Darlington Monthly December 2022

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 December’s edition of Darlington Monthly.

It’s finally the festive season, and Darlington is certainly ready to celebrate. We’re full to the brim with loads of festive events for you to visit, to make your December as exciting as possible. If you want to see a sample, jump straight to page 38, to find a selection of some of the best activities in Darlington, that will be fun for all of the family.

Of course, we still have our usual selection of local news. You can read about a huge improvement in crime figures on page 6, then jump ahead to page 26 to find out everything about the restoration of Guisborough town centre. As usual, we also have our film review on page 36. This month, we’re chatting about Marvel’s latest outing, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. If you’re looking for a cosy movie to watch over the dark nights, this could be the one for you!

Everyone at Darlington Monthly wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We’ll see you again in January, for our first edition of 2023!

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

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.

Huge improvement in crime figures in Darlington

According to a police and crime commissioner, falling crime statistics and a focus on victims has put County Durham and Darlington on the “right road”.

PCC Joy Allen pointed out that neighbourhood crime - robbery, burglary, theft and vehicle crime - had fallen by almost a quarter compared to statistics gathered before the pandemic.

Durham Constabulary is now recognised for achieving some of the highest resolved rates in the UK for neighbourhood crimes and crimes that cause considerable concern amongst local residents. In fact, offences had been reduced by some 23.5%.

Leading the nation

The police force in the County Durham and Darlington are now recognised as a nationally leading force, and PCC Allen has confirmed that they will continue to identify further areas of improvement to protect people and to resolve the issues that matter most to them.

While our police force does have 100 fewer officers than it did in 2010, an extra 60 officers hit our streets in July on a new shift pattern. The new addition bolstered the number of frontline officers at times of demand.

Investmentment in more recruitment in call handlers has led to improvements in 999 and 101 calls, with violence against people falling by 9% and anti-social behaviour falling by 4%. Our county is the only one in the country with a dedicated anti-social behaviour champion, whose responsibility it is to give a voice to victims.

There has been an overhaul of the victims’ services, with 90% or more of victims saying they felt safe and

had improved health and lifestyles. New services have also been introduced for victims of sexual violence.

Praise from senior figures

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services has also praised our force, with our inspection results being amongst the highest overall results in the country.

The county is set to receive 1.25m for safety improvements, including a “state-of-the-art” CCTV upgrade in Darlington. Investments will also be made in Darlington East, north Road, Ferryhill, Stanley, Peterlee and Durham, as well as Darlingotn’s centre, which has been awarded a grant of £150,000 from a community safety fund.

Many councillor’s were impressed with how safety had been improved in the town, with Cllr Anita Savory saying:

“It’s heartening and encouraging to see that there’s more support for the victims, especially women and girls.”

We are overjoyed to see so many improvements in our town, and can’t wait to see the refreshment continue!

ATV are responsible for finding loving families for vulnerable children in the Tees Valley. We’re looking for more adopters for babies, older children, sibling groups and children with additional needs.

Our team are experienced, friendly and approachable, we treat every enquiry on an individual basis and we welcome diversity. We realise that starting the adoption process is daunting and we’ll do our best to guide you and treat you with respect and sensitivity. We’ll work with you to get to know you and your family so that we can ensure we meet your needs and the needs of the child you are adopting.

Why Choose Adoption Tees Valley?

We’re an adoption community and we’ll make you feel at home. We pride ourselves on our friendly, welcoming and approachable service.

We place the children of Teesside directly with our adopters meaning you’ll be our first consideration when matching with children.

We have the expertise of 5 Local Authorities under one roof.

We provide outstanding lifelong adoption support including adopter groups, family events, training and therapeutic support.

We run two monthly information evenings a month –find out more via adoptionteesvalley.org.uk.

Northallerton Glass - Working hard to stand out from the crowd!

Glass is being used more and more in every aspect of our lives. Any time we look through a window or check ourselves in a mirror it’s there.

New innovative and decorative applications for glass are always being found. From kitchen splashbacks to bathroom enclosures. Furniture and staircases through to architectural walk on glass, the uses are endless and Northallerton Glass can supply them all.

In this edition we are focusing on our Walk on Glass products and services.

Glass topped well covers are extremely popular and make for an exciting feature both internally and externally. Add lighting to maximise the effect and create a real talking point to enhance any space.

We provide toughened laminated glass for a range of ‘walk on’ applications from glass bridges to both internal and external architectural features.

