What's happening in your area?

Chollerton

Hugh Denholm

I am sure that we are all p[eased that spring has arrived at last, bringing light evenings, new lambs, birdsong and spring flowers. Everyone will have noticed that for a third year we have a wonderful display of daffodils as one approaches both Barrasford and Gunnerton.

After what has been a very trying year for everyone, there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel. As a community we have supported one another very well and we are extremely grateful for the service that our village store has given as well as other local suppliers.

Whilst church services have been extremely limited over the past year, it has been possible for communities across the North Tyne to join in Zoom services every week. If anyone feels that they would like to join a Zoom service, please contact Revd Sarah Lunn. Sarah and other members of the clergy are looking to offer Covid secure services after Easter.

In the coming weeks and months construction work will be taking place at both Chollerton and Gunnerton Churches. At Chollerton work is to be carried out to the roof, gutters and surface water drainage systems, as well as to parts of the stonework. This will make the building more weathertight and enable internal redecoration to take place. At Gunnerton, external repointing will be undertaken and some replastering internally where there has been water damage. All this has been made possible through the Church’s reserves, recent grants and The Friends of Chollerton Churches.

Gunnerton in particular is a community hub and it is hoped that later this year groups such as the WI, Lunch Club and the Railway Group will be able to resume their regular meetings.

Matfen

Jean Conteh

More news about cricket in Matfen – subs for this year are being held at the same rate as last year, to try to encourage more people to join. There'll be regular training evenings for seniors on Thursday evenings from 6 pm, beginning on April 8th, open to anyone who wishes to come. Sessions for juniors may be stating up as time goes on. The ground is looking in great shape, and Matfen Hall Cricket Club is very keen to hear from anyone thinking of joining. Find out more from the club's Facebook page. There's also going to be women's softball cricket on Friday evenings, starting sometime in May. No cricket experience is required, and it's open to women and girls from 11 upwards – there's already been a lot of interest (or maybe that's just for the sociable glass of something afterwards!).

And bookings are coming in for the village hall, as it opens on April 12th to host activities in line with covid regulations. Susan will be running her first hairdressing session since December on the 12th, and later on in the week on Friday, Andrew and Harry will be holding their first face-to-face Karate class, for under-18s, from 6-7pm.

Ovingham

Malcolm Cairns

It will soon be time to get out there and reclaim our village back from the litter louts. Green Ovingham invite all to join in the first organised litter pick since lockdown began. Starting at 10am, Saturday 10th. April at the White swan car park. Rubbish bags and gloves will be provided. Please come along, get some exercise and a sense of satisfaction, the more the merrier.

Easter services at St. Marys Church are as follows- Good Friday 2pm, outdoors in the Churchyard and on Easter Sunday there will be a live streamed service at 10am. Tom Birch our vicar has had his year's growth of beard removed in a sponsored shave off. The monies raised will be shared between the two churches for building projects. Tom decided to have the shave on his 40th birthday. If you would like to donate its not too late, contact wylamst.oswin@hotmail.co.uk

Last Thursday you may not have believed your eyes when five "mature" Easter bunnies were seen walking around Ovingham with a washing basket full of Easter eggs. Chat Club volunteers, wearing pink and white bunny ears, made a early delivery of a chocolate egg plus a paste egg to all club members. It certainly raised some smiles for folk who have been indoors for such a long time and it was also a great deal of fun for the bunnies. Happy Easter to everyone.

Newbrough

Rob Tindall

It may not be the National Lottery but three local residents are in the money because they invested in the Town Hall 200+ Draw. The March winners are 1st - W Garth, 2nd - M Walton and 3rd - A Matthews.

The Covid lockdown door is opening a crack and village groups are beginning to stir. The committee of Newbrough WI is still meeting online and making plans for the year ahead, the Stanegate Readers have kept going electronically but look forward to face to face discussion. The Parish Produce Committee is the latest group to show signs of life. The Town Hall has been booked for Saturday 11th September. To allow would-be exhibitors to plan their growing, the schedule will be identical to last year’s and I’m sure there will be a few old copies lying around. If you can’t find one contact me (robmtin@aol.com) and I may be able to help.

Newbrough Parish Council has uncovered an awkward conundrum. For years they have been relaying residents’ complaints about rubbish littering the Sidgate play area to the County Council and Karbon Homes. Karbon Homes are willing to host a bin on their property, the play area, but are unwilling to purchase or empty one. Northumberland County Council are not prepared to empty bins that are on private land. Surely a case for heads needing to be banged together! Meanwhile Councillor Orde has offered to move the bin in Sidgate Lane, at his own expense to improve its convenience.

Redesdale

Emma Anderson

THE next collection in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) will be held on Wednesday, 14 April. GNAAS vans will park at collection points between agreed times; no village halls or other buildings will be open. There will be no door-to-door distribution of GNASS collection bags; please use any securely tied plastic bag. Please bag books, CDs, DVDs, old mobile phones and printer cartridges separately. For the first time, you can donate used postage stamps; these, again, should be bagged separately. The collection times at Kirkwhelpington, in upper Redesdale and Corsenside are as follows: Kirkwhelpington: between 10am and 10.45am, Otterburn: between 10am and 1.15pm, Byrness: between 11.30am and 12.15pm, Rochester: between 12.30pm and 1pm and West Woodburn: between Midday and 12.45pm. The GNAAS has suffered a considerable fall in revenue during the lockdown. A generous response to the forthcoming collection would be very much appreciated.

A cake stall to raise funds for St John’s, Otterburn, will be set up at the gates of Otterburn Vicarage between 10.30am and 1pm on Wednesday, 14 April. The stall’s hours of business are concurrent with those for the collection in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service, taking place at Otterburn Memorial Hall on the same day. These two events provide an excellent opportunity to contribute to two worthy causes, delivering your unwanted items to one while returning home with a delicious sweet or savoury treat from the other.

Slaley

Stella Douglas

The April Fool’s Silent Auction is open for bidding today, 1st April 2021: go on to https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/slaleyaprilfoolsdayauction to see more than 130 exciting and amazing ‘Lots’ to be sold in aid of the Commemoration Hall. There is a link to the auction on the Parish website.

The SCH200Club continues to raise money for the Commemoration Hall. Winners receive £83.75 at present: would like to join? Contact Pat to buy a number. Details, as ever, on the Parish website.

In these days of climate change and coronavirus restrictions buying locally has never been so important. To help us do this, the Slaley Business Directory is being updated so that Slaley folk can find out about local services. Would you like a free listing in the 2021 publication? Please contact Pat Wilson who will co-ordinate the publication. There will be some paper copies, but it will also be on-line.

Back to the Commemoration Hall which received a visitor from the county council to see how well the hall could cope with the May elections. It was a boost to the spirits to hear praise for our beautiful (Covid secure) village hall which may well be open from 17 May. If you have used the car parking space at the hall during lockdown, can you now avoid doing so both on 5 and 6 May for the elections and from the 17th when parking will be restricted to hall users only.

Stocksfield

Ian Warburton

Stocksfield Parish Council’s next meeting is at 7.30pm on Monday 12 April. All meetings are currently held remotely and are streamed live on the council’s Facebook page. The agenda is available on the council’s website, its Facebook page and the two notice boards in the village. You don’t need a Facebook account to view the meeting; just click on the Facebook link from the Council’s website -www.stocksfieldpc.org.uk.