Bank Holiday Monday fun locally -Nordic inspired food + drink at the Feathers, sculpture at cheeseburn and more

This May Bank Holiday, I can think of no better place to be that at the Scandinavian Beer and Food Festival, at The Feathers Inn, in Hedley on the Hill.

The Inn, famous for its excellent food, is putting on a great spread of Nordic food and drink, including some of the rarest Scandinavian craft beers. There is also a log stacking competition, which promises to be excellent fun.

Come along on Bank Holiday Monday, 2nd May, 12:00-3:00pm, to try something new, or not least at log stacking!

More details can be found on the website: http://thefeathers.net/news/
If that does not float your boat I would go to the Cheeseburn Sculture exhibition near stamfordham.
And the literary festival continues in Hexham. 

Easter events in Northumberland - hiking, food, gardens, the stars, a beer festival, top quiz and barrel racing

A good walk - you could go to Hadrians Wall http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/
But if you want 5 places to visit these would all make anyone's top spots:
- The Beach at Bamburgh - a great walk and a top castle
- Roman Vindolanda http://www.vindolanda.com/ = our best Roman and historical site
- Kielder Water and Forest Park: http://www.visitkielder.com/
They win awards all the time!!
http://www.visitkielder.com/news/2013/05/kielder-water-forest-park-officially-the-best-tourism-experience-in-engl-
- Alnwick Castle and its magnificent Gardens http://www.alnwickcastle.com/
For spring flowers then I would probably pick Cragside: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside/
-It is a stunning house with amazing engineering everywhere and beautiful gardens filled with 40 miles of walks, rare flowers and so much more. It is a special place.
Two gastropubs holding spcial events:
- The Battlesteads Inn has a new observatory. It is a brilliant pub and has gone to great efforts to make itself a destination in its own right. Here is the report by the Courant: http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/home/sky-s-the-limit-for-new-observatory-1.1202156
- The award winning Feathers Inn is showcasing so much this Easter that their festival runs for many days. If you have not been I urge you to go - it's won awards for its food and has a great community atmosphere: http://thefeathers.net/news/2014/12/bed-and-breakfast-special-offer/
There is a beer festival, and on sunday night Toby sets a mean quiz and it is a good night, and Monday sees the barrel racing.

And if you want to go to church then where better to go than Hexham Abbey: http://hexham-abbey.org.uk/

Easter Monday Plans - point to point, barrel racing and so much more in Northumberland

You could go racing at Corbridge to the Braes of Derwent Point to Point?
First race 1.30: here is Peter Burgon's brilliant preview of racing and all the info you need:
http://www.corbridgeraces.co.uk/bpr14.html

I will be there but others could be going to The Famous Feathers Inn Hedley Barrel Race – and win 72 pints!
There is egg jarping, Easter bonnet competition, BBQ and more. Barrel Race registration from 11.30 am. Race begins at 1pm. Prize giving 1.30pm. Prize a whole barrel of beer!

Upcoming Beer Festivals this weekend and over the summer here in Northumberland

I popped in to the Boat House Pub in Wylam yesterday for a pint, and they are holding a Scottish Beer Festival this weekend 17-21 april, with music saturday night. Also on this weekend is the Feathers Beer festival 18-21 april.
Or you can wait for next weeks Ponteland Beer Festival from april 25-26 or the Glenside Beer Festival in Mickley on may 2-3?

The biggest of them all is the Tynedale Beer Festival from June 12-14th
http://www.tynedalebeerfestival.org.uk/

Thursday, Friday 12th/13th June 6-11pm and Saturday 14th June, 1pm-11pm at Tynedale Rugby Club, Tynedale Park, Corbridge.

If you like your beer festivals more relaxed then my favourite is the Haydon Bridge Beer Festival, on the 4-5th July, where I have helped out in the past: I set out their pitch for your support below. Put these future dates in your diary.
http://haydonbeerfestival.co.uk/
The organisers are both delighted and excited to be organising the fifth Haydon Bridge Beer Festival. This year’s event has a fantastic American Independence Day theme, kicking off as it does on 4th July. Whilst coming in appropriate costume is certainly not compulsory, the idea is definitely encouraged!
As well as 40 local beers, ciders from around the UK and wines from across the world to enjoy, there will be some great live music to chill out to.
There will also be delicious local food to savour, with meat coming from the farm just next door. You can’t get much fresher than that.
Set on the beautiful banks of the river south Tyne, the aim of the festival is to ensure people have fun while raising funds for worthy causes. This year’s recipients are the Great North Air Ambulance, St. Oswald’s Hospice and Tynedale Hospice.
If you like a beer Northumberland is the place to be

Hedley Village phone and internet meeting with BT

The village of Hedley is idyllic, has one of the finest gastropubs in the country, and is full of people of character and resourcefullness. Yet they continue to be denied any proper phone and internet connection - something that has been going on for years. I had a fairly stormy meeting with BT yesterday after their key representative came to the House of Commons.
The village’s situation is unacceptable and dangerous, especially in cases of emergency. I have met with locals, eaten in the pub, and spoken to the Parish Council representatives. We have also surveyed the village. They have provided a litany of dozens of complaints, with broadband being almost non-existent, and constant disruptions to phone lines. All of these have been given to BT.
BT Openreach needs to invest in upgrading the old telephone cables, something that I know their own engineers want to see.

The Journal today gave a full report of the story: http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/hexham-mp-demands-action-villages-6326045

The Journal wrote: "One of those complainants is Helen Greer, who runs the village’s award-winning gastropub The Feathers Inn, recently named among the top 20 in the UK.
She says poor connection has had a huge negative impact on her business.
“Our business relies on us taking reservations over the phone,” she said. “But we often can’t take bookings because we can’t hear people. Our broadband connection is slower than dial-up so relying on internet bookings is no better. Earlier this year we had no phone connection for up to six weeks, which was unbelievable. We have people from far and wide wanting to visit us as we’ve won many awards for the quality of our food, but what’s the point if they can’t get in touch?

“There’s a BT Openreach van in the village every week patching up a problem somewhere but it would be money better invested if they just replaced the old telephone cables.
I’m hugely grateful to Guy Opperman for tackling this problem head-on and taking it to the House of Commons. I just hope he can help us get this finally sorted."

For my part, I will update as the campaign continues, but I did ask their representative, why anyone would stay with BT given its woeful service, in the absence of improvements. In the meantime I cannot recommend the Feathers Inn more highly.