LOWICK.LIVE.LETTER
APRIL SPEEDERS
GORILLAS IN LOWICK?
John Daniels has the following suggestion for any young person with a keen desire to meet up with Gorillas via the CRGP Gorilla Club
Over to John who explains………
This could be interesting to many children and will keep them busy during lockdown while little formal education is happening; the CRGP (Cross River Gorilla Project)’s Gorilla Club. This is a free educational resource for primary-aged home-schoolers on the Cameroon rain forest where the Cross River Gorilla is to be found, a critically endangered animal.
Designed to be rather different from the normal educational resources available, it leads to an understanding of the importance of the rain forest to combat climate change and species extinction. As full school opening is likely to be further delayed beyond June, additional activities might prove welcome to stressed locked-down parents.
The Gorilla Club has produced two packs of activities which have proved popular, with a further two to come and is easily accessed by clicking on this link through your browser: https://www.crossrivergorillaproject.co.uk/coming-soon
AWARDS FOR PLAYPARK, HERITAGE GROUP AND VILLAGE HALL
Successful applications to the EDF Barmoor Wind Farm Community Benefit Fund from the Parish Council, the Village Hall Committee and the Heritage Group bring good news to the village for life during and after Lockdown
These mean that the village is to get an upgrade to its Play Park Equipment, a second defibrillator will be installed on the wall of the Village Hall, and the exciting finds at Hunting Hall can be followed up.
- The Playpark will see the removal of older equipment which has been the subject of criticism from safety officers, with new swings and better seating for tired parents!
- The second defibrillator is being installed following receipt of advice about the distance from a defibrillator which is considered safe and appropriate.
- Equipment for further archaeology and analysis of the finds at Hunting Hall will be provided
| Bowsden Village Hall for upgrading the existing website | £800 |
| Lowick Heritage Group for equipment to prepare, undertake and analyse the next stage of the archaeological dig at Hunting Hall | £3,692 |
| Lowick Parish Council for replacement swings and benches for the playground in Lowick Village | £7,123 |
| Lowick Village Hall for installing an automated external defibrillator at the village hall | £1,820 |
| Wooler Skills Workshop for tools and materials for home crafting | £3,000 |
| Wooler Young People’s Association for the salary of a Youth Worker to support young people living in rurally isolated locations | £9,828 |
| NTC Touring Theatre Company for a performance of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at Etal Village Hall | £1,197 |
| November Club for a home-based digital project to support Northumbrian first school pupils during the Coronavirus pandemic | £1,999 |
| Norham Public Hall for upgrading the building’s audiovisual system | £1,817 |
HEDGES TO BE RIPPED OUT
Image Posted on Updated on
COUNTY PLANNER GIVES PRESIDENT ESTATE PERMISSION TO DESTROY KILOMETRES OF MATURE HEDGES
The Planning Department has given President Estates Farms permission to rip out several mature hedges in order to “promote farming efficiency, discourage poaching and provide nature corridors”.
Granted on May 13th, it is reported that some of the hedges have already disappeared. Both the County Archaeologist and Ecologists submitted critical comments about the scheme.
The Scheme, which legislation to protect hedgerows is designed to discourage, includes plans to plant hedges elsewhere to replace them – though this will result in a net loss of hedges to the local scene, and will take many years to replace the habitats and landscape value which has been destroyed.
Lowick Parish Council, in whose area [map shows the extent] a proportion of the hedges lie, was not consulted by the Planning Department, though it has a statutory right to give its views.
Tillside Parish Council, the other body affected, expressed no opposition to the plans, although they clearly have a large impact on the environment.
Those wishing to view the documents submitted should use the Planning Shortcut on Lowick Live hand enter reference 20/00534/HGRMN. 
Meanwhile, considerable local opposition has been voiced, and our MP, Anne-Marie Trevelyan herself has written to the Planning Department demanding to know why the decision was taken, and why our Parish Council was not consulted.
The map shows the hedges effected between Holburn and The Roman Road. One passes a bronze age site and a former Roman camp. Eagle eyed observers will note one new hedge along the road by Percy’s Well Strip and Oxclose strip actually replaces a hedge and fence that was removed a few years ago by the same owner. If this was done lawfully, we would not know, because NCC does not ask us about President Farms Hedges – at the moment.
The picture, taken today shows the hedge west of Laverock Law. It contains several mature trees, as well as hedges, and looks stunning.
NHS RAINBOW WALL AT THE VILLAGE STORE!
Karen & Richie have cleared their noticeboard – and they want you to fill it!
- We would like the children of Lowick C of E First School, and any other child in our area who would like to take part, to send to us an A5 size or postcard sized picture with rainbow colours on to brighten the wall and make us and our customers smile.
- The blue tack is on the wall ready!
- It is not a competition as everyone’s picture will be precious.
- Thank you and stay safe xxx
Check their Facebook Page for information on this and other news: https://www.facebook.com/LowickVillageStore
ANOTHER GOOD WALK…DOD LAW [3]
The third walk in Lowick Live allows you to take advantage of the new instruction to drive somewhere before you take your exercise.
So off down the Roman Road, until just past the Hetton Law/Wrangham crossroads. Park by the byway which heads off to your right towards Doddington.
