NE Online Magazine Issue 33

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.

Registered Charity England

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.

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

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!

Great North Run You are now embarking 9 September 2018 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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We l c o m e N o t e .

T h e E a s t e r We e ke n d i s o v e r fo r another year after an extended winter thanks to the Beast from the East. Hopefully things are now starting to brighten up with summer t r y i n g t o m a ke a n a p p e a ra n c e , l e t s j u s t h o p e t h e r e ’s n o m o r e s n o w haha..

As always, if you have something you want to see in a future issue then d o n ’ t fo r g e t t o d r o p u s a n e m a i l t o wayne. groves@neonlinemagazine. com P l u s r e m e m b e r t o fo l l o w u s o n Fa c e b o o k a n d Tw i t t e r fo r o u r r e g u l a r updates on events and competitions.

Till next time Ta ke c a r e Wa y n e

EDITOR & DESIGNER Wayne Groves wayne.groves@neonlinemagazine.com

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 Nicholas Dunn NJDunn Photography Peter Mann BSc Inside Mann Media & PR petermann78@hotmail.com LeeNemsPhotography www.ne-ms.co.uk SPONSORS Sergeant Clip www.sergeantclip.com Facebook - Sergeant Clip F.ound Digital Website: ino.digital

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THIS ISSUE P6 Durham Dragons Ice Hockey Club P14 Beth Macari P20 Marie Marx P26 I Am Lee Kyle P36 Anth Hopper P46 A North East Winter Wonderland P56 Cineworld Film Round Up P74 Chennai Central P80 David McCaffrey’s Hellbound P88 Stephanie Clift P94 All Square Festival 5

readers?

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Hi Colin, welcome to NE, can

you introduce yourself to our

It’s been two decades since an ice hockey team carrying the Durham name lifted a major piece of silverware.

A tenth final for the Durham Wasps would see Whitley Warriors, their fiercest rivals for many-a-year, crash to the Big Blue Machine in an emphatic, 10-2 game – fast forward 23 years and the Dragons, carrying on that ice hockey tradition, lifted the Dave Webster Memorial Trophy.

Seven matches in two days, the Dragons overcame the loss to injury of two key players, top scorer Brett Kirby and net-minder Craig Davies, whilst avenging their one loss in a shoot-out of a semi-final, to claim the silverware.

“We went with intentions of doing our best to win the tournament and felt quite positive,” said Darren Webb, a thirty year veteran with the Dragons and current team manager.

“The first game, we got lucky (a 7-2 win over Edinburgh Lions) as

it was an early start and, despite the loss to Grimsby (Lightning) in game three, we had three really good games on the Saturday.

“The result against Lightning (a 3-1 reverse) doesn’t really reflect the closeness of the game.”

In between victory over Edinburgh and the loss to Grimsby, the Dragons picked up a tight victory over Kingston

Cobras, Brett Kirby leading the way early on with three goals whilst Mark Gibson notched his first for the club in the reverse against Grimsby.

Immediately back to winning ways the following day, Kirby notching his fourth of the tournament in a 4-0 rout of Coatbridge Coyotes, certainly gave the Dragons food for thought.

However, the tight 1-0 success over Dumfries Demons in the final group game not only sealed progression to the semis, but came at a cost, the losses of Kirby and Davies.

“We felt really positive going into the Sunday and made the most of the games we had,” continued Darren.

“That final group game (against Dumfries), we both had to win to progress.

“They were a formidable team and it was a high pressure game, one which we lost two of our players, both through head injuries.

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“We then got the chance to avenge Grimsby in the semis in what was another tough game, a game that saw no goals in normal time and only one penalty (James Udell the only success as Brett Armitage hit the post and John Shreeve saw his saved whilst stand-in net-minder, Sam Elsom, saved two from Lightning for the win).

“It was an absolutely nervewracking finale that’s for sure.”

The Dragons suddenly found themselves in a position they’d been before, this time more determined to bring home the prize having twice been runnersup.

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Paisley Blackhawks stood in the way of the Dragons, Udell stepping up to the plate and claiming a hat-trick in a 3-1 win, goals which would see him the Dragons top scorer for the tournament with six.

“Paisley picked up a comfortable win in the semis and reached the final without losing, or going behind in any of their games,” revealed Darren.

“They even took the lead against us in the final.

“We kept the pressure on though and replied quickly, Udell going on to score three times.

“He became a big difference for us and I honestly feel that

everybody, on and off the ice, had a great tournament.”

Founded in early 1993 prior to the demise of the once famous Wasps, the Dragons have had a nomadic existence during their 25 years, playing in Durham, Sunderland, Newcastle and Billingham they presently reside, alongside their rivals, of all teams, the Whitley Bay Islanders.

A recreational ice hockey team they’ve kept with tradition and retained local interest with that of Mark Foster, Chris Hall, Ian Greenwood, Jeff Franklin and Brett Kirby representing Durham.

Still a formidable name, and outfit, at home and abroad, the Dragons are self-funded and, following the increasing standards of recent years, are keen to attract sponsorship to move the club forward, and maybe return to Durham.

Interested parties should contact the Dragons team manager, Darren Webb, via darrenwebb@ global-precision.co.uk or 07384 215268.

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UK tour dates announced for March 2018 including London’s Alexandra Palace New album ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’ due via Kobalt Music Recordings this February 9th 2018 Stream new track ‘Lemon To A Knife Fight’ HERE

You can pre-order the album HERE Having just detailed their fourth album ‘Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life’ for a February 9th 2018 release via Kobalt Music Recordings, The Wombats have announced headline UK tour dates for March 2018, including Lon-

don’s Alexandra Palace.

2017 has already seen the Liverpool-bred trio headline O2 Academy Brixton (which sold-out in

under 24 hours), as well as two sold-out nights at the Sydney Opera House.

Having debuted as Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record’ on BBC Radio 1, and premiered online with The Fader, new single ‘Lemon to A Knife Fight’ is available to stream here.

2015’s ‘Glitterbug’ album, that debuted in the Top 5 UK Album Chart and Billboard 100, has received over 200 million digital streams, surpassing even the band’s euphoric hit singles ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’, ‘Moving To New York’ and ‘Kill The Director’, that established them as chart-quashing champions of the noughties guitar pop explosion.

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Set to headline North America this January, and join The PIxies and Weezer through the US in June and July, The Wombats will

play the following headline UK shows through March 2018.

