northern rail magazine autumn / winter 2013

PICK ME UP, I'M

FREE!

Issue nine : autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org

Your FREE customer magazine from Northern Rail

ON THE BALLNorthern footie

club tours

ON YOUR BIKEWe've got your ticket to ride

Also BRIAN BLESSED • THE NIGHTS BEFORE CHRISTMAS • WHAT’S ON IN THE NORTH • SHOPPING, EATING, MARKETS & MORE...

RACHEL KHOO’S LITTLE FRENCH

KITCHEN

ExploringSHOBNA GULATI'S

North West andJANE McDONALD'S North East

55

WIN!an iPhone

5cSee page

4 HELLO FROM ALEX Northern Rail’s MD, Alex Hynes

6 NORTHERN LIFE News from around the network

40

24

37

16

10 27

Edito

r’s L

ette

r

EDITORTony [email protected]

DESIGN AND PRODUcTIONscarlettabbott creative communications and design scarlettabbott.co.uk [email protected]

cONTRIBUTORSRebecca Marsden Anthony Quinlan

ADVERTISING Northern magazine is continually stocked at Northern stations, and is accessible to 100,000 commuters, tourists and decision-makers travelling across northern England. It’s easy to order your advert today and get your message seen exclusively by this powerful consumer group. Call 01904 633399 for further details.

cONTAcT: Gabriella EllisonHead of Marketing and Sales [email protected]

Northern Rail is operated in joint venture by Serco and Abellio (formerly NedRailways). This joint venture combines Serco’s world-class service credentials and Abellio’s unrivalled transport industry expertise. Serco has run the highly successful Docklands Light Railway since 1997 while Abellio delivers bus and rail services to over 650,000 passengers in the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic every day.

In addition to Northern, Serco and Abellio have the 25-year concession for Merseyrail, which provides urban train services in Merseyside.

All rights reserved copyright Northern magazine 2013. The views expressed herein are those of the individuals concerned and not necessarily of the magazine. All information correct at time of going to press. Whilst every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, Northern magazine cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Articles and other contributions in the magazine may be reproduced only with permission from the publisher.Customer Relations Department, Northern Rail, Freepost (RLSL-ABEC-BGUU) Leeds, LS1 4DY.

autumn/winter2013 | northernrail.orgPLATFORM FOR THE JOURNEY YOUR STOP

When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it.

Tony Greenway

As someone...

contents

an iPhone 5c

10 RAcHEL KHOO What’s cooking with the TV chef

16 cHRISTMAS NIGHTS The North’s cities are festive hotspots

21 MIND THE APP Travel and train smartphone apps

22 JANE McDONALD’S NORTH EAST Home sweet home for the

Yorkshire-born singer

24 SHOBNA GULATI’S NORTH WEST The former Corrie star’s favourite places

27 FIVE OF THE BEST …firework displays. Whoosh!

28 NETWORK MAP Your Northern

31 WHERE TO GO IN THE NORTH FOR… …half-term fun, carol concerts and more

34 BUSINESS Bringing old-fashioned sweets

up-to-date

37 STADIUM TOURS Rebecca Marsden goes behind the

soccer scenes

40 BIKE & GO Register for Bike & Go cycle hire

43 THE LOWDOWN What’s on in the North

49 cAREERS Join us at Northern

50 GAME ON! The North’s must-see

sporting events

53 QUIZ PAGE Oh, go on. Give us a clue

54 JOURNEY’S END Brian Blessed takes our Q&AWIN!

…who can’t even boil an egg without having to redecorate the kitchen afterwards, it’s hard not to be impressed by Rachel Khoo, presenter of the BBC’s Little Paris Kitchen (and our cover star this time around).

After giving up everything she knew in the UK for a tiny – and I mean tiny – flat in Paris, Rachel has become a sought-after TV chef and cookery writer. In this edition, she gives us the lowdown on her life as a gastronomic whizz and how she managed to accomplish it in a mini-kitchen with just two gas rings and a teensy oven. She also gives us a winter warming recipe from her new book, My Little French Kitchen, which I’ll attempt just as soon as I’ve repainted the walls from last week when I tried out a Gordon Ramsay.

As ever, we’ve lots to cram in. Loose Women presenters Jane McDonald and Shobna Gulati tell us about their different sides of the same place – we mean the North, of course – and why they love it so much; we find out the best venues for Christmas shopping, eating and drinking; check out some behind-the-scenes football club tours; and meet a Gargrave shop-owner who is taking a traditional business into the 21st century. Finally, the brilliant Brian Blessed tells us about his favourite parts of the North VERY LOUDLY INDEED.

Hope you enjoy the journey.

Editor

44

6

55

+ It would be great to get your feedback on our magazine, so send in your opinions and thoughts to [email protected]

46

autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org

3PLATFORM: CONTENTS

northernrail.org

PLATFORM: EDITOR’S LETTER2

+ It would be great to get your feedback on our magazine, so send in your thoughts to [email protected] Hello from Alex

Our network will benefit from the biggest investment in the railway since Victorian times.

northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013

4 SECTION : TITLE4 PLATFORM: HELLO FROM ALEX

Welcome to our latest issue of Northern magazine. As usual it is crammed full of ideas for places to visit and things to do in the coming months.

So what is new? Well me for starters! I joined Northern as Managing Director at the end of the summer (yes we had one this year!) and I’m making the most of opportunities to get out and about around our vast network meeting customers, colleagues and local communities. It is giving me the chance to see what we do well and, just as importantly, the areas where we need to improve to deliver a better service for you.

It’s a great time to be joining Northern. Our network will benefit from the biggest investment in the railway since Victorian times. From station improvements (big and small), to the electrification of lines in the North West, which will deliver faster journey times and newer trains, there is a lot going on.

I’m determined to make sure that we are working hard to improve the things that matter to you, our customers, so whether it’s more reliable services, cleaner trains or better information I’m keen to hear from you.

For now, I hope you enjoy the magazine and as I’ve moved back to the north of England after 15 years away, I’ll be picking up tips on the best bonfire bonanzas and cracking Christmas shopping!

All the best

Alex Hynes Managing Director

If you have a suggestion or feedback about anything at Northern, please

write to us at: Customer Relations Team, Northern Rail, Freepost (RLSL-ABEC-BGUU) Leeds, LS1 4DY

or email at [email protected] and follow us on twitter: @northernrailorg

autumn/winter

Our regular newsy round-up of stories and snippets which could help your journey with us…

The Cawthorne Dragon at Barnsley station was at the receiving end of some special treatment when textile craft students from the University of Huddersfield wrapped him up to promote their latest project.

Stitch the Line, a unique art project funded by the East Peak Innovation Partnership and sponsored by the Penistone Line Partnership and Northern

Rail, saw stations from Stocksmoor to Barnsley decorated by a range of work produced by the students and local craft groups. Crocheted seat covers were spotted at Penistone; cushions appeared at Stocksmoor and colourful bunting and quilted panels popped up at Dodworth.

Students travelled on-board a Northern Rail service from Huddersfield to Barnsley,

discussing the work on display with passengers and handed out copies of a free arts and crafts directory.

Themes differed at each of the stations, with some reflecting local history and the rural nature of the communities with the project aiming to raise awareness of local craft studios and galleries along the route.

Commuters passing through Rochdale station were surprised with a gift of words from Rochdale Borough Libraries who had been chosen as World Book Night ‘givers’.

For the third year running, Northern worked with Rochdale Borough Libraries and World Book Night organisers to help distribute one million books to members of the

public across the UK.Titles this year included Damage by Josephine Hart, The Road Home by Rose Tremain, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson, and The No1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.

“It was fantastic to see so many of our passengers engaging with

the World Book Night ethos,” says Zainib Ahmed, Northern Rail’s Community Ambassador for Rochdale. “Our conductor on the 18.36 from Rochdale to Sowerby Bridge made sure everyone was aware what was happening and it was great to see passengers getting stuck into their books as soon as they could!”

Once again we provided extra trains and carriages to our services to Harrogate for this year’s Great Yorkshire Show.

The Great Yorkshire Show attracts thousands of people every year, from all over the country and Northern transported many of them

to Harrogate station where show organisers put on a free shuttle bus to take them to the showground. As a result of Northern’s partnership with the Great Yorkshire Show, visitors travelling through staffed railway stations received £2 off their ticket price.

Good books

Jolly good show!

A ‘EUREkA!’ momEntMembers of our Engineering Team, along with Unipart Rail, paid a visit to Eureka! The National Children’s Museum in Halifax recently.

The day kicked off as every day should, with a quick game of rounders. Then it was off for a spot of train cleaning…

Upwards of 1,000 children a week use the coach and locomotive at Eureka! (which was refurbished by Northern in 2010) to play in, learn about railway safety and munch through a packed lunch or two.

The teams split into three and carried out a heavy cleaning of the coach interior, an exterior clean of the coach and the locomotive, plus a tidy up of the surrounding grounds – which included painting of the wood fencing on what had become a very unusual hot summer’s day!

cleaning duty at Eureka!

Northern Rail has installed three ultra-fast ticket machines at Leeds station, making it quicker for online customers to collect their tickets to travel. The Ticket on Departure machines, provided by Parkeon, are placed at key points throughout the station as ‘collect only’ terminals, designed to make it quicker and easier for customers who have already booked in advance online.

“As the busiest station in the north of England, our customers at Leeds need as many

opportunities as possible to purchase tickets,” says Richard Allan, Area Director for Northern Rail. “These new machines will improve the experience of the increasing number of customers booking online and collecting their tickets at the station. Our machines print quickly and are exclusively available to collect pre-booked tickets, thereby helping customers avoid queues.”

JUst thE tickEt at Leeds

HavinG us in stitchEs

northernrail.org northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013autumn/winter 2013

Textile students at Barnsley station

“Read all about it”

He’s got a ticket to ride

thE gREEn tEAm!

Northern Rail has reiterated its commitment to sustainability by scooping the ‘Environment’

title at this year’s Rail Industry Innovation Awards.

The award is the result of our commitment to conserving water at train wash plants and for making a real difference in reducing water consumption activities at our four depots across the North. In fact, we’ve reduced our water consumption by up to 70%.

Stuart Draper, Director of Engineering for Northern Rail, says: “This award recognises our commitment to sustainability and acknowledges the success of this project, which was focussed on improving the cleanliness of our trains whilst also improving our impact on the environment.”

“Water great result!”

“Mooove along please”

7PLATFORM: NORTHERN LIFEPLATFORM: NORTHERN LIFE6

HALO OF THE YEAR 2013Alan Johns, Driver, Sheffield

Alan worked sensitively and tirelessly to support one of his colleagues through a prolonged time of need. Alan’s level of dedication was described as outstanding.

PLATFORM: NORTHERN LIFE

SOUTHPORT TO WIGAN

Overnight engineering work will take place from Mondays to Thursdays until December 2013. Replacement buses will run between Southport and Wigan/Parbold.

MANcHESTER VIcTORIA STATION

Station renovation work will continue until summer 2014. The station will be closed late night on 24 December until 2 January to allow electrification work to take place. Trains from the east will terminate at Rochdale, Moston or Littlebrough, and trains from the west will terminate at Salford crescent and Manchester Oxford Road.

Please check for more information about replacement buses closer to the time.

