The latest from your town or village.

Stocksfield

Ian Warburton

Stocksfield Retired Men’s Association will meet on Zoom on Thursday 15 April, commencing at 11am. Peter Jackson, Chairman of the Nenthead Mines Conservation Society and an expert in his field, will be talking about Mining in the North Pennines. Nenthead Mines is a fascinating and historic place at Nenthead, near Alston. This remote valley is covered by remains from the lead and zinc mining industry of the North Pennines, including mine entrances, watercourses, dressing-floors and buildings. The site is famous for its geology and is notable for rare lichens and plants growing on the metal-rich mine dumps. Most of the valley is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. If you would like to join this event, please send a message to the Stocksfield Retired Men’s Association Facebook page and they will send you the Zoom link.

Stocksfield Community Association’s Trading Arm, SCATA, plans to launch a ‘Dial-a Ride’ transport service. Those benefitting from this on-demand, door to door service would mainly be older residents, people with limited mobility, anyone without access to a vehicle and those living in areas of the parish not served by public transport. They are seeking to confirm if there would be sufficient demand for the service to make it financially viable. There would be a charge of £4 return for local journeys i.e. around the Parish of Stocksfield and Mickley and an annual membership fee of £12. If you would be interested in using this service please phone Norman Hooks on 01661 844863 or e-mail njchooks21@talktalk.net.

Prudhoe

Ian Warburton

Prudhoe U3A is holding a social afternoon on Zoom on Tuesday 13 April, commencing at 2pm. Full details of how to join this event can be found on www.u3a4prudhoe.co.uk.

Prudhoe Town Council will be holding its next Planning, Contract and Works Committee meeting on Zoom on Wednesday 14 April, commencing at 7pm. More information will appear on the Town Council’s website and Facebook page nearer the time.

Stocksfield Retired Men’s Association will meet on Zoom on Thursday 15 April, commencing at 11am. Peter Jackson, Chairman of the Nenthead Mines Conservation Society and an expert in his field, will be talking about Mining in the North Pennines. Full details can be found in this week’s Stocksfield Village Notes. Prudhoe residents will be welcome to attend.

Newbrough

Rob Tindall

It was great to be able to physically attend church on Easter Sunday and next week promises the ability to go out for a drink or a meal. Out is the operative word at the Boatside which will be using its outdoor seating and the tepee. Whilst booking of slots for the tepee is mandatory at weekends, the outdoor tables are available on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. To avoid disappointment, it would be best checking with the Boatside in advance.

Before the Easter break the school had sponsored sports as a fundraiser for aid to Yemen. Principal organisers were Caitlyn, Olivia and Rowan and when all the money is in, it appears that the final total will be over £350. Pupils did sums calculating that their efforts will feed a Yemini child for more than thirty weeks. It is good to hear that such a small, rural school has such an appreciation of the difficulties facing children in the wider world.

One creature which unfortunately didn’t have a keen appreciation of the wider world was the young badger which came to grief on the road leading to Frankham. How it died we don’t know but except for a graze on its snout it didn’t appear to have major injuries.

We moan about the weather; thin short-sleeved shirts one day and then freezing winds and the promise of snow the next. How boring it must be to live in a predictable climate but should we plant the potatoes?

Redesdale

Emma Anderson

Otterburn Parish Council has arranged a litter picking event this Saturday, 10 April, and seeks volunteers to help. If you have time spare, please meet at PC Bobby Carroll’s seat, adjacent to the public toilets, at 10am. If you have equipment such as gloves or a litter picker, please take them along. Rubbish bags and some equipment will be available on the day. Depending on the number of helpers, attention will be focussed on litter hot-spots in the village. Volunteers will be socially distanced at all times. To volunteer or for further information, please contact Martin Chilvers, Otterburn Parish Clerk, on (01830) 520535 or by email at otterburnpc@hotmail.co.uk.

Hexhamshire

Ruth Marlee

A lovely message from our vicar Andrew Patterson – “It is a great joy to be able to bring a smile to the face of someone in hospital so I want to thank the children who entrusted me with their paintings. Beautiful cards from children at Whitley Chapel CofE First School, each one unique, with lovely messages and Easter greetings, have been given to patients in the hospitals at Hexham and Haltwhistle, and given great pleasure. The offices and workstations have been brightened up with rainbows and Easter paintings from St. Mary’s R.C. School in Hexham and Hexham Priory School. Thank you all!”

The AGM of St Helens Whitley Chapel Parochial Parish Council was held by zoom on 31 March. The annual accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020 were presented and thanks was given to the people who have supported St Helens both financially and with their time and skills. Whilst the number of planned givers has increased slightly during the year, St Helens still has a relatively low number of people giving through planned giving. If you would like to support St Helens and give through planned giving, please contact Claire Bradley on 601387 or claire_bradley@mac.com.

The parish council has reported that damage in Slaley Forest caused by illegal activity has reached crisis point. As always, please continue to report any illegal activity; vehicles driving other than on a byway, unregistered vehicles on a byway, on a restricted byway or any threatening behaviour or other incident arising from an encounter with a vehicle in the area. This can be done via 101 or 999 if the incident is ongoing.

Bardon Mill

Bob & Mike Ducker

The Easter weekend began as a scorcher, and it was lovely seeing a more diverse range of faces enjoying the quoits green. Respect to the Bootcamp participants who also passed through. Much appreciation has been shown for the Easter gifts left out both there, and hidden by others at various places. Both the Co-op and the Bardon Mill WI were in action gift-giving and I’m sure others were too.

