Monday 3
Sedgefield Local History Society, Sedgefield in Victorian Times by Alison Hodgson, Ceddesfeld Hall 7:45pm.
Contact Suzanne Hopper 01429 882250.
Thursday 6
Sedgefield T Dance, 1pm. Please contact Joyce or Ann for more information on 01740 622601/01740 629070.
Friday 7
Sedgefield and District U3A, 10 year celebration, Parish Hall, 2pm-4pm. All members welcome. Contact 01740 629674.
Monday 10
DIDO, Start the New Year with Wellness, Parish Hall, 1pm- 3:30pm. Scottish theme with fun and quizzes. Contact 01740 629574.
Wednesday 12
Neighbourhood Watch Meeting, Ground Floor, Social Club, 7pm
Tuesday 18
Ferryhill, Sedgefield & District Flower Club AGM, Fletcher Room, Parish Hall, 2:30pm. Refreshments will be provided, please come and join us. We would love to welcome our members and new members to help re-start the club. Contact 07533 752870 or 07721 767408.
Thursday 20
Sedgefield Show Planning Committee, Sedgefield Social Club, 7.30pm. We would welcome new people who would like to get involved or could support the show. Email Ian Mason at ian@sedgefieldshow.co.uk.
Friday 28 Sedgefield Rock and Blues Club, Crow Black Chicken & Support, Parish Hall, 7pm. Tickets £15.
Sedgefield Veterans, New Year Extravaganza coffee morning, Parish Hall, 10am. There will be a tombola and a raffle with lots of prizes.

Save the date/More events

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Saturday 19 February
A Murder Mystery Evening, Parish Hall. Part of the Mayor’s Charity Events‘ Calendar and is in conjunction with Sedgefield Players. Further details will be available in next month’s news.

Sedgefield Library

Check with the Library for COVID-19 updates.
Usual Opening Hours:
Wednesdays: 9:30am-12:30pm
Thursdays: 9:30am-16:30pm
Fridays: 1:30pm-17:30pm
Saturdays: 9:30am-12:30pm
Also, the Facebook page CountyDurhamLibraries is absolutely full of interest. We recommend following them. There is no longer a limit to numbers or browsing times, so there is no need to queue.

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One Step Forward Bereavement Support Group

As Panny Pighills left the village some time ago, the first port of call for bereavement support is now Sue Archer.
You can contact Sue on 07779 093386 or 01740 239278 or go to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/onestepforwardsedgefield Unfortunately we can only offer telephone support at the moment, but we hope to be back at St Edmund’s on Thursdays (15:00-17:00) before too long.

Sedgefield Baby & Toddler Group

Methodist Church on alternating Mondays and Tuesdays. All sessions run from 9:30am—11am.
New Year sessions commence on Monday 10 January

Sedgefield Area Churches Together

Sedgefield in Bloom Christmas Tree Collection

12 January
Sedgefield in Bloom volunteers will once again run this service, collecting real trees from outside homes prior to recycling by Durham County Council.
£5 per tree, payment in cash or by BACS transfer. All proceeds will be used in future Bloom activities. For more information, contact Alice Hobson on 01740 622706 or email alicehobson.ah@googlemail.com.

John Law’s Renaissance

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Jazz contemporary pianist John Law will be performing in Durham Cathedral on Friday 21 January.

John Law started performing in public aged just six, and trained as a classical pianist at the Royal Academy of Music before making the switch to jazz at 23.

He now performs internationally and will be showcasing his latest project Renaissance, which pairs minimalism, jazz and ambient styles with choral voices, all set amid mesmerising visual effects. Tickets are available at durhamcathedral.ticketsolve.com/ shows/1173618609 or visit youtube.com/watch?v=PlUiVKOii7k for a preview of what to expect.

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Ed Byrne Durham Gala

Ed Byrne is now firmly established as comedy royalty and is a household name across the UK & Ireland, due to his long and successful career in stand-up, that has led to countless TV guest spots on Have I Got News For You, QI, & The Unbelievable Truth.

He has also starred on Live at the Apollo both as headliner and as host. This show, ‘If I’m Honest’ was written in 2019 and won numerous plaudits from press.

The show is not recommended for under-16s, but an evening of Byrne’s trademark observational comedy, delivered in his own well-honed & inimitable style, is sure to prove a winner. Book tickets for Friday 28 January at galadurham.co.uk/book-onlinecinema/?EventInstanceId=422802.

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Funny Way to Be Comedy: Magician Ben Hart

Some of you will remember Ben Hart from his successful run to the final of Britain’s Got Talent from 2019.

He won the votes of the public as well as the judges with his unusual blend of storytelling and theatricality, a style which has since seen him perform one-man shows at comedy venues such as Edinburgh Fringe as well as appear extensively on TV since his BGT breakthrough.

As a prolific designer as well as performer of magic he has added several new tricks to his repertoire for this national tour, ‘Wonder’, which is drawing fantastic reviews and leaving audiences amused as well as bemused.

He will appear at the Witham in Barnard Castle on Saturday 29 January next year. Book tickets at benhartmagic.com.

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Sedgefield Blues Club: Crow Black Chicken

Sedgefield Blues Club has been operating for over 10 years and is an established highlight in the social calendar of the village. The first act of 2022 will be Irish 3-piece Crow Black Chicken.

Crow Black Chicken have been gigging over ten years & as part of a nationwide tour of English venues they bring their blues rock sound to the Sedgefield Parish Hall on Friday 28 January, along with an as yet unannounced support act. Visit www.sedgefieldblues.com/ gigs.html to book tickets at £15.

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New Activities for New Year: Watercolours, Ballroom Dancing, & Creative Writing

If you would like to approach the new year with a new challenge there are lots of opportunities locally to try something different, with classes in watercolours, ballroom dancing, and creative writing all available in January.

Inkcapture is a creative writing course run in fifteen 2-hour weekly workshops, and is it suitable either for beginners or for intermediate writers who are looking for an opportunity to hone their skills, develop their own writing style, and generate imaginative, creative ideas. Registration is completely free. Call 0191 334 5769 for details.

The Witham in Barnard Castle will host a watercolour class from 19 January 2022. The class is open to those of all abilities, and looks to the likes of JMW Turner & John Singer Sargent for inspiration.

While there is no guarantee that your results will match theirs you will learn valuable skills and enjoy the process. The course costs £100 for ten classes and tutelage will be provided by accredited fine art teacher Ginny Whittle who is also a nationally exhibited artist in her own right.

Book a space on the course at: thewitham.org.uk/event/watercolour-painting-and-drawing-course-allabilities.
The Witham also welcomes the return of ballroom dancing classes in January, no expertise is required but with the range of styles including Ballroom, Latin American, Sequence and Salsa there will be plenty for intermediate & advanced pairings to get stuck into as well. Lessons are £7 per class starting weekly at 7:30pm from 19 January.

Visit thewitham.org.uk/event/ballroomdance-classes-3 to book ahead.
If you are looking for something less energetic then Darlington Waterstones is hosting its next book club on 5 January, with the book under discussion being the awardwinning ‘Piranesi’ by Susana Clarke – attendance is free but please at register in advance here.

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