What’s On

halted during the stamp duty holiday during Covid.

One particular trick some second-homers did was to declare their property as a holiday let (even if they never let it to anyone) thus avoiding council tax altogether. They could then claim small-business relief on business rates. This loophole is due to be closed in April 2023 when they’ll have to prove they’ve let their property for more than 70 days in any one year.

In April last year Northumberland introduced an “empty homes” surcharge: if your property is empty for two years you pay double council tax. If it’s empty for five years you pay treble. And even more after ten years.

Neighbourhood plans

A handful of councils in Devon and Cornwall have used local neighbourhood plans to insist that new houses be allocated to local people - though it remains to be seen how successful they are. How can you stop people selling their property on to the highest bidder?

The Government also points to its First Homes initiative – where first time buyers can apply for a discount. The homes are offered to local buyers first and can only be put on the general market after a three months delay.

Northumberland seems to be settling on 20% as the point at which it plans to act. If an area has more than 20% of its housing stock as second homes or holiday lets the plan is to insist (via what’s called Section 106 agreements) that any new housing in that area should “in perpetuity” be available only to “principal” householders – ie not second homers.

But is any of this going to have a real impact, or are we just tinkering around the edges? Will the proposed restraints actually work, or will they be easy to evade?

And the solutions all seem to relate to new builds while the problem lies mainly with normal house sales of older properties.

Another solution of course would be to build enough new affordable homes to meet the demand. But that seems to have been a pipedream of politicians for generations.

Outing on ice for Wooler Drop-in centre

After two years cooped up through Covid restrictions, young people from Wooler Drop-in enjoyed a skating trip thanks to the generosity of a local resident and staff at Florin who held a fundraising raffle for them. As one young skater put it: “We all had so much fun I didn’t want to leave!” They are now looking forward to the next adventure.

Ford Forge opens its doors to reveal hamlet’s history

Till Valley Archaeological Society is inviting members of the community to visit their new premises at Ford Forge which sits in the same hamlet as Heatherslaw Mill.

Two open days are being held on Saturday, April 9th and Saturday the 16th, from 10-3pm,

“It’s an opportunity to see inside part of the building, adjacent to the Heatherslaw Railway, which from the eighteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries formed part of an ever-changing rural industrial hamlet,” says TillVAS secretary Sue Shaw. TillVAS occcupies the left-hand side of the upper floor, accessed via the external staircase. “There is a smallish room to the left, once part of ‘Mr. Town’s house’ and a much larger room to the right, used as a Baptist Chapel for about a hundred years.” says Sue.

The group moved in during summer 2020 but Covid restrictions prevented them holding an open day in the autumn.

The open days are free and there is parking in the Heatherslaw car park. Refreshments will be available at Boes Café across the River Till at Heatherslaw Mill.

TillVAS works closely with Ford & Etal Estates. Their many activities include digs, talks and lectures, guided walks as well as classes and training. In the past, excavations have been carried out at Flodden Field, Etal and at nearby Norham, Wark and the Iron Age enclosure at Mardon. These have produced fascinating finds such as Iron Age pottery and bone.

Community network comes to the rescue of Forest School

Storm Arwen laid waste to the outdoor learning centre at Wooler First and Middle School to the dismay of pupils who love it.

The forest school, which gives young people a chance to work closely with nature, lost a lot of trees and left head teacher Mike Deane-Hall with a big clearing up problem.

Fortunately he mentioned the devastation to Karen Froggatt , the Glendale Gateway Trust’s new chief executive, when she visited the school.

Log Bank volunteers

Karen had the idea of contacting the Northumberland Log Bank to see if they could help and the result was a team of willing Log Bank volunteers (pictured above) turning up in January to start the mammoth task of clearing fallen trees and branches to enable replanting to start. “It was a win, win scenario,” says Karen. “Mike gets the help he needs to clear the site so that the children can have their beloved forest school back and the log bank gets more logs to add to their supplies.

“It’s a great example of organisations working together to support the local community. The Young Farmers have also agreed to lend a hand.”

Mike says: “The devastation to our Forest School was truly heartbreaking. The children really miss it.

“We’ll need more help in the coming months to make the site safe before we can start replanting the woodland for future generations to enjoy. It won’t be our Forest School as we remember it but we will make sure that our children are able to get back to their special learning outdoors.”

