Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Don't get me wrong, I think once the 2012 opening ceremony has been beamed into our living rooms we'll all be excited that the UK is hosting the biggest show on earth.

Of course I would have liked to have been there in person but my ticket application for any Olympic event failed to come up trumps.

So we are left wondering what the "London" games will actually do for those of us north of the Watford Gap.

When working on tonight's programme (Monday, 27 February 21012, 19:30 GMT, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú One) it came as quite a surprise that the normally crowded Lakes would in fact lose visitors because of the .

that we'd all get a slice of the action in 2012, it turns out that the Japanese who flock to Cumbria because of their love of will be staying away.

The tour operators bring Far East visitors to Britain for a trip of a lifetime and that has to include London. With hotel prices rising six-fold during the games they have simply cancelled the entire itinerary.

Jonathan Denby

On the positive side the Olympic torch will be carried across Windermere on one of the cruise boats and will potentially provide one of the iconic picture postcard shots of the UK.

If it gets shown abroad who knows how much business it might bring in future years.

Several years ago I went to to see how it benefitted from the .

Like our region, it was teased with promises of how the games (some two hours away by car) would bring enormous benefits outside the state capital.

One laundry company did pick up a lucrative contract and a construction firm also worked on the stadia. Some countries based Olympic teams in the city and that was welcome.

Truth is it was hard to find any long term results in that community. The Ozzies certainly warmed to the games as it was a global showcase, but few tourists put Newcastle on their itinerary as a result.

Some companies in the North East & Cumbria have won contracts on the 2012 gig, but it's hardly been shouted from the rooftops. With just a few months to go we don't yet seem to have caught the Olympic fever.

I wish the games every success, but I intend giving London a wide berth later this summer. The lure of a 2012 soccer match at isn't enough to make me want to spectate in person.

I might pick up a great deal in Cumbria of course, and watch the games from the comfort of a hotel with glorious views of the lakes to boot.

What's your take on the Olympics? I'd love to hear your views - just add your comment to this blog.

The London Olympic stadium

Inside Out's RTS Winners: Steve Paton (Camera), Maggie Latham (Producer: Mr Rich & The Terriers), Matt Bardo (Producer: Southern Cross)

It was a great year for the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú!

Inside Out was named Best Current Affairs Production for our coverage of serious lapses in the quality of care at Southern Cross Care Homes. The company has since folded.

Our department also picked up Best Factual Production for our documentary on American billionaire Bob Rich who stepped in to save the Bedlington Terriers football team. In this category we were up against stiff network competition, so were delighted to be shortlisted never mind collect the title.

Steve Paton receives his award from Chris Jackson

As well as filming lots of our Inside Out stories, Steve makes natural history films with on The One Show.

I happened to be presenting that award category so was delighted to be reading his name out on the big night.

Our colleagues at Look North also picked up a raft of awards.

As well as winning Best Regional News Programme, Sharon Barbour was named Best Journalist, was awarded Best Newcomer and Jon Roberts who works behind the scenes picked up a trophy for Best Production.

Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Look North's Carol Malia and Jeff Brown along with Editor Andy Cooper (left) received the award from Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Breakfast's Stephanie McGovern

We get lots of emails and letters, and it's such a privilege when I'm out filming that people want to stop what they're doing to come up and say hello.

When people go up to collect their RTS awards, acceptance speeches aren't allowed, but at least here on my blog I am unfettered so I can say on behalf of the whole Inside Out team - THANK YOU to you for supporting us.

On tonight's show (Monday, 20 January 2012) your award-winning team bring you a personal story of a young carer, disquiet over how council homes are run in Northumberland and a monster mystery in the lakes.

Feel free to add your comments to the blog!

The is a remarkable gem. It is the last remaining news cinema in Britain which despite all the pressures and the need to modernise still has a "feel" about it.

I fear that young cinemagoers today simply cannot have the same love of the silver screen as previous generations.

Today's multiplexes are, let's face it, functional and utilitarian. Sure they can provide explosive soundtracks to the latest action movie, the seats are more comfortable and are aligned and raked to ensure someone as tall as me doesn't block the view of someone behind.

What's missing is the thrill of the cinema itself. Just across from the Tyneside you'll find the tawdry crumbling exterior of what was once a jewel in the picture palaces of the region.

I remember the first time I went into the massive Odeon in Pilgrim Street. Up ornate gilded staircases, past sumptuous decorations before entering the circle. A massive auditorium opened up. You were literally swallowed up by the movie experience.

Even the music for the iconic adverts made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

That sense of wonder I felt in the 1970's must have been the same as that felt by the audiences who went to the flicks in the 30's when it opened as the Paramount. .

It succumbed to the fad of splitting up big cinemas into smaller screens and walls were ruthlessly thrown up with no regard for the original design. Suddenly you were no longer a "patron" of the cinema, you were just a number, thrown into a dark room to watch a film and then traipse back out into the world.

I rarely go to mainstream cinemas now. I'm convinced part of the falling out of love is because there is no 'wonder' left.

Hoorah to the Tyneside for clinging on. Even down by the box office you can pick up on the excitement of those who have just collected their tickets.

