January 2013 events!

It's 2013!

I personally feel like this year the opportunities are there if we are prepared to push ourselves out there more and get more involved with life! I'm excited and looking for interesting and fun things to do in Newcastle and around the country. I'll try and update as much as I can  - there's nothing worse than just missing out! (Like the couple I met at the XX gig a few weeks ago who didn't realise they were on in Leeds the night before, and paid hundreds of pounds to come to Newcastle)!

Newcastle Restaurant Week - 21st January - 27th January - getintonewcastle.co.uk

As if you haven't already eaten enough food, you're being encouraged to eat more towards the end of January, just when your new found motivation to get back into shape might have kicked in. Oh well, when in Rome... With many well-loved eating places participating with two courses for a tenner I'm certainly going to find it hard to resist - As You Like It, Electric East, Fat Buddha, Hotel du Vin and Cafe 21 plus many others are involved.

Delia Derbyshire Commission - The Star & Shadow Cinema January 20th 8pm £6/£4

If you like electro pop music this should be a great night. Delia wooed up the Dr Who theme tune and was part of the BBC team producing new sound effects and music in the 60s. The night will provide a mix of visual art, sound installations and a documentary on the lady herself.

Poke, Star & Shadow Cinema, Saturday January 26th, 10pm - 4am £5

Gay indie disco. What more could you want? Not just indie - electro, punk, hip-hop and dirty disco are also invited. So are you - bring your friends.

Cornish in Paris, University Gallery, Northumbria University - until Feb 8th.

I'm a sucker for anything to do with Paris, as are many others. Best known for his symbolic work documenting North East life (predominantly mining), Norman Cornish went to la Belle Ville in '66 to make a documentary for Tyne Tees TV. The work he did whilst there has been turned into an exhibition, giving an insight into life at the time. I love the detail, it's all very "real" and you see something different everytime.



The Oh F**K Moment Northern Stage Wed 30th Jan - Friday 1st Feb 6pm - 8pm £14.50/£12

Yay - a night where we can all go and delight in the fact that we are all guilty of major f*** ups - like the time I tried to stroke a horse and electrocuted myself on a fence, or when I took a short cut trying to catch a train in Peterborough, jumped off a six foot high fence and broke my ankle. I'm going to feel better about myself. Funnier than when things go "right" anyway.

Dance City workshops www.dancecity.co.uk

Want to try something a bit different? I want to do Hang Aerial - where you fly around on a kind of trapeze, or yoga in the air. I might also try a bit of Burlesque - a bit late jumping on the bandwagon with that though. 

Happy 2013!

Top five Christmas/New Year Menus - Newcastle

It's nearly the time to eat lots and be merry so I thought I would do a round up of the offerings from Newcastle restaurants over festive period. Please be aware I haven't actually sampled them all but am open to offers this year and in the future :) I tend to be with my family at home on Christmas Day but try to sample somewhere before Christmas, especially if it's offering a twist on the traditional menu. Purse strings are obviously being tightened but I've been quite surprised at prices this year - three courses is generally quite affordable - especially at the higher end. Let me know if you've been to any of these - I'm interested in reviews.

Let's avoid this this Christmas!

1) Six @ Baltic - 3 courses (dinner) £24.95, lunch £22.95, New Years Eve £75

http://www.sixbaltic.com

With starters including smoked salmon tartare and my favourite pork rillette, traditonal turkey dinner with duck fat potatoes and roast chestnut risotto for mains, I'm already looking forward to going here with my friends, both for the food and the amazing views - I'm wishing for snow to make it even more spectacular. On New Years Eve - you get champagne and canapes on arrival, then choose from such delights as venison carpaccio, or roast duck breast with vanilla and parsnip puree (the duck is amazing). Baileys pannacotta and chocolate and mint ice cream cake top it off, I could just get the petit fours and be happy!

