This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page 28 Jan 2025 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news © Northumberland County Council THE graveyard of a Grade I listed church at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is in danger of falling into the sea from erosion if action is not taken to secure the coastal defences St Bartholomew’s, and the graveyard, are on Church Point, directly fronting the sea. Violent storms in the 1950s lowered sand levels here by as much as 15 metres, and older people in the community could remember when they could walk quite a distance from church to sea, Fr O’Grady told the BBC last week The state of the town’s sea defences was debated in the House of Commons as long ago as 20 years, at the instigation of Denis Murphy, Labour MP for Wansbeck It revealed the first reports of erosion in the bay to have been made at the turn of the last century when it was attributed to mining subsidence and increased wave movement A sea-wall defence system was completed between 1989 and 1992 substantial system was finally granted in 2004 but it moved down DEFRA’s priority list and was withdrawn “Every business will be put at risk if sea defences are not constructed.” revisited the subject on 25 July this year telling the House of Commons: “St Bartholomew’s church in Newbiggin- by-the-Sea It is a beautiful church but it is in serious danger of sliding into the North Sea because of coastal erosion the last government allowed funding for sea defences only to protect residential properties Can we have a debate in government time to discuss how to change that rule before this lovely church and some of its former residents slide into the North Sea?” He was assured by the Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell: “I am sorry to hear about that historic church in my hon He is right that coastal erosion is one of the key challenges that his community and many others face and it is one of the issues that my right hon is prioritising in his work on the flood resilience task force and on coastal community resilience; so I will ensure that [his] comments have been heard and that he gets a full reply.” Northumberland County Council has secured funding for a detailed study of the sea defences “We do need action soon to protect the graveyard and the church for future generations “We first became aware of a problem at the end of 2023 when I was approached by the Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council to make us aware the current sea defence wall in front of the church needs replacing You can see elements of decay already at the base of it: it’s beginning to crumble.” St Bartholomew’s describes its location as “a welcoming focal point in this town for hundreds of years and the future life of this place and all that it might become” Nicholas Reed Langen examines the Supreme Court ruling on gender We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes offering a rich tapestry of worshipping traditions – Anglican We are creating a new 0.8 post in the west of Bristol combining the role of Priest in Charge of Abbots Leigh and Leigh Woods The churches of the Lyth and Winster Valleys in the South Lakes are looking for a new Vicar Vibrant and multicultural part of North London seeking a Priest in Charge to lead a supportive team to maximise this exciting opportunity for Anglo-Catholic mission and renewal We are ready to support the new incumbent through our Catholic Mission Covenant group and resources run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times tickets available This online seminar, run jointly by Modern Church and The Church Times discusses the theology underpinning the drive for growth tickets available Non-subscribers can read four articles for free each month The Salvation Army in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea opened its doors to offer tea and comfort to residents who had to be evacuated from their homes after suspected grenade shells were found in an empty house.  The church and charity provided hot drinks food and board games on Tuesday evening (23 July) after the bomb disposal squad were called to the house in the Northumberland seaside town following the discovery.  Major Philip James, who leads Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Salvation Army with his wife Major Carrie said: “On Tuesday evening a number of homes were evacuated after a box of grenade shells was found.  “Our lovely church members suggested we open our community hall at about 10pm to offer tea toast and some board games to help alleviate boredom for the residents who were waiting to be given the all clear before returning home.  as well as the Mayor who popped in a couple of times but we were glad to be on hand to offer some comfort and safe place to rest Thank you to all our volunteers and church members who sprang into action to help.”  Police later confirmed there were some inactive shells discovered at the address and that there is no wider threat to the public The Salvation Army has a long history of supporting communities in times of need providing practical support to 999 responders and local communities during emergencies.  