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 (173)
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Undiscovered art
Have we found Gateshead’s answer to Norman Cornish? Brian Rankin believes that Charlie Rogers’ work is precisely that. Rogers, who died in 2020, spent his life painting scenes on both sides of the Tyne. From the 1960s onwards, he quietly chronicled a time of great change. His work has the same eye for the everyday that we find in Cornish’s Spennymoor scenes, a world of chip shops and dog walkers where you can almost smell the baccy and best bitter.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in Art
Pints & Parkruns: Blackhill, Consett
Perched on a Pennine ridge, Consett is a singular place. Its exposed location makes it prone to wilder weather than near neighbours on the Durham plain, while its rugged industrial history still leaves a tangible mark almost half a century after the town’s steel works closed.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in Longevity
Cautious optimism
It’s two weeks since Labour won a landslide victory in the British general election. The voters of the UK vigorously applied a hefty boot to the ample posteriors of a legion of Tory shysters, handing Keir Starmer’s party 413 out of 650 seats at Westminster.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in The Swamp
Playlist: fringe benefits
Isabel Maria – Holy Smokes Last time we wrote about Isabel she was taking her brand of subtle chamber pop to the Stone’s Throw festival. Since then, the teenaged singer-songwriter has released a new track and announced a bunch of gigs. So there’s no excuse not to catch up with her music.
By Andy Pottsabout a year ago in Beat
Playlist: Narc.Fest
NARC is one of the region's best cultural guides and its annual festival in th Ouseburn puts its money where its mouth is to bring the cream of northeast bands to six indie venues in Newcastle's creative hub. This year's edition is on July 13, and here's a taste of some of the sets we're looking forward to hearing.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Beat
The School on Seaside Lane
School. A universal experience, yet somehow unique to each of us. Whether it’s memories of school dinners – multi-coloured custard and bright sprinkles on sponge cake – or a uniform that somehow resembled normal clothes while being unimaginable outside of the classroom, those days stir deep memories for many.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in History
Pints & Parkuns: Prudhoe Riverside
Parkrun really is a community for everyone. Check out Prudhoe Riverside and, more specifically, Haydn’s Disco Spot. Named after the most popular volunteer on the route, and audible well in advance thanks to some pumping sounds, it’s a tribute to a resilient family and the way in which the event really isn’t all about running.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Longevity
Playlist: Mackem magic and a mystical remix
The big upcoming event for me is the Summer Streets festival in Sunderland - two days of top local bands in the best free festival in the region. We've got a couple of highlights from that show on July 6/7, plus a hazily beautiful remix of some gentle electro-folk from East Durham.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Beat
Playlist: Punk Princesses
The summer festival season is getting into full swing, even if the weather isn’t always willing to play along. This weekend sees a female-fronted fantasia in South Shields, which features previously playlist star Cortney Dixon in addition to a couple of acts with new tracks mentioned this week. And, just down the coast, Sunderland is celebrating the launch of its Music City with a mini-festival of artists from or connected to the city. Read on for some of the highlights.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Beat
Pints & Parkruns: Denton Dene
Ever fancied running in the footsteps of a Roman Centurion? Denton Dene parkrun might have the answer. Tucked inside Newcastle’s traffic-choked Western Bypass, the Dene is a woodland oasis – and it also carries the Hadrian’s Wall Walk into the city. That pathway, which stretches 84 miles in total from Bowness-on-Solway to Wallsend on Tyneside, shares a stretch of the parkrun route here.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in Longevity
