Northumberland communities - Haltwhistle

Volunteers wanted for library transport

2009-11-11T09:50:28Z

Volunteers are needed in part of Northumberland to help people who can not get to libraries.

Northumberland County Council's library service is looking for helpers who live in Hexham, Ponteland or the surrounding areas of West Northumberland. Current volunteers and library staff will talk about what is involved at a free coffee morning in Hexham Library on Friday, November 20 between 10am and 12 noon.

For more information, contact Michelle Watson at Hexham Library on (01434) 652488.

Video: Recycling in Northumberland

2009-11-11T00:00:21Z

A video has been launched by Northumberland County Council to help it meet demanding Government recycling targets.

The tutorial video (watch below) shows Northumberland County Council's new recycling centre in action and helps residents understand what can and can't be put into the recycling bin.

In Northumberland the council is responsible for collecting waste from more than 140,000 households as well as thousands of business premises.

The council needs to meet Government targets of 40% recycling by 2010, 45% by 2015 and 50% by 2020.

If these strict targets are not met the council faces heavy fines as ministers push ahead with national environmental changes.

One of the key problems at the recycling plant is low-grade plastic such as yogurt pots and margarine tubs which become trapped among paper and card creating contamination problems for the paper mills.

The problem is made worse when these packs contain food waste which can also cause contamination of the other recyclable materials.

In an effort to reduce contamination the council no longer wants people to recycle these types of items which represent a tiny proportion of household waste and cause quality control problems at the plant .

The video offers advice on exactly what items should be recycled, such as plastic bottles (empty and lids removed), rinsed food and drinks cans, paper and cardboard and aerosols.

Visit www.northumberland.gov.uk for more information on recycling

Share your Northumbrian dialect words

2009-11-10T11:29:33Z

Deek at these kenspeckle words and see if you can save 'the venerable grandmother' of the English language.

What some people call the 'purest form' of English, the Northumbrian dialect, has been eroded over time and no-one knows how much Northumbrians and Geordies still have their own way of speaking.

Words like yari, jugal and skumfish used to be heard regularly but the Northumbrian Language Society is desperate to get a snapshot of the state of the region's dialect and see which Northumbrian words are still in use.

The call comes after Collins English Dictionary asked people to look at three Northumbrian words and let them know, via Twitter, if they are used. If not, they will write the obituary for the dead words.

But if they are still in common use, the words will be reinstated into the Collins Corpus database and could even be included in future dictionaries.

The Northumbrian Language Society chose the three words for Collins to take to the public but they have many other words and want to take the opportunity to learn more about the health of Northumberland's dialect.

Kim Bibby-Wilson from the Northumbrian Language Society said: "It matters. If we all spoke hybrid American English, it would be a very boring world.

"As far as the Collins project is concerned, it's good - it's going to get a high profile and remind people of these words. When you speak about dialect people are fascinated.

"But the more life goes on, the less people hear the speech patterns. It's whether they are speaking these words or not. From anecdotal evidence we're losing words because they're not relevant anymore."

Unlike Scottish dialect, Northumbrian words do not get full recognition, meaning there is no European funding for researching and promoting the dialect, as well as projects to record people still speaking in the tongue.

Northumbrian only holds observer status under the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages.

Kim said: "We would love to have the funding. We should be looking at how the Scots dictionary is constructed.

"Northumbrian dialect is the venerable grandmother of English, not a poor cousin. It has always been isolated, by the North Sea, the Pennines, Cheviots and moors, and it is a purer form of English. It has been reserved here for longer because the Vikings and Normans didn't have a great deal of interplay with the locals.

"It's very important, because the language that's spoken in a particular area tells you so much, just like castles do and cathedrals and football teams. You wouldn't knock down Bamburgh Castle because it's no longer used for defence."

Many of the words used in Northumberland are from the Angles, while certain areas also picked up gypsy words because of nearby camps.

For instance, 'gadgy', now used to mean a man, was originally used to refer to non-gypsies, while charver, now a derogatory term, used to mean friend.

Which of the words below do you still use? Do you know of any other current Northumbrian dialect words?

