NOW in its sixth year, the multi-venue Middlesbrough music festival Twisterella is a shining beacon of positivity — and hopefully ongoing prosperity — for a part of Britain that has had its fair share of knocks and shocks.
 
In September last year, BBC2 aired the documentary series The Mighty Redcar, which focused on a selection of individuals living in the economically beleaguered coastal town not 10 miles east of Middlesbrough.

What emerged was not another hackneyed tale of decline and depression resulting from years of industrial shutdown but one of much promise. Importantly, the films were seen as uplifting.

The most memorable was perhaps the story of 16-year-old Dylan Cartlidge, a boy fostered by a Redcar family who with an abundance of musical talent, a clear physical presence and definite star quality, has since gone on to pick up a recording contract and a major songwriting publishing deal.