All posts by Tom-M

Children, Environment

Witton star Scout reports from Norway

Witton Gilbert’s star scout, Joe Keogan, had a great time as an adult volunteer representing the UK in Norway at the European Scout event, Roverway 2024.

Roverway is a gathering of 5,000 Scouts aged 16 – 22 years old, from across Europe and beyond. It was on the beautiful fjord coastline of Lundsneset, Stavanger, from 22 July – 2 August. The trip event included:

  • An expedition across Southern Norway for five days, then
  • An international camp at Stavanger where Scouts engaged in a programme of Scouting activities and skill development, culminating in
  • A ferry trip to visit Copenhagen in Denmark.
  • A special event for the UK contingent (550 Scouts from UK’s four home nations and British Scouting Overseas) in Copenhagen from 2-5 August.

Joe Keogan, aged 23 and from Witton Gilbert, said: “I attended the last Roverway in Netherlands as a participant and I couldn’t wait to come back as an adult volunteer. Norway is amazing. I have been helping to build the site and working in an international team of Scouts has been inspiring.”

Scouts from almost every European nation shared 15 days of adventure, fun, and learning skills for life under theme “North of the Ordinary”.

Roverway helped participants develop independence and resilience by starting with a youth-led five-day expedition across Norway.

Bear Grylls, Chief Scout, said: “A massive congratulations to Joe Keogan who represented the UK at Roverway 2024. Roverway is an amazing opportunity to discover yourself and make new friends, whilst participating in a programme that demonstrates true Scouting spirit by developing skills for life. Everyone involved had the trip of a lifetime in Stavanger. The diversity of people they met reminds us all about what the world has to offer: new cultures and new friends, becoming ever more tolerant and caring about others.”

Scouting in Durham

There are eight Scout groups in the Durham City area according to the local website https://www.durhamcityscouts.org.uk/. Over 70 volunteers support the activities.

Scouts is the world’s largest youth movement Scout groups are divided according to age, including Squirrels (age 4-6), Beavers (6-8), Cuts (8-10.5 years), Scouts (10.5-14), Explorers (14 to 18) and Network (18-25). “Because of the demand for places especially in the younger sections it is not always possible to offer places in a first choice of group. If you are looking for a place please complete the online joining form and we will endeavour to find a space somewhere within the District.”

Scouts was founded on 1 August 1907 and the earliest record of scouting in Durham is from 1910, when there were already six Scout Groups and 140 Scouts.

1st Framwellgate Moor Scouts (https://www.framscouts.org.uk/) and has satellite groups in Sacriston. The local group has been going for some 70 years and is currently thriving with over 200 young people enjoying fun and adventures.

According to the website “We aim to give young people ranging from 4 to 18 years of age the opportunity to build skills for life through our section programmes. We offer new and challenging experiences designed to push the young people out of their comfort zones so they can truly learn and develop whilst also making long lasting friendships.

“Our programmes are designed around young people’s interests and needs in order to ensure they are fun and engaging, so they can get the best out of Scouting, potentially leading to top awards.

“We are an extremely popular group and our numbers are constantly increasing so if you have a young child interested in joining, we encourage you to add them to our waiting list early to ensure they get a place.”

About Scouts

In the UK, The Scout Association supports the 7,000 Scout Groups (www.scouts.org.uk) across the country to provide opportunities to over 444,000 young people aged 4-25 years. More than 587,500 individuals are actively involved in Scouts.

“Put your phone down and what are you left with? Just teamwork, courage and the skills to succeed.”
Bear Grylls, Chief Scout

All genders, races and backgrounds are welcome at Scouts. Every week, it gives almost half a million people the skills they need for school, college, university, the job interview, the important speech, the tricky challenge, and the big dreams: the skills they need for life.  

