Opportunities for visitors to live the wild life at Kielder Water & Forest Park will be created with the support of new funding of more than £330,000 made possible by National Lottery players.At the end of 2015, an initial Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £17,700 was handed to the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust to develop its ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ project. This has now been followed with an additional £336,300 from HLF.The project will help create “nature hubs” to allow people to experience and learn about the area’s special animals and plants. This will be complemented by a year-round events and activity programme.The Trust will create wildlife trails from Stonehaugh, Falstone and Greenhaugh villages with support from the local community. It will also work with businesses to increase take-up of the events and activities, while wildlife ambassadors and volunteers will inspire and engage with visitors.Lynn Turner, Director of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, said: “The wildlife that lives within Kielder Water & Forest Park is incredibly diverse and impressive, so the creation of an increasing array of opportunities for people to experience and learn about the species and habitats is fantastic.“The awarding of this new support from the Heritage Lottery Fund is wonderful news for the ‘Living Wild At Kielder’ project. With this enhanced offering for nature lovers, alongside the largest man made lake in northern Europe and England’s largest working forest, the attraction of Kielder as a destination for visitors goes from strength to strength.“The park is already well known for walking and cycling, as well as its Dark Skies status. This funding adds even more, with different experiences to be had throughout the year.”As part of ‘Living Wild at Kielder’, there are plans to improve visitor interpretation boards and support the long-term protection of the Park’s wildlife, particularly at Bakethin Nature Reserve which provides an important sanctuary for local plants, birds and other wildlife. The Trust will be working alongside Newcastle University School of Architecture students to create a new wildlife hide and visitor welcome point at Bakethin.New nature trails are planned around Kielder Castle, linking to Kielder Salmon Centre and there will be a new wildlife themed exhibiton at Tower Knowe Visitor Centre.The award-winning Park is home to England’s largest red squirrel population and in 2009, ospreys returned to the area following an absence of more than 200 years in Northumberland.Nick Mason, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Development Manager said “We are delighted that money raised by National Lottery players is going to help us bring nature and people closer together at Kielder, adding to the significant attractions of the Forest Park.”Ivor Crowther, Head of HLF North East, said: “Kielder Water and Forest Park is already a popular attraction in Northumberland and this project provides a fantastic opportunity for thousands of visitors to venture further into the park and experience the incredible natural heritage it has to offer.“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ will have a transformational and lasting legacy for Kielder’s visitors and wildlife.”Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency will help deliver the project with the Trust, with the support of Northumberland National Park Authority and Newcastle University.

iBikeRide have announced today the start of the campaign to find the top UK trails and bike parks of 2016. Now in it's 4th year the Trail of the Year campaign will decide the top trails through rider ratings and reviews on the iBikeRide site.Kielder Mountain Bike Trail at Kielder Water & Forest Park is representing Northumberland. You can vote for them by leaving your review here.Daniel Mintz, Director of iBikeRide.com said "The Trail of the Year campaign exists to give credit and publicity back to the most deserving trails and bike parks in the UK and more importantly give recognition to the local trail communities, organisations and businesses that make them the successes they are. We invite all riders to come share your experiences."This year the Trail of the Year campaign is sponsored by some great brands like BikePark Wales (last years winner), East Coast Adventure, Dirt Factory, One Planet Adventure and many more. Thanks to these sponsors, iBikeRide are offering riders the opportunity to win some amazing prizes. Every rating and review written enters a prize raffle that will will drawn on New Years day and the more trails you rate and review the more chance you have of winning.Dan Makin, Dirt Factory Director, said: "We are delighted to support the iBikeRide Trail of the Year 2016. The UK has some fantastic trails in all regions and the quality of riding on offer seems to get better year on year. With the iBikeRide Trail of the Year award, the mountain bike community can vote on and celebrate their favorite riding destinations. Get riding and then get voting!"Martin Astley, Director, BikePark Wales is quoted as saying "The iBikeride.com trail of the year awards mean a lot to us at BikePark Wales as the winner is chosen by the riding public. We've been thrilled to win categories the last couple of years."Jennifer Cumming, Director East Coast Adventure in Northern Ireland said "East Coast Adventure is delighted to be involved with iBikeRide. Our Mountain Bike Centre in Rostrevor offers xc and downhill trails to all levels of riders. With the addition of our Glamping Pods it gives our customers a seamless mountain bike/Glamping holiday experience. Rostrevor MTB trails are the home training grounds for Irish DH champs in both Juvenile, Youth, junior women & womens' categories. We're keen to see more visitors to the area and do everything we can to assist our visitors and ensure they want to come back again and again."

