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We are delighted to announce that the Aurora Orbs are now available to be used by trained and insured Meditation Teachers as part of their Meditation Classes. On Saturday 9th September there is a special event taking place at The Old Police Station in Bedlington for Meditation Teachers to meet the Aurora Orbs, learn how to guide their clients to select the Orb that is right for them and understand the support that Aurora Orbs can give to Meditation Teachers to help develop and guide their clients on their next step. The event is FREE, only limited tickets are available, it's recomnded that you book your place in advance. If you are unable to attend the day and are interested in finding out more please join the Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/341668059623904/ Thank you.

FAMILY FUN DAY at Prudhoe East Centre We have stalls which will range from tombola’s, raffles and the guess the name of the teddy bear, where the winner will be going home with a furry friend. There will be plenty of refreshments in the form of hot dogs, sandwiches, homemade cakes and a selection of drinks and of course ice cream. WHEN: Thursday the 10th of August between 12pm and 4pm. WHERE: The East Centre, Front Street, Prudhoe, Northumberland NE42 5HN WHO: Young people from Northumberland have organised a family fun day for the local community in Prudhoe. The aim of this fun day is to raise awareness for the following charities: Teenage Cancer Trust, Beat and Helping Hands but it is also to promote the amazing work of Prudhoe East and the wonderful people who run it. The young people have organised a day that families of all description can enjoy that is accessible to everyone. The young people have worked with the local community, business to achieve the best fun day they could. Prudhoe Youth Charity Shop has provided lots of support and have encouraged the project. Wheelbirks Farm and Cafe Ginevra have kindly donated Ice Cream for the day. The event was completely organised by young people from Northumberland as part Northumberland Youth Service’s National Citizen Programme.

A much valued community funding scheme has been improved and relaunched by Northumberland County Council. One of the key improvements to the authority’s Community Chest Fund is a new grant aimed specifically at the under 18s. Under the new plans there will be a ‘Help For You’ scheme for young people. Grants of up to £200 will be available to help individuals under 18 in pursuing a particular ambition - whether it is sporting, musical or academic. Previous local and countywide elements of the community chest have been retained following a review and the authority is committing £375,300 this year to the fund. For local schemes, there will be a £5,000 upper grant limit with a maximum award of 75% of the cost of any proposal. These will be managed and allocated by Northumberland’s five local area councils. Each local area council will also have the flexibility to identify particular priority themes which are seen as particularly relevant to their communities. For the countywide element, the pot has been doubled to £60,000. There will be no upper grant limit, but the maximum grant award will be 75% of the project’s costs. Leader of Northumberland County Council, Peter Jackson said: “We are delighted to relaunch this much valued community funding scheme. We know that it has been of great benefit to communities across the county and wished to make sure that this benefit is enhanced in the future. “We have listened to views during a review and feel that we have made some very helpful changes. One of the most exciting improvements is that we have widened the appeal of the fund to the younger generation. We have introduced a grant specifically dedicated to individuals under 18s, called Help For You. This is aimed at assisting young people to pursue their ambitions which could be sporting, musical or academic. “We have also ensured that there is a consistent approach to assessing projects across the county, with the community chest budget managed and allocated locally by each area council and based broadly on the population living within that area.” The community chest fund has been in operation in Northumberland since 2009 and over its lifetime 1,450 awards totalling £2.6million have been made to voluntary and community groups to develop projects that enhance the environment, improve health and wellbeing and strengthen communities. Key features of the scheme are: A ‘Help For You’ scheme for young people; Community chest budgets managed and allocated by local area councils; The budget for each area council based on the population living in that area; Local area councils able to identify funding themes relevant to their communities; For local schemes, a £5,000 upper grant limit with a maximum award of 75% of the cost of any proposal; The countywide element of the fund doubled to £60,000, with no upper limit but the maximum grant award of 75% of the project’s costs, and Two funding rounds each year. The deadline for the first round of applications is scheduled for Friday 29 September and the second 12 January 2018. Find out all about the fund here.

