Northumberland communities - Alnwick

Ingram wins environmental scheme award

2009-11-06T09:02:07Z

It doesn't boast a pub, post office or shop, but a tiny village nestling in Northumberland's Breamish Valley has much to crow about as it's about to become one of Britain's greenest.

Ingram was awarded up to £140,000 for green energy projects having come out on top in a regional competition.

Ingram villagers, from left, Conrad and Joyce Clayton, James Shell and Ross Wilson

It is to receive the money from the British Gas Green Streets energy fund, having beat off competition from two other projects in the North East in a Dragons' Den-style competition.

Villagers pitched their projects before a panel of judges which included The Journal editor Brian Aitken.

They beat a team from Elsdon, also in Northumberland, and North Esk, near Whitby, to become one of 14 projects nationwide out of almost 100 to have applied to share £2m through the fund.

A team from Ingram, led by its village hall committee, put forward plans which include installing solar photovoltaic panels on the hall.

The building has long been in need of repair but its committee did not have the money.

The team also identified 20 homes in the parish which could be suitable for energy-saving measures, either wall fixed wind turbines, solar panels, roof insulation or cavity wall insulation.

Kate Whitehead, a resident of Ingram and one of the team of presenters of the project, said: "We are delighted to have won this award.

"It is recognition of a focused community effort by the residents of Ingram.

"We were close knit community before; this brings us even closer together.

"The project is not just about a building, it's about creating awareness across the community, about educating people about their carbon footprint and creating opportunities for the future."

Dean Keeling, marketing director at British Gas who sat on the judging panel, said: "The level of support within this community is outstanding. I was very impressed with the huge participation from across the village."

The selection panel was made up of experts from the Centre for Alternative Technology, British Gas and the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) as well as Mr Aitken.

Next year, the 14 projects from across the country will go head-to-head in a number of green challenges.

Their progress will be monitored for a year by the ippr and the project crowned Britain's greenest community stands to win a further £100,000 in funding from British Gas.

County Council backs RAF Boulmer

2009-11-06T08:59:16Z

A North air base which could lose a lifesaving service has received the backing of a council.

RAF Boulmer, near Alnwick, in Northumberland, is home to search and rescue Sea King helicopters often used to help civilians in emergencies.

But the future of the craft has been in doubt due to plans to harmonise the nation's search and rescue cover, which could see the base's helicopters relocated and an agency like the coastguard made responsible for coming to people's aid.

The Ministry of Defence recently said it planned to scrap the base's night time cover due to shortage of crews although it this week went back on that proposal. Prior to that U-turn, a motion was put to Northumberland County Council asking it to show its support for the base and the service it plays.

At a full meeting of the council at Morpeth's County Hall, members voted in support of the paper. They were also assured that the authority will lobby the Government to make sure services at Boulmer are not reduced. Coun Glen Sanderson, who had tabled the motion, described the Government's change of heart this week as ambiguous.

He said there has not been a clear statement about the future of the search and rescue service.

Coun Sanderson called on the council to register its concerns and to call for service and safety levels to be retained.

He said: "We have many things to be proud of about living in Northumberland. One of the things we can be proud of is RAF Boulmer."

Coun Gordon Castle added: "We do have to make sure that the MoD is aware of our concern, that they do not degrade the service any more than they have."

The council agreed to recognise in its motion the efforts of Berwick Liberal Democrat MP Sir Alan Beith to guarantee continued presence of helicopters at the base. A council scrutiny committee is to monitor developments at Boulmer.

Firefighters honoured at Alnwick Castle

2009-11-05T14:48:28Z

Firefighters enjoyed a blaze of glory at an annual awards night.

Staff from the Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service were honoured with sporting achievements, dedication and outstanding service in the ceremony at Alnwick Castle last week.

There were also awards for members of the public and partners.

Northumberland County Council executive member for community safety Ian Lindley said: "I would like to congratulate all of the award winners and thank them for their loyalty, support, and in some cases exceptional bravery.

"In our work to ensure the safety and well-being of the community in Northumberland, we rely on the fantastic commitment shown by such people."

