13
May
2009
March 3rd, 2009 saw Chin-Up being part of its first day at the races. The event was a three-mile Novices’ Handicap Chase supported by Furlongs Racing at Newcastle racecourse. The day was cold but fair with an unfortunately low attendance. Nevertheless, we all had a great day!
The winner was “Fiftyfive Degrees”, an eight year old gelding ably ridden by Graham Lee, owned by Mr & Mrs Raymond Anderson Green and trained by Pauline Robson. Terry Scragg of Furlongs Racing most generously donated the prize money.
12
Apr
2009
We are so very, very pleased to welcome the well known artiste Brendan Healey as our latest patron. Brendan began as a musician playing keyboards in groups around his native North East. Most famously with the legendary rock band ‘Lindisfarne’. He then moved into theatre and was immediately snapped up by Andrea Wonfor, then of Tyne Tees Television, to present children’s television. Most notably ‘Razzmatazz’ in the seventies. Brendan still works in television and has written over forty signature tunes to date. He still plays keyboards with John Miles and writes with Brian Johnson of ‘AC/DC’.He returned to theatre and spent many years either in rep, or touring alongside such stars as Penelope Keith, Toyah Willcox, Bill Maynard and Russ Abbot. Brendan has played everything from Shakespeare to comedy. He also played ‘Bernard’ in the West End production of Strippers.He played ‘Tol Briston’ in the Emmy award winning ‘Black Velvet Gown’ and appeared in ‘The Girl’ and ‘Dinner of Herbs’, all Catherine Cookson films. He was ‘Eric’ in ‘Spender’, appeared in ‘Boon’, ‘Auf Weidersehen Pet’, ‘Crocodile Shoes’ and ‘Coronation Street’. Brendan also played the part of ‘Ray’ in the series ‘Badger’ with Jerome Flynn. He now has his own production company M.H.M. Entertainments producing pantomime and musical theatre. Brendan has spent the last ten years as a comedian, appearing as the guest comedian on the ‘Tom O’Connor Show’.
Registered in 1994 we are a local charity established to relieve children and young people (0-18 years) suffering from a progressive or terminal illness by the provision of facilities for family breaks or respite care in the North-East & Cumbria.