Saltburn has maintained much of its original charm as a Victorian seaside resort including its pier, the colourful Italian gardens and walks through Riftswood. Whatever you need to know about Saltburn by the Sea this is the place to start. Read the local news and add your own comments and views!
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Another yarn...
Another addition to Saltburn's yarn bombing appeared yesterday. Perched proudly on her throne, complete with corgis, HRH Elizabeth sits knitting an outfit for William and Kate's baby. This new addition can be seen on the railings outside the Community Theatre.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Return of Saltburn Farmers Markets
Local food fans have a tasty springtime treat to look forward too, with Saltburn Farmers’ Market back after a winter break with its first event of the year on Saturday 9 March.
The brand new season follows hot on the heels of the popular monthly Market’s glowing annual survey results and, according to Market organisers, there’s never been a better time to buy local!
Market organiser Lorna Jackson said: “The first Farmers’ Market of the year is a sure sign that spring is in the air, and we can’t wait to get started again.
It’s a perfect time to come to Saltburn and stay all day. Wander round the Market, the shops, the cafes, the art galleries, the salesrooms, the pier, and maybe even the beach and the woods. That’s what Saltburn’s all about.”
It all began one cold wintry Saturday in 2008. Frozen to the spot and at the mercy of an Arctic blast's icy grip, Lorna Jackson could have been forgiven for regretting her latest venture.
Huddling for warmth while a blizzard angrily swirled past, she had just launched the first Saltburn Farmer's Market amid bone-chilling Easter temperatures.
It may have been a slightly inauspicious start with some customers put off by the cold, but Lorna is made of sterner stuff and shrugged off those dark clouds, worked hard, and six years on has catapulted the farmers' market into a glowing beacon of locally-sourced food in the North-East.
From its humble beginnings, the monthly market, in Saltburn, east Cleveland, now attracts nearly 10,000 people, with mother-of-two Lorna hoping for continued success.
Lorna, who is a partner in her family-run business, Real Meals Deli, in Saltburn, said: “It was so cold back in 2008, we thought we would freeze if we didn’t keep moving, but we thought we had something special, and were determined to make it work.
We could feel in our bones that last year was just getting busier and busier as it went along, and we are confident we helped about 100,000 people come into the town last year.
Such is the market's success, traders now have to sign up to a waiting list before they can show off their produce to customers.
Lorna studied ecology at university before working as a farm manager in White Waltham, near Maidenhead.
But she is a North-East girl and knows all about a seaside town's unique fabric after picking up pocket money in her younger days by helping to run beach donkey rides.
She said the market was catering for consumers' precise needs, but revealed its origins were not so straightforward.
She said: “The organisers of a folk festival approached us and asked if we would mind if there was a market.
We had no problem at all, because, if anything, it was only going to increase awareness of good food.
We were then approached about a month later and asked if we wanted to run the market for them as a one-off.
It was extremely successful and someone who runs a Christmas celebration then approached us to do a market for that.
From that point, the market has grown and grown, and it creates such a nice feeling and liveliness in the town.
People have an appetite for how their food is produced and who is producing it, and those queries are answered instantly by the farmers' market.
It is like a theatre on the High Street, it is an exciting and vibrant place to be and people are swept up by that.”
Lorna said there has been a spiked increase after the horsemeat scandal, with customers more eager than ever to find out about their food.
She said: “The markets could not be more topical at the moment because of people's desire and need to know where their food is coming from but also exactly what it is.
That is part of the reason the markets have grown, and that point is made even more clearer when you see how television chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have brought important food issues, such as pig rearing and chicken farming into focus.
The market is great for giving people the information they want and that has been reflected in its success.”
The market returns on Saturday, March 9, and organisers also hope to stage a food festival in August, with Lorna excitedly looking to the future.
She said: “I love the markets and the deli, there is such a good mix of work, but one of the best parts is choosing the products, we taste test our meats, cheeses and salamis, which is fantastic.
But I also enjoy the customer relationship side of the business, engaging with people and talking to them because we have such a great mix of customers.
We wanted to get the appetite for food, rather than squash it, and we have.
Once you get people trying and liking something, they never go back.”
