Well, I'm about 4 weeks into winter training and I'm still alive and well. To be honest I'm
better than alive - I'm happier than a pig rolling around in the proverbial.

So far everything about this winter has been positive, even NUFC are doing scarily well with an almost unbeaten league record (Man City doesn't count as they're cheating with all their spending) and 3rd in the league for the first time in donkeys years - I'm eager to get those statements in my blog before our next two games, although by the
time you read this we may well be down to 4th.

Cramlington will hold its first ever Christmas Market at the end of the month as well as enjoy the Christmas lights switch-on.

In conjunction with Cramlington Town Council, the traditional Christmas Market weekend on November 26 and 27 will offer shoppers alternative stocking fillers and gift ideas with a range of homemade and handcrafted products by local and international suppliers.

Visitors can enjoy a festive chestnut and mulled wine stall as well as handmade beauty and bath products, ginger wine, sweets by Northumbria Traditional Sweets, cards, stationery, gift wrap, homemade chocolate and fudge, as well as farmhouse cakes, jams and chutneys.

Sent in by Changes Health and Fitness Club

To get your news on the Cramlington website contact northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk

Changes Health & Fitness Club, High Pit Road, Cramlington, have been recognised nationally for the emphasis it places on helping members to achieve their fitness goals.

Written by Kevin O'Hara, conservation officer at Northumberland Wildlife Trust

Where do they all go in winter? - Part 1

Recently I felt the first twangs of winter; the 'first frost' gripped my garden, the chickens came skidding out of their ark, and I had to break the ice on their drinking water. I really like those first days, when we still have some daylight left to enjoy the wonderful colours and smells. I take the camera and binoculars with me when I walk the dogs, keeping an eye out for winter thrushes or other visitors. The clocks have altered and we start the long haul of winter - not until February will some real light return to the sky, and warmth to the sun.

It is during these months that we wonder where, exactly, many of our resident wildlife species go to survive the coldest and wettest days of winter, especially those that are more delicate and less mobile.

By Paralympian Stephen Miller

Above are some pretty awesome pictures of the training camp in Portugal, and of my new frame made by Tharsus.

Correspondent Ruari O'Toole reviews the Three Horse Shoes beer festival in Horton - and looks forward to the next one.

The Three Horse Shoes in Horton is famous for its weekend beer festivals, and this year's autumn festival was in keeping with the historic free house's reputation for showcasing top quality drinks in a venue with atmosphere to spare.

In July of this year the Shoes' combined music and beer festival was so oversubscribed when I visited it that a beer token system was put into use and the queues at the bar were off-puttingly big, so it was a relief to actually find a seat at this October festival, even if it was in the beer garden!

Over 400 scouts, explorer scouts and leaders from across Northumberland flooded to the countryside last Saturday (15th October 2011) for a huge scouting event. The scouts were taking part in 'Operation Twilight', which is a enormous evasion exercise, becoming more popular and growing in numbers each time, with record breaking numbers this year. The young people, from Blyth, Cramlington, Seaton Delaval, and the surrounding areas, met at St Mary's Church of England Middle School in Belford to register, have their kit checked and a quick safety briefing.

By Conservation Officer Kevin O'Hara

Recently, I came home to find the beautiful, mature whitebeam outside my home was missing. I felt utterly devastated.

Despite my frequent grumbling about masses of fallen leaves, trails of squashed berries on carpets, bird muck forcing a weekly wash of the car, I really loved that tree.

Trees are major capital assets in cities across the UK. In particular, big trees are critical. We cannot replace them in our lifetimes.

There is a current loss of urban trees by stealth. Many were planted when there was little asphalt or underground servicing to consider and in many cases the forest species selected are reaching the end of their term.

Often the poor health of the tree and the perceived risk results in its total loss. This disease may be caused after damage to the trunk from vehicles or to roots from underground cable installation.

Occasionally urban trees fall over and cause an accident, but compare this to other accidents that occur in urban areas to put this into real perspective. In fact, the environmental damage accrued by the loss outweighs the risk.

There are obvious wildlife benefits of trees for shelter, nesting, living space and as a green corridor for moving around an urban environment but there are real, measurable benefits to human inhabitants.

Shelter offered by a tree reduces heating and cooling costs of a house by 10%.
Pollution control - they produce oxygen and lock up carbon during their growth cycle.
Reduces risk of skin cancer.
Intercepts rainfall and runoff.
Reduces windiness and noise.

One of the primary reasons for planting trees in the city remain aesthetic. Otherwise ugly areas can be transformed by the introduction of several species of trees, especially natives. Tree-lined streets and green spaces have been shown to have positive psychological benefits including lower rates of mental illness, violence and crime.

Trees have a tremendous symbolic value, humanising the city by acknowledging our affinity for the natural world. They provide a focus for community participation and act as "green magnets", attracting businesses and employees into an area.

Luckily, my moaning to the council meant a replacement rowan tree was planted. But it will be some time before it provides much benefit for my local wildlife, or blocks my view of the neighbours. If only it had been planted earlier.

By Conservation Officer Kevin O'Hara

Noisy and gregarious, the house sparrow is probably the most well-known urban bird.

They are real opportunists, but are now struggling to survive in the UK, along with many other once-common birds. Their recent declines have earned them a place on the UK Red List.

By Conservation Officer Kevin O'Hara

I read earlier that apparently a leading shark expert reckons it is possible for great white sharks to be present in British waters.

Indeed the closest verified great white shark was captured off La Rochelle, western France, a mere 200 miles south of the UK. However, because of its globally- threatened status, this is very unlikely as there are so few left anywhere.

Declines are more than 50% in some species in just a few recent years throughout the North Atlantic.