Weardale Community News June Edition

June 2020

Weardale shows

are cancelled

Free in Weardale

www.wcng.org Edition 2

Westgate’s weekly

lockdown dance party

Wolsingham show is fantastically popular

UNCERTAINTY over the

duration of the Covid-19

pandemic and the continuing

need for social distancing

means that the future

of social and agricultural

events all over Weardale is

in doubt.

All of Weardale’s main

agricultural shows have now

been cancelled due to the

Covid-19 pandemic.

Weardale Show, held

annually in St. John’s Chapel,

was the first to announce

that they would not be going

ahead and would postpone

until 2021. The sad decision

was announced on the 10th

May. This year’s show in

August would have been the

151st Weardale Show.

Wolsingham and Wear

Valley Agricultural Society

have also made the decision

to cancel this year’s

Wolsingham Show, with

Stanhope Show cancelling in

the same week.

A press release from

Wolsingham said “This is

sad, but it seems clear the

spread of the Coronavirus at

large public gatherings poses

a significant risk to health

and we fully comply with

the government’s guidance

to defeat this disease. We

feel that due to our large

attendance it would be

impossible for us to enforce

the 2m social distancing

rule.”

“The cancellation of

this year’s Wolsingham

Show was a difficult

decision to make as we

understand that the show

is greatly anticipated by all

members of the agricultural

community and the tens of

thousands of visitors that we

welcome annually.”

Hopefully the show will

return next year on the 4th

and 5th of September.

The organisers of

Stanhope Show had initially

announced that they were

continuing organise the

show for this year and would

reassess the situation at the

end of June. However the

decision to cancel for 2020

was announced on the 22nd

of May. In a statement the

organisers said

“The safety and security

of the general public,

competitors, traders,

visitors, attractions and

committee members, at

the show is of the utmost

importance.

The very nature of the

show means that people

come together to celebrate,

to exhibit and spectate and

given the requirements of

social distancing, we would

Credit Wolsingham and Wear Valley Agricultural Society

not be able to guarantee

that social distancing. We

simply cannot and will not

compromise the safety of

anyone.”

The next Stanhope show

will now take place on the

11th and 12th of September

2021

Agricultural shows are a

key part of Weardale life and

run throughout the summer,

so the absence of shows in

the Dale will be keenly felt

this year.

The shows are

fantastically popular with

thousands of attendees and

boast an enormous range of

classes and events.

Acts of kindness

during lockdown

By County Councillor Anita

Savory

OVER the lockdown period

I have been aware of many

acts of kindness, people

looking out for family,

friends, and neighbours,

demonstrating a real

community spirit.

I was so touched by

three generations from one

family who are on lockdown

doing their bit to help

others. Lilian Peart, formerly

from Weardale, now lives

with her daughter Sharon

Hogarth and granddaughter

Sophie, in Bishop Auckland.

What a team these ladies

have been.

They have spent their

time selling items and every

penny has been donated

to local charities. The

recipients of their efforts

are the Foodbank in Bishop

Auckland and The Friends

of Weardale Community

Hospital, who received

£100. The Friends are so very

grateful for their donation

and kindness.

The trio also donated

£200 to the Women’s Refuge

in Bishop Auckland, another

worthy cause supporting

women and children who

are victims of domestic

abuse.

The efforts of these

three ladies will benefit

many families. This is a real

example of selflessness and

generosity to others during

these challenging times.

Thank you to all the unsung

heroes going the extra mile

for others.

Dancing outside of the Hare and Hounds in Westgate

WESTGATE residents are

raising spirits during the

dancing to their favourite

tunes.

lockdown by holding a Social distancing and safety

regular dance party.

Each Sunday during the

lockdown at 7pm, residents

is observed at all times, with

residents maintaining the

required 2 metres between

have been outside and each dancer.

CORONAVIRUS

STAY ALERT

TO STAY SAFE

Keep a safe distance from others

Wash your hands the moment

you get home

Weardale’s free monthly paper

Page 2 Weardale Community News, June 2020 www.wcng.org

THE Weardale Community

News is looking for

volunteers to join our board

of directors.

The Weardale Community

News Group is a Community

Interest Company, or CIC,

with any surplus profit

put back towards the

community that it serves.

This means that we don’t

have shareholders to pay

and directors work on an

entirely voluntary basis.

We need people to join

our board of directors in

order to help decide the

future of the paper, the

direction to go and, crucially,

which causes in Weardale to

support.

Directors and

volunteers wanted

If you would like to get

involved with the project,

please send your details to

admin@wcng.org.

There is no financial

liability to being a volunteer

director of a Community

Interest Group, with the only

commitment being to attend

occasional meetings.

We also require

volunteer journalists and

correspondents throughout

the Dale to report on shows,

take photos of anything

interesting when out and

about and keep us informed

about the goings on of

Weardale life.

If you’re a budding

reporter, photographer, or

Durham County

carers support

DURHAM County Carers

Support is a charitable

organisation that provides

support to Carers looking

after family members or

friends who live in County

Durham. Although we are

currently unable to offer

face to face support, due

to the Covid-19 pandemic,

the following support is still

available:

•Telephone support, information and advice: Tel: 0300 005

1213 (Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm)

•Facebook updates (daily) and direct messaging

service www.facebook.co.uk and also directly at

durhamcountycarerssupport@dccarers

•Online chat through the website www.dccarers.org

•Telephone counselling service and if requested video

counselling

•Newsletter with useful information for Carers

•Carer break funding available for Carers to have time out

of their caring role (currently limited to hobbies/interests

within the government restrictions)

•Carers Discount and Carer Emergency Cards which are

currently being used by Carers for identification purposes

If you feel we can help, our contact details are : Telephone

0300 005 1213 Text: 07860 017 632 Email:admin@dccarers.

org.

just have an interest in life

in the Dale, then do send us

your news and pictures.

The Weardale News is

also keen to support arts in

the local area and once the

pandemic is over we will

publish a regular ‘What’s on

in Weardale’ section with a

complete listing of what is

taking place in Weardale.

We will also be publishing

local sports news and

results. So, if you belong to

a club, then please send in

anything that you would like

to share with us at the WCN.


News is your local paper, so

join us and help to shape

this new voice for Weardale!

Online

storytelling

POPULAR children’s

storytelling sessions will

continue to turn pages

despite lockdown.

Tune into storytime as

Durham County Council

library service brings

special audio broadcasts of

children’s classics online. We

have arranged for a special

series of stories and poems

to be put together, which

will soon be broadcast via

our website and social

media, for children to enjoy

in their own homes.

The sessions started in

April with favourite Chicken

Licken, and the remaining

broadcasts will take place on

Thursdays at 2pm.

Find out about what our

libraries have for the whole

family at: http://ow.ly/

p55q50z7EJN

Weardale Community News

Layout and editing: Paul Turton - paul@wcng.org

Advertising: Jack Vincent - jackvincent@wcng.org

Publishing Coordinator: Heather Giles - heather@wcng.org

To submit news and stories and to find out how you can contribute to the paper, please get in

touch with us using the address newsdesk@wcng.org.

For advertising rates and details of how to advertise with us, please contact Jack Vincent.

The Weardale Community News is produced in Stanhope by the Weardale Community News

Group CIC. The registered address of the community interest company is:

Weardale Community News Group, 2a St Mary’s Green, Whickham, NE16 4DN.

Corrections and Clarifications

We aim to ensure that articles published in the Weardale Community

News are truthful and accurate, but in the event of an error we will

correct or clarify any problems when they are brought to our

attention.

The Weardale Community News abides by The Editors

Code of Practice, which can be viewed in full at www.

editorscode.org.uk. If you have a complaint of have found any

inaccuracies in our reporting please contact us to let us know.

Submitted Content

The Weardale Community News welcomes submissions from

writers. The views expressed in those submissions do not

represent the views of the paper or those of the WCNG CIC. We

reserve the right to edit submissions. Letters must include a full

postal address.


Group CIC business update

By Jack Vincent

GETTING the first edition of

your Weardale Community

Newspaper out in the

middle of a pandemic and

lockdown was no easy task,

but the team worked hard to

achieve the goals set, and the

feedback we have received

has been great. Without

doubt, we would not have

achieved the success we

did without the help and

support of local businesses

and volunteers who took

stocks of the newspaper for

distribution.

Lakes & Dales Co-op

deserve a big shout out and

we thank the store staff and

teams behind the scenes for

organising the distribution.

At the time of writing this

update, the government

have eased some of the

restrictions and a lot of

people are just now looking

at returning to work. Luckily,

the volunteers behind the

newspaper have been able

to work from home, with

articles and interviews being

done through social media

and over the telephone.

From the outset, this

project has been built with

the following goals in mind:

•A free monthly newspaper

FAMILY finances have been

squeezed during the last

few months and, for the

vast majority of families,

spending on food has

increased with children

being at home all day, every

day.

‘It’s in the Bag’ has

been set up by Weardale’s

Area Action Partnership to

delivered to each household

and business in Weardale.

•Additional copies available

in retailers and at the many

visitor attractions and

holiday hot spots.

•Quality and positive news

from around Weardale.

•To support and promote

the excellent work done

through not for profit groups

& events.

•Wherever possible, to

provide opportunities for

direct employment of staff.

•To build and operate a

website and social media

presence to run alongside

the newspaper.

•To run the business as

a Community Interest

Company (CIC), with a board

of directors from a range of

backgrounds.

As at the 13th May, I am

pleased to confirm that we

have achieved 90% of the

original goals set and are

well on our way to resolving

the final matters.

At the end of May, we will

be inviting applicants for

interview for the newly

created Advertising Sales

Position. This will probably

be a part time position but

we hope, with the right

person developing the role,

that the advertising revenue

raised will pay for the

running of your newspaper.

Currently, we have 4

members who are acting as

Guardians of the newspaper

and business.

Two of those members

are myself and Paul Turton.

The others are residents of

Weardale but have been

silent until the first meeting

of the board is called and

roles agreed. We do need

and invite anyone with an

interest in the newspaper

to join as a member of the

board, and are particularly

seeking support from

representatives working

within other not for profit

groups.

In terms of time

commitment, we expect

the first few meetings to

be lengthy, as we agree the

way forward for the project

longer term, we would

be looking at quarterly

meetings of around an hour

or two.

If you have an interest in

this project, in any capacity,

please do reach out and

speak with us. You can call

on 01388 737423 or by email

to jackvincent@wcng.org

‘It’s in the bag!’ from the AAP

Cupboard essentials from Weardale’s AAP

provide all children of school

age with a bag of essential

non-perishable food items

during the school holidays.

Bags will be available

to be collected from local

collection points – special

arrangements can be made

for those who are selfisolating.

This project looks to

Dwight Appleton

Carpet Fitting

Experienced, Qualified and Insured.

For a no obligation quote call:

07908 791116

support the families in

Weardale with children, by

dropping off, a bag of some

of cupboard essentials. If

this would be helpful for

your family, let us know, by

emailing : weardaleaap@

durham.gov.uk or phoning/

text Angelina on: 07753

779975. If you would like

to volunteer to help us

distribute the bags, your

support would be welcome.

Volunteer

expenses

THE Area Action Partnership

have several groups up and

down the Dale, collecting

prescriptions and doing

some shopping for those

who are isolating.

Whilst the goodwill has

been amazing, if we can help

with the cost of mileage,

please let us know.

We can be contacted

by email at weardaleaap@

durham.gov.uk or by

telephone on 07753 779975

(Angelina) or 07747 486733

(Tracy).

A new voice for Weardale

www.wcng.org

Local business supporting NHS

Weardale Community News, June 2020

Weardale Rocks!

Page 3

Topical rocks have been hidden around the area

Clownfish, Nemo adorns a rock

Winners of The Canny Cheesecake Company’s competition pose with their cakes

LIKE so many small

businesses The Canny

Cheesecake Company had

to cease trading when Covid

19 pandemic hit our shores.