2) Marco Pierre White - Christmas Fayre dinner £30, Christmas Day £75, New Years Eve - 1st December -7th January

http://www.hotelindigonewcastle.co.uk/marco-pierre-white

I was impressed with the steak and the amazing liquorice cocktail I had when I visited here for the first time the other week and have high hopes for the Christmas menu. I want to sample the Creme du Barry (Cauliflower) soup with blue cheese beignets (fritters) - good job I did French), butternut squash risotto with chestnut (or the amazing steak) and black cherry and chocolate trifle.  New Year's Eve has a four course bonanza of pork rilettes, followed by scallops with fennel bavarois, a saddle of veal and chocolate torte with raspberry jelly. 

3) David Kennedy's Food Social @ Biscuit Factory (prices vary)

http://www.foodsocial.co.uk/

I am ashamed to say I haven't been yet and am using Christmas as an excuse to go! The Christmas a la carte menu has lots of choice and is mouth wateringly good. Starters include blow torched figs, venison carpaccio and a slow-cooked turkey hash brown! Mains include a beetroot and cumin tarte tatin with buttered chestnuts and truffled brie, locally shot pheasant and three different types of fish (hake, cod and turbot). No turkey in site (apart from the starter)!

For dessert, mulled wine sorbet with clove shortbread, cinnamon ice cream with red wine braised figs and candied chestnut and muscavado rum pudding. I wish I'd eaten before I started writing this! There is also a set menu for parties of eight or more (£32.50) which features food from the a la carte menu, and lunch at £18.95 for two courses.

4) Electric East (Mains from £12/desserts from £5.50)

http://www.electric-east.co.uk/_assets/media/menu.pdf

I thought I'd throw a non traditional menu in because not everyone wants turkey for a whole month. I really enjoy the food and decor here - Vietnamese with great furniture and wall art. For an alternative Christmas night out, try a curry (Massaman, Chiang Mai, Capitan) with your choice of meat and side. Wash it down with a rice beer and choose a dessert to cool your mouth down, personally I like the sound of the Christmas pudding creme brule - two of my favourite things combined!

5) Chef's Academy - Newcastle College (17.50 for four course dinner)

http://www.ncl-coll.ac.uk/lifestyle/chefs-academy/menu-and-offers.aspx

I recently went to a steak night here and was totally impressed - a training facility at the college with a working restaurant which met the standards of any higher end restaurant in Newcastle. Being a few floors up, there's a great view of the city from above and really attentive service. The Christmas menu is extensive and a great price. Starters include prawn cocktail (it wouldn't be Christmas without it, really) and beef skewers, with traditional turkey dinner, fillet of seabass and confit duck let (one of my favourites) for mains. Desserts are dependable - Christmas pudding, apple, plum and cinnamon pudding or homemade ice creams followed by coffee and mince pies. I'm looking forward to it!

Enjoy your Christmas day - hope it's not too stressful!

Merry make up - xmas ideas

Palettes are a great idea for a gift, they look great and combine enough make up products to get a full look into a relatively small area. This Christmas the major players have really stepped up their game, coming up with eye catching original palette design with striking colours perfect for the party season.

1 - Nars Andy Warhol Collection - £39.50

www.narscosmetics.com

I nearly clapped and jumped in the air when I saw this in Space NK. The Silver Factory collection includes the self portrait eye shadow palette below (a collectors item - surely - £39.50) printed with Warhol’s silhouette. Even the product names evoke his unique world - Soup Can and Chelsea Girls to name a few. The full product range includes special edition tins featuring Edie Sedgwick’s face and mini nail polishes.

2 - Karl Lagerfeld for Shu Uemera - £45

http://www.shuuemura.co.uk/collections/karl-lagerfeld-for-shu-uemura/karl-lagerfeld-for-shu-uemura-smoky-velvet-palette.aspx

The eagerly awaited KL collection does not disappoint - quirky kitsch cartoon logo meets great quality and amazing colours. The eyeshadow palette (£45) is a must have and has velvety smooth textures inspired by luxurious fabrics. It comes in two sets - Smoky Velvet (above) with khaki green, sparkly black and crimson red shadows, or Prestigious Bordeaux with more gold and rust tones. The eyelash curlers, brush set and false eyelashes are gorgeous as well and would certainly make my day at Christmas!

