Tea party to mark launch of Barnard Castle Veg Out's "people's garden"

A COMMUNITY gardening project is officially launching its “people’s garden” next month as the organisers prepare for a crucial year.
Veg Out in Barney is opening the community garden at The Hub, Shaw Bank, on Friday, May 19, with a tea party. All are invited.
The scheme began in 2013 when a small group of people undertook guerilla gardening in Barnard Castle. They planted fruit and vegetables in pots and borders around town so people could pick the produce for free.
The garden at the rear of The hub has been developed during the past year or so and is now fully fledged.
As well as growing vegetables and flowers ready for planting around Barnard Castle, the area includes dementia friendly plots for those living with Alzheimer’s.
There is a children’s area and a polytunnel, along with a summerhouse. Veg Out recently won funding to pay for four members of staff and all the project needs now is members of the community to get stuck in.
Ann Barmby, from Veg Out, said: “This is the year for us. It’s gorgeous down there at the garden and it’s heaven when the sun shines. The flowers are in blossom and the veg is looking so well. We want as many people as we can to start using it.”
Planned this year are regular sessions for people living with dementia and regular kids’ clubs during the summer holidays. The group is increasing its publicity to make sure more people are aware of the healthy eating scheme and the benefits of getting involved.
Special guests at the tea party next month, which will take place between noon and 3pm, will including Pam Warhurst, the brainchild behind Incredible Edible – a similar scheme that made national headlines in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.
“She’ll be delighted when she sees what the garden is like,” adds Mrs Barmby.
The Alzheimer’s Society and funders Teesdale Action Partnership will also be represented. Activities for children will also be arranged.

One-man show – but a night of epic drama on the cards at Bowes

ONE man, a cast of thousands and the magic of theatre – that is what’s on offer at Bowes and Gilmonby Village Hall on Thursday, April 27.  
The misadventures of Odysseus are played out in a unique adaptation of The Odyssey, which visits the village as part of the Highlights Rural Touring Scheme.
Despite the one-man cast, the audience is promised a host of characters, including a one-eyed Cyclops, a six-headed monster and the terrifying Sea God Poseidon to keep them on the edge of their seat.
With just a few simple props  actor David Mynne will take the audiences through an evening of high drama – and a bit of water.
A founder member of Cornwall’s national touring theatre company, Kneehigh, David Mynne worked with them on and off for 30 as a performer and graphic designer until 2012 when he created a solo show and formed Rabbit Theatre developed his signature style of exciting storytelling theatre with director Simon Harvey.
Graham Henley, promoter at Bowes & Gilmonby Village Hall, said: “It is always a pleasure to be able to put on theatre here and I’m delighted that we are hosting  this excellent show. 
“Those who have been lucky enough to see David perform before will have some idea of what fun awaits. Those who have’'t seen him yet are in for a treat. 
“He has a beautifully engaging way of delivering a story,  and I know he will put a smile on the face of the audience.”
Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £10 adults, £9 concessions £9 and £5 students £5. For more details, call 01833 628357 or go to www.highlightsnorth.co.uk

Lords of the rings ready to do battle once again

As Britain warms, dozens of dale folk dust off their quoits. Reporter Alex Metcalfe spoke to one of the best in the business to find out more 

