have an end goal/date in mind or will you keep going with ELITE in one way or another? I’ve still got weight to loose. I’ve set myself a new target of loosing 2 stone before Christmas. I will set a new target once Christmas is over and I will keep going until I am completely happy. For info on ELITE click on the LINK Have you completely changed your lifestyle or do you still have a few guilty pleasures like some food and drinks that you know you probably shouldn’t have? Changing your lifestyle is very hard when you’ve had a bad one for so long. My head is in a better place regarding getting food now. I will always try and stay as healthy as possible but you’ve still got to have your treats now and again. Now that you have finished a second transformation camp with ELITE what is next, will you be staying on with them or is that you done? I’ve now joined up for focus classes. I used to hate going to the gym it bored me, but it’s totally different with elite, I actually look forward to going to my sessions. Is there any part of the training that you find you really enjoy more than you thought you would? I like it when we are split into

JESSIE WALLACE TO JOIN THE CAST OF CHICAGO AS MAMA MORTON One of Britain’s most popular soap stars to join the cast of international award-winning Broadway and West End musical CHICAGO which comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal for two weeks only from Monday 1 – Saturday 13 August 2016. Jessie Wallace*(EastEnders) will be joining the cast in her first ever musical theatre UK tour as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton alongside previously announced West End and Celebrity Big Brother star John Partridge (EastEnders, Cats, A Chorus Line, Miss Saigon, Starlight Express) as Billy Flynn, and Dancing on Ice winner and Coronation Street star Hayley Tamaddon (Emmerdale, Grease, Mamma Mia!) as Roxie Hart. * Please note that Jessie Wallace will only be appearing in performances at Newcastle Theatre Royal during week two from Monday 8 August CHICAGO sees Jessie Wallace make her return to Newcastle Theatre Royal where she starred alongside fellow EastEnders star Shane Richie in A Perfect Murder earlier this year. One of Britain’s most loved soap stars and best known for playing Kat Slater in EastEnders, a role for

which she has won numerous award, Jessie’s other TV credits include Amy Kriel in Wild at Heart and Pat Phoenix in The Road to Coronation Street, for which she was nominated for a Bafta Award. Her theatre credits include Maureen in Rent Remixed in the West End, Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be at the

Theatre Royal Stratford East and Sylvia in the national tour of Stepping Out. CHICAGO is based on real life events back in the roaring 1920s; nightclub singer Roxie Hart shoots her lover and along with cell block rival, doublemurderess Velma Kelly, they fight

to keep from death row with the help of smooth talking lawyer, Billy Flynn. Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, CHICAGO’s sexy, sassy score includes the iconic numbers “All That Jazz” and “Razzle Dazzle”. With 6 Tony, 2 Olivier, 1 Grammy, 2 Bafta and 6 Academy Awards, CHICAGO truly is ‘The sharpest, slickest show on the block’ (The Times). A nightclub singer, a doublemurderess, a smooth-talking lawyer and a cell block of sin; it would be a crime to miss it. CHICAGO comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 1 – Saturday 13 August. Tickets are from £19.50 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal. co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge). Please note that Jessie Wallace will only be appearing in performances at Newcastle Theatre Royal during week two from Monday 8 August. The producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist. Please check with the Box office when purchasing your tickets.

BILLY CONNOLLY HIGH HORSE TOUR Coming to Newcastle City Hall Tuesday 15 & Wednesday 16 November 2016 Hailed as the UK’s most influential comedian of all time, voted best comedian of all time by Channel 4, and included as one of the Huffington Post’s favourite UK comedians. Billy Connolly is a stand-up comedian, actor, musician, TV presenter and artist. After an apprenticeship as a welder in his hometown of Glasgow, he became a professional performer in 1962, forming The Humblebums band with Gerry Rafferty, before pursuing a solo

career as a comedian. Aside from starring in numerous films and TV series, Billy has toured worldwide continuously for the last 50 years, performing to an audience of over 10,000,000. Billy was awarded a CBE in 2003, was given the Freedom of the City of Glasgow in 2010, and was named Britain’s most influential standup comic in 2012. Perhaps best known for his moving performance as the loyal servant John Brown in the highly acclaimed Mrs. Brown, Connolly’s other film credits include Gulliver’s Travels, The X-Files: I Want To Believe, Fido, Garfield 2, Lemony

