To bring some light relief in these tough times, we’ve rounded up some of the ways to achieve the ultimate Sunderland themed self-isolation.
9. Listen to Sunderland-made music
Enjoy some Sunderland-made music from favourites such as The Futureheads, Frankie & the Heartstrings, The Lake Poets and Hyde & Beast or discover some new city bands such as Picnic, Docksuns and Post Rome. Photo: chuff media
10. Athletico Mince podcast
For some light relief, check out the Athletico Mince podcast on ACAST, Spotify and Apple. Racking up over 30 million listens in 99 episodes since it began in March 2016, it’s presented by comedian Bob Mortimer, of Reeves and Mortimer fame, and writer Andy Dawson from Sunderland. What started out as a football podcast quickly strayed into more comedic territory and fans regularly listen to the podcast for updates from characters such as Barry Homeowner, Roy Hodgson, Peter Beardsley and Neil Hunt, Nonsense Potter. Photo: submitted
11. Try some new fiction
Jessica Andrews, from Newbottle, recently won The Portico Prize for Literature – the UK’s only award for outstanding literature that best evokes the spirit of the North – for her debut novel Saltwater. Drawing upon her own experiences of growing up in Sunderland, Saltwater, published by Sceptre, is a story of self-discovery by a girl from Sunderland who heads to university in London, taking her northern roots with her. Photo: submitted
12. Tune into BBC 6Music
Tune into BBC 6Music for Sunderland broadcaster Lauren Laverne's show and discover some new music along the way. Photo: submitted