I hope everybody has recovered from two bank holiday weekends and the celebrations associated with the Coronation of King Charles III. What a weekend that was and I was very fortunate tot be able to watch the procession from a great vantage point on Whitehall. The Coronation Procession was something to behold, and it makes me proud to be British. Only we can put on a show like that - meticulously organised and packed with extraordinary history. Like the vast majority of the King’s subjects I watched the Coronation on television and was really struck by the emphasis on service rather than being served. It’s obvious His Majesty really means it and intends to take his duties very seriously indeed.
Northumberland County Council did their bit and hosted a Coronation event for community volunteers from across the county in the grounds of Alnwick Castle. Town and Parish Councils and community groups across the county arranged smaller events and many of them survived the bad weather.
The ‘Culture Hub and Market Place’ project was approved by Northumberland County Council this week and will see a new cultural venue and cinema built in the Market Place in Blyth and improvements made to the Market Place. The centre of Blyth has turned a corner and although it will never be as busy as it once was in decades gone by the improvements that are being made now will make a significant difference. I am proud to have played my part in securing Future High Street funding and Town Deal funding which is being topped up by the Conservative administration at County Hall to create a £70m Energising Blyth investment programme.
The new hub will host a three-screen cinema being run by Jam Jar Cinema, creative spaces, a café and a venue for live music, comedy and other performing arts. It will be a real magnet to draw people to the centre of Blyth and will be a boost for surrounding businesses, old and new. Thanks to everybody at the County Council and all of the other partners involved in the Blyth Town Board for making these plans a reality. Alan Ferguson has provided strong leadership as Chairman of the Town Board.
I’m organising a What’s On in Blyth Valley listings page on my web site so if you are promoting an event for a community group, charity, sports club or other non-profit organisation please e-mail details and we will share it on my social media.
