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Food, glorious food
Plus Durham police officer honoured by King, Scoop reader poll, brewery spearheads mental health campaign, business news and much more!
Stephen
April 22, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes
Good morning, Durham! Canoes and boats were sailing around the Wear in Durham City yesterday. Which is always a good sign in my opinion.
In this week’s Durham Scoop:
Food festival a scrumptious success
Durham police officer honoured by King
Scoop reader poll
Brewery spearheads campaign for mental health
Business news
And more!
Let’s get to it.
— Stephen
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
📸 Lisa C | 📍 Easington pit cage
EVENTS
🌯 Bishop Auckland Food Festival a scrumptious success
The Bishop Auckland Food Festival once again transformed the local area into a hub of culinary delights this weekend, drawing an impressive crowd and offering a wide array of tastes and entertainment.
Nearly 30,000 food enthusiasts flocked to the event over the two days, indulging in everything from spicy curries and sweet crepes to innovative cocktails and wholesome mocktails.
The festival featured over 160 stalls where visitors were treated to an extensive programme that included cookery demonstrations by celebrity chefs, including the young 'Chef Imogen', just six years old, who captured the audience’s heart under the expert guidance of seasoned professionals.
Live entertainment added to the festival atmosphere including a standout moment performance by Rock Choir outside of Auckland Castle, where they belted out various rock and pop classics.
Thanks to everyone who turned out to support this thriving local tradition, proving once again that the Bishop Auckland Food Festival is a highlight of the community’s cultural and social calendar.
Looking ahead, the region has a calendar of events to look forward to, including the Brass Festival in July and the Seaham Food Festival in August. Food lovers and festival-goers are encouraged to stay tuned for what promises to be another exciting season of events in County Durham.
DURHAM BY THE NUMBERS
🍜 30,000: Food enthusiasts who attended this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival [Bishop Auckland Food Festival]
🏏 138: The number of runs Durham Cricket’s David Bedingham scored against Worcestershire in their County Championship match at the weekend [BBC]
WEATHER
As we look ahead to the coming week in Durham, expect a stretch of cooler temperatures with plenty of cloudy and overcast skies. It's not the warmest or sunniest outlook for this time of year, so it might be wise to keep your warmer layers and an umbrella close by.
Monday, 22nd: 10°C 🌡️ 5°C. Heavy rain changing to cloudy by nighttime ☔ ➡️ ☁️
Tuesday, 23rd: 9°C 🌡️ 3°C. Cloudy ☁️
Wednesday, 24th: 9°C 🌡️ 3°C. Overcast ☁️
Thursday, 25th: 10°C 🌡️ 3°C. Cloudy ☁️
Friday, 26th: 11°C 🌡️ 4°C. Cloudy changing to sunny intervals by late morning ☁️➡️🌤️
MEN’S HEALTH
McColl’s Brewery spearheads campaign for men’s mental health
L-R Danny McColl, Simon Whittington, Chris Smith (Image: McColl’s Brewery)
To challenge the stigma around men's mental health, Durham-based McColl’s Brewery is leading a powerful nationwide campaign dubbed the "Mayday Project."
This initiative, in partnership with six other breweries and 25 venues including The Hop Knocker in Durham and the Free Trade in Newcastle, aims to spark conversation and raise funds for crucial men's health charities.
From April 26th, special edition brews like the "A Problem Shared" West Coast IPA and "Changing Minds" hoppy table beer will be available across the participating venues and on McColl’s Brewery’s website.
For every can and pint sold, 15p will be donated to support organisations like Man Up?, The Grieving Pint, and Men’s Pie Club.
Danny McColl, the owner of McColl’s Brewery and someone who personally battles with mental health challenges, shared that the project is a personal mission to help men break the silence on mental health issues.
"We hope to encourage open conversations and let men know that it’s okay to seek help," said Danny.
READER POLL
Have your say:
Following the results of our poll asking if you think Sunderland should be part of County Durham again, we’d like your views on whether the Durham Scoop should include important Sunderland-based news and events.
