produced by volunteers for the people of sedgefield
TRANSCRIPT
Published by Sedgefield Development Trust: Company No 4312745 Charity No 1100906
SEDGEFIELD NEWS January 2017
Produced by volunteers for the people of Sedgefield, Bradbury, Mordon and Fishburn
Christmas Tree Festival ‘an outstanding success’ Sedgefield’s first ever festival of Christmas trees and music proved such an outstanding success that calls were being made for it to become an annual event well before it had even closed.
Tyne Tees television personality Pam Royle, seen judging the competition, was ‘overwhelmed’ by the creativity shown by the 42 groups and businesses who sponsored and decorated the trees in St Edmund’s Church. Lay Reader Michael King described the free, six-day event as “absolutely fantastic” and scores of visitors, some of whom travelled long distances, had nothing but praise for the eye-catching displays.
As the church clean-up exercise began, organisers Anne Eyley, Audrey Flanagan, Brenda Moore, Christine Mutch, Julia Rowsby and Rachel Stephenson said they were delighted both by the many compliments they received and the enthusiasm for the project shown by the community. Their spokesperson told Sedgefield News: “We just wanted to provide local people with an entertaining welcome to the festive season as part of our church outreach activities. We’ve been staggered by the support given by residents, their families and friends as well as businesses and organisations throughout the district”.
Two charities, Butterwick Hospice and DFW Adoption will share in the profit from donations and collections during the festival programme.
Pam and her daughter, Pip awarded first prize in the competition to Sedgefield Local History Society, whose members produced a stunning display of poppies to mark the anniversary of the battle of the Somme. Joint second place went to Sedgefield 1st Cubs and Scouts and Sedgefield Brownies, Guides, Rangers and the Trefoil Guild. Joint third were Sedgefield Lyric Singers and Sedgefield WI.
St Edmund’s looked even more beautiful than usual, dressed in it’s festive finery. Our Facebook picture editor, Chris Ferguson, filled our page with shots of individual trees and groups like the one below, in the font area. If you didn’t get to the festival you can see the effect in full colour at www.Facebook.com/Sedgefield News
A Happy & Peaceful New Year to all our readers
Organisers of St Edmund's Christmas Tree Festival want to thank all the kind and generous people who gave their time, skills and energy to make the event such an outstanding success. More information next month.
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Steve’s Nature Diary The natural world month by month: January I spent the other Saturday afternoon at a Durham Bird Club Open Day at Castle Lake in Bishop Middleham. If you haven’t been it is well worth a visit especially since its long term future may be in jeopardy. The Bird Club has worked with the farmer who owns the land for the past 15 years to improve the site for wildlife. They have applied for a number of grants and built a splendid bird hide, created new islands and scrapes, planted reed beds, new hedgerows and new grasslands. The farmer who owns the land is retiring next spring when the land will be up for lease. The Bird Club are in discussions with him, the parish council and a new project called Bright Water funded through Heritage Lottery. There may be future funding for further habitat improvements to the site through Bright Water but this needs to get the new landowner on board. The lake has little protection or status and John Olley from the Bird Club is in discussion with Durham County Council and Natural England.
So why is Castle Lake important? There is no other inland lowland wetland on the limestone escarpment in the county which provides the large concentration of wintering birds such as Wigeon, Teal, up to and over 1000 Golden Plover, Lapwing and a wide range of scarce and rare species. The site is hugely important for breeding birds especially European schedule 1 species such as Little Ringed Plover, Black Necked Grebe and Kingfisher. Rare lowland breeding birds including Lapwing, Redshank, Curlew and Skylark also nest there. The surrounding farmland is very important for Grey Partridge and the severely declining Corn Bunting (the last refuge in Durham now down to 15 singing males). It is the unique mix of habitats such as islands, scrapes, muddy margins, reed beds and grassland that supports this diverse range of birds which makes this area special.
The site amazingly keeps on breaking records for passage waders moving from their northern arctic breeding grounds such as Curlew Sandpiper with over 20 birds in a flock feeding on the muddy areas of the lake, a flock of 24 Black tailed Godwits and up to 24 Dunlin over the event weekend. Speaking at the weekend, John said “The site is hugely important in the north east. the local community is aware and very supportive and proud of it being on their doorstep but it is under some threat and we are working tirelessly to protect and have the site for generations to come”. If you would like to support the site in any way please contact John Olley – his details can be found on the Durham Birds club website http://www.durhambirdclub.org/index.php.
