Latest Edition of Inside Morpeth

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AUG/SEPT 2016
MOR P ET H
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MORPETH BUSINESS
AWARDS LAUNCHED
Voyage of a lifetime for
Morpeth Tall Ships duo
Inside talks exclusively to Mark Dransfield
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2 inside Morpeth
MO R PET H
Contents
6
It scarcely seems possible but it is fast
approaching seven years since Sanderson
Arcade welcomed its first shoppers. Since
then they have been followed by millions
more who have walked and shopped in the
Arcade, testament indeed to the quality of the
development Mark Dransfield and his team
have brought to Morpeth.
We reported on Mark’s vision and aspirations for the Arcade in
the very first edition of our newly launched Inside Morpeth in
September 2009, and seven years on we chatted again for another
exclusive report in which he tells us he is proud of what the
Dransfield company he built from scratch nearly 25 years ago, has
delivered in the town.
4
BUSINESS AWARDS LAUNCHED
6
TALL SHIPS SPECTACLE
10
MARK DRANSFIELD INTERVIEW
16
ROYAL ANCESTRY REVEALED
30
BEST EVENTS’ GUIDE
32
TREASURING LOCAL TREASUERS
40
SHEILA’S NOVEL STORY
45
STREET WITH CHARM
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS
Since the Arcade Dransfields have built the new Morrisons store
and are just about to welcome three more major retailers as tenants
of its third phase development in Morpeth town centre.
MORPETH TOWN COUNCIL
It all adds up to investment of more than £40 million that has also
created hundreds of new local jobs. The sort of investment any
market town the size of Morpeth would welcome with open arms.
As Mark Dransfield told us he wants his company to continue
playing its part in making Morpeth a great place to live,
work and visit.
SANDERSON ARCADE
Ian Leech
The Town Cryer newsletter
Manager Medi Perry’s column
GARDENING COLUMN
With Heighley Gate’s Nigel Lawton
Editor and Publisher of Inside Morpeth
FRONT COVER: Tall Ship sailor April Atkinson with Councillor Alan Sambrook (Civic Head of Northumberland)
Editor: Ian Leech, Tel: 07968 102 547 Email: [email protected]
Advertising: John Matthews
Distribution: Katherine Brodie (TYD) 07540 804 069
Inside Morpeth is a community magazine published by Ian Leech Publicity Services. All rights reserved. Every care is taken to ensure the accuracy of material published in
Inside Morpeth. All information is accurate at time of going to press. The publisher does not endorse any advertising material published in INSIDE Morpeth. No parts of the
publication can be reproduced without the prior written permission of the publisher. INSIDE Morpeth c/o The Lodge, Carlisle Park, Morpeth NE61 1YD
TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE AUG/SEPT ISSUE CALL US ON 07968 102 547
inside Morpeth 3
MORPETH
Business Awards 2016
Presentation
Evening Details
Date: Wednesday October 19th 2016
Time: 7pm
Venue: Morpeth Riverside Lodge
Tickets: £20 per head includes
3 Course Meal. (Table bookings
available). Tickets Available from
Lumley House, Sanderson Arcade,
Morpeth. Bookings will be taken on
a first come first served basis.
Main Sponsor:
Main Partners:
Medi Parry, (Manager Sanderson Arcade) Dale Stephenson (Cookswell Citroen) and Jacky Beesley
(Morpeth Chamber of Trade) launch the business awards.
It’s right and proper that the best of local
‘business’ should be celebrated in its many
forms and that’s exactly what will be
happening later this year when the very first
‘Heart of Morpeth Business Awards’ are held.
The awards will celebrate and recognise
excellence in the business, retail, service,
leisure and professional sectors in the town
centre of Morpeth.
An awards’ evening in October will build
on the success of the awards that have been
presented to Sanderson Arcade tenants
for the past four years by broadening the
opportunity for all businesses trading in
Morpeth’s town centre to take part for the
first time.
4 inside Morpeth
By all businesses we mean retailers, cafes,
coffee shops, restaurants and pubs, leisure
outlets and professional service providers and
anyone can take part whether they are run by
a sole trader or are part of a national chain.
The awards’ evening is being organised
by Morpeth Town Team with Cookswell
Citroen – Northumberland’s leading Citroen
dealership – confirmed as its main sponsor
along with partners Morpeth & District
Chamber of Trade and Sanderson Arcade.
Entries are now open for all the categories
we have listed.
Awards’ Criteria
Business Manager
of the Year
Sponsored by Inside Morpeth
ThruYorDoor Delivery
This award will be given to a manager
who has demonstrated an excellence
in the ability to deliver a brand or their
company values and message.
They will have proven their ability in
leadership and general management
skills. Possible areas for recognition
could include staff incentives or
training, introductions of new
services for the benefits of clients/
customers, environmental innovations,
enhancements to client/customer
satisfaction and demonstration of an
increase in sales and business growth.
Young Achiever
of the Year
(25 years and under)
Sponsored by WCRS
This award will be given to a young
individual who has contributed to the
performance and success of the business
(either in retail, leisure, service, industrial
or commercial). The judges will be looking
for increase in sales and customer spend.
Please provide details if the individual
has completed a training program or
developed professionally over the last 12
months. Examples will be required to
support this.
The judges will also be looking for an
individual who has delivered outstanding
customer service, quality of work or
achievement at their place of work. The
winning individual will consistently
be going beyond their duty, showing
initiative, capability, enthusiasm
demonstrating that they want to succeed
in business.
Emily Wilding Davison
Award 2016
Sponsored by Geoffrey Davison/
Emily Inspires!
This brand new award is open to any
woman working in a Heart of Morpeth
Business. For this inaugural year, it is
being sponsored by Geoffrey Davison,
acknowledged head of the Emily Wilding
Davison family.
The purpose of the EWD Award is to
highlight the contribution women make to
business in Morpeth. It is an opportunity
to acknowledge and celebrate one such
woman’s contribution. Women can
nominate themselves or be nominated by
their business/organisation.
The winner will have demonstrated
business success, for example, through
innovation; entrepreneurship; being
outstanding in meeting new challenges
or overcoming obstacles; improving staff
morale, customer feedback; and/or bottom
line profitability.
Additionally the judges will be looking
for evidence of creativity in leading
and sustaining change, inspiring and
contributing to the development of other
women in business, and how entrants
plan to encourage other women to engage
in causes that benefit the town.
Customer Service
Team of the Year
Sponsored by The Flag Man
This award will be given to a business that
has provided exceptional customer service
through its efforts, attitude and product
knowledge. The judges are looking for
a business that may have developed its
customer service skills through training
and various other initiatives, and simply
a business that makes customers feel
welcome and consistently provides a
‘service with a smile’. Examples are
also required.
Independent Retailer
of the Year
Sponsored by Global Radio
The entrants must be an independent
retailer owning 10 stores or fewer.
Details within this entry should
include re-fits or shop decoration, store
performance over the last 12 months,
store improvements, training, market
research, product knowledge, product
range, product quality, merchandising,
accessibility, the use of technology
within the store and supporting the local
community.
Entries should also include challenges
over the last 12 months and how
independent retailers overcome tough
competition and stand out from other
retailers. Documentation to support the
entry is required.
Community Engagement/
Project Award
Sponsored by Beach Design
This Award is to recognise a business, or
individual that has contributed towards
the community through innovation,
charity work, volunteering, learning,
research, community events or various
other initiatives that have a direct benefit
on Morpeth Town.
The business/individual is asked to
demonstrate its involvement within the
community and to include the changes
and impacts their active role has had.
Morpeth Town Window
Dressing Award 2016
(Morpeth Football Club)
Sponsored by Morpeth
Town Team
This Award was judged by the Morpeth
Town Team at the time of Morpeth
Town Football Club’s return to Morpeth
having won the FA Vase. The winner will
be formally announced at the Award’s
evening. The Award was to recognise a
business that had used its design skills to
create an imaginative, eye-catching display
to maximise support for the Football Club.
Retailer
of the Year Award
(on site survey and public vote)
Sponsored by Taylor Wimpey
The Award will be chosen through an
on-site survey across the town in
addition to a public vote via the More in
Morpeth website
How to Enter
the 2016 Heart
of Morpeth
Business Awards
To enter your business must be
trading in the area of Morpeth
town centre defined overleaf.
To enter for free you can download an
entry form from moreinmorpeth.co.uk
or collect one from Lumley House in
Sanderson Arcade, Morpeth.
Businesses or individuals can nominate
themselves in more than one award
category. A judges’ shortlist of finalists
will be announced by Friday 16
September 2016
Entries are now open and completed
entry forms must be received by Monday
5 September 2016.
Full terms and conditions are listed on the entry form.
inside Morpeth 5
The Tall Ships
Ahoy there shipmates – 80 ‘Northumberland Navy’ sail trainees will join the race from Blyth to Gothenburg
Trip of a lifetime beckons for two
excited Morpeth Tall Ship sailors
Story by Ian Leech
Two would-be Morpeth sailors are
eagerly looking forward to what
promises to be the experience of a
lifetime as they prepare to set sail
as crew members on one of the
Tall Ships that will make an epic
500 nautical mile voyage across
the North Sea.
April Atkinson from Northgate and Tiegane
Ferrey of Stobhill have signed up to join what
is being called the ‘Northumberland Navy’ of
sail trainees taking part in the North Sea Tall
Ships Regatta from Blyth to Gothenburg.
Northumberland County Council in
partnership with the Port of Blyth and Sail
Training International, is hosting the event
said to be one of the largest ever staged in
the county. Local haulage company
Fergusons of Blyth will be the main sponsor
of the event in its 90th anniversary year of
going into business.
Some half a million visitors could throng
Blyth Quayside and its river frontage over
four days from Friday 26th to Monday 29th
August, to see up to 30 of the largest and
most majestic Tall Ships in the world, sail in
and out of the port as well as enjoying a host
of entertainment events, live music, street
performers, treats from Northumberland’s
rich choice of food and drink delicacies – all
ending with a dazzling nightly fireworks
display on the first three evenings.
For April and Tiegane the Regatta promises
to be an opportunity to enjoy an experience
like no other they have ever known before.
At the age of 53 April will be one of the oldest
trainees while Tiegane will be among the
youngest at just 15 years old.
Tall Ships sailors Tiegane Ferry (top) and April Atkinson
with their sponsors Councillors Ian Lindley and
Alan Sambrook
6 inside Morpeth
April – well known in Morpeth as the former
owner of La Bodega tapas bar in Newgate
Street - told Inside Morpeth that the chance to
put herself forward as a crew member was
one she couldn’t resist. “I had never seen the
Tall Ships before because I was working in
Jersey the last time they were in Newcastle
but from what I had heard it sounded a
fantastic experience so I just decided to give it
a go,” she said.
“When I reached 50 I had decided to take
every opportunity of doing something new
and different.” So since then she has zipwired across Morpeth rugby pitch in aid of
charity; taken part in an archaeological dig
during events to mark the 500th anniversary
of the Battle of Flodden; and jumped off a ship
into the sea shortly after learning to swim.
“Somehow I don’t think I will be jumping off
the ship this time as we head across the North
Sea,” she added.
April will be one of 40 permanent crew
members and trainees sailing the training
ship the Lord Nelson on the trip to Sweden
and is fully prepared for it not to be a cruise
around the Med! “It is going to be a challenge
and I am expecting it to be tough at times,”
she said.
Like the other 78 trainees April and Tiegane
will have to tackle all on-board tasks
including helping to sail the ship, cooking and
going up a-loft the rigging. “I can’t wait to do
that,” April told us.
The crew members who have already met
one another at a pre-trip reception with their
sponsors on board the Tall Ship Stavros S
The Tall Ships
Niarchos, will work ‘four hour on and four
hour off’ watches throughout the journey.
For Tiegane it will be a completely new
experience as she has never been to sea
before, never been abroad or flown in
an aeroplane. She has just left school
and is about to start college in Ashington
studying on a child care course. Tiegane
was nominated as a Tall Ship crew member
by a youth worker from the Bad Apples
organisation which runs dance, music and art
projects for local young people.
Like the other trainees who are all from
Northumberland and are aged from 15 to
63 years old, Tiegane says she is excited at
the prospect of the trip and can’t wait for it
to happen.
The County Council and its partners have
been making plans for the Regatta since
winning the opportunity to stage the event
which is now in its 60th year. Once the sea
is chosen for the next race or regatta by Sail
Training International, ports along the route
are given the chance to become involved.
Blyth’s bid was submitted two years ago to
continue the County Council’s strategic policy
of investing in major public events not only
for them to be enjoyed by local people but to
raise Northumberland’s profile nationally
and internationally, attract significant
investment to boost tourism as well as
bringing local communities closer together.
It all began with the 2012 London Olympics’
torch relay that passed through the county
then continued in 2015 when the Tour of
Britain cyclists raced across Northumberland
over two days. Both events were transmitted
globally and the county has also benefited
enormously from huge peak-time viewing
audiences for three series of ‘Tales from
Northumberland’ when actor and presenter
Robson Green extolled the virtues of his
home county.
The Tall Ships event director Nigel Walsh
from Active Northumberland, says tourism
is a major contributor to the economic wellbeing of the county. “We know that events
such as this really do make a difference,” he
said. “Over the past few years the Council
has strategically invested in supporting high
profile events and, for example, we know
that for every one pound invested in the
Tour of Britain there was a seven pound
return in terms of advertising value and
local expenditure.”
The target for Tall Ships, says Nigel, is to
bring investment of more than £8 million
into Northumberland including bookings for
hotels, bed-and-breakfast and self-catering
accommodation, local suppliers, businesses
and attractions. “That will be spread
throughout Northumberland and we know
already that beds are pretty well fully booked
right across the county from the north to the
west during the duration of the Tall Ships’
weekend,” he said.
However, the event will do more than just
boost tourism and visitor numbers. “It
will inspire local people in so many ways
from joining the ships as crew members
to volunteering to help us out over the
weekend,” said Nigel. “For instance, we
have attracted more than 200 volunteers to
do a variety of jobs including ship liaison,
technical support or by being town hosts and
ambassadors. They will learn new skills as
well as acquiring qualifications that will stand
them in good stead for their futures.”
As to the event itself visitors will be able to
see majestic vessels from around the world,
at close quarters as well as boarding some
of them, while on Bank Holiday Monday
they will be treated to the spectacular sight
of the Tall Ships heading out of Blyth in a
parade of sail that will follow the coast south
before setting out across the North Sea to
Gothenburg.
There will even be the chance to book a fourhour sailing on the DFDS cruise ferry Princess
Seaways as it follows the Tall Ships’ parade,
giving passengers a unique opportunity to see
them at close quarters as they make their way
down the coast.
Back on land visitors will be treated to a host
of free entertainment events spread across
five different zones including performances
on a main stage at Dunn Cow Quay; brass
bands complete with old-fashioned deck chair
seating; the thrills of an open-air circus ring;
buskers playing across the different sites; a
Headway Arts’ Fringe Festival and, of course,
a nightly fireworks display for the first three
evenings from Friday to Sunday.
The organisers made a successful £120,000
Arts Council funding bid to support the
Tall Ships cultural programme allowing
music composer Chris Sharkey to build a
soundscape of local areas from Blyth to
Gothenburg, while lens-based artist Cecilia
Steinborn will work with communities at
both ends of the Regatta. Both Chris and
Cecilia will sail on a Tall Ship to complete their
artist residencies.
The evening spectacular performances
will feature new commissions from Chris
and Cecilia which will all be synchronised
with the pyrotechnic display including fire
performers who will be choreographed
to the music.
Events will take place from The Links area
right into the quayside as well as in Ridley
Park and the town centre of Blyth, and visitors
will also get the chance to sample and enjoy
some of the best of Northumberland’s food
and drink delicacies.
All in all says Nigel, the Tall Ships is going to
be an event not to missed. “Over the weekend
the world will be coming to Blyth and we
want everyone to enjoy the occasion and
remember it for a very long time to come,”
he said.
THE TALL SHIPS EVENT DETAILS AT A GLANCE
Dates:
Friday 26 to Monday 29 August
Place:
Blyth Quayside; Port of Blyth; The Links;
Ridley Park; Blyth Town Centre
Times:
Events begin each day at 10am
Fireworks Displays 9pm Friday, Saturday,
Sunday. Parade of Sail - first ship leaves
Port at 12.45pm Monday
Parking:
Organisers are advising that the best way
to travel into Blyth to enjoy the Tall Ships
is to use public transport or Park & Ride
which will be available both north and
south of Blyth town centre. Park & Ride
north will be located near Sleekburn.
Park & Ride South will be situated
between Blyth and Seaton Sluice. A
regular bus shuttle service will run
from the car parks into Blyth. Parking
is charged for a full day.
Times are 10am to 10.00pm (Fri. Sat. Sun)
and 10am to 5pm Monday 29th.