Saltburn Farmers’ Market returns for a brand new season on Saturday 9 March at 9am, just outside Sainsbury’s, near the Railway Station. A popular mix of favourite stalls and special guests sell a mix of fresh seasonal fruit & veg, meat & game, free-range eggs, honey & jams, cakes & fudge, wild mushrooms, fresh herbs & chillies, wine & cheese, plus a range of local art & crafts.
The brand new season follows hot on the heels of the popular monthly Market’s glowing annual survey results and, according to Market organisers, there’s never been a better time to buy local!
Market organiser Lorna Jackson said: “The first Farmers’ Market of the year is a sure sign that spring is in the air, and we can’t wait to get started again.
It’s a perfect time to come to Saltburn and stay all day. Wander round the Market, the shops, the cafes, the art galleries, the salesrooms, the pier, and maybe even the beach and the woods. That’s what Saltburn’s all about.”
It all began one cold wintry Saturday in 2008. Frozen to the spot and at the mercy of an Arctic blast's icy grip, Lorna Jackson could have been forgiven for regretting her latest venture.
Huddling for warmth while a blizzard angrily swirled past, she had just launched the first Saltburn Farmer's Market amid bone-chilling Easter temperatures.
It may have been a slightly inauspicious start with some customers put off by the cold, but Lorna is made of sterner stuff and shrugged off those dark clouds, worked hard, and six years on has catapulted the farmers' market into a glowing beacon of locally-sourced food in the North-East.
From its humble beginnings, the monthly market, in Saltburn, east Cleveland, now attracts nearly 10,000 people, with mother-of-two Lorna hoping for continued success.
Lorna, who is a partner in her family-run business, Real Meals Deli, in Saltburn, said: “It was so cold back in 2008, we thought we would freeze if we didn’t keep moving, but we thought we had something special, and were determined to make it work.
We could feel in our bones that last year was just getting busier and busier as it went along, and we are confident we helped about 100,000 people come into the town last year.
Such is the market's success, traders now have to sign up to a waiting list before they can show off their produce to customers.
Lorna studied ecology at university before working as a farm manager in White Waltham, near Maidenhead.
But she is a North-East girl and knows all about a seaside town's unique fabric after picking up pocket money in her younger days by helping to run beach donkey rides.
She said the market was catering for consumers' precise needs, but revealed its origins were not so straightforward.
She said: “The organisers of a folk festival approached us and asked if we would mind if there was a market.
We had no problem at all, because, if anything, it was only going to increase awareness of good food.
We were then approached about a month later and asked if we wanted to run the market for them as a one-off.
It was extremely successful and someone who runs a Christmas celebration then approached us to do a market for that.
From that point, the market has grown and grown, and it creates such a nice feeling and liveliness in the town.
People have an appetite for how their food is produced and who is producing it, and those queries are answered instantly by the farmers' market.
It is like a theatre on the High Street, it is an exciting and vibrant place to be and people are swept up by that.”
Lorna said there has been a spiked increase after the horsemeat scandal, with customers more eager than ever to find out about their food.
She said: “The markets could not be more topical at the moment because of people's desire and need to know where their food is coming from but also exactly what it is.
That is part of the reason the markets have grown, and that point is made even more clearer when you see how television chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have brought important food issues, such as pig rearing and chicken farming into focus.
The market is great for giving people the information they want and that has been reflected in its success.”
The market returns on Saturday, March 9, and organisers also hope to stage a food festival in August, with Lorna excitedly looking to the future.
She said: “I love the markets and the deli, there is such a good mix of work, but one of the best parts is choosing the products, we taste test our meats, cheeses and salamis, which is fantastic.
But I also enjoy the customer relationship side of the business, engaging with people and talking to them because we have such a great mix of customers.
We wanted to get the appetite for food, rather than squash it, and we have.
Once you get people trying and liking something, they never go back.”
Saltburn Farmers’ Market returns for a brand new season on Saturday 9 March at 9am, just outside Sainsbury’s, near the Railway Station. A popular mix of favourite stalls and special guests sell a mix of fresh seasonal fruit & veg, meat & game, free-range eggs, honey & jams, cakes & fudge, wild mushrooms, fresh herbs & chillies, wine & cheese, plus a range of local art & crafts.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Saltburn Food Festival planned.
Saltburn is set to hold its first ever food festival this summer.
Lorna Jackson, organiser of Saltburn's Farmers Market, has announced a new food festival is being planned to take place in August following the success of the town’s farmers’ market which has almost trebled its number of visitors in two years.
