Newcastle Entertainment & Leisure - Events, Cinemas, Sporting & Entertainment Venues and Activities, etc

[delicolor]

What ever happened to the 70s Newcastle Festival? It was quite arty with book signings etc. and I assume it morphed into something else. It was certainly running in 1975 and 1976 and involved the City Hall as one of the venues (and the Centre Hotel) but I can't recall much about it other than two particular Gigs- David Kossoff (dad of Paul, who had died a few months before, he told bible stories to kiddiwinkies) and Morecambe & Wise. The latter had a lot more bums on seats than the former!

.

[Newcastle Historian]

Originally Posted by delicolor

I have to admit to have been taken aback somewhat by how old Mike Neville looked, but there again, I haven't had the chance to see him growing old gracefully on the small screen and my mental image of him is from how he looked in 1976 when he wasn't quite 40 and had no trouble at all outdrinking me at the Newcastle Festival in the after-show venue at the Centre Hotel. (It was open to anyone who had a ticket for a Festival Event and it had Cabaret from an act called the Sadista Sisters).

I was there perhaps on that same night. I certainly remember seeing the "Sadista Sisters" and their mock abortion on stage, etc, at the Centre Hotel during the festival.

We got tickets off the manager of the hotel, who Mrs NH knew at the time.

I don't remember Mike, but then I was also enjoying the facilities in a wholehearted manner, so don't remember too much at all!

[delicolor]

I don't remember much about the Sadista's, just loud, raunchy and in your face. I only caught bits of their set (over 3 or 4 nights) anyway as there was serious socialising to do.

I have a vague memory of them being like Rock Follies but I think that is time jumbling up the synapses. A quick Google of both names shows that apart from gender they were poles apart.

[Newcastle Historian]

Hustler Pool Club


Back in November 2010 I received the below e-mail (and posted it on here) about "The Little Hustler" (and Leo's) re-opening (at Carliol Square and Old Eldon Square, respectively) after their fantastic Northumberland Street club (had many great nights there) had closed . . .

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian; 14th November 2010

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN !
The Hustler Pool Club and Leo's Restaurant are open again

Leo's Restaurant is Now Open!



Bigger, better and even more delicious, Mark and Mike have re-opened Leo's Restaurant in Old Eldon Square, Newcastle.

Open from 9am - 5.pm, Monday to Saturday, Leo's are serving hearty breakfasts, lunches, take aways, paninis, afternoon teas, sandwiches, coffees, teas, shakes and much, much more !

The new menu is packed with your favourites and new items to tempt you.

Leo's "Castel Nuovo" (New Castle), is situated in the heart of Newcastle in Old Eldon Square. Call in for a quick coffee, lunch or a take away sarnie - we'll be delighted to see you again.

Open Monday - Saturday from 9am-5pm
NUMBER 1, OLD ELDON SQUARE, NEWCASTLE, NE1 7JG.


Playing pool again in Newcastle !

THE LITTLE HUSTLER - NOW OPEN !

We've managed to take-over Enigma Bar at Carliol Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UG. We've added 6 pool tables, stocked the bar with guest beers, bottles, spirits and of course, your favourite tipple on draft.



THE LITTLE HUSTLER PARTY NIGHT - THIS FRIDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2010 !

Don't miss the Little Hustler Party Night to celebrate our opening at Enigma. Call in this Friday from 7pm for special offers and to meet the 'old team' again. We're located at 10 Carliol Square, behind the old Worswick Bus Station.

Either walk down from the Library towards Body Zone and you'll see us, or down Worswick Street bank and turn right, we're 50 yards along the road.

We really look forward to seeing you all again,

Cheers !

Mark and Mike Sewell.

Then, in December 2011, I received another e-mail from Mark Sewell (the son of my old friend Alan Sewell) about plans to re-open a MUCH LARGER Hustler Pool Club again.

Today, I got another e-mail confirming that the larger Hustler is opening today!


















http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hu...4403595?ref=ts


What I now want to know is . . . will my "lifetime membership" that Alan Sewell awarded me in the 1990s, still apply?

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Newcastle Historian

Hustler Pool Club

Today, I got another e-mail confirming that the larger Hustler is opening today!

What I now want to know is . . . will my "lifetime membership" that Alan Sewell awarded me in the 1990s, still apply?

Seems a rather 'out of the way' place, little out of the city centre (ish).

They have a web site @ http://www.hustlerpoolclub.co.uk/

GRAND OPENING NIGHT!!!

