BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Alan Dotchin Blog - ECPv6.16.3//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Alan Dotchin Blog
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Alan Dotchin Blog
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20240101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250202
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250203
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T162313Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T162313Z
UID:17274-1738454400-1738540799@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Chinese New Year
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a spectacular celebration as Newcastle’s vibrant Chinatown comes alive on Sunday 2nd February with the enchanting festivities of the Chinese New Year. Nestled in the heart of the city\, Newcastle’s Chinatown stands proudly as one of only five in England\, providing the perfect backdrop for a splash of colour\, sound and taste. \nThe focal point of the celebrations in 2025 is the much-anticipated parade which will return to the heart of city. Starting at 11:30am at the iconic Grey’s Monument\, the parade is set to sweep you off your feet with an incredible showcase of dancers\, performers\, and cultural displays. \nFrom there\, it will wind along the lively thoroughfares of Blackett Street and Gallowgate\, culminating in a triumphant procession towards the renowned Chinese Arch at Stowell Street. \nArriving at Stowell Street you’ll experience a series of performances and displays before the iconic Lion and Dragon make their way through the businesses of the street\, blessing them for the year ahead. You’ll also find food vendors and stalls lining Bath Lane at the end of Stowell Street alongside arts and crafts and fairground ries – the perfect celebration to kick-off off the lunar year with a dazzling array of activities. \nIt’s the perfect family-friendly activity where you can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere\, packed with lively performances\, and a unique opportunity for both locals and visitors to come together\, fostering a sense of community spirit and appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the city. \nFor more information on the event\, head over to the official Chinatown Newcastle Facebook page.
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/chinese-new-year/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/bmp:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/k6mbjhhy.bmp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250202T150000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250202T163000
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T162108Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T162108Z
UID:17272-1738508400-1738513800@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Piano Greats – Elisabeth Leonskaja plays Beethoven
DESCRIPTION:Mysterious. Transcendent. Songfully\, with utmost feeling. \nWho’s on stage\nLegendary pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja. She wowed us with Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ piano concerto alongside Royal Northern Sinfonia in September 2023. We’re ecstatic she’s back. \nWhat they’re playing\nBeethoven’s final three sonatas for piano. An unmissable trio. \nWhat you’ll hear\n\nLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 30 (21′)\nLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 31 (20′)\nLudwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 32 (27′) \nWho’s playing it\n\nElisabeth Leonskaja piano \n\nWhat’s happening in the music?\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThese pieces were written in a frenzy of creativity\, each an experiment. ranging from the tender and transcendent to the enigmatic and quirky. On the surface No.30 is calm\, but peek beyond that surface and it’s dark and brooding. No.31 is tender and transcendent\, while Beethoven’s very last Sonata\, No.32\, is something of an enigma. Turning convention on its head\, it only has 2 movements\, and contains music that’s serene\, angst-ridden and quirky\, with a lopsided rhythm in one spot that almost sounds like jazz \n \nA legend\n\nHere’s Elisabeth Leonskaja in action\, playing exactly the same line up you’ll enjoy in Gateshead. YouTubers are definitely fans\, describing her performance as ‘Spellbinding’\, ‘Sublime’ and describing her as ‘a Legend!!!!’\, though we don’t escape one of the staples of grumpy audience members\, with one person describing someone coughing as ‘a crime against humanity and music’. Bit over the top maybe? \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n 
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/piano-greats-elisabeth-leonskaja-plays-beethoven/
CATEGORIES:Classical,Concerts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Leonskaja4©MarcoBorggreve-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250213T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250213T183000
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T161610Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T185141Z
UID:17270-1739467800-1739471400@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Defence Lecture: Defending the UK in unprecedented times by General Sir Patrick Sanders