A sizzling BBQ, fresh organic vegetables, and a live jazz band are all on offer at the Sleekburn Horticultural Training Unit’s August open day. The busy horticultural training unit is opening its doors on Saturday 19 August between 11am and 2pm, Visitors can pop in, enjoy a BBQ and live music and take a tour around the purpose built training facility including the several acres of vegetable and soft fruit patches, greenhouses, potting shed, secret gardens and the stable building and paddock which is home to the centre’s resident horses. The BBQ will be running from 12.30 for which there will be a charge of £5 per person. Northumberland County Councillor Veronica Jones, cabinet member for adult well being and health, said: “This project gives people with all levels of learning disabilities the opportunity to work as part of a team to plant, grow and harvest crops while also selling to and engaging with members of the local community. “The adults have been working hard throughout the spring and summer tending to a fantastic array of fruit and vegetables which have been grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. “If you are able to support their work by coming along, having a look around the site, seeing what we do, and perhaps making a purchase please do.” Produce on sale at the opening day will all be freshly picked and all money from the sales will be reinvested back into the service. The centre is used by adults with learning disabilities and is managed by Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust on behalf of Northumberland County Council. The unit supports 18 adults each day, providing the opportunity to work as part of a team to plant, grow and harvest a number of crops and to learn how to look after horses and hens. Food will be served from 12pm .There is a charge of £5 per person for the barbecue. Sleekburn Horticultural Training Unit can be found at West Sleekburn Farm Cottages in Bedlington, NE22 7AD, just follow the brown sign to Sleekburn Kitchen Gardens.

The second summer season of the Peregrini Lindisfarne Community Archaeology project on Holy Island has been successfully concluded with spectacular results. In addition to the significant and well publicised discovery of the foundations of a possible early Anglo-Saxon chapel on the crown of The Heugh, other exciting remains were uncovered in the vicinity. To the west of the chapel, close to the existing war memorial, further investigation was carried out on the remains of a substantial stone-built platform structure partially uncovered last year, which has been tentatively identified as the base of a tower, again possibly of Anglo-Saxon date. Mortared into the south face of the platform structure, which consisted of a single course of rough cobbles, the excavators discovered a socketed stone, thought to be a reused stone cross-base, and an external surface of small rounded cobbles in the same area. The presence of a cross-base suggests the possibility that the platform feature may have originally been the site of a ceremonial cross. The Lantern Chapel, at the west end of The Heugh, was also investigated. This has been a poorly understood building and, in its current form, bears little resemblance to a chapel, although a chapel-like structure is depicted in this position on a map of the island dating from 1548. Excavation here seems to have confirmed the existence of this chapel by uncovering the footings of an east-west wall sitting directly upon the natural bedrock, apparently the remains of an older, narrower building on an east-west axis beneath the visible walls. A grave had been cut into the bedrock within the chapel and the disturbed remains of several individuals were found above it, but left undisturbed. Although the dates of construction and use of the three major structures excavated on The Heugh in 2017 remain unclear, it is likely that they represent a long period of sacral activity and it is hoped that the analysis of samples taken from all three sites will provide significant additional information in the coming months. In addition to the cultural heritage of The Heugh, the natural environment has also been studied and appreciated as part of the wider Peregrini Lindisfarne project, which has been made possible by National Lottery players thanks to a £1.37m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The whin bedrock upon which two of the excavated structures are founded has been studied by geologist Ian Kille, while the plants and animals of The Heugh and its southern shore are as inspiring now as they were to St Cuthbert and his contemporaries. Prior to this season’s excavations, the natural environment had already given some clues to the hidden secrets of The Heugh, when a botanist working on the Peregrini Whin Grassland project recently questioned why different non-whin type plants were present on parts of The Heugh; the archaeology project has answered this question, showing that these plants were growing over the sandstone chapel. This season’s work on and around The Heugh has confirmed the importance of Holy Island in terms of its natural history and cultural heritage which combine to produce a unique and inspiring landscape. Conservation Manager, Sara Rushton said: "The results of this year’s excavations on The Heugh have exceeded all our expectations and will cause us to radically re-think how this narrow, exposed rocky ridge was used in the medieval and early-medieval period. These discoveries will make an important contribution to our understanding of the development of the monastery on Holy Island." The significance of the archaeology and the national importance of the natural environment will require a careful balancing act and much thought as to how best to holistically manage both. The archaeological sites have been temporarily backfilled and the nationally important habitat restored in order to give the community and other stakeholders time to develop a new project to look at, interpret and manage the whole Heugh - a real legacy for the Peregrini Lindisfarne project. Peregrini is a landscape partnership project made up of community, voluntary and public sector organisations. The project has received £1.37m funding through the Heritage Lottery Fund and is part of their national Landscape Partnership Programme. Partner’s funds and other grants dictate that over the next three years the £1.82million project will fund a wide variety of conservation and engagement projects on Holy Island and the adjacent mainland. The Peregrini Lindisfarne Landscape Partnership Scheme is managed by a Partnership of professional and community representatives from Holy Island and surrounding shore side area. The lead organisation for the Scheme is the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, hosted by Northumberland County Council. Councillor John Riddle, cabinet member for planning at the county council said: "It is fantastic that this archaeology project is unearthing such significant remains on Holy Island, confirming the importance of the area in terms of its natural history and cultural heritage. I look forward to hearing the results of the further analysis of samples that have been taken from the three sites and to see what additional information this will provide." Photo: Aerial shot of the chapel, courtesy of The Archaeological Practice