SATURDAY 14th JANUARY FROM 6pm
at: Hadrian House, Higham Place,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AF - Tel: 0191 2410660

Over 15,000 square feet of pool and snooker !
FREE Buffet on the night
FREE Hustler membership on the night
Happy Hour prices all night !
16 traditional English pool tables
7 American pool tables , 1 'L' Shape Pool Table
6 full-size snooker tables, Free Wi-Fi connection for
Internet Jukebox - Download ANY song
Quiz and fruit machines, Drinks galore, hot food and snacks !

[NewcastleStu]

Brilliant, I'll look forward to checking that out sometime soon.

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Are there any other pool/snooker clubs in the centre? Is Rileys still open on High Bridge?

Used to spend every lunchtime at college at Hustlers, glad to see it's got a new home. Who was the last tenant in their new location? Remember walking past there so many times.

[Steve Ellwood]

Originally Posted by Irish Blood English Heart

Are there any other pool/snooker clubs in the centre? Is Rileys still open on High Bridge?

Used to spend every lunchtime at college at Hustlers, glad to see it's got a new home. Who was the last tenant in their new location? Remember walking past there so many times.

Rileys American Pool & Snooker Club has been closed for a while now - still one open in Sunderland. Signs are still up on High Bridge though.

Is the Chalk n Cheese still open in the Groat Market - down in a basement which was a place for NUFC players on their afternoon's off.

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by Steve Ellwood

Rileys American Pool & Snooker Club has been closed for a while now - still one open in Sunderland. Signs are still up on High Bridge though.

Is the Chalk n Cheese still open in the Groat Market - down in a basement which was a place for NUFC players on their afternoon's off.

Riley's must have been shut for years.

[Stamford]

First off, apologies if this should belong somewhere else and I'm more than happy for the mods to move it to a more suitable place / thread.

For a few years I've had a "hobby" website. Some of you might have already checked it out, based on the domain where I host all my pictrues. For those that haven't seen it....

http://www.entertainment-newcastle.com

Joining this forum inspired me more than a little, to re-visit the actual website, rather than just to use it as space to store pictures and the last month or two, I've been working on the 3rd incarnation.

It has ballooned somewhat, from a simple "bars and pubs" listing site to keep track of all the places I'd been to, into an overall site about all things "entertaining" (or otherwise) in Newcastle and surrounding areas.

In the new incarnation, I've incorporated a "History Archive" also, to try and keep track of all the old places that are no longer about.

I'm still populating the site, but so far have the bars/pubs and hotels sections ready(ish) along with the Hotels section. Next on the list is Restaurants and Nightclubs and then move onto arts venues, local bands, events calendar etc.

I've also been keeping text document for the last couple of years, noting all the old bars people reminisce about and have imported all those names into the "historical bars and pubs" section.

For the meantime, I'm looking for any input you all may have about:

• How to improve the site
• What else I could include
• What I have that I can do without

In a few weeks, once the basic bones are complete, I will also be coming back and asking for anyone interested to actually join the site, add listings, write some reviews, start, or join discussions about articles etc.

It's been a long and winding road, but finally, with a few bits of nifty software and lots of time, I feel I'm finally getting somewhere, so without actually joining up yet, or submitting reviews/listings etc. I'd be very grateful for ANY feedback anyone wants to give me.

Many thanks for reading......Paul

[newcastlepubs]

I like it. I have an interest to declare with newcastlepubs.tk - but as that s very much what to avoid it's a different ball game.

First thoughts:

1. Technically Callaghans isn t closed and is still a bar [but I d have to kill you if I told you more]

2. I suppose this is a 'what do you want from this' question. It strikes me that what you have so far is a nicely put together site, looks good. I am not a fan of the facebook sidebar that jumps out, but then I am not a fan of facebook so that might be why.... but...[and this may be because it's early days].

What you seem to have on first view is an excellent directory site; here it is, here s the number, here's a pic. Now I suspect directory type sites do quite well with linked ads and if there's a longer term 'make a few quid here and there' agenda that's probably fine, but the exception is of course the Burglar's Dog which very successfully poured opinion on every bar in Newcastle.

It always strikes me that what i want is opinion [probably the site owners, or a small number of people]. I want to get a sense of what the write liked, hated, will they go back. That s where you'd get more interest. There's then the question of how editable you make it - in the sense of you having 'contributors' or simply opening for reviews. My gut reaction has always been with trip advisor that makes sense because it s soooo big that a rogue review is lost, but where you re not [objectively] likely to get 300 reviews of Popworld then someone [yes I have on one site] can screw the average with a flame thrower review...in which case do you edit it etc etc. Contributors gives you control and might avoid the law courts too.

