The Year 2000 was a very positive one for the Knott Hall. Usage of the Hall was at its highest level since the early 1990s and a number of new regular users started to use the Hall.

The Hall Committee was able to offer a wide ranging programme of fundraising (and entertaining) events and we have made considerable progress with our plans to attract grant and lottery funding for re-building the toilet facilities and upgrading of various other areas of the Hall

In order to build on this success we have identified a need to recruit new Committee members (of all ages!) Our aim is to continue improving the Hall’s facilities and to offer an increasing range of entertainment for the village. To do this we need additional people to share the increased workload but, also , we would welcome fresh ideas for events in the Hall.

The Knott Hall’s Annual General Meeting is being held on Tuesday, 30^th January at 7.30pm in the Hall and anyone interested in helping the Committee would be very welcome. If you are reading this article after that date and would like to help then the ‘door is open’. We are able to co-opt members at any time and would be very pleased to hear from you.

The Committee meets about ten times a year and we have an increasing number of events where we need help.

If you can help, or would like to discuss your participation further, please contact Ken or Karen Quinn on 01661 853359.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Firstly, I would like to give a big ‘THANK YOU’ to all who helped with the sleigh. It was a great night and enjoyed by all ages.

I would also like to say ‘THANK YOU’ to the residents of Heddon for their support and generosity.

We raised a total of £670 … £385 has gone to Cancer Research and £285 to Heddon St. Andrew’s First School.

This was my final year doing this event but I hope the PTA will take over and continue Santa’s Sleigh next Christmas. I wish them ALL THE BEST with this event in the future.

Tracey Sanderson

AN ORANGE TREE?? IN HEDDON??

Yes, we have our own Orange Tree on Heddon Law, beside the other trees, improving the coverage of the Orange mobile phone network.

A WALK FROM HEDDON TO HEDDON STEADS AND BACK - ABOUT 5.5 KM OR 3.5 MILES ALTOGETHER

Here is a short Winter walk best done when the ground is frozen hard since it can be extremely clarty at the bits marked with an *. (for our friends who read Heddon Gossip in other parts of the country or the world – ‘clarty’ means very muddy)

From the ‘Three Tuns’ take the road going north to Bays Leap Farm which is signposted Public Bridleway A69 half a mile. Continue past the farm to the runnel under the A69. 40 paces beyond the tunnel there is a gate on the left through which the walk will return but, ignoring this for now, keep on along the concrete track. Also ignore the gate on the right (this route was described in a previous walk) and continue along the track with a hedge on your left. Go through the gate at the end of the field, past the pool on your right and enter the next field*. The right of way crosses this field so, turning very slightly to the left, aim for the corner of a stone wall that juts into the field.

At the corner keep going north with the wall on your left and go over the stile taking care because the top of the stile is of barbed wire. The valley on the right is surprisingly deep and steep sided for this part of the world (or so it seems to me; I think of it as ‘the hidden valley’) After 40 paces go over the stile on your left taking care because the top of the stile is again of barbed-wire. Cross the field, making for the metal gate to the right of the straw bales. Continue west with the straw bales on your left* and then a farmhouse (West Heddon) on your left. Parts of the farmhouse are Tudor but the old mullioned windows cannot be seen from the right of way.

Carry on through the farmyard and along the road until you come to a most unusual stone building on your right. It looks extremely sinister, being completely devoid of windows and with no obvious means of easy access. Furthermore, the grim appearance is fortified by the numerous stone buttresses. Are these needed because of the weight of the amazingly thick roof? It is built of stone, however, it is not local stone but stone of the reddish-brown colour to be found only many miles away towards Carlisle. Who went to all this trouble and what was (is) it for? Suspicion deepens when you look on the new Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map (see below) and find it is not shown. The commonest reason for something to be omitted from an Ordnance Survey map is because it is of strategic significance. Why else should the new map, published in 2000, label the nearby area, that we locals well know to be Albemarle Barracks, "Ouston Airfield (disused)"? Can any reader throw any light on the origin and purpose of this disturbingly weird edifice?

50 paces further along the road (just before Heddon Steads) take the track* on the left leading to two gates. Continue along the edge of the field with a fence on your left, then through another gate and along a footpath to Heddon House. From here take the road back to Heddon. Unless you are in a hurry to get home, just before you get to the Military road take the tarmac path going down the bank on your left. Turn left where a stone wall starts and go through the gate. Continue to the end of the stone wall on your right and there turn right up a trace. Turn left at the A69 and follow the footpath to join up with the outward start of the walk.