Pre-purchased discounted tickets will be
available until midnight the day before
priced £5 a vehicle per day plus 50p
booking fee. Tickets can be booked by
visiting Ticketline at www.ticketline.co.uk/
north-sea-tall-ships-regatta- park-andride#bio.
An e-ticket or a print-at-home ticket will
be exchanged for Park & Ride tickets on
the day
inside Morpeth 7
The William Turner garden in Morpeth’s Carlisle Park
Look back at life in Tudor
Morpeth 500 years ago
A gazetteer that records for the
first time the natural history of
the North of England in Tudor
times based on the work of
Morpeth-born William Turner
known as ‘the father of English
botany’, has been launched at
an evening held at The Chantry
in the town writes Ian Leech.
‘The Natural History of the North in Tudor
England’ is published in the name of Marie
Addyman, a respected authority on the life
and works of Turner, although as she told the
audience at the launch evening, she is the first
to acknowledge that the book would not have
been possible without the support, specialist
knowledge and contributions from a number
of people including the distinguished
naturalist the late David Gardner-Medwin,
Professor Alan Davison, Peter Davis and
Brian Harle.
In a foreword to the book she also
acknowledges the contributions of ‘expert
Northern photographers’ Jim Greenfield for
his collection of fish photographs, Ian Fisher,
Brian Jubb, Linda Kay, Martin Kitching, Tim
Melling, Iain Robson, Bryan Singleton, Dan
Turner and Gordon Young as well as the
support and assistance given by Emma Evans
and Frances Povey from Northumberland
County Council, Alisoun Gardner-Medwin,
Steve Lowe (Northumberland Wildlife Trust),
Veronica Goulty and Jacqui Harle. The book
has also been funded with support from
Pharma Nord, Morpeth and Northumberland
County Council.
“Without the input of all these good
people I would not have been able to write
8 inside Morpeth
the gazetteer which enables us to show
researchers, Northumbrians and visitors
alike, just how much Turner observed and
noted of wildlife in this area in the 16th
Century,” writes Marie.
Turner observed not only plants of all kinds
William Turner was born in Morpeth around
the year 1508 and is thought to have been the
son of a prosperous local tanner. As a young
boy he was taught at The Chantry grammar
school as it was then, which gave him the
foundations of a solid basic education he
would later continue at Cambridge where he
studied physic – the 16th Century term for
medicine – before continuing his studies in
Northern Italy.
what he saw abroad, but he began his careful
A deeply religious man, his Calvanist beliefs
put him at odds with the monarchy in what
was one of the most unsettled times in English
history during the reigns of Henry VIII and
his children Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth.
His works were banned; he was exiled;
and he appears to have been imprisoned
and suspended for non conformity. Brief
periods of comparative peace saw him twice
appointed as Dean of Wells.
but living creatures as well – birds and fish.
In the process he became the first person
in England to provide reliable records of
all three. Many of the observations record
scrutiny and comparisons of the natural
world among the industrial tanneries, the
woods and water around Morpeth.
Turner’s writings provide a unique
record of early natural history in Tudor
Northumberland and Marie says the purpose
of the gazetteer is to list the species he saw,
where he recorded them and to indicate
when possible if and where they still exist
today in Northern locations.
“Our hope is that the species recorded for
Northumberland nearly 500 years ago will
not decline further, rather that gaps or
tentative sightings will flourish and become
habitual,” writes Marie in the gazetteer.
“In that spirit of optimism we have left
room at the end of the book for the reader
It was during his boyhood in Morpeth,
however, when Turner began the process
of observing the natural world that would
eventually become a key element in his
writings the most famous of which was
‘A New Herball’ published in three parts
between 1551 and 1568 the year of his death.
to add their own records of sightings and
The ‘Herball’ gave the first clear description
and names of some 300 English plants, their
properties and medicinal uses, illustrated
with a series of admirable woodcuts. The
importance of the book is that it was the first
herbal to be written in English.
the most famous flower show in the world –
discoveries.”
William Turner is celebrated in Morpeth
through a garden created especially in his
memory at the town’s Carlisle Park. That
very same garden provided the inspiration
for the creation of a William Turner garden at
Chelsea – in 2004.
‘The Natural History of the North in
Tudor England’ retails at £7.95 and can be
purchased at The Chantry.
2016
20
CELEBRATING
YEARS
IN BUSINESS
Book your free measure, advice and quotation service or simply request an appointment now.
visit www.castlecarpets.co.uk or call 01670 517881
inside Morpeth 9
Big Interview
Reflecting on Arcade’s
seven years in Morpeth
For this edition of Inside Morpeth’s ‘Big Interview’ editor Ian Leech
met Mark Dransfield the man behind Sanderson Arcade
10 inside Morpeth
Big Interview
Sitting outside Barluga enjoying a cup of
coffee in the summer sun – yes there has been
some this year – I ask Mark Dransfield what
is the best thing he has brought to Morpeth.
Without a moment’s hesitation he says
Joanna Lumley!
Not the answer I was expecting perhaps,
but when I thought about it one that was
very apt in more ways than one because Ms
Lumley’s visit to Morpeth in 2009 to open
the new-look Sanderson Arcade marked
a seminal moment in Mark Dransfield’s
association with the town. For a start it’s not
very often that the appearance of a celebrity
brings a town to a standstill as Ms Lumley
did – a phenomenon more associated with
Royalty than a television and stage star. But
then again, Joanna Lumley is ‘show business
Royalty!’ The timing of her visit couldn’t have
been better either as she had rarely been out
of the headlines because of her campaigning
on behalf of Ghurkha soldiers serving in the
British Army.
as they did then said Mark. “Looking back
I would go back to what I said at the very
first public meeting we held to explain our
proposals for Morpeth and that was there
was not a lot wrong with the town and
it just needed some proper architectural
implementations to pull it all together. The
nucleus of the town was very strong and it
had such an active group of stakeholders who
were truly passionate about Morpeth and as
a result their input helped shape the form of
our development.”
Mark first visited Morpeth around 12 years
ago after being asked by a business partner
Barry Owen if he would be interested in
working with him on a development in the
town. “What I found when I first came to
staircases. One of the reasons I was also
interested in Morpeth was that there was
no out-of-town retailer and there was no
prospect of one coming in,” said Mark who
firmly believes in keeping trade within
the environs of a town centre rather than
on its outskirts, to maintain its vibrancy
and sustainability.
What Mark Dransfield saw, however,
convinced him there was sufficient potential
for him to form a joint partnership with
Ethel Austin Properties to plan a new arcade
townspeople could be once again proud of,
that would attract the right sort of big High
Street names to complement Morpeth’s
excellent niche independent businesses
– many of them long-standing family
The folk who packed into Bridge Street to see
her up close on that November day, however,
were also keen to get that eagerly awaited
first look at a development that has gone on
to change the shopping dynamic in Morpeth
beyond all expectations. Like it or not – and
it’s no secret that not everyone believes what
Mark Dransfield and his team have done
over the past few years is the best thing to
happen to Morpeth – Sanderson Arcade has
helped put the town on the regional shopping
destination map in a way few could have
truly envisaged.
Those expectations had been building for
months as development work went on behind
the hoardings giving tantalising glimpses of
what was taking shape out of sight. When the
hoardings went down that day what people
saw was a stylish parade of shops modelled
on the elegance of London’s Burlington
Arcade in the heart of Mayfair, opened in
1819 as the world’s first covered shopping
street and now recognised as a historic retail
and architectural masterpiece. Morpeth had
even been given its very own version of the
Burlington Beadles, dressed similarly smartly
in their scarlet Victorian frock coats with gold
buttons, Northumbrian tartan waistcoats and
black top hats!
The opening was the culmination of five
years of work by Mark Dransfield and his
team to create a retail development with
a wow factor, the like of which can not be
found anywhere else in the North East of
England. At the time we at Inside Morpeth
had just launched our magazine and for our
very first edition I talked to Mark who told
me: “Morpeth is a beautiful market town
that has resisted out-of-town retailing to keep
its centre alive and vibrant. Our Sanderson
Arcade development has been carefully
planned to complement the existing town
centre to encourage a vibrant shopping area.”
Seven years on the words ring as true now
Mark Dransfield with Joanna Lumley at the opening of the company’s newest development Fox Valley in north
Sheffield which was launched on June 16th this year
Morpeth was that it was a truly beautiful
town with a history to be proud of, but
respectfully it was stuck with what was a
monstrosity in its midst,” he said.
enterprises – to secure its place as the premier
modern market town north of the Tyne.
That ‘monstrosity’ he referred to was the
original Sanderson Arcade opened ahead of
its time it has to be said, in 1954 by wellknown local businessman Alderman William
Sanderson. In the 1980s it had been extended
into the Back Riggs but by the time Mark
Dransfield first saw it the Arcade had
become run-down and was an unwelcoming
place to shop.
Dransfield Properties Limited would
subsequently buy-out its original partner
to become the sole owner of Sanderson
Arcade. The development of 90,000 square
feet of retail space now has Marks & Spencer
as its anchor tenant trading with among
others New Look, Laura Ashley, Fat Face,
Crew Clothing, O2 and Waterston’s alongside
local businesses such as The Jewellers Guild,
Advanced Nutrition, The Pudding Parlour and
the Morpeth Larder.
“So I did some research and learned that
there was a clear demand from larger
retailers considering Morpeth but there were
no suitable premises for them. They were
either too small or had higgledy-piggledy
In addition, the development has provided
first floor office accommodation, a new
fitness centre and a modern bus station. A
deal was also later struck with the Comrades
Club to provide it with modern new premises
inside Morpeth 11
Big Interview
in exchange for its old site which opened
up the further development of Barluga, the
Mountain Warehouse and Jo Jo Maman Bebe.
All those new shops have brought people into
the town in huge numbers and it is estimated
that more than 15 million visitors have passed
through the multi award-winning Arcade
since it opened. It is inconceivable that a large
proportion have not gone on to walk around
and shop in the rest of Morpeth town centre.
The second phase of Dransfield’s involvement
with Morpeth was to create the new
Morrisons supermarket and phase three
is just starting trading on the site of the old
food store with Next, Home Bargains and
Pets at Home moving in to create around
100 jobs. That £7 million development takes
Dransfield’s total investment in the town
centre to well over the £40 million mark and
firmly places Morpeth it the flagship category
in the company’s property portfolio.
The company which was formed in 1992 in
Barnsley, specialises in developing retail-led
regeneration schemes which it has done at
places such as Fox Valley opened just a few
weeks ago in Sheffield, Lime Square in east
Manchester, Marshall’s Yard in Gainsborough,
Penistone in South Yorkshire, the Market
Cross shopping centre in Selby, East Ham in
London and, of course, Morpeth.
Originally Dransfield Properties had focused
its efforts on food store developments before
moving into town centre regeneration during
which time it has worked with leading
supermarket chains including ASDA, TESCO,
Safeway, Morrisons, Kwik Save and Aldi for
whom it has just completed work on its 24th
store. Indeed Dransfield has worked for Aldi
in 23 of the 25 years the German discounter
has been trading in the UK.
It’s all a far cry from the day Mark Dransfield
left school in Hull with just two ‘O’ Levels
in maths and English and a Grade I GSE in
woodwork to his name. A proud Yorkshire
man, he was born in 1962 in the colliery
village of Grimethorpe, the son of the village
‘bobby’. Among all his achievements one
of the ones his parents are most proud of is
the fact that he sponsors the world-famous
Grimethorpe Colliery Band.
A year later the family moved to Hull where
the young Mark grew up before leaving
school at the age of 16 to sign on the ‘dole’.
He soon found work as a costing clerk with a
local builder and hard work and a willingness
to learn on the job and study on day release
courses and at night school gave him the
opportunity to progress to become a quantity
surveyor. “I threw myself heart and soul into
my work and within 12 months I had been
given my own jobs to run and manage,”
said Mark.
“Around that time Margaret Thatcher got
into power and council house building
programmes were stopped. Council house
12 inside Morpeth
building was the biggest part of our work
at the firm I was employed by and we were
building around 1,000 houses a year. So
they laid everyone off other than me and
another QS. It was a horrible period to go
through because a lot of my friends were
made redundant.
“But fortunately for me I was given more and
more work and responsibilities and I loved it.
“All my jobs were making money so I went
to the boss and asked if I could do up an old
Hillman Avenger that was rusting away in the
yard, as my company car. But I got turned
down and told I was too young!”
Morpeth has not escaped the
pain of tough trading times in
the recession
Fate then took a hand through an
ex-colleague who recommended Mark for a
job with the company he was leaving which
he eventually took with the lure of a £4,500
a year salary and an old 1.3 Ford Capri.
Mark stayed with that firm for around four
years before it decided to close down its
construction division just as he was pricing a
job for the pub chain Joshua Tetley.
Undeterred Mark approached Tetley’s to ask
if he could carry out the work himself which
they agreed to and within three weeks he
had set up his own company and started on
the job. “That was the start of a relationship
which saw me do a lot of work for Tetley’s
over the next five years,” he said.
More work was to follow for Netto and Aldi he built his first store for them in Accrington
- followed by a Macdonald’s drive-thru in
Cleethorpes all of which added up to the start
of Mark Dransfield’s property world that
would lead to his company becoming the
largest food store developer in the UK.
“Over the years I have always applied the
principles of honesty and integrity to my
business life – the two main ingredients
you have got to have to be successful,” said
Mark. “I have also always had a strong local
conscience and in all the schemes we develop
we involve the local communities from the
word go, as well as putting a lot back into
them including employing local people
wherever we can.”
That has been very true of Morpeth since the
Arcade opened seven years ago. Dransfield
– and particularly its staff – has been very
supportive of local charities the latest example
of which has been the opening of a new
media room at the Barnabas Stobhill Centre
where £6,000 has been raised to transform an
outdated and under-used room into a bright,
modern community media hub.
Sanderson Arcade manager Medi Parry
and her deputy Zoe Christopher, also play
key roles in a number of different ways in
Morpeth including being core members of
the Morpeth Town Team, organising what
has become an annual food and drink festival
in the town, and managing the revamped
town centre markets in association with the
Morpeth Markets Partnership.
Looking back, Mark Dransfield tells me, he
is very proud of what he and his team have
achieved in Morpeth and the way they have
contributed to the life of the town. For those
who don’t quite share that view, however, he
says: “I would respectfully ask them to think
about what was here beforehand and look
what there is now!
“Our work in Morpeth is almost complete,”
he said. Car parking, he says, however,
remains an issue that has to be dealt with
including the need for more long-stay spaces
as well as shorter-stay bays to encourage a
faster turn around for motorists popping in to
the town centre.
“There has been a huge amount of
investment in Morpeth in recent years - the
flood defence works, the health centre,
the new by-pass that is being built and the
housing growth that is taking place around
the town. Much of this has been delivered at
a time of severe recession and that was true
for the time period when we were developing
Sanderson Arcade.”
“Yet around 60,000 visitors a week are now
coming into Morpeth town centre and that
has to be good for everyone trading in the
town,” said Mark. “As a company we want to
continue to play our part in making Morpeth
such as special place to live, work and shop.
“Retail is theatre and if we can deliver
excellent facilities with good customer service
that will always draw people into the town and long may that continue!”
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inside Morpeth 13
SAVE UP TO £1,000pp
ON ALL 2017 VIKING RIVER CRUISES
OFFER ENDS 31 OCTOBER 2016
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EXTRA DISCOUNT
CALL 01670 829922
DANUBE WALTZ
WATERWAYS OF THE TSARS
8 days, 6 guided tours | Departing March – December 2017
13 days, 10 guided tours | Departing May – October 2017
Sail through Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and
Hungary. Explore Budapest’s imperial delights, take in Bratislava’s
baroque wonders and admire Passau’s ancient fortress. Discover
Vienna, drink in the spectacular Wachau Valley, a wine lover’s
dream, and enjoy an included visit to český Krumlov.
Discover Russia’s unique history and culture as you tour iconic
landmarks from Moscow’s Kremlin and Red Square to Catherine
Palace and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. You’ll also experience
the other side of Russia: quaint Golden Ring towns like Yaroslavl
and Uglich that only a river cruise can show you.
14 May from £1,795pp – FULLY ESCORTED TOUR*
July from £1,595pp October from £1,795pp
May from £2,595pp July from £3,495pp
October from £2,595pp
LYON & PROVENCE
PASSAGE TO EASTERN EUROPE
8 days, 7 guided tours | Departing March – November 2017
11 days, 7 guided tours | Departing March – November 2017
Sail the scenic Saône and Rhône Rivers through beautiful French
countryside. Explore Beaujolais and the fields of Provence. Explore
Gallo-Roman ruins in Vienne, stroll the cobblestone streets of Arles
that inspired Vincent van Gogh, visit Avignon, the “City of Popes”
and try world-famous cuisine in Lyon.
