Articles April 2024
Flower Arranging in Longhorsley
I sometimes like to look back in my old diary to see what I was doing a year ago. Today, as I write this, I saw that the flower arranging classes began in the Village Hall. So I thought you might be interested in how the classes have progressed. After we had all been very busy with the Flower Festival, which celebrated the life of our new King, over the Coronation weekend, we had a break until September.
During the break I applied to the Wingates Wind Farm Trust for some financial help in setting up a Flower Club, and was very pleased when they awarded us a Grant. Over the last few months we have attracted some new members and had demonstrations from four different arrangers. These have included how to get the very best out of supermarket flowers, how to do a tied bouquet, an advent wreath, a Christmas decoration, a Spring arrangement and one about sustainability, when no floral foam was used. On 19th April the demonstration will be “An introduction to Ikebana".
“Fun with Flowers” is held on the third Friday of the month in Longhorsley Village Hall from 2.30 - 4pm, and the cost is £5 per person. It’s very informal and friendly, and we all support each other. So, if you would like to learn a new skill, please contact me. You will be very welcome.
Olive Light olivelight72@gmail.com or 07907 714455
Update on South Road Housing Development
In the past weeks some clearance work has been done to create access to the South Road site. The developers are hoping to be able to start building some time this summer.
Longhorsley Parish Council
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, 10th April, in the Village Hall, starting at 7pm, with a parishioner slot at 8pm. Meeting notices are displayed on village notice boards, with minutes and other information found on the Parish Council website.
Contact details for the current members are detailed below:
Clerk: Gillian Turner, 4 Lowther Close, Seaton Manor, Ashington, NE63 0HY 01670 812704 or parishclerk@longhorsley-pc.gov.uk
Chairman: Norman Douglas 07485 174529 norman.douglas@longhorsley-pc.gov.uk
Councillors: Sarah Alcock, Kirsty Bell, Peter Boyle, Jennie Parker, Anne Peat and Trevor Potts.
Important Date for your Diary!
Every English Parish, by law, must hold an Annual Parish Meeting/Assembly, which is a relatively informal event for the whole community.
This is an opportunity for the Parish Council to report to its electorate what it has accomplished in the preceding year. It is also an opportunity for residents to ask questions and provide feedback to the Council.
The Longhorsley Annual Parish Assembly will take place on Wednesday 22nd May at 6.30pm in the Village Hall – this is your chance to air your views or indeed to raise any issues. All are welcome.
Forthcoming Elections
Residents are reminded about the recent changes introduced regarding the need to bring photo ID to vote at a polling station. The following items can be used:
A valid Passport
Driving Licence
Blue Badge
Bus Pass
Identity Card
Please remember that without valid photo ID you will NOT be able to vote.
Church View Play Area
The official opening of the refurbished play area took place on 15th March. The opening was undertaken by our Chairman, Cllr Norman Douglas, with representatives from Wicksteed also in attendance. Children from Longhorsley Explorers had a great time and each child received a Wicksteed goody-bag together with some fresh fruit.
The Chairman thanked the contractors for being able to carry out the works within the given timescales despite the dreadful weather.
Your County Councillor
I’m hoping the police will agree to placing the camera van in the village. There is a meeting between our highways staff and the relevant officers before Easter. I’ll keep you posted on progress on this.
As always please let me know if I can help with anything.
Glen Sanderson 07730 979737 glen.sanderson@northumberland.gov.uk
Obituary - Muriel Florentine
Muriel Florentine, a previous resident of the village, who set up the Art Group and did the artwork for the Millennium Wall hanging in the village hall, passed away on Monday 18th March. Our thoughts are with her family.
Penny Ford
X14 Bus Times Effective From Sunday 24th March
There are no changes to the Longhorsley bus times. However a number of existing services will now also stop at Cragside. The updated timetable is shown below, with services stopping at Cragside in green. All times are from Longhorsley Green.
Longhorsley Swift Project Update
After a not very swift start, the Longhorsley Swift Project is up and running. After gaining funding last year to build a host of boxes, summer and autumn were filled with construction on a local farm. Since then we have been doing our best to get some of the boxes up. As of mid March we have around 20 boxes up on houses around the village, with plenty more to go.
Unfortunately we are a very small team, working on a purely voluntary basis around full time jobs, so apologies to those still waiting for boxes but we are working around the village and hoping to get to everyone who has signed up before too long!
The swifts are due to start arriving in the village at the end of April, and birds will be using the rest of the summer to identify nesting sites for next year.
If you have any questions about the project, or swifts, feel free to contact the project at longhorsleyswifts@gmail.com
Richard
Newspapers for Hedgehogs
Thank you very much to everyone who has responded so generously, over the last few months, to my request for newspapers for bedding for the hedgehogs at the Northumbrian Hedgehog Rescue Centre. It is so kind of you to regularly bring bags of newspapers to our house, particularly through the bad weather!
I now have a good supply of papers in reserve and do not require any more at present - thank you. As the year progresses, we may well need more papers and I will put another request out!
Please can I also ask, now we are all trying to get into our gardens to start work this spring and summer, that extra care is taken when using strimmers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers and putting up netting - that hedgehogs are not in the undergrowth. Some of the hedgehogs we get into the centre have had serious injuries caused by these items.
If you would like to find out more about how to encourage hedgehogs into your gardens and how to help their declining numbers, there is excellent information on the Northumbrian Hedgehog Rescue Trust website.
With very many thanks for all your continued help and support,
Jan Bryce
What a Wonderful World
FREE to good home
Wooden frame children’s 2 seat garden swing.
One seat easily converts from baby to child seat.
For more info please contact 01670 788547.
Longhorsley Takeaway Food
We will send out a Breaking News if we are notified of any changes.
The Shoulder of Mutton
The Shoulder of Mutton is open and offering takeaways every day.
Sunday lunches 12-6pm ~ Monday to Saturday 5pm-8pm
See their menu at shoulderofmuttonpub.com ~ phone 788236 to order
The Flying Fryer
The Flying Fryer will be here every Friday from 4pm to 7pm, depending on demand.
Facebook The Flying Fryer 07984 426 725
Dou_h&co
Dou_h&co are here the first Thursday in the month from 4:30pm – 7:30pm.
The next visit date is 4th April.
Pre-order on 07507 834 628 from Monday 9am.
See their menu on the Dou_h & Co Facebook page, Instagram and Dou-h.co.uk
Post Office in Longhorsley Village Hall
Monday 9.15am to 12.15pm
Friday 11.30am to 1.30pm
Please note that this Outreach Service cannot accept large parcels.
Mobile Library Visiting Times
The Mobile Library visits Longhorsley once a month, on Fridays between 3pm and 4pm, in the Village Hall car park.
The next visits will be on 5th April and 3rd and 31st May.
The Mobile Library Service website can be found here
May Edition
The last date for submissions is 20th April. You can email or phone us.
Please keep articles under 250 words, if at all possible.
Jan and Sheena Haveman 07834 740649 longhorsley.tree@gmail.com