Arts & Exhibitions

Beccy Hurrell Voice & Arts Limited were celebrating again last week at the Annual Northamptonshire Business Awards. The success continued following the creative arts centre being named as The Community Business of the Year at last month’s Kettering Business Awards as Directors Beccy Hurrell and Lindsey Atkins continue to make the arts accessible for all, empower people, develop artistry and use the Arts to break down barriers to learning, work and society. Based in The Yards in Kettering Town Centre, both Beccy and Lindsey received the President’s Awards from the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce President Robyn Allen at last night’s event which took place at The Park Inn, Northampton and is to recognise an individual, or in this case, two individuals in the County that has done something exemplary in the last 12 months. The award celebrates everything wonderful about Northamptonshire’s business community and the people in it by singling..

Prepare to wrap up warm – after a few years of tentative celebrations due to Covid, Bonfire Night is back with a BANG this year! Read on to discover ten of the most EXPLOSIVE firework night celebrations in and around Northampton this November. __ Wicksteed Park Annual Fireworks Display This year, Wicksteed’s legendary Firework night event on Saturday 5th November will host a variety of family friendly activities including: speciality fairground rides, performances and entertainment shows, panoramic views of the lake and, of course, the colourful firework celebration, set to music, blasting over the scenic skyline. Tickets start at £5, but there is also the chance to book a Top Secret VIP Package which boasts a secret ‘experience like no other.’ Book your tickets and find out more here: https://wicksteedpark.org/product/annual-fireworks-display/ Northampton’s Annual Firework Spectacular Hosted at Northampton Racecourse by Northampton Town Council, the Annual Firework Spectacular will be taking place..

The Queen’s historic 70-year reign is being brought to life through an augmented reality story-trail through the streets of Northampton. To complement and enhance next month’s Jubilee celebrations, Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) has partnered with High Street Safari to run a free, family trail which is now live and available until Sunday, June 12. The experience includes augmented reality characters and educational content on The Queen’s reign which can be accessed by scanning QR codes in the windows of seven town centre businesses. Mark Mullen, operations manager for Northampton Town Centre BID, said: “This trail is an interactive experience and as you visit the story points in order, you’ll collect digital stamps, learn more of the story and be able to take selfies with some of the characters that appear before your eyes via your smartphone. “It’s a look back at history through 21st century technology, bringing..

Independent Venue Week (IVW) is back with a bang for February – and The Black Prince gets stuck in with Andy Bell Space Station (Feb 2). The Space Station is the latest treat from the Ride guitarist who has also coloured up Oasis and Beady Eye in his time. His skills have also been utilised by everyone from Pink Floyd to Talk Talk and The Brian Jonestown Massacre in a career that has delivered plenty. Then there’s his electronic streak and remix work, delivered as GLOK. Music flows wherever this man goes, and Northampton is in for a real treat with his arrival. Space Station was founded during lockdown, at the Lo-Fi coffee shop in Crouch End. Andy began streaming performances at the empty coffee emporium, helping music fans to get their quota of musical caffeine during the dour times by playing electric guitar along to reworked versions of backing..

Comedy, ballet, classic shows, new shows and thought provoking nights out. February is certainly delivering on all counts when it comes to theatre. Sammy Jones takes a peek at the month to come... Stacey Dooley has been a staple on our television screens in recent years for her investigative shows and presenting work, and she lifted the coverted Strictly glitter ball in 2018 as well. She had been due to visit the Derngate on February 8, but just as this edition of Pulse was being put to bed, her show probing into the difficulties of Britain’s mental health emergency, became another Covid casualty. The show will now visit on February 4, 2023. Previously, quick-tongued witty wonder Katherine Ryan had denounced partnership, but now she has married her first love, although apparently, it was accidentally... how do you do that?! Her new session with the mic (Feb 10) is a chance..

Northampton’s rising radio star Kerrie Cosh tells Pulse’s music editor Sammy Jones about her career so far - including two stints on Radio 1... Every one of us will have a specific memory of radio; those of us of a certain age will still recall the importance of taping the Top 40 singles chart on a Sunday evening. Perhaps you’ve had a shout out on local radio, or used the background hum to get you through a working day. Radio is the faceless friend that is always there for us. But what makes you want to go from listener to presenter? There’s no point asking Kerrie Cosh. The BBC Music Introducing in Northamptonshire and Evening Show presenter with BBC Radio Northampton didn’t aspire to take on the role: “The strangest thing about my journey in radio is that I didn’t decide I wanted to be a presenter. I just sort..

Black death, a royal love story, and the bloody Battle of Northampton are all explored in a new permanent exhibition celebrating the lives of the nuns who lived and worked at the Abbey between 1145 and 1538. Little was known about the history of the women who lived at Northampton’s popular Abbey until now, thanks to the research of a small group of female volunteers undertaken during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020/21. Vera, one of the Delapré Abbey volunteers who worked on the exhibition, said: “This exhibition is the result of two years of work and research into the fascinating lives of our nuns and finding untold stories. We have followed this intrepid group of women down the centuries and seen their courage and their failings.  We are very proud of them. We are excited to share these very human stories delving into the town’s early history with visitors.” The team have worked..