 QUOITS is not just chucking rings. Strategy, positioning and decision-making under pressure go into making a half decent player.
A little bit of luck doesn’t go amiss either. 
Third generation farmer Trevor Cooper knows this only too well.
The 58-year-old, from Bowes, has the title of National Quoits Championship to his name and is chairman of the Zetland Quoits League.
The league will kick off, as it has done for decades, on Monday, May 1.
But Mr Cooper tells me the game has suffered a slow decline – with the number of teams enrolled half what it once was.
He says: “We have got 17 teams in the league at the moment – it has ticked down over the years. There was 33 teams when I joined 30 years ago.
“But it’s basically related to pubs and as pubs close, or people age, the younger generation don't take it up as much.
“It would be nice if people would get involved – most teams could do with another player or two.
“I would be only too willing to show people how to play.”
Some have a working knowledge of quoits from driving past a game on a Monday night, others among us see a quoits pitch and scratch our heads.
Our version, a variation on the edition known broadly as “the Northern Game”, pits two teams of seven against one another on a pitch 11 yards long with a three square feet “business end” made of clay.
Two opponents go up against one another, metal rings are tossed at pins and the first to 21 wins.
However, there’s a little more to it than that.
Mr Cooper explains: “The object is to get these metal quoits rings on the pin or blocking the pin.
“Blocking it is better because it stops your opponent getting to that pin. You get one point for the nearest to the pin, two points for on the pin – as long as someone does not put one on top.
“Four points for one on top of the other.”
Mr Cooper made his first foray into the game after trying it out at Eggleston and Bowes shows.
Making the hop from grass to clay, he practised for a good few years on his own pitch before taking on the Zetland League.
“It takes a good few years to play it well unless you have a knack for it,” he adds. 
“You have to go to a decent competition to see how to play it right because there are probably ten different ways to throw a quoit.”
There is no “set order” to throwing your quoits.
But, like chess, one false move can lead to a slow, painful and often heavy loss – and woe betide any pretender who casts the wrong quoit.
Mr Cooper says: “You look sometimes and see when someone doesn’t throw the right quoit. You can get told you’ve lost the game because of it.
“Sometimes you’ve got to follow suit – if they throw a hill quoit, you throw a hill quoit to top it on the pin.
“If you are up against the best opponents, you can be blocked out of their pot – so against a good player you can get ducked.”
Quoits is no stranger to a bit of terminology.
Face gaters, Frenchmen and varieties of “toucher” can baffle the uninitiated and couple that with the fact that the names of each of these moves or bits of kit may be completely different in the next valley along.
What unites the sport is the recognition of who are the best.
The cream of the quoits crop from nine leagues across the North test their mettle in two big competitions every year.
Mr Cooper says: “The Wilkinson Sword would be held at Darlington Quoits Club in June – that’s one of the big ones which takes 64 entries.
“You get the pick of them there – Richard Watson, Paul Dixon and Ian Carr are the men to beat on the circuit.”
He adds: “The other competition is at Beamish – the National Quoits Association Championships.
“I have won it and David Wilson who used to play has won it.
“We’ve held our own there and got a run out of it.
“Quite honestly in 30 years, the ones that were at the top then are still there so we could do with some competition.”
And that’s the rub.
Like so many games closely tied to rural pubs and clubs, their decline has mirrored that of their host and participation has ebbed away.
But there are signs of hope in Teesdale.
Pleas for a team in Cockfield have been answered for another year at least and Middleton Club is looking to get a side together. 
Mr Cooper admits standards have dropped off in the past 20 years and says there’s still room for people to have a go.
“Bowes has still got two teams which is good for a little club,” he adds.
“If anyone is interested they could still put a team in without being connected to a pub – 16 and 17-year-olds can play as well as older people – as they practice they can soon pick it up.”
The first round of Zetland Quoits League fixtures begin in the A Division on Monday, May 1 while the B Division kicks off on May 8.
Results and tables will appear in the Mercury this season.
For more information go to the Zetland Quoits League Facebook page.

Thrilling climax to 5s&3s season

A BUMPER turnout saw this year’s 5s and 3s dominoes competition conclude with a tight finish.
Middleton Club A took top honours back up the dale at the Barnard Castle District League awards night last Monday night (April 10).
League stalwart Keith “Dynamo” Dent was on hand to award the prizes after the 2016/17 season was capped off with a tight play-off in Division A.
League chairman Eddie Tinkler said this year had been a “strange one”.
He said: “There was a tie for first place for individual scores and in the A League we had play-offs. Middleton Club were in the lead for most of the season and Mark Wallace got pipped at the post because of a bad last week.
“It’s the way it goes – if you don’t pick them up, you cannot play them.” 
Middleton clawed their way back to claim top spot while Barnard Castle Cricket Club B and Red Lion A toasted knockout and cup victories respectively.
The pairs competition saw Barnard Castle Working Men’s Club B take home the ladies trophy with Middleton B claiming the gents.
The George and Dragon, in Boldron, made their final appearance in the league after the pub was closed earlier this year.
The year was also tinged with sadness with the loss of stalwart Frank Watson and league regular Trevor Joel.
Mr Tinkler added: “At the AGM we always have a minute’s silence for our players who have passed to the big board in the sky.
“Frank was a league stalwart and Trevor was part of the league for years. Unfortunately dominoes appears to be an older person’s game.
“We would love to get more youngsters in – if you look around pubs in the league, there are always games being played and it’s amazing how many people want to know what’s going on.”
Interest has been shown in a summer league this year and the league committee are keen to hear from anyone who would be pleased to help out.