All of the Frosterley

based company’s stock was

donated to local groups

with Stanhope Surgery,

Weardale Community

Hospital, Frosterley Coop

and volunteers from

Frosterley community

support groups all receiving

cheese cakes.

It became apparent

that there were so many

wonderful front-line staff

who go above and beyond

the call of duty to keep us as

safe as possible in difficult

Wolsingham students continue to

achieve through remote learning

Wolsingham School before the pandemic

AS the lockdown continues

for the foreseeable future,

we continue to be extremely

proud of our students at

Wolsingham School. They

have risen to the challenge

of home learning and are

producing some fantastic

work week on week.

Exceptional work

produced by students is

acknowledged by sending

text messages home and

we have started posting

examples of work on our

new Facebook page.

Some recent examples

include Year 7 students who

have done fantastic work

on their Tudors project

in History. Year 8 have

completed fabulous Music

work on orchestral music on

the theme of Harry Potter

and in Year 9, students have

times.

John Burrows, proprietor

of The Canny Cheesecake

Company, wanted to show

his support and asked the

good folk of Weardale

to nominate a front-line

worker who deserved a

bit of a treat. Nominations

came in thick and fast and

John asked WCNG for their

assistance in selecting the

winning nominations.

Carrie & Steve Shaw

from Wolsingham who

both work for the NHS and

Rachel, a community nurse

from Stanhope were the

winners and both received

a large Weardale Rhubarb,

ginger and white chocolate

worked really hard on their

History D-Day project. Year

10 have produced some

great work on Hegarty

Maths and there has been

some exceptional project

work in PE on the attributes

of an athlete.

Our teaching staff and

pastoral team have been in

close contact with a huge

range of students and our

support staff have been

communicating with our

families to offer support on

everything from providing

free school meals vouchers

to ensuring that our

September 2020 new Year

7 intake know they will be

looked after.

At Wolsingham School,

extra-curricular activities

are one of the four key

pillars of school life. Back

cheesecake.

John said “It’s just a small

token of my appreciation

to our wonderful NHS and

carer sector.

“I thought it a good idea

for local people to nominate

local front-line staff and

they certainly went to

wonderful people.

“Fortunately, we are

now in a position to start

making cheesecakes again

and although there are no

markets, we will be offering

a free local delivery service

with contactless payment

and social distancing

procedures strictly adhered

to.”

in February students took

part in a workshop for

budding poets with exstudent

Jane Carrick from

JSC Creative. The students

developed entries for the

Terry Kelly Poetry Prize; a

regional poetry competition

organised by The Customs

House and we are delighted

to announce that four of our

Year 7 students have been

shortlisted and will appear

in the annual anthology.

Congratulations!

I am so proud of our staff

and students who, even in

an era of remote teaching

and challenging times, strive

to make the very most of

school life.

Jonathan Ferstenberg

Head Teacher

Wolsingham School

By Heather Giles

AS we enter our eighth week

of lockdown, the novelty of

having nowhere to be at

any specific time is certainly

wearing thin.

Our houses have never

been cleaner, our gardens

are now bursting with home

grown produce, all those DIY

jobs that we never had the

time to start, let alone finish,

are complete and we’ve

binge watched every box set

worth watching!

Our children, aware

that an invisible enemy is

preventing us from going

places and seeing people,

are spending more time

indoors than they ever have,

as their parents attempt to

home school them.

Whilst home remains a

safe haven, the walls feel

as though they are moving

inwards, with different

zones of the house being

transformed into makeshift

offices and classrooms.

Our daily exercise is

more important now than

ever before, but what can

we do to encourage those

that don’t take pleasure in a

simple walk?

The Facebook group

‘Weardale Rocks’ has been

active for a couple of years

now, but has recently seen a

resurgence as more people

try to fill their time. Painted

rocks adorned with famous

characters, scenes of nature

or uplifting messages are

popping up all over the town

and its public footpaths.

Children and adults alike

are seeking out these rocks

on their daily walks and rehiding

them for others to

find. Does your town rock,

too?

The next time that you’re

George Giles with one of his rock finds

out on your daily exercise,

see if you can spot one

of the many rocks hidden

around Weardale.


News advises that adequate

safety precautions, such as

gloves and handwashing,

are taken when looking for

painted rocks during the

Covid-19 pandemic.


Police News

News and reports from Durham Constabulary

Steve White: Police,

Crime and Victims’

Commissioner

THE impact of Covid 19 has

certainly starkly changed

the face of urban life across

the Police Force area and

the whole UK. Pictures of

deserted town centres,

airports and railway stations

are now the new normal for

the time being.

Across the rural parts of

the Durham Police area one

may be forgiven for thinking

that in quiet and beautiful

countryside there wouldn’t

be much difference. But

there has been. And it is

thanks to the vast majority of

people in our communities

that this is the case.

Car parks mostly empty,

local beauty spots devoid

of visitors, villages showing

new signs of activity. Instead

of through traffic, people

walking, using local shops,

rather than travelling and

the absence of day trippers

and tourists.

Quiet as these places are

during the day, they are even

quieter during the evenings

and over night.

I have set a revised police

work plan for the Chief

Constable relating to the

Covid 19 crisis, ensuring

that the Force responds

appropriately to policing

the new legislation whilst

providing continuity of

service and protection

for its officers and staff.

The Force has responded

extremely well and they will

need to continue to do so;

and my staff and I will also

continue to hold the Force

to account on behalf of our

communities.

Sadly, some of the few

who, during “normal” times,

flout the law, also do so

during these extraordinary

times. But Policing is

continuing across County

Durham unabated and, in

a way, enhanced. Over the

past weeks the Force may

have seen a drop in recorded

crime and demand, but it

has been replaced but some

fantastic proactive policing

and responses.

This has included

numerous incidents of

criminal activity, using

vehicles which have been

pursued expertly and those

arrested. In rural areas

the theft of quad bikes, so

essential to rural life, have

been thwarted.

Vulnerable people and

children have been taken to

safe places and drug dealers

and producers have been

identified and arrested. My

office has invested more

money in ensuring victims

of crime continue to be

supported and has been

making sure that help is

there for those that need it.

We have ensured that

justice continues to be

served, being one of the

first in the country to have

video court hearings up and

running.

So, in this time of

uncertainty and insecurity,

the message from me to our

communities, who continue

to self-sacrifice every day is

that Policing remains here to

provide help, to fight crime

and to protect the vulnerable

despite everything.

The message to those

who ignore the law is that

now as much as ever, you

will get caught. So, don’t

even bother.

PAINTING &

DECORATING

Contact

Alan Alderson

Telephone:

(Teesdale) 01833 640839

New PCSO for Weardale

PCSO Chloe Gilding outside of Stanhope Police Station

WEARDALE has a new Police

Community Support Officer,

Chloe Gilding, who started

on the Stanhope beat on

May 13th.

Chloe switched her career

at Sainsbury’s for the role of

PCSO and decided to take

the plunge after becoming a

mother.

The 21-year-old

completed her sociallydistanced

training at

Meadowfield and is excited

to get to know residents in

her new patch in Weardale.

She said: “This career

is something I’ve always

wanted to do and when I

had my little boy it made me

realise I wanted to just go for

it and I’m so glad I did.

“I’m excited to get out

and about and serving my

community.”

Think you’ve got what

it takes to join the police?

Durham Constabulary will

be recruiting new police

officers from May 29.

Find out more here: www.

durham.police.uk.

Police recruits start training

TWO dozen new police

recruits have started training

this week, strengthening the

thin blue line protecting

our communities in difficult

times.

The 24-strong team

of new police constables

proudly pulled on the

Durham Constabulary

uniform for the first time

on Monday, at the start of a

rigorous 13-week classroombased

training programme.

They will then take part in

a 10-week period under the

supervision of a tutor in their

assigned neighbourhoods

before going out on the beat

on the streets of County

Durham and Darlington.

The new officers follow

on from 24 PCs and 20

PCSOs who started their

training earlier this year.

All applied to become

police officers long before

the coronavirus pandemic

swept the country and the

recruits have had to get used

to new ways of working at

the force’s dedicated training

centre at Meadowfield,

Durham City.

The new intake were

sworn in by magistrates on

Tuesday at an attestation

ceremony held over Skype

rather than the traditional

parade, while the trainee

constables are being split

into smaller classes to

allow for social distancing

measures.

Over the next few

months they will be

put through their paces

learning everything from

laws and legislation, right

through to police powers of

arrest and stop and search,

investigative skills and

supporting victims.

Chief Constable, Jo

Farrell, visited the new

recruits today (Wednesday)

to personally welcome

them to the force.

Mrs Farrell said: “It’s a

pleasure to welcome our

new recruits to the team

as they embark on new

careers which will see them

make a huge difference to

the lives of people in the

communities they serve.”

Weardale’s Best

Gardens

By Jack Vincent

IN our first edition of the

Weardale Community

News, we launched the new

‘F W Dunford, Best Garden

Competition for Weardale.’

The competition has

attracted a number of

entries from around

Weardale, along with a call

to set up a new Weardale

Gardening Club aimed at

like-minded Dalefolk looking

to showcase their gardens,

make new friends, and have

a little fun whilst socially

distancing.

The competition is open

to all Weardale home

gardens and judges will

be looking for originality,

creativity, and of course, lots

of flowers and plants. The

only rule is that it must be

a home garden in Weardale.

Entries for the competition

Tougher sentencing to

deter criminals from

coughing and spitting

By Jack Vincent

COUGHING and spitting at

frontline emergency service

workers appears to have

increased sharply since

the Coronavirus pandemic

began.

Many Police Officers

carry ‘spit bags’ which

can be placed over the

offenders head whilst in

handcuffs. Given that the

threat of contracting Covid

19 is at the forefront of

our minds, spitting at our

emergency service workers

is not only abhorrent, but it

could also lead to fines and

imprisonment. But, is it

enough to deter those who

carry out these despicable

acts?

PC Rachel Storey of West

Yorkshire Police commented

on her professional Twitter

account that she “had to

wash her boots in Dettol

when she finished her shift,”

after she and colleagues

were faced with large

crowds shoulder to shoulder,

spitting on the floor and

coughing at (them) when

asked to move back.

can be submitted in writing

to WCNG c/o 102 Newgate

Street, Bishop Auckland,

DL14 7EQ, or, by email to

jackvincent@wcng.org

Judges’ names will be kept

secret but we are hoping

to attract a celebrity or

two to guide us in the right

direction.

The Gardening Club is a

separate idea from a resident

of Frosterley and is still very

much in the planning stages

until after Covid Lockdown;

however, the idea is that

members would visit each

other’s gardens, maybe have

a glass of wine or cup of tea

and nibbles.

Should anyone be

interested in joining up,

please contact Jack at


on 01388 737424

Here in County Durham,

Shaun Gravestock, of Oak

Avenue in Durham, pleaded

guilty to four counts of

assaulting an emergency

worker when he appeared at

Newton Aycliffe Magistrates

on April 7th. Nineteen yearold

Gravestock, shouted at

emergency workers “I hope

I’ve got coronavirus,” as

he spat and grappled with

police officers. Gravestock

was sentenced to 20 weeks

in prison suspended for 12

months, for the assaults

and biting an officer’s leg.

A spokesperson for

Durham Constabulary said:

“This type of behaviour

simply won’t be tolerated

in our community.

Threatening to give

somebody Coronavirus

and spitting at them is

completely unacceptable

and abhorrent. Reports

of this nature have been

exceptionally rare, but

anybody behaving in this

manner should expect

that they will be arrested

and prosecuted for their

actions.”

WANTED TO BUY

Around 4 acres of rough grazing land in

the North Pennines. Budget - £6,000

Please email:

skandog3@hotmail.co.uk

Have a story to share? Email us at newsdesk@wcng.org

www.wcng.org

Stanhope Travel’s Sam

Cager on the impact of

the Covid-19 pandemic

FIRSTLY, I would like to say a

huge thank you to all of our

clients that we have spoken

to over last few weeks for

your patience, kindness and

understanding. Those of you

who have been in touch with

well wishes and compassion

have helped to keep our

spirits high whilst we are

working hard to provide

solutions for those with

disrupted travel plans.

