It is believed that police officers covering the Haltwhistle region will be among those impacted, at a time when criminal activity would appear to be on the increase across the North of England. We recently covered the story of an increase in burglaries across Haltwhistle and surrounding areas and the fact that police were still looking into the situation but where not on the verge of making any arrests. So will the situation get worse as the Olympics gets closer?

The likelihood is that a number of officers from Northern police forces will be taken out of circulation while the Olympics is ongoing and may even leave the area before the Olympics begin in order to accommodate themselves with new routines and procedures. It is highly likely that the Northern police forces will be able to claim back various additional costs such as shift allowances in due course but this is likely to be an ongoing battle with the Home Office that could take many months to resolve.

Police force cuts across the region, and indeed across the UK, were not supposed to lead to a reduction in front-line forces although if the rumours are correct then this is not the case. Forces across the North England have been pressured into making multi-million pound cuts to their budgets and while a reduction of staff in the region of 8% does not sound an awful lot, it does really depend upon where these reductions are being made. Do you believe that ongoing austerity measures announced by the UK government will lead to an increase in crime in the short to medium term?

Over the last six months devices have been found in Haltwhistle, Blyth, Alnwick, Prudhoe, Newcastle City Centre, Darlington, County Durham, Cockermouth, Moffat, Workington, Carlisle and York. Despite the fact that more and more people are now aware of such scams it seems that fraudsters are becoming ever more adventurous leading to significant withdrawals from victims bank accounts.

While many of us take for granted the fact that hole in the wall/cashpoint machines are safe the truth is that they are not. If you come across a cashpoint which appears to have been tampered with in any way shape or form then you need to contact the police immediately and make them aware of your concerns. Even if this proves to be a false alarm it shows that the population is more aware of the issue and will also make fraudsters think again before hitting a particular area.

The more widespread the issue of scamming becomes the more likely we will be aware of potential problems and possibly be more aware of machines which appear to have been tampered with. The speed at which the fraudsters can quickly clone a card and use your pin number to withdraw cash or transfer to other accounts is breathtaking. So don’t automatically think this will happen to your neighbour and not you because we are all at risk unless we keep our eyes open and remain vigilant.

This increase in scamming devices comes hot on the heels of a number of break-ins in and around the Haltwhistle area which have made many residents uneasy. Never more so has there been a need for the Neighbourhood Watch to remain vigilant and all residents of Haltwhistle and the surrounding areas to remain on their guard.

Haltwhistle Spring Walking Festival

Those who have even visited Haltwhistle for the shortest period will be well aware of the absolutely beautiful countryside surrounding the town which takes in everything from the hills and valleys to the Roman Wall. There are few areas of the UK which can boast the type of natural beauty associated with Haltwhistle and when you also take into account the fact it is only 35 miles from Newcastle and 21 miles from Carlisle, it really does have enormous potential.

So whether you are just looking at the proposed walks over the Spring Walking Festival or perhaps you are looking to visit the area, we strongly recommend looking at the Haltwhistle Walking Festival website. All of the details with relation to the Haltwhistle Spring Walking Festival will be available by February and this should give those interested more than enough time to make their preparations and their plans ahead of 28 April.

If you are looking to take part in the Walking Festival then perhaps you might be kind enough to forward your thoughts and pictures once you have recovered. Please send these to mark@haltwhistle.org.uk and we will attempt to list as many as possible on the website in due course.

There is speculation as to the identity of these alleged burglars and police are asking for the public’s help to bring to an end a worrying trend. So far nobody has managed to catch the thieves in the act although there have been a number of close calls with one lucky homeowner in Stocksfield coming down the stairs to find their porch and front door wide open. While nothing was taken on this particular occasion it is believed that the thieves were scared off when they heard movement in the house and people coming down the stairs.

There is no rhyme nor reason to these burglaries and thefts as the thieves appear willing to try their hand at any door or window which is unlocked. Police are now advising residents of Tynedale, and Haltwhistle in particular, to ensure that all of their doors are locked at all times and windows are securely closed. The police have a number of leads which they are following with vigour and we will keep you updated with developments.

If you have any information or require assistance from the Police please visit their website at Northumbria Police Force.

So whether you have all photographs of a football team, old photographs of the Roman Wall, old photographs of the mines which pepper the area or anything else you can think of, we would like you to send a copy with your full name and address to mark@haltwhistle.org.uk. We will ensure that all photographs published have the permission of the owner and those involved in the photograph in order to abide by current privacy laws.

We are also looking for new ideas with regards to Haltwhistle news, both modern day and historical, and would welcome the opportunity to speak with those who have perhaps lived in Haltwhistle the vast majority of their life and would like to express an opinion on any subject. It would also be interesting to do a number of articles on people who have lived in Haltwhistle and perhaps moved away to pastures new in order to get a different angle on modern day Haltwhistle.

