The Saltburn scene is blooming.

Saltburn, with it's Victorian heritage, the pier, Cliff Lift and Valley Gardens, has much to offer visitors. As well as offering traditional seaside pastimes, the north facing sands and great surfing 'breaks' attract a large community of surfers.
Today the plethora of festival events on offer are also proving to be an increasingly big attraction for visitors to the town.
Saltburn's Folk Festival is well esablished and this years festival will be held from August 10th to 12th. Participants and fans arrive from all over the country, some even travelling from abroad, for the annual celebration. This years line-up of musicians includes local folk hero Vin Garbutt, as well as a long list other performers including Sara Grey, Nebula, Kieron Means, Ben Paley and Feet First. The festival weekend also has anumber of other events on offer, including ceilidhs, singarounds, music and computing workshops, crafts and markets. A campsite is also set up to accomodate the influx of interested visitors.
Saltburn's annual One-act Drama Festival, organised by Saltburn 53 Drama Group, has been running since 1990, with this years performances held in March. The aim of the festival is to help encourage new writers and new drama, as well as encouraging people to show what they can do. Drama groups have taken part in the festival from as far away as Consett, Durham, Scarborough and Northallerton. People come to the event year after year and it has become a really good social gathering. The event is held as part of the All England Theatre Festival, with winning performances progressing through a series of rounds, culminating in national finals.
Saltburn does not have its own purpose-built cinema but the Saltburn Community and Arts Association’s Film Society regularly transforms Saltburn's Community Theatre into a cinema, complete with big screen. The town’s first film festival was organised in May with an invitation for movie critic Barry Norman to visit Saltburn to help launch the event. Dates for next years event have already been set.
So many festivals are developing in Saltburn catering for all sorts of tastes and the Community and Arts Group is looking in to the possibility of a jazz festival in the future, catering for all kinds of jazz, from traditional to progressive.
Comedy events are also held at the theatre helping to bring a whole new audience to what is recognised as one of Saltburn's most beautiful buildings. The most recent addition to Saltburn’s festival season is the town’s first comedy festival which will bring previews of Edinburgh Festival performances to Saltburn Community Theatre over four nights in July. Festival organiser and promoter Rob O’Connor, of media and PR firm ten past eight, said: “I could talk for ages about this, but this line-up pretty much speaks for itself. It’s a fantastic mix. This has all come together very quickly, and I think we’re going to have four memorable nights here.”

Saltburn can not be described as a typical commercial seaside town, today it is a place which attracts a lot of artistic talent.

For more information about the 10th Saltburn Festival of Folk Music, Dance and Song to be held in August contact 0798 009 3898 or from Saltburn Tourist Information. Tickets £48 or Saturday tickets £28 and Sunday tickets £25.

Details of Saltburn’s first comedy festival can be found online . All shows are at Saltburn Community Theatre. Tickets are £12 or £38 for a full festival ticket covering all four nights on 01642 729729 or from Middlesbrough Town Hall box office.

Jurassic Park?

James Moore, 49, of Redcar hopes to have made a Jurassic discovery off Saltburn’s shoreline after coming across what could be dinosaur fossils visible in the slate bed below Huntcliff. The region's coastline is known as the Jurassic Coast as it offers a rich hunting ground for fossil finders. Mr Moore was collecting shellfish at the base of Huntcliff around dusk when he noticed what appeared to be a giant backbone embedded in the rock about 200yards from the cliff face. He has been in touch with the Dorman Museum in Middlesbrough and Tees Archaeology in Hartlepool, who now plan to visit the site next week to take a closer look at his discovery.
Mr Moore said, “It tapers away with the head part not visible, as it is further under the slate. I could make out an arm and a claw, it’s a red rock which makes it distinctive against the grey slate.” Experts will have to work around the changing tide to verify Mr Moore’s discovery with something like four hours between the tides to examine the find.
Peter Roe, of Tees Archaeology, said: “I’m looking forward to going out to see it and recording what we find.” Geology experts will also examine Mr Moore’s discovery with the aim of shedding light on the species and whether it is a common find.

Saltburn hits 'The Times'

"Bargain boltholes in Saltburn by the Sea, Terraces named after gems are attracting investors in Saltburn."
This is the headlines in this weeks Times property investment pages. Read the full article here.

Stepping out

Staff and regulars of 'Windsor's pub are planning a 10 mile fundraising walk from Staithes back to the pub on Sunday, June 17th, to help raise funds to repair the roof of Saltburn's Community Hall. The building was targeted by thieves in March who stripped lead from the roof. The hall’s insurance didn’t include vandalism, so the Saltburn Community and Arts Association - which pays a peppercorn rent - needs to find funds to repair the roof.
Manageress Doreen Hawkings said: "The hall is at the heart of the community. I felt devastated for its committee when I heard about the theft. It takes a lot of commitment to be involved in running such a centre and to be faced with the repair bill is something which shouldn’t be just left to the committee to deal with. People in Saltburn are rallying around, with a lot of support already shown."
Along with organising the sponsored walk, Doreen has contacted local businesses who are backing a fundraising raffle.
“We’ve got everything from meals at local restaurants and hotels, to a cut and blow dry and a flight in a Tiger Moth. If people don't want to take part in the walk I'd urge them to just pop in and buy a raffle ticket.” said Doreen.
Winning tickets will be drawn following the sponsored walk.
Raffle tickets are available at various outlets including Windsor’s, Real Meals and Trends hairdressing salon.
Sponsor forms to support the walkers are available from the pub on 01287 622222.