The new Ordnance Survey walking (1:25 000 scale 2.5 inches to 1 mile) map of this area has recently been published. The old Pathfinder maps are being replaced by Explorer maps that cover a larger area on each sheet. Heddon is on Explorer sheet number 316 which, compared with the old Pathfinder sheet no 548, goes further north to Belsay and further east to the coast.

W.H. King.

At an open meeting of the Parochial Church Council held in October last year the Rev. Malcolm Jones spoke about the work of PCDC (a registered charity) in providing support for needy children in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

Everyone at that meeting was deeply moved on hearing the plight of the children in present day Bethlehem, some of whom are orphaned, some from homes where there is no income and many who are sick.

All education and medical care must be paid for and Malcolm Jones and his colleagues in PCDC work tirelessly to raise funds to cover the cost of the needs of the children as well as visiting them in their homes and schools, supporting them and making life easier for them.

All the money given to the charity goes towards the needs of the children, nothing is taken out in expenses. As a result of this meeting and as part of St. Andrew’s annual charitable giving, the PCC agreed to sponsor one of these children. His name is Bashara Ja’anini, a fifteen year old Christian Palestinian boy. He is a student at Hope Secondary School in Beit Jala on the West Bank. Apart from the daily battering and bombing of the area Bashara sustained serious injuries in a road traffic accident last year and almost died. He still suffers from long term problems related to the accident and is unable to run or play games. He has severe headaches and must stay calm and still. Despite all his problems he is cheerful but further medical treatment may yet be needed, Bashara comes from a poor home. The money provided by the PCC will go towards the cost of his education, medical care and clothing. It is important that we keep in touch with him by letter and photographs, giving him news from Heddon.

Please remember Bashara in your prayers.

Esme Tingate.

HEDDON CARPET BOWLS CLUB

The Bowls Club ended the year with Christmas Dinner at the Swan in the village – twenty five of us enjoyed a lovely night.

We had a break over the holiday season. Our first night back on 11^th January was well attended and we are all looking forward to an away match at Dalton at the end of the month.

We meet every Thursday night in the Knott Hall from 7pm

Heddon WI wishes all readers of Heddon Gossip a Happy and Healthy New Year. What have we been doing?

In December we had our Christmas Party. Fifty Five members and friends enjoyed a supper of cold meats and salads with glorious gateaux for ‘afters’. Our own Drama Group entertained us afterwards.

The Tuesday Teas were served on 12^th December and are continuing into the New Year on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays in the month. We serve tea and coffee plus homemade scones and cakes from 2 to 3.30pm.

If you have passed by the W.I building recently you must have noticed our new roof. This was an urgent replacement as the original 1923 version had begun to resemble a sieve!! Mr. Hopkins from Throckley has done an excellent job for us …BUT .. all major replacements cost a lot of money. Some local firms, including Barbours, Brocksbushes, William Leech and Thompson’s of Prudhoe have given us donations. Throckley Drama was most generous to us as were some villagers who gave personal gifts. We are most grateful to all these people… BUT .. there is still a short-fall! Enough said!!

And now we are galloping into another New Year. We’ve had our first WI meeting, a fun games night organised by the members.

Our next meeting is on 5^th February

On Saturday 10^th February we are having a Soup & Bun morning and on Saturday 10^th March we will be tossing pancakes! Oh, and by the way, please start saving items for our JUMBLE SALE on 7^th April

HEDDON BROWNIES

The Brownies first meeting back after Christmas was a games night. We had a very enjoyable evening trying out different games the Brownies brought along. As usual, "Twister" proved to be one of the most popular.

Our ‘after Christmas treat’ was a trip to the bowling alley at the Metro Centre. The Brownies proved to be very good bowlers and there were a number of ‘strikes’. Over the next few weeks we are going to be thinking about ‘Safety in the Home’ and practicing lighting a candle safely and making a hot milky drink. Finally, Heddon Brownies would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to those of you who have been saving used stamps for us. We have sent over 9.000 used stamps to the Blue Peter Appeal.

