North Tyneside Libraries and Customer First Centres Autumn and Winter events

Event Listings

North Tyneside Libraries and Customer First Centres

AUTUMN - WINTER 2018 -19

@NorthTyneLibs North Tyneside Libraries www.northtyneside.gov.uk

Our libraries and Customer First Centres have a busy programme once again this season!

For further details on anything in this guide, or to book for an event, contact any

North Tyneside Library or email us. You can also email us to receive our regular e-bulletin on library events.

Email: library.events@northtyneside.gov.uk.

North Shields Customer First Centre

Wallsend Customer First Centre

White Swan Customer First Centre

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre

(0191) 643 5270

(0191) 643 2075

(0191) 643 2040

(0191) 643 5390

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Harvest Festival Beginners Gardening

Libraries Week

Wallsend Customer First Centre Monday 24 September, 1pm Our Grow & Eat Project Manager will be talking about what to do across the autumn and winter to prepare your garden for the spring. Includes a demonstration, Q&A session and a free plant to take home. You can also buy plants grown in Wallsend Library from as little as 20p. Free event, all welcome.

World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, with Sue Miller

Monkseaton Library Saturday 29 September, 10am Join local author Sue for a cuppa as she talks about her books and writing. Free event, booking essential.

8 – 13 October Focussing on wellbeing and how libraries can bring their communities together, our centres will have activities and events to encourage people to enjoy their library spaces. Ask for details at your nearest library.

Meet the Poet: Harry Gallagher

Cullercoats Library Tuesday 9 October, 6.30pm As part of National Libraries Week, Harry will be delighting us with personal favourite poems from his latest publication, ‘Tan’. Once again, they are rooted in his beloved north east and portray its heritage and people in all of their ragged glory. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books.

Free event, booking essential.

Dilemmas: A prose and poetry evening with The Xchangers

North Shields Customer First Centre Thursday 18 October, 6.30pm Local writers with a love of prose and poetry meet weekly to share each other's writing. Their work, inspired by a range of topics, is heart-warming and thoughtprovoking. They will be reading and describing their journeys, hoping to encourage others to do the same. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Free event, booking essential.

Let’s Code!

With Spheros, Ozobots and Makey Makeys

North Shields Customer First Centre Saturday 20 October, 10.30am-12.30pm Come and test our new coding robot toys in this fun, interactive drop-in session for ages 6 and over. Free event, all welcome.

Cubit Quest

North Shields Customer First Centre Tuesday 30 October, 2pm Author Trevor Leck will talk about how he drew on his experiences of growing up in North Tyneside when writing the ‘Cubit Quest’. Charlie Watkins, age 12, could have inherited his dad's massive intellect…but got his massive feet instead. Perhaps if he had that intellect he might have figured out why men in suits were following him or where his dad hid the mythical Cubit – an object men swore to protect and even die trying to possess. North Shields library is central to Charlie’s bid to locate the ‘Cubit’. As a serving member of the Royal Air Force, profits from sales will go to Help for Heroes. Suitable for ages 12 and over.

Free event, booking essential.

Busy Bee-Bots

Battle Hill Library Tuesday 30 October, 2.30pm Storytime and coding fun with our smiley, interactive robots. Suitable for ages 4-6.

Free event, booking essential.

North Shields to Vladivostok by train via Marks & Spencer, with Gail Curry

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Tuesday 30 October, 6.30pm Ever wondered what life is like in Russia, or to travel the Trans-Siberian Railway? Join local artist Gail for an illustrated talk on the enlightening and entertaining 9,325 mile train journey she made with her then pen pal, a native Siberian. Reserve your seat and jump on board for some incredible stories. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets: £3, booking essential.

The Very Hungry Code-a-Pillar

Wallsend Customer First Centre Wednesday 31 October, 10.30am Join us for stories, songs and some very friendly coding caterpillars. Suitable for ages under 5. Free event, booking essential.

Halloween Fun and Games

Look out for spooky craft sessions and Halloween parties during the school half term holiday.

Contact your nearest venue for details.

NOVEMBER Remembrance Day Tea Dance

Wallsend Customer First Centre Tuesday 6 November, 1pm-3pm Everyone is welcome to come along to our special dance. Tickets: £1, booking essential.

War and Peace

Wallsend Customer First Centre Saturday 10 November, 10.30am12.30pm To commemorate one hundred years since the end of the First World War, we will be having a choir, afternoon tea, local history display and more. Free event, all welcome.