Now, the day that would

change work as we knew

it, the 23rd April 2020. We

were worried for our local

community but, knowing

that our customers would

need to speak to someone

regarding their holidays, we

made the decision to work

from the office, but to lock

our doors; this allowed us

to do all of the above tasks

and to protect the local

community, our customers,

staff and their families whilst

worked on existing bookings.

Later that day, and after

much thought, we made the

difficult decision to close

the doors, send our girls

home and for myself and Jon

to work from home. With

only the one work laptop

available it wasn’t ideal, but

in this situation an absolute

must to be able to protect

the people of Weardale

from the spread of this

horrendous virus.

Now, as many of you

know we are a family of four

plus Marnie the Labrador.

Not an easy feat, working

from home with a child as

young as four, but we’ve

been working from 8am

until 11pm seven days a

week to get clients’ holidays

transferred, cancelled with

refunds or given credit

notes, and booking new

holidays for Winter 2020

and Summer 2021.

It’s a case of multitasking,

and we are working around

the clock to get clients sorted

by a date of departure basis.

Many tour operators, airlines

and hotels are offering

refunds; some are offering

credit notes or transfers to

a later date. Each booking is

different so it’s really a case

of us working to find out

what the outcome is on each

individual booking.

There have been

operators such as Jet2 who

have been very helpful,

keeping us informed on

affected bookings and

processing transfers very

efficiently.

Unfortunately,

the same cannot

be said for TUI

with whom I spent over five

hours on hold , only to be cut

off! All very frustrating for us

and the customer.

I’m glad to say I finally

got through and managed to

transfer the client’s holiday

to summer next year.

I am finding that this is a

trend at the moment, people

are sitting at home wanting

something to look forward

to, and what better than a

summer holiday? Booking

now on a low deposit and

bagging the early bird price!

I have a strong feeling that

once we come through the

other side of the pandemic,

and we will, that next year’s

prices will rise if bookings

are left too late. Winter

20/21 ski has also proved a

popular choice.

Now for the rescues!

Well, we’ve managed to

get people back from as

near as the Canaries, as far

as the Bahamas and some

new clients back from South

Africa. I’m so happy we

managed to get everyone

back from overseas.

We know that once this

is all over, the clouds will lift

and we can start thinking

of broader horizons again.

When it suits you, we will

be standing ready to plan

that next amazing holiday.

We really cannot wait to get

back to our lovely office, and

very much appreciate your

support.

All local businesses will

need the community to

support them during and

after this awful time, so

please once this is over

come in and see us. In the

meantime, you can speak to

myself or Jon on the office

number 01388 529436

which diverts to our home or

email sam@stanhopetravel.

com.

Lastly, I’m so proud of how

Weardale as a community

are pulling together, helping

the vulnerable with food,

prescriptions, checking on

neighbours and friends, and

the wonderful Weardale

Lockdown Dinners on

Facebook; it’s certainly kept

me entertained and if they

ever bring out a cookbook,

I’ll be straight out to buy

one! Stay safe everyone

and don’t forget if you feel

vulnerable or need to chat,

you can call us anytime on

the shop number, we are

here for you.


Local foodbanks

available to provide help

By Kathy Perry

FOR over 10 years the

Congregation and friends

of Wolsingham Methodist

Church have supported the

work of the Salvation Army

Foodbank in Crook.

With many people on low

incomes, foodbank usage in

the county is increasing. The

change to the new benefit,

Universal Credit, can mean

a four to six week wait for

the first payment to come

through.

Benefit delays, a sudden

crisis or an unexpected

bill can push some over

the edge, and people in

our neighbourhoods are

going hungry every day.

All of these problems are

now exacerbated by the

pandemic.

Crook Foodbank is there

to support any one who is

facing hunger because of

crisis, and provide three days

of emergency food to help

people through. They also

listen to people and provide

practical advice to help cope

in the longer term; they

signpost to other services

in the area which can help

people to recover, rebuild

lives and break the cycle of

poverty.

Crook Foodbank is in the

Salvation Army Hall (next to

Aldi), and in more `normal`

times people are welcome

to use all the facilities of the

centre: café, charity shop

and children’s play schemes/

activities. They have a Debt

Support worker, providing

a comprehensive service to

help people regain some

control over their money and

become debt free. They have

direct links to a huge range

of professional support

agencies. Their task is not

only providing emergency

food, but supporting people

to move forward despite the

hardship they endure.

Donations for Crook

Foodbank come from a

wide range of sources

including local churches,

supermarkets, local shops

and the general public.

Food and sanitary products

go directly to people in

need from Crook and the

immediate area including

Weardale.

The aim is not to have

more foodbanks, but to

have less. Working with

the country wide foodbank

network, supported by The

Trussell Trust, they are part

of the movement to help

the many people affected by

poverty and hunger in our

society. The foodbank data

from across the country is

used to lobby government

and campaign with other

charities to change the

systems that result in

foodbank usage.

The Trussell Trust, who

are the founders of the

original foodbank service,

is a Christian organisation

and traditionally many

foodbanks, and/or

collection points have been

in Churches, and Church

halls. Where appropriate,

the foodbank volunteers

sometimes offer to pray with

people and many volunteers

come from local Church

congregations.

At present we have been

advised not to hold church

services or social gatherings,

so in Wolsingham the

convenience store has very

kindly offered to act as a

collecting point, whilst the

Methodist Chapel is closed.

Our Methodist Minister, Rev.

Bruce Sawyer, delivers the

donations to Crook Salvation

Army where the Foodbank is

open Tuesday and Thursday

mornings.

(Adapted by Kathy Perry

from an article by Alison

Rundle, Durham Foodbanks)

THE way our community

in Weardale has come

together during Coronavirus

is phenomenal. Not just

the neighbourly and

community support but

the broader adherence to

social distancing and where

necessary isolating at home.

I have been asked why

we can’t just leave it totally

down to personal choice

and allow people to take the

risk upon themselves. The

answer is that this isn’t just

about personal risk. There is

a broader risk to our society

of personal choices causing

our NHS to be overwhelmed.

The last thing I as your

local MP want to do is to

force people to stay at home

or not go out. We live in the

most beautiful part of the

world with a truly social

community spirit. The

measures in place are there

to not only prevent infection

of you, but also to stop the

spread of the disease across

the community. So far, we

have managed this.

It is crucial, now that the

Page 5

Richard Holden, MP,

with a message

for Weardale

MP for North West Durham, Richard Holden

Reinfection (R) rate is below

one so we can very slowly

relax the lockdown, that we

all continue to follow the

basic social distancing rules.

From Wednesday, we’ve

been able to meet someone

from another household in a

social setting as long as we

maintain social distancing

rules.

This has been the start in

a very long and slow process

of opening-up society again.

If at any point it looks like we

need to put a brake on, we

will.

The Prime Minister

outlined what might happen

if the R rate continues to

remain substantially below

1 but everything in the

future is at present what the

Department of Health sees

as a ‘best case scenario.’ I

want that scenario of falling

infections and life returning

to our high streets, pubs and

communities.

But we’ll only get there

if we all act responsibly and

continue to social distance.

Together, we can do it.

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Your Photographs

Send your photos to newsdesk@wcng.org

There are many talented photographers in the area, both

professional and amateur and we aim to provide the Weardale

Community News as a showcase for their excellent work. If you

have a picture you’d like to see in the paper, please email us.

Aimilia Bakourou Male caught this male blackbird feeding his chick

Craig Annan snapped this scene whilst out walking

Dramatic skies at Seddling Burn by David Grey

A Jay taken at Witton Le Wear by Diane Guy

Heron at rest in the river Wear, by Lesley Hodgson

Curious sheep pose for Paul Humphries

www.wcng.org

Fly-tipping continues

during the lockdown

PCSO Jess Hall with fly tipped rubbish

By Jack Vincent

THE Government website

describes fly-tipping as the

“illegal dumping of liquid

or solid waste on land or in

water. The waste is usually

dumped to avoid disposal

costs.” Those who have

been the target or victim of

these despicable acts are

often left considerably out of

pocket and frustrated with

Councils.

During the Covid

lockdown, most of the

commercial and household

tips around the county have

been closed at the same

time as many of us have

undertaken maintenance

around the home and

garden, leaving us in

desperate need of licensed

waste carriers to dispose of

our rubbish.

At one location in the

county, residents witnessed

two males dispose of a van

load of builder’s waste in

broad daylight; they duly

reported the individuals,

backed up with CCTV and

photos, to the Council, only

to be told that “The Council

do not investigate fly-tipping

on private land”. However,

after further calls from the

residents the Council did

take up the investigation

alongside colleagues from

Durham Constabulary and

the investigation is on-going.

In response to calls

from the WCNG, Ian Hoult,

Durham County Council’s

Credit: Crook Police

neighbourhood protection

manager, said: “We do not

want to see our beautiful

county marred by selfish

acts of fly-tipping so take

any reports of it extremely

seriously.

“Whenever we receive a

report, be it about a fly-tip

on public or private land, we

will look to investigate with a

view to taking action against

those responsible. In this

case, we visited the location

as part of our enquiries and

discovered the fly-tip to be

on private property.

“As with any incident

on private property the

responsibility for clearing

the waste lies with the

landowner although we did

leave stickers on it to make

them aware that we were

investigating.

“We will be contacting

those responsible for the

property as part of our

efforts to get the waste

removed, and asking for

sight of CCTV footage which

has been mentioned to us.

We have been successful

at bringing down the

amount of fly-tipping in

County Durham overall

and will continue with our

work on this. Residents

can help by ensuring they

dispose of their waste

responsibly and we would

welcome information about

those that tarnish the

environment by dumping

their waste.”

Financial support during

the Covid-19 outbreak

THE Covid-19 pandemic

and lockdown is having an

unprecedented effect of

the finances of individuals

and families throughout the

area.

In order to support people

through the crisis, Durham

County Council have put

together a list of the support

that is currently available

during this fast changing

situation.

The list includes a number

of key areas such as council

tax, housing benefit and

other benefits.

To find out more visit:

http://www.durham.gov.uk/

covid19money


Page 7

‘Kind Kids’ praised during the

Covid-19 pandemic

THE Weardale Community

News invited readers to

nominate children who

have been helping their

communities during the

lockdown.

We’ve been running

the campaign through our

Facebook page and have so

far awarded three children

a ‘Kind Kids’ certificate and

gift pack.

Grace Clark, the eleven

year old daughter of local

businesswoman Kim Clark

from Evenwood, undertook

a 5 mile sponsored run to

raise money for NHS staff.

“My little princess took it

upon herself to set this up on

her Instagram.” Kim said to

the WCNG, “It’s a mammoth

5 mile run. Up to now, she

has raised £95 and it’s all off

of her own back. It’s her own

idea and is completely out of

her comfort zone. We are so

proud of her.

“Grace is autistic so we

are making arrangements

for the run to be in her

grandparents’ garden at

Bolam. We’ve measured a

full circle at 1.1 miles. Grace

will attempt to run 5 full

circles at noon - so she can

eat lunch afterwards”.

Kim herself set about

cooking and providing meals

to vulnerable people and

front line workers shortly

after lockdown. As of May

4th, she had provided nearly

8000 meals out of her

10,000 target. With the kind

support of her family, friends

and volunteers, ‘Team Kim’

have never stopped. You can

see the many kindnesses on

Facebook page by searching

‘Kim’s Kitchen Evenwood’.

Sponsorship for Grace’s

run can be through

Mum’s PayPal account:

Kimberleyppp@aol.com or

by contacting Grace & Kim

on 07793 974182.

Kristina Marie Wilson

from Bishop Auckland has

found an ingenious way of

curing boredom, and a way

of raising money for the

NHS during lockdown at the

same time.

