The Glorious North East Archives

North East jewellery brand Weezy Pop launches new Collector’s Club app alongside six-month Baltic Pop-Up

The brand will unveil its North East Icons Collection and celebrate with a public launch event at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on Saturday 17 October.

North East jewellery brand Weezy Pop is opening a six-month pop-up at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, following the success of its exclusive five-piece collaboration with Baltic earlier this summer.

“Our collaboration with Baltic earlier this summer was such an incredible moment for Weezy Pop. The response to the collection and launch event completely blew us away, so being invited to take over Baltic Shop’s showcase area on the Ground Floor for six months feels like a really exciting next step. We’re incredibly proud to be a North East brand, and we can’t wait to launch our new North East Icons Collection in such an iconic local venue.” – Louise Cowley, founder of Weezy Pop, who will forever now be known as my Coat Twin.

To celebrate, the Weezy Pop x Baltic Pop-Up will begin with a public launch event on Saturday 17 October, from 12pm to 4pm.

The event will mark the official launch of the brand’s new app, the unveiling of its North East Icons Collection and the return of Weezy Pop’s popular Personalisation Station, where visitors can create and customise their own jewellery.

Guests can also enjoy music, Prosecco, sweet treats, Spin to Win prizes and a special competition celebrating the launch of the app.

“We want the launch event to feel joyful, creative and completely Weezy Pop. Everyone is welcome to come along, discover the collection, personalise their own jewellery and celebrate with us.” – Louise Cowley, founder of Weezy Pop.

More than a just your regular shopping app, the new Weezy Pop app is part digital jewellery box and part Collector’s Club. Customers can build and view their personal Weezy Pop collection, claim their jewellery, sync previous online purchases, create wish-lists and share them with friends and family; particularly useful in the run up to the festive season!

Designed around the collectable nature of Weezy Pop’s interchangeable jewellery, the app brings the physical and digital sides of the brand together in one colourful space. It gives customers a dedicated place to keep track of the pieces they own, discover new designs and build their collection over time.

The launch will also introduce the new North East Icons Collection, celebrating recognisable people, places and cultural moments from across the region, think the Angel of the North and you’re on the right track.

The Weezy Pop x Baltic Pop-Up will run for six months, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the brand’s collections, shop exclusive pieces and experience its playful approach to personalisation. I’ll be there, scoping out Christmas gifts and maybe a little something special for myself!

Event details

Weezy Pop x Baltic Pop-Up
Saturday 17 October 2026
12pm to 4pm
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art
South Shore Road
Gateshead
NE8 3BA

Categories: The Glorious North East

Getting Down & Dirty with The North East Adult Pantomime!

Christmas and New Year are over, party season has well and truly wrapped and some of us might even be balls deep into Dry January by now and wondering just how many days there are in January anyway… The point being, it’s a long miserable, cold month that seems to deplete our finances faster than any other and leaves us lacking in motivation despite the best efforts of our neighbourhood gyms to entice us to get up off or butts and do something.

Well, if you’re looking for something to round off January and pick you up out of this funk, then I might just have a stellar recommendation for you.

I was recently invited to the press night for The North East Adult Pantomime, if you’re wondering what exactly that is, it’s the Ronseal of descriptions, it really is an incredibly adult pantomime and a rip-roaring night. Seriously I was crying with laughter more than once.

So it goes without saying that this is an over 18s event and you need to be prepared for crude humour and language that would make your mum blush, it’s in your face, but also full of heart. Like any other seasonal panto, this one has a story and we follow Big Dick Whittington as he leaves the Big Smoke to head for Geordieland with his loyal and ever glamorous sidekick Pussy Twat played by Michael Marouli. Katie Price stars as the villainous Queen Rat and even belts out a few tunes to great effect. Cast as a parody of herself, she manages to charm the audience even on the rare occasion she fluffs her lines. She manages to improvise well adding something of a real human, endearing touch and seems to be having great fun on stage. I did get to hang out with her after the show but I can’t even bring myself to show you any of the photographs as I look like a balloon with eyes and she looks, well, fabulous, even in sweats.

Amongst the naughtiness and piss taking there are some striking moments, the cast is just the right amount of camp and has some surprisingly talented singers – look out for female lead Alice singing their version of Defying Gravity from Wicked, it’s seriously good and the background scenery whilst very minimal manages to still be effective adding depth to the small stage area.

The venue for this David Ducasse (Scooch) penned production is The Exchange 1856 in North Shields, a place I hadn’t been to before tonight and one that is not dissimilar in style to The Firestation in Sunderland although the performance area is smaller.

