There are no words which can adequately describe the utter devastation that Foot and Mouth has caused in the Parish of Heddon on the Wall. It was bad enough to see Heddon on the Wall plastered across our TV screens but to know that possibly the primary site of the outbreak was within our area was unbelievable.
We watch our TV’s at various times of the day and evening and see major disasters in other parts of the country and the world and feel sad and very sorry for the people involved but when disaster is literally in our midst and we know most of the people involved, have spoken to them while out shopping or had a drink with them in the local pub it is a completely different concept. Most of those involved have been in farming for many years and followed on from their fathers and hope to pass on the farm to their sons.
The knock on effect has been far wider than could initially have been imagined. The Swan and the Three Tuns are suffering very badly. Tourist and passing trade played a major part in their daily life. The takings at the Filling Station are considerably down, again, it was regularly used by passing motorists. The local shops are serving only local people.
Many local people enjoyed the countryside around Heddon and the footpaths and bridleways are well used but these have all been closed. Dogs must be wondering why they are ‘walking the roads’ and not enjoying a run in the fields. This outbreak is only a matter of weeks old but already the terrible effect is being felt and, sadly, there seems to be no end in sight. The effects will be felt for many months and years to come.
Heddon W.I. continues to flourish with many activities taking place both for members and the village. The February meeting saw our Secretary, Mrs. Laws, having a pedicure from Mrs. Ruth Silcock… ‘Highly recommended for stressed farmers’ was her comment.
We celebrated our 84th birthday in March with a party. The members had a tasty supper followed by a Beetle Drive – won by Stella Patterson.
Tuesday Teas continues on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in the month with homemade scones and cakes.
The Soup and Bun Morning on 10th February was well attended as was the Pancake Morning in March. At least 60 people came and sampled sweet or savoury fillings with their pancakes. We even had to send someone home to make more batter!!
Thanks to the generosity of members, villagers, local businesses and trust-funds we now have sufficient funds to cover the cost of the new roof and the emergency electrical repairs. Particular thanks go to the Community Foundation for Tyne and Wear and Northumberland and to Heddon Parish Council for their generous cheques.
It is with sadness that I write of the sudden death of active member Joan Barron in February. She will be remembered particularly for her embroidery skills which often won prizes at Heddon Show. Our condolences go to her family.
Our next meeting is on 2nd April and there is also to be a jumble sale on Saturday, 7th April …You save and we will collect!!!
Aileen Rand, President
Are pleased to announce that their FOURTEENTH ANNUAL CHARITY CONCERT
Will be held in the Heddon Village Knott Memorial Hall On Saturday 7th April at 7pm
The Singers have again voted unanimously to support the ST. OSWALD’S HOSPICE JIGSAW APPEAL
We are delighted to welcome as our Guest Artiste BERYL AMOS, who needs no introduction to Heddon audiences
Admission, which includes light refreshments, is £3 at the door and by tickets available from Choir members, at Liz’s Shop and from Sharon at the Three Tuns Inn.
There will be a Raffle during the evening of a nice selection of prizes donated by the choir. The performance during the evening will be under the baton of Dr. J. Douglas Hunter our Musical Director. So come along to what promises to be a most enjoyable evening.
This is quite a short term in the lead up to Easter and we have concentrated on two events. The Annual Sponsored Bounce took place on Friday, 16th March. As this is also ‘Red Nose Day, the children came to school dressed in something red and silly – this made the bounce counting very colourful. Each child had one minute to bounce as many times as they could in a bouncy castle. They received a certificate with the number of bounces recorded and £ went to school funds.
The EASTER FAYRE took place on 31st March in the School Hall. We had crafts for the children and also a toy sale, tombola, a cake stall, refreshments, competitions and a raffle. We appreciated your support. If you would like to join the PTA you would be very welcome. Many thanks for your time
Diane Howorth
It was disappointing that our plea for new blood for the Management Committee produced a zero response. However, life goes on and I would like to thank the fifty hardy souls who braved the snowy weather to listen to a very interesting talk on the Knott Family from John Dobson and also the eighty dancers who attended our first ever Spring Ceilidh. In addition to both evenings being very enjoyable we raised some money for the Knott Hall. Evenings such as these take a considerable amount of organisation and the satisfaction from my point of view is that entertainment has been provided to appreciative audiences.