Click on the link on the right to share them

SPREADING THE WORD

THE THREE WORDS COLLINS ARE RESEARCHING ARE

Shawm - to warm yourself

Hippletyclinch - walk with a limp

Bari - beautiful/handsome

FURTHER SUGGESTIONS FROM NORTHUMBERLAND

Deek - to look at

Yari - egg

Jugal - dog

Mort - wife

Netty - toilet

Oxter - armpit

Kenspeckle - distinctive

Skumfish - tired

Spelk - splinter

Gully - sharp knife for meat/general purpose

Puzzly-os - noughts and crosses

Lowp - to jump

Kist - strong box

WELL-KNOWN REGIONAL TERMS

Gadgy - non-gypsy man

Charver - friend

Gan - go

Lang - long

Canny - good

Hoy - throw

Ahad/ahaad - caught fire

Stotty - round bread

NEW ONES

Windy-pick - pneumatic drill

Starry head - Phillips screwdriver

Blood donor sessions

2009-11-10T00:00:10Z

The following sessions take place at the Methodist Schoolroom in Haltwhistle, NE49 0AX:

Tuesday 17 Nov 2009, 14:30 to 19:00
Tuesday 26 Jan 2010, 14:30 to 19:00
Monday 15 Mar 2010, 14:30 to 19:00

There are also a number of sessions in ">Hexham.

For more information on sessions and to book an appointment visit www.blood.co.uk.

Northumberland day care centres axed

2009-11-05T15:32:48Z

Controversial plans to axe seven cherished day centres in Northumberland were rubber-stamped last night.

Northumberland County Council voted to close the facilities used as meeting places by elderly and disabled people at Amble, Blyth, Bedlington, Haltwhistle, Hexham, Ponteland and Prudhoe.

In a named poll at its meeting at Morpeth's County Hall, the council voted 46 to 11 in favour of proposals to close its centres, which are used by around 300 people every week.

The authority says the facilities are under-used and it is closing them to cut costs and is instead to offer users and the many others who need assistance personalised budgets to spend on their preferred method of care.

It says anyone who wants to continue receiving traditional, building-based day care will be able to do so via other providers - voluntary and independent agencies.

The council has came up with a range of alternative provision in each of the affected areas. Hundreds of people had signed petitions calling for the seven centres to be saved, claiming they offer elderly users a vital chance to meet friends and give relatives an important break from looking after them.

The meeting was attended by a band of centre users, carers and union leaders who vented their anger at councillors after the vote was taken. Thomas Mosey, 80, of Newcastle Road, Newsham, Blyth, has used the town's Lyndon House site for around five years, having previously been moved out of its Tynedale House by the council.

He branded the decision "disgusting", "absolute shameless" and "shocking". The council had been due to take a decision on the centres at its meeting in September, but opted to defer after Conservative and Labour opposition councillors joined forces in a bid to drum up interest from potential providers in running the sites in Amble, Bedlington and Blyth.

But last night, the Labour group hit out at the Tories for now backing the closures and for tabling an amendment with the Lib Dems which it claimed showed little change to the proposals put forward in September.

Labour members asked why the council could not offer a mix of centres and alternative care. They also accused the Lib Dems of using the personalised budgets as "a smokescreen" which allows them to axe day centres.

Coun Deirdre Campbell said: "The public are not silly. Personalised budgets weren't an excuse to close the homes.

"I just can not believe you are back in here today and you are still intent on taking away a brilliant service that is used by the elderly.

"I would say to people - do not get old the Lib Dems will crucify you.

"I think you have declared war on the elderly. The one thing you have not got to do in Northumberland is get old."

The Lib Dems had called on the council to make the decision to end uncertainty for centre users.

Coun Simon Reed said: "We have to modernise and transform our service. We have to give people more choice."

His party also stated that no centres will be closed until alternate provision has been arranged for users.

Gymnast takes on 100 mile ride for Tynedale club

2009-11-05T15:30:24Z

A ten-year-old Northumberland gymnast has shown her stamina after cycling 100 miles in just over two days to raise money for her club.

Kate Rogers, from Newton, near Corbridge, took on the coast to coast route after finding out her gymnastics club needed money for new equipment.

Her little legs lasted the distance and she did the 100 miles in two and a half days and two overnight stops at Gilsland and at home in Newton.

Incredibly she even found time and the energy to stop in Prudhoe WestWorld to attend her gymnastics class on the way.

She said: "It was good weather and easier than I expected. Climbing the big hill out of Greenhead was the worst moment.

"Once I got past Vindolanda it was all downhill, following the Tyne to the coast."

The idea came after her cousin completed the ride, and when she heard her club, Tynedale Gymnastics Club, needed to raise funds she thought it would be a good way to do it. She managed the ride in style and did not need the three days she had allowed for.

The Mowden Hall School pupil's efforts raised £600 for the club to buy necessary equipment such as mats, beams and vaults for their two gyms, in Prudhoe WestWorld and in the Wentworth Leisure Centre, Hexham.