Snicket: A Sereis of Unfortunate Events, The Last Samurai and Timeline. His previous film credits include Peter Kosminsky’s White Orleander, Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints and the sequel All Saint’s Day, Stephen Metcalfe’s Beautiful Joe and Barry Levinson’s An Everlasting Piece, Stanley Tucci’s The Impostors, Crossing The Line with Liam Neeson, the Muppet Movie version of Treasure Island, Gabriel and Me. Gentleman’s Relish and The Man Who Sued God, as well as the acclaimed BBC productions Down among the Big Bad Boys and The Life and Crimes of Deacon Brodie. His voice is also featured on the animated films Pocahontas and

Open Season and the Disney Pixar animation Brave. Most recently, he has appeared in Quartet, directed by Dustin Hoffman, in the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson, and will be seen in the upcoming What We Did On Our Holiday alongside David Tennant and Rosamund Pike On television, Billy featured in Head Of The Class, which was later spun off into his own series, Billy. Connolly has also made various television guest appearances, most notably in the U.S. series House M.D. as well as Columbo, Third Rock From The Sun and Veronica’s Closet. He hosted Billy Connolly’s

World Tour of Scotland, a sixpart series documenting a tour of his homeland, a theme continued later in his World Tours of New Zealand, Australia and England, Ireland and Wales. Billy has hosted television series Journey To The Edge Of The World and Route 66, as well as other specials such as Pale Blue Scottish Person, A Scot in The Arctic, The Bigger Picture and An Audience with Billy Connolly. More recently he has presented the two-part series Billy Connolly’s Big Send Off.

Billy Connolly plays at Newcastle City Hall on Tue 15 & Wed 16 Nov 2016 Tickets are £38.50 and can be purchased at www. theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge.

Billy is now also recognised as an artist, as original artwork by Billy has been displayed in various exhibitions throughout the UK since 2012.

dad’ kind of place. I felt, with the kind of typical client in Hoults Yard, that there was a market for something a little more adventurous. One of the key ideas for Yard Food was to have a kitchen that was bright, clean, open and flexible enough to cater for whatever came up. The ‘grab and go’ concept was loosely based on pre-existing businesses like Pret and Greggs, so there is a lot of prep that goes into getting everything set up and looking great for lunch service, our busiest time. It was important to get staff that were multitalented and real catering ninjas. Ideally I needed someone as comfortable in the kitchen as they are talking to customers.

Yard Food is a new venture popping in the Clock Tower Café in Hoults Yard. Ostensibly a working kitchen, Yard Food is open Monday to Friday to provide lunch for the tenants in Hoults Yard. We decided to meet up and ask a few questions. “NE: Hi Yard Food, thanks for agreeing to speak to us” “Yard Food: No problem, thanks for having us!” “NE: So tell us a bit about Yard Food” “Yard Food: Well, we came on board at Hoults Yard around January time whenever we heard that the café’s contract was up for renewal. It was pretty bare bones at the time as the last operator had stripped everything out whenever they vacated. There was clearly a need for the

café as a service on site at Hoults Yard as the next nearest café is quite far away in Byker Wall. We have a good relationship with them but it’s a fairly ‘mum and

On a typical day we’ll open early for coffee and hot breakfast rolls, fresh pastries, that sort of thing. After the breakfast rush we’ll crack on with some hardcore sandwich prep alongside daily changing soups, quiches, salads, cakes; whatever. Oh, and sausage rolls,

It’s now two months into Yard Food and the feedback’s been great. We’re starting to get more outside catering and people asking us to bake cakes and things for special occasions, which is great. We’re also staring to work collaboratively with some of our favourite street food vendors in the North East to try and provide them with a platform for exposure and to make more of an event of Friday lunch time.

lots of sausage rolls! Basically we try and use whatever is in season and run with that for a week or so before changing it up. It was always really important that the food looked really good. They do say you eat with your eyes. That’s why we try and promote Instagram as our main output for social media. A picture tells a thousand words.

lot of people very keen to see it open as soon as possible. As always, red tape held things up, so the opening was delayed by a couple of months. Eventually we decided to open with the equipment we managed to beg, borrow and ‘acquire’. Very little was spent on the refurbishment as it’s such a naturally beautiful building. We painted the floor, because it looks very cool (it’s blue)! Invested in a tonne of disposable cutlery and what not and just decided to crack on with it. We firmly believed that whenever people tried the food that everything else would fall into place thereafter.