Over 200 activities are offered by Scouts, from canoeing and caving to coding and community projects, made possible by the efforts of over 163,000 adult volunteers. UK Scouts has over 250 Scout Activity Challenge badges. These require participants to achieve a level of understanding and skill realistic and appropriate to their age range.

Worldwide, Scouts has over 57 million members, both male and female, and operates in nearly every country in the world.

(Photos kindly supplied by Scouts PR, thank-you!)

Breathing Space, Charity, Children, Environment

Woodland Wonders for children in August

The much loved Woodland Wonders children’s activities are back on 6, 7, 8 and 9 August 2024. The activity starts by meeting at St Michael & All Angels Church. This year the theme is ancient Egypt!

The sessions are organised through local charity Breathing Space and all the sessions are led by a Witton Gilbert resident who is a Level 3 Forest school qualified facilitator.

The sessions are free, and optional donations are very welcome. Spaces are very limited – booking in advance is essential see below.

All children under 8 years of age need to be accompanied by an adult. Activities are outdoor and you should dress ready for the weather. No dogs please.

Woodland Wonders can include:

  • Explore the woodland and churchyard
  • Play active outdoor games
  • Discover local wildlife
  • Learn simple green woodwork skills
  • Make crafts from natural materials
  • Listen to stories around the campfire

When and where

  • Tuesday 6 August 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm “Little Wonders” for children aged 2-5 years.
  • Wednesday 7 or Thursday 8 August, 10am-3pm ages 6-12 years.
  • Friday 9 August 10am-3pm. Age 2-12 years. Woodland Wonders with Children’s Hopes and Dreams CHAD local children’s group.

How to book

Book directly at https://www.trybooking.com/uk/eventlist/breathingspace or email info@breathingspace.org.uk.

Places are very limited and booking is essential. All children must be registered using a consent form, which must be completed in advance: “This form will give us the information we need to run the session safely and support all the children, and includes vital information such as emergency contacts, allergies, and photo consent.  Please help us to run safe sessions by completing this form if you intend to bring a child to Woodland Wonders and have not done so this year.”



Community Hall, Environment, Whats On

Join a village clean up on 1 August

Here is a chance to get involved in village activities, make a difference in Witton Gilbert community and show your love for the environment. The clean-up will start from the Witton Gilbert Community Centre (Cooper Hall) on 1 August 2024 and last two hours, from 10am-12 noon.

Clean-up equipment is provided, or bring your own. Refreshments and biscuits are also provided. #litterheroes #nature #WittonGilbert.

For more information, contact Councillor Bev Coult on 07771-840947.

Poster for Witton Gilbert community activity clean-up on 1 August 2025.
Poster for Witton Gilbert community activity clean-up on 1 August 2025.
Charity, Children, Music, Whats On

Wittfest live music this Saturday

UPDATE: After massive success, enjoyment and rain, Wittfest 2025 is already booked for 5 July 2025 and the first 3 bands are lined up. Put it in your diaries.

Coming up this Saturday, 13 July, is Witton Gilbert’s local live music festival, the Wittfest!

It will be at the carpark of the Traveller’s Rest pub.  Doors open at 11am, and first band goes on at 1pm.

Entry is by wristband and tickets are on sale behind the bar at The Travellers Rest pub at £15 each (card or cash) or message John Nixon and Jon Reynolds on Facebook.

Here is the bands line-up for the Wittfest:

1-2pm Lightning Birds

2-4pm The Dee Tees

4-6pm Brit pack

6-8pm Mojoroller 

8-10pm Ha’waysis

Children under 16 are free, although the festival is quite crowded.

The festival raises money for Witton Gilbert’s own community group CHAD Children’s Hopes and Dreams. All of CHAD’s activities are funded through local contributions and events such as the Wittfest.

For more information contact Jon Reynolds or John Nixon via Facebook or the active Witton Gilbert page on Facebook.

Picture credit: Thanks to The Dee Tees for flyer.

