Archive films to be shown at Pickering event

10:16am Tuesday 11th March 2014 in Ryedale news

Archive films to be shown at Pickering event

YORKSHIRE Film Archive will present a film show at the Potter Hill Methodist Church, Pickering, at 2pm tomorrow.

The presentation will include amateur and news film by Yorkshire people of the landscapes of coast and country, carnivals, shows and railways, including some film shot by Pickering’s own early movie man and historian Keith Snowden.

The last time the Pickering Civic Society showed the Snowden films was on his original equipment, organisers said.

This meeting has been arranged by the Pickering Civic Society which is a registered charity, with donations of £3 or more are invited towards the costs.

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Mobile data connectivity in cars isn’t a new thing, but Audi is keen to be the first manufacturer to take it to the next level and put 4G LTE in its cars.

The German auto company has announced a deal with US network ATT that will put speedy 4G connectivity for smartphones, laptops, tablets and other wireless devices, in its vehicles. Unfortunately the service doesn’t come free with the car, even if you do pick out all the other top specs at the dealership.

Perhaps it’s because we’re used to UK networks, but the pricing and details for ATT’s data in the new Audi A3 seem a little odd. For starters, you have the choice of a 6 month or 30 month package – no 12, 18 or 24 months as you usually get with a smartphone, or even a data-only SIM. Then, for the 6-month contract ($99) you get yourself 5GB of data for the entire period. If you opt for the 30-month package ($499) then you get 30GB total, equating to 1GB per month. On the plus side, if you pick up one of the new 2015 Audi A3s, you get 6 months of data for free.

Audi and ATT say that drivers have indicated to them that longer subscription periods for in-car data suit them best, going by their previous 3G offerings in older vehicles with the Audi Connect service, which would explain for the odd lengths of service being offered.

If you were hoping to make use of 4G LTE in your shiny new Audi by downloading a movie on your way home so that it’s ready and waiting when you pull into the garage, you might want to be thinking again. These data limitations suit casual browsing and email on the go rather than downloading, although the occasional app download and the odd tune streamed through Spotify shouldn’t pose a problem.

The main purpose of 4G LTE in the car is to power Audi Connect, a dashboard screen which can offer navigation, radio streaming, personalised RSS feeds, text-to-speech news headlines, Facebook and Twitter. Audi will also be launching smartphone apps which link up with the car’s inbuilt system.

Movie showing is sold out at Ledbury Market Theatre

1:55pm Tuesday 25th February 2014 in News

Philomena is sold out at Ledbury Market Theatre.

TICKETS for a screening of the hit film Philomena at Ledbury Market Theatre have sold out.

The film, starring Judi Dench as a woman in search of her lost son, will be screened to a full house on Monday, March 10, at 8pm.

Those disappointed at not getting a seat will be able to see a second screening on Wednesday May 21, at 10.30am.

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Ulverston father and son star in new Lakes movie

5:00pm Wednesday 26th February 2014 in News

By Faye Greenwell, Reporter

Ron and Connor O’Hara in a scene from the film

A FEATURE film set entirely on location in the Lake District is to have its first public screening at this year’s Keswick Film Festival.

The Raven on the Jetty, made by One Day Films Limited, explores the relationship between father and son after an acrimonious divorce.

The lead is played by 11-year-old Connor O’Hara, from Ulverston, whose father Rob plays his screen father.

The film tells the story of a boy travelling with his mother to visit his estranged father who, since the divorce, is living an isolated rural life in the Lakes.

The boy does not understand the bitterness of his parents or that his own dysfunctional behaviour is a silent cry for help.

But his encounter with the natural world gives him a gradual understanding of the connection he gives his, ultimately, lonely parents.

The talented duo first auditioned in November 2012.

Rob said: “Because the son in the film does not talk it was a very visual audition. I don’t know what they were looking for but my son must have fitted the bill!”

Connor has been part of community theatre productions since his first performance as Tiny Tim at the age of six. He also sings and plays the trumpet and has won awards at the South Cumbria Music Festival for acting, singing and piano.

Rob has been involved in community theatre for over 40 years, performing in places as diverse as Birmingham and Saudi Arabia.

A former secondary school maths teacher, Rob now runs a guest house and music venue, Sefton House, based in Ulverston.

The Raven on the Jetty was filmed over two weeks during April last year.

“Although it was freezing, it was a really enjoyable experience. This was the first film I had ever done so it was very different to being on stage. I had to really tone it down for the camera,” said Rob. “We’re both really excited to see the film again, although the first time I saw myself on screen I was rather critical but Connor was just fantastic, great to watch.”

The screening will be on March 2 at 1.30pm in the Studio at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick.

For details, see http://www.theatrebythelake.com/keswick-film-festival

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University of Bradford graduate thrilled with Oscars success with hit film Gravity

6:00am Tuesday 4th March 2014 in News

By Chris Young, TA Reporter

Paul Roberts

A Bradford University graduate who helped audiences across the world believe they were trapped hundreds of miles above the Earth’s surface has seen his work nab an Oscar.