Saltburn priest robbed

A local Saltburn priest has told of his shock after he was threatened in his home by a thug who stole his car and crashed it in the garden. 72 year old Canon William Madden of Our Lady of Lourdes Presbytery answered the door to a man who pushed his way inside and demanded his wallet and the keys to his car. The Canon handed over £80 from his wallet and the keys to his silver Vauxhall Meriva. The robber jumped in the car and drove it out of the garden before veering back into the presbytery garden through a fence. He then smashed into a wall before crashing into an ornate metal gate. He left the car and fled, but was chased by 18-year-old Malcolm Keeler who was nearby. He and a woman gave chase in her car and spotted the thug near the Watson Ford car dealership around the corner. They cornered the thief in a nearby alleyway and waited for the local police to arrive and arrest the 29 year old male who is being held on charges of burglary. Canon Madden was treated by a nurse after the incident at 6.10pm on Wednesday night but was not seriously injured. He said: “I didn’t suffer any injuries. I was shocked by it though. It has definitely made me more wary.”
Last month Father Derek Turnham, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese Of Middlesbrough, was also robbed by a crack addict with a 12-inch knife.
Fr Turnham said: “We want to express great relief that Canon Madden is only shaken and unhurt. We are also grateful to all the neighbours and people who rallied round to provide assistance while the police were very swift in reacting.”

Countryside Walks and Events

Download Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s
Countryside Events and Walks leaflet for 2007

GENERAL NOTES
Unless otherwise stated all events are free of charge. For all day walks or events participants are advised to bring a packed lunch and something to drink. For outdoor events good weather cannot be guaranteed! Please come prepared with outdoor footwear and waterproofs, if it’s sunny, wear suncream. Walk leaders are experienced and carry basic first aid kits but they reserve the right to decide who may in their judgement, join any of the walks outlined in this leaflet. Walks will start promptly; please ensure you arrive on time. Walks with 3 or less participants may be cancelled.

Learning Campus endorsed by Councillors

A scheme to provide a multi-million pound schools centre has cleared another hurdle despite concerns over potential chaotic traffic problems.
Councillors yesterday approved a detailed planning application for the £16m Saltburn Learning Campus project.
The campus will provide a secondary school to replace the existing Huntcliff School buildings, and a primary school to replace the two Saltburn Primary School sites, at Marske Mill Lane and Upleatham Street.
The development on the current Huntcliff School site will create a modern campus, expanding on the existing facilities of a children's centre, leisure centre and multi-use games area.
It is hoped the first of two phases will start next month, with the building of the secondary school. The second phase - the primary school - is to be completed by September 2009.
Outline planning permission was granted in May last year, but Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's planning committee was asked to approve a more detailed application yesterday.
During the meeting, residents spoke of their concerns over the increase in traffic and possible congestion caused by the access road to the site.
The campus is to take 1,000 pupils, both primary and secondary.
One resident of Marske Mill Lane told councillors she had suffered a loss of privacy by a long line of cars queuing opposite her home, which would be made worse with the new scheme, which included traffic lights in front of her house.
Councillor Philip Thompson said: "Looking at the plan, there are areas where I think we have difficulties in terms of highway safety.
"Given that the access to the school is also going to share access to the leisure centre and cricket and tennis club, my concern is the traffic volume. This is going to need considerable management.
"I would wish to see much more detailed proposals to how traffic is going to be managed. The junction with Marske Road and Guisborough Road is already an area that gives considerable potential for congestion."
Officers agreed to investigate the possibility of introducing double-yellow lines and traffic calming measures.
Saltburn resident Michael Morrissey raised concerns over the loss of a hedge in Guisborough Road.
He said: "Hedges are something we all take for granted. These school plans look good - an attractive building, well thought-out landscaping - but there is a two-metre high fence going to go all the way round the building. Some local residents have asked for the fence to be put inside the hedge."

Speciality Market

ON Saturday June the 9th as part of The National Week of Independent Retailers, Saltburn is hosting a market showcasing a selection of the best North East produce.
The Real Meals Speciality Market has become well established in Saltburn and has a strong following of independent retailers. The speciality market takes place outside Sommerfield, the largest supermarket in the town.
Organiser, Lorna Jackson, says "As an independent retailer we can no longer afford to sit back and wait for customers. We need to be proactive and join with other retailers to offer shopper great choice and service.”
Since the Agora Partnership was formed Saltburn has run a series of initiatives to strengthen its shopping and visitor experience. Local business owner Elaine Dyer says “Chocolini’s supports the market because it is fun. Saltburn has successfully retained its traditional high street and the market adds to the atmosphere."