The Kitchen Garden at Meldon Park

It wasn't long ago that Meldon Park was featured on Channel 4's "A Country House Rescue" so we thought we'd pop in and see how The Kitchen Garden was shaping up. From talking to friends and family the Park doesn't seem to be very well known yet, it's located on the road out towards Wallington from through Mitford, just 6 or 7 miles from Morpeth and the A1.

The Estate really is a beautiful location for a tea room and they have certainly made the most of it, the cafe is in the warm conservatory overlooking a lovely walled garden, which visitors are free to explore. The Cafe is run by Emily Cookson who also knows how to put on a warm welcome, so nice was the atmosphere we decided to stay for lunch. Prices in the cafe are quite competitive with a range of home-made light lunches, cakes, tea and coffees etc offering good value for money. I ordered a cappuccino and the bacon and sausage sandwhich which was swiftly brought out and came with a fresh side salad. For a weekday that was fast approaching Winter there were plenty of people enjoying their lunch and wandering in the garden.

Admittedly it wasn't the best time of year for plant life when we called in, but it was still a nice little walk around the garden after a warming lunch. You can really see the work that they have put in - and just how much of their own produce that is used in the cafe.

The gift shop as you enter to the left is also impressive, filled with festive treats and gifts - if you can't find something you like here there really is something wrong with you! They have a really good range of local crafts and produce to choose from. With a Christmas Fair coming on the 8th and 9th December (entry £4, children free) this might be the ideal time to give the Kitchen Garden at Meldon Park a try for yourself.

We really enjoyed our visit and will definitely be back!

Contact Details
Meldon Park
Morpeth,
Northumberland,
NE61 3SW

Tel 01670 772 321
Email mrscookson@compuserve.com
Website www.meldonpark.co.uk

A Visit to the Congregational in Rothbury

The Congregational Art Gallery and Cafe in Rothbury

We've known about the Congregational Art Gallery for a while and it's one of those places that we've been meaning to visit for ages - a week or so ago we finally got round to it - and we are so glad we did, what a hidden treasure!

Open from March until December in the beautiful Village of Rothbury, the Congregational Art Gallery (pictured left) bills itself as 'Contemporary British Art with a Northern Edge'. You'll find the gallery at the far West of the Village, set back off the main road that leads through to Thropton, just passed the majority of the shops on the high street. Rothbury has more than its fair share of churches and from the outside you would think that this was another place of worship.... but oh no!

The gallery is really successful as a contemporary space for art, despite its classic Grade II listed setting. We were particularly impressed with the good use of  natural light giving a bright and airy feel to the art on display.

It was the Winter Exhibition that we saw, showcasing local and international artists from the finest ceramics and glassware to high quality prints and even a selection of greetings cards and gifts. The cosy seating area with a roaring fire was a really nice touch so we decided to stop for lunch while we were there. The Congregational cafe offers a limited menu in the off-season, with a choice of soups, scones and cakes with a range of coffees available when we visited.

We opted for the spiced lentil soup with a cheese and chive scone and pumpkin seed topping and the mushroom soup with home made bread. Cappuccinos were expertly made and delivered to us in no time, what a winter warmer this light lunch turned out to be! Beautifully spiced soup and a scone as light as a feather, just delicious.

We then took the opportunity to browse the wonderful gallery, there are plenty of talking points here and we had plenty of different opinions on the pieces, but that's the beauty of art. We had a fantastic hour or so at the gallery and would definitely recommend a visit if you're in the Rothbury area. Rothbury really does punch above its weight with many independent retailers, galleries and a great cafe culture and the Congregational stands amongst them perfectly. I'll leave you with a few photos of the gallery and their contact details at the bottom of the page.

Contact Details

The Congregational Art Gallery and Cafe

Upper High Street

Rothbury

Northmberland

NE65 7TL

01669 621900

www.thecongregational.org.uk 

info@thecongregational.org.uk

Review: La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas, Morpeth

La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas in Morpeth

For me having tapas isn't just a meal, it's a joyous social occasion that brings back so many great memories. Thoughts of holidays long passed, of sitting grazing into the wee hours in some very special places. Of Spanish friends that I love dearly, of sharing their spectacular food in their homes and being welcomed and treated as if part of their family. Just mention tapas and you'll get a big old smile from me. So it was with a great sense of pleasure and excitement that I booked a meal at La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas in Morpeth. Located on the main road into (or out of) Morpeth, La Bodega occupies a former pub building and is intimately decorated and a good atmosphere.