Kristina is making rainbow

keyrings from her Hama Bead

Kit and is selling them for £1,

including postage, to friends

and family through her mum

Jane’s Facebook page. These

creations are inspired by all

of the rainbows appearing in

the windows of neighbours,

friends, and family.

Her proud parents have

been overwhelmed by

the interest and support

that people are showing

in Kristina’s handmade

creations. “It’s been so

popular that we have

had to order more beads

and keychains” said Jane.

“Kristina has been hard at

work making these keyrings

and popularity is growing by

the day. She has raised over

£230 for the NHS so far and

orders are still coming in”.

Handmade keyrings can

go for much more online and

WCNG suggested to Kristina

that she should charge a

higher price. Kristina replied

“I would rather make more

and sell for less but people

have been so generous and

sometimes pay a little more”.

Well done Kristina.

Orders for Kristina’s

Rainbow Creations: please

email admin@wcng.org and

we will pass on your request

to Jane.

Sarah Harris contacted

us to nominate her niece

Jessica Walsh, from Crook.

Sarah told us

“She’s only 13 but has

the biggest heart and is very

selfless. Last night she left

a tea break box on my door

step for my husband and his

work colleagues. He works

at 3M in Newton Aycliffe,

working 12 hour shifts to

supply Europe with medical

grade face masks, as we

fight this pandemic. They

are some of the forgotten

heroes but she didn’t forget.

I’m very proud of her. “

If you know someone

who you think deserves a

‘Kind Kids’ award, then get

in touch via Facebook, or

send your nomination to

newsdesk@wcng.org.

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Grace undertaking her sponsored walk

Kristina with her certificate and prize

Jessica Walsh, nominated for a Kind Kids award


The Weardale Practice

IN these uncertain times

it’s very hard to know quite

what we should be worrying

about, and it’s very easy

to worry about absolutely

everything.

The GPs at the practice

are concerned that our

patients might be ignoring

symptoms of illness because

of the current Coronavirus

pandemic; perhaps they

are frightened to leave

the house; perhaps they

are frightened in case the

doctor needs to see them

and worried about coming

to the surgery.

The practice has put

measures in place to keep

patients and staff as safe as

possible. We screen every

patient who comes into the

practice, something that the

shops we sometimes visit

don’t have the luxury of

doing.

This screening allows us to

decide which entrance the

patient will use and what

the risks are to clinicians and

other patients; precautions

such as PPE are taken in line

with this assessment.

We are also using the

car park at Stanhope to

re-introduce some more

routine work which we

feel should no longer be

postponed. Patients will

be contacted and asked

to attend an appointment

where surgery staff will see

patients at a drive-through

appointment. Patients do

not need to leave their

vehicles for these blood

tests, BP checks or some

injections.

A high proportion of

consultations are being

done by phone, but

sometimes just seeing

someone or performing

an examination is the only

way to diagnose illnesses

or provide necessary care.

We can do this by video

consultation if the patient

has a smartphone. If there is

no other choice but to offer

the patient a face to face

appointment the practice

will arrange this. We also

offer e-Consultations via a

link on our website.

While the lockdown

continues, the practice

has a number of staff who

are following stringent

social distancing measures

and self-isolating for

various reasons. Along

with the introduction of

screening and the altered

arrangements for patients

visiting the practice, this will

result in the branch surgeries

at Wolsingham and St John’s

Chapel remaining closed

for patient face to face

appointments for the time

being.

We want to reassure

patients that they can

still contact the practice

to discuss their concerns,

to seek reassurance,

medication or a referral

to consultant services if

appropriate. There has

been a lot in the press

about routine referrals to

hospitals being cancelled

or postponed. This is

unfortunately partially true;

a lot of routine work has

been put on hold but this is

not a reason for the patient

to put their concerns on hold.

Hospitals, like GP practices,

are continuing to offer

telephone appointments for

some patients where they

can. County Durham and

Darlington NHS Foundation

Trust cancer lead Sue

Green, said, ‘At the Trust

we would usually receive

about 489 referrals over a

six-week period from GPs

for further investigation if

cancer is suspected; that is

down to about 215 which

is a dramatic reduction.

We really welcome the

NHS campaign encouraging

people to contact their GP

if they have any symptoms

of cancer; unexplained

changes to your body such

as the appearance of a

lump, blood in your urine,

changes to your usual bowel

habits, changes to moles,

unexplained weight loss,

are all symptoms that you

should see your GP about.

More information about

symptoms can be found at

www.nhs.uk/cancer.

If you have any concerns

at all, contact the surgery

on 01388 528555, have your

symptoms assessed, get a

management plan and then

if onward referral is needed

this can be done as and

when services are up and

running again.

Cancer services have

never stopped, but some

of the investigations or

treatment plans run by

these services have been

interrupted. The consultants

are still working, finding new

ways to communicate, but

the patient, their treatment

and support is still at the

heart of the service.

Please don’t ignore new

worrying symptoms. Please

don’t put off that call to the

surgery. Help us to help you.

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Durham BRASS festival cancelled

The Rajasthani Heritage Brass Band and Reel Brass playing in Stanhope at last years festival

AN international music

festival has been cancelled

as part of the ongoing

national effort to reduce the

spread of Coronavirus.

Durham BRASS was due

to take place across County

Durham this summer, with

ten days of live gigs, open air

concerts, street parties and

school performances set to

entertain people of all ages

between 10 and 19 July.

Organiser Durham County

Council has been closely

following Government

guidelines in response to the

pandemic and is regularly

reviewing its 2020 festival

and events programme as

the situation evolves.

This week, the local

authority made the

regrettable but necessary

decision to cancel BRASS.

Obituary: Jessie Hunter Gray (Jenny)

JENNY was born in

Kirkfieldbank near Lanark,

Scotland. She was the only

child of Hugh and Christina

Davidson. Having grown up

with an extended family, she

remembered being taught

bible stories and songs of

praise by Pastor Taylor in

the local mission hall.

As a young woman she

trained as a hairdresser

in Glasgow and Larkhall

and in free time enjoyed

swimming at Hamilton

Baths, and dancing.

It was at a dance in

Lanark that she met up

with her husband-to-be,

and love of her life, Jim

Gray. She remembered him

from their time at Lanark

High School (he wore short

brown trousers).

Jim joined the Durham

Constabulary and after their

wedding, in 1941, they set

up home firstly in Crook and

then Horden, before he was

posted to Stanhope. They

The decision follows the

cancellation of a number of

other council-run events,

including Bishop Auckland

Food Festival, Durham

Adventure Festival and

Seaham Food Festival.

Last year, more than

40,000 people experienced

Durham BRASS, boosting

the county’s economy by

hundreds of thousands of

pounds and introducing new

audiences to 21st century

brass music from around the

world.

Cllr Joy Allen, the council’s

Cabinet member for

transformation, culture and

tourism, said: “BRASS has

been delighting audiences

of all ages for more than

a decade and has helped

put County Durham on the

cultural map, so we are sorry

were told that

if they didn’t

like it, they

could apply

for a transfer.

Still being here

after 70 years

is testament

to the fact

that they did

indeed like it,

the land and

especially its

people.

During the

early years Jenny Gray

in Stanhope,

Jenny devoted herself

to raising Rina, with the

Methodist Chapel at the

hub of activities, firstly at

Gilmore and then later

at High Street. Jenny also

enjoyed whist drives and

the talks, activities and

foreign trips that she

undertook with the W.I.

When Rina left home

for university, Jenny gave

herself a new challenge:

it can not go ahead this year.

“It is vital we follow

the Government’s social

distancing guidelines and

our main priority is the

health our communities,

visitors, musicians,

partners, sponsors, festival

staff, and volunteers.

“BRASS is all about

bringing people together,

both in terms of our

international line up

of musicians and our

wonderful Big Brass Bash

parties. Sadly, this is just not

possible this year. However,

we know how uplifting

music can be, especially

during difficult times like

these, and we will continue

to spread the joy of BRASS

through our social media

channels until we can all get

together again.”

to learn photography. She

bought a second hand

camera and some manuals

and joined the local camera

club. The rest, as they say, is

history!

From then, until the end,

her great passion has been

Stanhope Photographic

Society, with its members

over the years becoming

like family. It has quite

simply kept her going over

these past 50 years.

Advertise with us and reach thousands of readers in Weardale

www.wcng.org

New friends and support for

bereaved with Embark 2 holidays

Embark2 members stop for a rest on one of their organised walks

EMBARK2 was set up by

John Webb in August 2019 to

offer not-for-profit holidays

for widows and widowers.

John was widowed in

2013 with the death of his

wife Joyce, and it was then

that he discovered that

holidaying alone was not

much fun.

Apart from the feeling

of loneliness, even in

company, there was also

the ever-present reminder

that holidays were usually

happy times shared with his

wife. There was also often

a single person supplement

of around 30% making the

holiday quite expensive.

There had to be a better way.

Nearly 20 years ago, John

became a volunteer leader

for a local Duke of Edinburgh

Award Scheme. This

involved supervising young

people whilst they were

undertaking their Award

Expeditions in and around

Weardale, and so started

John’s love of walking in

the area. On the very day

that social distancing was

enforced due to Covid-19,

John was assessing a walk

near Crawleyside for a

planned future Embark2

walking holiday.

John has provided notfor-profit

Embark2 escorted

holidays exclusively for

widows and widowers

both abroad, to Barcelona,

Cyprus and Portugal, and in

the UK to Northumberland,

Keswick, Edinburgh and

North Yorkshire. Embark2

also offers an online chat

forum and many widows/

ers say they receive a great

deal of support and grow

in confidence by attending

Embark2 holidays, as well as

making new friends.

Due to the Coronavirus

pandemic, all holidays up to

the end of August 2020 have

been cancelled. However,

we are ever mindful that

the vast majority of widows

and widowers live alone;

members are able to access

Saturday night virtual chats,

weekdays we offer Ladies

that Lunch chats and, in

the afternoon, we offer

‘The Men's Shed’ virtual

chats. Some members of


Embark2 have little in the

way of a support network

and Embark2 volunteers

telephone those members

regularly during the week

to ensure that they have

someone to talk to.

Many of those who have

been recently bereaved

during Covid-19 face the

daunting prospect of

grieving alone, without

the physical and emotional

support usually provided by

their family and friends, due

to the social distancing rules

and for some, it was not

even possible to attend the

funeral.

In these uncertain times,

Embark2 has developed its

services to offer members,

and especially those who

are newly bereaved, peer

support and friendship,

either online, by virtual

chats or by telephone

contact to help through this

crisis. However, Embark2 is

not a counselling service.

Membership of and the

services offered by Embark2

are free of charge. Joining is

easy at embark2.co.uk.

Garden waste collections to start

after being postponed

GARDEN waste services

in County Durham will

now be able to go ahead,

with changes to collection

dates, after they were

initially postponed due to

Coronavirus.

In April, Durham County

Council had to postpone

garden waste collections

in order to maintain

its essential refuse and

recycling services during the

Coronavirus outbreak.

After reviewing its

operations, and as part of its

plans to reinstate services,

the council is now able

to once again deliver its

garden waste collection to

residents.

The council is aware of

how valuable this service is

to residents so, to ensure

it will be able to continue

in conjunction with normal

waste collection services,

it will be changing garden

waste collection days to

Saturdays and Mondays. This

will allow continued support

to rubbish and recycling

collections which operate

from Tuesday to Friday.

Residents who are

scheduled to have their

usual collection on a Tuesday

or Wednesday can expect

their new collection day to

be on a Saturday while those

who are scheduled to have

a collection on Thursday

or Friday can expect their

new collection to be on a

Monday.

Collection dates can

be checked online via

MyDurham at www.durham.

gov.uk.

The council continues

to monitor government

guidance and will keep

the service under review

over the next four months.

Customers will be given

advice on remaining

collections beyond this time.

Information on collection

dates is being updated

on MyDurham and

correspondence detailing

changes to garden waste

collections is being sent

to residents who have

subscribed to the service.

