The Chillingham Wild Cattle Association (CWCA) has announced a rare experience for the public to visit parts of The Wild Cattle Park not usually seen by visitors. This opportunity will take place on one day only, at The Chillingham Wild Cattle Open Day on Friday 28th July, giving visitors the chance to get up close and personal with Britain’s only wild cattle herd. The Chillingham Wild Cattle have a unique place in British fauna. It is one of the very few herds of cattle anywhere in the world that have a natural sex ratio and age distribution with minimal human interference.When you visit the park you can also experience a tractor trailer ride, with resident expert Stephen Hall, Professor of Animal Science at the University of Lincoln and a Trustee of the CWCA. Stephen will take visitors closer than ever before to the iconic Wild Cattle where they will be given detailed information on the history of the cattle and the park. In addition to the trailer rides, there will be Northumberland’s very own chainsaw carving expert Ross McNeil. Not only will Ross be displaying his work, but he will be transforming fallen wood gathered from the park into magnificent works of art. These will be up for sale so a lucky few will take home their very own piece of The Wild Cattle Park, their very own piece of Northumbrian history, from the home of the UK’s oldest herd.Rounding off the day, Bella, the heavy horse, will be doing timber extraction demonstrations, taking the park back in time to when tractors were not the norm. Roy Murray will be in the park with Bella, and there will be an opportunity to discuss this traditional work with Roy. Speaking in advance, Ellie Waddington, CWCA Park Warden said: “This is an excellent opportunity to witness first-hand the world renowned Wild Cattle which have made the park their home for hundreds of years without human interference. We are delighted to be able to welcome people to visit the unseen areas of the park, and to allow members of the public to get the true wild beast experience! These cattle are genetically identical, and they are said to go back to the Aurochs that roamed the European plains for thousands of years.” In addition to the trailer rides, the walking tours will continue as normal at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00. There is no need to book the walking tour but, due to limited space on the trailer, rides must be booked. More information on the day, the park and the cattle can be found at: www.chillinghamwildcattle.com.The CWCA has over 350 members, all absolutely passionate about the preservation of such a distinct and notable herd, which is steeped in history and a real Northumbrian icon. It is a charitable organisation which was set up in 1939 specifically to preserve the herd, and today its survival is very much dependent upon public interest and support. All money raised on the day will be used for the welfare of the cattle. Last year the park attracted thousands of visitors from across the globe. Chillingham Park is currently open to visitors all day Monday to Friday, as well as Sunday morning, with tours presented by warden, Ellie Waddington, throughout the day. For more information on the tours, and for opening times, please visit www.chillinghamwildcattle.com.

Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant in Wark, Northumberland, has been named winner of the Tourism and Hospitality Award at the second annual North East Rural Awards, held at Linden Hall on Thursday 29 June.The win comes hot on the heels of the eco hotel scooping the awards for Best Hotel and Overall Winner at the Northumberland Tourism Awards on 22 June.Organised by the Newcastle Journal and Newcastle Chronicle, the North East Rural Awards are the only awards dedicated to championing the rural communities in the region.Darren Thwaites, Trinity Mirror North East editor-in-chief, opened the awards by saying: “Rural life is such an important part of North East culture - and it’s also a hugely important part of our economy. With the general uncertainty around Brexit and the political environment in general, it’s never been more important to champion rural issues and shout about our achievements.”Battlesteads is one of the country’s leading sustainable tourism businesses, and having been recently recognised on a national stage winning Gold at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, the hotel and restaurant is championing Northumberland as a year-round tourism destination.The hotel features 22 en-suite bedrooms including five eco-lodges, recently refurbished restaurant and bar, extensive kitchen gardens and polytunnels and is the only hotel in the UK with its own on-site observatory.Owner of Battlesteads Hotel, Richard Slade, said: “At Battlesteads we love our local area and we play an important role at the heart of our local community, offering special lunches for pensioners and providing low-cost school meals for local children, as well as being a welcoming place for locals to pop in for a drink or something to eat. It’s fantastic for us to be recognised for this at the North East’s only awards for the rural communities and we look forward to continuing to represent tourism in the North East on a national scale.” Previous awards won by Battlesteads include the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence Sustainable Business Gold, the Hotel Catey Award for Best Sustainable Hotel, the AA Hospitality Award for Eco Hotel of the Year, the People.Energy.Action award for eco-friendly travel business and the Good Hotel Guide Editor’s Choice Award for Best Green Hotel.For more information about Battlesteads Hotel & Restaurant visit www.battlesteads.co