Meet the Author: Mari Hannah in conversation with Dr Jacky Collins

Wallsend Customer First Centre Tuesday 6 November, 6.30pm Mari Hannah is a multi-award-winning author and former probation officer who lives in rural Northumberland with her partner – an ex-murder detective. Mari turned to script-writing when her career was cut short following an assault on duty. Her debut, ‘The Murder Wall’, won her the Polari First Book Prize and Mari’s body of work won her the CWA Dagger in the Library 2017, an incredible honour to receive so early on in her career. ‘The Lost’, her gripping first novel featuring Stone and Oliver, was published earlier this year and will soon be followed by the second novel of the series, ‘The Insider’.

There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets: £3, booking essential.

Emily Davison – Suffragette, a talk by Ian McArdle

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Friday 16 November, 2pm Learn about Emily Wilding Davison, who was born in London on 11 October 1872.

She studied at Royal Holloway College and at Oxford University, although women were not allowed to take degrees at that time. On 4 June 1913, Emily ran out in front of the King's horse as it was taking part in the Epsom Derby and died from her injuries. Free event, booking essential.

Sue Miller Book Launch – Blind Spot: They Didn’t See it Coming

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Thursday 15 November, 6.30pm It’s 2045 and the world is in chaos.

Climate change, food shortages and falling fertility are turning nations and communities into fortresses.

Who should we save? Our family?

Our friends? Free event, booking essential.

Spiritual Gold, by Paulinne Delcour-Min

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Tuesday 20 November, 3pm Join Paulinne as she talks about her new book, ‘Spiritual Gold’. Paulinne is a regression therapist, artist and teacher, who has helped many people review and learn from their past lives in order to benefit their present one. Her passion for understanding her own previous lifetimes has led to an extraordinary journey, which she shares with us through her books.

Free event, all welcome.

Meet the Author: Jennifer C Wilson

Meet the Authors: Danielle Ramsay, Rob Scragg and Chris McGeorge, in conversation with Vic Watson Wallsend Customer First Centre Thursday 22 November, 6.30pm

Danielle Ramsay, a proud Scot living in a small seaside town in North East England, is the author of five Jack Brady crime novels.

Rob Scragg lives in Tyne & Wear, and is a founding member of the North East Noir crime writers group. His debut novel, ‘What Falls Between The Cracks,’ is the first in a new series featuring Detectives Jake Porter and Nick Styles, with the sequel to follow next year.

Chris McGeorge lives in Durham and is a recent graduate of the Creative Writing (Crime/Thriller) MA at City University.

‘Guess Who’ is a debut thriller that offers a fresh, modern twist on the classic ‘locked room’ mystery novel.

There will be the opportunity to buy signed books.

Tickets: £3, booking essential.

Cullercoats Library Tuesday 27 November, 6.30pm Jennifer writes paranormal historical fiction, with the third in her Kindred Spirits ’Westminster Abbey’ series released in June and the fourth book due in early 2019. Jennifer will be talking about her current path to publication and the importance of setting in terms of both time and place. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets: £3, booking essential.

DECEMBER History Wardrobe – V for Victory

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Tuesday 4 December, 7pm An uplifting presentation about home front life in World War One, focusing on ‘Vegetables’ and the Land Army gals, getting the ‘Vote’ and ‘Victory’ celebrations. Tickets: £6.50, booking essential.

Find Your Voice North East Creative Writing Workshop

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Saturday 8 December, 9.30am - 4.30pm We are looking for 12 budding female crime writers, aged 16-25, who want to tell their stories and make their voices heard. This workshop, based on the work of renowned female crime fiction writers, will see you write your own crime short story and have your ‘author portrait’ taken, as it would appear on your novels!

Crime fiction examines many issues that trouble us in today's world, showing us injustices, social concerns and terrible things human beings can do to each other.

The authors we have included for this project, such as Ann Cleeves, are excellent examples of just how vital writing like this can be when it comes to making women's voices heard on such matters.

We will be using images of the authors from the work of local photographer Donna-Lisa Healy, seen during the Newcastle Noir International Crime Fiction Festival.

Free event, booking essential.

Victorian Christmas Market

North Shields Customer First Centre Saturday 8 December, 9am - 5pm Sunday 9 December, 10am - 4pm Featuring music, face painting, stalls, crafts and much more. Free event.