Cllr Brian Stephens,

Cabinet member for

neighbourhoods and local

partnerships, said: “We

know our residents value

the garden waste service so

we are pleased to be able to

continue it under these new

collection days.”

By Barrie Hardwick

About two years ago I was

invited to search about an

acre of grazing land adjacent

to an old farmhouse, using

my metal detector.

The person who had bought

both was interested in the

history of the farmhouse

which is on a hillside up in

Weardale. The invite stated

that: tea and biscuits would

be provided!

On arrival at the farmhouse

I received a very warm

welcome from Bob, the new

owner of the farmhouse.

The garden between the

house and the field was

grassed over so I decided

to start my search there.

First signal was a bit of

foil. Second signal, I cut a

divot and turned it over

and looking up at me

was a small framed

photo of a man and a

child, dressed in what

appeared to be clothes

of the Victorian period.

Research put the

date of the photo at

around 1860/61; it is

a coated glass plate

type. Around that time

there were several

families staying/lodging

at the farmhouse (lead

mine workers). The national

census of 1861 showed that

one of the families had a

four year old daughter. The

frame size of the photo is

about 4 x 3 inches.

Searching the small field

required several trips to

the site and after the initial

search I took my detecting

Page 9

A picture from the past

Metal detector finds in Weardale

The old photo Barrie found on the property

An unusual livery button

mate Dave with me.

After a random search

for an hour we decided

it would be best to do a

systematic search of the

field using marker pegs, a

slow procedure requiring

several visits to the site. Our

searching produced several

well worn copper coins;

the oldest only dating back

to George III, the best coin

we found was a Victorian

Jubilee head sixpence.

We also found a thin strip

of silver – possibly a Cane

Ferrule which has the date

letter for 1823, a name

brooch (Annie) plus the

usual collection of buttons.

Most of the buttons are

plain but one, a Livery

Button that I found,

proved to be of interest.

These buttons are a fairly

common detecting find

but while all show the

family crest very few show

a family motto, but this

one did. Research showed

it to be the motto of the

Galton family of Hadzor

Hall in Worcestershire.

The crest is of a Phoenix

looking towards the sun.

The motto: Gaudete Luce

Videry translates loosely

to: He rejoices in the

light. So, how did a Livery

button from the coat of a

servant at a country pile

in Worcestershire come to

be lost in a field of a small

hillside farm up Weardale?


Viking sheep settle in Weardale!

An Icelandic ewe with her lambs

By Ruth Stanton

THE North Pennines are now

home to one of the UKs few

flocks of pure-bred Icelandic

sheep. These ‘sheep of the

Vikings’ were taken by the

Vikings from Scandinavia to

Shetland, the Faroes, Iceland

and Greenland.

They were the reason

the Vikings were able to

colonise Iceland successfully,

providing much needed food

and clothing. Their fleece,

a famously double coated

wool with tog and thel was

used for sails, providing the

means for the Vikings to

cross oceans.

Not that the Vikings just

hung their woollies on a

wooden pole and set sail!

Their sails were carefully

woven in twill treated

with natural lanolin, tallow

and fish oils to provide

waterproofing. Replica

sails tested against more

recent products were more

efficient and flexible, coping

with stronger seas than their

modern equivalent made of

artificial fibres.

In the UK the sheep are

apparently related to, and

may be the foundation

breed for, a number of

our short tailed and North

Atlantic rare breed types.

Icelandic authorities have

taken a number of steps to

eradicate ‘improved ‘stock

imported in past years from

other countries and only

pure-bred Icelandic sheep

are raised there now.

Within the breed, in the

region of 35 types can be

identified in terms of colour

and conformation, not all

represented in the UK. This

breed of primitive stock is

recognised as the truest in

terms of DNA to those sheep

first managed by the Vikings.

Their qualities for

meat, milk and fleece are

increasingly valued as

the economics of farming

becomes more difficult, and

folk are looking again at

natural products. In Iceland

the breed has been favoured

for its meat in recent years.

In the UK the sheep have

been raised mainly for wool,

which is sought after, as well

as occasionally for the meat

which is considered to be of

gastronomic quality.

Being of the north

Atlantic short tailed

race, Icelandic sheep are

frequently used in the UK to

cross with Shetland sheep

for additional size. They are

increasingly viewed as of

use to breed the short fluke

like tail onto commercial

stock without loss of carcass

weight. Welfare principles

and economics are met. A

short tail bred commercial

sheep will not lose any

growth time as a result of

docking procedures. Time

and capital costs are saved;

time for docking, labour and

capital costs of machinery

to turn lambs where large

flocks are to be managed,

and welfare issues are met.

Recent knowledge of

colour genetics allows

careful planning to avoid

introducing colour into

flocks where none is wanted

on finishing stock. Add to all

of that, the coloured lambs

of pure bred Icelandics are

really cute

For more information on

the breed, please go to the

website:

www.ISBOBI.co.uk

The immune system

A special feature by Gordon Ellis

I RESEARCHED this subject

some years ago, but as the

present health climate now

proves it never becomes out

of date.

We don't have to look

too far to find someone

who we know that stands

in the shadow of being

immunocompromised, and

the constant challenges that

they face. The importance

of our Immune system and

the serious results when it

is compromised has been

brought to our own front

door over recent months.

If you were to look up

the word immune there’s

certain words that keep

appearing; resistant,

protected, exempt. We see

the same words appearing

daily in our newspapers right

now, related to Covid-19,

suggesting a connection

between a virus and the

immune system. For some

it will be a wake-up call, an

awareness that by looking

after and understanding

our immune system more,

we are better prepared to

protect ourselves and others

for now and the future.

For others it’s just a

continuation of how they

were already living, in both

cases it really needs to be

a team effort, not just for

Covid-19, but also to look

after our immune systems

and that of others as a way

of life.

I've spent the greater

part of my life training,

teaching and treating high

performance athletes and

if there's one thing I've

learned, it’s that we need to

spend as much time looking

after ourselves on the inside

as we do on the outside.

Imagine a person at their

peak of fitness about to enter

an event, it doesn't matter

how strong they are, how

tuned their cardiovascular

respiratory system is, if they

catch a cold or a virus it flaws

them completely.

Throughout our school

education, and indeed

life, we are exposed to the

purpose and function of

specific organs within the

body. As an example, the

heart. It would be fair to say

everyone could give a rough

break down on its anatomy

and function, along with

methods of resuscitation

just in case it breaks down.

We have a basic knowledge

on what we should eat and

how to exercise to lead a

nutritious healthy life and

by doing so protect the

heart from disease, whilst

making it function more

efficient and effectively. We

understand how Important

this knowledge is and when

not applied correctly the

potential consequences it

brings.

There are so many

systems within our body we

pay little or no attention to,

yet they all have a vital role

in keeping our homeostatic

balance at the correct levels

in order to survive with

optimal performance and life

longevity. With our bodies

it is often a case of out of

sight out of mind, but when

something breaks down or is

compromised it brings with

it serious consequences.

"We are our own body

mechanics". If we want to

live longer and be healthier

then the more knowledge,

the more understanding and

greater application has to

be applied to look after this

fine-tuned engine of ours

and the shell we live in.

Many of us know little

about cellular health apart

from what we touched

upon at school, then filing

that information away in

the library of our mind.

Yet fundamentally cellular

health forms the basis of

all processes by which we

function, known as our

physiology. Anatomy is the

name and decription of

location, size and shape of a

structure that makes up who

we are.

This article will be posted

over two editions of the

paper and relates to our

immune system.

The first part sets out the

Anatomy and Physiology of

the immune system, with a

summary explaining both.

The second part will

discuss our body's other

defences that recognise

and fight against microbes:

common disorders, the

immune systems response,

what supports us out

there and how can we help

ourselves, with suggested

advice and how to find help.

The Immune System

The Immune System is

made up of special organs,

cells and chemicals that

fight infection caused by

microbes and is made up of

the following parts:

Lymphatic system

Our lymphatic system

comprises a network

of delicate pathways

throughout the body. Its

main job description is to:

• React to bacteria

• Manage the fluid levels in

the body.

• React to cell products that

otherwise would result in

disease or disorders.

• React to cancer cells

• Absorb some of the fats

from our diet within the

intestine.

It’s made up of lymph

nodes, also known as lymph

glands, which trap microbes.

Its connections are made by

way of lymph vessels, small

tubes that carry lymph,

this is fluid that bathes our

body's tissues and contains

infection-fighting white

blood cells also known as

lymphocytes.

White blood cells

These are the key soldiers in

our immune system. They

include lymphocytes, such

as B-cells, T-cells and natural

killer cells, but there are

many other types of immune

cells. They are produced in

our bone marrow and part

of the lymphatic system. The

cells move within our blood

and tissue throughout the

body, searching for foreign

enemies known as microbes.

We know them as bacteria,

parasites, viruses, and fungi.

When the white blood cells

find the microbes, just like

an army they launch an

immune response.

Spleen

Our spleen is a blood

filtering organ; it removes

microbes and destroys old or

damaged red blood cells. It

also makes disease-fighting

components of the immune

system, including antibodies

and lymphocytes.

Bone marrow

This is the sponge like tissue

found inside our bones. It

produces the red blood cells

our bodies need to carry

oxygen, the white blood cells

we use to fight infection,

and the platelets we need to

help our blood clot.

Complement system

This system is made up of

proteins whose actions

complement the work done

by our antibodies.

Thymus

The thymus filters and

monitors your blood

content. It produces the

white blood cells known as

T-lymphocytes.

Antibodies

These help the body to

fight microbes or the

toxins they produce.

They manage to do this

by identifying substances

known as antigens that

lie on the surface of

the microbe, or in the

chemicals they produce,

which mark the microbe or

toxin as being foreign. Our

antibodies then mark these

antigens for destruction,

working alongside other

body soldiers such as cells,

proteins and chemicals to

wage war on the antigens.

The second part will be

in the next edition. For

anyone who would like to

send in questions on this

subject please feel free.

For more information,

advice or treatment related

to this topic please contact.

Gordon Ellis on:

07985 610434

07368 220733

www.info-physio.com

Email:

physio-gellis@hotmail.com

www.wcng.org

Covid-19 grant Funding

provides a lifeline for

Weardale Museum

By Jack Vincent

SINCE the government's

announcement, Durham

Council have paid out

nearly £91 million to 8,100

applicants, one of which

is our very own Weardale

Museum

In a statement from

the Museum, David

Heatherington said, “In

the middle of March The

Weardale Museum decided

to close to protect its

volunteer staff who are

mostly over 70 years old,

from being put a risk of

catching the coronavirus.

“We knew that we would

still have bills to pay and that

we would have no income

probably for the rest of the

year but at least no one's

livelihood or indeed their

lives would be in jeopardy.

“As a volunteer-run

business in a rented

property The Weardale

Museum didn't expect to

qualify for any grants so it

By Josie Skipp with Rita Walker

MANY readers will already

know about the Quilter’s

Cupboard in Low Willington

as Weardale has a large

number of quilters who,

like me, attend classes,

workshops or simply go into

the shop, owned by Rita

Walker, and buy beautiful

fabrics, wadding, accessories

and much more.

Rita, like very many other

businesses, had to close her

shop on the 17th March

2020 following Government

advice as this dreadful

Coronavirus pandemic

started to take hold in the

UK.

Regular classes ceased,

workshops ceased and the

doors of this very lovely

shop closed.

Very quickly people like

me realised that we didn’t

have what we needed

to continue our current

projects and many of us

wanted to help where we

could, making scrub bags for

the NHS, face masks for our

families, quilts for carers,

hair bands and much more.

Dealing with social

isolation is a challenge for all

of us but being able to spend

this extra time we now have

available to us on things we

enjoy, often with the added

bonus of being able to help

was a wonderful surprise

to learn that simply by

having a rateable property

reference number we

could claim the COVID

Small Business (Retail,

Hospitality & Leisure) Grant

of £10,000.

“Durham County Council

staff were exemplary in

identifying, pursuing and

processing distribution of

this Fund and the grant

was paid into our account

within days of submitting

the application.”