After visiting the hide, which included a good view of a Green Sandpiper, I continued my stroll around the Lake. The surrounding land was very wet and I saw several Little Egrets feeding and a very large flock of Lapwing and Golden Plover which reeled above my head. If you haven’t been to the site I can highly recommended a visit.
Co-incidentally, the board of Sedgefield Development Trust recently heard a presentation on the Bright Water project mentioned by Steve, above. It is a very exciting initiative, encompassing the archaeology, heritage, culture and wildlife of the land around the River Skerne, from Hurworth Burn Reservoir to the centre of Darlington. There is much of interest, which we hope to bring you soon. Editor
Fletcher Room funding Sedgefield Town Council would like to thank all residents and Parish Hall Users who attended the AAP voting event in Coxhoe on Saturday 26th November and showed their support for the Fletcher Room renovation.
Unfortunately our application was not successful, however, we are now exploring other options for refurbishing the Fletcher Room.
Join us in congratulating those who received funding for their chosen projects: Fishburn Academy Band, Future Leisure in Coxhoe, St Albans Luncheon Club*, Fishburn Allotment Association, and Fishburn Youth & Community Centre.
Updates on the Fletcher Room renovation project and other Parish Hall works will be viewable on the Town Council’s website in the New Year.
*The delighted group at St Albans Luncheon Club are featured in an article on page 11.
Expedition to Mongolia Jake Smedley is a 16 year old from Bishop Middleham and a former student of Sedgefield Community College.
Jake has signed up for the 2018 expedition to Mongolia with World Challenge, an organisation that provides young people with the opportunity to experience the world through charity work in developing countries.
Jake hopes to spend three weeks in an orphanage, helping to build new facilities as well as helping and bonding with the children themselves.
However, in order to participate, Jake must raise more than £4000 - a very large sum of money. As part of his fundraising he is throwing a splendid Chinese Banquet which he very much hopes you will both support and enjoy. All the details are on the back page.
Volunteers toasted Volunteers in Sedgefield were thanked for their efforts during a special event organised by Sedgefield Village Games. Quote: “Sedgefield is blessed with volunteers from all walks of life and across generations, who devote huge amounts of their time to make the town so vibrant … the future of volunteering here looks bright too, which is really encouraging.” Photo on p 11 and we hope to bring a fuller report next month.
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The deadline for the February edition is Monday 16th January.
Please send copy to [email protected]
call/text 07572 502 904 or post to 55
White House Drive, TS21 3BU
For SedgefieldWeb go to www.sedgefieldweb.co.uk or email
Sports editor: [email protected]
Events editor: Tom Guest, email [email protected]
Commemoration November 23rd saw Sedgefield’s final WWI commemoration of 2016, paying tribute to Robert Chandler Arrowsmith, lost in action 100 years ago.
LHS research has discovered that Arrowsmith is an old Sedgefield family name, going back to at least 1709. Present day descendents of the Arrowsmith family, Jack Rowley and his wife Wendie, who does such sterling work at the Pop In, joined members of Sedgefield LHS and the Village Veterans for a brief but moving memorial ceremony.
A private in the 1st/8th Battalion of the Prince of Wales Own (West Yorkshire) Regiment, Robert enlisted in West Hartlepool, originally with the DLI. Killed in action on November 23 1916, aged 26, he is remembered at the New Military Cemetery in Hannescamps, near Arras, where 102 men lost in WWI are commemorated. Robert had five sisters and two brothers, the elder of whom John William, also served in WWI. The family lived in West End, with their parents Robert and Louise. On the death of their second son, his parents received his effects, which amounted to £1/9/7, and a war gratuity of £3.
Sedgefield LHS is very grateful to the Veterans for their support of all the commemorations to date and to all those members of the public who have come along to stand in tribute.
On February 24 2017, we will remember two more local men who gave their lives in the Great War - Herbert Waite Ward and John George Snaith.
Everyone is welcome – 10.45 am at the war memorial.
Sedgefield Winter Beer Festival 2017 Friends of Sedgefield Harriers hosts its annual beer festival in the Parish Hall on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th February. 14 different real ales and 2 ciders will be sourced from breweries in the North East, for you to sample over the weekend. Whilst you’re enjoying a pint or 2, entertainment will be provided by a host of local musicians, including Sedgefield’s very own The Last Wednesdays.
This event is run entirely by volunteers and funds raised will be used to support Sedgefield Harriers, assisting with the purchase of new athletics equipment for the junior section, providing funding for training courses among other things. We are asking for Local Businesses to support the Beer Festival by sponsoring a beer for £60. If you’d like to be involved, or would like any more information please contact Tracy Brown on [email protected]
Open from 7 – 11pm on Friday 3rd and 2 – 11pm on Saturday 4th Feb, entry is free and beer will be £1.40 per half pint. Our Facebook page will give out further updates, so please take a look and give us a ‘like’. www.facebook.com/SedgefieldBeer/
Please could Sedgefield News deliverers try to avoid leaving the end of the News sticking out of letterboxes, thus indicating that there's nobody in.
This is especially important during the holiday season.
Your Letters Thanks … to the Bin Fairy! I didn’t used to believe in fairies, but since I broke my toes a few weeks ago someone has very kindly put my bins out for me. I’d like to say thank you very much, whoever you are! Margaret Hope, The Meadows.
… and for the Christmas post A big thank you to Gary Hetherington and all his helpers in Sedgefield Scouts for doing such a great job delivering the Christmas post over the last few years. We miss you. Sheila Corbett
… and from St John’s Ambulance Thank you so much for welcoming our charity stall at the Sedgefield Farmers' Market today. It was our first experience and we could not have had a better environment. I need to count up with our Treasurer so not sure yet how much was made but that is only one of our considerations: public relations and the crack (which was great) being the others. The Badger turned out to be called 'Bill' (randomly chosen by Roger at the end of the morning) and I have been in touch by phone with its new owners, the Reid family of Sedgefield. Gillian from St. John's Ambulance Below: Bill meets one of his new family
Jack Rowley (left) with members of Sedgefield LHS and the Veterans.
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Sedgefield Village Neighbourhood & Crime Watch Panel The last meeting of 2016 was held on Tuesday 6th December, lightly attended due (we hope) to too many other Christmas activities being held on the same evening. However PC Keith Todd brought several valuable matters of interest to the meeting; in describing crimes committed within the last month (15 in total) he explained how the Police are working across several Force areas to identify and apprehend villains committing crime in our area with some success. Keith provided us with a full description of how he and fellow officers will be operating the Herbert Protocol – the Dementia support scheme now rolling out nationally, which N/H/Watch fully supports. Keith also told us about a current craze amongst young partygoers in our locality (& nationally) using nitrous oxide from a culinary piece of equipment which he had brought with him. Keith further explained the law pertaining to its use in this “recreational manner”, leaving members somewhat bemused. Neighbourhood Watch can report that the parking restrictions sought after by residents (double yellow lines down to Sainsbury’s from the Hospital roundabout) are finally in place. We hope they will be respected and it will make pedestrian crossings going to the village & schools safer, as well as protecting the verges. Time will tell! We wish everyone a safe, crime free and healthy New Year.
Education update
we will be able to offer nursery provision from 8 am – 6 pm. It will mean that many of the children will no longer have that additional transition into Reception and we can welcome them into our school family that bit sooner.”
Questionnaires will be available from early January, to provide school with the information it requires to plan to meet the current demand.
Community Safety To contact local police, call 101 NHS Blood stocks are low Maybe it’s time to think about a
January Gift
Presents opened, decorations down, The thought of working brings a frown.
So why not give a gift in Jan? No matter if you’re woman or man.
There’s something that is always there, Something that you all can share.
It can’t be made, it can’t be bought, A special mix of many a sort.
Everyone’s a unique owner, Why not be a new Blood Donor!
by the Unknown Poet 2017
Blood Donor Session Friday 6th January
at Sedgefield Racecourse 1.25pm - 4 pm and 4.50 - 7.20pm
Call 0300 123 23 23 for
information or to make an appointment
Top School here in Sedgefield! Readers of the online version of the Sunday Times may have noticed that Sedgefield now has a secondary school in the top 50 UK schools for 11 - 16 years. To have a school of such quality in the village is hugely important for local parents, and particularly impressive, given the sparsity of Northern schools on the Sunday Times list. For a number of years the Community College has been County Durham's highest attaining school but to be recognised nationally is huge achievement. Headteache, Mr Davies commented, "I am sure that parents are rightly proud of their children's educational achievements and would like to congratulate and thank college staff for their outstanding work. “I never fail to be impressed by the exceptional performance of our students and staff. This recognition is hard earned and well deserved, and I hope that everyone in our community shares my sense of pride in one of the UK's highest performing schools."
