As we come towards the end of 2022, it has been another week of variety for me. From covering a 33-15 victory for Darlington Mowden Park over Cinderford to an emotional night at Ramside Hall where the County Durham Together Awards took place. In addition, it was inspirational to see the successful work of Darlington Borough Council's Youth Employment Initiative Team in action, and learn the art of making wreaths at the Hippodrome Theatre's Christmas Open Day. Viv Pow sheds a

An iconic landmark on Teesside was brought to the ground this morning and I had mixed feelings on seeing the final stand of the Redcar blast furnace. Steel production has been synonymous with Redcar for more than 170 years, and it was steel from this region that helped to build globally recognised structures such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Newcastle's Tyne Bridge. A new dawn has emerged however, and there is much hope for the future of the vast steelworks site. Companie

It was a privilege to attend a couple of Remembrance events last week. I witnessed a magnificent giant poppy projected on to one of the cooling towers at the Drax power station near Selby. Several military veterans gathered along with Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax. I also photographed a Remembrance Day service for the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust (NPCAT) outside their Postgate House building in Middlesbrough. A very poignant gathering where in the proc

I've had a real mixture of jobs over the last few days, which has kept things interesting. I returned to the former Redcar steelworks to meet John Baker, who worked there for many years. We were blessed with a beautiful day of sunshine, little breeze and large areas of surface water from recent heavy rain meaning that reflections were in the offering. I travelled to Middlesbrough College for its annual graduation day - a time for celebration after years of study - the Hippodr

As the Rugby League World Cup progresses to the knockout rounds, I'm reflecting on the small role I played in covering the event when the Cook Islands team came to town. Journeys don't come much further than from the South Pacific archipelago to the Tees Valley, at almost 10,000 miles and around 40 hours' journey time. However, during the team's stay I felt more affinity to them than others in the local vicinity. I immediately warmed to the oceanic islanders when they arrived

It's that time of the year again, and it was lovely to meet Christopher Biggins, the star of this year's panto at the Hippodrome Theatre in Darlington - Peter Pan. As a child, I used to love the panto - the interaction between cast and audience, loud music and song, jokes and the tubs of ice cream at the interval. I turned my back on it as a teenager branding it too childish before learning to appreciate it once more as an adult - understanding the ruder and more suggestive j

There’s not many places you can stand and admire ancient Ottoman ruins, stark Communist monoliths and modern-day architecture all at the same time – but Bulgaria is one of them. I’ve always wanted to explore more of eastern Europe and the country’s history, food and great value for money made it a great place to start this personal quest. Although I only scratched the surface with a four-night stay, split between the cities of Plovdiv and Sofia, I came away pleased to have le

As the Lionesses celebrated victory, I was having my own win with a return to a music festival. A lush green setting close to Topcliffe in North Yorkshire was the site for the three day Deer Shed Festival. A family-oriented event with a sway towards the indie music genre, and in line with a weekend which will be celebrated for the success of women, there was a multitude of powerful female acts within the line-up. #girlpower #deershed #deershed12 #festrival #musicfestival #yor