Explore Eastern Europe where so many fairy tales began. Experience
two nights in bustling Budapest, sail past dramatic natural wonders
like the soaring white cliffs of the Iron Gate region; visit the Serbian
capital of Belgrade; discover the historical treasures of Bulgaria; and
admire the charms of Bucharest, Romania’s capital.
April from £1,395pp July from £1,795pp
April from £1,795pp July from £2,295pp
To book call Northumbria Travel on 01670 829922
Visit www.northumbriatravel.com or email [email protected]
82 Front Street East, Bedlington, Northumberland, NE22 5AB
Prices and offers are correct at the time of going to print but are subject to change and availability. From prices are per person and based on two sharing the lowest grade stateroom
available on selected 2017 departure dates. Prices include booking discount and are valid until 31 October 2016 unless sold out prior. Offers can be withdrawn at any time.
*The 5% extra discount does not apply to the Danube Waltz 14 May 2017 escorted departure date. Some itineraries are available in the reverse direction. We reserve the right
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14 itineraries
inside for
Morpeth
Linden Hall
M AC D O N A L D L I N D E N H A L L
G O L F & CO U N TRY C LU B
THE LINDEN
TREE PUB
‘Hidden gem’ in the
heart of the county
The Linden Tree Pub is
something of a hidden gem,
located within the 450 acres of
private gardens of Linden Hall
Country Club and Golf Course.
A location that feels miles
from anywhere, yet is easily
accessed from the A1 and a
pleasant drive during these
lighter nights.
Informal and welcoming, the
pub offers diners well-crafted
dishes served in an un-fussy
and comfortable setting. Should
the English summer play nice,
there is a buzzing terrace full of
locals enjoying al fresco dining
outside too.
The food is home-made and
has a keep-it-simple philosophy,
focusing on good quality
ingredients. With a “no farmed
fish” policy, your fish and chips
will be wild caught and the batter
made from beer from the
local brewery.
Proving popular with golfers as
a pit stop for an early morning
bacon butty before a day on the
course, you’ll also find ladies
catching up over a sharing
platter lunch and wine after
enjoying some “me time” at the
hotel spa. Local beers rotate
regularly from both Alnwick and
Mordue breweries and prove
popular with golfers coming off
the nearby 18th hole.
The pub has also introduced
some great midweek deals;
celebrate getting through
Monday with two steaks and a
bottle of wine for only £30 or
enjoy 50% off main courses on
Wednesday. Few can resist kickstarting the weekend with two
for one drinks until 7.30pm on
a Friday. Tables can be booked
online at www.macdonaldhotels.
co.uk/linden-tree or by calling
01670 500 033
• Light summer dishes throughout the day
• Menus for smaller appetites
• Beers from Alnwick Brewery
• Courtyard, patio and conservatory
WEEKDAY SPECIALS
MONDAY
TWO STEAKS
PLUS A BOTTLE
OF WINE
£30.00
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY
50% 2for1
off
MAIN COURSES
ON DRINKS
UNTIL 7.30PM
OFFER ENDS 15TH SEPTEMBER 2016.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY.
Telephone for bookings direct on
01670 500 033 or at Hotel 01670 500 000
The Linden Tree Pub, Macdonald Linden Hall Golf & Country Club,
Longhorsley, Near Morpeth, Northumberland, NE65 8XF
W W W. M AC D O N A L D H OT E L S .CO.U K /
LINDENHALL
inside Morpeth 15
Family Tree
Family tree search reveals
some Royal ancestry links
Like a lot of people I have watched many of the “Who do you think you are” television programmes and
been fascinated, to learn of the life experiences of the programme’s subjects. Little did I think that when
I moved to Morpeth on retirement eighteen years ago, that I would discover I had an ancestral link with
the town writes David Parker.
birth and her father a few years
later, she was conscious that
her family would be unable to
financially help her son John to
get a university education. So she
turned to a family friend Thomas
Cromwell, whom she knew
well, and persuaded him to help
finance a university education
for John.
I grew up in Derby, where
several generations of Parkers
have lived since about 1815. My
mother’s family, the Spencers,
were residents of Birmingham
for several centuries until my
mother’s parents moved first
to Burton-on-Trent and then to
Derby in 1922.
What I have discovered is that
I am a direct descendant of
many medieval noble families
and through some of them with
the Royal House of Plantagenet.
Members of medieval noble
families almost invariably
married one another.
Because of this I quickly
identified a Morpeth Connection
and discovered that I am a direct
descendant of one of William the
Conqueror’s knights, Guillaume
(or William) De Merlay, whom
King William made the first
lord of Morpeth. This linked
me of course with Guillaume’s
descendants including a son
Ranulph, who was instrumental
in establishing a religious
community in the Town and
founding Newminster Abbey.
He also no doubt had some
involvement in the building of
the parish church of St Mary,
where I have been officiating
from time to time, since my
retirement in 1998.
As I compiled my family tree, I
discovered that it is like doing
a crossword where you begin
to assemble various pieces that
seem to have no connection with
one another, but which gradually
come together.
One piece was the discovery that
one of my forbears, a Rachael
Hunt born in Denby (a small
Derbyshire village) in 1816, was
married to a Joseph Mee in St
Alkmund’s Parish Church Derby
16 inside Morpeth
David Parker - researching his family tree
in 1837. Discovering Rachael was
crucial as she is the Parker link
with the Hunts.
Rachael and Joseph were in
due course to have a son called
Josiah, whose daughter Mary
Ann Mee was my paternal
grandmother. Of particular
interest is that the church’s
register revealed that whilst
the groom could sign his name,
Rachael could not and made her
mark. Not surprising as it was
not until 1880 that elementary
education became compulsory
for all children. How Joseph
managed to learn to write –
probably at one of the so-called
Sunday schools or Dames’
Schools that flourished in
the eighteenth and early
nineteenth centuries.
The connection with the Hunts
was vital in subsequently
establishing a link with the De
Merlays. I started researching
my family tree about ten years
ago. Like many other people,
I found it difficult going back
beyond 1700.
However Joseph Greener,
a Broxholme Lincolnshire
neighbour of my son Jeremy,
is something of what might be
called a ‘professional amateur
genealogist.’ Researching
family trees is something he
has been doing for many years.
Various people have given him
commissions, wanting their
family trees researched, but
had neither the time or the
inclination to do it themselves.
The results of my early research
I passed to all three of my sons.
Jeremy showed it to Joseph,
who undertook to look at it
and continue the research. The
result of his labours included
the discovery of a connection
with the Hunt family of
Northamptonshire.
I then took up the task again,
beginning with a Johis Hunt,
born in 1556 in Derby. It quickly
emerged that his father was Sir
John Hunt and his mother Lady
Amice Cave. This was interesting
in itself. But what also emerged
was that John’s father Robert
had also married into a noble
family, the Digbys. Robert’s wife,
Baringolda Digby, the youngest
daughter of Sir Everard Digby,
married Robert Hunt in 1514.
Baringolda was obviously quite a
character.
As her mother had died at her
So what I had discovered was
that I was directly descended
from two noble families, who
could trace their family history
back to the Norman Conquest, as
their Cave and Digby ancestors
were two of William the
Conqueror’s knights.
I had always thought that I was
the first graduate in my family.
What I now realised was that
an ancestor, John Hunt, had
graduated at Oxford in 1532 in
civil law and become a member
of the Middle Temple. Moreover
whilst at Oxford he acted as a
tutor of Gregory Cromwell, the
son of Thomas Cromwell, Henry
VIII’s chief minister from 1530
to 1540 – someone who has
become much more well known
since the publication of the
recent historical works of Tracy
Borman and Hilary Mantell.
John Hunt is particularly
noteworthy. He had extensive
land holdings in the midlands.
He was MP for Rutland during
Mary Tudor’s parliament and
acted as a land agent for the
Bishop of Peterborough. When
Elizabeth I came to the throne,
John Hunt continued practising
his Roman Catholic faith, and as
a recusant he was fined, as he
refused to attend worship at the
parish church.
His will named his three eldest
sons as beneficiaries of his
extensive land holdings, but
Family Tree
CHANTRY
5 New Phoenix Yard • Morpeth • Northumberland • NE61 1PQ
T: 01670 518914
The Touch
ers
Straighten
David’s paternal grandmother Mary Ann Mee
Johis, my ancestor, is not named
in the will and presumably
inherited nothing. There is
however some evidence that
Johis and his son Richard spent
quite a bit of time travelling in the
midland counties and may well
have been acting as agents for
Johis’ brothers. Unlike the rest of
the Hunt family, neither Johis nor
Richard, died in Denby. They both
died in Shrewsbury.
In 1588 Johis married Jane Brierly
in the Parish Church of Denby, as
she and her family were residents
of the village. Johis and Jane
set up their home there. Their
descendants then lived in Denby
until at least the early twentieth
century and some may well do
so still. Virtually all were baptised
in Denby Parish Church, many
of them married there and
some were buried in the parish
church cemetery.
John Hunt was relatively wealthy,
but none of his wealth passed
to my Hunt ancestors. It was a
case of “riches to rags” where
the Hunt family was concerned.
For within a generation or so,
the Hunt family in Denby were
comparatively poor and like
many of their neighbours sought
employment as miners in the
nearby Derbyshire coalfield, as it
developed in the late eighteenth
century and afterwards.
It was at this point that I was able
to make a connection with my
earlier research. The marriage
register of St Alkmund’s Church
in Derby not only revealed that
Rachael Hunt could not sign her
name. It also told me that her
father Richard’s occupation was
that of a collier, thus suggesting
that male members of the Hunt
family were employed in the
coal mining industry in the
Denby area.
It also showed that Rachael had
moved to a nearby village of
Little Eaton, probably in order to
enter into domestic service. Little
Eaton, although a village outside
Derby, then lay in the parish of
Derby St Alkmund’s, so it was not
surprising that Joseph Mee and
Rachael Hunt, both resident in
Little Eaton, married there.
It was about a year ago I
discovered that I was descended
from the De Merlays. What was
critical was discovering the
link between the Hunts and
the Digbys.
It was then just a matter of time
before I found the link with the
De Merlays. The Digbys had been
knights of the shire for many
generations and the Caves were
frequently titled barons. In fact,
Amice Cave’s father was Baron
Thomas Cave of Stanford in
Northamptonshire.
Members of my family and I have
visited historic Stanford Hall and
the nearby parish church. In the
church are the tombs of Thomas
Cave and his wife Elizabeth and
above them are eleven small
statues representing Amice and
her ten brothers and sisters.
So my research had come full
circle. It began with Rachael Hunt
and it ended with William De
Merlay, first lord of Morpeth.
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inside Morpeth 17
Produced in
Northumberland
CHANTRY
Cheers - all the very best
from Northumberland!
Morpeth is to host a one-day Business to Business event that will celebrate
the very best of food and drink grown and made in Northumberland.
A celebration of food and drink ‘Produced
in Northumberland’ trade event will be held
at Morpeth Town Hall on Tuesday October
4th from 9.30am until 3.00pm and businesses,
producers and retailers involved in the
hospitality industry are free to apply
to attend.
It is being jointly organised by the County
Council’s Public Health Protection Unit and
the Tourism Development section of Active
Northumberland who are working together
on a verification scheme that will not only
raise the profile of the many rich and varied
local food and drink products, but raise the
confidence of purchasers that the goods they
are buying genuinely come from the county.
Tourism, of course, is one of
Northumberland’s most important industries
and within that sector the food and drink
business is worth an estimated £276 million
(2014 figure) to the economy of the county.
Money is spent by visitors on overnight
stays and holiday breaks at hotels, bed-andbreakfasts, self-catering establishments; on
eating out in restaurants, pubs, cafes and
coffee shops; and on purchasing products
made by local producers and sold through
outlets in visitor destinations including
award-winning farm shops.
From Marlish Waters to Lindisfarne
Mead and Kitty’s homemade ginger wine;
Doddington diary’s cheese and ice cream;
Kenspeckle confectionaries from Lynemouth;
the ‘Mad Jam’ woman’s preserves and
chutneys; artisan breads, delicious cakes and
pastries; to beef and lamb raised and reared
on the farms of Northumberland to name but
a few suppliers who are producing delicacies
and good old-fashioned, tasty food around
every corner of the county.
By signing up to the verification scheme
producers and retailers as well as hospitality
providers who can prove they are using local
produce on their menus, are able to promote
themselves as being part of the ‘Produced in
Northumberland’ brand.
“In Northumberland we are blessed with
having so many wonderful people producing
food and drink of the very highest quality
and we need to celebrate and promote that
not just to visitors but to local people as well,”
commented Councillor Val Tyler, County
Council cabinet member for Arts, Leisure
and Culture.
“One way to do that is to encourage as
many producers, suppliers and retailers
as possible to sign up to the ‘Produced in
Musical instruments
and accessories
Stockists of Tokai, Faith, Peavey, Hofner,
Vintage, Ozark & Odyssey
Repairs and sheet music
Visit us in
Manchester Street, Morpeth
follow us Twitter or like us on Facebook
@firstformusic1
/firstformusic
CALL US ON 01670 512721
or visit us at www.first-for-music.com
18 inside Morpeth
Northumberland’ brand so they can display
our logo in their premises and on their own
publicity material. These days more and
more people want to know where the food
and drink they are consuming comes from
and when they see our branding they can
rest assured that it has been verified as
having being produced virtually on their
own doorsteps.
“We know that it helps businesses increase
their income and even create more jobs in
the our tourism and hospitality sectors in
Northumberland.”
Any businesses interested in attending
the Morpeth celebration of food and
drink ‘Produced in Northumberland’
event should contact Dawn GoodwillEvans on (01670) 624766. Or tickets
can be booked by visiting: bit.ly/
ProducedinNorthumberlandEvent
JASON
KING
SINGER
for Weddings, Special Occasions
Birthdays, Corporate Events
and Garden Parties
Tel: 07766 081286
Email: [email protected]
www.jasonkingswing.moonfruit.com
swing
jazz
soul
salsa
inside Morpeth 19
Sanderson Arcade
CHANTRY
New projects launched
by Arcade team!
Writes Medi Parry, Sanderson Arcade Manager
After a very busy few
months here at the
Arcade, we have had
both the privilege and
the pleasure to open
and launch a number
of projects within the
town - making it one of
our most memorable
summers yet!
Guests at the launch of the new Barnabas media hub at the Stobhill Centre
At the beginning of August, after fundraising
£6,000 over the last 18 months, we gave an
old underused gym the ultimate makeover at
the Barnabas Stobhill Centre including brand
new walls, floor and suspended ceiling.
The fundraising also paid for a state of the
art projector, Samsung tablets, storage and
a colourful sofa - creating a modern day
media hub for the community. With the help
and support of local businesses, the £6,000
raised stretched a long way and we’d like to
thank everyone who helped with additional
materials and offers of volunteering. This
project was a fine example of hard work,
team work and community spirit – something
that I will always be proud of!
Later in August we saw the first store in our
Stanley Terrace development open its doors
– who would have thought that after nine
months of construction, the development
is complete. Come and join us on Saturday
the 27th of August for the opening of Home
Bargains and early in October we’ll be
celebrating the opening of Next – something
we’ve all been waiting for!
Over the last four years – we have had the
opportunity to recognise and reward the
business here at the Arcade for their hard
work and dedication to their place of work
through the Sanderson Arcade Retail Awards.
Now this year, all businesses within Morpeth
town centre will be getting involved with
the brand new ‘Heart of Morpeth Business
Awards’ which is an exciting expansion of the
Arcade retail awards. In October eight awards
will be given out in total and the committee
20 inside Morpeth
behind the ‘Heart of Morpeth Business
Awards’ will be asking the shoppers of
Morpeth to vote for their retailer of the year.
Please visit www.moreinmorpeth.co.uk/vote
to make sure your favourite retailer wins!
Every vote counts!
On Saturday October 1st we will once again
be celebrating the return of the annual
Morpeth Food & Drink Festival from 9am until
4pm. Following on from the great success of
last year’s event, Bridge Street will once again
be closed to traffic and over 100 stalls will be
lining the streets –offering local people and
visitors to the town a delicious selection of
fantastic local produce. New this year we have
live music down by the Chantry and don’t
miss out on the stunning performance by the
Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Band marching
down Newgate Street which promises to be
spectacular.
During the next edition of Inside Morpeth,
details on our popular Halloween event will
be uncovered and also – don’t miss out on
the information regarding the Christmas
Lights switch on event. With nearly twice
the space this year – our shoppers could be
in for a treat!
Myself and the inspirational Rhona Dunn will
also be talking about this year’s Tree of Light
and the charities this will be supporting.
To keep up to date with events and
offers at Sanderson Arcade visit www.
sandersonarcade.co.ukor follow us on Twitter
@sandersonarcade and if you’re on Facebook
and Instagram please give us a like.