Help us fill children’s lives with joy this summer Copyright © The Salvation Army 2025 The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity in England (214779) Scotland (SC009359) and the Republic of Ireland (CHY6399) The Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters THRIFTY holidaymakers are flocking to a former pit town which hasbecome Britain's most budget-friendly seaside resort Newbiggin-by-the-Sea was once part of the Northumberland coalfield but it's now digging out a reputation as the hidden gem of the country's coastal destinations has "the cheapest pint in Newbiggin" and it's hard to beat - £3.20 for a McEwan's Scotch Ale the building dates back to 1700 and was converted into a pub in the 1800s He said: "You get value for money when you come to Newbiggin, I think that's the same in the shops, the pubs "We sell John Smith's at £3.30 a pint and Foster's at £3.60 whichseems fair to us "The most expensive pint we have is Birra Moretti and that's £4.80,which these days is pretty good whether they're regulars orvisitors." Directly across the road at Caffe Bertorelli is also where you can find a bargain ice cream. the third generation of Bertorellis since 1910 proudly displays his price list of a single scoop in a cone being only £2.60 and a double scoop £3.40 His great grandfather Benjamin Ieft Italy for Holborn whose parents had an ice-cream business in London Frank said: "It's amazing to see what is happening to the town now it's really taking off and I think it's going to get bigger and bigger "There's a real warm welcome here from the people and we look aftervisitors It's great to see Newbiggin getting busier all the time." In destinations such as Salcombe Devon - the UK's most expensiveresort according to research by The Halifax - it's not unusual to becharged almost £500 a night for a luxury room a short walk from Newbiggin'sGolden Sands However, visitor Steve Downie, 67, from North Tyneside reckons the greatest attraction to the town is beyond price - the warm Geordie welcome He said: "It's such a beautiful place and until very recently hardlyanyone knew about it but it seems now that the word is spreadingfairly quickly "The beach is stunning and there are loads of nice shops and pubs and cafes to visit but for me the best thing about the place is thepeople "They are so friendly and welcoming here that you can't help but fallfor the place "When you look around the place now it's hard to imagine that it wasonce part of the coalfield but if you look hard enough you can stillsee traces of coaldust among the sand on the beach." The colliery operated between 1908 and 1967 but it wasn't until 2007that a massive restoration project got underway The former beach had been worn by erosion, so half a million tonnes of sand was shifted up the coast from Skegness by a Dutch dredger and blasted ashore at Newbiggin using a giant pipeline The newly refurbished beach looked pristine but Northumberland's especially with its huge sculpture erected the following year And it's not just pints and ice creams where you will find a bargain A coffee can still be found for £1.90 at cafes, while a fish and chips is less than a tenner Property and double glazing firm boss Geoff Parker was born andraised in Newbiggin and said he was "thrilled" to see how it had changed in recent years He said: "It's amazing how far it has come and I'm thrilled to see it because I like to see progress although I know some people who live here would prefer it stayed a hidden gem "Not everyone wants loads of tourists because they don't like change but to my mind "It's come full circle because in the 1800s it was a popular touristresort because the shipping owners from Newcastle liked to have their second homes here." it's the perfect place to have a stroll by the seafront on a lovely day like today "It's great to see new cafes springing up serving really good food and the local community puts on lots of events throughout the year "We've just had breakfast at a new cafe which was lovely and like most things here it was great value for money." Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ 22 Jul 2024 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news Work is to get underway next month on a new car park in Newbiggin.  on the former County Council Library & Social Services Site and the works are expected to take around 15 weeks to complete - formalising the existing temporary arrangement that has been in place since the demolition of the library building.  will be wholly contained within the existing site and the old boundary wall around the site will be retained It will provide 38 parking spaces made up of 30 standard bays four EV bays and four Disabled Bays.   Cabinet member for Improving Roads and Highways said: “It’s important our towns have enough off-street parking both for local residents and visitors.  “This new town centre facility will support access to local shops business and health facilities as well as providing greater capacity for the increasing number of visitors to the town and its glorious beach and promenade.”  Newbiggin Central and East County Councillor Liz Simpson added: “It’s good to see this temporary carpark being developed into a permanent fully modernised parking facility with EV charging points and disabled bays.  “Newbiggin continues to be a very popular place both for residents and visitors and I look forward to the new car park being open for business in the coming months.”  Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A partial lunar eclipse of a supermoon will be visible across the UK on Tuesday night A supermoon occurs when the moon appears 30% brighter and 14% bigger in the sky, Becky Mitchell, Met Office meteorologist said She said: “The reason for that is the moon has an orbit around the Earth and the moon is in the part of its orbit where it is closest to the Earth.” The supermoon will be visible on Tuesday night and also for the next few nights The partial lunar eclipse – when the Earth’s shadow covers part of the moon – will occur at 3.45am and 4% of the moon will be covered The partial eclipse will be visible for about an hour but it will peak at 3.45am Miss Mitchell said: “This evening it’ll be a really good chance for seeing (the supermoon) “East Anglia and northern Scotland there’s a chance of cloud, after midnight cloud across southern England starts to increase, everywhere else is clear.” There will be a supermoon four times this year, and the next partial eclipse will be in 2026, the forecaster added. 