Golden gathering to mark town's heritage

The Golden Gathering will be held from April 21 to 23, 2017.

Last weekend’s Gathering, an annual celebration of the area’s culture and traditions, was marred slightly by the weather but the crowds still came out in force.

Competition results:

ART & CRAFT

Art, Lynda Swift Trophy: 1 Ray Quickfall, Blackhall Mill; 2 Joy Richardson, Stakeford; 3 Alison Starkey, Morpeth; highly commended, Delphine Blenkinsop, Ashington. Junior Art: 1 Gregor Andrew Laidlaw, Morpeth; 2 Alexander Laidlaw, Morpeth; 3 Molly Brown, Morpeth.

Photo: 1 Victoria Harrison, Morpeth. Exotic T-shirt photo: 1 Andrea Capitain, Cologne, and John Bibby, Morpeth, in Tuscany.

Open plain horn stick: 1, 2 & 3 Kevin Purdy, Bedlington. Open plain horn crook: 1 & 2 Paul Clark, Blyth. Novice fancy horn stick/crook: 1, 2 & 3 Kevin Purdy. Open fancy horn stick/crook: 1 Paul Clark, Blyth. Novice wood stick/crook: 1 & 2 Gary Daley, Bedlington. Open plain wood stick/crook: 1 Kevin Purdy; 2 Paul Clark. Open fancy wood stick: 1 & 2 Kevin Purdy; 3 Paul Clark. Open thumbstick: 1 & 2 Paul Clark; 3 Kevin Purdy. Open half-head stick: 1 & 2 Paul Clark. Silver Pheasant (most points): Paul Clark. Best stick in show: Paul Clark.

Scale model: 1 Bob Shotton, Morpeth. Patchwork: 1 Linda Bickerton, Lynemouth; 2 Diana Blackburn, Cramlington; 3 Linda Jewson, Morpeth. Canvaswork: 1 Jane Tweddell, Stakeford. Cross-Stitch: 1 Pat Scales, Ashington; 2 Gladys Lambert, Blyth; 3 Freda Taylor, Ashington. Own design needlework: 1 Linda Bickerton; 2 Jan Roberts, Cramlington). Needlework: 1 Maureen Jackson, Blyth; 2 Jane Tweddell; 3 Freda Taylor.

Fine crochet: 1 Gladys Lambert. Wool crochet: 1 & 3 Freda Taylor; 2 Lilian Oselton, c/o Morpeth). Lace knitting: 1 Elizabeth Brown, Morpeth. Hand knitting: 1 Lynden Jobson, Ashington; 2 Rosemary Tweddell, Stakeford; 3 Hilda Cooper, Bedlington.

Soft toy: 1, 2 & commended: Susan Smith, Morpeth; 3 Brenda Shotton. Character doll: 1 Linda Clark; 2 Anna Trood, Blyth. Hooked cloth rug: 1 Linda Bickerton; 2 Delphine Blenkinsop; 3 Andrea Jardine, West Monkseaton. Yarn rug: 1 Sheila Wilson, Blyth; 2 Delphine Blenkinsop. Proggy cloth rug: 1 Linda Bickerton; 2 & 3 Jaye Barrs, Stakeford.

Macramé: 1, 2 & 3 Victoria Harrison. Junior bobbin lace: 1 Rachel Jackson, Blyth. Bobbin lace: 1 Diana Blackburn; 2 Wendy Jackson; 3 Jane Tweddell. Découpage: 1 & 2 Linda Bickerton; 3 Freda Taylor. Miscellaneous craft: 1 Jan Roberts; 2 & 3 Freda Taylor. Dyed pace egg: 1, Margaret Lawrence, Morpeth; 2 Brenda Shotton, Morpeth.

Disabled persons’ craft: 1 Patricia Rescigno, Morpeth; 2 Ann Purvis,Pegswood; 2 John Snowdon, Benmar House; 3 & HC Susan Hine, Morpeth. Junior individual craft: 1 Katie Byard, Morpeth; 2 Anya Lily Harrison, Morpeth; 3 Holly Shotton, Morpeth). Junior group craft: 1 Morpeth County First School; 2 8th Morpeth Guides; 3 New Life Sunday School.

Wyn Bibby Ingenuity Award: Pat Scales. Shop window: 1= FH Hardy & Sewing Box, both of Newgate Street, Morpeth. Group costumes: Fiery Dragons, Morpeth. Cushie Butterfield costume: Susan Hine, medieval lady. Cuddy Butterfield costume: Stuart Terry, fire eater.