DIARY DATES
August 20th
Back to School Event
August 27th
Home Bargains Opening
Event
September 11th
Great North Run
September 16th
Shortlists announced for
The Heart of Morpeth
Business Awards
Early October
Next Opening Event
October 1st
Morpeth Food & Drink
Festival
October 12th
Online voting for Retailer of
the Year closes
October 19th
The Heart of Morpeth
Business Awards Evening
I N S TA L L I N G S O L I D F U E L H E AT I N G SYS T E M S
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inside Morpeth 21
Taylor Wimpey
St Andrews Gardens - the
perfect place to pick a property
Leading homebuilder,
Taylor Wimpey North East,
is experiencing record
number of enquirers at
its exclusive St Andrews
Gardens development, from
house hunters at all stages
on the property ladder.
Launched in June last year, the developer is
crediting the surge in interest to the selection
of three- to five-bedroom homes available,
as well as financial support schemes such as
Help to Buy and Easymover.
Karl Morton, sales and marketing director for
Taylor Wimpey North East, comments: “After
opening our doors at St Andrews Gardens just
over a year ago, the response from all types of
buyers has been fantastic.
“The development is situated on the outskirts
of Morpeth, offering a generous variety
of amenities nearby, making it the perfect
location for families and couples alike. What’s
more, customers utilising schemes are finding
they can afford a larger home than they first
thought possible.”
Through the government-backed Help to Buy
initiative, house hunters can secure their
dream home worth up to £600,000 with just
five per cent deposit. Meanwhile, Taylor
Wimpey’s Easymover scheme takes the
stress out of moving, with the homebuilder
22 inside Morpeth
managing the entire selling process by liaising
with estate agents and covering the cost of
their fees.
St Andrews Gardens has a range of three,
four, and five bedroom homes available,
including the sought-after Troon, which
boasts five double bedrooms, a modern
kitchen with family area, and a separate
dining room for £499,995. Meanwhile, the
three-bedroom Flatford is ideal for first time
buyers and comes complete with spacious,
fitted kitchen, and lounge/diner with French
doors leading to the rear garden at £214,995.
Karl concludes: “Our homes at St Andrews
Gardens are selling so quickly, which is why
we’re urging prospective house hunters in
the region to head down to the development
if they’re to snap up a great deal and avoid
disappointment.”
To find out more about St Andrews
Gardens and the financial schemes on
offer, please call 01670 335 201 or visit
www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
SHOWROOM: New Kennels, Blagdon Estate, Northumberland NE13 6DB
TEL: 01670 785722 EMAIL: [email protected]
www.blagdonkitchendesign.co.uk
BLAGDON KITCHEN DESIGN - The North East’s only SieMatic appointed partner.
inside Morpeth 23
Blagdon Kitchens
Island life
An island can be a great feature
in a kitchen design, but there are
important factors to consider as
Tony Raven of Blagdon Kitchen
Design explains…
One of the first “must haves” clients often
put on their wish list when we are discussing
a new kitchen design is an island. There is no
doubt a kitchen island can be a key feature
in how a kitchen looks and more importantly
functions, but there are important factors to
consider first.
The most important, obvious as it may
seem, is will it fit? We are often asked to
include an island into a kitchen where on the
face of it the room appears big enough but
when you get into the detail of the design it
just isn’t practical.
As a rule of thumb you need to allow a clear
space of 1200mm between an island and
other kitchen cabinets, appliances and walls,
although you can get away with slightly less
depending on the individual situation.
Having established there is sufficient space
the next consideration is how it will be used.
Is it purely for food preparation and/or casual
dining or will there be appliances involved?
If there is going to be a sink positioned on the
island then consideration needs to be given
to plumbing challenges, and if there is to be a
hob then the important question of extraction
has to be looked at. We have two working
examples of the Bora downdraft extraction
system in our showroom which offer the
perfect solution to this issue.
Often an island will incorporate some or all of
these functions – preparation space, cooking,
dishwashing and a breakfast bar which will
in turn lead to the next question – what is the
best choice of material for the work surface?
Silestone, Corian, granite and solid wood
can all be used, and often can be in complete
contrast to the rest of the kitchen to make
more of a visual impact. Two different
sections, often of different materials and
thickness can work well especially in a
breakfast bar situation.
Often the furniture used to form the base of
the island can be in a different finish to the
rest of the kitchen making even more of a
design statement.
Pendant lighting used to dramatic effect above an island
Electrical sockets, pop-up storage solutions,
loose chopping boards and pendant lighting
are all important features which add to
the functionality and appearance of a
kitchen island which with careful thought
about design and location can make all the
difference to the success of a kitchen design.
If you would like to discuss your kitchen
design with us or simply visit our showroom
for an informal chat please call either myself
or Hannah Raven at Blagdon Kitchen Design
on 01670 785722.
Above: Incorporating details such as open shelving and
electronic drawer systems.
Below: Two different sections often of different
materials and thickness can work well
24 inside Morpeth
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For a no obligation free estimate call us on 01670 516815
Come and visit our showroom at Unit 2a Pegswood Industrial Estate, Morpeth NE61 6HZ
Showroom open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9am - 5pm. Thursday 9am - 7pm. Saturday 10am - 4pm
Visit: wansbeckcarpetandfloor.co.uk or email: [email protected]
inside Morpeth 25
Heighley Gate
Morpeth
In Bloom
Nigel Lawton - Heighley
Gate’s Horticultural Manager
- has more top tips for our
gardening readers
For you early birds out there, you may have
seen the guys out watering and feeding the
displays to ensure that the flowers are the
best they can be throughout the summer. I
truly hope that you have enjoyed the displays
as much as we have providing them.
These are a few things to think about in your
own gardens this month…
Keeping things going
As I write this article, it’s certainly
been a busy few weeks for the
team at Heighley Gate. We have
just finished our summer displays
in the town and Morpeth’s entry
into ‘Northumbria In Bloom’ has
been judged with the results due
to be announced on the
14th September.
Our theme this year is fire as we look to
commemorate 800 years since King John
burned down the town as he marched against
the rebellious northern barons in 1216. The
Deuchar Park beds, Rotary Garden and town
entrance planters have been planted with a
fiery mix of Begonias and Coleus, whilst the
planters and baskets on the streets contain
a wonderful mix of Geraniums and Million
Bells in shades of red and terracotta.
26 inside Morpeth
A few minutes every day of deadheading will
keep the garden looking smart. It encourages
plants to produce more flower and not to
run to seed. Harvesting also encourages
plants to keep producing, so pick dahlias with
regularity and beans and courgettes while
they are still young and fresh.
Clear garden debris
Keep weeding; most perennial weeds are
susceptible to weedkiller this month and
systemic weedkillers will carry on working
throughout the winter. Also clear any debris
and diseased material from your garden.
Pests and diseases that overwinter in your
garden will reappear next spring with a
vengeance so get rid of them now. Burn
diseased material and put the rest of your
garden rubbish (apart from woody stems) in
the compost.
Clean out the greenhouse
Once tomatoes and other greenhouse crops
are over, give the greenhouse a thorough
clean to prevent pests from making a home in
that lovely warm environment, ready to leap
into action next spring.
Soaking up the heat
The ground is a giant radiator and the heat of
summer will remain in the ground for some
time yet. With the addition of moisture, this
makes the autumn one of our best planting
seasons as the roots of plants put in now will
have time to establish before winter. This
places them in a strong position to survive
the months ahead and come away fast next
spring.
Cheery spring displays
Our spring flowering bulbs are now in stock!
The perfect heralds of spring, flowering
bulbs are a sure sign that the end of winter
is finally in sight. From the dazzling daffodil
and the brashest tulip to the perfume packed
hyacinth, spring bulbs are just the thing for
banishing the winter blues. Although you
can wait until November to put tulip bulbs
in, I like to get as many bulbs as I can in the
ground so they can start growing. Choose
your varieties soon to avoid disappointment
should your favourites sell out and leave in a
cool, airy place out of reach of mice until you
can get them planted.
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inside Morpeth
27
The effect of Brexit on
the housing market
While it is too early to say for sure what will happen in the short to medium
term to the UK housing market following the nation’s decision to leave the
European Union on the 23rd of June, the early indications are reasonably
optimistic write Residential Sales Director Charles Robinson.
As homeowners come to terms with the
momentous decision to leave the EU and
realise that the sky has not fallen in (as some
predicted) for many it is very much business
as usual. The housing market, like the stock
market, hates uncertainty and in the past has
often been adversely affected by forecasts of
an impending recession, hike in interest rates
or job uncertainty.
the falls in the past quarter are not seemingly
related to the EU referendum.
Indeed over the last 35 years or so I have seen
on countless occasions the calling of a general
election resulting in a slowdown in activity
even when it was almost impossible to slide
a cigarette paper between the policies of the
two leading political parties.
More importantly the RICS reports that
there is no evidence of a price decline other
than in London.
A picture is now beginning to emerge
following Brexit of lower transaction volumes
in the housing market and a slower pace of
growth but so far there have been few signs
of a crash and transactions have proved more
resilient than some people expected. There
are, of course, exceptions.
The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors has reported that property
prices are softening (a gobbledygook
expression meaning they are not going up
as fast as they were) across the country since
the referendum.
It is reported that across the country price
growth is moderating - still increasing in
many places but less so than it was - which
many (particularly first time buyers) would
say is no bad thing! The latest survey of
RICS members published earlier this month
found that while there may be a dip in the
next three months in provincial areas this is
expected to be relatively short lived.
head Christine Lagarde warned in May that
the consequence of Brexit would be “pretty
bad to very, very bad” - forecast that UK
growth in 2017 to be 1.3 per cent - the
fastest in Europe ahead of both France
and Germany.
This view is certainly in line with our own
experience.
After the initial shock of the unexpected
referendum result what we are now seeing is
a “business as normal” approach from both
buyers and sellers.
Yes it is true that some in the market will be
more cautious and while this may result in a
reduction in the number of transactions we
have seen absolutely no evidence to suggest
that prices are likely to fall in the short term
which is most encouraging.
The London market which is prone to peaks
and troughs with burgeoning gains during
sustained periods of economic growth
followed by substantial falls when things go
wrong in the economy - is clearly suffering
following the referendum result.
In contrast to the Treasury prediction before
the vote that house prices could drop by up
to 18 per cent over the next two years as
the “economic shock” increased the cost of
mortgages many commentators are now
suggesting that the housing market is in for
“more of a soft landing than a crash”.
As I have said before the housing market
in Morpeth and surrounding areas is
resilient and although we have not seen the
spectacular gains in house prices experienced
in the southern half of the country in recent
years neither have we experienced the
dramatic falls in property values experienced
by homeowners in London and the south east
when problems emerge in the market.
Elsewhere newly published official figures
reveal that house prices in Scotland were
falling in the three months leading up to the
Brexit vote in June. It would appear that there
is a different dynamic at work in Scotland and
Perhaps this newfound optimism has been
helped by the Office for National Statistics
reporting this month that employment has
reached a record high of the working age
population and the news that the IMF - whose
All the indications so far are that the
robustness of the local market will hold
homeowners in the area in good stead ahead
of the possible turbulent times once Article
50 is invoked.
28 inside Morpeth
4
11
Others
(8 offices)
Office 7
7
Office 6
Sales
Agreed*
10
Office 5
11
Office 4
12
Office 3
13
Office 2
41
Rickard
* Rightmove (the UK’s leading property portal)
confirmed that in the first 6 months of 2016
Rickard agreed far more sales of properties over
£150,000 than any of their competitors – in fact
more than their 3 main rivals combined.
Morpeth’s No.1
selling agent
If you are thinking of selling in 2016 please contact us for a confidential
no obligation valuation by contacting us on
01670 513533 option 1 or by email [email protected]
25/27 Newgate Street Morpeth NE61 1AW
If you have already instructed another agent we would advise you to check any agreement that you may have to ensure that
you are not liable for more than one commission by instructing us as your agent.
inside Morpeth 29
What’s On
More events Inside ...
SEPTEMBER
NEWGATE STREET POETS
First-ever poetry festival in Newgate
Streets. Poems about local businesses –
new and old - in shop windows and open
mic sessions.
Dates:
Monday 5 to Sunday 11
September. Open mic sessions
as follows:- Mon 5 The Cube
(10.30am), The Wheatsheaf
(2pm) and Sour Grapes
(7.30pm). Tue 6 Café des Amis
(10.30am), Unique Boutique
(2pm) Black & Grey (7.30pm).
Wed 7 Packhorse Yard
(10.30am), Café Vault (2pm),
Peppermint Tea Rooms (7pm).
Thurs 8 Ice Bar (7.30pm). Sun
11 White Swan (7.30pm)
Cost:
Free
Contact:To submit a poem email
[email protected]
SCOTTISH COUNTRY
DANCING
Classes on Thursday evenings for
beginners and those with previous
experience. All ages welcome and no
need to have a partner. Free taster
session before classes begin – Saturday
3 September 2pm to 4pm St George’s
Church Hall, Morpeth
Date:
Thursday 22 September
Time:2.30pm
Place: St George’s Church Hall,
Morpeth
Cost:
Entry by donation of £2 to £3
NORTHUMBERLAND
THEATRE COMPANY
Presents ‘How to Make a Killing in
Bollywood’. Written by and starring
NTC favourite Umar Ahmed. Colourful
musical comedy about best friends who
quit their jobs in a fast food restaurant
and head to Bollywood in search of fame
and fortune. A play about the lengths
people go to in an effort to realise their
dreams, punctuated with a fantastic
sound track and infectious injections of
Bollywood dance movies.
Date: Saturday 24 September
Time: 7.30pm
Morpeth
Cost: £8
Contact:Tickets from Chantry TIC (01670
623454); GMDT (01670 503866)
Morpeth Town Hall
(01670 514314) or at the door
OCTOBER
Date:
8 Sept (First Autumn term class)
Time: 7.30pm to 9.30pm
Place:Morpeth Chantry Middle School
Hall
Cost:
£40 a term (13 weeks)
Contact:Sheila Trafford 07713 708 711
All proceeds to support the Foundation’s
work.
Date:
Saturday 1 October
Time: 7pm
Place:Morpeth Methodist Church,
Howard Road
Cost: Free but ticket acquired with
opportunity to donate on the
night
Contact:Morpeth Methodist Church for
tickets – (01670) 511078
MORPETH LIONS CLUB
Charity Chinese Banquet in aid of The
Sick Children’s Trust that provides
free, quality ‘home-from-home’
accommodation for families with sick
children in hospital. Numbers restricted
to 100. All welcome.
Date:
Monday 3 October
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm
Place: Mulan Restaurant, Morpeth
Cost:
Tickets are £20 each
Contact:David Armstrong (01670 512000
or davidarmstrong@waitrose.
com) or Les Sage (01670 516859
or [email protected])
MORPETH CIVIC SOCIETY
Talk by Frances Povey (Parks & Green
Spaces Officer Northumberland CC)
entitled ‘200 years of Bolam Lake’. Nonmembers always welcome to talks.
Date:
Wednesday 5 October
Time:7.30pm
Place:
Morpeth Methodist Church,
Howard Road
Cost:Annual membership of Society
is £15
Contact:Call 01670 513152
LUNCH TIME CONCERT
With Michael Fu (violin) from Newcastle
RGS and Nicole Souter (flute) from KEVI
accompanied by Ken Irvine (piano). Tea
and coffee available.
Date:
Wednesday 14 September
Time: 12.30m to 1.30pm
(Doors Open Noon)
Morpeth
Cost: Tickets £3 at the door
TEA TIME TALK
On ‘The Great Fire of London’. Speaker
Jared Johnson. Home-made scones with
jam and cream.
30 inside Morpeth
COFFEE MORNING FAIR
PEARL OF AFRICA
The children’s choir will be making its
eighth visit to the North East as part of
its UK tour. Organised by charity which
supports six Molly and Paul Child Care
Foundation Schools in Uganda. Choir
is drawn from children at the schools
which provide education, shelter and
healthcare for some 2,000 children. As
always the young people will enthral
their audience with traditional vibrant
African music and colourful costumes,
singing, dancing and drumming. Also
chance to buy authentic African crafts.
Annual event at the Church
Date:
Time:
Place:
Cost:
Saturday 8 October
10am to 1pm
St George’s Church, Morpeth
Entry by donation
LUNCH TIME CONCERT
Piano recital with Nicholas Nowicki. Tea
and coffee available.
Date:
Wednesday 12 October
Time:12.30pm to 1.30pm.
Doors open at Noon
Place:St George’s Church Hall,
What’s On
CHANTRY
Cost:
Morpeth
Tickets £3 at the door
TEA TIME TALK
Speaker John Gillespie talks about ‘The
Clydebank Blitz’, followed by home-made
scones with jam and cream.
Date:
Thursday 13 October
Time:2.30pm
Place:St George’s Church Hall,
Morpeth
Cost: Entry by donation of £2 to £3
MORPETH MUSIC SOCIETY
Opening concert of new season,
featuring pianist Ashley Wass in
recital with Shakespearean theme.