Should Durham Scoop cover Sunderland news and events? |
THE DIGEST
👮♀️ Durham Police officer honoured by King Charles: Detective Constable Natalie Horner serving on her force's collision unit has been presented with the King's Police Medal at a special ceremony, for her "unwavering dedication" to the community. The Durham Constabulary officer travelled with her family to Windsor Castle to be presented with a King's Police Medal by Princess Anne. (link)
Detective Constable Natalie Horner (Image: Durham Police)
🚜 Transformation of Bishop Auckland square commences: Work to transform a section of derelict land in Bishop Auckland town centre has commenced. The scheme aims to boost footfall and "reinvigorate" the north end of the town. The Kingsway Square development is part of a £53m levelling up fund and, once complete, will provide car parking, electric vehicle charging, cycle storage and retail-fronted access directly onto Newgate Street. (link)
🛍️ Retailers gear up for Bishop Auckland opening: A 160,000 sq ft retail & leisure park will open in early summer in the County Durham town, with Reel Cinemas, The Range and PureGym among those preparing to join the already-open Popeyes. (link)
🔔 County Durham church to mark 750th year with bell ringing ceremony: St Andrew’s Church in Bishop Auckland is set to reach the milestone of 750 years of heritage and is ushering through the historic moment with a grand bell-ringing ceremony on Sunday, April 28. The ceremony will take place at St Andrews in South Church, County Durham, where a quarter peal of eight bells will begin at 1pm and continue for a full hour. (link)
🥩 County Durham butchers crowned at the “Rural Oscars”: Broom House Farm in Durham claimed the title of ‘best butcher’ in the North of England at The Countryside Alliance Awards this year. The Countryside Alliance Awards which are now in their 17th year recognise rural businesses across five categories. The winner of each category will go on to represent their region in the national champions reception at the House of Lords in June. (link)
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
Properties in Co Durham borders that recently came to market.
Fernhill Lodge, Durham City, DH1
(Image: Rightmove)
Detached | Bed: 3 | Bath: 3 |
This substantial detached lodge offers three spacious double bedrooms, each accompanied by stylish en-suites, reflecting the property's exquisite refurbishment quality. Situated within an established manor-house estate, it features a private gated entrance, ensuring privacy and exclusivity. Located centrally in the city, the property boasts beautifully landscaped gardens and courtyard parking, combining luxury with convenience in a prestigious setting.
EVENTS
What’s happening this week
Music
🎸 Martin Carthy. Saturday 27th, 7 pm: MBE-awarded, multi-music-award-winning, influential English folk singer and guitarist. Amongst his musical collaborators are The Watersons, Steeleye Span and Dave Swarbrick. His discography since 1965 includes several duet albums with Swarbrick such as "Byker Hill" and "Life and Limb" as well as solo albums, "Landfall" and "Shearwater". At Old Cinema Laundrette. Tickets.
Theatre
🎭 Half a Sixpence. 23rd to 27th April, 2 pm and 7 pm: Following on from their multi-award-winning productions of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Chess and Evita, Durham Musical Theatre Company is now staging the classic romantic 1963 musical, Half a Sixpence. It tells the story of Arthur Kipps, an orphan who unexpectedly inherits a fortune and climbs the social ladder before losing everything and realises that you just can’t buy happiness. At the Gala Durham. Tickets.
Half a Sixpence. Tuesday 23rd - 27th April (Image: Durham Gala)
BUSINESS NEWS
📡 Cutting-edge tech made in Co Durham protects VIPs at events: Radiation detection equipment created by Kromek Group in Sedgefield secured VIPs including Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission and the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo at the launch of the Festival of the New European Bauhaus, at the Art and History Museum in Brussels. (link)
🏠 £10m investment will create 48-home estate in beautiful County Durham village: The scheme, which will be known as Woodberry Park, will comprise a mix of three, four and five-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes designed to appeal to families of all sizes. Construction is due to start on-site later this year. (link)
💚 Shaping the future: Durham’s role in the North East’s green revolution: Durham University, in partnership with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and North of Tyne Combined Authority, has spearheaded pivotal research into regional decarbonisation strategies that promise economic growth and enhanced wellbeing across the North East. (link)
What did you think of this edition of the Durham Scoop? |
THANKS!
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