After maybe a mile take the stile off to the left, which takes you up the side of Doddington Moor, aiming for Dod Law.
Any crop field you encounter has no path across it, so you will just have to be bold and set off in the direction of the fingerpost – or take longer trekking round the fence.
If you follow the OS map [printed here – thank you HMG] you will also come across a few fences that have been added after it was printed. There are stiles, so you won’t need to panic.
As you ascend towards Dod Law, and take the prominent track over the Moor, which doesn’t seem to be quite in the same place as the path on the map. You will easily pass the rock with the cup and ring markings which appear here with such regularity. Up here, in the bronze age, they were certainly having a party, whilst defending themselves to the hilltops.
The view over Wooler and Glendale, with the Cheviots in the background is one of the best.
Your decent to Doddington, and a return up the Byway will skirt round the golf course. There is a good track through the Golf Course, but that is not part of a public right of way.
CORRECTION TO WALK 2
I am indebted to Maggie Harker for reading the instruction for Walk 2, and to supplying the following information.
Hello John,
May I offer some clarification on your piece on walk No 2 in Lowick Live, 1st April?
With reference your query as to whether the path from Northfield was diverted officially, the answer is yes. Some twenty five years ago the Sutherlands were approached by the footpaths and rights of way officer from NNC, and after a discussion it was agreed that a stile would be put in to give access from the B6525 into their front field. Though no signpost was provided. Nor, it appears have maps been changed. When the stile rotted and it was replaced.
As for the other stile, the fencer was specifically asked not to put barbed wire on it. I understand that the wire has since been covered up.
I hope that this helps.
With kind regards,
Maggie
MORE ON THE VILLAGE HALL PPE PRODUCERS
ANNIE ROBINSON WRITES:
Annie and David Robinson are extremely grateful to Peter Calder and the Lowick Village Hall Committee for allowing them to set up Lowick Village Hall as a sewing hub where materials can be donated and items collected to make personal protective clothing for our Front Line Staff. The space has been invaluable and enabled us to maintain social distancing.
All this is part of Northeast England Sewing for the Front Line (NESFL) co-ordinated by Zoe Worrall with the help of Audra Peacock in North Northumberland. Annie has teamed up with Michelle Dixon from Berwick and she has the same set up in East Ord Village Hall.
Our hope was to help streamline and coordinate what was required in our area and reduce the impact on our local Front Line Staff with numerous requests. The use of the facilities has made it easier to coordinate a team of growing stitchers from both sides of the border and as of May 11 more than 1006 items from both sites have been delivered to:
Berwick Infirmary; GP surgeries in Berwick, Wooler, Coldstream and Belford; Paramedics in Berwick and Wooler; District Nurses across North Northumberland; Carers from Berwick to Beadnell and across the border, Care Homes in Berwick and Wooler and schools in Lowick and Berwick.
These items have included gowns, scrubs, scrub and uniform washbags, face mask buddies, headbands and hearts.
The photo montage shows the Lowick team working across both areas and a really efficient use of time is with the preparation of making packs for some of the professional stitchers who are helping the cause. In Lowick we have support and items made from The Lowick quilters including; Beverly Clyne; Janet Lowrie; Judy Moffatt and Linda Waite. Also in Lowick; Lesley Bradbury, Helen Evans (a special thank you for all your extra help with coordinating things), Nadia Ho Brautaset, Eileen Langdale, Lynne Leary, Fiona McIntosh, Cath McLaren, Fiona Smith and Annie Robinson. In Chatton, Lauren May and Belford, Barbara Twineham & the Belford Ladies and Barbara Bryden & her Belford group, and over 26 stitchers from Berwick and the surrounding area. There are also numerous independent stitchers helping with the cause to support our selfless and dedicated Front Line Staff.
The items received on the Front Line have been greatly and sincerely appreciated in helping them feel better protected. The team is now prioritising scrubs and gowns to be made but has a constantly changing list of items that are requested. We now have over 700 scrub and washbags, so please no more
of these are required, thank you to everyone that has made them. If you know of anyone that would like some please let us know.
We have asked those that were making bags to switch to Face coverings. Paul and Eileen Langdale, along with Helen Evans, Linda Waite and Gail Calder are researching this and making these in order to have a supply of these ready for the Village shop. It is not part of the NESFL project to provide these but we understand the desire in the community to have them.
“ Helping Dress Medics” is an organisations helping with supporting Front Line Staff and we are extremely grateful to Pauline Cambers from Northern Costume College in York for providing 112.5m of material for scrubs and gowns. This incredibly generous donation was delivered to the Lowick Village Hall by Fiona McIntosh who kindly arranged this, she will also be cutting out material for the scrubs and gowns for the project “Northeast England Sewing for the Front Line”.
Other generous donations of rolls of fabric have come in this week from Bryon Longbone, Fiona McIntosh and North Northumberland Hospice. Paul Watson and Mike Drawbridge have kindly provided their 3-d visors to Lowick Village Shop and Lowick School and the two sewing hubs at Lowick and East Ord Village Halls. Thank you to Simon Madden for the snood donations for the team.
There is a continuous supply of donated cotton and poly cotton material (which has all been washed at 60ᵒ) to both village halls by the local community for which we are extremely grateful. To keep things manageable we will let you know when we need items, so watch this space.