Music by Beethoven – The Tempest
Sonata; Smetana – Macbeth and the
Witches; Liszt – Concert paraphrase on
Mendelssohn’s ‘ A Midsummer Night’s
Dream’; Prokofiev – 10 pieces from
Romeo and Juliet
Date:
Thursday 13 October
Time:7.30pm
Place: Morpeth Methodist Church
Howard Road
Cost:
Tickets £14 adults, children free
with adult
Contact:For further details (01670)
513369 or www.morpethmusoc.org.uk. Tickets from
Church or Chantry TIC
BEWICK ORCHESTA
CONCERT
Classical concert by Robin Forbes to raise
money for Diabetes UK. Programme to
include Beethoven’s Egmont Overture,
Finzi’s Five Bagatelles for clarinet and
strings with soloist Jonathan Caudle, and
Brahm’s Double Concerto with soloists
Iona Brown and Nick Byrne.
Date:
Sunday 16 October
Time:7.30pm
Place: St James’ Church, Morpeth
Cost: Tickets £8 and (£5 Under 18s) at
the door
Contact:For more details call (01670)
515571
LONGHIRST JUMBLE SALE
Proceeds to go to St John’s Church,
Longhirst
Date:
Friday 21 October
Time:6pm
Place: Longhirst Village Hall
Cost: Entry 50p
Contact:Jill Elphick (01670) 790764
New season
will have that
‘wow’ factor!
By Roger Ashmore from
Morpeth Music Society
Violinist Tasmin Little
It must be rare for so many worldclass musicians to perform in
a town the size of Morpeth and
never has this been truer than
in our 72nd season of classical
music concerts.
The six concerts from October to April
will really make this a special season, and
all will take place in the attractive setting
and excellent acoustics of Morpeth
Methodist Church starting at 7.30pm on
Thursday evenings.
All our regular concert-goers share the view
that if you enjoy classical music that you
will love the forthcoming season. We aim to
engage artists who will delight your ear and
provide a real wow factor!
Every year an amazing selection of talented
musicians – some very well established,
some emerging – come to us from all over
the world. So do look out especially for our
January concert when we will be thrilled
to bring violinist Tasmin Little and Martin
Roscoe (piano) to Morpeth. Together they
have inspired audiences wherever they
have performed.
As always the Society will extend a warm
welcome to all our concert-goers and we
especially love to see new faces in our
audiences. During the intervals when
refreshments are being served there is a
lively buzz of conversation and at the end
you will find our musicians are keen to talk to
members of our audiences.
Our regular subscription members know that
Morpeth Music Society concerts are always of
a very high standard and excellent value with
the added bonus of being ‘on your doorstep’.
Do remember that if you subscribe at the
beginning of the season for all six concerts
you can bring a friend or partner with you
free-of-charge to the first one – and even if
you subsequently have to miss one you will
still have saved money on the other five.
However, if you would rather choose
individual concerts tickets are on sale at
Morpeth Methodist Church in Howard
Terrace, from our secretary or from Morpeth
Tourist Information Centre at The Chantry.
There is no better time to choose one or more
of our concerts than in this coming season
when the programme is of outstanding
quality. We look forward to seeing you!
Here is a glimpse of what is in store for this
season. However, for more information
please pick up a brochure from The Chantry
TIC, Morpeth Methodist Church, the Town
Hall or the Library. Alternatively visit our
website at http:/www.morpethmusoc.org.uk
October 13th – Leading British pianist
Ashley Wass makes a welcome return with a
programme based on a Shakespearean theme
to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s
death in 1616.
November 10th – Trio Izimsiz (piano trio)
are current members of the prestigious
Young Classical Artists Trust programme.
All members of the trio are also rising stars
in their own right.
December 8th – The London Conchord
Ensemble is renowned for its imaginative
programming and in our concert will feature
flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon and piano.
January 12th (2017) – Superstar violinist
Tasmin Little will perform an exciting
programme with her frequent concert
platform partner pianist Martin Roscoe.
Tasmin performs all over the world with
leading orchestras and conductors. In 2008
she launched a project aimed at breaking
down barriers to classical music.
March 9th – The Escher Quartet, one of the
‘hot’ young international chamber ensembles
of the moment. They have made a distinctive
impression throughout Europe and the
Society is delighted to have the opportunity to
present them in Morpeth.
April 6th – The pianist Alexander Ullman
is another member of the highly regarded
Young Classical Artists Trust scheme. He is
currently making a name for himself as a
soloist at leading music venues around the
world. Vladimir Ashkenazy describes him
as: “A gifted young pianist with a very natural
feeling for the music.”
inside Morpeth 31
Heritage
Open Days
Time to treasure
our treasures!
What has become an annual trip into the past is about to take place
in and around Morpeth again as part of a nationwide celebration
weekend of all that’s great about Britain’s heritage.
For the past two decades Heritage Open Days (HODs) have been
held to give people the chance to discover more about history on
their own doorsteps and to celebrate Britain’s great architectural
and cultural traditions.
Lifeboat Station – the oldest operating station still in service in the
country. Built in 1866 the Rocket House stored all the equipment
needed to respond to emergencies at sea by using breeches buoys to
save sailors stranded too close to shore to be reached by lifeboat crews.
This year the HODs’ national theme over four days from Thursday
8th to Sunday 11th September is ‘Treasure Your Treasures’ and more
than 5,000 events will be organised and staged by many thousands of
volunteers. Once again Morpeth will be taking part thanks to Greater
Morpeth Development Trust (GMDT) and Friends.
Lottery funding is also being sought to preserve this unique relic of
Britain’s coastal rescue service and open the building to the public.
Over the four days there’ll be opportunities to visit places of local
historic interest, enjoy talks, attend events and exhibitions, join
tours and walks. This year Morpeth HODs will also be extending
its boundaries to take in new sites of historic interest in Cresswell,
Newbiggin, Longhorsley and Hepscott.
For instance, there’ll be the chance to visit Cresswell’s 15th Century Pele
Tower said to be haunted by a ‘White Lady’; climb to its roof tower to
enjoy a spectacular view over Druridge Bay; and learn about plans to
hopefully attract National Lottery funding with the help of GMDT, to
restore and preserve an ancient local building.
Or why not discover more about a little known arm of the maritime
rescue service by visiting the Rocket House attached to Newbiggin’s
The National Lottery is also contributing financially to GMDT’s plans
to restore Morpeth’s 167 year old Morpeth Railway Station to its
former glory as well as converting empty offices to accommodate
small businesses. Over the HODs weekend a small exhibition about
the history of the Grade II listed building will be staged alongside the
restoration and development plans.
Also look out over the weekend for ‘Morpeth Past and Present’ – in
Newgate Street, Oldgate and Newmarket. Photographic exhibitions in
show windows will show how Morpeth and its shops have changed
over the years, as well as the Newgate Street Poetry Festival with its
shop windows poems and open mic sessions in various premises
along the street.
Details of what to see and do during Morpeth HODs are listed and more
information can be found in a leaflet available around town or by
calling Greater Morpeth Development Trust on (01670) 503866.
St George’s United
Reformed Church
CHURCHES
Church of St James the Great
Bridge Street, Morpeth
St James’ Terrace, Morpeth
Sat 10th 10am to 4pm
Thurs 8th to Sun 11th 10am to 4pm
Church open with local musicians
Impressive Victorian church designed by
Benjamin Ferrey. See the Apse paintings
and Minton tiled chancel floor. Guide books
and handmade cards for sale. Refreshments
available.
St Helen’s Church
West Road, Longhorsley
Sun 11th 10am to 4pm
See the tapestry kneelers showing village
scenes and flowers. Small display about
church
Church of St Mary the Virgin
St Mary’s Field, Morpeth
One of the finest medieval churches in the
county. 14thC Jesse window; small exhibition
about Emily Wilding Davison (her grave is
in the churchyard); ‘Find the Mice’ children’s
trail; booklets on the history of church and
stained glass. Refreshments available.
32 inside Morpeth
St Andrew’s Church
Bothal
St Mary Magdalene Church
Stable Green, Mitford
Thurs 8th & Fri 9th 2pm to 4pm; Sat 10th
10am to 4pm; Sun 11th Noon to 4pm
A stunning medieval church. Local crafts
to buy; occasional live music; some tours.
Refreshments available.
Beautiful Grade I listed building opposite the
ruins of Mitford Castle. It has what is thought
to be the oldest church bell in the country
Heritage
Open Days
CHANTRY
EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS/TOURS
TALKS
Town Treasures
Collingwood Society Lecture
Morpeth Town Hall
Corn Exchange Morpeth Town Hall
Thurs 8th 2pm to 4pm
Thurs 8th 7.30pm
Chance to visit Mayor’s Parlour and Council
Chamber and see Morpeth’s collection of
civic treasures
Vera Vaggs on Alexandar Davison and
Swarland Estate and the Nelson connection.
No pre-booking required
Monkey Business
at Medieval Abbey
The Chantry Morpeth
Fri 9th 7pm
Woodhorn Matters
Morpeth Methodist Church Howard Terrace
Sun 11th 12.30pm to 3.30pm
Demonstrations of traditional ‘proggy’ and
‘hooky’ mat-making and work by members
Morpeth Clock Tower
Newbiggin Rocket House
Oldgate
New Sandridge Newbiggin
Thurs 8th to Sun 11th 2pm to 4pm
Guided tours of the oldest civic tower in the
country and chance to ring the bells every 45
minutes. Pre-booking essential. Contact
rev.simonjhwhite.com to reserve a place
For more than 100 years it housed the
lifesaving equipment needed to save mariners
whose ships had foundered close to shore. A
unique opportunity to find out more about
rockets, breeches buoys and the countless
lives they saved
Morpeth Railway Station
Coopies Lane, Morpeth
Fri 9th & Sat 10th 9.30am to 12.30pm
Small exhibition on Grade II listed Victorian
station and current redevelopment plans.
Brief tours of building – pre-booking
required for tours. Call GMDT (01670) 503866
or email [email protected]
Cresswell Pele Tower
Cresswell Towers Holiday Park
Sat 10th 11am to 3.30pm
Guided tours of 15th Pele Tower. Also
exhibition in village hall on plans to restore
tower as a visitor attraction. Not suitable for
Under 10s. Refreshments available.
Conflict & Fire Mini Display
Butter Market, Morpeth Town Hall
Juliana’s Castle at Ha’Hill
Meet by the Turner Garden, Carlisle Park,
Morpeth
Sun 11th 11am to Noon
Start just below Ha’Hill and head to the top
to see Morpeth from Juliana’s point of view.
Steep steps to Ha’Hill summit
WALKS
Witton Hall Heritage Walk
Meet at parking area on minor road 50 yards
north of Netherwitton Hall
Thurs 8th 1pm start
Half day guided walk (approx 5 miles)
featuring private halls of Netherwitton and
Longwitton and their renowned gardens.
Can be muddy. Further information from
David Barker (01670) 515351.
Register at start.
Historical Sherburne Walk
Meet at Colwell Village junction on B6342
Fri 9th 10.30am
Full day guided walk (approx 8 miles)
featuring historical Sherburne, Colt Crag
Reservoir, tragedy of Throcklington and
Northumberland’s largest standing stone.
Can be muddy. Bring picnic lunch.
Further information from David Barker
(01670) 515351. Register at start.
Longhorsley Village Hall
Hepscott Heritage Walks
Drummonds Close, Longhorsley
Both walks meet at Hepscott Village Hall
Sun 11th
View Millennium embroidered wall
hanging depicting the village and some of its
characters and ‘hooky’ mat celebrating Emily
Wilding Davison. Art exhibition, stalls and
activities reflecting village life. Self-guided
village heritage trails. Refreshments available
Walk 1 (3 miles) 10am to 11.30pm
Sun 11th Noon to 3pm
Heritage drop-in run by Morpeth Antiquarian
Society including WWI Morpethians at The
Somme and historic fires of Morpeth. Plus
chance to chat about Morpeth’s history.
Refreshments available.
Archaeologist Barry Mead describes what life
was like for the monks who lived and worked
at Newminster Abbey and other monastic
sites. No pre-booking but entry on first-come,
first served basis
Walk 2 (1.5miles) 11.30am to 12.30pm
Wear suitable footwear and clothing.
Short walk suitable for less mobile. No
booking required. Enquiries (01670) 516397
or [email protected]
Hepscott Village Group
Hepscott Village Hall
Exhibition to include film, photos, archives
and booklets.
inside Morpeth 33
The Chantry
Busy few weeks ahead
at The Chantry Morpeth
Amy Hall tells Inside Morpeth readers what’s new at The Chantry
Calling all Morpethians! We have
a very busy few months on the
way in Morpeth and all around
our glorious county and I can
promise you, you don’t want
to miss out!
As you probably already know there
have been lot of changes around Tourist
Information Centres across Northumberland
lately and you may be curious about what’s
new at The Chantry.
Well… our centre is now home to the
Northern Poetry Library Collection! Yes,
that’s right, we have the privilege of
housing hundreds of books filled with
beautiful poems.
To celebrate this move we recently held a
launch at The Chantry and the library is
now officially open. As always, we promise
you an excellent time you don’t want to miss
and you’re welcome to pop in whenever you
want some peace, quiet and an abundance
of inspiration! For more information visit the
Chantry to find out a bit more and we’ll see
you there!
Of course our stall holders are forever
keeping things fresh and beautiful in our
centre and I feel I should tell you about Pure
Candles a fantastic company and a real
treasure in Morpeth Chantry. Nicky and
Judith restore vintage furniture and have a
gorgeous range of candles which can now
be personalised for special occasions as
wedding favours or stunning gifts. Buy yours
or order them now at The Chantry.
34 inside Morpeth
Last year’s Food Festival jam and scone competition winners Morag Thompson and Ian Shaw
So what else have we got for you in August…
well there’s the Tall Ships Regatta and we are
here for you to find out all about the event.
We are all fully prepped on the who’s, the
what’s and the when’s on if you need some
information on parking, where to take the
children, and what kind of entertainment
there will then call in and ask us or you can
message us @moreMorpeth on Twitter.
Busy August and busy September - the
Heritage Days are coming on the 8th to 11th
of September! There are many things to see
and love and you can pick up a leaflet on your
local open days from Morpeth Chantry now!
We are also holding a very exciting event
over the Heritage weekend with local author
favourite Bridget Gubbins to celebrate her
new book ‘Juliana and Ranulph of Morpeth
Castle – the latest instalment in her series
about Morpeth’s past which is on sale now at
The Chantry.
You didn’t think we’d leave you bored in
October did you?
As most of you will know Morpeth had a
fantastic food festival last October and it is
coming back again.
We couldn’t possibly reveal all, where
would be the fun in that, but there’s a
poster up in the Chantry for your information
and of course Morpeth Chantry will be
involved again.
As part of the Morpeth Food & Drink Festival,
Saturday October 1st Morpeth Chantry will,
for the third time, be hosting the Morpeth
Best Jam, Scone and new for 2016 a sweet pie
competition. Entry forms are available from
Morpeth Chantry Craft Centre for all you
budding bakers and jam makers!”
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inside Morpeth 35
Town Cryer
TOWN CRYER!
The latest News from Morpeth Town Council
Summertime delights
- and challenges
Doesn’t time fly when you’re
having fun! It flies even faster
when you are trying to create
space to do those things that
you know take time but are
very important to you but
perhaps not to other people?
It seems incredible that it is now two months
since I became Mayor and those months have
been frenetic. I have experienced some very
solemn moments including commemorating
the Battle of the Somme and a most moving
event organised by the local Women’s
Institute with Olivia Giles OBE, a remarkable
woman who lost the lower part of both
her legs and arms from meningococcal
septicaemia, but formed a charity to help
others in Africa with artificial limbs.
I thoroughly enjoyed Picnic in the Park and
also helping to launch the Library service
“Children’s Reading Challenge”. I think
one or two brides-to-be have been a little
bit puzzled when the Mayor, fully chained,
appears in the middle of their preparations in
the Town Hall!
Perhaps the most demanding event was,
however, entertaining 16 young Beavers,
along with their adult helpers, in the Mayor’s
Parlour and the Council Chamber. Making the
visit relevant to such young people was quite
a challenge, but very enjoyable.
Most people look forward to the summer
months, warmer weather, longer evenings
and hopefully plenty of sunshine, although
2016 has not been particularly friendly so far
with the weather.
The summer months also bring challenges
and opportunities for Morpeth. Morpeth
is a very attractive market town and I have
know the other areas of the town are equally
as attractive. So many people put so much
effort in that I can only hope that when the
judging is announced Morpeth once again is
successful in several categories.