UK Headline Tour Dates *ticketmaster.co.uk March 13 - Belfast - Limelight2 14 - Dublin - Academy 16 - Cardiff - Great Hall 17 - Sheffield - O2 Academy* 19 - Aberdeen - Beach Ballroom 20 - Newcastle - O2 Academy* 21 - Nottingham - Rock City 23 - Birmingham - O2 Institute* 24 - Manchester - Academy 25 - Norwich - UEA 27 - London - Alexandra Palace 28 - Bristol - O2 Academy* 29 - Southampton - O2 Guildhall* CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS FOR THE O2 ACADEMY

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IF THE ANSWER IS YES THEN CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

ino.digital

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Beth Macari

Well it’s been a decent start to 2018 for Beth Macari that’s for sure and, as the saying goes, things can only get better.

And better they’re going to get for this month will see the eagerly anticipated release of her new single, Clone.

Already performed at support gigs whilst at Sage Gateshead (RJ Thompson) and the O2 Academy

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(Rae Morris), Beth is ready for what is sure to be a rollercoaster ride over the summer months.

Having announced that Clone has been signed to Carillo Music, a US-based record label ranked #10 on the Billboard Best Dance Record Labels, in the world, Clone is sure to create a storm.

“Both the Sage and O2 Academy were lush!” began Beth.

“I’ve sang at them both many times before but I enjoy them even more each time.

“Supporting Rae Morris at the 02 was a true delight though, I absolutely love her voice,” It’s an exciting time as well, early gigs this year were added to by February’s KSO release of Like That, one that she even took herself onto creating a live version which, along with Clone and the working titled, On the Money, were performed for the first time at the Sage.

“It’s been great,” added Beth.

“I am so excited to release my new music, I have lots of it and I really love performing it live with my band.

“I’ve had lots of positive feedback at my shows, people really like the live version (of Like That).”

NARC REVIEW OF SAGE PERFORMANCE Beth Macari first graced Sage Gateshead’s stage some nine years ago and performs a set tonight that sees her fulfilling the promise she has shown for some time. A cover of Cry Me A River is a false start because her own material sees her at her best. A rocked out band version of Like That, her current single with Radio 1 DJ KSO is far superior to the dance anthem original, whilst the summery, up-tempo, beach vibes of On The Money is possibly the best thing she’s put

her name to date. Forthcoming single Clone makes the most of her soulfully seductive voice and caps a fine performance by an artist truly starting to find her feet and sound.

On The Money and Clone are both stunning tracks and, irrespective of what the former will finally be named, they are sounds which music lovers everywhere will no doubt have on their playlists this year – Narc’s descriptions as close to the mark as anything.

And speaking of summery vibes, this Tyneside artist will be appearing at Hardwick Live across the 18-19 August (headlined by Kaiser Chiefs, Shed Seven and the Happy Mondays).

Hardwick is one of many stages where Beth is performing her exciting new music throughout 2018, the two main tracks to be highlighted, the impending new single, Clone, and the working titled, On The Money, are sounds which Beth is massively excited about, and rightly so.

“On The Money is a working title so it is highly likely that, come the release of that, it will have a new name,” she giggles with that loving smile across her face.

“My new music is a lot poppier, with dance vibes, so it’s super fun to perform them live.

“I love the energy, and the sass, they portray.

“As for Clone, there are a couple meanings to the track.

“It was based around a certain situation that I have faced, something personal to me, but it is actually really relatable!

“I am interested to see how people take to it and what it might mean to them as well.”

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Marx continues the Micro Tour It’s been a tough eighteen months for local singer-songwriter, Marie Marx, tough but enjoyable at the same time as she finally gets to tour her debut album, ‘This is the Thing.’

for a mother of three.

Released with a launch party at Saltburn Theatre in September 2016 the self-taught musician, who only picked up the guitar and started writing/playing the previous year, was ready to take on the next step with her band-mates, best friend Dave Brittle (cajon) and husband Rob Huckins (guitar), then she fell.

“It’s called ‘This is the Thing’ and it’s been out around eighteen months, I just never got around to

The fall, which saw Marie suffer two slipped discs in her back, didn’t hold her back, no, she carried on as best she could with help from the support network she has around her, so much so that rehearsals were done in-house, gigs were still performed “with a back brace, medication and plenty of Budweiser,” she giggled, and the tour was planned – not too shabby

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“The band got together what, a week before the album launch and it’s just moved on from there,” began Marie.

promoting it and I needed to tour it before I could move onto anything else.

“What stopped me? Health issues really, I slipped in the bathroom and yes, they all laughed about it when it happened, but a few days later we realised the serious nature and I was suddenly bed-bound

with two slipped discs, it was agony.”

really otherwise it would be a big micro tour.”

for it, and took to it like duck to water.”

Not resting on her laurels, and pushing her own health at times, Marie carried on best she could to ensure the dream continued, and carry on she did.

With dates in venues across Teesside and Tyneside Marie and her band also head to Leeds, Driffield, Hartlepool, Gateshead and Scarborough, friends joining them on specific nights include Andy Brewster and Lisa Kilcar, Andi Grainger and Charlea B, among others.

Marie Marx will be appearing at the following venues during April and May - April 15, The Butchers Dog (Driffield); April 20, Whole Latte Love (Stockton); April 28, Fisherman’s Arms (Hartlepool); April 29, Brewery Tap (Gateshead); May 12, Golden Smog (Stockton) and May 19 at the Mojos Music Café (Scarborough) more information can be found on the Marie Marx – Singer/Songwriter Facebook page

She picked up the guitar from her bed, carried on playing, and started to plan the upcoming ‘This is the Micro Tour,’ which began on March 2 and lasts for ten weeks, takes in numerous ‘micro’ venues across the North-East and Yorkshire – and she’s bringing some friends along for the ride.

“Although I was forced to stop, it did become a blessing really,” Marie continued.

“It made me plan the tour, gave me something to do whilst I was laid up.

“I wanted to do more, push a UK tour, but I had to keep it simple

Other than the Toft House appearance in Middlesbrough on March 31 with Nobody Girl, the rest are free entry with the album, already proving a good seller, showing that This is the Thing.

Photo credit to EnA Photography, Art Ian Allcock & Lauren Duncan

“To go from pretty much nothing, to this, in three years, I can’t believe it, it’s amazing,” added Marie.

“I moved to Darlington last year from my hometown of Marskeby-the-Sea as it’s more central and easier to get to places but I’ve chosen the smaller, quirkier venues for the tour because I love them and that’s where I started out, on the open mic circuit.

