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 (178)
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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
Acting up
There’s something unexpectedly empowering about disturbing the peace. A quiet Tuesday lunchtime in Newcastle’s Grainger Market was jolted into life with shouts of “Who cares? I care!” Amid placards highlighting the crisis in social care, we joined a small group on the march.
By Andy Potts2 years ago in The Swamp
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 years 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 years 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 years 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 years 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 years ago in Beat
