By JUDITH CHARLTON

Last updated at 09:48, Friday, 30 July 2010

THERE will be a strawberry teas event, with coffee, tea and home baking, as well as cakes and produce to buy, from 10.30 until 3.30pm tomorrow in aid of St Mary's Church.

Please support this event by coming along for a chat or taking along a tray bake.

Later on, there will be a cheese and wine evening with live music – you can get tickets from Jane Bailey on (01434) 673352.

These events are to raise funds for the church building appeal, which Janis Irvine reports has reached £1,550 – a superb response.

To round off the weekend, on Sunday, August 1, there will be an informal Songs of Praise service at 6pm with special guest the Rev. David Hewlett from Corbridge.

JEAN Elphick reports on a Healey get-together.

Last Saturday saw a grand gathering at Barleyhill Hall near Minsteracres to raise funds for St John’s Church at Healey.

This year is the 150th anniversary of this lovely church and in September, the Bishop of Newcastle will be celebrating the occasion and dedicating two new windows in remembrance of Julian and Virginia Warde-Aldam.

This wine tasting evening was a sell-out success. It was a huge communal effort by a whole gang of local people and local businesses and Barleyhill looked so welcoming with twinkling lights and candles.

The views from the windows in the setting sun were beautiful.

All in all, it was a memorable evening.

A trio of handsome men read descriptions, or not, of various wines, while the rest of us pretended to know our grape varieties. There followed a three-course meal served a bevy of young women who worked very hard before, during and after the event.

When this correspondent left just before midnight, it was still going strong.

So many people were involved, all organised by Deborah Hayward, who wants to thank them all for a very good night.

SLALEY First School has agreed, in principle, to provide the site for a new play area for the parish.

Some of the funding is coming from Northumberland County Council’s housing developers’ fund.

The parish council and community trust are both supporting this project and the trust will be hosting a public consultation on this during the summer, so watch this space.

ALTHOUGH many thanks go to the Hexhamshire notes correspondent for highlighting the Slaley Show last week, they did get the date wrong.

Just a reminder then that the show is on Saturday, August 14.

It’ll be a lovely way to spend the day, so do go along and it’s even more fun if you take part by entering one of the classes.

The committee is always looking for helping hands during the Wednesday through to Friday in the run-up to the show and after the event, so please contact Jim Bailey on (01434) 673352 or Vicky Hutchinson on (01434) 673782 if you can help even for just an hour or two.

FINALLY, next week’s medicine run volunteer is Bobby Johnson.

First published at 09:43, Friday, 30 July 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk