NORTHERN
INSIGHT MAY 2016
United Airlines
Connecting the North East to the U.S.
business property media technology motors arts leisure issue 11
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NORTHERN INSIGHT
foreword Welcome to the May edition of Northern Insight. With Summer upon us we head into the warmer weather with another bumper edition. Our front cover feature looks at the return of United Airlines to the region which is fantastic news for the local economy. Throughout the first year of Northern Insight I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Newcastle Airport and would like to personally wish departing Chief Executive David Laws the very best for the future after a terrific period at the helm. In addition we have an exclusive interview with the North Easts first World Boxing Champion Glenn McCrory ahead of the opening of his show “Carrying David.” Together with the usual mix of Business, Property, Media, Technology, Motors, Arts and Leisure there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Thank you all for your continued support. Till next month...
Michael Grahamslaw, Publisher
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contents may ‘16
Business News - 8-9 Cover Story - 14-15 The return of United Airlines
Recent Appointments - 25 Entrepreneurs Interview - 36-37 Kari Owers - OPR
Fashion - 38-39 Media News - 75 Technology News - 88 Arts News - 100-101 Travel - 104-105 Leisure News - 110-111
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credits Managing Director - Michael Grahamslaw Design & Web - Louise O’Rourke, Ruairi McGuinness Lead Photography - Crest Photography Additional Photography - Gordon Taylor Editorial Contributors - Ken Spearen, Deborah Johnson, Jack Grahamslaw, Holly Grahamslaw, Alastair Stewart, Alex Nelson, Gordon Taylor
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BUSINESS NEWS
Sports agency undergoes management buy-out North-east based sports agency, Quantum Sport, has undergone a management buy-out (MBO).
on the MBO. Their team includes Louise Fellows, who was one of the first female licensed football agents in the UK.
Quantum Sport is the sports agency services arm of Quantum Law LLP, a firm of legal and taxation advisers established in 2008. The business represents around 80 professional cricket and football players, including England cricketers David Willey and Mark Wood and Sunderland AFC’s Duncan Watmore.
The buy-out comes at a time when the sports agency has reached a level of maturity allowing it to operate independently from the law firm.
Lawyers at Muckle LLP assisted Quantum Sport’s new directors, James Welch and former Premier League and Sunderland player, Marco Gabbiadini
Quantum Law’s Managing Partner Steven Smith commented: “I am very proud of what we’ve achieved together in the last three years and with the way in which we’ve helped our players develop and make the most of their opportunities. “To get the business to a point at which James and Marco can now take it forward under their
own steam is fantastic and I wish them and the rest of the team at Quantum Sport every success for the future. I have no doubt that the agency will continue to go from strength to strength under their leadership.” James, who established Quantum Sport as a division of Quantum Law in 2012, added: “After four years of growth, the MBO comes at a good time. We have a strong and established client base and will continue our growth with the addition of both senior professionals and talented up and coming sports people. We are committed to continuing the firm’s success and building the reputation of Quantum Sport across the UK.”
intu launches national campaign heralding the new season’s fashion in style intu, the owner of some of the UK’s largest and most popular shopping centres, including intu Metrocentre and intu Eldon Square, has launched its first national campaign to celebrate spring/summer fashion. The innovative campaign saw intu curate styles from retailers across its centres, bringing up to the minute high street fashion to its customers in a friendly and accessible way. Called the ‘Style Garden’, the campaign, which was rolled out at intu Metrocentre and intu Eldon Square in April, combined a digital installation with a live fashion show. Shoppers were
entertained at both shopping centres, where style teams were also on hand to help guests pick out a perfect spring/summer wardrobe. The installations have been created to stimulate all five senses in an immersive experience designed to showcase the season’s trends. Karen Carr, Regional Marketing Manager, intu north, said: “Spring/summer fashion is important for both our customers and our retailers. We decided to do something different this year and delivered this fashion with a signature twist that I’m sure shoppers here in the North East really enjoyed.”
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BUSINESS NEWS
Vitamin drips infuse business boost Aston Martin launch event Aston Martin has opened its latest dealership. The VIP launch took place on Thursday 24th March and was attended by over 200 guests. The opening of the dealership, which is situated on Colbalt Park Way, Silverlink, also saw the unveiling of the new Aston Martin DB11 for the first time in the UK. Mr Paul Thursby, Dealer Principal, said: “It’s a tremendous privilege to be part of the new Aston Martin Dealership in Newcastle and I’m very proud to have been able to showcase the DB11 here in the North East.” Also on show at the launch was the Aston Martin DB10, which was featured in the James Bond film Spectre.
A bright new future for the City Hall and City Pool Two Newcastle landmarks have been given a new lease of life. Newcastle City Council has now granted a lease for the City Hall and the City Pool to Fusion Lifestyle Ltd. Fusion plan to renovate the City Pool building, turning it into a unique health and wellbeing destination for people in Newcastle. They have also sub-leased the City Hall to the Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust who will continue to operate it as a concert and entertainment venue.
it www.synergi.it
North East detox clinic, Central Healthcare, reports its best trading year yet and credits the launch of Vitamin Infusions for its buoyant sales. The business, based on Forth Street in Newcastle, has seen a 30% rise in turnover since it introduced vitamin therapies, which are popular with those seeking optimum levels of health and wellbeing. Central Healthcare is the only clinic in the region offering vitamin drips and many of their clients travel in excess of 100 miles to access the treatment. The infusions deliver vitamins and minerals straight into the bloodstream intravenously. The company has teamed-up with awardwinning London health clinic, Nosh Detox, to become a supplier of their vitamin infusions and injections.
Partnership signs up milestone member A business collective has reached a milestone, after signing up its 50th member. Sunderland Business Group Partnership Scheme, which was formed to inject vibrancy into the city, now has 50 partners, comprising influential businesses from within and also outside of Sunderland. Founded by some of the leading businesses and organisations in Sunderland, the organisation empowers members of the business community to come together to tackle issues within the city.
Lifesaving Rotarians donation gets to the heart of homeless charity The People’s Kitchen, which looks after the homeless and vulnerable people of Newcastle, received its first Automated, External Defibrillator (AED) thanks to the lifesaving donation from the region’s Rotarians. The suggestion that The People’s Kitchen should have an AED came from Glyn, who regularly uses the facilities provided at the centre in Bath Lane. Representatives from Rotary Clubs of Seaburn, Newcastle, Durham Elvert, Longbenton and the future District Governor, Len Burns, visited The People’s Kitchen and handed over the brand new heart defibrillator. The group were then taken on a tour of the premises and learned about the operation of the charity.
North East accountancy practice highlights that charity begins at home Leading accountancy practice, Tait Walker, which is based in Newcastle, donated over £20,000 to charities last year and appeared in the top one percent of fundraisers on Just Giving. 2016 is already proving to be just as proactive. Eighteen North East charities and community projects have benefited from the company’s efforts so far, all chosen by staff who had a connection to the cause. Throughout 2016, the committee continuing their focus on local charities.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Describing success You should describe every quality you want in your new hire. Yes? No, you could actually be excluding some great fits, says Chris Boyle, Senior Consultant at Newcastle-based SearchBI, who continues last month’s theme with employer tips for job description success.
The key for employers writing a successful IT job description is to think in broader terms says SearchBI
Though it might sound counter intuitive, if an IT job description is too detailed, it can actually deter qualified applicants from applying. Sometimes recruiters or employers will want to use very specific terms, but at the same time they review CVs people submit anyway and find a person who could bring a whole different perspective to the job. The key is to think in broader terms - to know in which areas you can and can’t compromise. Here are a few words of guidance to help you craft the perfect job description.
Catch the eye Engage the applicant right from the start: what type of candidate do you want? And what will appeal to him or her? Careful thought will avoid the common mistake of overly complex or lengthy job description ‘wish lists’, while targeted questions or statements will add further refinement.
Preferred or required? Know the difference between preferred and required. Beyond absolute essentials such as make-or-break skills, the perfect candidate may not tick every box on your list of preferred qualifications, experiences, and expertise. It may be tempting to rattle on about preferences, but
don't. Exceedingly exclusionary language may send someone great running for the hills, so differentiate between wants and needs in the job description to avoid scaring off potential candidates.
Keep it tight Keep your job description tight and to the point – avoid waffle. Identify four or five responsibilities or competencies someone must have to be successful in that job, and list the basics in terms of education, experience, and whether the candidate needs to have supervisory experience. No more than 500 words depending on the complexity of the job in question.
Another critical element is that the wording of the post should focus more on the reader than the employer, so make sure the emphasis is on you rather than the we. People like to hear about themselves and think of things in terms of themselves. Cultivate and nurture potential candidates. You are not the only fish in the sea, and courting your perfect candidate begins with the first word of your job advert. Bring it to life, and make it standout, with images: graphics brighten a page, and always ensure proper spelling, grammar, and a neat format should not be overlooked. Bullet points can help break up slabs of text and paragraphs of information.
Remember the human touch
Less is more
Always inject an element of a human voice in your post. No one wants to work for a faceless entity. A great tip is to infuse the job description with the voice and personality of your company, as this will set you apart and ensure potential candidates get a feel for whether they’re a good fit or not. And, the tone of the posting should be true to the company’s culture. For example, a large corporate focused on serious health issues is unlikely to have a culture of fun and humorous spontaneity.
And finally keep things simple. Your job description should give clear, concise directions on how to apply. Streamline instructions with numbers or bullet points, have as few as possible (five is a good number), and limit each point to one or two brief sentences. Recruiting can be a difficult and time consuming process so it can be beneficial to work with a specialist recruitment firm who knows the mark and can find the right people for the right roles.
For more expert advice and guidance about recruiting for IT roles visit SearchBI at www.searchbi.co.uk
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Companies such as Accuro benefit from Calibre’s cybercrime fighting expertise
SMEs: Combatting cybercrime News reports remind us of the continuing threat of cybercrime, says Steve Nelson, cyber security expert at Calibre Secured Networks Ltd. However, while large corporates were once the preferred target, it’s small businesses that are now finding themselves in the crosshairs of cyber-criminals. Today, organised cybercrime is almost an industry in itself with attackers showing staggering sophistication, but the latest Government Security Breaches Survey found that nearly three-quarters (74%) of SMEs reported a security breach in the last year, an increase on the 2013 and 2014 survey, reinforcing the view of many within the security sector that digital attackers are pinpointing small businesses. The issue of cyber security for SMEs is made even more pressing with the advent of the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation which comes into force in 2018 and could result in companies being fined up to 20m or 4% of their annual turnover, whichever is greater, for allowing any security breaches to compromise their customer data. One of the main problems for small businesses is complacency brought on by their size and therefore a belief that hackers couldn’t possibly be interested in what they do. Many small business owners are failing to face up to the threats or simply choose to ignore them – the “It’ll never happen to us” belief and bury-your-head-in-thesand approach, if you like. It’s clear that hundreds of SMEs across the North East and beyond have a lot to do to protect themselves with effective risk management strategies, driving the need for investment in
resources, security systems and processes to protect profits and reputation. Firms can follow some simple steps to reduce the risks. These include using secure passwords with a long minimum length and enforced items such as capital letters, numbers and special characters, enforced and managed installation of antivirus and malware protection on all company devices, regular security testing of both externally accessible applications and infrastructure and security awareness training for internal staff among other things. However, one of the most effective ways to counter the cybercrime threat is to employ the skills of an expert ethical hacker to check the robustness of online security through penetration testing. This is the route taken by Accuro, which manages a national network of more than 400 professional transcribers, which recently worked with Calibre. Using Accuro’s secure hub, customers in the healthcare, legal and insurance sectors can safely submit dictation for transcribing and once it has been copied, the document is then uploaded back to the hub where it can be securely accessed. The work saw Calibre’s experts undertake risk and compliance testing of Accuro’s website before completing a final phase of testing ahead of certifying the system, supplementing
Accuro’s ISO27001 accreditation. Gordon Healiss, commercial director at the St. Helen’s based firm, said testing was critical to ensuring customers have confidence in the company’s attitude to data security and Calibre’s work had contributed significantly to achieving this. “It’s important that our customers have the utmost confidence that our website is completely safe and as secure as possible, including the dangers and risks of hacking and cyber-attacks. Calibre provided an extremely good service, demonstrating that they possessed the highest technical capabilities and professional expertise to test the integrity and security of our system to the utmost limits.” Calibre deploys the latest knowledge, advanced technology and software systems from the likes of Cisco to design and develop integrated and bespoke security solutions, protecting systems that operate and control email accounts, IT and internet equipment, Voice over IP and other services from cyber-attacks. Steve Nelson, a certified ethical hacker and offensive security professional, works closely work SMEs to provide advice and strategies for combatting cybercrime, bringing more than 20 years’ professional expertise to bear enabling Calibre to assist its customer development teams in the remediation of security issues.
www.gov.uk/government/news/government-urges-business-to-take-action-as-cost-of-cyber-security-breaches-doubles www.calibre-secured.net
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Straight 10s keep rolling in for durhamlane’s Sales Training Luke Robinson, Sales Trainer and Coach
“
This was the best training course I have ever attended...it was informative, insightful, real and up-to-date for selling in 2016 and beyond. Many courses I have attended in the past have been quite dated but durhamlane was the exception. Richard & Luke were fantastic and highly articulate with great presentation skills.
”
S.C., Feb 2016
Sales is the lifeblood of every organisation and a key driver for growth. Your sales team are the face of your company, instrumental in creating a long lasting impression in the mind of your customers. In order to enhance the calibre of salespeople to influence the decisions of prospects and convert them into loyal customers, companies must invest in developing the skills of their sales people. Yet many companies fear spending money on training believing that either they don’t get a good return on investment or that their trained people will leave. Neither of these are good enough reasons for not developing your people. durhamlane sales trainer and coach, Luke Robinson, explains why so many sales training programmes fail: Failing to assess the learning needs and goals. Without assessment of skill gaps and learning styles, training most likely will fail to deliver its content at the right level of sophistication for your audience. durhamlane are serious about making sure the learning approach is rigorous enough to do its part in producing behavioural change and getting results. Our ‘mini module’ approach enables us to deliver flexible and customised content each and every time.
Applying static sales models. Facing everchanging buyer mindsets and organisational complexity, the days of running standard sales training courses are behind us. It is now about customer-focused problem solving and strategic prospecting. With an agile and flexible approach, our training content is always state of the art. M issing processes and methodologies. Many sales training programmes neglect to provide a consistent process and methodology that salespeople can follow in order to systematically move prospects through the pipeline. Without such systematic processes, new ways of working get forgotten and salespeople fall back into old habits. durhamlane teach top-rated sales processes and have created a proven methodology ‘Selling at a Higher Level’ to support lasting behavioural change. N on engaging training sessions. Too often sales training can be boring. When training is not applicable, not delivered at the right level, and too focused on lecture versus practice it can have a negative impact on sales team morale and won’t result in behavioural change. durhamlane’s training is delivered by enthusiastic sales professionals equipped
with a vast array of work-based examples, interactive exercises and practicable tools. L ack of management buy-in. No matter how good a training event is, approximately 90% of learning is lost within 30 days if it is not reinforced. At durhamlane we understand that adult learning is an ongoing process but we also recognise the need for line management buy-in and that “practice makes perfect”. By building programmes that involve and excite all levels of staff we ensure new ways of selling stick. Absence of coaching. You cannot hit your number by managing processes alone. Coaching represents vital opportunities for training follow-up and on-the-job learning. Under the pressure of achieving sales quota, sales managers usually don’t find time for coaching sessions. At durhamlane our experienced sales professionals can deliver coaching on your behalf to ensure that goals and action planning actually happen. As a performance organisation, durhamlane is passionate about helping sales and non-sales people become the best they can be. Through our consultancy, training and coaching services we develop a successful sales mind-set and make a measurable difference.
For more information on durhamlane’s solutions visit www.durhamlane.co.uk or call for a free consultation on 0191 481 3800. You can also follow durhamlane on LinkedIn and on twitter @durhamlane.
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COVER STORY
The return of United Airlines
The return of the direct flight between Newcastle and the United States for a second year has been hailed as a massive coup for the region. Deborah Johnson speaks to Bob Schumacher, UK and Ireland Managing Director of United Airlines, about the route’s importance to the region, the airline, and the wider world. In a region which is increasingly making its presence felt on an international scale, the introduction last year of the first scheduled direct route to the United States was another feather in the North East’s cap. The non-stop flight from Newcastle to Newark, operated by globally-recognised carrier United Airlines, helped to open up the world further for the North East. The direct route to New York – and more than 300 destinations beyond – has, alongside the Emirates flight to Dubai, created a more direct path in and out of the region for tourists and business travellers alike. While last year’s Newcastle to Newark route was something of a trial for United Airlines, who operate from six other UK airports but never before from the North East, they have been sufficiently impressed by its popularity to commit to a second year. While it operated five days a week last year, for 2016 it has increased to six, with its 169-seat Boeing 757-200 departing and arriving every day but Wednesday. The news has been warmly welcomed by business leaders and the public alike, and the distinctive livery of United Airlines will again be seen in Newcastle International Airport from May 26. Bob Schumacher, Managing Director for UK and Ireland at United Airlines, is keen to point out the route is a coup not only for the North East, but for United Airlines and the United States too. Speaking to Northern Insight, he said: "It is positive for Newcastle, it’s positive for the North East and its economy, and it's positive for United Airlines and our offering of another key destination that's accessible from the United States. “Truly and sincerely, the North East has been a joy to deal with. It is a passionate region that wears its heart on its sleeve and the involvement and engagement we have had from everyone makes all the difference. Newcastle is one of the UK’s fastest growing airports and this is a great addition to our regional portfolio.
“The positive reception the route had last year has continued, and as of this present time, the take-up for flights in the months ahead looks good. We have seen a good mix of people taking holidays – or ‘vacations’ as some of our passengers will say visiting friends and relatives and travelling on business. “And one really terrific thing about last year was the take-up from Americans, embracing the opportunity to come and visit the North East. On the first day of last year’s service out of Newcastle, Americans accounted for about 10 per cent of the make-up of that flight – on the last day, that figure was at 24 per cent. Clearly, the route and indeed the North East were being appreciated by North America, so we are very pleased we can come back for 2016.” While United Airlines and Mr Schumacher himself have clearly been impressed by the North East – a destination they had considered adding to their portfolio for some time - and early indications suggest the route will again be a success in 2016, Mr Schumacher is understandably reluctant to discuss the future with any certainty. “There is a good and strong outlook for the route for 2016, but beyond that there are so many factors to consider – the macroeconomic backdrop, the price of oil, the actual performance of the route and how many people are interested in the service – and we cannot at this time know how they will develop,” he said. “The take-up of the service last year helped greatly in our decision to return to Newcastle. It was virgin territory for us but we are seeing good numbers of people from across the North East and into Cumbria and the West of England using the route. Our super comfortable BusinessFirst seats are proving popular, alongside our Economy Plus seats which are configured to give an extra five or six inches of leg room, and we have been pleased with the take-up. The outlook is good and this continues to be an important route in the United Airlines portfolio.”
COVER STORY
“
...Truly and sincerely, the North East has been a joy to deal with...
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”
“
Glenn is fighting for his career outside the ring and he’s winning. ..
”
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INTERVIEW
The gloves are off! The North East is rightly and justly proud of its sporting heroes and few can be as popular as boxer Glenn McCrory. A man who won his cruiser weight world title right here in the region against all the odds and on a night of spectacular emotion. Not too bad for a man who collected a world title belt while signing on the dole.
However there’s much more to Glenn who hails from Annfield Plain. TV presenter, actor, cookery school owner, public speaker, the list goes on and on. His most ambitious project outside the ring has to be the one he is about to undertake next. ‘Carrying David’ is a play set around Glenn’s life and career from the early boxing days to his world title success. The inspiration he took from his terminally ill adopted brother is the catalyst for the story. An individual who never let life knock him down despite the horrendous muscle wasting disease which eventually claimed his life. The play is to be premiered in Stanley, County Durham at the Alun Armstrong theatre in the town’s Civic Hall from May 24th to May 28th 2016. Glenn is a man of charitable nature, so it should come as no surprise that all profits will go to a young man Daniel Rainbow, who lives in Stanley and suffers from the condition Neuroblastoma. Originally Glenn wrote a screenplay surrounding the story of a boxer and presented this to the Chairman of Warner Brothers in London. It was ambitious certainly, “The Chairman was sufficiently impressed with what I’d done but asked why I hadn’t come up with an idea
surrounding my own life. That was a surprise to me but it set me thinking about how David, my brother had inspired me during my career in the ring,” says Glenn. David was a fighter who knew he was destined to die but would fight every inch of the way. At one point Glenn lost five out of six fights and retirement a real possibility but the way his brother tenaciously battled to keep going, encouraged him to continue. “Following that meeting, I took the Chairman’s advice and created a screenplay about me and I can honestly say they loved it. It did the rounds but no one took a chance on it. Soon after, a play was written for the stage but I didn’t feel it captured my story in the correct manner. In the meantime the movie idea was progressing and there was talk that Tom Hardy would star, so you can imagine I was excited as hell” adds Glenn. Funding was the problem which eventually scuppered the film’s production, much to Glenn’s disappointment. Recently he got the opportunity to star in a West End play “The Birds” at Leicester Square Theatre and was approached by Ed Waugh to write another version of the Glenn McCrory story for the stage. When Ed told Glenn the play was a one man show, it first of all surprised him and then
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shocked him when the writer informed him, he would be the star. Glenn had already seen a one man play by the author and was dumbfounded by the sheer inventiveness of it. He accepted the role but freely admits there is trepidation in the run up to opening night, not least because the author said he had to lose two stone and shave off the beard. No production can exist without enthusiastic backers. Their financial support is fundamental to the success of the play in this instance. Rob Armstrong, Managing Director of Mtrec Recruitment in Newcastle is a personal friend of the boxer. He has followed Glenn’s career for a number of years, “Glenn has given me so much enjoyment with his boxing and I will never personally forget the unbelievable night when he won the world title. My company and I are honoured to support him in this venture, he’s brought so much pleasure to the North East,” says Rob. So where does it all go from here? A new company has bought the rights to Glenn’s film script, the play ‘Carrying David’ is about to open and a book he’s been working on for four years is about to see the light of day. Fighting is a tough profession but it doesn’t need to be in boxing. Glenn is fighting for his career outside the ring and he’s winning.
BUSINESS INSIGHT
Rowlands roll into new era
Rowlands Accountants, which has seven offices in Hexham, Ponteland, Portobello, Crook, Sunderland and Yarm together with Alnwick Accountants, has become part of the Baldwins Accountancy Group one of the largest, independent accountancy firms in the Midlands. Eric Brannigan, Director at Rowlands Accountants, now part of Baldwins, said the deal had brought together two strong regional brands. He commented: “this move means we will be offering our wide range of clients even more services to aid the growth of their businesses whether they are a start-up, family-owned business or a blue-chip company. “We both have the same core values and aspirations and a similar client base, which was an important factor for us in finding a suitable strategic partner to grow our business in the North East.
“Both firms have a strong reputation for providing a comprehensive service in all financial matters and this is an opportunity to become an integral part of one of the UK’s leading independent accountancy businesses.” David Baldwin, Director at Baldwins, said this was a significant acquisition and was taking their expertise to another part of the UK. “We had a detailed nationwide plan for acquisitions in 2016 throughout the UK and Rowlands Accountants was very much in our minds since they are one of the largest independent accountancy firms in the North East,” he said.
www.baldwinsaccountants.co.uk
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“Bringing together two strong regional brands means we are adding new services to their clients including payroll, auto enrolment, banking and insurance services, and corporate finance as well as adding value to Rowlands’ existing specialist tax offerings. “We are particularly excited to have launched Baldwins Restructuring & Insolvency which is an area that will be offered across our 25 offices for the first time. “We are looking to invest further in the region in the coming months which underlines our faith in the local economy.”
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Accountancy Group
Over 100 years of accounting experience at your side. At Rowlands, our years of experience mean we’re committed to accounting excellence. But our expertise doesn’t stop there we’re also big on personal service, that’s why you can count on us to be at your side. With seven offices in the our region, you can rely on us to provide up-to-the-minute knowledge and advice. So if you’d like to see what we can do for your business, get in touch. Hexham 01434 602 240 I Ponteland 01661 871 919 Alnwick 01665 602457 I Sunderland 0191 565 1870 Yarm 01642 790 790 I Crook 01388 762 478 I Portobello 0191 411 2468
Audit & Accountancy
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
The Scotswood Road to WorldClass Engineering Since making a £20m investment in their new riverside premises in 2014, Newcastle-based engineering experts Responsive Engineering faced a challenging economic downturn and some tough decisions. The global downturn in the Defence and Oil & Gas industries has had a huge effect on the UK engineering industry and Responsive Engineering, part of the Reece Group, are just one of many large organisations experiencing challenging times. But with new Managing Director Graeme Cook now on board, the company, based in the former BAE premises on Scotswood Road is making good progress on the road to growth. Graeme was introduced to Responsive Engineering by the Strategic Talent team at UNW LLP, and was quickly identified as the right candidate to shape and lead the future of the business in the changing marketplace. Peter Neal from UNW explained their involvement in the process; ‘UNW have acted for Reece Group as accountants and advisors for many years and have a very strong relationship and solid understanding of their operations.’ ‘As an integral part of a business advisory firm that has the long term success of our clients at the centre of everything we do, we approach executive talent sourcing from a different perspective to traditional search. Our rigorous, transparent and flexible methodology is underpinned by three, discrete stages Assignment Brief, Talent Identification, and Candidate Due Diligence – strengthened further by the firm’s deep client knowledge, market intelligence, strategic experience and technical expertise. Our aim with Strategic Talent has always been to connect the right people to the right roles in
the right organisations and ensure a perfect fit is achieved for all parties. Our tailored, Right First Time, search methodology is reinforced further by our connection to a lot of fantastic talent, and we are delighted that this has resulted in Graeme’s appointment by Reece Group as Managing Director of Responsive Engineering.’ New appointment Graeme Cook, having spent 12 years as director of County Durham-based aerospace giant CAV Aerospace, was brought in to join the existing leadership team and was charged with creating and leading the strategy for the new direction of the group. Graeme explained his decision to join the group and the challenge ahead; ‘The offer to join the Reece Group was a fantastic opportunity and working through the process with UNW gave me a solid understanding of the business and added confidence to make the move. It’s been clear from the outset that this is an operation I could become instrumental in developing for greater levels of success and I’m looking forward to building a great legacy for this family-run business.’ ‘As an outsider you have 100 days to get the measure of a business and tell them what you think of the decisions they have made. The first thing is to acknowledge what the situation and the position we are really in is; what’s working, what’s not working and then give them the roadmap. Unfortunately for Reece Group, a substantial investment in fantastic new premises and the acquisition of an oil & gas business coincided with a world-wide slump in oil that saw prices plummet from $110 a barrel to $47.’ Graeme has had to make some fast and tough decisions but brings with him a phenomenal track record for strategic development & growth; at CAV Aerospace went from £15m-£20m turnover
to £70m under his stewardship. The move to the Armstrong Works in Newcastle in 2014 has given Responsive Engineering 33,300m² of manufacturing space and includes the capability to cut, profile, fabricate, weld and machine a wide range of steels, aluminium and super alloys. In addition, the 20 tonne work piece weld manipulation capability, paint-shop, large capacity vertical and horizontal CNC machining centres, and 16,000m² of under-crane production space provides the capability to offer a complete and comprehensive inspection, assembly and test service. Graeme said; ‘There’s been a bit of a misconception that if we hadn't made the move to Armstrong Works there wouldn’t have been a need for restructuring the business. This is not the case - the premises were bought by the Reece Group and Responsive Engineering is just one company within that. The fact is that this world-class facility provides a huge, new opportunity, enabling us to demonstrate our significant talents under one roof and bring in much bigger projects and many more of them.’ ‘We’ve had to make hard decisions to get into the right place and create a lean and more capable business driven around top line sales and customer satisfaction. We’re now listening to customers much more and acting accordingly, delivering a better service through improved operational performance.’ ‘Armstrong Works gives Responsive one of the most impressive engineering facilities in the UK and we employ a highly skilled and dedicated workforce. Moreover, the Directors and Management Team remain confident in their long-term vision for the business as a renowned provider of sub-contract manufacturing services.’
UNW Strategic Talent specialise in executive and non-executive search, recruitment of finance professionals, leadership team due diligence and strategic talent planning. For more information, please visit www.unw.co.uk.
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North East Finance - JEREMIE 2016 Extension partner update event Fund managers and key partners and stakeholders from the North East’s financial sector came together to find out more about the £17m extension to funding packages aimed at helping the region’s business grow and prosper. Hosted by North East Finance, the event was held at the prestigious Barclays Bank offices on Newcastle’s Quayside in early April and attracted around 40 delegates. North East Finance’s Chief Executive, Andrew Mitchell, presented the latest news on securing the additional multi-million pound pot of cash and how it will benefit North East SMEs until at least the end of 2016 and into 2017. Andrew was joined by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Michelle Rainbow for a Q&A session.