Since closings its doors

for lockdown, Weardale

Museum, run entirely by

volunteers, has been hard

at work on social media

providing us with historical

articles. On V.E Day, the

volunteers picked some

fascinating articles to

inform and entertain us.

You can read these

articles on the museum’s

Facebook page at: The

Weardale Museum

others, is a huge benefit to

all concerned.

Rita very quickly became

aware that some of those

people who normally attend

classes and workshops were

struggling to get hold of

what they needed to keep

them busy and therefore

much happier.

Many have no access

to technology without the

direct support of family

and friends so ordering

online proved difficult

and often impossible. Rita

looked at ways in which

she could provide a limited

service whilst sticking to

the government advice and

keeping both herself and

her family safe. She decided

to offer a postal/delivery

service on Tuesdays and

Fridays each week and is

able to arrange delivery of

whatever you need including

wadding and more bulky

items for a small delivery

charge.

If you find yourself unable

to continue with your own

sewing projects, or offer help

to the many organisations

seeking help with supporting

many of this country’s

‘key workers’, because you

haven’t got what you need

give The Quilter’s Cupboard

a ring on 01388 745008.

Although Rita will only be


Weardale Adventure

Centre key worker

nominations announced

Climbing with Weardale Adventure Centre

IN order to recognise hard

work and dedication from

NHS staff and key workers

during these difficult times,

Weardale Adventure Centre

wanted to do something to

show their support.

The adventure centre,

based in Ireshopeburn,

invited people to nominate

key workers to receive an

activity day to be enjoyed

with their friends and family.

Once the lockdown is

lifted and the centre is

able to open safely, the

nominated key workers

will be able to enjoy their

activity day with up to ten

family members and friends.

Using the centre’s

Facebook page, people

were able to nominate key

workers, and the centre

has just announced the first

winners:

Lisa, a staff nurse at

Sunderland Royal Hospital;

Lesley, a staff nurse at

Auckland Park Hospital;

Rachel, NHS worker from St

Johns Chapel; and George a

nurse associate working at a

hospital in Meadowfield.

Quilter’s Cupboard continues to offer support

The Quilter’s Cupboard in Low Willington

at the shop between 10.00

am and 1.00 pm each

Tuesday and Friday packing

up orders, your call will be

automatically transferred at

other times and you will be

able to obtain the help you

need.

If you have access to

the Internet The Quilters

Cupboard also has a website

– www.thequilterscupboard.

co.uk and a Facebook page

– the quilters cupboard.

You can order on the

Facebook page by sending

a message using Messenger.

Please provide your name,

telephone number and

details of what you would

like to order and Rita will

contact you directly.

Dear Friends,

HOW are you coping with

this crisis? We have been

thinking of you a lot and

missing your company and

your wisdom.

We are happy to hear that

many of you have had plenty

of support from friends,

family and neighbours.

We have had phone calls

with those who asked,

waved at windows, spoken

at doors. Folks have been

busy delivering shopping,

drugs, jigsaws and other

essentials.

We know some of you use

internet; tablets to keep in

touch remotely. Frankly it’s

an essential service these

days! And we are painfully

aware that some are not

wired up to that world.

We heard recently that

at least one of you heard

that Wheels to Meals was

closed for the year. That is

categorically wrong. The

story referred to is the

Alston summer service, and

even that may resume if this

madness stops soon. Which

it will.

Frankly we feel we have

somehow let you down.

It seems cruel that the

most vulnerable have been

punished by being isolated

without company. Many of

you know about isolation

hospitals from an early

Page 11

Support continues from

Stanhope Hub

age. There were three in

Weardale after all. Folks

infected were taken to a

safe place, given treatment,

care, fresh air and sunshine.

The rest carried on. Maybe

an updated version next

time!

We hope you find this

letter helpful, reassuring and

comforting.

It’s written with love.

If you need anything, just

ask.

The Hub is working,

although the door is closed.

If you leave a message, we

will hear it from Vikki or

Elaine.

Or you can ring:

Gillian

07803 928771

June

07768 398738

Christine

07752 434495

Geraldine

07747 862664

Kathryn

07747 380446

The boys are not so

good with phones but Ian,

Mike, Dave, Steve and Rob

are raring to go with the

minibuses when service

resumes and with Hub car

before if you need to attend

appointments.

Looking forward to seeing

you all soon.

With love from Gillian and

the team xx

Send your submissions to newsdesk@wcng.org


By Jo Cundy

AS I learn to cope with

isolation and self-distancing,

I am realising that this is the

second ‘enforced pause’ in

my life within 18 months.

In the autumn of 2018 I was

diagnosed with breast cancer

and embarked on the merry

round of hospital treatments

– surgery, chemotherapy,

radiotherapy, targeted

therapy, etc. My normally

busy and active life had to

be put aside as I accepted

the need to keep infection

free and to pace my energy

levels. It was an unexpected

learning curve. And now,

here I am again, and deemed

by the NHS to be ‘at risk’.

So, what are the positives

from these enforced

pauses? One basic lesson

is that when life changes

The creativity of the enforced pause

totally and unexpectedly,

we just have to get on with

it – ‘Keep calm and carry on’.

But more importantly there

are creative opportunities as

we find ways of expressing

our responses to life. And

perhaps this is the time for

all of us to find our own ways

of reflecting creatively on

the enforced pauses in our

lives – with pen and paper,

brush and paint, needle and

thread, music and harmony,

pottery and craft – the

options are limitless for the

expression of our deepest

selves. So, another basic

lesson is: ‘Keep calm and

create’. As a retired lawyer

my preferred mode is as a

word merchant.

And I have been here

before. Ten years ago, my

husband died of cancer,

A thought for the day

By Charles Lovell

“Miracles do happen

You just need to keep your

eyes open.

They happen.

These are the little miracles

of nature and everyday life

But we just do not notice

them.

For there is in everyone, and

I mean everyone,

a bit of our consciousness

that is contact with heaven.

And that’s why they

happen.”

Recently, I picked up an

internal motto from St

David’s Abbey television

service on the Sunday

after Easter. It came from

someone who had practised

it in a very creative life:

Be joyful. That means a deep

joy. It’s not about putting

a smile on your face but in

your heart.

Keep the faith. A faith

that puts a loving warm

relationship above any

religion or regulation.

Do the little things. Yes,

when you feel paralysed,

as we all do these stuck-athome

days, just keep on

doing the little things in

front of you and perhaps

you too will stumble across

a miracle.

If you live in the Durham

Dales, Easington, Sedgefield,

Derwentside, Durham or

Chester-le-Street areas and

need assistance getting to

your health appointments,

Help to Health volunteers

could help get you there.

The Help to Health

telephone booking line,

0300 3309424 is open

Monday to Friday except

Bank Holidays, and

transport is available

from 8.30am until 5.30pm

weekdays. Your journey

will need to be booked at

least 48 hours in advance

and is subject to a volunteer

driver being available at the

required date and time.

Eligibility criteria will apply,

eligible patients are those

whose medical condition

impacts on their mobility

to such an extent that

they would be unable to

still in office and in full flow

as an Anglican bishop. The

context was four rollercoaster

years (including an

earthquake in New Zealand),

which eventually became a

book* where I could share

the gifts, the grief, and

the sustaining faith of that

time. Five years later I was

challenged by the publishers

to write about what I was

learning as I ‘travelled solo’*,

(reflections that acquire a

new relevance now in selfisolation!)

So perhaps now

I will be stimulated to more

literary reflections – who

knows? In this strange new

world, we all have extra time

on our hands, so let’s all

spread our wings and think

creatively.

‘Letting go of Ian’; and

‘Travelling Solo’ (Winner

of Woman Alive Readers’

Choice Award 2019); both

published by Monarch /

Lion Hudson.

Help to health -

patient transport

access healthcare and/or

it would be detrimental to

the patient’s condition or

recovery to travel by other

means. You will be asked

some questions when you

call to make sure you are

eligible for the transport.

It’s currently 50p per mile

travelled with a minimum

charge of £1.00 and a

maximum charge of £10.00

each way along with

the payment of any car

parking fees or expenses

incurred. This is to cover the

volunteer driver’s expenses

in line with HMRC guidance.

You will be asked to pay at

the end of your journey.

People that can claim back

their travel costs through

the Healthcare Travel Costs

Scheme can claim back the

cost of their travel with this

service to planned hospital

appointments.

Wild garlic soup

An abundance of wild garlic

AT this time of year, when

out walking you might be

familiar with the distinctive

smell of wild garlic. Wild

garlic is less well know thatn

domestic garlic, but can be

used the same as any herb.

Willie Giles, reader and

contributor, sent us this

recipe for wild garlic soup:

4 kg of wild garlic leaves

(cleaned and flowers

removed)

A big handful of red lentils

1 onion, chopped

3 large potatoes, cubed

1 litre of vegetable stock

Soak the lentils for 10

minutes to soften, then

drain.

Fry the onions and lentils

in a big pot with a little oil

or butter. Add the potatoes

and toss everything until

Credit James Prescott

everything is coated. Fry

the mixture for 10 minutes

or until the potatoes are

soft.

Add the stock and garlic

leaves and cook until the

garlic leaves have wilted.

Then remove from heat and

liquidise.

Willie advises you to

ensure that you have room

in the freezer for leftovers!

Do you have any recipes

that you’d like to share?

Email them to us at

newsdesk@wcng.org.

The WCN advises that

when foraging for wild

food, you must be able to

correctly identify what you

are picking, otherwise you

should not eat it. Never

eat any wild food without

multiple sources of positive

identification.

STR8TS

1

7

2

3

1 7

2 3

3 7 6

6

6

9

5 8 1 3

7

Tough

How to beat Str8ts –

Like Sudoku, no single number 1 to 9 can repeat in any row

or column. But... rows and columns are

divided by black squares into compartments. 2 1 4 5

Each compartment must form a straight - 6 4 5 3 2

a set of numbers with no gaps but it can be

in any order, eg [7,6,9,8]. Clues in black cells

4 5 2 1

remove that number as an option in that row 4 3 6 2 1 5

and column, and are not part of any straight.

Glance at the solution to see how ‘straights’

are formed.

3 5

2

2

1

1

3

4

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

SUDOKU

5 1 2 9

2 6

5 6

6 9 1 3

7 6 2 3 8

1 5 4 6

9 1

7 5

1 2 4 9

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering

numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3

box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips,

visit www.sudokuwiki.org for Sudoku

and www.str8ts.com for Str8ts.

Easy

If you like Str8ts and other puzzles, check out our

books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

The distinctive spiky flower of wild garlic Credit:

Durtona Kitchens

and Bathrooms, a

family business for

44 years, wish all

of their customers

in Weardale well

and look forward to

seeing them again

soon.

Call us on

01325 357752

James Prescott

www.wcng.org

Local focus: The AAP Community

Wellness Coordinator

OUR local Area Action

Partnership (AAP) funds

a number of different

support roles in Weardale.

We contacted the AAP to

find out more about one of

the roles, the Community

Wellness Coordinator

and the invaluable help

provided to Weardale.

The Weardale AAP

Community Wellness

Coordinator, Lisa Turnbull,

has been in her role for

over two years and her role

is to support the health

and wellbeing for all of the

Weardale residents.

In essence she is the link

between the public and the

GP Practice. Her role is to

spend time with someone

who is in need of a health

check or has a health issue,

and who perhaps feels a bit

socially isolated.

An example of a contact

may illustrate Lisa’s role, for

confidentiality reasons we

have changed the name of

the person.

Joe lives by himself since

his wife of many years

passed away two years ago.

He is in good general health

and does not feel the need

to bother the doctors. Lisa

phoned Joe to ask if she

come visit him at home and

see if there was anything,

she could support him with.

Lisa listened to Joe about

some of the difficulties he

was facing, and how she

may be able to make life a

bit easier. Initially the range

of issues she sorted were:

• A referral to the GP practice

to have a medication review.