Building on the success of the last two years, Lindisfarne Festival 2017 is gearing up to be an even bigger and better showcase of music, comedy, culture and creative arts. With Glastonbury 2017 now underway and festival fever in full swing, Lindisfarne Festival organisers are delighted to be showcasing a number of same name acts at their Northumberland event including DJ Norman Jay MBE, Huey Morgan, The Showhawk Duo, Beans on Toast, The Pale White, Backyard Rhythm Orchestra and Little Mammoths.With tickets sales already ahead by 55% compared to the same time last year, the team are equally delighted to welcome comedian and Punch Drunk founder Kai Humphries to the festival, who along with hosting the main comedy tent at Glastonbury will also be curating this year’s Lindisfarne Festival comedy line-up. With a stellar list of stand-up talent soon to be announced, full details of the line-up will be revealed at their sold-out Punch Drunk event in Blyth on 3rd July featuring Britain’s Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda.Comedian Kai Humphries said:“Punch-Drunk Comedy has had an outrageous start to 2017, welcoming the likes of Zoe Lyons (LIVE AT The Apollo), Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake), and Paul Sinha (The Chase) to our stages in Blyth, Bedlington, Ashington, and Cramlington. We absolutely can’t wait for Lindisfarne Festival and are buzzing to have our very own Punch Drunk Comedy tent! A sizeable crowd will be coming with us and we’ve got a destroyer of a lineup, which we can’t wait to share with everyone!”The 3- day camping festival which promises its strongest line up & entertainment schedule to date will be held once again on Beal Farm, Northumberland from 31st Aug -3rd September 2017 overlooking Holy Island and will play host to recently announced Friday night headliner The View and The Fratellis who will be taking centre stage on Saturday evening.For those unable to secure tickets to the Somerset showcase, Lindisfarne Festival provides the ideal opportunity to kick-back and enjoy a more intimate, party weekend without fear of being lost in the crowd! A chance to get up close to the music and entertainment, enveloped in a spectacular setting in an area of outstanding natural beauty overlooking Holy Island.With recent funding confirmed from Arts Council England’s ‘Grants for the Arts’ programme and sponsorship from The Alnwick Brewery who will be supporting the event’s main beer tent, organisers will be investing this year in even better on site facilities, music and entertainment to make 2017 the best yet.Paul Stephenson, General Manager of The Alnwick Brewery said;"We are delighted to be associated with what has become a fantastic annual showcase of local and international talent right here in Northumberland. The festival is great for the region, providing an ideal platform for local businesses and musicians. Alongside a range of local ales and beers we will be serving up our famous Lindisfarne Mead and newly launched White Knight rum.”A regular finalist at the UK Festival Awards, the independent Northumberland festival, which prides itself on championing local talent, will also see another strong line up of North East acts including Smoove & Turrell, Dansi, Beth Macari, The Skapones, The Warehouse Announcement, Talk Like Tigers and Hip Hop Hooray. BBC Introducing will also feature prominently at the event, taking over a stage again this year to help put the spotlight on local, unsigned talent.Conleth Maenpaa, Founder of Lindisfarne Festival commented:“We are delighted to have a secured such a strong line- up of entertainment for 2017 -it’s certainly our best yet. Now in its 3rd year, our aim is to grow Lindisfarne Festival into something the region can enjoy for years to come. The UK is home to some truly amazing festivals but we feel very proud to have something special in our own back yard that the North East can call their own.It’s encouraging to see a huge number of returning ticket buyers year on year indicating we must be doing something right. This year we have invested a lot into entertainment, onsite facilities and design and we are grateful for the support from the Arts Council and The Alnwick Brewery in helping us make this happen.”With the festival anticipated to be a sell out, people are being urged to buy their tickets early. June will also be the last month to buy one of the instalment tickets that can be purchased for as little as £29 a month for Saturday tickets and £44.50 a month for weekend tickets.The festival is also offering a range of sponsorship opportunities for local businesses who if interested should contact Danielle Young on [email protected] for details.