Hopscotch Magical Christmas Party

North Shields Customer First Centre Saturday 15 December, 11am Our enchanting party will leave everyone full of festive spirit with an hour of Christmas fun. Meet Santa’s elf and his friends, plus music, dancing, games and prizes. Tickets: £2.50 per child, booking essential.

Kids Christmas Party with Double Deckers Entertainment

White Swan Customer First Centre Tuesday 18 December, 5.30pm Enjoy a disco, magic show, balloon modelling and games. If you have been good, there may be a little present from Santa too! Tickets: £2.50 per child, booking essential.

Snow Bear

Wallsend Customer First Centre Saturday 22 December, 11am A gorgeous seasonal storytelling show for children, inspired by Norwegian folk tales and featuring live music, songs, puppets and a beautiful travelling theatre packed full of delights. It tells the story of a polar bear who is taken away from his arctic home and of his adventures with mischievous elves, goblins, trolls and a friendly Tomten who helps him find his way back. All the characters are brought to life with mesmerizing storytelling and original music played live. This intimate, themed show is packed with adventures and lots of audience involvement; and children are invited to bring along their favourite teddy. Tickets £2.50 per person, booking essential.

JANUARY 2019 Agatha Christie – a talk by Ian McArdle

North Shields Customer First Centre Thursday 10 January, 2pm Join Ian as he talks about Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan DBE. Known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around her fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, she was born in September 1890 and died in January 1976. Free event, booking essential.

Tynemouth House of Correction

Tynemouth Library Monday 14 January, 2.30pm Local author Charlie Steel will be giving a talk and presentation about Tynemouth House of Correction.

Following an Act of Parliament in the 18th century, an order was made to build hundreds of Correction Houses throughout England. Situated near Northumberland Park, next to Tynemouth Lodge Hotel, this is one of only a few still in existence and records confirm that it was a prison for minor miscreants such as prostitutes and petty thieves. Free event, booking essential.

Spy Fi with Sandy Chadwin

Cullercoats Library Tuesday 15 January, 6.30pm An affectionate look at the history of spyfi, from the Avengers and The Man from U.N.C.L.E to Daniel Craig’s James Bond and the Mission:Impossible films. Free event, booking essential.

A-Z of Newcastle

North Shields Customer First Centre Tuesday 22 January, 2pm Local author Ken Hutchinson takes you on your very own A–Z talk about the city’s history, relating many a fascinating tale of interesting people and places along the way. His fully illustrated book will appeal to residents and visitors alike. Free event, booking essential.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Sunday 27 January There will be displays in our Customer First Centres in the run-up to this special day. This year’s theme is ‘Torn From Home’, encouraging audiences to reflect on how the enforced loss of a safe place to call home is part of the trauma faced by anyone experiencing persecution and genocide. We will reflect on what happens when individuals, families and communities are driven out of, or wrenched from their homes, alongside the difficulties survivors face finding and building new homes once it’s over.

Meet the Poet: Elaine Cusack

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Thursday 31 January, 6.30pm Whitley Bay's Elaine Cusack has been writing, publishing and performing poetry for over 30 years. She usually shares the stage with musicians and other writers and hosts literary events at the coast and beyond, but here she flies solo – performing favourites and new work.

There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets: £3, booking essential.

FEBRUARY

Harry Potter Book Night

Howdon Library Thursday 7 February, 5pm We are thrilled to announce ‘Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy’ as the theme for 2019’s event. As the scene of so many seminal moments in the stories, it feels high time we celebrated all things Hogwarts. Join Animal Antics and get the chance to hold some lovely animals too.

Fancy dress optional. Free event, booking essential.

Food, Glorious Food

White Swan Customer First Centre Tuesday 12 February, 6.30pm Local author Andrew Clark gives a taste of North East food over the years, with humorous stories from the days of rationing to old family favourites.

Remember when a treat was bread and drippin' and home-made stottie cakes would cool on the windowsill? Andrew will also be providing samples from a wartime recipe book, including chocolate potato cake, carrot marmalade and bananas made out of parsnips.

Free event, booking essential.

Half Term Holiday Activities

Libraries and community centres will be holding craft sessions and various activities throughout the school holiday.

Ask at your nearest venue for more information.

