Monday December 7, 2020

I confess to a fascination with the history of Heaton and the areas journey from small, outlying farms to the current vibrant urban landscape. During the centuries, Heaton must have endured crimes that would horrify today’s hipster café society. From the 13th to the 17th century the Border Reivers would have made life challenging as […]

Tuesday September 1, 2020

The law of unforeseen consequences has been hard at work during the Covid-19 crisis with locked-down people discovering talents they never imagined they possessed. Plaster and some building materials are in short supply due to a rush of DIY activity, some unlikely social media stars have emerged and enough banana bread has been made to […]

Saturday August 15, 2020

At an early age Damiano Rea realised he had won the lottery of life. Born of Italian heritage to hard working owners of an Italian Restaurant and living in Heaton, an area where he still lives and works. The restaurant was to figure large in Damiano’s early life. At age seven he was decked out […]

Monday June 1, 2020

The past few months have been about trying to find little rays of sunshine amid the doom and chaos. Captain (now Sir) Tom Moore raising £32m by walking his garden. More time with the family. My brother Zeno and his astonishing artisan bread making skills. The fact that I am of Italian heritage. Yes, I […]

Sunday March 1, 2020

A perfect storm is heading for landlords in Heaton in the shape of Selective Licensing which is set to cost a small fortune to implement and a somewhat larger one if non-compliance can be proven. I estimate it will collectively cost our landlords six to seven hundred thousand pounds to ensure they do not incur […]