There was more good cheer yesterday for brewer Tom Hick when he was voted 2008 Young Rural Entrepreneur of the Year.
Tom, who runs the Allendale Brewing Company in Northumberland, was awarded the title by countryside insurance broker Lycetts and The Field magazine.
Tom Hick set up Allendale Brewery in 2006, building a business which now supplies more than 100 pubs across the region.
Expect a full-on art attack if you're in Allendale over the weekend when the second annual art and music extravaganza takes place.
Colourful arts and crafts will be on display at a range of unusual venues throughout the village while musicians will take centre stage in local shops and cafes.
Even St Cuthbert's Church has been taken over for the weekend, with striking works by local glass artists Rena Holford and Willa Story gracing the altar.
The success of a five-year environment-led regeneration programme in the North East was marked yesterday.
The Mineral Valleys scheme has seen more than £6m invested in the project area of west County Durham, ranging from Chester-le-Street to Bishop Auckland and bounded by Nenthead, Allenheads and Derwentside.
Click here to find some great days out and fantastic family attractions,
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Journal Extra, Northumberland's free weekly, is inside copies of The Journal across the county every Thursday, and can also be picked up from Allendale Medical Practise.
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"our b .log is to advertise our website for a charity thanxs alot ..."
"We've got 2 foot of snow and hoping school is closed for the rest of the week. So glad the potatoes ..."
"Hope school is closed tomorrow Having so much more fun at home. x x x x x x x x x..."
"Thomas & your question about Nordic skiing. We do have a couple of members who do Nordic skiing - wh..."
"It's a while since I skied, but I'd like to start again - this time with Nordic cross-country (ski r..."
"Is it under use, or just bureacratic 'cost cutting', that closes smaller branches of Libraries. Many..."
" I live at Middlecroft Henshaw. We have a small paddock that streches down to the A69 and has an a..."
"love catton and allendale living in canada now but will be back soon for a visist and maybe to live,..."
"I have to say most people in Prudhoe feel like swearing at Cllr Bradbury every time they see him. I ..."