Dad Paul, who accompanied her on the ride, said: "I knew I could do it but I wasn't sure if she could. But she also found time to go to her gym club because she was still full of energy.

"It's very good going - she's as fit as a flea and got stamina and determination. A lot of kids could do it but they'd lose interest."

Kate, who also takes part in Tynedale's gymnastics exchange with Mitry Mory in France, rode from Bowness-on-Solway to Tynemouth along the Hadrian Cycleway.

Club coach Gayle Crowell said: "This is a wonderful achievement by Kate.

"We are very grateful to her - all of our gymnasts will benefit from the new state-of-the-art equipment."

Now that Kate has got the cycling bug, she wants to attempt the 200-mile ride from Edinburgh to Tynemouth next year.

Kate Rogers presents her cheque to Tynedale Gymnastics Club

Meanwhile, she might have met some other keen fundraisers on the coast to coast route, as a group of pupils took on the challenge to raise money for the Calvert Trust in Kielder.

Ten lads from Newcastle School for Boys arrived at Calvert Trust Kielder after doing the ride in two days.

They visited the centre in Kielder Water and Forest Park before beginning to collect sponsorship to raise their target of £2,000. Supporting them in their trip were local companies Back Consulting Limited, Apex Radios and Purple Mountain.

Ubaydullah Iqbal, Dan Cupit, bottom: Mat Butler, Hazel Munro, Gordon Orr" src="http://prudhoe.journallive.co.uk/news/calvertrustride.jpg" width="200" height="170" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" />The money will go towards the work of Calvert Trust Kielder which enable people with disabilities to achieve their potential through outdoor activities.

Hazel Munro, a fundraiser at Calvert Trust Kielder said: "We are thrilled the school has committed themselves to supporting us and we are impressed with the nature of the challenge they have taken on."

Charles Drax, a teacher at Newcastle School for Boys said: "Visiting the trust meant that the boys could see how the money raised from the challenge will help lots of people less fortunate than themselves to do things they never dreamt possible. "

Pictured: Lads from Newcastle School for Boys who cycled the coast to coast route to raise money for Calvert Trust Kielder. Left to right: top: Charles Drax, Karen Smith, LewisMackie, Peter Cockerill (CE Calvert Trust Kielder), Henry Percy-Raine, Ubaydullah Iqbal, Dan Cupit, bottom: Mat Butler, Hazel Munro, Gordon Orr

Visitor increase at Allen Banks

2009-11-05T15:27:54Z

Allen Banks near Bardon Mill has seen a huge surge in visitor popularity this year as part of an increase in people accessing National Trust properties around the region.

David Ronn, the National Trust's regional director Yorkshire and North East, said: "What has happened is that Britons are exploring their own country again."

He added: "More visitors to National Trust properties means more money going into the local economy. It's a win-win situation for everyone, especially with the country going through such a dire recession"

Read more on this story »

Plenmeller quarry plan recommended for refusal

2009-11-04T09:18:06Z

County councillors are being recommended by officers to refuse permission for an extension of time to work and restore a Northumberland quarry.

Cemex UK wants to extend the deadline for the completion of extraction and restoration at Plenmeller Quarry near Haltwhistle until December 2012.

A report to the planning committee next week says there has been no extraction of sand and gravel since 2005 and the request should be refused.

Bad year puts hen harriers close to the edge

2009-11-02T16:15:04Z

THE perilous position of a threatened bird of prey in the North East has worsened, it has been revealed.

There were no successful hen harrier nests in the region this year, according to the RSPB and Natural England's hen harrier recovery project. One pair of harriers was seen in Northumberland, but the birds did not nest.

In England there were only six successful nests - the worst hen harrier breeding figures since monitoring work began in 2002. This compares to last year when there were 10 nests and 14 in 2007. The status of the hen harrier as an English breeding bird is now on the brink, say the RSPB and Natural England.

While there is no evidence of illegal killing or nest destruction associated with this year's breeding failures, illegal persecution has led to today's critically low breeding numbers and patchy distribution.

As a result, hen harriers are even more vulnerable to chance natural events.

In 2007 and 2008, one pair of hen harriers nested successfully in North Tynedale, with shifts of volunteers providing a 24-hour guard.

In 2006 a pair also nested successfully at Geltsdale on the Northumberland-Cumbria border, again with a round-the-clock watch.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB's director of conservation, said: "We always feared that with hen harrier numbers kept so low, the English population was extremely vulnerable to a bad year like this.

