We're holding our very first Annual General Meeting on Thursday 2nd February from 7.30pm at the Allendale Inn, Market Place, Allendale.

It's a great opportunity to come and meet the members and find out more about the group's plans for 2012 - both in terms of organised fishing events, but also in terms of environmental projects designed to improve the river habitat on the River East Allen.

Starting from a spring up at Allenheads - England's highest village - the river descends through stunning countryside within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a great natural asset of the local area - although relatively un-managed and as such there is no shortage of projects and opportunities for volunteers to roll up their sleeves and get involved with carefully planned and coordinated river management works.

There is more information about the AGM on the club's website - www.allenvalleyanglers.co.uk

Hi. My name's Sarah and I've recently become involved with a brand new not-for-profit organisation called Allen Valley Angling & Conservation.


The idea for the organisation came from a chap called Paul Frear. Paul moved to Allendale 3 years ago and walks the banks of our local river - the East Allen - practically every day. He's a keen fisherman and has been involved with fishing and conservation all his life - in fact, he's made a career of it!

Anyway, Paul knows the river pretty well by now and had an idea that with enough people behind it, and with the right consents in place, it will be a great fishery - right on our door-step!

Having negotiated a licence with the land-owner's management company, he put a poster in the Post Office window inviting anyone with an interest in seeing the river reach its potential as a fishery to attend a meeting at the Golden Lion Hotel. Thirty people turned up for the meeting - myself included - to hear what he had to say. Seven people stepped forward to form a committee and within just four weeks, we were ready to launch Allen Valley Angling & Conservation.

The angling community online has given this initiative a really warm welcome and we've already started receiving applications for membership via our website, www.allenvalleyanglers.co.uk. Despite coming towards the end of the season, we have welcomed 40 members!

It's a fantastic start and I'm really looking forward to developing this little-known river - which is teeming with wild brown trout as well as sea trout and even a few salmon - in to one of the jewel's in the Allen Valley's crown.

If you're at all interested, you can find out more on our website www.allenvalleyanglers.co.uk or send us an email to info@allenvalleyanglers.co.uk

This is the weekend of the great firing - but nobody is going to lose their job on this occasion.

The firing of the huge kiln in Allendale is the highlight of a series of June exhibitions at Broadwood Hall, owned by ceramicist Steph Jamieson and her husband, Ron.

Twelve ceramic artists are showing their work at Broadwood Hall this weekend and next.

A free weekend exhibition highlighting the beauty and history of North Pennines hay meadows opens today.

The event is at Allendale Village Hall in Northumberland from 11am-5pm.

Neil Diment, Hay Time project community officer with the North Pennines AONB Partnership, said: "It will explore the flowers and insects to be found in these glorious meadows. Visitors will find out about work to help farmers restore and enhance the meadows to ensure their survival."

Blagdon Estate is opening its gardens once again for Macmillan Cancer Support on Sunday 27th June 2010.

You will get the chance to explore these beautiful gardens as well as enjoying activities from cricket to Fly-Casting. You can also listen to the brass band after wandering through a range of local product and craft stalls.

There will be a magnificent display from the Borders School of Falconry, where you will have the opportunity to watch a range of birds of prey fly, as well as the whole family being able to have a picture taken with them.

There are also activities suitable for children of all ages, including face painting, pony rides and much more.

There really is something for everyone so come along and enjoy this fantastic event while raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support at the same time.

Gates open at 10am and tickets are priced at £5 for adults, £4 for OAPs and £1 for children. For more information please contact Erin Richardson on 0191 2145444 or email erichardson@macmillan.org.uk

Registered Charity Number 261 017

St Cuthbert's Church in Allendale is hosting a classical concert this weekend.

North East choral group Cappella Novocastriensis are taking a five-year musical journey through Northumbria in honour of St Cuthbert, singing in venues closely connected with the inspirational evangelist.

Melrose and Norham have featured so far and last weekend the choir helped run a workshop on Lindisfarne.

Children are being invited to take part in a space-themed summer reading challenge.

Called Space Hop, the scheme will be running across Northumberland's libraries from Saturday July 3 and will last up to August 28.

Illustrated by leading children's book artist Tom Percival, Space Hop coincides with the 350th anniversary of The Royal Society's scientific endeavours, and the 2010 BBC Year of Science.

The history of hay making in the North Pennines is coming under the spotlight at a two-day exhibition.

Hay - What's all the Fuss? will be staged at Allendale Village Hall in Northumberland on the weekend of June 19 and 20.

The event, organised by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, pays tribute to the upland hay meadows and the generations of farmers who have ensured their survival.

It was glorious weather for the first walk in a series exploring Northumberland's landscape.

Walk leader Michael Jones (in the foreground) tells walkers how a long flue up the hillside used to carry fumes away from the lead smelting works in the valley below (c) North Pennines AONB Partnership/Elfie Waren

Northern Rocks, the North Pennines' seventh annual Festival of Geology and Landscape, got off to a sunny start at the weekend with guided walks in the spectacular settings of Blanchland and Allendale, and Dufton in Cumbria.

More events to answer hill farmers' questions about the new Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (UELS) scheme have been announced.

Experts from Natural England will be available to offer advice on how the new system will work at three additional meetings in Northumberland and County Durham next month, in addition to manning a stand at next week's Beef Expo event at Hexham Mart and at Northumberland County Show on May 31.

Nine local farmers attended the UELS event at the Durham Dales Centre in Stanhope earlier this week to discuss issues thrown up by the scheme.