Meet the Author: LJ Ross, in conversation with Vic Watson

Wallsend Customer First Centre Thursday 21 February, 7pm LJ Ross is the author of the international best-selling series of DCI Ryan mystery novels, which have sold nearly three million copies. So far she has released seven full-length novels in the series, all of which have been top three bestsellers.

Louise was born in Northumberland; she studied Law at King's College, University of London and studied abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, until changing career and pursuing her dream to write. Now she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books.

Tickets: £3, booking essential.

MARCH Ashley Dyer

North Shields Customer First Centre Tuesday 5 March, 6.30pm Ashley Dyer is the pseudonym for prize-winning novelist Margaret Murphy, working in consultation with policing and forensics expert, Helen Pepper. ‘Splinter in the Blood’ is utterly gripping, with a twisting plot that keeps you guessing until the end, an unforgettable read that will get under your skin.

Margaret Murphy is founder of Murder Squad, a past Chair of the Crime Writers Association (CWA), and a former Writing Fellow and Reading Round Lector for the Royal Literary Fund. A CWA Short Story Dagger winner, she has also been shortlisted for the First Blood critics’ award for crime fiction as well as the CWA Dagger in the Library. She has published nine psychological suspense novels under her own name, and a trilogy of forensic thrillers under the pseudonym A.D. Garrett.

Helen Pepper has been an analyst, Forensic Scientist, Scene of Crime Officer,

CSI, Crime Scene Manager and Crime Scene Co-ordinator. As a Crime Scene Investigator, she examined over 10,000 crime scenes, later, as a Crime Scene Manager and Co-ordinator for Durham Constabulary, she supervised CSIs in over 50 major incidents. She is a judge for the CWA’s Non-Fiction Dagger award, and is Forensic Consultant to both the Vera and Shetland TV series, as well as Bancroft.

Do you have a burning question about crime scenes, or writing fact as fiction?

Let us know, and Ashley Dyer might just include it in their presentation. There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets: £3, booking essential.

Edith Cavell – a talk by Ian McArdle

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Thursday 7 March, 2pm Join Ian as he talks about Edith Cavell, the World War I British nurse who is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers in Brussels from all sides without distinction. Along with colleagues, she helped over 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium.

She was arrested, tried with 33 others by a German military court, found guilty of ‘assisting men to the enemy’ and shot by a German firing squad on 12 October 1915. Free event, booking essential.

Meet the author: Neil Broadfoot, in conversation with Vic Watson

North Shields Customer First Centre Thursday 14 March, 6.30pm Neil worked as a journalist for 15 years at both national and local newspapers, covering some of the biggest stories of the day. A poacher-turned-gamekeeper, he has since moved into communications and provides advice for organisations from emergency services to high-profile sporting clubs in Scotland. The Dundee International Book Prize and Bloody Scotland book of the year nominee, Neil will talk about ‘No Man's Land’, the first in the white-knuckle Connor Fraser series.

There will be the opportunity to buy signed books. Tickets £3, booking essential.

Story Tyne short story competition

Whitley Bay Customer First Centre Thursday 21 March, 6.30pm Join Vic Watson for this celebratory event where prizes will be awarded for the winning entries, winners’ stories will be read and the Story Tyne 2019 short story competition will be launched. Free event, booking essential.

Yogathon

White Swan Customer First Centre Monday 25 March, 11am-1pm Combining the best of Yoga and Pilates with a perfect balance of stretching, strength and relaxation, let’s make our Yolates session into a Yogathon!

Everyone is welcome, from beginners to advanced, and it’s buy-one-get-one free, so why not drag your friends along?

For further information, contact Sharon Mort on 07891 067 868. Tickets: £4.50, booking essential.

IT Drop-in Sessions Problem with your laptop?

Need help with a mobile phone or tablet?

Curious about social media?

Never used the internet?

Want to access E-books and audiobooks?

Our friendly IT expert will be on hand to answer your questions and help you get the best from our online resources. Get advice on how to apply for jobs, or simply how to get started online – we’ll be happy to help!

Starting from week beginning 30 April: Mondays Wallsend Library, 10am - 12pm North Shields Library, 2.30pm - 4.30pm

Alternate Wednesdays & Thursdays Killingworth Library, 10am - 12pm Thursdays Dudley Library, 2.30pm - 4.30pm

Fridays Whitley Bay Library, 10am - 12pm Longbenton Library, 2.30pm - 4.30pm