Bairns & Beaches.

Northumberland, by the calendar

The Northumbrian Almanac

What is on, what is in season and when the light goes, from Berwick to the Tyne Valley. Every event is checked and links to the organiser, where you can book or register.

Wednesday 30 September 2026

  • Berwick Film Society: Miroirs No. 3

    14:00 Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10 full, £9.50 concession, £6 Berwick Film Society members

    Christian Petzold's 2026 German and French drama about a young piano student who finds refuge with a local woman after a mysterious incident in the countryside. Screened at 2pm and 7pm. Organiser

  • The Okavango Delta: a talk and journey to Botswana

    17:20 Etal Village Hall, Etal · £6 talk only, £15 talk and return train (plus booking fee)

    A safari guide talks about the wildlife, landscapes and life of the Okavango Delta, with questions and refreshments. The talk and travel ticket includes a return evening train from Heatherslaw to Etal. Organiser

  • Alana Brook organ recital

    19:00 Berwick Parish Church (Holy Trinity), Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    An evening organ recital by Alana Brook in Holy Trinity, the parish church on the Parade. Entry is free with a retiring collection. Organiser

  • Tenderly: The Life and Times of Nat King Cole

    19:30 The Hearth, Horsley · £15 standard, £10 concession

    Duane Forrest tells the story of Nat King Cole through his songs, in a Highlights rural touring show. Organiser

Thursday 1 October 2026

  • The Alnwick Garden 25th anniversary weekend

    The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick · Evening-only tickets £10; under 16s free with a paying adult (up to four)

    The garden marks 25 years with unseen footage of its creation, bubble shows, live music, rides and games, and after dark a Grand Cascade show with lights, lasers, fireworks and fire jugglers. Organiser

  • History Hunters: home education session

    11:00 Seaton Delaval Hall, Seaton Sluice · Event free; normal admission applies (£15 adults, £7.50 children 5 to 17, National Trust members free)

    A relaxed afternoon for home-educating families, with short guided tours of the hall for up to 10 children at a time, a hat design craft and self-led trails. Drop in, no booking needed. Organiser

  • Lunchtime Live

    13:00 Hexham Abbey, Hexham · Free

    Forty minutes of live music at lunchtime, with a focus on recitals on the Abbey's Phelps organ. Organiser

  • Vanbrugh 300 talk: Sandy Nairne, Sir Charles Saumarez Smith and Mark Newman

    18:45 Seaton Delaval Hall, Seaton Sluice · £15

    Vanbrugh scholar Sir Charles Saumarez Smith discusses Vanbrugh's career and his links to Seaton Delaval Hall, and archaeologist Mark Newman shares what investigations have revealed about his involvement. Organiser

  • Berwick Comedy Club

    19:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed

    An evening of stand-up comedy at The Straw Yard in the Barracks. Organiser

  • Every Brilliant Thing

    19:00 Newbrough Town Hall, Newbrough · £15 standard, £10 concession

    Theatre by the Lake tours the one-performer play about a child who starts a list of every brilliant thing in life, with the audience helping to tell it. Organiser

  • The Incomer

    19:00 Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full (£8 Thursday special), £10 concession, £6.50 child, student and benefit

    Louis Paxton directs this darkly comic Scottish debut about two siblings who survive by hunting seabirds on a remote island, starring Domhnall Gleeson and Gayle Rankin. Organiser

  • 5 Mistakes That Changed History

    19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £25

    Historian and comedian Paul Coulter tells the stories of historical blunders that reshaped the world, with plenty of laughs along the way. Organiser

Friday 2 October 2026

  • Practical Magic 2

    Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full (£8 on Thursdays), £10 concession, £6.50 under 18s, students 18 to 26 and benefit

    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as the Owens sisters, who must confront the curse that threatens their family. Check the cinema listing for screening times. Organiser

  • The Alnwick Garden 25th anniversary weekend

    The Alnwick Garden, Alnwick · Evening-only tickets £10; up to four under 16s free per paying adult

    The garden marks 25 years with rides, games, bubble shows and live music by day, then fire jugglers and a finale on the Grand Cascade with lights, lasers and fireworks. Organiser

  • Autumn Raceday

    11:40 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

    National Hunt racing at Hexham, with the first race at 1.38pm. Under 18s go free but need a ticket, and free shuttle buses run from the rail and bus stations. Organiser

  • Digging Deep creative writing group

    14:00 Woodhorn Museum, Ashington · Included with Woodhorn Annual Pass (£11 adults, £10 concessions, under 18s free)

    A friendly, volunteer-led monthly writing group in the museum's Learning Room, writing about our lives and landscapes. Beginners and experienced writers are both welcome; just drop in. Organiser

  • Twilight Tales at the Haunted Museum

    17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15

    An after-hours walk round the museum with its owner Michele, hearing the stories behind the objects. Limited to six guests. Organiser