Pictures show the newborn osprey chicks. Please click on the image below to download the image.The arrival of a dozen chicks has made 2017 another record breaking year for the Kielder ospreys.Eight years after ospreys returned and began nesting at Kielder Water & Forest Park, the birds continue to be a popular attraction for visitors to Northumberland.2016 saw a record 11 chicks fledge and, with the hatching of 2017’s 12th new arrival, that is hoped to once more be eclipsed in the coming weeks as the 2017 chicks fledge, and take their first flights.The chicks will now begin building their strength for what is always a challenging first year of life that will include solo migration flights, normally to Africa.If visitors aren’t fortunate enough to spot of the birds directly, they can tune into the soap opera in the sky via webcams streamed to the Forestry Commission’s Kielder Castle and Northumbrian Water’s Kielder Waterside.Joanna Dailey, Kielder Osprey expert volunteer, said: “It’s proving to be another rewarding season for all involved with the Kielder ospreys, with another record hatching proving the icing on the cake so far. It’s fantastic to see the species thriving here once more, after an absence spanning more than 200 years. Now, they are here for all to see, thanks to cameras on the nests and the ability to catch a glimpse as the ospreys go hunting for fish to bring back to their families.”Osprey Watch volunteer co-ordinator Katy Smart said: “The Kielder ospreys are once more proving very popular with visitors as interest has grown year on year since the re-colonisation in 2009. Osprey Watch itself has expanded this year, so that visitors can take part in activities every weekend and Monday until the birds migrate in mid to late August.”Wildlife lovers can keep up to date with the story of the Kielder ospreys as it unfolds through the blog at kielderospreys.wordpress.com.ENDSFor further media information, call 0191 3015678.1. Historically ospreys lived in Northumberland, hunting on the once extensive network of marshes. However, records going back more than 200 years fail to mention any ospreys breeding in the county. Ospreys were once distributed widely, but persecution resulted in the species becoming extinct in England as a breeding bird in 1847 and in Scotland in 1916. Some birds re-colonised in Scotland in 1954 and by 2001 there were nearly 160 breeding pairs (today about 200). The same year saw the first successful osprey nests in England for 160 years by re-colonising birds in the Lake District and re-introduced ones at Rutland Water in the East Midlands.2. Osprey Fact File:• Ospreys are migratory and arrive in late March and April and leave again for Iberia or Africa in August and September.• The bird is an Amber List species because of its historical decline (due to illegal killing and egg theft) and low breeding numbers.• Ospreys normally breed for the first time when they are aged between 4-5 years old.• They are largely monogamous and faithful both to nest and mate.• The nest is generally built on the top of a large tree.• Females lay two or three eggs at 1-3 day intervals which are incubated for about 38 - 42 days per egg.• Ospreys divide the nesting duties between the pair. The female does most of the incubating, brooding and direct feeding of the young. She guards them throughout the nesting period and will share the hunting at later stages when the chicks are larger. The male is the major provider of fish for the female and chicks.• Chicks fledge about seven weeks after hatching.3. Kielder Water & Forest Park, which spans 250 square miles, is home to the largest working forest in England and the largest man-made lake in northern Europe. It was awarded the number one tourism experience in England by VisitEngland 2013, and the most tranquil place in England by the Campaign to Protect Rural England. Together with Northumberland National Park, it was granted gold tier Dark Sky Park status in December 2013. For more information see www.visitkielder.com.4. Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust is a registered charity working at Kielder to promote sustainable development, provide recreational facilities, improve knowledge of the natural environment and encourage the arts. The Trust works with the range of communities to benefit from these activities. Members, who have appointed directors/trustees to serve on the board, are Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission, Calvert Trust Kielder, Kielder Observatory Astronomical Society , Northumberland National Park Authority and Northumberland County Council. Affiliate organisations that are not members but have a close working relationship with KWFPDT include Arts Council England, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, The Scout Association and local decision making bodies such as the parish councils.5. Northumberland Wildlife Trust is the largest environmental charity in the region working to safeguard native wildlife. One of 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK, Northumberland Wildlife Trust has campaigned for nature conservation for over 40 years. It aims to inform, educate and involve people of all ages and backgrounds in protecting their environment in favour of wildlife and conservation. Supported by over 13,000 individual and 56 corporate members in the Region, Northumberland Wildlife Trust manages and protects critical species and habitats at over 60 nature reserves throughout Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland.6. The Forestry Commission is the government department responsible in England for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woods and forests and increasing their value to society and the environment. Forestry makes a real contribution to sustainable development, providing social and environmental benefits arising from planting and managing attractive, as well as productive, woodlands. Further information can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk.

