I love this idea I heard about where you can go around to elderly people who have little or no family just to give them a bit of company, if we all spared an hour over the Xmas period to visit someone who hasn’t got that many people to talk to, what a difference that would make.

About two months ago a young lass came knocking at my door. Not for an autograph (I know, me being a failure on Dragons Den and all that) but she was trying to sell cookies and flapjacks as she wanted to put herself through performing arts school (I think). So, unlike other kids her age who would just expect mum and dad to pay for it, she actually got off her bum, made the cookies, and was trying to flog them in 100mph winds. I think I bought 6 from her just because the effort she went to! Now, this lass is a ‘doer’ not a ‘I have a great idea but can’t actually be bothered to put in the hard work to get it-er’ which is what makes the difference between the go getters and the sit and thinkers.

Which brings me on to resolutions again! 15^th Jan is when the majority of ideas have already bit the dust to be put back till ’I will do it next year….’ Resolutions aren’t just a ‘should’ they must be ‘will’. Think about why you want to achieve something. ‘I will not eat’ is a kinda cack resolution, and you are denying your self something. Turn that denial into ‘I want to be proper bang tidy fit so I can climb the stairs without being out of breath, fit into these jeans, break the sleeves off this t-shirt with these guns and that I can play with the kids etc’.

Now, both of these are actually doing the same thing, but with the latter, you are looking at the vision of WHY you are doing it. If you can see WHY then you are more likely to stick to it.  Figure out what you want and WHY you want it, and go for it!

And as for getting fit, the boys club membership (with all the new kit from the prison) is now full! Places are available on the waiting list so contact Peter Withey if you would like to get a membership at the next opportunity. KEEP SMILING!

Bruce Durham

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After a busy and rather hectic Christmas period at Pride of Northumbria (thank you to all who have visited, purchased and hopefully enjoyed the goods) we are working on a programme of events to be held in the shop. Activities that will engage tourists while including the community. So far we have booked Darryn Wade, who will talk about his pictures and framing. This is in the week leading up to Mothers Day, so if you are looking for something different now is the time.

Local artist Ashley Sim will be in residence just before Easter. There may even be the opportunity to try your legs out using cycle power to make your own smoothie! Events will be informal so you are welcome to drop in to have a chat and peruse at your leisure – but keep an eye out for information posters in the window.

To get schools involved, working with Darin Fawcett the community support officer, we will run an Easter egg competition and a ‘design a label’ competition. This will be for a new jam or relish to celebrate the Jubilee. For the latter a prize will be given to the winner at the annual Young Citizens Award ceremony in July – Darin will be in schools to explain how to enter in early February. We are also considering having tasting events,  perhaps including a wine tasting evening. Let me know if there is anything else that would be of interest to you and we will see what we can do.

Amble Business Club continues to attract new members and meets here at Fourways 2 on the first Wednesday of each month. So if you would like to join, you will receive a warm welcome.

Together with the Town Council, Business Club and other service providers in the town we are hoping to organise events to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee and arrival of the Olympic Torch. Suggestions on activities and participation are welcomed.

Although there seems to be very little in the way of good news at the moment as far as employment goes, we had thought it wouldn’t be long before the Tesco development would commence. Now, there appears to be some uncertainty as to if or when this will happen, so we are trying to get some clarification from Tesco themselves. While there are varied views on the subject, the town is much in need of new opportunities which, hopefully, the supermarket will bring. Whatever your view, we have to acknowledge that it will probably happen, so need to make it work for the town and community.

On the job front – we have noticed an increase in the numbers coming through the doors requiring assistance with job hunting and CVs. If you are in this position remember we are here to help, wherever possible.

Julie can offer a confidential CV writing service as well as assistance with internet job search. If required there is also a basic skills course which includes some computing, which always helps as so many job applications have to be completed online these days.

We can also offer volunteering opportunities, either in the shop, organising events or assisting with The Ambler.
Together lets make 2012 a good year for Amble.

Julia Aston
Director, Amble Development Trust

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We can begin our Christmas countdown now that the Torchlight Procession has taken place. Once again the youngsters of the town enchanted the crowds with the fantastic lanterns they made, which complimented the ever stunning display by the lights volunteers and the shops dressed in their festive best– how lucky are we to have such a brilliant community event. We would like to thank everyone who participated, assisted, performed, organised, stewarded, funded or watched. You made it worthwhile.

