Lauren Laverne returns to host sold-out Mercury Prize
Sunderland’s Lauren Laverne will be back on hosting duties when the Mercury Prize returns to Newcastle on October 22 – and she’ll be presiding over a sell-out crowd at the city’s Utilita Arena.
The BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, who also fronted last year’s ceremony, will oversee a night featuring performances from some of the biggest names in British music, including two North East acts hoping to follow Sam Fender’s home-turf triumph in 2025.
South Shields star JADE and Newcastle jazz outfit Knats are both shortlisted for the prestigious album prize and will perform live on the night, alongside Florence + The Machine, Dove Ellis, Kojey Radical, Nia Archives, Olivia Dean, RAYE and Suede. Pulp will perform on behalf of War Child Records’ HELP(2) album.
The ceremony will be broadcast on BBC Four from 9.30pm, while BBC Radio 6 Music presenters Deb Grant and Nathan Shepherd will broadcast from Newcastle from 7pm, with Matt Everitt reporting backstage. Read more
Why Hatton’s new show is a feast for the eyes
Definitely worth a visit is the latest exhibition at the Hatton Gallery which features treasured pots and paintings from North East Museums collections – chiefly those of the Hatton and the Laing and Shipley art galleries.
Here, beautifully displayed, you’ll find ceramic pieces by Bernard Leach (1887 to 1979), regarded as the founding father of British studio pottery, and paintings by the likes of Winifred Nicholson and Quentin Bell.
All easy on the eye and very covetable.
Not long to wait for Robson Green’s Northumbria Mysteries
A new North East-set crime drama starring Robson Green will make its BBC One debut later this month.
Produced by Newcastle’s Lonesome Pine and filmed against the backdrop of Northumberland’s coastline and market towns, The Northumbria Mysteries, will begin on Friday, October 23* at 2pm, with the first four episodes also available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
The Grantchester star plays Joe Ruby, an ex-convict and gambler with connections to the criminal underworld who finds himself drawn into solving crimes.
He’s joined by Liz White, known for her roles in Life on Mars and Call the Midwife, as DI Rose O’Connell, an Oxford-educated detective who makes for an unlikely investigative partner.
The series, which has been supported by the North East Production Fund, managed by North East Screen, is part of the BBC’s North East Creative Cluster, an initiative aimed at boosting television production, investment and skills in the region.
*David Whetstone is looking forward to getting a preview of the first episode in the coming days and finding out more from the cast and crew. Look out for his report back next week.
Sunderland musicians unite against child poverty
Tickets are selling fast for the third Music Against Child Poverty concert, which returns to Sunderland’s Fire Station on Sunday, December 6.
Organised by Sunderland Music City, the annual fundraiser brings together North East musicians performing for free, with all proceeds going to Sunderland-based charity Love, Amelia, which supports families experiencing poverty and hardship across the region.
This year’s line-up includes Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Swindled, Smith & Liddle, Northern Daughters, Kay Greyson and B>E>A>K, with more acts promised. Tickets are available from The Fire Station.
Mayor takes a walk on the coastal side
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness is getting some sand in her shoes for a new documentary series exploring the region’s 140-mile coastline.
Coastal Walks with Kim follows the Mayor from Crimdon Dene in County Durham to the Scottish border, meeting local personalities and discussing everything from jobs and business to environmental issues and community life.
The first episode featured Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Sara Davies, while the second, now available to watch, sees Chester-le-Street social media sensation Katie Kennedy, better known as The History Gossip, joining her for a stroll.
Future instalments will include coastal companions such as footballing legend Alan Shearer, radio presenter Maia Beth, singer Joe McElderry and historian and film maker, David Olsuga.
Six comedy sketches in the running for Sunday for Sammy award
Six aspiring comedy writers are getting the chance to follow in some famous North East footsteps after being shortlisted for an award celebrating the region’s comedy-writing heritage.
Their work will be performed live at Sketch for Sammy, an annual showcase organised by the Sunday for Sammy Trust, at The Exchange 1856 in North Shields on Sunday, October 18.