There’s a fabulous treat in store for fans of classic cars at Woodhorn, as the Northumberland museum hosts its first event celebrating the iconic mini motorcar.Tynemouth Mini Club will be presenting The Geordie Job at Woodhorn on Sunday 7th August and minis of all kinds will be coming from far and wide to take part. Organisers are expecting everything from the original 1960 Mark 1 mini to mini vans, pick-ups and estates, 1980s and 1990s Mini Coopers and limited editions, even the Mini Moke.It may almost 60 years since the first car rolled off the production line, but the car has a very special place in the hearts of most people and is in fact recognised as the world’s favourite small car. Visitors will be able to find out more about the history of this enduring British icon from the early days right up to today’s BMW versions.One of the special things about the mini is the endless variety of vehicles with many cars customised or personalised. The cars heading to Woodhorn will of course include vehicles lovingly restored to pristine show room condition, but visitors will also be able to see those still needing a little tlc to bring them back to their former glory.Visitors can see the vast array of minis at the museum from 11am – 5pm, but anyone wanting to take part in the event with their own mini should get in contact in advance with the event organisers, Tynemouth Mini Club. For more information visit http://www.tynemouthminiclub.co.uk/

The Kielder ospreys have had their most successful ever breeding season this year since they first began nesting at Kielder Water & Forest Park in 2009.Nine chicks have already fledged, beating 2014’s record of eight, with a further two more birds expected to take their first flights within the next week.First to fledge was the chick ringed Y1 on 13 July from the nest known as 1A. Over the course of the following five days, his brother and two sisters also flew for the first time. Since then, three birds have fledged from Nest 2 and two from Nest 3, bringing the total to nine. Two further juveniles are expected to fledge from Nest 4 shortly. Philip Spottiswood, Forestry Commission Wildlife Manager, said: “We are all delighted that 2016 has been a record breaking year for Kielder’s ospreys, the young birds will help to ensure that this once rare species continues to recover in England. Thanks goes to the Forestry Commission’s Wildlife Rangers who have done so much to ensure prime nesting sites are available in Kielder Water and Forest Park.”Despite this great success, in the face of some challenging weather conditions earlier on in the season, this year has not been incident free. Sadly, the third juvenile to fledge from Nest 1A - the eldest Y0 - has not been seen since she first left the nest on 15 July. The area around the nest was searched without success and it is unclear what has happened to her. The first year of an osprey’s life is always challenging, not least because it includes a solo migration to (mainly) Africa from late August onwards.Visitors can still watch the birds on Nest 1A through a nest camera broadcasting at Kielder Castle Café at the Forestry Commission’s Kielder Castle Visitor Centre and Northumbrian Water’s Leaplish Waterside Park. Fans of the famous birds can also keep up to date with them by checking the blog at https://kielderospreys.wordpress.com/The Osprey Watch is organised by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with support from the RSPB. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site. To find out more, go to www.visitkielder.com

There’s plenty to occupy all ages during the summer holidays at South Tynedale Railway. Trains will be running every day from 16 July until 1 September and we’ve added some extra activities for the kids!Each Monday we’re inviting families to ‘pramble’ (amble with your pram) along the South Tyne Trail adjoining the railway track. As you enjoy the view your little ones can try to spot our Treasure Hunt clues. Having reached Kirkhaugh, or even Lintley Halt station, climb aboard the train to make the return journey in comfort - don’t forget to buy single tickets from the shop at Alston station before leaving - and enjoy a refreshing drink on production of that ticket.On Superhero Tuesdays there will be a competition inviting children young and old to create their own Railway Superhero. What should they be called? What should they wear? What railway superpowers should they have? We’re looking forward to your creative endeavours and there will be a prize!‘Storytime’ for younger visitors is each holiday Tuesday at 11.45 and 3.30 in the Discovery Centre – superhero fancy dress not obligatory but would add to the fun!The Discovery Centre screens will also be the place to learn about superhero pioneers of early railways, such as George Stephenson, as well as our own volunteer superheroes at South Tynedale Railway. Added to this will be shown a fascinating visual recreation of early steam engines.Oh, and quizzes … everyone loves a quiz so we’ve created easy (for kids?) and hard (for parents?) versions to test your railway knowledge … can you become our “Quiz Superhero”?There’s plenty to fill a summer day at the South Tynedale Railway with train rides to take in our beautiful North Pennine scenery, an ice-cream from the gift shop, a spot of lunch at the Buffer Stop Café (or a picnic take-away) and the Discovery Centre display telling the tale of “Life on the Line – the rise and fall and rise again of a rural railway”.

