GUYZANCE BRIDGE

Guyzance Bridge has been chosen as the main logo for the website as it symbolizes the very ideals and qualities we are aiming to achieve in creating this resource.

Guyzance Bridge.....

•  is at the heart of our parish

•  links the northern and
    southern areas of our
    parish which are divided by
    the River Coquet

•  aids communication
    between the two villages
    in our parish - Acklington
    and Guyzance

•  is strong, reliable, stylish
    and supportive

•  is used frequently and
    serves our parish well



We hope, given time, that this website will be regarded as having qualities to match those of Guyzance Bridge.

Above all, we will strive to ensure that Acklington Parish Website always serves our community well.



The above view (courtesy of Deljen Photography) from Guyzance Bridge is one of the most picturesque views in our parish.
 

RAILWAY INN

The Railway Inn has been newly refurbished.  It is now open every day.

FOOD is served from:
12-2pm  6-9pm  Mon to Fri
         All Day      Sat & Sun
Serving home cooked food by owner chef....
...using local produce.

REAL CHIPS, REAL ALE,
AND A REAL FIRE



REGULAR EVENTS INCLUDE:

   ACOUSTIC UNPLUGGED 1st Monday of each month
   from 8.00pm

   LUNCH CLUB - every Tuesday from 12 - 2.00pm

   QUIZ NIGHTS - every Tuesday at 9.00pm
   
   STEAK NIGHTS - every Wednesday from £20 per
   couple - including glass of house wine

   DOMINO NIGHTS - every Thursday from 8.00pm

   SINGLES NIGHTS - 2nd Monday of each month

   NORTHUMBRIAN MUSIC NIGHTS - 3rd Monday of
   each month from 8.00pm 

DID YOU KNOW ?

This tree (situated in the NE corner of the playing field at Acklington First School) is very special.  Not only is it a Black Poplar, which is fairly rare in this part of the country, but it is more than likely the oldest thing living in our parish.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Black Poplar can grow up to one hundred feet tall, and appears in many of Constable's paintings, including the Hay Wain.

The Black Poplar is one of Britain's rarest native trees and it is also one of the most endangered.  Without  active conservation the Black Poplars could soon become extinct in this country.
 

DID YOU KNOW ?

The above photograph entitled "A Walk Across The Fields Behind Acklington" was taken by keen photographer Michael Denholm (pictured below).

DID YOU KNOW?

Michael Denholm's parents (Ken & Margaret) live in Acklington Village. 

Michael is building an impressive portfolio and more of his work can be viewed by clicking on the website link below:
www.flickr.com/
photos/michaeldenholm
 

DID YOU KNOW ?

The RAF Station at Acklington played a major part in the history of our parish and indeed the history of the country. 



DID YOU KNOW?

The first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil was shot down in 1940 by pilots from RAF Acklington.

For more information press the HISTORY button on the menu bar above and then visit the RECENT HISTORY page.
 

VILLAGE HALL HIRE

The Hall is available for hire seven days a week for fund-raising events, private hire, social events, etc. 
The fee is £8 per hour.

 Further information about bookings can be obtained from Alison Sharpe on
01670 761451
 

CHECK THE CALENDAR

You can always see what activities, events and meetings are planned to take place in the parish during the coming months by clicking the CALENDAR button on the menu bar at the very top of this page.

TOKENS FOR SCHOOL

You can always help the village school by collecting various vouchers and tokens throughout the year.

There was a marvellous response last year and, with your help, the staff and pupils at Acklington School managed to exchange their vouchers for much needed equipment in several subject areas.  This year we are particularly asked to look out for:

Nestle Cereal Box Top
Tokens


Flora Cooking Tokens


Tesco Schools & Clubs Vouchers


Sainsbury's Active Kids Vouchers


The school is also collecting unwanted mobile phones and ink cartridges, as well as used postage stamps.

All the above items can be popped into the school's black post box at the school door or dropped off at 4 Churchill Way, Acklington.
 

SEND US YOUR PICTURES

WEBSITE INFORMATION

This website is maintained by members of Acklington Community Team (ACT).