HOLME TUNNEL BLOcKADE

From 9 November 2013 until 23 March 2014, major repair work will be carried out on Holme Tunnel. Trains will not be able to run between Hebden Bridge and Burnley Manchester Road and replacement buses will be provided.

cONISBROUGH TUNNEL

From 5 January until 9 February 2014, engineering work will be taking place in conisbrough Tunnel. Trains will not be able to run between Swinton and Doncaster. Replacement buses will run between Swinton and Doncaster, and express buses will run between Sheffield, Meadowhall and Doncaster.

Engineering works are frustrating for passengers and we do apologise for any inconvenience

they cause. They are essential to help improve and maintain our service to you, however – so here’s a round-up of works expected in the next few months.

Engineering work can happen at any time, but it usually affects weekend or bank holiday services. It’s always a good idea to check before you travel by phoning 08457 48 49 50 or visiting northernrail.org/disruption

Dale Smith, Conductor, Skipton

Dale carried two separate groups of passengers who had missed their steam charter excursion train to York. He liaised with the steam train guard and arranged to transfer the passengers, including two in wheelchairs, to their intended steam train.

In August, 40 of our employees were recognised at the Northern Stars Celebration event, 2013.These were colleagues who had really shone during the year, giving great customer service and each winning either a Northern Star or Halo award in the 12 months leading up to the event. But there could only be a handful of overall winners…

RISING STARSKeith Harmer, Conductor, Harrogate

A customer wrote in to commend Keith’s actions and his organised, professional and calm approach when there was a tragic incident on the line. Keith kept communicating with his customers to keep everyone safe and informed, also enlisting the help of willing passengers, including a doctor.

NORTHERN STAR OF THE YEAR 2013Lilian charnock, Retail Supervisor, Buckshaw Parkway

When severe snow hit Lancashire in January and trains were cancelled, Lilian helped passengers find alternative methods of transport to get home. As the weather worsened, Lilian had helped all her customers leave the station safely but could no longer get her own vehicle out of the snow and had to spend

the night at the station. For putting others before herself, Lilian was named our Northern Star of the Year.

Brian Dixon, Conductor, Middlesbrough

While visiting Whitby on a day off, Brian stepped in to help out during major disruption and bad weather conditions. Brian’s actions meant that bus coordination was carried out to best effect and passengers completed their journeys with much better results.

Congratulations to all our winners and nominees!

Left: Lilian

with her award

PARk LifeA £1million improvement scheme to two of Calderdale’s local stations’ car parks has been completed. Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge stations have both received additional spaces in projects worth £400k and £560k respectively.

The stations, managed by Northern Rail, have received the welcome additional spaces through the Stations Car Park Fund, run by the Department for Transport and in partnership

with Metro (West Yorkshire PTE). Todmorden’s parking facilities have increased by 18 spaces, bringing a total of 86 to the station, and at Sowerby Bridge there are now 37 additional spaces and a total of 115 to the station overall.

Crossflatts, a popular commuter station into Bradford and Leeds, also benefited from a £550k investment, adding an extra 62 spaces to bring the total number to 162, offering more opportunities for locals to travel by train.

on tHe Go stAy in thE know

Smart phone users are now able to access up-to-date information on our trains whilst on the move, thanks to the launch of our new mobile friendly website m.northernrail.org

Available on all smart phone and tablet devices, our mobile website displays the most relevant content from our full website, giving you all the information you need whilst on the go.

It’s really easy to use and some of the great features include live train times and journey information, offers and latest news. You can also plan any journey from your nearest station and buy a ticket to anywhere in Great Britain.

PictURE thisMike Tomlinson launched a unique competition for participants in this year’s Walk For All Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival. Walkers were asked to take pictures of their ramble and send it to Northern’s Twitter team (@northernrailorg) for the chance to win £250-worth of shopping vouchers and a donation towards their nominated charity.

The annual Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival took place on Sunday 18 August and saw the return of our special ‘Jane Tomlinson’ train to take walkers from Leeds station to the rolling

hills of Settle. All proceeds from the train go directly to the Jane Tomlinson Appeal.

“We were thrilled that Northern Rail once again supported the Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival,” says Mike. “The Festival encompasses three different walks for all abilities so it’s a great day out for all ages. And as we know, God’s Own County has the best views of, arguably, anywhere in the world, so we’re expecting some fantastic photos.”

The winning picture will be featured in our next issue.

Right: Alan with his award

Watch this space – there's more parking

northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013 northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

PLATFORM: NORTHERN LIFE 9

ENGINEERING

PLATFORM: NORTHERN LIFE8

northernrail.org

FOR THE JOURNEY: RACHEL KHOOFOR THE JOURNEY: RACHEL KHOO 11

Eight years ago, Rachel Khoo swapped her life in the UK for a small apartment in Paris, opening a pop-up restaurant in her tiny

dining room and becoming an acclaimed TV chef, broadcaster and cookery writer in the process. She talks to Tony Greenway –

and shares a recipe from her latest book, My Little French Kitchen.

autumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org

10

TV chef Rachel Khoo has been living in the North for the last eight years.

The north of France, that is.

Rachel – a fashion student who graduated from Central Saint

Martins College in London – gave up a career in design and her home in the UK for a tiny flat in Paris and a place on the French capital’s famous Le Cordon Bleu cookery course.

It was a life-changing move.

Now the glamorous expat is the author of four cookery books (two in French, two in English) and has also become a TV star: the television series to accompany her third best-selling book, The Little Paris Kitchen, was a ratings success for BBC2 last year and sold all over the world, including the US, New Zealand, South Africa, Poland, Iceland, Germany, Sweden and Brazil. The Guardian called Rachel “an engaging presence”; The Observer said she imported “French joie de vivre… sans food snobbery.” The Radio Times noted that she is “winningly down to earth” and “the real deal.”

To help research The Little Paris Kitchen cookbook, Rachel, 33, opened a pop-up restaurant called La Petite Cuisine à Paris in her own miniscule (21 square metre) apartment in the 19th arrondissement. For such a small flat (it’s the size of a double bedroom) it was a big hit, impressing Parisians and welcoming a string of curious international diners, who lapped up and loved the dishes she served in such ‘bijou’ surroundings. That’s no mean feat when you consider that she did all this with just two gas rings and a mini oven.

But hang on. Think it sounds glamorous to give everything up to make cakes in Paris? Think again. “It was tough,” says Rachel. “I’d say the first four or five years were about

asking: ‘Have I got enough money to pay the rent this month?’ So yes, it sounds romantic but I was getting up at six in the morning to peel kilos of carrots in a vegetarian restaurant and working all day on my feet. Then there was all the knocking

on doors, cold calling and trying to get work. In Paris, you have to be ‘recommended’ and it took me a while to fit into the scene.”

Now, though, Rachel’s culinary career is blooming. This year, she publishes a new cookbook, My Little French Kitchen, which is a gastronomic tour of the whole country and a must for foodies everywhere. “When I finished The Little Paris Kitchen, my publisher asked me what I wanted to do next,” Rachel tells us. “I said that I really wanted to explore the rest of France, so I hopped on the train or plane – I even drove a minibus at one point with the photographer, art director and stylist aboard – and did just that.” She cooked with French grandmas, met asparagus farmers in Bordeaux (“Have you ever harvested asparagus? It’s really difficult. The farmer wasn’t best pleased with me.”), visited oyster shacks, fished for lobster and baked with expert patisserie chefs in Alsace. And everywhere she went, she collected recipes for My Little French Kitchen.

“They don’t know me in France,” says Rachel. “The Little Paris Kitchen TV series didn’t come here – although the book did – so I was just this British woman ringing and asking: ‘Can I come and look around your asparagus farm?’ Occasionally it took a bit of convincing. I wanted to go to this amazing patisserie/bakery in Alsace just before Christmas but, of course, that’s their busiest time.

I said: 'Please! I won’t get in the way!' They were super nice and let me in.”

There won’t be a TV series to accompany My Little French Kitchen although, when we speak, Rachel is deep in talks about making another television show. “It’s a series,” she says, “but different from last time although with the same spirit. I get a bit bored so I like doing something for an intense amount of time and then moving onto something else. That’s why when people ask: ‘Are you going to open a restaurant?’ I always say: ‘No!’ You’ve got to have such commitment to do that.”

But wasn’t opening her teensy apartment to the general public like opening a restaurant? No, she says. Space in the flat is so limited, it only had room for two diners – so that didn’t count. “Plus I could open it whenever I wanted. And it wasn’t difficult to fill two seats.” And anyway, she only did it as a way to test out her recipes without wasting all the food she

was cooking. “It was intimate!” she says. “There was no hiding. Although I did explain to people that it wasn’t just about sitting down and having a meal in my apartment. They did have to participate and have a conversation because I wasn’t going to do a monologue for three hours.” Unfortunately, if you’re wanting to book a table, you’re going to be disappointed because Rachel has now closed La Petite Cuisine à Paris.

Yet she wasn’t exaggerating when she called her kitchen ‘Petite’. “When you test and write a cookbook in such a small kitchen... well... first of all you go CRAZY,” says Rachel. “Secondly, you HAVE to keep recipes simple because you can’t chuck everything in the dishwasher – there isn’t one! – and you don’t want to be using loads of pots and pans. Plus, my oven is tiny, too. I was testing a cake recipe and every time it ballooned up it stuck to the top of the oven. Nightmare.”

If writing the book in such confined surroundings was hard, filming the TV series was even worse. “The camera crew ended up storing all their equipment in the bathtub because there was no room for anything,” she says. “So it was cosy, let’s put it that way. I’ve since had a few people say to me: ‘That’s not real. You filmed that series in a studio somewhere.’ But, no. It IS real. It’s my apartment!”

The Little Paris Kitchen TV series was Rachel’s idea. After she had finished researching and writing the book, she met with various production companies and convinced them that it would make a good prime time cookery show: a way to demystify hallowed French cuisine. (“It wasn’t just about me being a pretty face in front of the camera. I had ideas and I wanted to be involved.”) But she was new to TV and didn’t know what to expect – and didn’t get any media training, either. “They just plonked me in front of a camera and said: ‘OK, Rachel... cook!’ Cooking on TV looks easy but it’s not. You have continuity to think about, so the crew were saying: ‘Rachel, you picked up the knife and chopped the carrot in two on that first take… not three,’ while, at the same time, the director is shouting: ‘More energy, Rachel! More energy!’ It was a learning experience.”

These days, of course, after her success, Rachel must now be living in palatial splendour somewhere while using a kitchen of Nigella-sized proportions.

She snorts. “I haven’t moved!” she says. “I’m still in my Little Paris Kitchen, although I do travel between the UK

...TRAIN TRAVEL:“I love trains! They’re so efficient and fast. It’s my favourite kind of travel. Plus you can work and read a book, so it’s comfortable.”

...BRITISH FOOD:“If you look at a supermarket in the UK now the choice of ingredients is staggering. But growing up in the 1980s, it was even hard to get soy sauce.”

...HER FAVOURITE FOOD:“It’s difficult because it depends on what mood I’m in. The Malaysian side of me loves dumplings and the Austrian side of me loves cakes. But then I love an English roast, too...”

ON...

“When people ask: ‘Are you going to open a restaurant?’ I always

say: ‘No!’ You’ve got to have such commitment to do that.”