(Photo credit: Conchie & Co)The natural world and new technology are coming together to help people explore Kielder Water & Forest Park and learn about wildlife and habitats.People visiting the Park can now get involved in a brand new geocaching project, taking them on a GPS-led treasure hunt around the area.As part of the Heritage Lottery-funded ‘Living Wild at Kielder’ project, four new wildlife-themed geocaches have been placed around the Park’s ‘Wilder Walk’ route, which links some of the beautiful natural habitats and tranquil spaces between Kielder Castle and Bakethin Nature Reserve.Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game, played using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS co-ordinates and then attempt to find the geocache container hidden at the location.Once there, they can find out why that location is so special.All of the spots have been selected by members of the Forestry Commission and Environment Agency teams, who chose some of their favourite sites on special locations among the woodlands.Despite the poor phone reception in the area, people can still take part by turning on the ‘location’ function on their device, turning it into a GPS receiver.Two “trackable” creatures, a red squirrel and a salmon, have been placed in the geocaches, with instructions for players on how they can help them achieve their mission of moving around the Park and beyond.‘Living Wild at Kielder’ is a project that will help people experience and learn about the area’s special animals and plants through the development of ‘nature hubs’ and a year-round events and activity programme.It is delivered by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency, with support from Newcastle University and Northumberland National Park Authority.Lynn Turner, Director of the Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, said: “Geocaching is something brand new for the Trust and a great way to integrate technology with the natural world and really get people of all ages excited about exploring.“We can’t wait to see how people get on, and how they can help our red squirrel ‘trackable’ achieve its mission of visiting all the caches, and aiding the salmon in its migration up and down the Tyne.”To find out more, sign up to geocaching.com and find caches and trackables placed by VisitKielder.

The Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) are once again holding a competition this summer to find an image for the cover of their 2018 Visitor Guide. Photos submitted can be of virtually anything, but to be eligible, the photo must have been taken within the Northumberland Coast AONB in 2017. The closing date for entries is Friday 6th October 2017.The winner will not only see their image on the front cover of 50,000 copies of the guide, but also receive a voucher for £150 to spend at Stait Photo of Morpeth and Hexham, who are once again sponsoring the competition. The runners-up will receive a canvas print of their image. Ken Stait will be acting as one of the judges. Paul Larkin, editor of the Johnston Press Northumberland titles, Northumberland Gazette, Berwick Advertiser, Morpeth Herald and News Post Leader, which are all backing the competition, and helping with the judging, said: “Stunning images of the Northumberland coastline taken and submitted to us by our readers continue to generate enormous interest on social media. On the back of that, we have launched the Northumberland Camera Club and we are sure its members will be keen to take part in this competition. We encourage all photographers to get out, explore the coast and keep an eye open for that perfect picture. We are proud to continue our association with this competition and are looking forward to seeing this year’s entries”.Jane Coltman, Image Manager for Johnston Press Northumberland titles is also a judge. She said: "It is always a delight to be involved in the process of selecting the cover picture for the Visitor Guide. I love seeing the many and varied ways people express their passion of the Northumberland coast through their photography”.Last year's winner was Chris Orange from Surrey. His image - puffin with its eye closed - is on the front cover of this years Visitor Guide. Chris said “This photo was taken whilst on Staple Island, during the summer of 2016. After several hours in different locations watching the puffins as they continually flew on and off the Island to catch fish, I began to get into the rhythm of photographing their activity, which was a pleasure to witness. As I photographed this particular puffin I took a couple of frames, and noticed that on the second shot his eyes had closed in the same split second that I closed the shutter on my camera. I did wonder if he was winking at me! A really wonderful moment to capture”.Images need to be submitted in an electronic format and be of a high enough resolution to be used on the cover of the guide. More advice, previous visitor guide covers and the full set of rules are the latest blog on the AONB website.