RMT BUDGET SEMINAR More than 200 North East business leaders have come together to review Chancellor George Osborne's financial plans for the future at RMT Accountants & Business Advisors’ annual post-Budget breakfast briefing. Led by directors John Richards and Anthony Andreasen and held at Newcastle’s Assembly Rooms, the breakfast event covered the issues arising from the key announcements on corporate and personal taxation, business investment and tax planning, and discussed how individuals and companies should be acting in response to them. RMT provides the full range of financial and business advisory services through its Specialist Tax, Recovery & Insolvency, Corporate Finance and Medical & Healthcare divisions.
We look forward to welcoming you to our upcoming race day with all proceeds going to give young people a sporting chance in the Northumberland and Durham Region
Thursday the 26th May 2016 Privately hosted in the Park view suite, drinks reception on arrival. 3 course meal with dedicated tote and tipster present for the event Gates open at 4.00pm
First race 5.55pm
Last race 9.10pm
Cost for a table of 10 is ÂŁ750 To book your table or if you have any further questions please contact either Jamie Graham (jamiegraham@surgo.co.uk) or Jan Mason (jan.mason@kpmg.co.uk)
INTERVIEW
In Conversation With...
Fiona Nash KPMG Newcastle
What were your career ambitions growing up?
What are you currently working on?
I’ve always envied people with a true calling in life. I never had that and so I focussed on what I was good at, maths and numbers and ultimately that led me into a career in tax. The more time I spend in business the more I realise it’s all about the people, the numbers are secondary which suits me perfectly.
I am involved in a large number of projects across the region spanning all sectors. Ranging from standard Capital Allowances claims to ensuring fixed asset systems and processes stand the rigours of HMRC. There are a number of highly beneficial tax reliefs available to businesses, I am constantly speaking to my clients ensuring opportunities are not missed.
Can you briefly outline your career path for the readers?
What is your greatest business achievement to date?
With a degree in Business Economics I joined KPMG in 1998. Based in Newcastle I studied for the Chartered Institute of Tax qualification working in corporate tax for 6 years.
Hard question! Personally, I am most proud of my Director promotion. This came within a year of returning to work after a couple of years out to have a family. Everyone knows, balancing work and home can be very challenging and I am proud of the fact that I managed to obtain this promotion without sacrificing entirely my work life balance. I am proud to work for an organisation like KPMG where these behaviours are encouraged and rewarded.
In 2004 I went on a 6 month secondment in Capital Allowances and never left. I have been a specialist for nearly 12 years, leading the team in the North & Scotland. I have worked with some of the region’s largest companies and spent a couple of years based in Manchester although I did not stay away from Newcastle for too long!
Can you describe a typical day in the life of Fiona Nash? As the mum of 2 boys under 4, life is busy! A typical day starts early and is manic until nursery drop off. There really is no typical day. I am usually on a train to one of our regional offices to meet clients and support the team. My favourite part of the job is the high level of interaction with clients.
Who are your heroes in and out of business? Within KPMG I have never been short of role models and this culture is the reason why I joined KPMG and have never left. In recent years I have come to realise the value of having truly inspiring female role models. Women who multi-task work, life and children effectively, and have not lost the authenticity of being a women, to single one out would be unfair. Outside of business my number 1 hero has to be my dad. He always worked hard, taught us to do the right thing and made us believe that if we put our mind to anything we could achieve it, my inspiration to do the same for my children!
Away from the desk how do you like to relax?
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given?
I love all things active and outdoors. I find the best form of stress relief is to get outside in the fresh air and exercise. Newcastle has some great outdoor spaces and I can often be found running around them. I also enjoy spending time with my 2 young boys.
If in doubt – consult! The world of tax is constantly evolving and it’s hard to keep pace with all of the legislative and regulatory changes. Our clients need to be sure they are getting the right answer first time. The KPMG network and the strength of our local team means that help and support is never far away. I am very lucky to have the close support of some great partners in the Newcastle office.
As a person who never took life for granted, put 100% into whatever I was doing and had a massive amount of fun along the way. It all comes down to our relationships with people in the end and I’d like to be remembered for investing fully in those without holding back.
How would you like to be remembered?
KPMG LLP (UK) Quayside House, 110 Quayside Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3DX. Tel:+ 44 (0) 191 401 3843
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
pointments.....Appointments.....Appointments.....Appointme
Two new appointments for Clive Owen LLP A firm of chartered accountants and business advisers has responded to the changing needs of SMEs. Following the introduction of legislation relating to payroll, auto enrolment and accounting standards, Clive Owen LLP, a leading regional firm, has made appointments to its senior team and re-structured its business to help clients meet these demands and ensure quality, clarity and compliance in relation to reporting matters. This has created Clive Owen Managed Services. The firm has appointed two new Senior Managers to spearhead the payroll and auto enrolment services. Carole Wilson joins the team with 30 years’ experience in payroll and Debbie Frei will oversee a team of five payroll administrators.
New head at Bow School One of the North East’s most prestigious junior schools has announced the appointment of a new head teacher. Sally Harrod will take the helm at Bow School, Quarryheads Lane, Durham, at the start of the new academic year in September. Mrs Harrod will join Bow from Lincoln Minister Preparatory School, where she is currently Deputy Head teacher. She said: “Bow School has a deservedly excellent reputation and I am very much looking forward to heading its exceptional teaching team. It is my primary aim to present children with the skills, knowledge and understanding that can equip them to be life-long inquisitive learners and to provide a supportive and stimulating environment so they can achieve their full potential.”
intu Eldon Square appoint Marketing Manager Tania Vesty, 33, joins intu Eldon Square from the company’s intu Derby shopping centre, where she led the marketing team for almost two years. Tania joined the intu group following ten years in a wide variety of marketing fields. She has worked for a range of high profile companies including Status Social and Findel Education. Tania is no stranger to the North East, having spent three years at Newcastle University, receiving a BA Hons in Marketing and Management. Tania said: “For the last ten years I’ve worked the length and breadth of the country and I’m now thrilled to be back in the North East. It’s a very exciting time to be joining the intu Eldon Square team and I feel very privileged to be a part of it.”
New Account Manager For Silver Bullet Mark Brooks joins the agency from the North East-based Birtley Group having gained a vast amount of marketing experience in the construction and engineering industries from this and previous roles. A business management graduate from Northumbria University, 23 year old Mark, originally from Hexham but now living in Heaton, has planned and implemented shared marketing strategies to increase sales and brand awareness of a variety of products. Mark commented. “I was delighted to be offered the role and work in such a vibrant agency, with an established friendly team who are so experienced in all aspects of marketing. I‘m hoping to bring my experience over from the client side in order to make sure that I can offer the best service possible to our clients. What makes the role even more exciting is the wide range of sectors our clients work in, everything from Chemical Engineering to Education.” Silver Bullet Managing Director, John Dias, added, “We had an incredible amount of interest when we recruited for an additional member of the team. The calibre of all the applicants was very high but Mark’s practical experience and attitude set him slightly apart and we’re delighted to welcome him into the team. The mindset needed for agency work is very different from an in-house marketing role but he’s already developing strong relations with our existing clients and opening new doors for us.”
Muckle LLP announces senior promotions Muckle LLP, the North East’s number one law firm for business, has announced the promotions of five experienced lawyers. Gail Bennett has been promoted to Partner in the Real Estate Team at Muckle. In addition, four lawyers have been promoted to Associate Solicitor: Adam Rayner and Matthew Walsh in the Corporate Team, Chris Hook in the Commercial Team and Emily Linsdell in the Dispute Resolution Team. Speaking on the promotions, Muckle LLP’s Managing Partner, Jason Wainwright, said: “These promotions are well deserved and reflect everyone’s hard work, expertise and enthusiasm. Gail, Adam, Matthew, Chris and Emily clearly really enjoy what they do and it’s great to see them develop professionally and personally. “We are committed to helping people achieve their potential and our promotions are a real reflection of the progress that the firm continues to make in helping secure Muckle as the number one law firm in the North East for business.”
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INTERVIEW
In Conversation With...
Ryan Harrison & Barry James Leathers LLP Having joined Newcastle based accountancy firm Leathers LLP as tax graduates in 2007, and after spending almost nine years under the tutelage of Michael Leather, there’s not much in the tax world that they haven’t seen despite their relatively short careers... Here, Ryan and Barry chat about their time at Leathers LLP, the ever-changing world of tax and their thoughts about the future.
So, nine years working for Michael Leather? How have you managed it?! BJ: It’s been an absolute breeze! I think that we both share Michael’s resilience and appetite for problem solving and hopefully that can be seen in the type of work we’re able to undertake. RH: Whatever Michael or anyone else throws at us, it appears we’re able to deal with it! Whilst we might not always agree with each other, we all get on, so that helps. BJ: I think also, we both appreciate that our opinion has been valued since the very start, we’ve always felt involved in the business. RH: Exactly, and now we’re at the stage where we’re helping shape the business for the future, which is very exciting.
What has been your biggest achievement so far at Leathers LLP? BJ: Obviously, we enjoy our work, helping our clients. However, apart from convincing Michael to let me grow a beard, it has to be the Tour de Force. On a personal level, to say that a clinically morbidly obese man from Dunston has cycled two Alpine stages of the Tour de France is immensely satisfying, but seeing how the money raised for the William Wates Memorial Trust and the Wheels Project in Hebburn has changed the young people’s lives, is very humbling. RH: I second that, it was an amazing experience. RH: Although it seems a lifetime ago, I also remember us both being very proud when we passed our chartered tax exams. The training programme at Leathers has been very successful in creating our team ethos and encouraging success. BJ: Didn’t you get a prize, Ryan? RH: Yes, but it was at ATT…I’m still dining out on that now!
The tax regime in the UK has changed considerably over the past nine years – what has been the biggest change in your opinion? RH: There’s always been tinkering and political manoeuvring but where I see the biggest change is in the nature of HMRC. There has definitely been a shift by HMRC to what is effectively a faceless corporation. I appreciate that this is due to budget constraints and the re-routing of funds to fight large-scale tax avoidance, but for the majority of taxpayers, including our clients, it’s very frustrating to deal with. BJ: We’d both agree that the shift to online accounts, digital data collection and the increasing reliance on HMRC’s automated system is quite staggering given what it looked like even just nine years ago.
large corporations but this will continue to be difficult to actually implement. For us as tax advisers and accountants, it’s all about making sure we provide a value added service to our clients across all areas of their affairs, personal and business, to complement the move towards the digital age. BJ: We’ve always been very keen to try and talk to people; things can go wrong when that face to face relationship disappears. It wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility to see HMRC withdrawing helplines in the not too distant future; we want to make sure our services always bridge that gap. And finally...
Do people ever mistake you for the dreaded ‘taxman’?
You mention tax avoidance, which is always a hot topic in the press. What’s your take on recent events?
BJ: All the time! If it’s not that, people think you help tax dodgers!
BJ: It can be frustrating to read sensationalised stories in the press or see TV investigations which blow things out of all proportion. But by its very nature, due to the differing tax rules across jurisdictions, tax planning is a complex and controversial area. There are always people out there trying to exploit the rules, and many take it too far.
What does a night out with a bunch of tax advisors consist of?
RH: What we try to tell clients is to keep things simple, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, it was amusing to see that Jeremy Corbyn had submitted his tax return late; this is obviously not something we condone!
What does the future hold for tax and yourselves? RH: I think we’ll see a push towards digital accounts, real time information, cloud accounting etc, and obviously the continued crackdown on
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RH: It’s often easier to start off by explaining you’re an accountant, gauge the reaction and take it from there.
RH: It depends, sometimes it’s just a few pints watching the football but I’m prone to the odd Jager Bomb. BJ: Yeah, we’ve been known to do a mean rendition of ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ at 3am on the karaoke (I’m Elton, Ryan is George).
Will Blackburn beat Newcastle in the championship next season? BJ: No, 2-0 at St James’, 1-3 at Ewood RH: Newcastle will stay up and win the premier league next year, surpassing Leicester’s achievements this year.
BUSINESS INSIGHT Peter Cromarty
Buy-to-Let News The continued growth of Buy-to-Let has meant that it now represents over one in seven of all outstanding mortgage lending. (Source: Council of Mortgage Lenders, May 2015 release)
To some extent, the sector has now become the victim of its own success, with both the government and regulatory bodies seeking to apply more control. In one respect, the buy-to-let market is viewed as a decent revenue source for the government’s coffers. At the same time it’s seen by the Bank of England to be more likely to be cyclical in nature, which it feels could impact upon a measured recovery in the economy.
Stamp Duty changes The Chancellor announced in November that purchases of buy-to-let properties (and second homes) would attract an additional 3% stamp duty above the current banded levels. Some of the detail may still be up for discussion, for example, it’s thought that this may exclude landlords who already own 15+ properties. However, with this ruling being applied from April 2016, we may see some increased activity in the marketplace from those looking to purchase properties, who now want to complete ahead of this date.
New European rules Elsewhere, there is a new EU initiative (Mortgage Credit Directive), which has to be in place by 21 March 2016, and relates to a differentiation of ‘consumer’ and ‘business’ buy-to-let. The former (which may well represent around 11% of the marketplace*) will be affected by the new rules, which are designed to protect the borrower. (Source: *HM Treasury, January 2015)
Examples of consumer buy-to-let include when the property has been inherited and either the
borrower or a relation has occupied the home, or where the borrower is unable to sell the property and decides to rent it out instead.
What it means Together with the tax proposals (see below) it’s vital that both existing and potential landlords do their homework. However, what won’t be lost on them is the continued demand from those that struggle (or are unable) to raise a deposit to enable a property purchase. Or the fact that we’re not building enough homes, swiftly enough, to meet demand. So it will be interesting to see if the current initiatives put any dent in the projections that the private rented sector will grow from around 20% of all homes to about 35% by 2032. (Source: Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association, May 2014 report)
There is no guarantee that it will be possible to arrange continuous letting of the property, nor that the rental income will be sufficient to meet the costs of the mortgage. The value of your Buy-to-Let property and income from it can go down as well as up. You may also require advice on the legal and tax issues. The Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate legal and taxation advice, and most Buyto-Let mortgages. *Your property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Tax changes Higher tax burdens for Buy-to-Let landlords are being phased in from April 2017 - with the full impact being felt by 2020. Currently, landlords
are able to offset their mortgage interest and other finance costs against the property income, thereby reducing their tax liability. Those on higher tax rates are able to receive relief at their marginal rates of 40% or 45%. By 2020 the government’s plan is to restrict relief to the basic rate of income tax (20%) for all individual landlords. Some basic rate taxpayers may also be hit, as the change might push them into the higher-rate tax bracket. Example scenario - For a 40% taxpayer whose buy-to-let property earns £20,000 a year, against the annual cost of £13,000 for an interest-only mortgage, the current tax paid will be 40% of £7,000. A tax bill of £2,800. Assuming the same scenario in 2020, then it’s 40% of £20,000, less 20% of £13,000, resulting in a tax bill of £5,400. Some options - First off, there’s always a chance that the proposals may be watered down. Second, remember that buy-to-let has generally proved to be a popular tax-efficient investment, delivering steady income and capital growth. Third, think about remortgaging onto a better deal, or look for the best possible deal if just starting up. Thereafter, it makes sense to also liaise with your accountant, as there are numerous routes to consider - such as limited company status, looking for alternative ways to rent your property, and, of course, there’s the option to raise rents, to help make up any shortfall. *HM Revenue & Customs practice and the law relating to taxation are complex and subject to individual circumstances and changes which cannot be foreseen.
Peter Cromarty, Director, Corporate and Commercial Funding Solutions Ltd. M: 07715 409386 E: peter@ccfundingsolutions.com
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BUSINESS INSIGHT Stuart McKinnon
PET’s - every home should have one? I recently went to Finland on holiday in search of the Northern Lights - just about the same time as they decided to visit Northumberland! I discovered a few things. Firstly, Northern Finland is very cold. No surprise really considering it is north of the Arctic Circle. Not sure why I didn’t think of this before I booked. Secondly, it is quite desolate and reindeer significantly outnumber people. But most of all I discovered there isn’t a lot to do so I spent my time growing a beard and catching up on some reading including following the trials and tribulations of one Mr D Cameron and his complicated (or not so complicated) tax affairs. The publication of his tax return didn’t lead to many surprises but it was interesting that he felt it necessary to also disclose his mother’s inheritance tax planning and in particular lifetime gifts she had made. This caused a bit of press comment at the time which I have to say was a bit of a surprise as lifetime giving as part of capital tax planning has been around for an awfully long time. It is actually quite interesting just to see how far back it can be traced. Exempt lifetime gifts actually date back as far as 1896 when under
estate duty rules tax on death could be mitigated by making lifetime gifts free of estate duty. The period over which gifts were accumulated on death was originally only one year, rising to seven over time. Tax free lifetime gifts were abolished by Denis Healey in 1975 on the introduction of capital transfer tax before being reinstated in the March 1986 Budget by Nigel Lawson, the year inheritance tax as we know it today was introduced. They became known as potentially exempt transfers or PETs. Potentially exempt as they only became fully exempt after seven years. Nigel’s bold claim at the time was that he was making inheritance tax a voluntary tax. All you had to do was give everything away seven years before you died and no tax would be payable! Interestingly, 1986 also saw the introduction of the gift with reservation of benefit rules to make sure the lifetime gifts rules could not be manipulated by reducing inheritance tax on death whilst still benefiting from the assets they had previously given away. We have seen many schemes that have tried to circumvent these
rules, which I have to say have either failed in the Courts or have led to a tightening of the legislation. Mr Cameron has continued to endorse the inheritance tax gift rules stating they should be supporting and not defending the natural human instinct to make gifts to children. Indeed, since the beginning of this Parliament the Conservative Government has taken measures to allow many family homes to pass inheritance tax free to the next generation. Even though the basic nil rate band has remained at £325,000 per individual it is perfectly possible to give away a family home valued up to £1m owned by husband and wife to the next generation inheritance tax free. So if lifetime giving is good enough for the Camerons then it is good enough for everyone. In any inheritance tax planning the first question should always be can I afford to give anything away and when. Clearly the sooner the seven year clock is ticking the better, but make sure you can afford it. At the end of the day inheritance tax is payable by your beneficiaries not you!
For more information on inheritance tax or other taxation issues, please contact Stuart McKinnon on 0191 255 7000 or email: stuart.mckinnon@rsmuk.com or your usual RSM contact.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Happy New Year? Writes David Hodgson of Read, Milburn & Co, - “The Coastal Accountants” A new tax year commenced on 6th April 2016, - So what are some of the changes? Well, your Personal Allowance (the amount of income that you can have without paying tax), has increased by £400 to £11,000. A new dividend allowance £5,000 has been created which allows you to have dividend income of up to £5,000 p.a. without any additional tax liability, (the former tax credit associated with dividends has been abolished). If your dividend income exceeds £5,000, a basic rate tax payer pays 7.5% on the excess, a higher rate tax payer pays 32.5% and an additional rate tax payer pays 38.1%. A new Personal Savings Allowance has been created which allows basic rate tax payers to have £1,000 p.a. tax free interest on savings. (This figure is reduced to £500 for higher rate tax payers and to Nil for additional rate tax payers. If you rent out a room in your home you can receive up to £7,500 gross income, tax free. Capital Gains Tax has been cut for basic rate tax payers from 18% to 10% and for higher rate tax payers from 28% to 20% after the annual exempt amount of £11,100 (which remains unchanged). It should be noted that if the Capital Gain relates to the sale of residential property, then an 8% CGT surcharge will apply, (effectively converting the tax charge to the old rates).
The new state pension at the rate of £155.65 per week will be payable to individuals who reach the State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 provided they have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance Contributions, (those with less than 35 but more than 10 years contributions will receive a pro-rata amount). With effect from 1st April 2016, a new 3% Stamp Duty Land Tax will apply to the purchase price of 2nd homes or “Buy to Lets” in addition to the stepped rates of SDLT that normally apply. The 3% charge applies where the property purchase does not replace a main residence and to any purchase in a company name. Another change that will affect landlords is the withdrawal of the 10% wear and tear allowance on furnished lettings, (calculated on gross rent whether or not replacement costs have occurred during the year). However a new allowance will give relief for the actual net cost of replacing furniture and equipment in the property. And finally, what has not changed with a new tax year, there is the need to prepare and to submit the previous year’s Self-Assessment Tax Return, (i.e. for 2015-16). Please ensure that this is carefully prepared and submitted before the deadline if you wish to avoid penalties for inaccuracies or for late filing.
For further guidance or information contact info@readmilburn.co.uk
BUSINESS INSIGHT Jonathan Bray, Senior Client Manager, Three Counties Group.
Freedom! It has been a year since the new pension freedoms were introduced. On the positive side, many individuals have grasped the nettle in terms of their retirement planning; I have seen a significant increase in client queries, contributions and at-retirement planning advice being sought. Where individuals have sought advice, there has been a greater understanding of what is permitted, what isn’t permitted and the consequences of taking action in respect of withdrawing significant proportions of hardsaved funds. Sadly, the negative aspects are numerous. Ignoring the disparity between what the new rule book says is possible and what our regulator deems as being appropriate, we have been faced with a number of issues over the past 12 months: Updated rules – Whilst the regulations permit pension freedoms, there is no compulsion for a pension provider to adopt these new rules within their existing contracts, we have seen numerous providers say no to requests for withdrawals as ‘their systems don’t allow it’ resulting in the need to transfer elsewhere Why does it take so long – Pension providers
have been hit with unprecedented numbers of enquiries from financial advisers and clients alike requesting information and withdrawals that have simply ground their systems to a halt W hy are there exit penalties – In days gone by, very much like mortgages were for life, pensions were established for the long term and not designed to be moved from one product provider to another during an individual’s working like, therefore the charges were often front end loaded and diminished over time. M isunderstandings regarding the rules – We have seen a vast number of enquiries where the individual is under the misunderstanding that either there is no tax to pay or they will only pay basic rate tax on the surrender of their pension fund. Typically, under a personal pension, only the first 25% of the fund is payable tax free and any further withdrawals are added to a person’s overall income in the tax year to determine the overall rate of tax, whether that is 0%, 20%, 40% or 45%. In recent years, workers and pensions alike have been far more transient, leading to the desire
to transfer pensions or indeed access them early which doesn’t fit well with the older style contracts. I could write and probably will write an entire blog on this subject in due course, but in short, there is light at the end of the tunnel as the Chancellor has introduced a cap in these charges to be introduced in 2017, and with careful planning, it should be possible to manage withdrawals to within allowances each year to minimise the income tax payable. Clearly, some of the above are far out of our control, but with the assistance of highly qualified and experienced pension specialist and dedicated support staff, Three Counties can make the process as pain free as possible. In closing, to paraphrase Mel Gibson’s very loose portrayal of William Wallace in the film “Braveheart;” “Spend and you may die (early). Save, and you’ll live...at least a while. And lying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin’ to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take...OUR PENSIONS’ FREEDOM!”
Jonathan Bray is Senior Client Manager at Three Counties Group. Telephone 0191 230 3034. Email jonathan.bray@threecountiesgroup.co.uk Three Counties Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
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INTERVIEW
In Conversation With...
Peter Byrne Founder, Fischer Wolff International What were your career ambitions growing up? Growing up in Dublin as a young boy, I wanted to be what most boys wanted to be, which was to be a footballer. I thought of nothing else! My hero was Maradona, and also Gary Lineker (think 1986 World Cup in Mexico, I even used to play with a bandage on my hand, as Lineker wore it then). I played in the best schoolboy league in Ireland from 8-18 years old, and I used to eat, sleep and breathe football. Not very business ambitious I know!
Can you briefly outline your career path for the readers? My career has mainly been software sales, having worked in Sage in Dublin for 5 years, starting in technical support, and then moving into new business sales. Before Sage I worked in Ericsson as a Telecoms Engineer. When I moved to Newcastle I worked in Sage HQ briefly before moving into IT Recruitment. I have been doing IT Recruitment since 2007 and have never looked back.
Can you describe a typical day in the life of Peter Byrne? A typical day for me is waking about 7.15am, and getting my son Christian ready for school. We leave the apartment and drive to West Jesmond, getting there about 8am. We normally have breakfast in a little café called Cake Stories before my son goes into the schoolyard for 8.30am. I drive back to park on Quayside and walk to my office in town. I will either go to the gym first thing, or at about 12pm. I leave the office about 2.45pm to drive back to Jesmond to collect my son. I will take him to either piano or fitness training after school, and then we head home and make dinner. We normally have a couple of games of Star Wars Battlefront (where I always lose), before he gets a bath, and a bedtime story at 8pm. I normally then spend about 45 mins training, doing squats, stretching, weights, and some foam rolling. I also make sure to read and catch up on work emails and make some calls. Finally before bed, I will watch a bit of TV such as Masterchef or the eagerly awaited Season 6 of Game of Thrones!
What are you currently working on? I am currently working on recruitment requirements for several of my German clients, who need IT Solution Architects and Software Developers with a focus on ecommerce. I have established clients who come back to me for repeat business, so I am very lucky now to have forged good relationships.
What is your greatest business achievement to date? I think my greatest business achievement has been able to survive as a single working dad and build a business from scratch, whilst virtually working part time. I have built the business up, despite not speaking a word of German. The first year was tough, and extremely stressful, but the foundations have now been laid. I would urge any single parent to just put your head down and back yourself, and not to make excuses.
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? Being completely honest, I have never been given any kind of advice in my career, where I’ve thought, wow, that’s amazing. My background in sport has thought me that in business, you only get out of something what you put in. You can’t go into a shop and buy a bag of luck.
Who are your heroes in and out of business? Sounds extremely cheesy but the only heroes I have are my mother and father. There were six kids growing up in our family in Dublin and our mother worked a full time job whilst raising us, while Dad was the stay at home parent who cooked a mean Spaghetti Bolognaise. They made me who I am today (which is not a lot, but I am happy and reasonably sane), and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that I had a happy and stable childhood. Only now do I realise how lucky I was, and so they were my heroes and still are to this day.
Away from the desk how do you like to relax? I like to relax by cooking, playing sports, watching movies and most outdoor activities. I have spent the last 5 years doing Aikido, a Japanese Martial Art, and got my black belt in Jan 14. I also go to the gym a lot, and play football (6-a-side only as I have the knees of a 50 year old donkey!). I love golf, and also swim and play tennis (in the summer months). I am also definitely a foodie and love to cook. I also love teaching my son how to cook. I love cinema and will watch anything!
How would you like to be remembered? Hard to say but mainly I think I would like to be remembered as a good father, son and brother who didn’t take life too seriously but who was ambitious, hard-working, and loyal to the people who deserved my loyalty.
FISCHER WOLFF INTERNATIONAL LTD - 0191 2299559
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Peter@fischerwolff.com
www.fischerwolff.com
BUSINESS INSIGHT
Employable Me wings, as employment law forbids discrimination for one, and a number of companies are moving away from the traditional sit down interviews in favour of methods that can allow everyone to shine, and create an environment to show off their talents
When you think of job applications what springs to mind? If stuffy boardrooms, one to ones and nervous handshakes are your first thought, then you aren’t alone. The fears and stereotypes of the job interview world are often reality, but for the people featured in BBC’s Employable Me, those fears are multiplied.
Fast food giant KFC forego one to ones in favour of a team building style of interview which sees groups building houses from straws, develop their own meal and even design a rap to perform.
Aired in March this year, with the first episode being based in the heart of the North East the programme featured job hunters with Tourette’s syndrome and individuals with Autism. Take for instance Brett, who struggles to talk due to autism and has been looking for work but to no avail. Obviously Brett would struggle in a normal interview situation, but through the unusual method of going on TV, experts determine that his condition allows him to see things in a different way and is put to such good use that by the end of the show he had found himself a job at a medical equipment company; despite the interview being a struggle. It’s a testament to inclusion and breaking the normal boundaries of a situation and shows that not everyone thrives in a “normal” situation… More than just heart-warming TV, It just shows that there is no one way that gets the best out of
The interview process is nerve wracking for the majority of people who aren’t autistic, but Brett from Employable Me showed how he is able to communicate differently with his fellow employees. As Brett is unable to convey his feelings in a normal way, he wrote a speech on his iPad - “One word amongst a thousand comes to mind - accepted. If I persist in writing more I feel I wouldn’t be able to read it. I really want to work and be part of a team and for the first time I felt I have been”, an emotional reaction was received from his team. everyone and that each individual has something to give. How then do you go about changing the norms of recruitment and employment? Well, that change might already be in the
Recruitment is just one of the aspects of HR we deal with here at Howe Consultancy and we are more than happy to advise your company on all your HR needs, no matter how big or small they may be. After all, if you employ the right people in the right jobs, you’ll be on the road to success.
For more information, call us on 07921 256981 or email us at info@howeconsultancy.co.uk.
Beat the loneliness with Holmside A key part in care is the people themselves. Making them feel like an individual, meeting their needs and making them feel at home in their new surroundings isn’t just part of the job – it is the job. Imagine our feelings then, when we saw the results of an Age UK study in March that claimed 300,000 members of the elderly community were struggling with chronic loneliness and 1 million were experiencing unmet care needs. As people who are in the care business, we were shocked to see the figures were so high – especially with the department of health having pledged £3.5billion to local authorities for social care. No one should be left to feel isolated or lonely in old age. It’s such a vital aspect of care for the elderly – so much so that the BBC reported in 2013 that social isolation is associated with a higher risk of death in older people. It’s why at Holmside Care we vow to look after all parts of your loved one’s health and offer care without compromise. As a residential care home we obviously have elderly people living here, however a big part of our day-to-day care revolves around beating the loneliness and getting people mixing.
