Cultured. On Sunday 01.03.26
Our weekend edition for longer reads and cultural pointers
This week’s Cultured. On Sunday begins with a full report from last night’s Royal Television Society (North East and the Border) Awards - aka an excellent evening trumpeting the on and off screen talent we have in the region.
Sticking with the telly of the nostalgic kind, we open the Wonfor Vaults for a tale of a young Sam heading to Paris with Wham! (and a film crew from The Tube)… only to be more preoccupied with finding a takeaway pizza than brushing shoulders with pop royalty.
Talking of music, congratulations to North Shields superstar singer, Sam Fender who added a couple of Brit Awards to his collection (which can be admired at the Low Lights Tavern where they have been converted into beer pump handles) last night in Manchester.
Sam took home Best Alternative/Rock Act and Best Song for Rein Me In, which he recorded with Olivia Dean.
Staying with top tunes, Simon Rushworth caught up with Blur’s Alex James ahead of the upcoming Britpop Classical gig at Newcastle O2 City Hall.
Elsewhere there’s a lovely tribute to the life and work of artist Ken Turnell from fellow artist and friend, Jill Journeaux.
We’ve also got an International Booker-shortlisted recommendation from Collected Books in Durham, a look at photographer Debbie Todd’s debut solo exhibition at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, and North East photographer Thomas Jackson sharing images from his archive in My Life Through a Lens.
And Boxing Clever lines up a legal drama series based on a novel by Michael Connelly to soundtrack your sofa time.
Hope this all offers some additional sprinkle topping to an already lovely Sunday.
I Fought the Law leads the way at the region's Royal Television Society Awards
The campaign to change Britain’s double jeopardy law took centre stage in Gateshead on Saturday night (Feb 28) as I Fought the Law emerged the big winner at the Royal Television Society North East and the Borders annual TV awards.
The four-part ITV drama, which chronicles Teesside campaigner Ann Ming’s long fight to bring her daughter Julie’s killer to justice, picked up three prizes at the ceremony at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead.
Sheridan Smith was named Best Performance for her portrayal of Ann, while Ben Wilson won Best Photography and the production itself secured Best Drama.
Sheridan, currently wrapping up a West End run in A Woman in Mind at the Duke of York’s Theatre (ahead of bringing the Alan Ayckborn play to Sunderland Empire on Wednesday), sent a video message to the 400+ guests who had gathered for the event.
“I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this award,” she said from her dressing room. “Thank you to everyone up in the North East for making us so welcome. And thank you to Ann – my absolute hero.”
Britpop Classical Blurs the lines
It was the autumn of 2023 and Blur had just completed the final show of their global Ballad Of Darren tour. Back at his Buenos Aires hotel, a buzzing but exhausted Alex James was bidding a fond — and somewhat reluctant — farewell to South America. “They love their British rock in that part of the world,” explains the man responsible for many of the 90s’ most memorable rhythms. “I didn’t want to leave!
“It was an incredible gig. Argentina were the World Cup holders, they had a new president and the mood was euphoric. It was the end of the tour and there was this sense of bittersweet triumph. Then I landed at Heathrow and suddenly it was back to reality… with a bang!”
As Alex checked his messages by the carousel one, in particular, caught his eye. “I discovered one of the main headliners for my summer festival had suddenly pulled out,” he recalls.
“As any festival organiser will tell you — without your headliners you don’t have a festival. I had to dash straight home and jump on a Zoom call with 20 panicking executives all wondering what on earth we were going to do. Christmas was just around the corner and we needed a big name!”
It was the autumn of 2023 and Blur had just completed the final show of their global Ballad Of Darren tour. Back at his Buenos Aires hotel, a buzzing but exhausted Alex James was bidding a fond — and somewhat reluctant — farewell to South America. “They love their British rock in that part of the world,” explains the man responsible for many of the 90s’ most memorable rhythms. “I didn’t want to leave!
“It was an incredible gig. Argentina were the World Cup holders, they had a new president and the mood was euphoric. It was the end of the tour and there was this sense of bittersweet triumph. Then I landed at Heathrow and suddenly it was back to reality… with a bang!”
