Darlington Monthly February 2023

These days most homeowners suffer from a lack of storage space. So many precious items that need to be kept – but where to store it all? That’s where Yorkshire Loft Ladders come in.

The company, based locally, offers homeowners the opportunity to maximise their storage space with a loft ladder, 50 sq ft of boarding and a light all fully fitted in less than a day from just £277 + VAT. But it’s not just the affordability of the package the company offers that makes Yorkshire Loft Ladders stand out as manager Warren Ingleson explains:

‘Our watchwords are Quality,

Integrity and Value. Quality in the materials that we use for all our installations and the fact that all our loft packages are fitted by time served tradesmen so our customers are assured of the best job. Integrity in that we will turn up at the time we say and make sure the house is spotless when we leave, and Value in that we offer our services at a price people can afford. Our business relies on referrals and we got a huge amount of our calls from people who have been referred to us by our existing customers - that simply wouldn’t happen if we didn’t adhere to our overriding principles.

At the end of the day the old adage that happy customers

lead to more happy customers is true and we work hard to make that happen for every installation we carry out!’

So, if you want to make use of your loft space, however big or

small, call Warren on 0800 612 8359 and he’ll be happy to pop round and give you a no obligation quote so you too can make use of your loft!

Hello!

Welcome to February’s edition of Darlington Monthly.

We’re a whole month into 2023 and it’s already been an exciting one. So many local businesses are hosting some fantastic events that will keep the whole community entertained over half term. Head to page 26 to see exactly what the people of Darlington could be up to over the holidays. There’s been some amazing charitable work done in our town recently, which you can read about on pages 4 and 18.

Of course, we have our usual features this month. You can head over to page 24 to read about Netflix’s new movie: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. While it might not be the Valentine’s Day movie of your dreams, it is certainly an enjoyable watch for the whole family.

We hope you have a wonderful half term, a happy Valentine’s Day, and we will see you again in March!

If you’re looking to make improvements to your loft this month, get in touch with Yorkshire Loft Ladders. With the renowned local firm’s areas of expertise including loft hatches, ladders, boarding, insulation and lighting, you can depend on them to provide the complete service.

Call 0800 612 8359 now, or visit www.yorkshireloftladders. co.uk, for more details and to request a highly competitive quote.

YORKSHIRE

LOFT LADDERS

Congratulations to last month’s competition winners, all winners have been notified. Winners are selected at random. The provider will only receive the details of winning entries in order to fulfil completion of the prize.

Disclaimer...

Whilst we take every care to ensure accuracy in this magazine, we regret that we cannot accept responsibility for any incorrect information. All advertisements are accepted in good faith as to their veracity and we are not responsible for views expressed by contributors or other sources. The copying of any material within this publication is strictly forbidden without the publishers or Studio Managers consent. By providing your email address and entering our competitions you agree to receive email communications from the competition sponsor/prize provider.

Yorkshire Loft Ladders proudly sponsors this month’s Darlington Monthly.

Yorkshire Loft Ladders are the proud sponsor of this month’s Darlington Monthly.

£12,000 raised for St Teresa’s Hospice

Volunteers in Darlington made the aftermath of the festive season as green as ever, by collecting discarded Christmas trees to raise funds for a local hospice.

Over 1,600 were chipped into biomass power, thanks to the efforts of Darlington Rotary Club. The event raised over £12,000 for St Teresa’s Hospice. The hospice is currently forecasting huge deficit budgets and is relying heavily on reserves, as they work through current economic challenges and reviews that are being carried out by the NHS.

It currently costs around £3.5m to provide free inpatient and community care for those with life-limiting illnesses in and around the Darlington area. Two-thirds of this must be raised by the hospice through their own activities.

How did they do it?

Over 80 Rotary Club volunteers crewed 16 vans over two days to collect the discarded Christmas trees around the area, and homeowners made a donation to the hospice in return for their service.

The trees were then chipped on the site of Darlington’s Vauxhall Dealer by Greenworx Ltd. Directors Brett and Ryan Skelton were keen to give back to the hospice after they cared for their mum Hazel, who sadly passed away two years ago.

Additional chipping facilities were volunteered by Jackson Trees. The vans were loaned by Enterprise Rent a Car and Charter Self Drive.

Greenworx Ltd made a second donation to the hospice, taken from the proceeds of the chippings. They also provided a second chipper at Redworth Hall Hotel to accommodate trees being collected in the Aycliffe area.

What’s the benefit? The fundraising effort has provided a lifeline to the hospice, according to their Deputy CHief Executive, Nicola Myers. She said:

“I can’t remember a period so difficult as the one we are currently going through because of the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis, so events like these are a true lifeline.