On 4th June it will be 25 years to the day that Paxton House opened its doors to the public, and to celebrate Music at Paxton Festival is delighted to present a free concert in conjunction with Live Music Now Scotland and Paxton House. On Sunday 4th June at 2.30pm, ‘Music at Paxton…Plus with Calum Robertson and Juliette Philogene’ perform a programme of Jean Françaix, George Gershwin and Edward Gregson in the beautiful surroundings of the Paxton House Picture Gallery. Edinburgh's clarinettist Calum Robertson and Mauritius Island born pianist Juliette Philogène met while studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2011 and began performing together in 2016. Music at Paxton…Plus gives members of the public the opportunity to experience exceptional chamber music in the beautiful surrounds of the Picture Gallery at Paxton House for free. Music at Paxton and Live Music Now Scotland have been working together since 2008 to help take music out into the Scottish Borders community, and give young Scottish artists, at the start of their professional careers, the opportunity to perform at Paxton House.Sunday 4 June at 2.30pm Calum Robertson, clarinet and Juliette Philogène, pianoProgramme to include:Jean Françaix - Theme and Variations George Gershwin - Summertime Edward Gregson - Two Tributes - to Gerald Finzi and Francis PoulencFree events – unreserved seatingReservations via Hub Tickets: www.hubtickets.co.uk and 0131 473 2000BiographiesCalum Robertson is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, receiving a BMus Honours first class degree and a Masters in Performance, winning the Mary D. Adams Prize for Chamber Music, the Classical Concerto Competition and The Governors’ Woodwind Recital Prize along the way. Currently a freelance clarinettist in Scotland, Calum has also appeared as Guest Principal with City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and the RSNO.Juliette Philogène studied under Russian teacher Lilia Poustovoytova, French concert performer Désiré N’Kaoua, and renowned pianist Jonathan Plowright. She has played at the Usher Hall, Wales Millenium Centre and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, amongst other prestigious venues, and made her Wigmore Hall debut in October 2012. Juliette teaches at ESMS in Edinburgh. She was recently awarded an MSc in Music Therapy (distinction) and is currently undertaking music therapy projects with hospices and Cancer Research.