Awards included the Queen's Fire Service Medal and were presented by the Duchess of Northumberland, in her role as Lord Lieutenant for the county.

Longhoughton nostalgia gallery

2009-11-05T12:14:53Z

Some photos from the Journal's archive showing the recent past of Longhoughton, near Alnwick, where in the 1980s banking in the village made the news.

The new Barclays Bank was set up in Longhoughton in February 1980 and the signs went up on the 200-year-old building that had previously been a hay barn, stables, cow shed, hen house and scout hut.

Northumberland coast visitors on the increase

2009-11-05T11:16:44Z

Free-to-access National Trust sites along the Northumberland coast have seen a huge surge in visitor popularity.

Kevin Redgrave, trust acting head warden on the Northumberland Coast, said: "This has been an exceptionally busy year for us. The car parks have been full to overflowing.

"Locals who have lived around here all their lives say they haven't seen it this busy since the 1960s."

More on this story »

Remembrance Day service in Alnwick

2009-11-05T10:09:45Z

Thousands across the North East will wear their poppies with pride this weekend as sombre events are held to mark Remembrance Day.

In Northumberland, there will be wreath-laying ceremonies in Alnwick and Ashington, with a large church service held at St Paul's church in Alnwick at 2.30pm.

More details of Remembrance Day events around the region »

Firework display in Alnwick

2009-11-04T14:12:59Z

A firework display will take place in Alnwick this Saturday night (7th November).

The fireworks at Alnwick Rugby Club on Willowburn Avenue will start at 7.30pm.

Remember when attending a fireworks display always be careful. Follow instructions given by the organisers, stay well back from fireworks and bonfires, dress warmly and keep children under close supervision.

More organised firework displays around the region »

Alnwick football round-up

2009-11-04T13:00:52Z

Alnwick Town suffered a surprise defeat in their Northern Alliance Premier Division fixture this weekend.

Murton ended a dismal run with 2-1 win after their visitors had been fired into a fifth-minute lead by Tom Vickers.

Chris Wilson opened Murton's account after 80 minutes and in the dying seconds also snatched his side's winner.

Meanwhile, in the North Northumberland League, Belford continue to lead Division Two - but only after just edging out local rivals Bamburgh Castle.

Kevin Greshon and Chris Hay were the Belford scorers, with Kevin Potts replying for Bamburgh.

Springhill had Stevie Eamons and Mark Reid on target as they kept up their challenge with a win over Boulmer, whose single reply came from Mathew Sullivan.

In the Sanderson Cup, Alnwick Town Reserves and Shilbottle were level after normal time.

Two extra-time goals saw Alnwick through, while Ashington Athletic made the trip to Berwick worthwhile by netting six times in the victory over Berwick United Reserves.

It took extra time before Lowick went through at the expense of Bedlington Terrier Reserves, while Rothbury kept up their good early-season form to ease past Berwick Town.

In the Runciman Cup, Lynemouth had Darren Burn netting four times in a seven-goal success over Rothbury Reserves.

At Wooler, it also took extra time before the home club made progress at the expense of Embleton WR.

Swine flu drugs can be delivered to north Northumberland

2009-11-04T09:07:13Z

A Northumberland MP has asked health chiefs to ensure people are aware that swine flu antivirals can be delivered.

Berwick Lib Dem MP Sir Alan Beith has spoken out on behalf of constituents who are unable to travel to collection points at Blyth or Byker.

He said: "Travelling from Berwick to Blyth to collect antivirals involves a 120 mile round trip, taking at least two hours by car and much longer by public transport. Byker is even further. Even driving from Alnwick will take at least a couple of hours.

"Although the number of cases does not justify opening an antiviral collection point in Berwick or Alnwick at present, I have been assured by local health service managers that the situation is being monitored closely.

"In the meantime people who have been given a prescription for antivirals and who cannot travel to Tyneside should call the collection centre and ask for delivery. This delivery service is vital for people in north Northumberland and I am very pleased it has been provided."

