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With less than 50 days to go until the Tour of Britain races through Northumberland,  businesses, community groups and local residents are being called upon to help decorate the route and help turn the county red and yellow - the colours of the Northumberland flag.

The people of Northumberland are being asked to take part in the colourful project painting and displaying their old or unwanted bicycles to celebrate the Northumberland stage of the race which takes place on Monday September 4.

Businesses can also get involved by dressing their streets and shop windows with red and yellow bunting, flags, flowers or cycling displays.

The Northumberland stage of the race is due to start  in Kielder Water & Forest Park  and finish in Blyth, passing  through  28  communities along its 211 km route.

In 2015 The Tour of Britain swept through the county creating a wave of excitement as some of the world’s top cyclists, including Sir Bradley Wiggins cycled through our communities.

Residents and businesses dressed the route in the distinctive red and yellow colours of the Northumberland flag and thousands of spectators lined the route to cheer on the cyclists and give them a fantastic welcome.  It is hoped that this year  local communities will be just as involved.

Northumberland County Councillor, Cath Homer, cabinet member with responsibility for culture, arts and leisure  said:

“ The  Tour of Britain is the UK’s largest professional cycle race and is broadcast all around the world so it is a great chance to showcase the county as a fabulous place to visit and cycle in.


“We want to  add a real splash of the Northumberland  red and yellow  colours to the race route and would really like local residents to help us by getting creative and getting involved.  We’ve spoken to  the parish councils along the route  and would really like local people to support them in decorating  their communities.”


