The Village of Wark

Archive for February, 2010

Joseph Oliver and Friends played for hours on Saturday night entertaining a group of people just large enough to fill the Hall with dancers.  With accordion, fiddle, keyboard and drums they played a mixture of ballroom-type dances and ceilidh and with help of some able dancers just about everyone had a go.  As always the shared supper worked a treat. It is quite amazing that you can feed a Hall full of people when everyone brings something and even more amazing to think that the balance of different foods is almost always about right.  I understand that the evening just about broke even and that everyone had a great night out.

The Friends of Wark First School are planning their annual Bingo fundraising night for Tuesday 2nd March and a call has gone out to see if you can help provide suitable items as Bingo prizes. They need about 30 prizes to hold this event.  Chocolates, bottles, gift sets or anything else you think is suitable would be appreciated. The Friends of Wark First School would be grateful if you could drop off any prizes at the school as soon after half-term as possible.

I’m sure you’ve remembered that it is the Table Top Sale at the Town Hall on Saturday 20^th of February. The sale will start at 1 p.m. with sellers being able to set up from 12 noon.  You might still be able to book a table by contacting Judith Weir (01434- 230250), otherwise, do come and have a browse to see what’s on offer.  Entry is just 50p per person and that includes a cup of tea.

Finally, a reminder for the play by the Northumberland Theatre Company on Saturday 27^th February 2010 again in the Town hall.  They are bringing us ‘A Village Life’.  Based on a wide range of conversations that the writer, Mary Cooper had with people for different rural areas, including Wark, the play explores modern village life in rural Northumberland.  It’s a comedy so expect a laugh, by I suspect it will be quite recognizable.  Tickets for the play are £8 and £5 for concessions and are also available from Judith on the telephone number above.

You may not be surprised to hear that the Charity Lunch for 2010 is already in preparation and I am sad to say that the second sitting is already fully booked all on word of mouth! This year the Charity Lunch will be on Wednesday May 12^th and it clearly promises to be a sell out again.  Between the two sittings, the first one between 11.30 and 1 p.m. , the second one starting at 1.30, 200 people are catered for by an extensive band of volunteers.  The Charity Lunch is coming of age this year, its 21^st birthday and a phenomenal amount of money has been raised over those years.  It started with £722 for Hexham Hospital in 1990 and last year more than £3500 was raised for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.  All in all nearly £43000 has been raised in the past 20 years.  This year’s good cause is Tynedale Hospice at Home and I’m sure people will dig deep for such an important charity.  If you want a place at the first sitting you’d better be quick.  You can book by contacting Annm Bell on (01434) 230259.

Wark History Group had a visit from our neighbours from Chollerton Parish last week.  The Chollerton Parish History Society has carried out a village atlas project and brought their display and a talk to our village.  It was fascinating to see both the differences and the similarities between two areas so close together.  The area around Barrasford Quarry seems to be littered with very early pre-historic sites, which aren’t anywhere near as common in Wark Parish (or maybe they’re just not known about).  The field patterns around Barrasford also clearly still show small cow pastures, areas where smallholders would be able to graze their cow and perhaps a few sheep.  You can see the same near Birtley, but I have never heard about such small fields near Wark.   All very fascinating.

There was a bit of a ‘to-do’ on the bridge in the night between Friday and Saturday last weekend, when someone managed to get their car wedged between the bollards on the bridge.  The driving must have been ‘particularly interesting’ because normally you wouldn’t want to try something like that!

It is not too late to book a table for the Table Top Sale at the Town Hall next weekend, Saturday 20^th of February. The sale will start at 1 p.m. with sellers being able to set up from 12 noon.  You can book a table by contacting Judith Weir (01434- 230250).

And finally a reminder for the dance with live music from Joseph Oliver and friends,  this Saturday, 13 February.  Tickets cost £5 and you’re asked to bring something for  a shared supper.  There will also be a bar of course.  The dance starts at 8.00 p.m.

Last Saturday night the Hall was just about filled to capacity for an evening to celebrate the individual effort of people supporting the British Legion in our area.  People who have been involved in the Poppy Appeals in the area between Humshaugh and Kielder were given awards, medals and commendations by the Duchess of Northumberland, who is this year’s Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland.  It was wonderful to see this tremendous effort being recognized by such a large group of people.  The awards ranged from commendations to the First Schools of Wark, Humshaugh and Chollerton, to awards for almost incredible 50 and even 60 years’ service!  One of the members of the audience was Mr. Jeff Lodge MBE, one of the Trustees of the British Legion, who told me that he had only once before seen 60 years’ service recognized.  He also explained that the Poppy Appeal had already raised £30million since November 2009.  That seems a very large amount of money, but it compares with the £100 million that the British Legion spends every year on welfare.  After the awards Mrs. Liesbeth Langford from Humshaugh gave a very moving talk about her experiences as a young girl in occupied Holland in the Second World War.  Mrs. Langford talked about the everyday difficulties and especially about the ever present dangers from the occupying Germans.  Mrs. Langford’s talk was very much appreciated by the audience.  The evening was rounded off by cheese and wine and music from Mike and Di Gibson and Stephen Fry.

Word has reached me that the new Stonehaugh Community Hall will be hosting taster sessions of a couple of activities in the next few weeks.  On the morning of Tuesday 9^th February Chris Blain will give you a flavour of Tai Chi.  That session is between 10 and 12 noon.  Then on Tuesday the 16^th of February you’ll have a chance to have a go at fitness training with John Familton.  The fitness takes place between 7 and 9 p.m.  Anyone interested can contact Alison Dennis on (01434) 230431 or Ann Bulman on (01434) 230624.

I told you last week about a number of things coming up in the Town Hall.  On Saturday February 13^th, Joseph Oliver and friends will play at the Town Hall for a dance.  I understand that Joseph is the grandson of the ‘Cowan’ part of the Kirkcowan Sound and is a very accomplished traditional dance musician. Tickets are only £5 and you’re asked to bring something for a shared supper. 

With regard to the Table Top Sale in the Town hall on the weekend after, the 20^th of February, I failed to mention that the sale will start at 1 p.m. with sellers being able to set up from 12 noon.  That failure to mention the time, hasn’t stopped people starting to book tables though; I understand from Judith that they are going well.  Those tables are £6 each and you can book them through Judith Weir (01434- 230250).