The production itself is excellent, there’s a story loosely based on a fairytale and there’s an impressive cast who can easily pack out a room but these performers deserve a better show space. The Exchange 1856, whilst a lovely place to visit, doesn’t lend itself particularly well to pantomime with it’s flat sitting area and off-balance acoustics, it would be great to see the same show in a bigger venue with banked seating that gives a full view of the stage and cast.

I feel it’s important to mention again that this is an adult pantomime with adult themes, visuals and it’s heavy on sexual content although this is parodied so isn’t vulgar, more night out with your mates banter after a few Neckoils. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! It’s fun, it’s rude and it’s the perfect antidote to the January blues. It’s on a very limited run though, just four days (although there are two shows per day) finishing this Sunday January 28th, so my best advice? Grab a group of your best pals and get tickets whilst you can, it really will pick you up and it’ll definitely give you something to talk about for at least the next week. I can guarantee you’ll be referencing Peter the Pervert for a little while at least.

Tickets available here

North East Salon Wynyard Therapy Relaunches Under New Ownership

Wynyard Village, County Durham is known for its executive housing, premiership footballers and its beautiful woodland areas and green spaces. However, in the heart of this cute little village is a salon that’s been through a huge transformation recently. Wynyard Therapy has had a presence, primarily as a hair salon for over a decade now, however, in the last year it’s undergone something of a rebirth…

That’s down to new owner, entrepreneur Alice I’Anson Widdows and her determination to offer a premium experiential hair, beauty and aesthetics service to the men and women of Wynyard, and its surrounding areas. Expanding the offering to more than just hair was part of a masterplan that would see Wynyard Therapy become something of a one-stop-shop and a community haven.

In the year that Alice has been at the helm of Wynyard Therapy she has run a tight ship. With her background in superyacht events which has seen her travel the world in every type of weather, she’s used her crew management skills to the salon to great effect. Having grown her team from five to eleven (recruited from the local area), Alice says it’s been rough at times given her need to strive for “seven star service” and the “ultimate customer experience”. Ultimately, and reflecting upon the achievements of the past year of ownership which includes the salon being awarded three prestigious local awards, Alice says “It takes a village” when discussing some of the hurdles in her path and credits her team for their hard work and determination throughout what has been a rocky transition period. In fact if I had to guess, I’d say she feels that the team she’s assembled are her proudest achievement in this venture so far.

It’s important to remember that in a post Covid 19 pandemic world, new salons are on the decline. Wynyard Therapy is one of only 2215 (at the time of writing) hair and beauty salons in the North East region currently in operation. The hair and beauty industry was one of the hardest hit by the pandemic following lockdowns, forced closure periods and then the introduction of social distancing which reduced salon capacity in the months leading out of the pandemic. The relaunch of this village favourite has offered employment to local people as well as a real focus on giving residents a menu of services that they actually want.

Alice has a long term goal to offer clients more than just a luxury salon experience though. Looking to the future there are plans to offer wellbeing events which will focus on specific, client driven topics such as menopause, teen skin and men’s health. But back to right now, one year in to ownership and Alice is beaming as she talks about her team, and how fully invested they are in not just offering a top notch service to their 3000+ strong client base, but also a safe space for clients to offload their worries, and to trust their stylist or practitioner to give honest advice on colour, style or chosen treatment. All of this of course, backed up by years of experience and ultimately confidence – something Alice feels is very important in her tight knit crew of staff.

So, what’s changed? Well after two years of market research Alice has introduced a skin clinic to Wynyard Therapy offering high quality aesthetics which are dentist led – why is that important? Dentists have comprehensive knowledge of facial anatomy and ultimately facial mechanics, they’re also able to prescribe meaning that treatment is immediate after the point of consultation, and most importantly they’re able to prescribe and treat in the extremely unlikely event of a negative reaction, a huge factor to consider when deciding where to book your aesthetic treatment. In addition to aesthetics, new to the line up is medical grade skincare as well as pharmaceutical skincare which have all been selected to compliment the results driven skin treatments and programmes available enabling clients to take a little bit of the in-salon experience home with them.

The much loved Hydrafacial will launch at Wynyard Therapy in December, as one of the most powerful, non-invasive skin resurfacing treatments available, with no downtime, that’s a huge coup for the community given that the nearest beauty salon is in the next village. There are plans to offer more high quality, technology based facial treatments over the next twelve months and a focus on professional development within the team to ensure that the treatment, the environment and the delivery are all part of that luxury experience the salon is striving for.