That’s why in addition to being residential we also delighted to offer a day care service designed to support those living at home but who may need practical and personal care during the day. Importantly, in light of Age UK’s findings it’s also open to anyone who may feel isolated and alone
at home and in need of companionship during the day. Offering a wide range of activities, our day care service aims to help those with us remain stimulated, active and independent for as long as possible – and make friends while doing it.
If you are in need of anymore information about us at Holmside Care or the services we offer, please do get in touch with us over the phone on 01670 530 100 or drop us an email to info@holmsidecare.co.uk
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Let’s make the North East the UK’s most responsible business community While undeniably important, the single intention of business has never been to simply make money. Take some of the world’s leading tech companies for example. Google, Apple and Microsoft’s founders did not start out with the sole intention of making billions, and now their combined value is well over a trillion dollars. Instead, they intended to build organisations that would break the mould and change opinions. With a larger social purpose behind what they do, albeit in different ways, they were all driven forward by putting the needs of their customers first. In reality profit tends to be the result, rather than the purpose of a successful enterprise. A great business should be about creating customer value, making something better and empowering people to get the best out of themselves and their colleagues.
It’s more than CSR Many organisations support good causes and allow employees to engage in charitable work, bringing a number of benefits to the public and business itself. Being truly responsible is much more than this; it’s thinking smartly around how you go about making money. Companies with a conscience place value at the heart of everything they do, including how they manage supply chains and recruit, retain and develop staff. They take care to consider the way they treat the planet and connect with
the communities that give them their licence to operate. By crafting carefully considered schemes, they are able to find a multitude of ways to marry doing good with doing well, shaping how they engage in the big issues of today - like education, employment, enterprise and culture - to give themselves a commercial edge.
What do you do that really matters? Entrepreneurs’ Forum members were recently inspired to think responsibly at an event with Stephen Howard (BITC), Brian Manning (Esh Group) and Peter Walls (formerly Gentoo). Throughout an evening spent discussing how sustainable businesses, like sustainable communities, should be built upon principals of social justice and environmental stewardship, the three chief executives challenged North East business owners to consider what it is they do that really matters. With the belief that once they have achieved a relative level of financial success, business leaders have more opportunity than most to change their way of thinking about success toward significance, Stephen Howard asked the questions we would now like to ask you: What is it that you do that really matters? How do you make a difference to others? And in what way do you describe what you do to your family and friends?
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum supports North East business owners in all sectors, helping them to develop, share experience, create new opportunities and grow their business. For more information, call 0191 500 7780 or visit www.entrepreneursforum.net
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We’re stronger together Long-term success and more positive attitudes towards business can only come from putting values and social good at the heard of entrepreneurship. Open, transparent organisations that treat their customers and staff with respect, and support their communities can gain a competitive advantage by doing so. The business case for behaving sensibly is blindingly obvious and, living in an area that often struggles to compete financially with other regions, becoming the most responsible business community in the UK could offer the North East the competitive advantage we need. After all, if the true definition of success is measured by the men and women who work hard and dream big, love their families, serve their neighbours, give people a chance, make a difference and connect and create opportunities, then we have those by the score. This is something we would all love to see and influencing our success is a role the region’s business owners can play. The character of the people in the North East is our finest asset and if we can mobilise it in a smart and responsible way, then we will not only drive our economy forward, but also stand out as the great place to live and work that we truly are.
Scan to find out more about the Forum:
INTERVIEW
An entrepreneur interview with:
Kari Owers
O PR
Winner of North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012, Kari has been a PR consultant for 20 years, working on campaigns for hundreds of organisations large and small, private and public, start up or multigenerational. She founded O in 2005 and is also a nonexecutive director at Northumberland Tourism and development agency for the commercial creative sector, Generator, as well as sitting on the steering committee for Northern Design Festival.
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INTERVIEW So Kari, tell me a bit about your background.
How has the market changed since you started?
I grew up in Northern Ireland and come from several generations of journalists. I left Northern Ireland in the early 90s to begin my studies in Newcastle - not journalism though – after studying art and design my degree was in fashion design. After graduating, I started a job in consumer PR, at an ambitious firm. I’d recommend anyone starting their career joins a young entrepreneurial company, as it allows you to develop quickly and learn the ropes in business close up.
Our original business plan was written before Twitter even existed, so you can imagine it’s changed a bit. Things have changed dramatically and for the better. Some people think that PR is just about sending out press releases, but it’s about so much more, and social media has brought our skills in relationship-building and reputation management to a whole new platform.
Some years later I moved to a one-man-band, where we became the first agency offering Pay As You Go PR in the North East. This was a really interesting time; it was during the first Dot Com Boom, which made it a really exciting time to be in media relations. Then, in 2005, shortly after my second child was born I started my own business.
How has O grown over the years? We grew really fast in the early years then the recession hit, so we tread water for a while, but after the country came out of the downturn we started growing again. In fact, last year was our tenth year in business and it was a record year for growth. For us our growth has often come from a game-changing client. We did a store launch for Dr. Martens in Newcastle, this lead to us helping to promote all of their stores across the North, and now we handle all the owned and operated UK store PR.
Did the recession affect how you do business? The recession changed our direction of travel in terms of services but not our approach to our clients. We shouldn’t pretend it was an easy time as each day was unpredictable, but some of the decisions we’d made before it hit helped us. We had, and still have, a broad portfolio of clients, which spread the risk across a number of sectors. To fully understand our business at this time, you have to understand it against the backdrop of the rise of digital media. At the same time as the economy crashed, things like Facebook and Twitter became huge. A lot of our clients are very entrepreneurial businesses who saw the recession as an opportunity as much as a threat, which allowed us to explore new avenues for them. They trusted us to embrace new digital communication trends, and social media became a significant area of growth for the agency.
We now create content for a multi-channel world, which makes for a completely new environment for a comms professional in which to operate.
What would you say your Unique Selling Points are? All PR agencies would say their connections in the media, and that’s a big part of it, but our network of digital influencers is also something that stands us apart. We set up the North East Blogger Awards to recognise the excellent work people are doing in this field and now we work with bloggers and Instagrammers across the world on campaigns – they create and share unique content for us and it makes for really exciting campaigns. Our location also plays a huge part. Newcastle is the ideal place for our business, we have clients located across the country, from Belfast to Brighton, so we think being in the North East puts us in the centre of all of them.
How do you keep your people motivated? We work hard at this and we’ve been recognised as such. We were recently named in PR Week ‘Best Places to Work’ awards as one of the top three small agencies in the UK to work for. Developing our team’s careers is a huge part of everyone’s motivation too. We have Opprentices, which is a voluntary work placement scheme for final year students, many of whom come to work for us. We have the Graduate Ocademy, which is a 12-month fast-track programme that brings graduates into the world of communications, and our wider Ocademy programme provides continuous professional development for our whole team. We’re a fun place to work, and factor in plenty of time for creativity and conversation, which is always a good motivator. Something we do that’s a bit different is the Pat on the Back Award, which is a peer-nominated recognition that comes with a personalised gift. Every year we have an Oway Day together, these are never the same, one year we went to a music festival, another year we went to my roots and visited the city of Belfast. We also have lots of staff nights out and a charity fundraising programme, which are always popular.
Keeping your team motivated starts by having the right people and in our case that means interesting and enthusiastic people. Someone can have the skills you’re looking for but not be the right fit, but when someone is the right personality fit with the culture of your company then it motivates everyone around them.
How does your motivation now compare with that when you started the firm? My motivation still comes from being able to surround myself with great people each day. Whether that’s working with talented colleagues or with great clients. When you work with a client who trusts you, and is willing to take a leap of faith with you, it’s really inspiring.
Mentors are a huge part of the support the Entrepreneurs’ Forum provide, how has it helped you? I’ve been a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum since day one, and I’ve had a number of mentors through it. Sometimes it has just been the case of meeting them once for a coffee to get advice on a specific issue, but I have had mentors on a more long-term basis, who have gone on to become good friends. I’m happy to mentor other people in business, it’s nice to meet people and chat with them about what they’re trying to achieve. Within O, I mentor each of my senior team every month, but it’s not limited to that, my door is open to anyone looking to get into or get on in the industry. I also mentor young entrepreneurs here and there. It’s always great to see their passion and drive and maybe help them with some strategic thinking or advice.
Got any big plans for the future? The way people interact with the media has changed massively over the past decade. We, as a PR agency are changing with it, and this means taking our clients further into the digital world. We have recently helped a client with a new digital communications platform - effectively an online magazine - where we are creating daily written, visual or video content - that’s the beauty of PR, it is constantly changing and we see its relevance as a discipline growing even more in the coming years.
You have had some recognition of your own recently. As well as the PR Week Best Places to Work awards in February, in March I was shortlisted in the final 36 for the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) Women of Tomorrow Awards. The best thing was being nominated by one of my own employees - that’s the recognition every entrepreneur seeks I think, to inspire the next generation.
Kari Owers is a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, a unique group of like-minded people who come together through peer-to-peer mentoring and a series of inspirational events to share best practice, create valuable connections and grow their business. For more information, visit www.entrepreneursforum.net
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Marks & Spencer £22.50
Warehouse £49 Debenhams £55
Warehouse stripe shirt dress £45
When it comes to the season’s top trends, intu Metrocentre’s stylist Michaela Dale is your go-to lady. With an eye for detail and an impressive talent for fashion forecasting, she’s got a world of style knowledge and, luckily for you, she’s willing to share… We’ve just completed a fashion shoot for the intu Metrocentre spring/ summer magazine and the trend that over-shadowed everything was stripes.
of incorporating this classic trend into your wardrobe. They help elongate the body and trick the eye into making you appear taller, which in turn flatters the figure. Win-win.
Stripes are back in a big way this season, but instead of traditional horizontal and vertical lines, we’re seeing designers mix it up with stripes in all directions, weight, and colour. So, ladies: it’s time to update your workwear wardrobe!
A horizontal stripe works particularly well on dresses and tops, helping to add dimension and contrast to an outfit. However, top tip: Be careful of stripes that add too much width across the shoulders and hips.
Tailored suits have always looked stylish and chic, especially when paired with striped fabrics. Team a fitted blazer and cigarette trousers with a striped shirt or blouse to make a real statement this summer. If you’re feeling extra brave, add a bit of colour – whether it be a pastel pink blazer or bold blue stripes.
My personal favourite workwear get-up this season is the striped shirt dress. A shirt dress is an office-friendly workwear piece for the summer - all you need to do is team it with chic courts and a bright bag and you're ready to go. Warehouse do a great grey and white one, but they are available in most of the well-known retailers at intu Metrocentre right now.
If you’re not sure where to start with stripes, vertical ones are an easy way
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Wallis £55
Another brilliant way to rock this season’s stripes at work is by investing in a fully striped, tailored suit. Mix and match elements with suits you already own to alternate your look. For example, pair your plain navy trousers with a striped navy jacket or your grey blazer with your striped grey skirt to give you more options to avoid the dreaded “What do I wear?” dilemma on a morning. Most importantly, enjoy mixing different colours, styles and widths from pinstripes to broad stripes. Create your own eye-catching look that’s individual to you and prepare to take your seat on the fashion-forward throne, because ladies, you’re going to look striking in stripes this season.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
How to find happiness at work Bryony Gibson
If you’re unhappy in your job and not sure how to change this, Bryony Gibson, Managing Director of Bryony Gibson Consulting, shares her thoughts on how you can turn your career around. Working in recruitment means you meet a lot of people who are unhappy in their job. We all have bad days, but I’m referring to those who feel so professionally unfulfilled that they’ve started to question the entire value of their career.
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The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work; and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Become happy in a job you don’t love Many people find great joy in a job that isn’t the one they dreamt about as a child. There are many things that contribute to making you happy at work and, as you go through life, your personal motivations and priorities will almost certainly change.
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Steve Jobs
Of course everybody wants a job they love, but sadly for a large number of people this seems a million miles away and, in a time-poor society, they simply can’t balance the risk of change with the right steps forward. If that sounds like you, then you’ll be glad to know you’re not alone. People at the start of their career and those who’ve stumbled into financially successful roles both need help with this. So how can you make a positive change? Well one thing for sure is, whatever the situation, you’ll be much happier making conscious decisions that guide your career, rather than allowing time, circumstance and fate to dictate the future. It’s said that ‘difficult roads lead to the most beautiful destinations’, but unless you have a map, there’s only so long you can tolerate being lost. We all spend a huge proportion of our time at work, so if you’re unhappy you only have two real options.
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Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out. John Wooden
Unless you understand what drives you whether it’s family, friends, health, career, helping others or something else - you won’t be able to identify the parts of your role that have the most potential to make you happy. Simply put, you could be focussing in the wrong places. Job satisfaction plays a big part in our wellbeing and if you can find something you do which has personal significance, you can start to concentrate on this area, potentially making it possible to change your outlook and regain a sense of purpose and control in your career.
Change job More daunting, but if you can’t turn your current job around I’d urge you not to let fear and uncertainty hold you back.
Contact Bryony for help finding the right tax & accountancy role or recruits on (0191) 375 9983. Alternatively, visit www.bryonygibson.com, connect on LinkedIn or follow @bryonygibson.
If you know the industry you’d like to work in, but not a specific role, then speak to a specialist recruitment consultant in that area. They can provide invaluable insight into the opportunities and skills you need, as well helping you to understand the job market.
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Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Confucius
If you’re not sure what to do next, try thinking about a hobby you’re passionate about or if another career allows you to use your skills in a different way. By exploring your pastimes and talents you could unlock a number of new opportunities. Try writing down what you’d like to be remembered for and want to ultimately achieve. Big questions, but if you then work backwards, you’ll quickly build an action plan that could cover the next five, 10 or even 15 years. In summary, to find happiness at work you need a genuine understanding of your strengths, values, passions and skills. Combined with knowledge of the options available, you’ll then find yourself in a position to make informed decisions about your future; and that can only have a positive impact on your happiness at work and life in general.
BUSINESS INSIGHT
North East energy provider turning on the power A new North East based independent power company is celebrating reaching a major milestone and revealing plans for further expansion and development.
Future Energy, a Newcastle-based electricity and gas supply company, has notched up its 1,000th customer, is set to establish a HQ in new premises and has recruited a team of 20 people since it officially started trading around six months ago. The business is the North East’s new challenger to the so-called big six energy suppliers – promising domestic users across the region cheaper bills, accurate meter readings along with free smart meters in the future. Future Energy is the brainchild of North East entrepreneur Tim Cantle-Jones who worked for two years to launch and realise his dream of establishing a regional energy supplier founded on principles of fairness and transparency. Tim said: “It’s been an immensely challenging
task bringing Future Energy to the market but we’re delighted to have made a strong start and reached some solid milestones. Establishing a start-up is never an easy thing, there are always a few surprises along the way, but Future Energy is now in a great position to offer households across the North East the best deals for their energy. “As industry bodies have repeatedly said, from Ofgem to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), millions of householders are paying far too much for their bills. “We’re delighted that 1,000 local customers have seen the benefits of switching to a locally based supplier committed to putting customers first and offering a better deal on energy prices.” The CMA has highlighted the fact consumers are not sufficiently ‘engaged’ in the energy supply
market and have traditionally received confusing and inaccurate bills. Tim said: “We know the potential demand is there; we just need to show people across the North East how easy it is to switch and how quickly they can save money. We think we can cut 10-15 per cent off most household bills and still make a profit.” Future Energy is confident of reaching 5,000 customers within the next six months and is already looking to recruit in preparation. The company is due to relocate its head office from Newcastle Business Park and set up in Hoults Yard, Newcastle in the near future and expects to double staff within the year at its operational site in Armstrong Business Park.
Anyone looking to switch from their existing suppliers or find out more about the options can visit www.future-energy.com, or call 0800 158 5451.
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BUSINESS LUNCH
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...once again, it just underlines how blessed we are to live in a region with so many good things going on... 42
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BUSINESS LUNCH
A Customer-Driven Award for Caffé Vivo by Michael Grahamslaw Having received a media release informing me that Caffé Vivo had been announced as the winner of the Diners’ Choice Award for 2016 by the OpenTable organisation, I thought I’d get myself down to the Quayside to see what was cooking (every pun intended).
Owned by chef restaurateur Terry Laybourne’s 21 Hospitality Group and a sister to some of the region’s top eateries including 21 itself, Café 21 at Fenwick, The Broad Chare, Ko Sai and the Saltwater Fish Company, my expectations were obviously high because of the company’s pedigree and reputation. As it transpired, I was not to be disappointed. It is based in a former warehouse opposite the Live Theatre in Broad Chare. Its bare brick walls, cast iron pillars, stripped wooden floors and airy aspect project a tasteful but laid back atmosphere in true Italian style. Whoever designed the interior of this place has got it spot on and its warm and lively feel is very infectious. On a dreary, overcast midweek day, the place was packed with diners either enjoying a light lunch or just having a natter over a latte. It is obviously an in-place which is frequented by the great and good of Newcastle and once again, it just underlines how blessed we are to live in a region with so many good things going on. Unfortunately, my dining companion and I spent more time people watching than studying the menu and our waitress had to come back twice to take our order. But it’s that sort of place as you just get carried along by the vibrant atmosphere. We had five different menu options to choose from. A Fixed Price menu offered great value with a choice of four starters, three pasta
dishes, four mains and three desserts at just £16.50 for two courses and £19.50 for three. This menu is available for both lunch and dinner between 12 noon and 10pm (Monday to Friday) and 12 noon to 7 pm on Saturdays. For those on the run, a special Express Lunch menu offers soup, sandwiches, salads and antipasto boards to share whilst a Daily Specials menu utilising everything market fresh available on-day offers five starters and seven mains. With a Vegetarian menu and of course, a really extensive à la carte menu, all are available at various times Monday to Saturday between 12 noon and 10pm. Somewhat phased by the huge choice (note to self: I must carefully study all the menus before my next visit), we finally opted for pumpkin soup with radicchio marmalade and ricotta and a super bruschetta with spicy salami, cannellini beans and tomatoes. Just the job on a chilly day and both really hit the spot. For mains I chose linguini with fresh crab, clams, fennel and chilli which was quite superb while my dining companion chose the devilled Spring chicken served with lemon, spinach and rosemary roast potatoes. The two empty plates told the whole story! I did notice some musttry’s on the other menus including Brodetto, the Italian version of Bouillabaisse, and a fillet of beef with truffle mash and purple sprouting broccoli. I will road test them at my next visit – as there definitely will be a next time.
It had been a memorable meal for all the right reasons and I now fully understand why the place is so popular and is the “diners' choice”. The menus are diverse, interesting and innovative and the antithesis of a “normal” predictable Italian menu. Throughout our meal, we were superbly looked after by manager Matt Waldron and his busy team. Great job Guys! On this experience, I can wholeheartedly recommend Caffé Vivo as an excellent choice of venue for lunch, dinner, a light snack, a speciality coffee or indeed a pre-theatre meal or drink before popping across the road to visit The Live Theatre. For those who are unfamiliar with this venue, it is recognised as one of the country's leading new writing theatres and has gained a fantastic reputation for the way it discovers, nurtures and develops regional talent that transform ideas into performances of the highest quality for stage, radio, film and television. Caffé Vivo is open daily (with the exception of Sundays) from 12 noon and its obvious charms as a culinary hub are out there for all to see in a very open and unself-conscious way. It simply is a class act that I intend to use regularly as it is a suitable venue for entertaining clients or just family and friends. The venue is warm and welcoming, not at all elitist and as if to underline the venue’s laidback non-snobbish approach, wine is reasonably priced from just £16 a bottle or by the glass.
It is situated at 29 Broad Chare, Newcastle (SatNav: NE1 3DQ), T: 0191 232 1331. For the full story (and details of all five menus!) log on to its excellent website on www.caffevivo.co.uk
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
One for All and all for one! Equality or Equal Opportunity? by Ammar Mirza CBE They both sound the same and many a time are misinterpreted but in reality couldn’t be further apart when you look into what they truly mean. Equality is treating everyone the same, which on the face of it sounds wonderful but in reality is very challenging and at times questionable.
I am not suggesting that it is appropriate to discriminate, far from it, but thinking that everyone is the same and should be treat that way just doesn't make any sense. Imagine if we were all identical, same colour, same appearance, same sex; the world would be a very sad and boring place.
as an Asian I was sadly treat differently, but not universally. As the odd one out, I was one of the last to be chosen in any of the team games, I never won any of the teachers awards, and felt quite lonely. So I chose to do the best I could and worked twice as hard at everything not letting this discrimination affect me.
I do think that our world has changed, some for the better but in certain circumstances for the worse. Growing up I went to a predominantly white school and realised that I was different,
Very quickly I was the one doing the choosing and became the teachers pet. A swot by the age of 11 and universally accepted I became quite popular, even so, I still had to work twice as hard as anyone
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else and this hasn't really changed throughout my career. It's crazy that Apartheid was so prevalent in the late 1900’s and black people were legally treat differently. Gosh, even up until 1990’s there were men only clubs in Newcastle. In fact the Freemasons are exclusively male, but does that make them wrong? As one of the largest charitable organisations in the UK they do an amazing job of bringing people together. I think we need to appropriately consider the push towards equality and focus a lot more on equal opportunity. continued
BUSINESS INSIGHT Now what does all of this mean and why am I talking about this? No, overnight, I haven’t turned into a militant! But, I do want to share my personal experiences and how saddened I feel that as a region we seem to be going backwards in recognising and appreciating the incredible culturally diverse and cosmopolitan community we have. My dad was the Secretary General of the Muslim Community and helped establish the mosque. He was involved in introducing Mohammed Ali to the North East. He was intrinsic in supporting and naming Asian Business Connexions. He supported Hari Shukla CBE early on in race and community relations, and it is wonderful to see the incredible impact over many years Hari has made on the North East on bringing communities together. But we really are at risk of losing this commonality, you just need to look at the number of race related incidents, the press reports and number of far right groups using the North East to create divisiveness. It is usually on the basis of inequality that divisiveness is created. People become isolated and then feel out of place. Funnily enough at primary school, I was always the last to get picked and as I grew older I became popular and was the one doing the picking, yet I remember distinctly the impact of those polar positions.
Even 10 years ago the City was renowned for its arts and cultural appreciation, bringing communities together. We established ABC in 2009 to connect, support and promote the Asian and wider community and seven years on the organisation continues to grow, but one thing we have managed to do is bring the whole community together through common purposes whether that is training, helping unemployed, supporting local businesses, and ABC isn't just for Asians. There currently is a huge focus on women's rights and I fully appreciate that there is, without question, a need to have more women in senior positions, but what about other communities? What about Asians or disabled people? Looking around at the large business organisations and in particular the public sector there are so little black or in particular minority Asian individuals in senior roles or represented. At the risk of sounding controversial the key reason those numpties go off and join ISIS is partially due to them not feeling part of the community or being valued. Although they must also be mentally disturbed to do what they do and I am disgusted at their abhorrent actions. I think the same thing happens to other isolated individuals that develop extreme views and join other far right or left extremist groups.
What we need to try and do is encourage equal opportunity, regardless of your background, upbringing or wealth. Everyone should be given a chance to realise and raise their ambitions and aspirations. This is exactly what the Primary Inspiration through Enterprise (PIE) project aims to do. The launch last month saw over 1000 pupils aged 9 to 11 undertake engineering, enterprise and coding activities, supported by a range of local businesses, parents, teachers and community groups. A common purpose that aims to tackle the skills shortage, address inequalities and bring communities together. Through effective communication, collaboration and ultimately celebration we can help one another, and it is incumbent on those that are in a position to do so to help everyone they can. So let's stop building walls, creating barriers and start supporting one another. Let's celebrate our region and every one that lives within it. Let us encourage our young to do the best they can. Only through us all coming together can we make the biggest difference. As JK Rowling says "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided." To find out more about the work of ABC or how to join PIE please feel free to email or call me.
Ammar Mirza CBE is the Chairman and Founder of Asian Business Connexions. Email ammar@ammarm.com Tel 01912308040
SME Centre of Excellence Will be the default and de facto SME Business Support Hub for the Northern Powerhouse.
J A truly collaborative approach that will provide a one stop high-quality centre for ALL support needs, helping businesses realise their potential. In partnership with Microsoft, UKTI, NCG and numerous partners all coming together to provide the services, support and skills development any business may need. Hosted at the multi-million pound newly refurbished Parsons Building and easily accessible the Centre will provide a range of services. This includes expert advice, guidance and full support on how to start-up a business, grow a business and everything associated with doing business.
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Combining Art with Architecture The re-design of the Old Post Office building, in St Nicholas Street, Newcastle, was the subject of a presentation by Richard Waterhouse, Chief Executive of NBS, at an Art in Architecture seminar at BALTIC Gateshead. The seminar, which was also sponsored by NBS, brought leading architects, construction firms, designers and artists together to highlight and explore the relationship between art and architecture and look at that relationship, through projects such as the Old Post Office, where art, architecture and the opportunity to bring people together will define the redevelopment Other speakers at the event included Jonathan Ruffer, Chair of the Auckland Castle Trust, 2015 Turner Prize winner, Giles Smith and Peter Buchan, Senior Partner at Ryder Architecture, Newcastle.
BUSINESS INSIGHT
PRS prove society includes disabled – not excludes Twitter was quick to react, naming and shaming those who voted to enforce the cuts, and an online petition set up which has already had enough signatures to force an emergency debate in the House of Commons, with over 100,000 names demanding the move be scrapped.
All of this begs a huge question – what of the role of disabled people in society? Clearly disabled people play just as important a role in society, both local and national. Rather than stigmatise and for want of a better word ‘punish’ disabled people, isn’t it more beneficial both for societies and the people themselves to help them integrate into a world that many feel isolated from? At PRS Inclusion Services that is our goal – to give people with disabilities the opportunity to develop their potential and improve their feelings of selfworth.
Hello all from me, Pamela Rickman of PRS Inclusion Services, here to talk to you about some disturbing news.
Our open college network courses are specifically designed with those who use our services in mind. Combining over 30 years experience in the social care and education sectors with our highly trained, highly qualified staff and a genuine desire to assist the disabled in fulfilling their potential, we aim to teach valuable life skills which can be used both in day-to-day life and in the workplace.
It was revealed last month that Conservative MPs voted in favour of disability benefit cuts which will see those claiming the benefit lose £30 per week if it is decided that they are fit enough to work.
Helping people is what we do and it’s exactly that which sets us apart – helping people. Each individual on our courses are treated as such – as an individual. This allows them to develop their own skills based on their own needs, wants and requirements, as opposed to a one size fits all system.
Perhaps most shockingly though, one of those in parliament who voted in support of the cuts was an active patron of a multiple sclerosis charity, a role from which he was removed shortly after.
If you are one of the many people affected by these cuts – then we can empathise with you, life is tough enough for people with disabilities and I certainly will be making sure that my opinion is known about said cuts.
To find out more about our range of courses call us on 0191 454 1010 or email us at info@prsinclusionservices.com.
BUSINESS INSIGHT
McDaniel & Co. confirms its IP credentials with office move Niche Intellectual Property Law firm McDaniel & Co. has recently undertaken an exciting office move to the Northern Design Centre as it continues to grow and strengthen its credentials as a leading IP firm.
The firm was established in 2005 by husband and wife team, Niall and Rozanna HeadRapson. The firm prides itself on being ‘city-styled without city prices’ and since its inception has become a leading player in the Intellectual Property (IP) Law scene. IP deals with the protection of intangible assets usually enshrined in copyright, designs, trademarks and patents. The firm is, year after year, one of the most consistent users of the specialist Intellectual Property Enterprise Court and acts on behalf of clients in a range of contentious and non-contentious IP matters. The IP team, which is headed by Niall, is renowned nationally for its depth and quality of service. An expert in his field, Niall trained in the City of London and boasts stints at some of its major law firms including Gouldens (now Jones Day), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and McKenna’s (now CMS Cameron McKenna) before moving North to become Ward Hadaway’s IP partner and subsequently establishing McDaniel & Co. with wife Rozanna. Rozanna is the firm’s Managing Director and also presently sits as a Judge in four jurisdictions. The firm boasts 6 fee earners all specialising in intellectual property and is committed to building and retaining a work force of experts in the field, including 2 qualified trade mark attorneys. In addition the team retains the services of
to promote IP awareness throughout the industry.
a Chartered Patent Attorney as a consultant. The firm is committed to growing talent and an expert team here in the North East. Senior Associate Kelly Hudson trained with the firm and has recently cross qualified as a registered trade mark attorney. The team has a wide ranging client base spread throughout the country and has a strong reputation for its IP work. McDaniel & Co. is one of a small number of ACID (Anti-Copying in Design) accredited firms in England. ACID, since its creation in 1996, has been one of the country’s key trade organisations created by designers for designers to assist with the protection of innovation and IP, with founder Dids McDonald recently being awarded an OBE for her work in the industry. Both Niall and Kelly are also Freemen of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, the prestigious livery organisation of the furniture industry and use this membership as a platform
The firm’s exciting new office move, to the design hub that is the Northern Design Centre, will allow the firm to increase its profile within the region and base itself within its core sector. The Northern Design Centre requires its occupants have relevant credentials related to design and innovation to take up residency at the building. McDaniel & Co.’s established IP work background ensured it was the right type of business to take on offices in the striking, design led Quayside offices the firm now shares with a range of exciting and noteworthy creative businesses. The firm provides a full service IP offering, including giving advice on trademarks, patents, copyright and design right and has received excellent client reviews in both Chambers and the Legal 500. It is regarded as a safe pair of hands for any business whose core asset is IP. Following its move, the excitement continues for the firm as it settles into its new surroundings. It is presently planning an event to be held at the Northern Design Centre to celebrate World IP Day, which takes place on 26 April 2016. Speaking of the move and the forthcoming event, Niall said “these are very exciting times for us, we are looking forward to working more, and expanding our profile in the North East as well as continuing our successful work with clients around the rest of the country”.
