Support Saltburn Community Theatre with lottery fund bid

Saltburn Community Theatre has secured a place in the final of the People’s Millions Big Lottery Fund giveaway - with up to £50,000 up for grabs.

The theatre will feature on ITV news when viewers will be asked to vote for their favourite cause.





Arts development promoter for the theatre association Wilma Gardiner-Gill said: “We’re absolutely thrilled that all our hard work has paid off to get us through to the final. We have had a number of celebrities appearing on the stage over the years and this years X-Factor finalist Abi Alton has appeared several times in the past. We're all supporting her in her call for votes."

Please support us in a cause that will benefit the whole community.

The theatre will go head to head with Wooler Royal Voluntary Service.

Two projects will battle it out on November 25, 26 and 27. The three winners with most TV votes and a runner up will then receive funding for their various schemes.

If successful, Saltburn Arts will use the cash to refurbish the popular theatre which is situated on Albion Terrace - re-upholstering the theatre seats and replacing lighting and sound equipment.

There will also be opportunities created for volunteers and training.

Wilma said: “Saltburn Community and Arts Association caters for everyone from toddlers right through to silver surfers, holding numerous events.
We are the only project in East Cleveland entered, so please register your support on the People’s Millions website and cast your vote on the day.”

The theatre will be featured on Tyne Tees TV news on the evening of November 27.

Voting lines will be open from 9am until midnight on the day, with calls costing 11p from a BT landline.

UK Pro Surf Tour returns to Saltburn

Thousands of people from across the region are expected to flock to the East Cleveland coast this weekend for round three of the UK Professional Surf Tour. More than 100 professional surfers from all over the UK will wow the crowds when the tour visits Saltburn, on October 19 and 20.




The free to view event, sponsored by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, starts at 10am, on the Saturday, and runs through until 4pm the following day.

Olwyn Peters, the Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: "It's the third time we have hosted the tour and we're really looking forward to welcoming it back. Saltburn is one of the country's best surfing destinations and being a part of this exciting event just reaffirms that.

We have scores of passionate surfers within the borough, and many more from the wider region, who will be especially looking forward to the competition. But surfing is a wonderful spectator sport and one everyone can enjoy. We wish all the competitors the best of luck and we are very much looking forward to seeing them in action."

The Saltburn stage was last won in 2011 by current UK champion, Russell Winter, from Newquay, while this year Newcastle's Sandy Kerr is being tipped as the region's hope.

Organisers believe the event has the potential to boost the local economy by about £100,000 and chose Saltburn because of its relatively consistent surf.

Dave Reed, CEO of UK Pro Surf, said: "We are delighted to be working again with Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council to bring our National Pro Surfing Tour to Saltburn.
Our professional surfers are looking forward to showcasing their talents to the local community."

There will be five categories comprising of professional men, women, juniors as well as under 18's boys and girls.
Specific timing's will be dependent on the surf and weather. For more information about the event visit www.ukprosurf.com

Record-breaking summer gives record-breaking Bloom results.

A record number of Northumbria in Bloom Gold medal certificates have been won by well over 100 communities and groups across the North East, involving the volunteers and council members dedicated to brightening up their areas.

The awards were presented on 17th September by popular writer and broadcaster John Grundy at the prestigious Northumbria in Bloom ceremony, held in the Sunderland Stadium of Light.

The historic small market town of Sedgefield won the Percy Boydell Trophy for Overall Best Entry for 2013. Along with the trophy for Best Small Town and their Gold medal certificate, Sedgefield is one of Northumbria in Bloom's outstanding entries in the national Britain in Bloom 2013 competition.

73 places were visited by Northumbria in Bloom judges in the spring and summer, and the overall results reflected steady improvement in the north east. 26 villages, towns and cities achieved Gold certificates, and over 100 special awards were awarded the Gold standard.

