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AMERICAN ILLUSIONISTS HEAD TO NORTH EAST
A trio of American magicians are heading to the UK this spring as part of an annual North East magic festival.
Acclaimed illusionists David Regal, Rob Torres and Levent will all be appearing at the South Tyneside International Magic Festival, South Shields between Friday, March 9 and Sunday, March 11.
David, who has already written for several American television shows including Everybody Loves Raymond and is currently developing an animated series and sitcom for Disney, will be performing at the festival’s first Gala Show at the Customs House theatre on Friday, March 9.
After performing in more than 45 countries over the past two decades, comedian Rob will be making his first appearance in South Shields as part of the line-up for the second Gala Show on Saturday, March 10.
As one of the headliners at this year’s festival seasoned entertainer Levent, whose career spans more than 35 years in writing, creating magic tricks and performing live, will be appearing at both Gala Shows, with a slightly different act each evening to cater for those who attend both.
The South Tyneside International Magic Festival, which annually attracts attendees and performers from around the world, is organised by South Tyneside Council in partnership with magician and former President of the Newcastle Magic Circle Martin Duffy.
As well as the Gala Shows the event, now in its ninth year, includes a series of shows in schools and residential homes across the North East, a Family Magic Extravaganza at the Customs House organised by festival sponsors MagicBox and a special three-day Magic Convention, which is designed exclusively for practicing magicians and the most ardent magic fans, and includes a variety of workshops, lectures and masterclasses featuring leading performers from around the globe.
Councillor Tracey Dixon, Lead member for Leisure and Community Safety for South Tyneside Council, said: “The South Tyneside International Magic Festival has been a mainstay on the magic calendar for the past nine years and we are delighted to have secured a trio of American performers as part of this year’s bumper line-up.”
Tickets for the Family Magic Extravaganza on Wednesday, March 7 and the international Gala Shows on Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10 are now on sale from the Customs House box office priced from £6 (family show) and £12 (gala shows) each. A special combined ticket for all three events is also available priced at £25. More details can be found online at www.customshouse.co.uk or by calling the venue direct on 0191 454 1234.
Tickets for the convention are also available priced at £65, which includes entry to both Galas Show, along with a series of lectures, close-up sessions, dealer events and an exclusive Midnight Show. Places are strictly limited and can be booked by visiting www.southtyneside.info/magic, call (0191) 4247986, email events@southtyneside.gov.uk or search for the event on Facebook.
THE NORTH EAST’S HOTEL INDUSTRY TO BE HONOURED AT AWARDS CEREMONY…
THE great and the good from the North East’s hotels will gather together at a glittering awards ceremony this week celebrating the region’s hospitality industry.
The North East Hoteliers Association is holding its second annual Excellence Awards, at Newcastle Gateshead Hilton on Thursday, February 23, in recognition of the unsung heroes of the region’s hotels – their employees.
The ceremony will recognise high performing staff in 10 categories and the winners will be chosen by a panel of independent judges from a shortlist of nominees.
The categories covered by the awards include Sales Champion, Service Excellence, Chef of the Year and Cleanliness award, with the Best Arrivals Experience vote being given to the person who goes out of their way to make guests feel welcome and the Leisure Experience award rewarding the most promising staff member in hotel spa and fitness facilities.
The Green Award will recognise the person who has most effectively implemented an environmental policy, the Support Services honour will go to someone acknowledged as the backbone of their hotel and Hospitality in the Community award will be given to the person or team who have most supported a local initiative, charity or project.
Also given out on the night will be The Rising Star of the Year Award will be presented to the team member who has achieved the most in a short space of time and shows potential to shine in the industry the future.
Guests at the event will also be invited to bid for a number of prizes donated by member hotels in the region in support of two regional charities who will be announced on the night.
The North East Hoteliers Association was formed to give hotels within the North East, from Tees Valley to North Northumberland, a collective identity and to represent the opinions and views of its members at regional and national levels.
Joint Chairman, Damon Roberts, General Manager, Thistle Hotel Middlesbrough said: “These awards are a celebration of excellence across the North East hospitality industry.
“We place a very high value on the great people who work in our industry - an industry that is people focused and becoming ever greater and more crucial to the region’s economy
“We need to be able to shout loudly that the North East is the best part of the United Kingdom to work within the hospitality industry and the people who are nominated for - and who win - these awards are the reason for that.”
For further information about the North East Hoteliers Association, call Damon Roberts, e-mail damon.roberts@thistle.co.uk or visit www.nehotels.co.uk
CHILDREN ARE THE STARS AT ANNUAL FOSTERING AWARDS CEREMONY…
CHILDREN and young people living in foster care across the North East have been honoured by the adults who care for them at a special awards ceremony.
More than 120 youngsters and their carers gathered at The Sage Gateshead on Friday, (February 17), for the fifth annual Day of Achievement organised by North Shields-based Team Fostering to celebrate successes at school and in overcoming personal problems while in care.
The children, all aged under 18, were nominated by their foster parents in five categories: Educational Attainment, Artistic, Sporting and Personal Achievement for successes including ‘overcoming a fear of the dark,’ ‘learning to ride a bike’ and ‘overcoming the greatest of personal obstacles with grace and courage.’
The fifth category was the Alec Turnbull award, established in memory of a foster carer whose wife, daughter and son are also carers with Team Fostering.
There were two recipients of this award, honoured separately for ‘achieving 100 per cent attendance at school and gaining 13.5 GCSEs’ and ‘for resilience, determination and showing enthusiasm in all she does.’