A celebration of art and architecture in Northumberland has seen the unveiling of 11 new installations at Kielder.The launch of London-based Fiona Curran’s “The grass seemed darker than ever” – an artistic response to the history of Kielder Castle – also saw the introduction of ten temporary installations created by Fine Art students at Newcastle University.Located only 600m from Kielder Castle, “The grass seemed darker than ever” features more than 350 individually painted fence palings encircling a section of the forest floor, now painted black.The piece is inspired by the history of enclosure of the English landscape, reflecting, in particular, the Black Act of the 18th Century. This Act enabled the death sentence to be passed on people suspected of poaching on the newly-enclosed land, or those found in the forest with blackened faces.Fiona Curran said: "It has been a wonderful experience working at Kielder over the past year with such a committed and supportive team of people. The landscape has been a constant source of inspiration throughout the changing seasons. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work in such a magical place, to participate in the Art and Architecture programme, and to contribute to the area’s rich histories."One of the student artworks is based on the story of Hansel and Gretel. A vending machine sited in the forest dispenses miniature gingerbread sculptures and visitors are led there by a trail of crumbs.All 11 pieces of work form part of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust’s Art and Architecture programme. These particular pieces have been made possible thanks to support from the Forestry Commission, Northumbrian Water, and Arts Council England.The ten pieces by Fine Art students build upon the growing relationship between Kielder Water & Forest Park and Newcastle University. Previously architecture students have designed a stargazing pavilion in Stonehaugh, a warm room for stargazers at Kielder campsite and currently redeveloping a dilapidated roundhouse in Rochester.Peter Sharpe, curator of Kielder Art and Architecture, said: “The Art and Architecture programme is constantly evolving and it is great to work with established artists, such as Fiona, as well as students who represent the future of art. Having worked with Newcastle University’s architecture department, it is great to expand that relationship.”Professor Andrew Burton, Acting Head of Newcastle University’s School of Arts and Cultures, said: “It is fantastic for our students to be able to contribute to Kielder’s wonderful Art and Architecture programme. The art has been created by students ranging from those in their first year to those studying for Masters degrees and for them to be able to deliver installations that sit in this stunning environment is incredibly rewarding as we look forward to building upon our relationship with the Kielder team.”Guests, including members of the Kielder community and local dignitaries, were taken from Kielder Castle to the Fiona Curran artwork, and given an opportunity to walk along the Duchess Trail, taking in the student work.

