Northumberland News and Updates

Recent News and Updates

Card From the King and Visit from Mayor for Betty 

Mayor Warren Taylor, on behalf of Blyth Town Council, has extended heartfelt congratulations and warm wishes to Betty Madderson on reaching the incredible milestone of 100 years.

Betty was born in Cramlington and moved to Blyth at the age of five when her father was relocated there for work on the railway. Her early years were dedicated to caring for others, working on a farm in Cowpen during the war. She then had a job at the Celanese textiles factory, which later became known as Courtaulds before becoming a dinner lady at Kingsway (Crofton) Primary School.

Betty’s life has been marked by devotion to her family, raising her children and supporting her loved ones. At the age of 73, she took her first solo flight to Texas, USA, to visit her daughter and grandchildren. Known for her culinary skills, Betty’s ginger cakes have become legendary among family, friends, and neighbours. She attributes her longevity to cooking from scratch and maintaining an active lifestyle through regular walks.

Despite her age, Betty continues to live independently in Blyth, staying well-informed on current affairs and engaging in discussions with visitors. With a son, a daughter, five grandchildren, and two great-grandsons, Betty values the importance of family. To stay connected, she has embraced technology, using a tablet for video calls and emails with her far-flung relatives.

In the days leading up to her 100th birthday, Betty eagerly awaited a card from the King, a moment she shared with family and friends. The occasion was marked with decorations, banners, bunting, and balloons adorning her house. Mayor Warren Taylor made a surprise visit, and Betty’s family, friends, and neighbours joined in the celebration, toasting with tea, coffee, or Betty’s preferred choice—a glass of sparkling wine.

“The day could not have been any better!” Betty said, expressing her gratitude for the love and warmth surrounding her. The festivities extended beyond the actual birthday, with a surprise visit from her grandsons and great grandson who live several hundred miles away.

Mayor Taylor applauded Betty’s resilience, zest for life, and the positive impact she has had on the Blyth community. 

“Blyth Town Council sends its sincere congratulations and best wishes to Betty on her 100th birthday, and we look forward to celebrating many more milestones with her. She’s a real character and we are all very proud of her in Blyth,” he said. 

Photo: Mayor Taylor and Betty

PR and media Keith@highlightspr.co.uk

Pupils debate key issues facing families with MP

Children debated the key issues facing families today with their MP Ian Lavery as he visited Ashington’s Bothal Primary School.

The school’s pupil leadership team raised the cost-of-living crisis, the need for free school meals, the climate crisis and their ongoing fundraising campaign for a new school minibus.

Mr Lavery, MP for Wansbeck since 2010, shared his thoughts on the importance of paying a decent living wage so that families can meet basic needs, while the children talked about the challenges of child poverty they see in their own community.

There was also a consensus on the need for universal free school meals, so all children had a decent lunch to help them learn, and for urgent action on climate change.

The former Lynemouth and Ellington Colliery miner was asked about his journey to Parliament, describing how he was active in the trade union movement and is particularly proud to serve the community he loves.

Mr Lavery also heard about the excellent recent Ofsted reports for Bothal Primary and its Ashington Learning Partnership sister school Central Primary; Bothal was rated outstanding and Central good with outstanding features.

Louise Hall, Executive Headteacher at the Ashington Learning Partnership, said: “The children were excited to meet their MP for the first time and fascinated to hear his thoughts on the key issues they had been debating recently in the pupil leadership team.

“We’re really grateful to Ian for coming in to meet the children and finding out more about the challenges currently facing the education sector such as attendance, attracting staff, poverty and strained school budgets.”

Mr Lavery added: “It was excellent to be given the opportunity to visit the school once again and to hear more about the progress at both Bothal and Central Primary Schools following their fantastic Ofsted reports.

“Then chatting about the issues concerning the school’s pupil leadership team was simply the icing on the cake. In Westminster, it can be easy to become overwhelmed by the scale of the challenges we face, but every time I speak with young people here in Wansbeck, I am reminded that our future is in safe hands.”

Photo: Pupils from Bothal School’s Pupil Leadership Programme with MP Ian Lavery 

PR and media Keith@highlightspr.co.uk

Northumberland Communities Set to Unite With New Radio Service

Radio listeners in Northumberland will soon be able to have more choice and listen to additional stations thanks to the introduction of new DAB transmitters.