We already know that Abbeyfields First
School has won an award in the schools
competition - the third year running so well
done to the staff and pupils there. You will
understand that as Vice Chair of Governors
their success gives me particular pleasure.
lost count of the number of visitors who
have expressed their delight to me about
discovering Morpeth and its charms. But I
equally know that the influx of visitors brings
challenges for residents with increased
pressure on the limited car parking space.
Morpeth Town Council has limited powers
in terms of car parking although it continues
to put an enormous amount of pressure on
Northumberland County Council to make
adequate provision. If Morpeth is to be one
of the growth areas in Northumberland and that is what is envisaged - there has to
be an equal commitment to making sure
the infrastructure can sustain that growth. I
make no apology as Mayor for trying to make
sure that message is fully understood by the
County’s Administration.
I cannot let this edition of the Town Cryer
go past without complimenting all of those
people involved in preparing Morpeth for
Northumbria in Bloom. Despite the weather
Morpeth looked fantastic on the day of the
judging - the fiery theme really has been
captured, and driving past Mafeking Park
into Morpeth continues to be a real pleasure,
as does walking round the town centre. I
I am less happy at the number of complaints
I receive as a County Councillor about the
weeds in some residential areas of Morpeth.
The weather this year has encouraged weed
growth and I know the County Council staff
are struggling to clear those weeds. Sadly
we cannot escape the consequences of the
cutbacks the Government has demanded of
local authorities.
I am also pleased to read that GMDT has
been successful in its bid for lottery funding
to redevelop Morpeth Railway Station. I only
hope that this development is appreciated by
everybody and that everything moves ahead
smoothly to completion.
I want to finish by making a plea. Morpeth
Antiquarians celebrate their 70th anniversary
this year, but they continue to struggle to
find somewhere in Morpeth to keep all
their incredibly valuable documents from
the past which makes up our history. Each
year they put on fantastic exhibitions; is not
somebody out there who could offer them
accommodation to store all their collections?
I hope you all enjoy the remainder of the
summer break.
Andrew Tebbutt
Mayor of Morpeth
Morpeth Town Council, Morpeth Town Hall, Market Place, Morpeth NE61 1LZ
Call 01670 514314 email [email protected] or [email protected] or visit www.morpeth-tc.gov.uk
36 inside Morpeth
Town Cryer
Flood volunteers wanted Day of the
On Tuesday September
6th at 6pm in Morpeth
Town Hall, the Town
Council, in partnership with
Northumberland County
Council and the Environment
Agency, is planning a
refresher and review session
on Morpeth’s Community
Agreement.
and volunteer organisations will work
together to improve Morpeth’s resilience
and recovery from flooding.
This agreement is an emergency flood plan
for Morpeth, detailing how the community,
the County Council, Morpeth Town Council
If you require any further information,
please contact the Town Council office. We
look forward to meeting you on the night.
We would really appreciate the attendance
of any members of the community
who would be interested in becoming a
Community Resilience Volunteer or who
would like to learn about the risks of
flooding from the river and other sources,
and how to protect themselves, their
property and the wider community
against flooding.
Disappeared
The International Day of the
Disappeared will be observed
in St Robert’s Peace Garden,
Oldgate, Morpeth on Tuesday
August 30th at 4pm.
This event draws attention to the fate of
individuals imprisoned without trial across
the world, often under poor conditions
and recognises the numbers of people
still missing through conflict, disaster and
migration, showing solidarity with their
loved ones.
Sea Lord toast
On Friday October 21st at 11.50am, Morpeth Town Council invites you
to join the Mayor Councillor Andrew Tebbutt to make a toast to Lord
Collingwood outside his former Morpeth home at Collingwood House
in Oldgate to celebrate Trafalgar, with a drink of “Grog”
Sailors had to drink fresh water on their voyages but it quickly developed algae and became
slimy. The putrid water was sweetened with rum, lemons, limes and spices and became known
as Grog!
MORPETH TOWN COUNCILLORS
Morpeth North Ward:
DR NIC BEST
T. 01670 517915
M.07878 896 292
[email protected]
LES CASSIE
T. 01670 516424
M.07739 259 254
[email protected]
DAVID CLARK
T. 01670 503033
M.07971 451 906
[email protected]
RON FORSTER
T. 01670 517431 M.07840 871 882
E. [email protected]
BOB ROBERTSON
T. 01670 516399
M.07885 297 556
[email protected]
Morpeth Kirkhill Ward:
KEN BROWN
T. 01670 515760
M.07935 214 569
[email protected]
DAVID PARKER
T. 01670 516218
[email protected]
Council Meeting Timetable
- See noticeboards and website.
ADRIAN SLASSOR Meeting Timetable for the period 1st
T. 01670 517678
August 2016 to 31st October 2016.
M.07795 592 224
All meetings will be held in the
[email protected]
Council Chamber of the Town Hall.
ANDREW TEBBUTT
All Committee meetings commence
T. 01670 511631
at 6:30 pm, unless otherwise stated
M.07767 338 509
on the posters or website.
Full Council
JOAN TEBBUTT
T. 01670 511631
[email protected]
28th September
Morpeth Stobhill Ward:
Planning & Transport
Committee
ALISON BYARD
T. 01670 515391
M.07963 306 549
MARK HORTON
T. 01670 513758
M.07803 078 438
[email protected]
STUART LISHMAN
M.07840 800 805
[email protected]
DAVE POPE
T. 01670 515806
M.07714 143 640
[email protected]
JOHNNY WEARMOUTH
M: 07956 429942
E: [email protected]
7th September
21st September
5th October
19th October
Finance & General
Purposes Committee
14th September
12thOctober
Property and Asset
Management Committee
26th October
Home addresses are available from the Town Council Offices or website
inside Morpeth 37
Food Festival
Fourth Food Fest
will be best yet!
October 1st will see the Morpeth
Markets Partnership host the
fourth annual Morpeth Food and
Drink Festival which organisers
say will be the best yet!
Due to the success of 2015 and the event
bringing huge number of visitors to the
town, the organisers are well under way
with plans to make the 2016 event bigger
and better than ever.
For a second year running stalls will run
along Bridge Street once again linking both
the monthly Morpeth Farmers’ Market and
the Morpeth Town Hall.
The Market Place will again play host to the
ever popular demonstration kitchen where
local chefs will show off their culinary and
baking skills!
As well as a fantastic line up of
demonstrations, products and delicious local
food and drink the Morpeth Jam and Scone
Competition will be back for a third year, with
the addition of a sweet pie competition - all
taking place at The Chantry.
A park and ride system will be taking place
thanks to sponsors Taylor Wimpey, which
will operate from County Hall to Morpeth
Bus station every half an hour to ensure
visitors do not have to worry about finding
a parking space.
There is also the new addition of the music
area sponsored by 02 taking place near The
Chantry where local bands will be able to
showcase their talent whilst keeping foodies
entertained as they enjoy prosecco and
pimms served by bin21.
Also not forgetting the performance by
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who will
be marching down Newgate Street once
again which will be followed by a static
performance next to the Market Place.
Zoe Christopher, part of the Morpeth Food
and Drink Festival Committee said: “We
really can’t wait for this year’s event – The
event really has grown in popularity and
the organisers are determined to make this
year’s festival event bigger and better than
previous years.”
Morpeth Market is managed by
Northumberland County Council and
Sanderson Arcade, working in partnership
with Morpeth Town Council, Morpeth
Chamber of Trade and other local
organisations through the Morpeth market
working group.
The Morpeth Markets run from 9am to 3pm
on the Market Place, the regular Market every
Wednesday and the Farmers’ Market on the
first Saturday of every month.
For further information regarding
the Morpeth Markets please visit
ww.moreinmorpeth.co.uk follow us on
@moreinmorpeth and like us on facebook.
ay
Saturd ber
o
t
1st Oc
M
9AM-4P
2016
FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL
Free Park and Ride • Free entry • Live music • Jam competition • Local beer and wine
• Family entertainment • Cooking demonstrations
• Pie competition • Scone competition • The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers band
Special offers available on: www.moreinmorpeth.co.uk
@moreinmorpeth
38 inside Morpeth
/moreinmorpeth
Main event sponsor
Food Festival
Abdul’s promising
real Festival treats
One of the most popular
attractions at the Morpeth
Food & Drink Festival is
always the outdoor kitchen
in the Market Place where
chefs and cooks from local
restaurants, cafes, coffee
shops and take-aways
demonstrate their showcooking skills.
his ‘Bengol Range’
made with his own
‘secret’ blend of
spices and herbs.
Cooking has long been must-watch viewing of
television programmes such as Master Chef
and Saturday Kitchen so giving Morpeth’s
local ‘celebrity’ chefs and cooks the chance
to show what they can prepare has proved a
real hit with Festival-goers.
“It’s been a pleasure and an honour to cook
for the people of Morpeth for such a long
time and we are also delighted to have once
again been invited to take part in the Food &
Drink Festival.
So once again the cooking demonstrations
will be back when the Festival takes place on
Saturday October 1st and among those taking
part for the third year running will be Abdul
Muhit who owns the Morpeth Tandoori takeaway in the Chantry Place.
Abdul has been delighting his customers from
Morpeth – as well as much further afield
from across Northumberland, Durham and
Tyneside - with the authentic and classical
Indian dishes on his menu for more than 30
years. Particular favourites are those from
Recently Abdul has
just given his takeaway a make-over
both inside and out
of his premises.
“After more than 30 years it was time for a
change which has been very well received by
our customers,” he said.
“It’s a terrific event which brings so many
people into the town which has to be great
for local businesses. All the chefs and cooks
love taking part and showing the audiences
the choice and quality of the food they
can enjoy every day in at the different
restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and takeaways around town.”
As always there’ll be a chance for members
of the audience to taste and sample what the
chefs and cooks have prepared and Abdul is
again promising some tasty treats for those
watching him over the Festival Kitchen.
Indian Take-away Est. 1983
choice of authentic and classic Indian cuisine freshly made to your order with
our own Bengol Range – a house speciality.
10 Chantry Place, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 1PJ
www.morpethtandoori.co.uk
Tel 01670 517180 or 01670 516144
Open Mon - Sat Noon to 2pm; 6pm to midnight. Sun 6pm to 11.30pm. Open all Bank Holidays except Christmas Day
inside Morpeth 39
Book Night
Promise of a fascinating evening with author Sheila Quigley
Sheila’s story is
a novel in itself!
By Ian Leech
I am sure Sheila Quigley won’t
mind me respectfully saying so,
but you wouldn’t necessarily
pick her out in a crowded
room as one of Britain’s most
successful crime writers.
Someone placed at Number 7
in the W H Smith list of all-time
favourite authors of murder
mysteries! Behind her on that
list - ‘Silence of The Lambs’
writer Thomas Harris and bestsellers PD James and Lee Child.
40 inside Morpeth
A grandmother of nine – great-grandma of
three with ‘another on the way’ – she speaks
with a distinct Wearside twang and wouldn’t
dream of moving from her home of many
years in Houghton-le-Spring as a result of the
success she has enjoyed as a writer.
Indeed when she was being interviewed by a
London journalist following the publication
of what was destined to become another fans’
favourite, she acted with incredulity when
the reporter pondered whether she would be
moving to the capital. “Why on earth would
I want to do that,” she asked. “My family are
all around me and I can get into the car and
be into the most wonderful countryside or
coastline within a few minutes. Why would I
want to swap that?”
As we meet in Greater Morpeth Development
Trust’s office along with the Trust’s Arts &
Culture Director Frank Rescigno, it strikes
me that Sheila’s rise to fame as a respected
author, is in itself the very stuff the best and
most unlikely novels are made of. We are
meeting to chat about Sheila’s appearance
later this year at one of the Book Nights the
Trust has been successfully staging for a few
years now, and we begin by going back to her
early days.
Adopted as a small child, she grew up in and
around the Silksworth area. By the age of
seven she still had not learned to read and
write, however, and vividly recalls being
humiliated for the fact by a teacher in front
of her classmates. That night she went
home, found the only reading material in her
Book Night
house which happened to be a copy of the
Sunderland Echo, and began teaching herself
five words a night from the paper’s columns.
“Within a few weeks I was top of the class
for reading and was devouring four or five
books a week,” she said. Coupled with a
vivid imagination the young Sheila perhaps
unwittingly had set off down the path of a
love affair with words that would change her
life beyond all recognition.
Before then, however, Sheila had started
work at the age of 15 as a presser in the local
Sunderland Hepworth’s tailoring factory and
within a few week she had hit the headlines
for all the wrong reasons when she found
herself at the centre of a work-related dispute
that would see the factory go on strike for
three days. It would be the first time she
made the papers….. but certainly not the last!
psychic street kid Smiler. So popular a
character has Smiler become, that Sheila has
been warned of all sorts of dire consequences
from readers if she lets anything happen to
the kid!
These days Sheila’s life is as busy and hectic
As we sit chatting I wonder how all these
stories of murder, mystery and mayhem pop
into Sheila’s imagination. “Pass,” she says. “I
really have no idea.” None of the storylines
are based on real life crimes – indeed Sheila
tells me: “Real murderers couldn’t think up
some of the things I do.”
visits the fictional murder scenes from her
The publication of the book in 2004 sparked
something akin to a media frenzy which
led to a documentary about Sheila that was
broadcast on BBC1. From nowhere she had
been thrust her into a world of television
and newspaper interviews, book signings,
speaking engagements and appearances at
literary events around the country.
It also spawned an almost annual follow-up
book centred around the Seahills Estate as
well as a Holy Island trilogy featuring lead
character DI Mike Yorke and his side-kick
example, as part of the Houghton Feast
celebrations, she leads an investigation which
novels ending with attendees being treated to
a sneak preview of her next book.
But fans of her writing from Morpeth won’t
need to travel down to Wearside to hear her
speak because she will be taking part in what
promises to be a fascinating and entertaining
It didn’t take any great detective work to
figure out from her listed publications that
all the titles of Sheila’s books have been pop
music hits of the past and again that pattern
sprang up in the most bizarre way.
(01670 503866) or direct from The Chantry.
first book,”
The result was a first novel that became
something of a literary sensation when it was
snapped up by the publishers Random House.
‘Run for Home’ is set on the fictional Seahills
Estate. It tells how in 1998 a man ran for his
life, exhausted, wounded and mercilessly
hunted by a woman assassin known as The
Head Hunter. Fast forward to 2001 and 16
year old Kerry Lumsdon runs across the same
terrain. She also runs for her life, and runs
to forget. When a headless body is found
on wasteland at the estate DI Lorraine Hunt
is called in to investigate and the pair come
together when Kerry’s sister is kidnapped
during a series of violent snatches. The story
unfolds into a vicious underworld, a 16 year
old murder and secrets Kerry’s mother hoped
she’d never have to face.
70th birthday next year. Each October, for
Sometimes, she says, ideas for storylines come
to her at the most unlikely of times. “I enjoy
driving and while I was on one trip by the
time I had got from home to Bristol I had the
whole plot of my next book in my head.”
Three years later at the age of 18 Sheila was
married and had the first of her four children.
Somehow with a family to take care of along
with a number of
other jobs, she also
“I was going upstairs and
found time to starting
put pen to paper
Lindisfarne’s ‘Run for Home’
as it were, having
was
playing on the radio and I
‘devoured’ all those
thought that just the title for my
books and thinking ‘I
could do that!’
So jumping in at
the deep end she wrote a screen play for a
comedy drama set in the North East.
The script found its way to an agent who
wrote back…..’This is brilliant but why not
write a crime story set in the North East?’
as ever as she approaches her milestone
literary evening at The Chantry on Thursday
November 17th. Information about the
evening and ticket sales can be obtained from
Greater Morpeth Development Trust
“I was going upstairs
and Lindisfarne’s ‘Run
for Home’ was playing
on the radio and I
thought that just the
title for my first book,”
she said.
Creadance Clearwater
Revival’s ‘Bad Moon
Rising’, ‘Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi, ‘Every
Breath You Take’ by The Police and ‘Hungry
Eyes’ made famous in the Dirty Dancing
movie followed right through to the ‘Lady in
Red’ by Chris de Burgh, were just some of the
books and short stories that followed in the
Seahills’ series and Holy Island trilogy.
“Growing up I never would never have
dreamt that I would become a successful
writer,” Sheila told me. “But that love of
words took over and I always had a vivid
imagination.” Like the time, for instance, a
local farmer asked her to make a list of the
names of her fellow potato pickers. “For
obvious reasons I was Marilyn Monroe
and every famous film star of the day was
working in the field alongside me that day,”
she laughs.
“However, being a writer was the furthest
thing on my mind in those days. At first I
wanted to be a mountain climber but there
weren’t many mountains around Silksworth!
Then I would have loved to be an astronaut
because I was obsessed with science fiction
until I found out I was terrified of flying”
That love of science fiction has stayed with
her because when I ask Sheila who her
favourite author is she replied Stephen
King without a moment’s hesitation. “He is
fantastic and I just love his books,” she said.