However, it appears not everyone appreciates what the Knott Hall has to offer and it was heartbreaking to discover that over ten panes of glass have been broken by mindless yobs that we, unfortunately have to suffer in the village. Most of us, including the Police, know who they are and it is only a matter of time before they are caught in the act. It is the Knott Hall Committee’s intention to prosecute when this happens. You have been warned!
As I said earlier, life goes on and we will not be deflected in our aim to make the Knott Hall a village asset to be proud of. Our programme of events continues with renewed vigour as we need to raise money to repair our windows.
Our next event will be a BACON BUTTY MORNING on Saturday, 7th April at 10am to coincide with the VILLAGE TIDY UP organised by Heddon in Bloom.
For anyone who enjoys live music and in particular Brass Bands, we are delighted that the NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE BRASS BAND has agreed to perform in the Knott Hall at 7.30pm on Saturday 28th April, 2001. Founded in 1875 as the Pelton Fell Colliery Band, the Newcastle Brown Ale Band is one of the North’s top Brass Bands. They regularly perform at the major Brass Band Competitions and travel widely around the region. This is a great opportunity to hear a top class band on your doorstep. Tickets at £5.00 each will be available from Heddon Shops or by telephoning 01661 853359. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS EVENT
Ken Quinn – Chairman Knott Hall Management Committee. 01661 853359
10.30am Morning Worship
6pm Evening Worship
Everyone is warmly invited to all our services. We have currently ceased having specific monthly Family Services but children will be welcomed at any time – we love them as well as the grown ups!
CHURCH EVENTS for your diary
April
2nd Coffee & Chat 10.30am – noon
5th Last Lent Meeting 7.30pm
12th Maundy Thursday
Meeting 7.30pm
13th Good Friday Service 3 pm
13th United Performance
of Stainer’s Crucifiction at
Lemington Methodist Church 6pm
15th Easter Day Sunrise
Service at Bolam Lake 6am
(Unless Foot & Mouth restrictions still apply )
15th Easter Day Services 10.30am & 6pm
21st Coffee Morning 10am-noon
25th Pathfinders Walking Group 10am
(Unless Foot & Mouth restrictions still apply)
26th Week 1 of ‘A Life Worth Living’
Study series 7.30pm
May
12th Christian Aid Coffee Morning
in W.I. Hall 10am-noon
19th Church Anniversary Concert –
by Ad Murum Singers
20th Church Anniversary Services 10.30am & 6pm
21st Coffee & Chat 10.30am-noon
30th Pathfinders Walking Group 10am
(Unless Foot & Mouth restrictions still apply)
Please see our Notice Board or Newsletter for details
METHODIST CHURCH NOTES
The annual ‘all village’ effort for Christian Aid is the CHRISTIAN AID COFFEE MORNING
To be held this year on 12th May in the W.I Hall from 10am till 12 noon. Please try to support this worthwhile event.
Following the success of the Alpha Course, Nicky Gumbel has recorded another Video study series based on his book called ‘A Life Worth Living’. This is a nine week study of the New Testament epistle to the Philippians. Anyone is warmly invited to join us for this weekly study. The first evening is Thursday 26th April at 7.30pm
Except where Bank Holidays interrupt, on the first and third Monday mornings of the month between 10am and noon, the Chapel is open for anyone to drop in for a Coffee and Chat (or Tea and Chat!). Why not come along? April and May dates are in the events diary.
Chapel Anniversary
A concert on 19th May by the Ad Murum Singers and Northumbrian Pipe and Harp music played by Myrna and Martin Luff
Those of you who are regular visitors to the Haven will know that there has been no work done on the site for several weeks now which is indirectly due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. While the Common itself has remained open to walkers we decided from the outset of the outbreak that it would be wrong for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers team to be involved in any work on the area as a precaution against any further spread of the disease in view of their County wide programme of work. In fact BTCV suspended all work at their countryside sites the day following our discussions with them.