The British Telecom broadband investment programme is certainly speeding up broadband in the area and is set to be available to around 84% of domestic homes and businesses across the north-east by the summer of 2012. The high-speed broadband service will also be available to wholesale providers, thereby bringing much-needed competition into the area and excellent value for money for businesses and homes in the region.

While many people see Haltwhistle as a tourist destination as opposed to a business arena there is no doubt that the area has much to offer. Bringing together to tourist from around the world, local businesses, international businesses and entrepreneurs has certainly changed the look and feel of the town over the last few years. The area has made significant use of its location and the very fact that the Roman Wall and some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK is close to hand.

However, those from Haltwhistle will be well aware that local businesses have suffered over the last few years due to the economic climate and a lack of investment. However, business certainly seems to be on the up and local services and retailers have adapted their approach to business and business services in recent times. The introduction of high-speed broadband, with British Telecom estimating speeds of up to 20 Mb per second, will certainly make a massive difference to those living and trading in the region.

If you’re looking for high-speed broadband in Haltwhistle simply click on the link below for further details and information.

High Speed Broadband In For Haltwhistle

Applications from volunteers for the 2010 season have been at an unprecedented level. Over 90% of the 550 places available places were booked within just 2 weeks after the applications opened on 1st November 2009 and all were booked by the start of 2010. Excavation volunteers come from all walks of life, from professionals and students with an academic interest in archaeology to those who just want to experience taking part in an excavation. Volunteers travel from all over the UK and Europe and this year a number of individuals are travelling from the USA, Australia and New Zealand to take part.

Excavations will be taking place both inside and outside the walls of the fort to continue the work of the previous year and, if 2009 was an indication of what may be uncovered, we can expect another fascinating year of archaeology at Vindolanda.

Excavations will be in progress at Vindolanda 7 days a week (weather permitting) from Easter Sunday 4th April 2010 until Thursday 16th September 2010 (except 9th & 10th April, 4th & 5th July, 27th & 28th August and 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th September). Visitors are encouraged to come along as see our excavation volunteers at work and to chat to them about what they are doing and what they have been finding.

The Vindolanda Trust’s sister site, The Roman Army Museum, at Greenhead, now features a wonderful temporary exhibition about Hadrian and life on the Roman Frontier of Hadrian’s Wall. The exhibition , which will run from April to October, is housed in the newly refurbished lower section of the museum and includes a superb graphic display covering different aspects of Roman life as well as the Emperor Hadrian and Hadrian’s Wall. This is all enhanced and illustrated by artefacts from the Vindolanda collection and a range of life sized figures and full size replica chariots. The Eagle’s Eye film, always a highlight for all visitors to the Roman Army Museum, lets visitors fly with an eagle along the line of Hadrian’s Wall from the Roman Army Museum to Crag Lough, before turning south to Vindolanda. This aerial tour gives a wonderful view of Hadrian’s Wall as it is today. Once you reach Vindolanda the site is reconstructed using computer graphics and you fly back along the Wall as it was in Roman times, really bringing it all to life!

Vindolanda & The Roman Army Museum are both open 7 days a week from 10am and full details can be found at www.vindolanda.com

Supplementary Excavation Information
Inside the fort
The excavations inside the last stone fort at Vindolanda will continue to explore the very last periods of occupation on the site from the 4th century to post Roman. The excavation area of 2009 (displaying 4th century shops, houses, workshops and yards) will be lowered from the 4th century levels to examine the earlier 3rd century barracks which are situated directly below the remains of the 4th century buildings. This will be achieved by lifting the floors of the 4th century structures whilst carefully retaining the framework of the buildings themselves which are to be preserved for future consolidation and display. The trenches will extend further to the east of the 2009 area to include the main road running from the north gate of the fort to the headquarters building. It is hoped that this road remains largely intact and will offer further evidence of 4th century commercial activity within the walls of the fort.

Outside the walls of the last stone fort
The 2010 excavation of this area will continue to build on research surrounding the extramural garrison settlement. The buildings situated outside the 3rd century fort walls will be examined to establish their size, form and probable use. It is expected that various houses, shops, workshops, and perhaps religious buildings, will be identified. This data will allow us to identify potentially different zones of use, as well as establishing when the settlement was finally abandoned. Ultimately the information gathered from the excavation will tie in with research conducted inside the fort to establish the extent and nature of the divide between the military fort and its associated extramural garrison settlement outside the fort walls.

Andrew Birley – Director of Excavations

ENDS

For further enquiries contact Fiona Watson- Information Officer on 01434 344 277 or fionawatson@vindolanda.com

Often neglected by local council in the past it seems that Haltwhistle is now set for a period of significant growth in the short to medium term. What other developments await this reborn town?

The company was for many years the centre of the Haltwhistle’s apprenticeship scheme but there are fears that school leavers may well have to look further afield and potentially leave the area to find the same opportunities in the future.

A number of prominent councillors and ex-councillors in the town have taken up the baton regarding the proposal and it seems that sooner rather than later we should see movement in favour of the project.