DESCRIPTION:General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB CBE DSO\, former Chief of the General Staff \nDate/Time: Thursday 13 February 2025\, 5.30pm \nVenue: Curtis Auditorium\, Herschel Building\, Newcastle University \n\n\n\n\nAll our events remain free and open to all\, but pre-booking is required. Bookings for this lecture will open at 10.00am on 6 February. \nTo reserve your place click the booking link below or telephone our booking voicemail line 0191 208 6136.\n\n\n\n\nHeads of the military and of the intelligence agencies agree that 2025 is a year of unusually serious and multilayered challenges. How the country chooses to deal with them – with low economic growth and with urgent demands on public spending elsewhere – is yet another. \nBiography \nBorn in Tidworth Garrison military hospital and raised in Norway\, Gibraltar and Iraq\, General Sir Patrick Sanders was commissioned in 1986 and spent his early service as an Infantry Officer in The Royal Green Jackets in Germany\, Norway and the UK. He has commanded on operations in Northern Ireland\, Kosovo\, Bosnia\, Iraq and Afghanistan. \nHis staff appointments have been in operational and strategic roles. He has been a member of the Directing Staff at the Joint Staff College\, Pol/Mil adviser for the Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq in 2003-4\, Colonel Army Strategy\, Chief of Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff\, and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) in the MOD. \nHis higher command appointments were 20 Armoured Brigade\, the 3rd (UK) Division and the Field Army. He was promoted to General in May 2019 and commanded UK Strategic Command until May 2022. He became Chief of the General Staff in June 2022. \nRead More
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/defence-lecture-defending-the-uk-in-unprecedented-times-by-general-sir-patrick-sanders/
CATEGORIES:Talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TELEMMGLPICT000345218097_17116656182310_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqECnBSB4T3tw7hRvCORLehVFx7oZS3G0ps1JcMwBJxFI-1.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250216T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250216T213000
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T161122Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T161122Z
UID:17268-1739734200-1739741400@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Fauré’s Requiem
DESCRIPTION:Peace. Serenity. Simply Divine.\nWho’s on stage\nRoyal Northern Sinfonia and the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia are headed up by choral specialist conductor Sofi Jeannin. \nWhat they’re playing\nA feast of Fauré\, with his ever-popular Requiem alongside the melancholy Pavane\, the suite from his opera Pelléas et Mélisande and Cantique de Jean Racine. \nWhat’s happening in the music?\nUnlike other Requiems\, Fauré’s isn’t about hell\, retribution and damnation. It’s more about comfort and serenity in the face of death rather than about the terror of judgement. It’s a piece full of powerful choral melodies and simply beautiful solos\, not least the famous Pie Jesu (pious Jesus). Fauré was also a church organist and listening to the piece you can easily conjure up the atmosphere of an ancient\, tranquil\, incense filled cathedral. Unmissable. \nPresenter – Alexander Armstrong \nThe Faure concert on Sunday 16th Feb is going to be sublime. A 3pm start and beautiful mellow programme. The Cantique de Jean Racine\, the entire Requiem (it’s a relatively short Requiem and yet packs in so many glorious tunes) and then the Pavane and Pelléas et Mélisande Suite. A really spoiling feast of Faure. Fabulous soloists too. I’d travel a long way to hear Roddy Williams and Hilary Cronin! \n\n\n \n\n\nGrab a cuppa\, hop in your favourite comfy chair\, sit back and relax with a performance of Fauré’s Pavane with none other than conductor Sir Simon Rattle and Berliner Philharmoniker.
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/faures-requiem/
CATEGORIES:Classical,Concerts
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/11.-Sofi-Jeannin_credit-Radio-France_Christophe-Abramowitz-2-900x570-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250220T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250220T223000
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T160946Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T160946Z
UID:17266-1740079800-1740090600@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour 2025
DESCRIPTION:The Banff Mountain Film Festival is back with a brand-new line-up of captivating short films packed with extreme journeys\, intriguing characters and stunning cinematography. Join the world’s top outdoor filmmakers and adventurers as they climb\, ski\, paddle\, run and ride through the wildest corners of the planet! \nThere are two epic film collections\, each with a totally different set of films – the 2025 Red Programme (20 February) and the 2025 Blue Programme (21 February). Double the adventure and save with the two-show discount! \nRED FILM PROGRAMME \nIce Waterfalls \n36 minutes \nFor years\, professional kayaker Aniol Serrasolses has dreamt of running rivers and waterfalls formed by melting ice caps and gigantic glaciers. Accompanied by a team of expert kayakers and Arctic guides\, he ventures into one of the most remote and rugged regions of the planet: Svalbard. Amid the Arctic’s otherworldly landscapes\, reality is about to surpass Aniol’s wildest dreams. \nDropping Molly \n30 minutes \nFollow climber Molly Mitchell’s rollercoaster journey to climb Crank It\, a route in Colorado known for its extreme difficulty and high risks. After facing serious injury on her intense\, years-long project\, Molly confronts her rocky mental health and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and growth\, asking what drives her to push herself to the limits – and beyond.  \nSoul Flyers – The Longest Line \n5 minutes \nWitness the longest terrain-flying wingsuit line in history. Jumping in formation\, Fred Fugen\, Vincent Cotte and Aurélien Chatard travel an incredible 7.5km over the stunning landscape of Mont Blanc\, passing mountaineers\, glaciers\, ice cracks and cliffs as they speed their way to a world record. This film takes the viewer up and into the middle of the action. \nThe Streif \n3 minutes \nYou’ve heard of defying gravity\, but this is defying physics. Freestyle mountain bike phenomenon Fabio Wibmer is crashing the preparations for the most legendary ski race in the world – the Streif in Austria. Get set for a jaw-dropping world-first descent unlike anything ever seen before. \nDolomites \n33 minutes \nKilian Bron is a pro mountain biker known for his penchant for risk taking and his passion for creative adventure filmmaking. In this nail-biting film\, he takes us on a thrilling high-alpine journey\, riding the steepest trails of the Dolomites. Kilian says it has taken him 15 years to accumulate the experience and confidence to charge the most exposed lines in this breath-taking