• A home safety check

by the Fire Bridge and he

received free of charge fire

alarms, which were installed

for him.

• Information on social

activities happening

locally, with Lisa offering

to accompanying him if he

would prefer that.

Lisa is a compassionate

trained professional, who by

working at the pace of the

Joe was able to gain his trust

and confidence. Through

her support he was able to

maintain his independence

which meant he was able to

stay in his home, that held

so many precious memories.

The role is pivotal in

the community to support

those who may feel at

times isolated or need a

bit of support. If the issue

is medically related or the

client needs a referral she

can sort. Weardale is a

rural community, so if the

client needs some social

interaction, this can be

arranged. We have ‘Wheels

to Meals,’ groups

enjoying crafting,

local history, and

walking groups, to

name but a few.

Lisa lives locally

so has an in-depth

understanding of

the needs of the

local community,

and she understands

the resilience of

residents. During

her time working

as the Community

W e l l n e s s

Coordinator Lisa

has identified three

clients with atrial

fibrillation, which

if undetected could have

caused a major life changing

health condition.

During the Covid 19

pandemic contact has

continued with the local

Lisa Turnbull.

community through

telephone calls, which

have proved invaluable to a

number of people. Lisa has

made calls to keep in contact

with those she was visiting,

but also to contact the wider

community, particularly

those who are shielding due

to additional medical issues.

Lisa has had numerous

conversations, but for some

she has been the only

point of contact. When

this has occurred Lisa has

let the person know there

are services available for a

friendly chat, and that she

will maintain contact to help

them feel less isolated.

Some are happy to hear

another person is calling to

make sure they are well and

coping through this difficult

time. As well as checking

that everything is okay

with the person, Lisa shares

information in relation to

services that are around to

help at this time, including

the volunteer groups and

that there are a number of

local services and businesses

open and offering delivery, if

food is needed.

Lisa continues to work to

ensure people are looking

after their own health or

being supported to stay

at home, by working with

colleagues in health, social

care and welfare services to

achieve this. This provides

reassurance to families that

work continues to support

their family member and

that Lisa can be contacted in

relation to their loved one,

especially when many have

not been able to see each

other for some time.

For some residents

their support needs have

increased, which has

meant that care packages


Credit Weardale AAP

have needed to increase.

Knowing that day to day

help is there can be the

reassurance they and their

family need to access the

support that will help them

be able to stay safely in

their own home. Where

individuals need direct

medical support, Lisa is able

to talk to them, and in her

friendly way, able to offer

reassurance that even in

these difficult times medical

matters can be dealt with

safely.

Lisa has had a number

of comments over the

time from people she has

supported. Recently when

speaking with people she

has been pleased that the

support is making such a

difference to so many people

who do not have family close

by and those who don’t like

to feel they are putting upon

others. Some of the positive

comments are included

below:

“I had the fire brigade

out to fit me some new

smoke alarms, I’m pleased

you came to see me as I

wouldn’t have bothered

otherwise.” (Patient).

“You have been so good

with me and my mam,

supporting us both, getting

her a stair lift fitted and

carers involved to relieve

me, telling me about the

care connect and getting

it fitted for us, I feel I need

to write an email to your

employer to state how

invaluable you are.” (Family

member).

“I have been praising you

today to my friend, I have

told her how you involved

Citizens Advice Linda to

come out and see me to do

the assessment for finances

and how shocked I was

that I was not receiving the

correct benefits. I hope you

don’t mind but I have given

her your details as she would

love to chat.” (Patient).

The clutch of 20 eggs

By Jo Herbert

ONE day towards the end of

April, while hanging out my

washing, I started to hear a

strange, even a bit spooky,

sound. It was somewhere

between a hiss and a

wheeze, and (with a bit of

imagination) the merest

hint of a low growl. As I

got closer to the shed wall,

the noise became gradually

louder. What the? There

was no-one else around. I

looked up, down, behind the

wall, behind me; finally, in an

old wooden flower trough

against the wall, I spotted

the source of the warning

– a perfectly-camouflaged

mallard nestled low and

sitting tight. She was visibly

inflating and diminishing,

so I took it as a distress

signal and beat a retreat.

It was easy to establish her

“personal space”, as the

wheezing would start as

soon as you stepped inside

it.

Eggs-traordinary!

The mallard incubating her eggs

According to the RSPB

website, mallards need

to incubate their clutch

for about 28 days before

hatching (having laid one

egg per day before starting

to sit), so we are still keeping

a cautious eye on her. She

leaves the nest for short

periods occasionally, to

have a meticulous wash and

brush-up, a good drink and

some food if it’s about. The

rest of the time, she keeps a

wary eye but stays hunkered

down. If she’s off the nest

while it’s chilly, she leaves

the eggs so well covered

with down and foliage that

they’re invisible. However, in

the middle of a (rare) warm,

sunny day, she left the nest

pretty much open and I was

able to count 20 eggs! The

RSPB say 12 is an average

clutch size, though their

information is accompanied

by a photograph of a

single adult female with 21

ducklings – so do you know

Page 13

of a bigger brood?

On a more sinister note, a

couple of days after I first saw

her, another mother paraded

through with 5 gorgeous

little fluffy ducklings. Over

the next week, we noticed

these slipped to 4, then

3, and on two separate

mornings we found a sad

little corpse within about

2 feet of “Mother-of-20”.

Back to the RSPB website

again; apparently mallards

“…will not tolerate stray

ducklings close to their own

brood, and females may kill

small strange young they

encounter close to their

own.” Happy to report the

remaining 3 are growing

strongly and becoming ever

more rambunctious, while

poor Mum gets increasingly

frantic. Meantime, we’re

keeping our fingers crossed

and looking forward to

seeing how our other visitor

copes with (hopefully) 20

little balls of fluff.

We would like to wish all of our customers well and advise we are still able to

work providing certain criteria are met regarding social distancing.


Trades 4 Care;

Creating opportunities

By Andrew Coxon

AS a not for profit

organisation with social

values at its heart,

Trades4Care Project (CIC)

supports the young and

disadvantaged in our local

communities.

The nature of what we

deliver relies on working

holistically with young and

disadvantaged individuals

and our 'young person

centred' approach relies on

a number of coaching and

mentoring interventions.

These include learning

sessions and supported 'real

work projects' supported

by dedicated one to one

supervision and guidance.

We remain very positive

about the future and look

forward to supporting local

organisations and young

people, when normality

resumes, to improve

opportunities and wellbeing,

create pathways and

engage people with unique

work projects, working with

handpicked tradespeople.

The intergenerational

relationships developed,

and sense of community

working to benefit the care

Bridging the gaps

and

providing opportunities

to

benefit our communities

and education within local

communities has been a key

feature of the success to

date.

We have recently

attracted local and national

funding and received

interest from a local college

to expand a second phase of

programmes and widen the

opportunity further.

We believe that everyone

deserves an opportunity,

the community involves

everyone and everyone

needs a safe wellmaintained

place to work

and meet.

If you are a local

tradesperson looking to

support or be engaged

with the project or a care,

education or community

venue requiring general

maintenance, painting and

decorating, or specialist

cleaning work please

contact Andrew Coxon on

07725 113352 and join us in

unlocking social awareness,

positivity, ambition and

potential.

The ‘new normal’

will need this social and

community engagement

more than ever!

Community Interest Company

Contact Andrew Coxon 07725 113352

Contact Charlie Wright 07905 027074

enquiries@trades4care.co.uk

www.trades4care.co.uk

How to be a good neighbour during the lockdown

TWO North East councils

have teamed up with

emergency services to

encourage residents to be

good neighbours during the

Coronavirus pandemic.

It follows new advice issued

by the government about

how we can safely help others

at a time when services such

as GPs, community fire and

police officers aren’t able to

get out into communities in

the same way they would

normally.

Durham County Council

and Darlington Borough

Council are working with

their partners to share

advice and tips that will help

communities support each

other during these difficult

times.

With some vulnerable

people having to isolate

themselves for a period

of 12 weeks in order to be

shielded from the virus,

residents are being urged to

be good neighbours.

People are advised to

accept help from family,

friends and neighbours

where possible, with some

ways of supporting each

other including offering

to collect essential food

items or prescriptions on

their behalf. To do so safely,

it should be done while

residents are either getting

their own essentials or

taking their daily exercise,

with reminders that those

essentials should be left

on the doorstep, ensuring

social distancing guidelines

are followed. Local GPs or

pharmacies may also be

able to arrange a delivery for

prescriptions.

Offering emotional

support is another part of

supporting neighbours.

Many people are feeling

anxious or worried as a

result of the pandemic and a

simple conversation over the

fence or on the telephone

could make a big difference

to someone who is feeling

isolated.

Anyone in need of extra

support or feeling more

isolated can also access the

virtual community hubs set

up by both Durham County

Council and Darlington

Borough Council.

The community hubs

were developed to support

people and families who

are vulnerable and in need

during the Coronavirus

pandemic, linking them to

existing local services where

possible and supporting

them with essential aid

where necessary. More

information on those, as well

as help forums can be found

on the councils’ websites:

www.durhamlocate.org.uk

and www.darlington.gov.uk/

coronavirus

Cllr Lucy Hovvels MBE,

Durham County Council’s

Cabinet member for adult

and health services, said:

“It is more important than

ever to look out for each

other. As the lockdown

period continues many

people, especially those

who are vulnerable, will feel

increasingly anxious and

isolated.

“Simple and safe steps

to keep in touch with those

people, offer to collect some

essentials for them, or even

to point them towards our

community hubs if they

need more support, will

make a big difference in

helping them feel more

comfortable.”

Councillor Jonathan

Dulston, Darlington Borough

Council’s Cabinet member

for stronger communities

said: “I am proud that,

in Darlington, we are

seeing and hearing about

wonderful examples of good

neighbourliness and people

looking out for one another

as we continue to face this

pandemic.

“The council has

been working closely

with community groups

and hundreds of people

have volunteered to help

vulnerable people as part

of the Darlington Cares:

Community initiative. That’s

great to see. There’s never

been a better time to get

to know your neighbours,

especially if they may be

vulnerable, in a sociallydistanced

way of course.”

At a time when the fire

service is unable to carry

out usual community

visits, County Durham and

Darlington Fire and Rescue

Service (CDDFRS) is asking

people to remind elderly

or vulnerable friends and

neighbours to keep checking

their smoke alarms and be

mindful of fire safety in the

home and garden.

Following a slight rise in

the number of garden fires

earlier this month, CDDFRS

is also asking the public to

refrain from burning their

garden waste until normal

waste disposal services

resume. In addition to the

concern that garden fires

could get out of hand and

put people at risk, residents

are asked to be considerate

to their neighbours who

could be using their gardens

for the only fresh air that

they can get.

Other ways to support

neighbours include reporting

any suspicious behaviour

to the police or taking

part in neighbourhood

watch schemes. Durham

Constabulary is also

reminding people that they

can be a good neighbour

digitally, as well as in person.

Supt Richie Allen said:

“The message about staying

safe doesn’t just apply to

people going out and about.

At a time when many more

of us are looking to social

media and video platforms

to stay connected, we would

urge people to remember

how to stay safe online.

“Make sure you are using

recognised platforms to

connect with people, don’t

share large amounts of

personal information online

– even if it is a fun Facebook

quiz and try to stay aware

of scams. If you hear about

scams or issues, remember

to tell your friends and

neighbours about them as

part of being a good ‘digital’

neighbour too.”

For further information

about staying safe online

and reporting online scams,

visit the National Cyber

Security Centre https://

www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/

information-for/individualsfamilies

or Internet

Matters https://www.

internetmatters.org/

More advice on how to

support your neighbours

is available at https://

www.durham.gov.uk/

beagoodneighbour.

Family Announcements

Births

Toby Heslington

Are you looking for gifts for

newborn babies and their

mums?

Please check out our range of unique, gorgeous and

affordable clothes, accessories and bundles at:

www.novababy.co.uk/?ref=dianeButcher

Or, see my Facebook page on ‘Special Delivery Baby

Accessories & Bundles,’ where I will be very happy

to help you and answer any questions.

