Tourism and travel

Frets on the Tyne

Every Thursday from 5 November. 11am – 1pm

New members are welcome to join this friendly tutor-led guitar group. Each week new tunes and techniques are brought to the group alongside some well-known standards. Bring your guitar and make new friends. All abilities welcome.

£5 payable to the group.

Further details: Tel 0191 433 4699 or e-mail heritage@gateshead.gov.uk

With a career that has taken in an astounding six decades, Steeleye Span is not just a legendary name in British music but also a link to the classic days of rock and folk music. Contemporaries of the likes of Led Zeppelin and Fairport Convention, they have gone on to change the face of folk music forever, taking it from small clubs and festivals into the world of chart topping albums and international tours. Part of that incredible story has been the individuals that have contributed to the band's history. Steeleye Span has provided a home for a long list of some of the world's finest musicians.

The current line up of Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp, Liam Genockey, Julian Littman ,Jessie May Smart and Andrew Sinclair along with old names such as Martin Carthy, John Kirkpatrick, Tim Harries, Bob Johnson and most recently Peter Knight. The end of October 2014 saw the release of a deluxe version of their album "Wintersmith in collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett" with an extra CD including 4 new studio tracks. A record that delighted long time fans, introduced them to a new audience and broke new creative ground, Wintersmith is a key chapter in the Steeleye Span story.

This new complete version captures a band at their best. From beauty ('The Making of A Man'), to menace ('Dance the Dark Morris') and all emotional points in-between, Wintersmith is a record that finds this veteran band exploring a vital new chapter both on record and Live. 2015 has been a busy year for Steeleye Span. Which saw them take in dates in the UK. Belgium, Holland, Spain. Canada and the USA . A short break before the Autumn tour taking them back to Holland and Belgium before kicking off their UK tour to finish the year.

Saturday 21 November 2015

10.30am - 4pm

Food and gift stalls, street food, Santa and his reindeer, children's crafts with Mowden Hall school, music and family fun.

£3 entry per car

Originally planned as a one-off, it has since grown into the UK’s largest light festival. Returning to the North East of England every other year, in 2013 it was attended by a record 175,000 people over four days. Producers Artichoke also brought Lumiere to Derry~Londonderry as part of the UK City of Culture celebrations later that November.

Artichoke are passionate about the possibilities of light and how it can transform urban environments. At Lumiere Durham 2013, 27 installations stretched across the city including a huge trumpeting 3D elephant, illuminated stick men who ‘took over’ the old Durham Miners Hall, and a giant sun.  From neons and video mapped projections to LEDs, there were extraordinary things waiting to be discovered in unexpected locations. 

The Hexham Round Table Bonfire & Fireworks Display has been a staple of the Northumberland Calendar since 1956, and this year it promises to be as big of an extravaganza as ever. The event is one of the largest in the region with crowds exceeding 12000 when the weather permits. It is also a fully self-funding event organised by the Round Table which donates any proceeds to local Tynedale charities and good causes.

The event will begin at 6pm on Saturday the 7th November at The Sele in the heart of Hexham, with the bonfire being lit at 6:30pm and the fireworks display beginning at 7pm. Inside the event itself there will be a host of charity vendors supplying food and refreshments throughout the evening. In addition to this there will also be entertainment provided by The Sunshine Panners , and A Batida de Rua samba drummers from the local Queen Elizabeth High School.

There is a special viewing area for attendees in wheelchairs and any accompanying friends and family at Abbey Corner, just ask any of the stewards on the night. Parking is available at Wentworth, M&S, and Hexham Auction Mart, though the organisers urge people to arrive early and park with consideration to others.

The event itself is nominally free, though donations are encouraged to help fund the running of the event and any profits will go into local causes.

Durham’s only public fireworks display of 2015 will be taking place at Framwellgate School on Saturday the 7th November. Put on by St Cuthbert’s, this is the first fireworks display in Durham for four years so you can expect four times the revelry as St Cuthbert’s aims to put on a spectacular night for all the family.

Doors open at 6pm and there will be a fairground, food, and fun for all in the lead-up to the display itself beginning at 8pm. Parking is available for blue badge holders if the organisers are notified before the night, if you require a disabled parking space contact Jade McArdle on jade.mcardle@stcuthbertshospice.com or 0191374 6181. Unfortunately no other parking is available, though there is ample public transport to the event.

Situated in Durham itself, Framwellgate School is close to Durham Castle and Cathedral should you wish to spend the weekend, or just Saturday, enjoying the historic architecture of these UNESCO World Heritage sites, and atmosphere of this picturesque city. Though Durham is famous for its history and local pubs, should you wish to enjoy something from further afield there is the Oriental Museum, which boasts one of the best collections of Chinese and Egyptian art anywhere in Europe.