Wendy Ryan and Jan Liddle

A very happy and healthy 2001 to you all. I hope many of you were able to see the large and beautifully decorated Christmas tree that the BTCV team very kindly donated to the village. It was installed in the safest place I could think of, the Library, with the kind co-operation of Diane and Janet and seemed to be very much admired.

The latest news of Nick’s replacement at BTCV is that we now have one! He is David Miller who is from Sunderland (I won’t hold that against him!). He is an experienced volunteer with BTCV and has taken the big step forward of being appointed to the full time staff. We have already had one meeting at the Butterfly Haven to help to bring him up to speed on the project which he had heard a lot about. He is mightily impressed and was quick to say that he thought it was the best community project he had come across and was looking forward to helping to develop it even further.

In the meantime, we are still chasing various avenues for extra funding. I have just heard that we have £500 from one of our efforts and, through the good offices of Heddon Art Club and in particular Mary White, we are in the process of finalising a grant application to produce a mosaic, which may include a sun-dial. This will be sited at the entrance from Trajan Walk.

We will be having a further meeting shortly with David Miller to clarify the future work programme. As soon as I have these details I will circulate everyone on the Butterfly Haven mailing list.

If you would like to join the enthusiastic team of helpers why not give me a ring on 852591.

Twice a winner in The Queen Mothers Birthday awards for Environmental Improvement

The perennial plea goes out again for more volunteers to come along and help make our village cleaner and brighter throughout this spring and summer

The aim of the group will be to create a village to be proud of and helping to show this by being successful in the Northumbria In Bloom competition. This can only be achieved by assistance being given from the various areas of our beautiful village, including all businesses, village groups and every resident of whatever age or ability.

To find out more have a fresh look at our improved pages on the Heddon website; contact any of the steering group or just come along to one of our planned events later in the year when you can take part in a variety of ways to improve the area. (If you do not have a computer there is one available for your use in Heddon Library).

I came across this article recently about how those born before 1940 have survived. We were born before polio shots, frozen food, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, frisbees and the Pill. There was no radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams, ballpoint pens, dishwashers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioning, drip dry clothes and no moon walks.

People got married first, then lived together (how quaint can you be). A ‘Big Mac’ was an oversized raincoat and crumpet we had for tea. We existed before househusbands, computer dating, duel careers and a meaningful relationship meant getting along with cousins and sheltered accommodation was where you waited for a bus.

There were no day-care centres, group homes or disposable nappies. You never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electric typewriters or artificial hearts, word processors, yoghurt or young men wearing earrings.

Time sharing meant togetherness, a ‘chip’ was a piece of wood or fried potato and software wasn’t a word.

Before 1940 made in Japan meant junk, making out referred to how you did in exams, ‘stud’ was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and going all the way meant staying on a bus all the way to the depot. Pizzas and Macdonalds were unheard of, cigarette smoking was fashionable, ‘grass’ was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the coal house, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you had on Sundays and ‘pot’ was what you cooked it in. Rock music was grandmothers lullaby, Eldorado was an ice-cream, a ‘gay’ person was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while aids just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the ways in which the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make.

No wonder we are so confused and there is a generation gap.

On an old map of Heddon ‘Haddocks Hole’ is clearly marked as the area past the vicarage and behind the houses on Hexham Road … I know that it was actually where the Three Tuns car park is now. Has anyone ever found out why it was called ‘Haddocks Hole? Perhaps it was from someone who owned that land or is it a local name?

Ron and Elsa would like to thank all their customers for the concern, kindness and especially their patience when the Post Office was closed for four days following the second break-in at the end of January.

They apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Ad Murum Historic Churches

Internet messages continue to arrive from many parts of the world. Just prior to Christmas an exchange of letters took place between the 8 to 9 year old children from St. Andrew’s School, Heddon, and children of a similar age from a school in Atlanta.

The American children also sent photographs of themselves with each letter and a request for photographs and a video of Heddon. We hope this project will continue to develop.

Investigations are continuing into the use of part of Heddon Library as a Church Heritage Centre and for the provision of access to the church from the library. This access will be suitable for wheelchairs.

This trust is now in place for the further education and training of anyone living in Heddon and any child educated at St. Andrew’s Church School. The Trust will have a base of £100,000 that will be invested so as to build up a reserve of interest from which funding will become available from January 2002. The legalities of setting up this Trust have taken some 10 years to put in place and the money is the result of the sale of the Old School House and the Old School.