The time has not been wasted because we have been chasing grant aid for further work on the Butterfly Haven and elsewhere on the Common. It is surprising how many grant aid opportunities are out there if you spend some time looking. Sometimes they come from the most unlikely sources such as Volvo (the car makers no less) who I have just made an application for grant aid from through their Practical Environmental Projects scheme. The Butterfly Haven and our other work on the Common seems to fit their requirements very well but we shall just have to wait and see.
Not really anything to do with the Butterfly Haven but something which I am sure you will be interested in is the following agreement on the route of the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail between the Parish Council and National Trail team, they have come back to us with details of a local loop trail which starts and ends in the village. The route follows Rights of Way to the north and west of the village with the final section following the Right of Way across the top of the Common. This should result in good signposting on that part of the Common as well as on the National Trail route through the village.
This year the Annual Electors Meeting is to be held on 2nd May. It will be held as usual in the Knott Hall at 7.30pm
This meeting is YOUR opportunity to express YOUR views about anything and everything which has happened, not happened or which YOU would like to see happen in Heddon on the Wall.
There must be lots of things upon which YOU would like to make YOUR feelings known. There must be lots of things which YOU would like to see done. YOU must have views about the present standard of life in Heddon.
What about the current wave of vandalism and street drinking which is going on?
What can or should be done about it?
What about the Memorial Park? Does it have a future? Should there be any work done on it? If so, what?
What about the Common? What do you think of the developments there?
What about the standard of maintenance and cleanliness in the village? Is it OK? If not how can it be improved?
What is available for young people in Heddon? Is it sufficient? If not what should be done about it?
These are only a small number of topics which occur to me in only a few minutes thought. The Parish Council would really appreciate YOUR views on these or any other matter.
The ANNUAL ELECTORS MEETING is YOUR CHANCE …. come along on May 2nd AND SEIZE IT….. MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN.
R E M E M B E R unless the Council knows what you, the residents, want they cannot provide it.
Tom Bates, Clerk to the Parish Council
Will be holding a meeting on Monday, 23rd April at the Knott Hall. The highlight of the evening will be the opportunity to see the photographs and maps of the area over the years.
Do come along from 7pm and join in. If you have any photos or material we would welcome an opportunity to see it.
Admission is free and refreshments will be served.
This photograph, taken in the early twenties is an example of the early mode of transport.
The chara-banc, a long open coach with transverse seats, was built in Heddon by J. Murray and Son. The chassis/engine was imported from America, manufactured by the Hudson Motor Company. It was a 32 seater marvel of the day. The registration number was NL 2661.
This bus was the fore-runner of the United Bus Company and other successful Bus Companies such as Armstrong, several of their buses being built in Heddon.
Music Halls were popular at the time and the buses were named after the shows, this particular one being called "The Quaker Girl".
It also had other uses. The body was removed making a flat platform taking produce from the various market gardens in Heddon to the Green Markets in Newcastle and Gateshead.
It was also popular with the local Football and Cricket Teams who enjoyed trips to the Lakes and Scotland. Nobody worried about draughts in those days.
My parents did their courting in this bus, driving through the countryside to the amazement of onlookers.
Sadly, this particular model was burnt out in Silver Lonnen during the troubles of 1926.
H. Murray
999 is a number that I have dialled 3 times in my life, twice during the 5 years that I have lived in Heddon. This fact has caused me to reflect on why I chose to come and live here, what I was expecting and what I expect now. Being smiled at and engaged in conversation by fellow villagers that I had never met before was immediately reassuring. It helped me to feel a part of the community here within a very short space of time. More recent experiences of being harassed in my own home by a local youth, and subsequently visited by a group of youths after the conviction of one of them, felt quite different. I have found myself thinking about who is responsible for this kind of behaviour and who is prepared to do anything about it.
