Community News

The Belgrade Theatre has hosted an anniversary party to celebrate 10 years of its B2 auditorium this September. Special guests were invited to join Belgrade staff for a glass of fizz and a slice of cake in celebration of B2’s 10^th birthday, as well as hearing from speakers including Artistic Director Hamish Glen, Associate Director Justine Themen and Coventry’s Lord Mayor, Tony Skipper.

B2 opened in September 2007 following an 18 month closure whilst the £14million refurbishment and expansion capital project was undertaken. This flexible and intimate second space was the vision of Artistic Director Hamish Glen, who insisted on the construction of B2 when he arrived in Coventry in 2003, after spending over 10 years at the helm of the Dundee Rep.

Seating between 200 – 300 audience members, the B2 auditorium has allowed the theatre to stage risk-taking and innovative work, cementing the theatre’s reputation as one of the most dynamic producing houses in the country.

During its 10 year history, B2 has attracted some of the UK’s top theatre makers to the city. Their landmark production of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes From A Marriage, was directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and starred Game of Thrones actor Iain Glen alongside Imogen Stubbs.

A key part of the artistic policy for B2 has also been to bring the history of Coventry to life on stage with productions such as the hit Coventry Blitz play One Night in November, Too Much Pressure, which was set amid the decline of the city’s motor car industry, FA Cup play, We Love You City and more recently, the 2 Tone musical Three Minute Heroes.

The Belgrade youth company also present regular high-quality work in B2 that bears witness to the stories of the city with shows, such as Walk For Your Life telling the story of a Zimbabwean refugee and Imperfect, exploring some of the of pressures on the city’s young people.

Hamish Glen said “B2 has been the saviour of this theatre. It has allowed us to produce high-quality and ground-breaking work alongside our popular main stage programme, and appeals to a broader and more diverse theatre-going audience. We’re enormously proud of the work we have produced in B2 over the last 10 years, that has helped to establish the Belgrade as a top regional producing theatre and attracted so many internationally renowned artists, performers and creatives to Coventry. I’m excited to see what the next 10 years bring!”

Justine Themen, Associate Director said, “B2 is an essential place to showcase work created by the communities we engage with from a diverse range of backgrounds, helping to develop their confidence, creativity and performance skills. This work also provides fertile ground for growing new talent in the city – with the Belgrade’s Critical Mass programme growing new-writing for the stage and the Springboard Initiative developing emerging companies. Without a space like B2, none of this would be possible.”

Taking to the B2 stage this October, Pink Sari Revolution is the Belgrade Theatre’s latest co-production with Curve Theatre Leicester and tells the story of Sampat Pal, the leader of India’s famous pink sari wearing Gulabi Gang, based on the book by Amana Fontanella-Khan.

B2 will host the Belgrade’s first ever Dementia Friendly Performance of Finding Joy on Sat 18 Nov at 1.30pm. This funny and heart-warming play by the UK’s leading full-mask theatre company Vamos, will be specially adapted to suit audience members living with Dementia and their carers.

New Black Showcase will return to B2 for the fifth year presenting work by graduates of the Belgrade’s Critical Mass playwriting programme, and new work by Midlands based theatre company futuretheatre.

The Theatre has introduced monthly comedy nights in B2 this autumn from acclaimed comedy clubs Screaming Blue Murder and Desi Central. These will feature an eclectic line up of top local comedians and some of the best acts on the British Asian comedy scene.

Solihull’s tastiest fun run, the Chocolate 5k, has raised over £10,000 for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice – its biggest chocolate run in the area to date.

Over 320 sweet-toothed runners took to Elmdon Park Nature Reserve last week to help raise vital funds for the local charity.

The unique event blended exercise with indulgence, allowing participants to snack on sweet treats as they tackled the 5k challenge.

Runners were handed bars from a number of chocolate stations and received support on the sidelines from Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas, to give them that extra boost to reach the finish line.

This is the third time the local hospice has hosted its Chocolate 5k in Solihull and this year was its most successful yet – with more participants raising more money than ever before. The previous two runs took place at Dorridge Village Hall in 2015 and 2016.

All funds raised from the run will go towards Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, which provides vital care to individuals and families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.

