Saturday, May 24, 2014

Goal! Yarn bombers score another hit to celebrate the World Cup.

Saltburn's nimble-fingered knitters have struck once more, scoring another hit with the locals and delighting visitors to the Pier.

The latest in a long line of inventive one-off pieces guaranteed to leave visitors in stitches suddenly appeared overnight. This time around they have been inspired by the forthcoming World Cup, due to get underway in Brazil next month.

The latest woolly wonders celebrate a united nations of footballing countries.




Brazil obviously features being the host nation but many other countries are also represented.

Some playfully poke fun at national stereotypes, such as the Frenchman wearing a stripey jumper, beret and a string of onions round his neck.




England is represented by a fan with a bulldog, next to a Mini with a trophy and the Flag of St George on its roof.




Other highlights include Argentina, with a Maradona “Hand of God” figure, an American hotdog, Belgium’s Poirot, Russian dolls and Swiss cheese, not forgetting many proud African and South American nations.




Visitors who braved today's miserable weather to walk the pier got a pleasant surprise and were not disappointed with what they discovered.

Their creators remain unknown, beavering away anonymously, a classic whodunnit. What will be next for the Saltburn yarnbombers? Only they know, but whatever it is it is guaranteed to make you smile.




Thursday, May 22, 2014

Calling all Pugs

Miracle, Oscar, George and Reggie invite all local pugs, or any other friendly dogs to join them on a beach walk on Sunday 17th August.

All dog owners to meet for 2pm outside "Surfs Up" coffee shop, opposite the amusements on the sea front. The walk will start from there, walk along the front until the dog area begins at the far end of the beach and walk to Marske and back. We are aware that some little puggles may only make it so far so please feel free to turn back when necessary.

Hope you can join us, see you there.





Yorkshire Opera Workshop perform Iolanthe

If you notice a group of young people with North American accents enjoying the Redcar/Saltburn area during May, chances are you’ve spotted participants in the second annual Yorkshire Opera Workshop.

Fourteen visiting singers are travelling between Saltburn and Redcar for three weeks in May, as they rehearse and perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta Iolanthe.

“We had a marvellous time a year ago with the first year of the program”, says director David Mosey. “The students loved living and rehearsing in Saltburn and performing at the Saltburn Community Theatre”.

This year, because of renovations in the Saltburn venues, the workshop has moved to the new Tuned In centre in Redcar, but most of the students will still be staying in Saltburn.

“My wife, Nina Scott-Stoddart, and I have got to know this part of the North Yorkshire Coast over the last four years”, says Mosey, originally from England and now living in Canada. David’s first cousin is Tony Mosey, and Tony’s son, Saltburn artist Derek Mosey, connected with Nina via genealogical research online. “I had lost track of this branch of the family entirely, and it was extraordinary to meet them four years ago and catch up on our lives”. In the process David and Nina fell in love with North Yorkshire.

“There are a number of Canadian-run opera workshops in Italy now, and I thought, well, why not Yorkshire?” says Canadian-born opera singer Scott-Stoddart about the decision to start a program for North Americans in the Saltburn area. “It’s a chance for young North Americans to experience a culture that is at the same time familiar and foreign to them, and the town and scenery are utterly gorgeous.”

The participants are all university-aged students, both undergrads and grads, who are dedicating their lives to pursuing their dreams of singing opera.

“Opera, operetta and all kinds of musical theatre are complicated art forms to learn, because there’s so much of it that cannot be taught as pure theory. You have to actually get up on stage and do it to learn it”, says Scott-Stoddart. “YOW will give these young people a chance to perform, in English, in front of real audiences”.

“It’s a bit cheeky to bring a group of North Americans to perform Gilbert and Sullivan in England”, admits David Mosey, of the choice of Iolanthe for the second year of the program. “It’s a bit like a group of Brits going to New York to perform musical theatre. But it’s a chance for the singers to really come to grips with both Sullivan’s extraordinary music, and Gilbert’s unsurpassed lyrics and dialogue”.

“We’re also going to get some topical political references in there, of course!” says Scott-Stoddart.

Iolanthe will be performed at TunedIn in Redcar on May 27, 28, 29, and 30 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are £7 for adults, and £5 for children under 12 and seniors and can be purchased online at Eventbrite or at the door.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Saltburn Ward May Newsletter.

COUNCILLOR STUART SMITH
SALTBURN WARD NEWSLETTER MAY 2014
stuart.smith@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk
Contact no. 07557 540628


SALTBURN ATHLETIC AWARDED £50,000 BY SPORTS ENGLAND
The junior football club of Saltburn Athletic have again received excellent news. The club has secured a second funding of lottery grants via Sport England to the sum of £50,000 (fifty thousand). The inspired facilities grant will go towards the renovation of the semi derelict changing rooms on Hob Hill, Saltburn. Having secured funding previously via the same source to renovate the field at Hob Hill, Saltburn, the club are now looking forward to having new football pitches and changing facilities and increasing the number of age groups to play in the local Teesside Junior football Alliance leagues within the next two years.

VEGITATION OVERGROWTH MARSKE MILL LANE BLACK BRIDGE
Week commencing the 26th May - work will be carried out to undertake a small footway improvement scheme on Guisborough Road between Hob Hill Crescent and Marske Mill Lane which will require a tempory traffic light control. At the same time work will be carried out to finish off the landscaping from the drainage improvement works in the ravine between the road of Marske Mill Lane and the boundary with Saltburn Campus. This will involve, at my request, the stripping back of the vegetation at the corner of Marske Mill Lane. This is to hopefully reduce the number of complaints we receive regarding the lack of forward vision at this junction due to the growth and height of the vegetation.

SALTBURN IN BLOOM LAUNCH HERITAGE WALK BOOKLET
Saltburn in Bloom have released a guide to Saltburn entitled ‘Understanding Saltburns Heritage’. The booklet accompanies the 8 interpretation boards which were erected around the town last year and incorporates a suggested tour of the town with a planned walk involving the boards and provides more details of the areas referred on them. There is also additional information on other areas of interest in Saltburn. Funding for the interpretation boards and the booklet was obtained from LEADER Small Scale Enhancement Scheme. The booklet is available from Saltburn Library with a suggested donation of £1.50 so that further re-prints can be purchased.

UPDATE ON CHALARA (DIEBACK OF ASH TREES) It appears that we are keeping the serious disease of Chalara at bay within the region. There are no reported sightings of this fungus within the Ash tree population within the Cleveland and North Yorkshire region. The nearest outbreak to the Redcar and Cleveland Borough is located in the County of Durham area close to Durham City. Officers within the authority continue to be vigilant in terms of monitoring for any possible signs of infection, especially around our woodland sites.

SALTBURN BATHING WATER This month saw the launch of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) annual Good Beach Guide (www.goodbeachguide.co.uk). A record number of UK bathing beaches have received marine charity’s top water quality award after the driest summer since 2003. One of the beaches awarded this classification is Saltburn. The beach is also listed by the Environment Agency at the higher recommendation in the European Bathing Water Directive.

SALTBURN LANDMARK TO RETURN The flagpole on the listed building of The Zetland is to return after several years’ absence. The original flagpole which was allowed to be removed under special exemptions in planning regulation due to the deterioration in its condition. A listed building planning application has been submitted by the Zetland Management Committee for its re-instatement.

Thursday, May 08, 2014

Saltburn in Bloom Launch Heritage Booklet

Saltburn in Bloom have released a guide to Saltburn entitled ‘Understanding Saltburns Heritage’. The booklet accompanies the 8 interpretation boards which were erected around the town last year. It incorporates a suggested tour of the town with a planned walk involving the boards and provides more details of the areas referred to on them. There is also additional information on other areas of interest in Saltburn.

Funding for the interpretation boards and the booklet was obtained from LEADER Small Scale Enhancement Scheme.

The booklet is available from Saltburn Library with a suggested donation of £1.50 so that further re-prints can be purchased.




Wednesday, May 07, 2014

Stitched Up

Saltburn's secretive yarn bombers appear to have struck again only this time the mystery knitters have created three 'mini-me' figures of members of the well-known Woodall family who have a building firm in the town.

Matriarch of the Woodall family, June, claims to have no idea who has created the foot-high ‘mini-me’ figures of her husband, son and son-in-law and left them in a plastic bag outside the family’s Saltburn home.

June Woodall said: “My son and son-in-law were going to work and I noticed a carrier bag left outside. I said to my daughter, ‘for goodness sake, someone’s dumping their rubbish,’ and she went to get it, to throw it in the bin.

But she came in with these knitted figures. We took a look and couldn’t believe it, they were the double of my husband, Rick, son Rees and son-in-law, Ian (Davies).

The details are incredible. It’s right down to their eye colour, one having light blue and one dark blue, their hair, shapes of their faces, even their shoes are right. They’re all dressed in their blue builders uniform, right down to the WBS for Rick Woodall Building Services. They even have little pencils behind their ears and the pipes they carry, the lot.



I honestly haven’t got a clue who has done it, it must be someone who knows us pretty well. The boys have got them in the van with them, they love them.”

Tea on the Rocks





Saltburn-based Ian (The Cave) Crockett had a burst of inspiration after enjoying a specialty drink in nearby Real Meals deli. His image was re-tweeted across Europe and the UK by specialist tea-makers Flora Tea after he tweeted the photo direct to them. They quickly retweeted it describing the photo as ‘stunning,’ ‘artistic’ and ‘beautiful.’

Ian said: “I was looking to take a photo of a glass down by the pier, but wanted to do something a little different. I was having a coffee in Real Meals, saw another customer with one of these teas, and this idea just leapt out at me.

It’s an unusual cuppa to say the least, which in turn makes for an unusual photo.

For a start, it’s served in a large crystal wine glass rather than a builders mug - and it’s a visual treat as much as anything, with a flower emerging in the glass as the tea brews.”

Sunday, May 04, 2014

The Merry Maypole - Bank Holiday Fun in the Valley Gardens

Join Lit Up and Estelle of DanceFit Saltburn for May dance and mask making day. Contact Kathryn on 07816 046723 or email kathlynas@gmail.com for details.







Saturday, May 03, 2014

Huntcliff School Art Exhibition

The exhibition is being held at Emmanuel church, all details are included on the poster. Please come along and help us celebrate the work of our Year 11 students.

Rachel Henderson and Andrea Reay
Art Department - Huntcliff School