Here's the latest of what's going on in your community.

Wylam
Robin Piette

Sunday, October 3, from 12-5pm Wylam Makers Market at Wylam Institute. Artisan food trader Wilde Farm, The Six Nine Orchard and Northumbria preserves, Cheviot Spirits Company with their four types of Gin and four rums, The Travelling Spoon with their brownies and sweet treats, and B’s Bees will also be joining us with locally sourced small batch honey and beeswax products.

Sounds good – an Autumn Fireside Sing in Wylam on Saturday, October 9, 2-4pm, including hot drink and roasting marshmallows .. link to buy tickets at eventbrite.co.uk.

Warning of road closure of Stephenson Terrace from October 25 to November 5. Details of the disruption can be viewed here https://one.network/?tm=123483231. You can call 0345 600 6400 for further information.

Riding Mill
Carol Craig-Gilby

Welcome to the last week in September—isn’t time moving fast? And already we can see leaves turning as the new season arrives — quick update the Morning Coffee is now housed at the Supper Room in the Parish hall with its own entrance Mondays and Fridays but no coffee morning on Oct 4.

Craft Fair is Nov 13 (there was an oops on the info in last week’s column!) - and remember we are still looking for a jewellery stall holder and bath bomb soap etc stall holder. Jumble can be dropped off on October 8 not Oct 1 in the Parish Hall ready for volunteers to sort onto stalls that day –so please drop off before 5pm on October 8.

The Rev Diana Johnson wished to share a snippet with you all from an article in the Guardian newspaper - she has just embarked on her third career in her sixth decade. She has moved to a different part of the country and become a priest with her own parish. The “thread” that brought her to this point runs right back to her teens and in Johnson’s mind, it blazes scarlet or purple, garish and unflinching. “Whatever bright colour you can think of. That’s my faith,” she says, speaking from St James, an Anglican parish in Northumberland. It is only recently that she has also come to see a second thread running through her life – her gender. For more than five decades, she worked hard to be the best man she possibly could. The consciousness and the questioning must have grown because eventually, after 22 years of service and with the rank of lieutenant colonel, Johnson felt herself “drawn out” of the army and into theological college – as if someone or something were pulling on that thread. Her wife, Penny, who also served in the army, was in remission from cancer, but the illness “galloped up” and she died two years later, leaving Johnson and their three daughters, then aged 17, nine and seven. Unlike her faith, her gender dysphoria had been harder to spot, and had somehow wound itself through her years unnoticed. She never discussed these feelings with Penny: “To my shame, I didn’t know what was going on” – and did not begin to “investigate” this aspect of herself until 2010. She realised she could not pursue her vocation before she was “settled and centred”, and so began the process of transitioning. “As I like to think of it, I’m still the same soul, but how the world receives me is different,” she says. The result is something more than peace: a challenge. As Diana settles in with her new congregation in St James’ Riding Mill Northumberland, Johnson says: “My adventure is about to start. And I dare say, so is theirs.”

The harvest service is on Sunday, October 3, at 10am. To be held in the new Quiet Space in the new churchyard (weather permitting), led by Rev Diana Johnson and Rev Marie Beard. Donations of dried and tinned goods for charity will be gratefully received. All are welcome. A “Bring Your Own Picnic” lunch will follow in the parish hall. Tea and coffee will be provided.

Pam Down of The Northumbria Healers reopened the Healing Centre on September 25.

Prudhoe
Ian Warburton

Join Prudhoe and Stocksfield Churches Holiday Club for three days of fabulous free fun in October half-term week, from Wednesday, October 27, to Friday, October 29. Sessions are from 10am to 12.30pm at Prudhoe Methodist Church for children aged five to 11 (years 1-6). There’s also a Pre-School Drop In for those in reception and younger at Prudhoe Parish Church Hall and there will be activities and free refreshments for grown-ups, too. There will be a family fish and chip supper on the final evening, details to follow. Bookings are now open, so register online at tinyurl.com/Prudhoe StocksfieldHolidayClub or click Book Now on the Facebook page.

Many congratulations to Ginevra Espresso Bar, Front St, for raising the sum of £793.06 at its Macmillan Coffee Morning last Friday in memory of the late George McCreedy.