Hoults Yard is such a cool space and more people in Newcastle should know about it so, with Yard Food, we can promote it as suchthrough our food, events that we put on, helping out our friends who also make great food and building on what we’ve achieved so far. Ultimately we just want to make really good food and keep the good people of the North East well fed.” You can find Yard Food on Instagram @yard_food and current, basic website.

As the café had been closed since before Christmas there were a

Ever wondered how you would escape if you were swallowed by a whale or buried alive in an airtight coffin… with only an angry beaver and a foot-long hot dog to help you? Well, we’ve got something special for you. A delightfully dark party game known as Bucket of Doom. The game begins with a single scenario card. These cards describe a wealth of troublesome scenarios, such as “You wake up and you’re the backend of a human centipede” or “You’re a sperm and you’re not winning this race”. Upon reading out the scenario, you are all (unfortunately) placed into peril. Each player has eight object cards at their disposal. The challenging part, however, is that these objects tend be as useless as possible, such as a “Duck Whistle” or a “Valentine’s Card for someone called Ian”.

Armed with your arsenal of impractical objects, you must devise a cunning plan to escape the

scenario at hand. Since the round ends with a vote for the most impressive getaway, you’ll need to get creative if you hope to come out on top. For example, suppose the game began with the following scenario: “Walking home after a night out wearing Lady Gaga’s

meat dress you are attacked by militant vegans”. One player, thinking quickly, brings out his “Defibrillator” card. Using it on himself, he quickly revives the meat dress into a healthy cow, pacifying the vegans. Another player grabs her “Soft Rock Power Ballad” card, channeling the spirit of Michael Bolton to fight off the angry activists. Once each player has presented their equally-impressive escape to the group, everyone votes for their favourite. The player with the most votes takes the scenario card for that round. New object cards are distributed, a new situation is read out and the next round begins. The first player to successfully collected three scenario cards is the winner. The perfect preparation for unexpected emergencies, Bucket of Doom is a constant reminder that when the s**t hits the fan, you need a plan. To buy BUCKET OF DOOM visit

Well it’s now June and we’ve seen some of the big films of the year already, but don’t panic as there are still more to come. We have teamed up with Cineworld Boldon to give you a quick run down on a few films that are coming soon and really 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

Pete’s Dragon Release date: 12 August 2016 Newcomer Oakes Fegley is the boy with a magical friend in this remake of the Disney favourite.

Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) has heard stories of a magical dragon for years, from the mouth of her wood-carver father (Robert Redford), However, that’s all she thought they were – stories. That is, until she meets ten-year-old Pete (Oakes Fegley) who claims to live alone in the woods with a giant green dragon named Elliott. Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from and the truth about this mysterious dragon. However, a few other people

have found out about this remarkable dragon and and are intent on capturing it. This remake of the muchloved 1977 film boasts a stellar cast and state-ofthe-art specials effects to help bring this enchanting and magical story to a new generation.

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, Robert Redford Director: David Lowery CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Bridget Jones’s Baby Release date: 16 September 2016

Loveable singleton Bridget Jones approaches motherhood in this latest entry of the smash-hit comedy series. 12 years after the events of The Edge of Reason, hapless Bridget (Renee Zellweger) is now in her forties and enjoying her role as a high-flying news producer, but is no longer with hunky beau Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). She’s therefore a bit surprised to find out that she’s pregnant – but who’s the father? Is it Mark, or her handsome new fella Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey)? One thing’s for sure: Bridget’s journey as she attempts to find out promises to be as hilarious and revealing as ever.

Returning to her Oscarnominated signature role as bumbling Bridget, Renee Zellweger is again set to capture our hearts and tickle our funny bones alongside a host of returning favourites including Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones and Sally Phillips, plus a terrific cameo from acting legend Emma

Thompson. Cast: Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey, Jim Broadbent, Gemma Jones, Sally Phillips Director:Sharon Maguire CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Asterix:The Mansions Of The Gods Release date: 19 August 2016 Our favourite plucky Gauls resist the latest Roman invasion in this witty animation with an all-star voice cast.