The picture below shows a group of parishioners enjoying an evening website training session led by website designer Brett Grieves.  The training took place in Acklington School and was funded by ACT.



Any feedback or constructive criticism of this website would be very much welcomed.  Also any contributions (news, parish information, articles, stories, photographs, etc.) which could be included on the website would also be gratefully received.

To make contact, press the CONTACT US button on the menu at the top of this page and follow the links.
 

Welcome to
Acklington Parish Website

This website has been designed to provide a central source of information for Acklington Parish.

You are visitor number :

WEATHER FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS

A three-day forecast for the parish of Acklington.
3rd September      4th September      5th September

ALIVE IN ACKLINGTON

It was so good to have a group of young Christians from across the Diocese helping our community on Saturday 21st August.  The young people were staying at a hostel in Seahouses as part of a Newcastle Diocese Youth Event entitled “Staying Alive 2010”.

The programme for the event (which included worship, workshops, team competitions and community projects) was all based around the theme taken from Jeremiah 29:11 - “God has a plan for you”. The youngsters certainly worked hard and seemed to enjoy their activities. A group of them are pictured above outside the Parish Curch of St John The Divine, Acklington, having just spent a couple of hours intensively cleaning the interior of the building. We are very grateful for their help and support.  So often young people get bad press these days and the good stories don’t make the news…. so thank you again to this team and their supervisors, their efforts were greatly appreciated!

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

SEEING RED

TRACTOR CHARITY EVENING RESULT

PARISH PICTURE OF THE MONTH

This month's parish picture is an old photograph of Guyzance Mill which was taken by Miss Betty Anderson of Belford W.I.  Sadly the colours may be faded and the photograph is not dated, but it is still a stunning picture.
 

FITTING FAREWELL TO POPULAR PARISHIONER

JUNE BECOMES A DEACON

ADAM'S FANTASTIC PHOTOSTREAM

CALLING ALL STEAM TRAIN ENTHUSIASTS

A PLEA TO MOTORISTS....

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH OUR PARISH


 

SCRAPPING OF PLAYGROUND PLANS IS A BLOW TO ACKLINGTON YOUNGSTERS

The following article is from the Newcastle Journal - 22/7/2010

HUNDREDS of children and parents in Northumberland, including many from Acklington, have been left bitterly disappointed after plans to spend £441,000 on transforming play facilities were shelved on Government orders.

Youngsters in 13 towns and villages across the county were set to get new or upgraded play areas in the latest round of funding from the national Playbuilder programme.  Now all of the projects have been put on hold because of the coalition Government’s need to reduce public expenditure and cut the national deficit.

The embargo has come as a bitter blow to parents in Acklington, who have been working for a year on plans to build an accessible and safe play area for the village’s youngsters. Work was due to start within weeks on the scheme, which involves an adventure-style playground with earth mounds, tunnels and facilities like a pirates’ hideout to encourage role-playing.

Yesterday villager Liz Newton, 46, whose daughter Katie, 10, is one of those who would use the playground, said: “This is an enormous blow for us and the children who have been involved in the process. We are now having to say that it might not happen. Acklington is not a location that attracts this kind of grant and we were absolutely amazed and delighted to get the Playbuilder funding. There is nowhere in the village for our kids to play independently and safely and this scheme would have put that right.”

The DfE has said it will cover the cost of spending already incurred for completed sites, and sites where ground works or building has already stared.

Yesterday Councillor Jim Smith, Northumberland County Council executive member for customer relations and culture, said "Supporting community-led play projects would remain a priority, but Government funding was required to pay for it.  A great deal of time and effort has been put into developing these schemes, the expectations of the children have been raised and the groups are relying on this money. We are extremely disappointed by the latest news on the play capital fund, and we will do everything we can to try to secure necessary funding.”
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PUPILS HELP OPEN ACKLINGTON FARM SHOP

The following article is from the Newcastle Journal - 11/6/2010

A farm shop and cafe has opened in Northumberland in a diversification project.