Rachel's first book – The Little Paris Kitchen

Rachel Khoo: French inspiration

“When you test and write a cookbook in

such a small kitchen... well... first of all you

go CRAZY.”

northernrail.org northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013

FOR THE JOURNEY: RACHEL KHOOFOR THE JOURNEY: RACHEL KHOO 1312

and France much more now. No, my cooking means I’ll never have a glamorous kitchen like Nigella or a hi-tech one like Heston (Blumenthal). I do want to move into a bigger flat that has a kitchen with a real oven but you don’t need that much to cook. It just has to be a kitchen that’s ‘accessible’ so that (when people see it on TV) they can say: “I’ve got a kitchen like that.’”

Food has always been important in the Khoo family. Rachel’s dad is Malaysian and her mum is Austrian. “My mum did a lot of baking with me when I was a kid,” she remembers. “In Austria they have beautiful cakes, sachertorte and strudel. And whenever I visit my family in Malaysia, they don’t ask me: ‘How are you?’ the first thing they say is ‘Have you eaten yet?’ My dad and my cousin don’t stop talking about the best places for wonton dumplings.”

Career-wise, Rachel Khoo doesn’t rule anything in or out. She never has. “Because I come from an art college

FOR THE JOURNEY: RACHEL KHOO14

...THE GREAT BRITISH SANDWICH:“The British know how to make a sandwich. It’s so funny because a Marks and Spencer has opened on the Champs-Élysées and during the week you see the French queuing up for sandwiches.”

...COOKING:“I always say: If you’re new to cooking, pick out an easy recipe – something which doesn’t have too many ingredients. Then imagine you’re doing a TV show. Weigh out all your ingredients, prepare them and put them in nice bowls. By having everything laid out in front of you, you won’t be frantically looking for things while your sauce is burning. Being organised and tidy helps. And practice makes perfect. Then follow the recipe! I have the disasters (while researching the book) so you don’t have to.”

ON...

background it’s always been about creating ideas and putting them into action,” she says. “I love illustrations – I did them

for The Little Paris Kitchen book – so maybe I’ll design again. At the

moment, though, I’m really enjoying what I’m doing. I’ve just been all around France! I can’t

complain: it’s brilliant.”

My Little French Kitchen is out now, published by Penguin, £20.rachelkhoo.com

Rach

el K

hoo'

s Pu

mpk

in S

oup

with

Cha

ntilly

and

Oni

on C

onfit

from

the

book

My

Little

Fre

nch

Kitc

hen

autumn/winter 2013 spring/summer 2013northernrail.org

www.northernrail.org www.northernrail.org www.northernrail.org

Place the pumpkin, garlic cloves and some of the pumpkin seeds on a baking tray, toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast for 30 minutes at 180°C, or until tender (roasting the pumpkin might sound like a bit of a pain but it’s well worth it, as the pumpkin takes on a rich sweetness). Leave to cool before scooping the flesh from the pumpkin pieces into a pot. Squeeze out the garlic from the skin and add to the pot. Clean the seeds of any strands of pumpkin and add to a separate pan with the onion and butter. Place on a medium heat and fry for about 10 minutes until the onion begins to caramelise. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, finish the soup by adding the hot vegetable stock to the pumpkin and garlic. Blend until smooth then taste and season. Whip the cream with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper, to taste.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and divide the caramelised onions and pumpkin seeds between the bowls. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to finish.

Velouté au potimarron avec du Chantilly et les oignons confitsPUMPKIN SOUP WITH CHANTILLY AND ONION CONFIT

Serves 4Preparation time: 30 minutes

cooking time: 45 minutes

1kg chestnut pumpkin, pumpkin or butternut squash, chopped into

large pieces

4 cloves of garlic, left whole in the skin

4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (or use the seeds from the pumpkin)

olive oil

salt and ground black pepper

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 litre hot vegetable stock

100ml whipping cream

“I’ve had people say to me: ‘That’s not real. You filmed it in a studio somewhere.’ But, no.

It IS real. It’s my apartment!”

"You’ve got to start off with a bit of Christmas shopping... Just promise us you’ll pace yourself."

Do you REALLY want a silent night? In the run-up to christmas, the North’s cities transform into winter wonderlands – so get your glad rags on (or your skates), get in some seasonal shopping and make the most of some fantastic urban eateries...

You’ve got to start off with a bit of Christmas shopping (of course) because it’s never too early to start. Just promise us you’ll pace yourself.

In Liverpool you should rake the rails and scan the shelves at the frankly massive Liverpool One and then have a peak around the iconic Albert Dock (The Beatles Story’s Fab4 Store is memorabilia central). In Manchester, it’s off you pop to Corn Exchange (where you

can’t exchange corn, but where you can buy a rather nice suit, among other things), and the Arndale Centre. Give yourself plenty of time. You’ll need it in there.

Manchester also has its own Harvey Nicks, on New Cathedral Street; but then so does Leeds where it looks very much at home in the ultra-swish Victoria Quarter. Down the road, check out the brand spanking new Trinity Leeds, which has everything

from an Apple store to a Victoria’s Secret. Over in Hull? Then it’s ‘good afternoon’ Princes Quay and St Stephen’s.In Newcastle Gateshead you really can’t miss Eldon Square and Metrocentre; and in Sheffield you NEED to visit Meadowhall and the boutiquey Devonshire Quarter.

Now. You could probably do with a drink and something to eat after all that – right?

TOWN! liverpool-one.com

albertdock.com

cornexchangemanchester.co.uk

manchesterarndale.com

v-q.co.uk

trinityleeds.com

princes-quay.co.uk

ststephens-hull.com

eldonsquare.co.uk

metro-centre.co.uk

meadowhall.co.uk

Christmas Shopping

Want more...

autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013

16 17FOR THE JOURNEY: CHRISTMAS NIGHTSFOR THE JOURNEY: CHRISTMAS NIGHTS

York's Ice Factor

Newcastle's Metro centre

Hull's St Stephen's

Leeds' Victoria Quarter

Manchester's Piccadily Gardens

It’s nigh on impossible to list our favourite bars and restaurants in the North for a spot of pre-Christmas nosh because we’ve got hundreds of them. Naturally, with the season to be jolly just around the corner, lots of them will be typing up their Christmas menus around about now, so here’s a word of caution: parties will be everywhere from early December (or even late November) onwards, so it’s ultra-sensible to book ahead. (We KNOW you know that. We’re just saying.)

Now you’ve rested up a bit, it’s time to burn off some calories with a bit of skating in one of our city’s seasonal rinks. In York, for example, try out the excellent Ice Factor; and in Newcastle slip, slide or glide around the wondrous Skating@Life at the Centre for Life. In Manchester, the ice rink returns to Spinningfields, around mid-November until early January (date TBC); and in Liverpool it's skates on at Liverpool One for a touch of the Torvill and Deans.

Eating & DRINKingSo where to go?Obviously all the big shopping experiences – Liverpool One, Manchester Arndale, Meadowhall in Sheffield, Trinity in Leeds etc – are overflowing with choice eateries. But if it’s some city institutions you want to sample, we’d recommend the following…

In Sheffield: Devonshire Quarter, Ecclesall Road, Little china Town on London Road, Leopold Square, St Paul's Square and Kelham Island in the old industrial heartland.

In Manchester: Northern Quarter, Deansgate Locks (for bars and a comedy club) and Spinningfields, plus the curry Mile in Rusholme.

In Newcastle Gateshead: we love the Quayside, plus Stowell Street where you’ll find fab restaurants and buffets in china Town.

In Leeds: explore call Lane, Greek Street and around the corn Exchange.

In Liverpool: Hope Street Quarter, cavern Quarter, Baltic Triangle and china Town.

In York: the city centre is full of cafes, bars and restaurants – or ‘do’ the backstreets and hot-foot it to Swinegate and Grape Lane.

In Bradford: the city centre has some of the best Indian restaurants in the country – plus there are some great cafes and restaurants in Saltaire, too.

Skating theicefactor.co.uk

life.org.uk

spinningfieldsonline.com

liverpool-one.com

Christmas MARKETS

Who doesn’t love a traditional Christmas market

with their food stalls, gift ideas and gluhwein?

In Manchester, the markets return from the 15 November – 22 December; although, at the time of writing, the Christmas Light Switch-on was still to be announced. It’s always a popular event, attracting big-name artists (last year, for example, The Wanted and Misha B played to the crowd). This year is the 15th anniversary of Manchester’s first Christmas market which remains the biggest in the UK. It's now expanded to nine sites across the city centre with more than 300 stalls and some exciting anniversary-linked surprises.

In Sheffield, the Christmas markets come to Fargate from around mid-November (times TBA); and in Newcastle the continental markets will return 18-31 December to the Monument area (and there will be a switch-on event, too, so check press for times). In wildly picturesque Lincoln, the traditional Christmas market returns from 5-8 December with around 250 stalls in the medieval square and surrounding area. In York, St Nicholas Fayre (28 November – 1 December) is one of the key dates in York’s tourism calendar, with visitors flocking to the city to buy gifts, crafts, and local farm produce; followed by the fabulous York Festive Fayre (4-22 December).

Buy train tickets to anywhere in Britain at northernrail.org

Or, alternatively, just ignore all of that advice and follow the sound of the music and raucous laughter. St Nicholas Fayre, York

autumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org northernrail.org

18 19FOR THE JOURNEY: CHRISTMAS NIGHTSFOR THE JOURNEY: CHRISTMAS NIGHTS

Bradford

Manchester's Deansgate locksImage: Marketing Manchester

Trinity Leeds

Spinningfields, Manchester

York by night

Im

perial Arch, Liverpool

northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

1. Northern Rail

Well of COURSE we were always going to mention our own app, which is free to download and allows our customers (that’s you)

to plan any journey in Great Britain – plus save details of up to 20 previous journeys. When you book with the Northern Rail app there are no booking fees, no credit card fees and no delivery fees. You can collect your tickets from over 1,000 stations and they're ready for you within 15 minutes. Also, because our app features live running time information direct from National Rail, customers can monitor their journeys, check for any disruption or delays and even see which platform they should head to at the station (where the data is available).

cOST: FREE PLATFORM: iPhone/Android/iPad. WHERE? northernrail.org/app

2. TripAdvisor

Last year it was revealed that the TripAdvisor app had surpassed 15 million total downloads across all platforms and devices. That was back

in February 2012, so goodness knows how many times it’s been downloaded since – but at one point it was going like the proverbial hot cakes at an average of 25 times per minute. It is the business, though: a simple interface makes it easy-peasy for travellers to access millions of reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor. You can see top ranked hotels, restaurants and attractions and plenty more besides in a particular location – and then use filters to make comparisons and choices. Simples.

cOST: FREE PLATFORM: iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, Nokia and Palm smartphones, Android tablets, iPad. WHERE? tripadvisor.co.uk

3. Tripit Travel Organiser

Now here’s a great idea: a way to keep all your travel docs in one handy place. Simply forward your booking confirmations – tickets, hotels,

rental cars, restaurants, activities, etc – to [email protected]. The app then organises all your travel details and creates one itinerary for you... and away you jolly well go. Literally. There’s also an advanced Pro version costing £2.99.

cOST: FREE PLATFORM: iPhone and iPad, tablet, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone 7. WHERE? tripit.com

4. Foodspotting

You love food, we love food. So wouldn’t it be good if there was an app that didn’t just rate restaurants (there are lots of those)

but could find or rate particular dishes? Well there is: Foodspotting. You can search for your favourite food (or for something you'd like to try) recommend dishes and ‘share’ dishes, too. A very tasty app that can help you find the best grub in any city you’re in.

cOST: FREE PLATFORM: iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone. WHERE? foodspotting.com

5. Packing Pro

Forget your tickets? Your wallet? Your trousers? You need Packing Pro, then, which helps you make your own

customised packing list or offers sample item checklists. It also features before-you-leave-home reminders such as watering the plants. A three-times-in a-row finalist at the Best App Ever Awards, Packing Pro isn’t just handy – it’s a downright essential travel tool.

cOST: £1.99 PLATFORM: iPhone and iPad. WHERE? quinnscape.com

FOR THE JOURNEY: MIND THE APP 21

You’re always on the go, you are. So here’s our round-up of some nifty train and travel apps for your smartphone and tablet so that life is easier for you – on the move.