Duke to host AGM at Longhoughton

2009-11-03T14:28:37Z

A Northumberland organisation holds its annual general meeting tomorrow.

Community Action Northumberland (CAN) meets in the community centre in Westfield Park, Park Road, Longhoughton, at 2pm.

The meeting will be hosted by CAN's president, the Duke of Northumberland.

Picture gallery: The Percy Hunt

2009-11-03T11:40:02Z

The first meet of the 2009 hunting season near Eglingham, led by huntsman Robert McCarthy. Many believe this could be the final start to a season before the controversial hunting ban is repealed. Read related story »

Lord Vinson calls on government to dual A1

2009-11-03T09:28:16Z

A Northumberland Tory peer has called on the Government to spend money planned for Europe on dualling the A1.

Lord Vinson, of Roddam Dene, near Wooler in Northumberland, hit out in the House of Lords at plans to give £7.9bn in annual membership money to the European Union in 2010.

In a question to Lord Myners, financial services secretary to the treasury, Lord Vinson - former chairman of the Rural Development Commission - said the money would be better spent on improving this country's infrastructure.

He questioned why the Government had not made money available to dual the A1 throughout Northumberland, and for improvements to the A69 which links Newcastle with Carlisle and the M6.

Lord Vinson said afterwards: "Magnificent roads and railways have been built in Spain, Portugal and Ireland, substantially with British money. It would be much better to spend the £8bn here at home. The A1 is a glaring missing link in the infrastructure supporting our regional economic prosperity.

"An investment in the road will be rewarded by the business growth it stimulates. It is absolutely lunacy that we pour money into Europe when we have got a third world infrastructure in this country.

"What other country of the world would have its A1 major trunk route not even dual carriageway? It is mind-blowing.

"The A69 between Newcastle and Carlisle is probably just as important.

"The thing about the A1, where it needs dualling, there are no issues of going through towns or conurbations, it would be a relatively easy part of road to dual.

"If you get roads right and infrastructure right, the economy follows."

In response, Lord Myners said transferring the money to the EU would have no impact on spending on Britain's infrastructure, but did not mention the A1. He added: "Our membership of the EU does put British interests first. It gives us direct access to a community of 490 million people.

"The EU accounts for 20% of world trade but 57% of Britain's trade. Some 3.5m jobs in Britain are directly attributable to our membership of the EU, as is the fact that we receive over 25%

Lord Vinson's was backed by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Conservatives' parliamentary candidate for Berwick.

Mrs Trevelyan is the founder and co-ordinator of the A1 Action Group, which is campaigning for the road to be dualled throughout Northumberland.

She said: "I am incensed by the amount of taxpayers' money due to go to the EU next year, when just a fraction of this sum would be enough to dual the A1.

"Lord Vinson is absolutely right that we must put our national interest first."

LORD VINSON

Nigel Vinson is a former businessman with strong connections across Northumberland.

Now 78, he was the son of a farmer and was educated at the Nautical College in Pangbourne. He served in the Queen's Royal Regiment from 1948 to 1950, reaching the rank of lieutenant.

He was director of the Sugar Board from 1968 to 1975, director of British Airports Authority from 1973 to 1980, and director of the Barclays Bank from 1982 to 1987. He is co-founder of the Centre for Policy Studies, for which he worked between 1974 and 1980. He was also chairman and deputy chairman of various firms and trust.

From 1976 to 1978 he was Honorary Director at the Queen's Silver Jubilee Appeal and was member of the Northumbrian National Parks and Countryside Committee between 1977 and 1987.

In 1985 he was made a life peer as Baron Vinson, of Roddam Dene in the County of Northumberland.

He has been married to Yvonne Collins since 1972; they have three daughters.

Beith welcomes reprieve for RAF Boulmer cuts

2009-11-03T09:20:04Z

A government U-turn on cuts to search and rescue cover in the North East has been welcomed by Berwick MP Sir Alan Beith.

The Liberal Democrat raised the issue in the Commons yesterday after staff levels at RAF Boulmer, in Northumberland, fell so low earlier this year that aircrew were ordered only to provide cover during daylight hours.