A group of local broadcasters in and around Northumberland have got together to apply for an Ofcom licence for what’s known as small scale DAB to an area stretching from Cramlington to Alnwick.

The stations have set up a new not for profit company, “Northumberland Community Digital” which will oversee the application process. Should the bid be successful, listeners will hear Koast Radio, Radio Northumberland, Frisk Radio, Lionheart Radio, and other stations in DAB Digital quality for the first time. Up to 25 stations will be able to be hosted on the new system.

One of the main organisers is Richard Finch, who is part of the team at Tyneside Community Digital – the company which recently switched on its own DAB transmitters in Newcastle and Gateshead.

Richard said: “I’m delighted to help bring this exciting new service to the people of Northumberland. Small Scale DAB will bring a diverse range of new and local radio stations, increasing listener choice and helping to build stronger communities.”

Ian Conway, Managing Director at Ashington based Koast Radio said, “Koast Radio is delighted to be a partner in the bid to run the Northumberland and Morpeth DAB. We see this opportunity as a key part of extending our listenership, connecting more isolated communities, and offering greater choice of access to our listeners.

Radio Northumberland based in Bedlington is also looking forward to adding DAB to its online presence as station director, Stewart Allen explains. “We are a community radio station at heart and DAB will allow us to reach so many more people who perhaps can’t access the internet. It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring radio to the communities that we serve in Northumberland.”

Stuart Landreth of Frisk Radio said: ““Frisk Radio is a rhythm-driven lifestyle station based in Blyth, Northumberland. We commenced broadcasting on small-scale multiplexes in Tyneside, Newcastle, and Gateshead, and have gained a loyal following in these areas. We are delighted to have the chance to extend that coverage northward and finally have DAB reception in our own hometown.”

In the north of the county, Alnwick’s Lionheart Radio Garth Jeffery said:

“Lionheart Radio would strongly support the establishment of SSDAB in North Northumberland as it is an area which is currently not well served by local radio.”

The group will be submitting its application to Ofcom shortly and hope to hear whether they have been successful by the end of the year. If the group gets the licence, they hope to have the service on air by the middle of 2024.

Any stations interested should contact the Richard Finch as soon as possible at hello@tynesidecommunitydigital.co.uk

Ends

Photo: Stewart Allen and Richard Finch (Highlights PR)

PR and media Keith@highlightspr.co.uk

Radio Northumberland to Air Interview with Grammy Award Winning Singer-Songwriter Rickie Lee Jones

Community Radio Station Radio Northumberland has announced that they will be airing an exclusive interview with Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones. The interview, conducted by volunteer presenter Karen Goldfinch, will cover Jones’ new album Pieces of Treasure, as well as her life and the role of accents in music.

Rickie Lee Jones is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and author with a career spanning five decades. She has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, and jazz, and has won two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. Jones was listed at No. 30 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll in 1999.

Karen, who runs a successful business consultancy, Karen Goldfinch – Your Business Pilot, said that Rickie made the interview very easy for her and that it was like chatting to an old friend.

“I never expected to be able to interview people like Rickie Lee Jones when I started presenting on Radio Northumberland, I love talking to people and enjoy finding out about them, so this was such an enjoyable interview for me to do.  I was initially a little nervous talking to her as she is incredibly well known and respected in the music industry. However, we started off talking about Northumberland and accents and we quickly had a rapport between us. We discussed her new album; her career and she even gave me an exclusive announcement that we feature in the show. It’s the most high-profile interview I’ve done so far and the most enjoyable and I’m sure that will come out in the show.”

The interview will air on Radio Northumberland every Sunday in May at 1pm. Listeners can tune in via the radio station’s website or through their mobile app.

“We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to interview Rickie Lee Jones and to share her insights with our listeners,” said Stewart Allen, Station Manager for Radio Northumberland. “Karen did an excellent job with the interview, and we can’t wait for our audience to hear it.”

Radio Northumberland is a volunteer-run community radio station that aims to provide a platform for local voices and to promote the arts, culture, and heritage of Northumberland. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be accessed online or via the mobile app.

For more information on Radio Northumberland, visit their website at www.radionorthumberland.com.

Photo: Karen Goldfinch (Highlights PR) 

Photo: Rickie Lee Jones (Astor Morgan) 

PR and media Keith@highlightspr.co.uk

Recent News and Updates

Our Sponsors