The eight-stage race runs from 3- 10 September with the Northumberland stage taking place on Monday 4 September –  full Northumberland route details can be found at www.nlandtob.com  
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Summer means festivals and, while that can also mean muddy mayhem, it mainly means marvellous music - and lots of it.
It's certainly not all about Glastonbury or other biggies such as Reading or Leeds. Newcastle and the wider North East has plenty of its own to be proud of and there’s no need to spend hundreds of pounds on a ticket - not to mention travelling costs - when there are music festivals galore on your doorstep.
As festival season gets underway, here is a round-up of where and when you can enjoy live music this summer, whether you like to dip your toes somewhere new, such as Q Festival, or whether you're a regular at South Tyneside Festival.
Our guide - and we'll be adding to it - covers the region.
In Northumberland, we've already enjoyed Northumberland Live at Blyth Beach as well as Corbridge Festival and have just danced along to SummerTyne Americana Festival on Gateshead Quayside - but there are lots more festivals to come, ranging from Live From Times Square in Newcastle, which is up next, to Harwick Live in County Durham.
So get planning to get out there in the fresh air - even if it turns out a bit too fresh on occasion - and prepare to soak up enough festival experience to generate musical memories for years to come.
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The likes of Mustang Sally and In the Midnight Hour are set to rock Bedlington on Saturday when the day-long Northumberland Live gets underway.
The Commitments will be topping the bill at the music festival which is set to draw crowds to the town’s Gallagher Park.
The eight-piece headliners - headed up by frontman Dave Finnegan who played bouncer and drummer Mickah Wallace in The Commitments film - will be setting the tone on the day with their instantly-recognisable soul classics - which also include Destination Anywhere - and all the hits from the famous movie.
After last weekend’s wet weather put a dampener on Sunderland Airshow and Pride festival, it’s fingers crossed for the free family-friendly event.
But optimistic promoters reckon that it will be a case of temperatures “in the 70s and music in the 80s” on Saturday as the play-list gets underway.
Also on the programme will be the likes of the West End 80’s Mania show, featuring songs and dance from the age of synthesizers and leggings, plus UB40 tribute band Ultimate 40.
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Northern Pride has been growing in strength since it began 10 years ago. Northumberland County Council is proud to be part of the movement, helping to break down barriers and creating a more open dialogue with members of the LGBT community.    Northern Pride took place on Newcastle Town Moor from 21st to 23rd July and Northumberland County Council was there to show support for the LGBT community. Along with flying the rainbow flag at County Hall, members of the County Council took part in the Pride parade and also held a joint stall during the weekend’s event along with colleagues from Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.    Northumberland County Council is committed to building relationships with the LGBT community. Working in partnership with local and national groups, a ‘toolkit’ has been developed to help the growing number of schools who are supporting young people who question their assigned gender identity.    Northumberland County Councillor Veronica Jones, cabinet member for Adult Wellbeing and Health, said: “Northumberland County Council is a keen supporter of Northern Pride and undertakes a range of activities to support and work with the LGBT community. Through Northern Pride we can engage directly with members of the LGBT community and showcase our services.    “Our work to increase engagement and support for the LGBT community builds upon our involvement with Northern Pride and includes: our work with schools, creating a safe working environment and supporting our LGBT staff, engaging with young people and the wider LGBT community. We also aim to increase the diversity of our workforce by providing information on our apprenticeship opportunities,  jobs and careers  at our Pride stall”
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The launch of new identity cards for people with brain injuries comes as welcome relief for survivors in the North East.
His Royal Highness Prince Harry has launched the new initiative by Headway, a charity that supports people affected by brain injury.
The card is part of the charity’s Justice Project, which aims to raise awareness of brain injury within the criminal justice system, and ensure survivors are identified at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure they receive appropriate support.
The ID card has the additional benefit of breaking down social exclusion, with holders having renewed confidence in the knowledge they can easily explain their support needs should they require assistance in everyday situations.
Charles Southam, 28, from Bedlington, who receives support from local group Headway Tyneside, is grateful for the idea.
He said: “Brain injury is often a hidden disability and people struggle to understand that service users have anything wrong with them because they look so ‘normal’.
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A man has been charged following a spate of thefts in the Blyth area. 
Since June 1 this year 40 thefts from vehicles have been reported in Blyth, mainly within the Crofton Grange and South Shore estates. The majority of the offending took place overnight during a weekend.
A full investigation was launched by the Blyth Neighbourhood Police team and more than 20 hours of CCTV footage was reviewed by officers.
Now police have charged Dylan Woods, 20, of Barnard Street Blyth with five counts of theft from a motor vehicle.
Woods appeared before magistrates in Bedlington and is now remanded in custody until a further court hearing later this month.
Another male, age 16, was arrested and released under investigation.
Neighbourhood Sergeant for Blyth, Jonny Pallace, said: "We take burglary very seriously in Northumbria and we hope local people feel reassured by the swift response to the incidents reported to us recently. High visibility crime prevention patrols were put in place as soon as we saw the pattern of offending.
"However, local residents can take preventative measures themselves. Of the 40 thefts from vehicle crimes reported to us, 35 were due to the vehicles being unlocked. Our advice is simple: lock your vehicles, look after your property and always report anyone suspicious you see hanging around streets and neighbourhoods. You could be helping stop thefts from happening and helping us keep our communities safe. We'd also encourage anyone who hasn't reported a crime of this nature in the area to come forward - we will follow up and take action."
Anyone who has information about the incidents in Crofton Grange and South Shore estates should call officers on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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The search is on for magical creatures living underneath Ashington.
The Wonderfolk are rumoured to exist along the abandoned coal seams under Woodhorn Colliery.
But now a team of experts are set to find the elusive beings and bring their stories to life.
Anyone can join them on an interactive trail lasting all summer.
Visitors will meet Professor Parkyr, a world expert in unexplained underground life forms, and with the help of a magical miner’s lamp will go on a special mission to track down and uncover the stories and secrets of the Wonderfolk.
The search for Woodhorn’s alternative and magical past begins on Monday with the launch of an interactive tour.
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An ambitious programme of extra verge cutting has ensured that Northumberland is looking its best ahead of the main tourist season.

The county council drafted in extra resources ahead of the summer season, increasing the number of tractors with specialist cutting equipment and aiming to carry out additional grass cutting along highway verges across the county.

Progress has been swift, with 96% of all scheduled cuts completed, with the remaining scheduled verge cutting done before the end of July.

This is a significant improvement on last year’s performance. At the same time in July 2016 only 16% of scheduled cuts had been done and it was October before all the cuts had been completed.

The work is vital  to ensure that vegetation does not restrict visibility for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. In addition to the road safety benefits, these works also improve the look of an area and keeps the network in better condition by preventing plants taking hold on the side of roads.

The improvement will now also allow the teams time to return and undertake a second cut at key junctions, leading to further improvements in road safety.

There are a small number of verges that have been left intentionally uncut at the request of ecology groups to maintain flower-rich habitats in specific areas of interest and these will be cut later in the season.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Environment and Local Services, said: “I’m delighted at the progress we’ve made so far, which improves road safety and has the added benefit of helping make the county look really neat, tidy and well maintained.

“One of our priorities is to improve the condition of the road network and invest in improvements that benefit everyone. This is a great example of where the council has identified a quick win that will bring longer term benefits.

“We’ve taken immediate steps to focus on verge cutting and extra weeding to ensure Northumberland is looking its best ahead of the main tourist season.

“I am very grateful to all staff for their great and much appreciated efforts in getting this work done so quickly and efficiently.”  


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