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Sunderland's Sunniside to host culture open night

Sunderland's Sunniside to host culture open night

BBC News17-03-2025

A one-off night of celebration to shine a light on a city's cultural hub is to take place.Sunniside, in Sunderland, has been identified as being full of creative potential with music venues, artist studios and filmmakers in residence.Sharon Appleby, chief executive of Sunderland Business Improvement District (BID) said a lot creativity happened "behind closed doors" and she wants to "celebrate everything that is already there".The event, Sunniside Nights, will take place on 21 March during which venues in the area will open their doors to showcase creative spaces.
The one-off event is being organised by Futureheads musician Ross Millard who said Sunniside had "long been the place for artists and creative people in Sunderland"."We want it to be a coming-together moment, focusing on artists and working with the venues who are already striving all day, every day to make the city a more interesting place."
Following a £202,253 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Sunderland BID and the city council created the Sunniside Activation programme to bring the creative community together. The event will feature live performances, screenings and talks and will become a regular fixture if it proves a success.
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Fire breaks out at Appleby Horse Fair: Stall and tent are engulfed in flames as smoke billows cross gathering of thousands of gypsies from across Europe
Fire breaks out at Appleby Horse Fair: Stall and tent are engulfed in flames as smoke billows cross gathering of thousands of gypsies from across Europe

Daily Mail​

time5 days ago

  • Daily Mail​

Fire breaks out at Appleby Horse Fair: Stall and tent are engulfed in flames as smoke billows cross gathering of thousands of gypsies from across Europe

A fire broke out at Appleby Horse Fair in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, engulfing a tent, stall and van in flames as firefighters worked to tackle the blaze. The blaze on Saturday afternoon was captured on social media and showed huge crowds gathering to stare as smoke billowed across the fair that attracts thousands of gypsies from across Europe. In a video shared to YouTube, a fire could be seen burning through a white van which was set up in a corner of the field alongside a stall and several tables. Clouds of black smoke could be seen surrounding the tent as fair goers watched on in horror. Some could be seen covering the faces with their jumpers and coats as they bravely ran towards the fire to start moving tables, chairs and personal belongings out of the fire's path before a small explosion warned onlookers to step back. Some stall holders rushed to the scene and began dismantling a nearby white tent as the van became entirely consumed by the flames. Appleby visitors were then forced aside as fire engines and police officers arrived to tackle the inferno, with 'woops' and cheers heard in the clips. Firefighters brought the blaze under control as stall holders continued to dismantle nearby tents and tables to save their belongings from any further damage. Police officers formed a barricade to protect crowds from getting to near to the fire. In clips shared on TikTok, festival goers walked past the burnt-out wreckage in shock, wrapped up in waterproofs with umbrellas. One clip showed a blackened white van and one person could be heard saying: 'There's stuff in the back, all the carpets and that.' Another video showed travellers at the horse fair continuing with their day as families browsed stalls safely out of reach of the fire and tucked in to snacks from nearby food trucks while smoke billowed behind them. MailOnline has contacted Cumbria Fire and Rescue service for comment. The fire came as thousands of gypsies descended on the horse fair in Cumbria despite the rain for another day of revelry. The fair sees the 3,000 population of Appleby-in-Westmorland swell by a factor of 10 as visitors swarm to the annual event. Of those, an estimated 10,000 are from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community. Visitors could be seen dressed in their finery and wrapped up in waterproof coats and donning wellies. In its 250-year history the fair has only been cancelled twice, the first in 2001 during the foot and mouth outbreak and the second in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. The gathering is billed as the biggest traditional gypsy fair in Europe and has developed traditions that take place every year. Gypsy horses are washed in the River Eden in Appleby and trotted up and down the 'flashing lane' - a closed-off rural road - before being haggled over and bought. Families and even children hopped on their ponies and horses to trot down the lane, showing off the animals while others watched on from the side of the road. Visitors couldn't be put off by the rain and ran their carriages around the site as puddles formed and onlookers got soaked. Many donned practical outfits having clearly noted the weather forecast beforehand but others chose flashier ensembles including crop tops, mini skirts, shirts and vests. The market Jimmy Winter's Field includes stalls selling everything from fashion to horse-related wares. The fair is held outside the town of Appleby, at the point where the old Roman Road crosses Long Marton Road, on Gallows Hill, which was named after the public hangings that were once carried out there. It was once thought the fair originated from a royal charter to the borough of Appleby from King James II of England in 1685, although more recent research has found the charter was cancelled before it was ever enacted. The gathering is sometimes known as 'the New Fair' because Appleby's medieval borough fair, held at Whitsuntide, ceased in 1885. The 'New Fair' began in 1775 for sheep and cattle drovers and horse dealers to sell their stock. By the 1900s it had evolved into a major Gypsy/Traveller event which brought families from across the UK and Europe.