"There can be no place in England's future for the illegal killing of birds of prey. Land owners and other shooting groups need to show real commitment and start working with Natural England, RSPB and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation to implement legal solutions such as diversionary feeding."

John Swift, chief executive of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, said: "A bad winter has left the hen harrier population even more vulnerable than before.

"This means that everybody must concentrate on doing what they can to ensure that the moorland habitat continues to be well managed and that persecution is confined to history.

"It is imperative that we find a solution to the conflict between grouse shooting and birds of prey and those who manage grouse moors must continue to be vigilant against persecution of harriers."

Northumberland hit by torrential rain

2009-11-02T09:15:39Z

Flood worries returned to areas devastated by torrential rain just over a year ago.

Morpeth residents held their breath as they were hit by more than half a month of rain in less than four hours.

The North East was battered by driving rain and wind, with gusts of up to 60mph in parts over the weekend.

Northumberland was worst affected, with homes and roads flooded by surface water.

Emergency services sprung into action at around midday, and worked into the night .

An evacuation centre was set up at Rothbury 's Jubilee Hall in case people were forced out of their homes, and around 1,000 sandbags were dished out.

Hundreds of advice leaflets were also distributed to properties most at risk.

The Met Office said the North East was hit by 58mm of rain last night, and just 40mm of that fell in four hours. The average rainfall for the whole of November is 75mm.

Rob Clow, area manager for Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, said: "It was a full 12 hour operation lasting until around midnight. It started in the Haltwhistle area where there was localised flooding in different properties from surface water.

"At around 9pm the rivers started to get near to flooding. Luckily, we didn't have any properties actually affected by flooding from rivers, but it was getting close in some areas."

The worst affected areas of the UK were in Scotland.

Around 100 people were rescued from flooded-out properties in Huntley, Aberdeenshire.

And in Tayside, people were trapped in their cars and evacuated from their properties, with roads closed and trains cancelled as water levels soared across Angus, Perthshire, Grampian and Fife.

Haltwhistle weather »

Gilsland pupils' phone call to Africa

2009-10-29T09:00:32Z

An emotional phone call united Northumbrian children with their African counterparts during a day celebrating their new-found friendship.

Gilsland Primary School pupils listened to children from the Kenyan village shout and sing to them on speaker phone to celebrate the start of a special friendship between the two schools during a day of African activities.

Organiser Sam Finn, who has spent time in Kenya and arranged the call, said: "I kept it as a surprise. When I told the head in the morning she was delighted. We put it on speaker phone and gathered in the entrance hall, and the children's faces lit up when they heard the voices.

"What was amazing was that the Kenyan primary school shouted as loud as they could, and the children were blown away. It made them feel that bit closer and made it more real. It was quite emotional."

Pupils learned about Kenyan culture and also about not taking their own environment for granted - they were given a bottle of water which they had to use for washing and drinking during the day.

Gilsland headteacher Chris Boucetla said: "The live telephone link was fantastic - to see the children's faces light up when they heard the hundreds of students thousands of miles away in Kenya all cheering at once was so special."

Headteacher of Ngecho Primary School in Kenya, Mrs Mathenge, said: "We were so excited to hear about our new friends in England and to be able to speak to them at all at once was a brilliant idea. God bless the children of Gilsland Primary School. We would love to welcome them here to visit us one day."

Year of success for One Life Racing

2009-10-28T14:10:05Z

It has been quite a year for One Life Racing, the Tyne Valley-based triathlon and multisports club.

Newly-opened state-of-the- art training facilities at Wentworth Leisure in Hexham have enabled club officials to accommodate the ever-growing demand for new memberships, with numbers rising to more than 200 during 2009.

One Life athletes have also been enjoying remarkable success on a regional, national as well as international level, with four senior members being crowned national champions in their respective age groups.

Two of the team were selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships in Holland.

Chairman Alan Copland won a bronze medal in his age group by finishing in 13th place overall, and Barry Jameson won a gold medal in his age group by taking 94th overall.

There was also strong One Life representation at the World Championships in the Gold Coast, Australia.

However, it is the development of their junior triathletes which has put One Life on the map.

This year, One Life junior athletes known as Tristars - ranging in age from eight to 16 - have enjoyed remarkable success in key events across the North East.

These races have included aquathlons involving the swim and run disciplines as well as full triathlons requiring participants to swim, cycle and run, with the swim often in in open water.

One Life junior competitors hauled an astonishing 15 gold, 17 silver and 16 bronze medals across the season, with Charlie Harris-Pratt (13-14 age group) and Jake Duffy (nine-10 age group) remaining unbeaten all season.