As Alex checked his messages by the carousel one, in particular, caught his eye. “I discovered one of the main headliners for my summer festival had suddenly pulled out,” he recalls. “As any festival organiser will tell you — without your headliners you don’t have a festival. I had to dash straight home and jump on a Zoom call with 20 panicking executives all wondering what on earth we were going to do. Christmas was just around the corner and we needed a big name!”
Remembering artist Ken Turnell, 1948-2026
Written by artist and friend, Jill Journeaux
Ken Turnell was born in Sheffield in 1948, but his family moved to the North East when he was a young child as his mother had originally come from the area.
He was educated at Jarrow Grammar School in the 1960s and whilst there, attended Saturday art classes at Newcastle University along with artists Jeff Dellow and Ed Ullyart. Ken completed a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at Hornsey College of Art, then gained a BA in Fine Art at Maidstone College of Art and went to Chelsea as a postgraduate.
As a young artist he had considerable success and exhibited his sculpture in key exhibitions in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These included the 1976 Summer Show 1 at the Serpentine Gallery, London, the 1981 British Sculpture in the Twentieth Century show at The Whitechapel Gallery, London, Questions About Sculpture at Bolton Art Gallery and Museum. The Guardian (of the sculptor) 1976 was acquired by the Arts Council.
Ken was an important figure in the establishment of Grizedale Sculpture Park in Cumbria, contributing several pieces in the early years. His key sculptures at Grizedale included The Eye 1984, Beech Watch, 1978 and Sawrey Bank Watch, 1978. Ken was amongst the first group of sculptors at Grizedale and later returned to work in Grizedale in 1986. He described his experience of working in the forest in the publication A Sense Of Place 1984:
“Having come from a large town to live in Grizedale, I also noticed a sharpening of senses that had dulled. Instead of closing off noise, and any distractive forms as I do in the city, I felt more inquisitive and instead of passing through the city to some destination, I felt no similar need in the forest. The place was complete. Important elements of wind, night, darkness and all changes of weather and their effects in transforming all natural forms was abundant and very potent.”
Portraits of difference and belonging go on show in Bishop Auckland
An award-winning North East photographer is presenting her first solo show at Bishop Auckland Town Hall.
Photographer Debbie Todd brings together two bodies of work for the exhibition now open and running until May 16.
Specially commissioned for the venue, The Meaning of Being Different is displayed in the Library, exploring identity, difference and belonging.
Meanwhile Extra Ordinary is installed in the historic Strong Room, coinciding with Down Syndrome Awareness Day on March 21 and highlights disability, visibility and inclusion.
In a series of recollections, Sam Wonfor is sharing her rather special back catalogue of memories of and personal connection to the iconic 1980s music show, The Tube and other telly treasures.*
*First published during Cultured. North East’s time as the arts and culture section for the region’s subscription platform, The QT
When Sam (and WHAM!) went to Paris
Arriving into the Vermont Hotel’s function room after my Dad’s funeral on what would have been his 74th birthday (December 8, 2022) was pretty overwhelming.
A small group of us had left the beautiful Newcastle Cathedral service for a private family cremation so, by the time we got back to Dad’s most favourite of Newcastle’s overnight options, the wake was in full swing… he would have loved it, which is exactly the vibe we were going for.
A N Y W A Y.
As I worked my way towards a large glass of wine, there were so many people offering their sympathies, shoulders, bear hugs (ever grateful, Jill Halfpenny), beautiful memories and lots of tears.
I was starting to wonder whether I would have the strength or stamina to get around everyone (sadly for my local night-time economy, I did not inherit my parents’ commitment to last-man-standing status).
And then one of my high school friends pipes up. ‘Hey! You never told me you’d been to Paris with Wham!’
It was exactly what was required.
My lovely pal - and lifelong George Michael devotee - had picked up on a line in the words I wrote to pay tribute to my incredible Dad, pointing out that although we got to go to the Baftas and the Brits and fly off to Paris with Wham! and what have you, all my best memories of him and Mum were when it was just us. Usually doing bugger all.
