CHEMISTS meet in the North-East today to discuss scientific topics such as chocolate, fireworks, cars and beer.

It is National Chemistry Week and scientists at the University of Sunderland are taking a lighthearted look at how chemistry affects our day-to-day lives, with music, explosive demonstrations and a short play about a famous literary chemist, Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes has been made an honorary member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and will be in action in a short play written for the event. There is also a Sherlock Holmes quiz, and the chance to win a prize for the best limerick beginning: "A certain detective called Holmes..."

Dr John Kilcoyne, recently named champion educator in the Champions of the North awards, will give one of his famously explosive chemical demonstrations and biologist Peter Wood will sing about beer.

Local musicians, playing for no fee, will perform chemistry-inspired music from the 17th to the 21st Century.

The concert will be held at the Sir Tom Cowie lecture theatre, Sir Tom Cowie campus at St Peter's, at 7.30pm. Admission is free with a collection for Children North.