The hair salon has had a makeover too. Not just a physical refurbishment but in the products and services offered. As a L’Oreal Professionnel salon, products are prescriptive to your hair’s needs and whilst there are recommendations, there’s no hard sell – the focus is ultimately on the customer experience, Alice is very clear about this as she tells me “I want everyone who visits the salon to feel like a guest”

So far, the new and updated Wynyard Therapy has been well received within the community. A recent launch event led to some amazing feedback as clients new and old were invited to try out taster treatments and tour the new clinic space. Well, as the salon’s strap line says, “Everyone needs a little Therapy!”

If you’d like to find out more, or join the invite list for future events, visit

www.wynyardtherapy.com to sign up.

With thanks to Nicci King Photography for images

Categories: The Fashion Closet, The Glorious North East

Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle

The Ice Bar slid back into Newcastle this week for its second term at STACK, this time with a shiny new sponsor in the form of Grey Goose Vodka and making its grand entrance with a New York theme.

That’s right, everything inside has a nod to the city that never sleeps and it’s just fabulous. From the huge to the very tiny, there’s something to capture your attention for every single one of the twenty minutes you get inside and it’s all been painstakingly carved out of, or encased in ice.

We were invited along on launch day to check it out. When you arrive you sign in at a welcome cabin and you’re given vouchers dependent on which package you’ve booked – we were there for the basic entry deal, a simple entry to the Ice Bar, shot of something from the bar and a hot chocolate after leaving. After signing in you’re given gloves and a faux fur hooded cloak to keep you toasty once inside.

You enter the Ice Bar in groups which are pre-booked online so it’s never overcrowded and the numbers are controlled in order to maintain the temperature inside. Once you get in there you’re immediately faced with ice, and a lot of it. You round a corner into the bar and it opens out into what’s actually a pretty big space.

The bar itself is completely carved from ice, as are the glasses the shots are served in. The toffee Schnapps served as the drink included in the entry fee is simply divine, it’s made fresh on site each evening by the bar staff specially for the event to a recipe they “just came up with”. There’s also a non-alcoholic apple version available for kids (or adults who just fancy it) and I have it on good authority that that’s pretty amazing too.

So what can you expect to see inside the Ice Bar and is it worth going back if you visited last year? Well, yes actually. It’s better. I’d say it’s a lot better. Firstly, this time everything is tied up with a theme so it makes more sense, secondly there’s a designated seating area and it’s decked out with rugs so if you want to just sit, you can.

A friends style sofa and set piece carved entirely from ice in the Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle January 2020

Babe Ruth’s Baseball Bat encase in ice on display at the Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle in January 2020

Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahnik’s as worn in Sex and The city encased in ice in the Grey Goose Ice Bar at STACK Newcastle

The main focal point is the Friends set piece and sofa, it’s the definite Insta zone of the Ice Bar and the lighting around it is so much better than it was in there last year so make a beeline for that if you get in there this year. There’s some sporting memorabilia in there too in the form of the baseball bat with which Babe Ruth scored his first ever home run and it’s fully encased in ice.

The famous blue Manolo Blahnik pumps given to Carrie by Big in Sex and The City are in the ice too as well as some Tiffany jewellery and there’s a Yellow cab carved out of ice which looks really slick. Oh, and it just wouldn’t be NYC without Lady Liberty in there now would it?

After twenty minutes are up, and trust me you’ll be feeling it at sub zero temperatures, you’re ushered out in your group and directed to the end of the bar where you’re served hot chocolate topped with cream and marshmallows and given the option of mingling with the masses at STACK or heading to the Warm Room at the opposite end of the DJ stand to defrost fully.

Overall, it’s a fun activity, doesn’t take up a huge amount of time and doesn’t cost a fortune. Check it out while it’s here, it’s not around for long.

Pixie

TICKET PRICES

Mon-Thurs (Off Peak) / Fri-Sun (peak)

STANDARD ADULT — £10.00 off peak /£15.00 peak

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

PREMIUM ADULT — £15.00 off peak / £20.00 peak

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate
Glass of Prosecco or Bottle of Beer

CHILDREN — £6.00 per child

No Under 7’s are permitted in the Ice Bar

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire
Ice Shot (non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

FAMILY TICKETS — £30.00 off peak / £38.00 peak

A family booking can be made consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. More children can be added for £6.00 per child.