Tyson Fury horses around with his family as he takes delivery of traditional gypsy caravan - while thousands of travellers arrive at Appleby Horse Fair
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Daily Mail​

time6 days ago

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Tyson Fury horses around with his family as he takes delivery of traditional gypsy caravan - while thousands of travellers arrive at Appleby Horse Fair

Tyson Fury has accepted the delivery of a new traditional gypsy caravan as he shared footage of himself 'horsing around' with his family. The boxing champ posted a clip of the red, green and gold carriage on his Instagram story last night - sparking further excitement he might be on his way to Appleby Horse Fair. It comes after Fury, 36, yesterday posted a video of himself riding a horse and trap. While it was thought he may be travelling to Appleby, Fury later confirmed he had just been taking a ride around Knutsford, Cheshire, for scenes filmed for his Netflix show. Meanwhile in another social media clip, Fury shared footage of him pulling his son along in a beautifully decorated horse trailer. His son can be heard yelling: 'Giddy up horsey!' While Fury growls back: 'You don't need a horse, you've got me.' Up to 10,000 travellers and 30,000 visitors have been arriving in Appleby-in-Westmorland this week for the annual horse fair. The picturesque town has a population of 3,000 for 51 weeks of the year - but this all changes in the first week of June as a result of the event which dates from 1775. One traveller caused controversy by taking her pony to the 'chippy' with her on Thursday evening. The grey and white horse was spotted queuing patiently at the counter of Appleby's Riverside Fish and Chips. One local said: 'It's bad enough that they're galloping up and down the high street, but surely they don't have to go into takeaways with their owners.' Two years ago drinkers watched in bewilderment as a pony was trotted through the Crown and Cushion pub in the town. The pony's visit to the bar, thought to be to show it off for sale, was captured on CCTV. Meanwhile Scarlett Tipton, 17, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was seen putting her pony Duchess through her paces on the streets of the town. She said: 'I love coming to Appleby, I'm here every year with my family. Duchess is loving the flashing lane this year, it's been great fun. I just wish the rain would stop.' MailOnline also spoke to fortune teller Melvina Smith on Thursday, who has been attending Appleby for 30 years. She said: 'The fair has changed so much over the years. It used to be a calm place where you could come to relax. A woman with her horse in The River Eden for the Appleby Horse Fair 'These days it's so much busier and it's sad that there's so much trouble now. You see a lot of bad behaviour, which is mostly down to drink.' Ms Smith, from Blackpool, Lancashire, bills herself as a 'true born gypsy' who reads palms and tells fortunes. She added: 'My mother and her mother before her had the gift and it's been passed down to me.' Travellers have also been washing their horses in the River Eden as part of a long-held tradition to prepare them for sale and to cool them off. However, some have also been accused of smashing up a cricket pavilion, racing carriages along village streets, threatening locals with a penknife and fouling footpaths with human excrement. A special police task force was also dealing with reports of burglary, criminal damage, racist abuse, knife crime. Cumbria Police said last Sunday that almost 30 arrests had been made in the Eden and South Lakes area as part of their pre-fair policing operation. Meanwhile, local sporting venue, Kirkby Lonsdale Cricket club, also saw its wooden pavilion smashed up. Cumbria Police said that three 10-year-old boys were arrested over the attack as part of the wider Appleby Fair policing operation. There were also problems at Woodclose Park caravan site where police investigated reports of criminal damage and the racial abuse of a security guard. It was reported that a group of traveller children had been abusive to staff and when asked to leave the park's reception set off fire extinguishers. In another earlier incident, police detained and handcuffed two traveller children after a penknife was produced in front of a shocked local on a riverside path. One of the biggest concerns for locals is also the welfare of the thousands of horses driven to Appleby to be traded in the streets. Last year two horses died at Appleby with both deaths being put down to exhaustion and overworking. The RSPCA intervened in 438 cases in total. Local campaigners say stricter regulations need to be placed on the event with spot checks on animal passports. The Appleby Fair Communities Group said: 'There are no checks on horse passports, we know horses are traded but the authorities never spot check passports. We know horses are moved, but with no check on passports ever. '

Ipswich to 'turn pink' for Ed Sheeran Portman Road concerts
Ipswich to 'turn pink' for Ed Sheeran Portman Road concerts

BBC News

time31-05-2025

  • BBC News

Ipswich to 'turn pink' for Ed Sheeran Portman Road concerts

A town will celebrate Ed Sheeran's series of homecoming gigs by turning this month Sheeran announced a run of shows at Ipswich Town Football Club's home stadium Portman Road on 11, 12 and 13 Central Business Improvement District (BID) and Ipswich Borough Council announced they would decorate the town with bunting in the same shade of pink as Sheeran's new album, Play, to welcome him Walker, chief executive of the BID, said it was "a chance for the whole town to celebrate". "When we heard that global superstar, dedicated Ipswich Town fan and local lad Ed Sheeran was coming home to perform in Ipswich this summer, and bringing 90,000 fans with him, we knew we had to celebrate," Mr Walker said. "As we 'Welcome Home Ed' it's a chance for the whole town to celebrate as the eyes of the world fall on the town."Mr Walker added that Ipswich was "the only town getting this opportunity this summer" and it was an opportunity to welcome home one of its "successful sons".Sheeran went to school in Framlingham and is also has a minority share in Ipswich Town Football Club. During July, street entertainment including live music from local talent will be organised and on Sheeran's concert days there will be a fan zone of music, merchandise, food and drink stalls on with a connection to Sheeran are due to be highlighted on a walking tour hosted on the All About Ipswich Central has also launched a Sheeran-themed window dressing leader of the council, Neil MacDonald, added he believed "plenty of people" would be on board with painting the town pink."We're very happy to welcome him back, and the whole area will benefit from the boost to the local economy," he added. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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