Lucy Watkins, events manager at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “This year’s Chocolate 5k in Solihull was our sweetest yet and it was fantastic to see even more runners join us to help raise crucial funds for our Hospice.

“£10k is an incredible amount of money and will allow us to continue to provide expert care and support to over 1,200 local families. All of our services – whether they are provided at the Hospice, in people’s homes or in the local community – are completely free of charge and so we rely on the generosity of others to keep our Hospice running.

“I would like to thank everyone who joined us on the day – your brilliant support really will make a big difference.”

Poetry by a lecturer at Newman  University, Birmingham, has been published in an annual anthology showcasing the best contemporary poetry published in the British Isles over the last year.

Swims – a long poem documenting a series of wild swims across the UK – by Dr Elizabeth-Jayne Burnett, senior lecturer in Creative Writing at Newman University was selected for inclusion after being highly commended in the Forward Prize for Poetry.

This year’s judging panel was chaired by journalist and television presenter Andrew Marr, and included poets Ian Duhiq, Sandeep Parmer and Mona Arshi, as well as artist Chris Riddell.

Well-known poets whose work has previously been included in the anthology include the likes of Ted Hughes and Carol Ann Duffy.

Dr Burnett, said: “I’m thrilled to have my work recognised in this prestigious prize and highly commended by the judges. It is wonderful to see the exciting and diverse work being rewarded by the Forward Prizes.”

The publication marks the continuation of a successful year for Dr Burnett, who was also announced as one of 12 winners of Penguin Random House’s WriteNow programme, earlier this year. As a result, she is also now working alongside a mentoring editor at Penguin Random House to develop a further manuscript, making it ready for publication.

The Forward Book of Poetry 2018 includes the 15 shortlisted and 50 highly commended poets from this year’s Forward Prizes for Poetry. Selected by the prize’s judging panel, the final recommendations give a strong sense of the variety, vitality and wit of poetry today, making the anthology valuable to both first-time poetry readers and those keen to find more poetry to enjoy. The anthologies are published annually by Bookmark, with the new issue available for pre-order

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a man drove up to an RSPCA animal centre, got out of his car and abandoned a dog at the gates before driving away.

CCTV footage captured the man driving into a disabled parking bay in a black Mercedes, taking the dog out of his boot and walking towards the gates of Birmingham Animal Centre, in Frankley Green, at around 8.05am on Saturday 26 August.

The Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog, who has since been named Roxy by RSPCA staff, wasn’t found for 40 minutes until a member of staff arrived for work.

The footage shows that moments after being dumped, the dog runs behind a parked car to hide. She is now being cared for at the centre.

The RSPCA’s chief inspector for Birmingham, Rebecca Cooper, said: “It is so sad to think that someone thought it was okay to do this. Being abandoned must have been extremely stressful and poor Roxy wasn’t found straightaway.

“A vet has checked over Roxy and found that she seems to have a problem with her legs - this could be arthritis, but we are not sure yet until further tests are carried out. She is a lovely dog though and she is getting a lot of fuss.

“We are urging anyone who recognises the dog, or the person in the footage, to contact us in complete confidence on 0300 123 8018 so we can look into this further.”

As Meghan Markle opens up for the first time on her romance with Prince Harry one bookmaker are making it 6/4 that the couple will get engaged this year

And it’s 3/1 that they will tie the knot next year.

“We have had a lot of interest in odds on whether the couple would get engaged this year,” declared bookies, Betfred. “The article in Vanity Fair where she reveals how in love and happy they are together is sure to add to that interest and speculation that we can’t be far off another royal engagement and we have odds of 6/4 of that happening this year.

We also make it 3/1 that the couple will actually marry next year, which would make 2018 a huge year for the Royals following on from the news yesterday that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant and due around March or April next year.”

Shocking research reveals 200,000 school kids* could lose access to breakfast at school due to slashed budgets and cuts.

Worrying findings released today revealed 43 per cent of teachers say their school breakfast club will have to close in the next three years – including those that operate in the most deprived parts of the UK.

In the report by Kellogg’s titled ‘The future of school breakfast clubs: a funding crisis in the UK’ teachers were asked to list the reasons they fear their clubs will close: 86 per cent said school funding was the main reason.