Families looking to experience one of the biggest events in the North of England this summer can take advantage of two special ticket offers this May half term.Children’s tickets to Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle, which will see a troop of 30 Roman cavalrymen perform together for the first time in over 1,500 years, are just £4; a 50% saving on the normal price. Available from Saturday 27 May – Sunday 4 June, tickets can be purchased from www.hadrianscavalry.co.ukIn addition, anyone visiting the Northumberland County Show on Bank Holiday Monday (29 May) can take advantage of an additional 20% off all ticket prices – a 70% saving on tickets for children. The Turma! event, which takes place at Bitts Park, Carlisle on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July, sees 30 Roman cavalrymen performing intricate manoeuvres on horseback and showcasing their skills with javelins and other weapons.Bill Griffiths, head of programmes for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums and chair of the Hadrian’s Cavalry steering group, said: “Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle really is a once in a lifetime event and a unique chance to see a full troop of Roman Cavalry in action. There will be lots for families to do, including activities before the show, exploring the Roman encampment, supporting the red or blue teams as they compete before the Emperor and the spectacle of 30 cavalrymen performing in formation.“We’ve created a special ticket discount especially for visitors to the Northumberland County Show where Roman-themed events will be part of the programme. Tickets will be available to buy from the Glorious Northumberland Marquee all day.”A Roman encampment will be stationed outside the Glorious Northumberland Marquee where Roma Antiqua will showcase infantry soldiers and Roman surgical equipment and a Roman Cavalryman will demonstrate cavalry skills and kit. There will be a live demonstration by the Roman Cavalryman at 13.30 in the main Northumberland Show arena followed by the Pony Club Roman Games, inspired by Roman cavalry training exercises.Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle will see cavalry riders display their skills with spears as well as perform interweaving manoeuvres across the arena. Audiences can cheer on their chosen team as the cavalrymen score points throughout the competition. A mini Hadrian’s Wall visitor village will feature all the forts and visitor attractions from along the Wall. Food, drink and family-friendly events complete the modern-day experience of the Wall. Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle is part of the Hadrian’s Cavalry exhibition, currently taking place at 10 museums and heritage attractions along the full 150mile length of Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site area. Running until Sunday 10 September, the exhibition celebrates the cavalry regiments that once guarded the mighty North West frontier of the Roman Empire. It brings together a unique group of Roman cavalry objects including ornate helmets, armour and weapons on loan from national and international museums; all shown alongside objects from museums across the Wall. Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle takes place on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July at Bitts Park, Carlisle. Performance times are 2pm and 6pm on Saturday 1 July and 4pm on Sunday 2 July 2017. Throughout May half term, Saturday 27 May – Sunday 4 June, children’s tickets are just £4. An additional 20% discount is available on all tickets purchased at Northumberland County Show.Regular ticket prices are £8 for children aged 5yrs-16ys (children 4yrs and under go free) and £12 for adults. A special family ticket for two adults and three children costs £35.A ticket giving access to Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle and the Hadrian’s Cavalry exhibition at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle can also be purchased.For more information visit www.hadrianscavalry.co.ukThere are lots of Hadrian’s Cavalry-themed events taking place at exhibitions venues throughout the half term holidays. Unearth some of Northumberland's hidden secrets with Victorian archaeologists at Chesters Roman Fort from Saturday 27 May to Sunday 4 June and recreate the mysterious look of the masked Roman cavalry riders at Segedunum Roman Fort and Museum on Monday 29 May. For full details of all the events taking place, visit www.hadrianscavalry.co.uk Turma! Hadrian’s Cavalry Charge in Carlisle is funded by Arts Council England, Carlisle City Council and Christian Levett.

Partners at Kielder Water & Forest Park are delighted with the success of its first Wild at Kielder Festival, which took place recently alongside the long standing and ever popular Kielder Classic & Vintage Vehicle Show.The Festival was aimed at encouraging everybody to experience at first hand the wonders of the area and, in total, over 1500 people took part in over 30 wildlife related activities across 8 sites at Kielder and proved to be such a success that plans are taking shape for next year’s festival which promises to be bigger and better - so start visiting www.nwt.org.uk/wildatkielder or the Wild at Kielder Facebook event page, for regular updates.Katy Cook, Living Wild Project Coordinator at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: “Kielder is a wonderful part of the world, so it goes without saying I’m delighted that so many people came to the festival to experience the fantastic wildlife that the area has to offer.”The Wild at Kielder Festival is part of the Living Wild at Kielder project, which has been made possible by National Lottery players and a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).It is delivered by Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Northumbrian Water, Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency, with support from Newcastle University and Northumberland National Park Authority.

Visitors to Kielder Water & Forest Park can enjoy special guided tours of the area’s Art & Architecture installations when they launch later this month.The first of the five, three-hour minibus tours, led by an experienced and knowledgeable guide, takes place on Wednesday, May 31.Each tour gives visitors the opportunity to learn about the inspiration behind some of Kielder Art & Architecture’s most iconic pieces, as they head off the beaten track and into Kielder Forest.Further tours take place on Sunday, June 4, Sunday, July 30, Sunday, August 13, and Wednesday, August 16. All run from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.Lynn Turner, Director of Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust, said: “These tours take in Silvas Capitalis – the Forest Head, which is a real favourite with visitors, and much more. It’s a great way of getting out and seeing the installations around Kielder Water & Forest Park, and to learn the stories and inspiration behind them.”Transport is provided, with some walking required. Warm, waterproof clothing and appropriate footwear are recommended.Booking is essential and can be made on 0845 1550236. Prices are £10 per person, or £25 for a family ticket covering two adults and two children.For more information, visit www.kielderartandarchitecture.com.

A collection of new journey planners are now available to make bus travel easier for visitors to the north Northumberland Coast. The planners have been designed to give visitors all of the information they need to easily explore the area without having to use their car.Each journey planner tells visitors how to get to all of the major attractions and destinations in the area - including which buses to catch from where they are staying, how long the journeys take and information about any connections. The A4 sheets also include some suggested itineraries and information about discounts and tickets.The planners were launched last Wednesday, when tourism businesses were shown first-hand how good the bus services are, as they took a trip on an Arriva X18. Launching the new planners, Jeff Sutheran, B&B owner from Seahouses and Chairman of the North Northumberland Tourism Association said:“Providing easy to understand travel information to visitors is the most important thing we can do to encourage them to leave their cars behind for a few days during their stay in Northumberland. The owners of accommodation businesses are best placed to provide this information and these journey planners will make that job easier for them.“The holiday cottage industry told us that A4 information sheets are the best way to present this information and we have done that.”Chris Curtis, commercial manager at Arriva North East said:“As a company we invest heavily in providing good quality timetables in many formats as well as our increasingly popular ‘Arriva App’ to make journey planning easier for bus passengers. These new journey planners are aimed specifically at visitors and accommodation providers and will complement our timetables to encourage more ‘car-free days’ to be taken.“The launch of the new planners coincides with the start of the summer timetable on 30th April which providing a more frequent service along the Northumberland coast.”The new planners were funded by the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Sustainable Development Fund and the North Northumberland Tourism Association. Eight individual planners have been produced for Berwick, Belford, Bamburgh, Seahouses, Beadnell, Embleton, Alnmouth and Warkworth. The journey planners are available to download in a pdf format from the AONB website http://www.northumberlandcoastaonb.org/getting-around/ . Tourism businesses are encouraged to print out the best planner according to their location and make them available to their customers. Help with adapting the planners for other places is available from the AONB Partnership.

Music at Paxton Festival14 - 23 July 2017www.musicatpaxton.co.uk“Intimate festival presenting the finest international chamber music in a stunning backdrop of works from the National Galleries collection.”Esfahani plays Goldberg VariationsPromenade concert taking in main reception roomsCarducci Quartet play Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro with young Scottish musiciansCello Masterclass with Pieter WispelweySunday morning concertsContinuing this year: two FREE Live Music Now ‘Music at Paxton…Plus’ concertsMusic at Paxton, a summer festival of top class international chamber music, takes place in Paxton House on the banks of the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders from 14 – 23 July 2017. The daily concerts offer an intimate, friendly and relaxed experience and take place in Paxton House’s splendid Picture Gallery. With its large, domed roof-light that lets in the summer sun, and walls hung high with paintings from the National Galleries of Scotland’s collection, it is an idyllic setting for chamber music. The string quartet features prominently and the festival welcomes three this year: the Elias Quartet (Saturday 22 July, 7.30pm) who make their Paxton debut with two pillars of the chamber music repertoire Schubert’s String Quartet in D minor ‘Death and the Maiden’ and Schumann’s Piano Quintet; the Carducci Quartet (Saturday 15 July, 7.30pm) with a programme of Shostakovich, Arvo Pärt, Philip Glass, and Ravel’s gloriously sunny Introduction and Allegro; and the Quatuor Zaïde from Paris, (Tuesday 18 July, 7.30pm) who open with the glittering sonorities of Debussy, followed by Schubert’s towering G major