“I was totally blind back then as well, I just picked up the guitar and started writing and playing but I’ve never looked back, went

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It is nearly time for another Screen-Con, the original and biggest North East convention that is ran by fans for the fans, bringing a whole host of guests from your favourite TV shows and Films giving you the chance to meet and chat with them all up close and personal as well lots to see and do both on stage and around the venue.

Screen-Con 2017 will have Hammer Horror and Bond star Martine Beswick and original Star Wars Stormtrooper Laurie Goode taking centre stage appearing, but unfortunately Spencer Wilding is not able to attend the event as he is now going to be filming over in America, but he has posted several messages on the Screen-Con event page apologising to his fans and promising to make it up to them by appearing at a future event.

Good luck Spencer and we will see you at the next one.

Al and Vicki, the people behind Screen-Con, are busy sorting a replacement as I type this so watch

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this space for a big announcement coming your way soon.

NE are always a regular feature at all of the Screen-Con events doing everything from taking photos for the magazine to getting on stage to judge the Cosplay Competitions.

This year we will be there but this time we will have our very own stall where we will be holding the NE Charity Tombola. We have

already taken this to a few of the SciFair events last year and it is always a huge success raising money for some great local charities. We have several boxes of great prizes already with more prizes still to come, with everything from Funko Pop Vinyl Figures to comic books and even sweets. So make sure you come pay us a visit.

Screen-Con is a fun day out for all of the family, with your host Markus Percy bringing you all manner of fun and games along with all of your favourite characters all wondering about and happy to pose with you for those great facebook profile pictures, so you really do not want to miss out, get your tickets HERE.

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I AM LEE KYLE Hi Lee and welcome to NE, how about you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hiya! I’m a stand up comedian, I grew up in Jarrow and now live in South Shields, I’m from a pretty big family in Low Simonside and I have a wife who is dead good and a son who is okay. He’s actually pretty good too but he’s 18 now so it’s okay if I pick on him. I went to St Wilfrids in South Shields where I was once told by Mr Nelthorpe that I was the worst pupil in the whole school. I wasn’t violent or even that naughty I just liked to mess around a lot. Anyway, he had a stupid moustache.

You are a man of many talents going from the world of wrestling to that of stand up, how did that all come about?

I was hitting thirty and wrestling just was becoming less and less fun and starting to hurt more. I’d always wanted to be a comedian

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anyway so decided it was time to go for it.

When and where did you do your first ever stand up gig and how did it go?

It was at a pub called The Kings Manor in Manors. It’s now a letting office; there isn’t even a blue plaque. I felt like it went okay but I think I may have just been drunk.

I’ve since read through the material I did that night and it was horrific.

You have been doing stand up for a while now working with some great comedians along the way, but is there any gig in particular that stands out as your best gig?

It was recent. It was, surprisingly, at Bilton Hall Community Centre in Jarrow. I’ve played to much bigger crowds but this was a bit special. Sadly, my Mam died recently and this was very near where she lived, a week after she died. A lot

of the people there were either related to her or knew her. It didn’t make anything better but we all laughed for a couple of hours and it meant a lot.

And your worst ever gig?

At Tiger Tiger in Leeds in late 2010. I was too new for the gig, which was full of stag and hen nights. I had nothing they wanted to hear and there was a sort of silence in the air that was like

nothing I’ve experienced before or since. Oddly, last weekend I gigged there for the first time since then and, the room, which was, in my memory, as big as an aircraft hanger, was actually only about 150 seats. It was quite nice so hopefully I’ll not have to wake up thinking of it again.

When it comes to stand-up comedians who would you say was your favourite and why?

I used to love Peacock and Gamble as a double act but they don’t do stuff together anymore sadly, I also used to be into Frank Sidebottom who isn’t with us anymore.

James Acaster’s netflix shows are pretty amazing. Most of my favourite comics are people around here I work with a lot, there’s some amazing talent in the North East who people don’t know, who could easily break out. Katherine Tanney is the most natural comedian

I know, she’s incredible but has no idea that she is. There is a character act, Zoe, who is just unfollowable and leaves people laughing so hard they gasp for breath. My most regular support act, Sammy Dobson, is a huge favourite of mine too, she just has such a fertile mind and an interesting way of seeing the world and her life is interesting.

Back in 2010 we actually teamed up to run a comedy night in South Shields called “I don’t Get It?” which was a unique monthly show, what would you say was your favourite highlights from those shows?

We did mate! I was! I could have done a better job hosting them really, I was probably just a bit new to do the job needed of me at the time, my favourite memory is of Billy Morrison, a fella I knew from wrestling, do impressions

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How easy is it for you to come up with new material?

It depends. Sometimes your mind is very fertile; the three best bits in my current show came to me in about a minute, other times you just aren’t feeling funny at all. I’m quite lucky in that I host a lot of gigs so I’m pretty good at ad libbing so I have the chance to have an idea and then talk about it that night and hope something funny comes out, it’s a risky strategy though!

You are currently heading your very own tour, tell us a bit more about it and why people should come and see it?

My tour is called ‘Folly’, it’s a 32 date (Now 33, I’m going to Redcar!) national tour based on the idea that it’d be interesting to see what happens if you tour while not being famous. I’m so glad I’m doing it, it has been a real experience and it’s such a fun show. It has some of the best bits of stand up I’ve ever done but also some real daft bits of silliness, I only have a few shows left and I ‘m really going to miss it! If you like stuff that’s a bit daft but with some proper actual jokes in there, I reckon it’s for you. of 1960s Coronation Street in his underpants. Half the crowd loved it, the other half hated it. I’ll never forget it.

maybe dreams of escape!

A lot of people see the Edinburgh Fringe as the highlight of the comedy calendar, give us your I was lucky enough to see you thoughts on this? perform a great routine about flags It’s a long month but it’s so important for us. It means that so at one of those shows, something that has been a reoccurring thing many comedians have to write a at your shows, so why flags? new hour show every year and it I very rarely do that these days makes you better quickly. I love it and hate it. I hate being away from but it was a pretty nice set, I just couldn’t think of any more jokes home for so long but I love doing hour long shows so much, I love about it and it was time to move on. I’ve always been into flags and having a decent amount of time to maps though, no real idea why, try and bring people into my head.

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What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get into stand up?

Get used to spending time alone, to megabuses and villages in the middle of nowhere, for nights being spoilt by self-doubt and for working for free for a while but also for the best times you’ll ever have, for meeting loads of weirdos and doing stuff you never thought you’d do. Mostly though, do it. It’s a brilliant life if you’re a bit odd.

You also wrote a book recently, can you tell us a bit more about

that?