‘How can I not have known that?’ She continued. ‘That must have been a-m-a-z-i-n-g.’
Founded by Emma Hamlett, Collected Books is an independent bookshop in Durham, with two floors of books to browse as well as coffee, wine, and cake to enjoy. They specialise in writing by women but range across all genres in fiction and non-fiction as well as books for kids, YA titles, poetry, and classics.
On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle
To help readers celebrate the announcement of this year’s International Booker Prize longlist, we recommend Solvej Balle’s incredible series On the Calculation of Volume - one of our bestselling books in translation.
Published originally in Danish, On the Calculation of Volume follows one woman’s hypnotic exploration of time when she is trapped living the same day in November over and over again...
Tara Selter has slipped out of time. Every morning, she wakes up to the 18th of November. She no longer expects to wake up to the 19th of November, and she no longer remembers the 17th of November as if it were yesterday.
She comes to know the shape of the day like the back of her hand - the grey morning light in her Paris hotel; the moment a blackbird breaks into song; her husband’s surprise at seeing her return home unannounced. But for everyone around her, this day is lived for the first and only time. They do not remember the other 18ths of November, and they do not believe her when she tries to explain.
As Tara approaches her 365th 18th of November, she can’t shake the feeling that somewhere underneath the surface of this day, there’s a way to escape.
Oscillating between states of despair, tranquility and determination, Tara’s attempts to break the time loop make the novel part-philosophy, part-fantasy and part-meditation on the mundane nature of day-to-day life.
Our booksellers love this original, thought-provoking story, and it is also really popular with our customers with volume one being one of our bestsellers of 2026 so far.
Three out of the seven volumes of this series have already been translated and published, and we can’t wait for the series to continue. And you don’t need just to take a bookseller’s word for it! The series has been well received critically, and the first book shortlisted for the International Booker Prize last year.
Open seven days a week on Durham’s Riverwalk, Collected also run a busy programme of author events, book and social clubs including ‘walk & talk’ book clubs and a special ‘book club with a difference’ series.
Upcoming events include Marie Darrieussecq on Pig Tales, March 11 at 7.30pm; Ali Isaac on Imperfect Bodies, March 20 at 7.30pm; Charlotte Cross on The Brides, March 31 at 7.30pm; and an evening of lively conversation with writers from the Royal Literary Fund talking about their writing life, their favourite books, and their routes to publication.
We’ve been asking North East photographers to open up their archives and select a double handful of images which encapsulate life as they’ve captured it.
Thomas Jackson is a full-time photographer who specialises in capturing live events.
A former software developer for the NHS (‘photography is a lot more interesting!’), the County Durham-bred and now Gateshead-dwelling 44-year-old is the top man at Tynesight Media.
Although he can’t remember the first photo he took for sure, there’s an old pack of prints at the back of his wardrobe from a school trip to the Farne Islands when he was about 12.
“I’m happy to say my skills have improved,” he says.
It was music which prompted Thomas to start snapping.
“I started taking a pocket camera to concerts and music festivals and taking photos from the crowd.
“Then a friend who ran an online music publication, commissioned me to photograph gigs for him. The money wasn’t great but it gave me an insight into how the industry worked.
“I spent the following two summers photographing 15 music festivals in two years whilst still working full time. It was my version of art school!”
Every week, Michael Telfer – aka Mike TV – recommends a box set to crack open. This week’s choice is something of an endangered species in 2026... a good old courtroom drama.
The courtroom drama used to be a mainstay at the cinema and a staple in the daytime TV schedules. From 12 Angry Men in the 1950s to A Few Good Men and umpteen star-studded John Grisham adaptations in the 1990s, we were spoiled for choice if we wanted to see a sharp-suited Hollywood star issuing an impassioned “Objection!”.
The rapid growth in popularity of streaming in the intervening years has inadvertently almost killed the genre. The DVD sales that gave mid-budget films a second life after the cinema have disappeared without trace and at the same time true crime has exploded in popularity.
The 2011 film adaptation of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer was one of the last significant courtroom successes on the big screen, which makes it fitting that the series of novels has now been successfully adapted to television.