Cramlington Paralympian Stephen Miller keeps Cramlington community website readers up to date with his progress as he heads towards this year's Games.

Happy New Year! Sorry it's a bit late but I was so busy in January that I never got a chance to blog properly - I know you will all be very happy that I have finally got the chance to write down a few hundred words in an order that might mildly entertain you for a few minutes or so.

January is normally quite a downer month after all the excitement of Christmas and New Year, you look forward to starting afresh with renewed vigour and enthusiasm, only to find that things pretty much carry on as they left off. However, it is now the year 2012! When I go for Paralympic gold and the world ends - what's not to get excited about? To be honest I'm trying not to think about it too much at the moment (the Paralympics) but it's difficult when everybody is talking about it so much.

Hard to believe that a year ago I was just returning from New Zealand licking my wounds from a courageous but admittedly ordinary performance at the world championships, and also gutted that NUFC sold Andy Carroll to Liverpool - how things change in a year *chuckles*.

The curtain is ready to rise for the Scouts performing in the Blyth Valley Gang Show, which is taking place between Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th February at The Phoenix Theatre in Blyth.

The family variety show features sixty four talented Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Leaders from Cramlington and the surrouding areas performing a wide range of musical numbers, packed full of song and dance, along with the traditional comedy sketches. This year the show includes a sunny and upbeat 'holiday' section, along with a majestic 'Fire' number. There is also a number based on eighties music and the scouts very own take on the Dr Who theme. The young people have been rehearsing and perfecting the show since October last year and can't wait to hit the stage at the Phoenix.

All of the men at Beaconhill Primary School in Cramlington sprouted moustaches during the month of November, all for a very good cause. During November each year Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men's faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. Teachers Mr Robinson, Mr Lewis, Mr Hetherington, Mr Adams and site manager Mr Green all agreed to take part this year and grew some impressive tashes! They hoped to raise lots of money and have so far raised over £300 with donations still coming in. School staff were really pleased to see that some of the parents also decided to join in to support this great cause. On 1st December, to celebrate their achievements, all staff and children in school wore a stick on moustache, prior to the shaving ceremony!
We all had lots of fun and raised important funds for a very worthy cause. Well done to all involved!

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.