The only answer I feel comfortable with is that we are all responsible to some degree and we should all be prepared to accept ownership of the problem and do something about it. I am aware that there is much that has already been tried, and much that our parish council is continuing to do, particularly in terms of creating opportunities for leisure activities specifically directed at our young people. What else can we do? The village belongs to all of us and perhaps we need to consult (again?) with the young people about what they need and want in their community, and also, perhaps, about what they can offer to others. Communicating is always easier when channels have been kept open and I cannot claim to have made any serious effort to get to know the young people of Heddon. Smiling at and speaking to younger children is almost always instantly rewarding. Doing the same with teenagers feels more challenging, but I think that doing it, in a community spirit, could, if we wanted it to, become a worthwhile habit.
I would welcome a meeting with anyone reading this (young or old) who is prepared to give up an hour to discuss, as a group, what we can do to create a better community for all of us. Perhaps you have no time to meet, but do have some ideas. Please write to me at 18 Trajan Walk.
Janet Incecik.
A member of the Churches together (North East) Football League. St. Andrew’s Football Club – 9 – 13 yr. Old squad is increasing all the time with new players signing each week. The new season is not even in sight but already the Heddon Club has enough players registered to provide two full squads.
The older teams up to the age of 16 years have also been boosted by some recently signed players but at the end of this season in a few weeks, several players will leave due to their age and new squad members will be sought. The Club has been assisted by the long term loan of training equipment by Heddon Parish Council. Any interested potential players can contact the leaders. The Heddon Web site provides full information on the Club.
The planning of this year’s presentation is well under way with the event being held at St. James’ Park, Newcastle attracting an audience of 450 people (sorry ticket only).
Gordon Stewart
If you are a pensioner, Stay Warm will provide you with all the gas and electricity you need for one fixed regular payment, regardless of how much energy you use."
If you think this will benefit you there is a freephone number to ring for more information
0800 1 694 694
A number of pensioners in Heddon have already signed up to the scheme so I thought there maybe more who do not know about the scheme but would benefit from it.
On your marks! Yes it’s time to start thinking flowers and plants again. Some of us are already hard at work in the garden and greenhouse. So it is time for HEDDON IN BLOOM to start planning and planting. If you sometimes think the world is a little too grey how about adding a splash of colour.
This year Heddon in Bloom plan not only to keep the popular tubs full of colour and extend their efforts in the Memorial Park but also to branch out a little. With the support of the Parish Council they are approaching the County and District Councils for permission to plant a number of flower beds in a number of grass areas and verges.
Last year the group received many compliments for the tubs and new planting in the Park but there is always more to be done. With the continued support of the Swan Leek Club and the hospitality of both the Swan and the Three Tuns, they hope the whole village will see and appreciate the difference this year.
As ever, Halls of Heddon are supporting the Group and helping with a number of Spring displays. The keenly fought front garden competitions will be run and entries made in the prestigious Northumbria in Bloom.
Yet more could be done with yet more help. Last year a number of new helpers made a real difference. The Group always welcomes new volunteers to help plant, water and weed displays, grow seedlings for planting out, fund raising or just good ideas. They meet informally three or four times a year in the Swan or Tuns for just a couple of hours. If you are interested just telephone David Chambers on 852740 or Tom Glenton on 854650 for details. So, on your marks, get set and go for it.
Heddon in Bloom are planning another of their highly popular Village Awareness days, inviting groups to promote life in and around the Village by holding a display of their own work. In previous years this idea has helped groups to gain support and ideas from the hundres of local people who have attended.
The exact details have not been finalised although it will be held on a Saturday lunch time immediately after a Village Price Tidy Up event. Groups are asked to prepare for this event to ensure they get the most out of the occasion.
Entry forms will be available from the shops and Library from May, 2001.
Heddon in Bloom will be celebrating the arrival of Spring by preparing even more displays of flowers around the village, assisted by Halls of Heddon. The funding of this comes solely from contributions provided by local people and groups wishing to see the village even brighter. Spring Village Pride Day - Saturday, ??? April.