...two more reasons to get out and about with a Saveaway this Autumn.

Saveaways are cheap, off-peak tickets which are perfect for travelling to family days out by train on the City Line. And they can leave you with change for treats all round! No tricks!

To plan your next trip visit merseytravel.gov.uk or call Traveline on 0871 200 22 33

Tricks& treats...

MT_Saveaway_200x120mm_Autumn_2.indd 1 19/09/2013 16:58

Explore

by train with a

Visit our website to

2013 edition

Hop on and off all day for one

set price

Discover

with a Day Ranger or

Round Robin ticket


Hop on and off

all day for one

set price

2013 edition

Knaresborough viaduct

DiscoverYorkshire and the North East by train with a Day Ranger orRound Robin ticket


Hop on and off all day for one set price

2013 edition

AW_Day Ranger Half page AD 200x120.indd 1 16/09/2013 11:33

Jane Mcdonald: Autumn Tour 201326 October Skegness, The Embassy Theatre embassytheatre.co.uk

9 November Blackpool, Opera House wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

16 November Leeds, Grand Theatre leedsgrandtheatre.com

22 November Southport Theatre atgtickets.com

24 November Buxton, The Opera House buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

autumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013

22 23

Singer and presenter Jane McDonald can’t leave her beloved Yorkshire behind. She’s tried, she tells us, but the pull of the North is just too much for her…

Jane's North East

t’s not as though Wakefield-born and based singer Jane McDonald hasn’t tried to live somewhere else. She has.

When she was appearing in a show in the West End, for example, she bought a flat in London, but didn’t last “two minutes”.

“I thought: ‘I can’t do this. I’ll rent if I need to stay over’,” she says. “My family and friends are up here – and I know this is a cliché but home is where the heart is. It’s such a northern thing.” So Jane is happy and glorious in Wakefield and commutes on the train three times a week. (“I’m very much a train buff.”)

This year has been a madly busy one for Jane, who first found fame back in the 1990s on the hit BBC fly-on-the-wall docusoap, The Cruise. First of all there are her continuing appearances on the panel of cult show Loose Women, where the likes of Jane, Carol McGiffin, Carol Vorderman, Janet Street-Porter and Denise Welch discuss topical issues, live and loud, on daytime TV.

Then ITV gave Jane her own series, Star Treatment, which was shown over the summer; plus she has decided to tour again this autumn (see her dates, right) and record a new album, doing the vocals in LA.

And – we hate to bring it up – she turned 50 in April. She was a bit depressed about this, she admits, until the Loose Women girls took her out for the evening. “They did me proud,” she says. “They always do. But since reaching that milestone, the year has taken off. So I don’t think age is the big drawback any more. And I couldn’t sing the songs I’m singing about on my (forthcoming) album if I was in my thirties because it’s about reflection. They’re songs for someone of my age.”

Shobna Gulati, former Coronation Street actress, is now a regular on the Loose Women panel (see our interview with Shobna on pg 24). “Shobna is adorable and gorgeous,” says Jane. “And she’s far too thin to sit next to me.”

The trick to appearing on Loose Women, says Jane, is arguing your case and not worrying what the other members of the panel or audience think of your opinions. “You can’t think: ‘The public aren’t going to like this’,” she says, “because as soon as you do you might just as well get your coat. You’ve got to sit there and debate something and stick to your guns. I’ve always been the one who says: ‘I think you’re talking a load of tosh.’”

I

FOR THE JOURNEY: JANE'S NORTH EAST FOR THE JOURNEY: JANE'S NORTH EAST

northernrail.org northernrail.org

2322

She is forthright, is Jane, but there isn’t the slightest bit of ‘diva’ about her. Yet this is a woman with a fiercely loyal fanbase, numerous top 10 albums (and a number one double platinum album) who has sold out the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium (three times).

“But I never take it for granted,” she says. “It’s very easy to get complacent in our industry and think: ‘I’ll always be able to do this.’ And this business is so fickle. I seem to have kept fingers in a lot of pies. I do produce, write, record, tour and present, just in case something drops out. I’ve always been a ‘Plan B’ type of girl.”

On stage, she loves a bit of banter between songs and learnt how to work a crowd the hard way. “That’s doing summer seasons in Skegness,” she laughs. “I learnt my trade on the coalface,

if you like. When I was at Chapel St Leonards with 2,500 people in every night someone said to me: “Can you go out and fill for 10 minutes?” There was a look of blood draining from my face – but I had to go out and do it. That was how I got the gift of the gab and the dry humour. Every single thing I’ve done – clubs, cruise ships, whatever – has taught me everything I need to know to be working at this level.”

Jane’s favourite city:“York. I love it. I love the Designer

Outlet – McArthurGlen. That’s a day out for me with Graveley’s fish

and chips. York’s a lovely city – The Shambles and all the little lanes.

And I love Leeds, too.”mcarthurglen.com

Jane’s favourite restaurant:“The Three Acres at Emley (near Huddersfield). When I have a really special night planned, we all go up there. And I love Bibis in Leeds.”3acres.combibisrestaurant.com

Jane’s favourite rural spot:

“I’m quite lucky because I live in Wakefield – so 15 minutes that

way I’m in Leeds and I’m just five minutes away from the glorious

countryside of Denby Dale – and I’ve got the Blacker Hall Farm

Shop nearby. It’s just idyllic.”blackerhallfarmshop.co.uk

autumn/winter 2013

northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013autumn/winter 2013

25FOR THE JOURNEY: SHOBNA'S NORTH WEST24 FOR THE JOURNEY: SHOBNA'S NORTH WEST

f actress and presenter Shobna Gulati thought her life would slow down when she left Coronation Street, she was

dead wrong. In fact, she’s been busier than ever.

First of all, she’s still a regular on our screens as a panellist on ITV’s speak-your-mind daytime chat show, Loose Women; plus, with her writing partner, Tracy Dell, she’s been working on a sitcom (draft seven and counting) which she can’t say much about.

“On Coronation Street, I had a routine,” Shobna tells us. “True you’re either ‘in’ the current storyline or not, but you get used to that over the years. So when you leave that routine, it’s strange. These days I find myself writing, having meetings, doing voluntary work at, say, the mental health drop-in centre, handing out certificates in schools… lots of things I couldn’t do before.”

As every Corrie fan knows – and there were around 12million of them at last count –

Oldham-born Shobna played Sunita Alahan for over a decade (on and off: she joined the Street in 2001, left in 2006 and then returned at the end of 2009) – before the character was finally killed earlier this year by (boo hiss) nasty Karl Munro.

The Street gave Shobna some meaty storylines; but, before Corrie came calling, she had established her comedy credentials in Victoria Wood’s award-winning sitcom, Dinnerladies, playing the nice-but-dim Anita Shah.

Writing her own sitcom has given Shobna a new-found respect for comedy writers. “Previously I’ve written sketches,” she says. “But this is the first time I’ve ever attempted anything of length.”

Victoria Wood has been a huge inspiration. “She’s a genius writer,” says Shobna. “Comedy is a very specific art. I had a lovely time with Vic in Dinnerladies and learnt so much from her and the other people on the show, like Celia Imrie and Anne Reid. I also got to work with Thora Hird and Eric Sykes. These kind of people only come around once.”

Shobna got the part on Dinnerladies, she thinks, because she made Victoria Wood laugh in the audition. “Plus, I do a lot of study – I’m very academic – and Vic thought it was fun that this young, academic actress would want to play someone like Anita who wasn’t that bright.”

I

Shobna’s favourite places:“It’s Manchester – and GREATER Manchester, actually. I love Lancashire to be absolutely honest which, especially around the Pennines, is stunning. That landscape, those Moors – I can’t do without them. I find them bleak, frightening and beautiful all at the same time.”

Shobna's favourite restaurant:

“Kabana on Back Turner Street in Manchester in the Northern Quarter, which specialises in Pakistani cuisine. It used to be one of the daytime cafes

which historically served the people who came from

India and Pakistan and were working in the city’s

textile industry. At home, I’ve recently gone back to my

rustic roots and really enjoy cooking Punjabi food.”

more@For more details, visit shobnagulati.co.uk

She left coronation Street in April, but Shobna Gulati – actress, presenter and now writer – is busier than ever and loving life in the North West.

Shobna’s North West

Shobna on Oldham: “I still live in Oldham, just down the road from my mum. Mum was born in Southport, moved to India and then came to Oldham when she was 19 – and hasn’t moved since. She’s a big part of the community.”

Phot

o cr

edit:

Jos

eph

Scan

nlan

northernrail.org

Yes: talk about casting against type. Shobna – who trained in Indian dance – has, among other things, a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern politics from the University of Manchester and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Huddersfield. In Oldham, she founded a four-language theatre company (Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali and English), became a part-time lecturer in dance at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University and is currently Oldham Children’s University Chancellor.

As an actress, she is much more than just Sunita and Anita; on stage she’s done everything from Shakespeare to the musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan.

It helps that Shobna comes from a culture- loving family. Her late father, a doctor, was “always singing” and her sisters performed in

a disco Bollywood pop band. “We had an open, artistic upbringing in Oldham,” says Shobna. “I played the piano, sang in choirs, and enjoyed watching Indian dance with mum. That and panto at Oldham Coliseum!”

Now Shobna’s 18-year-old son is training to be an actor too. What did she say when he told her what he wanted to do with his life?

She laughs. “I said: ‘Why can’t you be a doctor? Or a lawyer or a dentist?!’ Acting is a precarious profession and I’ve been homeless and on the edge on account of it. But if he loves it – and when he performs you can see the joy in him – then I’m there for him, because you can’t put monetary value on that.

“He’s sweet. He brought me a cup of tea the other day and he said to me: ‘You know, mum, You are the most remarkable woman.’”

Shobna Gulati suddenly bursts out laughing. “I don’t know WHAT he wanted...”

Whizz! Pop! And – indeed – bang! Where are some of the best places for you to remember, remember the 5th of November? We have a few suggestions...

SHEFFIELDWow! Sheffield’s smoking hot After Dark event returns to the Don Valley Bowl on 5 November with a Real Radio stage, a giant fun fair, a bonfire (naturally) which will be lit at 7.30pm, food stalls, a live music stage and – get this – 20,000 spectators looking skywards, waiting to be dazzled. Just when you think it can’t get any better the fireworks go ‘bang’ at 9pm – and they’re set to music. They call it the biggest firework spectacular in Yorkshire... and you can see why.

donvalleystadium.co.uk

LIVERPOOLThere are two top council-run fireworks displays to see in Liverpool: one in the historic 200-acre Sefton Park; and the other in Newsham Park, home to the Grade II-listed Newsham House, where Queen Victoria once stayed. Would she be amused? Both events take place on 5 November.

liverpool.gov.uk

MANCHESTERMake your bonfire night go like a rocket in the seriously lovely Heaton Park and/or Platt Fields Park, which is where the big council displays in Manchester can always be found. Just one thing: at the time of writing, dates were still to be confirmed at both of these locations (fireworks displays don’t always take place on the 5th, you know) so check the council website, the parks’ websites or local press for details before you travel. We’d hate you to miss it…

heatonpark.org.uk plattfields.org

CARLISLESet in Bitts Park on 2 November, this isn’t just one of the best bonfire and firework displays in the North – it’s one of the best in the country (no wonder it draws a crowd of around 35,000) and is so popular it even has a proper name: Fireshow. First there’s a bit of pre-display entertainment at 6.30pm before the bonfire is lit at 7pm. The fireworks are set to music and the show lasts for about an hour. It’s free, but donations are greatly

received for The Mayor’s Charity. Pyrotechnic

heaven, people.

discovercarlisle.co.uk carlisle.gov.uk

If fireworks aren’t your thing, the city of York, home of Guy Fawkes – the man who started it all – has a digital arts and lighting festival, called Illuminating York (30 October – 2 November).

illuminatingyork.org.uk visityork.org

DID YOU KNOW?

1

2

3

4 HARROGATEThe gorgeous grassiness that is The Stray in Harrogate looks lovely between October and March because the trees are festooned with fairy lights. On November 2, though, The Stray will be illuminated with fireworks when The Harrogate and District Round Table light the fuse on their big bonfire night extravaganza. Penny for the guy, mister?

harrogateroundtable.co.uk

5

Liverpool City Council

The Stray

55 OF THEBEST


FOR THE JOURNEY: 5 OF THE BEST 27

Plus, there's even more on your map...

1

3

5

netw

ork

map

our

Find our featured towns and cities easily with our network map

2

4

6

FOR THE JOURNEY: NETWORK MAP 29

2

1

3

4

6

5

ManchesterThe best places for pre-Christmas spending.

p17

Sheffield Including Sheffield’s hot, hot, hot After Dark event.

p27

HullSea life at this popular east coast attraction.

p31

YorkGet your skates on for a festive night out.

p19

WakefieldWhy Yorkshire is tops for Wakefield-born Jane McDonald. p22

GargraveWhy business is candy-coated for Linda Hartell.

p34

autumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013

28 FOR THE JOURNEY: NETWORK MAP FOR THE JOURNEY: NETWORK MAP 29


31FOR THE JOURNEY: WHERE TO GO IN THE NORTH

WHERE TO GO IN THENorthFOR...

...everything from sports

adventures and carol

concerts to half-term fun

and New Year celebrations.

So make a note of this little

lot in your diaries.

...half-term funWhere to start, really? Apart from the plethora of museums, galleries and sports centres right across the North which have workshops and activities for the kids (check your local venue before travelling), there is loads to do in the half-term break. Try out a city walk or city tour, take in a kiddy-friendly show (at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, for example, charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play, 30 October – 2 November will keep them amused), or visit venues such as the National Media Museum in Bradford or Eureka! The National children's Museum in Halifax which are full of interactive exhibits.

More info: wyp.org.uk

nationalmediamuseum.org.uk

eureka.org.uk

The National Railway Museum in York is the UK’s tippest, toppest spot for all things locomotive, including the record-breaking Mallard (and the Flying Scotsman is here, too, awaiting an overhaul). And, you don’t have to be a trainspotter – or even like trains – to enjoy a day out at the NRM because there’s so much to see and do with activities for the kids, a playground, a miniature railway, cafes and a restaurant. Full steam ahead, basically.

More info: nrm.org.uk

Fancy doing something a bit wild? A bit edgy? Then put down that pizza (ALL of it) and hand over the TV remote. It’s time to get physical. For instance, Xscape at Castleford has a real snow slope, a dizzying climbing wall, an adrenaline-pumping Skyride (suspended – arrgh! – 15 metres above the main entrance) and an indoor surfing venue – really! In Manchester, wrap up for the Vertical chill ice wall at Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports – and watch where you’re putting those pitons.

More info: xscape.co.uk

vertical-chill.com

...fishingWell, when we say ‘fishing’, we don’t mean it literally because you can’t dangle a rod and line into the water in the following locations (believe us: you really, really CAN’T). But if it’s sealife-spotting you’re after then The Deep in Hull, the Sealife centres in Blackpool and Scarborough and the Lake District coast Aquarium at Maryport are all top-notch. More info: thedeep.co.ukvisitsealife.comcoastaquarium.co.uk

...trainspotting

...extreme sports

The Deep, Hull

NRM, York

Xscape, castleford

Xscape, castleford

autumn/winter 2013 northernrail.org

We’re a teensy bit spoilt when it comes to great art venues. Just some of our favourites include the fabulous Hepworth Wakefield (it has great galleries with huge windows, perfectly framing the views); the Baltic at Gateshead; Dean clough in Halifax; the Bluecoat, Walker Art Gallery and Tate, all in Liverpool; Manchester Art Gallery; and the Graves and the Millennium in Sheffield.

More info: hepworthwakefield.org balticmill.com

museums-sheffield.org.uk thebluecoat.org.uk

liverpoolmuseums.org.uk deanclough.com

...art

...see in the New Year How do you normally see in the New Year? With a bottle of cava and half a plate of vol au vents in front of Jools’ Hootenanny, probably. Well, this year mix it up a bit – and get the kids involved, too – by joining in with the family-orientated celebration and parade in the Haymarket area of Newcastle. The event takes place in the late afternoon and early evening, so check local press for details.

More info: newcastlegateshead.com

Photo © Iw

an Baan

Phot

o ©

Mer

vyn

King

Hepworth Wakefield

Beverley Minster

32 FOR THE JOURNEY: WHERE TO GO IN THE NORTH

BUY TRAIN TICKETS ONLINE AT NORTHERNRAIL.ORG

...carol concerts ‘Tis the season to be jolly (almost), so get in the

festive spirit with a carol concert in glorious surroundings. York Minster has various hugely

popular events in the run-up to Christmas including its famous Christmas Carol Concert (5 and 6 December) and the Chapter House Choir

singing Carols by Candlelight (18 December).

On 10 December, Beverley Minster will be holding a carol concert in aid of

Macmillan, the cancer charity; plus there will be lots of events

and services at Beverley where you get the chance to join in (so check

the website for details).

More info: beverleyminster.org.uk

yorkminster.org

...a BIG cinema showThere’s nothing like seeing a film on the big screen – and IMAX screens are HUGE. We’re lucky to have various IMAX cinemas in the North: at the Media Museum, Bradford (which was the UK’s first-ever); the Metrocentre, Gateshead; Liverpool One, Liverpool; The Printworks, Manchester; Cineworld, Sheffield and Cineworld, Nottingham. Vast images and huge sound – it’s enough to make you drop your popcorn. More info: imax.com

Natio

nal M

edia

Mus

eum

, Bra

dfor

d

in the gift shop at Beverley Minster when you travel

by train

Save

10%

Visit the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railwayon the Cumbrian Coast

National Rail Enquiries call: 08457 48 49 50 Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway call: 01229 71 71 71 ravenglass-railway.co.uk

northernrail.org/rer

*Saving based on buying a combined Northern Rail and

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway adult ticket.

Save £4.00* whenyou travel by train

As a Patron you will be at the heart of the Museum, enjoying our world class hospitality and intellectual resources. Patrons have exclusive access to Britain’s National Collection and our expert curatorial staff, as well as a tailor-made programme of events and dinners.

Your annual patronage makes a real difference to our work, ensuring we are able to tell the story of the railways. Your support helps us to inspire the nextgeneration and influence the way people connect with the National Railway Museum now and in the future. There has never been a more exciting time to become a Patron of the National Railway Museum. Patronage levels start at just £500 a year.

For more details contact The National Railway Museum, Development Team, Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ. Tel: 01904 [email protected]

Become a Patron of the National Railway Museum

Some passions never end

LINDA HARTELL

FOR THE JOURNEY: THE SWEET LIFE 3534 FOR THE JOURNEY: THE SWEET LIFE

in North Wales at the time,” she remembers. “We had a narrow boat and were coming through the locks at Gargrave. It was raining hard and we came to the café for a drink, saw that it was for sale and started thinking about what we could do with the place. We put in an offer – and lo and behold it was accepted.” There was also a sweet shop attached to the café – but Linda has since radically increased the variety of sweets she stocks while ramping up the vintage décor (her partner, Philip Carrol, is an antique dealer). From an outside perspective, the sweet business looks like a win-win. Linda is always going to get children through the doors – it’s a sweetshop, after all – but also people of (shall we say) a certain age who remember buying gobstoppers and white mice ‘the traditional way’ when they were kids and love the nostalgia of the place. “We had a chap in today, a walker, who spent £11.80 on sweets,” says Linda. “Yes, some people will just buy a 50gram bag of bon-bons; but others stockpile.” Locationally, Gargrave is a good fit with the old-fashioned sweet trade. “To walk the Pennine Way, you have to go past our door,” says Linda. “We can throw a stone into the River Aire from where we are; we’re also on Sustrans’ National

Route 68 – the Pennine Cycleway; and a short journey from Gargrave train station.”Yet Linda knows she can’t run a 21st century shop in an old-fashioned way. To keep up with the times the shop now has a Facebook page, and Linda is developing other strands to the business. Nine months ago, for example, she created something called Sweetzas, which are tailor-made ‘pizzas’, but made out of sweets set in icing sugar on a cakeboard. “We’ve also developed the Sweetzagram which has greetings messages made out of sweet letters,” says Linda. “And there’s a Sweetzanagram, where the letters are jumbled. We send them

These days – have you noticed? – sweets come pre-weighed and pre-packed and, frankly, the process of buying them isn’t terribly exciting. There’s no magic, no thrill. You pluck a bag off shelves in

a supermarket or from racks in a petrol station, and it’s a soulless, joyless experience.But in Linda Hartell’s sweet shop – the Dalesman Café & Sweet Emporium in the pretty village of Gargrave on the Pennine Way – memories of a bygone sweet-buying era come flooding back. Everywhere you look there are vintage sweet tins, children’s toys and antique signs from the 1930s and 1940s along with (most importantly) 150 varieties of traditional sweets displayed in glass jars: everything from lemon sherbets to rosy apples and Pontefract cakes. The sweets are weighed out on an old ‘balance’ weighing scale before being tipped into paper bags and there’s even a big brass Victorian till from 1890 on the counter.The Dalesman Café & Sweet Emporium building dates back to the late 1700s. It’s been a butcher’s and a stationer’s until it became a café in the early 1960s, frequented by walkers and cyclists on their way to the Dales.Southport-born Linda bought the café 14 years ago on the spur of the moment. “We were living

in a 12-inch pizza box by mail order, or people can pick them up from the shop.” Eighteen months ago, Linda also cleared an area in the café to stock vintage garden implements. Plus, Linda sends her secret recipe Dales fruitcake, teas and award-winning handmade fruit jellies to customers by mail order; and she was using a replica Model A Ford van to take sweets to children’s parties.All this has been necessary because – like most businesses in today’s climate – Linda wants to make the most of what she has. That means being creative. “It’s about thinking ‘what else can we do?’,” she says. “I’ve already paid my business rates and insurance so rather than opening another sweet shop in another town, I want this property to work as hard as it can. Something like the Sweetzas, for instance, is using the stock we already have but in a different way.”It is hard work admits Linda, but running her own business in a lovely part of the North means that, for the most part, life is sweet.

