Christians Against Poverty, the national debt-counselling charity, is running special courses in Morpeth throughout this year to help struggling families keep their heads above water.

Delivered through the town's Baptist Church, the sessions will teach good money management skills and give budgeting tips and overall advice on how to limit spending.

Street and supermarket collections held in Morpeth at the weekend raised more than £2,000 for the Disaster Emergency Committee's Haiti appeal.

The collections were organised by the town's Lions, Rotary, Round Table and Red Cross organisations.

Five voluntary service organisations in Morpeth will hold a collection in the town's streets, and its Morrisons and Marks & Spencer stores tomorrow.

Morpeth Lions, Rotary, Round Table and Soroptimist clubs have joined forces with the local Contact mental health organisation, and the town's churches, on the fundraising event.

Certificates were awarded at an event in the Queen's Head Hotel to recognise how the community worked together to respond to flooding last year.

They were given to representatives of the former Castle Morpeth Borough Council, Morpeth Flood Action Group, and the Methodist, New Life and Roman Catholic Churches.

Morpeth's Rotary and Lions Clubs were also praised for spearheading the charity campaign.

On Wednesday February 17th we look forward to a music group of undergraduates from Cambridge University led by Rachel Stroud (Violin) who gave us a splendid recital last year.

On Wednesday March 17th a group of Year 12 & 13 students from King Edward VI School in Morpeth will be performing music for Tenor Voice, Cello, Trombone and Violin.

Details of the April concert on 14th are not yet finalised.

All concerts are from 12.30 to 1.30 pm. Tickets £3.00 at the door.

Evening Concert
On Saturday 6th February we again welcome a return visit from the Felling Male Voice Choir. This concert will commence at 7.00 pm and we expect a "full house" for this splendid choir.

Joining St Aidan's will be a young lady violinist from Newminster Middle School and a group of four young ladies from KEVI, an Oboist, a Soprano- also playing Oboe and two Flautists singing and playing a selection of seasonal music.

As usual at the December concert non-alcoholic mulled wine with shortbread as well as the usual tea and coffee will be available free of charge. Admission to the concert is £3.00 and tickets may be obtained at the door. Come along, join the fun & bring your sandwiches!

Morpeth's Remembrance Sunday service and parade will be held on November 8.

The parade will start at 10.35am at Morpeth Town Hall and make its way to the cenotaph on Castle Bank for the wreath laying ceremony and service at 10.55am.

The Watson Family gave a varied and entertaining programme of music ranging from Lloyd Webber & the Beatles to Clementi & Mendelssohn. Mum & Dad, Julia & Geoff and their teenage children Jenni & Chris sang and played a variety of instruments including cello, violin, guitar, piano, organ, trumpet & trombone. This talented family have raised thousands of pounds for this charity and have personal experience of cancer with all its implications. Geoff is currently undergoing his third series of chemotherapy.

A message of sincere thanks has been received from the HQ of the Trust to the St George's Lunchtime Concert supporters.

The River City Jazzmen will top the bill on Saturday, with other top bands and musicians also taking to the stage in the concert.

Tickets are £8 and are available from Ron Matthews on (01670) 789407 or Edna Beveridge on (01670) 714626.

It was a family occasion for Rosie Swan, of Morpeth, who was joined by her dad Steve to perform music from the likes of Simon and Garfunkel, Johnny Cash and James Taylor at Morpeth Methodist Church on Saturday night.

The King Edward VI School student has been coming up with ideas to bring in money since she was chosen by the Project Trust in April to be part of a group which will spend a year in Uganda working in a primary school.

St George's United Reformed Church has something for everyone this Autumn as it swings back into action with a full programme of events following its refurbishment after last year's flooding.

The ever popular Northumbrian Ranters, a group of 40 plus young people from throughout the County and based at Morpeth, will begin the season with a concert this Saturday 12th September at 7.00pm.

The event, held in the Church Hall in Bridge Street will take place on Saturday 3rd October from 10am - 1pm and is one of the major fundraising events in the organisation's calendar.

Stalls will include bric-a-brac, jewellery, toys, raffles, books, crafts, cakes & jams, tombola, toiletries, plants, music and the usual bargain stand.

There will also be a café serving light lunches, tea, coffee and home-made biscuits.

All are welcome. Entrance will be 30p and for more information contact Stephanie Robson on (01670) 511507.

In that time the church building has been transformed from a traditional interior to provide community-based facilities which have proved very popular with local groups.

His final service on Sunday will be followed by a farewell lunch in the church hall. Mr Harbour's successor will be the Rev Paul Cleever Thorpe.

The impressive copper beech has stood in the grounds of St Robert's Roman Catholic Church and the adjacent first school of the same name, in Oldgate, Morpeth, for more than 150 years.

Staff and parents from St Robert's RC First School in Morpeth, plus many parishioners, are upset at the decision to fell the landmark copper beech, believed to be 150 years old

The school uses the tree in its official logo and it has been a popular sight for local parishioners, many of whom are very sorry to see it go.

The church beat off competition from scores of others throughout the country and one of the things that impressed the judges was the way it had embraced the computer age.

Rev Colin Gough with young Stannington parishioners

Since 2003 the church has undergone a massive facelift, made possible by fundraising of £314,087.