Troubled teachers also told how the new requirement for extra staffing in clubs (44 per cent) will make them more difficult to run.

In a bid to keep the clubs open, a quarter (26 per cent) of schools have redirected funds from other parts of the school budget such as school trips, making staff cuts and buying fewer classroom resources.

Now some schools have also had to rely on donations from private companies, charities and parents.

Worried teachers warned the closure of their breakfast club will lead to a rise in naughty behaviour in the classroom (34 per cent) and worsen attendance (33 per cent).

More than a third (36 per cent) of teachers surveyed from schools with breakfast clubs that have already closed down said they have since noticed a decline in exam results following the closure.

John Coe from the National Association of Primary Education comments: “Breakfast clubs are at a critical point in their work and the overriding reason is that cuts to school funding over the next three years threaten the closing down of clubs which serve children and young people. The impact upon disadvantaged communities will be particularly severe.

“Teachers testify to the educational gains which stem from a healthy breakfast and the positive effect on school and family life has been confirmed by the Department for Education. Policy makers should listen and then take decisive action to provide financial support.”

Not only will schoolchildren be affected by these closures but working families will feel the impact also. More than a quarter (27 per cent) of parents say the absence of a breakfast club would mean at least one parent would be forced out of work.

David Lawlor, Kellogg’s managing director said: “Great progress has been made since the 1990s to increase the number of schools offering pupils a safe and fun environment that provides a nutritious breakfast. That’s why each year the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards celebrate the fantastic people who make these clubs happen every day in schools up and down the country.

“But the future for these vital breakfast clubs is at risk. The challenge for schools, government and partners in private and third sectors is to ensure that we help to sustain as many pre-school clubs as possible. We will continue to offer grants to schools breakfast clubs because we believe that every child deserves the best start to the day.”

The much-anticipated African Caribbean Community Initiative (ACCI) Gala Dinner event will be taking place September 16^th , to celebrate 30 years of the charity serving the community.

As one of the longest surviving community based charities in the field of mental ill health, ACCI aims to develop, co-ordinate and deliver culturally appropriate and consistently high standards of supported care/advice for members of the African Caribbean community and their families affected by mental ill health.

The theme of the Gala event sponsored by; Paycare, The Good Patty Company, Firewalker gym is “The Journey” and will celebrate service members, long serving employees, carer groups and volunteers who’ve supported the charity over the years.

To mark the occasion, guests will be greeted on arrival to music from steel pan band, Mighty Jamma, followed by a two-course authentic Caribbean meal with feature performances from Lovers Rock singer, Peter Spence, Claire Angel, 2016 winner of Britain’s Got Reggae and top Jamaican comedian Penguin.

Alicia Spence, ACCI Centre Manager is excited about the 30 years celebration. She said: “The Gala event is a special day to look forward to, as the event has grown year on year attracting people from all over the West Midlands and become a prominent fixture in the ACCI calendar”

“It’s also great to see how much support we’ve had from local businesses such as; Accord Housing, Terrence Higgins Trust, EC Electrical Services and Higher Level World.”

The new Erdington Leisure Centre - designed to provide the whole community with a fresh, modern exercise and recreation venue - features a 25-metre swimming pool, a teaching pool, a 70-station gym and a community room/studio space.  A wide range of fitness classes as well as children’s holiday play activities and birthday parties will also be available.

The brand new building has taken just over a year to construct and is opening almost a month ahead of schedule and on budget. The £7.5million replacement of Erdington’s leisure centre is part of a city wide investment of nearly £40million by Birmingham City Council and is the first of four new complexes to be completed.

Birmingham Community Leisure Trust (BCLT), working in partnership with Birmingham City Council (BCC), has overseen the project and will manage the new centre once it opens its doors.

BCLT Chair, Brian Taylor, said: “The transformation of this Erdington site since we stood here last summer is truly impressive.  I am very proud to hand over such a high quality, purpose built facility to our community and I invite everyone, whatever their age and whatever sport they enjoy, to take the opportunity to come and use this brilliant new centre.

“We will be holding a special Open Day on Saturday 30 September when our great team based at Erdington Leisure Centre every day will be here to show you around, answer your questions about activities, classes and membership options and there will be many free events for you to sample what we have to offer.