We also had a wonderful opening day for Pride of Northumbria which I am pleased to say is doing well. The honours were carried out by Doug Paterson from DP Builders who carried out both the external and internal works. Pride of Northumbria  is turning into a real community shop where customers feel comfortable to browse and chat.

We have some wonderful artwork displayed and I must thank Larraine Duquemin whose project for Armistice Day was displayed. I have been overwhelmed by the support from volunteers who have offered to ‘man’ the shop, each for their own reasons but all enjoying the customer contact. So a big thank you from myself, Trust employees and trustees.

Having received several enquiries for the ‘middle unit’, I am heartened by the interest that is being shown in the town, especially when you listen to the doom and gloom on the news. To complete the building work we now need to develop a plan and secure funding for the first floor. So that will be our next project.

AmbleGPX was shortlisted for a Northumberland Business Award in the technology category. This was very gratifying, especially for all the young people who helped bring the project to this stage.

On the skateboard front, we hope to have alleviated some of the litter issues by re-siting two more bins in the vicinity. The new group of young people who will form the steering group are committed to keeping the area clear – even to the point of challenging an adult who felt it was okay to deposit rubbish near the site. It just goes to show that it isn’t always the young people who need to be educated on such matters!

Our new staff have settled in at Pride of Northumbria and are working well as part of the Trust team – Sandy the Mad Jam Woman is keeping well but still undergoing treatment so we are working around her availability – but whenever she is in you can see her cheery face through the window.

Our meetings with the town council continue on a positive note, with many discussions centred around how we can bring about various activities and events to generate added tourism and generally brighten the town up.

With the announcement that the Olympic Torch will travel through the town (even though I understand it will be an early morning visit) it would be great to get schools, groups and organisation working together to celebrate. One suggestion has been to hold ‘street olympics’ – what do you think? Not sure which event I’d be getting my trainers out for! Anyway, the more involved the better. We can put on as good a show as anyone else in our own inimitable way.

Perhaps with Christmas coming your thoughts aren’t on what may be happening next year, but we know that the Jubilee and Olympic Torch events will soon be upon us and we would like to work together to ensure the occasion is marked and enjoyed.

Well I think that’s about it for now. So from all of us here at the Trust may we wish you a very merry, peaceful Christmas and prosperous New Year.

Julia Aston, Director,  
Amble Development Trust

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Auroral Arc taken by Adrian Jannetta and Emma Maddison of the Northumberland Astronomical Society during the Northern Lights’ visit to Northumberland in January.

All eyes were on Northumberland at the end of January when the Northern Lights put on a great show for local stargazers.

Local and national news media made a beeline for Hauxley Nature Reserve, home to Northumberland Astromomical Society’s (NASTRO) observatory where they interviewed members of the society, who explained the aurora phenomenon.

And social media is also being credited for the rise in popularity of the fantastic light display.

Dr Adrian Jannetta, Chairman of NASTRO told The Ambler “People think it [the aurora] doesn’t happen very often in the UK. They kind of enforce their own expectations – they don’t expect to see it, so they don’t look out for it.”
He explained that the sun has periods of activity over several years, which oscillates between very quiet and very energetic. This is good news for stargazers and those who have longed to see the Northern Lights themselves.
“I saw the aurora loads of times between 2003-2004. We’re heading towards another peak next year, so between now and then we can expect to see more and more.”

So if the aurora is not so unusual after all, why is there such a flurry of excitement this time?

“The difference between this maximum and the previous one in 2000 is basically social media” said Dr Jannetta. “We’ve got NASA websites which release forecasts of aurora predictions – they call it space weather – and those forecasts can be spread very quickly via social media.”

During this time, Twitter and Facebook were buzzing with photographs of the northern lights and people sharing their experiences of aurora hunting.

NASTRO was also part of the recent BBC Stargazing Live series and the society put on several activities throughout Northumberland during January to encourage local people to take part in astronomy.
“There’s a big push on science in the media at the moment” said Adrian. “Especially the BBC. It’s not just stargazing, but science in general.”

For more information on auroras and astronomy visit www.nastro.org.uk. You can also keep up to date with the society’s activities via their Facebook page, and they can be found on twitter @Nastronomers.

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Lynn Kerr and Arthur Kingdom

David Jones and Arthur Kingdom

Dave Jones won the trophy for the highest marks in this year’s internal competitions. Lynn Kerr came second. Fred Thurgood was third.

