Deal Sealed to See Farne Islands Seal Colony

For the first time visitors will be able to visit the Farne Islands during the breeding season. This autumn boat trips will continue out to The Farnes from Seahouses to see the 4,000 Atlantic Grey Seals that give birth to 1,500 seal pups at this time of year. The National Trust has decided to allow visitors the privilige of seeing the seal pups for the first time in its 87 year history.

Every day until the 31st Octber two boats will set sail from Seahouses Harbour and land on Staple Island. They will be met by a team of trust rangers who will share their first hand knowledge of the islands seal colony.

The tours cost £10 for adults and £5 for children and will take place at noon and 1pm each day. Spaces are limited and bookings are advisable with The Gald Tidings boat company on 01665 720038.

Events in August

Vikings, Soldiers and Knights Clash!
English Heritage is staging some spectacular summer events this August. The clash of heroes events are taking place starting with Lindisfarne Priory’s incredible Viking Raiders (Sat 11 – Sun 12 Aug), while at Housesteads Roman Fort, the Soldiers of the Wall event (Sat 18 – Sun 19 Aug) will bring you face to face with a Roman Centurion and his Guards. To top off a magnificent summer a breathtaking live action show with knights on horseback will ride to Belsay’s ‘Grand Medieval Joust’ (Aug Bank Hol Sat 25 – Mon 27 Aug).

Royal Visit to Bamburgh

The Prince of Wales will be visting Norhumberland on the 23rd and 24th July 2012. As part of the two day visit he will talk to volunteers who have been conductinga survey of Bamburgh Beach - surely one of the North East's finest stretches of coastline

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Autographed Grace Darling Letter Returns to Bamburgh

An autographed letter signed by Victorian heroine Grace Darling sold for £460 at auction by Lyon & Turnbull in Edinburgh on the 2nd May 2012. The letter discusses the Trust set up for the money raised for her after her audacious rescue of survivors from the wreck of Forfarshire in the early hours of 7 September 1838. It was bought by the RNLI Heritage Trust and will be on display at The Grace Darling Museum in Bamburgh. In the letter she writes that "4 trustees viz His Grace Duke of Northumberland, Archdeacon Thorp ... have kindly taken in hand to manage my affairs, that they propose placing the whole of my money in the fund, that I receive the interest for life with power to withdraw £200 in case I should get married" and expressing gratitude for the contributions: "I am with sincere gratitude to the ladies in Edinburgh & Miss Sinclair in particular.", Longstone Light House, Jan. 10th 1840, Darling was born in 1815 at Bamburgh in Northumberland and spent her youth in two lighthouses (Brownsman and Longstone) of which her father, William, was the keeper. In the early hours of 7 September 1838, Grace, looking from an upstairs window of the Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands, spotted the wreck and survivors of the Forfarshire on Big Harcar, a nearby low rocky island. The Forfarshire had foundered on the rocks and broken in half: one of the halves had sunk during the night. She and her father determined that the weather was too rough for the lifeboat to put out from Seahouses (then North Sunderland), so they took a rowing boat (a 21 ft, 4-man Northumberland coble) across to the survivors, taking a long route that kept to the lee side of the islands, a distance of nearly a mile. Grace kept the coble steady in the water while her father helped four men and the lone surviving woman, Mrs. Dawson, into the boat. Although she survived the sinking, Mrs Dawson had lost her two young children during the night. William and three of the rescued men then rowed the boat back to the lighthouse. Grace then remained at the lighthouse while William and three of the rescued crew members rowed back and recovered the remaining survivors. Meanwhile the lifeboat had set out from Seahouses but arrived at Big Harcar rock after Grace and her father had completed the rescue: all they found were the dead bodies of Mrs Dawson's children and of a vicar. It was too dangerous to return to North Sunderland so they rowed to the lighthouse to take shelter. Grace's brother, William Brooks Darling, was one of the seven fishermen in the lifeboat. The weather deteriorated to the extent that everyone was obliged to remain at the lighthouse for three days before returning to shore. The Forfarshire had been carrying 63 people. The vessel broke in two almost immediately upon hitting the rocks. Those rescued by Grace and her father were from the bow section of the vessel which had been held by the rocks for some time before sinking. All that remained at daybreak was the portside paddlebox casing. Nine other passengers and crew had managed to float off a lifeboat from the stern section before it too sank, and were picked up in the night by a passing Montrose sloop and brought into South Shields that same night. Grace Darling died of tuberculosis in 1842, aged 26 and is buried with her father and mother in a modest grave in St. Aidan’s churchyard, Bamburgh. Grace’s achievement was celebrated in her lifetime: she received a large financial reward in addition to the plaudits of the nation.

Olympic torch to visit Bamburgh

THE Olympic torch is to pass through Berwick and Bamburgh on its way to Alnwick for a huge celebration on June 14th.

The torch will arrive in the area on Thursday, June 14, travelling down from Edinburgh, via Gordon, Greenlaw, Duns, Chirnside and Foulden, before crossing the border and in to Berwick then on to Bamburgh.

The Olympic flame will not be coming this way again in our lifetime. It is cliché but it is true – this really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us all and I am sure that Northumberland residents will join together to show their support for the Olympics and to be a part of this exciting and memorable experience.”

Chris Calvert, director at Bamburgh Castle, said: “We hope to work with Bamburgh Parish Council to organise some kind of event around it. Now it has been announced we can see how we can maximise Northumberland’s exposure nationally and internationally.”

Sebastian Coe, chair of LOCOG, said: “We are thrilled to confirm that Northumberland will act as a host location for the Olympic flame, extending an invitation to people around the county to welcome the Olympic torch relay during its journey around the UK.

“This is the UK’s moment to shine and I want to encourage people across Northumberland to start planning how they can be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity and show their support for the inspirational torchbearers chosen to carry the Olympic flame as we count down to the start of the Olympic Games.”

Celebrating Northumberland’s Snowdrops

We all need cheering up at this time of the year, with Christmas a memory and cold weather seeming to stretch away forever. In Northumberland we keep our spirits up by enjoying stunning snowdrop displays. The annual Snowdrop Festival at Howick Hall Gardens and Arboretum is well known, with carpets of white tumbling though the gardens and woodlands. Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens also boasts an impressive display whilst new to the club this year is the Alnwick Garden. They’ve planted around 600,000 bulbs around their newly refurbished pond which we’re expecting to look spectacular. Why not join us to enjoy one of February’s greatest sights?