News

STOP PRESS – RIDING MILL – A VILLAGE HISTORY by Marion Cooke

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In 1965 Women’s Institutes throughout the country made scrapbooks illustrating the life of their village that year (the beautiful book made by the Riding Mill WI is kept in the county archive at Woodhorn). Several years later Marion Cooke decided to follow up the scrapbook by writing a book about the history of Riding Mill. After years of research, with no internet to help her in those days, she published her fascinating book in 1987. The exhibition in the Parish Hall in November 2018 for the weekend of Remembrance seemed to generate interest in the Riding Mill of years ago and it was thought that there would be many people who would like to have a copy of Marion’s book.

With the permission of her daughters we have had 200 copies of Riding Mill – A Village History reprinted. They will go on sale in the Cafe in the Foyer from Monday 21st October at a cost of £8 or contact Susan Law, 682397 or Mike Bridges, 682359. Any profits made will be used for future projects of the Regeneration Group.

Outdoor Recreation Survey

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Our sports pavilion is a timber hut with no heating, no electricity, no wc’s, let alone any disabled facilities. It is home to 3 cricket teams and a Sunday morning football team, but could be so much more.

Before embarking on the refurbishment of the sports pavilion, the Parish Council are keen to find out your views on how we use the sports pavilion and what we might use it in future, for the benefit of the whole village.
We would be grateful if you could complete the survey below.  Remember to indicate how many members of your family participate, if relevant.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WTJQT7Z

Armistice Commemoration Weekend

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The Parish Council would like to thank all those residents who ensured that Riding Mill offered a fitting tribute to those who died in the First World War.  The village looked spectacular – the poppy displays, the information boards, the silent soldiers, the exhibitions, the community bell ringing – all contributed to the occasion and honoured the memory of the men who died.

The numbers attending the Remembrance Service and rededication ceremony were exceptional and the efforts made really showed our village and community at its best.

THANK YOU

Below is a selection of photos from the weekend together with a copy of the Order of Service from the rededication ceremony.

Rededication Ceremony

 

Remembrance Day Remembered

by John Mole

For the sake of men we never knew

We trooped into the hall

Where their names in golden letters

Were written on the wall

Somebody sounded a bugle

And ghosts seemed everywhere

Until the last note softly fell

On the suddenly empty air.

Then the world filled up with living

In its own accustomed way.

With the usual busy traffic

Of the usual busy day.

But what I most remember

And know that I always will

Is how we stood utterly silent

And absolutely still.

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Riding Mill Remembers – Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th November

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There are a number of events taking place this weekend in Riding Mill to commemorate the Armistice centenary.

There is an exhibition of WW1 memorabilia in the Parish Hall both Saturday and Sunday and an poppy art exhibition in St James’ Church.

On Sunday, a Service of Remembrance will be held at the War Memorial at 11 am followed by a procession past the poppy displays to the Parish Hall where the newly restored Roll of Honour to the ex-scholars of the village school will be re-dedicated by the vicar.

Attached is the Order of Service for the rededication ceremony.

Rededication Ceremony A5

 

Village Handyman

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The Parish Council would like to invite contractors to tender for the role of Village Handyman.

This is an outdoor role undertaking routine maintenance.  We seek someone who will be able to work on their own initiative, be able to carry out manual duties, be good at DIY and minor repairs, be able to operate machinery and use equipment, and have a good general knowledge and understanding of safe working practices. A flexible approach would be required as the Handyman would be required to respond to (occasional) call outs in an emergency.  The Handyman is required to have their own Public Liability insurance.

Contract documentation can be downloaded by clicking the links below:

Handyman – contract for services 2018-22

Handyman 2-year schedule

Handyman – map of key locations

Alternatively, please contact the Clerk, Catherine Harrison, on 01434 682348 (office hours only please) or email ridingmillclerk@gmail.com.

The closing date for the receipt of tender documentation is 4 PM on FRIDAY 31st AUGUST 2018

 

Weed Control in the Village

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Below is a statement issued by Northumberland County Council regarding how they plan to tackle weeds in the village this year:

Weed Control
I am writing to inform you about improvements to the way we tackle weeds in towns and villages in Northumberland.

The county has a well-deserved reputation as a green and pleasant place to live and visit and it is important to do all we can to keep it looking its best. In recent years, most weed spraying treatments on hard landscape areas have been contracted out.
However this year, the County Council is employing ten extra staff members across our Local Area Councils to ensure the in house teams have the capacity to undertake the work themselves.

The County Council is investing £125,000 in this improvement programme which includes adding a harmless blue coloured dye to the treatment so the public can see for themselves where has been treated.  The blue dye being added is completely harmless and will allow the teams to see exactly where they have sprayed, potentially reducing wasted or overuse of spray and ensure that any areas that have been missed will be immediately apparent.  While it is not possible to prevent weed growth altogether, County Council staff know their own areas and can be more responsive to local weather conditions, ensuring improvements to the quality and coverage of the spraying operation.

The public will also be able to see where has been sprayed and as the chemical itself can take up to two weeks to kill the weeds, the addition of the blue dye will remove any uncertainty about whether or not an area has been treated. The equipment used to treat weeds in some road channels means that the blue dye cannot be added but in areas where road meets pavement there will be a white residue left instead of a blue one. The dye itself is water soluble, does not affect the environment and also breaks down in the sun so it will not be visible for more than the 10 to 14 days it takes to kill the weeds.

Support a Northumberland win in the People’s Choice parks award

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All parks in Northumberland which hold a Green Flag award are currently in the running to be one of the UK’s top 10 favourite parks.
This is a great chance to show how much our favourite parks means to us.
Green Flag winning parks in Northumberland this year are:  Ridley Park in Blyth; Doctor Pit Park in Bedlington;  Alexandra Park in Cramlington, Hexham Parks; Carlisle Park in Morpeth; Castle Vale and Coronation Parks in Berwick; Plessey Woods Country Park near Bedlington; and Bolam Lake Country Park near Belsay.
Please share this information amongst your parish/town council representatives – so that they can vote for their favourite Green Flag park.
Votes close on 30th September – so there are only a few days to go.
Voting is easy – simply find your favourite park on the map at the following link and click the vote button:
Once you’ve voted, don’t forget to encourage others to get involved too.
The top 10 winning parks will be announced on 11th October
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