Other notable performances were recorded by Jill Dickinson and Rhianna Stoves (nine-10 age group), who both claimed gold during an eventful and highly- successful season.

It is the award-winning One Life Junior Triathlon, held in Haltwhistle during August, which is of particular significance and a great source of pride for a club which has only been in existence for a short time.

Copland said: "We are a relatively new club compared to many in the region.

"With the development of our junior section and the Haltwhistle Junior Triathlon we have set the benchmark for other clubs to follow.

"We have continued to demonstrate that with the right organisation, enthusiastic coaching and real desire, any established triathlon club can support and develop their juniors by putting on first-class events."

One Life Racing is enjoying the on-going support of local businesses.

Corbridge-based Activ Cycles have donated a fully- equipped junior racing bike for use by club members and those juniors looking to be invovled in triathlon for the first time.

Mark Nye, owner of Activ Cycles and himself a keen cyclist and triathlete, said: "Triathlon can look somewhat daunting and potentially expensive at first.

"Probably the biggest financial outlay will be the bike, so we thought it made sense for the club to have a fully-serviced bike on hand for prospective members to use before they commit fully to the sport."

One Life is one of 18 triathlon clubs across the North East, with a collective membership of more than 1,000.

Triathlon is a sport which has been growing year on year by more than 10% since 2001, with more than 700 races having taken place in the UK this year alone.

Head coach Tim Wylie said: "These are exciting times, not only for our own club but for triathlon generally.

"I coach people of all abilities, with some of our juniors showing great potential, but many of our athletes are part of the team for the fitness and lifestyle gains it can offer."

Driver dies in crash near Bardon Mill

2009-10-26T13:49:52Z

A driver died following a four-vehicle road crash.

The accident happened on the A69, west of Hexham, between Haydon Bridge and Bardon Mill, in Northumberland at 4.40pm yesterday.

It involved a Honda Civic, a Mercedes camper-style van, a Citroen Picasso and a Ford Ka.

The driver of the camper van was taken to Hexham General Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

No further details have been released about the driver.

A police spokesman said: "The A69 was closed in both directions for five hours and diversions were in place to the west of Haydon Bridge, via Military Road.

"Any witnesses or anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Hexham motor patrols officers to help with their investigations."

The number to ring is 03456 043 043 ext 61474.

Hadrian's Wall named among country's top icons

2009-10-26T10:22:15Z

Youngsters have named Hadrian's Wall as one of the most iconic landmarks in the country.

Stonehenge came top in the Travelodge poll of 2,500 youngsters aged eight to 15.

Hadrian's Wall came second, followed by the London Eye, Edinburgh Castle, and Buckingham Palace .

Antony Gormley's Angel of the North came eighth in the survey ahead of Blackpool Tower and St Paul's Cathedral.

Haltwhistle hospital plan given go-ahead

2009-10-24T10:40:00Z

Health care chiefs have given the go ahead for a £200m investment in services in Northumberland, including a new emergency care hospital on the outskirts of Cramlington.

Wansbeck and North Tyneside hospitals will see significant investment while community hospitals in Berwick and Haltwhistle will be rebuilt.

The package of measures was approved yesterday at a meeting of the NHS North of Tyne Trust.

Board members had indicated in August they would be minded to approve the new hospital - as long as a number of concerns were addressed.

Among those was the provision of services for children with the possibility of conflict arising with the new Great North Children's Hospital in Newcastle.

Members were also concerned whether the proposed location was the most suitable, the availability of maternity care and how easily the hospital could be accessed by public transport.

The new emergency care hospital will be built on a site just off the A19 near Cramlington. However, the location has also caused controversy amid fears that the already-congested Moor Farm roundabout would not be able to cope with the extra traffic from the hospital.

Chris Reed, chief executive of NHS North of Tyne, said: "Throughout the consultation the location of the new hospital was controversial and it was clear that no one site would suit everyone.

"During the consultation there were strong messages about access to the new hospital and about the need to improve public transport arrangements. Work undertaken by Northumbria Healthcare has included seconding a member of staff from Nexus to the Trust to offer expert advice. The Trust is also committed to providing a shuttle service to link into existing public transport services."

Youngsters being treated at the pediatrics unit will only stay for short term care with those requiring more intensive treatment being transferred to the Great North Children's Hospital.

However Coun Liz Langfield, member for adult care and health on Newcastle City Council, said more information would be needed on where people living on the Newcastle/North Tyneside border would be treated.

She also expressed concern over public transport to the new emergency centre.