  • Ready-Set-Rocket! for kids

    18:30 Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory, Wark · £22.50 adults, £19.50 concessions, £55.50 family (2 adults, 2 children)

    Children build, decorate and launch their own water-powered rockets and learn how thrust and stability work. Each child needs to bring an empty fizzy drink or sparkling water bottle. Organiser

  • Every Brilliant Thing

    19:30 Amble Parish Hall, Amble · £15 standard, £10 concession

    Theatre by the Lake tours the one-performer play about a child who starts a list of every brilliant thing in life, with the audience helping to tell it. Organiser

  • Thank ABBA For The Music

    19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £27.50

    A tribute show packed with ABBA hits, choreography and video projections. A good night out for anyone who knows the words to Dancing Queen. Organiser

Saturday 3 October 2026

  • Berwick Open Studios

    Venues across Berwick, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    Artists and makers open more than 25 studios and spaces around Berwick for the second weekend of the town's first open studios event. Free, with maps from the visitor centre. Organiser

  • CAST: Legally Blonde the musical

    Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £26, concessions £21, students and children £16

    A local production of the musical that follows Elle Woods from sorority house to Harvard Law School. Organiser

  • Kielder Marathon Weekend

    Kielder Waterside, Kielder

    The off-road marathon weekend around Kielder Water, with shorter races alongside the full marathon. Spectators can cheer runners from the waterside. Organiser

  • Morpeth Farmers' Market

    Market Place, Morpeth · Free

    The monthly farmers' market fills the Market Place on the first Saturday of the month, with local food and produce stalls. Good for a browse before a walk along the Wansbeck in Carlisle Park. Organiser

  • Newcastle Garrison cannon firing

    Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

    The Newcastle Garrison live history group fires a replica Napoleonic cannon on the Gun Terrace every hour, weather permitting. Organiser

  • Practical Magic 2

    Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full (£8 on Thursdays), £10 concession, £6.50 under 18s, students 18 to 26 and benefit

    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as the Owens sisters, who must confront the curse that threatens their family. Check the cinema listing for screening times. Organiser

  • Introduction to navigation

    09:30 The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, Once Brewed · £40, or £70 for two

    A beginners' map and compass course on a five mile moorland walk, with maps and compasses provided. Bring a packed lunch; no dogs. Organiser

  • Hexham Creative and Holistic Market

    10:00 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

    A monthly market of makers, crafts and holistic stalls held at the racecourse. Organiser

  • Macmillan Coffee Morning

    10:00 Seaton Delaval Arts Centre, Seaton Delaval

    A relaxed community coffee morning at the arts centre on Blyth Street, a good chance to see the building and pick up the programme. Organiser

  • Potted History: Barbotine ware masterclass

    10:00 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £110 (materials and UK shipping included)

    Potter and experimental archaeologist Graham Taylor teaches the Roman slip-trailing technique used to decorate hunt cups, and you decorate your own. Maximum eight places. Organiser

  • Walk to Wellbeing: the Stream of History

    11:00 Haltwhistle Market Square, Haltwhistle

    A 4.75 mile guided walk up the Haltwhistle Burn, looking at its industrial past, geology and views of Hadrian's Wall, with a lunch stop. Book by ringing The Sill on 01434 341200. Organiser

  • Altra Kielder 10K

    13:00 Kielder Water (Bull Crag peninsula), Kielder

    The Saturday 10K of the Kielder Marathon weekend, run on the Bull Crag peninsula beside Kielder Water. Shuttles run from the car park from 10.30am and you need to finish inside 2.5 hours. Organiser

  • Kielder 10K and Gravel Duathlon

    13:00 Kielder Water, Kielder

    The Saturday of the Kielder Marathon weekend: a 10K trail race round the Bull Crag peninsula, and an off-road duathlon of 10km run, 34km ride and 6.4km run on gravel or mountain bikes. Allow plenty of time for the car park shuttles. Organiser

  • Visit the Last Black House of Catcleugh

    13:30 Catcleugh Reservoir entrance, Byrness · Pay on arrival

    An easy one mile guided visit to the last surviving hut built for the Victorian navvies who dug Catcleugh Reservoir, with period objects inside. No dogs; the gate opens 30 minutes before the start. Organiser

  • Berwick Music Society: Trio Kagura

    14:00 Berwick Parish Church (Holy Trinity), Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15, under 18s free

    The Berwick Music Society season opens with violin, cello and piano trio Trio Kagura. Under 18s get in free. Organiser

  • Norham Village Band concert

    15:00 St Cuthbert's Church, Norham · Free

    Norham Village Band plays to celebrate the reopening of St Cuthbert's Church after three months of works, with afternoon tea. Entry by donation. Organiser