As the Roman Empire continues its expansion, Julius Caesar (Jim Broadbent) becomes increasingly exasperated by the small village of indomitable Gauls who continue to hold out against its might. But now he’s come up with his most dastardly plan to crush their resistance. A luxury housing complex, known as the Mansion of the Gods, is constructed on the outskirts of the village. With the Gauls in danger of becoming a mere service industry for

tourists, it’s time for magic potion-fuelled Asterix (Jack Whitehall) and Obelix (Nick Frost) to fight back against Rome’s cultural invasion. This first animated Asterix movie in ten years is a brilliantly fun-packed family adventure with plenty of action and a fabulous satirical storyline. The superb voice cast of comic talent also includes Catherine Tate,

Harry Enfield and Dominic Wood of Dick and Dom fame. Cast: Jack Whitehall, Nick Frost, Greg Davies, Matt Berry, Catherine Tate, Harry Enfield, Richard McCourt, Dominic Wood, Jim Broadbent Director: Louis Clichy, Alexandre Astier CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Lights Out Release date: 19 August 2016 A supernatural being that lives in the dark preys on a family in this suspenseful, spine-chilling horror. Following the unexplained death of his factory owner father Paul (Billy Burke), 10-year-old Martin (Gabriel Bateman) starts to experience terrifying visions whenever the lights are switched off. This brings home his older sister Rebecca (Teresa Palmer), who moved out because she could no longer cope with their hallucinationplagued, mentally unstable mother, Sophie (Maria Bello). Frazzled Martin tells Rebecca that Sophie has been communicating with someone named Diana, who lives in the dark. Recognising the threat this terrifying and malevolent entity poses to

the family, Rebecca realises that she must unlock and confront the truth hidden in her mother’s past. Swedish director David F. Sandberg’s lean, unremittingly scary expansion of his internet sensation short film is produced by ‘The Conjuring’ director James Wan. It builds to a tense and chilling climax

that will leave you sleeping with every light on. Cast: Teresa Palmer, Mario Bello, Gabriel Bateman, Billy Burke, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Emily Alyn Lind Director: Sandberg

David F.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

The Purge: Election Year Release date: 26 August 2016 The annual killing spree returns for a third time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deadlier than ever!

The year is 2025: former cop Leo Barnes (Frank Grillo) is coming to terms with not killing the man who killed his beloved son during a drink driving incident. Barnes is now head of security for Presidential candidate Senator Charlene Roan (Elizabeth Mitchell). Roan is ahead in the polls due to her vow to eliminate the Purge, an annual killing spree where all crime is allowed for one night only. It was this one night that resulted in the sadistic death of her entire family. However, dark government forces are determined that the Purge continues, and soon

both Barnes and Roan find themselves betrayed and left stranded on the streets of Los Angeles during the deadliest and most terrifying night of the year.

violent thrills.

Now in its third instalment, the sleeper hit horror franchise now adds biting political commentary to its

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Cast: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Mykelti Williamson Director: James DeMonaco

Sausage Party Release date: 2 September 2016 A sausage seeks to escape his fate in Seth’s Rogan’s very adult, unremittingly hilarious animated comedy. Down at Shopwell’s supermarket, the food items have just one goal in life: to be picked by customers. They believe these benevolent giants will then whisk them off to paradise. All they have to do is remain pure and pristine until they’re chosen. That means Frank the sausage (Seth Rogan) is unable to consummate his relationship with alluring bun Brenda (Kristen Wiig). But Frank and his friends are about to discover the awful truth about what awaits them in the ‘great beyond’!

The twisted brainchild of ‘Pineapple Express’ and ‘This is the End’ creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, this outrageously profane comedy might look like a magical Pixar movie - but it’s most definitely not for children. The brilliant supporting voice cast includes Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as sausages, Edward Norton as a bagel

and Salma Hayek as a taco. Cast: Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Edward Norton, Salma Hayek Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Unlimited Card Love Cinema. Join the club - £16.90 a month. You will receive... Preferential Discounts Unlimited members get 10% off all food and drink bought in-cinema at any time of day, every day!* Plus, you’ll also receive discounts for all nonfilm screenings such as Live Opera in HD, Live National Theatre, Live sport in 3D and live gigs etc. (All discounts subject to terms)

Unlimited members benefit from exclusive deals set up by their local cinema*. These offers vary from cinema to cinema, but are a great way to save pennies. (All deals are subject to terms) *Until further notice Watch as many films as you like Are you mad about movies? Feed your fascination by

watching as many films as you like at Cineworld every month from just £16.90. There’s literally no limit to the number of times you can visit! Apply for your card now at www.unlimitedcineworld. com/uk/pages/apply. aspx?step=1 using promo code RAF-63KG-29XM-00SB31WU.