“If you are yet to join the thousands of people keeping fit and healthy through regular exercise, I am confident there is every chance you will find what you are looking for here.”

Birmingham City Council’s Deputy Leader Cllr Ian Ward added: “I am delighted that our residents in Erdington and the surrounding area now have a brand new leisure centre – ahead of schedule - and I thank our partners for working with us to provide cost effective and modern facilities.  Despite the considerable budgetary restraints we face, we will continue to support and encourage people to remain active and pursue a healthy lifestyle.”

Construction of replacement leisure centres is ongoing at Stechford and Northfield sites in the east and south of the city. A fourth centre at a new site at Icknield Port Loop in Edgbaston will be built and managed by BCLT. The Trust has also delivered a programme of refurbishments to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre; Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre; Beeches Leisure Centre and Wyndley Leisure Centre.

ISG Construction plc has undertaken the construction of the new leisure centres at Erdington, Stechford and Northfield to designs by Calderpeel Architects.

Erdington Leisure Centre is located on Orphanage Road, Erdington, Birmingham B24 9HU.

As tourism has become a powerful engine for the local economic and social development of cities, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has partnered with the World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) to develop an instrument that can measure the performance of the sector in metropolitan areas. Under the title ‘UNWTO-WTCF City Tourism Performance Research’ the project will include a set of criteria and a platform for information.

According to UN Habitat (2050, 70% of the world’s population is expected to be living in cities. By 2025, metropolitan areas will contribute over 30 trillion US dollars annually to the world economy. As tourism currently accounts as a central component in the economic, social and geographical development of many cities it is essential to monitor tourism performance in urban destinations and clearly address the areas for improvement. As stated by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai, “city tourism should go hand by hand with sustainable development; preserving environmental treasures together with tangible and intangible heritage should be parallel to the importance of engaging local communities”.

The partnership between UNWTO and WTCF to measure city tourism will assist policy makers and all stakeholders in their efforts to take strategic action for better urban tourism governance and sustainable management.

The project includes research on City Tourism Performance collecting information about the existing systems to measure city tourism performance worldwide. A total of 16 cities located in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin American participated in the survey. The exercise will allow to define a set of criteria that can constitute the best possible assessment of city tourism performance at a reasonable cost.

“Cities provide an important vehicle for world tourism development. Launched in 2015, the UNWTO-WTCF City Tourism Performance Research Programme has conducted a comprehensive analysis of 16 tourism cities in the world in the five areas:  destination management, economic perspective, social and cultural perspectives, environmental perspective as well as technology & new business models. The findings offer very useful guidance for promoting sustainable development in cities around the world,” said the Secretary General of WTCF, Song Yu.

Applying the UNWTO-WTCF City Tourism Performance Research Survey requires involving different stakeholders’ groups. Data is collected at the city level by the tourism experts identified by UNWTO and WTCF. Some of the performance criteria can be collected from the official data sources from cities such as Census and household surveys although expert interviews are necessary to have a more in-depth understanding of each city.

The results of the research conducted in the Asia-Pacific Region were presented last weekend in Tianjin, China and later this month on 26 September in Buenos Aires, Argentina a second workshop will discuss the results of the Latin American cities, aiming to create a platform to give recommendations to those cities on the selected key performance areas and to give general indications to all cities on recent challenges in urban tourism.

The 16 different city cases will be compiled in a publication free of charge on the UNWTO website which will serve as a guideline on how cities can improve their future implementation of tourism development.

The transformation of Tottenham’s High Road West – with thousands of new homes, new jobs, new community facilities and a landmark civic square designed in partnership with local residents – could soon be underway following years of community participation in shaping the ambitious plans.

Haringey Council’s Cabinet will next week (Tuesday 12 September) discuss a recommendation to choose regeneration experts Lendlease as the preferred bidder to deliver local people’s ambitions for the area.

The announcement follows more than five years of community engagement and consultation, which has seen residents’ vision placed at the heart of a masterplan for the area through a Resident Charter and Residents’ Design Panel and design guide. Residents have also been involved in the 18-month competitive procurement process to select Lendlease as the preferred bidder to take the scheme forward.