There is subtle lighting in the evening, especially in the corner where we were seated so I really must apologise for the awful standard of photographs of the food. They really don't do justice to what we were served, but you can get the idea of portion size and presentation. We were warmly greeted on this Saturday evening by friendly staff that showed us to our table and we ordered bread and ali-oli while we perused the menu. What a great start this proved to be! I sometimes find ali-oli can be two overpowering and a little bitter, but not the La Bodega way! A smooth, subtle flavour of garlic with a hint of herbs with crusty bread still warm out of the oven and I was in appetiser heaven, this bodes well I thought.

Stack of Nachos - £4.75

We decided to order the Stack of Nachos as a starter before the main tapas event. What came out was easily enough for two people to share with an abundance of toppings including a fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, jalepenos, plenty of cheese and a wonderful surprise of re-fried beans underneath. Two out of two so far for La Bodega, I was beginning to get that buzz of excitement that comes with finding a great little foodie mecca. For our main course of tapas we ordered the Piri Piri Chicken, Albondigas (meatballs), Chorizo a la Riojana and Patatas Bravas. What a feast! The chicken was juicy and tender with a good hit of chilli, the chorizo packed with flavour and a delicious sauce from the Rioja.

Meatballs are possibly my favourite part of any tapas meal and a good barometer of a chef's skill and these were particularly good, a gentle sauce accompanied a generous portion and every drop was excitedly mopped up with the left over bread. The star of the meal however is definitely that ali-oli, the patatas bravas came smothered in it, coating the spicy tomato sauce.

Tapas selection at La Bodega

So gentle and so smooth, it soothed the chilli kick from the piri piri chicken perfectly, I couldn't get enough of it. I genuinely hope that it's made on-site otherwise I think I would be a little disappointed - I have enquired but as yet haven't had a reply, I'll keep you posted! The dessert menu was brought to our table on a blackboard, a fairly limited but nice choice, we went for the apple tart and the bread and butter pudding. Both were enjoyed but they didn't quite reach the culinary heights of the meal before it. The atmosphere by now on a Saturday evening was buzzing, a really nice mix of people out to have a good sociable meal.


Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed our meal at La Bodega, but that's not to say it was without fault... our table was really quite wobbly and our main tapas was brought to us before we'd finished the nachos we had ordered as a starter (not the standard tapas route I know). The meatballs could have been a tiny bit lighter in consistency, but that's being really nit picky and none of it mattered in the slightest - it's tapas! Our meal of appetiser and three courses with drinks for two people came to around £45 which in my book is pretty good value considering the quality of the food.

La Bodega Mediterranean Tapas' Scores
Venue: 3 and 1/2 out of 5
Ambience: 4 our of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Presentation: 4 out of 5
Taste: 4 and 1/2 out of 5
Value for Money: 4 out of 5

Overall Score:  With offers like three tapas for a tenner in the afternoon/early evening and a sharing menu at £15.95 there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't eat here, even if you've never tried tapas before. Morpeth really does deliver on international cuisine, so give it a try, I'm quite convinced you won't be disppointed. 4 out of 5.

My scoring system explained: 1 = Poor, 2 = Average, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent, 5 = Outstanding

Contact Details
84 Newgate Street
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 1BU

Tel: 01670 516055
email: info@labodegamorpeth.co.uk

Web: www.labodegamorpeth.co.uk

Heritage Open Days in Northumberland 6th - 9th September

Heritage Open Days are your opportunity to re-discover Northumberland's incredible heritage, many of them might be right on your doorstep and you didn't even know! Running from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th September there are a huge number of activities and attractions throwing open their doors to all. This is the 8th year that the events have been organised and promises to be the biggest and most succesful yet. The list really is extensive, where will you go and what will you discover? There is simply no excuse for staying at home this weekend!!