Cavil Head Farm near Acklington village received over £177,000 through One North East's Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) programme to transform redundant buildings on the site as part of a long-term aim to create a leisure and holiday centre in rural Northumberland.

The new shop has created 12 jobs and features an on-site butcher, ice-cream parlour, coffee shop and large children's play area.
Around 30 local businesses are being supported through sale of locally-grown products.

Pupils from Acklington First School attended the official opening.

The farm was bought by the owners of Warkworth Farm and is a working tenanted arable site.

Manager Neil Cox said: "We are thrilled to see the farm shop open as we start to transform it into a small leisure and holiday centre."



Pictured from left with Acklington pupils: Effie Fenton, head teacher of Acklington First School, Andy Dean of Northumberland County Council, One North East's Adrian Sherwood and teaching assistant Susan Smith.
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TYCOON TAKES BLAME FOR VENUE BLUNDER

The following article is from the Newcastle Journal - 31/5/2010

 A MILLIONAIRE businessman who owns three country mansions in Northumberland has been using one as an upmarket wedding and party venue without planning permission, it has emerged.

Robert Parker – who made his fortune running and then selling a chain of old people’s homes – has bought Guyzance Hall, near Acklington, Eshott Hall, near Felton, and Doxford Hall, north of Alnwick, over the last three years.


PLANNING OVERLOOKED
Robert Parker (right) pictured with Brian Burnie at the handing over of ownership of Doxford Hall.

Now he has fallen foul of the planning rules after it emerged that he has been operating Guyzance Hall as a function venue without getting the required consent from the county council.

The unauthorised use of the 19th Century grade II-listed Guyzance Hall for weddings and anniversary and birthday parties was discovered when planning officials were alerted to adverts on the Guyzance Hall website last year.

Mr Parker – who says he bought the property as a second home for himself and his wife Gina – was forced to submit an application for retrospective planning permission to combine the residential use of the hall with its use as a commercial venture.



Later this week county councillors will be recommended by officers to approve his application, despite opposition from Acklington Parish Council and 21 letters of objection from local residents.

Opponents cite extra traffic on inadequate local roads, noise disturbance from functions and opening times at the hall among their reasons for objecting. Mr Parker, an Anglican clergyman who is still active in the church, spends most of his time at the family’s Tedsmore country estate in Shropshire. He bought the 800-acre Guyzance Hall Estate from the Milburn family in March 2008.

Concerns about its use came to the attention of planning officials early last year, and Mr Parker was advised that he would have to seek retrospective permission to market it as a venue for weddings and private parties.

A report to the north area planning committee on Thursday says the council was in a ‘difficult position’ on taking enforcement action on residents’ concerns as people had booked the hall for weddings in good faith throughout 2009 and into this year. A recent function held at the hall resulted in a number of complaints to the council from locals about noise disturbance from music coming from a marquee.

The report to the committee says it is ‘particularly disappointing’ that unauthorised events have been held at the hall, which have been booked by Mr Parker without any planning permission in place. However, officers say the change of use can be supported if backed by conditions limiting the number of events to 25 a year, limiting guest numbers to 150, ending functions at midnight and controlling noise, including a ban on the use of outdoor marquees.

Planning consultants Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, who are acting as agents for Mr Parker, say the dual use is required to make the hall and estate viable. Weddings and other functions are helping to bridge a gap between the previous income and the £120,000 annual running costs of the estate.
Yesterday Mr Parker conceded that his failure to seek permission for the dual use of the hall had left him ‘with egg on my face’.

“When my wife and I fell in love with Guyzance Hall we decided we would like it to be a residence and live there part of the time,” he said.
“We also thought it would be a perfect venue for special events like weddings.”

He said because the hall has a large ballroom and had been used for events such as the hunt ball in the past, he believed there was an established use.
“Quite wrongly, and I am to blame, I believed we didn’t need planning consent for that. When the planners came to hear of it they said sorry, but we did need permission. We will have to wait and see how the planning committee feels but I believe we have now gone through all the required hoops.”

Mr and Mrs Parker recently bought Doxford Hall from millionaire North East philanthropist Brian Burnie.