Get access to Exclusive advance screenings As an Unlimited member, you can be among the first to see great movies at our special screenings. Just keep an eye on our Unlimited newsletter for your invitation. Discounted Meals & Shopping

cinema is also available for private venue hire.

Cineworld has confirmed its latest complex will open at Dalton Park on Friday, September 9, creating 30 jobs. This brand new cinema will feature seven screens which will deliver crystal-clear images and a powerful digital sound system to a total of 1,000 seats, perfect to watch all of the big movies coming out in the coming months.

Movie goers will be able treat themselves to treats from a Baskin Robbins ice cream counter as well as the usual cinema snacks. Film fans can take advantage of a range of offers at Cineworld Dalton Park including weekly discounted Movies for Juniors screenings for just ÂŁ2 on Saturdays, Sundays and during school holidays, as well as Student NUS discount. The

Cineworld Unlimited Card holders can also enjoy access to an unlimited number of films per month for less than the price of two new-release peak time tickets, as well as 10% off cinema snacks and drinks, local offers at restaurants and shops, and exclusive advance screenings. Tickets for Cineworld Dalton Park go on sale from Friday, August 26. Visit www.cineworld.com for more information, with details of job opportunities available through the centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website www.dalton-park.co.uk

STEPNEY Tyres

new premises Unit 4, maurice road ind est Newcastle upon Tyne, Ne28 6by

and forming the NOW with the world famous Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall. The evening will consist of photo and signature opportunities with Nash as well as a superb signed sports memorabilia auction, question and answer session as well as a full warts and all interview conducted by Robert Maltman. Tickets Gold - (Very limited) £50.00 per ticket this includes • Entry • Reserved front section seats • 1 photo with Nash printed on the night • 1 autograph of the item of your choosing • Chance to ask the legend a question • Additional autographs at £10 instead of £15 Silver - £30 per ticket this includes • Entry • Unreserved table seat. • Photo opportunity – £20 • Signature opportunity – £15 Tickets available through:www.triplempromotions.co.uk Email mward@mdapromotions.co.uk

An audience with Kevin “Big Daddy Cool” Nash Federation Breweries Lancastrian Suite Newcastle Legendary WWE and WCW pro wrestler is coming to the UK and is appearing at the Lancastrian suite at the federation breweries Newcastle on September 8th 2016. Kevin will be talking about his 25 years as a pro wrestler and revealing all about his rivalries with The Undertaker, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan and of course Goldberg as well as

many others. “Diesel” will be discussing the huge impact he had on wrestling with his switch from WWF to WCW

ICE FC 16 came to Temple Park Leisure Centre, South Shields, on June 18th with an absolutely stacked fight card that did not disappoint. Both the undercard and the main

card had some fantastic fights that really did showcase how good the MMA talent is here in the UK and right here in the North East. The main event saw Cage Warriors Featherweight World Champion Alex Enlund taking on The Ultimate Fighter veteran Paulo Boer from Holland in a highly anticipated fight. On paper a lot of people thought this would be Alexâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toughest fight to date and would be a close one that could really go

either way. Alex had the added pressure of fighting in front of his home town crowd for the first time ever and some people thought that might help give Paulo an edge as there was no pressure on him at all. Alex wasted no time by backing

Paulo against the cage and controlling and dominating him before finally sinking in a rear naked choke forcing Paulo to tap after 4 minutes and 6 seconds of the very first round. Alex really did prove a point with his performance which has yet again got social media all saying the same thingâ&#x20AC;Śthe UFC must surely be calling now! ICE FC really did pull out all the stops by bringing some top notch international fighters to the show and any thoughts of easy victories for the home town favourites was not a guarantee. There were a few shocks in store when local favourites Lewis Monarch, Rocky Holmes and John Marshall all lost, just showing that ICE FC did not set up easy fights for the home town fighters. But rather than us giving you a full run down why donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you check out all of the action on the ICE FC You Tube Channel

Paul Heyman rocked Manchester in day two of his UK tour with a show at the Manchester Comedy Store.