I did! I wrote a book called ‘Spandex Ballet’ about my time as a wrestler, I reread some of it recently and it’s pretty good! I’m quite proud of it. It was the top selling wrestling book on Amazon UK for a bit and 4th top in comedy biographies.

How can people buy your book?

It’s on Amazon, both as a paperback and for Kindle but I normally have a few with me at shows and then forget to plug them!

Will you ever make a wrestling comeback or are those days well and truly over now?

I’m not in shape for that anymore mate, I’d consider commentating on a few shows or something but my time is long gone. I missed it at first but I don’t now.

How can people follow you and keep up to date with upcoming gigs and tours?

My website is imleekyle.com there’s loads of stuff on there, I’m hoping to have a USB with 4 of my shows on it and a few extras on sale in the next few months as well as news of my Edinburgh show for this year. I’m @imleekyle on twitter.

Is there anything you would like to say?

Thanks! Oh! Also, could I direct people to me podcast ‘Which is the Best?’ that myself and Sammy Dobson put out every week? It’s us deciding between things with the same name but is much better than that sounds. We have 115 episodes out if you need a commute filled!

Good luck with the tour and we hope to catch a show soon Thank you very much mate!

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NERG is the biggest retro gaming event in the North East, held at Gateshead Stadium over the course of 2 days, this event is as big as it gets for retro gamers or just the big kids re-living their youth playing the games they used to play, after all, they don’t make them like they used to. 2017 will be the fifth year of NERG and it will be a big one. With 100 video arcade machines, 35 pinball machines and 60 consoles and computers this really is an event you do not want to miss!.

The event is held over the weekend of 1st & 2nd of July.

Entrance is £15 per day or £25 for the full weekend. Children aged 5-13 years can also get in for only £10 on the Sunday.

All the machines are set to free play so once you pay the admission fee, it’s free gaming all day., so no need for those pockets full of change.

CLICK HERE TO TICKETS ONLINE.

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PURCHASE

or you can pay on the day if the event hasn’t sold out.

More details can be found at w w w.northeastretrogaming. com Machines are announced on a regular basis through the social feeds so make sure you keep checking to see what games will

be there, though with so many we are sure your favourites will be there.

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK For Twitter - @NERGOfficial

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Hi Anth, welcome to NE, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Anth Hopper, I am the owner of Roker Rough House MMA/Redcar BJJ & Generations of Combat in Sunderland. I am the head coach at RRH whilst the head coach of Redcar BJJ is Shaun Matthews. I am a second Dan black belt in Japanese Jiu Jitsu and a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I also have a good background in boxing and MMA. Shaun Matthews is a 1st degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu also with an MMA background.

You run the Roker Rough House MMA, can you tell us a bit more about that?

Yeah so basically we are a martial arts club that compete in many arts, mostly in MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing. We hold a good strong team from the kids to adults. At RRH we also do Sambo, Krav Maga and Karate and we have coaches who are experts in their respected arts, we have something for everyone at our club.

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What made you want to set up your own club?

I have always been around combat sports from the age of 8, then fighting from the age of 11 when went into Jiu Jitsu and MMA, anyway I had a room in a weight lifting club I was running at the time and a few lads asked if I would train them for some boxing fights so I agreed to help out. We were doing well in competitions, I

think I only had 3 fighters at this point then other people started asking if they could join us, then before I knew it we were competing in MMA as well winning fights and starting getting a good reputation. I didn’t even have a club name at this point so me and my friend, Ricki King, sat down and after a thousand different ideas we came up with Roker Rough House MMA. Once we came out with

that it became an addiction and I fell in love with having my own club.

There are a lot of great clubs around the North East, what makes yours different, why should people consider Roker Rough House MMA as their place to train?

Yeah I totally agree the North East is very good for martial arts clubs, I would say we are different to many clubs in the respect that we compete a lot and our coaches are all high level in there respected sports. There are a few other gyms in Sunderland that are very good teams also, like TFT, THE DUNGEON & SPARTANS .

I would say people should consider Roker Rough House MMA because we are a very caring team, every student from the keep fit lads and lasses to the top professionals get the same treatment and respect, there are no clicks in our club.

Is RRH just for fighting or can people join who don’t want to

compete but still want to train and get fit?

No we are a club for everyone, if it’s to keep fit, self-defence or if you want to compete, you’re welcome. Some people come to be

graded in the different martial arts we do at RRH, some people come to gain confidence or even to just socialise and to connect with others.

What advice would you give to anyone that is interested in joining you at the RRH to learn to fight or just to train and get fit?

The advice I will give is that we teach people who have been bullied people with disabilities people with zero confidence, anxiety, stress, depression etc. No matter what your reason is to want to start training I highly recommend you take the hardest step and walk into the gym and give it ago.

This sport has changed so many people’s lives around the world, we are here to help with whatever you want to do, everyone is made welcome.

As well as the RRH you also run your own fight show with Generations Of Combat which sees its

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that we needed a bigger venue so our shows are now at THE POINT in the Sunderland city centre. This will be our 3rd event at this venue and we now have professional MMA fights on as well as amateur MMA fights, K1 and Boxing.

The North East has more fight shows than anywhere else in the UK, why do you think that is?

I have never really thought about that to be honest, the North East does have a lot of events and it’s also good that most of the MMA clubs support each other’s shows and put lads forward.

3rd event this coming May. Can you tell us a bit more about your show how it all came about?

I got into running shows with ICE F.C. I did a couple of events with

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them then decided to give it ago by myself. The first ever one was in a social club in Southwick and it was just Boxing, K1 & Kickboxing.

It was very successful so I decided

What makes Generations Of Combat stand out over other shows in the region, why should people buy a ticket?

Generations Of Combat have definitely made a good impression since starting off, we take care of everyone who help our events and we never take a lend of people. I think that alone has gained us a lot of respect. From a customer’s point of view they know when

they buy a ticket they are going to get good value for money as we always have 20+ fights and all of the fights are very well matched, that’s always important to make a good night. So don’t miss out get your tickets fast for May 19th 2018.

People often assume putting on a show is easy and the promoters make a fortune, give us your thoughts on what goes into a show and how much time, effort and money it actually takes?

Aww man, running an MMA event is very hard work, there’s a lot that goes into running an event. It starts 4 months before the actual fight night with making match ups, agreeing wages and personal terms, sorting flights, hotels, venues, judges, refs, door staff, medical team, camera crew, promotions staff, production staff, runners, transportation, tickets, drop outs, medals, titles, promo, cage hire to say a few, there’s a lot more to add. I truly believe the time and effort you have to put in will never be rewarded in cash and I think most promoters that run smaller events will totally understand where I am coming from.

