Upper North Tyne

Sarah Hallberg

TARSET Village Hall sees the long-awaited and very welcome return of First Thursday Films on Thursday September 2 2021, with a showing of the much-loved classic 1988 fantasy comedy ‘Big’. Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) is a young boy who finds a vintage fortune-telling machine and makes a wish to be ‘big’ so he can impress the girl he has a huge crush on.  When he wakes up the following morning, he finds that his wish has miraculously been granted and he now has an adult body.  The only trouble is that inside, he’s still the same 12 year-old boy and perhaps predictably, chaos ensues.  For further info, contact John Holland via tarsetvh@gmail.com

WORK on the new steps to St Cuthbert’s (Cuddy’s) Well, Bellingham, has now been completed, and the improved access between St Cuthbert’s Church and the well now forms the final stage of the St Cuthbert’s Three-Church Trail.  New signs and information boards have also been installed at the well and in the churchyard, giving more information about the history of the church and of Cuddy’s Well itself.  There will be an official opening and blessing on Sunday October 3 2021 at 3pm and the service will be followed by refreshments.  Everyone is welcome to come along and help celebrate but it would be very helpful for the volunteers to know in advance how much food they will need to prepare, so if you would like to be there, please RSVP by September 27 to Cath Brennand at cath.brennand@gmail.com

Bellingham

Birtley Nail

THE inaugural Bellingham Indoor Market on Saturday proved a runaway success, with well over 400 visitors coming through the doors of the town hall to see what was on offer.
Many traders immediately rebooked for the next market on September 18, and there is a waiting list of sellers anxious to be part of the action.
It is hoped to increase the number of stalls for the next event by expanding onto the stage, Chairman of Bellingham Parish Council Coun Martin Dickson-Green, one of the driving forces behind the event, said: “We had a fantastic morning with a great atmosphere and some good banter between the traders and the shoppers which is what we wanted.
“We had a lot of people come up to us to say how great it was and how much they appreciated the parish council  starting a new initiative like this.
“All the traders said they did well. Almost all have asked to come back next month and the ones who can’t have asked for the months after.”
“We are looking to keep our core stalls such as the artisan bread and cheese sellers as a regular fixture but may rotate some of the others to keep things fresh and interesting - there’s always something new to see each month.
“We are being careful with the curating as we don’t want duplicate stalls as that reduces choice for the customers and increases competition for the traders.”

BELLINGHAM Town Hall celebrates its 160th anniversary next year, but the pandemic has affected bookings and fund raising efforts substantially over the past 18 months.
The town hall committee is therefore hoping that as many people as possible will become Friends of the Town Hall over the next year to help put finances back on a more even keel.
Watch out for the flier coming through your door giving details of how to become a friend, when a £12 donation puts you in with a chance of winning up to £50 per month.
Planned fund raising events are a prize bingo on October 27 and a Christmas fair on December 8.

Humshaugh

Herbie Newell

BELATED congratulations to Susan and Maurice Gilmour who recently celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary.  The photograph in the Hexham Courant was fantastic and despite the intervening 60 years they don’t look a day older!

RAFFLE tickets for the Humshaugh Harvest Show on Saturday 11 September are selling well in the Village Shop.  Also available in the Shop and Crown Inn are Show Guides with full details of all the competitions. For adult competitions the prizes include afternoon tea for two at Walwick Hall, Sunday lunch for two at the Crown Inn and a £30 voucher for the Riverside Café.  Children’s competitions prizes are a 2-night Dark Sky Glamping trip, a Stony Pastures Alpaca Picnic Experience, and vouchers for Falconry Days, Molly Moos Ice Cream Parlour and the Forum Cinema, Hexham. Very many thanks to all the local businesses who are supporting the Harvest Show so generously. In addition to the local businesses and producers’ market at the Show, there will be a stall displaying business cards, posters and flyers.  Drop these off at the Village Shop to promote your business.

WEEKLY Sunday Deanery Zoom services have now finished as St Peter’s Church moves towards some normality, although there will continue to be a Deanery Zoom service on the fourth Sunday of each month. Very many thanks to everyone, especially Chris Harding and Diana Linnett, who have worked very hard employing their technical skills to keep our Church community connected and worshipping together during the pandemic.

Chollerton

Hugh Denholm

LATE summer tea in Barrasford - Saturday September 4 at 3pm-5pm homemade Teas in the garden of the Manor House, Barrasford courtesy of Matthew and Charlotte Hird to raise funds for Chollerton and Gunnerton Churches, which will be undergoing important restoration work later in late September. There will be a produce stall with cakes, scones, bread and preserves. Please come and join us for this great opportunity to enjoy the company of friends and neighbours.

GUNNERTON Railway Circle is to hold an inaugural meeting at Gunnerton Church on Tuesday September 7 at 7.30 pm when a decision will be made as to the future meetings. The usual refreshments will not be available at this meeting. The usual Covid precautions are discretionary.

CHOLLERTON WI will hold its first full meeting in the Village Hall Barrasford on Wednesday September 1 at 7.30pm when we will have some fun painting mugs with Sally Danys. Please come and join us, we will observe social distancing but please wear a mask if you feel more comfortable.

Redesdale

Emma Anderson

A CAKE stall in aid of St. John’s, Otterburn, is being held on Wednesday, September 8, at the gates of Otterburn Vicarage. The stall coincides with the collection in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service, taking place at Otterburn Memorial Hall on the same day. If you can bake for the stall, please contact Rosemary Haynes, Church Warden, on (01830) 520576. Alternatively, please take along your baking on the day. The stall will open at 10am and close when all the home baking is sold, possibly by midday.

THE retirement of Edna Tone, who has organised the collections in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service in Redesdale and the North Tyne since October 2005, creates a vacancy for an organiser in Otterburn. Jean Swales has agreed to take overall responsibility for managing the twice-a-year collections. If you are interested in taking on the voluntary role of organising the Otterburn collection, please contact Edna Tone as soon as possible on (01830) 520156. Otterburn Memorial Hall is open between 10am and 12.30pm on the collection days.