2012 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 10 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Record deal for Ushaw Moor Elvis – Lifestyle – Sunderland Echo

Published on Friday 28 December 2012 07:25

AN Elvis tribute singer is all shook up after being snapped up by a major record label.

Mark Nixon is so fond of the man with the most famous pelvis in pop that he changed his name to Mark “Elvis” Nixon.

The 24-year-old’s passion for the rock ‘n’ roll star impressed bosses at RCA, part of Sony Music Entertainment, so much that they have given him a touring contract as an official Elvis tribute singer.

Mark, from Ushaw Moor, will have an intensive rehearsal period with RCA backing singers and dancers before touring Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and UK as his idol.

The former New College Durham Performing Arts student started singing and idolising Elvis Presley from the age of 11.

Since he finished his course at New College Durham he has been impersonating Elvis, and has recently been under contract touring the Balearic Islands as the King of Rock and Roll.

Staff at his former college are delighted by his progress.

Maggie Etheridge, his former performing arts lecturer, said: “Mark has an enormous talent.

“Not only does he have the natural dark good looks of Elvis Presley, but his singing voice is an amazing tribute to the King.

“To be signed by Elvis’ own record company to be their official Elvis is an amazing honour for a young man from County Durham, and he has beaten off competition from American talent.”

via Record deal for Ushaw Moor Elvis – Lifestyle – Sunderland Echo.

Ushaw Moor, Pensioner angered over wheelchair access (From The Northern Echo)

A PENSIONER claims she has been made a virtual prisoner in her own home after a bus company stopped running all the buses on her route with wheelchair access. Shirley Robey, 72, of Ushaw Moor, near Durham City, has called on transport bosses at Arriva to reinstate Discrimation Discrimination Act (DDA) compliant buses for all services on the 43 service.

Mrs Robey, who relies on her powered wheelchair to get about outside her home, said all the Arriva buses on the route used to be single-decker buses with easy access until about a fortnight ago.

She said: “Last week all the buses were double-decker buses without wheelchair access and I couldn’t get on.

“I had to get to a medical appointment. I am completely stuck. It has made me a prisoner in my own home.”

She added: “This week they started running some double-deckers with a wheelchair access step.

“I have to get my son to come specially to come and help me when I want to get the bus. But it is now a gamble as to whether I am going to get a bus I can catch.

“It doesn’t only affect me. It causes problems for other pensioners in the village and for mothers with pushchairs.”

Nick Knox, area managing director for Arriva North said: “As a company we are committed to providing the best possible service for the communities we serve and we are on track to have our entire fleet DDA compliant before the government deadline of 2017.

“In 2013 we will be investing in another 21 buses with facilities to assist disabled passengers. !At the moment Service 43 is ran using low floor single and double deckers on the majority of journeys, but occasionally due to operational reasons, a step entrance double decker may be used on this route.”

via Pensioner angered over wheelchair access (From The Northern Echo).

Acropolis to Top the Bill at the Deerness Christmas Shows

Tickets are now on sale for one of the hottest performances in Durham this Christmas.

Deerness Gymnastics Academy have announced the dates of this year’s Christmas Displays, which this year includes a performance by Acropolis, winners of the ITV talent show Let’s Get Gold as well as the clubs international tumblers and acrobats. Acropolis will perform the winning routine from the TV show as well as a new display.

The display will feature over 20 performances ranging from recreational gymnastics through to world class performances at Deerness Gymnastics Academy in Ushaw Moor from Tuesday 18th December – Friday 21st December at 6.30pm – 9pm, and on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd from 2pm – 4.30pm.

The displays combines all aspects of the traditional and the modern in acrobatic stage performance, including dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment, with awesome displays of physical strength and incredible feats of balance.

“This is going to be a magical week of events at Deerness Gymnastics Academy”, said Karl Wharton, director of gymnastics at Deerness Gymnastics Academy. “The high-quality, artistic entertainment is perfect to kick off the festive season with friends and family. As well as providing great entertainment these shows help to provide much needed funds to support our gymnasts throughout the year.”

As an acrobatic quartet, Acropolis won £100,000 on Let’s Get Gold the ‘sports meets entertainment’ show for the club in July 2012. The quartet, which includes current European and World Champions have now been joined by six other elite gymnasts from Deerness, including the 2011 European silver and 2012 World bronze medallists.

Acropolis, working with coach Stuart Thompson, has now developed a repertoire of routines to wow their audiences. Following appearances at the Local Heroes Awards and the North East Sports Awards in early December and the Christmas Shows at Deerness, they will head out onto the corporate event circuit to hopefully secure additional income for Deerness Gymnastics Academy.

The club took over the running of Deerness Gymnastics Academy last year, following the closure of Deerness Leisure Centre and is making gymnastics coaching available to all ages from novice to elite level. Now a charitable body Deerness Gymnastics Academy needs to raise funds to keep the club going.

Karl Wharton said “Gymnastics provides many young people throughout Durham and the north east with the opportunity to improve their health and physical development, promote social and emotional skills as well as boost their confidence. These displays are a great way of demonstrating gymnastic skills and strengths and will hopefully inspire and encourage more people to get involved with the club. As well as providing great entertainment these shows help to provide much needed funds to support our gymnasts throughout the year.”

Tickets are priced £9 for adults, £6 children and concessions with all proceeds going to support the future of Deerness Gymnastics Academy. Tickets are available from reception at Deerness Gymnastics Academy at Ushaw Moor.

To find out more about Deerness Gymnastics Academy and the classes available go to: http://www.deernessgymnastics.org.uk find them on Facebook or follow on Twitter @deernessga.

To find out more about Acropolis go to: http://www.acropolis-live.com find them on Facebook or follow on Twitter @deernessga.

via Acropolis to Top the Bill at the Deerness Christmas Shows.

Christmas Gymnastics Shows at Deerness Gymnastics Academy

DEERNESS Gymnastics Academy’s Christmas display will feature TV talent show winners Acropolis.

Acropolis won ITV’s Let’s Get Gold and will perform the winning routine and a new display.

The display will feature over 20 performances ranging from recreational gymnastics to world class performances at Deerness Gymnastics Academy in Ushaw Moor from Tuesday to Friday, December 18 to 21 from 6.30 to 9pm.

There will also be shows on Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 from 2 to 4.30pm.

“This is going to be a magical week of events at Deerness Gymnastics Academy”, said the academy’s gymnastics director Karl Wharton.

“The high-quality, artistic entertainment is perfect to kick off the festive season with friends and family.

“As well as providing great entertainment these shows help to provide much needed funds to support our gymnasts throughout the year.”

Tickets cost £9 for adults (children £6 and concessions) and are available from the academy.

Proceeds will support the future of Deerness Gymnastics Academy.

Tickets are available from Deerness Gymnastics Academy at Ushaw Moor. To find out more visit http://www.deernessgymnastics.org.uk

via Christmas gymnastics shows From Durham Times.