Community news round-up from Tynedale

Haltwhistle: Thank you to Ellen Walton, the Haltwhistle Partnership and the team of wonderful volunteers who worked together to provide a delicious Christmas day meal and festive afternoon to a number of local residents. Haltwhistle Partnership is grateful for the financial support provided by local businesses, organisations and individuals which enables them to run several community events. Would you like to come along to a tiger tea party? The coffee morning in the Methodist Church Hall on Saturday, January 4 is raising funds for Fauna & Flora International. The charity works to conserve endangered species, including Sumatran tigers. Come along and find out more while enjoying home baked refreshments. Dementia Support at Haltwhistle wishes all group members a happy new year. The Carers’ Group is taking a break during January and will return in February. All members are invited to come along to the Memory Café in Haltwhistle Hospital Community Room on Thursday, January 9 from 10am to midday. Please come along and share your thoughts and ideas for future meetings. Haltwhistle Jubilee Football Club begin 2020 with a home match against Hexham in the Reeves Independent George Dobbins League Cup on Saturday, January 4. Kick off is at 1.30pm. All supporters are very welcome to come along and cheer on our local team And finally: wishing all of Haltwhistle’s residents, businesses and visitors a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020.

Riding Mill: The festive season has flown by but I hope you have been able to spend quality time with family and friends. There will, however, be many people delighted to return to normality who will welcome the Station Coffee House back to its regular hours as from today, Thursday, January 2. Our schools and community buildings will be open again as from next week and I have two dates for your brand new 2020 diary. The Village Hall Trust committee has organised another of its popular film nights in the parish hall on Friday, January 10 – 7pm for a 7.30pm start - so look out this week for the film details and try to guess the themed refreshments which will be available on the night. Tickets are also now on sale for the Burns Night ceilidh to be held in the parish hall on Saturday, January 25. Funds are being raised for St James’s Church by holding this event and tickets will be on sale in the Café @ The Foyer or from members of the St James’s fund-raising committee. News of village activities is noted in this column but also in greater detail in the January edition of Parish News, and monthly thereafter. If you are new to Riding Mill and would like to subscribe, please let me know. If you have information you wish to share or a story to tell, please contact me via email pampryor@btinternet.com or telephone (01434) 682927.

Bellingham: Very sad to record the death this week of much-loved, retired Bellingham GP Dr Iain Mungall after a short illness. As well as being a highly respected and popular doctor at local level, Iain was also an authority on the problems facing rural GPs nationally. He was very much involved in North Tyne life, as a prominent member of the North Tyne and Redewater Choral Society, charity group the North Tyne and Redewater Twisty Roads Preservation Society, Bellingham and District Dramatic Society and as a former chairman of governors at Bellingham Middle School. He was also a founder member of Kielder Water Sailing Club. The golf club bingo was yet again a huge success making a total of £1,036.90. The organisers wish to thank everyone for their support either by donating prizes, buying raffle tickets or being there on the night. Saturday sees the reopening of the Fountain Cottage tearooms as a cafe and bed and breakfast, following a £400,000 refit.

Acomb: Whether you prefer The Beatles, Bonny at Morn or Blue Moon, there’s bound to be some songs for you on Tuesdays at Acomb Village Hall. Let’s Sing Again group is back on January 7 with refreshments at 10.15am followed by singing favourite songs at 10.45am with Julie round the piano. You are welcome to join this popular group. If needed, contact Julie on (01434) 607490 or musicalmemories17@gmail.com.

Corbridge: There was a large turn out for the traditional Tynedale Hunt Meet in Corbridge Market Place. Although cloudy and cold, it was an event worth seeing. However, most agreed there was no need for any political broadcasts at what was a community event. The parish hall reopens for business on Saturday, January 4 and the Tynedale Scottish Country Dance Group meets at 7.30pm. Visitors and new dancers are always welcome. For further information, please contact Ros on (01434) 604639 or Penny on 07970 188 739. The Corbridge Lunch Clubs return next week on Monday and Thursday between 11am and 1pm. Northern Gas Networks begin work on Front Street on January 6 to lay a new gas main. The work is expected to take five weeks which will disrupt residents parking on Front Street, which will be closed while the work is going on. I understand that some permit parking will take place in the Market Place. Carpet bowls are back after the holiday break on Tuesdays with two sessions at 2pm until 4pm, and 7pm until 9pm. There is a special Corbridge Chamber Music Festival to be held in St Andrew’s Church on Saturday, January 11. Tickets are available from the Queens Hall Hexham booking office at boxoffice@queenshall.co.uk or on (01434) 652477. A date for your diary: there is a drop-in session about the future of libraries in Northumberland including Corbridge on Friday, January 17 at Corbridge Library between 2pm and 4pm. There are also forms that you can fill in online on Northumberland County Council’s website. There are also paper copies at Corbridge Library during opening hours.