The monthly market’s latest independent annual survey showed that 9,672 people visited in October last year.
That represents a 112 per cent increase on the 4,566 visitors at its previous survey in May 2011, and a 174 per cent jump from 3,530 visitors in May 2010.
The figures have persuaded the market organisers to hold a food festival in the summer.
Lorna said: “We’re especially delighted to find that a huge 67 per cent of shoppers thought that a wide range of fresh local produce difficult to find elsewhere was the main attraction of the market. It’s a far cry from our first market in an Easter blizzard back in 2008."
"We’ve decided to hold a dedicated food festival in August this year, and we’re now in the very early stages of planning and talking with various people who may be involved. It’s another exciting first for us.”
The first Saltburn farmers’ market of the year returns on Saturday, March 9th.
Lorna Jackson, organiser of Saltburn's Farmers Market, has announced a new food festival is being planned to take place in August following the success of the town’s farmers’ market which has almost trebled its number of visitors in two years.
The monthly market’s latest independent annual survey showed that 9,672 people visited in October last year.
That represents a 112 per cent increase on the 4,566 visitors at its previous survey in May 2011, and a 174 per cent jump from 3,530 visitors in May 2010.
The figures have persuaded the market organisers to hold a food festival in the summer.
Lorna said: “We’re especially delighted to find that a huge 67 per cent of shoppers thought that a wide range of fresh local produce difficult to find elsewhere was the main attraction of the market. It’s a far cry from our first market in an Easter blizzard back in 2008."
"We’ve decided to hold a dedicated food festival in August this year, and we’re now in the very early stages of planning and talking with various people who may be involved. It’s another exciting first for us.”
The first Saltburn farmers’ market of the year returns on Saturday, March 9th.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
Meg
Sam and Meg from Ian Forsyth - Documentary Photog on Vimeo
Meg is now 2 years old. When my girlfriend Alice and I got Meg as a 10 week old ball of fluff who knew what was to follow! While giving Meg basic puppy training at home I found she would do pretty much anything for her ball, so I gradually made the tricks harder and she was and still is keen to learn more and more!
As a Saltburn surfer I spend most of my time down at the beach and naturally Meg is with me. The trick training soon started attracting the attention of passing locals and tourists who would gather to watch Meg in action!
At the start Meg used to watch us surf from my van, or at the surf shop with her Labrador friend ‘Barley’ owned by Gary Rogers of Saltburn Surf Shop.
Gradually we noticed her desire to be in the sea with us so I started playing on the shallows with her and a board. She loved it so we went further until we were surfing properly. I never take her into big surf or make her do anything she doesn’t want to do, but she loves to learn, loves to play and loves the attention she gets from onlookers from the pier and beach. She now has her own surfboard and life jacket, and of course we always take a ball with us to play fetch in the sea!
Meg’s tricks and surfing has attracted the attention of various media, which we are thrilled by. Meg loves to pose and have her photo taken, and loves playing with anyone who will throw the ball for her! I don’t plan to enter Meg into contests as we do it just for fun, but of course the media attention is much welcome.
I am currently trying to get her in various newspapers and magazines, and trying to get her food or equipment sponsorship so if anyone could help with that please let us know!
If you see us down at the surf shop, please feel free to come and say hi, take a photo and give my ball throwing arm a rest!
Sam Davis
Saltburn gets the Blues - Let the Good Times Roll for 2013
Saltburn's one-year-old rhythm and blues club has ambitious plans for 2013.
Gig promoter Harry Simpson says that despite its name the club is a perfect place to escape from ‘the blues.’
“Some people feel blues music is miserable. But it’s not, it’s often very upbeat,” said Harry who started the not- for-profit club because he saw a gap in the local market. “In fact the most famous blues song of all is called Let The Good Times Roll!”
Harry has lined up a list of national and international names in the blues scene to play in 2013 upstairs at the Spa Hotel.
American singer Kirsten Thien, who appeared at the club in October, started the big-name push.
2013 bands include top blues names The Emma Wilson Band, Ramon Goose, Jo Harman Band, Kyla Brox and Hokie Joint.
“I hope to attract not just people from Saltburn but from all over the region and beyond,” said Harry, a former police inspector who is now a personal trainer based in Saltburn.
“We have recently created a website www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk where there is a page dedicated to Saltburn and its attractions to encourage people to come to the club and make a weekend of it.”
