14 acts at seven venues for second Barney Jam

THE line-up has been finalised for this year’s Barney Jam day-long music festival.

Upset Beat

The event will feature 14 bands playing across seven town centre venues and will conclude with an after show party at the Raby Arms featuring four more acts.
The Barney Jam will take place on Saturday, September 2, and will kick off with a set by Teesdale’s Upset Beat at the Cricketer’s Arms at noon.
Paul Upton, a member of the organising committee, said feedback from last year’s inaugural Barney Jam had been taken on board when organising this year’s festival.
“Last year we were overwhelmed with people wanting to play and we ended up putting too many artists on with people running from one place to the next,” he said.
As a result the number of performers has been cut from 21 to 14 and there will be no overlapping of sets.
The acts chosen to play from more than 30 which expressed an interest will also get to be on stage for longer.
“Everyone who played last year applied again, but we want to keep it fresh,” said Mr Upton.
This has resulted in a variety of performers from across the North East, with one – Gerry Cooper – travelling from Bradford for the festival.
“There is good live music here, all the venues support live music and we wanted to build on that.
“It’s about attracting people to see live music at some of the great venues in the town.”
The festival will also raise funds for good causes.
“Upset Beat, a group of teenagers from The Hub, are going to open the festival and money raised in there will be going back into the music studio at The Hub,” added Mr Upton.
Elsewhere throughout the day, money will be raised for the Teesdale branch of Cancer Research UK.
Last year, more than £800 was raised for the charity.
The venues hosting the Barney Jam are the Cricketer’s Arms, the Commercial Hotel, Three Horse Shoes, 12 Bar Blues, The Golden Lion, Old Well Inn and The Blue Bell.
The full line-up is: Upset Beat; Pete & Sarah; Toni & Gaz; Bon Scott’s Parrot; Freeman; Chris Pryke; Gerry Cooper; Luke Jordan & James Brown; Moonshine Grove; John Doe Experiment; Crossover; Accidental Damage; Kitchy Retro and Reverent Green.
The after show party at the Raby Arms will be restricted to 220 people and this will be the only ticketed event of the day, with admission costing £5. Performing will be the Norgaards and Deeper Season, with acoustic sets by Cara Pearson and Liam Samson. Further details are available on the festival Facebook page – search for Thebarneyjam.

Tributes to Thomas Brown after Sunday's motorbike tragedy

This week’s paper leads with the tragic loss of Thomas Brown, from Marwood, who sadly died at a motorbiking event on Sunday. His family pay a touching tribute to him.

Other headlines:

Irresponsible BBC slammed for waterfall dive.

Middleton-in-Teesdale carnival queen and attendants – special picture.

Care firm responds after inspectors put it in ‘special measures’.

End of an era as town’s gun shop announces closure.

Rural pupils to lose as much as £2,500 each, says MP.

Fab five on their bikes for Cancer Research.

Another village hall committee warns: Use it or lose it.

MPs get to see the reality of life for hill farmers.

Top marks for upper dale chippie.

After four decades, town GP retires.

Election preview – county council and town council. What the candidates have to say.

Plus a lively letters page, community news, what’s on and in-depth sport including a classy cup triumph for Barney FC.

Apology after postal voting form blunder

VOTERS in Ovington are to be issued with new polling cards after a wrong address was given for those wanting to use a postal vote.
The blunder would have seen people sending their postal vote to Northumberland.
County officers have apologised for the error and say the problem was caused by the printing company that produced the cards.
David Collingwood, Durham County Council’s electoral services manager, said: “We were made aware that a resident in the Ovington area who had requested a postal vote had been issued with a pack containing an envelope with an incorrect return address.
“We contacted the print company responsible for distributing our postal vote packs and were informed that due to an error on its part, the incorrect return envelopes had been sent to all 22 people who had registered for a postal vote in the Ovington area.
“We contacted the candidates standing in the county and parish elections in the area to advise them, and also those postal voters that were affected where we had contact details. We have now written to the affected postal voters explaining the situation and providing them with new packs with correctly address envelopes.
“We’d like to apologise to these residents and can assure them that their votes will be counted if received by 10pm on polling day.”
Independent candidate Thom Robinson, who is contesting the county election in the division, expressed concern about the mistake.
He said: “It is disappointing that Teesdale voters have again been let down by the electoral services. Our local democracy is underpinned by the trust placed in a free and fair system but constant mistakes like this undermine that trust. As an independent candidate I will do all I can to check that every I heard about the Ovington issue, return envelopes addressed for Northumberland rather than Durham.”
Labour chairman for Teesdale, Frank Roche, was more forgiving of the blunder.
He said: “It looks like an honest mistake at the printers and a decent job is being done to rectify the issue.”

Parking restriction ‘will hit funerals’ in Middleton-in-Teesdale

A proposal to introduce parking restrictions in an upper dale village has been met with strong opposition from residents.
Double yellow lines have been earmarked for Town Head, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, where it joins the B6277 through the village.
Durham County Council issued a statutory notice last month for a proposed traffic order, which will introduce a prohibition of waiting at any time from 54 to 64 Market Place. However, villagers believe the order would cause further problems.
The issue was raised at the Middleton-in-Teesdale and Newbiggin Parish Council’s annual parish meeting last Tuesday (April 18).
Jonathan and Sara Carr, of D S & O Carr & Son funeral directors, voiced concerns surrounding potential difficulties on funeral days.
Mr Carr said: “When I first saw the plans I did not disagree but I think people will just park on the other side on the higher kerb so they will stick out even further.
“The distance of the lines is irrespective because unless there are double yellows on both sides people will just park on the other side. What if we have a funeral with a hearse and a car?”
It was suggested that an exemption could be sought for such circumstances but that it would only cover a hearse and official funerals cars and not people attending a funeral in their own vehicles.
Mr Carr said: “If the family don’t want to go through with the expense of getting one or two funeral cars then do they risk getting a parking ticket in their own cars?”
Cllr Wendy Greenfield said: “This is a day-to-day problem that we asked Durham County Council to sort out. Funerals are not day-to-day events. Until we see what happens, I don’t think we are in a strong position to ask them to do anymore.”
Councillors suggested that Mr Carr should ask Durham County Council’s highways department for black traffic cones which could be placed outside the church prior to a funeral.
Vice chairman Cllr John Lawson said: “Parking is a big problem in the village and it is getting worse. It has been Durham County Council who has been dealing with this.”
Cllr Greenfield added: “Parking is an issue and it is something that the council is aware of and we are trying to find ways of sorting it out. “
It was agreed that the parish council would wait to see what happened next before contacting Durham County Council again.
Residents also voiced their concerns on social media.
One person wrote: “The most sensible route to solving the problem of people parking on the pavements is surely to provide more parking spaces. Maybe money would be better spent buying some land and creating a car park.”
Another added: “Pity the poor bride trying to get married or the funeral directors trying to do their jobs.”
The deadline for formal objections was last Thursday (April 20). Durham County Council’s strategic traffic manager Dave Wafer said: “An informal consultation was held in October which helped to gauge public response and refine the proposals which have been subject to the recent legal order.
“We have received one email objecting to the proposals and if the issues raised cannot be resolved they will be considered by a future meeting of the council’s highways committee likely to be in June or July.”