Responsibility for night rescue duties in the region was divided between crews from RAF Leconfield in East Yorkshire and Prestwick in Ayrshire.

Defence Minister Bill Rammell said yesterday that the Government was committed to around the clock coverage across the UK and planned crew cuts would be reversed by early next year.

In the meantime there was planned rotating and temporary cover, he added.

However, Sir Alan said: "I am very pleased indeed that the minister is reversing the mistaken decision to cut the number of crews providing search and rescue cover across the UK, which has been affecting cover provided by RAF Boulmer."

Christian Perdrier has the passion to take on the world

2009-11-02T16:21:51Z

From Mickey Mouse to Harry Hotspur. Karen Dent meets the former Disneyland Paris chief charged with putting Alnwick on the world tourist map.

ALNWICK on an autumn day is worlds away from the stifling heat of Dubai, from which Frenchman Christian Perdrier has decamped to sprinkle some of his Disney magic on the castle and garden.

The newly-appointed first joint chief executive of the two sites, Perdrier has a tough task ahead of him. But sitting in the half-term sunshine at the garden, it doesn't look like the attraction is struggling to pull in the punters.

I circled the car park twice before spotting a space and the admissions queue is snaking around the corner.

However, attracting crowds isn't the only reason the 58-year-old was headhunted from Sheikh Mohammed's Dubailand hotel and theme park complex.

He had previously learned his trade working for 12 years as one of the top executive at Disneyland Paris.

And the Frenchman is full of confidence and enthusiasm after being recruited by the Duchess of Northumberland to turn Alnwick into a top international tourist destination.

"It is not that ambitious," says Perdrier. "Alnwick when you add it up is what I call the triple A - Alnwick Garden, Alnwick Castle and Alnwick town - when you add up those three components, you really have the possibility to create a destination for the people to come and visit.

"Here, people are walking on the grass, they are touching the flowers. It's exactly what should be in a garden. Actually it should not be called a garden because a garden in the minds of people is very specific. It's not a garden. It's a Babel tower where we have everybody here of different nationalities meeting each other.

"It's unique in the world and it's important for the world to come here and visit this place to understand that."

Perdrier, who has moved to the town with his family, admits he was less than familiar with his new home before he was asked about the job.

"It's all brand new - I didn't even know where it was. North of London for me was 'nowhere' so when I came here, I found out about the region," he says.

"I fell in love. I fell in love with the region. I remember phoning my wife after the interview and said 'I think we should come'. I've been to a lot of places but there are not too many places where you find this type of environment.

"I met people who were extraordinary, I met people with passion, I met people who had what I call the values of the good side and I found myself thinking this is something I would love to be involved with."

His initial aim is to embed himself in the region's culture and the job before starting to work with others to turn his vision into reality.

"I am not a British guy, I'm a French guy, so I have to understand the spirit of what's going on here. One thing I'm going to make sure in terms of strategy is to recruit all the different energies between the castle, the garden and the town, in order to create this Alnwick destination to put Alnwick on the map.

"I don't think people from all over the world or even from the UK are going to come to the garden only or the castle only. They will come to a destination where they can spend two or three days.

"That's going to be the strategy for the months to come to explain to everybody what is the aim of what we want to do and to bring everybody on board."

Rather than advertise Alnwick abroad, he plans to pursue the strategy used by Disneyland Paris and attract foreign visitors already in the country.

"If you want to really advertise all over the world, you have to think about gigantic budgets and we don't have a gigantic budget," he explains.

"When you know that more than 20 million foreign visitors are coming to London every year - I don't have to go and talk to Italians in Italy, Spanish in Spain, they are all coming to London.

"London is three hours and 20 minutes away by train so you just bring them here on an extension of their package. You deal with the different partners and you bring them here for two, three days.

"You partner with the trains, with National Express. You can charter trains. I think everybody is interested in the region to bring people here. When you have done that, 85% of the job is done."

When they get here, he wants to give them an experience they won't forget. And he wants to ensure the service in Alnwick meets the standards he set at Disney.