Redesdale: Jim Brown and the committee of Kirkwhelpington Memorial Hall wish to thank all those who attended the whist drive at the hall on Tuesday, December 17. It was a successful and enjoyable evening which raised £452 for the hall. More than 20 retired Otterburn residents enjoyed a scrumptious Christmas tea at the Rede, Tyne and Coquet Sports Centre on Sunday, December 22. The tea, prepared and served by Yvonne McConnell, provided a seasonal opportunity for the tea goers to catch up with friends and neighbours and enjoy a complimentary raffle.

Humshaugh: January brings the return of regular village activities. Very many thanks to volunteers who kept our community shop open over the festive period, even on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The bi-monthly parish council meeting is on Thursday, January 9 in the village hall at 7pm. The agenda and papers will be available on the parish website (www.humshaughparish.org.uk/). Film Nights resume on Friday, January 17 with Wes Anderson’s animated comedy, Isle of Dogs, (PG13). Tickets from the shop (£5 adults/£2.50 under 18s). Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start, and in addition to the bar and nibbles, there will be interval desserts (£2). The Crown Inn pub quiz returns on Tuesday, January 21 at 8pm and is in aid of the Crown Inn Leek Club. For those unlucky not to own one already, the 2020 Humshaugh calendar is still available in the village shop and is remarkable value at £5. Many residents were out enjoying local walks over Christmas, a popular circular route being along the lane to Haughton and Keepershield Farm, then back to the village over Haughton Pastures and either Burn Lane or the War Memorial Permissive Path. However, the section from the main Wark road on to Haughton Pastures at Keepershield can be challenging due to livestock. Following posting of statutory notices, the footpath is being rerouted to avoid the main road and difficult section, and work is due to be completed in 2020. The service at St Peter’s this Sunday, January 5 is Holy Communion at 9.30am.

Prudhoe: Northumberland County Council’s library service has launched a public consultation with residents to help decide the future of services. This has already started and will run until March 20. Drop-in sessions will be held at each library and this will include one being hosted at Prudhoe Library, the Spetchells, on Friday, January 31 from 9am to 1pm. You can also take part in an online survey by going on to www.prudhoetowncouncil.gov.uk and following the links to the survey or by collecting a paper survey form from any Northumberland library. If you are aged between 16 and 18, not in full time education or employment, and want to start 2020 with a new challenge, then why not enrol on a 12-week Prince’s Trust programme, operating from Prudhoe East from Monday, January 13 onwards? Those completing the programme will receive a nationally recognised qualification and a cash bonus of up to £200, as well as travelling expenses. See the website www.princes-trust.org.uk, contact Vicki on 07544 637 950 or see the Facebook page. I would like to wish all readers a very happy new year and I look forward to sharing plenty more information as 2020 progresses.

Slaley: Northumberland Theatre Company presents The Snow Queen. Starting at 4pm on Friday, January 3 in the commemoration hall, it’s a lovely treat for families. Call (01434) 673388 or (02434) 673173 for details. Badminton starts again on January 8, whilst whist in the commemoration hall resumes on January 9, providing a jolly evening for dark nights. Ladycross Nature Reserve has a January winter guided walk on January 12. Starting at the quarry gates at 1pm, this is a circular walk of about one mile and, because it includes filling bird-feeding stations, no dogs please. After many years of sterling service, Ann and David Wright have decided to hand over the keys and booking arrangements for the commemoration call. For information about booking the commemoration call, go to the parish website and look at the village hall pages where there are details. Email stellacdouglas@gmail.com or call (01434) 673001. The commemoration call has been awarded Hallmark 2, one of only seven halls to achieve this of the 64 in Northumberland. If you would like to see what is happening and speak to the hall managers, there is an open day January 26 from midday until 4.30pm. There will be activities and refreshments throughout the afternoon. Watch these pages or visit the parish website for more details. A gentle reminder from the parish council that cars parked on pavements in the village make it difficult for those with mobility problems and pushchairs to use the pavements safely. Parish councillors ask you to be thoughtful when parking.