The care home that offers a bright new start Many of us are reluctant to consider a care home for our parents or ourselves as we get older. Yet it can bring many opportunities in later years including making new friends and taking part in a wide range of activities – even those that have…

Zeroing in on waste reduction When it comes to recycling, we’re rubbish. Almost a third of what ends up in the dump is food and nearly two thirds of what we put in our black bins could be recycled.  We can help by using some of the new Zero Waste shops that offer a wide…

Get on the trail If you fancy a day out that combines art with a bit of exercise, then choose one of the art sculpture trails that have appeared in the city and shire this autumn. There are two to choose from, Clan’s Light the North Trail features 45 2.5 metre tall decorated lighthouse sculptures,…

Better than ever NEOS is back! Yes, North east Open Studios is back and this year’s event promises to be better than ever. After last year’s scaled down event, this year offers the chance to meet and buy from over 250 of the region’s most talented artists, craftspeople and makers.  North East Open Studios runs…

Conjuring up creativity in the workplace Ivor Smith and Jeff Burns of Fifth Dimension have used magic as a visual aid to engage, energise, educate and entertain audiences at business presentations, training workshops and as a promotional tool for companies since they set up in business in 1999. They also use magic to help companies…