A concert is organised in Berwick this month in aid of the Berwick and District Cancer Support Group, headlined by Beechy Colclough (pictured).

Beechy is bringing a band and backing singers to the Berwick upon Tweed Drill Hall for an evening of soul, rhythm and blues, supported by local musicians Stephen Cockburn and Gary Holland.

The singer-songwriter has returned to writing and touring after a period of 27 years and has recently completed his debut album.

Tickets are available from the Berwick and District Cancer Support Group at 5 Tweed Street, Berwick upon Tweed, TD15 1NG, priced at £10 and £8 concessions. People are asked to mark the envelope "The Beechy Concert" and make cheques payable to "The Berwick and District Cancer Support Group". Tickets can also bought be bought from various local businesses in the town- see local posters for details.

Berwick were due to meet Border side Hawick YM in the First Round of the Scottish Hydro Shield. Due to the opposition being unable to raise a team the game was conceded on Thursday evening. As Cheviot Trees Limited were sponsoring the game and with a large number of guests expected for a pre-match lunch the race was on to find new opposition. Despite the Club's best efforts to try and rearrange one of the other outstanding fixtures it was only possible to arrange a Friendly against local rivals Kelso. To add to the unusual nature of the match the game was also played on the much smaller and narrower Colts pitch.

The Blacks team included some of the younger players in the squad with Dan Law making his debut at open side flanker for the game. All of this meant that there was freshness to the occasion. The game kicked off like a true Border derby with both sides fully committed to the tackle and ruck situation. With experienced Border referee Normal Steel in charge things didn't get out of hand though and there was some excellent attacking play from both sides.

A thief tackled by a Northumberland have-a-go hero has been handed an Asbo.

David Stobbart, pictured, stole an ipod and sunglasses from a car in Gateshead as revellers partied on New Year's Eve.

But his search for rich pickings was kicked into touch by teenage Northumberland rugby player Robert Exley.

Defeat at the hands of second-placed East Stirling left Berwick Rangers manager Jim Crease ruing refereeing decisions he felt had cost them dearly.

The home side's opening goal came from a free-kick Rangers believed should have been given the other way, and then they were denied a penalty claim when their trialist striker was brought down in the box.

Crease said: "It was a stonewall decision. We lost and maybe the title is beginning to slip away from us, but we played well against a good side."

A green energy body yesterday marked its third anniversary of working in the North East with developments that, in a year, should be generating enough electricity for nearly 3000 homes.

Community Renewable Energy (CoRE) is now working across the North, helping communities set up renewable energy systems from wind turbines to electrical solar panels.

CoRE and Berwick Community Trust have recently submitted a planning application for a wind turbine and will install solar panels on 50 households in the town.

Parking fees levied on drivers visiting Northumberland towns has emerged as the hottest topic in the initial stages of a major review aimed at developing a county-wide parking strategy.

A progress report on the review reveals hundreds of people have made their views known on whether parking fees should be imposed across the whole county - rather than just in selected towns.

More than 560 people have signed three separate petitions calling for an equal policy across the board, with charges being made in all principal towns.

Music greeted the Archbishop of York as he travelled to some of the northernmost parishes in England yesterday.

The Most Reverend Dr John Sentamu called at Kirkharle, Wooler and Berwick as part of a two-day visit to the Church of England's Newcastle Dioceses organised by the Bishop of Newcastle Martin Wharton.

The archbishop saw regeneration work at Kirkharle Courtyard near Ponteland and went on to Wooler, calling at the Cheviot Centre where he was greeted by teenagers from a local school playing steel drums.

A popular guide aimed at helping older people in Northumberland get the most out of life has been published for the fourth time.

Previous issues of the Golden Guide have gone down so well with the over-50s that there was a waiting list for the latest 5,000-copy print run.

The free booklet, which is produced by community information specialists Clever Clogs Publishing in partnership with Age Concern Northumberland, the county council and care trust, has also been given a new design.

An exhibition that tells the story of two linked communities during the Second World War has been launched at a Northumberland library.

The Big Lottery funded Their Past Your Future II project examines life in Berwick and its Polish twin town Trzcianka during the Second World War.

The exhibition, administered through the Museums, Archives and Libraries Partnership, runs at Berwick Library in Walkergate until March 15, before going to Wooler Library and Wooler Book Fair from March 17 to 27.

An art teacher is on a mission to bring creativity into people's lives to help them 'see the world in a different way'.

Annabel Milne is determined to bring art into people's lives both through classes and also by taking children to visit art galleries for the very first time in their lives.

She has a wide background in art, including studying fine art at St Martin's College of Art in London, doing an MA at Edinburgh College of Art and then working at Tate Britain and in art publishing as well as teaching art and design and art history.