At the last meeting of the year Arthur gave the members a treat with a presentation of his wonderful underwater photography from around the world. His photographs are outstanding and can be viewed on his website: http://www.aakup.com

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Sandwich Tern

Winter Residents

The island was inaccessible for several days this January, due to rough seas. On the last visit, there was a flock of thirty twite, two woodcock and a snipe on the main plateau. Purple sandpipers appeared to be increasing in numbers as we watched, and a snow bunting looked rather surprised that people had appeared on his island.

Winter Holidays

Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together! One of our Sandwich terns ringed this year was sighted off the coast of Gambia in December! The bird was weighed and had a small white band added to its leg … with some luck we will see it back and breeding in a couple of years!

Oh, and who was on the team that caught this bird – a warden  from the RSPB Reserve at Saltholme, on ‘holiday’ of course!

New Kit/Works

The restoration of the cottages stopped for the winter but resumed in February when the team returned to complete the interior works as well as starting repairs to the lower stonework on the main lighthouse tower. The reserve has also gained its first lawn mower! The sward and ground cover has made it impossible to use one in the past – but all our enthusiastic preparatory strimming and raking has made it possible to mow all the main tern plots. If anyone has some spare golf clubs you now know where to send them ….

Capt’n Coquet

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Jeff Sutheran, chair of the North Northumberland Tourism Association said, “There are so many similarities between Cornwall and Northumberland and there is so much that the tourism industry in Northumberland could learn from them. This is a two-day event. It’s open to anyone involved with tourism in Northumberland and the Scottish Borders.  It is not just for tourist attractions or accommodation businesses; we want to encourage people from the retail, food and drink, transport and travel and activities sectors to come along too”

For more info contact Iain Robson on 01665 511206.

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Event organisers Northumberland County Council are hoping  that residents will take the opportunity to experience the wonderful attractions Northumberland has to offer and put the date in their diaries now.  The festival aims to give something back to people living in the county and promises some fantastic days out at a time when money is tight for so many.

Residents will need special vouchers to receive free or discounted entry to the attractions and these will be available from local libraries, council offices, tourist information centres and sports centres from mid-February onwards.
For further information and to find out which attractions are taking part in the festival you can also log on to http://residentsfestival.northumberland.gov.uk or ring 0845 600 6400.

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Given for work which focuses on improving the quality of food in schools through cooking and gardening activities, lessons about healthy lifestyles and meeting national standards for nutrition in school meal provision, it was awarded by the Duchess of Northumberland.

As part of their Amazing Amble topic, all the children from the school completed a sponsored walk, with some striding out for four miles to Warkworth and back.  The walk was wonderfully supported by families and friends, raising a stunning £1,017.40, which will be used to buy library equipment and books for the school. 

When asked what the best bit of the walk was, several children replied, “The hot chocolate at the end!”

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Urld Spice. The new fragrance for Hommes. Filmed on location at Warkworth Beach.

When I trotted down to Warkworth Beach in June 2010 with my dog Luka and  a defaced bottle of my mum’s John Frieda volumising spray to make a cheer up video for my girlfriend Anna, I could never have imagined that I would be discussing it live on BBC radio 18 months later. Nor could I have foreseen a professionally photographed image of myself gracing the front page of The Journal in nothing but a beach towel.

I had every intention of making a Northumbrian version of the Old Spice advert. Back then it was merely a web commercial that had become popular in the States and had just snuck into the public consciousness over here. It is an extremely slick work and very well acted and very funny. My mission was to make the opposite of that and so stuck the label to the spray and headed out. I had no script in mind but thought that, as long as I kept to the original’s theme, I could muster a decent effort.

The beach was practically empty, the sun was out and so I set up my mobile phone to record. I did a rough guesstimate of where I would appear in frame and then went for it. The first take is the one that is in the video. I did a couple of others, sometimes jumping into shot but they were quickly discarded. I even managed to wrangle Luka into performing as I aped the “I’m on a horse” ending with “I’m on me durrg!”

After uploading to YouTube it went largely unwatched until my friends began sharing it on Facebook and Twitter earlier this month. It got so many hits in such a short space of time, 3500 in a week, that I got phone calls from the BBC and local papers for further information and emails with script ideas for future parodies. It helped that comedian Bob Mortimer had shown interest in the video, again a result of the sharing through social media. I was utterly flabbergasted that he had done so, and even more bewildered when he asked me whether I would do anymore?

Oh God yes! This is a very pleasant merry-go-round and I don’t want to get off!

Daniel Gurney

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