Northumberland communities - Widdrington

Video: Recycling in Northumberland

2009-11-11T00:00:25Z

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

Scouts group help at East Chevington reserve

2009-11-10T14:11:10Z

A scouts group got in touch with nature, thanks to a local wildlife charity.

The First Ashington Scouts camped overnight at East Chevington nature reserve to work with the Northumberland Wildlife Trust.

Sam, Ethan, Rachel, Daniel, Jessica and Seth from Ashington Scouts at work

They then spent a whole day working on the reserve, doing vital conservation tasks.

The group of boys and girls, all aged between 10 and 14 years, helped to fell a number of pine trees which had been planted as a nursery crop 20 years ago to provide shelter to young broad leaf trees which were planted at the same time.

Now that the broad leaf trees are growing, the pines need to be pruned to allow them space to grow.

The scout group then moved on to tree coppicing, a traditional method of woodland management in which young tree stems are repeatedly cut down near to ground level to encourage re-growth.

Group members are working towards their Global Conservation badge so their work on the reserve will not go un-rewarded.

The wildlife charity is in the process of developing a Forest Schools Project and the young trees at East Chevington will ensure a supply of timber when the project gets under way.

Alex Lister, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Estates Officer said: "Coppicing and felling trees are not easy jobs.

"I was very impressed with how hard the scouts worked during their day on the reserve. In years to come, they will be able to return to the site and see the fruits of their labours."

Scout Leader Arlene Watson said: "Everyone had a tremendous time during their time on the reserve."

Druridge Bay ruled out as site for nuclear plant

2009-11-10T11:45:19Z

A huge expansion of nuclear power has been signalled by the Government as it named 10 sites, including one on Teesside and three in Cumbria, where new power stations could be built.

Three other potential candidates, including Druridge Bay in Northumberland, were excluded due to what were described as "serious impediments".

The first new plant is set to be operational by 2018 and, by 2025, nuclear electricity generation could amount to around 40% of new energy provision.

Read full regional report »

Share your Northumbrian dialect words

2009-11-10T11:37:11Z

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

Widdrington business up for award

2009-11-10T10:24:57Z

A business in Widdrington is among a number of high-quality community enterprises who are battling it out for four regional titles to go through to a national competition.

The Countryside Alliance Awards recognise quality, characters, skills, traditions and enterprise of the countryside through the people who work so hard to make it tick.

There are four categories and North East businesses have been nominated by customers and supporters. Winners will be chosen before Christmas.

These will then go towards the national titles, which will be announced at Parliament in February.

In the rural enterprise group Allendale Brewery, G & S Organics in Alnwick and the Country Barn, Widdrington, hope for success. In the Daily Telegraph traditional business group, The Crown at Catton, Allendale, R G Foreman & Son in Norham on Tweed, Northumberland, and Rothbury Family Butchers in Northumberland take each other on.

In the local food category, Morpeth's Moorhouse Farm Shop and Dropswell Farm Shop in Trimdon Village, County Durham, go up against Piercebridge Organic Farm in Darlington. And in the village shop and Post Office category, Blanchland Village Shop, Kielder Village Store, and Belsay Village Shop are competing.

Countryside Alliance North of England director Steve Clark commented: "These finalists represent the very best of the region. The awards are a unique opportunity to celebrate not just the hard work that goes into businesses in the countryside, but also the heart and character of every individual who contributes to rural enterprise."

Pictured: Sarah Oakey and partner Hugh Annett from the Country Barn, Widdrington

Blood donor sessions

2009-11-10T00:00:55Z

Druridge Bay County Middle School, South Broomhill NE65 9SD
Tuesday 09 Feb 2010, 14:45 to 19:00

Lynemouth Miner's Welfare, NE61 5YJ
Tuesday 15 Dec 2009, 14:45 to 19:00
Tuesday 20 Apr 2010, 14:45 to 19:00

There are also sessions in Ashington, Morpeth and Amble.

For more information, or to book an appointment, visit www.blood.co.uk.

Lynemouth plant launches £1bn clean coal bid

2009-11-09T11:44:37Z

Energy experts are preparing a £1bn bid to bring clean coal technology to the North East.

Power station bosses at Northumberland's Rio Tinto Alcan facility want to secure the investment out of funds the Government has set aside for research into Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

Their CCS project involves burning treated coal in such a way that its CO2 emissions are removed, with any harmful gases captured and stored underground.

Plans for the Lynemouth power station include building a pipeline into the North Sea to trap the gases in underwater rocks. It is hoped the Government or the European Union will help fund the changes needed.

One of the three generators which currently provides around 140 megawatts would be upgraded to provide around 375megawatts, energy which will be used to power the aluminium smelter keeping more than 600 people in work.