McDaniel & Co. Suite 2.07 Northern Design Centre Abbotts Hill Baltic Business Quarter Gateshead NE8 3DF 0191 499 8471 www.mcdanielslaw.com email: legal@mcdanielslaw.com
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BUSINESS INSIGHT Sarah Crilly
Divorce in the over 60’s Sarah Crilly, Associate in the Family Law team at Ward Hadaway, looks at why divorce rates are rising for couples in later life. According to recent statistics, divorce in the over-60s is still on the increase. The Office for National Statistics reports that in 2011, nearly 9,500 men aged over 60 divorced - an increase of almost three-quarters compared with 20 years earlier. The reasons for people divorcing later in life include that people are living longer, marrying later in life, that greater assets are available to this age group and there isn’t the stigma associated with divorce at any age. We are living in a much more tolerant society and people aged 60 to 70 are no longer considered old. Married people’s children tend to be adults by this age and there is no longer that bond holding people together. In some cases, people want new experiences for the last chapter in their lives and are no longer prepared to just put up with unhappy marriages. People in this age group are likely to have built up valuable property and pension assets which are readily accessible and are likely to have been married for 20 or 30 years-plus and thus fall into
the long marriage category which the courts will approach on the basis that there should be equal sharing. Invariably divorces involving this age group are likely to see one party, normally the husband, with the pension provision and the other with simply a joint interest in the matrimonial home. The legislation which provides guidance to the courts when considering the division of assets between a divorcing couple does point the court to considering the length of the marriage and ages of the parties as some of the factors that should be taken into account. The case law encourages equal sharing of assets and pensions on divorce after long marriages. Since it is likely that divorce in the over-60s will involve long marriages, an equal split of assets is the overall likely solution in most cases. Properties that have formed the matrimonial home in these types of cases can be ordered to be sold with the proceeds being divided equally. The court can make Pension Sharing Orders in favour of the spouse who has less or no pension, thus
equalising the parties’ income in retirement. As divorce lawyers, we often see this category of marriages with not just property and pensions that have been built up during the marriage as a result of both parties’ joint endeavours but sometimes inherited assets that have fallen in to the middle of the marriage from either of the respective spouses parents. Provided these have fallen in during the marriage as opposed to post-separation and become intermingled with matrimonial assets then the equal sharing principle can still apply, unlike in medium or short marriages where such assets would be treated very differently. The pensions freedoms that now exist will force divorce lawyers to consider whether or not prevention of drawdowns by one party should be sought by way of injunction from the court to preserve the status quo while any divorce is being dealt with for this age group. There is much to consider and specialist financial and legal advice must be always be considered.
For more information on the issues raised by this article please contact sarah.crilly@wardhadaway.com or call 0191 204 4463.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
North Eastern promise for start-up businesses Andrew Cawkwell
Over recent years, there has been pragmatism in the North East that has seen many people unwilling to leave their financial security in the hands of an employer. Instead they have taken the opportunity to create new businesses – taking a leap into the unknown and being in control of their future. What has helped many of them has been the great spirit of camaraderie in the NorthEast entrepreneurial community, with business owners, lawyers, accountants and advisers taking time to support each other. At Muckle LLP, we see first-hand the drive and determination of people in the region who want to create innovative businesses, and in turn, wealth and jobs. They’ve developed an idea and prepared a business plan, but sometimes struggle in those first few years when building their market presence and customer base. While developments such as the new Entrepreneurial Spark initiative, are designed to support such start-up businesses getting ready to launch, not all budding entrepreneurs will choose or are even unaware of this route. That’s why at Muckle LLP, we are happy to have conversations with entrepreneurs early on to ensure we signpost them in the right direction
when they need it most. We will look at where they are going, what they are doing, what it is they want to achieve and provide advice, access to useful contacts and solutions. We can also advise what we think a company needs in terms of support and funding. We will help businesses understand issues such as the need for good working relationships with bankers who can provide support, statutory compliance and business life cycle management. Our track record speaks volumes, with many companies that initially came to us as start-ups having gone on to become hugely successful businesses, some way at least, as a direct result of the early relationships we have formed with them. Whether your business is a start-up or a more established one, the decision over who to turn to for advice is an important one. It’s easy to start that with us. Andrew Cawkwell Partner and Certified Turnaround Professional Banking and Restructuring Team Muckle LLP e: Andrew.Cawkwell@muckle-llp.com @CompanyRescue
Resources North East to open two new training centres A North East training provider is investing in two new facilities, creating new jobs and enabling it to offer its services to hundreds of trainees and apprentices across the region. Resources North East (RENE), a specialist in providing training to apprentices, is to open two new training centres in Sunderland and South Tyneside in a “significant” investment for the firm. The new centres add to its existing facilities in North Shields and Jarrow, and RENE will also introduce health and social care training into its portfolio The business, which operates across the North East, is creating up to six new jobs through its expansion into the new centres in Southwick and Boldon – the latter of which will become its new headquarters - to add to its existing workforce of 34. Its additional capacity will allow it to offer training to over 500 trainees and apprentices each year. RENE works with businesses and young people aged 14 and over to help develop apprenticeships in construction, IT and business administration. The firm is also adding to its offer to include health and social care training up to Level 5 Higher Apprenticeships The business – which started life as an IT and software development company, and has since diversified to become a leading training provider – has seen a continually growing demand for its services, and now works with organisations across the region. Apprenticeships are becoming an increasing priority for business, and the Government is targeting 3 million new apprentice positions being created nationally by 2020. It is also introducing a policy whereby businesses bidding for public sector contracts worth £10m or more must have a “reasonable proportion” of apprentices. David Watson, Managing Director of RENE, said: “We have made big strides as a business over the past few years and our work has been acknowledged by our recent “Good” Ofsted report. We have strong relationships with many businesses and organisations across the North East and have been involved in the training of hundreds of their apprentices so far.
l-r: David Watson, Managing Director of Resources North East; Tom Wills, Sintons; Tom Doyle, owner of RENE; Peter Chapman, Training Centre Manager; in RENE’s new construction training centre in Southwick, Sunderland
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“With the opening of our two new centres, we will be able to offer training to more than 500 trainees and apprentices from right across the region each year. Additionally, we are now offering training in health and social care, which opens up a whole new sector for us and offers a lot of scope for further development for the business. “Young people and apprentices are the future of the regional economy so it is vital that every effort is made to train and develop them properly – here at RENE, we are very pleased to be able to do that.” Newcastle law firm Sintons has acted for RENE for a number of years, and has completed the property transactions for its two new properties. Tom Wills, Associate in Sintons’ Real Estate team, said: “Resources North East is playing a key role in training in this region, enabling apprentices to develop their skills and begin their careers, as well as offering businesses the means to have a skilled and fully-trained workforce. These two new centres will enable them to increase capacity to train over 500, which is an incredible feat and will help set hundreds more young people on the paths to successful careers.”
BUSINESS INSIGHT
Matthew R. Crowe
Matthew R. Crowe, barrister at Trinity Chambers discusses exporting something unexpected barristers! “Your accent just sounds trustworthy”, I was told by a Ukrainian! As it turns out, sometimes a Geordie accent is a useful tool for a barrister to have. The northern undertones were used heavily when I appeared at a televised press conference to discuss international crimes alleged to have been committed during Ukraine’s recent revolution in central Kyiv. Soon after the revolution, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office asked a team of lawyers to advise about the situation in Ukraine and the laws of war and international crime. I left the comfort of Trinity Chambers at The Custom House on Newcastle’s Quayside to join those lawyers. My legal career has always involved the “export” of legal services. Starting with a commercial litigation firm in Canada, I enjoyed the complexities of cross-border disputes and the international legal system. My work, however, has brought me home to Newcastle. Now a
junior barrister at Trinity, I deal with a range of commercial and criminal matters, from cases involving armed robbery, to a large fraud worth nearly £1 million. As I approach my second year at Trinity Chambers, I find myself less and less in the Courts of Newcastle or my office in The Custom House. Still, I never forget what I was told about my accent when advising people from other countries: effective communication is everything. I have been working on a case in The Hague at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and have spent some time assisting the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Kyiv involving the conflict in Ukraine. Other foreign projects have included legal matters relating to the government of Cuba, Indian newspapers and Bangladeshi Courts. Most recently, I was back in Kyiv providing training with the United Nations together with other lawyers from around the world on the
investigation of war crimes. When discussing how to go about the investigation of potential war criminals, it was then, more than ever, that I needed a trustworthy accent. It is easy to take for granted that the English Legal System is the envy of the globe and in turn the opportunities to export home grown expertise. Trinity is beginning to build the international reach of North East barristers, looking outward toward emerging markets in the international legal field. In this process Trinity have welcomed support from the North East Chamber of Commerce and the region’s UK Trade & Investment team. For hundreds of years The Custom House on Newcastle’s iconic Quayside played a pivotal role in the North East’s import and export of goods, now in the digital global age, it is again a hub of a very different type of export.
For further details regarding Trinity Barristers Chambers please contact the Practice Director, Simon Stewart on 0191 232 1927, email simon.stewart@trinitychambers.co.uk or visit www.trinitychambers.co.uk.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
Mincoffs Solicitors to headline sponsor ‘An Evening with Rory Bremner’
L to R: Dr Bernard Trafford, Headmaster, RGS, Peter Cockerill, Chief Executive, Calvert Trust Kielder and Claire Fenwick, Marketing and Business Development Manager, Mincoffs Solicitors
Award-winning comedian, television and radio star Rory Bremner has announced an exclusive one-off show to raise funds for disability charity Calvert Trust Kielder. Jesmond’s Royal Grammar School will play host to Mr Bremner on Friday 13th May when he will give guests a no-doubt highly entertaining glimpse into his fascinating life as an impressionist, comedian, satirist, translator, columnist, writer, presenter, ballroom dancer and actor. Rory first rose to fame through his appearance on the Wogan show and is perhaps best known for writing and starring in the political satire show, Bremner, Bird and Fortune. More recently, he has appeared on our TV screens in Strictly Come Dancing, Who Do You Think You Are and The One Show. The event is headline sponsored by Mincoffs Solicitors, a leading corporate law firm based in Jesmond. Marketing and Business Development Manager at Mincoffs Solicitors Claire Fenwick said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to sponsor this event. Calvert
Trust Kielder is a charity Mincoffs Solicitors have had a long association with and we are delighted to be able to further support the excellent work they do transforming the lives of those with physical, sensory and learning difficulties along with their families, friends and carers. We are very much looking forward to the show’. The event came about after Mr Bremner tweeted about his great day out at Calvert Trust Kielder. Calvert Trust staff spotted an opportunity and immediately got in touch. Mr Bremner was so impressed with the centre that he suggested the stand-up gig as a way to raise much-needed funds for the charity.
Mr Bremner said ‘Calvert Trust Kielder does wonderful things with wonderful people in a wonderful location. Give them love (oh, and MONEY! Even better!). Tickets for the event on May 13th, which starts at 7pm, cost £35 and include a complimentary drinks reception and audience Q&A session with Rory Bremner. All proceeds from the event will be used to give life changing experiences to disabled and disadvantaged children from across the North East along with their family, friends and carers.
For tickets visit calvert-trust.org.uk/rorybremner or contact Northern Stage on 0191 230 5151.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
The latest from Collingwood Legal Paul McGowan
April saw the introduction of the National Living Wage (“NLW”) leading to cheers from many workers and groans from many employers in sectors such as hospitality and care where paying minimum wage is the norm. From 01 April 2016, all workers aged 25 and over became entitled to receive a minimum of £7.20 per hour. This increase amounts to a 50 pence per hour pay rise for those aged 25 and over, the biggest rise seen for over 10 years. With rising employment figures and the government aim of moving from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society, the government have sought to ensure that work pays. It is important to recognise that the NLW is not the same as the independently set “living wage” promoted by the Living Wage Foundation. Despite the new £7.20 NLW and government plans to increase this to £9.00 per hour by 2020, the NLW still does not represent the Living Wage Foundation’s view that the basic cost of living in the UK should represent a minimum payment of £8.25 per hour outside of London and £9.40 in London.
Consequences for Employers In addition to the obvious increase in basic payroll costs the rise may impact on pension
contributions, Employer National Insurance contributions and statutory payments such as maternity and paternity pay. Employers will also need to budget for further increases as the NLW is set to rise by 6-7% per year in order to hit the Government’s target of £9.00 per hour by 2020. This compares to the average workforce rise of 2% per year nationally. Employers should also consider this potential disparity in pay increase between the low and high paid and the effect on the wider workforce and how this can be managed in practice.
Tips for employers Some Employers have and could use to their advantage any goodwill generated from the increased payment in an attempt to push through other changes in the business, for example, a variation of working hours or revising jobs to enhance productivity. Finally, employers should note that bonus, commission and other incentive payments can be included in the calculation of the NLW. However, premium payments for standby,
overtime, shift work or pension payments will not be included in the calculation. This change may also act as a catalyst for employers to fully review payment terms and employee benefits as a whole, considering measures to coincide with the increase which are low costs to the business, such as discounted gym membership in a bid to balance goodwill. As with any changes to employment terms there can be pitfalls for the unwary and it is important to check that any consequential changes do not lead to a risk of claims. For example, employers could risk claims of indirect sex discrimination if a benefit favours one sex over another.
Non-compliance The consequences for non-compliance with the new NLW can also be costly. Employers can be fined 200% of the amount owed if arrears are not paid within 14 days and up to a maximum of £20,000 for each underpaid worker. Employers should also be wary that if they dismiss a worker to avoid paying the NLW, it will likely amount to an automatic unfair dismissal and an Employment Tribunal claim for un-capped compensation.
If you require any further advice or assistance on how this change in law impacts your business, please contact me on 0191 282 2882 or at paul.mcgowan@collingwoodlegal.com.
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BUSINESS INSIGHT
So what is my duty of care? Kevin Anderson, construction specialist at Sintons, discusses the duty of care that a party performing a service owes to their paying employer.
The contractual duty of care
Proving a breach
We must look at the terms that you have agreed with your employer. A typical expression of your duty might be that you will exercise the reasonable skill and care of a qualified person performing your role on a project of similar size. In any agreement, the law implies a reasonable standard of care.
In contract and in tort, there is a range of reasonable responses - essentially what would your peers have done in your situation? You would only be in breach if you fell below the bottom of the range -being near the bottom of reasonable responses is perfectly acceptable.
Be careful about agreeing any higher standard “diligence” requires your careful and persistent effort and “best endeavours” requires that you will do everything possible, no matter the cost.
The tortious duty of care Beyond your contract sits the tort of negligence, which is basically a legal yard-stick against which we are all measured. This is an objective standard. We look for three essential components: do you owe a duty of care to the other person; ave you fallen short of (i.e. breached) that h duty of care; and has the other person suffered loss as a result?
If in breach, your liability should be limited to the employer’s “reasonable” losses. Offering an “indemnity” makes you pay every single item of loss and costs, no matter how remote or absurd. We often find that professional consultants (such as architects or surveyors) fall foul of their insurers if they offer an indemnity, as their insurance will only cover reasonable losses.
Third Party Claims We’ve all seen this scenario in one form or another: you have a contract with one party, which you breach, and a third party suffers a loss. In contract law the third person can sue you, but only if the contract intended to give that third party rights. A collateral warranty to that third party also creates an express contractual
relationship with them. Hence in many contracts the terms are prescriptive as to who is given rights. In negligence the answer is also yes if you owe a duty of care to that other person. You might use specific exclusion wording. For example, a surveyor preparing a report for the bank may state specifically that his report is being prepared to allow a mortgage valuation, and not for the homeowner to rely upon as a property survey to support his or her decision to purchase the property.
How to avoid a claim The simplest form of answer is don’t breach your contract or your duty of care. Putting that into practice, however, is a very different subject. In reality, we all make mistakes. A system of checks and reviews may iron out many mistakes before publication, but when a mistake slips through the net, it is how you respond to that issue that often distinguishes between a broken relationship with your employer and one that can be repaired.
Kevin Anderson is a construction specialist at Newcastle law firm Sintons. Contact him on 0191 226 3648 or kevin.anderson@sintons.co.uk
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PROPERTY INSIGHT Jan Dale, Director, urban base
Is our housing market set to slow down after more stamp duty changes come into action? Jan Dale talks to Michael Tweddle of Instinct Financial Services. It is inevitable that over the coming months, April’s Stamp Duty changes will potentially take a little of the heat out of the investor market after the recent “surge in buy-to-let activity” as the increase in stamp duty for second homes was introduced. We believe that the fantastically low interest rates have supported the market as a whole so far (creating excellent rental yields for the buyto-let sector in particular) although as and when mortgage rates rise and supply increases the demand may fall and this could in turn potentially lead to a levelling out of house prices. Despite the Government declaring they have been "very supportive” of housebuilders, but we believe it will be difficult for the industry to reach the target of 200,000 homes a year. The big question is “when” will we see interest rates rise? – rather than “if”. UK Interest rates have now been frozen at 0.5% per cent for in excess of seven years now with Economists pushing back their forecasts for a rise with suggestions we should prepare for potentially another whole year of 0.5 per cent rates. Given the outlook for both output and inflation, it looks highly likely that we will see an eighth year of unchanged interest rates. Lenders keen to lend, house prices rising and a first rate-rise still considered a way off. There are a number of eye-catching mortgage deals that have become a familiar sight which
does give a clear indication that lenders remain keen to compete for borrowers - and it continues to be a good time to go property hunting. At URBAN BASE we benefit from the independent services of Instinct Financial Solutions who, as well as advising and arranging many of our clients on their mortgage needs, they also take the time to educate our clients in fully understanding products that they recommend. Michael Tweddle, Director of IFS advises “To simply source your proposed new mortgage on the lowest rate possible could potentially prove to be a costly mistake!”.
on a standard residential to a maximum 4.5 times income.
Buy to Let (BTL) - stricter Affordability guidelines
The Bank of England anticipates these new restrictions to decrease the level of Buy to Let lending between 10% and 20% over the coming two years and this alongside the tax changes this could be seen, by some, as being conservative with their estimates.
In an effort to stem the perceived risk of Buy to Let on the housing market, the Bank of England have also imposed new stricter guidelines on lenders to further tighten underwriting standards that have been deemed to have slackened since the days of the credit crunch. While there are no hard and fast criteria rules the Bank of England want lenders to stress test new Buy to Let mortgages by assuming a minimum pay rate of 5.5%. Future stress tests assessing affordability to lend will also need to take into consideration the Landlord’s additional costs of letting the property as well as consideration taken into possible rental voids. Typically, a loan is stress tested so that the rental income must cover at least 125% of the interest payments at a notional rate, which can be the same as the pay rate, but often not. Some lenders will now restrict buy to let lending as they would
An example of how the restrictions could affect the underwriting of buy to let mortgages:£500pcm rent at a notional rate of 5% and 125% interest cover would cover a proposed mortgage of £96,000. If the notional rate was increased as an example to 5.5% and a further 20% was taken off for costs, then the same rental income would only cover a proposed mortgage at a reduced amount of £69,818.
What this also means is that the First Time Buyers may get a better chance of getting on the property ladder, which ultimately impacts on the rest of the property market. This in turn sees an increase in demand, and natural property price growth. In all, it seems a reasonable time for the property market as a whole, with levelling of property pricing, along with more new houses being built to meet the increase in demand, assisted by an increasing level of flexible mortgage products (albeit with tight criteria to be met) – enhanced with motivated sellers, and estate agents working to agree realistic pricing to keep the market moving.
If you require assistance with financing your home or property portfolio please contact: Michael Tweddle at IFS on mobile 07986492833. Michael is available 7 days with evening and weekend appointments available. Alternatively contact Jan Dale at URBAN BASE for all your private property needs.
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URBAN Base The Professional Property People Over 30 years of outstanding service in the North East
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www.urban-base.com Contact us or call in today for more details or to arrange a free property valuation. NEWCASTLE 65 Quayside Newcastle City NE1 3DE
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PROPERTY INSIGHT
North East estate agent expands remit to include new build properties Leading North East chartered surveyor and estate agent Bradley Hall has announced plans to expand its remit by marketing a number of new build estates across the region with access to specialist mortgage offers.
Thomas Percy Close, Alnwick.
Bradley Hall is set to bring to market a number of luxurious and contemporary new build properties in Alnwick, North Shields and Gosforth, with access to the government Help to Buy Scheme on a selection of homes. Peter Bartley, operations director at Bradley Hall said: “Bradley Hall is expanding its area of expertise by bringing a large scale of exciting new build properties to market. We are looking forward to introducing the highest standard of new build properties to North East buyers over the coming year, whilst providing even more opportunities for people to find their dream home. “We will be helping buyers onto the property ladder with access to the government Help to Buy Scheme, which is available on a selection of new homes. This allows first time buyers submit a lower deposit of 5% and access to low mortgage interest rates thanks to a government loan contribution of 20% towards the property. We now offer assistance on all types of mortgage applications available through our financial arm, BH Financial Services. “BH Financial Services can guide potential buyers through the sometimes complicated process of mortgage applications, which is particularly helpful for first time buyers or those
who would like a professional to advise on which documents to submit, which mortgage will maximise their investment or the application process.” Three new-build estates have been revealed by Bradley Hall for development this year, including the much anticipated Walled Garden, Gosforth, which is set to be an elite development of four and five bedroomed properties available to reserve by late spring 2016. The four-acre gated community on the outskirts of Gosforth was recently sold to a local North East property developer for roughly £2m, with plans to develop 14 contemporary homes in the walled grounds of Newcastle Racecourse. Further new developments include Thomas Percy Close, Alnwick, which will boast a variety of three and four bedroom detached properties. Set on the site of the former Thomas Percy School, this long awaited development is set to be complete by November of 2016. Once completed the site will include 15 new homes, delivering much needed housing in Northumberland. Six build styles will allow buyers a selection of properties in a range of different designs, all finished to a high specification. The site has already been popular, with a number of
plots already reserved. Further plots are available to reserve now from the Bradley Hall Alnwick office. An additional six detached homes are set to be realised this year in the impressive new estate of Preston Village, North Shields. The homes will be based within close proximity to Tynemouth’s impressive coastline and to local transport links and Tynemouth Golf Course. Lewis Chambers, expert mortgage adviser for BH Financial Services, will be on hand to provide financial advice for potential home buyers through BH Financial Services Ltd from offices in Durham, Newcastle’s Grey Street, Gosforth, Alnwick, and the newly opened Morpeth office. BH Financial Services has been established to provide a comprehensive range of finance advice which is approved and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Bradley Hall has enjoyed recent expansion with the launch of BH Financial Services and the opening of its fifth office based on Newgate Street, Morpeth. The company currently employs 30 staff over operations in its main commercial base on Grey Street in Newcastle city centre, with residential offices in Gosforth, Durham, Alnwick and Morpeth.
For more information on Bradley Hall’s commercial and residential services, please visit www.bradleyhall.co.uk.
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SELLING THE REGION’S FINEST HOMES
Darras Road
Darras Hall, Ponteland This magnificent family home was constructed in 2011 to a very high specification, with over 10,000 sq ft of accommodation, and occupies a stunning garden plot extending to around 1.25 acres. The seven bedroom property has many luxury features including a fabulous kitchen, superb orangery, a leisure/spa room, an entertainment/cinema/games room and stunning bathroom suites. EPC: B
Price Guide: £3.25 Million
Ulgham Park Farmhouse Ulgham, Morpeth
This stunning country house dates back to the 1800s and has been significantly improved and extended to provide impeccable accommodation. The exceptional property is set in 16 acres and has six double bedrooms, a magnificent kitchen/breakfast room, a games room with cocktail bar and stone outbuildings which include a professional cinema room and an office/study. EPC: C
Price Guide: £1.5 Million
From Sanderson Young ALL CONFIDENTIAL ENQUIRIES TO 0191 223 3500 OR EMAIL: DUNCAN.YOUNG@SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK | WWW.SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK
SELLING THE REGION’S FINEST HOMES
Fenham Grange
Fenham le Moor, Belford Fenham Grange enjoys one of the most privileged locations within the UK with an unparalleled view overlooking the UNESCO World Heritage site of Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle. The owners have created the most fantastic retreat which includes the principal four bedroom Grange and two adjacent two bedroom cottages, each creating a good investment, also ideal for family use. EPC: D
Price Guide: £1.25 Million or £950,000 for Fenham Grange & Fenham Grange Cottage only
Middle Leazes
Leazes Lane, Hexham Middle Leazes, set back from Leazes Lane, enjoys an elevated position with delightful grounds that extend to circa half an acre. The five bedroom house, which has an additional one bedroom guest annexe, is understood to date back to the early 1600s and has been extensively remodelled and extended to provide an impressive detached country home with a great deal of character. EPC: E
Price Guide: £895,000
From Sanderson Young ALL CONFIDENTIAL ENQUIRIES TO 0191 223 3500 OR EMAIL: DUNCAN.YOUNG@SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK | WWW.SANDERSONYOUNG.CO.UK
PROPERTY INSIGHT
Stannington Park one of the best kept secrets in Northumberland
Driving through the pillared entrance to Bellway’s Stannington Park development, you know that you have arrived some where special. It is rare to find a new build village in such an idyllic location and close to the Northumberland National Park. Formerly St Mary’s Hospital, Bellway has taken a great deal of care to protect the landscape, weaving roads in between mature trees and creating a selection of large four and five bedroom detached family homes. Bellway Sales Advisor Sylvia Oldham, explained: “Stannington Park is quite unique. For us the development has been about creating a new community alongside key village amenities, such as the local pub which opened last year and proving very popular with our residents. Further down the line there will be a creche and community centre and cricket ground with its own pavilion. “It’s incredible to think that you are only half an hour from Newcastle and about fifteen minutes from Morpeth. The development is so tranquil and everyone who visits us comments; how surprised they are to find an entirely new community of new homes in such a beautiful setting. To be fair we have been very careful to protect the landscaping and the mature trees which helps the
development look so well established, and at this time of year when all the new leaves on the trees look so fresh it is an absolute picture. “One of our most popular designs and one of our largest properties is the Haydock which offers 2,144 sq ft of living space. It’s a lovely family home built in a traditional two storey design with an integrated double garage,” confirmed Sylvia. Combining style and space, the Haydock‘s impressive specification includes a large state of the art kitchen, breakfast and family area in which to relax with bi-fold doors to the garden. A handy utility area on the ground floor also allows access to a large double garage and there is a downstairs WC and useful cloakroom area. The first floor offers a luxurious master bedroom including a dressing area and en-suite shower room. Three more double bedrooms, one more with en-suite, plus a guest room and family bathroom complete the first floor. Visitors to Stannington Park where Bellway is selling a range of detached homes starting in
price from £449,995 can view the Haydock Plus show home which beautifully exhibits the quality of finish that Bellway is providing at Stannington Park. Bellway is offering a range of purchasing options to buyers including their very successful Express Mover deal, where Bellway will agree a price for your old home which they will sell on your behalf leaving you free to move into your brand new home. Alternatively, buyers can take advantage of the Help to Buy scheme and benefit from a five year 20% interest free Government loan and so reduce their mortgage payments during the first five years of occupation. Stannington Park is situated three miles from the attractive village of Stannington on the A1 and is therefore only 13 miles from Newcastle city centre and 5 miles from the market town of Morpeth which provides a range of education facilities including the well regarded King Edward V1 senior school and Chantry and Newminster middle schools.
For more information, visit www.bellway.co.uk or call the sales centre Tel 01670 789572 Monday: 12noon - 8pm Tuesday-Wednesday: 11-5.30pm Thursday 11am - 8pm Friday 11am - 5.30pm Saturday/Sunday 11am-5.30pm
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STANNINGTON PARK I OFF GREEN LANE I STANNINGTON I NE61 6AT
This prestigious
More of everything inside.
development offers a traditional village setting with 4 & 5 bedroom homes boasting a high level of specification.
Inside : †
• Roca sanitaryware • Steam oven • Warming drawer • Wine cooler cabinet • Appliances including a coffee maker and an additional freezer in the utility • Allowance towards ‘Hammonds’ wardrobes • Bi-fold doors on selected plots • Motorised double garage doors
Everything and more outside.
