LOCAL NEWS
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What’s happening in and around East Durham
Bishop Auckland Food Festival returns to the town this weekend, bringing celebrity chefs, street food traders, live entertainment, and fun family activities. The festival, organised by Durham County Council, will take over the town’s Market Place from 10am to 5pm this...
Curries, crepes, cocktails and mocktails will be among the mouthwatering delights on offer at next weekend’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival. Durham County Council, which organises the festival, has confirmed more than 150 traders from County Durham and beyond will be...
New markets ranging from street food to Christmas markets will be coming to locations across County Durham. Durham County Council has procured specialist social enterprise Baccanalia to organise bespoke markets at 11 centres across the county. Ranging from craft...
Homes at a North East housing association’s first gas-free new build development are receiving top marks for both customer satisfaction and energy efficiency. Newlyweds Joel and Brooklyn Huntington were among the first people to move into believe housing’s 12 new...
A town board to oversee the long-term development of Spennymoor is being established as residents are asked to give their views on what they would like to see for the community. Durham County Council has appointed Alan Boddy as the independent Chair of the new...
During the warm summer months, gardens in full bloom are a sight to behold. If you're looking to add vibrant colours to your outdoor space, planting summer bulbs that will come back year after year is a great option. Whether you prefer bold and bright blooms or...
A North Sea dip saw three Peterlee care home workers raise almost £1,000 for elderly residents. Andrea Ramshaw, Hayley Cudlip, and Michelle Walton, who work at Bannatyne Lodge Care Home, on Manor Way, all took a cold plunge off the Seaton Carew coast for the...
Young women in County Durham were inspired to achieve their career ambitions no matter their gender, this International Women’s Day. To mark the international day, which is celebrated all over the world on 8 March, Durham County Council hosted a dedicated event for...
A free music event will take place in a County Durham town this weekend to celebrate its 75th anniversary. Durham County Council will be hosting a free concert in Peterlee’s Castle Dene Shopping Centre at 12pm on Saturday, 9 March. The concert is the final part of...
A range of real ales, including five from overseas brewers, will be available at The Five Quarter in Peterlee, during its 12-day beer festival. The pub in Hailsham Place will host the festival from Wednesday 6 March to Sunday 17 March inclusive. The overseas brewers...
A BBC Saturday Kitchen presenter, an award-winning chef and a food content creator with millions of TikTok views will headline the Sunday cookery demonstration slots at this year’s Bishop Auckland Food Festival weekend. The festival, organised by Durham County...
A brand-new visitor attraction telling the tale of County Durham’s heritage will open this summer. Durham County Council has confirmed that The Story, based at Mount Oswald in Durham City, is scheduled to the public from Friday 14 June. A brand-new cultural venue and...
A new housing development, which regenerated a derelict social club site in County Durham, has quickly become a friendly community for its residents. “It feels fab living here. “I love my home, I’ve got lovely neighbours and I’ve integrated into a good community,”...
One of the North East’s top-rated nurseries is expanding with the appointment of three new members of staff. Little Ladybirds Day Nursery has announced that Hollie Trowsdale, Jess Willett, and Amy Oliver have all been recruited as Early Years Educators. Little...
As we journey into the exciting year of 2024, the world of home and garden is poised for a remarkable transformation. The shifting dynamics of modern lifestyles, the emergence of innovative technologies, and the growing focus on sustainability and well-being are...
Aspiring entrepreneurs with ambitions to set up retail, leisure or hospitality businesses in County Durham can apply for a new grant to help make their dream a reality. Durham County Council has launched the Retail Start Up Grant to support businesses in their first...
Lisa Price, hairdresser and salon manager at Janet Maitland Hair Excellence in Hetton, is celebrating her 30th work anniversary with the company, having joined the salon group as a Saturday girl aged 17. Lisa began her career after a chance meeting with Janet Maitland...
The clock has struck midnight on Gala Durham’s spellbinding pantomime Cinderella, with more than 30,000 theatre-goers joining in the fun. Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, the magical production featured a talented North East cast who delivered 73...
Bellway is helping homebuyers in County Durham by offering up to £15,000 when they purchase one of the housebuilder’s new properties. The cashback incentive scheme launched on Boxing Day and will run until the end of January. The offer is available on selected plots...
