Whitburn - Down Your Way

Vi Watkins from the Monday Group presents cheques to Carole Croucher on behalf of RNLI and Dorothy Allison and Alice Dixon on behalf of the Barnes Institute.

South Bents Townswomen’s Guild committee meets tomorrow at 6.30pm in Whitburn Methodist Church hall prior to Craft Class at 7pm. On Wednesday, January 25, the social studies meeting will comprise a sales table and Bag Beetle.

A traditional Burns Night Supper will be held in Whitburn Parish Church hall on Friday at 7.30pm. Tickets costing £12 are available from Jean Atkinson on 0191 529 3574 and include broth, haggis with bashed neeps and champit tatties, customary entertainment, a raffle and dancing expertly led by the Scottish Country Dance Society. Please bring your own liquid refreshment.

Souter Lighthouse, the gift shop and tea room, are now closed until the first weekend in February. The next organised event is on Sunday at 11am, when you can meet the local Coastal Conservation Group and Souter’s Rangers to improve your bird identification skills. This is a free event suitable for children over seven years and dogs on leads. Booking is not necessary and for full details go online at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/544a4804-784e-424c-8beb-6222e765273f/pages/details or email [email protected] or call 0191 529 0909.

2017 subscriptions to Whitburn Parish Church 100 Club are now due and in order to facilitate full collection, January’s draw will be postponed until the end of February. Please contact John Shield on 07544 908838 to renew or join. All proceeds go towards church upkeep and funds.

Regular activities resuming at the Barnes Institute include coffee mornings on Mondays and Wednesdays, line dancing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, dog training on Mondays and Thursdays, Slimming World on Tuesdays, Karate on Wednesdays and Fridays, CREATE on Thursdays with Actify Seated Exercise and Ukulele group on Fridays. The gym is open every weekday afternoon from 5pm to 8pm (6.30pm on Tuesdays). The large hall downstairs is available to hire for parties and events at weekends. The next meeting of CAST (South Tyneside Carers) is on Thursday, February 2, and thereafter, on the first Thursday of April, June, August and October. The Local History Group meets once a month in March, April, May, June, September, October and December. For more information, contact Carol Shield on 07767 156134.

Places are available at a new evening pilates class starting on Tuesdays in the Barnes Institute upstairs hall, led by qualified physiotherapist Kelly Smith. For more information email Kelly on [email protected]

Personal trainer Reece Chow holds regular daily sessions in the Barnes Institute gym. If you are interested in his expert exercise programmes, contact him for more details on 07817 587471.

Whitburn Library is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with regular activities. Baby Bounce on Monday mornings and Storytots on Tuesday afternoons, recommencing this week. Other facilities available at the Library are five public computers (with support available from staff but no wi-fi), photocopying, language courses, audiobooks and faxing. For more information call 0191 529 3412.

Please contact me using my details above if you have any Whitburn news for this weekly column. Family events and milestones, details of organisations’ regular activities and achievements are all welcome, with pictures if possible. Thank you. A happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2017 to all in Whitburn and surrounding areas.