A singing sensation from America is performing in Northumberland alongside vocalists from the county.
Northern Harmony - the world music singing ensemble from Vermont, USA - will spend four song-packed days in Hexham this week as part of their 12th UK tour.
Hosted by Queen's Hall Arts and Tynedale Community Choir, Northern Harmony will deliver workshops, perform in Hexham Abbey and enjoy a musical exchange with some of Northumberland's finest singers and traditional musicians.
A children's play service is hitting the road to help those living in rural parts of Northumberland.
Sure Start is sending out three of their play vans into the rural areas of west Northumberland to improve the outreach services in villages and hamlets.
From left: Ian Brown of Flashlight Films; Jackie McCormick, Sure Start Childrens Centres Locality Manager and Keith Laidler, Hexham Fire Station Manager
They have also created banners and an information DVD about the services offered through the children's centres in the west of the county.
A ruling last week meant rheumatoid arthritis sufferers will see their access to drugs which can transform their lives restricted. HANNAH DAVIES finds out what this will mean
Mark Liddell jokes he's had every joint in his body replaced bar one - but that's not too far from the truth.
The 54-year-old, from Newbrough, near Hexham, had both hips replaced when he was 30. Since then he's had both knees, shoulders, wrists, ankles, a thumb and his right elbow replaced. He has also undergone a very complicated neck operation.
Yet Mr Liddell, pictured with his wife Lucy, who had been in a wheelchair since his early 30s, has been able to exercise again and leave his wheelchair thanks to a combination of drugs, operations and therapies.
Battling villagers who raised £36,000 to safeguard the future of their local shop have now stepped in to make sure the ale continues flowing in their only pub.
Drinkers in Humshaugh faced the possibility of not being able to pop into the local for their favourite pint for months, when last orders were called at the Crown Inn on Sunday night.
Jayne Walsham, temporary Landlady of the Crown Inn, Humshaugh
The pub - described as the heart of the picturesque village - was closed down after its tenants moved on to pastures new and owner Punch Taverns was left still trying to find a new buyer.
Results of a study on how to boost the benefits of having world heritage sites will be outlined at a conference in Northumberland today.
The first Hadrian's Wall world heritage site conference is taking place at Hexham Auction Mart.
The aim is to promote wider understanding of the Wall and how it is managed, as well as encouraging wider participation in the range of issues, challenges and opportunities.
A new touring play that examines rural life in Northumberland is visiting Newbrough later this month.
'A Village Life', commissioned by Northumberland Theatre Company, is described as a serious comedy set in the fictional village of Aldale, which is preparing for a Best Village contest.
The play was written by West Yorkshire-based playwright Mary Cooper, who visited the county while researching the play and spoke to locals about the issues that affected them, including high house prices, the loss of local services and venues, and disputes over the use of land.
The play is at Newbrough Town Hall at 7.30pm on Friday 26th March. Phone 01434 674162 for ticket information, and visit www.northumberlandtheatre.co.uk/ for more details and listings of other venues.
Read David Whetstone's Culture interview with Mary Cooper »
The programme for the Hexham Book Festival was unveiled yesterday, and will doubtless cause a flurry of date-circling in the diaries of literature lovers all over the North East.
The festival website - which went live yesterday - boasts that there is an "outstanding line-up of award-winning writers, leading thinkers, controversial speakers and bon viveurs".
The cast list includes Margaret Drabble, PD James, Val McDermid, Shirley Williams (pictured), Jodi Picoult, Philippa Gregory, AL Kennedy, Wendy Cope, Ruth Padel, Simon Hoggart, Stephen Anderton, Martin Wainwright, Barbara Trapido, Tamasin Day-Lewis, and the River Cottage team, among others.
A last minute promise of extra cash for Northumberland's crumbling roads and a climbdown on spending cuts in care of the elderly was enough to avoid a potential council budget crisis last night.
The 11th-hour package of concessions by County Hall leaders enabled the unitary authority to finally agree its 2010/11 budget plans, with just four days to spare.
The agreement averted the risk of the council failing to set a legal budget in the required timescale, and the threat of Government-appointed commissioners being sent in to do the job.
Pubs across the county will be shown how to maximise the famed Northumberland friendliness to draw more tourists in and increase profits.
Northumberland Tourism says pubs in the county, unlike those in other parts of the country, are not realising their full potential and need to up their game to catch up.
"Good Pub Grub, not Grubby Pub" is the message from the organisation in an effort to get more money from the estimated 72% of UK residents who are planning to holiday at home in 2010.
Fruit and veg magnate John Holland is swapping five-a-day for the dizzy heights of the tallest peaks in the seven continents of the world.
The 49-year-old, who lives near Hexham, set himself the gruelling task of completing the Seven Summit Challenge, which fewer than 30 Britons have ever achieved due to the lack of accessibility and serious health threats.
John, owner of the JR Holland family of fresh produce businesses in the region, has already conquered Russia's Mount Elbrus (pictured below right), the highest peak in Europe, and Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa (pictured bottom).
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