The Village of Wark

About a dozen members of the Local History Group joined the trip to Catcleugh reservoir in Redesdale.  The history of the reservoir is fascinating with hundreds of people working to construct the dam at the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20^th.  More than 50 people died in its construction, a fact commemorated with a stained glass window in Byrness Church that the group also visited.  The restored wooden cabin shows the living and working conditions of the navvies who lived there.  It only survived because it was used as an office for year after the work had finished.  Some people living in the village have family members who either worked on the building of the dam itself, or who were involved in cleaning the pipe that runs across Northumberland from there.  All in all I understand the group had an excellent day out.

The Town Hall Committee last week discussed upcoming events and the need to do the publicity for those.  First in line are the Leek Show mentioned below, then you can join the biggest coffee morning in the world (in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support) on the 25^th of September followed by a Quiz Night in aid of the Town Hall on the 26^th.  The intention is to produce a flier to put on your notice board in the next few days, so keep your eyes open for that.  It’s also worth mentioning again that members of the Committee are working on and off to catalogue the enormous book collection.  The Library Room is now one to be proud of and with a new computerised catalogue access to the books there will be much easier.

Finally, last week I mentioned the Leek Show taking place next weekend, on Saturday 19 September.  Those of you in the Leek Club may have noticed that your leeks have now been ‘stamped’.  For those of you to whom leek growing is a bit of a mystery, stamping the leeks means putting a unique number in one of the leaves (or flags) of each and every leek in the trench.  By having that unique number you can’t pass off anyone else’s leeks as your own and I can assure you that the numbers are carefully checked before you can put your leeks into the show.  The schedules have now also been distributed and should be available in the shop.  There is a whole range of open classes, which you’re allowed to enter without being a Leek Club member.  As I said last week, Wark Leek Show is a very friendly affair, so why not have a go yourself. It may be too late to make Rhubarb and Ginger Jam, one of the ‘open baking classes’, unless you’ve got some rhubarb in the freezer, but you could still have a go at rock buns or a plate baked apple pie or you might just have a go at putting in a ‘vase of flowers 6” max diameter’.  Whether you put something in the show or not, coming to have a look is always good fun.  Doors open to the public at 4.15 p.m. and the sale of all the produce starts at 6.30.