An uplifting and moving performance by a ‘Singing Solicitor’ has captured emotions on social media, as donations flood in in support of a Northamptonshire charity. “A shining example of teamwork”, “everyone should be immensely proud”, “a beautiful song” and  “I am so, so proud of the amazing people in our local community” were among the many comments received after Kevin Rogers, chairman of regional law firm Wilson Browne Solicitors, launched a fundraising single to raise money for The Lewis Foundation. Kevin enlisted the help of Kettering General Hospital’s choir, broadcaster John Griff, and Northamptonshire-based musicians Beccy Hurrell and Ian Taylor, to film and record a heart-warming rendition of Bob Dylan’s classic; Make You Feel My Love. The track and footage was launched live on LinkedIn on World Cancer Day, and is now available to stream, buy or share, with donations via the JustGiving page going to The Lewis Foundation -..

The rise in so-called exotic pets has led to an increase in unwanted, unusual creatures. Pulse Magazine talks to Sol Archer who picks up the pieces at Animals in Need... Not everyone wants a four-legged fur baby to curl up on the sofa with. You might not be one of them, but some people like their pets to boast spikes and scales or to be slimy and shelled. And let’s face it, a group of snails don’t need to be taken for walkies, and tarantulas don’t make nearly as much mess as a puddy-tat does! But all too often people take on an exotic pet before doing their research and understanding the sometimes complex needs of the creature in their care. That’s when boredom or misinformation can have tragic consequences, or Animals in Need (AIN) gets the call to take in another unwanted pet. Sol Archer is the resident expert..

You never know where your life will take you. Mandy Young’s dream was to be a hairdresser and she began an apprenticeship which she excelled at. But then she had to make a decision; continue to chop locks, or focus on building one of the world’s best indoor extreme sports centres. She chose the latter – and proved to be a cut above the rest at that too, as Sammy Jones found out. As a youngster, Mandy Young played county netball and was a fantastic musician. She worked in a foam factory (with the claim to fame that she was the first woman to work a band saw cutting large blocks of foam for commercial use), and by 22, she was a cake decorator and pregnant with her first child, John. Today? She is CEO of the business she co-founded nearly 20 years ago with John; Adrenaline Alley. The Corby-based..

Stand-up comedy for kids and adults, murder and corruption, and rude songs – Pulse’s Sammy Jones takes you through October’s theatre-highlights. Murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery comes to the Derngate stage for a six-day stay (Oct 4-9) with the return of Chicago. Step back into the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s once more. Your casting for this run is a good one; Former Corrie star Faye Brookes is Roxie, stage star Darren Day is Billy Flynn, and Sinitta makes her return to the stage as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton. Jonny & The Baptists invite you to Dance Like It Never Happened (Oct 9), and when you think about just what has happened over these past 18 months, that’s a hefty ask. But J&TB are learning to accept and engage with their grief, which involves sharing their story of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. They’ll do it with lots..

Northampton’s music scene has lost one of its biggest characters with the passing of Eric Whitehouse. Eric was a Northampton man born and bred and in more than 50 years of music-making the singer had played every venue, pub and stage in the town. His son Kieron told Pulse Music: “He was very proud of where he came from and he loved the town and the people in it.” Eric’s musical path began in the late 1960s with the Amazing Gas Medicine Show. Many people believed his music to be original compositions, but that wasn’t so. Instead, Eric dug deep to find great tunes by small-known artists he approved of and put his own spin on them. “What he liked to do was pick obscure references; he wouldn’t be a Mustang Sally sort of guy, he would play the songs he loved that nobody had heard of.” Eric loved Western..

A new book takes a hard long look at Bauhaus; not the bit that any fan knows already about Northampton’s famous quartet, but the bit that came before; a look into the history of ‘fampton’s scene in general, but with the spotlight focused on guitarist Daniel Ash and the brothers Haskins, bassist David J and drummer Kevin. This is the untold story chronicling the origins of Bauhaus. With author Andrew J. Brooksbank you are in safe hands. Fans have his memory, archive and hard work to thank for the previous page-turner, Bauhaus – Beneath The Mask, which was released in the late 1990s, and has since become a serious collectible. In time, this new release – From Arthaus To Bauhaus 1972-1979 - might well go the same way, writes Sammy Jones. David J calls Andrew an ‘invaluable ‘tenacious truffle..

Australian-born mixed media artist Dan Pearce is a key figure in the contemporary urban art world, boasting celebrity collectors and exhibitions around the world. Now based in South East London, he creates stunning artwork that combines modern street art with references to cultural movements and trends- his creations are always cutting-edge and witty, whilst incorporating inspirations such as Warhol and Lichtenstein. Named one of the UK’s “most collectible and emerging artists” by Shortlist, his popularity continues to soar year on year. The vast array of colours, layers, textures and materials that go into Dan’s artwork is astonishing, allowing the viewer to always pick up on new details with every glance. Some of these materials include (but aren’t limited to) gold leaf, stencils, diamond dust, spray paint, acrylic, textured resin, photographs and even fitted neon lighting in some pieces. One fascinating technique..

After the trauma of the past eighteen months. music is back, which is great news for devourers of the soulful, disco and funky fabulousness being peddled by Mange Le Funk Productions – the brand has its first post-lockdown outing on August 7. One Night Love Affair is the name and spinning top class tunes is their game, and ‘they’ are Suff Sakoor and Maurice Bird, the fellas behind the tunes. They first made strides musically on the eve of the millennium, teaming up to DJ and produce music together. “I was a soulful house fanatic and Maurice was passionate about rare groove and disco...” Suff said. Mange Le Funk was formed, and their track ‘I Still Want You’ became a club hit and got them noticed for all the right reasons. Residencies across Northampton were in place and things swelled, so when Maurice hotfooted it from the ‘fampton to Brighton,..