A great venue to go to see a stand up comedian; more intimate and much more civilised say than…read moreMiddlesbrough Town Hall. The staff are friendly and attentive and the recently renovated bar is nice, if a little cold and functional, but there's never too long a wait to be served and the drinks choice and prices are good for a theatre. Apparently, with the current local government cuts, the theatre is now under threat of closure. Please pledge your support by signing the petition on your next visit.

A great place to go to see a band or stand up act. The cinema is great showing some good stuff I…read morewouldn't normally get chance to see. The updated bar is quite nice but I wish it wasn't quite as contemporary as it is. It can feel a little cold and unwelcoming (if not for this I'd certainly use it as my local) but aside from that it's a great place.

MIMA is an art gallery Middlesbrough and it also has a cafe and an eductional area (for use by…read moreschools). It's not open Mondays but it's open all other days and even for part of the day on Sundays. It's free to get in which is fab! I've never eaten in the cafe as it's always too busy so I don't know what the prices are like but it does seem nice and quiet there. There are often changes in the exhibitions held at MIMA so check out their website to see what's currently being shown. As art galleries go, it's usually quiet and tidy, and the quality of the art really depends on what's there at the time.

Newly opened last year, Mima is injecting a vital impulse to the Teesside art scene. Although the…read moregallery is reasonably small and still in its infancy, its future looks very promising, having just won an Arts Council award to build its collection of South American drawings, drawings being the particular strength of the gallery. Architecturally its pretty stunning, so its not surprising that Central Square recently featured in the Last Night of the Proms. With five exhibition galleries, there's always something new to see, while its great to go to its ground floor cafe just to soak up the buzz that surrounds this new gallery. Entrance is free, too!

the child care action trust - step together centre in darlington, county durham provides conductive…read moreeducation, based on the hungarian 'peto' system of rehabilitation, for disabled children with cerebral palsy and other 'motor' disorders living mainly in the north east of england.

Like the other reviews, nice art shop. I actually went in for some candle making items. The items…read moreavailable were a little limited, no kits & no bulk wax bags just 1kg bags. Being a novice to candle making I made some enquiries as what was needed to the staff who were more than help full, even to the point of asking another member of staff who had more knowledge. Had a brief look at the other craft sections & seems to be well stocked. I don't know of any other store in the town that supplies arts & craft so probably your best bet.

The Art Shop is a fantatic shop located in Darlington town centre. It is full of all kinds of art…read moresupplies, from fine art to pastels, from hardware to craft material. There is something for all your artistic needs. It is also child friendly, and an excellent way to get the kids more creative.

Arthaus is the gallery of artist Mackenzie Thopre. Born in Middlesborough he made his home in…read moreRichmond for many year while he was art teacher at the local school. Soon he became known for his pictures of 'Square Sheep' which have since taken him across the globe and to world wide recognition. The gallery still has a homely feel with staff who are willing to talk even though you might not have the cash to buy one of the original paintings. Cards and other gifts are on offer which means you can take a little something home with you.

Great shop for mounted canvas pictures from your own artwork or just straight from the display…read more They also print onto t-shirts. It's a grungy little shop that always has an interesting window display. Go see!

Small little shop in the heart of Durham. Provides a specialist framing service at a good price…read more Helpful, efficient and friendly service.

This branch of the British Heart Foundation charity shop is located on Stockton High Street, close…read moreto the Nat West bank and McDonalds. They stock a good selection of items, including clothing, a lot of books, CDs, DVDs, videos and ornaments. In addition to the second hand items, they have a number of new things on offer, including perfume bottles and jewellery. It's quite a pleasant shop to browse around in the never-ending quest for a bargain. It's nicely laid out and brightly lit. Also, and this is a major plus point, it doesn't have that yukky musty smell that welcomes you into most charity shops! Now, I really feel bad at raising any criticism of a charity shop, but really I do think some of their prices are ridiculous. I've seen them asking almost £3 for a CD. While this might be justified on a classic, I think Girls Aloud should be more in the 50p bracket! I've seen the same thing with books. There have been a couple of times where I've seen a book that I quite fancied, but it was really just a whim and they want £3 for a book I may not even like, and could probably pick up for coppers at a car boot sale. Aside from that, however, it's a good shop to browse around and definitely worth a look.