Watch out for photographs of some of the village displays which will appear soon on the Heddon Web Site … www.heddon.co.uk
To ‘do’ New York effectively, you need to plan almost with military precision. There’s so much to see and do, and there’s a lot of ground to cover. This was where we failed. We didn’t have a masterplan. Nevertheless, we didn’t fare too badly.
Some of the myths we knew. It’s freezing cold in February. The taxi drivers are rude and unhelpful. The shopping is very cheap. The streets are dangerous…. Not all true – as you’ll see.
The Statue of Liberty was all we had anticipated. Spectacular, graceful, enormous, iconic. Taking the South Ferry from Battery Park fairly early in the morning meant we arrived before most of the crowds and had a chance to explore in reasonable comfort. We didn’t venture to the top, because of the time it would have taken, leaving that as a ‘must do’ for a future visit. Back on board the ferry to Ellis Island, where many immigrants from Europe had to endure the often humiliating vetting process to determine whether they were fit and desirable entrants to the New World. In its own way this neighbouring island leaves as strong an impression as Liberty. It’s very human history, the tales of immigrant families, and the exhibits of memorabilia donated by descendants make it a poignant port of call. We were touched by the number of Americans who visit there to trace their ancestry or to capture a flavour of their antecedents’ experiences.
The Empire State Building seems dwarfed by the distant but towering World Trade Building (quite close to South Ferry). It is majestic, however, and affords superb views of the city by day or by night. (This we were told. Our hotel being just a couple of blocks away, we tended to strike out further away from home and never actually made it to the top. Another ‘must do’ for a future visit!)
Splashing out on a helicopter tour of the city proved to be the highlight of our visit. We chose a magnificent day for this special treat. The skies were perfectly clear (the temperature being below freezing) and there was some wind, but not enough to cause too much discomfort. Leaving from Pier 6 Heliport we flew up the Hudson River as far as the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, passing the World Trade, Empire State and hundreds of other buildings. Central Park seemed vast from the air, as did the Metropolitan Museum. Flying round the statue of Liberty gave us a very different but equally impressive view as we’d had on our earlier visit. It was all breathtaking and, although not cheap, a tremendous way to see it all and get your bearings very effectively.
As for shopping, we visited Bloomingdales (similar to Fenwicks or Bainbridges) Sachs on Fifth Avenue (an up-market Harvey Nichols) and Macy’s (more downmarket than the others but amazingly vast!). Prices were not that different to the UK, and I still haven’t recovered from the experience of visiting these three world famous stores with my wallet and cheque book remaining completely in tact. In fact the only purchase we made that day, apart from meals, was a scarf to keep out the cold and the snow as we walked back to Time Square – the biggest disappointment of the visit. It isn’t a square, it’s hard to pinpoint just where it is, and the traffic there is especially congested. Much more satisfying that same afternoon was watching the ice skaters at the Rockerfeller Centre as the snow fell. The rink seemed very small compared to the memory of seeing it featured in various movies and travel programmes, but it was an experience not to be missed.
The only museum / gallery we visited (apart from Ellis Island) was the Guggenheim Museum of Modern Art. Built by Frank Lloyd Wright, many may feel that the building itself is far more impressive than its contents and that seeing it from the outside is enough to consider it ‘done’. We ventured in and spent a couple of hours musing over the exhibits. There was something for (almost) everybody, but ‘challenging’ would describe quite a few of the exhibits from my perspective. Still, with the Baltic Flour Mill’s new incarnation as a modern art gallery to look forward to, I now have something with which to compare its exhibits.
Dining out was a great experience. Top of our list was the Gramercy Tavern. It offered food to die for. A blend of American, Mediterranean and nouvelle cuisine in which the quality and freshness of ingredients, imaginative menu planning and attention to detail were paramount. Our meal was heavenly and one we’ll remember for a long time. The enthusiasm with which American waiters and waitresses attend to you never fails to impress us. Neither does their knowledge of the menu and the nuances of each dish on it. They do, of course, have to work for their tips, as these form the major part of their take-home pay, but they usually do it with great style! Also worthy of mention was the Union Square Café, less formal, but owned by the same restaurateur and with the same focus on high standards of ingredients, preparation and service.