Every Friday morning join me in this beginners pilates class. Places must be booked as there is limited space and a medical form completed before the session to confirm your place. Pilates 💜 mind body connection. Improve your posture, gain flexibility, develop your core are some of the amazing benefits of pilates.

Every Thursday evening join me in this beginners pilates class. Places must be booked as there is limited space and a medical form completed before the session to confirm your place. Pilates 💜 mind body connection. Improve your posture, gain flexibility, develop your core are some of the amazing benefits of pilates

Sitting behind her kitchen table at her Bedlington home, screen writer Rebecca Innes got hard at work to produce her first feature film. Now her masterpiece has been released in Malaysia and she hopes it will be screened in Britain in the near future. And the former St Benet Biscop Catholic High School pupil has told how she was so proud of her work when she travelled to the Asian country to see the premier last week. Now the 29-year-old is planning on rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous when the film is entered into the big film festivals, including Cannes, Raindance, Sundance. “I was really proud when I saw it on screen, it was really nice for me,” said Rebecca. “It is rare to get a feature film before a short film and to hear the actors speak the lines I wrote was so special. They did an excellent job too.” Rebecca was the lead writer for the film titled ‘Hijabsta Ballet’, which hit the cinemas in Malaysia on August 3.

A successful summer fair was held before the end of term at Choppington Primary School to raise funds for important resources and equipment.

Parking studies will be taking place in the county’s market towns over the summer which will help develop options for future parking needs in Northumberland. Concerns about parking capacity are regularly raised with the County Council and the new administration are working to get a clearer picture of capacity and usage of carparks. A study is already underway in Berwick and further studies will be carried out over the next two months in the market towns of Hexham, Morpeth and Alnwick, with the final reports being received by the Council in November. Motorists and car park users may see traffic surveys taking place but there won’t be any disruption for drivers. The people undertaking the studies will be carrying appropriate identification. Councillor Glen Sanderson, Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said: “Despite the introduction of free parking some years ago, communities are often telling us that a lack of parking capacity is having a negative effect on their local economy and the sustainability of their towns. “We’re listening to these concerns and as a first step have commissioned a study to investigate the current car parking situation within each of the four main market towns where parking capacity has been identified as a key issue. “This will establish current patterns of use and enable us to factor in the future demand for car parking spaces so that we can fully understand what improvements are required now and in the future and look at what’s needed in terms of any new car parking sites.” “Ultimately we want all our communities to prosper and have the right balance of sustainable parking for residents, visitors and businesses and this is the first step in making that happen.”

Officials have been urged by a large group of Bedlington residents to protect the ‘jewel in the crown’ of Humford Country Park.

A teenager with a crooked spine that resembles an ‘S’ is heading to Germany for life-changing surgery in the next few hours - and it’s all thanks to you. Lucy Huddleston suffers from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which is an abnormal twisting and curvature of the spine. With the help of people from across the North East and beyond, more than £53,000 has been raised to send Lucy abroad. The 16-year-old is travelling overseas on Friday for surgery which her family pray will correct the spine’s curves, without the need for fusion treatment. Mum Lisa, 45, said: “We’ve been blown away by the fundraising and we’re so grateful. “I fill up every time I look at the fundraising page at how nice people are, and a lot of them are complete strangers. The support has been amazing.”

£3 per ticket. Pre book your tickets now by leaving a message on our Facebook page, or call in and see us at the bar!