New College Building Residents will be aware that only a few years ago the tired and run down old Sedgefield Community College building was replaced with a stunning new £20 million replacement. However as the college’s reputation has grown alongside consistently outstanding student performance, demand for places has left the school bursting at the seams!
Now, at last, old and dilapidated temporary classrooms which had remained after the old school had been demolished, have been replaced with an entirely more suitable, brand new annex, which opened its doors to students for in September. Mr Davies is delighted that finally, "regardless of the lesson being taught, our outstanding students and staff are able to enjoy working in the first class facilities that they deserve."
New Nursery Sedgefield Primary School has plans to introduce nursery provision from September 2017 and would like people to register their interest (see advert on opposite page.) The Governors of Sedgefield Primary have wanted a nursery for a long time, but the demand in the area was being met by the existing providers. However, in the past year the school has received enquiries from a number of parents, who are struggling to find places. In addition, there will be a greater demand in the area following the Government’s pledge to offer 30 hours of nursery provision for working families. “It is the right time for us,” said Mrs Cox, Headteacher of Sedgefield Primary. “The demand in the area is greater than the current places available and it is only going to increase in the coming years. We now have the space to accommodate a nursery, as Fun Club has moved into its fabulous new building. In partnership with Fun Club
Sedgefield Out of School Fun Club The Fun Club is proud to announce the completion of their new purpose built facility, still within Sedgefield Primary School grounds. It has been a long proc-ess involving a lot of fundraising and hard work, for which we are incredibly grateful.
To celebrate, we are holding an official opening on Thursday 12th January at 6 p.m. We would like to invite all current and previous service users and their families, together with anyone else from the local community who is inter-ested in seeing our facility and speaking to the committee and staff.
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Diane Carr B.Sc. (Hons). S.R.Ch., M.Ch.S.
Home Visits
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Sedgefield Physiotherapy Practice (est.2001)
John Platts BSc. (HONS) MCSP SRP Molly Smith BSc. (HONS) MCSP SRP
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Exciting News!
Due to demand from parents, we hope to start offering pre-school Nursery
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6
The Trusty News from Sedgefield Development Trust
Please Note, there is no Farmers’ Market this month, as the first Sunday falls on New Year's Day.
Ceddesfeld Hall Home of Sedgefield Community Association Christmas activities are now well under way at Ceddesfeld. The SCA have been pleased to support Sedgefield Town Council’s firework display and the Snow Parade as well as take part in the tree festival at the church. Local children enjoyed a showing of The Polar Express in aid of the Lullaby Trust. Here is a short reminder of some of the events still to come over the next few weeks.
Following the carols on the green, (Friday 23rd December at 6.30pm), folk are invited over to Ceddesfeld to enjoy a traditional glass of mulled wine. As an addition this year, Ceddesfeld Ukulele group is hosting a festive evening of entertainment, starting at 7.30pm. The event is free and open to anyone who wants to come along to enjoy and participate in some traditional and popular Christmas music.
SCA are holding their traditional Burn’s Supper with piper, haggis, whisky and traditional poems and toasts on Saturday 28th January at 7pm, for £24 a ticket. Tickets for this very popular evening are going fast, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Ceddesfeld bar is open as usual throughout the festive season, Sunday to Friday evening, although we are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. The bar and lounge will be open on Christmas Eve with a Christmas trivia quiz, nibbles and mince pies any revellers who wish to take part.
An Open Mic night has been arranged for Saturday 21st January. Please see Tom’s article or SCA website for details.
SCA are also pleased to announce that a refurbishment of the main hall and foyer is scheduled for spring 2017. New chairs, tables, redecoration and floor cleaning and restoration of the main hall and foyer is in hand.
If you would like to become a volunteer in 2017, please get in touch; we’d love to hear from you. Events for 2017 are being finalised and will be on the website by the end of December.