The show started discussing the previous night’s show in London. Heyman mentioned his former right hand man Gabe Sapolsky who is now in charge of Evolve. This moved on to Heyman mentioning that Will Ospreay was in the audience at the London show and was invited on stage where Paul offered him a two year contract with Evolve. Paul talked about UFC 200. Paul really put Brock over and said that Brock acted like he was going to win during the

whole time up to the fight between him and Mark Hunt. Paul said that Brock Lesnar actually had diverticulitis (a gastrointestinal condition) lying dormant in his body since he was a teenager without knowing about it until his first run with UFC. Heyman put over Lesnar by pretty much asking what he could do in UFC now that Brock is healthy. The show was divided into four separate parts.... Part 1: WCW One of the crowd asked about War Games ‘92. Heyman spoke about getting in the cage. Paul said that the roster of WCW

around ‘91 to ‘92 was awesome and put over guys like Rick Rude (who Paul said was in his prime during this time), Steve Austin and Ricky Steamboat. Whilst the talent roster was amazing, the management were not and that’s why early ‘90s WCW could never compete with early ‘90s WWF. Paul said the management of WCW had no product knowledge. They had no idea how to create six main eventers and get them working with other wrestlers who needed the rub and bring them up to their level. Paul also said that Ricky Steamboat’s matches with Steve Austin really helped make Austin improve as an overall

son to manage backstage was as members of the ECW roster pushing themselves to the limit was the whole point of ECW.

performer. But getting back to War Games ‘92, Heyman thought this was the best WCW match ever. Paul also mentioned people freaking out about Madusa getting on top of the cage and people thought she was going to legit beat Sting’s ass as she’d only just got back from Japan where she’d competed in shoot fights and also been training in Muay Thai kickboxing over in Thailand. Paul said that there was an opportunity to go to the WWF in early ‘92. Paul was going to be Bobby Heenan’s protégé where he would then go onto manage the Heenan family on his own with Heenan being a full time commentator at the time. Kip Frey who was Executive Vice President of WCW back then asked Paul what it would take to keep him in WCW. Paul said that instead of being an independent contractor like everyone else in the business was at the time, he asked to be an employee of WCW. Kip allowed this to happen so he stayed. Part 2 – ECW An audience member asked who was the most difficult person to manage behind the scenes. Paul said it was hard to say who the most difficult per-

Paul said the Dudleys and New Jack in particular were difficult but Paul didn’t really act like this was a bad thing as that kind of behavior was encouraged. Paul said he himself might have been the most difficult to manage for allowing people who constantly overstepped the mark like Sandman, Bubba Ray and New Jack to stay. Heyman mentioned that he never reigned himself in back in ECW. Paul said the ECW performers “drank the Kool-Aid” and would “run through walls” for him because he really believed in all of them. Paul mentioned that the WWF wanted 6’5” bodybuilders, WCW wanted athletes and ECW wanted everyone else (the rejects but the ones who could wrestle). Paul mentioned 5’8” Pete who was studying martial arts who could choke anyone out. ‘Pete’ turned out to be Taz. Paul talked about Steve Austin and his pissed off promos after he was fired from WCW as Austin was legit

pissed off at the time. Paul said he wasn’t a genius for allowing those promos. Paul said it just meant Eric Bischoff was a “stupid motherf**ker” for allowing Austin to leave. Paul also said WCW were “stupid mother**kers” for letting Mick Foley go too. The show got interrupted by someone who went to the toilet and hit his head on a wallmounted TV. This promptly made the host say the audience member “head-butted a TV”, which consequently made the crowd chant “ECW!” One audience member asked if WWE should bring back “Donkey and Diddy” (meaning Doink and Dink, although how anyone could confuse WWF with Donkey Kong Country is anyone’s guess). Heyman said, “Do you want to be Dink?” (the person who asked was a midget). Paul then went onto say, “I go all the way to Manchester and I pop a midget”. Heyman then walked into the crowd and hugged the midget. Paul concluded the ECW part of the show by saying that he’d like ECW to be remembered for everyone pulling together and the fans getting 10 dollars

hated back in ECW and that Scotty Levy believed in the soul of Raven. Paul thought that WCW and WWE didn’t know how to use Raven because they didn’t create him. Paul said that he had no influence over Raven in WWE. He also said Shane Douglas shouldn’t have left ECW when he did. Paul believes that Sabu should have been a bigger star than he was. Paul said Sabu’s body was destroyed in and out of the ring. Paul believes that Sabu from ‘93 to early ‘95 was revolutionary and ahead of his time but being ahead of your time doesn’t usually draw money which prompted the very clever and arguably truthful analogy of “ECW – bankrupt. Attitude Era – billionaires”, which prompted a round of applause from the audience.