A much more detailed report on this subject will be made available during the next few weeks.

We would like to thank all the parents and children who supported the services held at St. Andrew’s during Advent and Christmas with a special thank you to the Rev.Dr. Peter Bryars for providing the parish with such excellent services.

Regular Sunday Services

10.30am Morning Worship

6.00pm Evening Worship

On the first Sunday of the month, the 10.30am Service is normally a Family Service where the worship is specifically planned to be suitable for all ages. As Mothering Sunday falled on 25^th March this year there will be a Family Service on that Sunday too. Families and children are always welcome any Sunday, whether a Family Service or not.

CHURCH EVENTS for your diary

5 Feb. Coffee & Chat 10.30am – noon

17 Feb Coffee Morning 10am- noon

19 Feb Coffee & Chat 10.30am – noon

28 Feb Pathfinders Walking Group 10am

5 Mar Coffee & Chat 10.30am – noon

8 Mar First Lent Meeting 7.30am

19 Mar Coffee & Chat 10.30am – noon

25 Mar Mothering Sunday Family

Service 10.30am

28 Mar Pathfinders Walking Group 10am

Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, 28^th February. As usual during the weeks of Lent there will be a special series of Lent Studies helping folk to prepare for Easter. The meetings will be held at the Methodist Chapel on Five Thursday evenings starting at 7.30pm commencing on 8^th March. East meeting will include a good Methodist ‘cuppa’, some study material and a discussion time. Everyone is invited to join these meetings, regardless of which denomination you are (or aren’t). For further information please contact Robin Brooks (0191 2746057) or any of the Church Stewards.

Elsewhere in the ‘Gossip’ is an article about our work with young people, please read it.

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 & Chat!). Why not come along? February and March dates are in the events diary.

The Pathfinders Walking Group welcomes anyone who enjoys an easy walk with good company. Don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. Meet at the Chapel; dates and times as above.

Don’t forget that there is a Mums and Toddlers Group which meets every Wednesday between 1.30 and 3.30pm during school term time.

Until fairly recently the Methodist Church in Heddon had a Sunday School meeting on Sunday mornings at 10.30am. Since it stopped, discussions have been ongoing as to whether it whould be started up again on a Sunday as before or if an alternative format should be tried. A weekday ‘After School Club’ is one suggestion, possibly on a Wednesday. Any club would still be centred on Bible teaching and Christian values but just not on a Sunday. It is hoped that @Gossip’ readers, especially parents of potential attenders, can help the Church by indicating their views on the questionnaire below.

Completed questionnaires can be handed in to Liz in the sweet shop, Taberna Close, or passed to Jenny Kernahan.

A Sunday School would aim to cater for children of most age groups. An After School Club would cater for children in the Heddon First School age band and pre-teens.

We are about to start another year of painting but first we will be holding our Annual General Meeting on the 21^st February. This will be an opportunity for anyone who has been thinking of becoming a member to come and join the Art Group, learn what we have done over the past year and help with our plans for the coming year.

But if you prefer just to come and paint you will be very welcome at any of our meeting starting on the first Wednesday in March. For more information see the front page or ring me at 852749

The Admurum Singers are rehearsing for their 14^th Annual Charity Concert in the Knott Hall on 7^th April at 7p.

Our Musical Director, Dr. J. Douglas Hunter was taken ill in the Autumn but I am happy to say that he is now convalescing at home and hopes to be back with us at the beginning of February. I would like to give our sincere thanks to Mrs. Sheila Nicholson who took over during Douglas’s illness. Her offer to help was greatly appreciated.

The Ad Murum Singers meet to rehearse at 7.30pm on Tuesdays in the Methodist Church. A warm welcome awaits anyone with an interest in singing … more importantly, ARE THERE ANY TENORS OUT THERE?

Stan Hall

Hello

My name is Diane Howorth and I am the new Chairperson of the Heddon First School PTA. Apologies for the lack of information from the PTA in the last issue. We have had a fairly hectic time since I took on the role in October.

Many thanks to everyone who supported the Christmas events and also donated prizes and time. The PTA Christmas Fayre raised £580 and Santa’s Sleigh was also very well supported again, with a total of £670 raised. £385 went to Cancer Research and £285 to the PTA funds. Many thanks to everyone for their generosity. The PTA Christmas treat for the children was a magician which was a resounding success – our thanks to him for his patience!

