Published Date:
07 January 2010

By Fiona Thompson

Theatre bosses have already started taking ticket bookings for their next pantomime as they celebrate their most successful festive show.
The Gala, in Durham, has just finished its second in-house panto, Dick Whittington, which has broken a record as the venue’s most financially successful show of its own making.

Gala Director Simon Stallworthy said: “Two years ago, when we took the decision to bring our pantomime in-house, we had no idea how it would fare.

“I’m delighted that Dick Whittington has continued the trend that Aladdin started last year, and panto is now thriving at Gala.”

The 2010 pantomime, Cinderella, has already sold hundreds of tickets.
The Gala has confirmed that Fence Houses actor Donald McBride will return as one of the ugly sisters.

The team hopes to make more announcements soon about familiar faces who will make up the cast.

Mr Stallworthy added: “We’ve developed the relationship with our audience over the last couple of years and they know they’ll get a high quality show at affordable prices.

“We hope that Cinderella will deliver even more, and we promise magical and spectacular scenery, incredible transformation scenes and maybe even some live animals.”

Cinderella will run from Wednesday, December 1, to Saturday, January 8.
Ticket prices will remain at 2009 levels. To book, call the box office on 332 4041 or visit the website at www.galadurham.co.uk

www.sunderlandecho.com

By Danielle Beeton

 Singer Shaun Foster-Conley has been swamped by fan mail since becoming a star of the small screen.
The 36-year-old, who lives in Fence Houses and is originally from Red House, Sunderland, has also been constantly stopped in the street since his first appearance on the hit show Benidorm last month.

Shaun, who made his name in clubs in the North East, said: “I have had a fantastic reaction. It has been phenomenal. It’s been like a whirlwind trip.”

Shaun, who performs in Benidorm for up to seven months in a year, was chosen to be part of the ITV show by writer Derren Litten.

He plays himself and says he has enjoyed every minute of it.

The former shipyard worker, who took to the stage when he was only five with his dad Peter and his band The Apaches, said: “Derren offered to send me a copy of the show in the post but I decided to sit and watch it with my family like everybody else.

“My wife Angela was poking me and smiling and the kids were just giddy.”

Shaun, who has two children Robyn, 12, and Fraser, 11, has received emails from fans around the world, including the Al Martino appreciation society, who are big fans of Shaun’s rendition of Here In My Heart.

“They want me to go to America,” Shaun said. “I would love to go, but it’s like everything else, I’m just taking one step at a time.”

Shaun has been singing professionally for the last 16 years and has wowed audiences around the globe.

He was named North East male vocalist of the year in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and topped the bill in a “One Night In Vegas” theatre production.

He has also been named an ambassador for the city by Sunderland Council.
Shaun’s four-episode TV appearance in Benidorm will end this Friday, but Wearsiders may see him in the show again.

He said: “I cannot really say, but I’m excited.”

Tune in to ITV this Friday at 9pm to watch Shaun in action, and log on to www.sunderlandecho.com to see footage of him in the show

A singer who made his name in the clubs of Sunderland is set to become a star of the small screen tonight.

Entertainer Shaun Foster-Conley will appear in ITV’s award-winning show Benidorm and is set to appear in three more episodes.

The 36-year-old, who performs at the popular resort for up to seven months in a year, revealed that writers had been planning to include him in the script from the start.

Shaun, who lives in Fence Houses but is originally from Red House, Sunderland, said: “They approached me three years ago and said they wanted to write me into the script.

“They have written me into the third series, and I went out and filmed it and it was a great experience.

“I sing five songs in the show and I do have speaking parts.”

Shaun first took to the stage when he was only five with his dad Peter, who was in a band called The Apaches.

And for the last 16 years, the former shipyard worker has been wowing audiences all over the world with his vocal talents.

He was named North East male vocalist of the year tin 2003, 2004 and 2005, and topped the bill in a “One Night In Vegas” theatre production.

And he was crowned an ambassador for the city by Sunderland City Council – putting him alongside the likes of Eurythmics star Dave Stewart and Kate Adie.

But the dad-of-two says appearing in Benidorm is definitely the highlight of his career so far.

Shaun, who is married to Angela and has two children Robyn, 12, and Fraser, 11, said: “It was a great experience to see professional actors at work.”

Viewers can tune in to ITV tonight at 9pm.

Published Date: 09 October 2009 www.sunderlandecho.com

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Lambton Engine Works in the 1960’s owned by the National Coal Board.

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The Fence Houses song

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There’s no fish in Fence Houses

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There are fish in Fence Houses

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Why has our Village got no Christmas Tree

The Fence Houses song was inspired by Dennis Sharples written by Robin Kerr and sung by Stevie Colledge.

Not only famous for singing the Fence Houses song but also the There are no Fish in Fence Houses.

Which now is totally untrue as we have Lambton Lake just behind the Burnside football pitch.

So if you see Stevie and Robin at any gig ” The codgers” you must ask for a rendition.

I have heard on good authority that Robin has penned another ditty to be recorded explaining that there are fish in Fence Houses now. Watch this space.

Fence Houses is a small village within the parish of Houghton-le-Spring in County Durham.

It came into existence when Napoleonic prisoners were housed on the outskirts of Houghton-le-Spring. The prisoners were used as labour to cut a path through the hill at Houghton-le-Spring in order to get the troops from Durham to the coast at Sunderland. Houghton Cut as it became known has now been expanded to carry a 4-lane road, the A690. The place the prisoners were housed was known as “The French Houses” and this later changed to “Fencehouses”.

This origin is highly debatable. A more likely origin was put forward by the late Houghton-le-Spring historian, C.A. Smith MA, in an article in the Official Houghton-le-Spring Urban District Handbook, 1962, as:

Fence Houses derives its name from Biddick Fence which formed the southern boundary of South Biddick and included Burnmoor.

The land was originally part of the Grange (a large local manor house). In about 1950, a modern housing estate was added to the village it, called the Grange estate.

A railway line was built, bringing a 2-platform station providing services to Sunderland, Newcastle upon Tyne and Durham, and a stock yard from which local farmers shipped their cattle by train. The station opened in 1836, and the Post Office two years later as a Railway Sorting Office. The line closed to passengers in May 1964,apart from a one day service for the Durham Miners Gala that year. in the 1960s. Fencehouses had the largest telephone exchange in the area (The Police house at Shiney Row some 4 miles away had the number “Fencehouses 55″ in the 1940s). In the 1980s the Fencehouses exchange numbers became the Durham exchange numbers.

Fencehouses was the terminus of a tram service from Sunderland.

The village is essentially a single main street cut in two by the path of the old railway line which also splits the village into control of two local authorities – Sunderland Council for the south of the village and Durham to the north). Just near to the railway line and yards from the old station, is a new development of townhouses and apartments called “the sidings”.

Recently, schooling facilities in Fencehouses have undergone a massive facelift. The previous three schools in the area (Dubmire Junior School, Dubmire Infant School and Dubmire Nursery) have been amalgemated under the one roof, in a multi-million pound development.