My rewards are seeing my lads do well in their fights, there’s no feeling like it in my opinion. Also

seeing the customers that bought tickets having a good time is a real pleasure; it’s nice when you get good feedback about your event.

Shows cost a lot of money and one bad show could break you in half, there are such high risks involved in running an event with a very small profit margin.

get away from your job. I also like to go for a swim, chill and visit family members, also a bit of sea fishing.

If you could have anyone at all fight on your show who would it be and why?

Conor McGregor is the man, he would make me mega rich haha.

When you are not training or sorting out the show what do you get up to in your free time?

My free time normally consists in me watching BJJ comps and MMA fights, I don’t think you ever really

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Tell us 3 random facts about yourself?

I hate olives.

Love things about space and the unknown.

Going sea fishing.

Where can people follow you, Generations Of Combat and of course the Roker Rough House?

Facebook, Instagram - Anth hopper - roker rough house Mma

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And how would they go about training with you all?

You can email me at rokerroughhousemma@outlook.com or contact my phone you can find the number on the Roker Rough House MMA page.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Thanks to everyone who has supported us so far it’s really appreciated.

Thanks for talking to us and we look forward to Generations of Combat at The Point May 19th

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Photo by Lee Tiffin

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A NORTH EAST WINTER WONDERLAND So far this year the weather has just been crazy, it can’t make up its mind and some days we are seeing all the seasons in one day. The recent visit from the “Beast from the East” saw the country come to a standstill as we just can’t cope with such extremes in this country.

Granted, places like Russia and Canada cope with a hell of a lot more and they manage, but people seem to forget that we don’t get that kind of weather often enough to need to deal with it.

Granted the blizzards did cause a lot of misery for so many people, be it lost wages, stuck in traffic, plans cancelled and more, myself

Photo by Alan Robson

included, but the one thing that really stood out for me was the

Photo by Andrew Winward

amount of fantastic pictures I saw shared on social media, the beauty of the views of snow covered places, people having fun in the snow, some real Christmas card images, which is what inspired us to do something very different for this issue, we opened up the chance for people to submit their snow pictures with one being the cover of this very issue. This was open to anyone, amateur or professional, even non photographers who managed to get some good pics on their phone. The images sent in were all brilliant in different ways and we really did struggle to pick just one winner, but congratulations go to Lee Tiffin for an amazing picture that we think captures everything in one image. A big thank you to everyone that sent in their images.

Photos by Naser Alhujailan

Photos by Mandy Armstrong

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Photos by Tony Winward

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Photos by Charlie Pearson

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Photo by Richie Mckeith

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We have double the fun now as we have teamed up with Cineworld Boldon and the new Cineworld Dalton Park 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. Boldon and Dalton Park

Avengers: Infinity War Running time: 140 minutes An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Benicio Del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Chadwick

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Boseman, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bettany, Paul Rudd, Peter Dinklage, Pom Klementieff, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett

Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Holland, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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Sherlock Gnomes Running time: 90 minutes The beloved garden gnomes from GNOMEO AND JULIET are back for a whole new adventure in London. When Gnomeo and Juliet first arrive in the city with their friends and family, their biggest concern is getting their new garden ready for spring. However, they soon discover that someone is kidnapping garden gnomes all over London. When Gnomeo

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and Juliet return home to find that everyone in their garden is missing – there’s only one gnome to call...SHERLOCK GNOMES. The famous detective and sworn protector of London’s garden gnomes arrives with his sidekick Watson to investigate the case. The mystery will lead our gnomes on a rollicking adventure where they will meet all new ornaments and explore an undiscovered side of the city. This action-packed sequel features the voices of returning cast, James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Maggie Smith,

Stephen Merchant and Ozzy Osbourne, plus Johnny Depp as Sherlock Gnomes, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Watson and Mary J. Blige as Irene.

Cast: James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Ashley Jensen, Matt Lucas, Stephen Merchant, Mary J. Blige and Johnny Depp Director: John Stevenson CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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Deadpool 2 Running time: 120 minutes Trailer unavailable as flagged inappropriate for some users. After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfil his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender

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while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste.

Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the impotence of family, friendship, and flavour - finding a new taste for adventure and earning

the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

Cast: Brianna Hildebrand, Eddie Marsan, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Ryan Reynolds, T.J. Miller Director: David Leitch CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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Solo: A Star Wars Story Running time: 140 minutes Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy.

Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course for one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.

Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Clint Howard, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke, Paul Bettany, Thandie Newton, Warwick Davis, Woody Harrelson Director: Chris Miller, Phil Lord, Ron Howard CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Running time: 120 minutes It’s been four years since theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World was destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Isla Nublar now sits abandoned by humans while the surviving dinosaurs fend for themselves in the jungles.

When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Owen is driven to find Blue, his lead raptor who’s still missing in the wild, and Claire has grown a respect for these creatures she now makes her mission. Arriving on the unstable island as lava begins raining down,

their expedition uncovers a conspiracy that could return our entire planet to a perilous order not seen since prehistoric times.

Cast: BD Wong, Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Geraldine Chaplin, James Cromwell, Jeff Goldblum, Rafe Spall, Ted Levine, Toby Jones Director: J.A. Bayona CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

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Unlimited Card Love Cinema. Join the club - £17.90 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) 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 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

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STEPNEY Tyres

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

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Probably the toughest edition we’ve produced yet - but when you strive for the stars, you have to climb those stairs Savour: Issue 7 is finally here with a complete NEW REDESIGN. Celeb chefs, The Artisans, recipes, top restaurants, the best hotel stays and lots of local talent too.

Alain Ducasse, Gordon Ramsay, James Martin, Savour: The Cook Off (where we’ve challenged four chefs to cook dishes using sustainable food) and, of course, THE GIN EDIT. Well, it wouldn’t be my little (it’s becoming a monster!) magazine if I didn’t include my favourite things would it?

Nothing short of blood, sweat and tears has been put into this one. Massive thanks to all involved. I couldn’t do it without you. Y’all know who you are.

Georga Spottiswood CLICK HERE TO GET ISSUE 7

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Not the usual Indian takeaway Who would expect to find Spicy Halloumi Fries or Chilli Cheese Pakoras or Naanbabs at an Indian eatery? Meet Chennai Central, an old but new kind of Indian takeaway based in South Shields.

It calls itself a quirky Indian takeaway and we can see why.

Having spotted lots of online chatter about this place, we discovered new dishes which immediately caught our eye.