Charity, Children

Children’s Hopes and Dreams village group

This is a Witton Gilbert fund-raising organization which supports lots of community and charity activities for children in the village and further afield.

Some of the activities for summer 2024:

  • Free football coaching on the field, usually every Wednesday evening through August.
  • A qualified CrossFit trainer puts on four sessions.
  • Supporting the much loved Woodland Wonders children’s holiday sessions with lunches and other support.

According to Jon Reynolds, one of the organizers: “We put a Halloween party and Christmas party on at the club, all free. We also do other things during the year like the pantomime horse race”. The horse race is an annual event since 2021 and the date is to be confirmed.

Jon added: “Last year we put guitar lessons on and supplied the instruments, but that is yet not confirmed for this year.

“We also designed a programme with suicide prevention charity If U Care Share to go into year 5 in Witton Gilbert Primary School for six weeks to prepare the kids for going to the “big” school. This went down really well with the kids and parents so we are raising money to do this again and want it be a yearly thing. This cost us £3,500 for the first year but will only cost us £2,000 moving forward as it is all designed.”

Children’s hopes and dreams was originally set up nearly 30 years ago in memory of a local serviceman, Michael Stephenson, who was in the Royal Marines and died from a heart embolism at the age of 23 years. Here is a story in the Northern Echo.

Since then they have organized a football tournament in his memory for many years and have continued to raise money for different causes, including the primary school, local playgroups and the Treetops children’s ward, at the University Hospital of North Durham.

Business

WG’s screaming chillis

Screaming Chimp is world-class chilli sauce made in Witton Gilbert – and the first chillis were grown here too.

Cragside resident Niall McKay-Mount said his friend Paul initially gave him some chilli seedings in 2015 when he was suffering from depression: “Grow them mate, they may take your mind off things.”

Niall developed sauce recipes and distributed to family and friends for special events and, in February 2016, trademarked the name Screaming Chimp. He launched operations in June.

The first of many years of awards came in 2017, and in the first three years Niall and Mrs. Chimp Vicky produced 30,000 bottles from the kitchen in Cragside.

In 2019 they outsourced some production – which helped them survive lockdown in 2020 – but Niall told us he still produces limited edition bottles, chimponnaise, chilli peanuts and designs new recipes at home.

After lockdown and arrival of baby Albi Edward, 2021 brought on board new stockists. The Screaming Chimp chilli sauces from the NorthEast are shipped worldwide to Australia , Belgium, Netherlands and the UAE, as well as lots of collaborations with top restaurants, pizza makers, burger shops and other great taste specialists.

Niall spends many of the weekdays in production and marketing at his local business. At weekends he is often on the road to shows to sell sauces, test recipes and meet new customers. The varieties available are:

  • Chimpotle
  • Chilli Oil
  • Chimponnaise
  • Original hot sauce
  • Pineapple
  • Screamer
  • Mon-key Lime
  • Rhubarb, Ginger and Chilli preserve – limited edition this June/July
  • Chilli peanuts

What’s Niall’s advice for budding entrepreneurs in Witton Gilbert? He says: “Be prepared to change, and to pivot your operations” and “listen to advice, but don’t try to follow it all”.

Big events coming up are Windsor Food and Chilli Festival (29-30 June), Seaham Food Festival (3-4 August), North Shields Christmas Market (9-10 December) and many more. They also have regular stands at Hartlepool Marina market once a month and at Jesmond Market.

You can buy Screaming Chimp chilli sauces at:
Broom House Farm (DH7 6TR)
Holmside Farm Fresh (Whiteside Farm, Burnhope, DH7 0DR)
Market Cheese and Deli (Covered Market, Durham DH1 3NJ)
Northern Stores & Deli (Unit 14 Prince Bishops Shopping Centre, Durham DH1 3UJ
Or buy on the website, https://www.screamingchimp.com/.

Hashtags for social media #KeeponChimpin, #staysauceome and #Screamifyouwannagohotter. Screaming Chimp is also on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.

