Marjorie Anderson writes in with a piece about the Circle Dance Group she founded some time ago [I’d have thought it at least a decade ago, actually Marjorie?]: “Should you chance to pass by the Sinderhope High Forest Community Centre…
Month: May 2019
Oh yeah, the MEP election
This was the second election process this year, so we’d better at least mention it in the diary, even though it actually happened a week ago. That’s the way it kinda goes in Allendale anyway — the world catches us…
Where’d Allendale’s music come from?
Effectively, music has always been in Allendale, probably courtesy of the churches, and certainly courtesy of the Silver Bands that were a socially cohesive force in most mining communities throughout the 19th century. But for some of us, anything prior…
Pilates with Pat
Pat Waters has been running a Pilates session at Allendale Village Hall for the past eight years, and she sends along some notes about the Tuesday morning courses (11-12): “My Pilates class has been going relentlessly for the last 8…
The middle lane, and edging slower
I’m juggling two parallel concepts today (I imagine an extended hospital stay exerts kind of a philosophical tug on the old heartstrings — at least it did on mine). I remember so well, some 35 years ago, when suddenly we…
Deneholme Wood Volunteers
Melanie Pepper writes through a migraine to get these notes to me for publishing during my hospital hiatus — thanks Mel! “The North Pennines AONB Partnership opened up permissive access to the woods, and installed a new bridge and new…
The May Fair and The Golden Lion, revenant
Yes, it’s May Fair Saturday today! But first, we need to deal with what we might call ‘Pubs in Transition III and IV’ as it’s been quite a climactic week at the Golden Lion, all in all. Monday morning, a…
Babies & Toddlers Group(s)
I had a lovely chat with Kelly Murray the other day, about the Babies and Toddlers group(s) in the Allen Valleys. MONDAYS: Catton Village Hall 10-11:30ish £1.50 contribution per family TUESDAYS: Whitfield Village Hall ?times and contribution? WEDNESDAYS: Allendale Fire…
Gate or grid . . .
We put our first farm gate in nearly thirty years ago when we moved from the suburban wilderness to the richly endowed countryside. We knew we’d bought the track, but it leads through some 25 acres of sheep grazing land…
Fawside . . . on our side
Fawside is the friendly community development organisation at the heart of Allendale village life. But it’s a quiet group, and not many folks are quite aware of its thirty year history, or of how it fits in with everything else…