It recently rebranded from Spice Central to Chennai Central and we asked Shah Amin, Manager, to understand why: “Spice Central was established in 2009 and we quickly became quite popular.

Our concept was inspired by the Indian railway system, bringing all the flavours and spices from around India, hence some of our dishes such as Railway and Darjeeling.

“We stayed true to our roots and served up authentic Indian dishes. We eat out a lot and so wanted to provide taste and service exactly how we would expect it. But we love to ‘cook’ up new ideas and always look to innovate.

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“Since inception, we’ve introduced lots of new dishes such as our Waga Naga curry, Balti Tuk Tuk with meatballs, healthy option range using coconut oil, Currito and so on.

But with all the innovation we’ve done over the years, we felt like we could never distinguish ourselves from the crowd as so many other takeaways have

the word Spice in their name.

We would even be mistaken for other takeaways and could only presume other takeaways were mistaken for us. And so we began brainstorming different names and chose Chennai Central, a train station in India.

“A lot of customers still aren’t aware but hopefully over time

they will. But we’re getting a lot of new customers now and feel like our new name differentiates us from the crowd. It’s spurred us on to bring new ideas. Our latest winter menus has; Curry Noodles, new starters such as Chilli Cheese Pakoras, Honey Glazed Spicy Beef, Spicy Halloumi Fries, Spicy Potato Skins, we’ve got Platter Boxes like the Kebab Kit, Great Indian Fry-up and the latest one that’s launched is the new Chennai Mashup Box. “We hope customers like our latest innovations and would be great to hear from them on our Facebook page.”

Sounded perfectly reasonable to us so we decided to give the place a try - and boy were we impressed!

The Spicy Halloumi Fries are just incredible, nice taste, crispy texture and a nice Garlic Mayonnaise to dip them in.

But the star of the show was the Chennai Mashup Box. It comes complete with Chicken Tikka, Sheek Kebab, Chilli Cheese

Pakoras, Samosas, Onion Bhaji, Chips, Curry/Madras/Massalla or Waga Naga sauce, Mint Sauce and Salad.

The Honey Glazed Spicy Beef was amazing, so many different flavours hitting your mouth at the same time, and goes perfectly well with the nice fresh green and red salad and mint sauce.

This takeaway is a must if you haven’t tried it already, it’s definitely not your usual Indian takeaway.

Our website address is www.chennaicentral.co.uk and you can find us on Facebook @chennaicentraltakeaway

Image by GTHpiscsnaps Photography

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FOOD REVIEW Facebook can be a wonderful place at times when it comes to people sharing new and wonderful food ideas or places to eat. It was one such post that caught NE’s eye recently when we came across a picture of Chennai Central’s Mashup Box and some Spicy Halloumi Fries.

Someone had posted an image they had taken when they were trying some new items from the new look menu that Chennai Central were about to launch and it had everyone commenting asking where it was from…us included.

We got chatting to Manager Shah Amin about the recent change of name and of course the new look menu and he invited us down to Chennai Central to have a look and to sample a few items that he was about to launch, well it would be rude not to.

We didn’t have long to talk when I visited as they were really busy and as you can imagine the buzz about the Mashup Box had really peaked everyone’s interest with them all eager to order one for themselves. But it was great to find out about the revamp and the new ideas for the menu, but best of all, it was great to try these new items for ourselves.

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The Spicy Halloumi Fries I have

to admit really was a nice surprise as it is not something you would usually expect to find on the menu from somewhere that sells curry. But I can tell you now that they were some of the nicest Halloumi Fries I have ever had. The trick with these is making sure you eat them when they are still hot as Halloumi tends to go rubbery when it cools down. But these were cooked perfectly and the added spice gave it a nice taste, they were not too spicy at all and of

course the accompanying Garlic Mayonnaise dip added even more flavour as well.

Next up was the Honey Glazed Spicy Beef. This dish is a striking red colour and smelled amazing.

I didn’t know what to expect from this dish as some honey dishes can be too sweet and even sickly. This one wasn’t, this had one hell of a kick to it, but it is so flavourful with it, it’s just a question of if you can handle the heat or not, so if you are not a fan

of hot dishes then this one is not for you, but if you do like a hot kick to your food then you really do need to try this! The beef was cooked so well, it was nice and tender, though my mouth was on fire after every mouthful, but it tastes so nice you keep going back for more. (For the record though, I’m not great with really spicy food so this might not be that hot for some of you, but it was for me, yet I still wanted more haha).

My final dish was the one that

originally caught my eye on facebook, the new Chennai Mashup Box. This is jam packed full of all of your favourite starters and your main all together in one box and you get plenty of each so you can share it with someone or you can have it to yourself as a nice a nice feast. Inside the Mashup Box you get some really tasty and tender Chicken Tikka pieces, these were so nice and something I usually get as a starter so I was not disappointed wit these. The Sheek Kebab was cooked nicely and was not dry

like you get in some places. I was looking forward to trying the Chilli Cheese Pakoras as I had never had these before.

Wow, these had a really nice kick to them and the cheesy centre was so good, you really do need to try these for yourself.

The Samosas were nice, these can be hit or miss depending where you get them from but they were really tasty. Another one of my favourites was the Onion Bhaji, it’s safe to say I was not disappointed, it was cooked perfectly, it was nice and crispy on the outside and filled full of flavour, I like mine covered in the Mint Sauce as it really adds to the flavours perfectly. The mashup box also comes with chunky Chips which are perfect for dipping into the pot of sauce that comes in the centre of the box. You can choose between Curry/Madras/Massalla or Waga Naga sauce. Being a softy I opted for a curry Sauce which I found to be done perfectly for me, nice and thick and just the right amount of heat to it, not too hot but full of flavour with a nice little kick. You also get salad with the box, though for me I tend to only use the lemon to squeeze over my Chicken Ticka and Onion Bhaji.

These were just 3 of the items off the new look menu and I know they have more planned as well. I really can’t recommend these dishes enough, though it is best to order with plenty of time as I know there can be a bit of a wait for food, but I would rather wait a little longer knowing that my food will be cooked fresh and will be done right. It is well worth the wait. With a new menu packed with some incredible dishes I really can’t wait to try some other items on the menu as Chennai Central are doing a great job of creating delicious food with a great twist, they have definitely got it right when they call themselves a quirky Indian takeaway. www.chennaicentral.co.uk Find on Facebook Image bythem GTHpiscsnaps Photography @ chennaicentraltakeaway

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McCaffrey realises Hell (bound) on Earth

Douglas Adams stated that his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was a trilogy in five parts as readers were taken to the edge of the universe, and beyond, and back

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again, in comedic fashion; David McCaffrey’s Hellbound Anthology is the darkened opposite, a deathly anthology in three parts – Hellbound, In Extremis, and Nameless... so far.