Having grown up with Simon and Garfunkel’s music, to discover 59th Street, Bleecker Street and the New Jersey Turnpike drove home how much of a New Yorker Paul Simon was. No doubt a longer stay would have revealed other references from their songs.
Those taxi drivers? Well, we found them to be very helpful, for the most part. At worst they were quiet and just drove, but most put themselves out to get us to our destination in the quickest possible way. Cutting in and switching lanes were both quite legitimate strategies, and it was hard to believe how graciously other drivers accepted this. The only real impatience we encountered on the roads was once it had snowed and the streets became logjammed because of accidents. Frustration got the better of some drivers, but there was no escape for them until the road was cleared. A bomb scare closing the road immediately outside Macy’s added to the colour and confusion of the scene as the snow fell heavily, but after all, this was New York, one of the most exciting cities on earth!
We are a friendly informal Group who meet in the W.I. Hall at 7.30pm on the second and fourth Wednesdays of most months. Our Annual Fee is a modest £5 with a meeting fee of £1 to cover the cost of coffee and biscuits and towards the rent of the Hall.
We have an excellent selection of speakers, film shows, the occasional social evening and thoroughly enjoy a Christmas meal out and a mystery tour with a light supper each July.
Guests and new members receive a warm welcome (and usually win the raffle!!) so why not come along and ‘try the water’.
This year we have enjoyed a quiz evening and buffet supper, slide shows on flora and fauna and holidays ‘off the beaten track’, covering four very different countries. Due to the weather a meeting was cancelled but we hope the Speaker will come at a later date to tell us about the Woodhorn Colliery Museum. Also on the programme is a demonstration of making hanging baskets and a talk on the work of nuns in Bankok, with a sale of their handicrafts.
A guided tour along the new Quayside takes place on 13th June, weather permitting and we may even get onto the Millennium Bridge.
Keep and eye on the Village Notice Boards for future Speakers or join us on our mystery tour on 11th July when you are guaranteed a good evening.
Any queries to – Dorothy Murray, Secretary. 853438
Congratulations to IAN ARMSTRONG who has been granted lifetime membership of the Millennium Awards Fellowship for his work with Heddon Butterfly Haven.
It is interesting to note why these awards have been made –
"Membership of the Fellowship marks the personal commitment and achievement of a limited number of talented individuals in the United Kingdom to strengthening and enrichening their communities for the new millennium"
"With the support of a Millennium Award funded by the National Lottery, each Millennium Fellow devised and carried out a project which contributed to their own personal skills and development and made a real and lasting difference to the lives of their communities"
"The Millennium Awards Fellowship exists to recognise, celebrate and record the energy, imagination and achievements of all Millennium Fellows. It provides a link between active citizens in communities across the country who have shared a common experience. With the support of its members, the Fellowship is a national platform to promote the power of the individual to make a difference and bring about positive social change."
Again, many congratulations, Ian.
One of the notable events of the year 2000 was the rise and fall of the dot-com companies. Despite this setback the World Wide Web will continue to have an increasing impact on our lives, as the number of places from which it can be accessed and the speed of delivery increases.
Heddon was one of the first villages in the UK to have its own Web Site and while community Web Sites are now fairly common, I have not come across a better village site in terms of the quantity and quality of materials to be found on our Web Site.
Like the World Wide Web itself, the Heddon Web Site does need to continue to develop and we need to expand the following area –
CAN YOU HELP IN ANY OF THESE AREAS?
The World Wide Web is here to stay … let’s make the most of it!
If you can help, please e-mail me at pat@heddon.co.uk. A more traditional method of contact can be made on 01661 852355 or for the low-tech approach, No. 60 Trajan Walk.
We are looking for new members to join the Show Committee. In addition to Show Day itself (first Saturday in September), we usually hold four or five meetings throughout the year, each lasting approximately an hour.
Anyone interested, please contact Show Secretary, Anne Elliott, on 853223