The castle, which closes from November to March, will open for February half term.

Bamburgh Castle director Chris Calvert, pictured, said: "Opening the castle in February will support local tourism businesses who are working hard to attract off-peak visitors."

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has put forward the investment in the form of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Northumberland's £7.5m allocation will be used to develop fire stations in Prudhoe, Haltwhistle and Seahouses.

The play will be at Seahouses First School on the 27th January at 7.00pm.

The cast includes NTC regulars Kim Evans and Gemma Clough and newcomers William Reay from Bellingham and Christopher Ranson.

Visit www.northumberlandtheatre.co.uk for a full list of performances and contact details for tickets.

Visitors might not believe their eyes when they see the spectacle of about 50 Father Christmases running at them - but it won't be because they've started on the Christmas drinks early.

Volunteer runners are donning Father Christmas outfits and taking part in a Santa Run to raise funds in aid of Chin-Up.

A series of events are being held across the county to inform people of career opportunities with the service.

Derek, 34, from Red Row, is getting ready for a mammoth fundraising effort where he will play seven consecutive 12-hour gigs in seven Northumberland pubs.

Primarily a singer, he has no backing group and is frantically learning the guitar before the gig, which starts today.

Bell View Walking for Health group has been awarded accreditation by Walking the Way to Health, a Natural England initiative. Now they are looking for more people to come along on their organised walks.

They received the accolade because of their walks for beginners, as well as meeting various standards.

Now his beat is the wide open spaces of Northumberland, as a voluntary national park ranger, painter and photographer. The contrast could not be more stark.

Brian moved to Belford in Northumberland from North Yorkshire five years ago with wife Elisabeth.

The 'Living the Tradition' concert will feature traditional music both from this county and also elsewhere in Britain.

Many of the pieces will be performed using Northumbrian smallpipes, fiddle and voice.

It takes place at Bamburgh Church next Thursday, September 10, at 7.30pm.

Many of Northumberland's most historic buildings will be opened to the public, free of charge, next weekend as part of Heritage Open Days, a national initiative which is aimed at celebrating the country's heritage, history and culture.

In Northumberland, a wide range of buildings of all ages and styles will be open in a series of events. Among them are the Clock Tower in Morpeth, castles at Harbottle, Rothley and Dilston, the recently renovated Blyth Battery, the Ice House in Berwick and an ecological self-build house at Belford.

The event likely to attract the biggest crowd is the Glendale Show (pictured), now in its 117th year, featuring a host of rural attractions and stalls. Spectacular carriage driving and falconry displays and a Ready Steady Cook style cooking competition are some of the highlights of the event on Bank Holiday Monday.

In the bottom corner of the county on the same day, Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show (see link below) will be taking place, and two days before on Saturday Bellingham will also be welcoming visitors to its Show to take part and watch various traditional competitions.

He said: "We're planning to do a pirate-themed beach clean up at Seahouses on September 19 and 20.

"This coincides with the national Talk Like a Pirate Day event, so it will be a fun way to help keep our beaches clean."

Northern Experience Wildlife Tours, based in Choppington, and St Cuthbert's House bed and breakfast in Seahouses have created the Whales, Waders and Wildfowl weekend, which will run from September 10-13, offering participants a whale and dolphin cruise, as well as top-class birdwatching available on the Northumberland coast at this time of year.

The event is to raise funds for restoration of the church windows and to boost the village Christmas lights, and will feature local produce and crafts, antiques and collectables, jewellery and souvenirs, as well as tombola, raffle and refreshment stalls.

It is open from 10.00 am until 4pm.

The NHS proposes a specialist emergency care hospital for people in Northumberland and North Tyneside, improvements to Wansbeck and North Tyneside general hospitals and rebuilding community hospitals in Berwick and Haltwhistle.

The changes would see the closure of emergency departments at Wansbeck and Hexham General.