For more information, contact Wendy on 620206: Pat 620607: Sarah 622185 or go to www.sedgefieldsca.org.uk
The Busy Bee Diaries: Winter Our three colonies of bees are safely tucked up in hives protected with waterproof wrappings, although they will venture out, when the sun is shining, to defecate - bees do not like to dirty their own living space. They slow down during the colder weather and cluster to-gether to protect their queen, but warmer winters mean that they need to be provided with food supplies, as they are more active and eat more food. It is possible that the stores left in the hive will not be enough to see them through until the first blooms of Spring. The hives need to be checked regularly but we do not open them up, as low tempera-tures will damage the colony and kill bees. This is a quiet time for beekeepers but we still have lots of jobs to do. We will hope for a sunny, dry day in January so that we can check for Varroa mites and treat the colonies if needed. The beekeeping group spent the Autumn building new hives and frames for the new colonies which we will be ordering in the Spring, so we look forward to increasing the number of colonies and improving our beekeeping skills. Seven beekeepers await the coming year with anticipation. By Kelly Aitkin
Energy costs are increasing For the two years that we have operated our community energy switching scheme our residents have been able to take advantage of some terrific savings. At each of the auctions the winning tariffs have been better than the previous year. However the last auction results in October have seen a change, and costs have increased on the October 2015 results.
Ofgem have noted that wholesale prices for delivery are about 20% higher in September than compared to the start of the year. In recent weeks, gas has seen a 15% jump whilst electricity has seen a 20-30% increase, but we are pleased to say that our winning tariffs in October did not reflect those high increases and were far better than those suggested by Ofgem. Depending upon usage, most people experienced a small increase, whereas savings were still being seen particularly by those who were joining us for the first time. However, everyone who has taken part in our scheme, no matter when they joined, is now paying less for their energy than when they originally started.
Joining our scheme could still give you the opportunity of avoiding or minimising those increasing costs. So go ahead, why not give it a go and register now? You’ve nothing to lose and maybe something to gain.
Key Dates for the February 2017 auction: Registration opened 6th December 2016 and closes on 13th February 2017. Auction Day is 14th February and Personal Offers are issued from 27th February. Offer Acceptance closes on 28th March 2017. Registration can be achieved in one of two ways: 1. If you are happy to register on line yourself, go to www.sedgefieldweb.co.uk, open the ENERGY SWITCH section, simply click on the GREEN ‘REGISTER NOW’ button, then click the ‘SIGN UP TODAY’ button and fill out your details. 1. If you prefer to register and receive information through the post, or need any assistance, please call the Sedgefield Development Trust Helpline on 07980 134 594 and we will be more than happy to assist you or complete your registration for you. Registering for the scheme commits you to nothing and you will not receive any of those pestering phone calls (guaranteed!)
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THE MANOR HOUSE This new venue had a busy year of events and exhibitions including the now annual Arts Exhibition developed by local artist Jane Spink. The official Folk Festival Fringe took place there, as well as an acoustic evening for the Rock and Blues Club. Most recently a celebration of volunteers was held in December, collecting donations for local foodbanks. It was a huge success.
THE PARISH HALL is transformed with extraordinary flair by Sedgefield Rock & Blues Club, which had another sell-out year with local, national and international acts gracing the stage. LaVendore Rogue (right) are next up at the Rock & Blues Club on Friday 27th January, finally making their Sedgefield debut. Don’t even ask about the name, let’s just say, the Rogues come with the reputation of being one of the hottest live acts on the circuit. Tickets from the usual suspects.
Of course, the Parish Hall is home to numerous concerts, plays and events, many of which you see on the Diary page.
The SPYS (left) travelled to Port Sunlight to compete in the All England Theatre Festival having won their round at Richmond in February.
Sedgefield Players had an excellent year with performances
of ’Dirty Dusting’ (above right) ’The Unravelling’, ’The Regina
Monologues’, ’Distracted Globe’,
Tom Guest’s ARTS & EVENTS UPDATE email [email protected]
Tap yourself fit? So, Christmas and the New Year have happened, we’ve all over indulged (slightly) or made a resolution to get fitter, but really hate the thought of going to the gym. Well, why not come along to the Parish Hall on a Monday night from 7 to 8pm and join the Sedgefield Tappers? Open to people of all ages (16 +), it is really a fun, social way to get fit whilst learning a brilliant new skill! Contact TG for info. 622185
Review of 2016 Sedgefield is an extraordinary place to live; unique in its sense of community and the groups, clubs and societies available to residents, and those from outside the area. Every year there seem to be more activities, classes performances and groups. 2016 has been a fantastic year for Arts and Events.