Diane Butcher: 07581 416213

PENNINE WAYS

Estate and Letting Agents

Market House Westgate Chambers

Alston

Haltwhistle

CA9 3HS

NE49 9AQ

01434 381808 01434 322277

www.pennine-ways.co.uk

Pennine Country Cottages

www.penninecountrycottages.co.uk

Kelsey Taylor and Adam Heslington are happy to announce

the birth of their son Toby Cecil Vaughn Heslington.

Born at Durham University Hospital on 9th March 2020

at 2.39pm, weighing 8lb 7oz. Named Cecil after his Great

Grandad and Vaughn after his Great Uncle.

Toby is doing very well and has kept his parents occupied

throughout the lockdown! His family love him very much

and he doesn’t realise just how many video calls he has had

with them all!

www.wcng.org


Page 15

A Family at War: The McCallums of Stanhope

Colin McCallum Gordon whilst in Addis Ababa 1941 Frank and Ruth Balderstone’s marriage 1941 Royal Observer Corps Post above Stanhope

By Kate Gill

THE Weardale Museum

started

collecting

information about Dales

people who served in

WW2 for an exhibition at

the Museum in May but,

as circumstances prevent

this, we are sharing the

information in other ways.

The McCallum family had

lived and worked in Stanhope

for many years before the

outbreak of WW2, running a

tailor’s shop on Front Street.

Father Daniel had served on

the Home Front in WW1 in

the 23rd Reserve Battalion

but was declared medically

unfit for duty in 1916. He

was awarded the War Medal

for his services.

Daniel was over 50 when

WW2 was declared but he

still wanted to ‘do his bit’

so he enrolled in the Royal

Observer Corps. Daniel’s

observer post was set high

above Stanhope on the

fells near the underground

reservoir; quite a climb up

and often done during the

blackout. He wore a calliper

from an earlier accident so

this must have been quite

a struggle. Very little of

the post is left now but it

remains a place where men

from Stanhope spent hours

watching the skies for the

arrival of enemy planes.

Daniel and his wife

Elizabeth had 5 children and

all but the youngest served

during the war. Elizabeth,

like all mothers, would have

worried constantly about

her children and looked

forward to receiving their

letters.

Gordon, the eldest son,

trained as a Signaller in

the Signals Corps. He did

most of his service in north

east Africa including Addis

Ababa and Somaliland, a far

cry from the green fields of

Weardale. The fighting there

was mainly against Italian

forces.

Gordon returned to

Weardale in 1945 and

went to teach at Wearhead

School. He later taught in

Howden le Wear and then

later moved to Hunwick

where he spent the rest of

his working life.

Frank played football

for the Stanhope team as a

boy. After leaving school he

moved to Rugby to train as a

Fitter. During WW2 he joined

the Royal Navy in 1940 as an

Electrical Artificer 4th class

and trained to work with

submarines.

Frank wrote many letters

home; he clearly saw very

little of his family during

his service. He met Ruth

Balderstone and they

married in 1941 while she

was serving in the A.T.S.

His final posting was to

HMS Medway, a submarine

repair and depot ship based

Family fundraising in memory of GP,

Dr Poornima Nair

DOCTOR Poornima Nair was

a respected GP in Bishop

Auckland, in addition to

operating some private

practices in the North East

and London.

Dr Nair died on 12th

May 2020 after a 46 day

battle with COVID-19 at

University Hospital of

North Tees & Hartlepool.

One of her wishes that

she communicated to her

husband Shlokarth, while in

the intensive care unit was

to do something to show

her appreciation for the care

being provided by the nurses

and doctors.

Dr Nair’s family have

started a fundraising

campaign online to raise

£2,000 for the Intensive

Therapy Unit (ITU) at the

University Hospital Of North

Tees. Dr Nair’s son, Varun,

writes:

“As a family we have seen

how tirelessly and selflessly

the staff and doctors in the

ITU at University Hospital

of North Tees are working.

We have seen first-hand

the exemplary courage and

determination to try to

save her and all their other

patients that they have

made better. We saw their

shared pain and heartbreak

when they were unable

to save her life. We will

forever be grateful for the

excellent care she was given

throughout her time in the

ITU.

We set this page up so

that anyone who wishes

to make a tribute in her

memory can do so here.

As a token of our heartfelt

appreciation we wish that all

money raised in Poornima’s

memory will be used for the

direct well being of the ITU

staff and doctors.”

To support the campaign,

please use the link below

https://www.justgiving.

com/crowdfunding/

poornima

at Alexandria, Egypt. He

took ill whilst at sea and his

transfer to a hospital ship

was delayed.

Frank’s mother received

a telegram on 5th May

1942 informing her that

he was dangerously ill

and just two days later

she was told that he had

died from sepsis following

an appendicectomy with

complications from enteric

fever. Frank was buried

in Alexandria (Hadra)

Cemetery. He was awarded

the 1939-45 star, the Africa

Star and the War Medal.

The third of the three

brothers to join up Colin,

went into the Royal Navy

like his brother Frank and

became a Signaller like his

brother Gordon. Not much is

known about his war service

although we know that he

was in Malta in 1942 and

by September 1943 he had

been transferred to Eritrea in

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North Africa; he didn’t much

enjoy the heat! As part of his

journey he was in Alexandria

and visited his brother

Frank’s grave. Although his

brother Gordon was also in

North Africa, letters show

that they were too far apart

to meet up.

After the war he worked

as a Printing Lecturer and

lived for many years in

Wimbledon before retiring

to East Anglia.

Margaret Elizabeth,

known as Peggy, was

the eldest of two sisters.

Conscription for women

started in 1941 and they had

a choice as to whether to

join a branch of the services

or do factory or similar

work. Peggy volunteered

for service rather than be

sent to work in a factory;

this would have been about

1942.

Peggy joined the

Women’s Auxiliary Air Force

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WHERE THE PERSONAL TOUCH MATTERS

Solutions are available using

jargon free 1:1 help and advise.

All aspects from set up onwards

including safe use,

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(W.A.A.F.). She served at RAF

Winkleigh in Devon where

squadrons from the Royal

Canadian Air Force were

based.

Peggy became a Leading

Aircraftswoman and worked

as a cook for the Canadian

service men. Her service

went on long after hostilities

ceased. It was 1 Oct 1946

before her discharge was

signed off at RAF Wythall,

the RAF’s Personnel Dispatch

Centre.

In August 1947 Peggy

married Leonard Craggs and

they moved to Tow Law to

live. They later returned to

Stanhope and lived in the

family home of Dales House.

The McCallums would

have been typical of many

Dales families who saw their

loved ones going away to

serve their country, sadly

many of them not returning.

This piece is part of the

Museum’s tribute to all of them.

Microsoft

Registered Partner


Get sewing with The Big Community Sew

and help to produce millions of masks

THE clothing designer and

judge of the BBC’s Great

British Sewing Bee, Patrick

Grant, has called on the

nation’s sewing community

to help people adapt to new

Government guidance by

producing millions of homemade

face coverings.

Grant’s intervention

comes after the Prime

Minister advised people

to consider wearing face

coverings in enclosed spaces

where social distancing isn’t

possible and where you

will come into contact with

people you don’t normally

meet – for example, on

public transport and

shopping.

Grant, whose Cookson &

Clegg factory in Blackburn

has been manufacturing

PPE since the start of

lockdown, launched the

#BigCommunitySew

campaign today and praised

Britain’s sewing community

for the remarkable work

they’ve done for the NHS,

making scrubs, gowns and

other items during the

pandemic.

“I’ve been blown away

by the efforts of our sewing

community,” he said. “The

scrub making groups, sewing

clubs and thousands of other

sewing volunteers who

quietly jumped into action

to stitch for health and social

care workers across the

country have humbled and

inspired me.

“But I want more people

to get involved. There are

around six million sewing

machines in homes across

the UK. If every one of

those can be used to make

just a dozen face coverings

that would be one for every

person in the UK”

He said many sewers

were already doing this

and pointed to the recent

efforts of a group of sewers

in Somerset who kitted out

an entire village with face

coverings.

“It would be fantastic if

local communities could

look out for each other in

the same way they did when

lock down started with

all the messages on social

media groups and notes

through neighbours’ doors

offering help with shopping

or any other jobs. I’d like to

encourage those who can

make or sew to find out

who in their community

needs face coverings and get

making,” he added.

The campaign has

received support from

Government and Michael

Gove, The Chancellor of the

Duchy of Lancaster added:

"The Big Community Sew

is a wonderful example of

communities across the

United Kingdom coming

together to do their bit for

the national effort. In pulling

together in this way, we

can ensure face coverings

are available to the public

to wear in enclosed public

spaces, but crucially that

medical grade masks are

reserved for our frontline

NHS and care workers"

Existing scrub making

groups like Scrubhub, NI

Scrubs, Help Dress Medics,

Margate Scrubbers and

many other groups are ready

to redouble their efforts.

The Group Co-ordinator

of NI Scrubs, Angeline

Murphy, said volunteer

sewers were already starting

to make face coverings.

“Our volunteer group

has over 9,000 members,

and there is a huge amount

of pride among them that

sewing skills are being

recognised and needed in

these challenging times,”

Great British Sewing Bee Judge, Patrick Grant

she said. “Sewing is a simple www.bigcommunitysew.

act of kindness that can co.uk also features links to

make a real difference. It’s the public health guidance

rewarding at the best of on how to wear and care for

times, but sewing now, with your face covering.

the purpose of protecting And finally, Grant added,

friends, family and frontline "Have fun with this, get

staff takes that sense of the whole family involved,

pride and accomplishment customise them, get

to a whole other level!'' creative.

“An average face covering And please share

takes less time to sew than it pictures and videos of your

takes to boil an egg,” added makes with the hashtag

Grant.

#bigcommunitysew so we

The campaign website can see how you get on.”

Competition time: Win

a £100 holiday voucher

with Stanhope Travel

WITH everyone still in lockdown and holidays put on hold

until the Covid-19 threat is beaten, we thought it would be

fun to look back at holidays past and hold a competition for

all of our new readers.

Stanhope Travel and Weardale Community News have

teamed up to offer a £100 voucher to be used on a holiday

booked through them. To enter, send us the funniest picture

that you’ve managed to snap whilst on holiday. We’ll print

the winner in the paper.

Send your snaps to admin@wcng.org. Closing date is

15/06/20. T&C’s apply, voucher is valid for 28 days and is

non-transferable.

Weardale Funeral Services

Established local family business

Offering a caring 24 hour service

Private Chapel of Rest

Traditional Funerals

Memorials and Inscriptions

Golden Charter Funeral Plans

Covering Weardale and

surrounding areas

Tel, Paul : 01388 528045

Mobile: 0770 341 0765

Peace of Mind

Specialist Deep Clean

Anbacterial & Deodorisaon

"Touch Point" Infecon Control Service

Natural Stone

Hard Floors

Carpets & Upholstery

Leather

Property Handover

Odour & Stain Removal

Inseccide Treatments

07725 113352

enquiries@dadscar.co.uk

www.dadscar.co.uk

Str8ts Solution

3 5 4 6 7 8

4 1 3 2 7 8 5 9 6

5 2 4 3 9 8 6 7

2 1 3 7 6 5

1 7 6 2 3 4 5

7 8 6 5 4 2 3

8 9 5 4 3 1 2

9 5 7 8 1 6 2 3 4

2 6 8 7 5 4

Sudoku Solution

8 6 5 1 3 2 7 9 4

3 4 2 8 9 7 1 6 5

7 9 1 4 5 6 3 8 2

6 8 9 7 4 1 2 5 3

4 5 7 6 2 3 8 1 9

1 2 3 5 8 9 4 7 6

2 3 8 9 1 5 6 4 7

9 7 4 3 6 8 5 2 1

5 1 6 2 7 4 9 3 8

Weardale Community News June Edition

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