They portray the damning trials and tribulations of The Tally Man, the name given to the world’s worst serial killer, Obadiah Stark, and the intertwining destiny which binds him to local crime reporter, Joe O’Connell.

It’s a tale which shows that, somewhere, between Heaven and Hell, lies the soul of a serial killer.

Extracted from the serial killer’s interview eight years ago, The Tally Man was quoted as saying: “Once I had chosen them, there was no escape. They were dead as soon as I laid eyes on them. I used

them to satisfy my every desire, enjoying the fact that I had their lives completely in the palm of my hand. That’s a power you can’t buy.

You have to take it.

Did I feel bad about the first one?

It was certainly the most challenging, but then the first of something always is.

Did it plague my consciousness?

No. After all, you only feel guilt if you’ve done something wrong.”

If Hellbound brought forth The Tally Man and his murderistic passion then In Extremis took readers into the realms of The Brethren with the (un)welcome introductions of James Maybrick and Thomas Quinn, The Brethren emanating from 1888, Whitechapel, Victorian London.

It’s hard to believe that Hellbound first came to light when it was published on November 27, 2014; but it took four years to come to fruition, four long and challenging years which saw the Redcar author seek guidance and expertise of American science-fiction author, Steve Alten, best known for his fictitious megalodon, a giant prehistoric shark, Meg. “I always wanted to be author and I wrote short stories when I was younger,” began the Hellbound author, David McCaffrey.

“When my son, Jake, was born

(David has two sons after the recent arrival of little Liam), I felt the urge to begin writing again.

“Alten was a writing coach and a favourite author of mine and he took me, at the second time of asking – he was intrigued and I was ridiculously excited, although he didn’t like my original pitch for Hellbound.”

Following a vast number of emails,

calls, and countless late nights, Obadiah Stark was finally born in February 2014, after he’d received some 65 literary rejections – more than Stephen King had received.

Mind McCaffrey also had to endure some half-a-dozen rewrites of parts of Hellbound before finally getting things right.

“I never took offence as it was constructive criticism,” McCaffrey

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added.

“It took four years from joining Steve to finally being published due to a few personal issues but it’s definitely something I’m extremely proud of.

“People seemed to enjoy it, so I carried on writing and love it! It is the most satisfying and exciting thing I have ever had the privilege of doing. (a bizarre, inter-connection weaves the Hellbound Anthology into the purchase of the publishing house, Britain’s Next Bestseller – see feature).

“I published In Extremis in August 2015 and the anthology has become something of a miniphenomenon.

“So, from something that I’d loosely based on, and reminiscent of, Dante’s Inferno (the reason Steve wasn’t initially interested), Obadiah Stark was born.

“He is The Tally Man, a combination of two different names with the former, Obadiah, meaning ‘Messenger from God,’” Quite literally though, somewhere between Heaven and Hell, lies the soul of a serial killer – that serial killer is Obadiah Stark, and we’re all Hellbound.

HELLBOUND FB - https://www. facebook.com/thetallyman/ McCAFFREY WEBSITE - http:// www.davidmccaffrey.net/ BNBS FB - https://www.facebook. com/BNBSbooks/ BNBS TWITTER - https://twitter. com/BNBSbooks BNBS WEBSITE - http://www. bnbsbooks.co.uk/

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ROCK LEGENDS EXTREME RETURN TO THE UK IN DECEMBER. DAN REED NETWORK TO PERFORM AS SPECIAL GUESTS AT ALL SHOWS TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM LIVENATION.CO.UK & TICKETMASTER.CO.UK Extreme have announced that they will be returning to the UK for a full tour. Starting at Newcastle’s O2 Academy on the 13th December the band will then head out across the nation, playing to 6 different cities before closing the tour with a show at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on the 20th December. Talking about the newly announced dates, Guitar sensation Nuno Bettencourt had the following to say “The UK has always embraced Extreme and has really understood what we were about from the beginning. We share a mutual appreciation and can’t wait to come back in December. This is going to be a special tour for us”.

Grammy-nominated Extreme, one of the most successful rock acts of the late 1980s and 1990s, have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

They have released six studio albums, plus a greatest hits set and 2 live DVDs since their formation in 1985. The band had initially described their music as ‘Funky Metal’, but it would evolve much more in the mid-90s by blending classic rock influences with postgrunge and alternative rock.

Gary Cherone’s resonant vocals and socially conscious lyrics, Pat Badger’s rock solid bass, and the hard hitting Kevin Figueiredo on drums. Their unwavering songcraft and diverse musical approaches have earned the band multiplatinum albums with chart topping hits and sold-out tours

all over the globe.

Extreme’s popularity is fuelled by guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt’s signature style,

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Does Your Business Need Fire Curtains?

Fire safety has been brought to the fore this year. It has always been important, but business owners and landlords are now taking it a lot more seriously.

Beyond the risk to life, there is also a huge risk to property that can completely ruin a business – even if the business is well insured.

There are lots of ways to protect your workplace from fires; fire curtains are one of the lesserknown fire-safety features, yet they are extremely effective, so this brief article looks at how fire curtains work and the kinds of business that could benefit from installing them.

High-quality fire curtains have

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saved many lives by impeding the spread of fire. They are usually made from extremely flame-retardant materials that can prevent the spread of fire for at least two hours. They are installed close to areas that have a higher-than-normal risk of fire, such as factories, shops with a lot of flammable fuel (such as books or clothes), and any workplace with a lot of electrical equipment.

If you are unsure whether or not your business needs fire curtains, ask yourself if there are sources of ignition (electricity, heat, naked flames) and if there is enough fuel to help the fire spread quickly.

Fire curtains are fitted to an automatic system that

activates when local firewarning systems are set off.

Once activated, fire curtains can either close immediately or be set on a delayed timer. You can integrate this function into your workplace’s current automated fire alarm system.

If you want to go a step beyond fire curtains, you can invest in fire shutters, which have a soldered link design that melts when exposed to a fire, making an extremely fire-resistant barrier.

Local Sunderland-based company K & D Systems (www. kanddsystems.com) is a fire curtain specialist with a 3-day turnaround on fire curtain installations and a proven track record. Contact their Newcastle branch on 0191 204 9070 if you’d like to learn more.

IF THE ANSWER IS YES THEN CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT

ino.digital

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Stephanie Clift

As stage returns go, the return of Stephanie Clift was something inspiring and special.