Music, Whats On

Martin McAloon (Prefab Sprout) tour dates

Martin McAloon, formerly bass player of Witton Gilbert’s megastar band the Prefab Sprout, is touring again in 2024. This follows his very successful 2023 tour.

I saw Martin at The Cluny in Newcastle last year and the gig features lots of the Prefab Sprout favourites. His excellent arrangements for guitar amazingly bring the big Sprout sound into just him and his guitar. It was great! It was also fantastic to catch up with him after the show, and get the t-shirt.

According to the tour press release: “Although born with the open road in his blood, Prefab Sprout appear to have had a 40-year aversion to playing live and he hope these new shows “40 YEARS: A VERSION” will address his gigging addiction.

“He’ll be revisiting the repertoire written by his brother Paddy, that stretches back through the classic Prefab Sprout albums: Swoon, Steve McQueen, Protest Songs, Langley Park to Memphis, Jordan: The Comeback, Let’s Change the World With Music, Andromeda Heights, The Gunman and Other Stories, I Trawl The Megahertz, and Crimson / Red.

“Expect all the hits and pared-back acoustic versions of Prefab Sprout’s most beloved songs, along with some storytelling and the opportunity to meet Martin after the show.”

Live shows in the North East include:

  • 16 August – O2 City Hall in Newcastle, where he is opening act for top electronic producer Thomas Dolby. Get your ticket here. (Martin is opening for all the tour)
  • 15 December – The Cluny Newcastle, a friendly venue where you get to see Martin up close. This one sold out last year – get your ticket here.
  • See all the tour gigs below, including the Irish concerts in October.

Here is Martin McAloon’s website with all his tour dates, including the first tour to Ireland after 25 years.

Here is our #PrefabSprout page, linking back to an excellent 2017 post on the wonderful Sproutology website. It gives detailed description of the layout, activities and local memories of the McAloon garage on both sides of Front Street, when it was run by Tommy McAloon,. No doubt many in Witton Gilbert village remember it.

Here is an old Guardian article where Paddy McAloon and Thomas Dolby remember working together on the album Steve McQueen and playing and composing music in Witton Gilbert village and in Consett and London.

Martin McAloon of Prefab Sprout music tour 2024
Martin McAloon of Prefab Sprout from Witton Gilbert village music tour 2024
Music, Whats On

Wittfest music festival early-bird tickets tomorrow 18 May

Witton Gilbert’s own music festival is coming up on Saturday 13 July, the annual Wittfest. It is held at the lovely Traveller’s Rest pub.

Entry is by wristband and the early-bird price £10 wristbands are on sale tomorrow, 18 May from 2pm-5pm, only at the Traveller’s Rest. After tomorrow they are £15 each. Traveller’s Rest is also having a bottomless brunch tomorrow.

Here is the line-up for the Witfest, with bands all afternoon and evening from 12:30pm – 10pm:

Children under 16 are free, although the festival is quite crowded.

For more information contact Jon Reynolds, John Rooney or John Nixon via the very active Witton Gilbert page on Facebook.

Parish Council

Great website for Witton Gilbert Parish Council – AGM coming up on 13 May

Congratulations to Witton Gilbert Parish Council and the team for the beautiful website they created. You can find it here https://wittongilbertparishcouncil.uk/.

Go to the website for news of their activities, decisions and work for the community. You can find details of the council meeting agendas and minutes. With the latest minutes being for the March meeting.

Next Monday 13 May is the Annual General Meeting and will be at Witton Gilbert Community Centre. There are actually two meetings: The Annual Meeting of the Parish will be held at 6.30 p.m. which is fairly procedural. Then at 6.35 pm comes the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council.

Residents of the village are welcome to attend meetings of the Parish Council. They may speak on any agenda item at the discretion of the chairman but they may not vote.

If you want a copy of the agenda for the AGM, have a look here.