The day began with musical workshops when children and young people joined forces with their carers and experts from Team Fostering to share their work before settling down for the awards ceremony itself during which each child received a medal and certificate.
Assistant Director Vicky Davidson Boyd said: “Some of these young people have had to overcome huge challenges and obstacles due to their circumstances and it is only right that their achievements be acknowledged.
“We all need encouragement and recognition to help us feel self confident, and this is especially so for young people who have had difficult life experiences and have overcome great challenges to achieve progress. Their achievements are all the more noteworthy, because of the obstacles many have faced.”
Team Fostering, which has provided foster care placements for young people in local authority care throughout Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the North East for the last 10 years, has no shareholders and no profits are distributed.
Instead, any surplus is re-invested back into the business to provide extra support for children and young people, provide foster carers with extra services and competitive rates of pay and provide local authorities with value for money services.
Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer or requiring further information can visit www.teamfostering.co.uk or contact the Tyneside office on 0191 257 6806 or the Darlington office on 01325 368600.
CREATIVE CONCOCTIONS AT NORTH EAST COCKTAIL BAR
One of the North East’s most popular cocktail bars is launching a new menu, including a selection of unique drinks created by its staff.
Popolo at Pilgrim Street, Newcastle, has already won several awards for its extensive drinks collection and is now hoping to continue that success with the new 12-page menu.
Among the many new additions are the Popolo originals – a selection of 10 unusual cocktails each created in-house by one of the venue’s team of experienced bartenders.
These include Raisin Expectations, with dark rum, sherry and homemade raisin and vanilla syrup, Thorny Issue containing gin, Crème de Mure and rhubarb bitters and the Palooka, featuring Velvet Falernum, orange bitters, sweet caramel syrup and tequila.
Along with their personal creations, the bartenders at Popolo have also added their own twist to a number of well-known drinks such as the Bloody Mary, which now features wasabi paste and smoked sea salt and the Sloe Rob Roy, a Manhattan cocktail with scotch instead of bourbon and a touch of sloe gin, whisky and Martini for a unique Popolo’s kick.
Many of Popolo’s best sellers from the past two decades also feature heavily on the new menu, including the Espresso Martini, the El Diablo with tequila, crème de cassis, lime and ginger ale and the unusual Basil Grande featuring strawberries, basil, vodka, black raspberry liquor, Grand Mariner, cranberry juice, lemon and black pepper.
These have been included alongside a selection of popular classics, such as a mai tai, seven varieties of mojito, a selection of four fizzy cocktails all topped with prosecco and a premium range using ingredients from the bar’s top shelf.
Those who prefer something a little more traditional can also choose from an extended range of whiskies, bourbons, rums, vodkas, gins, brandies, tequila, Champagnes, wines, draughts beers, lagers and ciders, with a selection of soft drinks and liquorless cocktails for non-drinkers and designated drivers.
Tom Proud, manager at Popolo, said: “The new menu at Popolo Newcastle has been designed to cater for almost every taste possible and has really given our bartenders the chance to showcase their cocktail making skills. This is the most creative we’ve ever been with our drinks offerings and we really hope our visitors enjoy drinking them as much as we enjoyed putting them together.”
For more information about Popolo Newcastle and to see the full drinks menu visit www.popolo.co.uk. You can also call the bar direct on 0191 232 8932
NEW HOTEL OPEN AT NEWCASTLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Business and leisure travellers passing through Newcastle International Airport can now make their journey even easier with a stay at a new on-site hotel.
The DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International Airport hotel was officially opened by South Shields MP and former Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon David Miliband MP, following a multi-million pound investment by the North-East based Cairn Hotel Group.
Located metres from the airport terminal and offering direct links to Newcastle city centre via the Metro, the glass fronted, modern building has been specifically designed to cater for all manner of business and leisure travellers - including families - offering them overnight accommodation that is ideal as a layover, a gateway into the North East and for those expecting an early morning departure.
The hotel, which created 125 jobs when it opened its doors, offers a choice of 179 contemporary en-suite bedrooms, each with flat panel TVs, complimentary high speed internet access and soundproof windows to ensure a restful night’s sleep despite its proximity to the airport.
It also boasts on-site car parking, five function rooms, which can accommodate between 40 and 150 people for corporate and private events such as meetings, product launches and weddings, its own fitness suite and a choice of dining options via 24 hour-room service, the stylish Columbus bar and Fratello’s Italian restaurant.
This is the third Fratello’s to be opened by the Cairn Hotel Group in the North East following the success of Fratello’s Jesmond at Jesmond Road, Newcastle and Fratello’s Scotch Corner at the former Scotch Corner hotel off the A66 near Darlington.
Fratello’s at the DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International Airport hotel currently opens daily for the general public and hotel guests alike to offer a wide range of freshly-prepared Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner, as well as playing host to the extensive DoubleTree breakfast buffet.
All guests staying at the DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International Airport hotel also receive a signature DoubleTree cookie at check-in to help ensure a warm welcome, whatever time they arrive.
Seamus O’Hara, Manager at the DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International Airport Hotel, said: “Newcastle International Airport is a key gateway for those leaving and entering the North East of England, with dozens of airlines offering flights to more than 80 destinations worldwide.
“The DoubleTree by Hilton Newcastle International Airport hotel has been specifically designed to cater for the millions of travellers who pass through the airport every year and offer them comfortable and convenient accommodation that will enhance their journey.”
For further information, or to book call 01661 824266 or visit www.newcastleinternationalairport.doubletree.com
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