Having not appeared since last summer with the Alabama 3 at Glastonbury 2017, Miss Clift blasted back on stage at the O2 Academy in her adopted home town of Newcastle as guest vocalist for the Brixton-formed, punkrock, country acid icons – it was special....

The track - Speed of the sound of Loneliness; the response - priceless.

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“I always have fun playing in my town of Newcastle,” began Stephanie of her return to the stage.

“There was a buzz from the audience and I enjoyed every minute.

“Alabama 3 are a great bunch of very talented musicians, it’s always a combination of a fantastic sound and a visual sound that is inspiring.”

Now 26 the singer-songwriter,

born on the Isle of Man but with groundings on Tyneside, the diminutive songstress has not been lazing about any sun-lounger drinking cocktails the past year, she’s been putting down some tracks ready to make a full-on as-

sault on the music industry.

She’s not alone either, song-writing partner Dagan Wilkin will carry the guitar and session drummer, Kyle Hughes will add extra bounce to the music, Stephanie has also taken on a regional PR specialist

to increase her profile.

But who is she?

“I’m from the Isle of Man” explained Stephanie.

“Twelve years ago (2006) I left home for schooling and then to pursue my career some more.

“After travelling and working on music in America and Africa, I found my feet up here in Newcastle.”

Alongside her guesting with the Alabama 3 she has, in recent years, been seen alongside O’Connell & Love.

Stephanie has also found herself working with the New York Dolls on the album, Dancing Backward In High Heels, their fifth and final studio album which was released in March 2011, recorded at our own, Blast Studios, in Newcastleupon-Tyne.

It was during the sessions with the New York Dolls that Stephanie also worked with American bass/ guitarist Frank Infante (Blondie, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett) and Earl Slick (David Bowie, John Lennon, Yoko Ono), adding extra experience to her portfolio.

Glastonbury 2017 was, until recently, the last time Stephanie had been seen on stage however it’s not been time wasted.

“After Glastonbury though, last year, I took a big step back, but I’ve been busy writing music for I’m looking at releasing an EP later in the year,” continued Stephanie.

“I’m working with Larry Love and Wizard (Alabama 3) on mastering my unique sound, and looking forward to getting my music out there.

“Not only that but I’ve got a few gigs coming up.

“I’ll be supporting the iconic Toyah Wilcox back at the O2 Academy in June, looking at a tour with O’Connell & Love, and some festivals, whilst hoping to announce more as the year progresses.”

CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK CLICK HERE FOR TWITTER

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World-famous music acts coming to Darlington TICKETS have gone on sale for the hotly anticipated All Square Festival coming to Darlington this May Bank Holiday.

From Friday May 4 to Sunday 6 Darlington’s Market Square will play host to a three-day music, comedy and entertainment extravaganza, with four different events brought to the masses, in a joint collaboration between festival organisers Boomerang Events and Guisborough’s Summer Sound Tribute Music Festival.

Big names including Ibiza’s saxophone sensation Lovely Laura, Glitterbox DJ Ben Santiago, Retro’s Paul Taylor, Livin’ Joy of ‘I’m a dreamer’ fame and some of the best live tribute acts from around the country, along with Raver Tots and Bingo Revolution events will be bringing the party to the city centre marquee throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.

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Jordan Jefferson, Director of Boomerang Events, said: “There really is something for everyone, and we’ve put a twist on every event, this is going to be three days of non-stop fun and the best part is that the full family can get involved.”

Day one kicks off on the Friday night with Bingo Revolution, a modern spin on the classic game

with comedy, music, mischief and mayhem, while day two sees the hugely popular Summer Sound Tribute Music Festival showcase some of the UK’s best live tribute acts including Oasis, Queen, The Beatles, Ed Sheeran and Pink as they take to the stage to cover the biggest songs of all time.

The beginning of day three has something for everyone with Raver Tots, a unique event for parents and toddlers. To the sounds of classic house legends K-Klass, children can enjoy a huge range of soft play, arts and crafts and activities. But the music doesn’t stop there, as kicking off at 5pm is DNCE Music’s big finale with a huge line-up of world class dance music sensations.

Lovely Laura and DJ Ben Santiago will be bringing a slice of the White Isle from their renowned headline spot at Ocean Beach Club in Ibiza, while acts including Retro’s Paul Taylor, Livin’ Joy, DJ John Jones, DJ Jordan and Peverell will be taking to the DJ booth to

spin the biggest party anthems and dance floor classics.

Jordan added: “We wanted to bring a festival unlike any other to Darlington and I think with the line-up we’ve put together, we’re able to do just that. We’ve already had a fantastic response to the festival since it was announced and tickets are selling really well.”

The events will be held in a large

marquee within Darlington’s Market Square and Food and Drink vendors will be available throughout the weekend.

Jordan said: “Because there really is something for everyone, we’ve priced things slightly differently. Alongside our early bird and group discount tickets, unlike most other festivals you can literally just pick the events you want to attend and pay the ticket price

for that directly.

“Early bird tickets have already sold out for both the Saturday and Sunday night events, so if you want to come along you’ll have to be quick!”

To purchase tickets and view the dates and times of each event, head over to www.allsquarefestival.com.

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When you think of Bare Knuckle Boxing I’m sure most people will think of travellers fighting in car parks or some of the call out videos, both of which you often see popping up on youtube and facebook. What people don’t realise is that over the last few years a company called UBBAD have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring BKB out of the shadows and into the mainstream.

fight defeating Cowboys Michael who was undefeated in 200 BKB fights. There have been a few occasions where Terrill was due to face current UBBAD Champion Michael “The Real Deal” Ferry on other promotions but it has yet to happen, hopefully now that they are both signed to UBBAD there’s nowhere to hide and this eagerly awaited fight won’t be far away. It will be a fan favourite fight when it happens seeing as Ferry’s fans think there is no competition left for him to face, whilst Terril’s fans think Ferry is ducking Terril because he knows that he will lose his title and has been avoiding the hard fights to keep it. With this kind of talk there can only be one outcome and that is for the fight to take place, which will be great news for neutral BKB fans.

They already have some top level fighters on their books, but in recent months they really have pulled out all of the stops with signings like North East fighter Michael Terrill, who is a Champion Kickboxer and who this year won his first ever Bare Knuckle

Another of the big name signing is former UFC fighter Melvin Guillard who is a well-known striker and a massive household name to be added to the UBBAD roster.

He will be taking on the winner of the upcoming Jimmy Sweeney and Dann Henry-Welsh fight. Sweeney

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Great North Run 9 September 2018

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