Northern Life Magazine

3 weeks ago | northernlifemagazine.co.uk | Laura Storey

For many families in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, Blackpool was the holiday destination, and Geoff’s family was no exception. His first trip to Blackpool came in 1946, the year the attractions reopened after the Second World War, spurred by a promise from his father that they would see elephants. Geoff kept cherished memories of that holiday in his parents’ old photo album. “We didn’t have phones back then, so all our photos were treasured in albums,” he recalls.

3 weeks ago | northernlifemagazine.co.uk | Laura Storey

As PMDD Awareness Month approaches in April, The PMDD Project, the UK’s first and only charity dedicated to Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), is calling for urgent action on a devastating but widely ignored medical crisis. Despite PMDD being a severe hormone-based mood disorder that affects approximately 1 in 20 individuals who menstruate, it remains largely undiagnosed and misunderstood.

1 month ago | northernlifemagazine.co.uk | Sid Madge |Laura Storey

Being a father is one of life’s most significant roles, but it can also be one of the most daunting, especially if you’ve never had a positive role model to emulate. For many men, the absence of a father figure growing up can lead to uncertainties about how to guide, support, and inspire their own children. The challenge becomes even more pronounced for fathers facing additional hurdles, such as those who have been incarcerated, experienced trauma, or lacked access to tools and support.

1 month ago | northernlifemagazine.co.uk | John Stoker

On Monday April 26th 1976 Sid James collapsed on stage at the Empire Theatre in Sunderland. When the theatre manager rang the producer of the show to tell him that his star had just died, he received a familiar reply. “Everybody dies in Sunderland.” Unfortunately, Sid was really dead. “If audiences in the theatres were bad, they could be equally as dreadful in the clubs.”Over many years the Sunderland Empire had acquired the reputation of being “the comedian’s graveyard”.

1 month ago | northernlifemagazine.co.uk | Laura Storey

At the age of three, in 1946, Geoff spent each Sunday afternoon playing in the street with his friends. However, just after lunchtime, the older children would disappear for three hours, returning with stories of singing and fun from Sunday School. Already eager to join them, Geoff learned that the mayor, Herbert Snell, would be visiting the Sunday School one week. “The mayors were very important people back then.