Many local businesses sponsor the website and the raffle. More are invited to sponsor activities. The Spa is regularly described as one of the best venues in the area by artists performing there with a lively atmosphere and appreciative audience.
The nearby pier features in the blues club’s material. The hotel offers discounted room rates for visitors attending gigs.
Tickets are available from Whistlestop Wines, Saltburn, and www.wegottickets.com.
History note: The blues or “rhythm and blues,” originated in America’s Deep South about 100 years ago. And a lot of rock music comes from the blues - the music of the Beatles, the Animals, the Rolling Stones and Teesside’s Chris Rea were inspired by R and B music, says Harry.
Saltburn Mortuary RIP
The Friends of Saltburn Mortuary have failed in their bid to acquire the mortuary under a Community Asset Transfer.
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have informed us of their decision but will not clarify if the building has been sold or leased. I think it is a great pity that the Council have ignored the voices of so many people and turned their back on the history and heritage of old Saltburn.
The Friends have fought, for five years, to acquire the property so it comes as a bitter disappointment to us. The reasons the Council gave for our failure were:
Concern over the limited opening hours of the building – we had clearly indicated that the building would be open at any time, generating monies via private exhibition rentals etc. These monies would have been used to help maintain the building.
Concern over the lack of funding both in capital and revenue items to sustain the facilities going forward – we had indicated that we had sufficient funding in place. One benefactor had promised to totally refurbish the inside of the building, bringing it back to how it would have been when first built. The Council’s woefully inept way of handling things had meant that we had already lost a £30,000 grant but we were confident that we still had sufficient funding in place.
As Chairman, I will be suggesting the disbandment of the Friends of Saltburn Mortuary at the next Saltburn 500 Club Committee meeting. So there we have it – Saltburn Mortuary, RIP.
I would like to thank you all for your support over the years and wish you all a Happy New Year.
Trevor Welburn
Chairman, Friends of Saltburn Mortuary
Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council have informed us of their decision but will not clarify if the building has been sold or leased. I think it is a great pity that the Council have ignored the voices of so many people and turned their back on the history and heritage of old Saltburn.
The Friends have fought, for five years, to acquire the property so it comes as a bitter disappointment to us. The reasons the Council gave for our failure were:
Concern over the limited opening hours of the building – we had clearly indicated that the building would be open at any time, generating monies via private exhibition rentals etc. These monies would have been used to help maintain the building.
Concern over the lack of funding both in capital and revenue items to sustain the facilities going forward – we had indicated that we had sufficient funding in place. One benefactor had promised to totally refurbish the inside of the building, bringing it back to how it would have been when first built. The Council’s woefully inept way of handling things had meant that we had already lost a £30,000 grant but we were confident that we still had sufficient funding in place.
As Chairman, I will be suggesting the disbandment of the Friends of Saltburn Mortuary at the next Saltburn 500 Club Committee meeting. So there we have it – Saltburn Mortuary, RIP.
I would like to thank you all for your support over the years and wish you all a Happy New Year.
Trevor Welburn
Chairman, Friends of Saltburn Mortuary
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
James Arthur The #Homecoming
The last time James Arthur played at Saltburn's Victoria pub he had a fiver in his pocket and performed to 15 people.
But yesterday, it was very different.
Firstly, it was standing room only inside the Dundas Street East pub where family and friends gathered and waited for his arrival. Secondly, he arrived with a rather special lady on his arm - Pussycat Doll and X Factor mentor, Nicole Scherzinger.
And last but not least they arrived on a pair of £25,000 Harley-Davidson motorbikes - Nicole's had a heated seat - and were immediately mobbed by hundreds of screaming fans.
Heading the queue to meet James were his family. His mum Shirls Ashworth beamed: “It’s incredible - so many people. Last time he played here he had 15 people watching him."
“But he plays with his heart and soul, whether it’s for 15 people or 5,000.”
James admitted he could not believe the turnout and said: “I just want to thank all the fans for their support."
"I am so excited to be back, it has been amazing.”
Nicole joined James in The Vic where she went behind the bar to pull a pint, she also tucked in to some fish and chips and sampled the compulsory Teesside parmo, declaring she liked it (also compulsory) and generally enchanted everyone.
James also delighted the party by performing two songs - Adele’s Hometown Glory and one of his own compositions, Faded, with Nicole joining in.