Henshaw church has reopened for Eucharist at 9.30am, and this Sunday is Benjamin’s last Sunday as our vicar. Please let the churchwardens know in advance if you are attending.

Noreen Harding has reported the first swallows seen on 31 March at West End Town, Thorngrafton (and also early Black face triplets on the 1 April).

Congratulations to the Vindolanda Trust as they were awarded a grant in the second round of the Arts Council Culture Recovery Fund. Vindolanda relaunched its active dig and prebooked visits in time for Easter, & are serving a limited range of refreshments. Housesteads is also partially open, although the indoor museums must both wait till 17th May.

From 12 April food and drink will once more be served from Twice Brewed, the Bowes (though not yet announced) and other hostelries for outdoor table service or takeaway. Haltwhistle Pool also reopens on the 12th and is taking bookings on 01434 320727. Overnight stays become possible from 17 May and the Twicey restarts its stargazing events from 20th May (book tickets online).

If you are a community organisation that might do with some funding, a reminder to make sure you’re signed up with the Co-op’s communities platform at https://co-operate.coop.co.uk/

Horsley

Maurice Holliday

Another village lockdown raffle draw took place this month. All the winners have received their prizes. Many thanks to the families who donated the wine, chocolates and cake. Although the monthly raffle has helped cheer people up during difficult times as well as showing the generosity of local people let us hope we don’t have to endure another lockdown.

Some potholes have been filled in on Oatens Bank and on the main road through Horsley village. However the roads around the village remain a patchwork of filled and unfilled potholes adding to noise pollution in the village. The main road in the village which is a main thoroughfare and bus route needs resurfacing. NCC have swept some of the pavements however much of the gravel from broken road surfaces remain on paths and in gutters providing an added hazard for walkers.

The Easter egg hunt around the village and Horsley Wood Cottages was very popular. Once again many thanks to Mathew Roe who organised the event and to the many families who donated Easter eggs.

The Hearth cafe reopens on Tuesday 13 April at 9.30am. Apart from takeaways you can now book a table in the garden by ringing 01661 853563.

Craft supplies from Hearth artists, trustees and the village church are being donated to the Miners Lamp cafe in Prudhoe and the West Northumberland food bank. Many thanks to Mel Hopwood for coordinating this effort.

Horsley village church members are continually looking for ways to support the parish. The church noticeboard changes regularly with cheerful messages. Craft supplies for local children are free and can be found in the plastic tub in the Hearth cafe garden.

If you have missed any of the Hearth virtual festival you are able to catch up on your computer using YouTube and Google. There is an amazing choice of activities to suit all ages. Check out the Hearth website for details.

Bellingham

Birtley Nail

A sunny if occasionally chilly Easter weekend brought a large complement of tourists to Bellingham for the first bank holidays of the year - and the first since the partial easing of lockdown. After problems during the summer with littering and indiscriminate parking, police no parking cones were out on the road to Hareshaw Linn, and signs were erected on the barriers outside the shops restricting parking there to an hour.

For the first time in a quarter of a century, the name of David Allen was missing a from the list of candidates for a seat on Bellingham Parish Council when nominations closed on Wednesday. Coun. Allen announced at the March meeting of the council he would not be seeking re-election, after 25 years as a councillor, the last four years as chairman. Coun Allen has always been a key figure in the council’s work during his time on the council, being very much a hands-on councillor. He is the main organiser of the village’s Christmas lights display, not only selecting and erecting the town hall tree, but also sourcing and installing festive lights all over the village, which last year attracted much praise from across the county. All nine seats on the council will be up for grabs when the village goes to the polls on May 6.

Well done to the small army of volunteers who risked severe pebble dash rash by turning out to help paint the exterior of the middle school on Good Friday, using paint and equipment donated by the Newcastle Crown Decorating Centre. The school buildings haven’t looked so bright for decades, so a special pat on the back for Julie Mobberley of the school’s parent, teacher and community association, who organised it all. High fives too to Michael Hudson of Fountain Cottage Cafe, who not only laid on free tea and coffee for volunteers, but also braved the flying pebble dash for a stint with the brushes himself.

Heddon

John Stewart

It is with great delight to announce that the new benches have arrived at Heddon United Football Club ground Victrix Park as the football activity has resumed. The club committee would like to say a huge thank you to everyone including residents of Heddon who contributed to the formation of the benches which truly are remarkable.

Despite the growing success on the field at Victrix Park since the creation of the club which has developed and strengthened many youngsters skills, they have also been active off the field by continuing their growing strong connection with Heddon Primary School. It was with great joy and delight that with the club who are proud partners of the primary school in the village were able to deliver every child in school an Easter craft and it is hoped that every child was able to enjoy and showcase their talented art and craft work.

As we lead into the next stages of the reduction of restrictions and with some local businesses in the village set to reopen while continuing to follow government guidelines, I am wishing each and every one of them all the very best in reopening and I would encourage residents to continue to support our local businesses in working together and being patient to ensure that businesses can reopen safely and ensure that social distancing is adhered to.

I would also like to take this opportunity in welcoming the new owners of The Dell to Heddon. I’m sure you will all give them a warmly Heddon welcome and continue to support the business and provide them with the confidence that they can continue the growing success that The Dell has already given over the years.