“Demand on our services is exceptionally high at the moment and our in-patient unit (IPU) is full. To put this latest amazing fundraising in context, £12,000 could pay for the food for patients being cared for in the IPU for the whole year.”

We are pleased that local organisations are supporting one another through these tough times.

Evergreen, Darlington Rotary Club members turn out for the 12 year to recycle Christmas trees in aid of St Teresa’s Hospice

After forming in early 2022, The Steel River Stingrays have spent the last year preparing for their inaugural season in the British American Flag Football league. In preparation for this national competition, the Stingrays have welcomed both seasoned veterans and complete rookies to put on a set of flags and give the sport a try for themselves, and the results have been astounding.

“We’ve been really successful in our recruitment” says Rob Fodor, Head Coach of the Steel River Stingrays. “I think a lot of that comes down to the growing popularity of the NFL in the UK. So many people watch American Football now that obviously more and more people decide they want to give it a try. We’re here for them when they make that decision”.

To the uninitiated, American Football can be a confusing concept, but the aim of the game in both the full-contact and flag variants of the sport is a simple one. Two teams take to the field and compete to score more touchdowns than their opponents by getting the football into an end-zone.

The biggest difference in flag football is that tackling is completed by “flagging” an opponent (or snatching a flag from around their waist).

“This makes our version of the game really attractive to newcomers” Offensive Coordinator Drew Magnet says. “Being non-contact eliminates the need for expensive pads and helmets that are necessary for a full contact game and can cost people thousands of pounds to buy. Flag football makes the sport accessible to just about anyone and also eliminates a lot of the injury risk associated with the full contact version of the game”.

Flag Football teams are smaller than full contact teams, taking on a 5-a-side format rather than 11-a-side and, in the absence of physical tackling, training and tournaments can take place indoors, which is very welcome given the UK’s temperamental climate.

It was this ability to train indoors that saw The Stingrays find a home in Middlesbrough Football Club’s Herlingshaw centre. Each Sunday between 10am and 12pm, the team train on a state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound 4G pitch, shielded from the weather conditions that would see most team’s training sessions cancelled throughout the winter. Throughout the year, the team have attractive sponsorship from a slew of local businesses which means players enjoy team membership with only minimal financial input from themselves. Ultimately, there has never been an easier time to start playing American football in the North East.

“Give it a try”, Rob told us in response to what he would say to someone unsure about stepping onto the field. “We have players of all abilities, genders and ages who train with us, so you really have no excuse not to! We’re a really inclusive team and we’re eager to grow the game in the UK. If you ever wanted to play American Football, now is the time”.

•

•

ELDER BROOK PARK WEST PARK GARDEN VILL AGE

Darlington charity helps residents to sort through loved ones belongings

A charity in Darlington is offering to help ease the burden of the friends and family, by clearing out houses after their loved one has died or gone into care full time.

The house clearing service will operate across Teesside, Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire. It will also work to provide funds for St Teresa’s Hospice, as well as stock for its chain of charity shops.

St Teresa’s Hospice relies on donations to stay afloat, requiring £3.5m every year to provide free in-patient and community care for people reaching the end of their life and their families in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.

As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, intense strains of flu and other winter illnesses, we have seen more and more people faced with clearing out their loved ones homes and belongings after their passing.

Handled with care

Of course, this needs to handled sensitively, as

highlighted by St Teresa’s head of retail, Marjorie McIntyre:

“The service is bespoke to the family’s needs, brings them relief and saves them a lot of heartache, while helping a charity at a particularly challenging time.”

The full process

Over the years, the team at St Teresa’s have become skilled at clearing out houses, understanding how to prioritise the moving process, as described by house clearance manger, Paul Wheatley:

“The first step is to locate any important documents including bank details, passports and insurance papers, then valuables such as jewellery and higher value mementos families might like to keep.

“We once located some wedding and engagement rings which a lady had sewn into the hem of a set of curtains to keep them safe from burglars. We were able to give them to the family after she had gone into a home. We also find English and foreign money hidden in drawers, handbags and in the pages of books, which we return, as well as photographs and other keepsakes.”

The team then sorts through the items they recover from the house, determining what can be salvaged and sold in a shop and what needs to be thrown away or recycled.

Housing clearance ranges from large private homes and council properties to sheds, garages and even gardens. The team visits the site and assesses the amount of work and price up the job.

This service can be accessed directly from the hospice by calling 01325 488701 or emailing sales@ darlingtonhospice.org.uk. Many Darlington solicitors and estate agents are also aware of the scheme and are happy to help you organise St Teresa’s help.