rocky playground. \nWelcome to the Pit \n15 minutes \nIt’s not where you live\, it’s what you make of it. Just south of the Arctic Circle\, Yellowknife in Canada is a hostile landscape\, not for the fainthearted. But when a bunch of skiers and boarders install a rope tow lift at a local gravel pit\, they inadvertently create the epicentre of snow-sliding in the Northwest Territories. A heartwarming story of community\, resilience and making the most of what you’ve got. \nBLUE FILM PROGRAMME \n109 Below \n14 minutes \nThe story of an extraordinary rescue attempt. On Mount Washington\, renowned for the worst weather in North America\, two climbers get lost in a blizzard. Despite savage conditions and sub-zero temperatures\, elite rescue volunteers go out of their way to help these strangers. The attempted rescue not only changes the course of the climbers’ lives\, but also the lives of the rescuers trying save them\, forever. \nA Team Sport \n16 minutes \nUltra-runner Courtney Dauwalter is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport\, and she’s testing the limits of body and mind even further. Courtney has challenged herself to tackle three iconic 100-mile races back-to-back in one summer\, including the legendary Tour du Mont Blanc. A Team Sport explores how Courtney sees herself as the latest rung in a long ladder of women redefining the boundaries of trail running. \nOf A Lifetime \n44 minutes \nIt’s the ultimate adventure destination. Of A Lifetime follows three extreme skiers and snowboarders as they sail across the notorious Drake Passage to ride the unimaginably steep\, icy lines of Antarctica. Set against the breath-taking backdrop of the White Continent\, the film also highlights a poignant passing of the adventure baton to the next generation. \nIan \n8 minutes \nIan Elliott is a rock climber from Queensland who’s at the top of his game – aged 72. Defying age stereotypes\, Ian’s technical skills\, strength and endurance shatter societal norms and highlight the extraordinary potential of older athletes. \nReel Rock: Jirishanca \n32 minutes \nAlpinists Josh Wharton and Vince Anderson attempt a free ascent of the Jirishanca\, an epic 6\,000-metre peak in the Peruvian Andes. The duo will have to tackle 5.13 face climbing\, horizontal ice roofs\, technical mixed terrain and treacherous snow mushrooms as they reconcile the inherent risk of climbing with their love of alpine adventure. \n2 Legs is 2 Easy \n6 minutes \nMountain town culture is all about highlighting adventurous achievements and inspiring others to push their limits in their outdoorsy lives. In Colorado’s Rocky Mountains\, one resident stands out as an inspiration to many. Steve Karczewski has never known what it’s like to have two legs\, but that hasn’t prevented him from doing anything and everything he’s ever wanted as an outdoor athlete. \n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/banff-mountain-film-festival-world-tour-2025/
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/fw_20240904142546_3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250226T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250226T213000
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250413T160640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T160640Z
UID:17264-1740598200-1740605400@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Emily Chappell’s Epic Tales of Cycling Adventure
DESCRIPTION:The inspirational adventurer and endurance cyclist Emily Chappell shares stories from her epic travels and remarkable life story. \nEmily Chappell was not sporty at school\, but when she reached her mid-20s\, she began to make up for lost time. First\, she gave up her office job to become a London cycle courier. Then\, in 2016\, she cycled 4000km in 13 days\, from Belgium to Turkey\, to become the first woman home in The Transcontinental race. Her account of the experience\, ‘Where There’s a Will’\, part-travelogue\, part-open-hearted memoir\, was nominated at the 2020 Daily Telegraph Sports Books of the Year awards. \nEmily has also completed many other long-distance cycling trips (Anchorage to Seattle in midwinter temperatures going down to minus 25; Wales to Japan; across Iceland) and we are delighted to welcome her to discuss her epic adventures and all matters arising\, in an evening of evocative and inspiring conversation with former Procycling magazine writer\, Duncan Steer. An evening for adventurers\, armchair adventurers and anyone interested in exactly how someone can so drastically change their path through life. \nThere will be a chance to ask your own questions. \nPresented with Radio Days. \nTicket Prices: £14\, £11 concession. \nbooking fee applies online.
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/emily-chappells-epic-tales-of-cycling-adventure/
CATEGORIES:Talks
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/DSC07034-1-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20250228
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20250304
DTSTAMP:20260621T151445
CREATED:20250812T111956Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T111956Z
UID:23201-1740700800-1741046399@blog.alandotchin.com
SUMMARY:Glasgow
DESCRIPTION:Glasgow\, Scotland’s largest city\, is a dynamic blend of industrial heritage\, cultural vibrancy\, and architectural splendour. Once a powerhouse of shipbuilding and trade during the Industrial Revolution\, the city has reinvented itself as a hub for the arts\, music\, and design. Its streets showcase a striking mix of Victorian grandeur\, Art Nouveau masterpieces by Charles Rennie Mackintosh\, and cutting-edge modern developments. Glasgow’s renowned museums\, galleries\, and live music venues sit alongside bustling shopping districts\, green parks\, and a thriving culinary scene. With its warm\, down-to-earth character and spirited energy\, Glasgow offers visitors a rich and authentic taste of Scotland’s urban life.
URL:https://blog.alandotchin.com/event/glasgow/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://blog.alandotchin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1_gettyimages-502213780-170667a.webp
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR