Bake Off star proves Faire draw

ANNUAL WEEKENDER PROVIDES INGREDIENTS FOR SCIENCE AND INVENTION EXTRAVAGANZA

A GREAT British Bake Off finalist added to the inspired mix of inventors, robots and drones which made up Maker Faire in Newcastle at the weekend.

Inspiring cook Andrew Smyth was a top attraction at this year’s annual weekender at Centre for Life which celebrated makers, crafters, coders and printers.

Maker Faire’s varied blend of ingredients drew crowds of up to 10,000 over its two-day run, and families were quick off the mark to arrive as soon as the event got under way at 10am on Saturday.

Stalls, decked with bunting, were packed with attractions — many of them interactive — both inside the science centre and outside in a marquee in Times Square.

Many people were keen to seek out Smyth, the Rolls-Royce aerospace engineer who became a household name with TV viewers of The Great British Bake Off when he made the final of last year’s competition, impressing the judges with his scienceinspired creations.

And on his first-ever trip to Newcastle he didn’t disappoint, with a crystal cake resembling rock crystal formations on display as well as the cog wheel pies he became known for on Bake Off.

There was also a recreation of part of the turbine engine cake which he presented to Prince William.

He served up plenty baking tips, too, during regular demonstrations throughout the two days where audiences saw first-hand the skills that landed him in the public spotlight.

And in between he was keen to grab a spare moment to check out the other makers’ stands; joking he would be donning some sunglasses as a disguise.

“I’m going to go undercover!” he said beforehand, adding: “But this is all really fun.”

He loves combining creativity with his interest in science and engineering in his baking, to come up with something different. “I really love doing it,” he said.

As an added draw at his demos, his cakes were given as prizes to lucky members of his watching audience.

The Maker Faire UK, inspired by the original American event, has developed over the years into an annual favourite at Life and now attracts visitors from across the country and makers from across the world.

Among the 330 makers showing off their skills was Thanos Tziatzioulis, aged just 15, who had flown over from his home in Athens especially to demonstrate the wonders of Hand of Rob, a humanoid hand he has designed, 3D-printed and programmed.

A family from Pembrokeshire, regulars to the event, were this time also taking part.

Ian Beaver had first attended the Maker Faire in 2013 when his son Thomas was eight years old and they have been inspired to come up with their own inventions. Their moving model StrandSiameseKAT was taken on walkabouts by Thomas, while Ian was busy assembling a crab version called StrandKRAB to follow hot on its heels.

Attractions at Maker Faire came in all shapes and sizes, including a baby T-Rex dinosaur on the prowl and Photon Storm, a robot from the US version of Robot Wars; while creativity on display included everything from paper crafting to goldsmithing.

There was music, too, to add to the atmosphere as youngsters tried their hands at experiments, soldering and using microscopes, while the likes of drone racing drew crowds upstairs.

Among Saturday’s visitors was local lass Liz who was joined by Matthew and his children Hari, three, and four-year-old Eden who had travelled up from the Lake District.

“I love it and it’s good for little ones,” she said. “We’ve been here since 10am and now we’re waiting to see the T-Rex.”

Martin and Lauren Cotas, from Gateshead, had brought along six-year-old son Hayden who was “loving it”. “It’s the first time we’ve come to Maker Faire but we saw it online and were told it was here,” said Martin.

Others enjoying the first day were regulars, including Mike Hingley, 78, and his wife Margaret, from Stockton. “I was introduced to this by a friend,” said Mike. “It’s that far over my head, I don’t understand it but it must be doing something right because I’ve come back for the third year!”

Margaret, 74, added: “I think it’s very, very interesting stuff and it’s wonderful to see parents bringing their children.”

Life Science Centre has been hosting the Maker Faire since 2009 and marketing and communication director Julia Hankin said: “It’s great to see so many people turning out for Maker Faire UK.

“It gets bigger and better every year and it’s wonderful for Newcastle.”