The importance of the High Road West scheme, which covers the area opposite the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium development, has also been highlighted by the Mayor of London, who has contributed £62million funding to support the ambitious scheme as part of the wider regeneration of north Tottenham.

Highlights include:

• More than 2,500 homes, with at least 750 affordable homes
• 191 high-quality, safe replacement homes for existing council tenants and resident leaseholders, meeting the aspirations of their Resident Charter
• A cutting edge new library and learning centre
• A refurbished community hub with new facilities at the Grange
• A new civic square for community activities and cultural events, flanked by new shops, restaurants and cafes
• New green spaces including gardens, children’s play area and outdoor gym
• More than £10million social and economic support for businesses and residents
• Investment in the town centre and community events
• Thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of new jobs following development
• A new industrial space to support businesses from the existing Peacock Industrial Estate

Sandwell Leisure Trust’s Smethwick Swimming Centre (SSC) on Thimblemill Road recently benefited from a £120,000 investment to upgrade the fitness equipment and uplift the gym area itself.

Several new best-of-class cardio products have been installed - including an IC7 spin bike, Cybex Sparc trainer (for fat loss and strength building) and Concept 2 Ski Erg (based on Nordic skiing) – which were all a first for the West Midlands.

New equipment from the premium LifeFitness Elevation range is also available, which features the latest ‘Discover Cardio’ consoles offering touch screen console technology for TV and app compatibility - to track progress, access personalized workouts and serve as an in-workout display.

Lynda Bateman, Chair of Sandwell Leisure Trust Board, explains: “We are committed to investing to provide an excellent range of quality fitness facilities at Sandwell’s sport and leisure centres for all our members and local residents to enjoy, keeping them healthy and helping them achieve personal targets and goals.”

Cllr Richard Marshall, Sandwell’s Cabinet Member for Leisure, adds: “We are delighted to work in partnership with SLT and to see the continued investment here in Smethwick paying dividends. Sandwell Council has made significant investment in new sport and leisure facilities in Sandwell and we work hard with all our partners to find new ways to get more people active in the borough.’

The initial investment also included a brand new sauna as well as new floors, toilets and showers to compliment the facility and offer members a complete leisure experience. It was delivered in partnership with Sven Saunas Ltd who is the leading provider of saunas to the leisure industry.

An additional £50,000 was spent on transforming a previously under-utilised meeting room into a new state-of-the-art spin studio (which opened earlier this month) also with IC7 bikes and a MyRide virtual indoor cycling system that allows first timers and experienced spinners alike to experience world level classes with and without an instructor.

SSC Centre Manager Sean Ryan adds: “We’re very keen to offer members more variety and scope and spin classes were certainly in demand, but with literally no further space to utilise in the studio we decided to overhaul the meetings room that was only used for internal gatherings and an occasional member of the public hire.

“With the additional spin members it will bring this extra new facility won’t take long to pay for itself either, plus we’re fully delivering on our pledge of enhancing the customer experience.”

Next up is a £5,000 facelift spend on the popular dance studio – resulting in a total spend of £175,000 to make Smethwick Swimming Centre one of the very best leisure facilities around.

World-class esports have a new home in the entertainment capital of the world. Blizzard Entertainment today unveiled Blizzard Arena Los Angeles, a cutting-edge live-event destination for pro players, esports fans, and everyone else who loves premier competition. Situated in the legendary Burbank Studios, once home to groundbreaking television shows, the studio at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles has been custom-tailored to support an exciting live-event experience for local attendees and broadcast audiences around the world. When the Arena opens for business on October 7, top competitors from across Blizzard esports will be the newest stars to shine on one of the most celebrated stages in television history.

“We’re at a tipping point for esports and we look forward to helping usher in a new era of competition-based entertainment,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “As we open the doors of Blizzard Arena Los Angeles and welcome fans from around the world, we’re honored to bring the best in Blizzard esports to the same stage that some of the biggest names in entertainment have called home.”

With multiple sound stages, control rooms, and practice facilities, Blizzard Arena Los Angeles was built to support a full slate of competitive events year-round. In addition, the Burbank, California arena will house a Blizzard retail store that rotates stock for event attendees based on the competitions taking place at the time.