The fact there is still a curtain to raise before the projectionist sets to work is all part of the rose tinted dream I have for the silver screen experience.

After 75 years the Tyneside has had to undergo facelifts and has even added more screens, but not to the detriment of the feel of the place.

It even accidentally gave me one of the best film moments of my life. In 1991 I was sitting in the main auditorium lapping up the massive landscapes of . In the distance the deep bass rumble of a looming storm was accompanied by a sound so resonant it shook my seat and the vibration coursed right through my body.

I was almost in shock that a scene could be so all-sensory until I realised the clap of thunder just happened to coincide with a Metro train that was passing probably no less that 30 feet below the cinema.

If you want to share your thoughts on celluloid or any of the other topics we cover in tonight's show (Monday, 13 February 2012, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú One 7.30pm) leave a comment on this blog or get in touch.

ALSO THIS WEEK:
We look at care for the elderly in our hospitals and how a mysterious inscription could tell us more about one of Britain's bloodiest battles.

Have you been hacked? Why not share your experience by adding your comment to this blog.

So what can you do to protect yourself?

We have set up a special web resource at bbc.co.uk/sharetakecare which is particularly useful for parents who are concerned about their children's online activities.

Meanwhile internet security expert Ian de Wessington who appeared in our film has come up with his own top tips that he thinks we should all adopt.

1) Be aware of scams

Keep up to date on the latest online scams and frauds. Read the news section on and stay up to date with what is happening.

2) Protect your computer

Keep your anti-virus software up to date and your firewall active. These are the first line of protection on your personal PC. If you walk away from your computer always log out so that a password has to be entered before anyone can use the machine.

3) Be safe while shopping

Be careful when you're on sites you've never used before. When on the checkout page, look for the lock symbol or some other trusted security indication, such as the prefix "https," that the page is encrypted or scrambled. Use a credit card instead of a debit card as there is no online protection cover with a debit card.

4) Secure your home wireless network

Read the instructions that came with your wireless router and learn how to change the default username and password. If your security key is WEP change it for a better option such as WPA or WPA2 (). Turn your wireless router off at night, if it isn't turned on nobody can break into it.

5) Protect yourself

Short, simple passwords may be easier to remember, but they're also easier for hackers to crack. Use passwords with at least 10 characters and include combinations of letters, numbers and symbols. Don't ever use real words or common phrases. Change passwords regularly.

6) Be sensible

Cyber crime continues to accelerate by common mistakes people make when online, such as responding to spam or phishing scams or downloading attachments from people or sites they don't know. Use common sense and caution; never post personal information online; and be careful about clicking on links or prompts to download software.

7) Don't be nosey

A favourite hacker trick at the moment is to leave contaminated flash drives in bars, coffee shops and other social places. If you find one of these NEVER plug it into your computer.

8) Just in case

We all try to be sensible and safe, but just in case the worst happens make sure you have backed up your data to an external device such as a hard drive, DVD or Flash drive.

ALSO TONIGHT:

We chase the elusive Northern Lights. I've some top tips to help you improve your chances of spotting them.

We also catch up with out job seekers and two more of them are back in work.

In case you were wondering we filmed this week's links in Keswick on a gloriously clear winter's day.

The Northern Lights as seen from Berwick in January 2012

You need patience, warm clobber and a little bit of scientific intelligence to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights in our part of Britain.

Recent solar activity has meant the astounding night-time display has been visible with the naked eye and on this week's Inside Out (Monday, 6 February, 2012, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú1 19:30 GMT) has been hunting down the to give them their proper name.

If you fancy seeing them with your own eyes we've a few top tips to improve your chances.

1) Have a viewing spot pre-planned.

You need a dark sky without any light pollution from towns or industry. You also need to see the horizon to the north because at our latitude, the lights are low down in the sky not above your head.

Go and visit possible places in the daytime to work out the best location for you then sit and wait for it to happen. When it does... you'll be ready! Be safe though, there are good places like cliff tops, but they bring their own problems in the pitch black!

2) Keep an eye on the data.

The is the aurora-chaser's indispensible early alert system. It shows what the conditions are like currently on the Sun, whether recent solar activity has happened and is likely to cause the Northern Lights in the near future.

There are lots of graphs and data on there, but don't worry too much about it. The main thing to look for is the 'Kp index', which is a measure of geomagnetic activity.

A low number like 1 means hardly any, and the aurora might only be visible around the north pole. If it goes up to 5 or 6 and beyond it means the aurora may be visible as far south as Northern England - so it's time to get out there now! The Kp level is always on the left hand side of the Spaceweather home page.

3) Check the local weather forecast.

No clear skies, no aurora. It could be Kp 10 and you wouldn't see a thing if it's cloudy.

4) Be warm.

When you go out you might be out for hours, so to get the benefit of the light show don't be dressed so lightly that you'll have to go home after half an hour.

5) Be patient!

Even when the conditions look right you'll be out on several occasions and not see anything. It's just the way it is. But believe us, when you DO see it, it's worth it...

If you want more information on astronomy in general then don't forget to check out the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú Stargazing website