17 Jan 2025 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news A new car park for Newbiggin is complete and open for business.   on the former County Council Library & Social Services Site and replaces the temporary carpark that has been in place since the demolition of the old library building.   provides 38 parking spaces made up of 30 standard bays four EV bays and four Disabled Bays.    said: “This new facility will be a great asset both for local residents and visitors.   “The free carpark will support access to local shops business and health facilities as well as providing greater capacity for the increasing number of visitors to the town and its glorious beach and promenade.”   Newbiggin Central and East County Councillor Liz Simpson added: “It’s great that we now have a permanent fully modernised parking facility “Newbiggin is becoming an increasingly popular place to visit with a range of new businesses and I look forward to the new car park being well used.”  Credit: NCJ MediaResidents of a terraced street in Northumberland were evacuated after military ammunition was found in an empty home Suspected grenade shells were discovered in a house on Cleveland Terrace in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and residents of surrounding homes were evacuated A police cordon was set up while waiting for a bomb disposal team to arrive who lives next door to the house where the ammunition was found was about to have dinner when he noticed something unusual outside The 55-year-old said: "I looked out the front and the Old Bill were everywhere "In the front yard of the house next door there was a grenade Mr Mick took pictures before he was evacuated by police and went to a safe place with a couple of neighbours while others took refuge in the Salvation Army building It is understood that several residents on the street were affected by the evacuation Mr Mick added: "I've got ADHD so I was excited I didn't feel like I was in any danger but they literally cordoned off everywhere." said that they had found the event "very traumatic" and were evacuated from their homes from around 9pm until 3:30am on Wednesday A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: "Shortly after 6.45pm yesterday (Tuesday) we were contacted by a member of the public who had found suspected grenade shells at an address on Cleveland Terrace in Newbiggin-by-the-Sea a number of people in neighbouring properties were temporarily evacuated and a cordon was put in place "An Explosive Ordinance Disposal team attended and removed the shells – which were confirmed as inactive – from the address to safely dispose of them "There is no wider threat to the public and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak to an officer on duty." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.. From snorkel trails and seafood restaurants to maritime festivals and a ‘museum of fun’ here’s what’s new and exciting around the UK coast big skies and far horizons of the Irish Sea always distract and calm the soul There’s a lot more shabby than chic and the heritage landmarks – the tower complex Winter Gardens and Grand theatre – are broken up by mainly rundown guesthouses and a general air of work in (slow) progress but perhaps lacking in cultural or arts assets In unseasonable weather – not rare on the Irish Sea coast – there weren’t many places to go during the day unless you were a slot-machine or bingo fiend That has now all changed. In March, Showtown, a “museum of fun and entertainment” Its six galleries each explore themes that played a part in making Blackpool the UK’s most popular resort: seaside working with council researchers and illustrator Alex Williamson oyster seller and fortune teller are celebrated; cabinets display items kids played with before video games and smartphones from itching powder to laugh bags to X-ray specs; and the use and abuse of donkeys and circus animals is not ignored There are opportunities to have your photo taken and become part of the displays – this popular Inside Blackpool’s Showtown museum Photograph: Hufton And Crow/Casson Mann/Showtown BlackpoolBlackpool council’s own collections have been strengthened by loans from the V&A and sequined dresses and see-through shirts from the Strictly Come Dancing wardrobe disco booths and clown costumes are presented alongside Williamson’s vivacious collages to relate stories about seaside history that will be familiar to people of a certain age but somewhat exotic for younger visitors The colour scheme verges on the garish: you can almost taste the yellows and pinks and lurid greens – sugary and unashamedly artificial under-fives free; additional landing fees of £13 adult £6.50 child are payable to the National Trust) but on some trails you can book guided taster sessions This summer, there are six new sites to explore along the South Ayrshire coast Snorkel in bays overlooked by ruined castles rocky islands) and through ancient sea caves – all watched over by Ailsa Craig an extinct volcano that is home to Britain’s third-biggest seabird colony treasures include yellow periwinkle snails and semi-precious stones such as jasper and amethyst Just remember to pack a wetsuit rather than a bikini “Sensory friendly” and beginners’ sessions will take place in sheltered rock pools and snorkel safaris for over-12s and confident swimmers will venture out into the coast’s kelp meadows originally set up by Jenkins’s great-grandfather Charlie in the 1940s went down to Folkestone and started selling fish around houses in Dover Jenkins senior and his son established a shop that would occupy the same spot on Deal High Street for half