Litter Pick - Saturday 4th May

The recent (and continuing!) high winds have meant that even more rubbish than usual has been gathering on the verges and in the hedgerows around the village. The Esh Village Residents' Association have organised a litter pick this Saturday, 4th April, at 9.00am - everyone to meet by the seat on the village green. The Association have arranged the loan of litter pickers, high visibility vests, and refuse sacks from the Council so there's no danger that we won't look the part!  

They're back!... But how many swallows make a summer?

With impeccable timing, the swallows arrived back in Esh yesterday, signalling that maybe - just maybe - summer is finally on its way. Traditionally, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the first passeriformes should be the sand martins sometime in March, followed by the house martins, with the swallows appearing in the second half of April. Aristotle might have been sceptical, the Greek philosopher being responsible for the saying, 'One swallow does not a summer make, nor one fine day', but here's hoping avian activites in Esh are to prove him wrong this year!

Wild Flowers

In addition to the amazing daffodils that traditionally mark the approach and entrance to Esh, the Residents' Association are planning to lay wild flower seed mats on the roadside verges which will give a lovely spray of colour to the banks on either side of the road into Esh throughout the summer months... We might even get a hive of resident bees too! Watch this space for details of when the Association will be out clearing and planting the verges - everyone is very welcome to join us! 

Esh Badminton Club

Last night, with lasers, precision measuring, masking tape and a mop, a full-size badminton court was marked out in the Parish Hall... meaning that the Badminton Club is now ready to be launched! The first meeting of the club will take place next Tuesday, 23rd April; for more information about membership, please visit the Tourism and Leisure page. To see the transformation of the court, from bare floor to a pristine white grid that Sport England would be proud of, take a peek at the slideshow on the Gallery page of the blog...See you on Tuesday! 

Durham Lumiere 2013

Durham County Council are looking for volunteer Festival Makers

to help run this year's Lumiere festival in Durham. The four-day festival, which turns landmarks such as the Cathedral and the city's medieval bridges into illuminated works of art, was a huge success in 2011 and this year promises to be better than ever. The event will run from 14th-17th November 2013 and the organisers expect even larger numbers to attend; 2011's Lumiere saw 150,000 people coming to Durham to see the cathedral's fire garden and the white flying figures over the Bailey.

The Council are running a volunteer drop-in session on 16th April from 5 - 7pm at the Gala Theatre in Durham for anyone who is interested in taking part: people of all ages are welcome, and there are lots of ways in which you can get involved. To find out more about the people behind Lumiere, visit www.artichoke.uk.com

Sad news...

Hmm, how ironic. Only yesterday we posted tips from Durham Constabulary on how to keep village property safe this summer, and last night the wooden owl sculpture by Hill Crest was damaged by vandals.

Why do people get a kick out of petty acts of vandalism? It isn't cool, it doesn't make you look big or hard, and it's disappointing to think that someone would derive enjoyment out of wrecking something that gives the rest of the village so much pleasure. The owls are a quirky feature around Esh and something to be proud of - let's keep them that way! 

Esh Happenings...

The next village Residents' Association meeting will take place this Thursday, 11th April, from 7.15pm in the Cross Keys. The meeting should last about an hour and everyone is welcome... whether you have something to raise or just want to listen! 

Meanwhile, the blog has been getting lots of interest recently (hello to our international visitors!) and is hopefully starting to represent a better picture of just how busy life is in the village - check out the Village Calendar for details of church services, coffee mornings, lunch clubs, the gospel choir, knit and natter... with more to follow soon! 

As always, please feel free to comment on what you find here - what you like about the blog, what you'd like to see more of - and if you have a feature you'd like displayed on any of the pages or included in the Calendar, please use the contact form to get in touch. 

With the arrival of British Summer Time, Durham Constabulary and the local Crime Prevention Teams are issuing seasonal guidelines on how to keep your home and property safe this summer. The longer days and lighter nights mean more opportunities for sneak-in thieves to strike, particularly as we tend to keep our doors and windows open in the warmer months.

Their advice includes:

• Being careful not to leave vehicle and house keys on benches/ key racks/ windowsills near to windows, doors, or letter boxes where they can be accessed from outside;
• Keeping bikes, toys, and gardening tools locked up overnight;
• If you have items that won't stow away such as bbqs, garden furniture, and ornaments make sure they are secure and indelibly marked both inside and out;
• Double check your doors, garage, windows, garden and vehicle before going to bed. 

For more information about policing in Esh village, including how to get involved with the local PACT (Police and Community Together) team, please click here.  

Although the weather is yet to make its mind up as to whether spring has officially arrived or not (yesterday's newspapers were reporting a change this week towards warmer, wetter weather; today we're supposed to be preparing for more snow flurries), a moody sky or the longer sunsets can make for a stunning photograph... perfect for the Village Photograph Competition! I think my favourite view from the village is out across the valley towards the Penshaw monument - hills, houses, horses... and, as I write, heavy rain clouds... but then again, there are some great shots to be had too on the village green and lots of opportunities to snap the emerging wildlife... particularly of the wooden variety! I've put a few shots up on the Gallery page as a start - please do send any photos you'd like to contribute to the blog to the Residents' Association (the email address can be found here). The Photography Competition 2013 is open to everyone in the village; full details can be found on the Events page.