He has ambitious plans for the hotel, which include achieving AA red stars and making it Northumberland’s first Michelin Star restaurant

---------------------------------

POLICE APPEAL AFTER TRIO OF THEFTS

POLICE are appealing for information after plant and building equipment were stolen in the Morpeth, Acklington and Callerton areas.

Between 4pm Friday 28 May and 7.45am Tuesday June 1 thieves broke into a waste management site in Callerton. They stole two grinders from inside a secure container.

Between 10.30am and 4pm on Tuesday, June 1, thieves broke into a storage building
in the Acklington area and stole two Leica laser levels, a Cat hydraulic breaker, two wacker vibrating plates, a Nixon power washer, a diesel bowser, a Graham Edwards trailer, hand tools, an amount of diesel, two portable fuel pumps and an angle grinder.

Between 8.50pm Monday, May 31 and 9am Tuesday June 1 thieves broke into a secure outbuilding in Clifton Lane, Morpeth.

DCI Colin Green of Northumberland Area Command said: "There has been a lot of high value equipment stolen. We are carrying out enquiries both here in Northumberland and with other police forces to trace equipment and track down those responsible for these thefts. We believe these incidents could be connected and we are keeping an open mind.

"Anyone who witnesses any of these incidents or believes they may know the whereabouts of any of the stolen goods are asked to contact police on 03456 043 043 ext 69191
or independent charity Crimestoppers on
0800 555 111.

"We advise people to mark their belongings and ensure vehicles, sheds and homes are locked when unattended."

---------------------------------

FALLEN HEROES REMEMBERED



The following article was featured in the Northumberland Gazette (03/04/2010)


Air Vice-Marshal Sandy Hunter unveils the memorial plaque
and lays a wreath

A GRANITE memorial plaque to commemorate fallen airmen based at a Northumberland RAF station during the Second World War has finally been unveiled, more than 60 years after their heroic efforts took place.

The base at Acklington opened in 1938 and during the war it was an active fighter station protecting the industrial areas of Tyneside and Teeside.  Many famous squadrons and airmen of various nationalities were stationed there, and it continued to house a fighter base, flying training school and a search and rescue unit long after 1945.  But following its closure in 1972, the area was used for opencast coal extraction and is now the site of a prison and a young offenders institution.

The only remaining sign of the station's role during the war since then has been 42 gravestones in nearby Chevington Cemetery.



Now, after a concerted effort by campaigners, a memorial has been created there to remember those who put their lives on the line during Britain's darkest hour against the Luftwaffe.

Air Vice-Marshal Sandy Hunter (retired), who learned to fly at RAF Acklington, unveiled the plaque and RAF Padre Paul Rennie conducted prayers of dedication and the blessing.




Also present was Group Captain Phil Cox, Station Commander at RAF Boulmer, along with dignitaries from Commonwealth Air Forces, veterans from the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA) and Northumberland county councillors.  All paid their respects by laying wreaths, while Air Cadets from 1110 Squadron based in Ashington planted poppy crosses and saluted as the 42 names were read out.  RAF Boulmer's Sea King helicopter, trailing the RAF Ensign, did a flypast and station personnel went on parade.

Group Captain Cox said, "It was wonderful to see Acklington remembered in full and in fine style. We must never forget the sacrifice of those who flew and fought and Sunday's ceremony and the memorial, which was unveiled, will remain a lasting tribute to the airmen that served RAF Acklington. My congratulations to the newly formed cadets of 1110 Squadron Ashington, their turnout and drill was quite exceptional." RAFA members and personnel from RAF Boulmer raised £2,000 for the memorial plaque.



Newcastle RAFA chairman Sydney Graham said: "Members are pleased that 65 years after the end of the Second World War, RAF Acklington and its brave airmen will no longer be forgotten." Local county councillor, Glen Sanderson, said: "There has never been a proper memorial in the cemetery and I was very proud to be involved. The RAFA has done a tremendous amount of hard work to leave a fitting tribute to these few brave men."



By clicking on the following link you can see a video relating to RAF Acklington and the memorial.