WELCOME
Welcome
C O N T E N TS
10 FLYING
FOR FINLAY
How Colin and Julie
Cooper have turned
their darkest hour into
a children’s charity that’s
become an incredible
force for good...
Tees Life co-editors Dave Allan (left) and Martin Walker.
Welcome to the Spring 2018 issue of
Tees Life – Teesside’s lifestyle magazine.
T
here are many great charities across
Teesside, all of which do some fantastic
work in our communities.
One of our favourites is the Finlay Cooper
Fund – set up by former Middlesbrough
footballer Colin Cooper and his wife Julie
almost 12 years ago, in memory of their son
who died shortly after his second birthday.
Since its launch, the fund has raised more
than £600,000 for good causes, supporting
the likes of Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice and
Butterwick Children’s Hospice, and even
providing holidays for disadvantaged Teesside
families in a static caravan near Filey.
My co-editor, Dave Allan, and I go back a
lot of years with the Coopers. We both worked
at Middlesbrough FC at the time of the tragic
accident in January 2002. Colin was always a
pleasure to deal with – you could always rely
on him to do interviews when others dodged
them! – and I recall visiting the Cooper family
home to do a feature for the club magazine,
when I was given the warmest of welcomes.
It’s hard to believe that was more than 16
years ago.
But it isn’t just for sentimental reasons
that we support the Finlay Cooper Fund.
The charity proudly runs on no overheads
whatsoever, meaning every penny – and I
mean every single penny – goes to worthwhile
causes.
As the fund approaches its 12th birthday, the
Coopers – along with hard-working trustees
Nick Waites, Graham Fordy and Lee Bramley
– have now set a new target to hit the £1m
milestone.
To help them achieve that, they’re planning
their fifth biennial Dragonfly Ball, which is
being held in the Marquee at Wynyard Hall,
on Friday June 15. You can find out why it’s
called the Dragonfly Ball in Michael McGeary’s
emotional interview with the Coopers on
pages 10-13.
We hope you enjoy reading the fifth issue
of Tees Life. This magazine – Teesside’s only
true lifestyle publication with its own original
content – really is our pride and joy.
Martin Walker
17 FOOD HEAVEN
Julie Fletcher samples
the new weekday early
bird menu at Muse in
Yarm, and doesn’t leave
disappointed…
26 TEES LIFESTYLE
Cattle and Cane frontman
Joe Hammill on his likes,
loves and achievements...
39 TORQUE
PORSCHE
More than 350 Porsche
lovers get exclusive first-
hand glimpse of the famous
brand’s new model...
50 GIN O’CLOCK
Award-winning writer
Harry Pearson on the
origins of one of the UK’s
favourite tipples...
Co-editor, Tees Life
26
10
17
CONTACTS
Tees Life www.tees-life.co.uk
Published & distributed by:
Resolution Media & Publishing Ltd
Boho Four Gibson House, Cleveland Street,
Middlesbrough, TS2 1AY
Tel: 01642 450255 Email: [email protected]
www.resolutionpublishing.co.uk
Co-editors: Martin Walker and Dave Allan.
Contributors to this issue: Adam Steel, Michael McGeary, Graham Courtney,
Grace Allan, Harry Pearson, Jennifer Beveridge, Sam Tate.
Photography: Martin Walker, Doug Moody, Dave Allan. Cover feature: Chris Booth.
Design: KINSHIP
Printed by: MV Print, Middlesbrough.
3