Autumn Programme at
Ceddesfeld Hall
As autumn approaches, Sedgefield
Community Association (SCA) is
looking forward to another busy
season of activities and events at
Ceddesfeld Hall.
There's something for everyone,
with regular groups including bridge,
choir, carpet bowls, arts and crafts,
photography, creative writing, local
history, folk music, book groups and
more.
Sedgefield Squash Club and
Sedgefield Players also continue to
offer active programmes. Details of
all activities can be found on the
SCA website and in the SCA 2026
pamphlet.
Many local organisations, including
Sedgefield in Bloom, Sedgefield
Development Trust and Sedgefield
Show Committee, hold regular
meetings at Ceddesfeld Hall. New
volunteers and groups are always
welcome.
Upcoming Events
Ceddesfeld Autumn Quiz Night
Saturday 26 September, 7.00pm for
7.30pm, £5 per person.
Quiz-master Peter Hinde, raffle, and
bring-your-own nibbles. Teams of up
to six.
The Sedgefield Sounds
Saturday 24 October, 7.00pm for
7.30pm
An evening of live acoustic music
featuring local performers, including
Sedgefield's own Mamma Said.
Tickets £5, with all proceeds
supporting SCA. Funds raised help
maintain Ceddesfeld Hall and
support community activities
throughout the year. Tickets from
the bar or contact
info@sedgefieldsca.org.uk.
Thank you to John Thornton of
Floorcraft NE for his skilled
workmanship in re-sanding and
varnishing the maple floor in the hall
and to Chris Curry owner of C&M
Home Electrics for his work in all
areas of the hall, including the attic
rooms.
It's the height of one of those very hot August days, and I have come inside,
where it is slightly cooler, to write this piece when my wife shouts, "It's back!" I
grab my camera and go outside to check the Buddleia, where earlier I had
been watching a hummingbird hawk-moth.
To some people who haven't seen them before, it appears to be a
hummingbird, but on closer examination you can often see its long proboscis,
which it uses to take in nectar. The hummingbird hawk-moth has greyishbrown
forewings, bright orange hindwings, and a greyish body with a broad
black-and-white "tail".
Its hovering flight is a distinguishing feature; it flutters
its wings so quickly that they can appear orange and produce an audible hum.
It is a small, day-flying hawk-moth and a summer visitor to the UK, migrating
from southern Europe in varying numbers each year. It looks as though this
year might be a good one for them, and they can still be seen flying in
September, so keep a lookout.
This was the second lepidopteran experience of the week. My first was
another migrant, but this time a butterfly, and one I hadn't seen before: a
clouded yellow. I was out with the Cleveland Naturalists' Field Club (Cleveland
Nats). During the summer, they have meetings most weeks, and we were
visiting Ripon Wetlands, a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve on the edge
of Ripon, next to the canal, river and racecourse.
It is well worth a visit, with a variety of habitats to explore. The Cleveland Nats
are a group of experts in their fields, and we had a leisurely walk looking at
various insects, including flies and bugs. However, the most exciting find was
the clouded yellow.
It has bright yellow-orange upperwing
surfaces lined with broad, dark edges, and a
yellow-green underside. It rests with its
wings closed; in this pose, two silver-white
spots can be seen on the hindwings. It is a
migrant species that flies here from North
Africa and southern Europe, and again, its
numbers vary from year to year.
So, if this hot, dry weather continues into
September, keep your eyes open, as you
never know what you might find.
Each u3a has its own diverse range
of interest groups. These may be
academic, practical, frivolous or
serious, but they reflect the
interests, activities and concerns of
each u3a's membership. 