Tickets for the event are available online or from St Cuthbert’s Hospice itself. They cost £5 for adults, £3 for those aged 15 and under, or you can purchase a family ticket for 2 adults and 2 children for £20.

Head to the North Tyneside coast this Bonfire Night to watch the explosive annual Tynemouth Fireworks display. Taking place from 5pm at Tynemouth Cricket Club in Percy Park, North Shields, a traditional roaring bonfire will be lit at 6pm with a 25 minute shimmering display of fireworks from 7pm onwards.

Adult tickets are £5.00 with £2.00 tickets for children however you can save your money with a £12.00 family ticket; all available to purchase in advance from www.tynemouthfireworks.com/ticket.htm.

Here you can also purchase £1 raffle tickets for the event. These will be posted out no later than 2nd November if ordered before Midnight on 30th October, however tickets purchased after this date will need to be collected before the event from the cricket club pavilion. All proceeds will go towards running the cricket club which is an integral part of the Tynemouth sporting community.

Guests will be able to enjoy a number of attractions at this super Bonfire Night celebration including access to up to three beer tents selling local ales and beers, refreshments stalls with warming snacks and fairground rides for the kids. Limited parking is available at the cricket club and on some of the nearby streets however it is recommended that you head down to the venue early to find a space near to the entrance. There are also bus stops located on the nearby Linskill Terrace with a number of routes from Newcastle City Centre.

Tynemouth Cricket Club was founded in 1847 and still functions today as an ideal meeting place for young people as well as men and women in the club to practice the sport they love and socialise together. The venue boasts a function room which has been host to countless parties, weddings and events over the years as well as being a fantastic meeting point for members of the local community.

Now in its tenth year, the Festival brings together high-profile figures from the worlds of arts, science, politics and literature to discuss and challenge current thinking on a range of topics, this year focusing on a theme of ‘Tearing Up The Rule Book’, exploring why the idea of rule-breaking has become so attractive to business, politics, culture and other areas of public life – and asking which of our rule books need to be kept firmly intact.

Guests and speakers include American poet Claudia Rankine, scientist and atheist Richard Dawkins, Chocolat author Joanne Harris, actresses Sheila Hancock and Juliet Stevenson, novelist and filmmaker Tariq Ali, authors Anne Fine and Pat Barker, journalist Simon Heffer, theatre director and author Neil Bartlett, former table tennis champion and writer Matthew Syed and award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook. PLUSperformances from Royal Northern Sinfonia, Peggy Seeger, Sam Robson, The Wilson Family, Camille O’Sullivan, Voices of Hope and The Marian Consort.

To guarantee your place in the audience reserve your tickets in advance. Some tickets will be available on the day.

The annual Grand Fireworks Display at Chester-le-Street Cricket Club is back, and this year’s display is promised to be the biggest and best ever! All fireworks in this display will be set off electronically to music, making them all the more spectacular.

Wrap up in your cosiest clothes and head down to the cricket club on Saturday 7th November to join in the fun. The gates will open at 4.40pm, with the fireworks then beginning at 6pm prompt. As well as fireworks, there will be rides and stall games available to keep the kids entertained, with prizes to be won. There will also be food and an outdoor bar available throughout the night if you’re in need of refreshment.  

Tickets for the display cost £4 for adults, with a discounted rate of £2 for children and OAPs. Tickets can either be bought in advance from the cricket club, or bought on the gate on the night, but advanced purchase is recommended in order to avoid waiting in long queues.

The Cricket Club can be found on Ropery Lane, Chester-le-Street, in County Durham. Parking at the club itself is limited, but there are several other pay and display car parks available in Chester-le-Street, including a large car park at the Riverside Sports Pavilion around a 10 minute walk away. The Cricket Club is also around a 10 minute walk from Chester-le-Street train station.

The Ropery Lane cricket ground is one of the finest in the North East, with large crowds flocking every summer to watch the regular matches which are held here. The club also plays host to a wide range of functions, including weddings, conferences, and of course their ever-popular annual fireworks!

Newcastle is to join leading cities around the world by hosting the Global People’s Climate March on a day of coordinated worldwide action. The North East is playing its part in this massive rally in a united call to world leaders to prevent rapid climate change and to protect the future of children and grandchildren.

People will be gathering in a family-friendly, open-air rally to show government that they are determined to combat climate change, and event organisers are keen to stress the more the merrier.

The children's banner making will be from 13.30, and the march will leave for the Civic Centre at 2.00pm.