Paul Roberts, 25, studied Advanced Computer Animation and VIsual Effects at the university, graduating in 2011.

After graduation, he went on to work for visual effects company Framestore, a job that introduced him to the world of A list movies leading to him working on smash hit film Gravity, where he had the role of ‘render wrangler’.

The film has now won the prestigious Oscar for best visual effects – adding to its Bafta award for special visual effects, handed out last month.

Mr Roberts was one of a large team that made sure the film – about a astronaut stranded in space, was not only a huge box office winner, but also a critical smash, and praised for its technical achievements.

He said seeing his name on the film’s credits was “a dream come true”.

The role of render wrangler is one that could barely have been conceived when the Oscars were first handed out in 1929.

It involves overseeing the process that sees digital information become the viewable image seen on screen, often through many computers.

With so much of Gravity created using computers, almost 80 per cent of the film, Mr Roberts played a huge part in what ended up on the screen.

Starring Sandra Bullock as the astronaut stranded in space when a shower of satellite debris destroys her shuttle, the film won seven Oscars, including best director for Alfonso Cuaron – the first Latino director to win the award.

The movie, filmed in 3D and shown in IMAX theatres, has so far raked in $700 million across the world.

Mr Roberts, of Leeds, said: “It is a film set entirely in space and rendered in 3D so there were a lot of frames going through the render farm.

“Each frame was part of a long sequence, some of which were several minutes long and required vast amounts of processing power to complete, thus requiring a substantial farm. Being part of such a huge and complex project was a thrilling experience, and seeing my name on the credits was a dream come true.

“I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone to keep pursuing their goals. My time at Bradford certainly helped me reach mine and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to study in a place where the level of education was so high.”

Karl Abson, lecturer in creative technologies at the University, said: “Paul has had a great start to his career since graduating. His contribution to Gravity is a great achievement.”

David Wilson, director of Bradford City of Film, said: “This is brilliant news. We spoke to Paul before the weekend and he seemed delighted to have been involved in something on this scale. It was great that there were two or three British films doing really well at the Oscars. It shows we’re in a golden age of British film.

“These days the technology to be able to this is available to more and more people. This win was good news for British film and good news for Bradford.”

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One-time Hanwell schoolboy who’s now an Oscar winner

8:56am Monday 3rd March 2014 in News

By Staff Reporter

EALING people are celebrating, along with the movie industry, after Steve McQueen won an Oscar for directing the Best Film last night.

His film, 12 Years A Slave, has won universal acclaim for its brutally honest portrayal of slavery in 19th Century America.

But the black British boy with the movie star’s name didn’t have to peer that far into the past to find out about racism.

As a teenager in Hanwell, Steve, now 44, excelled at football and was popular with schoolmates at Drayton Manor High School – but the classroom was a disaster.

He says his teachers were too quick to write him off and he found himself in the lowest stream.

“I’ve never said this before, ever, but I was dyslexic,” he told the Daily Mirror. “And I’ve hidden it, because I was so ashamed. I thought it meant I was stupid.

“I had a lazy eye, so I had a patch. When you’re in front of the chalkboard, you still can’t see. So it was a terrible start. People make judgments very quick. You’re put to one side very quickly.”

After Drayton Manor, McQueen enrolled at Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College, studying Art, and made rather better progress.

In 1996, McQueen left London for Amsterdam, where he settled with long-time partner Bianca Stigter. Together they are raising daughter Alex and son Dexter.

McQueen isn’t the typical artist who lives in a studio.

In fact, he doesn’t even have one. In an interview with W Magazine, McQueen revealed that he has generated his best ideas when at home cooking or vacuuming.

He doesn’t hang out with other artists, insisting, “That’s like if you’re a butcher, hanging out with other butchers. You chop meat this way, and I chop meat that way. What’s there to talk about?”

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‘Big Jim’ in Keighley Worth Valley Railway steam line-up

11:00am Tuesday 4th March 2014 in News

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Big Jim Loco is prepared for the big day

Final preparations are being made for a Winter Steam Spectacular in the district.

Historic steam locomotives will be in action on the Keighley Worth Valley Railway from this Friday until Sunday.

Among the stars of the show will be a popular S160 American engine, affectionately known as Big Jim.

The locomotive – built for heavy freight work in Europe during World War Two – starred in the movie Yanks, which was filmed on the Worth Valley line and at other district locations.

But this will be Big Jim’s first major event since returning from extensive restoration.

Go to kwvr.co.uk for details.

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Gravity Oscar winner Niv Adiri feels weight of fame

7:00am Wednesday 5th March 2014 in News

Local Oscar winner feels weight of fame

Oscar-winner Niv Adiri said he was starting to buckle under the weight of his top achievement on Sunday.

Mr Adiri, pictured second from left, of Wheatley, was part of the team who won in the category of Sound Mixing for the film Gravity.