Blizzard Arena Los Angeles will open its doors to the public for the first time on the weekend of October 7–8 with the Overwatch Contenders Season One Playoffs taking center stage. The culmination of a summer of formidable European and North American competition, the Overwatch Contenders Playoffs will crown the top Contenders teams in each region.

Beginning October 13, the Hearthstone® Championship Tour’s Summer Championship will bring top-notch Hearthstone pros to the Arena for a full weekend of competition, with $250,000 on the line. The global tournament will conclude the third act of the HCT and set the table for the Hearthstone World Championship, taking place in early 2018.

The early battles of both the Heroes of the Storm® Global Championship (HGC) Finals and World of Warcraft® Arena Championship will be held at Blizzard Arena Los Angeles in late October, with top Heroes of the Storm and WoW® Arena players looking to fight their way onto the championship stages at BlizzCon®, Blizzard’s annual community celebration in Anaheim, California, taking place November 3–4.

Then, later this year, some of the top Overwatch® players in the world will take their first steps toward stardom at the Arena when the Overwatch League opens a new era in professional esports. With the players leading the way, the city-based franchises of the Overwatch League have their sights set on establishing a new standard for esports excellence.

Two more stars are set to be inducted into Wolverhampton’s Sporting Hall of Fame during a celebratory event later this month.

Trevor Gadd and Professor Peter Radford have represented Wolverhampton in cycling and athletics respectively and appeared for their country at both the Olympics and Commonwealth Games.

They will be the latest big names to be included in Wolverhampton’s Sporting Hall of Fame, launched by the City of Wolverhampton Council and the Wolverhampton City Sports Advisory Council in 1999 to recognise and celebrate the achievements of sportsmen and women who have represented Wolverhampton on an international stage.

The chair of Wolverhampton’s Sports Advisory Council, Peter Holmes MBE, said: “We are delighted to be inducting two more inspirational Wulfrunians into our Sporting Hall of Fame.

“Trevor and Peter are both individuals who have performed with great success on a world stage and have been true ambassadors of everything that is good about the City of Wolverhampton.”

Trevor Gadd was a member of Wolverhampton Wheelers Cycling Club and began competitive racing in 1975 when he won his first bronze medal in the British National Championships.

Representing Great Britain and England at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games, he went on to dominate track cycling in the 1970s.

Runner Peter Radford spent his early years training at Aldersley Stadium where he was coached by Wolverhampton and Bilston Athletics Club.

He went on to set numerous world records in 50m, 100m and 200m races and won medals while representing his country at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. He achieved this despite having been in a wheelchair as a child due to a serious illness.

This ceremony will take place on Saturday 23 September at WV Active Aldersley, where the Sporting Hall of Fame’s books and honours boards are displayed.

Previous inductees include athlete Denise Lewis, racing driver Richard Atwood and Wolverhampton Wanderers legends Bert Williams and Billy Wright.

Councillor Steve Evans, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for City Environment, said: “The City of Wolverhampton has a long history of producing top level sportspeople and we are delighted to celebrate their achievements through our Sporting Hall of Fame, which is proudly held at WV Active Aldersley.

“I would like to congratulate Trevor and Peter on their successes, and welcome them into Wolverhampton’s Sporting Hall of Fame.”

Tipton library will be hosting its sixth annual local history day later this month when they will remember friend of the library Alf Breakwell who passed away earlier this year.

Everyone is invited to the event on Saturday 23 September between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Exhibitions on show will include a selection of images from the Palethorpes archive plus stalls, a cake sale and a talk about the history of local firm Walters Funerals.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for leisure Councillor Richard Marshall said: “Alf was 91. He was a member of the Tipton Home Guard and a regular visitor to the library where he always brought a home-made sponge cake in to share

“As a tribute, the local history group are hosting the Breakwell Bake Off - a cake competition to find the best sandwich cake or loaf cake in the area.”

Entry forms are available from all Tipton libraries and Alf’s son and daughter will be on the judging panel.

Authors Carol Hathorne and Joanne Webster will be launching their new books at the event and live music will be provided by the Scarbelly Blues Band.

Community library manager Robert Hazel added: “The Friends of the library are encouraging local people to come in and share their old school photos for an exhibition next year called ‘Days of Our Lives’.

“There will be other community stalls and a home-made cake stall – so come along and enjoy a bostin day.”