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Upper North Tyne Village Notes for Thursday 10th September 2026

• Firstly, a message from Jeff Mills:  The Tarset Leek show took place in the Village Hall on Saturday 5th September.  Once again, the exhibitors were out in force, with every class well represented and very little room left on the benches.  There was a nice show of leeks despite a year with a lot of leeks going to seed early.  The winner was Roy Bell, with Clive Hymers and Stephen Baty close behind.  In the floral section there were some excellent blooms with the floral baskets being the best we have seen for several years.  The main winners were, John Thirlwell, John Davies, Robin Banks and Michael Dickinson – with John Davies winning the trophies for the most points in the floral section and for the best floral exhibit.   The vegetable section winners were Michael Dickinson, Clive Hymers, Martin Rapier and Fred Bartram, with Michael Dickinson winning the trophy for the best stand of three onions.  The tables were also full of exhibits in the industrial section.  The main winners were Gloria Armstrong (who won the trophy for the most points in this section), Colin Watson, Ann Spottiswood and Jenny Swaile.  Martin Rapier was a worthy winner of the trophy for the gentlemen’s baking class.  As usual, the auction was well supported with some spirited bidding.  We would like to thank everyone who attended or otherwise supported, and who made the show a success.
• Next, there’s a message from John Holland:   Autumn feels like it has arrived and the nights are drawing in, which can mean only one thing: the return of First Thursday Films to Tarset Village Hall.  We will kick off the season on Thursday 1st October, with 'Distant Voices, Still Lives', a 1988 British period drama written and directed by Terence Davies.  It evokes working-class family life in Liverpool during the 1940s and 1950s, paying particular attention to the role of popular music, Hollywood cinema and the local pub in a tight-knit community.   A 2011 poll by Time Out of the 100 greatest British films of all time ranked the film third, and it is seen now as one of the best films ever made.  It has been described as “Britain’s forgotten cinematic masterpieces."  As usual the doors and bar open at 7pm, and the film will start at 7.30pm.
• Finally, here’s a brief reminder that the next GNAA collection will be on 16th September at halls around the area.  More details about what is and isn’t allowed in terms of donations can be found on the GNAA website or on the Tarset website at: https://www.tarset.co.uk/community/events/event.cfm/event/3618