“Yes, some people will just buy a 50 gram

bag of bon-bons; but others stockpile.”

LIFESWEETTHE Linda Hartell runs

an old-fashioned sweet shop in the picturesque

village of Gargrave on the Pennine Way.

Anthony Quinlan finds out how Linda is using 21st century methods to sell a tantalising flavour of the past.

northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013 northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

Explore Gargrave!Northern Rail offers low price Advance Purchase tickets to Gargrave from Leeds

Photo s © Vicky M

atthers

northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

37FOR THE JOURNEY: PITCH PERFECT

Newcastle –

St James’ Park

A tour of St James’ Park takes you

on a journey through the history of

Newcastle United. Get access to

areas you’ll never have seen before,

like the dressing room, players’

lounge, the famous tunnel

and the manager’s dug out.

It costs £10 for Adults

and £7 for concessions.

More information

can be found

at nufc.co.uk

The North is home to a series of amazing sports venues.

From the famous Aintree Racecourse to the quintessentially

English Headingley cricket Ground in Leeds, there’s something

for everyone across the Northern route. But for football fans,

with ticket prices and high demand for seats, it can sometimes

be difficult to see the clubs they love. For them, a stadium tour

could be the answer, says Rebecca Marsden…

St James’ Park is the oldest football stadium in the North East and is –

gulp! – a bit too close for comfort to the spot where the city's execution gallows used to stand. Don’t worry,

though: a hanging hasn’t been carried out here

since 1844…

More venues overleaf...

Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium was built in just 32 weeks. When it opened for the start of the 1995-96 season, it was the biggest new football stadium to be built since the war.

St James' Park, Newcastle

If you like the Lake District, you’ll love the Western Lake District. The real beauty lies in the undiscovered places where you can really get away from it all – the panoramic fells, rugged coastline and tranquil lakes. Whether you’re looking for award-winning attractions, great places to stay or outdoor adventures, you’ll find it all in the Western Lake District. Isn’t it time you discovered the other side of the Lakes?

And it’s all easily accessible by train using Northern Rail’s Cumbrian Coast Line.

For all you need when planning your holiday or short break go to:

www.western-lakedistrict.co.uk www.facebook.com/WesternLakeDistrict

The other side of the Lakes

3506_WLD_200x120_NorthernRail_ad.indd 1 16/09/2013 16:11

autumn/winter 2013

Sunderland – Stadium of Light

Take a peek ‘backstage’ at the Stadium of Light. Headed by knowledgeable

guides, the tours last around an hour and are always popular with

supporters, young and old – although they don’t take place on match

days and tend to book up quickly, so make sure you plan ahead to avoid

disappointment. An official Stadium of Light tour certificate is given to

everyone who attends. Tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for children under

16, and £25 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children).

Full details can be found at safc.com

Liverpool – AnfieldGo behind the scenes at Anfield

on the award-winning Anfield

Stadium Tour. Follow in the footsteps of

Liverpool legends, walk down the players’

tunnel, touch the famous ‘This is Anfield’ sign,

visit the first team dressing room and soak

up the atmosphere as you sit in the Kop.

There’s also a Liverpool FC museum,

celebrating the club’s iconic players and

displaying some impressive silverware.

It’s £43 for a family ticket (two adults and

two children up to 14).

For more information, visit liverpoolfc.com

Manchester

– Old Trafford

See the legendary Old Trafford Stadium through

the eyes of the players themselves. View the

stadium from the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand, take

a seat in the dressing room and walk around the

famous pitch. Tours can be upgraded to

include entry to the museum, the Red

Café, and even arrival to Old Trafford by

boat! Prices start at £25 for adults and

£18 for children up to the age of 16.

Visit manutd.com for full details on

all the tours available.

The design of the Stadium of Light in Sunderland drew inspiration from Sunderland's industrial glass-making, shipbuilding and coal-mining heritage. Its capacity is 49,000, making it the fifth-biggest football stadium in England.

Leeds United is one of the few clubs that allows fans to go behind-the-scenes on the day of a home game. Only 40 places are available for each tour, so early booking

is advised.

Some other clubs on the Northern route who’ll also let you see behind the scenes…

Leeds United – Elland Road (leedsunited.com)

Blackpool – Bloomfield Road (blackpoolfc.co.uk)

Middlesbrough – Riverside Stadium (mfc.co.uk)

Old Trafford, Manchester

Don’t forget:You can buy train tickets online at northernrail.org

autumn/winter 2013 northernrail.org

38 FOR THE JOURNEY: PITCH PERFECT

An innovative national bike hire service – called Bike & Go – is rolling out to passengers at 50 Northern Rail, Merseyrail and Greater Anglia stations. This is a subscription-based scheme and, to use it, you first have to register online – it's so simple. Anthony Quinlan finds out more.

Are you on route to a Northern Rail station but still have a mile or so to travel once

you get there? Don’t want to take the bus and don’t fancy going by Shanks’ Pony, either?

Then pedal power could be the answer. On a bike, there’s no waiting, no fuss – and you go where you want to go quickly and easily.

That’s why Abellio – joint owner of Northern Rail – are launching Bike & Go, an innovative station bike hire scheme. For a small charge, travellers arriving at selected Northern Rail stations will be able to hire a bike for a day and use it to cycle to their final destinations – then bring it back before making their return train journey. Easy.

To use Bike & Go – which is a cashless, subscription-based scheme – you will first have to register on the Bike & Go website.

Simply visit bikeandgo.co.uk and click on the ‘register’ button. Fill in your contact details and your preferred method of payment (either bank or credit card) – and... well... that’s it.

“After that, your Bike & Go membership card will be sent to you by post,” says Margriet cuypers, General Project Manager for the scheme. “Once it arrives, you can go to any of the 50 Bike & Go stations and show your card to a member of staff at the booking office. They’ll hand you a key for a bike, which will be kept at the Bike & Go shelter on the station. You unlock it… and off you go.” When you return the bike to the station you picked it up from, you also return your key.

Remember to take your card with you so you can always use the Bike & Go scheme – and you can check online to see how many bikes are available at your station. On the Bike & Go website, there’s a short film which explains details of the scheme and how to register for it.

“We developed Bike & Go because we wanted to help our customers across the network complete the last mile of their journey,” says Margriet. “Passengers have been very interested to learn more about it, firstly because the bikes look really good and because the £3.80 per day hire charge is so low. The feedback we’ve been getting is really good.”

The cost couldn’t be more straightforward, either. The annual subscription fee for Bike & Go will be £10 with a 24-hour rental fee of just £3.80 – the price of a return bus ticket.

Bike & Go is a national bike hire scheme which will soon be available to passengers at Northern Rail stations – and Merseyrail and Greater Anglia stations (train companies which are co-owned and owned by Abellio, respectively). All together, bikes will be available at 25 Northern Rail stations, 15 Greater Anglia

stations and 11 Merseyrail stations – and, on average, 10 bikes will be available per station.

For more information about Bike & Go and to register for your membership card, log onto: bikeandgo.co.uk

”We developed Bike & Go because

we wanted to help our customers across the

network complete the last mile of their journey...”

Look out for these Bike & Go posters

FOR THE JOURNEY: BIKE & GO 4140 FOR THE JOURNEY: BIKE & GO

Keep an eye on our website for launch dates: northernrail.org

autumn/winter 2013northernrail.orgnorthernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013

By ‘eck. Yorkshire lad Simon ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Beaufoy wrote the screenplay for this blockbusting sequel, which finds Katniss (Jennifer

Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), fresh from their victory in the 74th Hunger Games – and targets of the Capitol

as a result. Watch what you’re doing with that bow and arrow, Katniss. You’ll have someone’s eye out.

Various venues northernwide

The Hunger Games: catching Fire

NOV21OPENS

Nottingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds

Well, that was quick. After a mere five years on the pop

scene, the JLS boys have gone all A-ha on us and decided to call it a day. That’s your lot, JLS fans: there is no more – just this Greatest Hits Tour to bid everyone ‘adieu’. Expect tearful farewells and much weeping and wailing.

JLS

DEC4-20

TheLowdown A U T U M N W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

MoviesGigs

The Key Lowdown

The what´s on highs - and lows - of the next few months

Want more... 4 December – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham (capitalfmarena.com) 9 December – Echo Arena, Liverpool (echoarena.com), 10 December – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield (motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk), 12 December – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle (metroradioarena.co.uk), 14 December – Phones4u Arena, Manchester (phones4uarena.co.uk)20 December – First Direct Arena, Leeds (firstdirectarena.com)

ComedyEventsArtMusicalTheatre

Please check with venues to confirm times and dates before travelling.

www.bikeandgo.co.uk

THERE’S BIKE & GOTHERE’S BIKE & GO

Only

£3.80per day

Hire a bike for only £3.80 per day. Find participating Northern Rail stations and register now at www.bikeandgo.co.uk

13109 Northern Rail Journal 1pp Ad.indd 1 26/07/2013 13:07

COMIN

G

SOON

43YOUR STOP: THE LOWDOWN


Want more... 9-30 November – Manchester Opera House (atgtickets.com) 14 January -1 February – Sunderland Empire (atgtickets.com/sunderland)4-15 February – Nottingham Theatre Royal (trch.co.uk)22 April -3 May – Liverpool Empire (atgtickets.com/liverpool)

VARIOUS DATES

Singin’ in the Rain

There are your Mamma Mia and your We Will Rock You

jukebox musicals, of course; but the old ones are the best ones. This classic, based on the Gene Kelly MGM film, is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, with numbers that include Make ‘em Laugh, Good Morning and, of course, the splishy splashy title song. This production is direct from the West End.

With all the interest in Jason Bourne and a certain Bond... James Bond, Jack Ryan has

been rather overlooked of late. In case you need a reminder, he’s Tom Clancy’s CIA spy hero who has been portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck in other films; but, in this movie, Chris ‘Captain Kirk’ Pine slips on Ryan’s shoulder holster. The really strange casting is behind the camera, though: Kenneth Branagh – who plays the bad guy – is also the director.


DEC26OPENS

Jack Ryan Various venues northernwide

YOUR STOP: THE LOWDOWN

To say this crime movie has ‘an all-star cast’

is underselling it somewhat. Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro and Jeremy Renner star in the 1970s-set tale of a conman (Bale) who is forced to work with an FBI agent (Cooper). Renner’s hairdo is so bouffant, it should have its own trailer.

American Hustle

DEC20OPENS

They hit the ground running years ago

with a best-selling album (Songs About Jane) which spawned the massive singles This Love and She Will Be Loved. But now look. After the worldwide radio smashes Payphone and the annoyingly infectious Moves Like Jagger, they’ve really got the wind in their sails. World domination awaits for Maroon 5 – aka lead singer Adam Levine and his pals – and resistance is futile.

Phones4u Arena, Manchester

Want more... 13 January – Phones4u Arena, Manchester (phones4uarena.co.uk)

Maroon 513JAN

TheLowdown continues...

