Last updated at 15:21, Thursday, 04 December 2008

IT’S festive fun time on Wednesday, when the village’s traders let their hair down for the annual late-night Christmas shopping extravaganza.

Bellingham and District Trade and Tourism Association, with support from Northumberland National Park Authority, has organised a full evening of fun and entertainment to coincide with Bellingham’s traditional Christmas shopping night. In addition to the shops opening until late, there will be local traders exhibiting their goods for sale in the town hall. I’m told response has been so great that there is now a waiting list for places.
Santa’s Grotto will be outside New Horizons, as will tarot reading, with some fairground games outside what will be the new Co-op. Lockup Lane will be lit up with Christmas lights leading the way to the town hall, and this will be the route for the parades with fancy dress prize presentations being made at the monument in the town square. Apart from trade and competition stands the town hall will play host to some of the enter-tainment, and refreshments, such as hot dogs, beefburgers, tea, coffee and some warmth of course. It all begins at 5pm and finishes at 9pm. Go along and support your local traders while enjoying the entertainment and friendly Christmas atmosphere.

SPEAKING of the festive season, I’m glad to report that Ken and Ann Graham have once again pushed the boat out to decorate their house in Fairshaw Crescent in spectacular fashion. They are inviting donations to the Great North Air Ambulance, and are hoping to top last year’s total of over £200. It is certainly well worth a look.

AFTER the Arctic weather of the last few days, all of us would welcome a little bit of warmth, and that is what is being offered at next week’s meeting of the Border Natural History Society. Ecologist and society chairman Bill Burlton will be talking about the Kalahari Desert in a talk appropriately called Feel the heat. All meetings are on Wednesday, 7.30pm in Bellingham Middle School. Non-members are welcome. For further information, contact Kelly Hollings on (01434) 220807.

NOT many people had a good word for the local bus service on Tuesday morning, when the 8am bus failed to arrive. The schoolchildren were happy enough with an extra day off school, but those people working in Hexham were seriously dischuffed. One stranded would-be passenger said: “I know it had been snowing a bit, but it was hardly a blizzard.
“The old bus drivers never used to leave people standing at the roadside like this.
“It may be the new drivers have never seen snow before!”

First published at 13:11, Thursday, 04 December 2008
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk