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North Pennines

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

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Competition Seeks Art Stars to Meet Sky at Night Presenter

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Young artists with an interest in astronomy and space are invited to enter a unique competition as part of the North Pennines Stargazing Festival.

Presenter of the BBC’s The Sky at Night, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE is headlining the festival with an event at The Witham in Barnard Castle on 20 October. The North Pennines AONB Partnership is offering young people the opportunity to win an exclusive ‘meet and greet’ with Dr Aderin-Pocock. Just 10 young people and their accompanying adults will be invited to a reception event followed by a question and answer session, and will also receive tickets to the event itself, ‘The Science of the Moon and Stars.’

There are two age categories, 6 to 12 years and 13 to 18 years, and entrants should produce a piece of visual art in any medium (no larger than A3) on a space or stargazing theme. For full instructions on how to enter, visit www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org.uk. Entries can be posted or delivered to the North Pennines AONB Partnership office in Stanhope, dropped off at the Partnership’s Bowlees Visitor Centre or can be scanned and sent electronically.  The closing date is midnight on 7 October 2018 and the winner s will be informed by 10 October.

Entries will be judged by: Ann Whitfield, an artist based in Teesdale; Teesdale photographer Martin Rogers; and Simon Wilson, Business Manager at the North Pennines AONB Partnership who is also an artist.

Shane Harris, Responsible Tourism Lead at the North Pennines AONB Partnership, said: “The Stargazing Festival is a fantastic celebration of the dark skies we have here in the North Pennines. The North Pennines is the darkest mainland AONB and we have more Dark Sky Discovery Sites than anywhere else in the UK.

“We’re delighted to have such a high profile headliner as Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and we are particularly excited to be offering young people the chance to meet and talk to her with this competition. We’re hoping for some really creative entries, exploring space and the stars.”

The festival runs from 20 October until 4 November and stargazers in and around the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and UNESCO Global Geopark have almost 30 star-themed events to choose from. The programme covers the autumn half-term holidays for schools in Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland and will offer family-friendly events to enjoy the dark skies of the North Pennines AONB. There are also lots events aimed at aspiring astronomers as well as visitors with a general interest in the night sky and stargazing.

The 2018 North Pennines Stargazing Festival is once again being organised by the North Pennines AONB Partnership. It is being funded by Durham County Council, Northumberland County Council and Visit County Durham.

For the full event programme, please visit www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org.uk

Sky at Night Star Headlines the Second North Pennines Stargazing Festival

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A stargazing festival to celebrate some of the darkest skies in England launches its programme today with a star-studded line-up.

The North Pennines AONB Partnership has announced that well known TV presenter and scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE will headline the 2018 North Pennines Stargazing Festival with an event at the Witham in Barnard Castle on Saturday 20 October. Looking at the world of space exploration and bringing her perspective on women in science and engineering, the Science of the Moon and the Stars promises to be an unmissable event. As well as fronting The Sky at Night, Dr Aderin-Pocock has appeared in many programmes including Stargazing Live, The Science of Doctor Who and In Orbit: How Satellites Rule Our World.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE said: “I’m thrilled to be invited to headline at the 2018 North Pennines Stargazing Festival. It’s a fabulous area – officially the darkest mainland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – and is a brilliant place to experience stargazing in a truly dark place. A lot of my work is about looking at the wonders of space and what it can teach us and the festival is all about broadening the appeal of stargazing, space and science to a range of audiences – aims that are close to my heart.”

The 2018 North Pennines Stargazing Festival will offer a packed programme of fun and informative events from 20 October to 4 November. After the success of the inaugural festival last year, the programme has been extended to cover two weeks, spanning the autumn half-term holidays for the counties of Durham, Northumberland and Cumbria. The festival includes activities for more experienced stargazers alongside events for children and families. There are more Dark Sky Discovery Sites in the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark than anywhere else in the UK and the programme makes the most of the great places to enjoy the night sky right across the area.

Highlights of the festival include an exciting chance to camp out under the stars at Doe Park Caravan Site in Teesdale while learning more about the night sky, with star camp veteran and astronomy expert, Richard Darn. The popular Skywatch events return, once again at Killhope Lead Mining Museum, but adding events at Alston, Nenthead and Stanhope. Last year’s Skywatch at Killhope attracted over 250 people, who experienced the sight of the sky clearing to reveal the Milky Way. Each Skywatch event includes experts in attendance with advanced equipment and friendly advice, to help unlock the secrets of the night sky.