Afterwards the X Factor bikers were off on their travels again - all the way to the next street for lunch at Rapps cafe bar in Milton Street.
Then it was back to James’s seafront bedsit and a view of the seafront for a bit of TV filming before heading off to Middlesbrough for James town hall gig.
James has also revealed that this time last year he was struggling with depression while he was living alone in his Saltburn bedsit. But now he credits the ITV1 hit show with helping him to beat depression for good.
"Back then I was suffering severe depression. I had just given up on a lot of things, I gave up on myself. I didn't want to leave the house, I couldn't get out of bed. I always had a lot of faith in myself as a singer-songwriter but not as a person. I had nothing in common with the world at all."
He didn't like the way his prescribed anti-depressants made him feel, so stopped taking them - his friends and family rallied around him and persuaded him to audition for The X Factor instead.
Returning home has helped him to step back from The X Factor bubble and realise how far he has come.
He said: “It’s surreal. This time last year I was looking out at the sea from the pier and thinking I’d never fulfil my purpose in life and now I’m here with Nicole Scherzinger at my homecoming.”
James is also playing down his new reputation as a ladies' man and his recent success with the girls. He said: "I'm not complaining about the ladies. Since I've been on the show I've been clubbing three times."
"One was a publicity thing and the other two were when I'd been grafting too hard and needed to blow off some steam and I just went a bit too far on both occasions."
It’s now got me a ‘womaniser’ tag. I’m cool with it but I’m under no illusions that I’m some heart-throb.”
The extended homecoming interview with James Arthur.
James Arthur, the Homecoming at Saltburn and Middlesbrough.
But yesterday, it was very different.
Firstly, it was standing room only inside the Dundas Street East pub where family and friends gathered and waited for his arrival. Secondly, he arrived with a rather special lady on his arm - Pussycat Doll and X Factor mentor, Nicole Scherzinger.
And last but not least they arrived on a pair of £25,000 Harley-Davidson motorbikes - Nicole's had a heated seat - and were immediately mobbed by hundreds of screaming fans.
Heading the queue to meet James were his family. His mum Shirls Ashworth beamed: “It’s incredible - so many people. Last time he played here he had 15 people watching him."
“But he plays with his heart and soul, whether it’s for 15 people or 5,000.”
James admitted he could not believe the turnout and said: “I just want to thank all the fans for their support."
"I am so excited to be back, it has been amazing.”
Nicole joined James in The Vic where she went behind the bar to pull a pint, she also tucked in to some fish and chips and sampled the compulsory Teesside parmo, declaring she liked it (also compulsory) and generally enchanted everyone.
James also delighted the party by performing two songs - Adele’s Hometown Glory and one of his own compositions, Faded, with Nicole joining in.
Afterwards the X Factor bikers were off on their travels again - all the way to the next street for lunch at Rapps cafe bar in Milton Street.
Then it was back to James’s seafront bedsit and a view of the seafront for a bit of TV filming before heading off to Middlesbrough for James town hall gig.
James has also revealed that this time last year he was struggling with depression while he was living alone in his Saltburn bedsit. But now he credits the ITV1 hit show with helping him to beat depression for good.
"Back then I was suffering severe depression. I had just given up on a lot of things, I gave up on myself. I didn't want to leave the house, I couldn't get out of bed. I always had a lot of faith in myself as a singer-songwriter but not as a person. I had nothing in common with the world at all."
He didn't like the way his prescribed anti-depressants made him feel, so stopped taking them - his friends and family rallied around him and persuaded him to audition for The X Factor instead.
Returning home has helped him to step back from The X Factor bubble and realise how far he has come.
He said: “It’s surreal. This time last year I was looking out at the sea from the pier and thinking I’d never fulfil my purpose in life and now I’m here with Nicole Scherzinger at my homecoming.”
James is also playing down his new reputation as a ladies' man and his recent success with the girls. He said: "I'm not complaining about the ladies. Since I've been on the show I've been clubbing three times."
"One was a publicity thing and the other two were when I'd been grafting too hard and needed to blow off some steam and I just went a bit too far on both occasions."
It’s now got me a ‘womaniser’ tag. I’m cool with it but I’m under no illusions that I’m some heart-throb.”
The extended homecoming interview with James Arthur.
James Arthur, the Homecoming at Saltburn and Middlesbrough.
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