Doors open at Margrove Park Heritage Centre

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is celebrating the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by hosting a wildlife gardening celebration event on Sunday, April 25 at Margrove Park Heritage Centre, between Guisborough and Boosebeck, from 10am to 4pm.

This free drop-in event will provide an opportunity to find out how to improve your garden or allotment for wildlife. The day will include a host of activities ranging from growing and using herbs, tips on creating a wildlife pond for frogs and newts, growing vegetables in tubs and selecting plants for a nectar garden for bees and butterflies.

'Death of Steel'

Among the first pieces to be showcased at the new ArtsBank commercial gallery opened this bank holiday in Saltburn is the exhibition 'Death of Steel', featuring artworks relating to the current situation facing Teesside’s steel industry. The exhibition will run for six months.
The new venue aims to champion the enormous and rich crop of northern artistic talent.
ArtsBank has been 12 months in the planning with six months of hard work required to transform the derelict bank into a gallery space.
“It’s nice to be finally launching,” said Bryan Goodall. “Our aim is to feature work by artists from Newcastle to York. There’s so much great work being done in our area.”
Work on show at ArtsBank will not be exclusively from the North, but future shows will focus on major creative figures, most of whose work has its roots in the region.

Library and Tourist Information Centre now open.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council opened the combined library and Tourist Information Centre in Saltburn over the four days of the Easter weekend.
The library is now home to the TIC, moved from its location in the town's Station Buildings, creating a new dual facility.
The Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism Councillor Sheelagh Clarke explained: "It's something we have planned to do for quite some time and we're delighted we have managed to do it in Saltburn. It will be the first time we've opened a library across a Bank Holiday weekend and we're pleased our staff have helped us achieve that. Hopefully, it will be of benefit to both residents and visitors alike and it's something we hope to offer other areas in the future."

ArtsBank

ArtsBank is a major new artistic initiative, privately funded, and based on Teesside. Successful local businessman Bryan Goodall (FRSA and chairman of the Hambleton Group) has assembled a group of like-minded directors, and has formed ArtsBank, with a £600k initial investment. ArtsBank is a Community Interest Company, and it aims to give a massive boost to the work of creative people across the north east, and beyond.
At its April opening, ArtsBank will showcase more than fifty visual artists. They are the cream of an enormous and rich crop of northern talent: painters, photographers, sculptors and craftspeople, from all generations. Some are renowned. Some are neglected. Some are unknown. But all deserve the widest exposure.

Profile on Weegee

The Profile Gallery, Saltburn, is currently showing work by the late Austrian-born American press photographer Weegee, the first time his pictures have been exhibited on Teesside.
The show is part of the gallery’s link with Amber, the film and photography collective based at Side Gallery in Newcastle, which has an extensive archive, including one of the best collections of Weegee’s work in the world.
Born Usher Fellig, Weegee captured the gritty underbelly of 1930s’ and 1940s’ New York, earning his nickname because he was usually first on the scene with his small Speed Graphic camera.
His photographs capture decisive moments, from gangland hits to women attending opera and children playing with water from a fire hydrant on the lower east side.
He was famous for his crimescene work, but also recorded all aspects of life as social documentary, often with humour and irony.
The exhibition runs until June 5, with 30 images on display, including pictures of Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali.

Dog walkers rescued.

Two dog walkers sparked a rescue mission when they were cut off by the incoming tide tide at Huntcliff.
One of them was able to dial 999 from his mobile and both RNLI lifeboats from Redcar were launched, at about 3.30pm yesterday.
Both men, together with Staffordshire terrier Shelley, were rescued from the cliff bottom before being transferred to the Redcar lifeboat.
They said, "We'd gone for a walk along the shore from Saltburn towards the cliffs.
When we realised we were trapped we called the coastguard and they sent the lifeboat.
The ride back to Redcar in the lifeboat was a bit scary - like a rollercoaster!"
They were taken back to Redcar's lifeboat station and treated for the effects of the cold.
A Sea King rescue helicopter from RAF Leconfield had also been dispatched but was turned round when the men were rescued by the lifeboat.
Cameron Bond, helmsman of the Redcar inshore lifeboat Jacky Hunsley, said, "The job was relatively straightforward, but they were glad to see us. We get called to this point a lot of times, so we're well-practised at getting people out safely.
Huntcliff is a notorious point, and dozens of people have been rescued over the years. Anyone walking the beach should carefully check the tide times and leave plenty of time to get away safely."
With this incident counting as two call-outs because both boats were launched, it already makes it, with five jobs, the busiest start to a year in the lifeboat station's 208-year history.

Braving the Waters

Overnight snow failed to stop a plucky band of swimmers from enjoying the now annual New Year’s Day dip in icy sea water. About ten hardy people, dressed mainly in t-shirts and leggings, welcomed 2010 by wading into the North Sea to raise money for Saltburn Animal Rescue Association (Sara).
Association chairwoman Ann Prosser said she was amazed that, despite the bad weather, more than 50 supporters also turned up to cheer them on. A beach collection raised £80 for the association, which will go towards the Foxrush Farm Sanctuary and Rehoming Centre in Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar.
"As an animal sanctuary, we would not manage without the generosity of the public and we are so grateful for that.”