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IT will be a summer of celebration as a community marks 150 years of the landmark Matfen Spire.

All of the stops are being pulled out for the occasion with a series of events officially launched at the weekend.

The Bishop of Newcastle, the Rt Rev Martin Wharton, attended the festivities at Holy Trinity Church in Matfen, near Hexham, Northumberland, yesterday for a special service of Choral Evensong.

The musical service was the first in a string of events planned over the coming months to celebrate the spire standing tall for 150 years.

The anniversary marks the end of a year of restoration work at the church which cost £42,000.

Churches are places traditionally associated with praying and celebration.

And there could be plenty of both at one Northumberland church over the coming weeks after it announced plans to show England's World Cup matches in a bid to get footie fans into its pews.

Trinity Methodist Church at Hexham will be showing games on a big screen, taking the opportunity to also hold a number of World Cup-themed services and also to raise money for a charity in South Africa, where the tournament is being staged.

People wanting to lead a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle are being invited to a green energy fair.

The Tynedale Green Energy Fair, organised by Transition Tynedale and Tynedale Greenpeace, will give people more information on eco living.

Suppliers of biomass boilers, photovoltaic panels and wind turbines will be on site along with the Energy Saving Trust.

The event takes place Trinity Methodist Church Hall, Hexham on Saturday May 15th from 10am to 4pm.

A series of debates is planned in Hexham.

The Hexham Debates were founded in 2007 by the Hexham Quaker Meeting and attracts audiences of between 100 and 250. It is currently in its third series with further debates planned for early 2010.

All debates take place on Saturdays from 11am to 12.30pm at St Mary's Centre, St Mary's RC Church, Hencotes. The first is on January 16 on the subject 'Britain and Afghanistan: is it worth it? Is it winnable?'

Thousands across the North East will wear their poppies with pride this weekend as sombre events are held to mark Remembrance Day.

In Hexham, soldiers from 39 Regiment Royal Artillery will be marching through the town from 10.15am, as they celebrate their Freedom of the Town.

Some 100 soldiers will make up the march in addition to servicemen from the Royal Navy and TA, and the parade will be followed by a memorial at Fusilier Gate and a service at Hexham Abbey.

Full details of Remembrance Day events around the region »

One-man choir David Nichol is celebrating 70 years of singing at his Northumberland church.

The former British Telecom engineer joined his parish church choir on October 1, 1939, aged eight, when it boasted an ensemble of 36 choristers.

But numbers have dwindled since then, and since 1977 his has been the sole voice raised to the heavens.

Hundreds of people packed a Northumberland abbey to pay their final respects to a father and daughter killed in a sailing accident.

Nearly 700 people were inside Hexham Abbey yesterday for the funeral of Geoffrey and Victoria Wilkinson, of Kirkwhelpington, who were killed in the tragedy at Kielder Water earlier this month.

Jack Wilkinson, Geoffrey's son and Victoria's brother, paid his own tribute, describing their special, close, father-daughter relationship and adding "they are still keeping each other excellent company".

Choirs are performing a series of concerts in Northumberland this month.

Cappella Novocastriensis will play at St Cuthbert's Church, Norham, on June 13 from 8pm and at Holy Cross Church, Haltwhistle, on June 14 from 8pm. Tickets are available from Windows music store in Newcastle, at the door, or on the internet at www.wegottickets.com online.

Meanwhile, Newcastle Bach Choir is singing in Hexham Abbey on June 20, from 7.30pm and tickets are available from Newcastle tourist information centre, JG Windows and Hexham Abbey Shop.

A choirmaster is doing a 30-mile run to raise money for young singers. Michael Stoddart will run from Hexham Abbey in Northumberland to St Nicholas' Cathedral, Newcastle, where he is organist and director of music.

He will visit eight churches en route - Hexham Abbey, St Andrew's in Corbridge, St James' in Riding Mill, St Peter's in Bywell, St Mary's in Ovingham, St Mary Magdalene in Prudhoe, St Oswin's in Wylam and St Michael's and All Angels in Newburn.