North of England police forces have recently been hit by a double whammy with news of ongoing cost savings, which will see salaries fall and investment cut, as well as a number of officers set to be called away to cover this year’s Olympics. While the basic salary of offices relocated to London, and other Olympic venues, will be covered by the Home Office there is a major argument brewing with regards to various shift allowances which will need to be covered by local forces.

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? Continue Reading

Residents of Haltwhistle have today been warned about an increase in the discovery of so-called skimming devices which are fixed to hole in the wall cashpoints and used do harvest customer information. The machines are used to record not only pin numbers, but also vital information so that cards can be cloned, are becoming smaller and smaller and more difficult to detect.

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.

As we move into 2012 there is no doubt that the economy struggling, finances are tight but the Haltwhistle Spring Walking Festival will soon be with us. The event is currently being finalised and will run from 28 April to 7 May taking in 28 different walking routes of different difficulty and interest. The Walking Festival has been a phenomenal success in recent times and much of this is down to the very detailed planning of the Haltwhistle Walking Festival committee.

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.

Haltwhistle has been hit by a string of burglaries over the last few months with thieves sneaking into homes through unlocked doors many of them brazen enough to take what they can when the owners are still in their homes. We have seen cash and mobile phones taken from Westview, a laptop, console games and other items stolen from Greencroft Avenue and car keys stolen from other areas of the region. Police believe there is a link between burglaries in and around Haltwhistle and those in Hexham, Stocksfield and other areas of Tynedale.

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.

We will very soon be doing a number of articles on the history of Haltwhistle and would appreciate any old photographs which you have of Haltwhistle, the surrounding area or even those who have lived in Haltwhistle. The town has a history which goes back many years and the very fact it is just a few miles away from the Roman Wall makes it a very important part of the UK.

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.

British Telecom has recently announced plans to roll out its 20 Mb broadband service across Northumberland with Haltwhistle, Alnwick, Amble, Bedlington and Berwick all set to see broadband speeds double over the next few months. This is part of a £2.5 billion investment programme by British Telecom broadband which will certainly bring villages and towns such as Haltwhistle into the 21st-century.

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 Haltwhistle

The 2010 archaeological excavation season at the world famous Hadrian’s Wall site of Vindolanda will start (weather permitting) on Easter Sunday.

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.
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The residents of Haltwhistle will soon be able to enjoy a state-of-the-art library which replace the old library currently situated on the high street. The new £2.2 million development will also contain a community centre and is being partly funded by a £1.5 million donation from the Big Lottery Fund. Local residents recently had the chance to look at the final plans for the three-storey development at the current library base now situated, temporarily, in the Clive Brown shop on the high street.
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E Scarth & Sons, one of the oldest building firms in Tynedale, is set to close with the loss of 12 jobs in and around the Haltwhistle area. This is a company which has been around since 1973 and became a prominent part of the Haltwhistle economy offering jobs to many people over the years. The closure of the business seems to have been prompted by a failure to win a number of recent public sector housing maintenance contracts which came up for grabs.
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Support for new Haltwhistle Heritage Centre continues to grow with a recent public meeting in the town attracting significant support. It is hoped that the new heritage centre would be able to house important local documents, artefacts and research material on Haltwhistle and the surrounding area. This will be a major coup for the local council and further strengthen the town’s claim to be the “Centre of Britain”.
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