Ceddesfeld Hall For me one of the highlights of 2016 was the inaugural evening of the SCA Open Mic, and it has continued to flourish, even being included as part of the Folk Festival. This small event is regularly attracting large audiences, and performers from a variety of different musical styles and genres. The next Open Mic is on January 21st, presented by local act ‘The Milliners’.
The SCA have successfully gained funding to purchase lighting and sound equipment for this event, and also for any other performances that might take place in the Hall. The SCA home has seen many other performances and events this year, including the annual Beer Festival (always a roaring success), Burns Supper, Shakespeare Event, Easter Egg Hunt, Sedgefield Day, Fireworks Display and concerts by Lirica and Ceddesfolk - all this as well as being host and organisers of the ever popular Medieval Fayre.
’The Jungle Book’, ‘Rapunzel’ and of course, a truly wonderful celebration of
Shakespeare’s Death.
It’s been an exceptionally busy year which has included far more than
I’ve mentioned in this article. Here’s hoping 2017 will be just as
exciting! TG
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10
SPORTS UPDATE email [email protected]
Well, that’s that for 2016 - another amazing year of sport; not without its controversies (and major ones at that!) but there has also been some incredible action to enjoy. By the time you read this, Wimbledon and Olympic champion and world number one Andy Murray will have been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year yet again. Okay, I’ve gone out on a bit of a limb here and could be proved wrong, but he was surely in with a very good shout and the ‘Scottish vote’ could be crucial. I sometimes hear a view that Murray is lacking in personality but I don’t think that’s remotely true, even if he can appear to be a bit sullen at times! Alistair Brownlee did his chances no harm, following up a dominant Olympic triathlon win in Rio with a selfless act to help his brother a few weeks later; fellow multiple gold medal winner Laura Kenny (formerly Trott) would also be a hugely deserving winner (as would cyclist husband Jason Kenny). And let’s not forget Mo Farah – he doesn’t always come across as hugely comfortable in media appearances, but his achievements as an athlete put him up there with the greatest of all time. Of course, Nick Skelton could benefit from the sentimental vote – his case is no less deserving regardless of that. Yes, it was shaping up to be an interesting battle (please insert for yourself my annual rant about the BBC’s dumbing down of the once great Sports Review of the Year show). Meanwhile, back in Sedgefield…
Athletics A major events of the winter athletics programme, the North Eastern Cross Country Championships, was held on 10th December. Last year, Sedgefield had the honour of hosting the event, when a sudden blast of winter made it very memorable. These championships took place in much more benign conditions, at Aykley Heads in Durham. A large contingent of runners from Sedgefield Harriers made the short journey to run in the North Easterns, which along with the Northerns and the English Nationals, make up the three major cross country championship races that the club competes in. The course was a tough one, with undulations all around the route and two challenging hills. Events were run over a range of distances, from about one mile for U11s to seven miles (three large laps) for the senior men.
Sedgefield fielded representatives in most races and there were some excellent individual and team performances. In the U13 girls race, Jess Hall finished ninth, with Peta Collins not far behind her in 13th and Sophie Glaister in 34th. The girls claimed fifth place in the team event. In the U20 men event, Kieran Walker continued his impressive progress with fifth place in a strong field, and Erin Peters ran well to
claim 28th in the U17/20 ladies race. Sedgefield also had runners (many at the bottom end of their age group) in the U13, U15 and U17 boys races, and in the U15 girls event.
Sedgefield was also well represented in the two senior races. Unusually for a championship race, the men always run before the ladies at the North Easterns, which tends to churn up the ground nicely for the latter race! In a field of over 400, including some of the best athletes in the region, James Oldfield finished in an impressive 56th place, followed by Chris Lines (102nd), Gary Thwaites (146th), David Walker (200th), Mil Walton (214th), Ray Carmichael (234th), Gareth Hamblin (273rd), Matthew Barrett (332nd) and Andrew Corfield (408th). Despite missing three or four strong runners, the team (the first six home count) finished 18th overall. In the women’s race, Lisa Darby was first Harrier home in 58th, followed by Deb Pennick (116th), Christine Hearmon (119th) and Emma Featherstone (190th). Emma was running only 11 weeks after giving birth to her son Alfie (who was on hand to cheer her on with dad Andrew)! The Sedgefield women’s team finished 21st.
