New Poppies to Commemorate the World Wars

When the wooden owl from the grassy triangle was stolen in June 2014, the villagers clubbed together to raise £300.00 to commission new sculpture work as a replacement. Last August, a new owl was bolted and cemented into place on the triangle, and yesterday, a new poppy sculpture was erected outside St Michael and All Angels parish church to commemorate the anniversaries of the two world wars. In St Michael's churchyard is the Commonwealth War Grave of 552228 Trooper William Francis Leopold Scott, who died in 1940 whilst serving with the Royal Armoured Corps, and both churches in the village, St Michael and All Angels and St Michael's Roman Catholic Church, contain memorials to the Esh villagers who gave their lives between 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. To find out more about war memorials in the area, and those in Esh village,  visit the North East War Memorials Project website. 

Kathryn Tickell and The Side Perform at Ushaw College

Recipient of The Queen's Medal for Music and BBC Radio 2's Folk Musician of the Year 2012, Kathryn Tickell and her folk-classical ensemble The Side are performing at Ushaw College on Saturday 23rd May, 7.30pm.

Joining Kathryn and her Northumbrian Pipes are Louisa Tuck (cello), Ruth Wall (harp), and Amy Thatcher (accordion and clog dancing). The group have recently performed at the Berliner Philharmonika and the Luxembourg Philharmonie and are touring across the UK this summer.

Tickets cost £12.00 and are available from the Gala Theatre in Durham, or by emailing tickets@ushaw.org

Esh Gospel Choir and Happy Voices Charity Concert

The Esh Gospel Choir and Happy Voices, a choir from Neudorf-Platendorf in Lower Saxony, Germany, are joining forces this Bank Holiday Monday, 25th May, to perform a concert at All Saints Church in Lanchester.

The concert begins at 7.30pm and promises to be a evening of soul, rhythm and harmony, with all proceeds going toward the Nepal Earthquake Appeal.

Everyone is welcome: tickets will be available on the door.

Esh Village Residents' Association Meeting, Thursday 21st May

EVRA's next monthly meeting will be held on Thursday 21st May, 7.30pm, in The Cross Keys.

Items on the agenda include: the organisation of our summer event in June on the village green; installation of the wooden poppies by the entrance to St Michael's church to commemorate the World Wars, and the village's participation in the national Heritage Weekend scheme, as well plenty of opportunities to get outside, re-planting the flower tubs for the summer months.

Everyone living in the village is warmly invited to join the meeting: you don't have to sign up to anything, and there are no obligations to participate in any of the litter picks... The meetings are a great opportunity just to get together, meet new people and catch up with friends, and come up with ways to make Esh an even better place to live... oh, and perhaps to enjoy a pint or two!

Langley Park Community Fitness Suite

A brand new community fitness suite has opened up within Langley Park Primary School! Supported by Durham County Council Culture and Sport and run by a team of volunteers, the suite is open to adults and accompanied young people aged between 11 and 16.

Costs are £2.00 per session (£1.00 for those under 16) and joining is easy: simply complete a short health questionnaire and induction to show you how to operate the equipment and you're ready to run, walk, cycle, or pump iron!


Opening Times:
Monday - Friday 9.00 - 11.15; 17.00 - 21.00


For more information, please telephone Langley Park Community Fitness Suite on 0191 373 1398.

'Darkness Into Light': Choral Music Concert at Ushaw

On Saturday, 25th April, 7.30pm, Ushaw College's beautiful chapel plays host to Renaissance, a vocal ensemble specialising in renaissance polyphony and contemporary music.

The group originally formed in 2011 in Durham and are now performing at venues across the UK as well as enjoying critical acclaim on BBC's Radio 3.

Tickets are available on the door or from the Gala Theatre (Durham) and are priced at £10.00. For more information, please contact tickets@ushaw.org 

Magna Carta Study Day at Durham Cathedral

Esh residents may be interested in a forthcoming public study day to be held on Saturday 18th April, 2015 at Durham Cathedral, entitled:

Magna Carta: Who Made It? Who Used It? Why?

The day begins at 9.45am with a reading (in Latin with English translation!) of the Magna Carta, performed in the North Transept of the cathedral - probably the first time this has been done since the thirteenth century.

From 11.15am - 3.00pm, three specialists from the Department of History, Durham University, will lead panels on various aspects of the Magna Carta, from its historical context to its importance to both the Crown and the Church. For more details, click on the poster on the left.

Entry is free, although donations to the cathedral are much appreciated. Feel free to bring a packed lunch or to eat in the Undercroft Cafe at the cathedral. To reserve a place at the study day, please contact Durham Cathedral: events@durhamcathedral.co.uk