YMCA North Tyneside have rebranded!

Moving forward with our vision for everyone to be healthy, happy and connected, we are transforming our image. Over the coming months, we are looking forward to many new and exciting things happening, including our new gym development for 2016.

One of the major changes is our new YMCA image. We love the newly updated colourful design (above right) which we believe is a great representation of the vibrant and exciting environment we work in.

Over the next few months many other changes will be taking place. This will include updating our gym equipment to the latest top of the range gear, completely renovating our gym and redeveloping our appearance as a whole.

We aim to serve our community so that all people can Hope, Belong, Contribute and Thrive. By implementing these changes we believe it will enable us to reach and empower more of our community within North Tyneside.

To find out more about the services and facilities we offer, please see www.ymcanorthtyneside.org. We hope you love the changes as much as we do!

by Laura Brewis

Do you have an interest in the outdoors and would you like to help with the Duke of Edinburgh Award?

The Marden Duke of Edinburgh Award Unit is based at Marden High School and is open to all young people in the area, not just those who are pupils at the school.

We are a voluntary group who aim to provide the opportunity to take part in the Award Scheme to as many young people as possible, at a minimum cost to those involved. As with all such groups, the extent of our work is limited by our staff numbers and this limits the number of young people we can work with. Hence this appeal for help – if you are interested in getting involved then we would love to hear from you.

At present we have 60 active members, aged from 14 to 20, who are taking part across all three levels of the Award. Due to the hard work and commitment of our staff we have a very high completion rate – well above the national average – which we wish to continue and expand.

We meet on Wednesday nights during school term time between 7pm and 8.30pm, and run six weekend expeditions a year in the spring/summer up to the school summer holidays . Experience of the Award or outdoor skills would be helpful but are not essential, as training courses are available. A general understanding of teenagers and a lot of patience is all that is needed!.

So, if you are interested please call me, Alan Rudd, for a chat on 0191 259 0963.

by Alan Rudd

“Why don’t you come along to the next Music and Movie Heritage Tour?” said Paul.

We thought that a cultural trip around Newcastle and Gateshead while on board a vintage double decker bus sounded like great fun – so along we went…

Paul is Paul Irwin, who along with Ray Laidlaw (most will know Ray as the drummer with world-famous local band Lindisfarne), provided the backing track and commentary for this tour of the music and film cultural heritage hotspots in our local metropolis.

And a most excellent tour it was, from the pick up point near to Central Station to the return three hours later, with Lindisfarne’s ‘Run for Home’ very aptly playing through the first-rate sound system. The music, combined with the iconic concert, movie and TV posters which decorate the classic Atlantean bus, provides the perfect backdrop for the superlative commentary on the locations the tour takes in.

Delivered informally and with plenty of humour, Ray’s narration is packed with a wealth of fascinating information, personal experiences and anecdotes about the music, venues, movies and TV that have helped to define our local area.

From one of the few remaining locations used in seminal 1970s film ‘Get Carter’ – which precipitated a family feud over an item of furniture – to the site of the very first UK concert by rock giants Led Zeppelin, or the place you might have spotted Tina Turner buying a packet of crisps, this outing is an absolute joy, and topped off with two stops at excellent local watering holes was undoubtedly enjoyed by every single one of us. And that’s without the amazing highlight – which I’m not allowed to reveal – that on its own makes the ticket price more than just good value for money.

To find out more and book a tour – and this is just one of a range of great excursions provided by TyneIdols – see www.tyneidols.com, search for ‘TyneIdols’ on Facebook or follow @TyneIdols on Twitter.

by Mark Robinson

There is an error in the phone number for Outram’s Garage in our September issues – page 3 in Roundabout Monkseaton and page 29 in Roundabout Tynemouth. The correct number is 0191 252 3717.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Throughout the centuries the game of chess has been played world-wide, by all ages, from schoolchildren to professionals and has an immense following.

St Andrew’s Church in Eastfield Avenue, Monkseaton, has run a Chess Club on the premises since 2007 to provide social chess and tuition for a wide spectrum of ages and abilities, from beginners to experienced players.

This small friendly club meets on Tuesday evenings during term time, from 7.00 to 9.00 pm, with an age range from eight years to “you name it”.

We recommence after the school holidays on Tuesday, 15th September and welcome new members – so come along and enjoy this fascinating game.

If you are interested in joining, or would like further information, please contact Derek Stembridge, on 0191 252 6168. An added bonus is that refreshments are provided during the evening. ALL ARE WELCOME.

THE HISTORY OF CHESS

The history of chess spans over 1,500 years. The earliest predecessor of the game probably originated in India, before the 6th century AD; a minority of historians believe the game originated in China.

In the second half of the 19th century, modern chess tournament play began, and the first World Chess Championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw great leaps forward in chess theory and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Developments in the 21st century include use of computers for analysis, which originated in the 1970s with the first programmed chess games on the market. Online gaming appeared in the mid-1990s.

by Derek Stembridge