Chairman of Northumbria in Bloom, Mrs Eileen Burn, commented: “Despite the seemingly never-ending winter and spring, this has been a summer of triumph – not only the triumph of sunshine and warm temperatures, but the triumph of hardworking volunteers in communities in co-operation with their local councils. That well over half of our villages, towns and cities have achieved higher marks or stayed at the same level this year says it all. When economic gloom hangs over our heads we just get those heads down and produce fantastic results. Our judges this year have discovered countless examples of enterprise and initiative.”

Mrs Burn reminded the volunteers and guests at the Stadium of Light that the Northumbria in Bloom campaign isn't just about winning accolades. She continued, "Remember that above all you are doing this for yourselves. What you are doing in the way of gardening, reclaiming poor areas, conservation, keeping your community up to the mark is all about caring for where you live, being proud of where you are, and working together to achieve results not just for you today but for the next generation."




Saltburn Town won a Gold Award and was overall trophy winner for the best coastal town (pop. 35,000 or less).
Saltburn Library Garden won a Gold Award and was overall trophy winner for the best voluntary project category.
Laurieston Care home won a Gold Award in the Grounds for Care Homes, Residential and Convalescent Homes category.
Saltburn Railway Station won a Gold medal award and was overall trophy winner in the best Railway, Bus or Metro station category.
The Valley Gardens were awarded a Gold Medal Award in the Parks category.

Next year will be the 50th anniversary of Northumbria in Bloom and Britain in Bloom.

The Awards ceremony for RHS Britain in Bloom will be held in Cleethorpes on October 11. Northumbria in Bloom has six entries, Stanghow (Champion of Champions), Eston, Moorsholm*, Morpeth, Sedgefield, and Stockton on Tees. (*This is a first time national entry for Moorsholm, which comes in the Village category).

Flooding chaos.

Hundreds of people were caught up in flash flooding yesterday with many roads closed and houses damaged by the deluge. Following continual heavy downpours, Teesside was at the mercy of rising floodwater and dangerous driving conditions with many roads still closed today.




Saltburn was badly affected with Saltburn Bank submerged in deep water when both Saltburn Gill and Skelton Beck overflowed causing Saltburn’s Cat Nab car park to become fully submerged. The miniature railway in the Valley Gardens and parts of the adventure playground were also badly affected.


Cleveland Fire crews responded to calls at 230 different locations between 3.50pm and 10.40pm predominantly across the East Cleveland and Hartlepool areas. They were assisted by crews across Teesside and from neighbouring Durham and Darlington Fire services Fire Brigade and North Yorkshire Fire Brigade.

Rescues were made from vehicles and houses and in some cases the brigade’s rescue boat was used.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police confirmed Redcar and Cleveland had been worst affected by the floods with many roads experiencing high levels of surface water, making driving conditions extremely difficult.

People were advised not to make journeys unless necessary and if they must travel, to avoid driving into deep standing water and to drive at an appropriate speed.

There are no reports of anyone unaccounted for or injured at this time.

Whale watching.

Scientists are using evidence of whale sightings off the North-East coast to help in their conservation.

The National Whale and Dolphin Watch took place around Britain from July 27 to August 4.




Of the more than 400 sightings, the North-East coast was the only place to record a Humpback whale, while the Yorkshire coast was the only site to spot a sei whale.

A minke whale and a Humpback were recorded off Whitburn Coastal Park, near Sunderland, while other Minkes were seen feeding for three consecutive days off Scarborough, including among them a group of three. A Minke was also spotted off the coast at Saltburn.




The Sei whale was seen near Whitby, along with white beaked dolphins and a harbour porpoise.

Harbour porpoises and Minke whales were also seen off Seahouses in Northumberland.

The results of the count, which is organised by the national marine research and conservation charity, the Sea Watch Foundation, will be analysed by the North-East Environmental Records Information Centre and the charity, Orca, and will be made public by the end of the month. It is expected that the number of sightings will rise considerably.

Sea Watch sightings officer, Danielle Gibas, said: "The event really captured the hearts and minds of members of the public. The good weather throughout much of the watch helped to engage people and we will be able to create a very clear picture of what species were around the coast."