Northumberland County Council's Community Chest grant scheme is now open for applications for 2017/2018. One off grants of up to £60,000 for county wide projects, £5,000 for local area projects and a new £200 young persons grant for achieving a particular ambition are available. Applications will be decided by a Grant Panel established by each of the five new Local Area Councils and the first deadline for applications is Friday 29th September. The aim of the Community Chest Scheme is to support community groups and organisations to deliver activities which contribute to achieving the Council’s ambition for Northumberland. In addition, a new small grant scheme, Help For You, has been included specifically to help young people under 18 to achieve an ambition (see below).The fund will support one-off initiatives that are: seen as valuable to the area are not able to secure mainstream funding from the council or other sources They do this by giving one-off grants of up to £5,000, but not exceeding 75% of the actual costs, i.e. you will need to find at least 25% from your own or other sources.You are advised to read the guidelines carefully before applying. To help the council decide between different applications, there are higher and lower priorities for the scheme. Higher priority will be given to: Projects submitted by small community groups, defined as having an income of less than £10,000 per year and no paid staff Initiatives that will help community groups to become sustainable in the longer term Groups who have not received a grant from the community chest in the past Lower priority will be given to groups who have received a community chest grant in the past two years and those that apply for projects similar to previous years. If your group or organisation does not meet the priorities, then an application can still be made but is less likely to be successful. If your project seeks to benefit the County as a whole, then it may be considered as a Countywide project, for which £60,000 per annum is set aside. Such projects are considered by a separate panel of Area Chairs that meets more regularly. Although the maximum grant remains 75% of the actual costs, the upper cap of £5,000 does not apply. Help For You Grants of up to £200 are available for young people aged under 18 to support them in pursuing a particular ambition. A maximum of £2,000 has been ring-fenced for each local area council. For further information visit the Northumberland County Council website or contact: Community Regeneration Team Ecomony and Inclusion Policy Team Planning and Economy Directorate Northumberland County Council County Hall Morpeth NE61 2EF

Crowds flocked to Bedlington on Saturday to enjoy the second Northumberland Live of the year. The family-friendly festival took place in the town’s Gallagher Park, with headline act The Commitments performing soul classics such as Mustang Sally, Destination Anywhere and In the Midnight Hour. Other musical entertainment on the bill included the West End 80’s Mania Show, UB40 tribute band Ultimate 40, Pacific, The Sleeze Sisters, The Understudies, Just So and Unplugged.

Northumbrian Water will be carrying out routine water mains cleaning until August 11th between the hours of 8am and 6pm in the area shown below. Residents are advised that water discolouration may occur during this time but remains safe. It is not necessary to contact Northumbrian water if discoloured water is noticed and running the first mains fed tap in your home (typically the cold water tap in the kitchen) for up to 30 minutes is advised. It is not recommended that washing machines and dish washers be used until water is running clear. If you have a metered supply and you receive discoloured water during the course of this work, please call Northumbrian water on 0845 717 1100 as you can claim an allowance on your bill. More info at https://www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/your-account/in-your-area/mains-cleaning.aspx

Local legend Russ Tippins returns to Platform 1, this time accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, and whatever backing vocals you can supply! Performing hit sing-aong songs from bands such as ELO, Led Zepellin, Bowie and more, it'll be a great night for acoustic and band fans alike! Free Entry - On Stage for 9pm - Under 18's (12+) welcome accompanied by an adult.

Another debut performance for local 5 piece, female fronted Elenbak. A no-nonsense full on rock band, performing songs by artists including U2, Guns N Roses, and Foo Fighters to name a few. No miming, no backing tracks, just rock rock, and more rock! Free entry - Bar open from 7pm - Under 18's welcome when accompanied by adults (12+)

Platform 1 and East Bedington Community Centre bring you yet another night packed full of local talent in the form of 3 very different artists: PEESH - Frontman of local 'Psycho Radio' band LoGoZ takes to the stage to perform some of his original material. Peesh has previously played in the Buffet Car and went down a storm, so we can't wait to welcome him to the big stage - we know you'll enjoy it just as much as we will! RAY ROWLEY - North Tyneside songwriter Ray will entertain everyone, with songs such as 'Workie Ticket' and 'We're Geordies' - he'll have you singing along and getting involved. Not just a musician, Ray puts on a one man show which will put a smile on everyone's face. MUDDY LINE - Fiishing off the night we have a fantastic local band, bringing you a mixture of covers and originals, featuring more instruments than you can shake a stick at. Vocal harmonies, tambourines, electro-acoustic guitars, and even a mandolin - definitley an audio delight by anyone's standards! All of this packed in to one night, all for FREE! Bar will be open from 7pm, and live music will start around 8:30pm. Under 18's welcome when accompanied by adults (12+).

