Make the most of freedom
| Date | 25 May 2021 |
| Published date | 25 May 2021 |
| Publication title | Evening Chronicle |
Fingers are crossed for the return of the Lumiere festival to Durham in November. The UK's largest light festival has drawn huge crowds to the city every two years since 2009 and transforms the city into a magical place in the depths of winter.
27
Antony Gormley's place in North East culture was cemented by the Angel of the North but his earlier Field for the British Isles work - featuring thousands of tiny clay sculptures - will be returning to the region with a show at Sunderland's Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art.
28
Art of a much earlier period will also be returning to the North East next year when the Lindisfarne Gospels are shown at Newcastle's Laing Art Gallery.
29
Fingers are crossed for the return of summer concerts, including the Live From Times Square events in Newcastle in August and Tom Jones at Darlington Arena. Venues such as the Sage Gateshead, Middlesbrough Town Hall, Newcastle's City Hall and the Gala Theatre at Durham are advertising live gigs.
30
After a year of cancellations, panto is returning to venues including the Theatre Royal in Newcastle and the Sunderland Empire - oh yes it is (hopefully).
31The region's newest venue - the Globe in Stockton - has opened, and though over budget and much-delayed, it is a stunning restoration of a much-loved building.
32
Museums and other cultural venues are re-opening with rich pickings both in their established collections and special exhibitions for this summer.
33Anyone missing the North East's trademark humour could do worse than checking out Harry Pearson's books on the region's football scene, the Far Corner and its sequel The Farther Corner. The latter contains a joke on page 17 that is alone worthy of Nobel Prize...
34...
other great books that can take us back into North East life while we are in lockdown include Apples by Teesside novelist Richard Milward or Dan Jackson's The Northumbrians.
35
Getting out with friends and family is central to life in the region and our region's hospitality sector has been hard hit by the pandemic. Now that it is safe to do so, our pubs, restaurants, cafes and nightclub need us to use them...
36…
among them could be the region's newest Michelinstarred restaurant Hjem. The Northumberland restaurant has been described as "the sort of restaurant that makes me remember why I love this job" by Sunday Times restaurant critic Marina O'Loughlin.
37
Newcastle's House of Tides has also retained its Michelin star while the Raby Hunt near Darlington now has...
To continue reading
Request your trial