3 - Guerlain Liu Eye and Lip Calligraphy Palette - £48.60

www.guerlain.com

The stunning palette is inspired by traditional Asian beauty rituals and calligraphy, and features molten metal eye shades (bronze, copper and white), which look amazing with the intense pigment of the pink red and the blue red for that special occasion. The Liu perfumed shimmer powder spray is worth a mention as well - it looks like fairy dust when you spray it and looks wonderful with your christmas outfit on hair and the decolletage.

4 - Bobbi Brown Atomic Pink Lip & Eye Palette £36.00

www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com


With on trend colours perfect for Christmas parties and an affordable price tag, this palette guarantees quality, brights and sparkle all in one. The Atomic Pink lip gloss is perfect with the quad eye palette in gold, silver, bronze and grey which creates the quintessential smoky eye. The mini lip gloss clips handily into the palette and is great for touch ups.

5  - Topshop Eye Palette in Prism - £16

www.topshop.com


For the “budget” option this is very futuristic and directional with silver, pink and black shades with raised prism surfaces. This can be used wet to intensify the colour. The packaging is cool  - prism lines over the sleek black surface.

Merry Xmas and enjoy perfecting your perfect party look!

November/December Events round up

November and December events round up

Ouseburn Open Art weekend

http://www.ouseburnopenstudios.org/

The weekend of 24^th to 25^th November sees the opening up of creative studios in the Ouseburn Valley for those who are after some alternative and original Christmas gifts. You can find quality innovative home made products at ‘British by Design’s’ pop Up shop at the Toffee Factory, and the Biscuit Tin is showcasing great veggie food, an impromptu writing group, affordable art and vocal performances. There is a free shuttle bus from Gateshead Quays so you can leave the car at home, and get stuck into the mulled wine. Other venues involved include Northern Print, Mushroom Works, The Biscuit Factory and 36 Lime Street.

Winter Fair @ St Mary’s Sat 24th – Sun 25^th November

Get over to Gateshead for arts, crafts and traditional local food loveliness. Glass, pottery and textile stalls will be dotted between bread, cake and cheese stalls.

Continental and Christmas Markets - Newcastle (near Monument)

Need some diversity in your lunch break choice or looking for interesting offerings for xmas hampers? Check out the Continental Market near the Monument until Saturday 1^st December for European delights. I'm usually there practising my French on poor unsuspecting Gallic boys and girls who can't get a word in edgeways. Then there’s not much time to wait until the Christmas Market (Wed 5^th to Sun 9^th Dec) for local treats – think beers, homemade jams and stupendous cakes. Hey, I can’t not get into the Christmas spirit if I can see mulled wine and roast chestnuts on offer! I always get things early in an attempt to make a hamper for the parents but we end up eating it straight away and I have to go back and get more. It's a tradition. 

December Events

Festival of Fools – Alnwick Garden 18^th  - 30^th December

http://www.alnwickgarden.com/events/111/festival-of-fools

Bored with the usual Christmas market option and want something a little bit more challenging that doesn’t involve spending a tenner on a few pastries, even from a cute French guy/girl? Put your thinking cap on and hop over to Alnwick for a treasure hunt with a difference. Solve the riddles hidden through a beautifully illuminated winder wonderland, courtesy of Northumberland Lights.

Enchanted Parks, Saltwell Park - Wednesday 5^th – Sunday 9^th December (4.30pm – 9.30pm).

http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/winter-festival-2012/enchanted-parks

My favourite bit. Saltwell Park. Light installations. Unnatural sounds assaulting your senses. A Victorian fairytale. In the dark. Trees with faces. Silhouettes. Saltwell Park Towers will pay homage to the creator of its magnificent stained glass windows with a light and sound show; choirs and brass bands will evoke the sounds of Christmas and we can all get merry on hot alcohol. Can’t wait.

Skating @ Life

http://www.life.org.uk/whats-on/skating-at-life

I'm trying to drag my workmates to go skating at the rink which comes to the Life Centre every year, they keep laughing it off, even though they are young and more agile than me! I think it should be in the middle of the square but it looks like they are putting market stalls or something there. You can't have Christmas without skating, especially after a bit of a drink, so when you topple over it doesn't hurt so much. I always vow to buy my own figure skates every year so I don't have to wear the big blue ones that hurt, but something else always comes up. My vision of myself one day being able to do jumps never matches up to the reality of the situation - hanging on for dear life to the barrier. You can't deny it's a good laugh and a bit scary/challenging at the same time, especially if you only do it once a year. 