Performances to include Full Length Operas, Classical and Traditional music to be held over 5 weekends between October and MarchHighlights announced today of the 2016 Northumberland Music Festival include Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Verdi’s Rigolleto, a full length performance of The Pirates of Penzance, The Northumbrian Ranters, and a concert performance by Graeme Danby. Taking place at The Robert Parker Collection of hotels, the festival will commence with A Feast of Gilbert & Sullivan on 14th October at Eshott Hall near Morpeth, and end with The Pirates of Penzance at Doxford Hall, near Alnwick, on 11th March. It will also tour the other hotels in the Robert Parker Collection, including Dalhousie Castle Hotel, near Edinburgh, Ednam House in Kelso, and the Wordsworth Hotel in Grasmere. Further details for the Northumberland Music Festival can be found at www.nmfestival.co.uk or telephone 01668 283100.The decision to tour the 6th Northumbrian Music Festival is the latest innovation introduced to the unique event. Organised by The Robert Parker Collection of Hotels, the concerts have become an established part of the musical scene in Northumberland. The expansion of the hotel group was seen as an opportunity, and the events will now be held in each of the 5 hotels in the group.Mark Booth General Manager of Doxford Hall, which has been hosting the festival since the outset commented earlier today: “We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the Northumberland Music Festival, Heritage Opera and of course the Northumbrian Ranters back to Doxford Hall. We know from experience that all performances include a gourmet meal, the festival offers the perfect winter’s evening of entertainment, fine food and culture.”The Northumbrian Ranters at Doxford Hall Hotel – one of the key Events in the 6th Northumberland Music Festival, which has just been announced, will take place on 10th March.Heritage Opera will be bringing full length productions of The Magic Flute [Mozart], Rigolleto [Verdi] and The Pirates of Penzance [Gilbert and Sullivan]. The programme also includes highly successful operatic galas, and this year, for the first time, sacred music and an organ recital – thanks to the Church at Grasmere – who’s other claim to fame, is the burial place of Wordsworth.The Northumbrian Ranters, featuring young musicians from throughout Northumberland, have been at every festival, and continue to draw full houses whenever they appear. Commenting on the Festival at its launch, organiser Barbara Huddart said: “We are delighted that the Northumbrian Music Festival goes on tour for the first time. The music and the food that accompanies it combine to make a hugely memorable event for all who attend.“The halls and castles of the hotel group are perfect venues for musical performance – with large spaces that were designed from the outset for large social events. Most also provide a dramatic backdrop for the classical music that is often contemporary with their architecture.”A full programme can be obtained from the Festival organisers at [email protected], by ringing 01668 283100 or writing to the Northumberland Music Festival, Cheviot Centre, Padgepool Place, Wooler, NE71 6BL

Northumberland has been nominated for the Best UK Holiday County/Destination in the prestigious 2016 British Travel Awards (BTAs). The winners will be determined by the public, who have until 30 September to cast their vote. The ‘Best UK Holiday County/Destination’ category is particularly strong this year, with Northumberland up against five other nominees: Cornwall, Devon, Pembrokeshire, Somerset and Yorkshire. Once again, Northumberland is the only county in the North East to be nominated, so it is hoped the whole North East region will get behind Northumberland to bring the Gold ‘up north’! The British Travel Awards are considered the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really is the best in the travel industry. The campaign for Northumberland to become the ‘Best UK County/Destination’ is being led by Northumberland Tourism in partnership with Active Northumberland. They believe this year will be third time lucky for Northumberland. The county scooped Silver awards in both 2014 and 2015, narrowly missing out to the reigning champion and long-standing tourism giant Cornwall. Jude Leitch, director of Northumberland Tourism, said: “We are thrilled to once again be nominated in the British Travel Awards. Thanks to huge public support over the past two years, we were pleased to win Silver at the 2014 and 2015 British Travel Awards, beating much-loved destinations such as Devon, Durham and Yorkshire. We’re keen to go one better this year and be crowned the Best UK Holiday County/Destination 2016. “Tourism is an important asset to Northumberland, both in terms of employment and economic growth. To win Gold would be great recognition of the hard work and dedication of our team, and those of the businesses large and small who tirelessly support the sector year on year.”British Travel Awards’ chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton said: “This year there are nearly seven hundred nominations listed against 83 Award categories and competition to win a British Travel Awards will be fierce. In 2015 more than a million votes were cast by the consumer to decide the winners, making the BTAs easily the largest awards programme in the UK. Voting in the 2016 Awards is now open and nominated companies have until 30th September to lobby their happy customers for votes – good luck to Northumberland.”Follow Visit Northumberland and spread the word on social media with #VoteNlandTwitter @VisitNland | Facebook and Instagram @visitnorthumberlandTO VOTE GO TO www.visitnorthumberland.com/sharenland