Visit the Northumberland County Council website to download a brochure or visit any of the links below for more information on all the events and activities in Northumberland.

Aln Valley Railway: Walks and Talks Lionheart Station, Lionheart Enterprise Park, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 2HT
The Armstrongs’ Household and Farming Museum
North Charlton Farmhouse, North Charlton, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE67 5HX
Ashington Community Woods Off Lintonville Terrrace, Ashington, Northumberland
Clare Money: Open Studio Woodhorn Museum, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF
Grace Darling Genealogy Surgery Sessions Woodhorn Museum, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF
Oliver Kilbourn: My Life as a Pitman Woodhorn Museum, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF
Winding House Opening Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archive, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF
Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archive, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF
Pompeii and Herculaneum: Illustrated Talk Bedlington Station Residents Association, 16 Station Street, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 7JN
St Cuthbert’s Church, Bedlington Church Lane, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5EL
St John’s Parish Church, Bedlington North View, Sleekburn, Bedlington Station, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 7ED
1 Wallace Green 1 Wallace Green, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1EB
Archaeology and Artichokes Lions House Allotments, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland
Bank Hill Icehouse Bank Hill, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1AP
Belford Hall Belford, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, NE70 7EY
Berwick Castle Tour Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1NF
Berwick Watchtower West End, Tweedmouth, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2HE
Bondagers History Day Lady Waterford Hall, Ford Village, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 2QA
Cumberland Bastion Coxon's Lane, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1DA
Ecological Self Build House 1 West Back Lane, Belford, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, NE70 7NR
Holy Trinity Church Wallace Greeen, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD5 1ED
Main Guard Palace Street, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1HN
Sandstell Fishing Shiel Sandstell Road, Spittal, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1RE
Spittal Fishing Shiel Sandstell Road, Spittal, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1RE
The Gunpowder Magazine 15 Railway Street, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1JG
The Masonic Hall Church Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1ET
The Old Gaol Wallace Greeen, 15 Railway Street, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1ED
The Tower Tour Ness Gate, Pier Road, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1HS
Blyth Battery South Beach, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 3PQ
Heritage Coffee Morning Open Learning Centre, The Blyth School, Community College, Chase Farm Drive, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 4JP
St Mary the Virgin, Horton Horton Road, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 4HH
Flodden Battlefield Walks The Flodden Monument, Branxton, Northumberland, TD12 4SN
Coanwood Friends Meeting House Coanwood, Northumberland, NE49 0PU
Dilston Physic Garden Dilston Physic Garden, Corbridge, Northumberland, NE45 5QZ
Guided Walks Around Historic Corbridge Village Car Park, Corbridge, Northumberland
St Nicholas’s Church, Cramlington Church Street, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 6QQ
Forum Cinema Market Place, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1XF
Hexham Abbey, Tours of the Old Court Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3NB
Hexham Moothall and the Hexham Riot of 1761 Hallgate, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1XD
Medieval Hexham Self-Guided Tour Hexham Tourist Information Centre, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1QE
Ninebanks Literary and Heritage Celebration Ninebanks Church Hall, Ninebanks, West Allendale, Hexham, Northumberland, NE47 8DB
