Houghton - Down Your Way

Martin Anderson talking to members of Houghton Rotary Club.

Ron Spence will entertain with guitar and song at Houghton Older People's Enterprise in the Methodists Church hall at 1pm on Thursday.

The St Michael and All Angels Community Project, Space 4, based on the ground floor of Newbottle Street library building, is holding another Acoustic Music Evening, featuring the Trireme Trio and a quiz and raffle at 7.30pm on Friday, with refreshments available. Tickets are £5, bookable by phoning 5120676.

Houghton and District Rambling Club will be walking around Westgate with leader S McLean on Sunday with the coach leaving the Broadway in front of St Michael’s Parish Church at 8.30am. Further details from secretary John Conder, phone 3856551.

St Michael and All Angels’ Parish Mothers’ Union AGM will be at 2pm on Monday, January 25, in Kepier Hall followed by refreshments. All members are urged and new members would be most welcome. For further details, phone 07557 125274.

The Sunderland Group of the Ramblers’ Association will be walking around Bishop Auckland on Wednesday, January 27, meeting on the A689 north side of Newton Cap Viaduct at 10.30am with leader Jim Birkett. Phone 07474 666119 for details.

The AGM of Houghton and District Local History Group will be in St Michael’s Kepier Hall at 6.45pm on Thursday, January 28, followed by a talk Sharing of Mining Heritage. Admission will be £2, including refreshments.

Shiney Row St Oswald’s Ladies’ Club will resume at 7.30pm on Wednesday, January 27’ with guest speaker Jennifer Tindale on Victorian Gardens. Visitors are welcome.

The regular weekly coffee mornings and book sales have restarted at St Matthews Church hall on Thursdays from 9.30am-11.30am. Why not go along for a friendly chat, a cup of tea or coffee and the opportunity to find a good book from the wide selection.

Sunniside Methodist Women’s Fellowship resumed its programme with an excellent seasonal meal at the Copt Hill Pub Restaurant.

Guest speaker at the Rotary Club was Martin Anderson, from the former Wessington Way Dental Practice, now demolished and relocated because of the roadworks for the new Wear bridge. He gave an informative and enlightening talk about The state of dentistry in 2016, which brought a lengthy and searching question period by Rotary members, ably answered by Martin, and was thanked by Alan Dickinson for his presentation.