John McCabe, corporate affairs director at the site, said the public sector money was vital for the changes as the recession was preventing many companies, including Rio Tinto, from funding the upgrades themselves.

He said: "We're working together to put a regional bid in to the Government. Our power generation is already very efficient but we know that eventually we have to move away from current methods of power generation.

"This type of development needs to be done with some Government help, and that is why we are making this bid."

Dermot Roddy, director of Newcastle's energy research group the Sir Joseph Swan Institute, said the North Sea had capacity in just its depleted oil and gas wells to hold 700 million tonnes of CO2.

The CCS methods looked at in the North East involve storing the gas in vast underground saltwater 'rocks' known as saline aquifers . There is enough capacity here for the North Sea to take all of Europe's power station emissions for 400 years.

"I don't think we will still need them then, but it shows the opportunity here," Prof Roddy said.

"If we can be one of the first places to build these sort of pre-combustion CCS power stations it will see us lead the way. The rest of the world is still opening new power stations, China has one a week, and they will look to who has already set up CCS sites and come to them for help. So there is great potential for engineers and experts here to lead the way."

Newcastle University already has global experts looking into undersea storage, and are confident they can tackle issues of ensuring the gas does not escape through the holes used to push the CO2 into the rocks.

The North East's CCS bid includes a project in Teesside, which is expected to send some five million tonnes a year into storage along a similar pipeline.

Last night Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall said the bid would help pave the way for a green revolution.

"This would be extremely beneficial for the region. And with stricter rules coming in on industrial CO2 production these sort of changes will give greater job security to many employed in Northumberland and Teesside.

"And this will give us the chance and the time to invest in truly low carbon technology and renewable energy"

European spending bosses are expected to announce another round of CCS funding next month, though any North East bid would need to be picked by UK ministers.

A One North East spokesman said: "This is part of One North East's long-term strategy to develop low carbon industries, which also include electric vehicles, printable electronics and renewable energy.

"This new technology can help us combat climate change but also create new jobs and help to protect our energy-intensive industries."

Picture gallery: Ellington memorial unveiling

2009-11-09T10:24:10Z

Pictures from the unveiling ceremony of a memorial, created by Northumberland sculptor Tom Maley, at the site of Ellington Pit, featuring girls from Michelle's School of Dance, who performed at the event. Read related story »

Ellington Colliery memorial unveiled

2009-11-09T09:59:00Z

A memorial to the strength of the region's miners has been unveiled in Northumberland.

The bronze bust, erected on the site of Ellington Colliery, was commissioned to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the undersea pit's first shaft.

Former colliery manager Jack Tubby with the sculpture at Ellington

More than £75,000 needed to make the iconic effigy was raised by members of the Ellington Memorial Group, who entrusted sculptor Tom Maley with the honour of creating the piece.

At an official unveiling ceremony the Ellington Colliery Band performed in front of special guest Ian Lavery, president of the National Union of Mineworkers. Neil Taylor, Ellington memorial group chairman, said: "Thanks to the support of many people and businesses, we have been able to safeguard our heritage and make sure those who served in the industry will not be forgotten.

"It is very fitting the sculptor Tom Maley, with his mining connections, was the man commissioned to produce the memorial. We are confident Tom has captured not only the heart and soul of an industry which served the region and the country with pride for generations, but has created a symbol epitomizing strength and character to help the community move forward with a positive attitude."

View more pictures of the unveiling event »

Stobswood boost title credentials

2009-11-04T13:00:23Z

Stobswood Welfare, who have won their last seven games, look set for a prominent role in the race for promotion from the Northern Alliance Division Two.

The Welfare ended the lengthy unbeaten run of visitors Forest Hall and ran out 2-0 victors, with both of their goals tucked away in the opening half by Matthew Graham.

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

More local football stories from around the region »

Bronze memorial to Ellington Colliery unveiled

2009-10-30T08:06:52Z

A memorial celebrating the history of the region's last deep pit will be unveiled to local people next weekend.

The bronze statue of a miner and accompanying pit wheel will be unveiled at the former Ellington Colliery in Northumberland in a special ceremony and open day on Saturday November 7.

The sculpture - which commemorates the men who worked and died at the huge Ellington Combine - will take pride of place at the redundant site, which is now the subject of plans for housing, employment and leisure development.

It is the brainchild of a band of local volunteers, known as the Ellington Colliery Memorial Group, which was set up in 2007 and includes representatives of UK Coal, the National Union of Mineworkers and Ellington Parish Council.

Next weekend's event starts at 10.15am when the Ellington Colliery Band will play prior to the unveiling ceremony at 10.30am.

Ian Lavery, president of the NUM, and Jack Tubby, a former manager of Ellington Colliery, will jointly unveil the sculpture.