St Teresa’s Hospice house clearance manager Paul Wheatley with a Queen’s armchair that was part of a consignment from a house in Bowes that will be restored and sold in one of the charity shops

The second instalment of the Knives Out Mystery series sees Daniel Craig’s return as the inexplicable and inscrutable Detective Benoit Blanc, complete with even more iconic bold outfit choices. And, one thing is for sure – after the success of the 2019 Knives Out, there were some pretty large boots to fill.

This time, Blanc is invited to join the annual meet-up of long time friends, tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton), politician Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn),

like Sherlock Holmes, yet a name akin to Hercule Poirot. With these things in mind, the Glass Onion whodunnit really is a love letter to those classic detective stories we all know and love.

The only difference is that writer Rian Johnson takes the trope – usually set in an English countryside home, played out by the stereotypes of the British upper class – and transplants it onto the extravagant private island of a billionaire, with a cast full of American caricatures.

Georgia Paskell Copywriter

3.5 glass rating

CINEMA DARLINGTON

Sponsored

What’s on is sponsored by:

Things to look out for in... February

Gary Delaney: Gary in Punderland

17th February - 8pm - Stockton Arts Centre, Stockton-upon-Tees

Are you ready to step through the laughing glass and into punderland? It’s time to dive down the rabbit hole of the best jokes in the world, written by sought after comedian, Gary Delaney. Enjoy a steady stream of one-liners from one of Mock the Week’s long standing special guests. Book your seat here: arconline.co.uk/whats-on

February Half Term in the Deer Park

18th February - 10am - Raby Castle Park and Gardens, Staindrop

Catch the first signs of spring at Raby Castle Deer Park over half term. The grounds will be open every day over the school holidays, and is a great day out for adults and children alike. You can spend time exploring the 200 acre deer park, before running off to Plotter’s Forest to play in the park. Just make sure you book your tickets in advance: raby.co.uk/events/castlepark-and-gardens

Roald Dahl Drama Workshop

21st February - 11am - Cockerton Library, Darlington

Roald Dahl has some of the weirdest and most wonderful stories and characters, and your children have the opportunity to explore them. Bring the terrible Twits, Miss Trunchbull and Willy Wonka to life and have a lot of fun along the way. There will even be the opportunity to create a new character of your own, so make sure you bring your imagination to this fantastic activity. Book a space for your children here: eventbrite. co.uk/e/roald-dahl-drama-workshop-identity-theatrecockerton-library-tickets

YORKSHIRE LOFT LADDERS

Snow White

23rd February - 11am - The Forum Theatre,

Billingham

The fairest pantomime of them all is making its way to Billingham. Of course, we all know the story of Snow White and you can see it live during February half term. Be wowed by dazzling costumes, hilarious comedy, sensational singing, beautiful scenery and, of course, the Magnificent Seven…book your seats now: forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk/show/snow-white Family Half Term Mayhem Party 26th February - 4pm - Harrowgate Club & Institute, Darlington

Party Pete is back again, providing even more fun and games for the children of Darlington and their family. Come along and enjoy an afternoon of dancing and party games, complete with disco lights and more! As always, there will be hot dogs, popcorn, sweets, slushies and a fully licensed bar for the grown ups. Make sure you book your ticket via TicketSource today: ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/darlington

Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story 28th February - 7:30pm - Darlington Hippodrome, Darlington

The Buddy Holly Story is making its way to Darlington as part of its 2023 UK Tour. This multi award-winning West End show first opened in 1989 and includes some of the greatest songs ever written, including “That’ll Be The Day”, “Rave On”, “La Bamba” and “Johnny B. Goode”. Snap up your tickets for the show all about the life of international star, Buddy Holly, here: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whats-on/Buddy-TheBuddy-Holly-Story

Ladies Day ft. Ronan Keating

Saturday 29th July - 11am - Newcastle Racecourse, Newcastle

Irish singer and performer Ronan Keating is performing on Ladies Day at Newcastle Racecourse this summer. The former Boyzone member is known for hit singles with the band and as a solo artist, including “Love Me for a Reason”, “When You Say Nothing At All” and “Life Is A Roller Coaster.” His performance will take place after a glamorous day at the races so it’s the perfect excuse to dress up! General sale tickets are available now. Get yours before they sell out: https://www. ticketmaster.co.uk/event/1F005E2B998615AD

Got an event coming up?

Let us know and we’ll help spread the news. Email details of your event to: sales@darlingtonmonthly.co.uk