Secret Hexham Hexham, Northumberland
Wark Mechanics Institute and Town Hall: Victorian Library Main Street, Wark, Hexham, Northumberland, NE48 3LG
The Hearth Main Road, Horsley, Northumberland, NE15 0NT
Kielder Observatory Kielder, Northumberland
Art Workshops at the Chantry Morpeth Chantry, Bridge Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1PJ
Bothal Castle Bothal, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6SL
Bowls! An Exhibition Morpeth Bowls Club, Carlisle Park, Riverside, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1LW
Busman’s Holiday: A Coach Tour of the Morpeth District Morpeth Bus Station (Bay A), Sanderson Arcade, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1PB
Church of St James’ the Great, Morpeth Copper Chare, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1BP
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Morpeth St Mary's Field, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2QT
Collingwood House Oldgate, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1QF
From Past to the Present: Newgate & Oldgate Street Newgate Street/Oldgate Street, Morpeth, Northumberland
Heritage Talk: Newminster Abbey Morpeth Library, The Willows, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1TA
Heritage Walk: Lynemouth & Ellington Lynemouth Resource Centre, Bridge Road, Lynemouth, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 5YJ
Heritage Walk: Wallington to Little Harle Tower Wallington Hall, Cambo, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 4AR
Matmaking Demonstrations: Woodhorn Matters Morpeth Methodist Church, Howard Terrace, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1HH
Mayor’s Parlour: Meet the Mayor Morpeth Town Hall, Market Place, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1LZ
Meet Morpeth’s Time Team! The Chantry, Bridge Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1PD
Mitford Church Mitford, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 3PZ
Morpeth Castle Carlisle Park, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2PP
Morpeth’s Town Treasures Town Hall, Market Place, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1LZ
Old Morpeth on Film St James Community Centre, Well Way, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1BN
SNAP! Event at Morpeth Library Morpeth Library, Morpeth, Northumberland
Spinning a Yarn: St George’s United Reformed Church Bridge Street, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1PD
Sporting Morpeth Exhibition Town Hall, Market Place, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1LZ
St Andrew’s Church, Bothal St Andrew's Church, Bothal, Morpeth, Northumberland
The Elsdon Murder Walk Winter's Gibbet, Morpeth, Northumberland
Tommy’s Field: Allotments and the Community opp entrance to St George's Hospital, Morpeth, Northumberland
Wallington Cambo, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 4AR
Biddlestone RC Chapel Biddlestone Village, Netherton, Northumberland, NE65 7DT
Hester Pit Disaster Exhibition New Hartley Memorial Hall, St Michael's Avenue, New Hartley, New Hartley, Northumberland, NE25 0RP
Newbiggin Maritime Centre Church Point, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6DB
St Bartholomew’s Church, Newbiggin Church Point, Newbiggin by the Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6DR
Vallum Farm Artisans on the Wall, East Wallhouses, Military Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, NE18 0LL
History of Kirkley Hall Kirkley Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland, NE20 0AQ
Holy Saviour Church, Milbourne Main Street, Milbourne, Ponteland, Northumberland, NE20 0EE
Railway & Archive Film Screening St Mary's Church Hall, Thornhill Road, Ponteland, Northumberland, NE20 9PZ
St Mary’s Church, Ponteland North Road, Ponteland, Northumberland, NE20 9UH
Spetchells Centre 58 Front Street, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5AA
Cragside Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland, NE65 7PX
St Cuthbert’s House 192 Main Street, Seahouses, Northumberland, NE68 7UB
Seaton Delaval Hall Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, NE26 4QR
Watch House Museum 3 Rocky Island, Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, NE26 4RB
Cherryburn Mickley Square, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7DD
George Stephenson’s Birthplace Cottage Wylam, Wylam, Northumberland, NE41 8BP