Illuminate otherwise dark areas or flood rooms with borrowed light from above.

Painted or Sandblasted borders around the edge of the glass obscure the frame beneath for a sleek minimal appearance. Anti slip and privacy options are also available.

We assist our clients through the full process from initial enquiry to design and installation. With just the tight opening size we reverse engineer a fully bespoke walk on glass system to your specification.

Planning your retirement

Your retirement is unique to you. You may have built up several pension pots over the years, but have you thought about when you’ll retire and how best to use your assets to support this? You may also have numerous plans that you have perhaps lost track of between changing jobs or moving house.

We always start with the end in mind. It’s important to understand your aspirations and retirement goals. After a lifetime of work, what do you want to do when you retire and what is important to you? We start with some simple questions:

When do you want to retire? Why is this date important to you? What does your dream retirement look like?

Once we understand your retirement needs, we can look into the numbers: By making reasonable assumptions on growth and income rates we can work out if you’re on track. If there’s a shortfall, we can help you work out how to plug the gap. Our comprehensive cash flow analysis will help you understand the need for making sensible decisions around budgeting and prioritisation, to ensure your dream retirement becomes a reality.

based on your specific needs. We are a firm of Independent Financial Advisers with over 30 years’ experience in the industry, specialising in Pensions and Investments. We o er a free 1-hour consultation with no obligation, and welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss the ways in which we may be able to help you.

Time is Money

You might not think that winter is the best time to get Solar PV installed. However, it is never too early to take advantage of the energy and money saving benefits of Solar Power. Start generating your own green energy ASAP and you will be able to spend less on energy during the coldest months of the year.

Beat the Budget

The Autumn Statement from the Treasury means that the typical household will be spending roughly £3,000 per year on energy from April 2023. If you consume more energy you might pay even more! This, paired with the £400 discount homes were receiving from the Energy Bills Support Scheme being scrapped means homes could be paying around an extra £900 for energy in 2023.

Act now

By the time the days start getting lighter and the April Price Cap comes into force, demand for domestic Solar PV will have skyrocketed. Enquire about Solar PV now to avoid inevitable installation delays, increased prices and supply issues caused by last minute panic buying in the spring.

Guisborough Town Centre gets a new lease of life

Guisborough town centre has officially been removed from a national “at risk” register. The annual Heritage at Risk Register for 2022 was published in November, and confirmed that Guisborough Conservation Area is among 13 North East sites to have been removed from the list.

Most of Guisborough town centre is a designated conservation area, as it has retained much of its 17th century layout. As the Town Hall is a Grade-II listed building, the area was added to the Heritage at Risk Register.

What’s been done?

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council quickly bought the Town Hall and, working alongside a community-led team, gave the building a new lease of life.

Funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Tees Valley Combined

Authority and RCBC has meant the Town Hall has been transformed into a gateway to the North York Moors National Park.

This gateway includes a heritage and information centre, as well visitor accommodation. It will also be home to Shorty’s Gins, a local artisan distillery that has won awards for its flagship product, Endeavour London Dry Gin.

What about the rest of the high street?

Meanwhile, shops on the high street have been repaired and restored and new businesses are occupying the vacant units. New enterprises include Koselig, a nordicinspired bakery.

“Middlesbrough College is helping me to achieve my dreams! All my tutors and classmates are really supportive of me and I’ve been given lots of opportunities to expand and enhance my skills. The College also offers MC Click- a free laptop loan scheme. The scheme is amazing and has helped me to complete my College work!

Lily Singleton - Level 3 Performing Arts

Previous school: Polam Hall School

higher

After Chadwick Boseman’s unfortunate death in 2020, audiences have wondered how Black Panther might continue. The first thirty minutes are truly a love letter to both King of Wakanda and Boseman himself, allowing us to all join together to mourn both the actor and character right out of the gate.

The plot quickly spins us another year into the future, where the narrative of the film really picks up. Unfortunately, however, the plot is perhaps the one place where this film might be a bit lacking.

It's worth saying, though, that the sequel did as best it could with the cards it had been dealt by the universe. The lack of Boseman’s T’Challa would always leave a panther-shaped hole in the entire Marvel franchise, but the film was still enjoyable to watch, if a little tinged with melancholy.

Wakanda Forever is a celebration of the strength of Black women, following Queen Ramonda and Princess Shuri as they face yet another threat to their country. The cinematography is no less breathtaking than our first trip to Wakanda, the costume design is something to be marvelled at, and the soundtrack is truly something else.

