It’s newly printed as of yesterday, and out in the shops and other special places today . . . the third yearly edition of the handy little Allendale and Allen Valleys Pocket Directory. Invented in 2017, this directory is unique because it’s quickly updatable (print runs are small, and the compiler works very hard to make corrections as soon as errors or omissions are identified). Also, it’s available only on physical paper, and exclusively and physically only in local shops or places around these valleys.
The directory is meant to be a current, comprehensive listing (usually with just a phone number) of nearly everything you can imagine that is anything in this patch, which roughly encompasses the postal code NE47: Shops & Services; Artists, Studios & Galleries; Tradespeople; Places of Worship; Meeting Places & Venues; Public Houses & Eating Places; Sites of Special Interest; Clubs & Organisations – Physical Activity; C&O’s – Dedicated Theme Societies; C&O’s – Social or Service Activities; C&O’s – Institutional Groups & Organisations; B&Bs; Holiday Cottages; Crucial Services.
It’s only for local consumption, it’s absolutely free, and it’s not online either. It’s just a handy piece of paper, folded so that it fits into a wallet or purse, so you could carry it around with you, if you can find a copy. Copies, and they’re always limited at each distribution point, have been found in the past at: the Co-op, the Post Office/MarketPlace, the Gift Shop, Forge Studios, Tea Rooms, Allendale Village Hall, the Hemel Café up at Allenheads, Baynes Travel at the Hen House, Catton Village Hall, the Dale Salon, Sinderhope Community Centre, and the Whitfield Pantry. With any luck, copies of this iteration of the directory will be available at these points for the next day or so, until they run out. If you can’t find a copy this weekend at the place closest to you, let the compiler know (contact details in each directory) so that more can be printed.
Although the printing is relatively inexpensive, there is a cost, which is kindly borne by the Allendale Lions Club, as part of its local service, and the printing itself is done by Christina John at the Fawside office. The folding is the real labour-intensive part, as each copy is folded four times, for about 1000 separate folds for each print run.
So, pick up a copy this weekend, and be sure to send any corrections straight back to the compiler for the next edition, which could be in early spring, in time for the tourist season once again. The little directory could be handy, too, for those folks who are new to these valleys.