The programme is also full of half-term activities, from bottle rocket workshops and a solar system trail, to a Halloween Spooky Space special. For adults and keen astronomers wishing to take their knowledge to a new level, there are talks and astrophotography workshops, plus a chance to ‘tame your telescope’ with the experts.

If you can’t wait until the festival itself, there is a special preview during the summer holidays, with a special Perseid Meteor Shower event at Killhope Museum on Sunday 12 August where you can lie back in deckchairs and watch up to 60 to 70 shooting stars an hour.

The festival has been organised by the North Pennines AONB Partnership and is supported by Visit County Durham, Northumberland County Council and Durham County Council.
Chris Woodley-Stewart, Director of the North Pennines AONB Partnership, said: “We are very pleased to be bringing the stargazing festival back for a second year. The North Pennines is one of the best places in the country to experience really dark skies, and we hope that local people and visitors will enjoy the events on offer in this fantastic landscape.”

Michelle Gorman, Managing Director at Visit County Durham said: “We’re thrilled, once again to be working with the North Pennines AONB Partnership on the second North Pennines Stargazing Festival. Following on from the huge success of last year’s event, we’re hopeful that the programme of star-studded events and experiences will attract visitors of all ages to the area to appreciate the magnificence of the North Pennines’ dark skies.”

Discover the entire programme at www.NorthPenninesStarFest.org.uk

Wynch Bridge Temporary Closure

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Wynch Bridge, where the footpath crosses the river Tees at Low Force, has been temporarily closed for emergency repairs. There is a diversion in place as shown, which will add 1.5km to your walk if you are heading to High Force. You can also still enjoy the short walk to Low Force from Bowlees Visitor Centre, and there will be a warm welcome at The Ford Kitchen @ Bowlees. We’ll post any updates here and on social media.

Creepy Crawlies in the Classroom

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PUPILS in local schools are exploring the secret world of creepy crawlies, as part of a project from the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership to record and celebrate invertebrates.

During May, June and July the AONB Partnership is taking its Cold-blooded and Spineless project into schools throughout Weardale, and children will learn more about the insects that are so important to the North Pennines and beyond. Younger children have been looking at invertebrates and other living things in a series of educational sessions, and each school has had the chance to see and take part in ‘Six Legs’, a lively and engaging play which brings to life the secret stories of the insects all around us. Small groups involving older children will then take part in sessions with artists, to produce materials for an invertebrate trail that will be installed in a community space later in the year.

‘Six Legs’ is an original and imaginative theatre show that was developed by Cap-a-Pie Theatre Company and insect scientist Dr Vivek Nityananda from Newcastle University. Cap-a-Pie has now been commissioned by the AONB Partnership to produce a new version of ‘Six Legs,’ which features insects local to the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark. There will be four performances in Weardale, attended by children from six Weardale primary schools and one Teesdale school.

Samantha Tranter, the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Cold-blooded and Spineless Project Officer, said: “We’re excited to have Cap-a-Pie here to perform ‘Six Legs’ and help bring the stories of these valuable insects to life. We hope that the children who take part in the sessions will be inspired by insects and mini-beasts and want to learn more about the important role they play, both locally and in the wider ecosystem.”

Cap-a-Pie’s Artistic Director Brad McCormick said: “Six Legs is a really imaginative and inspiring show for children. We hope the audience leave wanting to find and see insects, as well as having an understanding of what makes the North Pennines such an important and unique place for insects.”

There are 30,000 different species of invertebrate in the UK. According to the State of Nature report, 66% of invertebrates studied in the uplands have declined in the last 50 years. Yet for many species there is insufficient data to predict population health. Invertebrates are underappreciated for their contribution to the function of our ecosystems, from soil nutrient cycling to pest control and pollination. Many invertebrates are a vital food source for all types of birds, fish and mammals.

The education sessions are being delivered on behalf of the AONB Partnership by Jill Essam from the Harehope Quarry Project. Groups from Wolsingham School, and from Wolsingham, Frosterley, Stanhope Barrington, St John’s Chapel, Rookhope, Wearhead and Forest of Teesdale Primary Schools will be taking part. Cold-blooded and Spineless has been funded by the National Lottery, through the Heritage Lottery Fund, and runs until 2019. The Cap-a-Pie performances were supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.