Outside: • Excellent gastro pub/ boutique hotel on your doorstep • Beautiful landscaped boulevards • Desirable location for access to local schools • Acres of open space including a communal recreation area • Excellently situated for access to the A1 • Miles of walks starting right from your doorstep • A short distance from the award winning Northumberland Coast • Stunning rural landscapes • Set in the heart of Northumberland
All this from only
£449,995 Part Exchange available*
Click: www.bellway.co.uk Call: 01670 789 572 Visit: Monday 12.00pm - 5.30pm, Tuesday and Wednesday 11.00am - 5.30pm, Thursday 11.00am - 8.00pm, Friday - Sunday 11.00am - 5.30pm.
Prices correct at time of going to press. Images are for illustrative purposes only and may include optional upgrades at additional cost. *Bellway reserve the right to refuse a Part Exchange, terms & conditions can be found at www.bellway.co.uk/special-offers/part-exchange. †Specification varies between plots and is subject to change and availability.
PROPERTY INSIGHT
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PROPERTY INSIGHT
James Angus joins Walton Robinson
James Angus, one of the best-known names in the North East property market, has joined Walton Robinson, in clear signal of ambition from the business. Northern Insight speaks to him about his move.
As the son and grandson of architects, perhaps it was to be expected that James Angus should choose a career in property. Although he had the option of becoming the third generation of family ownership for JM Angus Architects - whose work includes a portfolio as varied as the Federation Brewery in Dunston and a care complex in the Cayman Islands - for James, selling property appealed more than designing it. Hailing from Newcastle, James returned to his roots after an education in Edinburgh to join the newly-launched Groves Residential estate agents in Jesmond in 1989. Starting out at the bottom, he worked his way up to Managing Director, before leaving to work in the construction and development industry. Most recently, James was head of residential at Bradley Hall, fuelling the growth of their estate agency offering. During his 27-year career, James has amassed a reputation as one of the leading names in residential property in the North East, and particularly in Newcastle, working widely in both new build developments as well as sales and lettings. Now, he has joined fast-growing Walton Robinson as its Head of Land and New Homes, adding his vast experience in selling new developments to their existing offering.
supporting buy-to-let landlords with a full property management service. Working across the whole of the North East from its Newcastle headquarters, the business, headed by Managing Director Mark Walton, is investing heavily in both its technology and people to keep pace with its rapid growth. "When I came in here to Walton Robinson, I thought: 'These guys are really very good.' I'd known Mark for some time and I really admire what he and the team are doing here. They are constantly working out what the next box to tick may be, and how they will do it. Rather than resting on their laurels, the team here are really pushing the envelope. This isn't a business that wants 15 branches on 15 high streets - this is a business that is concentrating on being the best at what it does, and most importantly offering the best service it possibly can," he says. "While they are really at the forefront of use of technology and have very impressive systems in place, they don't lose sight of the relationships with clients, which is exactly my approach. If they can't do something for someone, they will say so, to avoid letting a client down - but likewise if they can, they will set out to exceed expectations. That really appeals to me, and understandably to their clients too. And if you get the service aspect right, that's the a perfect foundation for growth.”
Walton Robinson are, he believes, a business which shares his commitment to providing an exceptional personal service for every customer.
The addition of selling new build developments is a key new string to Walton Robinson's bow, and will be a main focus for James over the coming months.
"I have what I suppose you could call an 'old fashioned' approach to customer service - I started out in an era where there were no computers or emails, you had to ring people, you had to meet them, chase them up, update them, stay in proper contact. But you really got to know them, and that's what I most enjoy. Even now, while I could email someone, I'd much prefer to give them a call, or better still, go and see them. There are some developments I've sold where in many houses, even now, I could knock on their door and be invited in for a cup of tea," he says.
"I have a lot of experience dealing with new build developments and we're already beginning to see success. We are dealing with a number of developments on Tyneside but are looking to act on behalf of developers in both Cumbria and Teesside, as well as further afield. If you have the capability and offer a superb service, the geography need not matter. Already from the Walton Robinson office in central Newcastle, they are assisting a number of sites on Tyneside very effectively, but I would say we can certainly reach beyond this region," he says.
"Nowadays, it's all too easy to do everything by email and sell properties online, just press a few buttons without even speaking to anyone and it's done. While that's fine and there is of course a place for that, for me, the value of personal service will never be diminished. Whether I'm selling a house for £3million or £50,000, the level of service you give should be no different. You should always aim to exceed people's expectations and that's what I always try to do."
With fast-approaching 30 years in the property industry, it is clear James has lost none of his passion for the job, and that passion is something he is keen to promote in others.
Walton Robinson is widely regarded as being one to watch in the region's property sector. Its renowned residential offering is accompanied by particular strength in student lettings and
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"I do genuinely enjoy what I do, and have always been committed to doing everything I can to deliver the best level of service possible. I started at the bottom in Groves and even as MD I wasn’t afraid to either make the tea or get my hands dirty. I'm 49 now, and if I had my time again, would I do this job and take this career path? Definitely! Loving what you do does indeed make a huge, huge difference - to both yourself and to your clients."
PROPERTY OF THE MONTH
Graham Park Road, Gosforth
Price Guide: £1.8 Million This impressive family home provides one of the most splendid three storey semi-detached period houses, in one of Newcastle’s most sought after addresses. The property was purchased in recent years and has been extensively renovated, improved and refurbished to a very high and luxurious standard retaining a great deal of character. The impeccable and stylish accommodation includes six bedrooms, a magnificent kitchen/breakfasting room by Herrington Gate, three further reception rooms and outstanding features such as high ceilings, fabulous fireplaces, stunning marble and wood flooring, plantation shutters, sophisticated lighting and tasteful interior design. Externally, the south facing rear gardens are a major asset with a large lawned family area, raised up terrace and patios, mature trees and beautiful private boundaries; there is also a garage with a fitted workshop and hobbies room, and a semi circular driveway with parking for many cars.
Contact rare! From Sanderson Young on 0191 2233500 ashleigh.sundin@sandersonyoung.co.uk www.sandersonyoung.co.uk
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DEDICATED TO DEVELOPING HOMES OF CHARACTER & INTEGRITY
INTERVIEW
“
In this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes...so get your priorities straight and pay your taxes on time
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INTERVIEW
In Conversation With...
Damiano Rea Heaton Property
What were your career ambitions growing up? I wanted to be a musician. We had a piano at home which I used to batter away at while my father manfully resisted the temptation to slam the lid down on my fingers. My parents owned a restaurant and Johnny Taws, a famous band leader in his day, would play for our customers. I would play the piano and double bass.
Can you briefly outline your career path for the readers? My early career could fairly be described as ‘chequered’. I got a place at Loughborough University to study chemistry. That lasted eight whole weeks. I returned to Newcastle to play a gig at the Archer pub and a stranger approached me after the gig to offer me a contract. I assumed this was a joke until a few days later the contract appeared from a company in Switzerland. Until 2001 I toured Europe in the summer and played in South Africa in the winter. For a young man with no responsibilities this was as good as it gets. I still dig out the old photographs to quietly mourn my long curly hair and life on the road. I eventually became musical director, excellent grounding for human resource issues since musicians invented the term ‘Prima Donna’. When I returned to Newcastle to settle down I bought a property. My parents and an uncle owned property as did family friends. None of us were happy with the managing agents at the time so I thought “I can do that. How hard can it be?” Famous last words which still occasionally haunt me.
Can you describe a typical day in the life of Damiano Rea? If there were typical days, I would get bored. I could be office based, talking to tenants and landlords in the morning then in a hard hat talking to surveyors, structural engineers and builders about a refurbishment in the afternoon. Some days I travel to London to discuss new legislation with our legal experts. A lot of my time is spent keeping abreast of new legislation; legal and financial then determining how it will impact upon our landlords and tenants. Other days I go out with our maintenance teams to find out first-hand what challenges they face. Our
block management division throws up an entirely different set of challenges since I do not have one owner of the property, I could have sixty. There really is no typical day.
What are you currently working on? There are currently a lot of big changes in our industry as ever tighter regulation takes hold. Most of the new regulation is well meaning and is being put in place to protect tenants but it is our job to ensure our landlords are fully compliant and successful into the future. Our block management division is expanding and we are taking on some big instructions. The division took a year to setup because I needed to be completely familiar with the complex legislation governing block management, some of which probably derives from Magna Carta. In addition, I am always focussed on the small details of our business that collectively add up to excellent customer service. It is nice to win awards as recognition for our customer service but laurels are not for resting on.
What is your greatest business achievement to date? Winning at the Sunday Times Letting Agency of the Year Awards three years in a row, most recently a gold award in the National Property Management category .
What is the best piece of business advice you have been given? "In this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes so get your priorities straight and pay your taxes on time”
Who are your heroes in and out of business? My heroes are not the big names that are usually trotted out when that question is asked. My heroes are the catalysts. The people who quietly inspire and keep the show on the road. A good example would be the late Joe Sample who founded and held together The Crusaders then went on to a successful career as a producer, quietly inspiring others. In my business I could say all our staffs are heroes but I can already hear the “oh PLEASE” from readers so I will single
out our interior designer and decorator Holly. Holly has carved out a career in a tough, male dominated sector and she arrives for work on a monster motorcycle. What’s not to admire in a professional decorator who turns up in leathers and a crash helmet?
Away from the desk how do you like to relax? Boisterous six and two year old children mean ‘relax’ is a relative term. I love to spend time with my wife and extended family here in Newcastle. One of the highlights of our year is an annual visit to my father's home village of Arpino in Italy where over three hundred families share my surname. I love cooking and since my family originally came from Italy it goes without saying that I am an excellent chef who could teach Marco Pierre White a thing or two. Music still plays a big part in my life but these days I am more the gifted amateur.
Where do you see your business in ten years? The temptation with any successful small business is to expand. In our case this would mean opening offices in other cities to replicate what we do here in Newcastle. Obviously I have explored this avenue but decided I do not want to spend my life on motorways or managing managers. My work-life balance is very important to me to the extent I would sacrifice potential riches if that meant spending time away from my family. So in ten years’ time I expect we will have expanded organically but retained the focus on individual customer care that has got us to where we are today. There will be new challenges and opportunities that we cannot foresee today. For example, ten years ago I did not foresee our block management division. Most important, I hope in ten years I will still enjoy the job I love as much as I do today.
How would you like to be remembered? After the citizens of Newcastle have forgiven me for my massive funeral cortege gridlocking the town I would like to be remembered for the best wake in living memory. Then I would like people to remember that memories may be dear but life is for the living.
www.heatonproperty.com office@heatonproperty.com 0191 240 0665
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PROPERTY INSIGHT
Experience affordable luxury at Durham housing development Local housebuilder, David Wilson Homes, is urging house hunters looking to buy in the Durham area to visit its luxury Mount Oswald development, which features a premium collection of four and five bedroom homes available in 11 beautiful designs. Each house is crafted with the very best materials and finishes, offering spectacular views of the surrounding woodland and open areas. Buyers visiting Mount Oswald can view a range of quality homes from the 5* housebuilder, including the Black thorne housetype, a beautiful five bedroom, three-storey home with a generous lounge, family room, dining room and kitchen with a beautiful orangery. Upstairs leads to four bedrooms, one with an en suite, and a family bathroom, whilst the second floor has a den and fifth bedroom with an en suite. The Blackthorne is now available to buy from £599,995. David Wilson Homes is also now offering £1,000 paid towards legal fees at Mount Oswald on any reservations this weekend, 9th and 10th April, with homes available to purchase from £539,995. Steve Ball, Sales Manager for Mount Oswald, commented: “Mount Oswald is a fantastic development with a great community feel in a beautiful setting, so close to Durham city centre. We have a wide range of properties available and the sales team is always on hand to discuss your buying options. We would advise buyers to come along and truly experience the luxury of the development.” To find out more about David Wilson Homes in the North East, please visit: www.dwh.co.uk
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MEDIA NEWS
Hedley McEwan to lead ‘Rise of the Robots’ Cutting the lawn is a job you either love or hate but either way, it has to be done. To help those people in the latter category, Newton Aycliffe based Flymo, the UK’s biggest selling lawn mower brand, is about to launch its new range of robotic mowers. They’ve chosen local creative agency, Hedley McEwan, to lead their charge into the market. Hedley McEwan Joint MD, Tom Hedley, said: “Robotic mowers have been an established gardening tool for many years on the continent but have previously been regarded as a bit of an expensive ‘gadget’ here in the UK. But all of that is about to change. Robotic mowers have come a long way in their development and this exciting new range from Flymo brings this game changing technology well into the reach of many more new consumers.” Duncan McEwan added: “Flymo is a huge, national brand and we are very proud to have been chosen as their creative partners to launch the new range. Our campaign will span all channels. We’ve recently launched the new products using digital pitch-side screens on televised football matches, which have already stirred considerable interest.”
Mediaworks and Cairn Hotel Group: Digital Partners. What happens when two North East heavyweights join forces? Find out why Cairn Hotel Group’s Jonathan Sabarre named Mediaworks “One of the best companies we’ve ever outsourced to.” Mediaworks’ client list features a host of international brands. Despite their global presence, they’re incredibly proud of their roots so it was very special for them when they came into partnership with Newcastle-based Cairn Hotel Group. With 26 UK hotels including 8 of the largest international hotel brands, Cairn Hotel group
boasts a strong portfolio that is bolstered by a further 28 bars and restaurants. They enlisted Mediaworks to ensure their digital profile was as effective as their offline portfolio. Mediaworks worked collaboratively with Cairn Hotel Group to create a fully functional, userfriendly website to showcase the brand’s assets and increase both sales and enquiries. Working closely with Cairn Hotel Group, Mediaworks’ Creative Director, Andrew Blenkinsopp and his team of highly skilled designers, used their creative flair to revamp the site. Utilising the brand’s signature blue alongside
large, inviting images, they were able to convey the true essence of the business. On Thursday 7 April 2016, the brand new Cairn Hotel Group website went live, completing the first phase of the project. Now the solid foundations are in place, both Mediaworks and Cairn Hotel Group can continue to grow the brand’s online presence, helping them climb the search engine results pages and reach their longterm goal of increasing direct sales and enquiries on their website.
O-lympic effort by creative agency to stay healthy Newcastle-based creative communications agency, O PR, has achieved a silver award in the North East’s Better Health at Work programme and is now going for gold. The programme awards those who have improved workplace health. Throughout 2015, O set up its own official Run England running club, where other local businesses in the Ouseburn area can participate. O also holds regular alcohol awareness sessions, hydration days, blood pressure screenings, and even a ‘Reclaim O Lunch’ initiative, encouraging staff to take time away from their desks to post an Instagram photo of their lunch break to win lunch for two at their client venue, The Botanist. O’s agency Manager, Gemma Graham, said: “The health and wellbeing of our people is something we can’t put a price on. Happiness is at the core of our agency culture so we joined the programme two years ago to ensure our workplace health is always a priority. We are now in our third year on the programme and excited to go for a gold award in 2016 – the O-lympics here we come!”
INSIGHT MEETS INSPIRATION Media News brought to you in partnership with 75
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MEDIA INSIGHT
The Highlights of my day Highlights PR was formed in 2007, after Keith Newman completed 23 years working in the gas industry. Now, with steady growth, the firm has a wide range of local, regional and national clients from the voluntary sector, music and entertainment scene, charities, the private sector, partnerships, agencies and multi nationals. Over the years they have helped hundreds of customers to shine in the media spotlight. Highlights PR’s support covers newspapers, TV, trade magazines and radio however, their skills in Social Media are also placing their clients in the forefront of the digital world with exposure to a global cyber audience. Keith also offers popular radio media training courses in association with Radio Northumberland. We shadow Keith during a typical busy Monday Over breakfast, I’ll start looking at the newspapers and ring up my clients when I spot them in the media. Next, I’ll scan social media and turn my attention to those clients’ social media accounts that I manage by putting on relevant comments to help promote their business. This routine happens every day and helps me to get geared up for the day ahead. My commute to the “office” takes me around 45 minutes and that gives me time to work on ideas in my head for press releases and advertorial campaigns. The office is my special place. It’s a 24ft long boat called Highlights and she’s berthed at either St Peter’s Marina near the Ouseburn or underneath the Tyne Bridge on the NE1 Marina. The move to a boat was a natural progression for
me after doing PR for a number of river-based clients including the Royal Naval Reserve at HMS Calliope, The Maritime Volunteer Service, Aqua Pursuits Diving School and The Clean Tyne Project. The boat is decorated with my logos and contact details and has become a floating marketing tool for my business. My clients love coming on-board either to discuss their next story or to cruise up the river on an evening or weekend. The boat has a very peaceful feeling and it’s also a great atmosphere in which to get the creative juices flowing. On the agenda this morning are two very different events with different audiences that need some publicity to make people aware and get people to attend. The first is the Health Watch Newcastle conference at St James’ Park on 27th April where people can find out about health and social care services in the city. The second is the Tim Healy Charity Celebrity Golf Day that will take place at Slaley Hall on 31st July. My afternoon is spent with Sara Eke who runs Sara Eke Recruitment. She specialises in handling vacancies for permanent and temporary positions
including Office Support, Marketing, Human Resources, Technical and Legal. I’ve worked with Sara since the start of my business and even after all these years, I enjoy coming up with ideas to get her on the radio and in newspapers, blogs, e-newspapers and magazines. Time to issue a press release for the Sunday for Sammy Trust and The People’s Kitchen before heading off to do my punk radio show, New Wave With Newman on Radio Northumberland and then it starts all over again tomorrow – Fantastic!
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During my first meeting with Keith he took very few notes and I thought we’ll wait and see what the draft press release says. I needn’t have worried, as within that first meeting Keith understood the aims of my business and my raison d'etre. Keith not only writes fantastic articles, but is also never short of ideas or angles for a story. I will always use Keith for all my PR for the life cycle of my business and am delighted to continue my business relationship with him.
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If you’d like a coffee onboard with no obligation, Keith can be contacted on 07814 397951 keith@highlightspr.co.uk www.highlightspr.co.uk
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Sara Eke
FOR A PR COMPANY THAT DELIVERS WHEN IT COUNTS... PUBLIC RELATIONS
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EVENT MANAGEMENT
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MEDIA BUYING
ÂŁ10,000,000 WORTH OF COVERAGE AND COUNTING - THAT'S WHAT SORTED PR ACHIEVED LAST YEAR. That's local, regional, national and international press - print, broadcast and online. We don't just talk a good game - we deliver the goods. We work in leisure and hospitality, in education, with charities, with premier league football clubs, with festivals and events, in green energy and in retail to name just a few. If you want to a company who can show you their success then get in touch - we're there when it counts. Telephone: 0191 265 6111 | Email: bernice@sortedpr.com
MEDIA INSIGHT
A day in the Life of Antonia Brindle, Get Brindled Antonia Brindle of Get Brindled
7.30 – My day starts with the packed lunch rush and school run. And lots of shouting up the stairs, with time warnings. 8.15 – If it is dry, I take the dog out, so she settles for the rest of the day. With working from home, she tends to nag at me if I haven’t worn her out! I started homeworking around 18 months ago and I’m delighted how it has worked out. My day is not set within office hours – I am available 24/7 and that flexibility suits my clients, me and my family! 9.00 – I always start my day checking emails and social media – it is usually a quick job as I am never far from my phone and tend to deal with things as they happen whatever the time of day or night 9.30 – After catching up on the day’s news online I head to a meeting with colleagues in our Women in Leadership group, offering advice to business start ups or companies looking to grow. Between us we work with well-known businesses with many employees so there is always a lot to talk about. 10.30 – A client meeting with a leading training/
apprenticeship organisation that has contracts across the whole of the UK and into Europe. I am their marketing director, today is the management meeting. I deliver strategy, PR, social media, e-newsletters, content for online or print and reach out to potential audiences. 12 – I grab a sandwich and check my social media feeds. I look after a number of client accounts so there’s a few actions to take. The beauty of the digital age is that everything can be done on the go, as well as planned. 1.00 – I call into a networking event I have been invited to. There are a few familiar faces so it’s good to catch up. I make some new contacts and keep their cards safe to contact later. 2.30 – Back at the office - I distribute a press release for a charity client. After calls to my journalist contacts I send out emails. Next is an article I am writing – I am a contributing journalist to some of the region’s magazines including Northern Insight and Accent Magazine. 4.00 – my daughter gets home from school so I make her tea and drop her off at her stage school for rehearsals. On the way back I call into the gym
and do a 36 minute training program. 6.30 – I am also member of an online working forum and there are few tasks in my message box. I have a conversation on the phone with an author of a book on domestic abuse – she is keen for me to promote her, so even though she is based in London, she makes an appointment to travel up at the end of the week. I love having a portfolio of stable clients but ad hoc work like this keeps me on my toes. 7.30 – After loading a wash and feeding the dog, I start making dinner…I love to cook. 8.30 - Daughter arrives home from stage school and after she heads to bed I settle down infront of the TV. I really like films, and addictive series, which I tend to binge watch. If I have a sitter I like to go out to the cinema or for drinks and food. Tonight we settle on a murder series, but truth be told I only have one eye on the TV as I am always working on my phone or ipad checking out social media and emails that need answering both for myself and my clients…drives my other half mad!!
Get Brindled is a PR, events, social media and crisis management agency, specialising in building the reputation of charities, SME’s and organisations that ‘make a difference’ or products that improve life, working conditions or the environment. More information on the consultancy is available at www.getbrindled.com
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SPOTLIGHT
Want your business to be in the spotlight?
Talk to the PR specialists at MHW PR... We storyboard and implement communications campaigns that build client reputations. That involves generating and distributing persuasive, engaging content - online and offline. We have years of knowledge to help make our clients more famous, putting them centre stage. We work across a range of business sectors from the corporate world to industrial, healthcare and hospitality.
Please call if you need your business putting in the spotlight.
Tel:0191 233 1300
mhwpr.co.uk
MEDIA INSIGHT Sarah Hall
#FuturePRoof: The future is bright for progressive public relations agencies If you’re running an agency, big or small, or aspire to, the recently published #FuturePRoof white paper for the PRCA and ICCO should be top of your reading list. Commissioned by the leading industry bodies with the aim of outlining the different business models in use, the paper identifies eight ways in which public relations agencies are evolving. It also benchmarks how they are responding to the shifting client and media environment today. The results show that innovation is everywhere in practice from freelancers through to the largest agencies. Progressive public relations consultancies are rapidly modernising. They are embracing new skills in data, research and paid media, and are investing in creative teams.
over the service and deliverables on offer.
Service innovation
A lack of agile working despite public relation’s 24/7 culture is a clear threat to the industry.
Headline findings The eight headline findings within #FuturePRoof report are as follows:
the
Value Public relations is outsmarting rival disciplines through innovation. It is helping clients build better organisations. Therein lies its future, and huge value. Drivers of innovation
Where innovation remains slow however is around billing models. The dominant structure continues to be fees charged on an hourly basis, albeit on retainer or project basis.
Clients, shareholders and staff are the three drivers pushing agency-owners to build better businesses. That can only be a good thing.
A good sector to work in
There’s a chasm emerging between the business model of traditional agencies, and the demands of modern clients. Smart agencies are building businesses in this space.
Whatever business model your agency is based on, public relations is a good sector to work in right now. Profits are healthy in well-managed businesses, and the market overall is growing. According to the ICCO World Report, agency income grew by 7% in 2015, breaching the $13 billion mark and agency employment grew from around 80,000 people to more than 85,000. There is no room for complacency though – blurring lines between disciplines means public relations professionals need a compelling argument against marketing, digital and SEO teams, and those who are introducing new billing models need to ensure clarity to avoid confusion
Opportunity
Agencies are limited only by their skills and ambition. Small agencies are able to compete with large thanks to communications and travel. Billing models Agencies are simple businesses that are well understood by clients. Innovative business models threaten clarity and risk confusion. Better measurement systems are fundamental to business model innovation. It remains a work in progress for agencies.
Core services within a modern agency include storytelling, creative and content, as well as paid, earned and shared media, as they shift from traditional media and publicity based services. Threats A shift to 24/7 working and the cost of infrastructure are two big issues that need to be tackled by public relations agencies.
Public relations as a management discipline As one of the authors of the report who created the call to action, it’s worth sharing that the agency bosses and contributors to the report were self-selecting, responding to an open call for information. Each one is a leader of an agency, group or trade association seeking to break with tradition. Each consultancy has carved its own niche and some are moving beyond people to charge not for time but for creative, insight, and results. By the nature of their businesses they are natural pioneers within the industry. As you’d expect, in each paper there are wide and varied insights and some differences of opinion. However, where all the authors unite is in their recognition of public relations as a management discipline focused on organisational growth. This is their secret to success and once this approach is adopted more widely, that is when the public relations industry will be valued for the excellent work carried out.
For more information about #FuturePRoof, visit www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk, join the Facebook group and follow @weareproofed on Twitter.
MEDIA INSIGHT
Mediaworks and Cairn Hotel Group: Digital Partners What happens when two North East heavyweights join forces? We find out what made Cairn Hotel Group’s, Jonathan Sabarre name Mediaworks “one of the best companies we’ve ever outsourced to”. Mediaworks’ client list features a host of international brands. Despite their global presence, they’re incredibly proud of their roots. It’s always something special when two thriving North East companies come together and the recent partnership between Newcastle-based Cairn Hotel Group and award-winning digital marketing agency Mediaworks is no exception. With 26 UK hotels including 8 of the largest international hotel brands, the group boasts a strong portfolio that is bolstered by a further 28 bars and restaurants. They enlisted Mediaworks to ensure their digital profile was as effective as their offline portfolio. The two northern industry leaders worked collaboratively to develop a strategy that considered both the short-term environment and long-term opportunities. To help maximise Cairn Hotel Group’s search potential, Mediaworks created a fully functional, user-friendly site to properly showcase the brand’s assets and increase
both sales and enquiries. Working closely with Cairn Hotel Group, Mediaworks’ Creative Director, Andrew Blenkinsopp and his team of highly skilled designers, used their creative flair to revamp the site. Utilising the brand’s signature blue alongside large, inviting images, they were able to convey the true essence of the business, creating a site that was visually appealing, on-brand and, of course, search engine optimised. Commenting on the project, Andrew said: “After approval of the initial designs, the web development team got to work making the new site a reality. To aid with the Group’s long term strategy, our content team created optimised copy to target relevant search phrases and boost the site’s rankings on Google’s search engine results pages.” On Thursday 7th April 2016, the brand new Cairn Hotel Group website went live, completing the first phase of the project. Now the solid foundations are in place, both Mediaworks and
Cairn Hotel Group can continue to grow the brand’s online presence, helping them climb the search engine results pages and reach their longterm goal of increasing direct sales and enquiries on their website. Speaking of the project, Jonathan Sabarre, Group Marketing Manager for Cairn Hotel Group, said: “The team at Mediaworks have been brilliant to work with from day one and it has been so reassuring having our project in the hands of such highly skilled professionals. The service and outcome has been above and beyond all our expectations and we’re so happy to have a platform that really showcases our entire portfolio of beautiful hotels, bars and restaurants across the UK”. Discussing the partnership, Mediaworks Managing Director, Brett Jacobson said “We’re thrilled to have been chosen as Cairn Hotel Group’s preferred digital partner and look forward to continuing our work together to help them dominate digitally”.
Want your business to follow suit? Mediaworks can help your North East business flourish online - get in touch on 0191 404 0100 or email info@mediaworks.co.uk
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MEDIA INSIGHT
Ask Silver Bullet John Dias, Managing Director of Silver Bullet
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Your article on rebranding seemed to suggest that a company’s logo was vitally important. Surely this is just selling your own sector’s services - it’s their products and services that sustain any organisation and the logo is largely irrelevant?
Interesting response to the April article and welcomed as such, but I’d fundamentally disagree (as you’d probably expect…) that any logo is irrelevant and even suggest that trying to trade without investing in one, is always going to be an uphill struggle, however wonderful your goods or services may be. In essence, an organisation’s logo is the most visible point of their brand and their brand is possibly the most valuable asset they will ever possess, conveying their promise, values, qualities and personality. Think of the great brands, and the two most recognised globally are currently Apple and Google, and you instantly think of the associated and iconic logos of both organisations. You see them and you know that quality is assured, you’ve engaged with their brand and often price isn’t the prime consideration here – they’ve differentiated themselves on quality. But let’s go to other end of the spectrum and consider the home-made or ready-made logo bought over the Internet or as part of a £99.99 eBay stationery set? Is it really a logo or rather is it simply the company’s name in bold letters?