With the festival season in full swing, the Lindisfarne Festival is holding a warm up event this Friday 8th July from 6pm to 2am at the Ernest bar, Ouseburn. With free entry, the event will showcase a range of live music, DJs, street food & performers. Fun is compulsory & fancy dress is encouraged, with free tickets to the main festival up for grabs for the best dressed.Lindisfarne Festival is a music, arts and camping festival for over 18’s based on Beal Farm, Northumberland, overlooking Holy island in Northumberland. With music and DJs playing till 4am, the festival which takes place from 1st-4th September plays host to acts including Reef, British Sea Power, the Cuban Brothers, James Taylor Quartet amongst others and alongside the best in up and coming NE talent showcased on the BBC Introducing stage, a new feature for this year.Conleth Maenpaa, Founder of Lindisfarne Festival says; “We are delighted to have teamed up with Ernest to put on a proper party. The warm up event is a great showcase for the festival and we ask people to come along to experience the wide range of entertainment on offer. We ask the North East to get behind us and if people are in any doubt of how much fun a festival can be, please come along and experience a night like no other this Friday” Kathryn Hodgkinson, Co-owner of Ernest said, ‘‘We are always keen to support creative, independent endeavour and we are really excited to be hosting the Lindisfarne Festival warm-up. We have a line-up of 6 live acts plus performances, DJ’s and a special festival menu. We are expecting a lively night of music and dancing.”All details regarding the festival can be found at www.lindisfarnefestival.com and details of the warm up event are on the Ernest Facebook page www.facebook.com/weareernest/

The delicate task of ringing at least 10 young ospreys of Kielder Water and Forest Park is underway, carried out by experts from the Forestry Commission. This important task helps the team at the Kielder Osprey Project to monitor the birds’ progress and is helping keep track of the recovery of ospreys in England.This year has been another hugely successful one for the Kielder Osprey Project. Four chicks hatched on Nest 1A, a 1 in 100 chance of occurrence and one of only three “public” osprey sites with four chicks being reared in the UK. The “awesome foursome” were the first to be ringed and all were in very good health for such a large brood. This rare occurrence was in addition to the establishment of a new nest site in Kielder. The team is delighted with the new nest, which uses one of several nest platforms set up by the Forestry Commission’s wildlife team to provide ospreys with a place to breed.Ringing the chicks allows ecologists to examine the health of the five to six week old birds and make various checks and measurements. The chicks are not small - with a wingspan of about one metre - and the ringing is carefully managed under license.One chick will be fitted with a satellite tracker, a tiny backpack which sends information via the mobile phone network. This provides significantly more effective monitoring of the birds than by ringing alone. This year, the project has been closely monitoring the satellite tracker of “UV”, born at Kielder in 2014. The information on his journey back to the UK is providing a fascinatingly detailed insight into the osprey migration journey and travels to identify potentially good fishing areas, the first step in establishing his own territory.The process of ringing and tracking provides ecologists and ornithologists with detailed information on subjects such as migration and feeding behaviour. It is a brief and painless but a key moment in the early lives of the osprey chicks; a species which only returned to Kielder in 2009 after an absence of more than 200 years.Tom Dearnley, Ecologist at the Forestry Commission said:“Ospreys are a fascinating species and I am delighted our work is helping their continued recovery in northern England and southern Scotland. As Kielder Water and Forest Park ages, it is becoming more diverse and ospreys are a great illustration of this natural succession, delighting visitors to the area”.Visitors to Kielder Water and Forest Park can visit Osprey Watch, to keep up to date with the birds’ progress. Kelly Hollings, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Estates Officer for Kielder, who works with the Osprey Watch team said, “Ringing is a momentous moment in the lives of these fabulous young birds. We have had hundreds of visitors coming to the Osprey Watch at Northumbrian Water’s Leaplish Waterside Park to see and hear about the ospreys from the expert volunteers.“The progress of the Chicks has been seen by many others via the live camera feed into Kielder Castle Café, where visitors have enjoyed the local food while watching the screen.“The ospreys have created such a popular following that they even have their own blog, updated regularly by the dedicated osprey volunteers giving expert updates on the progress of the birds.”The blog also features a selection of remarkable close-up images of the birds taken from the webcam feed installed just above their nesting platform. The blog can be found at www.kielderospreys.wordpress.com Kielder Osprey Watch 2016 continues to run every weekend between 10.30am and 4.30pm until the chicks fledge in August, behind the Boat Inn restaurant at Leaplish Waterside Park. It will also be open on Wednesdays from 6 July. The Osprey Watch is organised by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust and Northumberland Wildlife Trust, with support from the RSPB. The partners are working hard to ensure that the ospreys are here to stay by maintaining a high quality habitat in Kielder Water & Forest Park and safeguarding and monitoring the nest site.Photograph credit: V J Paine