It’s an ill wind... “Storm Arwen was devastating but it has supplied us with a huge amount of wood for future use,” says Kate Thick founding trustee of the Northumberland Log Bank. “The Log Bank is steadily growing and we are trying to meet demand from an increasing number of struggling households, many referred by agencies such as Community Action Northumberland, Citizens Advice and food banks. We are helping over 100 households at the moment and we expect to double that.“ To find out more or to volunteer with the log bank, contact Kate on 07900 963234 or email: katethick@hotmail.com

Something new for ‘22

Festival on the move

Glendale Free Music Festival is making a comeback this summer with all day entertainment for families and a new music venue in Wooler on Sunday, July 24.

There was no festival in 2020 or 2021 because of Covid, but the Festival Committee is keen to bring it back with a bang. Plans include holding a farmers’ market in the bus station from 10-1pm followed by family entertainment and music at Wooler Mart on the Berwick Road from 2-9pm.

“The festival has been running for 22 years. We felt it needed a bit of a shake-up for its comeback ,” says festival chair Alison Lloyd-Harris.

“This way visitors can enjoy the market side of the festival in the Bus Station, have lunch in town, then walk down to the mart for an afternoon of entertainment and music.

“Moving the music venue to the mart means there will be more space to provide entertainment for children as well as community stalls and activities. It also addresses access problems caused by closing off the High Street and concerns about people gathering at the entrance to the bus station to hear the music.

“We also had to take into consideration the fact that the local authority fee for closing the High Street for a day now costs more than £1,000, while Wooler Mart is generously offering its site at no charge.”

Anyone who can lend a hand planning the festival or assist on the day can contact Rachel at the Cheviot Centre on 01668 282406.

Potter wins pride of place at Ad Gefrin gift shop

Glendale-based potter, Keith Webster has taken top prize in a competition to see who could produce the best memento of a trip to Ad Gefrin visitors centre for their gift shop.

His pottery jug just beat Alice Elsworth of Whistlebare, selected for her beautiful throws made from Cheviot sheep wool, and Joseph Hillier, for his bespoke bronze jewellery.

Fifteen artists and craftsfolk entered the competition and six were chosen to give a “Dragon’s Den” style presentation to a panel of judges.

“We chose Ravn Clay Pottery as the overall winner,” said Ad Gefrin-

Ravn Clay potter Keith Webster

co-founder Eileen Ferguson, “There are clear opportunities for the usability of his pottery in the bistro and tasting room, as well as for retail in the shop.”

Connecting our communities with a better financial future.

Pop into your Wooler branch at The Cheviot Centre to chat to us about:

n Saving for the future n Buying a home n Insuring the important things n Accessing Financial Advice Alternatively call us on 01668 260 360 or visit Newcastle.co.uk

Newcastle Building Society introduces to Newcastle Financial Advisers Limited for advice on investments, pensions, life and protection insurance, and inheritance tax planning. Newcastle Financial Advisers Limited is an appointed representative of The Openwork Partnership which is a trading style of Openwork Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Buildings and contents insurance is arranged by Newcastle Building Society and underwritten by Fairmead Insurance Limited (renamed from Legal & General Insurance Limited), part of the Liverpool Victoria General Insurance Group. Fairmead Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority, Financial Services Register number 202050. Registered in England and Wales Number 00423930. Registered office: 57 Ladymead, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1DB. ©Newcastle Building Society. All Rights Reserved. Principal Office, 1 Cobalt Park Way, Wallsend, NE28 9EJ. Newcastle Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Newcastle Building Society is registered on the Financial Services Register under the firm reference number 156058.

Keeping all the plates spinning at once...

Apologies for missing the last edition of GL but, as many of you know, a farmer’s work is never done.

One week we had sheep scanning, TB testing, (thankfully low risk in this area but nerve racking when it happens every 4 years); pregnancy testing for cattle and a visit from the mobile sheep dip to prevent scab. The mobile sheep dip comes over from Hexham, complete with water and chemicals.

All these jobs were fine but added to the daily feeding routines AND trying to get repairs done after the storms Arwen, Malik and Corrie it was just a bit stressful.

At the moment the weather is favourable for livestock but already farmers’ and gardeners’ thoughts will be turning to the lack of moisture in the soil. We saw the first lapwings (peewits) on our hill on January 26. That seems earlier than last year.