Worse still, is it simply a rejected design from some other company? If that’s what they want, fine, no problem, but what does it convey – does it fill new and potential clients and customers with confidence that here is a supplier that takes pride in their organisation, their appearance and crucially, their products or services? Or does it rather suggest that they’re saying, “Here we are, you get what you pay for…” And, remember, any fool can discount and there’s always someone who’ll do the job cheaper. The logo’s development has involved no input of skilled graphic design, no consultation nor market research with customers and clients and no thought as to how it may work over a variety of media and marketing collateral. Its development may have been cheap, but by God, it looks like it and the damage it can do to a fledgling company could be terminal – as someone once put it, “Buying a cheap logo is like buying a cheap parachute - you might not notice the problem to start with, but by the time you do, it may very well be too late to do anything about it!” From a marketing agency’s point of view, logo design and brand development is a central part of
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our business but to go to an agency and expect to come away with an off-the-shelf ready made logo would be contrary to everything we believe in as well as commercial suicide for the agency. Do we really value our creative designers and researchers that little that we give their work away? Not likely. But to go back to the original question - it is, of course, a company’s products and services that will sustain its survival and growth – just having a superb graphical logo is of no use if your products and services don’t reflect that brilliant branding. If you work in a sector where word of mouth and referral is the sole means of acquiring new business and your customers are so loyal that you’re not really bothered about new business, then I’d accept that your logo is of minor importance, but for most companies dealing in the real world in most sectors, marketing yourselves to new clients is a daily fact of life that is just as important as customer retention. Your logo, as a graphical representation of your brand, is critical to your survival and the more you can invest in its development, the better it will work for you over years to come.
Do you need to some assistance with your marketing? Do you need to review your strategy or do you have another marketing question we can help with? Talk to us. Email your questions anonymously to us today hello@silverbulletmarketing.co.uk or Tweet us (not so anonymously) @SilverBulletPR and use the hash tag #AskSB
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nesma at the Crowne Plaza nesma sponsored the North East launch of the new Chartered Institute of Marketing’s (CIM) new CPD programme at the start of April. Veronica Swindale, Director of nesma, welcomed members to the event at the Crowne Plaza and introduced the key speaker, Steven Crane, CPD manager at CIM. CIM and nesma believe that sharing ideas and experiences can be as valuable as formal training, which is why networking events can now count as part of CPD programmes.
MEDIA INSIGHT
Newcastle based DigiPro Media digital agency merges with NE PR agency C-PR Communications
l-r Catherine Harland, Ryan Harland, Steph Harland, Nick Skinner
A Newcastle web design and online marketing agency have kick-started the next phase of its growth by joining forces with an established north east PR agency. Catherine Harland, founder of Fashion Kicks in 2004 and C-PR Communications in 2009, has been appointed DigiPro Media’s Director of Media and Communications. The merger has seen the expansion of DigiPro Media to an integrated digital agency offering web design, branding, online marketing, social media management and photography, as well as PR. Ryan Harland, Managing Director of DigiPro Media, founded in 2012, says “After a successful four years with DigiPro Media, I felt it was time to expand the business to offer clients further services. All of our services go hand in hand and our it makes perfect sense to merge with C-PR Communications. Catherine has lots of long established contacts with as well as a great reputation in the region and beyond. It’s a very exciting time to accelerate our growth plans.”
DigiPro Media appointed Nick Skinner as a web designer and photographer, who recently graduated from the University of the Arts, London along with Steph Harland, Social Media Manager. Steph joined DigiPro with an extensive background in online marketing after returning to the north east from MTV, where she managed several TV social media accounts and devised online marketing strategies. This family-run business also plan to extend the agency into other disciplines beyond PR and launch additional services to their current portfolio. They forecast to recruit four to six employees by 2018, with the current team standing at four. Catherine says “The world of communications is continually moving fast, clients’ expectations are higher than ever therefore the merger gives us the opportunity to deliver exactly what clients
demand from both traditional PR and online PR. Our mission is to bring together enthusiastic minds to produce the best work in their respective fields. We’ve used the past month to develop a way of working that delivers intelligent thinking and applied creativity to push the boundaries of what DigiPro Media can achieve for clients.” DigiPro Media have recently relocated to Hoults Yard, an award winning vibrant office space situated in the renowned creative hub of Ouseburn, just outside of the city centre. The newly merged agency has a client portfolio who have included working with Specsavers, Slaley Hall Hotel, Durham CCC, George Bond Design, The Castledene Group and a number of business in the UAE.
For further information please contact 0191 349 8594 www.digipromedia.co.uk
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The Spirit Of Collaboration: Region's Top Digital & Creative Businesses Pledge Support For The New Look Digital Union 20 influential businesses from the Creative and Digital sector in the region pledged their support and gathered for the first full Digital Union Advisory Board meeting in April. Having recently acquired the North East's Creative & Digital networking outlet Digital Union, business support organisation Generator brought together some of the region's big hitters to a high profile event in Newcastle in a bid to move the sector and the Union forward. Companies including digital strategists Orange Bus and global digital art firm Atomhawk were in attendance and the evening, according to Generator, has paved the way to a bright future for the region’s growing digital and creative economy.
www.generator.org.uk www.digiunion.co.uk
TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT
BREXIT – Ready for the impact on your ICT? Andy Hunter, Technical Director, ITPS
With the date for the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union growing closer, and both the Brexit and Bremain campaigns equally supported in the polls, it is touch and go as to whether we will stay in the EU. For businesses that have embraced cloud technologies and bought into the XaaS (‘Everything’ as a Service) model where IT is delivered via the internet like a utility, the implications of a Brexit are considerable.
European Commission and the wider world that the UK provides a safe data environment.
Data sovereignty: The biggest concern is around data. A survey of public and private sector IT decision makers sponsored by VMware showed that 34% of the businesses held their data outside the country, and 76% held a certain proportion of business critical data overseas. Worryingly, only a third could be certain about where their data was held.
The Information Commissioner’s Office will need to advise businesses around the issue of data leaving the UK. Opinion is divided on whether there will be a new ‘Safe Harbour’ style of agreement put in place, or whether the UK could be classified as similar to Canada, which has just negotiated a trade agreement with the EU which adds them to the Commission’s list of safe countries. This in itself is problematic as the draft Communications Data Bill could be regarded as a workaround to EU-strength data protection laws.
Data legislation: The General Data Protection Regulation comes into force across the EU in 2018 – around the same time as Brexit would come into effect following the two year exit period and will affect UK businesses trading with those based in Europe. Changes to our data protection rules will happen whether we stay or go.
If we find ourselves outside the EU, businesses with data held overseas could face having to transfer their data back to the UK. Many people are unaware that it is not prohibitive or difficult to get to that point, and most of our clients make an informed choice to store their data in our UK owned and managed data centres.
While leaving the EU would give us the freedom to create our own data protection rules, they are likely to still need to comply with the GDPR and be stringent enough to convince the
Staff and skills: A vote for Brexit could mean our borders closed and EU residents no longer able to come to the UK to find work. Would we see workers and their families being forced to
repatriate? A lot of UK-companies employ EU staff in their IT teams and we could see entire organisations deciding to relocate from the UK. None of this bodes well for fixing the skills gap across the IT industry and will do little to reinforce our reputation as digital leaders. Cost: another potential problem for businesses is one of pricing and harmonisation. We could see the imposition of import and export tariffs, increasing costs and making it more expensive to do business with European clients. Many of the large American suppliers such as Cisco and Microsoft also have separate UK and EU businesses, however all this may change if the Brexit campaigners succeed. Whether it is data sovereignty, pricing, staff or any other aspect of ICT, a Brexit vote could spell problems for IT managers. While it is difficult to plan for an event which may not happen and would involve a two-year negotiation and implementation process if it did, this is an issue with serious implications, and one that your CIO or IT manager needs to be raising at board level now.
If you need help from a data security expert certified to ISO27001, give us a call (0191) 442 8300 or visit www.itps.co.uk
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TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Gateshead IT provider secures £500,000 of education work
Gateshead IT firm, Advantex Network Solutions Ltd, is seeing strong demand for managed services in the education sector after securing £500,000 worth of new work from schools. The move will see the fast growing company expand its education customer base as it will work with dozens of schools over the next three years to meet their IT requirements. This will involve providing advice and technical expertise alongside enterprise grade networks, superfast broadband and supporting IT services, boosting the work Advantex undertakes in the education sector by over 30%. The Follingsby Park-based firm, which has a
£5m turnover and employs 60 people, has won contracts to provide managed IT service packages to Green Lane Primary School in Middlesbrough, as well as Hylton Castle and Rickleton Primary schools in Sunderland. Elsewhere, work is already underway at Middleborough’s Mandale Mill School and Durham Sixth Form Centre. Hylton Castle’s Business Manager, Christina Holland, said: “We are delighted with the services Advantex are providing. They will significantly raise the quality of our teaching and learning resources. We will benefit from a level of support that means we get commercial level services at public sector education level costs – a win-win.”
The latest success comes as Advantex sees growth across all its operations. Its telephony business has increased in the last 12 months by 25%, as customers continue to invest in new technologies, networks and broadband services to reduce costs and boost operational efficiency. Advantex’s head of IT, John Prescott, said: “Education is evolving at breakneck speed, propelled forward by futuristic technologies that deliver enhanced e-Learning experiences and teaching resources. Many education providers have suffered from poor investment by their maintainers over the years but are now benefiting from the wider range of services we offer.”
Top 50 northern tech firm expands its software internship Newcastle-based bespoke software development consultancy, Scott Logic, has announced the expansion of its popular internship, offering students the opportunity to sample a different career within the field. The paid scheme, which gives hopefuls a placement of around 12 weeks in its offices in Edinburgh, Bristol and Newcastle, has so far focused on software development. But for the first time in 2016, the firm, which has recently been
named among the north’s 50 fastest growing tech firms, is to offer a dedicated software testing internship, intended for those in their penultimate year of university. The news comes after Daniel McNamee, a Lead Test Engineer at Scott Logic’s Newcastle office, authored a blog post intended to clarify that the role of a software tester is hugely valuable, both in terms of the duties performed and the career it offers the individuals who take it up.
Contract win sees Calibre put healthcare services provider to the test North East IT expertise has been pivotal in testing the online security of a firm that provides nationwide transcription services for the public and private healthcare, insurance and legal sector. Calibre Secured Networks Ltd has been commissioned to undertake detailed penetration testing work for St. Helens-based Accuro, which manages a national network of more than 400 professional transcribers. Using Accuro’s secure hub, customers can safely submit dictation for transcribing and once it has been transcribed, the document is then uploaded
Ready to reduce costs and achieve more from your IT spend? Call us now and find out how.
back to the hub where it can be securely accessed. The contract saw Calibre’s Marcus Watson, a cyber security and qualified ethical hacker, undertake comprehensive risk and compliance testing of Accuro’s website and provide a report detailing recommendations for improvements. Gordon Healiss, Commercial Director for Accuro, said: “It’s important that our customers have the confidence that our website is completely safe and as secure as possible. More and more companies need to be investing in similar penetration testing to protect reputations, improve productivity, save money and provide peace of mind.”
IT Professional Services Ltd. Axwell House, Waterside Drive, Metrocentre East Business Park, Gateshead NE11 9HU. E: contact@itps.co.uk Follow us on
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0191 442 8300
How would a Brexit vote affect your data?
Do you know where your data is held?
Contact us today to find out more:
A recent survey of IT decision makers showed that 34% hold their data outside the country, 76% hold a proportion of business critical data overseas, and worryingly, only a third could be certain about where their data was held.
contact@itps.co.uk
A Brexit vote could see you faced with a costly challenge to transfer your data back to the UK. Our data centres are UK owned and managed. Talk to us now to protect your data now and in the future.
Our world assures yours
call 0191 or email
442 8300
www.itps.co.uk
Synergi Presents Digital Transformation for Modern Businesses Synergi IT welcomed guests to the BALTIC in Gateshead on Tuesday 22nd March, as they hosted an educational seminar on modern technology. The event was full to capacity with an audience of leading business figures and IT directors learning more about how digital technology can transform business performance. Synergi’s Digital Transformation seminars have proven extremely successful; with their fifth event within the last 3 months now lined up for 25th May. To book a place on the next seminar, call 01914770365.
TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT
Apprentice Beth proves just the job for ITPS IT experts ITPS have expanded an apprenticeship scheme previously confined to its technical services and field engineer teams, with the appointment of Beth Richards as business admin and receptionist apprentice. The company’s in-house scheme sees around six apprentices a year studying for qualifications and has helped more than 30 young people into work over the last 15 years, with many of them going on to be offered permanent jobs at ITPS or with its clients. ITPS employs 110 staff at its Gateshead and Chester le Street offices, and specialises in strategic IT consultancy, implementation, data centre provision and unified communications, as well as support services and workspace and disaster recovery. Beth’s new role sees her responsible for functions such as greeting visitors to the Gateshead-based company, answering calls, dealing with queries, booking meeting rooms and producing reports. Sarah Seymour, ITPS’s HR officer and apprentice champion, said “Traditionally we have confined our apprenticeship scheme to engineer and technical roles, and Beth’s appointment is the first step towards creating apprentice vacancies
throughout other areas of the business. Apprenticeships are a long term commitment for us, and have proved their value over and over. Bringing young people in at the start of their career allows them to learn about our business from the ground up, and develop skills that will stand them in good stead. It also means we are constantly bringing fresh talent and ideas into the company to maintain the right skills pool we need to be successful. Apprenticeships are a credible alternative to college or university for people who want to earn as they study. Beth is very personable and has good communication and organisational skills, and has already made a great impression with our visitors and staff.” According to the Skills Funding Agency, apprenticeships stand at a record level, with 871,800 funded apprentices in England last year, with the average apprenticeship wage standing at £170 per week.
This year the ITPS scheme has seen two other apprentices join the company and three others successfully graduate. Luke Garbutt and Daniel Richards joined as data centre apprentice and workshop apprentice respectively. Phil Housego has successfully graduated from the programme to be offered a permanent role on the ITPS helpdesk, while Jordan Hepple and Jordan Anderson have been given contract extensions in their roles on the cabling team. Beth, who lives in Lobley Hill, said “I chose the apprenticeship route as college seemed to be more theory based, whereas an apprenticeship is very practical and gives you the experience in the workplace as well as learning along the way. When I first started at ITPS I felt like I had been here for years, and fitted in straight away. I wasn’t nervous because everyone made me feel welcome and they were all kind and friendly. I’m really enjoying the job and looking forward to progressing my career here.”
For more information visit www.itps.co.uk, email: contact@itps.co.uk or tel: (0191) 442 8300
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INTERVIEW
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INTERVIEW
Your Eye on the Region
George Galloway Commercial Director at data centre and cloud experts ITPS.
Did you grow up in the North East or did you decide to relocate here in later life? I was born and bred in the West End of Newcastle, into a large and close family. My roots are very firmly here in the region, I couldn’t imagine bringing my own family up anywhere else but here.
What do you think it means to be a businessperson in the North East of England? The North East is a small world and a close knit business community. Outsiders need to understand the cultural differences between us and other regions if they want to be successful here, and I’m not just talking about the football and stotties stereotypical elements.
What is your favourite aspect of life in the North East? I think it’s the great work/life balance we manage to achieve here. We’re a bit spoiled with all the countryside, coastline and castles – not to mention the bars, restaurants and theatres - right on our doorstep. Plus we have relatively short commutes when you compare us to other regions, which means we can spend more time relaxing with friends and family outside work.
Do you have a favourite hotspot for a business meeting? That’s a tricky question, but I think my current favourite is Number 19, the clubhouse at Close House Hotel and Golf Resort. It’s a relaxed environment where you can have discussions in privacy. A lot of the North East business community meet there and I never fail to bump into someone I know or have done business with.
Where do you like to eat out in the region? For excellent food and great customer service my choice would be the Mizen Head at Bamburgh, a restaurant with rooms where they use a lot of freshly caught seafood. Another favourite is Eslington Villa in Low Fell, which has been established for nearly 30 years and is a popular venue for the business community. I remember going there in the 80s with my first boss to meet some clients of the IT firm where I started my career, and the service and food over the years has never been less than first class.
Where do you like to unwind within the North East? For relaxing, you can’t beat Rockliffe Hall and a couple of days enjoying the spa and restaurant. Besides golf, my other past time involves watching amateur football. My daughter Bridget plays for Sunderland Ladies so I spend a lot of time ferrying her to matches and offering my advice from the touchline. Which is always ignored, needless to say.
Are the people really friendlier? Absolutely, and that’s not just my opinion, a Government survey last year showed that we are the friendliest region in England. We’ll chat to anyone, we’re helpful, and we look out for each other. The North East always score highly in surveys about which region has the happiest people and best quality of life. Alnwick was named the best place to live a couple of years ago and Northumberland ranked as the fourth best place to live in the whole of the UK and the friendliness of the people plays a big part in that.
What do you think is the best view in the North East? I love the North East coastline and one of my favourite views is Newton by the Sea, looking across Embleton Bay towards Dunstanburgh Castle. It’s a timeless view, unchanged for centuries and it makes me think how many others have stood there over the years, looking at the same view. It makes you realise how small and insignificant we humans really are.
Do you think living and working in the North East offers the same opportunities as elsewhere in the UK? Yes, our uptake of IT tools and services that promote flexible working, such as cloud computing and ‘anywhere, anytime access’ to systems and data, easily puts us on a level playing field with other regions. In fact I’d say we were probably slightly in front of some areas. Our transport links are good too, we can be in London in a couple of hours. It comes back to the whole work/life balance element again.
Have you had any experience of working elsewhere and how did it compare? I’ve had working spells in Sheffield, London and Glasgow but nothing beats the quality of life available here in our region. Glasgow is probably the closest competition to here, but I’m not planning to up sticks and start wearing a kilt any time soon. My heart belongs to the North East.
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FROM THE HEADTEACHER’S STUDY
Mrs A Bath Headmistress Sacred Heart Catholic High School Newcastle Upon Tyne
What was your background prior to joining Sacred Heart High School? I began my professional career in business with companies across London but I have been an English teacher for twenty eight years now in schools across the North East. Before coming to Sacred Heart I was the Deputy Head teacher at St Thomas More Catholic School in Blaydon. What have been your major achievements at the School? I was delighted in 2013 when we were once again graded as an Outstanding school in all categories. Also how our examination results continue to place us amongst the top schools both regionally and nationally. Only last week we received a letter congratulating us for winning an Educational Outcomes award for being in the top 10% of schools nationally for Key Stage 4 progress. It’s not the accolades or the statistics in themselves that are achievements, it’s the girls behind them who have been able to go on and choose the careers that they want for their future happiness. What positive changes have you seen in recent years in education generally? I do like the way schools are working together more closely. As a Teaching School, we have had the great privilege of supporting schools who need assistance, learning from one another and working together to improve the education of students throughout our region.
I also believe the focus of girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects is a very encouraging move. We are delighted at the high uptake of these subjects in our school and see this as a very positive outcome from single sex education. These subjects launch our students into worthwhile and interesting careers. How much emphasis do you place on extracurricular activities? Huge. It’s at the heart of what we do as a school. Our girls can choose from a wide range of clubs which run every night, from a wealth of sports to Latin. This week over 200 girls performed at Northern Stage in our dance and music showcase which was wonderful. The variety of dance, drama and music on offer at Sacred Heart is immense. What major achievements have happened in the past 12-18 months? Undoubtedly our partnership work with the Royal Shakespeare Company who performed Henry Vth in our school last July. Most recently, 30 of our girls joined the cast of the RSC as fairies in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Northern Stage. Also, this year we became a SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) which basically means we can train new teachers across our region. This takes us back to our roots over 100 years ago when Sacred Heart started out as a training college for teachers with a school on site. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to choose the best
quality graduates even in shortage subjects such as Physics and Mathematics and train them here for Sacred Heart and our partner schools. What can prospective parents expect from Sacred Heart High School? We believe that every girl has some unique quality or talent that makes her special. Our job is to allow that to develop and flourish and to give our students the opportunities they need to build their personal courage and confidence. What have you got coming up in 2016 and beyond? As well as more projects with the RSC, we continue to develop our thriving Sixth Form centre and are working closely with our partner boys’ school, St Cuthbert’s to give our Sixth Form students opportunities to study and learn in both centres. How do you relax away from the desk? Time with family and walking my West Highland Terrier. A favourite thing to do is days out to the Northumberland coast. How would you like to be remembered? Through the lives of the girls who have left us: every time I see one of our Year 13 leaving us, confident, happy and with what she needs to follow the career of her dreams; that’s enough for me.
Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Fenham Hall Drive, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9YH (0191) 2747373 www.sacredheart-high.org
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EDUCATION INSIGHT
The Nunnykirk Dyslexia Report Barry Frost NPQH MSc MEd BA(QTS) PGDip
Welcome to our new regular feature in Northern Insight, provided by Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia, Northumberland, a unique and beautiful specialist school, which nurtures and provides for young people with Dyslexia and other conditions, from 8-18 years. So what is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty (SpLD) which affects how people learn. In less enlightened times someone who struggled with reading, writing or numeracy may have been considered lazy, or even less intelligent. Did you know?
Why is dyslexia so common in the UK? One possible reason is that the English language contains many inconsistent rules. This is partly the result of thousands of years of cultural influence. For example: Cough/Through/Enough/Bough/Gate/ Straight/Eight Many people find these rules challenging, but they particularly affect dyslexics because of difficulty understanding and retaining linguistic ground rules.
About 1 in 10 school children are affected by Dyslexia - that's 3 children in most classes! Dyslexia affects people from all different backgrounds. Dyslexic people of all ages can learn well, but usually benefit from specialised help, such as we provide at Nunnykirk
There are many possible causes of dyslexia. Our next Nunnykirk Dyslexia Report focuses on some of these causes, and what we do to help young people overcome their challenges.
Do any famous people have Dyslexia? Robbie Williams - singer Steve Redgrave – winner of 5 Olympic Medals 4 Tom Cruise – famous actor 4 Albert Einstein – world famous Scientist 4 Richard Branson – billionaire businessman
dyslexic learners in their group. The 2010 Equality Act requires all teachers to be prepared to respond to their specific needs. At Nunnykirk, young people are only taught by specialist teachers (no TAs), and in small classes (typically no more than 6).
Do you have a dyslexic child?
4 4
It is likely that most teachers will have some
If you think your child may be dyslexic, or want to know more about Nunnykirk and how it is transforming the lives of young people, please contact...
Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia, Nunnykirk Hall, Netherwitton NE61 4PB. Tel. 01670 772685 www.nunnykirk.co.uk
EDUCATION INSIGHT
Engineering skills for a stronger economy Gateshead College is tackling the UK’s shortage of engineers head on with innovative industry training programmes to help engineering and manufacturing firms get the skilled people they need.
It’s projected that by 2020 there could be significant regional shortages of high level science, technology, engineering and manufacturing (STEM) skills in English regions, especially in the North East - home to key industries such as automotive, chemicals and oil and gas.
programmes. Car component manufacturer TRW, aerial work platforms manufacturer, Snorkel and global leader in automotive seating and electrical systems, Lear Corporation, played a key role in the new course design which focuses more on practical learning time and has clear progression routes from pre-apprentice to higher level skills.
Having a workforce with the right skills for these types of jobs is fundamental to the growth of regional economies, with Andrew Hodgson, vice chair North East LEP Board and CEO at SMD commenting: “The biggest single constraint on the growth of business is the shortage of high quality engineers. With the North East regional strategy being manufacturing led, addressing this problem will not only ensure a rebalanced economy but also significantly reduce regional inequality.”
Zac Aldridge, assistant principal for STEM at Gateshead College, said: “Traditional engineering training packages are weighted heavily on classroom training but employers are telling us they need more time spent on the development of practical skills. And while the more academic route is valuable and we’ll continue to offer it, we’ve responded to industry needs by going back to basics to deliver professional and technical training that helps our business partners remain strong and competitive.”
Working closely with businesses, Gateshead College is determined to create the best training environment, while also reshaping its engineering offer to provide employers with the most flexible packages tailored for them. Firms in the advanced manufacturing industry have helped to shape changes to the college’s STEM training and workforce development
Engineering skills are taught at the Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing and Logistics based at Team Valley in Gateshead. The £5.5 million purpose built facility has seen a recent investment of more than £200,000 in state-of-the-art lathes, milling machines and supporting tools; and a further £100,000 has been earmarked for more tooling equipment in the summer.
Zac added: “Now that we’re offering a brand new programme of training, it’s vital that we have the teaching facilities to match. Investing in the latest technology and extra machines and tools means students get more out of their time in the workshops, and one-to-one training sessions allow apprentices to spend more time doing and less time observing.” This flexible approach has benefited companies such as Team Valley-based CPS Drivelink. The supplier and manufacturer of commercial motor vehicle and motorsport drivelines, steering and breaking products turned to Gateshead College when they needed a specialist one-off welding skills course. Paul Sowerby, engineering director at CPS Drivelink Ltd, said: “Gateshead College was highly reactive to our request for a bespoke training course that would train and upskill a few of our employees in welding skills. It was as simple as telling them what was needed and they came back to us with a solution that meant we were able to get our staff trained up quickly without impacting on daily operations. We’ve now significantly developed our business, increased sales and met customers’ requirements through this professional training.”
For more information contact 0191 490 2258 or email employers@gateshead.ac.uk
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MOTORS INSIGHT
Jennings’ prepares for new product launches as Ford expands SUV and Vignale model line-up
The all-new Ford Edge
Staff at Jennings Ford, part of the Jennings Motor Group, are anticipating the arrival of a number of new models to further complement the highly successful award-winning range. Expanding Ford’s SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) and AWD (All-Wheel Drive) line-up, the efficient and refined all-new Ford Edge is scheduled to arrive at Jennings Ford showrooms located in Middlesbrough, Stockton and Gateshead, in June. Offering premium technology and refinement, the all-new Ford Edge model will join Ford’s medium-sized Kuga SUV and the EcoSport compact SUV. Stylish, spacious and sophisticated, the allnew Ford Edge comes in three styles, including Zetec, Titanium and the top-of-the-range Sport derivative. Available with a choice of 180PS 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine with six-speed manual transmission, or 210PS bi-turbo 2.0-litre TDCi diesel with sixspeed PowerShift automatic transmission, both powertrains will deliver up to 78.4mpg fuel efficiency and 149g/km CO2 supported by AutoStart-Stop technology. Colin Massey, General Sales Manager at the group’s Jennings Ford dealership in Middlesbrough, said; “We are looking forward to the arrival of Ford’s all-new Edge model, which is not only spacious and refined with cutting edge styling and state-of-the-art technologies, but it also delivers strong fuel efficiency. “There is a huge demand for SUV and all-wheel drive vehicles and we anticipate the launch to
be a huge success, in addition to giving sales an additional boost.” The all-new Edge will also feature Ford’s Intelligent AWD technology as standard, to deliver a seamless transition between frontwheel drive and all-wheel drive performance which will provide a more secure footing on the road especially in wet and slippery conditions. The latest model will offer new Ford technologies, including Adaptive Steering, which automatically optimises the steering response according to vehicle speed, making it easy to manoeuvre at low speeds, while remaining precise and intuitive at higher speeds, in addition to a Front Split View Camera, which makes restricted visibility junctions or parking spaces easier to negotiate. The model will also introduce Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection, which is a camera and radar based system that operates at speeds from 5mph to over 100mph to detect vehicles and people in the road ahead. The system can automatically apply the brakes if a potential collision is detected and the driver does not respond to warnings. Meanwhile, expected to take centre stage at Jennings Ford’s Cargo Fleet showroom in Middlesbrough, Ford Motor Company’s only FordStore in Teesside, is the new S-MAX Vignale. The FordStore at Middlesbrough incorporates
a dedicated Vignale Lounge that delivers a personalised purchase experience supported by a Vignale relationship manager. Ford’s new S-MAX Vignale model, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, delivers the signature Ford Vignale hexagonal upper grille design with dark matte finish and polished aluminium surround. The interior is heightened with hexagonalquilted Windsor leather featuring prominent tuxedo-style stitching for the seats and door interiors. The model will also feature as standard the SYNC3 communication and entertainment system that delivers faster performance and features a re-designed 8-inch touch screen that enables pinch and swipe gestures for the first time. Additional technology includes Ford Active Noise Control, which uses three microphones strategically placed throughout the cabin to monitor engine noise in the interior and directs opposing sound waves through the audio system to cancel out engine noise and improve ambience in the cabin. The expanded Vignale model range will also include a Ford Edge Vignale, which is expected to be in showrooms later this year and 2017 will see the launch of a five-door Mondeo Vignale.
For more information about the range of products and services available at Jennings Ford, contact Middlesbrough on 01642 240055, Stockton on 01642 632200, Gateshead on 0191 4607464, or visit www.jenningsmotorgroup.co.uk
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JenningsFord - Contract Hire offers JenningsFord - Contract Hire offers that really mean business that really mean business NEW Ford Focus 1.0T Ecoboost Titanium (125 PS)
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• Metallic paint •INCLUDES 18” alloy wheels • Auto-dimming rear view Appearance Pack (silver roofmirror rails • Partial leather trim • Ford Easy-Fuel Capless Refuelling and rear privacy glass) worthSystem £350 • Metallic paint • 18” alloy wheels • Auto-dimming rear view mirror • Partial leather trim • Ford Easy-Fuel Capless Refuelling System
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STOCKTON, Yarm Road. Call: 01642 632 200. STOCKTON, Yarm Road.Park, Dunston. GATESHEAD, Eslington Call: 0191 01642 6327464. 200. Call: 460 GATESHEAD, Eslington Park, Dunston. OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm Call: 0191 460 7464.
Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) Ford Car range: Urban 48.7 - 23.54 (5.8-12.0), Extra Urban 64.29am-6pm - 34.87 (4.4-8.1), Combined 57.7 - 29.73 (4.9-9.5). OPEN HOURS: Mon-Fri Official CO₂ emissions 115-249g/km. Standard EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.
Ford Businessfuel Contract Hire is available to Business Usersinonly, subject(l/100km) to status. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. based on(5.8-12.0), a 6-0-35 non-maintained initial -rentals up front followed by Combined 35 rentals +VAT) with a mileage of 10,000 per annum. Subject to availability. Rentals Official consumption figures mpg Ford Car range: UrbanRental 48.7shown - 23.54 Extraagreement Urban (664.2 34.87 (4.4-8.1), 57.7 - 29.73 (4.9-9.5). must be made monthly. Prices exclude VAT. When the vehicle is returned it must be in good condition and not have exceeded the agreed mileage, otherwise further charges will be incurred. Prices are correct at the time of going to print and are subject to change without further notice. Terms and conditions apply. Official EU testPark,figures for comparative purposes may not reflect real driving results. ₂ emissions Ford BusinessCO Contract Hire is provided115-249g/km. by ALD Automotive LtdStandard t/a Ford Lease, Oakwood Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JA. Cars notand necessarily as illustrated. Certain categories of business users may be excluded. Offers end 31st May 2016. E&OE. Ford Business Contract Hire is available to Business Users only, subject to status. Guarantees/indemnities may be required. Rental shown based on a 6-0-35 non-maintained agreement (6 initial rentals up front followed by 35 rentals +VAT) with a mileage of 10,000 per annum. Subject to availability. Rentals must be made monthly. Prices exclude VAT. When the vehicle is returned it must be in good condition and not have exceeded the agreed mileage, otherwise further charges will be incurred. Prices are correct at the time of going to print and are subject to change without further notice. Terms and conditions apply. Ford Business Contract Hire is provided by ALD Automotive Ltd t/a Ford Lease, Oakwood Park, Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 3JA. Cars not necessarily as illustrated. Certain categories of business users may be excluded. Offers end 31st May 2016. E&OE.
ARTS NEWS
Sunderland’s alive to The Sound of Music Bill Kenwright’s production of one of the greatest family musicals of all time, The Sound of Music, is delighted to announce that the tour has been extended into autumn 2016, arriving at the Sunderland Empire from 21-25 June. The tour recommences on Tuesday 18 May at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre. BBC1’s The Voice runner-up and award-nominated Lucy O’Byrne continues in the role of Maria in this spectacular five-star production. Lucy O’Byrne became a household name when she shot to success as the runner-up in the live shows of the TV talent show. With chart-topper Will.i.am as her mentor and biggest fan, Lucy
made history as the first classical singer to reach the final, impressing the nation with her stunning vocal range. Her first album, Debut, was released in March. Now, having recently performed at the BBC Proms, she makes her musical debut as the young postulant, Maria. Produced by Bill Kenwright, directed by Martin Connor and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer with musical direction by David Steadman, the wonderfully lavish staging of this classic musical coincides with the 50th anniversary of the film version, the most successful movie musical in history. It all began with the story of the Trapp Family
Singers and Baroness Maria von Trapp’s 1949 autobiography, which inspired Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse to create a Broadway musical in 1959. The Sound of Music tells the true story of the world-famous singing family, from their romantic beginnings and search for happiness, to their thrilling escape to freedom as their beloved Austria becomes part of the Third Reich at the start of WWII. The unforgettable score features some of the most memorable songs ever performed on stage, including Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, Do-ReMi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, So Long, Farewell and of course, the title song, The Sound of Music.
Goodnight Mister Tom to arrive at Newcastle Theatre Royal Newcastle Theatre Royal is delighted to announce that the Olivier award-winning stage adaptation of Michelle Magorian’s classic novel Goodnight Mister Tom will be visiting the theatre this spring from Tuesday 17 May – Saturday 21 May. The previously announced David Troughton will play the central role of Mister Oakley. He will be joined by an ensemble cast featuring Clark Devlin, Elisa de Grey and Guy Lewis. Six talented young performers have also been cast in the key roles of William and Zach, including Joe Reynolds and Sonny Kirby. David Troughton is currently playing the role of Tony Archer in BBC Radio 4’s long-running British contemporary rural drama, The Archers. He has performed numerous times with both the RSC and the National Theatre and is also a regular on TV where his appearances include Grantchester, Unforgotten, The Hollow Crown and many more. David Wood’s stage adaptation enjoyed great critical acclaim in 2012/13, winning the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family. The novel Goodnight Mister Tom is now a modern classic and is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Set during the dangerous build up to the Second World War, Goodnight Mister Tom follows young William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable and heart-warming friendship with the elderly recluse, Tom Oakley. Winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and commended for the Carnegie Medal, Goodnight Mister Tom is now a world-wide literary favourite and BAFTA award-winning TV film that continues to inspire audiences and bring generations together.
“More than just a theatre” Box Office: (0191) 454 1234
Mill Dam South Shields NE33 1ES www.customshouse.co.uk
THEATRE CINEMA RESTAURANT EVENTS GALLERY 100
ARTS NEWS
The Quo’s last stand
What’s on this May? Tom: A Story of Tom Jones May 3 -7 Newcastle Theatre Royal T: (0844) 8112 121 www.theatreroyal.co.uk Heroes May 3-7 The People’s Theatre T: (0191) 265 5020 www.peoplestheatre.co.uk Save The Last Dance For Me May 9 -14 Sunderland Empire T: (0844) 871 3042 www.atgtickets.com
In February 2016, Status Quo announced that this year would see their last full-on electric shows. The Last Night of the Electrics tour will begin in October with a high profile stint across Europe, visiting the UK for a spectacular send-off in December 2016. They are set to arrive at Metro Radio Arena on 22 December. Francis Rossi said: “We’ve talked about it for some time and have decided that it’s time for us to hang up the electrics. Its 30 years since we last said we were stopping but this is a final decision. It doesn’t mean we won’t do other things, perhaps the odd special, but we’re agreed that
the moment has come.” Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Andrew Bown, John ‘Rhino’ Edwards and Leon Cave will bring a thunderous live show, packed with hits, new and old, taken from that unbelievable back catalogue. They will be joined on this run of dates by very special guests REO Speedwagon and The Lounge Kittens.
‘Everything You’ve Come To Expect
Box Office: (0191) 454 1234
Mill Dam South Shields NE33 1ES www.customshouse.co.uk
Bryan Adams May 13 Metroradio Arena T: (0844) 493 6666 www.metroradioarena.co.uk Father John Misty May 14 Sage Gateshead T: (0191) 443 4661 www.sagegateshead.com
The tour will truly be the end of an era as Status Quo turn their back on their electric live set. The world of music will not be the same once the dust has settled from The Last Night of the Electrics Tour.
Record of The Month - The Last Shadow Puppets Arctic Monkey and master poet Alex Turner teams back up with his old mucker Miles Kane (formerly of The Rascals) to release a long-awaited sophomore album of real quality and invention. Incredibly, Everything You’ve Come To Expect, which draws upon a diverse range of influences from Isaac Hayes to The Style Council marks Turner’s 7th consecutive UK number one album – no mean feat in the modern era. In contrast to their debut offering The Age of The Understatement a direct pastiche of Scott Walker and 60’s baroque pop, this second album carries less of a specific focus with its influences more subtly woven – note the disco undercarriage on The Element of Surprise or the swirling psychedelia of the title track. Recently dubbed by Turner ‘ A vehicle for me to try new things’ the side-project is arguably as much an exercise in production as it is in songwriting with producer Owen Pallet’s gorgeous string arrangements again returning to add a greater note of theatricality. Other real standouts include snarling lead-single Bad Habits and Sweet Dreams TN an intense ode to Turner’s current girlfriend completed by an Orbision-esque staccato rhythm. Turner hasn’t lost the knack for a lyrical flourish
Scottish Ballet’s Swan Lake May 11 -14 Newcastle Theatre Royal T: (0844) 8112 121 www.theatreroyal.co.uk
James May 17 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org Goodnight Mister Tom May 17-21 Newcastle Theatre Royal T: (0844) 8112 121 www.theatreroyal.co.uk The Johnny Cash Roadshow May 19 Sunderland Empire T: (0844) 871 3022 www.atgtickets.com Billy Ocean May 19 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org Pinnochio May 22 The Customs House T: (0191) 454 1234 www.customshouse.co.uk
either with ‘dirtbag ballet by the bins down the alley’ perhaps being the most pertinent example. Now more accomplished frontmen than ever demonstrated by their recent set at Coachella, The Last Shadow Puppets strut their stuff at Newcastle City Hall on the 30th May.
Heartbeat May 23-28 Newcastle Theatre Royal T: (0844) 8112 121 www.theatreroyal.co.uk The Last Shadow Puppets May 30 Newcastle City Hall T: (0191) 277 8030 www.newcastlecityhall.org
“Let your event take centre stage” Weddings, Conferences & Events 101
ARTS INTERVIEW
Heartbeat keeps ticking Popular Sunday evening 1960s police drama Heartbeat is making a comeback – this time on stage. The show comes to the Theatre Royal from Monday May 23 to Saturday May 28, featuring original cast members David Lonsdale, who plays dim but loveable David Stockwell, and Steven Blakeley, who plays PC Geoff Younger. New actors take the parts of Gina Bellamy and Bernie Scripps, plus Hollyoaks’ Matt Milburn is handsome new copper PC Joe Malton. We caught up with David to find out what to expect. “This is the first time ever Heartbeat has come to the stage and we’ve had to make lots of changes to what audiences see when they come in, but it hopefully recreates the story and atmosphere everyone recognises,” says David. “The format is roughly the same – a good strong drama with plenty of comedy subplots that my character is involved in. “There’s a rather clever revolving set and video screens that manage to bring in some of the Yorkshire countryside, and it’s taking audiences only a few minutes to see what’s happening and accept the new people playing characters that are held with such affection. One of the greatest pleasures is seeing the audience enjoying the new status quo.” Heartbeat ran for 18 years in the ITV Sunday evening slot, regularly exceeding 10 million viewers. Since it ended in 2010, David has worked in theatre, returned to Coronation Street for a third time, as Tyrone’s father-in-law, and appeared in TV dramas including Doctors, Casualty and Hollyoaks. Originally destined to study economics at university after his A-levels, he won a small part in the classic series Brideshead Revisited as a pantry boy, and was so taken with the world of TV that
he decided on drama school instead. In the 1980s, he had his first Coronation Street role playing Peter Barlow, and became a regular Heartbeat cast member in series five.
This will be Lancastrian David’s first time performing at the Theatre Royal, although both his parents are from County Durham so he knows the North East well.
“David first appeared in a big episode when Niamh Cusack (Dr Kate Rowan) died from leukaemia,” he said. “I appeared alongside Bill Maynard (Greengrass) and we gelled very well so they wrote me in after that. I was one of few characters in the country who could put up with Bill Maynard without wanting to thump him!
He said: “I’ve never acted in Newcastle, but I’ve done the Great North Run three or four times.
“The story goes that Bill Maynard got sick of talking to the dog Alfred all the time, so they got me in to replace the dog.”
“What people will see on the stage, they will recognise instantly. Heartbeat on stage, just like the television programme, has lots of comedy, all the music, as well as plenty of video and imagery. It’s a nice fun evening out with a great storyline that’s going down incredibly well.”
Recreating David six years after he’d left the character behind wasn’t something that was on his agenda. “Both Steven Blakeley and I have discussed this – and we both went: ‘Oh my goodness’ because we couldn’t remember how we played the characters,” said David. “It was part of my life I thought I’d left behind but I always adored playing David and I like the character a lot. “Steven had great fun too; it’s slightly different and it doesn’t feel like going back. It’s turned out as an incredibly positive step for both of us.”
“On this tour as soon as Newcastle popped up, everyone said there’s a fantastic theatre there with really enthusiastic audiences. Everyone is very positive about being here.
Heartbeat has an enduring appeal. David reckons that while the series originally tapped into a collective nostalgia for the 1960s, the new generation remembers growing up with the show as an integral part of Sunday evenings. So what are the chances of a TV reboot? “I don’t know whether it will come back but there’s a lot of affection for it,” he says. “It would need some refreshing because a lot of the cast is clocking on a bit but I’d never say never.”
Heartbeat runs at the Theatre Royal from 23-28 May 2016. Tickets start from £14.50. For more information, please visit www.theatreroyal.co.uk.
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ARTS INSIGHT
A Stand Out Experience
by Michael Grahamslaw
In the pressured world of media it is good to relax and a recent visit to The Stand in Newcastle provided the ideal antidote to the constant world of deadlines I find myself in.
was article about comedy!) Feeling replete we adjourned to the basement performance area where we found a cosy corner table and set stall for the night ahead.
One of the great things about comedians is that they all have different traits and qualities and the performers we saw all brought their own ingredients to provide a magical evening.
After a rare victory for "the Toon" I met my better half and we repaired to the tasteful venue located on High Bridge, just off the hustle and bustle of Grey Street.
The Stand is a wonderfully intimate arena and its that intimacy which engenders tribal feelings of mirth when watching good people demonstrate their comedic craft.
The Stand is part of a the three venue company with other clubs in Edinburgh and Glasgow, all Cities were humour has played its part using joking to combat adversity.
Here we were met by a cheery welcome before taking our seats in the in house bistro where we enjoyed a fantastic meal of chicken skewers followed by salmon and oriental stir fry washed down with a very agreeable glass (or three!) of Malbec. This sparkling two course repast more than fully satisfied my six pack figure (told you it
Mandy Knight was the host for the evening and she guided the audience into the nights entertainment with a superb comedic quality of her own. Introducing Lee Kyle,Anth Young, Gareth Richards and Pierre Hollins must have been a daunting task but she handled proceedings througnout with style and aplomb.
We will certainly look forward to attending the club again as its an experience not to be missed whether you are a comedy fanatic or like us debutants.
Great value and tremendous fun. Highly recommended.
For further information tel: 0191 300 9700 www.thestand.co.uk
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TRAVEL INSIGHT
The Seductive Charms of Sun City by travel writer, Ken Spearen
One of South Africa’s premier holiday destinations is the renowned Sun City Resort in the North West Province of Rustenburg. Like a mini Las Vegas but without the desert, this truly international resort is renowned for its gambling, opulence and world-class sporting and entertainment attractions. The sprawling complex incorporates four hotels that range in price and quality and all are very cleverly marketed to attract everyone across the socio-economic spectrum. From the lavish opulence of The Palace of the Lost City Hotel at £120 a night which is very popular with the “high rollers”, to the Cabanos Hotel which is a more affordable family-friendly hotel at just £50 a night. The latter is ideal for young families as it is centrally located near the kids amazing outdoor activity centres of Waterworld and Kamp Kwena. The resort’s other two hotels are just as popular. Overlooking the golf course, the Sun City Hotel at £75 per night is an obvious must for the
golfers whilst the wonderfully situated Cascades Hotel with its tropical gardens and cascading waterfalls comes in at £85 a night. This was our choice but whatever your budget, you will find something that suits every pocket. Adults-only water-based activities are located at the Valley of the Waves water park where surfing, water-skiing, jet skis and bumper boats are available but for the ultimate adrenalin junkies, there is a waterslide with a near 100 foot sheer drop. I was told by a young Australian who was “feeling a bit crook” that it was a great way to get rid of a hangover. If the heady mixture of gambling, golfing and top headline acts floats your boat, this is
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a great place to visit. Home to the Gary Player Championship Golf Course and the Lost City Golf Course, it is a world-class venue for both playing and indeed spectating as the resort also hosts the annual six-day Nedbank Golf Challenge as part of golf’s European Tour. A great free breakfast served daily in the Poolside Restaurant sets up guests in readiness for the exertions of the day but other restaurants include Asian, Indian and South African cuisine. Less formal and more affordable eating places include a café and an al fresco poolside bar, a memorable place to watch the sun go down over a glass or two of Stellenbosch pinotage. Although probably more famous for its casino,
TRAVEL INSIGHT
the Sun City Resort is much more than just that. From boutiques, gift shops and international entertainment to golf, water sports and top class children’s activities for 5 to 12 year olds, as well as an under-16s alcohol-free disco for restless teenagers, everything is catered for in a beautiful and remarkably mosquito-free setting. For those wanting to venture further afield, organised safaris to Pilanesberg National Park and Game Reserve in Bojanala and the Madikwa Game Reserve in Zeerust can be arranged by one of the Resort’s concierge desks. I particularly
liked the latter as the South African government has turned some very poor agricultural land that couldn’t even support subsistence farming, into a game reserve to boost the local economy. It is now home to lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffalos as well as the highly endangered African wild dogs. I’m not a great fan of safaris as they are somewhat elitist and cut off from the real world but I’m buoyed by the fact that the proceeds from this local tourist attraction are going into local pockets. Sun City is indeed a remarkable place but
getting there is not easy. British Airways, Emirates and KLM all fly out of Newcastle (NCL) to Sun City (NTY) but there are no direct flights. Depending on the airline and season of the year of course, prices range from approx. £1,250 return in economy and at least double that for business class. As it is at least a 20-hour journey mostly punctuated by two stops, the latter is the only sensible travel option in comfort terms. TIP: As Sun City is only 86 miles away from Jo’burg (JNB), we saved over £600 each and four hours in travelling time by flying direct to JNB before taking a pre-arranged shuttle bus to the resort.
Log onto www.suninternational.com/sun-city or ask specialist tour operator www.go2africa.com for a package price.
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LEISURE NEWS
Blackfriars scores a Spanish winner for Rafa the Gaffa
A leading restaurant in Newcastle kicked off its spring menu with a specially crafted dish in support of NUFC manager Rafa Benitez. Chris Wardale, Head Chef at Blackfriars Restaurant and Banquet Hall, is a lifelong fan of Rafa Benitez, who hails from Madrid. He created a special Spanish dish to mark Rafa’s arrival on Tyneside earlier this season. The dish consists of Wild boar imported from Spain, black pudding and potato gratin, apple
sauce, grelot onions and crispy sage. Blackfriars, though based in the heart of Newcastle city centre, has strong links to Spain, as the restaurant is set within a former friary which housed Dominicans who originated from Madrid. Chris’s Spanish creation was inspired by a meat dish which was a mainstay of the Dominicans. The dish now has pride of place on the restaurant’s spring menu. Andy Hook, owner of Blackfriars Restaurant
and Banquet Hall, said: “Chris, and many of us here at Blackfriars, are passionate NUFC fans so we were delighted when we heard that Rafa the Gaffer would be coming to Tyneside. To show our support for Rafa, Chris created a taste of Rafa’s homeland, a very succulent Spanish dish, full of flavour, which is proving to be a popular choice on our spring menu. Rafa is of course welcome to try the dish for himself and we’d be very interested to hear a post-match analysis of his experience at Blackfriars.”
Top chef Branches out to launch new Ponteland restaurant The Managing Director of a new Newcastle restaurant says she has achieved her life’s ambition by opening a new eatery. Businesswoman Aysha Pervez is now heading the family-run business Branches, a contemporary British restaurant that opened in Ponteland on 1st April. Aysha says her aim was to establish Branches, which sits just opposite the entrance to Waitrose, into “everyone’s favourite neighbourhood
restaurant.” She brought in celebrated North East chef Chris Finnigan to head up the kitchen in order to achieve her goal. The former head chef at Lane7 announced that he was leaving the boutique bowling alley and restaurant in March. Chris explained: “Aysha and the team left no stone unturned in creating a stunning restaurant. It’s now my job to create dishes that will keep people coming back time and again.”
The 48-cover restaurant is open seven days a week from 9am until late for breakfast, lunches, evening meals and modern tapas-style snacks and drinks. All day favourites like fish & chips, duck hash and macaroni cheese are on the menu with other more expansive dishes like scallops with black pudding bhaji and confit lobster with parmesan flatbreads.
26 Goldspink Lane | Sandyford | NE2 1NR, UK | t: 0191 232 5888
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LEISURE NEWS
Sodexo boxes clever at St James’ Park A leading UK catering company has entered into partnership with a major sports promoter to bring regular boxing to one of football’s most famous venues. Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, which manages conferencing and events at Newcastle United FC’s St James’ Park stadium, has teamed up with Wraith Promotions to host a range of boxing related activities over the coming months. The partnership comes after the stadium was given the green light by governing body, The British Boxing Board of Control, following a site visit to determine the venue’s suitability.
Now, a series of events, such as Q and A sessions, talk-ins, screenings and even live matches, are on the go, the first having took place at the stadium’s Terrace Bar on Saturday 9 April. Samantha Doyle, Sales and Marketing manager for Sodexo at St James’ Park, said: “We are delighted to bring boxing to the stadium on a regular basis. Few venues can provide the range and versatility St James’ Park can offer, by way of event space, or match the quality, standard and diversity of our catering operation, as the Boxing Board recognised.”
Sunderland brands flying high after joining forces Two of Sunderland’s biggest brands are joining forces to cater for visitors at one of the city’s most popular events. 1879 Events Management, part of the SoL hospitality brand, has been awarded a new contract to provide a wide range of services at the Sunderland International Airshow 2016. The event returns for its 28th year from Friday 22 July, with a host of airborne acrobatics, air displays and entertainment at Roker and Seaburn seafront. As part of the event, organised by Sunderland Live, 1879 Events Management will now be operating a world food and drink village in the former amusement park overlooking Seaburn beach and providing new hospitality packages for VIP guests throughout the weekend. Sue Stanhope, Airshow Director, said: “The Sunderland International Airshow is one of the North East’s biggest events. This year we’ve got another exciting line up and we are delighted that 1879 Events Management have come on board to help enhance the overall visitor experience.” 1879 Events Management have successfully managed a wide range of high profile events since launching in 2012, including concerts, weddings, business dinners and festivals.
New Head Chef joins Seaham Hall Previously Head Chef at the Isle of Eriska Hotel and Spa, Ross Stovold now brings his love of British ingredients to Seaham Hall’s Byron’s Restaurant.
Harbro Electrical announced as Durham CCC Shirt Sponsor
Averse to aesthetics simply for the sake of it, Ross prefers to showcase ingredients without fuss. He creates dishes where, as he says, “there is nowhere to hide.” Ross experiments with various preservation methods, including clamping, burying and fermenting, so that he can use certain flavours all year round.
Durham County Cricket Club announced Harbro Electrical as their newest sponsor on Wednesday 30 March 2016. Harbro Electrical, a family owned business specialising in LED lighting, are now the reverse shirt sponsor for the Specsavers County Championship as well as Durham County Cricket Club’s official Electrical Partner. Tom Seymour, Sales Director at Durham County Cricket Club, said: “It’s fantastic to have Harbro Electrical join us as our reverse shirt sponsor for the Specsavers County Championship. To have a local business backing the club highlights the outstanding support Durham CCC receives at a local level as well as our strong working relationships with regional businesses.”
He says: “I see no meaning to having pineapple on the menu in the winter. I would prefer to offer sorbet made from strawberries that we pickled in the summer.” Ross hopes to encourage all of the kitchen staff at Seaham Hall to discover their own different ways of preservation, in order to make them feel more connected to the ingredients and to generate an enthusiasm for cooking. No fan of fads, Ross has a genuine passion for foraging. He aims to spend time with the restaurant team hunting for ingredients in Seaham Hall’s 37 acres of garden and on the beach, a few minutes’ walk away.
Willi’s Café Jesmond
Under new ownership and recently refurbished
Under new ownership and recently refurbished
All day breakfast • Daily meal menu • Paleo and low gluten options available All day menu breakfast menu breakfastcakes menu Direct trade artisan loose leaf teas All andday homemade Paleo and low gluten optionscoffee, available Direct trade artisan coffee, loose leaf teas and homemade cakes Daily meal menu
Paleo and low gluten options available
23-25 Clayton Road, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2artisan 1JP Tel : 0191 2818123 Direct trade coffee, loose leaf
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Willis 23-25 Clayton Road, Jesmond,
teas and homemade cakes Daily meal menu
Willis 23-25 Clayton Road, Jesmond,
LEISURE INSIGHT
Take a new look at the Holiday Inn in Washington Under the stewardship of the highly experienced Paul Mandeir and Alison Walklett, his very able deputy, the 3-star Holiday Inn at Washington has been regenerated following an extensive refurbishment in February this year. Up to the usual Holiday Inn high standards, this stylish hotel offers 136 fully air-conditioned guest rooms on seven floors which have been receiving some great reviews on social media. With its complimentary firm or soft pillow menu, satellite TV, free wi-fi, tea and coffee making facilities and 24/7 room service, everything is done to ensure the comfort of its guests. For the business user, a desk and workspace is standard whilst some upgraded suites/rooms offer minibars, pull-out sofas, country views and in-suite living areas. It is a great venue to use either as a leisure base to explore Newcastle, Northumberland and beyond; or for a business conference (as Newcastle International Airport is less than 20 miles away) or indeed as a stylish Wedding venue that can easily accommodate 80 guests in banquet style in its Beamish Suite. Its business center offers 9 meeting rooms differing in size from 4 delegates for a private chat with clients to a hundred (theater style) for corporate conferences. Other facilities include a comfortable cocktail lounge complete with Starbucks coffee area as well
as Traders Restaurant situated on the ground floor with a patio area for the summer months ahead. This light and airy restaurant offers contemporary and stylish British cuisine and is popular with non-residents too (especially Sunday lunch), a very good sign and a local endorsement of the quality of its food. This is down to the culinary skills of its highly accomplished new head chef Mariusz Urbanczy and his team who produce specialty menus through the week (including an Indian Feast) to ensure that meals don’t get too "samey" for longer stay guests. Children not only stay for free, they also eat for free - well worth considering when comparing other hotels. This well situated hotel is just off junction 64 of the A1(M) and has Anthony Gormley's The Angel of The North iconic statue and Washington Wildlife Park literally on its doorstep. Other nearby must visits are The Beamish Open Air Museum, a real nostalgic step back in time. whilst the sports fans are also well catered for with Durham County Cricket Club just three miles away and Sunderland FC's Stadium of Light only eight miles away. For the shopaholics a visit to The Metro Centre is mandatory whilst the legendary Newcastle night life is only a cab ride away.
As in keeping with all other non-smoking Holiday Inn Hotels, its Washington venue uses the latest IHG Green Engage system to offset its impact on the local community by constantly monitoring energy, carbon, waste and water usage. It offers an early 2pm check-in and a 12noon check-out for ultimate flexibility. Car parking is complimentary (SatNav: NE37 1LB) but Chester le Street railway station is just a cab ride away (around £10). In addition, The Galleries bus station at Washington is only two miles away, where you can catch direct buses to Newcastle, Durham and Sunderland. The hotel also offers the facility of parking your car for free whilst guests can use the free phone taxi service to get to Newcastle International Airport (NCL), a 25-minute drive away. Overall, the Holiday Inn at Washington is an ideal venue for both business and leisure activities and all is geared around guests comfort and requirements for which the intuitive management team has an eye for detail. It has packages and offers designed for every budget so whatever you’re looking for, this hotel can deliver a favourable solution.
For a more in depth look, log onto www.hiwashingtonhotel.co.uk or T: 0871 942 9084
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Follow us on Twitter @ HIWashington Like us on FaceBook Holiday Inn Washington
Washington
Emerson Road, Washington, NE37 1LB Contact: 0191 418 9482 E:events@hiwashingtonhotel.co.uk www.hiwashingtonhotel.co.uk Terms and Conditions apply.