He told the Oxford Mail: “I’m feeling very lucky and proud and have a sore arm from carrying the award around all night.”

Last month, the team also picked up a Bafta for their work on the movie.

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Lego exhibition held at the Lea Primary and Nursery School in Moorland Road, Harpenden

9:42am Friday 28th February 2014 in News

By Rebecca Perring, Reporter

Lego exhibition held at Harpenden school

Tickets have gone on sale for a Harpenden school’s very own fundraising Lego extravaganza.

The Lea Primary and Nursery School in Moorland Road will be opening its doors on Saturday, April 26, to showcase The Lea’s Lego Exhibition to raise money for the school.

The fundraising event attracted an audience of more than 800 people last year and once again parent Russell Chapman will be sharing his vast collection of more than 150,000 Lego pieces in a complex combination of box sets and his own imaginative creations.

Visitors can also take part in the popular “build your own creation” competition, which will see entrants’ models being used as part of the exhibition, with prizes for winners in each category.

One of Russell Chapman’s creations

Sue Stevens, PTA chairman, said: “Lego has always been popular, but especially since the release of The Lego Movie, visitors will be fascinated to see the huge range of models on display.

“The event will be a fun day out for the whole family with lots of Lego activities for kids of all ages.”

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Councillor chosen for third term as Mayor of Ripon

12:29pm Tuesday 4th March 2014 in News

THIRD TERM: Councillor Mick Stanley who has been chosen to be Mayor of Ripon.

COUNCILLOR Mick Stanley has been chosen to serve as Mayor of Ripon for the third time in the last four years. The mayor-making ceremony will held held in the town (corr) hall on Tuesday, May 6, which will be followed by a service in the cathedral on May 11, when Coun Stanley will be officially installed in the role. He said both he and his wife, Gill, were looking forward to representing the city again.

HALL MATTERS: Sandhutton village hall annual general meeting will be held on Monday (March 10) at 7.30pm, at the hall.

PARISH MEETING: Sowerby residents are being invited to attend the annual parish meeting at the town hall on Thursday, March 13, at 7pm. Carol Shreeve, of the Northallerton branch of the Citizens Advice Bureau, will talk about its work.

CEILIDH EVENT: Blind Panic will lead a ceilidh at Sowerby Parochial Church Hall, on Saturday, (March 8), from 7.30pm. For tickets, costing £12 for adults, £4 for children and £25 for a family, call 01845-523115.

CHURCH SERVICE: A Women’s World Day Of Prayer service prepared by Egyptian women titled Streams In The Desert will be held at St Mary’s Church, Thirsk, on Friday (March 7), at 7.30pm. All local denominations will be represented in the service and all are welcome. Refreshments will be served after the service.

LINE DANCING: American Routes will lead line dancing at Thirsk town hall, on Friday, March 14, from 7.30pm. For tickets, call 01845-574457 or visit Artists Pallette, Millgate.

CHILDREN’S SESSIONS: Wizards, elves and giants storytime sessions will be held at White Rose BookCafe, Thirsk, on Saturday (March 8), from 2.30pm to 3.15pm and from 3.15pm to 4pm. Tickets cost £3 and include a drink and a biscuit. For details, call 01845-524353 or visit whiterosebooks.com

WORDS SHOW: White Rose BookCafe and Kate Fox will present Bloomin’ Words Cabaret event Letting Off Steam at the Royal British Legion Club, Kirkgate, Thirsk, on Thursday, March 13, from 7pm. For tickets, costing £8, call 01845-524353.

ANTIQUES FAIR: An antiques fair will be held at Thirsk Auction Mart on Saturday, March 15, from 9.30pm to 3.30pm. For details, call 01642-711036 or email antique@fsmail.net

CHURCH CONCERT: Viola player Moira Challoner, cellist Lesley Law and pianist Helen Proudley will perform a concert at St Mary’s Church, on Tuesday (March 11), at 2.30pm, to raise funds for the church. Afternoon tea will be available. Entry is free, but donations would be welcomed.

LANGUAGE COURSE: French classes are being held on Thursdays, from 7pm to 9pm, at Thirsk town hall. The ten-week course costs £80, and £75 for concessions. Reductions for people who join the course late. For details, call 01845-522342 or email ajh@firedog0.demon.co.uk

NATURE FOCUS: The CM Rob Natural History Society will meet in the upstairs room at Thirsk town hall on Friday, March 14, at 7.30pm. Non-members welcome. For details, call 01609 771393.

CRAFT DATE: Artist Nick Hampson will lead a papermaking workshop at Rural Arts, Thirsk, on Saturday (March 8), from 10am to 4pm. The session costs £45, including materials. To book, call 01845-526536 or visit ruralarts.org

MOVIE TIME: The Ritz Cinema, in Thirsk, will screen Dallas Buyers Club (15), from today (Friday, March 8), until Thursday (March 13), at 7.30pm. For details, call 01845-524751 or visit ritzcinema.co.uk

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