As part of its ongoing commitment to showcasing the fantastic work of students, East Durham College ran its first-ever stocksmanship event at the Houghall campus just before Christmas. The stockmanship event has run throughout the first term of the academic year as...
Durham City’s new bus station will open this weekend. Durham County Council has confirmed the new Durham Bus Station will open to the public on Sunday 7 January. The facility, which is located on the site of the former bus station on North Road, will be a modern...
The County Durham Community Foundation’s ‘Poverty Hurts’ Appeal has reached its ambitious goal of raising £1 million in less than 12 months. The Poverty Hurts Appeal has seen donations from thousands of people across the region, as well as businesses committed to...
East Durham News and East Durham Business magazine editor Leanne Fawcett popped along to Seaham Hall Hotel and Serenity Spa for her first solo spa experience, giving her the chance to recharge the batteries after having a baby boy seven months ago. Here’s what she...
Applications are open for traders interested in taking a stall at next year’s Seaham Food Festival. Durham County Council has confirmed the event will return to the town on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 August 2024. More than 120 traders set up stalls at this year’s event,...
A North East council is ready to keep its county moving during winter. Durham County Council’s preparations are well under way to ensure priority roads are kept clear during the winter months. While the weather has started to become colder, the council’s highways team...
While the streets of Durham City and Bishop Auckland were lit up for Lumiere 2023, local artists were also given the chance to put their work in the spotlight. As part of this year’s light-art biennial, Durham County Council’s community arts team has been involved in...
Durham’s unique and diverse experiences, world-class attractions and eclectic accommodation are the inspiration behind a new campaign aimed at boosting the county’s visitor economy. Do Durham Differently is the latest national destination marketing campaign from Visit...
Seaham based Novo Cabelo is one of the UK's fastest growing Hair System companies and the team are making history and disrupting the hair industry with their innovative, non-invasive approach which is quite literally changing lives. Following a transformative and...
British Garden Centres, the UK’s largest family-run garden retailer which includes East Durham Garden Centre, has unveiled its new Christmas advert, “#AllWrappedUp” for 2023’s festive season. The touching advert, which stars two local children from North Lincolnshire,...
A leading North East mental health organisation is calling for greater awareness of the link between mental health struggles and the cost-of-living – ahead of the upcoming energy price increases this winter. Following the announcement by the International Energy...
As we approach the winter season and the temperatures decrease, it is important to provide support for the birds and insects that reside in your garden. Autumn and winter can be challenging for outdoor wildlife due to the colder weather, limited food availability, and...
Residents of County Durham can now find out where they can get free access to the internet, devices and support with digital skills, this Get Online Week 2023. Good Things Foundation runs its Get Online Week campaign, from 16 to 22 October. This encourages community...
A fun magic show with a serious road safety message has been enjoyed by more than 1,000 County Durham school children. Allan’s Road Safety Magic Show toured 10 of the county’s primary schools in one week, performing to audiences of pupils from reception and years 1...
The best time of the year is nearly here, and the ever-popular Santa’s Breakfast and Afternoon Tea experience is available to book at East Durham Garden Centre with tickets on sale now. Make sure you don’t miss out on the most important meal of the day and book...
Dalton Park makes even bigger waves into using its outlet as a place to ‘feel good and do good' this week with the arrival of Dale, the magnificent eco Whale. A family-friendly recycling activation to support The Great British Beach Clean Project. Made entirely from...
A range of real ales, including those from overseas brewers, will be available at The Five Quarter in Peterlee, during its 12-day beer festival. The pub in Hailsham Place will host the festival from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 22 October inclusive. The overseas brewers are...
Dozens of handmade shirts have gone on display at a County Durham arts venue as part of an exhibition exploring masculinity. ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’, from North East-based textile artist Richard Bliss, is on show in Bishop Auckland Town Hall’s gallery until...
A Peterlee electrical test and measurement equipment specialist has donated thousands of pounds to County Durham charities. Seaward Electronic, based at the South West Industrial Estate, has donated £3,000 to three local charities to help support a number of important...
Young people from across County Durham have been recognised for their outstanding achievements at an annual awards ceremony. Durham County Council’s Youth Council hosted its third annual County Durham Youth Awards to recognise the achievements of young people and...
A Peterlee pub is to cut the price of all food and drink by 7.5 per cent on Thursday, September 14 - to highlight the benefit of a permanent VAT reduction in the hospitality industry. Prices at Wetherspoon pub The Five Quarter in Hailsham Place will be reduced for one...