The finalists will compete for the Clement & La Frenais Award, named after the writing partnership behind solid gold TV treasures such as Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, The Likely Lads and Porridge, with professional mentoring to help them develop their sketches.
And there’s the possibility of an even bigger audience further down the line, with their work also being considered for inclusion in the 2028 Sunday for Sammy arena show, affectionately known as the Geordie Command Performance.
A millennium of making a difference
Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland National Park is almost 2,000 years old – but its current volunteer army is catching up.
The volunteers were celebrated at a park event that recognised their significant combined voluntary service totalling over 1,000 years.
Among those honoured were father and son Brian Atkins and Graham Atkins, who began volunteering in 1969 when Graham was 12 years old.
“It’s my county and my heritage and I wanted to get involved. It’s been a passion,” said Graham. Read more
A garden of artistic talent
The flowers, wildlife and architecture of The Alnwick Garden have provided the inspiration for a new exhibition showcasing the talents of artists from across the region.
Thirty-seven adult members of Down’s Syndrome North East (DSNE) have created artworks using a variety of media after taking part in workshops at the Northumberland attraction over the summer.
Their work will go on display in the Garden’s Pavilion from Sunday (October 11), giving visitors the opportunity to see the results of the collaboration.
Among those exhibiting is Izzy Hollis, whose painting of three purple flowers against a blue background is one of the pieces created for the exhibition.
Popstars reunite and sign up for a rematch
Back in 2001, millions tuned in to ITV’s Popstars to watch Hear’Say come together, while the five who missed out formed Liberty X.
Both enjoyed a burst of chart-topping fame, although their pop domination proved pretty short-lived.
Now, 25 years later, they’re joining forces for a 13-date arena tour of the UK and Ireland in 2027 entitled Hear’Say vs Liberty X - Popstars: The Originals. The tour buses will be arriving on Tyneside on May 4.
Newcastle-born Michelle Heaton will be back with Liberty X, although Hear’Say will be one member down, with Myleene Klass ruling herself out due to other commitments.
Between them, they should just about have enough greatest hits to fill an evening. We wouldn’t mind hearing Pure and Simple and Just A Little twice. Tickets go on sale 9am on October 16 from the Utilita Arena Newcastle website.
The Moth lands in London
Durham-based Elysium Theatre Company is taking its production of The Moth to London following a regional tour last year.
Written by Paul Herzberg and directed by Jake Murray, the political thriller runs at the Finborough Theatre in Earl’s Court from October 27 to November 21.
The play follows two men – a Black British activist and a former South African soldier – whose lives become entangled following a confrontation on a train.
Faz Singhateh and North East Culture Award winner Micky Cochrane reprise their roles, with Bridgerton actor Adjoa Andoh providing the voice of Joy Josana.
Northern Writers’ Awards open for entries
Aspiring authors across the North of England are being invited to enter the first round of the 2027 Northern Writers’ Awards, organised by Newcastle-based New Writing North.
Unpublished writers can apply for the £3,000 Hachette Children’s Novel Award or the £2,500 Great Northern Read Award, with both offering mentoring and a January 11 deadline.
Young writers aged 11 to 18 can also enter for £150 prizes or tailored support through the Matthew Hale and Eva Ibbotson awards. Applications for the young writers’ categories close on March 15, 2027. Full details and entry information are available at New Writing North.
Back on track after 63 years
A wartime locomotive which helped keep North East industry moving is to be recreated at Tanfield Railway – 63 years after it was scrapped in Darlington.
Steam engine No. 68029 was among nearly 400 rugged locomotives commissioned to support the logistical effort of the Second World War, and continued working in the region long after hostilities ended.
Now a surviving “Austerity” locomotive will travel from the Great Central Railway at Loughborough in Leicestershire for Tanfield’s gala weekend on October 17–18.
Using archive photographs, the visiting engine will be given the numbering, lettering and crest of No. 68029, becoming one of seven locomotives in action over the weekend.