Quite how director Peter

Jackson is going to spin three mega-movies out of JRR Tolkien’s slim novel remains to be seen: but here’s the second one, with hairy-footed hero Bilbo (Martin Freeman) taking a stand against scary dragon, Smaug (silkily voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Ian McKellan co-stars – of course – as Gandalf.


The Hobbit: The Desolation of SmaugDEC13OPENS

Halifax-based Northern Broadsides, led by actor-director Barrie Rutter, specialise in

performing classic texts in a uniquely Northern voice, and particularly Shakespeare (it was Northern Broadsides who gave us Lenny Henry’s acclaimed version of Othello a few years ago). Broadsides' Associate Director Conrad Nelson (who played Iago to Len’s Othello) and playwright Deborah McAndrew now bring their brand of Northern inventiveness and humour to update Nikolai Erdman’s dark comic classic The Suicide from 1920s Russia to 21st century Britain. A satirical sideswipe at austerity.

Want more... 22-26 October – Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (thelbt.org)12-16 November – Liverpool Playhouse (everymanplayhouse.co.uk)19-23 November – Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough (sjt.uk.com)26-30 November – Viaduct Theatre, Halifax (deanclough.com)

Huddersfield, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Liverpool, Scarborough and Halifax

The Grand GestureVARIOUS

DATES22 OCT- 30 NO

V

Emma Thompson and Pierce Brosnan – now THERE’S a match made in cinematic heaven –

star in a light comedy caper. Let’s see: Pierce, Emma and lots of lovely French locations? What’s not to like?


Love Punch DEC26OPENS

YOUR STOP: THE LOWDOWN 4544

When the first Anchorman movie became a cult comedy success it was inevitable that a sequel would turn up sooner or later. This is it (although it’s here later rather than sooner). Will Ferrell again stars in the title role as Ron Burgundy (think a less intelligent, more egotistical American version of Alan Partridge – if that’s possible) and watch out for a host of Hollywood cameos.


Anchorman: The Legend continues

DEC20OPENS

Want more... anchormanmovie.com

Want more... thehobbit.com

MAY- 3NOV09

northernrail.org northernrail.orgautumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013

TheL

owdo

wn Previews

The terminally single Bridget Jones is back, unlucky in love – and, indeed, unlucky in

most other areas of her life, too. Helen Fielding’s character has been a long-time away, so it’s easy to forget just how popular Bridget was/is. Fielding’s first novel, Bridget Jones's Diary, was an international bestseller and named as one of the 10 novels that best defined the 20th century. Now, though, Bridget is a very 21st century kind of girl, grappling with social media, skinny jeans and over-complicated TV remote controls. A hoot.

Read...Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding Jonathan Cape

Release date: Out now

Not content with being a global dance-pop-hip-hop superstar, Justin Timberlake is busy carving out a career as a movie

actor, too (like his role in Runner Runner – pictured – released in September). Here, though, JT goes back to his musical day job and releases part two of his 20/20 Experience album. The first part was released back in March and went straight to number one. Expect this one to do the same, frankly.

Listen to...Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2) Release date: Out now

Brit actor Henry Cavill dons the blue bodystocking (although,

actually, the costume department have made

Supe’s suit look a LOT cooler than before) for a hi-octane, slam-bang superhero adventure about THAT man with the cape and the great big S on his chest. Produced by Batman director Christopher Nolan, it’s more thoughtful than other Man of Steel outings (our hero is tortured by the thought of having special powers), but the action, when it comes, is out of this world. Russell Crowe and Amy Adams co-star.

DVD and Blu-ray release date: 2 December

Watch...Man of Steel

We can remember the time, not so long ago, when

Miranda Hart was a humble bit-player on a CBBC sketch show called Stupid. Now she’s the queen of TV comedy after appearances in Lee Mack’s Not Going Out and, of course, her own hit sitcom, Miranda. The fact that she is now able to play strings of dates in arenas up and down the country – “in my, what I call, live show” – is a testament to her, what we call, “vast popularity”.

Nottingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield

Miranda HartVARIOUS

DATES 6 MAR- 6 APR

Want more... 6-8 March – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham (capitalfmarena.com), 14/15 March – Phones4u Arena, Manchester (phones4uarena.co.uk), 19/20 March – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle (metroradioarena.co.uk),21/22 March – First Direct Arena, Leeds (firstdirectarena.com), 24 & 25 March – Echo Arena, Liverpool (echoarena.com)5/6 April – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield (motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk)


The Wolf of Wall Street JAN17OPENS

Nicey-nicey New York stockbroker

Leo DiCaprio refuses to get caught up in Wall Street mob corruption in this crime thriller based on a true life tale. Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey co-star – and the movie-making legend that is Martin Scorsese directs.

Just like JLS, Torvill and Dean know when it’s time to bow out gracefully. Yep: this January, ITV will screen the

last-ever series of Dancing on Ice: so no more D-list soap stars falling over, no more Phil and Christine and no more cutting remarks from the now luxuriously follicled Jason Gardiner. Will our Sunday nights ever be the same again? Fittingly, this live show comes to T&D’s home town of Nottingham during this, the final tour.

Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield

Torvill and Dean’s Dancing on Ice: The Final Tour

VARIOUS DATES28 M

AR- 17 APR

Want more... 28-30 March – Phones4u Arena, Manchester (phones4uarena.co.uk), 4-6 April – Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle (metroradioarena.co.uk), 8-10 April – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham (capitalfmarena.com), 15-17 April – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield (motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk)

Well, everything else has had a reboot – Bond, Batman, Superman, Star Trek, Spiderman – so why not RoboCop?

You know what to expect if you saw the clunking 1980s original: a New York cop is fatally wounded by the bad guys and then brought back to life as a revenge-wreaking cyborg who shoots first and takes down particulars later. A sort of Iron Man with attitude. Joel Kinnaman (in the title role), Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman star.


RobocopFEB7OPENS

Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham and Sheffield

Jack WhitehallVARIOUS DATES8-13 M

AR

He’s a little bit cheeky,

is Jack Whitehall. Rude even – but he’s

also so beguiling that you can’t possibly take

offence at his jokes. His stand-up is still going strong (look: he’s selling out ARENAS now) and he also appears to have taken over every TV programme on earth, from Have I Got News for You? and Would I Lie to You? To Fresh Meat

and Bad Education. Proof that posh boys can be funny.

Want more... 8 March – Phones4u Arena, Manchester (phones4uarena.co.uk), 9 March – Echo Arena, Liverpool (echoarena.com), 11 March – Capital FM Arena, Nottingham (capitalfmarena.com), 13 March – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield (motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk)

autumn/winter 2013 northernrail.orgnorthernrail.org

46 YOUR STOP: THE LOWDOWN 47YOUR STOP: THE LOWDOWN

autumn/winter 2013 northernrail.org northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

At Northern we offer a range of careers to people with varying skills and backgrounds. If you’re hard working, flexible and good with people, why not join us?

In return for your commitment we’ll:

Careers atNorthern Rail

• offer support and training to develop your skills

• encourage career progression

• provide an amazing range of benefits that you’ll rarely find elsewhere

• welcome you into our friendly team, who work closely together

• empower you to make decisions during your working day, that will benefit our customers.

Typical roles with us include:

• customer service roles (throughout our stations)

• drivers

• conductors

• cleaners

• fitters, technicians and electricians

• office, administration and finance roles.

The careers website features:

• video footage of some of our people who talk about their roles and what it’s like to work for Northern

• lots of useful hints and tips about applying for a role

• guidance on compiling a CV and preparing for an interview

• links to our social media sites, like Twitter.

northernrail.org/careers

Go onlineOur new careers website launched recently at:

The website features Amriz Khan who works in the control Team, as part of our support services function. Amriz joined Northern just over two years ago in a part-time role within control, and has since been promoted into a full time position.

Find out more about Amriz and his story at northernrail.org/careers

Amriz's story

The new site has been up and running since the start of the year, and the Recruitment Team has seen a big increase in people visiting the site since its launch. In fact the new site has attracted nearly 60% more visitors in the first six months of 2013.

If you visit the site, you can view current vacancies, and you can also sign up to receive a vacancy alert when the next suitable vacancy becomes available.

Why not take a

peek yourself to give

you that helping hand

with a career

at Northern?

autumn/winter 2013 autumn/winter 2013northernrail.org

49YOUR STOP: CAREERS

50 YOUR STOP: WHAT TO DOYOUR STOP: WHAT TO DO

GAME ON!Football, rugby, snooker, racing… The North is the place

for some key sporting events in the next few months. Here’s our pick of the must-see (and do) bunch.

DUATHLONS

SNOOKER Williamhill.com UK Championship York Barbican 27 November - 8 December

This should delight snooker loopy fans: a new format for 2013 means that all players on the professional tour will start in the same round…

so established names such as Mark Selby, Judd Trump and John Higgins could come up against up-and-comers early on. yorkbarbican.co.uk

Newcastle

Main events at Newcastle include the ITPS & Cellular Solutions Raceday (15 November) and the StanJames.com Fighting Fifth Hurdle (30 November), the highlight of the jumps season. The Northumberland Chase Christmas Raceday (21 December), meanwhile, has a Christmas market attached. Bet and buy.

newcastle-racecourse.co.uk

Aintree

Place your bets for Old Roan Chase Day at this historic course on 26 October; and then get involved with a Family Funday on 27 October. Betfred Becher Chase Day (7 December), meanwhile, is an established Grand National trial – and it’s also the final raceday in Aintree’s 2013 calendar before April’s John Smith’s Grand National, the most famous race in the world. A quick Grand National note for your diaries, then: the Grand Opening Day takes place on 3 April; Ladies’ Day is on 4 April and Grand National Day itself is on 5 April.

aintree.co.uk

PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALLAfter some top Premier League action? Here are just some of the Premiership footie fixtures taking place in the top half of the country...

November 2 Newcastle United v Chelsea 23 Everton v Liverpool

December 1 Hull v Liverpool 4 Liverpool v Norwich 4 Manchester United v Everton 7 Liverpool v West Ham 7 Manchester United v Newcastle 21 Manchester United v West Ham

21 Liverpool v Cardiff 28 Newcastle v Arsenal

January 11 Stoke v Liverpool 11 Newcastle v Manchester City 28 Liverpool v Everton

February 8 Liverpool v Arsenal 22 Liverpool v Swansea

March 1 Manchester United v Manchester City 8 Liverpool v Sunderland 15 Manchester United v Liverpool

premierleague.com

Doncaster

At Doncaster, the Betfred November Handicap is on the 9th while the National Hunt season begins in style on 29 November. Race-lovers shouldn’t miss the jump racing of the National Hunt Christmas Raceday (14 December) or the New Year’s National Hunt Raceday (29 December), come to that.

doncaster-racecourse.co.uk

RACING

Fourteen nations square up to each other in two groups of four… and England are drawn against rivals Australia, Fiji and Ireland in Group A. It all kicks off in Cardiff on 26 October when England play Australia – and ends at the end of the November in Manchester. Here are some of the main northern matches.

Fiji v Ireland 28 October Spotland Stadium, Rochdale

England v Ireland 2 November John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield

Australia v Fiji 2 November Langtree Park, St Helens

Papua New Guinea v Samoa 4 November MS3 Craven Park, Hull

Scotland v USA 7 November Salford City Stadium, Salford

New Zealand v Papua New Guinea 8 November Headingly Carnegie Stadium, Leeds

England v Fiji 9 November Kingston Communications Stadium, Hull

Tonga v Italy 10 November The Shay, Halifax

Quarter Finals 15 November Headingley Carnegie Stadium, Leeds

16 November DW Stadium, Wigan

17 November Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington

Rugby League World Cup Final 30 November Old Trafford, Manchester

rlwc2013.comRyan Mania, jockey of 2013 Grand National winner Auroras Encore. Image by John Grossick.