LEISURE INSIGHT
A new look at the Border Minstrel without the beer goggles on! by Michael Grahamslaw
Like most other racegoers in the area, I make my way to the Border Minstrel pub in Gosforth Park for a quick drink or to meet friends on race-days when this popular venue is inevitably crowded and serving only a limited menu as a consequence. It’s fine for the excitement and hustle and bustle of race days but it’s also the reason I never consider going there any other time. At the suggestion of a business colleague who didn’t share that view, we headed there for a spot of lunch primarily to expel any misgivings he thought I had about the place. I was so pleased I did as the crowded and noisy bar on race-days had transformed itself into a most civilised and pleasurable dining experience. The recently refurbished Border Minstrel is now under new go-ahead management. Named after the winner of the 1927 of the Northumberland Plate, this grade II listed building is situated at the heart of High Gosforth Park, an area encompassing Newcastle Racecourse, two golf courses and woodland. Known locally as ‘the pub in the park’, diners at the Border Minstrel can enjoy a range of menus and drinks seven days a week. There is a secluded beer garden overlooking the racecourse which we took full advantage of on an amazing bright and sunny mid-March day. After soaking up some very rejuvenating rays, we repaired inside to find a table and look at the menus. Coming under starter’s orders (sorry!), we kicked off with battered king prawns with an
Asian salad and sweet and sour sauce and a pané of Camembert with beetroot and chilli chutney and herb salad which were surprisingly good as well as being very easy on the pocket. We followed up with rare ribeye of beef with cheesy potato gratin, carrots and fennel in a thyme jus (now you’re talking) while my guest initially chose the Thai green curry before changing his order to king prawn tagliatelle in a chilli tomato sauce, before finally settling on the bubble and squeak rissoles with sautéed mushrooms topped with a poached egg. This traditional comfort food smelt and looked very enticing and had me wishing I had chosen this dish too. Other items on the menu that caught the eye included the sun dried tomato, soft herb and chilli tagliatelle and grilled salmon served with herb buttered new potatoes, vegetable panache and herb cream. Another time perhaps? Demonstrably enjoying his meal, my guest amazingly finished off with brioche and butter pudding with white chocolate crème Anglaise. I settled for a very virtuous coffee as I’m still trying to lose a few founds on a liquid-based diet. Our meal had been memorable for all the right reasons and at an extremely cost-effective price. I’ll definitely be back again on a non-raceday. If you do not have the time for the “full monty”
at lunchtime, a full menu of imaginative hot sandwiches is available along with a children’s menu for those with a young family and at just £3.95, the price includes juice and ice cream with every child’s main course. On this experience, I would urge everyone in the area to take a fresh look at the Border Minstrel pub. Wine is just £13.95 a bottle or £5 for a large glass and beer drinkers are also well catered for with eight draught beers, nine bottled beers and some interesting craft beers. Come to think of it, that sounds like my diet. I wish! Its Sunday Lunch menu also looks good value and if the food is of the same high quality as our meal today, I shall be taking the family there shortly. With one course for just £8.95, two courses at £10.95 and three for £12.95, it looks a bargain for such good food. I seemed to be looking at the venue from a new perspective and something else that caught my eye was the private function facilities which included private hire of the beer garden for summer BBQs. This would allow the host time to mingle and have a drink without ending up smelling like a fugitive from the local chippie – and you don’t have to clean the BBQ afterwards. With Sky Sports TV, quiz nights and ample free parking (SatNav: NE3 5EJ), the new Border Minstrel is a great place to visit without breaking the bank. Open 11am - 11pm (Monday – Saturday with food served between 11am and 8pm); and 12pm - 11pm on Sundays with food served between 12pm until 5.30pm.
For more information call 0191 2362002 or look up the new Border Minstrel’s menus on www.borderminstrel.co.uk
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Crathorne Hall Hotel
LEISURE INSIGHT
Book and benefit… Book your meeting or conference to take place in April , May or June and choose from the following to enhance your day: - Bacon rolls or fruit platters and orange juice to be served with your arrival refreshments - An afternoon pick-me-up of confectionery and soft drinks - Coffee and KitKat for your delegates onward journey e - Organiser goes free delegat y a d - Complimentary upgrade for the organiser should they stay over - Discounted syndicate hire Additionally the trainer can enjoy a complimentary breakfast on arrival prior to the event.
rates
ust £38 j t a t r a st
For more information or to book, please call 01642 700398 crathornehall@handpicked.co.uk rathornehall@handpicked.co.uk handpickedhotels.co.uk/crathornehall @CrathorneHall facebook.com/crathornehall Crathorne Hall Hotel, Crathorne, Yarm TS15 0AR
SUNDERLAND’S NEWEST ADDITION TO THE REGION’S VIBRANT RESTAURANT SCENE Karbon Grill – Kitchen and Bar at the Hilton Garden Inn, Sunderland offers a unique menu of Pan American inspired cuisine in a comfortable, contemporary restaurant with first class service.
Guests can enjoy one of our unique dishes and a relaxing drink in our stylish new bar. An evening at the Karbon Grill will be a night to remember. To book or for more information call 0191 349 8500 or email karbongrill@hgisunderland.com
To book accommodation Call: 0191 551 5110 Email: sales@hgisunderland.com
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Hilton Garden Inn Sunderland, Vaux Brewery Way, Sunderland, SR5 1SU
LEISURE INSIGHT
Hate Chardonnay, love Chablis! The Chardonnay grape used to be the darling of the wine trade. It has always been the white grape variety of Burgundy, producing all the classics such as Meursault, Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet, Pouilly-Fuissé and of course Chablis. So what has happened that has made so many wine-drinkers become members of the ABC (Anything but Chardonnay) Club? To find out we really need to go back a few years. In the mid 1980’s, when wine-drinking in the UK really took off, Chardonnay was the white grape variety that led the charge, but not with wines from France - this was the time of the arrival of the “New World” wines – exciting, easy to drink and affordable wines from many previously (certainly as far as the UK was concerned) unimportant wine-producing countries. The wines from Australia, Chile and California were particularly popular and top of the list for white wines was Chardonnay. But why Chardonnay? There are several reasons to explain its popularity with both producers and consumers. Chardonnay is a pretty easy variety to grow and can tolerate a wide range of soil and climatic conditions whilst at the same time yielding decent volumes. The wine it produces is dry, but not too dry with a hint of richness, often enhanced by the use of oak - Chardonnay is a variety that has a real affinity with oak. This gave
a very approachable style, especially for drinkers new to wine. But as is often the case, success can bring with it problems and this has certainly been true with Chardonnay. Demand was rapidly outstripping supply and as it takes several years for a vine to reach full production, merely planting more vines was not the answer. Often producers decided to increase yields and literally squeeze more wine from their grapes which went a long way to solving the volume problem but did little for quality and these wines were often lean and mean with too much acidity and little charm. So what was the answer? Add more wood! The use of oak can mask the shortcomings of the wine making it seem richer and fatter than it really is. Mass production of wine meant that the traditional method of ageing the wine in barrels was impractical and so other methods were used to add oak flavour to the wine. Oak chippings
would be added to the wine, or large planks of wood dangled into the vats. Result – coarse and unbalanced wines. Consumers went along with these increasingly dull and over oaked wines but the inevitable backlash was to follow and membership of the ABC Club began to gather apace and whilst today most wine producers have learned their lesson, for many drinkers the damage done is irreversible and Chardonnay is definitely off the list. This is a real shame as without doubt Chardonnay is one of the finest white grape varieties of them all. Don’t blame the grape, blame poor winemaking - more importantly seek out well made Chardonnay, I promise you won’t regret it! Oh, and if you are a fully paid up member of the ABC Club, do remember that Chablis is, and can only ever be, 100% Chardonnay!!
Further information about the aforementioned wines can be found at www.richardgrangerwines.co.uk or instore at Richard Granger Fine Wine Merchants, West Jesmond Station, Lyndhurst Avenue, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE2 3HH
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TRAVEL INSIGHT
Out & About – Sheffield Stationmaster Alex Nelson has been suggesting places to go by train each month and for May, he takes a look around Sheffield.
I was back in Sheffield in mid-April for the licensing of Dan Christian, former Curate at St. Mary and St. Cuthbert’s, Chester-le-Street, to his new job as Associate Vicar at All Saints, Ecclesall, on the south western approaches to Sheffield. The service was due to start at 1930. Whilst travelling there, by train from London, to the splendidly improved “Midland” station with its iconic water features outside, I wondered why I had not recommended this fascinating city in Places to Go before. I walked out of the station after a brief refuelling stop at Upper Crust with my 10% discount (used to be 20%, but heigh-ho!) and crossed the road on to the covered walkway into Pond Street bus station. This is much improved since the days of the “People’s Republic of South Yorkshire” which ended in 1986, and if not attractive the bus station is well-signed, disabled accessible, has sliding doors to each stand and plenty of information. Not real time info though, I thought, whilst waiting for the 1900 service 65a operated by Hulleys of Baslow, a renowned local independent operator. By 1910 there was only one other chap and I waiting for the bus, and I lost my nerve knowing it was a 16 minute journey – at best I would get there four minutes before Dan’s service started. I had been looking forward to riding on a Hulleys bus, since it would have been my first journey with this
operator since 1980 when I made an epic journey from Lands End to John O’Groats by bus, which had me riding with the blue and cream buses from Chesterfield to Bakewell. But I digress. Disappointed and a bit annoyed I walked back along the frontage to Sheffield station and got in a purple cab which conveyed me out to the dual carriageway to see the 65a, fifteen minutes late, steaming along with a handful of passengers. £7.70 unnecessary taxi fare later I walked into the church with four minutes to spare, met my friends from CLS who had come by Stanley Coaches minicoach, and settled down to enjoy the worship and fellowship, and, yes, the canapes afterwards too, in an impressive church with a big staff team in the leafy suburb of Ecclesall. For leafy, read wealthy, because although Sheffield’s image is of the tough Park Hill flats and sweaty steel mills, there is real wealth creation going on here with highly efficient steel foundries making high value products. Park Hill was a development started in the 1950s with 995 flats and maisonettes, four pubs (now all closed),
31 shops and four ranges of “streets in the sky”. Urban Splash commenced regeneration of the Grade II* listed concrete development, and the first phases have been completed, and are fully occupied. I did not enjoy my walk round a few years ago, but it should feel much safer nowadays. But there was still enough of the old estate left to allow Park Hill to play the part of Belfast’s notorious Divis Flats in the film ’71 about Northern Ireland’s Troubles. Apart from the vibrant city centre with its Stagecoach Supertrams gliding around the place, the visitors head for the 980-seat Crucible Theatre, home of the World Snooker Championships. In the suburbs (accessible by bus using the PlusBus ticket available for rail passengers) the three Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust sites at Kelham Island, Shepherds Wheel and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, which is also walkable in 9 minutes from Dore and Totley station. That’s just the one station, and if you take this article with you, ask to be admitted at the concessionary rate! Dan and his family have plenty of opportunities for exploring. Alex Nelson, Chester-le-Track trades at Chester-le-Street station (0191 387 1387) and Eaglescliffe (01642 200140). To contact Alex, phone/text 07860 953981 any reasonable time. www.nationalrail.com. For National Rail Enquiries call 24hr 08457 484950
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WHAT YOU EXPEC TED:
WHAT YOU DID NOT:
DISCOVER MERCURE NEWCASTLE COUNTY HOTEL We’re delighted to welcome the latest addition to our hotel portfolio: Mercure Newcastle County Hotel. Located in the heart of the city centre, the hotel offers 114 bedrooms; 10 meeting rooms, perfect for conferences and events; the Rendez Vous Restaurant & Bar; and is also an ideal wedding venue, being licensed for civil ceremonies. To book call 0871 376 9029 or visit MERCURE.COM
DISCOVER MERCURE
MERCURE.COM OVER 80 HOTELS IN THE UK AND 700 WORLDWIDE
Variety Club Tribute Dinner The North East toasted one of its own in March, as actor Stephen Tompkinson returned ‘home‘ for a night filled with memories, laughter and touching tributes hosted by Variety, the Children’s Charity. Guests including Denise Welch – who paid tribute to recently deceased Brendan Healy – arrived at Newcastle’s Crowne Plaza to a champagne reception followed by a three course meal and live entertainment, as well as an auction and raffle. The night was new Variety Chairman Ray Crawford’s first and saw Stephen regale the crowd with stories of his years on the silver screen including Ballykissangel and Wild at Heart, along with Director Tim Firth.
LEISURE INSIGHT
Plating up a local feast at Hawthorns
A relative newcomer to Newcastle’s vibrant restaurant scene, Hawthorns is a buzzy brasserie nestled in the luxurious Crowne Plaza Newcastle – Stephenson Quarter hotel. But unlike other corporate branded hotels in the city, its approach to food is local all the way. And while ‘fresh, seasonal local produce’ is the mantra of many a good chef these days, at Hawthorns there is a passion and genuine commitment to supporting local suppliers combined with a love of their produce.
time to understand the production processes. They really know the cuts they’re working with to make the most of our produce. It’s a pleasure to see they’re as enthusiastic about our produce as we are.”
said: “Just like Hawthorns, we celebrate the mix of traditional roots combined with contemporary service. As their chosen baker, it gives us great pleasure to provide our handcrafted breads to be enjoyed by diners.”
The newly launched menu is a celebration of great modern cooking and also the fabulous regional larder; with produce from the fields of Northumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire along with the seas off the Northumbrian coastline.
An abundance of superb seafood is readily available off the coast of Northumberland and is supplied by Robson’s of Craster. North Sea Crab, Craster Kipper Pate and Hawthorns Fish Pie are just a few of the dishes on the menu using the freshest produce from the highly acclaimed fishmonger.
And no meal would be complete without a tasty dessert. A selection of Doddington Dairy ice creams come in seasonal flavours and the Sticky Toffee Pudding is complemented with Doddington’s Honey Vanilla Ice Cream. For a savoury finale, the Northumbrian Cheese Board is crammed full of the finest produce from the Blagdon-based Northumberland Cheese Company.
Each meal showcases the fantastic produce available right on the region’s doorstep. The finest cuts of meat are used in signature dishes such as Ingram Valley Lamb Loin. Known for its naturally delicious sweet taste and succulent texture, the lamb is paired with asparagus, peas, mint and Caroll’s Heritage potatoes to create an exquisite Northern British dish. At Hawthorns, traceability and provenance of meat is just as important as its taste. Turnbull’s of Alnwick supply the beef and game that feature in the delicious Venison Burger and Rib Eye Steak choices. Diners can be assured that the chef knows exactly how to get the best out of the meat, having visited the butcher to see it being prepped. Mark Turnbull, owner at Turnbull’s of Alnwick, said: “The chefs at Hawthorns have dedicated
Neil Robson of Robson’s of Craster, commented: “Our unique family business has been smoking the finest seafood in our 150 year old smokehouse using traditional methods carried down for five generations. We’re proud suppliers of Hawthorns who share our passion for supreme seafood.” Side dishes and accompaniments can make or break a meal. Only the freshest bread sourced from Geordie Bakers-a family owned craft bakery with a heritage of over 50 years - is used for burger buns and sandwiches, and is served up with the Soup of the Day. The chefs have also visited the bakery for a bread making session; every detail about the often overlooked ingredient has been considered. Mike Henderson, Owner at Geordie Bakers,
To wash down all of that fantastic food, Hawthorns has enlisted some of the best local suppliers of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Independent coffee roasters, Ouseburn Coffee were established in 2012 and have become a firm favourite of coffee lovers in the region and beyond and Durham Distillery is the North East’s distiller of choice for people who care about the quality and craft of what they drink. They supply handcrafted spirits that can be used to ‘engineer’ your own cocktail. Experts about provenance and passionate about local produce, the brasserie offers freshly prepared, seasonal food throughout the day. It’s ideal for a business lunch or a relaxing night out with friends. Give it a go.
Visit www.hawthorns-ncl.com for more information
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH
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KO SAI Recipe: KO SAI Recipe:
KO SAI Recipe: KING CHILLI AND KINGPRAWN, PRAWN, CHLLI AND CASHEW NUT SALAD CASHEW NUT SALAD KING PRAWN, CHLLI
1 SERVING AND CASHEW NUT SALAD 1 we SERVING Now that spring has sprung thought we’d look at a fresh and light 1 SERVING
alternative to the We spoke headand chef Kirby at Now that spring has normal sprung wesalad. thought we’d look attoa fresh lightPla alternative tosouth the normal Now that spring has sprung we thought we’d look at a fresh and light east restaurant Ko in at Fenwick department store, Newcastle and salad. Asian We spoke to head chef PlaSai Kirby South East Asian restaurant Ko Sai in Fenwick department alternative to the normal salad. We spoke to head chef Pla Kirby at south this is what she suggested forisAccent store, Newcastle and this what she readers. suggested for Northern Insight readers. east Asian restaurant Ko Sai in Fenwick department store, Newcastle and this is what she suggested for Accent readers. Salad ingredients: 8-11 Small raw King prawns 40g ingredients: Green mangoes, peeled and finely shredded Salad 4 Red cherry tomatoes, quartered 8-11 Small raw King prawns 30g Cucumber, deseeded and cut into fine strips 40g Green mangoes, peeled and finely shredded 30g Green beans, cut into fine strips 4 Red cherry tomatoes, quartered 10g Bunch of spring onions, cut into fine strips 30g Cucumber, deseeded and cut into fine strips 10g Coriander leaves 30g Green beans, cut into fine strips 10g Mint leaves, finely sliced 10g Bunch of spring onions, cut into fine strips 50g Chinese cabbage, finely sliced 10g Coriander leaves 40g Cashew nuts, salted and roasted 10g Mint leaves, finely sliced 50g Chinese cabbage, finely sliced For the liquor: 40g Cashew nuts, salted and roasted 250ml Water ½ the liquor: Lime, squeezed For 1 Lime leaf 250ml Water 1 Coriander Stalk squeezed ½ Lime, 1/2 Garlic clove, crushed 1 Lime leaf 1/2 Lemongrass stalk, crushed 1 Coriander Stalk 20g Shallots, sliced 1/2 Garlic clove, crushed 3g Sugar 1/2 Lemongrass stalk, crushed Pinch of salt 20g Shallots, sliced 3g Sugar For the dressing (makes approximately 140ml): Pinch of salt 2 Garlic clove, grated 2 Red chillies, finely diced For the dressing (makes approximately 140ml): 2 Green chillies, finely diced 2 Garlic clove, grated 40g Palm sugar or Brown sugar 2 Red chillies, finely diced 30ml Lime juice 2 Green chillies, finely diced 60ml Fish sauce 40g Palm sugar or Brown sugar 30ml Lime juice Method: 60ml Fish sauce - Place all of the liquor ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer Method: for 5-10 minutes. - Place all of the liquor ingredients in a large saucepan - and Addbring the prawns to the liquor for 5 theand heatgently downpoach and simmer to the boil. Turn minutes or until cooked. for 5-10 minutes. Remove the prawns from theand poaching -- Add the prawns to the liquor gentlyliquor poachand for 5 allow to or cool. minutes until cooked. Whilst the cooling, mix all ofliquor the dressing -- Remove theprawns prawnsare from the poaching and ingredients together in a bowl and stir until the sugar allow to cool. is dissolved. - Whilst the prawns are cooling, mix all of the dressing - ingredients Put all of the salad ingredients in a stir bowl with the together in a bowl and until the sugar cooked prawns, add the dressing and toss until is dissolved. everything is well combined. - Put all of the salad ingredients in a bowl with the - cooked Transferprawns, to a serving plate and enjoy. add the dressing and toss until everything is well combined. - Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.
Photograph courtesy of KG Photography.
For more information about Ko Sai, located in the Food Hall in Fenwick, For more information about Ko Sai, Newcastle visit www.ko-sai.co.uk located in the Food Hall in Fenwick, Newcastle visit www.ko-sai.co.uk 120 Photograph courtesy of KG Photography.
HG Afternoon Tea Insight Magazine:Layout 1
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Come and indulge in Afternoon Tea at Horton Grange! Afternoon Tea at Horton Grange is a mouth-watering blend of the sweet and the savoury and the sparkling too! All of our Afternoon Teas are presented with a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, exquisite cakes on a three-tier stand and, of course, a fine selection of teas and coffees from Pumphreys! Available 7 days a week, 12pm - 5pm
The Horton Afternoon Tea From £16.95 The Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea From £17.50 Horton Grange Country House Hotel
@HortonGrange
Horton Grange Country House Hotel, Berwick Hill Road, Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 6BU. T: (01661) 860686 E: info@hortongrange.co.uk W: www.hortongrange.co.uk Photography: Jonathan Stockton Photography
Carter&Fitch.qxp_Photo Page 07/03/2016 16:15 Page 1
Carter & Fitch Carter & Fitch Launch Night launch night
Last month, Carter and Fitch held their Last month, Carter Fitch VIP launch night; a hugeand success for the brand Smokehouse held new theirPizzeria, VIP launch night;&aBar in Washington. The official launch saw more huge success for the brand than 120 guests treated to Champagne, new Pizzeria, Smokehouse & cocktails and samples of their Chicchetti Bar in Washington. plates by the Mafia staff. The official launch saw themed more than 120 guests treated to Champagne, cocktails
Astonishing magician Ryan Phelps surprised and samples of their Chicchetti plates by guests during a very casual affair, whilst an the Mafia themed staff. array of mouth-watering dishes including Astonishing magician Ryan Phelps surprised guests duringpulled a very casual freshly made pizza’s, pork sliders, affair, whilst an array of mouth-watering bang bang shrimp and jalapeno corn bread dishes including freshly made pizza’s, muffins were a taster to the delightful food pulled pork sliders, bang bang shrimp Carter to were offer.a and jalapeno and corn Fitch breadhave muffins taster to the delightful food Carter and
The Mayor of Sunderland Councillor Barry Fitch have to offer. Curran Mayoress Karen Councillor Cullen officially Theand Mayor of Sunderland opened the and restaurant and enjoyed Barry Curran Mayoress Karen Cullenthe officially opened the at restaurant and Fitch. relaxed evening Carter and enjoyed the relaxed evening at Carter
Photographer Paul Guilford truly captured and Fitch. Photographer Paul Guilford truly the relaxed evening. captured the relaxed evening.
Carter andand Fitch isisopen Carter Fitch openfor for bookings bookings by by calling calling 0191 202 2404 or visiting 0191 202 2404 or visiting www.carterandfitch.co.uk www.carterandfitch.co.uk
EXCLUSIVE OFFER (when you bring in this ad)
STUDENT MEMBERSHIPS from £30 per month FULL MEMBERSHIP from £39 per month Village Gym, which is located within the Village Hotel Newcastle, offers something very different to what you’ll find in most of the gyms around: • State-of-the-art spacious gym • The latest Technogym equipment • Over 100 FREE classes per week (inc. Les Mills, Spin, Zumba and Pilates) • New kids classes (5-13 yrs) • 25m swimming pool, sauna, steam room and whirlpool
• Newly refurbished changing rooms • MYZONE fitness tracking • Public House and Restaurant • Starbucks Coffee Shop onsite • Discounts off Village Spa beauty treatments • Exclusive food & beverage discounts in hotel • Free parking and Wifi
CALL US NOW TO BOOK A TOUR OF THE CLUB: 0191 270 6433 Village Hotel Newcastle, Cobalt Business Park, West Allotment, Newcastle upon Tyne NE27 0BY
WWW.VILLAGEFIT.CO.UK
In the Heart of Jesmond The Caledonian Hotel Newcastle is located in the heart of Jesmond, a chic and leafy area, only one mile from Newcastle city centre with a vibrant cafe and bar culture. The hotel itself combines Georgian architecture with a contempory edge having recently been refurbished. 90 spacious en-suite bedrooms, a fully equipped conference and banqueting centre, and a range of dining options are all avaialable. Choose from the relaxed ambience of the Billabong Bistro, the lively Billabong Bar or alfresco dining on the heated outdoor terrace. With ample free private parking and easy access to all major transport links, including Newcastle International Airport, the Caledonian Hotel is ideally situated for both the business and leisure traveller.
To make your booking email events@caledonian-hotelnewcastle.com or tel: 0191 281 7881
BUSINESS INSIGHT
Ravensworth Golf Club Overlooking the Angel of the North
Memberships starting at £150
‘Fantastic Golf at affordable prices’
Visitors and visiting parties welcome weekdays and weekends Email:john@ravensworthgolfclub.co.uk for details Tel:0191 4876014 or visit www.ravensworthgolfclub.co.uk to book online
Lunch Sunday 19th June 2016. 12 noon til 4pm
WHY NOT UPGRADE?
For an additio nal £10 supplement per person, yo u could relax an d dine in the comfort of a private executive bo x overlooking the pitch.
Table d ’hôte Sunday Lunch Three Course
£18.95
Two Course £15.95
Price includes a gift for dad PLUS a mini taster tour of the stadium facilities* Half price for children under 12 years.
For bookings or more details contact us on: *Not available on Matchdays
@NUFCEvents
Images for illustration purposes only.
Heaton Stannington Sporting Dinner The Heaton Stannington FC Annual Dinner was recently held at the Assembly Rooms where a packed audience enjoyed a sumptuous 3 course dinner followed by entertainment by 3 former Toon legends Lee Clark, Steve Watson and Darren Peacock.
Meet our Consultants. Get back to the life you love Patient open events at Nuffield Health Newcastle Hospital We run FREE patient open events which are held within our hospital and cover a wide range of specialities including women’s health, cosmetic surgery, sport injuries, men’s health and many more. Our consultants deliver presentations providing patients with information on diagnostic techniques and treatments followed by complimentary one-to-one advice sessions. These evenings are both relaxed and informal and patients are under no-obligation to proceed with surgery. If you would like to attend one of our upcoming patient open events, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Upcoming events: How to choose a plastic surgeon WHEN:
Thursday 2nd June 2016 WITH:
Professor Neil McLean, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon
Advice on heavy periods and incontinence WHEN:
Monday 13th June 2016 WITH:
Mr Duncan Irons, Consultant Gynaecologist
Suffering from painful knees? WHEN:
Tuesday 21st June 2016 WITH:
Mr Andrew Grey, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
0191 212 5215 / 0191 212 5274 Newcastle.enquiries@nuffieldhealth.com
MAKE YOUR EVENT
STAND OUT
Set in 1,000 acres of stunning Northumberland countryside, Slaley Hall is a breathtaking venue for any conference or event. • £3.5 million investment in 2016
• 400 free car parking spaces
• 11 conference and meeting rooms for up to 350 delegates
• 36 holes of golf - Today’s Golfer Travel Awards 2016, Best Resort (North)
• 141 spacious bedrooms
• Team building
• Personal Wi-Fi login for your event
• Health club and spa
• Complimentary bedroom upgrade for VIP’s*
• Half an hour from Newcastle city centre
Call or email the hotel quoting “InSight”
20
14 - 2015
2014 - 2015
01434 676 512 | slaleyevents@QHotels.co.uk Hexham, Northumberland NE47 0BX QHotels.co.uk *Subject to availability
LEISURE INSIGHT
The Legends are rising on Tyneside
Legends are formed over time and come in any shape or form, from any walk of life. On Tyneside our legends are hewn from the bowels of our beloved football club at St. James’ Park and will come to the fore this summer as Newcastle-based company, Newcastle Legends, honour one of their own in the ‘Pavel Srnicek Charity Cup.’ “Pav was the first former player that came to me for representation and since then the companies reputation has grown. He was sadly taken away from us last year but it has made me more determined to make a success of this. I enjoy seeing people meeting their heroes and, whether it’s a young kid or an old man it’s great seeing them realise dreams.” Steve Wraith on what it all means.
The following year he set about organising his first official event, hundreds turning out for a fundraiser for young Terry Moran following a bonfire night accident.
The concept, unique in its own right, provides numerous services and is a one-stop shop for fans to get close to their heroes, their legends. However, it is something that was built up over time, a long time in fact. But, in the last six months since everything was finally made official, Newcastle Legends has gone from strength-to-strength.
“I never anticipated it leading to a career though, but my time working on the doors in the pubs and clubs on Tyneside gave me the chance to network with the football players and the movers and shakers and I built up some long term friendships and more importantly trust. When I looked for an avenue off the doors moving into events seemed like a natural progression.”
Since the untimely passing late last year of Pav, other former players have signed on the dotted line for the new company. Defenders Brian Kilcline, Nikos Dabizas and Darren Peacock, along with winger Ruel Fox and international stars Nolberto Solano and Faustino Asprilla are all now on-board. “I’m pleased to be on board and, having personally known him for a while, Steve is a very trusting person and I have a good relationship with him; he’s very enthusiastic and certainly knows what he’s doing,” said Darren Peacock on signing with the Legends It was different 22 years ago though when at The Portland Arms in Felling; Steve Wraith, Malcolm MacDonald and Felling FC, the band was QFX and Steve had his first taste of working with legends.
“Terry was a really good footballer and could have gone all the way however an accident on bonfire night stopped all of that. The community pulled together at the Elysium Lane Club and we raised £3,000 for them. I had caught the bug.
Wraiths first venture was Players Inc with close friends Joe Allon and Andrew Brewster, then Wraith Promotions which was a lone venture. He then worked alongside Danny Cox at Relentless Promotions for a year before setting up Newcastle Legends. Talk-ins, Presentation nights and involvement in two really big games – The Entertainers Reunited vs. Liverpool, and Steve Harper’s testimonial vs. AC Milan have all had Wraiths involvement and influence. “My connection with the region is something that I have never lost, it always feels like I am coming home. It’s good for any club to have connections with their past, if not then they will have no future. This is why I have come on board
with the Newcastle Legends; I wanted to do this and I’m very happy to be a part of it and I’m looking forward to seeing how things go when I come back later in the year.” Nikos Dabizas on joining the Legends. “The game with Liverpool was the eureka moment for me. Being able to bring all of those players back together was amazing albeit stressful as I worked sixteen-hour days in the build-up. Yes, mistakes were made but the feedback afterwards was fantastic and to get a call off Alan Shearer the following day congratulating me made it all worthwhile. “We’ve been able to help a number of charities in the region along the way whether that be the Percy Hedley Foundation, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, NSPCC, and more. Now, with what we have here, people can just pick up the phone and ask us and we’ll see what we can do.” Moving forward, and with massive thanks to Lee Charnley and Newcastle United, Sodexo, and those involved behind the scenes, Newcastle Legends is taking off and, with the use of the Nine Bar, Terrace Bar and the Bamburgh Suite, events will have a grander feel to them. After the Pavel Srnicek Charity Cup in July fans can look forward to ‘One Night in Antwerp: An Evening with Robert Lee’ on September 9 followed by something extremely special to close out the year.
Follow us on Facebook: ‘Newcastle Legends,’ on Twitter: @NCLE_Legends www.newcastlegends.com 0191 2299632
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