a century Darren joined the business after leaving school in 1997 and is now expanding it with a new venture a few doors down Its spacious interior has a wet fish counter on the right and a licensed area seating 24 on the left customers queue for a table and order from a menu of what Jenkins terms “street food” but Juicy king prawns are drizzled with salsa verde a fish bun is packed with crisp-skinned bass crushed peas and capersJuicy king prawns are drizzled with salsa verde while cod tacos come with fiery slaw and silken avocado the team plan to turn the disused first floor into a restaurant with terrace This is the latest in a run of new restaurants in this small seaside town on the east Kent coast. On the seafront, with its long shingle beach and brutalist 1950s pier, is the Blue Pelican, an elegant new dining room from the owners of acclaimed boutique hotel the Rose I sit at the counter overlooking the open kitchen and chat to head chef Luke Jeffery-Green who lived in Japan with his wife before moving back to Deal He calls his cooking “classic Japanese” but adds: “Whenever I’m recreating dishes other things come into play – such as local ingredients – so they turn into something unique.” He’s not wrong The lunchtime bento box-style set menu (£23) includes a tastebud-tickling plate of pickles deep-fried aubergine agedashi and charred leek hearts Equally compelling are oozy crab croquettes A 10-minute drive inland is Updown Farmhouse, Ruth Leigh and Oliver Brown’s restaurant-with-rooms in a bucolic former farmstead which opened two years ago and recently earned a listing in the Michelin Guide featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays Visitors will be able to try activities including paddleboarding There will also be workshops with seafarers; stories about shipwrecks and lighthouses and events involving Scilly’s pilot gigs (seafaring rowing boats) from a taster session and a kids’ race to a challenging multi-island contest involving five miles of open-water swimming and 18 miles of trail running Spectators are as welcome as athletes at the after-party In Yorkshire, cyclists can take their pick from a selection of coastal trails that launched earlier this year, ranging from a nine-mile loop around Filey to a five-day point-to-point route between Whitby and Spurn Point. The trails were devised by Route YC along with a team of adventure cyclists maps and suggestions for places to eat and stay but the co-founder of Camp Bestival is aiming for a “sauna on every corner of the island” and views of the distant peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) The latest stretch links Hunstanton in Norfolk lucky visitors might witness the “whirling wader spectacular” where birds feed on the mudflats and then form murmurations as the tide rises Other new sections will include Silverdale to Cleveleys in Lancashire; Birkenhead to the Welsh border; and stretches of the coast between Bawdsey in Suffolk and Jaywick in Essex Northumberland (photographed); Low Hauxley This bird was first noted passing north at Flamborough Head Yorkshire at 09:35 and was broadcast immediately as a Desertas Petrel/Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma deserta/feae to give other observers the opportunity to attempt to see it passing coastal locations further north along the North Sea coast it was later recorded passing a further twelve locations until it was last seen at Stag Rocks Northumberland at 19:05; now 197 km north northwest of where it was initially seen The bird was photographed or videoed at four of these locations and when this media was shared online an alternative identification of Soft-plumaged Petrel was proposed and agreed 16-17 November 2021 (GPS-tagged ‘LX07518’) Spain) were fitted with GPS-tags (accurate to within several metres) in November 2021 to help elucidate their at-sea distribution One individual ‘LX07518’ undertook a nine-day foraging trip covering 6,151 km up to 2,580 km from its breeding colony where after visiting contiguous Irish waters (and becoming a potential national first there) Isles of Scilly; first at 21:14 on 16 November 2021 and last at 08:14 on 17 November 2021 (Brit After departing British waters it soon entered French waters where it has recently been accepted as a national first (previous records there were only accepted as ‘Madeiran Petrel/Monteiro’s Petrel/Cape Verde Petrel Hydrobates castro/monteiroi/jabejabe’) This record represents the first species to be added to the British List without the individual bird being seen here either alive or dead inside British territory and its occurrence prompted clarification by the Committee of how we judge records of birds without a human observer (Ibis 166: 350-351) Madeiran Petrel has previously been on the British List twice before A historic record latterly placed in Category B of one found dead at Milford-on-Sea was removed from the British List in 2008 as there was no published description or traceable specimen (Ibis 151: 225) Subsequently one recorded At Sea off the Isles of Scilly in Sea area Sole on 28 July 2007 was admitted to the British List but was then removed following taxonomic changes and it was considered to be acceptable at only the level of the species group ‘Madeiran Petrel/Monteiro’s Petrel/Cape Verde Petrel Hydrobates castro/monteiroi/jabejabe’ (Ibis 154: 212–213 There are now a total of five accepted records of unidentified ‘Madeiran /Monteiro’s/Cape Verde Petrel’ in Britain with the most recent record in 2022 (Brit 1-8 May 2023 (photographed); same Airdrie Farm The Grey-headed Lapwing was recorded in Britain over a period of 29 days during which time it relocated a straight-line distance of 425 km to the northwest There are six previous records of Grey-headed Lapwing in the Western Palearctic sensu