A cetacean map will be drawn up plotting the sightings to give a picture of the distribution and numbers of the ten different species recorded across the UK.

While there was plenty of good news, there was also a potentially worrying development - a lack of reports of pilot and fin whales.

"We have had some very interesting sightings which we will now be analysing," said Ms Gibas. "The watch has confirmed, for instance, common dolphins now range to the north of Scotland and beyond - and the use of the North-East coast by significant numbers of minke whales."

"We know that pilot and fin whales are also regular visitors to our coastal waters. They have already been seen this year and we would expect them to be seen again during the summer."

Food Festival in Full Swing

Michelin-starred chef and TV’s Great British Menu winner Kenny Atkinson was one of the star attractions at the first ever Saltburn Food Festival.




Mr Atkinson, who recently left the five-star Rockliffe Hall, near Darlington, took a break from his latest venture to entertain the crowds at the Milton Street event today.

The chef, who is due to open his own restaurant on Newcastle’s Quayside later this year, is also the patron of Saltburn Farmer’s Market.

Mr Atkinson gave cooking demonstrations at 11.30am and 1.30pm to the crowds who packed out the street festival.

For food lovers, North-East producers were selling cheese, wine, meat, baked goods and sweet treats at the event.

Other attractions included Saltburn’s own Greedy Bassets Kitchen and Nobia African cuisine, run by Ghana born Nobia Deprez, who lives in Middlesbrough.

There were also picnic tables and live music so that visitors could relax throughout the day at the street-party style event.

Trapped couple refuse rescue at cliffs

Reported by Dave Cocks
Deputy Launching Authority & Lifeboat Press Officer at Redcar.

A couple trapped by the rising tide at the base of cliffs at Saltburn declined to be rescued by RNLI lifeboats on Saturday 3 August 2013.

The man and woman were seen to be stranded at Penny Hole, a notorious cut-off point at the bottom of Huntcliff, by RNLI lifeguards based at Saltburn.

Both RNLI lifeboats from Redcar launched at 2pm, approximately half an hour before high tide, and quickly located the middle-age couple.

The smaller inshore lifeboat was taken into the cliff base near to the couple’s location in preparation for the rescue. However when a crew member went ashore, the man and woman declined to be rescued into the lifeboat.

It is believed that the couple were walking along the base of the cliffs and had misjudged the time needed to get clear of the incoming tide.

Dave Cocks from Redcar RNLI said: ‘Our crew were a little taken aback when the stranded pair declined our offer of rescue. The gentleman was confident of his own knowledge of tides and was quite happy to sit it out until the tide fell back again.

‘We gave the couple advice about the risks from falling rocks and, after consulting with the coastguards coordinating the rescue, the lifeboats were stood down.

‘They had a picnic with them, which was probably just as well bearing in mind it was going to be at least two hours before there was any chance of them getting to a place of safety.’

Dave Cocks added: ‘There are always two risks to consider when walking close to the bottom of any cliffs. The first is being cut off by the tide and the second is being injured by falling rocks. There have been incidents elsewhere in the country where a section of cliff has collapsed with fatal consequences.’

The lifeboats returned to Redcar while lifeguards continued to monitor the couple's safety.


image of the Redcar RNLI inshore lifeboat at Huntcliff. Credit: Dave Cocks

Redcar lifeboat station has been operating since 1802
Redcar currently operates a B-class lifeboat named Leicester Challenge III, paid for by the people of Leicester, and an IB1-class lifeboat named Jacky Hunsley, paid from the legacy of the late Jacqueline Hunsley of Leeds.
For more news, information and images go to www.redcarlifeboat.org.uk
Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redcarrnli
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RedcarRNLI
RNLI media contacts:
For more information please telephone Dave Cocks, RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer on 07894 558 483, or contact RNLI Public Relations on 01202 336789; pressoffice@rnli.org.uk