Last week saw the completion of the second year of the “Employability Scheme” at South Tynedale Railway, Alston after a successful pilot in 2015.Six pupils from Samuel Kings School, Alston, were chosen from ten applicants to spend a week at the railway. They worked across three strands of the organisation, being assessed against competencies; Operating, Engineering and Business.The students enjoyed gaining experience in the shop, café, guards’ van, signal box and on the footplate – no doubt some parents would have enjoyed the same!Their Certificate of Employability, which is to be presented by the General Manager, can be used as part of their portfolio when applying for employment. The scheme helps to fulfill the aims of South Tynedale Railway’s Youth Development Scheme* and, hopefully, offers an opportunity for participants to return to the railway as volunteers.Here’s a snapshot of their busy week from David Baker, 14, who lives in Nenthead:When I came here on Monday we were getting shown around and got talked through the safety procedures and what narrow gauge and standard gauge is all about …On Tuesday we were taken over to the shop, the café, the offices, the trains, the workshops, the signal box …On Wednesday we had to do the PTS exam in the morning… then we went to the Discovery Centre and learnt about levers and steam trains and internal combustion engines. Martin used a model to show how it all works.Then we went to the loco shed and hauled out Barber … we all had boiler suits on and we cleaned out the fire box so the loco was ready to use. You can’t do it the same day it’s used, because it’s far too hot. While we were there some rails were delivered and a new coach arrived…We did some marketing with Kim in the afternoon, walking around and looking at areas such as picnic areas and shop and working out how to market them. Then later we did a booklet lay out, and put a post about the café on FB. This afternoon I’m in the signal box with Paul learning how that works.Tomorrow we’ll be going to Slaggyford … and we’ll get shown what’s happening there by Heather …General Manager Heather Palmer said: “The employability scheme is designed around the STEM curriculum and we hope that some of the young people involved will be engaged by what we have here and, in addition to gaining valuable insight into a modern workplace, will join our youth group. This in turn will help feed our apprenticeships and seasonal jobs as well as our management team for the future.”STR Youth Development Scheme has four specific aims:•To offer to young people learning enrichment and personal development, adding value to their schooling, particularly with regard to their future employability and role as citizens.•To develop and promote skills and interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (“STEM”) in the future workforce.•To generate understanding of the STR’s role in tourism and leisure and local history and culture, creating an interest in varied types of volunteer work by a younger generation.•To increase public understanding of rail transport, with particular reference to environmental sustainability and energy efficiency in transport.

Now in its 6th year, the Battlesteads Beer Festival returns to Wark from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 July, celebrating the best beers, ales, lagers and ciders from across the country.One of the highlights of the calendar for beer-lovers in the North East, the four-day festival will feature over 20 beers, ciders and foreign lagers to sample along with a speciality gin bar that’s new for 2016.There will be a range of favourite local ales returning to the pump, alongside a selection of speciality beers handpicked by the expert bar team at Battlesteads to satisfy the thirst of anyone looking to try something new.The festival will feature live music and entertainment, with The Stax Brothers headlining on Friday 22 and The Mudskippers and Alive and Kicking playing on Saturday 23.Recently named the Best Pub in the North East at the National Pub & Bar Awards, Battlesteads is as famous for its welcoming hospitality as its selection of local and national beers, ciders and wines.General manager of Battlesteads Katie Meyrick said: “The annual beer festival has become the most popular event of the year for us, attracting hundreds of people across the four days to try the wide selection of beers, ciders and lagers on offer. We are continually improving the event and in light of the surge in popularity of gin in recent years we are introducing the new gin bar, with a selection of 8 fabulous gins for visitors who want to try something different. The festival is a great celebration with a brilliant atmosphere, raising money for a worthy charity – what more could you ask for.”Admission to the festival on Thursday 21 is free from 6pm until 11pm. Tickets for Friday and Saturday, 12 noon until 11pm, are £4 per person including a commemorative glass or £3 for CAMRA members and entry on Sunday is free from 12pm until the beer runs out. All profits from the festival go to local charity The Great North Air Ambulance Service.For more information about Battlesteads and to book tickets, visit www.battlesteads.com