What I also wonder do all the grand-children
think of Grandma being such a famous
writer. “They love it and think it’s just great,”
she replied.
MEMORIES OF
THE FAMILY’S PAST
Sharing the Morpeth evening with
Sheila Quigley will be another local
author Barbara Fox but from a very
contrasting genre. A Geordie by
birth Barbara tells me she seems to
‘spend most of my time in the past
these days!’
Barbara worked in journalism in
London before having her sons. She had
grown up in Ashington where her father
the Reverend Alder Gofton was vicar of
St John’s Church in the town. These days
Barbara lives in West Sussex.
After reading letters written home from
1950’s America by her mother Gwenda
and turning them into a book ‘Bedpans
and Bobby Socks’ she has made a career
for herself as a writer of memoirs.
‘Bedpans’ was followed in 2014 by her
second book ‘Is the Vicar in pet?’ about
her childhood in Ashington as the vicar’s
daughter. More recently she has penned
‘When the War is Over’ about her
mother’s evacuation to the Lake District
during World War Two.
She is also co-writer of ‘One Girl and her
Dogs’ with Northumberland shepherdess
Emma Gray. One day Barbara is
adamant she will write a novel.
inside Morpeth 41
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Top park – again!
Morpeth’s Carlisle Park has been once again named
as one of the very best of British by being awarded yet
another prestigious Green Flag by Keep Britain Tidy.
The award – now in its 20th year – recognises and rewards the very best
parks in the country and its flag flying overhead signals to visitors that
they are maintained to the highest possible standards.
Morpeth Bridge for all!
Have fun,
play Bridge...
Inside Morpeth readers don’t need us to remind them what a town
treasure the multi-award winning park is and right now the formal
gardens are looking as beautiful and colourful as ever.
Bridge Courses
Carlisle Park isn’t, however, the only one in Northumberland allowed
to fly the flag. Others are in Ashington, Bedlington, Berwick, Blyth,
Cramlington, Hexham and Seaton Delaval as well as country parks at
Plessey Woods (near Bedlington) and Bolam Lake (near Belsay).
1. BEGINNING BRIDGE for complete beginners
Day and evening classes starting September/October 2016
2. CONTINUING BRIDGE for improvers. Revision
and consolidation of the basics of bidding and play
3. DEVELOPING BRIDGE an ongoing class for
players with some experience
Tuition is also available for
small groups with other
requirements
For further information, including dates, venues and tutors
please go to our website www.morpethbridge4all.co.uk
or contact Jill on 01670 791183 or John on 01670 531469
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44 inside Morpeth
Newgate Street
Rediscovering the
charm of Newgate Street
If there’s one thing that makes Morpeth
a stand-out shopping destination it’s the
quality and variety of shops to be found
trading in the town centre, from sole
traders to the multi-nationals. One of
the jewels in Morpeth’s trading crown
is Newgate Street so Inside Morpeth
Editor Ian Leech took a walk along the
street to meet some of its traders and
find out why it is such a special place to
shop, enjoy a cup of coffee and a tasty
snack or two.
The straight forward answer I
suppose is that Newgate Street
is full of independent business
with no two alike. Unlike so
many town centres with the same
look-a-like shops you can find
almost anywhere in the country,
Newgate Street is full of character,
very different shops and a certain
charm all of its own.
Earlier this year the street - and
trade - was disrupted for several
weeks when road works were
carried out to re-lay its pavements.
What the traders want everyone
to know is that business is back
to normal again... and there
have been some in interesting
developments as well as some
welcome newcomers who
are adding to the appeal and
attraction of Newgate Street
to shoppers.
Take what business partners Les
Sage and David Chambers have
done, for instance in Packhorse
Yard just a few yards into
Newgate Street from the Market
Place. The empty lane has been
imaginatively transformed into
an intriguing shopping gallery
the like of which you will be
hard pressed to find anywhere
else around.
Continued...
inside Morpeth 45
Newgate Street
Jim Orde and Stephen Greenway – two of the tenants in a unique trading corner in Morpeth
Packhorse traders delighted with customer response
Five small new shops now
accommodate six traders
who are all delighted with the
response they are getting from
shoppers curious to know
what’s along the lane. Business
has been good says Stephen
Greenway who runs Lateral
Art with his wife Fiona at the
very top of the lane with an
enchanting view through a
new wrought iron gate across
the Millennium Green of
St Robert’s Church.
Their shop stocks high quality
art materials, gorgeous printed
papers – some hand-made in the
Himalayas - and other products
to inspire the creative spirit of
both amateur and professional
artists and craft enthusiasts.
“What we have been finding is
that people are coming down
the lane curious to discover
what’s here and are being very
pleasantly surprised to find
our very different and niche
businesses that all complement
one another, trading together
here in a unique corner of
Morpeth,” said Stephen who is a
keen artist himself.
It was a same story from Terry
Perriss and Nicola Wells who
share a shop and were the first
46 inside Morpeth
to move into the Packhorse Yard
alleyway. “People are getting to
know we are here and coming
back time and time again,” said
Terry who deals in antique
silverware and jewellery. “That
is good for me because we are
getting new items in daily.”
Nicola’s ‘Decorative Delights’
business sells hand-made
crafts including book art, paper
flowers, wedding bouquets
and table decorations as well
handmade crafts business.
The first stop for shoppers going
down Packhorse Yard is J & J
Models run by another husband
and wife duo Jim and Joanne
Orde. Their shop is a treasure
trove for model enthusiasts
whether their interest lies in
trains, planes or cars and the
couple are excited to now be
stocking two imports from the
USA that are engaging customers
of all ages, namely BrickStix
“ ...people are coming down the lane curious
to discover what’s here and are being very
pleasantly surprised...”
as accepting paper and card
commissions. “When I first set
up in business I was doing crafts
fairs and markets but to have
my own shop in such a unique
development at the Parkhorse
Yard is a dream come true!”
Mother and daughter Linda and
Sam Jones have also moved into
one of the shops selling an array
of affordable and unique gifts
and home accessories. Sam says
as soon as they walked along
the Packhorse Yard they knew
it was the place for them to set
up their Willow Home gift and
renewable stickers
and miniature Metal Earth
DIY models.
BrickStix are the brainchild of
American Greyson MacLean
who at the age of nine decided
he was bored and frustrated
with the non-reusable stickers
he couldn’t take-off to change his
brick set creations such as Lego.
So with the help of his family
he invented BrickStix which are
now just arriving in Morpeth at
J & J Models.
Similarly Metal Earth kits that
can be made into amazingly
detailed miniature 3D models
by pressing out and fitting
together, tiny component parts
from laser-cut sheets without
the use of glue or solder, are now
on sale at J & J Models from the
USA. “We are thrilled to be one
of the first models shops in the
country to be stocking Brixton
and Metal Earth,” said Joanne.
“Both are going to be very much
in demand.”
The final tenant to move into the
development is the Lola & Flow
skincare wellness apothecary
business, stockists of Neal’s Yard
remedies, Aveda Skincare and
the award-winning organic
self-tanning brand Vita Liberate.
A trained team is on hand to
offer one-to-one advice on
natural skincare and bodycare,
safe tanning and wellness and
customers are being invited to
indulge in complimentary instore rituals including hand and
arm massage and mini facials
whilst enjoying an organic
herbal tea.
Workshops for all ages will also
soon be coming to the store
including ‘Create Your Own
Blend’, an ‘Intro to Essential Oils’
and ‘Indian Head Massage
taster sessions’.
inside Morpeth 46
Newgate Street
Discover the Independent retailers of Packhorse Yard, Newgate Street, Morpeth
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Call 01670 457577 or visit www.lolaandflo.co.uk
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D E C O R AT I V E
DELIGHTS
BY NICOLA
H and - mad e gifts, flowe rs, book art,
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Call 07881 380 054 or e ma il
nicolaw ells2 [email protected]
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LARGE SELECTION OF ANTIQUE SILVERWARE & JEWELLERY
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Now in stock – Brickstix & Metal Earth Kits
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 9am – 5pm
T. 07792 925 181 E. [email protected]
www.jandjmodels.co.uk
Stockists of high quality
art materials, journals and
creative papers
Lateral Art is situated next to the Millenium
Garden Gate at the top of Packhorse Yard
Email: [email protected]
inside Morpeth 47
Newgate Street
Les and David’s development
has also given one of the longest
established businesses on
Newgate Street a fresh start after
trading just across the road from
Packhorse Yard for 40 years.
Jill Fenwick has taken the chance
to move The Sewing Box into
the spacious shop Les and David
have created from the former
Morpeth Herald office. It’s
packed with a splendid array
of materials, silks, threads,
finishings and patterns as well
as a choice of sewing machines
- everything in fact sewing and
embroidery enthusiasts could
possibly need.
“It was something of a wrench
to leave our old shop after so
long there, but the move has
given us plenty of space importantly all on one level - and
provided us with the opportunity
of a fresh start for our business,”
said Jill. “The reaction from
customers old and new has just
been terrific.”
Over the past few months there
have been some welcome
newcomers to the street. Gillian
McEwen has opened Ampersand
Fresh start for Jill Fenwick’s The Sewing Box
gift shop stocking what she says
is an eclectic mix of timeless
classics and contemporary
style gifts, while partners Sean
Wood and Hannah Pattingale
have opened the third Unique
Boutique store in their growing
family chain. Sean says the
reception their store opening
has had from Newgate Street
customers has been so friendly
and welcoming
Next-door to the Unique
Boutique Minna Scaife has just
launched her second North East
Pikku children’s hair salon and
boutique offering a very different
approach to cutting children’s
hair. Readers can find out more
about Pikku on page 51 of this
edition of Inside Morpeth .
One intriguing aspect of business
life on Newgate Street is its café
culture that has grown up over
the past few years. There are
plenty of choices of places to
eat, have a cup of coffee or tea some new, and some that have
been trading on the street for a
number of years.
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48 inside Morpeth
30 Newgate Street, Morpeth, NE61 1BA
T. 01670 510161 E. [email protected]
Newgate Street
affordable,” added Paul.
Another popular place to eat on
Newgate Street is the awardwinning Café des Amis run by
Wendy Smith. Over the past six
years Wendy has also built up an
enviable reputation for the café’s
home-made food often served in
a covered outdoor seating area
which has proved so popular
with customers.
Val and Paul Barker making the most of The Cube’s awards’ placing
Take for example the Cube Café
and Take-Away where Paul and
Val Barker are getting ready to
celebrate five years in business
on Newgate Street. In that time
the couple have built up such a
reputation for their hearty and
wholesome food that doesn’t cost
a lot, that the Cube was named
as one of the runners-up in the
business category of the Morpeth
Town Council Civic Awards.
(Here at Inside Morpeth we were
proud to stand along with The
Cube as another runner-up in
the business awards).
What Paul and Val imaginatively
did was to make a virtue of
the fact by putting a sticker on
their front window declaring
themselves as ‘Almost an Award
Winning Café’. “You wouldn’t
believe the reaction that has
generated,” said Paul. “People
have been stopping to read the
sign, photograph it and come
into the café to find out what it’s
all about. Ours must now be the
most photographed window in
Morpeth!”
It’s not just in Morpeth that The
Cube has earned a reputation for
its good, affordable food because
as Paul says, they have customers
who regularly travel from as far
away as Byker,
Consett, Sunderland, Newcastle,
North and South Shields and
Prudhoe to eat with them. “Two
gentlemen came in recently and
said they were talking about
coming to Morpeth while waiting
for the bus at Newcastle when
someone in the queue overhead
what they were saying and told
them to look out for a café called
Cube and they told us when they
left that they were so glad they
did,” added Paul.
Breakfasts are also a Cube
speciality with many workers
calling to order before going
to work. “At the moment we
get lads calling in on their way
to work on the new by-pass
and one even told his Mum to
come and see us.” What makes
The Cube so popular? “Good
wholesome food that’s all cooked
on the premises and is very
Right now there’s a special
summertime treat on offer at
Café des Amis – a ‘picnic’ tea
of a scone, sandwich, piece of
cake and either a cup or tea or
coffee served to the table in an
individual hamper. A treat not to
be missed!
At the top of Newgate Street
shoppers can find Morpeth’s
only dedicated ice cream bar.
The Ice Bar is run by husband
and wife team Alison and
Michael Murphy who can
tempt customers with a host of
delicious ice creams to choose
from, all made from the milk of
herd of Jersey cows the Archer
family farms near Darlington.
There’s more than ice cream on
the menu at the Ice Bar, however,
where there are home-made
scones or cakes to choose from
which can be enjoyed with a
glass of wine, prosecco or even a
beer because it is fully licensed.
Just a brief look at Newgate
Street where it has to be said the
shopkeepers don’t often make
too much of a song and dance
about what they have to offer…
although very soon they will be
getting the chance to do just that
by putting pen to paper to write
a poem about themselves or
their neighbours!
Why… because Newgate Street
is getting its very own Poetry
Festival thanks to a group of
enthusiasts who meet regularly
at various locations around
Morpeth to read their work out
aloud or enjoy the words of their
fellow poets. The Festival will be
taking place between Monday
5th and Sunday 12th September
when poems will be posted in
shop windows and read at a
number of open mic sessions
along the street. (Full details on
our listings’ pages in this Inside
Morpeth).
Just one more good reason then
for you to take a stroll along
Newgate Street!
ALMOST an award winning cafe*
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& T A K E - AW AY
Choice of sandwhich,
cake or scone with filter
coffee or tea served in a
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(*RUNNER-UP IN MORPETH CIVIC AWARDS
BUSINESS CATEGORY)
52 Newgate Street, Morpeth NE61 1BE
Mobile: 07585 614 156
12 NEWGATE STREET MORPETH
T: 07581 316059
inside Morpeth 49
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Salon that’s a cut
above the rest for
‘Little Ones’
A new store that combines cutting and styling
children’s hair in a stress-free way at the same
time as retailing an exclusive range of kids’
clothing and toys has arrived in Morpeth.
Pikku – the word means ‘Little
Ones’ in Finnish – has recently
opened in Newgate Street just
around the corner from the
Market Place.
It is the second store opened
by Finnish entrepreneur and
mother Minna Scaife in less than
two years, after she launched
the first Pikku in Gosforth to
offer a combination of a fun
hairdressing experience for
children and a boutique stocking
a unique selection of British and
continental brands for babies,
toddlers and youngsters that are
not readily available elsewhere on
the High Street.
also increased the store’s retail
collection to include unique
toys and christening outfits as
well as opening an on-line shop,
introducing pamper parties and
popular courses to teach parents
how to plait their children’s hair.
Customer booking a pamper
party, for example, will have
exclusive use of the salon for two
hours; hair styling for each child;
face painting; food, games and fun
as well as party bags and balloons.
“I am so proud of what we have
achieved at Pikku in such a short
period of time,” she told Inside
Morpeth. “What we set out to
do was create a unique retail
experience for families with
‘Little Ones.’
“Since then our customer loyalty
has been second-to-none which
is testament to the level of service
and attention we give to each
and every customer.” A quick
look at the Facebook social media
site shows more than 150 five
star reviews.
What makes a Pikku hair cut
different to other salons is that
youngsters sit in character model
cars while especially trained
stylists get to work on their hair.
All the Pikku stylists have received
special training including sessions
with the North East Autism
Society to ensure they can also
provide children with autism with
an enjoyable hair cut experience.
Within a relatively short period
of opening at Gosforth, Pikku
has become a firm favourite
with families and Minna has
“We are so excited to have
opened in Morpeth and are
looking forward to introducing
everyone in the area to fun Pikku
experiences,” added Minna
who can be contacted for more
information on (01670) 505821
or [email protected],
[email protected] or you can
visit the Pikku website at
www.pikku.co.uk
Just before going to press Inside
Morpeth learned that Pikku
had won a bronze medal in the
national Junior Design Awards
2016 in the best independent
fashion boutique category – a
huge achievement which puts
Pikku up there with the big
brand ‘names’.
Children's clothing
and hair experience salon
now open in Morpeth
Children's hair cut experiences
in character cars
Pamper parties
Hair styling and plaiting
courses for parents
Unique clothes, toys
and accessories
Pikku Morpeth, 4 Newgate Street, NE61 1BA
T. 01670 505821 W. www.pikku.co.uk
/pikkumorpeth
10% discount with this ad
inside Morpeth 51
Newgate Street
How to look 10
years younger!
HAIR & BEAUTY
It’s a question our beauty columnist Laura Anderson
tells us staff are always being asked in her Newgate
Street salon.
DRAMATICALLY REDUCE
BREAKAGE & MAKE YOUR
COLOUR LAST LONGER
ASK FOR
OLAPLEX
INSURANCE FOR YOUR HAIR
“I’m sick of my hair – I’ve had
the same style for 10 years.”