Northumberland County Council has secured £5m in national funding for major road improvements. The authority successfully bid for its share of £75 million from the government’s national Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund. Local authorities were challenged to put forward schemes which could make a real difference to road users. Glen Sanderson, the County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services: “This is absolutely fantastic news for the council,the people of Northumberland and all those who use our road network. “We’re delighted to have secured this level of funding which, combined with a further £1.5m input from ourselves, will see improvements to 24km of highway along three key routes in the more rural parts of the county. “These are crucial routes for the timber industry, quarrying and tourism and of course the residents who use these roads each day. The money, which will be spent this financial year, will fund a range of improvements, from strengthening the roads through to drainage work and resurfacing. “The bid had widespread support from a range of partners as well as local MPs and is a further demonstration of this administration’s commitment to making long term improvements and investment on our county’s roads. “We’re also pleased to be the only local authority in the region to have secured successive back to back awards from the national Highway Maintenance Challenge Fund. “It is also testament to all the hard work put in by our highways team to have submitted such a persuasive and comprehensive bid and I’m extremely proud of them.”

Northumberland County Council has been praised for its role as a landlord at a regional awards ceremony. At the Energy Efficiency and Healthy Homes Awards last week, the council picked up highly commended in the Landlord of the Year category and commended in the Small Project of the Year (Under £250k) award. The awards were in relation to a pilot project in Cramlington which has transformed a “Dorran” style property into a more energy efficient property. Dorran properties were a popular post-war style of construction, using concrete panels, and often have issues with insulation. The pilot scheme, at a property in Allerhope, saw the council team up with external wall specialists, Alumasc Facades and Westdale services. A steel structure was added to the concrete panels to strengthen the external wall and ensure it could withstand the weight of new insulation and render. It was then finished with a unique “brick” effect render to modernise the property. All the windows in the property have also been replaced. The scheme will now be rolled out across the estate with a further 82 properties set to receive the same work over the next two years. Coun John Riddle, Cabinet member for Planning, Housing and Resilience at the council, said: “This is fantastic recognition for an innovative pilot scheme, intended to not only improve the energy efficiency of the property, but also the appearance. “Our tenant is extremely happy with the work and has already noticed the benefits with the property feeling warmer and better insulated. “We will now be rolling the project out over the next two years, to include all other council-owned homes on the estate. We hope this will have a really positive impact on the quality of life for the tenants but also the community as a whole.” Ward councillor for the area, Mark Swinburn, said: “It’s great to see the success of this pilot scheme. I am really pleased to see that the scheme will be progressing across the estate for the benefit of all residents.” Tyrone Lawton, Area Technical Manager for Alumasc Facades, said: “The council has done a fantastic job in transforming a dated dorran property to a modern looking, energy efficient home. “The council has gone that extra mile by putting their tenants first: helping with energy efficiency, saving on utility bills but also dramatically improving the appearance of the property.”

Three students who all fell pregnant and gave birth while in the middle of the same degree at the University of Sunderland have graduated with honours together at the Stadium of Light.

Thousands of music lovers rocked out as The Commitments brought a touch of soul to the Northumberland Live festival. The “World’s Hardest Working Band” headlined the day-long event on Saturday, which drew in the crowds to Bedlington’s Gallagher Park. The eight-piece band - headed up by frontman Dave Finnegan who played bouncer and drummer Mickah Wallace in The Commitments film - played all the classics, including Mustang Sally and In the Midnight Hour. They were joined on the bill by The Sleeze Sisters, The Understudies, Just So and Unplugged. Festival-goers also enjoyed a range of food as well as a display by the Royal Logistics Corps’ parachute display team The Silver Stars. Northumberland Live organiser, Mel Jackson, said: “The day has been fantastic - it has been jumping.

Resting in her bed, Holly Oakley often wonders what life lies ahead for her. The 16-year-old claims she has been left a “prisoner in her own home” after taking the controversial HPV vaccine. Holly says she has been left virtually housebound by the human papilloma virus injections, which help prevent cervical cancer. Once part of Newcastle United’s academy, the teenager now suffers from severe fatigue and is often too exhausted to get out of bed. Mum Vicky, 46, is certain her daughter’s health problems are linked to the Gardasil vaccine, which is routinely offered to 12 and 13-year-old girls to protect them against cancer. She said: “Holly was energetic and full of life. After the vaccines her life would never be the same again. There needs to be more information about the risks.

A number of parks in South Northumberland have officially been named among the best in Britain.