Raby Castle has been nominated for the prestigious VisitEngland ‘Welcome’ Accolade after its staff scored 100 per cent in a recent assessment. Staff across visitor services, catering and retail as well as tour guides and volunteers within the castle were awarded marks...
Visitors to Durham Cathedral may spot a new feature outside the 930 year old building – a purple ice cream bike! On sunny days the bike will be parked outside of the cathedral serving up award winning, real Italian gelato and ice cream. The cathedral team has...
Work has finished on a £3.4m sewer upgrade to help protect the environment in and around a North East beauty spot. Northumbrian Water and its partner, Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB), have increased the capacity of the sewer network and added underground storage tanks at...
Fans of Alice in Wonderland can continue the adventure with a free theatre production coming to parks across County Durham. Throughout this month, Gala Durham will be touring A Mad Hatter Adventure, a spin-off from the venue’s recent show, Alice In Wonderland. The...
The sunshine followed the rain as food-lovers flocked to County Durham’s coastline for two days of festival fun. Around 120 traders set up shop at Seaham Food Festival to sell everything from sizzling street food to sausage rolls, scotch eggs, cheesecakes, cheese,...
From the audience to the stage - the final chef to complete the Seaham Food Festival line-up has now been announced. The popular seaside event returns on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August, with visitors able to enjoy two days of fun, entertainment, and delicious food...
Green spaces across County Durham have once again been awarded a prestigious national status. Eight parks and green spaces, which are maintained by Durham County Council, have received Green Flag accreditation from the environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy. The...
Super scotch eggs, dirty fries, local fudge and cookie pies – these are just some of the tasty delights that’ll be on offer at this summer’s Seaham Food Festival. Durham County Council, which organises the festival, has confirmed that around 120 traders from County...
“What have you done today, to make you feel proud?” Pupils at Seaham Trinity Primary School were treated to a music performance M People singer Heather Small and drummer, Andrew Lovell. Andrew, better known as “Shovell”, arranged the show through his company AjoiA as...
Tom A. Smith is set to fill in for Luke Royalty at this Friday’s Brassed On event at Durham International Brass Festival following an announcement from the Darlington artist that he will no longer be able to perform due to personal reasons. The festival organisers...
Residents of Peterlee, both past and present, are being encouraged to share their memories of the town as part of its 75th birthday celebrations. Durham County Council has marked the start of a year-long programme of celebrations for the three-quarters-of-a-century...
People in County Durham are being encouraged to volunteer to help look after their countryside. Durham County Council has invested £2.3 million into its parks and countryside sites across County Durham, including nature reserves, local wildlife sites and Sites of...
Tourism contributed more than £1 billion to Durham’s economy for the first time ever in 2022, the latest industry research has revealed. Last year, 17.9 million people visited the county, spending a record-breaking £1.04 billion. This is an increase of 25.6 per cent...
Year-long celebrations are set to begin to mark 75 years of an East Durham town. Durham County Council has received a grant of £92,302 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to carry out a programme of events to commemorate 75 years of Peterlee being established as a...
A scheme has been recognised for its efforts to create social value opportunities across County Durham with a prestigious national award. The County Durham Pound scheme has been awarded Best Public Sector Project award at the 2023 Social Value Conference. County...
His Majesty The King has approved the nomination of the Reverend Canon Dr Philip Plyming as the next Dean of Durham. Dr Plyming succeeds the Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, who was appointed Dean of St Paul’s in London last year, and has been Warden of Cranmer Hall,...
The latest famous faces heading to the County Durham coastline for a popular food festival have been announced. Seaham Food Festival returns on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August, bringing with it a spectacular line up of food and drink traders, family entertainment and...
County Durham’s roads are set to benefit from a funding boost of over £2.5 million. Durham County Council has been awarded £2.64 million by the Department for Transport for the repair and prevention of potholes across the county. The money will help strengthen the...
Three stars of MasterChef and Great British Bake Off are among the first celebrity chefs announced to headline a popular seaside food festival this summer. Seaham Food Festival returns on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 August, bringing back a sensational line up of food and...
Talented up and coming musicians from the North East are being given the chance to headline at a County Durham music festival. Durham Brass Festival returns from Sunday 9 to Sunday 16 July, with the Durham County Council event promising a week of spectacular...