Boulevard Christmas Show

http://www.boulevardnewcastle.co.uk/contact

I love Boulevard, it gives me a warm feeling in my stomach or is that the large amount of wine I've poured down my neck before the show's even started? Not sure. For the price you can't deny it's a great value night out - almost three hours of entertainment for £7 if you can stand up for that long. The routines are great and if you're into musical theatre you're in for a treat - great show tunes both familiar and not so well known. I love the portraits of old Hollywood greats around the place and the huge Fred and Ginger on either side of the stage. Nowadays, you might just see Faye from Steps!

Christmas at the Tyneside  

www.tynesidecinema.co.uk/whats-on/christmas-at-the-tyneside

Cinema goers can expect a choc full calendar of events to cater for all tastes over December. The place makes me feel warm and at peace with the world, I could stay there all night (that's possible for their all nighters - the upcoming Lord of the Rings nightfest is sold out). There's quizzes, free festive films (Elf, Scrooged), a xmas arts and craft market and showings of the ultimate Chrimbo faves ever - It's a Wonderful Life with the equally wonderous Jimmy Stewart and Home Alone - I will never get bored of them. I'm there every year.



Cotton headed ninny muggin!

Winter Festival - New Year's Eve 

http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/winter-festival-2012/new-years-eve

Pre fireworks at the Civic Centre at 6pm, hopefully the weather will hold out for the Viking themed Winter Carnival Parade. Internationally acclaimed outdoor arts company Walk the Plank is behind the celebration, which sees a giant Serpent snaking through the streets, and a flaming Viking Longship sailing up Northumberland Street. With amazing costumes and dance routines, the night promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

Have a wonderful Xmas and New Year  - please support the campaign against cutting arts funding in Newcastle.

Doing something different at the Killers...

I was just going to do the usual thing. Turn up about 8, skip the support and hopefully make it for the first song. I'd been out the night before, got up late and was a little hung over. I had to go and get my ticket from the venue because of an online ticket mix up. I used my sister's card details and realised that they probably wouldn't give me the ticket without my card. Luckily she was up for the weekend so I went at about three to get it, with a plan to go back to town for coffee and more shopping. I was too early for the box office and ended up chatting to some of the die hards waiting with their tents, blankets and cushions, playing the music and talking animatedly about their favourite track. To be honest I was a bit scared but I think somewhere I wanted to get inside the mind of a superfan. Also any excuse to talk to some new people, even if they did seem a little obsessed.

I talked to mainly women of a variety of ages and some younger teenage girls. The older women were very interesting. After finding out that they'd seen the band at least 15 times I tried to understand how and why they felt compelled to go to the same tour four or five times and spend the time and money doing that. One of them said "this is the only crazy thing I do in my life." Certain fans seemed to know each other and delight in making plans to go to the next gig and seeing each other at the barrier, and spent time showing each other their videos and photos from the last gig. Two Scottish women told me that they had been there since 4am in the cold and rain, and also seen them twenty times, and been on the same plane.  There was about fifteen people behind them in the queue so I didn't quite get why they were doing it. To get barrier, was the answer I got. 

"Why do you like the Killers so much?"

"It's Brandon - the way he connects with you. If I'm not at the front then I can't connect with the band."

The seventeen year olds were slightly more logical, preferring to spend all of their money on gig tickets and seeing this as another band to tick off the list. They told me about endless gigs they had been to this year, and were obsessed with applying red lipstick every five minutes. What the hell have I been doing, I thought? Their enthusiasm was a bit infectious. I decided to stick with them and for a couple of hours try to regain my youth. I told them about going to see Oasis, Pulp and Blur here and they were in awe. It started to get funny. The security guard was on a power trip so I got one of the girls to pour my whiskey into a coke bottle when they went to the loo so he didn't pour it onto the floor, like the one litre vodka bottle he had just removed from someone and gleefully dispatched into the concrete.