Incidentally, the women’s individual race was won by Laura Weightman,
who earlier this year competed for Team GB in the Rio Olympic Games. That provides an insight into the standard of competitors that the major cross country championship races attract. They are always tough, energy sapping events, but are rites of passage for aspiring elite athletes and over the decades, the North Easterns have been a proving ground for some of our region’s most successful athletes, including Brendan Foster, Mike McLeod, Steve Cram and Aly Dixon (another Team GB Rio star). Steve Cram coaches Laura Weightman and was on hand in Durham to support her and his daughter Josie in the women’s race (Josie finished seventh).
Cricket Sedgefield Cricket Club has received some great news to finish the year. Two of the club’s U13 girls took part in trials recently and have since been selected for the Durham County U13 Girls squad for 2017. Huge congratulations to Emma Dickenson and Jess Weatherspoon.
The Club is already hard at work preparing for the 2017 season and with that in mind, they are recruiting a new groundsman/woman to start at the beginning of next year. Details are in the box on the opposite page.
That’s all for this month. As always, please send any sports news to [email protected].
Sedgefield Harriers Teams
(left & right) put up a
good show at the North
Eastern Cross
Country Champion-
ships
11
Santa brings Christmas joy to Trimdon Club Santa Claus came early to Trimdon Grange, and delighted members of the Wednesday morning Luncheon Club who meet in St Alban’s Church Hall. To their great surprise, he brought news of a £7000plus grant that will enable them to give the hall’s old kitchen a long overdue makeover. Out will go the 30-year-old wooden cupboard fittings, exposed pipework, water boiler and geyser. In will come new flooring, storage cupboards, fridge, freezer, and cooker.
The makeover has been made possible by a grant from the Area Action Partnership. People in the community were asked to vote for the project they favoured for grant-aid and the Trimdon Grange proposal was placed third out of the 11 applications. “Our members were absolutely elated when they heard the news,” said Mrs Sylvia Rutter who submitted the grant bid. “Just to have hot water in the kitchen will make a tremendous difference to us”.
The luncheon club was established more than 30 years ago and now has 18-20 members. Work is expected to start early in the New Year. Pictured are members of the Luncheon Club with Judith Featherstone (standing) & Sylvia Rutter (5th right)
Help Children North East by donating unwanted gifts At this time of year the treats are everywhere, but unfortunately some families and children miss out on the festive cheer. Kimberley at Slimming World Sedgefield, along with Ali from Wheatley Hill and all the East Durham groups are taking part in an unwanted food and gift amnesty for Children North East.
Imagine never being able to go on a school trip, not having anywhere safe to play, going without meals and warm clothes, feeling embarrassed or scared to bring your friends home, or having to care for parents with mental health or other problems. Children North East is North East England’s very own children’s charity. For 125 years we have been transforming the lives of disadvantaged children so that they have a better chance in life (www.children-ne.org.uk)
Kimberley is proud that her members have come together to take part in the collection; "any small difference we can make is worth it. We often receive goodies as gifts, and for those really focused on weight loss dream it can really sabotage results. So by taking part in the amnesty, those who want to can keep in control and help a very worthy cause."
Sedgefield Cricket Club Groundsman Required
to start at the beginning of 2017. Email [email protected]
or call 07862 715 006 to discuss the opportunity in more detail
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Some of Sedgefield’s army of volunteers at the Manor House celebration
12
Opinions expressed in Sedgefield News are not necessarily those of the Publisher or the Editor. We strive to be impartial & independent. We reserve the right to edit copy & will not publish letters of unknown authorship. Please send your contact details with correspondence.
Sedgefield News is published by Sedgefield Development Trust and printed by The Print Factory: 01429 264777 SDT Company Secretary, John Fitzpatrick, 7 Melgrove Way, Sedgefield, TS21 2JN, email [email protected]
January 2017 DIARY email [email protected]
Sedgefield T Dance is back for the New Year &
Everyone is Welcome! Come on your own, with a friend or
partner, on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday in the month at the Parish Hall from 1 - 3pm.