of value for spending a dollar. This was just an analogy for the fans getting more fun than they bargained for. Paul said that even when he couldn’t pay people, they were still good times and the wrestlers would still try for him and the fans. Paul said that ECW was all about hard work. Part 3: WWE 2001-2006 This is where things got a bit confrontational. A member of the audience asked Paul a two parted question which Paul thought wasn’t asked very clearly. Heyman was giving the audience member a lot of stick for over-complicating the

question of basically, “which retired wrestler should have been a bigger star than he was and who in WWE should be in the main event who isn’t?”. The question wasn’t asked that simply though which is what wound Paul up. Anyway, Paul responded by saying that he would put Cesaro in the main event. Paul doesn’t understand why the front office aren’t high on him. Paul didn’t really answer the question about the stars from the past who should’ve had better careers but he did say that Raven should never have left ECW. Paul said that Raven was legit

Paul thought the Alliance angle was a disaster. Paul mentioned that it was Michael Hayes who suggested that Paul Heyman do the shoot promo on Vince on the go home Smackdown before Survivor Series 2001. Paul basically asked Vince how far he should go to rip an asshole. Vince’s reply was, “as far that could draw money”. Paul said that Taz’s choke that he applied on him after the promo was pretty tight and went onto say that shooting works when in the right context with certain angles. Whilst good money was made after Survivor Series 2001, Vince didn’t share a lot of that money with Paul. Paul was asked about an incident between himself and Vince McMahon on the WWE

(hard to do given the venue) so Vince suggested Punk turned on Cena. Vince also suggested Heyman then worked alongside Punk.

private plane. Paul said there was a confrontation about the December To Dismember pay-per-view. Paul thought that this was the worst wrestling pay-per-view ever. Paul said if you wanted to sabotage a promotion, that PPV was the way forward. But as far as the incident on the plane went, Paul talked about all the scenarios and outcomes for the main event. Vince wanted CM Punk and Rob Van Dam eliminated first in the match for every scenario being suggested. Heyman felt personally offended by that. Heyman was already tired of being in WWE by then and wanted to go home. Vince has never gone public with what happened in that conversation. Paul said it was a very heated argument. Said he didn’t want to violate the confidence so he didn’t mention exactly what was said but there wasn’t a physical fight between the two of them. Paul was basically shown the door but he wanted to leave anyway. The show started to overrun but the organizers (Inside The Ropes) and Paul went with the

last part anyway... Part 4: The return of the Advocate Paul mentioned the CM Punk pipe bomb promo from 2011. Paul said he met Punk back in 2005 in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Punk had worked for Gabe Sapolsky in Ring Of Honor and did well which got him noticed and signed by WWE. Paul claimed that when Punk finally arrived in WWE, nobody knew what to do with him. WWE management wouldn’t allow the Pepsi Plunge (a pedigree from the top turnbuckle) as his finisher and he didn’t do “flippy-dippy” stuff like Jeff Hardy. Paul said that as a result of this, he had to fight Punk’s cause. Fast forward to 2011 where Punk said he was a “Paul Heyman Guy”. Paul had been gone for five years by then but it reminded the long-time fans of Heyman and got the newer fans asking who Heyman was. Paul then mentioned that Brock Lesnar was back the following year. Paul also mentioned that the season premier of Raw in Chicago involved the idea of Punk turning heel

Paul was reluctant to work alongside anyone else other than Brock until Vince suggested Punk was the guy he was working with. Paul said that when it was being revealed that Punk was working with Heyman and they were sitting in a car live on Raw, they were both bent down out of sight from the camera and joked about the shit they could stir working together. Paul then talked about the choosing between Brock and Punk angle and then went onto to talk about Brock being pitched the idea of working with Taker at WrestleMania 30. Paul said people should get over the streak being broken. Paul also said that HHH invited Heyman to NXT and not Dusty Rhodes. Paul said he loved Dusty Rhodes with all his heart and misses him on a daily basis. Paul also put Renee Young over and said she could work anywhere as a broadcaster. Paul concluded the show by getting into the crowd and getting them to say, “My name is Paul Heyman” together for his Heyman Hustle YouTube show. Overall, this was a brilliant show and although the VIP tickets weren’t cheap, they were well worth the money. Well done Inside The Ropes and Paul Heyman! Review Liam Johnson Photos by Lee Nems

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