KAREN GOLDFINCHChair of North Tyneside Business Forum
Who is your favourite author and why?
Ann Cleeves. As a fellow Whitley Bay resident, the work Ann has done to raise the profile of our region has been amazing. Adapting her Vera books for TV has brought her passion for the area to everyone showcasing our fabulous coastline, countryside and towns.
What would be your three Desert Island Discs?
Faithless, Insomnia – for when you need a boost as this always gets me motivated. At Last, Etta James – my wind down choice and always calming. David Bowie, Let’s Dance – I have to join in with it.
Who is your favourite film star and why?
Doris Day. I’m thinking back to me as a little girl watching films on a weekend. I loved the fun, happy go lucky characters she played all with a little bit of attitude. Her songs were probably the first ones I remember singing along to like ‘Don’t eat the daisy’s’, or ‘The Deadwood Stage’.
What are your top three films?
Top Gun. I’m an 80’s girl, so the music, styling, fashion, the bikes and the story were all aspirational to me as a teenager Perhaps this has influenced me now, with Karen Goldfinch – Your Business Pilot. I Daniel Blake. It’s an honest, hard hitting, gritty film, upsetting and unsettling at times but the kind of film you come away from still thinking about it days, weeks and months later. Jurassic Park. Not necessarily for the films themselves but for the part they’ve played in our family. With two boys aged 16 and 29 this series of films have been part of our family since the original film came out.
Which poem left a lasting impression on you?
Scott Tyrell’s Round Here, a tribute about the North East of England written for Sunday for Sammy. It has and I think always will have a lasting impression on me. I first came across Scott whilst working on an event together, and hearing his poems read out at Newcastle Cathedral changed the way I look at poetry.
What box sets have you enjoyed?
I don’t watch many box sets as I prefer to watch music documentaries or concerts, the latest being Peter Gabriel, Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald and Ian Dury. My music choice is quite diverse so there’s always something to find.
Who is your favourite artist or performer?
Having a diverse mix of musical tastes there’s a lot to think about. From a performance point of view Pink is quite something, theatrical, daring and able to deliver her vocals at the same time. I could also watch Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton or Lindsey Buckingham in his Fleetwood Mac days playing guitar all day long.
What is your favourite venue?
Newcastle City Hall. I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with events here as I work with Sunday for Sammy, so this place will always be special to me. The history of the venue is fantastic, an enormous list of big names that come here to perform over the years, from Count Bassie to AC-DC, Lindisfarne and of course Sunday for Sammy, it’s a place that’s special for so many of us in the North East.
Which musical instrument do you particularly enjoy?
I’m lucky in that I’ve played many different instruments over the years, keyboards, guitar, drums and some orchestral instruments from my school days. I’m torn between guitar or drums, they both make a huge difference to a piece of music and are equally versatile.
From the world of Arts and Culture who would be your ideal dinner party guests?
Ella Fitzgerald, Stephen Fry, Marilyn Monroe and David Bowie. All fascinating characters in their own right, with interesting history and upbringing yet have all reached great heights, no matter what has stood in their way.