So is it about the songs, or Brandon, or being first for something in a life where that can be quite difficult? Or does where you stand really affect the quality of the experience all that much?

I decided to find out. I decided to wait with these fans and try and get barrier, as they call it. I decided to become militant. I had done something similar seeing Brandon at T in the Park, and was determined to get to the front of the tent, which I eventually managed. I had forgotten about the thrill of being as close as possible to something that had affected your life so much - the music that you loved and helped make sense of things.

They said that you get to touch him at the end as he walks along the front of the stage and goes in the crowd. I started to feel increasingly sick. Where should I touch him? His face, definitely his beautiful face. Can I actually bring myself to touch his face? Shit. I decided to forget about that and focus on what was happening in front of me. I could see the set list and tried to be surprised. It all went by in a bit a of a blur. The start was weird, Mr Brightside with all of the lights on, surely someone's bright idea to illuminate the crowd or "do something different." The blend of old and new tracks was perfect, my favourites being "Read my Mind" and "Somebody Told Me." I remembered why I had decided to stand out in the cold and get determined, it really makes a difference being so close and seeing the detail, especially the guitarists who sometimes stare at people incredulously. 

There was fire, flames and Killers themed confetti, which I stuck to my face. The German hipster-looking sound engineer standing opposite me didn't look too impressed. I didn't care. I was a superfan and could do whatever the hell I wanted. The energy, coupled with Brandon's voice which left me dumbstruck at times, and his occasional total delight in what he was doing invoked the same feelings as being high. I understood the money, time and travel the "victims" threw at this. 

I left feeling pleased I had gone with the flow and done something different. And if you're wondering, I ended up bear hugging him. And annoyed I didn't think to grab his arse like the seventeen year old next to me.

Two at Six

I like a restaurant that has a bit of quirk to it, so it's not just completely about the food. A talking point, a unique feature, something that just gives it a little bit of an edge. And I'm just talking about the ladies loo. I've been to Six at the Baltic a couple of times, usually for cocktails with the amazing view of the Tyne bridges rather than food. My sister came back from London and who was I to say no to her request to go for dinner. It's worth it just to see her ashen face in the lift (she has a touch of vertigo). Just the location and going to a gallery for dinner is enough to get me over enthusiastic. I just with the gift shop was open late, but maybe then I would miss my reservation.

You take the lift to the top and should arrive forty minutes early to grab a cocktail in the cosy area at the back of the restaurant. They've changed it around a bit so it's a little bit more intimate (only six tables in there now - I worry I will be disappointed when I go for weekend cocktail and it's packed). I was feeling pretty delicate after corporate sponsored alcoholism the night before and gravitated towards the Bloody Mary, thinking tomato juice would sort me out. Mistake - it had enough vodka in it to sink the Tyne Cruiser. Oh well, start as you mean to go on. My sister had an espresso martini which maybe would have been a better idea for dessert - like tiramisu in a glass - lovely. 

My heritage beetroot tart  was surprising, I was expecting something similar to a french pissaladiere - roasted, sweet and pastry overload. A pastry disc arrived, topped with tiny baby beetroot which felt cruel to eat, with red onion chutney and a big dollop of clotted cream on top. It wasn't what I expected but it was interesting and delicate, and must have made life easier for the chef. L had mussels cooked in Scrumpy cider - mussels in anything for me is always a winner. Especially in Guinness or Newcastle Brown Ale. The maitre d' took the mickey out of her when she asked for more bread to soak up the luscious sauce, mocking that "there was always one." I was starting to enjoy myself watching her squirm - she hates any attention like that from strangers, especially ones that clap and point at her in a crowded restaurant.

The mains were well worth the wait. My duck with port and orange jus was sublime, melt in the mouth, crunchy on the outside, cooked just past pink. I want it again, now, for breakfast. There were clever accroutements, such as sweet potato fondant, mini pate balls and caramelised chicory. It all complemented each other perfectly. L's butternut and amaretti ravioli was exactly the kind of innovation Six delivers - I'd never tasted anything like it. The giant pasta square laced with almond liquer was exciting. I wish I could recreate the triple cooked chips at home and the roasted beets with dill creme fraiche helped me to get over my mini beetroot guilt. 

