Whats on

You have to admire the Marvel guys - they seem to have nailed the trick of combining drama and tension with fun. Early on, the franchise was a bit too serious with Iron Man and Captain America.But the introduction of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man (plus of course the extremes of Deadpool) has given a lighter feel to most of the films.Ant-Man has the serious side with Michael Douglas’ Dr Hank Pym, while our hero Scott Lang, played by Paul Rudd, is great fun.And there’s even romantic interest with Evangeline Lilly as Pym’s daughter Hope.With all the characters introduced in the 2015 debut movie this time we are able to get stuck into the action early on.In the first film we discovered that Hope’s mother Janet shrank to such a small size on a mission several year ago she got lost in a micro world.And so Dr Pym, Hope and Scott attempt to find her and bring her back.However, Scott, effectively under house arrest, is being watched by the FBI as he’s … [Read more...] about Ant-Man and The Wasp

0 Have your say Ed Sheeran may be a global superstar with five UK top selling singles, but back in 2010 he was a relatively unknown singer performing at The Cresset in Bretton. One of the few people to see Ed perform that evening as a support act to the rapper Example was Harry Cudmore, who is now the multi-purpose venue’s assistant operations manager.His verdict? “I thought he was a little bit rubbish.”Ed may now be one of the most in demand singers on the planet (and Harry’s opinion of him has improved) but he follows a long list of top level performers who have graced The Cresset as a relative unknown since it was opened by the Queen in 1978.Those include comedian Alan Carr, who Cresset head of commercial activities Penny Hansen remembers watching at the theatre before he became a recognisable face on our TV screens.“There were about 80 people when he did a comedy club gig and he looked awfully young,” she recalled.Other big … [Read more...] about Celebrating 40 years of headline acts at Peterborough’s The Cresset

Watch super strong men in action as the Peak District Highland Games returns to Matlock Farm Park for the second year. They will be showing off their strength in a number of events including the Stone Throw, the 8 tonne Tractor Pull and Tossing the Caber.This special event is on August 26 and runs from 10am to 4.30pm.Children can feed the animals, hold tiny creatures in the petting barn, have fun on the kids’ assault course or have their faces painted. There will be opportunities to get up close to meerkats and meet a hawk.Craft and market stalls will help to make this a great day out for all the family.Matlock Farm Park is on Jaggers Lane, near Two Dales, Matlock.Admission costs £7.50 (adult), £6 (OAP, concessions), £6.50 (child, 2-14 years), free for child under two, £25 (family). To book or for more information, go to: www.matlockfarmpark.co.uk … [Read more...] about Strong men toss the caber and pull a tractor at Peak District Highland Games

Liszt was, quite simply, the greatest musical celebrity of his age. He challenged pianists to duels in front of thousands of fans. Women fought over the gloves and handkerchiefs he threw from the stage as souvenirs. He played so loud and fast he sometimes broke the old wooden-framed pianos.Related: Chopin transports us to inner worldsArena-filling showmen tend to attract snarky criticism now and it was no different then, with experts lining up to dismiss the vulgarity and lack of taste in Liszt’s work.But there is a lot more in his huge output than exciting noise and bombast. He was often a deeply-religious man and made sure he was well read in literature and poetry. He had a deep passion for opera, popularising masterpieces by playing the best bits in piano transcriptions.Hold on to your seats, here’s an introduction to Liszt’s musical thrill ride:Totentanz. Anyone thinking classical music dull should be played this. A blood-curdling dance of death for piano and … [Read more...] about Classical Chat: Liszt is the piano’s greatest showman

A leading author has visited Cramlington students to speak about her new book’s link to war-torn Syria. Cathy Cassidy visited Year 7 and 8 students from Cramlington Learning Village to promote Sami’s Silver Lining.Pupils from Hareside and Shanklea primary schools were also invited to meet the writer during her third visit to the school.Librarian Eileen Armstrong said: “We think it’s really important for students who will soon be joining the school to have the opportunity to listen to authors talk about their work and the importance of reading.”The book tells the story of a family that escapes Syria and heads to England. On the way tragedy strikes and Sami has to lead a group of children to safety.Cathy said: “I wanted my readers to know why somebody like Sami was making that journey. It’s nothing you would undertake for fun”.The author has visited a number of schools to appeal to pupils and staff to support charities helping Syrian … [Read more...] about Novel way to help Syrian refugees