Classic Cars at Bamburgh Castle

Saturday 25 August there will be a classic car show held at the famous Bamburgh castle, there will be live music from the local Wooler steel band. It will be fun for all the family, and best of all its FREE entry, with lots of classic cars and motor bikes on show, with cream teas from the pavilion which is only metres away from Bamburgh beach. For those of you with kids there will be fair rides and Circus workshop throughout the day.

Car mad organiser Bruce Emmett said “We need a car show in North Northumberland and Bamburgh Castle was crying out to me. This is the first year but already we have had a massive response”. Many North East clubs and other individuals are set to show off their vehicles. The pleasure in owning a classic car is driving it and the Coast Road to Bamburgh is second to none.

Graffiti artist from Rothbury, John Craggs is taking the opportunity to come and spray live art work he said “this has to be the most photographed and painted castle in the land so why not graffiti style.

If you would like to enter a car or need more information, please visit the website www.bamburghclassiccarshow.co.uk 01325 339107

Bamburgh Classic Car Show is supporting local RNLI.

Northumberland Theatre Company to tour Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

6th September – 27th October 2012

Northumberland Theatre Company returns this autumn to tour a physically imaginative production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to 37 rural and small venues around the country.

Delightful, exhilarating and funny, NTC’s colourful production promises to provide an accessible introduction to Shakespeare for both children and adults alike.

This fabulously popular play centres around the grand wedding of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, to the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta and includes the adventures of four young Athenian lovers and a group of amateur actors who are manipulated by the fairies that inhabit the forest in which the play is set, to wonderful comic effect.

NTC is delighted to welcome back regular actors Nigel Collins, Eleanor Dennison, Louis Roberts and Stephanie Butler for this production, as well as introducing acting trainee Kylie Ann Ford. See tour dates and play synopsis below. Performances suitable for all ages. Visit www.northumberlandtheatre.co.uk for further information and contact venues for ticket details.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream tour dates and venues:

Date	Time	Venue	Telephone
06-Sep	7.30pm	Hindmarsh Hall, Alnmouth, Northumberland, NE66 2RZ	01665 830894
07-Sep	7.30pm	Lilliesleaf Village Hall, Borders, TD6 9HX	01835 870311
08-Sep	7.30pm	Robinson Institute, Glaisdale, N Yorks, YO21 2PW	01947 897241
11-Sep	7.45pm	Best Western Beamish Hall Hotel, Co. Durham, DH9 0YB	01207 233733
12-Sep	7.30pm	Bishop Auckland Town Hall, Bishop Auckland, DL14 7NP	01388 602610
13-Sep	7.30pm	Longformacus Village Hall, Borders, TD11 3PB	01361 890648
14-Sep	7.30pm	Etal Village Hall, Northumberland, TD12 4TL	01890 820777
15-Sep	7.30pm	Seaton Dleval Arts Centre, NE25 0DY	0191 2375460
18-Sep	7.30pm	Pocklington Arts Centre, York, YO42 2AR	01759 301547
19-Sep	7.30pm	Bamburgh Pavillion, Northumberland, NE69 7BJ	01665 721061
20-Sep	7.30pm	Acklington Village Hall, Northumberland, NE65 9BN	01670 761941
21-Sep	7.30pm	Chatton Village Hall, Northumberland, NE66 5PX	01668 282271
22-Sep	7.30pm	Longhirst Village Hall, Northumberland, NE61 3LX	01670 790764
26-Sep	7.30pm	Eastwood School Theatre, Notts, NG16 3EA	01773 786212
27-Sep	7.30pm	Thoresby Riding Hall Theatre, Perelthorpe, Notts, NG22 9EP	01623 822567
28-Sep	7.30pm	Harworth & Bircotes Town Hall, Bircotes, Notts, DN11 8JP	01302 759037
29-Sep	7.30pm	Ludford Village Hall, Lincs, LN8 6AJ	01302 759037
02-Oct	7.30pm	Leadenham Hall 2000, Lincs, LN5 0QB	01400 272835
03-Oct	7.00pm	Redmoor High School, Hinckley, Leics, LE10 0EP	01455 230731
04-Oct	7.30pm	Kegworth Primary School, Derbyshire, DE74 2DA	01509 673138
05-Oct	7.30pm	Humphrey Perkins Community Centre, Barrow upon Soar, Leics, LE12 8JU	07718 153117
06-Oct	7:30pm	Long Clawson Village Hall, Melton Mowbray, LE14 4NA	01664 822247
07-Oct	7:00pm	The Palace Community Centre, Ibstock, LE67 6LH	01530 267303
10-Oct	7:30pm	Whitburn Parish Church Hall, Sunderland, SR6 7JZ	0191 5292760
11-Oct	7:30pm	Rose Theatre, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, L39 4QP	01695 584480
12-Oct	7:30pm	Heron Theatre, Beetham, Cumbria, LA7 7AS	015395 64283
13-Oct	7:30pm	Morpeth Town Hall, Northumberland, NE61 1LZ	01670 857167
15-Oct	7:00pm	Northumberland YMCA, Ashington, NE63 9XQ	01670 857167
16-Oct	7:00pm	Northumberland YMCA, Ashington, NE63 9XQ	01670 857167
17-Oct	7:30pm	Wall Village Hall, Northumberland, NE46 4ED	01434 681041
18-Oct	7:30pm	Middlesborough Town Hall Crypt, TS1 2QQ	01642 729729
19-Oct	7:30pm	Dinnington Village Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE13 7LD	01661 821041
20-Oct	7:30pm	Whitley Chapel Village Hall, Northumberland, NE47 0HB	01434 673772
23-Oct	7:30pm	Stakeford Methodist Church, Northumberland, NE62 5TU	01670 813523
24-Oct	7:30pm	Kirkwhelpington Village Hall, Northumberland, NE19 2RT	01830 540263
25-Oct	7:30pm	Glanton Memorial Hall, Northumberland, NE66 4AN	01665 578229
26-Oct	7:30pm	Alnwick Playhouse, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ	01665 510785
27-Oct	7:30pm	Alnwick Playhouse, Northumberland, NE66 1PQ	01665 510785