Mark Selby

Doncaster

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP

TAKE PART! Whinlatter Off Road Duathlon Cumbria 10 November

Part of the High Terrain Events duathlon series, this is a tough off road duathlon in Whinlatter Forest Park, consisting of a 6.5k multi-terrain run, an 18k mountain bike (incorporating the Altura and Quercus trails) and a 5.5k trail run. Aimed at experienced and novice competitors alike.

Kielder Off Road Dualthlon Northumberland 1 December

Kielder Forest Park in Northumberland is the setting for this 7k trail run, 24k mountain bike and 6k trail run. Ideal for who those who are new to duathlons or aiming to compete in their first off road event.

highterrainevents.co.uk

York

northernrail.orgnorthernrail.org autumn/winter 2013autumn/winter 2013

Phot

o cr

edit:

spo

rtssu

nday

.co.

uk

SUDOKUFill in all the squares in

the grid so that each row,

each column, and each 3x3

square contains all the digits

from 1 to 9.

3 1

6

62

5

74

8

7

8 1

9

3

2

1

9

8

1

7

56

5

4

1

4

TV , FILM & MUSICQUIZ1 Which Geordie actor presents the

Channel 5 show, Extreme Fishing?

2 Who had hits with Troublemaker, Dear Darlin’ and Dance with Me Tonight?

3 Who won Britain’s Got Talent this year?

4 Which 2013 Oscar-winning film features this dialogue: “If I'm doing a fake movie, it's gonna be a fake hit.”

5 What nationality is singer Caro Emerald?

6 Ben Stiller stars in the new movie The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, out this December (pictured). Which 2001 film starred Stiller as a vain male supermodel?

7 Who played Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey?

8 Which American comedian and actor voices the character of Gru in Despicable Me and Despicable Me 2?

9 Who released a surprise album in 2013, called The Next Day?

What’s the name of BBC1’s whodunit crime series, filmed on the fictional Caribbean island of Sainte-Marie?

53

northernrail.org

YOUR STOP: QUIZ STUFF

3

1

26

4 6 95532

3

5

27 4

96

8

7

28591

6

9

9

6

1

9

7

3

2

3

7

1274

89

48

91

85

13

75 8

76

5226

42

57

34

83

15

6

8

7

8

4

4 1

46

9

3

1

SUDOKU:

Stuff

ANSWERS:

TV & FILM QUIZ: 1) Robson Green, 2) Olly Murs, 3) Attraction, 4) Argo, 5) Dutch, 6) Zoolander, 7) Dan Stevens, 8) Steve Carrell, 9) David Bowie, 10) Death in ParadiseCROSSWORD: Across - 7-Perhaps, 9-Ounce, 10-Ink, 11- Grapevine, 12-Ideas, 14-Buttons, 16-Mobster, 18-Arena, 19-Furniture, 20-Hop, 21-Chess, 22-Hasseled Down - 1-Optimism, 2-Trek, 3-Haggis, 8-Scarborough, 4-Covert, 5-Antidote, 6-Fete, 13-Embarked, 15-Stampede, 17-Thirst, 18-Averse, 19-Face, 20-Hall

CROSSWORDAcross7. Maybe (7)9. Measurement of weight (5)10. Liquid used in writing (3)11. Marvin Gaye heard it through one of these (9)12. Notions, plans (5)14. Cinderella's friend (7)16. Gangster (7)18. Musical venue – Leeds has a new one (5)19. Tables and chairs (9)20. Jump on one leg (3)21. Board game (5)22. Troubled, bothered (7)

Down1. Taking a hopeful view (8)2. A long journey, usually walking (4)3. Scottish dish (6)4. Secret (6)5. You need this to counteract poison (8)6. Small village festival or event (4)8. Alan Ayckbourn lives in this seaside resort (11)13. Gone on board (8)15. A mad rush (8)17. Craving for a drink (6)18. Reluctant, discinclined (6)19. A watch has one of these – and so do you (4)20. Will you deck yours this Christmas (4)

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11

12 13 14 15

16 17 18

19 20

21 22

Question 6

autumn/winter 2013

Buy your train plus bus tickets together

Information at www.plusbus.info

PLUSBUS is a travelcard that you buy with your train ticket at any station ticket offi ce or online at: www.northernrail.org

It gives you unlimited bus and tram travel (on participating operators services) to and from the rail station and around the whole urban area of the town that’s at the start or end of your train journey.

PLUSBUS is great value – our ticket prices start from £2 a day.

Students with a 16-25 Railcard (and holders of other national Railcards) get 1/3 off the price of our day tickets.

Commuters can save up to £160 a month, for details visit: www.cheapercommuting.com

PLUSBUS is available for 60 towns & cities across the Northern Rail network, including:

• Accrington • Blackpool • Chester • Darlington • Durham • Grimsby • Hull • Leeds • Liverpool • Manchester • Newcastle-u-Tyne • Preston • Rochdale • Rotherham • Sheffi eld • Stockport • Warrington • York

completes train travel

get together with

Northern Rail Ad.indd 1 28/08/2013 11:17

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

PLUSBUS Advert for Northern rail Sept 13_v2.pdf 1 11/09/2013 15:04

WIN!An iPhone 5c

EndJour

ney’

s

[email protected]

How do you choose your projects these days?

I’m 50 per cent explorer, 50 per cent actor. At the age of six, I was besotted by Mars and I’ve always been slightly heartbroken that we’ve never been there. In those days we had radio – no television – and at the cinema we had the Flash Gordon serial. I always came out pretending to be Vultan, Prince of the Hawkmen – never dreaming I would actually BE Vultan one day. (Brian played Vultan in the cult 1980 Flash Gordon remake – and uttered the immortal words: “Gordon’s ALIVE?!” – Ed).

You’ve also trained as an astronaut in Moscow…

Yes, I’ve done centrifuge-training, I’ve flown in MIG-29s and I’ve tested advanced new suits for Mars which cost about seven million pounds

each. I was talking to Joe Pasquale about this (now

THERE are two voices on opposite ends of the spectrum – Ed). Because of my training I meet top scientists and

astronauts – and marvellous

things are going on.

Hello, Brian!

HELLO! Is that the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Er, no. It’s Northern magazine. What are you up to at the moment?

Too much! I’m doing voiceovers, having adventures, climbing mountains – and I’m going to be working on a big series for the BBC about trees for two years. It’s all about the meaning of trees, their importance and why we need to save them. We’re going to Russia, Canada, South America, Antarctica... all over the world. Where are you based?

Northern Rail’s headquarters is in York.

Did you know that, at York University, there’s a room called the Blessed Room? (Students have christened it: the Brian Blessed Centre for Quiet Study – Ed). Ironically, of course. I haven’t been to it but people keep asking me to come and ‘speak very quietly in your quiet room.’

So if you got the chance to go into space, would you jump at it?Yes, I probably would – I’m one of the reserves, so I could be called. One of the reasons they gave me the training was that I went so high on Everest – 28,400 feet without oxygen at the age of 62.

Do you still love acting?I think it’s the bravest of all the arts. Ninety per cent of the time you’re

shot down by the critics, so you have to have the courage to get back on stage again or appear in front of the camera again. It’s a must for me. But going to Everest or the North Pole like I did... that is LIFE. Aspects of acting can’t quite compete with that. But I combine the world of acting with the world of adventure very well. I’ve got the record for the longest death scene on camera

(in I, Claudius) and I’m the oldest man to reach the North Pole.

And – even better – you’re the voice of Grampy Rabbit in the Peppa Pig cartoon.

I was doing a talk the other day and there were a lot of kids in the audience. Someone said: ‘All the children can’t believe it, Brian – you’re Grampy Rabbit!’ I only had to say two things: ‘Peppa Pig’ and ‘Gordon’s ALIVE!?’

You love our green spaces don’t you?

Yes! I was President of the Campaign for National Parks for seven years. I’m now Vice President. We don’t beat the drum enough: our National Parks are a great success story right across the country from the South Downs, Yorkshire, the Peak District and the Lake District... Marvellous!

What’s your favourite place in the North?

Haworth. Aged 15, I headed off with my good friend Patrick Stewart on a week’s drama course in the Calder Valley. There were top teachers there... and just up the road was Haworth. Top Withens and Wuthering Heights... I feel it’s the centre of the earth.

Thanks, Brian.

Lots of love. Go and find my quiet room. AND KEEP QUIET!

Brian Blessed

“Yes, I've done centrifuge-training, I've flown in MIG-29s and I've tested advanced new suits for Mars which cost about seven million pounds each.”

T he ultra-enthusiastic Brian Blessed – actor, adventurer, mountaineer, would-be spaceman, Prince of the Hawkmen and Yorkshireman – talks about Mars, the North,

his forthcoming BBc TV project... and (shhhhh!) being quiet.

Phot

o cr

edit:

Ste

ve C

owel

l

Get in contactCustomer helpline

For comments, enquiries and complaints

telephone: 0845 00 00 125

email: [email protected]

follow us on Twitter: @northernrailorg

Access, disabled and cycle information

freephone: 0808 156 1606


textphone: 08456 045 608

Lost property

telephone: 0845 00 00 125


British Transport Police

telephone: 0800 40 50 40

Fares and service information

National Rail Enquiries

telephone: 08457 48 49 50

textphone: 0845 60 50 600

nationalrail.co.uk

northernrail.org

For your chance to win, simply visit northernrail.org/mobile

Closing date for entries is 28 February 2014.

*Terms and conditions apply, see website for details.

northernrail.org northernrail.org autumn/winter 2013

SECTION : TITLE 55

To mark the launch of Northern Rail’s new mobile friendly website, we’re giving away an amazing iPhone 5c.Our mobile friendly website (m.northernrail.org) contains most of the content from our full site but prioritises providing the information you need whilst on the go. It’s really easy to use and some of the great features include live train times and journey information, station access information, offers and latest news. You can plan a journey from your nearest station and buy a ticket to anywhere in the Great Britain.

55YOUR STOP: COMPETITION54 YOUR STOP: JOURNEY’S END

For your chance to win, simply visit northernrail.org/mobile

Closing date for entries is 28 February 2014.

*Terms and conditions apply, see website for details.

CHANGING THE FACE OF MEN’S HEALTH PROSTATE CANCER | TESTICULAR CANCER | MENTAL HEALTH


USA


CANADA

CHANGEONS LA FACE DE LA SANTÉ MASCULINECANCER DE LA PROSTATE | CANCER TESTICULAIRE | SANTÉ MENTALE


CANADA - BILINGUAL


IRELAND


UK

SOUTH AFRICA

CHANGEONS LA FACE DE LA SANTÉ MASCULINECANCER DE LA PROSTATE | CANCER TESTICULAIRE | SANTÉ MENTALE

CANADA FRENCH

MU207 Ad Request_Northern Rail Company Magazine.indd 2 12/09/13 1:40 PM

northern rail magazine autumn / winter 2013

Documents

northern railon

northern england

northern stations

north shopping

alex northern rails

alex hynes6 northern

orgyour free customer

christmas whats