"I can right away see here almost 50 details that don't work - maybe you don't see them but I'm trained to work on that," he says.

"I'm trained to train the people to open their eyes and to see those kind of details that make a difference between a great regional destination and a great international destination.

"Our duty is to deliver 100% of what they expected and beyond that, because delivering 100% of what they paid for is just normal business and you don't become international for that.

"They expect 100% and you deliver 120% - then people remember, then you become an international destination."

Passion and storytelling figure highly in his approach, although he denies he wants to turn Alnwick into a theme park.

"We have 1,000 years of history, with a lot of characters in the Percy family. Let's bring out from the archives some characters who are going to become the storyline of the castle," said Perdrier.

"Here [in the garden] there are the characters of nature, so let's put nature in the centre of our storylines.

"We have the best decor, the best actors, we have the best lighting, we are just missing the script. We just now need to work on the script in order to storytell what we want to do.

"When I say characters I'm not going to transform Percy history with cartoons. I would love to create in the state room a kind of special effect where Her Grace is having tea with the third Duchess of 500 years ago. There are special effects now - that's where the history would meet together between today and yesterday because of the technology.

"Let's bring alive Harry Hotspur. The technology allows that; we could sit down beside Hotspur and talk to him."

Of course Alnwick is now also famous because of another Harry - Harry Potter - after the castle served as the setting for Hogwarts in the first couple of films of JK Rowling's boy wizard books.

Perdrier said: "Cannes in France - it's like Alnwick, it's a very small town - but everybody knows Cannes because of the film festival.

"Let's create a kind of a film festival every year, around special effects, a Harry Potter-type of approach and we'll have a festival of Alnwick where we'll have the special effects, history, movies. Let's create something like that - and Alnwick will become like Cannes on the world map.

"But we have to be very careful to do it within the 21st Century. Let's create 3D history where people will re-emerge from history. Entertainment, leisure, emotion - I'd say it's an emotional destination - not a theme park. I don't know the name yet - an emotional resort - I don't know. But it's not going to be a theme park."

One of seven children from the Burgundy region of France, he followed his mother's footsteps into the hospitality business. Perdrier arrived at Disney in 1994 after a career stretching from Baghdad to San Francisco with hotel chain Accor. Initially in charge of Disney's hotels, he moved to the park itself "after I fell in love with Minnie".

"I used to kiss goodbye Mickey every night and to get Minnie dressed up every morning and played the Goofy everyday.

"The park was a fantastic experience in terms of storytelling. Everybody says with Disney that it's only for children but it's not true. In everybody, there is a child inside.

"I remember when I was Santa Claus on the float on the parade and I was waving at the people, it was not just the children, but the adults [waving back]. At any age, people are ready to come back to childhood, to let their emotions out.

"I think our job is to recreate an environment where everybody aged from seven days to 77 years can let go of their emotions."

He was recruited from Disneyland to oversee the creation of Dubailand - a vision to put together the "Orlando of the Middle East" - providing Western-style entertainment for visitors from India to Russia.

"I negotiated six theme parks and 20 hotels and we started to build until the financial crisis - everything has stopped for the time being," he says.

Despite other offers, he chose Alnwick because he appreciated the Duchess's vision to create something completely different.

"That's what Her Grace has done. What she created here doesn't exist anywhere else in the world. She really went out of the box - that's what she wants so that's what we're going to deliver. We are going to create something that doesn't exist - we are going to invent something," he says.

He is reluctant to put a timescale on achieving these ambitions for Alnwick. But he hopes it will be known nationally as a top leisure destination within three years and internationally within five.

"Maybe more, maybe less," says Perdrier. "It's like when you are cooking at home, there are so many factors - it's a recipe."

He says he now wants to transfer the investment other people put into his career. "I don't want in a few years from now God to come and knock on my door and say what did you do with your work? What did you do with what I gave you? Why did you not give it back?

"It's time for me to give back what I received. That's why I came here.

"I'm lucky to have a job where I can let go of my emotion and I'm working on emotion. I am fantastically lucky.