This term will be a little quieter on the activity front. We have a Valentine disco booked for February at the school and the sponsored bounce and bouncy castle has been booked for 30^th March. The next PTA Meeting will be on Monday, 5^th February at 7pm and we will be deciding at that meeting how to use the money to help the school and the children. We will also be discussing and finalising plans for the Easter event.

If you are interested in joining the PTA please come along, it is held in the school hall.

Many thanks for your time.

Regards

Diane

A member of the Churches together (North East) football league St. Andrew’s Church, Heddon, have kindly agreed to provide funding to the St. Andrew’s under 13 year olds football team so new strips can be purchased. The Club goes from strength to strength with new players coming forward on a regular basis.

Many people will have noticed the camera which briefly appeared on the lamp standard outside the Three Tuns just before Christmas, only to disappear in the New Year, leaving its bracket behind.

This saga is a long one beginning in February 1999, when the police wrote to Heddon Parish Council

soliciting our participation in a CCTV security camera scheme. This was for a camera which would circulate around a number of villages, each village having a permanent camera housing. Heddon, together with eight other Parish Councils was asked for a contribution of £600 towards the cost. Installation to be in August/September, 1999.

This scheme was to be comparatively low tech., with a monitoring site in the Knott Hall which was

suffering badly from vandalism at the time. The police wrote to the Parish Council in December, 1999 to say they were contacting the owners of suitable sites for the camera and that only Corbridge and Heddon remained in the scheme. This project passed through the hands of a series of police officers, its technology steadily becoming more high tech., and the Home Office in London getting more and more involved (See the Minutes of Heddon P.C. for most months since February, 1999, and the Parish Council Annual Reports).

Finally, the admirable P.C. Harry Wilkinson, a great and knowledgeable enthusiast, took over and a very high tech, fully computerised, experimental digital system came on the scene. This could be monitored from anywhere in the world over a cellular phone link. P.C. Wilkinson gave the Parish Council a very impressive demonstration of this at their meeting on 13^th December, 2000, when the system was already functioning at Corbridge. We learnt it was to be installed outside the Three Tuns the following week.

This was done on 22^nd December. Unfortunately, the camera never functioned and spent most of its time trained on the door of the Three Tuns but recorded absolutely nothing, while at other times it madly surveyed everywhere but recorded nothing. This was more than sad for since its installation the Post Office has suffered two attacks. Unfortunately, P.C. Wilkinson was on Christmas Leave but on his return in the New Year the camera was removed for repair. It was returned on 11^th January but was installed in Corbridge to replace its camera which had broken down. This was to complete the Corbridge series of trial recordings for evaluation by the Home Office, together with a parallel trial in Kings Lynne. The trials ended on 17^th January and we have to await a decision by the Home Office which will decide if and when the camera returns to Heddon.

One last point ……….. a camera in the present position will greatly improve the security of the

Garage, the Knott Hall, the Memorial Park and the Three Tuns and would record most vehicles and

people passing along the Hexham Road, Towne Gate and turning in and out of the Military Road.

No honest person with nothing to hide has anything to fear but has much to gain in security and peace of mind.

HISTORY SNIPPETS – memories of Miss Isabel Snowdon … Heddon Methodist Chapel – Annual Sunday School Outing.

Every year Major Bewick organised games and teas at Close House. Sunday School scholars ‘marched’ from Heddon down to Close House. They were each given a bag of ‘goodies’ – cames, buns and biscuits, made by the cook at Close House.

Afterwards, sports and games were organised and as everyone was leaving to walk back to Heddon Major Bewick’s two daughters gave each child a 6d.

Tradesmen who came to Heddon after the War

A Fishmonger from North Shields every Tuesday

A Greengrocer by horse & cart. He sold vinegar from a flagon which he carried under the cart.

A man selling Muffins and Crumpets (made by his Mother) came from Newburn every ThursdaA Butcher every Tuesday and Saturday.

A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL HEDDON GOSSIP READERS …..

The year 2001 is now well under way and no doubt will ‘gallop’ through just like the year 2000 did (or am I just getting old!!) Lots of help needed and activities to get involved in. Every organisation needs ‘new blood’ so please don’t just sit back and ‘leave it to them!’

Ann Lockey, Editor