Quartet. Harpsichord virtuoso Mahan Esfahani returns to Music at Paxton with two recitals this year. Renowned for his championing of the instrument, from the Baroque to the 20th century, Mahan Esfahani’s morning concert features music by Rameau, Martin, and Swiss composer Pieter Mieg (Sunday 16 July, 11.30am). He returns that evening (Sunday 16 July, 6pm) to perform J S Bach’s Goldberg Variations.No stranger to Music at Paxton, pianist Steven Osborne (Friday 14 July, 7.30pm) performs his critically acclaimed interpretations of Rachmaninov’s virtuosic tonal studies Études Tableaux Op 33 and Études Tableaux Op 39 alongside Debussy and Brahms.Following his visit last year, the renowned cellist Pieter Wispelwey returns to complete the set of Suites for Solo Cello by J S Bach (Sunday 23 July, 6pm), with a public masterclass immediately beforehand (Sunday 23 July, 1.30pm).On Thursday 20 July at 7.30pm, Baroque violinist Bojan Cicic brings his star-studded Illyria Consort (Bojan Cicic violin and viola d'amore, Susanne Heinrich viola da gamba, David Miller theorbo and baroque guitar, and Steven Devine harpsichord) for a feast of Baroque music in this celebration of Handel and his London contemporaries including Handel, Carbonelli, Ariosti and Corbetta. Former BBC New Generation artist, soprano Ruby Hughes makes her debut at the Festival, performing Schubert, Schumann and Mahler, with pianist Joseph Middleton (Friday 21 July, 7.30pm).Presenting musicians earlier in their careers and integrating them into the programme remains of key importance to Music at Paxton. The Festival proudly continues its relationship with Live Music Now Scotland and this year sees the return of many of their alumni, some sharing the stage with leading international artists, in addition to those currently under their wing. Featured artists in this year’s Festival are Sirocco Winds, Emma Wilkins (alumni), and Calum Robertson, Marco Ramelli and Aonach Mòr (current). New this year will be the Promenade Concert, taking in some of Paxton House’s reception rooms and featuring music from Emma Wilkins (flute), Esther Swift (harp) and Calum Robertson (clarinet) (Saturday 15 July, 4pm). Aonach Mòr combines the talents of Claire Hastings, Grant McFarlane and Ron Jappy to create an exciting blend of songs and tunes (Sunday 16 July, 3.30 pm) featuring accordion, fiddle and guitar. Sirocco Winds, a brilliant young ensemble of current Masters students and graduates of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, perform Ligeti, Berio, Barber, Schifrin, Gershwin and Piazzolla (Wednesday 19 July, 7.30pm).Young Milan born guitarist and composer Marco Ramelli performs works from Spain and South America (Saturday 22 July, 4pm) in the intimate surroundings of the Dining Room at Paxton House and Benjamin Frith brings a lyrical programme of Scarlatti, Mendelssohn, Chopin and Stanford, designed for a relaxing hour on a Sunday morning (Sunday 23 July, 11.30am).Once again, in conjunction with Live Music Now Scotland and Paxton House, the extremely successful free one-hour taster concerts ‘Music at Paxton…Plus’ return to the festival. On Sunday 14 May at 2.30pm, guitarist Marco Ramelli performs works by Tarrega, Albéniz and Paganin and Calum Robertson (clarinet) and Juliette Philogene (piano) join forces on Sunday 4 June at 2.30pm for a programme of Jean Françaix, George Gershwin and Edward Gregson.Helen Jamieson, Artistic Director for Music at Paxton, said: “This year’s festival is more ambitious than ever and we will be using every available space – from the marquee to the magnificent Dining Room - and every minute of these wonderful musicians’ time to provide the best and most varied event possible. There will be music from Bach to Beamish and from Scottish Traditional to Philip Glass. New this year is a cello masterclass by the renowned Pieter Wispelwey, a Promenade concert, for which Paxton House will open its main reception rooms to our musicians and audiences and two Sunday morning concerts for the early risers.”Music at Paxton offers Sunday morning keyboard recitals, varied afternoon events including folk music in the marquee, two intimate recitals in the Dining Room, and a musical tour exploring some of the principal reception rooms of the 18th century neo-Palladian mansion.