Newcastle Chemfica 2, Hexham 1

For the second time in three away fixtures for Hexham a linesman's flag has caused the day to end in controversy. Yet it started so brightly at the University Sports Ground at Heaton when Hexham took on Newcastle Chemfica.

The weather was perfect and the pitch looked in immaculate condition. Hexham were forced to change their system due to the ever increasing injury list going back to the standard back four.

Neil McDonald was given his first start of the season on the left side of midfield and told to run at the Chemfica defence who would not be expecting his undoubted pace.

Traditional music was on offer at the 57th Hexham Abbey Festival this weekend.

One of the country's oldest festivals, the packed programme included live performances of works by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.

Choral music came from the Newcastle Sinfonietta, while the combined choirs of Hexham Abbey and Newcastle Cathedral, and local folk duo Landermason, also performed.

Heroes and heroines of Northumberland will be celebrated at a special event in one of the county's libraries next month.

National Poetry Day - which is on October 8 - will be marked at Hexham Library by North East poet Keith Armstrong.

He will be reciting several of his poems which are linked to the day's theme, and there will also be an open slot for other local poets to contribute with readings of their work.

Battling villagers have set up their own company in a bid to ensure the survival of the only shop in their rural Northumberland community.

A question mark has hung over the future of the village store in Humshaugh near Hexham since a determined local campaign failed to save its post office counter from closure in January.

Owners Pat and Rob Gray plan to retire and there were fears that the store would close too - leaving villagers facing a six-mile trip to do their shopping.

But now a committee of local people set up to save the business have raised the funds to take over the store as a community-run enterprise.

After many years of trying to secure new facilities for the junior footballers in Hexham that long awaited day has finally arrived. The council has released an official start date for the work to begin.

This is a major investment by the local authorities and the Football Foundation and with tremendous backing from North Country Leisure the club will very soon have facilities to be proud of and a home to welcome all visiting teams.

A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into this project and a lot of fundraising from players and parents over the past few years. Some of the club members have since moved up to senior football but they can be proud of the part they have played in the future prospects of the club.

Following is the official press release from Northumberland County Council:

Despite an early injury to Enya Mason Hexham Under 14 Girls got straight into the match right from the first whistle and took the game to Newbiggin Hall, not giving them any time on the ball and tearing into tackles on their tight pitch.

Hexham quickly got on the score sheet with goals from Kelly Loughhead and Layla Zahawi. Rhiannon Castle then got in on the action with a goal of her own followed by further goals from Loughhead and Zahawi to put Hexham 5-0 up at half time.

After half time a number of players had their chance to score, Roisin Edwards hitting the woodwork on two occasions, one from a well taken direct free-kick that crashed against the cross bar. Georgina Callf also had a great chance to score only to be denied by a last ditch tackle.

Northumberland is the UK's worst blackspot for deaths involving fork lift trucks, new figures have shown.

The county suffers more fork lift-related fatalities per head of its population than anywhere else in the country, according to statistics from the Fork Lift Truck Association.

The Berwick area was home to the most per capita deaths from fork lift truck accidents between 2001 and 2008.

Laden down with 35lb rucksacks and facing knee-deep water, four Northumbrians took part in a gruelling army race to help the Forces' good causes.

Dave Anderson, Martyn Barnes, Andrew Bewick and Mark Seymour took on the Paras 10 endurance race, raising money for The Airborne Forces and Help for Heroes fund.

Left to right: Dave Anderson, Martyn Barnes, Andrew Bewick and Mark Seymour

But they certainly earned the money, taking on deep water in their heavy military boots and running up some killer hills that literally brought them to their knees.

Andrew Bewick, assistant manager at Wentworth Leisure Centre said: "The race was really challenging, but all the team did really well, with two of us finishing in one hour 53 minutes and the other two in two hours and three minutes - well within the three hours time limit".

As the new squash season opens, a Northumberland club is asking for both ex players and beginners to come and give the sport a try.

Hexham Squash Club is holding its open day, which will be an ideal introductory session for anyone wanting to try squash or resurrect forgotten skills.

Everyone is welcome regardless of age or ability and tuition and equipment are provided free of charge. Coaches and club members will be on hand to demonstrate the basics or play a short game.

Savage job losses and service cuts flagged up for Northumberland's new super council over the next four years have been described as a "worst case scenario" by a town hall leader.

Details of the potential cutbacks - which it is claimed could mean up to 3,500 redundancies and draconian service reductions - have emerged from a private briefing session involving senior county council officers and political group leaders.

They depict a gloomy scenario in which the unitary authority could find itself by 2013, and are based on predicted budget reductions totalling £80m.