The film introduces Namor to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Comics’ first ever anti-hero. Without giving too much away, Namor is the God of another kingdom that has long been hidden from the rest of the world.

It is easy to see the parallels between the two kingdoms

throughout the film, and so Namor’s motivations are somewhat understandable. There is no pure good or evil, simply characters who are shaped by trauma and who are intrinsically flawed.

This is something we do not typically see in superhero movies, and honestly a breath of fresh air from the overly righteous morals that we usually get. This also produces some especially thought-provoking scenes between Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, as we navigate the grey area between right and wrong.

The star of this movie, however, has to be the character of Okoye, General of the Dora Milaje. Danai Gurira’s expert deadpan delivery of sumptuous one liners is a comedic masterclass. But it's not all jokes, Gurira’s range is incredible. She hits every joke out of the park, but also plays raw, emotional scenes that truly catch your heart.

The rapport and banter between Gurira and Dominique Thorne’s Ironheart is also noteworthy, filled with witty comebacks and humorous insults galore.

Though pretty long at 2 hours and 40 minutes, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is definitely a fantastic way to leisurely spend a cold winter’s afternoon.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever takes us back to a now not-so-secret African nation five years after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

Georgia Paskell Copywriter

CINEMA DARLINGTON

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YORKSHIRE LOFT LADDERS

Things to look out for in... December

The Genius of Charles Dickens

2nd December - 7:30pm - The Witham, Barnard Castle

Chris Foote-Wood’s incredible one-man show, which was originally performed at Edinburgh Festival, is making its way to Barnard Castle. Enjoy some of the best-known characters from Charles Dickens, all in one place. Book your seat today: thewitham.org.uk/whats-on

Christmas at Weardale Railway

From 3rd December - 3:15pm - Weardale Railway, Stanhope Station

You’ve heard of the Polar Express, now it’s time to meet Santa and his elves right here in Weardale! Enjoy a warm refreshment, and leave with your own gift, while you enjoy this incredible, life changing train ride. Book your journey today: weardale-railway.digitickets.co.uk

Raby Castle Christmas Market

3rd December - 10am - Raby Castle, Staindrop

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Raby Castle is celebrating in the only way they know how. Pick up a special gift for your nearest and dearest, or enjoy a lovely snack and a drink of mulled wine? After all, this event is completely free, so why not come along simply to browse?

Santa Run

4th December - 11am - West Park Academy, Darlington

It’s time to raise some more money for St Teresa’s Hospice, this time by dining a Santa suit (don’t worry, suits and hats will be provided!), and taking part in a festive run. Children and dogs are welcome too, and don’t worry, everyone gets a medal and a refreshment at the end! Book a space now: darlingtonhospice.org.uk/event/santa-run

Brunch with Father Christmas at The Bowes Museum

6th December - 10:30am - The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle

Father Christmas is visiting barnard castle on the 6th of December, and he would love to see you! You’ll have the opportunity to play some games, take part in some activities and even have your photo taken with the big man himself. Make sure you book your ticket in advance: thebowesmuseum.org.uk/whats-on

Royal Ballet Live: The Nutcracker

8th December - 7:15pm - Vue Cinema, Darlington

One of the most renowned Christmas stories is certainly The Nutcracker, and what better way to get into December than to watch it Live from the comfort of the cinema?! Book a seat with your friends and family to enjoy this fantastic live performance: myvue.com

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan From 9th December - Various TimesDarlington Hippodrome, Darlington

Enjoy the story of Peter Pan live on the hippodrome stage, as Christopher Biggins delights audiences as the dame, Mrs Smee. Get yourself truly into the Christmas spirit by enjoying theatre in the most festive way possible. Book your tickets to see Peter Pan today: darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

Search for Santa 17th December - 11:30am - Crook Cricket Club, Crook

Enjoy a relaxed panto, exclusively for children aged 5 and under. Experience the magic of a pantomim without all of the flashing lights and loud music. Why not get your family booked in for a fantastic, pre-Christmas treat? Head over to empirecrook.co.uk and book a place today.

Christmas Cinema at Ferryhill Station Club 24th December - 12pm - Ferryhill Station Club, Ferryhill

Bring in the big day and get excited for Santa coming, but enjoying some fantastic Christmas films at Ferryhill Station Club. It promises to be a big screen experience like no other, and best of all, you’re guaranteed to be home in bed in time for the big man coming! Buy a ticket today: skiddle.com/whats-on/Darlington

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