"My passion is being with people, music - opera - because it's emotion; everything which is emotional - painting, opera, travelling, meeting people. I am an emotional guy."

The CV

1973: Lausanne Hotel School, Switzerland

1972-76: Hospitality work from waiter to director of catering in Switzerland, UK and Canada

1976-94: ACCOR

1993-94 Senior vice-president operations, USA West Coast, Motel 6

1992-93: Vice-president operations ACCOR Mediterranean (Sofitel, Novotel)

1991-92 Executive vice-president Novotour (Worldwide land operating network agencies)

1987-1991 Vice-president ACCOR Pacific (Sofitel, Novotel, Ibis, Casino)

1976-1987 Hotel general manager (Limoges, Grenoble, Lyon, Baghdad, Abu-Dhabi, Jeddah).

1994-2006: DISNEYLAND RESORT PARIS

2002-06 Senior vice-president parks & security.

1999-2002 Senior vice-president support operations

1997-99 Senior vice-president operations (hotels, theme park, Disney Village)

1994-97 Vice-president hotels operations

2007-09: TATWEER - Dubai Holding - Dubai, UAE Senior vice-president parks & resorts division

The questionnaire

What car do you drive?
Having recently moved I have yet to buy a car. I currently rent a modest Ford Fiesta.

What's your favourite restaurant?
Perhaps surprisingly for a Frenchman, I love Indian or Italian food most of all.

Who or what makes you laugh?
My daughter surprises me every day.

What's your favourite book?
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo

What was the last album you bought?
Don Giovanni by Mozart

What's your ideal job, other than the one you've got?
I'd have loved to be a teacher. You always remember your best teachers, don't you?

If you had a talking parrot, what's the first thing you would teach it to say?
Have a great day...

What's your greatest fear?
Not to have the time to do everything I would like to do.

What's the best piece of business advice you have ever received?
Be yourself and not what you think people are expecting from you.

And the worst?
Invest in the stock market.

What's your poison?
Red wine

What newspapers do you read, other than The Journal?
Le Figaro and L'Equipe

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for?
I can't remember how much I was paid but I do remember putting it into savings as I was planning to go abroad.

How do you keep fit?
I eat healthily and do a lot of walking and jogging.

What's your most irritating habit?
I always arrive very early when I travel anywhere.

What's your biggest extravagance?
I bought a Ford Mustang Mach 1 as my first car. I think I'm still paying it off!

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with or admire?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Sister Emmanuelle

Which four famous people would you most like to dine with?
Stephen Spielberg, Nelson Mandela, Bill Gates, Richard Branson.

How would you like to be remembered?
Somebody who cares about others.

Percy Hunt starts Northumberland hunting season

2009-11-02T15:57:07Z

The Percy Hunt got under way in Northumberland for the first time this season on Saturday.

Many believe this could be the final start to a season before the controversial hunting ban is repealed.

The Tories have promised to provide government time for a free vote if they win power in the general election expected in the spring.

Steve Clark, of the pro-hunting Countryside Alliance, was in Alnwick to support the hunt.
He said: "It was a very well attended hunt and there were a lot of happy faces. There was a good atmosphere.

"Four or five years ago people were really downbeat. The ban was just about to come in and a lot of people though the hunts would not survive.

"But we have fought through the ban and kept going thanks to tremendous support from many people."

Controversially, Mr Clark said he was confident that the ban on hunting with dogs would be repealed whether or not the Conservative Party won the next general election.

He claimed: "It is just unworkable. Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money has been wasted trying to enforce a law which just does not work. We have support on all sides of the house and I believe it will be repealed."

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has told MPs that the Tories appeared to want to see foxes being "ripped to pieces" in the countryside again.

He said: "I think it shows where public sentiment and opinion lies.

"In the light of that, I find it very hard to understand why members opposite want to change the law so that once again foxes can be ripped to pieces by hounds.

"Because that is the change in the law they appear to be seeking."

More pictures from the Percy Hunt's first meet of the 2009 season »