I am also never sure that street view adds much [or at best run it off the map]. There's already a pic - if you re that curious about the street you ll look for it . I would stick with the pic and possibly the map.

Good tho.

[bigchrisfgb]

I'm going to be honest. The idea of it is great, and the work you have put into it looks pretty great as well. However it's not something I would use much, mainly because when I'm looking for places to go to I do it when I'm out and about. If their was an app with this information on then I would defiantly have it and would use it pretty much every time I'm out with friends to give me an idea on where to go and what to do.

[Stamford]

Thank you for that

Callaghan's fixed and now in "Monument" area.

Your comments about Streetview I agree with and have turned off the option for now on the individual listings pages.

As for the ultimate goal for the site.....Up until now it has been a hobby..and to a great degree it still is, but It's something I'm happy to share and it's as good a place as any to store data and show at least a small portion of my pictures of Newcastle . Until now, I've done it on the cheap and used free this and that, but this time round I have actually spent a little money. It's not a "this is gonna make me a millionaire project....and not even "make me a living" project, but I guess a little way down the line, It would be nice to re-coup a few pennies. My first goal though, is to get the structure completed and get some more data and pictures in there. Hopefully for at least a few new venues, get the SEO sorted, so the site starts appearing in search results...and then see where I go from there.

Keep playing and anymore corrections are more than welcome, along with anymore feedback

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by Stamford

Thank you for that

Callaghan's fixed and now in "Monument" area.

Your comments about Streetview I agree with and have turned off the option for now on the individual listings pages.

As for the ultimate goal for the site.....Up until now it has been a hobby..and to a great degree it still is, but It's something I'm happy to share and it's as good a place as any to store data and show at least a small portion of my pictures of Newcastle . Until now, I've done it on the cheap and used free this and that, but this time round I have actually spent a little money. It's not a "this is gonna make me a millionaire project....and not even "make me a living" project, but I guess a little way down the line, It would be nice to re-coup a few pennies. My first goal though, is to get the structure completed and get some more data and pictures in there. Hopefully for at least a few new venues, get the SEO sorted, so the site starts appearing in search results...and then see where I go from there.

Keep playing and anymore corrections are more than welcome, along with anymore feedback

PM me if you want. BTW Callaghans is sort of open, but only to a 'select' group of 'neighbours'.

I suppose that what I had in mind regarding the 'money' side is that sites like pubsnewcastle.co.uk seem to do white well prodcing what I referred to as toadying hagiography - the Black Garter is memorably and perhaps slightly uncritcally described as 'Large traditional Newcastle pub that is best described as the bar with a heart in the heart of the city'. If the income stream is less important then it makes your life much easier - write what you believe. Microkomputer has some good words on file too.

[Microkomputer]

DELETED

[Stamford]

Originally Posted by Microkomputer

Nice - it reminds me of what a now defunct site of mine was supposed to have become.

Just following on from what bigchrisfgb mentioned about provision as a mobile app: I don't know much about Joomla! (which is the framework that the site's apparently built on) but as it's an MVC framework and uses RESTful URLs then I'm guessing ( if it's anything like other MVCs such as Rails or ASP.MVC) then creating a public API to return XML/JASON feeds* would be fairly simple by adding extra URL routes into the routing table: with that in place, then building an iPhone/Android app to consume the feed would be reasonably trivial.

Worth a thought.



*again, assumptions here!

Assumptions about Joomla are correct and as for the rest of the above, I am reasonably IT / PC literate and understand the majority of what you have suggested and it's something that's now on the list for a few months time, once I've got the website more fully populated and stable.

As for listings and reviews, my plan at the moment is to keep the descriptions as plainly factual and unarguable (simply, bar "a" is located on street "b" in area "c" of Newcastle. It is a <large/medium/small> <enter style> style of bar.....etc. etc.

any "personal opinions" of the bar, will be as accurate and fair as possible and will more than likely be accounted for in the space I get for "Editor Review". Other users will then be able to leave their own comments and marks in a "User Review" should they wish to. I'm certainly not afraid to ruffle feathers and give bad "editor reviews", but having said that, I can't see myself being quite as scathing as The Burglars Dog Formative and developmental feedback for those that want to listen


I've lots more playing and experimenting to do, but would appreciate people to keep looking, commenting and correcting me

