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Andy Potts
Bio
Community focused sports fan from Northeast England. Tends to root for the little guy. Look out for Talking Northeast, my new project coming soon.
Stories (113/0)
Pints & Parkruns: South Shields
Fancy completing the Great North Run without the stress of the preceding 13 miles? South Shields parkrun could be the place for you. The final mile of the course follows the climax of Tyneside’s half marathon, bringing you back along the coast road towards the town centre. There’s no iconic crossing of the Tyne Bridge, but also no long slog along a dual carriageway.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Longevity
Playlist: from Bronte to Black Metal
Jodie Nicholson – You Wanted This Jodie’s debut album, Safe Hands, came out a couple of weeks ago (and got some attention in an earlier playlist). Now she’s out on her first headline national tour, and I’m looking forward to catching her in a blockbuster gig alongside Amelia Coburn in Stockton at the weekend.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Beat
Playlist: Pigs, parties and Portuguese
Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs – Mr Medicine It’s easy to mock the metalheads. But we don’t do cheap shots here, plus we like a bit of metal now and then (especially if the now is hammering back up the A1 in the middle of the night). Pigs x7 (the approved shorthand for a name that requires a big billboard) rock like a good ‘un and have a happy knack of pushing their own sonic boundaries without disappearing down an unwanted rabbit hole.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Beat
Pints & Parkruns: Fulwell Quarry
The Northeast’s newest parkrun was a trip down memory lane for me. I lived in Sunderland until I was 10, my Dad was heavily involved with the Friends of Sunderland Museums, and at this time of year we would often be away on guided walks. One of my favourites was always a scramble through Fulwell Quarry, seeking out lumps of cannonball rock and finding wild strawberries in the undergrowth, all under the patient gaze of the museum’s enthusiastic archaeologist.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Longevity
Playlist: Fusion
Me Lost Me – Eye Witness This one is all about fusion. Electronica, modern jazz, hints of folk and an endless appetite for experimentation come together in a beguiling mix of sounds. While it’s fairly easy to throw together diverse influences, Newcastle-based Jayne Dent has the talent to ensure that the end result is more than the sum of its parts.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Beat
Playlist: More than a stone's throw
Vice Killer – The Dark Side of the Railway Forty years after the Miners’ Strike, the scars are still keenly felt in northern England. Although the members of this County Durham band wasn’t even born back then, the atmosphere of the former coal-mining communities around their native Peterlee pervades their “Keep on Fighting On” EP. The title track is the most explicitly political cut, an angry swipe at Thatcherite politics that taps into a deep seam of resentment over a government that stripped communities of work and identity while bringing nothing in return.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Beat
Walking on wheels
I’m not sure Dad knows what he’s doing this time. He seems to want to strap something onto my feet. He calls them skates, and he’s convinced that I saw someone else with them and wanted to try. Doesn’t he know I’m only four? Has he forgotten all the time I spent learning to walk?
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Fiction
Remembering the rink. Top Story - May 2024.
If you were there, you’ll never forget it. For decades, Durham Ice Rink was at the heart of the city’s social life. From Friday night ice discos to crowds roaring on the Wasps every Sunday, not to mention a proud history of figure skating and speed skating, the riverside rink was the place to be.
By Andy Potts2 months ago in Art
Playlist: Safe hands throwing stones
Jodie Nicholson – Another Frequency One of the most exciting things about following the emergence of young musicians is hearing how their music evolves and matures. Jodie Nicholson, whose new album is out on today and gets a gala launch at the Glasshouse in Gateshead on May 18, is a great example. A talented songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, her debut album, "Golden Hour", was a relatively restrained, largely acoustic effort. Its obvious qualities got a bit lost in the Covid carnage – no chance to put on any gigs in support of the release – and much of what she could do online had to be stripped back to voice and guitar or keyboards.
By Andy Potts3 months ago in Beat
Gig review: Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand
Why should anyone care about small music venues? This is why. It’s a Tuesday evening in Durham, and the “sold out” signs are up. The Holy GrAle, one of the city’s classier bars, is welcoming Kathryn Williams and Withered Hand (Dan Willson’s stage name) as they promote their recent joint album. Both have played bigger venues than this, both have headlined on the folk festival circuit, so tonight is a rare chance to explore some new music in a different ambience.
By Andy Potts3 months ago in Beat
Not pints & parkruns: Riverside junior
This was a big achievement. We decided to switch our usual junior parkrun in Durham for a different event in Chester-le-Street and made an immediate breakthrough. For the first time, daughter managed to keep running for the whole 2km! Definitely a ‘proud daddy’ moment, watching her step up and do something she hadn’t really thought she could manage.
By Andy Potts3 months ago in Longevity