The moles are making themselves felt at the moment. Let’s hope that the few people left capable of catching them do not retire or move away. Moles can eat half their bodyweight each day and dig up to four metres of ground per day - definitely a problem for farmers.

One good thing is that if you have lots of moles, you have lots of worms. The old name for moles is moldiwort,or as we say in Glendale a mowdie.

I think it is important to keep these vernacular words in everyday use as they are part of our heritage and something to be proud of.

Pete Loam

Chatton, Chillingham, Eglingham, Ingram, South Charlton (Breamish & Till Benefice) Vacant

Lowick, Ford, Etal, Ancroft, St John the Baptist Rev Charlotte Osborn, 01890 820 240, email ceosborn@mail.com Milfield Methodist Church has closed. suzanne@cookehouse.co.uk Rev Judith Dobson. judedob@gmail.com Wooler URC Jean Armstrong (Secretary), 01668 216205, jean.arms50@gmail.com www.woolerurc.org.uk

Wooler St Ninian’s (Roman Catholic) Father David Philips, 01665 574240

Orthodox Church, the Orthodox Community of the Holy Mother of God and St Oswald. Reader, John-Michael, 01668 215397, email, ikons@gmx.com Wooler Evangelical Church Alistair Fairnington (elder), 01668 281813, email albefairnington@ btinternet.com www.wooler-evangelical.org.uk

Wooler, Kirknewton, Doddington, Ilderton (Cheviot Benefice) Rev Suzanne Cooke, 01668 283502, Wooler Christian Brethren David Pulman, 01668 216520

COMMUNITY & VILLAGE HALLS

Bolton 01665 574689 Branxton 01890 820320 Bowsden 01289 388543

hgew13@gmail.com

Chatton

villagehall@chatton.uk Cheviot Centre, Wooler 01668 282406

ggtadmin@wooler.org.uk

Crookham

01890 820446

www.etalvillagehall.org.uk 07790 457580

ladywaterfordhall@ford-and-etal.co.uk Glendale Hall, Wooler 01289 388387 Ingram 01665 578980 Kirknewton 01668 216581 / 07494 599796

kirknewtonvillagehall@gmail.com Lowick 01289 388285 Breamish Hall, Powburn 07776 083662

breamishhall@gmail.com

LOCAL SERVICES

Tourist Information 01668 282123 & Wooler Library www.visitwooler.com Wooler Food Bank 01668 282406

Wooler Police 101 (Non-emergency only) Glendale Gateway Trust 01668 282406

ggtadmin@wooler.org.uk

U3A

01668 281362

www.u3asites.org.uk/wooler Samaritans Call free at any time on 116 123

COUNTY COUNCILLORS

Cllr Mark Mather 07890 046712

(Wooler) mark.mather@northumberland.gov.uk Cllr Colin Hardy 07890 046706

(Norham&Islandshire) colin.hardy@northumberland.gov.uk

HEALTHCARE IN WOOLER

Glendale Surgery 01668 281740 Cheviot Medical Group 01668 281575 Glendale Pharmacy 01668 281343 Thompson Opticians 01668 281066

SCHOOLS

Ford First School 01890 820217

www.ford.northumberland.sch.uk Lowick First School 01289 388268

www.lowickholyislandschools.org.uk Glendale Middle School 01668 281470

www.glendale.northumberland.sch.uk Wooler First School 01668 281470

www.wooler.northumberland.sch.uk

PARISH COUNCILS Bowsden

01289 388871

Branxton

01289 306365

Carham

01890 850336

clerk@carhamparish.org Cornhill-on-Tweed 01890 820501

parishclerk@cornhill-on-tweed.co.uk

Ford

01890 820566

clerk.fordpc@btinternet.com

Ingram Kirknewton

Lowick

Milfield

Tillside

Wooler

01665 578906 0191 257 1948

clerk.kirknewton.pc@gmail.com 01289 388205

lowickparishcouncil@btconnect.com 07856 577181

milfieldpc@gmail.com 01289 306365

tillsidepc@btopenworld.com 07501 169591

woolerparishcouncil@yahoo.co.uk

GLENDALE LIVE PUBLISHING TEAM

News & articles: editor.glendalelive@gmail.com Events & other entries for What’s On: whatson.glendalelive@gmail.com All advertising inquiries: advertising.glendalelive@gmail.com Glendale Live is produced bi-monthly by local volunteers on a not-for-profit basis.