The QT

Monday 2 December 2024
02/12/2024

27 June 2024

Poverty is creating a crisis in our classrooms

Child poverty chiefs and education experts have called for an urgent new strategy to tackle destitution across the North East after a damning report revealed increasing levels of hardship is putting primary education in a perilous position. Teachers across the region are under mounting pressure to tailor the school day to the requirements of those …

One wish, one paragraph, one hundred people

The North East election wish list is long and varied. Some favourites did emerge. Ending child poverty, investing in the NHS and social care, taxation and planning, along with a return to honesty, integrity and standards in public office. So here is our collection of ‘one wish in one paragraph’. How long is a paragraph …

Culture – wants and what’s on offer

Taken as a catch-all for arts and heritage, culture is something that concerns many of us even if it hardly dominates the party manifestos. The economy, the NHS, education, welfare, transport, defence… they’re the biggies and it’s unlikely a party vowing to throw everything at the arts would win many votes if they didn’t look …

All at sea for precious guano

It was our first morning in Lima. We’d come the day before from an English winter, but it was high summer in the Peruvian capital and pleasingly warm. Our son Mat — spending a year in South America teaching English in the 90s — suggested lunch by the Pacific which sounded like a cool idea …

North East presenting a united front

On June 24, Insights North East held its annual conference. The conference took place during a critical juncture for the region with both devolution and the upcoming General Election presenting great opportunity. INE chose to hold the conference at the Fire Station in Sunderland — a wonderful cultural venue, symbolising the renewal, ambition, collaboration, and …

Royal promotion for Gerry and Sewell

Newcastle Theatre Royal is set to become a ‘sea of black and white’ this autumn as a play which started life in an attic in Whitley Bay prepares for a big league promotion. The venue is teaming up with Laurels Theatre and Eastlake Productions to announce a North East-soaked co-production of Gerry and Sewell — …

Smart tech to revolutionise sewer control

A UK-first smart sewer project is set to protect communities across Tyneside from potentially damaging spills. Northumbrian Water is pumping £20m into a scheme trialled in the US and proven to reduce overflows by 80 per cent. And the latest move to limit spills is part of a five-year, £947m investment intended to improve storm …

Happy, never ending story

Susie Troup began the story of Hexham Book Festival nearly 20 years ago. There have been interesting chapters along the way and the cast of characters involved has become richer, more varied, and more famous each year. She hopes it’ll be a story with no ending. In recent years the festival has attracted the likes …

Sign up for our free Newsletter

Scroll to Top