Includes Entry
Jacket and Glove Hire Ice Shot (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Hot Chocolate

Categories: The Fashion Closet, The Glorious North East

Exploring Steve Messam’s Hush

Because we made the decision to paint our Batcave and I’m an absolute shocker when it comes to ruining gloss paint. Seriously, I can’t resist slapping a hand down in wet gloss, or at least a finger, I have to be removed from the area completely for a period of at least eight hours – we took a family trip out to Upper Teesdale this weekend to Bales Hush on the recommendation of my friend Laura from Pop Up Studio.Bales Hush is an old lead mining site on the Raby Estate in County Durham and it’s quite a site to behold anyway – it’s feature within the landscape created when miners worked the hillside by hand to expose a mineral vein, after which the land was flushed with water to reveal what was below.

Now Bales Hush is a huge gouge spanning over 400m in length and up to 20m deep in some places. It’s an amazing natural feature that you can hike up to and through at any type of year, providing you can manage the terrain. On Sunday we managed to catch the final day of environmental artist Steve Messam’s ‘Hush’. A large scale, temporary outdoor art installation which occupied Bales Hush for jus 17 days over the Summer. Inspired by the landscape, geology and mining history of the area, Hush fills the space with 5 kilometres of recyclable yellow fabric formed into hundreds of sails which flow through Bales Hush in the breeze.

We arrived at Bowlees Visitor Centre having done some advance research into the hike, there’s a much closer carpark at the foot of Bales Hush but we were looking forward to being outdoors and killing a full day with some exploring. The hike from Bowlees to Bales Hush is around an hour (1.8 miles ish) and is over varying terrain. None of it is particularly difficult but there are walls to climb over, a river to cross and hills to ascend and descend, so depending on your fitness levels, it may take more or less time.

An image of Blogger Pixie Tenenbaum on a hike to Steve Messam's Hush in Upper Teesdale, County Durham

The views throughout the hike are spectacular. It’s one of those hikes that looks like it’s been pre-filtered. There’s a section which opens up on to Christmas Trees which is just breathtaking and every now and again I spot a tiny house in the distance and wonder whether Amazon Prime deliver there.

An image of the countryside in Bowlees, Upper Teesdale in County Durham showing a small house in the distance

An image of the countryside in Bowlees, Upper Teesdale in County Durham showing a small farm in the distance and a river running into the foreground

When we reach the river, I’m tempted to just plough straight through it, then I’m reminded by Bo that I’m only around half way and still have the return journey to do in the same shoes – plus, there’s a very clear and pre-determined rock path set out for people who don’t want to get wet. We opt for that and power on up the hill to the farm on the other side.

As we exit the farm we get our first glimpse of Hush from a distance. The sails look like spun gold and the people like ants crawling towards it from here. The banks either side of the gouge don’t look steep but as we get closer it’s clear to see that it’s an optical illusion. You can approach Bales Hush from any direction, either the left or right bank, or you can walk straight through the bottom of it and then come back down on of the bank sides when you reach the end. We did all of the above. We walked up the left side and then explored through the middle of it – we actually spent quite a few hours up there exploring over different terrain and got caught in rain and some blistering heat too. If you’re heading up that way, make sure you take a decent pair of shoes and something you can layer up with in case it’s cooler when you get to the top.

A large scale temporary art installation by Steve Messam occupies Bales Hush in Upper Teesdale in County Durham for 17 days over Summer 2019 photographed here by Pixie Tenenbaum for Fashion Voyeur. Large saffron coloured sails fill a natural gouge in the landscape

The installation itself is just beautiful. It’s serene and peaceful up there despite being busy with people. You can’t really get a sense of the scale of it in a picture suffice to say that it’s huge. You keep walking thinking you’ve reached the end of it and it unfolds its golden sails further and further. Another thing that’s impossible to convey is the sound; from the top you can’t hear it but once you step into the void and you’re underneath the sails you can hear the rippling of the fabric all around you like a whispering.

The hike itself was really enjoyable. Given that I had hip surgery in April which hasn’t gone entirely to plan this felt like natural rehabilitation and it was great to be outdoors as a family doing something fun and moving around – that’s not something I’ve been able to do for a while. Even Plankton enjoyed it and it takes a lot to motivate him to do anything, even getting him to put clothes on and leave his room is a chore. The installation was breathtaking, I found it calming and soothing and loved being above and below the sails, Bo quite enjoyed getting in amongst them and straightening them all out and unravelling them so they could flow properly in the wind and making people’s photographs look nice – well if it keeps him happy right?

Pixie

TICKET PRICES

pixietenenbaum