WRITING & COMPOSING

Song writing: 1 Davy’s Boys, John Homer, Rothbury); 2 Barytes Washer (Brytie), Jane Waites, Barnard Castle; 3 Another Stottie Day, Steve Gray & Ralph Shephard, Acomb. Melody: 1 Millfield Reel, Rae Colville, Stirling; 2 A Brace of Brunts, Colin Bradford, Alnwick; 3 Easter Wedding, Don Clegg, Yarrow; HC Moonlight Over Chevington, Susan Clarke, Widdrington); Eilidh Catherine Gelston’s Waltz, Iain Gelston, South Shields; Yetlington, Colin Bradford.

Composing Excellence: 1 Colin Bradford; 2 Rae Colville; commended, Iain Gelston. Variations: 1 Miss Eliza Burford’s March, Colin Bradford; 2 The Flower o’ the Quern, Pauline Page, Clackmannanshire.

Novice Northumbrian verse: 1 Aad Jock’s Wind, James Tait, Rothbury. Open Northumbrian verse: 1 The Dancin Haal, Don Clegg; 2 Aad Jock’s Wind, James Tait; 3 Moorland Hike Sights, Nick Short, Hexham; HC Gandaft, the Great Geordie Wizard, Colin Bradford. Junior Northumbrian verse: 1 Waakin’,Ava Davidson,Thropton

First School; 2 The Sky, Joseph Stanton, Rothbury First School; 3 Rivers, Chloe Scott, Thropton Village; HC Winter, Enya Marczak, Netherton Northside First. Northumbrian prose: 1 The Kersey Redd Oot, Nick Short.

Stage sketch: C The Extra Prince, Adrian McRobb, Cramlington. Short story: 1 The Revellers of Moorcock House, Ian Ashbridge, Cramlington; 2 Border Dyke Destruction, Nick Short.

Essay: 1 Curlew Calling, Nick Short. Junior short story: 1 The Forest, Thomas Thompson, Rothbury; 2 The Little Singing Bird, Hannah Ridley, Thropton; 3 The Derg in the Stew, Talitha Sharrocks, Thropton; HC The Northumbrian Newt, Ben Cuthbertson, Rothbury, and The Bonny Buttefrfly, Erin Brown, Thropton; C Alnwick Castle, Thomas Charlesworth, Thropton.

Junior Northumbrian prose: 1 Autumn, Ollie Smith, Netherton Northside; 2 The Derg in the Snaa, Eleanor Taylor, Thropton; 3 Biddlestone, Dexter MacDonald; C My House, Maddison James, Netherton, Edward Graham, both Netherton Northside), Northumberland, Bailey Morris, Rothbury.

English verse: 1 The Bottby Conundrum, Colin Bradford; 2 Blyth Bandstand, Adrian McRobb, Cramlington; 3 Arcot Hall Lake, Adrian McRobb; HC Easter Prayer, Daisy Greaves, Morpeth.

PERFORMING

Novice song: 1 Bill Toy, Ovington; 2 Andy Mark Simpson, Bedlington. Unaccompanied song: 1 Ian Dunsmoir, Chollerton; 2 Andy Mark Simpson, Bedlington; 3 Marilyn Framrose, Chollerton. Accompanied song: 1 Marilyn Framrose, Chollerton. Traditional ballad: 1 Hazel Rose, Hexham. Folk group: 1 Tyneside Fiddle Alliance, Gateshead; 2 Duns and Roses, Hexham; 3 Val and Mike Bennett, Cottingham, E Yorkshire. Country dance band: 1 Redheughers, Gateshead; 2 Hexham Village Band.

Intermediate fiddle: 1 Alan Alden, Newcastle. Open fiddle: 1 Ali Say, Wall; 2 Paul Thornton, Gateshead. Intermediate smallpipes: 1 Jack Famelton, Hexham. Open smallpipes: 1 Edric Ellis, Huntingdon. Best young smallpiper: Jack Famelton. Instruments duet: 1 Rachael Hales & Robin Dunn, Newcastle. Junior clog dance: 1 Charlotte Dillon, Durham. Senior group clog: 1 Walker Family Dancers, Durham. Clog special award: Ellie Rose Fox, Durham.

Northumbrian speech: 1 Raymond Reed, Stakeford); 2 Syd Johnson, Blyth; 3 James Tait. Story-telling: 1 Don Clegg. Hoafy Trophy: 1 Steven Common, Whitley Bay; 2 Peter Arnold, Hexham. Special dance award: Bedlington Brownies, Maypole display.

ORIENTEERING

(with thanks to Newcastle and Tyneside Orienteers)

Men’s open: Chris Stafford. Veteran men: Patrick Smyth. Super vet men: Roy Bradley. Junior men: Joe Green. Super junior men: Jonty Cope. Women’s open: Jane Mitcheson. Veteran women: Gwenda Cavill. Super vet women: Helen Rafferty. Junior women: Hannah Brown. Super junior women: Isabel Gaines.