stricto from Turkey The records from Norway and Sweden are considered to be the same individual but it is unclear how many other individuals have been involved in these sightings The species has also been recorded as a vagrant to Australia Five other species of lapwing Vanellus have occurred in Britain as escapes from captivity and although Grey-headed Lapwing is known to have been held in zoological collections in Europe previously it is not known in captivity here currently Montgomeryshire 18 April 2023 (videoed); presumed same Brayden Marshes Norfolk 17-20 July 2023 (photographed); presumed same Felixstowe Ferry and King’s Fleet 20-21 July 2023 (photographed); presumed same St Osyth Marsh The videos and description taken in Montgomeryshire on 18 April were not sufficiently detailed to enable confirmation that it was same individual as that present in Norfolk and Suffolk in July but the consensus of the Committee was that all records could be presumed to relate to the same bird Although plumage traits suggested that this bird was likely to be in its second-calendar-year there was not a consensus on the age of the bird with precise ageing further complicated by the species breeding year-round Black-winged Kite is held in captivity in Britain but there was no reason to believe this individual was not a genuine vagrant Initially identified in the field on 20 October 2023 as the congeneric Eastern Olivaceous Warbler before photographs were circulated online and an alternative identification of Western Olivaceous Warbler Iduna opaca was suggested On 21 October field observations supported this suspicion and on being trapped for the purposes of ringing biometrics confirmed the identification as Western Olivaceous Warbler which was later further supported genetically by sequencing of one mitochondrial gene Western Olivaceous Warbler has previously been recorded as an autumn vagrant in northern Europe to Sweden and Germany and is not known in captivity Earlier published records of Western Olivaceous Warbler in Britain – in Pembrokeshire on 23 September to 3 October 1951 and on the Isles of Scilly 3-4 October 1961 and 30 September to 2 October 1962 – were reviewed by the Committee in 2005 and found to be insufficiently substantiated (Ibis 142: 177 Edinburgh (Accession number NMS.Z 1908.130) pre-dates the previously accepted first record of this species and is therefore accepted as the first British record (Ibis 133: 218) This pratincole specimen collected at Eilean Mòr Outer Hebrides and deposited at the Royal Scottish Museum was historically identified as a Collared Pratincole As part of a review of early historical records of Collared Pratincoles a number of pratincole specimens located in public collections were examined with this individual reidentified as an Oriental Pratincole – primarily on account of its diagnostic short outermost tail feathers This reidentification was later supported genetically by sequencing of one mitochondrial gene The record was judged against published BOURC criteria for historical records (Ibis 160: 936-942) and found to be acceptable as a new first British record of Oriental Pratincole Read the full paper here This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here Further reading: F.E. Rheindt el al., "A lost world in Wallacea: description of a montane archipelagic avifauna," Science (2019). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi … 1126/science.aax2146 Register free to upload Weekly birding round-up: 25 Apr - 1 May 2025 Jon Dunn brings you his weekly birding roundup looking back at the best birds from around Britain, Ireland and the WP, where this week a Cape Gull tops the bill. More here > New storm-petrel species emerges from Wilson's shadow A taxonomic reappraisal of Wilson's Storm-Petrel reveals a cryptic highland species in Chile - now named the Andean Storm-Petrel. More here > we do like to be beside the seaside — 60 per cent of Brits would live by the water given the chance — but with news of record-breaking property price rises in Devon and Cornwall during the pandemic coastal life is increasingly out of reach for many a former Victorian resort on the Northumberland coast It has character: the oldest lifeboat station in the UK a sculpture of a couple rising out of the water and a bustling high street with mostly independent shops and no empty ones We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports Fisheries Enforcement Officers from the Environment Agency have arrested a man on suspicion of poaching sea trout and seized an illegal fishing net at Lyne Sands made the arrest at 0820 hours on 30th June 2022 they seized the illegal gill net measuring 8m x 3m  and a dead sea trout Unattended and unlicensed gill nets are not only capable of killing fish indiscriminately they will also kill any other wildlife that are unfortunate enough to get entangled in them This incident highlights how vital it is for people to provide information to us and demonstrates that we will take action We actively patrol the rivers and coastline around the North East and we continue to target all aspects of illegal fishing activity particularly where potentially damaging methods are used strictly regulated and managed sea trout fishery operates off the coast of Northumberland and local byelaws apply to ensure sea trout may only be taken by a limited number of licenced netsmen during the approved season (26th March to 31st May) It is also illegal to use nets to catch salmon in the North East Those who operate unlicensed nets risk prosecution with unlimited fines and possible prison sentences available to the courts and Environment Agency officers can seize equipment and vehicles Information about illegal fishing can be reported to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.