Disappointingly, I couldn't manage a dessert but had just enough room left for the delicious petit fours - eight mini pieces of heaven. The chilli chocolate fondant kicked in a couple of minutes afterwards and provoked much water guzzling, the rosewater marshmallow was a light alternative and cherry jelly was just silly. I floated out to strains of "You Can Call Me Al" from a wedding being held downstairs, dancing next to the Tyne pretending to play the trombone. What more can you want from an evening? 

Oh, when you go don't forget to visit the ladies, even if you're a bloke. It's worth even going undercover as a woman for the view, ceiling to floor glass. Very cool.

Arts round up - October

October's offerings in Newcastle will promise to tantalise art lovers.

Balman Gallery - Marc Chagall

I am particularly enthusiastic about the Mark Chagall exhibition at the Balman Gallery in Corbridge, which is open until mid October. I recently spent some time in the art section of my local bookshop, wanting to see more of his work. I knew from the pieces I had seen on leaflets for this event that I would fall in love with it. He was a French Russian artist who was one of the most important visionaries of the 20th century. He was a modernist and was talented in a wide range of mediums; illustrations, stained glass, ceramics, tapestries and fine art. His use of colour is outstanding and is exemplified by his work on the ceiling of the Paris Opera, which caused some waves when it was unveiled in 1963. His work is very much influenced by his Jewish faith, fantasy and Russian folklore of his childhood.

His most famous series include the 'Bible', 'Paris,' 'Fables of Fontaine' and 'Jerusalem.' Below are just a couple of examples of his beautiful, uplifting work.

"Paris through the window"



The Birthday Kiss

Laing Gallery - Futureland Now

After the Art of the Family exhibition at the Laing, a total contrast appears in the shape of Futureland Now: Reflections of the Post Industrial landscape. It poses the question - what role can contemporary photographic practices play in reflecting the issues of our time? Photography by John Kippin and Chris Wainwright explores the postmodern period of uncertainty and change on the back of the recession and uncertain times.

Moonrise over Teesside by John Kippin

Outsiders Gallery - Trustocorp

My favourite newly discovered gallery The Outsiders on the Quayside current exhibition is Borf - a street artist who has turned Rothko on his head. Be quick because this ends on 29th September, after the fantastic Morley exhibition. Their next treat, from Trustocorp, a US protest art collective is certain to provoke debate. There shows are interactive and appeals to lovers of contemporary art and has museum style contraptions to play around with.  The work focuses on how money is the root of all evil and the solution to our problems simultaneously, and highlights the global effect of greed and the need for money! Can't wait!

Trustocorp starts on Friday 5th October until Saturday 10th November.

Baltic 39 - Andrew Miller

I had a pleasant surprise when I went to the Highbridge quarter festival a couple of weeks ago and stumbled upon Baltic 39 - the centrally located little sister to Big Baltic, a hub for contemporary art. It combines Baltic exhibitions, studios for thirty three artists and an exhibition space for Northumbria students.  I saw a Northumbria University Graduate exhibition which showed a wide range of mediums (audio visual, fine art and sculpture). I really enjoyed the Andrew Miller bunting, the way the light streamed in and created the pointy shadows dancing across the wall was really something.

Andrew Miller bunting

Baltic - Janet Cardiff and Mark Wallinger

Currently Big Baltic has a nice variety of work - Janet Cardiff's "The Forty Part Motet" made me take time out of the chaos to reflect. It consists of forty voices played through forty different speakers grouped into eight choirs of five singers. You feel as though you are part of the choir, sitting with the haunting sounds of Tallis's Spem in Alium Nunguam Habui 1573 reverberating around you. (Tallis was the composer of the erm, background music in 50 Shades, just to bring down the tone).

Mark Wallinger - Site

Turner prize winning Wallinger releases three new commissions in his latest work. My mind was boggled by 100000000000000000 2012, a massive binary inspired chessboard covered in 65,536 stones. Trying to count them out down the side was a nightmare :) A brick wall and a digital self portrait completes the trio.

Already looking forward to November!

DJS