Sequence, Ballroom & a little Rock! Tel Ann: 01740 629070 or Joyce: 01740 622601 January 3rd & 17th and
February 7th & 21st
Date Event
Wed 4th
WI Parish Hall, 7.15pm. “The heritage of the Bright Water area.” An illustrated talk by Aimee Nicholson. Members' competition, the best Christmas 2016 card you received. Ginger wine & mince pies. Visitors are always welcome
Thu 5th Sedgefield Show Meeting, Social Club, 8pm
Fri 6th U3A Parish Hall, 2pm. Dr. Pete Edwards: "New Views of the Planets" Members free. Guests welcome, £3 at the door. Further details from 01740 629276
Sat 7th
Sedgefield Cricket Club Quiz Night 8pm. Hosted by Sean Henderson
Sedgefield Library 10 - 11 am. Surgery with Councillors Rachel Lumsdon
and John Robinson
Mon 9th
Sedgefield Local History Society Ceddesfeld Hall 7.45pm “Building the
Cathedral” by Olly Burton.
Methodist Wives and Friends
Tue 10th Sedgefield Ladies Club Ceddesfeld Hall
Tue 17th Sedgefield News copy deadline Ferryhill, Sedgefield & district Flower Club AGM at 2.30pm in the Fletcher Room, Parish Hall.
Fri 20th Sedgefield Cricket Club Live Music Night 7.45pm. Main guest - American Routes. Also featuring Los Capitanos, John Weighell and John Wrightson Band. Admission £11, includes buffet. Tel 621347
Sat 21st SCA Open Mic Ceddesfeld Hall, 7.30pm. £3 entry on the door
Fri 27th Sedgefield WI Coffee Morning 9.30 - 11.30am Fletcher Room, Parish Hall. All welcome
Sedgefield Library 2017 Tel: 03000 269521 Opening Hours
Wednesdays 9.30am - 12.30pm Thursdays 10am - 6:00pm
Fridays 1pm - 7pm Saturdays 9.30am - 12.30pm
Thursdays 10.30-12.30. Basic computing class, tailored to
individual needs.
Wiggly BookWorms Starting on 5th January, each Thursday
during term time, there is to be an exciting new group at the Library, for
pre-school children. It takes place from 2.15pm and places
are limited, so please book at the library. The cost will be £2 per session.
It will include musical movement, a story and a snack after the session, and it’s all held in the junior library area at
Sedgefield Library.
Many thanks to the people who turned up for the Author Visit with Andy
Whitehead. We had a good turn out, and it was a very successful event.
Sedgefield Social Club January entertainment
Saturday 7 January: Ryan King.
Saturday 14 January: Rose.
Monday 16 January:
Country Night, Billy Davis.
Saturday 21 January: Nadine.
Saturday 28 January: Ray.
Fitness Classes @The Hub Sedgefield Community College
Clubbercise with Sharon: Tues 6 - 7pm
Zumba with Emilia: Tues 6.30 – 7.30pm
and Thurs 7 - 8pm
Chi Taekwondo: Sat 10.30 – 11.30am
For tennis, wheelchair rugby & other
sports, call the Hub on 01740 625300
Authentic Chinese Banquet Friday 10th February at Sedgefield Parish Hall.
An enjoyable & delicious evening with 6 courses, consisting of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes.
Real Chinese tsingtao beer is included for free.
Tickets are priced at £18 and we recommend tables of 8.
For tickets or more information, please contact [email protected].
Have a wonderful meal and support a very worthwhile project - details on page 3
Hurry while tickets last!
Events at Sedgefield Racecourse On Friday 13th January admission to the Happy New Year 2 for 1 Raceday is just £10. Gates open at 11am with the First Race at 12.40pm. Hospitality includes admission, three course meal, racecard, table for the day and bar & tote waiting service , £62. Both packages are on the 2 for 1 offer so, £10 for two people admission and hospital-ity for two people is £62 .
On Sunday 29th January admission to the Sunday Funday is again £10. Gates open at 11.20pm and the First Race is at 1.20pm. There will be Punch & Judy, Face Painting, Balloon Modelling, Children’s Outdoor Play Area. The Carvery Package for £25pp in-cludes admission, 1 course carvery, table, racecard and bar & tote waiting service.
It’s a quiet month but as things begin to pick up for the year, remember to submit your diary dates and details to our dedicated email account -