Northumberland Music Festival Returns...

2012 Northumberland Music Festival Featuring “ Evenings with Opera North” 9th - 18th November 2012

Following the success of the first festival held in 2011, which attracted music lovers from across the UK, the second Northumberland Music Festival will feature a variety of concerts including Opera, Traditional, Brass, Classical Music and the ever- popular Gilbert and Sullivan. Highlights this year include Evenings with Opera North, Chetham’s School of Music, a Remembrance Sunday Concert with The Reg Vardy Brass Band, and Traditional Northumberland. The highlight of the Chamber Concert performed by the Liquid Architecture Ensemble is sure to be the Schubert Octet.

The concerts being held between the 9th and 18th of November will be performed in three of Northumberland’s grandest period houses, Eshott Hall, near Morpeth, Guyzance Hall, near Alnwick, and Doxford Hall, near Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Full details about all of the concerts can be found on www.nmfestival.com. Find us on Facebook/nmfestival and follow us on Twitter@Northmusicfest. For a brochure please telephone 01668283100

WOODHORN CALL FOR BUDDING SONGSTERS

Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives has issued an appeal to musicians in the region to compose a song about Grace Darling, the 19th century sea rescue heroine from Northumberland.

The competition is open to any individual and group, and the song can be of any genre as long it relates to Grace Darling in some way. Up to six of the new songs will be broadcast during the three-week tour of a play about Grace Darling called, Amazing Grace, which will be performed at ten theatres in the region throughout October and November.

Grace Darling and her lighthouse keeper father lived on Longstone island when, in a storm on September 7, 1838, the SS Forfarshire struck the notorious Harcar rocks, a part of the Farne Islands and situated off the Northumberland Coast between Bamburgh and Seahouses. Of the 63 people on board, nine managed to escape in the lifeboat and headed to South Shields, while Grace and her father selflessly manned a coble to heroically rescue nine people stranded on the rocks.

Queen Victoria bestowed the Silver Bravery medal on Grace, and, after Victoria, she became the most well know woman in 19th century Britain. Sadly, the unwanted media attention forced Grace to become a recluse within a few month of the rescue and she tragically died of TB in 1842 aged only 26, four years after her heroic deed.

Woodhorn is home to Northumberland Archives which houses records of lasting importance to the county of Northumberland, including several relating to Grace Darling. Many of her letters and papers celebrating her legacy are housed at Woodhorn as part of the collection of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle and are available to view in our Study Centre.

Woodhorn Exhibition and Events Officer Liz Ritson explained: “We are delighted to be working with the playwrights Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood on this. The music can take any style as long as it’s original and comes in at under four minutes.

“Amazing Grace tells the story of Grace Darling through the eyes of a modern-day writer called Grace who wants to make a film about her famous namesake, so the song can have a modern context.”

The competition closing date is Friday, September 14, and the songs to be used on the tour will be announced soon after. Woodhorn will host a concert featuring the new songs on Friday, Saturday, October 6.

To enter, download an entry form from the Woodhorn website www.experiencewoodhorn.com/song-competition/ and send it with a CD of the Grace Darling song to Grace Darling Song Competition, Woodhorn, QEII Country Park, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9YF. Call 01670 528 080 if you require any further information.