“I’m looking for a change but I
don’t know what I want.” “My
hair seems different, always
frizzy and dry no matter how
much conditioner and serums
I use.” “My hair seems thinner
or I’m losing some when I am
washing it.”
In the salon we love to listen to
our clients; hear their problems;
and try to fix them the best
we can and I feel the best way
to make someone feel better
about their hair is to give them
something new.
A complete make-over can do
wonders for your confidence and
make you feel so much better
about yourself.
So what can you do? Here are
some of our top tips.
Root smudge or stretch
This is a technique often used to
soften a hard root line. Consider
either highlights or a solid block
colour.
Balayage
This technique gives a beautiful
natural sun-kissed highlighted
look – just like when you have
come back from your holidays.
We free-hand paint on to
your hair.
Ombre
01670 516113
1A NEWGAT E ST R EET, MOR P ET H
52 inside Morpeth
This technique is a colour fade
and blend from dark to light
which has no solid line.
Sombre
A much softer ombre - a very
subtle soft lightness in the hair
and less contrast between the
dark going into lighter hair.
Baby Lights
Another way to free-hand paint
on to hair just like Bayalage but
painting much finer strands
of hair so the highlights just
shimmer. The over-all look is
the natural look with just a glitter
of highlights.
Hair cuts in 2016 are very soft
and almost grown out which
makes your hair easier to look
after and maintain at home
meaning you are not having to
pop back to the salon every
four weeks.
Gringe
A long grown-out fringe or bang
that will still give you shape
and volume around your face
without having to constantly
trim your hair when it gets in
your eyes.
Lob
A long medium length style
touching your collar bone but still
in the shape of a bob.
Undercut
These are not as scary as they
sound! But an undercut done
in the right way can do wonders
for a style and can help with
unwanted thickness. Create a
great shape or add something
different and funky to a style. It
doesn’t have to be a harsh look.
So if you are looking for
something a bit different and are
tired of the same style we would
love to see you here at Laura
Anderson Hair and Beauty.
Consultations are free so please
call us on (01670) 516113.
Offering
Quality and
Choice
ATVs,
Garden Tractors,
Lawnmowers, Chainsaws,
Brushcutters, Hedgecutters
& Rotavators.
Open 6 days a week
Monday to Wednesday
09:30 - 18:00
Thursday
09:30 - 19:00
Friday
09:00 - 18:00
Saturday
09:00 - 18:00
Hair Cut £8.00
Head Shave £10.00
Scissor Cut £9.00
Face Mask £5.00
Hair Cut Wash £10.00
OAP (Mon-Thur) £8.00
Beard Trim £4.00
Kids U12 £7.00
Shave & Hot Towel
£10.00
Scots Gap, Morpeth NE61 4DT
Tel: 01670 774603 & 774676
Visit our website www.robsonandcowan.co.uk
Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm,
Saturday 8.30am to 5pm
Full price for everyone Friday and Saturday
For appointments call 07979 791 051
14 Oldgate, Morpeth, NE61 1LX
PAUL LOVATT
CARPET SPECIALIST
COMPETITIVE PRICES - PROFESSIONAL FITTING - FRIENDLY SERVICE
Roll stock at
reduced prices
Rugs - many up
to half price
Carpets to suit
all budgets
Distributor of
Karndean Design
Flooring
Call soon to discuss your requirements on:
01670 853845
or visit us at:
paullovattcarpets.co.uk
125 Station Road, Ashington NE63 8HQ (Next to Repro Centre)
inside Morpeth 53
Established 1948
Welcome to the family
SUPER NEW CAR DEALS
Allingtons
Anniversary Editions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sports Stripe
Black mirror covers
Black alloy wheels
Air conditioning
Privacy glass
Bluetooth
Electric windows
Diamond cut alloys (Picanto)
Order now for 66 Plate
Picanto ‘1’ 1.0 3DR
Rio ‘1’ 1.25 5DR
NOW £6,999
NOW £8,999
was £8,830
was £10,945
Electric windows • Traction control
Remote central locking • Low road tax
Remote central locking • Bluetooth
Traction control • Electric windows
Picanto SR7 1.0 3DR
Rio ‘3’ 1.4 5DR
NOW £8,499
NOW £13,999
was £10,330
was £15,530
Air conditioning • Low road tax
Alloy wheels • Privacy glass
Sat nav • Reverse camera
Diamond cut alloys • Air conditioning
Picanto SR7 1.0 5DR
Rio SR7 1.25 3DR
NOW £8,995
was £11,845
was £10,530
Air conditioning • Low road tax
Alloy wheels • Privacy glass
NOW £9,499
• Alloy wheels • Privacy glass
• Air conditioning • Bluetooth
To see the full range visit our showroom in Ashington
11 Freeman Way, Ashington, NE63 0YB 01670 817997
Monday-Friday 9am - 6pm / Saturday 9am - 5pm / Sunday 10am - 3pm
www.allingtonskia.co.uk
* Subject to Kia finance personal contract purchase finance deal. Pictures for illustration purposes only. Subject to final GFC payment and mileage restriction applies.
54 inside Morpeth
SUMMER
OFFERS
ASX
£1,000 DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTION
0% APR REPRESENTATIVE
OUTLANDER PHEV
£2,500 DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTION
0% APR REPRESENTATIVE
FROM £15,249 - £28,399
FROM £31,749 - £42,999
5
1
12 Months / 50% Deposit2
12 Months / 50% Deposit2
3
5 YEAR
WARRANTY
4
UP TO
61 MPG
FIVE STAR
EURO NCAP
3
INCLUDING £2,500 GOVERNMENT PLUG-IN CAR GRANT6
UP TO 32 MILES 156 MPG
EV RANGE
COMBINED
7
8
NO ROAD
TAX
BLACKSHAWS MITSUBISHI MORPETH
Acts as a credit broker and not a lender
Coopies Way, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 6JT
01670 719 478 www.blackshaws-mitsubishi.co.uk
Book a test drive
1. The £1,000 (inc VAT) deposit contribution can only be used towards a finance option through Shogun Finance Ltd. 2. The 0% APR Representative Hire Purchase Finance plan requires a 50% deposit and is over 12 months, it is only available through Shogun Finance Ltd T/A
Finance Mitsubishi, 116 Cockfosters Road, Barnet, EN4 0DY and is subject to status to UK resident customers aged 18 and over. Finance Mitsubishi is part of Lloyds Banking Group. Offer is only applicable in the UK (excludes Channel Islands & I.O.M), subject to availability, whilst
stocks last and may be amended or withdrawn at any time. Offer available between 29th June 2016 and 28th September 2016. We may receive commission or other benefits for introducing you to Finance Mitsubishi. 3. Prices shown include VAT (at 20%) but exclude VED and
First Registration Fee. Models shown are: ASX ZC-H 1.6 diesel 4WD manual at £23,499 and 16MY Outlander PHEV GX4hs 2.0 petrol hybrid automatic at £38,499 (including Government Plug-in Car Grant). Metallic paint extra. On The Road prices range from £15,434 to £43,054
and include VED and First Registration Fee. Metallic paint extra. 4. All new variants shown come with a 5 year/62,500 mile warranty (whichever occurs first) and the Outlander PHEV comes with a 8 year/100,000 mile traction battery warranty. For more information please visit www.
mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/warranty. 5. The £2,500 (inc VAT) deposit contribution can only be used towards a finance option through Shogun Finance Ltd. 6. For more information about the Government Plug-in Car Grant, please visit www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants. The Government
Plug-in Car Grant is subject to change at any time, without prior notice.
7. Up to 32 mile EV range achieved with full battery charge. 541 miles achieved with combined full battery and petrol tank. Actual range will vary depending on driving style and road conditions. 8. Official EU MPG test figure shown as a guide for comparative purposes and
is based on the vehicle being charged from mains electricity. This may not reflect real driving results.
Blackshaws Garage Ltd trades as Blackshaws Mitsubishi Morpeth. Fuel figures shown are official EU test figures, to be used as a guide for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results.
ASX range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Urban 38.2 – 54.3 (7.4 – 5.2), Extra Urban 56.5 – 67.3 (5.0 – 4.2), Combined 47.9 – 61.4 (5.9 – 4.6), CO2 emissions 152 - 119 g/km.
Outlander PHEV range fuel consumption in mpg (ltrs/100km): Full Battery Charge: no fuel used, Depleted Battery Charge: 51.4mpg (5.5), Weightedinside
Average:
156.9mpg
(1.8),
Morpeth
55
CO2 Emissions: 42g/km
THOMPSONS OF MORPETH
EXPRESS
TYRE SERVICES
Serving Morpeth and the surrounding area for over 50 years!
www.morpethtyres.co.uk
Call us or order online for same day, while you wait fitting
01670 512651
18B Coopies Haugh, Coopies Lane Industrial Estate, Morpeth, NE61 6JN
• TYRES • SERVICE • MOT • DIAGNOSTICS • EXHAUSTS • BATTERIES
SO MINI NEW OFFERS
TO CHOOSE FROM.
SO MINI NEW OFFERS TO CHOOSE FROM ALL WITH SERVICING INCLUDED.*
Take a test drive† while we put together a tempting offer for you.
STRATSTONE
Bittern Close, Silverlink Park,
Wallsend, NE28 9ND. 0191 234 5500
STRATSTONE.COM
Official Fuel Economy Figures for the MINI Range: Urban 27.2-72.4 mpg (10.4-3.9 l/100km). Extra Urban 47.9-91.1 mpg (5.9-3.1 l/100km).
Combined 37.7-83.1 mpg (7.5-3.4 l/100km). CO2 Emissions 175-89 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.
Alloy Racing Ltd is a credit broker/intermediary that can introduce you to a limited number of lenders to provide funding for your vehicle. They may incentivise us for introducing you to them. *Excludes MINI John Cooper Works.
Applicable to all new cars. Terms and conditions apply. All details are correct at time of publication and are subject to change without notice. †Test drive is subject to status and availability.
56 inside Morpeth
FIND YOUR PERFECT MATCH.
From sportiness to versatility you can be sure to find the perfect model to suit you.
Plus our latest offers across the award winning BMW model range all include a generous deposit contribution too.
118i SPORTS HATCH.
320i SPORT SALOON.
520d M SPORT SALOON.
£269 PER MONTH
£299 PER MONTH
£369 PER MONTH
(WITH INITIAL PAYMENT).
Call us or pop in and take a no-obligation test drive. You will always be most welcome.
Stratstone
Bittern Close, Silverlink Park, Wallsend, NE28 9ND
0191 295 1295
View our full range offers at Stratstone.com
Official fuel economy figures for the BMW Range: Urban 13.8-72.4mpg (20.5-3.9l/100km). Extra Urban 30.4-91.3mpg (9.3-3.1l/100km).
Combined 21.1-470.8mpg (13.4-0.06l/100km). CO2 emissions 314-0g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.
Stratstone is a trading style of Alloy Racing Ltd who is acting as a credit broker and not a lender.
Alloy Racing Ltd is a credit broker/intermediary that can introduce you to a limited number of lenders to provide funding for your vehicle. They may incentivise us for introducing you to them. Cars must be hired through BMW Contract Hire, subject to
availability. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Retail customers only. At the end of your agreement you must return the vehicle. Hiring examples based on a 36 month BMW Contract Hire agreement for the models shown, all with initial
payments followed by 35 monthly rentals commencing in month 2 and a contract mileage of 24,000 miles. Excess mileage charges and vehicle condition charges may be payable. Terms and conditions apply. All finance is subject to status and
available to over 18s in the UK only (excluding the Channel Islands). Guarantees and indemnities may be required. We can arrange finance and hiring facilities for you. Prices, offers and finance are correct at time of printing and are subject to change
without notice. Vehicles must be registered by 30 June 2016. Test drive subject to applicant status and availability. Images shown for illustration purposes only. Advertised finance is provided by BMW Financial Services (BMWFS), RG27 9UF. Whilst
we have close links with BMW FS and commonly introduce customers to BMW FS, we do not work exclusively with BMW FS. Alloy Racing Equipment Ltd, Loxley House, 2 Oakwood Court, Little Oak Drive, Annesley, Nottingham, NG15 0DR.
inside Morpeth 57
The Last word...
Signs of the times
By Hugh Edmondson, GMDT Environment Director
Perhaps we don’t always
appreciate or notice small
changes in our environment?
For instance, the past 20 years
or so have seen unprecedented
improvement to Morpeth’s
information signage, and street/
park art, springing from various
projects carried out by several
agencies.
Did you know that the current Mafeking
roundabout used to be bigger and was famed
as the smallest designated park in the world
until 1971 when the needs of traffic reduced it
to a mini roundabout?
The Trust has also carried out some work
using its volunteers, and the Black Steed
story re-appeared on the steps and
bandstand in the park at the start of the
summer school holidays.
Have you read the plaques on various
bridges? Your children are probably not
conversant with the “Black Steed of Belles”
on the “100 steps” and bandstand in Carlisle
Park, which has been gradually fading
from view?
This does not include the plethora, and
perhaps excess, of statutory and commercial
signs in the town, but rather those giving
historical and wildlife information, maps
and plaques.
This mythical tale by renowned storyteller
Shonaleigh Cumbers, produced from the
work of local schoolchildren, was carved by
Hexham sculptor David Edwick as part of the
park improvement in 2002.
I have mentioned street art, sculptures and
murals above, and, similar to signage, these
features tell us more about the town. If you
haven’t noticed it, have a look at the ironwork
sculpture over the yard next to the Comrades
Club in Lumsden’s Lane , celebrating more
than 800 years of Morpeth markets.
Astonishingly, in excess of 120 such signs,
sculptures, and artworks have been added to
the town’s streets and parks in recent years.
Greater Morpeth Development Trust
volunteers, assisted by Joe Ford of KEVI
recently undertook a survey of the signs and
artwork in the town to ensure that these are
recorded on a single data base.
Hidden corners and forgotten events have
been brought alive, telling a story about
the culture , heritage and flora and fauna
of Morpeth. Apart from being of interest to
people living working or visiting the town,
this is also a valuable educational source for
children’s and students’ projects.
Much of the contents of the signage has been
made possible only because of the voluntary
time, effort, enthusiasm and encyclopaedic
knowledge of local heroes in our community
such as Professor Alan Davison an eminent
botanist, and John Caffrey a celebrated artist
and ornithologist.
I wonder how many readers were aware that
plague victims are buried in a spot known as
Pestilence Close until the sign at the eastern
end of Bluebell Wood appeared?
58 inside Morpeth
We also established that largely because the
signs were erected by multiple partners,
no-one had a maintenance plan in place.
Although the vast majority of signs ,
sculptures and murals are in a decent
condition, about 10 percent are not, with
some such as the Black Steed story mentioned
above about to disappear into oblivion which
would be a real shame!
Now, thanks to the support of Councillor
Les Cassie, the Town Council has agreed to
carry out a programme of signage repair
and maintenance, which we hope may be
continued in future years. Over the next few
months you should see a number of signs
being spruced up.
This was manufactured by another local
company Lunns of Red Row, who along
with people such as David Edwick, continue
to demonstrate the continuity of specialist
trades in Northumberland.
See the marvellous Emily Davison mural
near the birdhouse in the park, or look at the
“twisted” sign adjacent to the river on High
Stanners - the list goes on. You may not like
them all, but even the more brash or obvious
provide a talking point, and usually add
something different to our surroundings.
We believe that this work, mainly created
by local people, adds a dimension to the
character and uniqueness of our great
little town.
There should now be a much better chance
that the efforts of the last 20 years or more
will not fade into the mists of time, and we
also hope that future opportunities and ideas
arise to add to this work. With the anticipated
substantial influx of new residents into
Morpeth, providing information about its
treasured assets becomes even more timely
and pertinent.
inside Morpeth 59
Make it
yours
Now is a great time to buy!
You only
need 5%
deposit
with Help
to Buy*
Find your perfect
new home
at our fabulous St Andrews Gardens
development, Morpeth
St Andrews Gardens
Morpeth, NE61 3BP
3, 4 & 5 bedroom homes
Call 01670 335 209
Part Exchange and Help to Buy available!
Ideal for both existing homeowners and first time buyers!
taylorwimpey.co.uk
*Eligible applicants will offered an equity loan of up to a maximum of 20% of the purchase price (based on the open market value) Applicants are required to fund at least 80% of the purchase price by means of a
conventional mortgage, savings and any deposit where required. For the first five years there is no fee charged on the equity loan component. At the start of year six a fee of 1.75% is payable on the equity loan, which
rises annually by RPI inflation plus 1%. The equity loan is provided by the HCA and held as a second charge. Terms and conditions apply and full details will be provided on request. This offer is subject to status and only
available on selected developments and properties in England only. It is not offered with any other promotion. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.
Image depicts a typical Taylor Wimpey streetscene at St Andrews Gardens.
60 inside Morpeth

Latest Edition of Inside Morpeth

Transcription

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