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by Stamford

any "personal opinions" of the bar, will be as accurate and fair as possible and will more than likely be accounted for in the space I get for "Editor Review". Other users will then be able to leave their own comments and marks in a "User Review" should they wish to. I'm certainly not afraid to ruffle feathers and give bad "editor reviews", but having said that, I can't see myself being quite as scathing as The Burglars Dog Formative and developmental feedback for those that want to listen

FWIW I'd say the editors review is by far the most important. Looking at most of the review sites where the public enter narrative reviews [as opposed to stars] they're usually so badly written as to be meaningless. It was dead good.... I didn't like it. In addition they are often highly polarised - the anti or the evangelist [or the employee ]. It's often those with an axe to grind that will start typing. That can be filtered out where there is VERY high traffic, but most Newcastle establishments when reviewed by the public seem to attract fingers of one hand reviews.

People seemed to like Mark's [and to a much lesser extent my own] reviews because they are an opinion - agree or not with them. In addition you [personally] are more likely to be consulted by others [I have media in mind here] when you express a personal, expert view.

[Microkomputer]

DELETED

[newcastlepubs]

Originally Posted by Microkomputer

NewcastlePubs is on the money there about reviews.

BUT - I do think it's important to have more than one 'voice'. In my view, sites which are the sole work of a single writer[1] - especially if said individual has a recognisable or idiosyncratic writing style - tend to become dulled through familiarity and repetition; in addition, the editor's own bias inevitably creeps in[2]. On the other extreme of this false dichotomy I'm busy constructing are the 'anyone can have a go' review sites that NP alludes to - which invariably become an incoherent mess, and for some reason tend to attract those whose grammar and/or typing skills don't quite match up to the urgency of their opinions.

I think a good model for a site like this is to invite contributors, but via a process which involves them registering with the site and then submitting a review for approval and - potentially - editing before it's made public. This was the approach that we tried with the Newcastle Central (RIP) site - there was a core of three writers, a couple of fairly regular contributors and a handful of 'guest' reviewers. This seemed to be a happy medium[3]: a degree of quality control was always exercised, but viewpoints that were not necessarily those of the editors were also represented.

[1] Ugh. That was a badly constructed sentence.

[2] I'm exempting The Burglars Dog here. Let's face it - that was always more about the comedic value to be derived from excoriating reviews than it was a 'reference' site.

[3] Derek Acorah after winning the lottery. Ho ho ho. I'm here all week.

Agreed - more than one voice and with an element of quality control, but trip advisor type reviews add very little. Registering [and verifying details] also reduces the possibility of your needing to meet with m'learned friends. A moderator can be held to be a publisher.

[Stamford]

Hi folks and thank you firstly for the continued feedback. In the past I have been involved with "moderating" (refereeing more often than not) forums and to be honest, the very last thing I want to do is start on that again...and I am very aware, that if done wrongly, I could end up with just the same situation here if I'm not careful.
I already have on board 3 or 4 people (and maybe a few more from here may join in too) who are prepared to write reviews for the site and once the reviews part actually goes live in a few weeks, reviews will only be able to be submitted by registered members and there will be guidelines that reviewers need to follow. Reviews will also be pre-moderated before being published (spell checked primarily, but also check for verbal abuse and anything that may cause me legal problems).

Before I go out into the big wide world and start shouting about the site, to attract visitors and other potential reviewers, I am trying to get the structure and basic content completed as much as possible and that is what I have been doing over the last week or so, in between earning a living on my "day job".

I now have online:

In the City Guide (Eat Drink Dance Sleep):

• the vast majority of bars / pubs
• the vast majority of centrally located hotels
• the vast majority of centrally located restaurants
• lap dancing venues

in the History archive (something I hope members here will use as a resource and contribute content)

• A long list of old bars / bar names - by no means anywhere near complete I'm sure

Still to add / Ideas running through my head

To the city guide

• Nightclubs
• More outlying hotels
• More outlying restaurants
• Coffee Shops
• Fast Food outlets
• Cafes

to the history archive

• Old Restaurants
• Old Hotels
• Old Nightclubs

to the Arts and entertainment

• Music venues
• Museums
• Art Galleries
• Other visitor attractions
• A load more local bands

If any of you are looking at the site and come across anything that is blatantly wrong (bar X is now open, restaurant Y closed 2 years ago, Nightclub z is not a nightclub and is at the wrong address....etc.etc.), then I would be extremely grateful if you could PM me on here so I can correct it.

Similarly if there is a particular obvious venue that I am missing, please let me know.

I'm picking up errors on a daily basis and correcting, but being a one man band, I'm bound to miss something

Thank you for reading and will be back again soon with another update.

Paul.