From 11am activities will take place inside the Ellington Colliery Social Centre and a marquee at the rear of the building. A local dance school will perform and local historian Ray Ditchburn will be providing visitors with information on the former colliery via a laptop.

Local author and Memorial Group chairman, Neil Taylor, will sign copies of a book on Ellington to mark the occasion.

The marquee will contain a display of mining artefacts and memorabilia from Beamish Museum, a collage of Ellington Colliery photographs and two memorial books to the men who lost their lives at Ellington and Lynemouth Collieries. There will be further musical entertainment from the Ellington Colliery Band, the 20,000 community song team, children from two local schools and the Ashington and District Male Voice Choir.

Organisers are hoping that as many people as possible will turn up on the day. Ellington was the region's only remaining deep mine when owner UK Coal announced its immediate closure in January 2005.

The £76,000 memorial project has secured £29,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other contributions.

Northumberland hospital plans get green light

2009-10-24T10:46:49Z

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.

ROADSHOW TO SHOWCASE HOSPITAL PLAN

People living in north Northumberland are being encouraged to give their views about plans to build a new hospital.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is organising a series of roadshows to find out what people want from a new hospital at Berwick.

The trust plans to replace the existing Berwick Infirmary with a new, purpose-built facility and is to take a mobile exhibition trailer to a number of communities.

The first venue for the roadshow will be the market in Marygate, Berwick, from 8am to 12.30pm on Saturday, October 31. Over the next week and a half, it will visit more than 20 venues.

For full details contact (0191) 203-1296 or email: foundation@northumbria.nhs.uk

Goals aplenty for Stobswood and Lynemouth

2009-10-21T13:58:07Z

Stobswood Welfare carried their impressive Northern Alliance league form into the cup arena when they visited Swalwell and triumphed 6-0.

In Division Two of the North Northumberland League, Lynemouth netted seven times in a victory over Springhill, Darren Burn celebrating a hat-trick. Rothbury continue to head the Division One table thanks to a fine win a Acklington.

More local football reports from around the region »

Widdrington Station residents win battle to keep green

2009-10-19T08:53:37Z

A campaign by people in a Northumberland village to secure special protection for an area of open land at the heart of their community has ended in success.

Residents and parish councillors in Widdrington Station near Morpeth sought to have the land in Grange Road officially designated as a village green, to safeguard it against any future threat of housing development.

They took up the cudgels last year when the land - used by local children as a play area - was threatened with a bid to build seven bungalows on it.

They went through the statutory process of seeking official registration as a village green, and now county councillors have approved the application.

An objection had been submitted by local housing association Castle Morpeth Housing, which inherited the land from the former borough council two years ago.

However, Castle Morpeth Housing decided not to pursue the objection, and now the county council's rights of way committee has conferred official village green status after holding a site visit.

Parish councillor Joe Sennett said: "Castle Morpeth Housing approached us some time ago about building bungalows in the village and we were interested, because we need new homes. However, when people found out that they wanted to build on the green all hell broke loose.

"This is one of the very few green areas we have in Widdrington Station and it was decided to officially register it as village green so that no-one can touch it in the future. Children play on it and it has just always been regarded as the village green. The whole village feels it should be kept as a recreational facility."

Members of the rights of way committee were told they should agree to the village green designation if they were satisfied that the requirements for registration had been met.

The villagers' application was backed by 28 supporting statements and a 73-name petition.

A spokesman for Castle Morpeth Housing said: "We objected to this application last September when it was first brought to our attention, as it relates to land we own.

"As a social landlord, spending public money, we are duty bound to look after all aspects of our property but, on this occasion, we decided not to pursue the matter further and were not represented at the hearing."

Rare birds at Druridge Pools attracting visitors

2009-10-17T10:00:59Z

Two rare birds that have turned up in Northumberland are attracting busloads of admirers.

A glossy ibis and a Raddes warbler have taken up residence at Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Druridge Pools nature reserve.

The ibis usually migrates for the winter from Mediterranean countries to Africa, while the warbler makes the journey from Siberia to South East Asia.

Both are believed to have been blow well off course and have landed on the reserve behind Druridge Bay.

"They are attracting bird watchers from far and wide, with busloads arriving," said trust conservation manager Steve Lowe.

The glossy part of the long-beaked ibis's name refers to the bird's iridescent green wings.

"It is a very obliging and quite colourful bird. It has been feeding in front of the reserve's bird hide," said Mr Lowe. "There are plenty of fish, frogs and snails for it to eat and it is doing quite well."

But Mr Lowe said that if the bird elected to stay, it would be unlikely to survive a cold winter snap in Northumberland.

People who visit the reserve to see the birds are being asked to keep to the site's paths and bird hide to minimise disturbance to the wildfowl.

Pictured: The Druridge Glossy ibis, by Alan Tilmouth