Stocksfield
Ian Warburton

Stocksfield Methodist Church is holding its Harvest Festival, led by Rev Jenny Porterpryde, at 10.30am on Sunday, October 3. Church will be open from 2pm on Friday, October 1 to receive your contributions for the service - flowers and non-perishable food (or monetary donations for the purchase of) for West Northumberland Food Bank.
The next meeting of Stocksfield Parish Council will be held in the Community Centre on Tuesday, October 5, commencing at 7.30pm.

Join Prudhoe and Stocksfield Churches Holiday Club for three days of fabulous free fun in October half-term week. Please see full details in the Prudhoe Village Notes.

Ovingham and Ovington
Malcolm Cairns

The members of Ovingham Community Orchard would like to express their thanks to everyone who helped make their “Apple Celebration Day” so successful. After three years of hard work they reaped the rewards of their labours on a day blessed with fine weather.V isitors were kept busy with an apple based quiz, apple tasting and the children made “bug hotels”. The group raised £90 from the sale of jams, preserves, cakes and of course freshly pressed apple juice.

The Ovington Macmillan Coffee morning held in the social club last Saturday proved to be very popular, especially the tasty ploughman’s lunch. Thanks to all the organisers and to those who gave so generously in raising £650 for the charity.

A great crowd of people descended on the Reading Room to show their support for the Macmillan Coffee Morning held in Ovingham last Thursday. The sale of cakes, preserves, books, cards and of course the bacon butties helped to raise £860. Thanks go to all who helped and attended.

Lastly a reminder of an invitation to join in the Prudhoe Health Walk at the Riverside park on October 7 at 10.30am. The walk will start and end at the park, come along and enjoy our countrysides healthy attributes.

Heddon-on-the-Wall
John Stewart

Heddon Methodist Church will be hosting its Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 3, at 10.30am. Volunteers will be at the Chapel from 11.30am on Saturday, October 2, to receive any harvest gifts that you may have and if you have any spare time it would be very grateful if you are available to decorate the chapel during this time. All donations and help are always greatly appreciated. Donations to the harvest festival will be given to the People’s Kitchen.

Heddon Stitchers group would welcome any new members who enjoy sewing, knitting, crochet, embroidery, patchwork etc. They are a friendly, informal group meeting from 1-3pm in Heddon Knott Memorial Hall every Monday. For more information, please contact 01661 853798.

All the best to those Heddon students who returned to university this week after 18 months of social isolation and disrupted education and good luck to all those students who are tasting university life for the first time. I’m sure you will have very memorable enjoyment days ahead furthering your education.

Still here and painting is the message from Heddon Art Group as they will be holding their annual art exhibition on Saturday, October 9 in Heddon Women’s Institute from 11am til 3pm. A wide range of original artwork will be on display of which some will be available for purchase. Due to Covid 19 this year’s exhibition will be different as unfortunately there will be no voting or refreshments and a one way system will be in place. But don’t let that put you off viewing our talented residents’ work.

There is nothing scary when it comes to the brilliant pitch performances from the youngsters of Heddon United Juniors Football Club, however at the end of October things maybe a bit terrifying and ghostly when they host a Halloween spooktacular party in the village. There will be prizes for the best dressed and the event will include music and games for the youngsters. I’m sure this popular event will be full of spirit, enjoyment, smiles, laughters and screams. Thank you to all the organisers for putting on this great event and look forward to seeing all ghoulish costumes.

Horsley
Maurice Holliday

Horsley Parish Council met last week in the WI hall. Items up for discussion included planning applications, works traffic through the village, climate change, footpath report and tree planting.

Unfortunately the first meeting of Horsley WI this year had to be cancelled at short notice. The speaker was unable to attend.

Some 685 westbound buses have refused to stop at the Lion and Lamb as there is no post displaying the stop despite markings on the road surface. The original post was damaged and removed some time ago but never replaced. Anyone who has been affected is advised to make a complaint to the bus company.

All external paintwork at the Hearth arts centre is now finished. The centre and cafe are operating as normal.

The charity bin for shoes and clothes has been removed from the Lion and Lamb car park. However there is still a small charity bin belonging to the British Heart Foundation behind the WI hall.

There will be a coffee morning between 10am and 11.30 am in the WI hall on Saturday October 2. Proceeds are to be given to Macmillan cancer care and support.

Peter Youngman who has lived in Horsley for over 50 years has sadly passed away. He and his wife Nancy were great supporters of the village hall and did much to generate and support community activities in the village.