  • Space Kids: Searching for Stars

    16:30 Kielder Observatory, Kielder · £25 per person (sold out when we checked on 29 September; check for returns)

    An early-evening session for children: a short talk, making constellations the way the ancient Greeks did, then a tour of the observatory and the telescopes. It was sold out when we checked, so look for returns or a later date. Organiser

  • Benefice harvest supper

    18:00 St Mary's Church, The Gallery, Belford

    A harvest supper for the parishes of Bamburgh, Belford and Lucker, held ahead of the individual harvest celebrations. Organiser

  • Confessions of an Artist: Paddy Hartley in conversation

    19:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10 to £15.50 (early bird and standard)

    Multidisciplinary artist Paddy Hartley talks about building a 35-year creative career and the things they do not tell you at art school, followed by an audience Q&A. Doors 6.30pm. Organiser

Sunday 4 October 2026

  • Harvest Festival

    St Aidan's Church, Bamburgh · Free

    St Aidan's marks the end of its Season of Creation with a Harvest Festival thinking of farming communities near and far. The church's main Sunday service is at 11am, but check the parish site for the harvest timings. Organiser

  • Food and craft market

    10:00 Northumberlandia, Cramlington · Free entry, £3 suggested parking donation

    A monthly food and craft market at Northumberlandia, the landform of a reclining woman near Cramlington, easy to combine with a walk over the figure. Organiser

  • Norham Industrial Show

    10:00 Norham Village Hall, Norham

    A traditional village show of home baking, handicrafts, photography, garden produce and children's entries, held every year in the village hall. Organiser

  • Potted History: Samian ware masterclass

    10:00 Roman Army Museum, Greenhead · £150 (materials and UK shipping included)

    Make your own Samian ware stamps and moulds using the same methods as Gaulish potters, and a bowl is made from them. Bring lunch or use the cafe. Organiser

  • Kielder Marathon and Half Marathon

    10:15 Kielder Water, Kielder · Spectator pass £5 per day

    The full marathon runs the whole way round Kielder Water on trails and forest roads, with the half marathon starting at the dam. Supporters can watch from Kielder Waterside with a spectator pass. Organiser

  • Walk and sketch with Gillian Cross

    10:30 Hauxley Wildlife Discovery Centre, Amble · £16 plus booking fee

    A gentle outdoor sketching session around the reserve with watercolour artist Gillian Cross. Bring your own materials; it moves indoors if the weather is poor. Organiser

  • Kielder Marathon junior races

    10:45 Kielder Waterside, Kielder

    Short races for children on marathon day, run within the Kielder Waterside park: the 1.5km Osprey run for 6 to 10 year olds and the 2.5km Falcon run for 11 to 14 year olds. Organiser

  • Inner ward open day

    11:00 Prudhoe Castle, Prudhoe · Free

    The inner ward and manor house at Prudhoe Castle open on the first Sunday of the month; the outer ward is free to explore every day. Upper floors and the chapel are reached by steep steps. Organiser

  • Sunday Makers' Market

    11:00 Etal Village Hall, Etal · Free

    The Tin Shed's last Sunday makers' market of the season, with locally made arts and crafts and demonstrations. Dogs are welcome. Organiser

  • Rendez-Vous Dance: Moving Together workshop

    14:00 Maltings at Hide Hill, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    A free two-hour inclusive movement workshop for adults led by choreographer Mathieu Geffré and movement artist David Kam. No dance experience needed and activities can be adapted. Organiser

  • Sensory friendly screening: Practical Magic 2

    14:00 Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full, £10 concession, £6.50 under 18s, students 18 to 26 and benefit

    A relaxed screening of the Practical Magic sequel with the lights left on low, the sound turned down, no trailers and subtitles throughout. Moving around and making noise is welcome. Organiser

  • Top Secret: The Magic of Science

    14:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £13

    A fast-paced Sunday afternoon show mixing magic tricks with science experiments, promising mystery, suspense and a lot of mess. Organiser

  • Every Brilliant Thing

    19:30 Gilsland Village Hall, Gilsland · £15 standard, £10 concession

    Theatre by the Lake tours the one-performer play about a child who starts a list of every brilliant thing in life, with the audience helping to tell it. Organiser

Monday 5 October 2026

Tuesday 6 October 2026

  • Gaynor Macfarlane: The Art of Adaptation

    10:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Gaynor Macfarlane explains how books are transformed into audio drama. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Christina Jansen: Joan Eardley and The Scottish Gallery

    12:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Christina Jansen gives an intimate perspective on Joan Eardley and The Scottish Gallery, a good companion to the Eardley exhibition at the Granary Gallery. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Linda Bankier: Voices From The Archives

    14:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    A talk on voices from the archives by Linda Bankier, part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Afternoon Tea and Titanic Talk

    15:00 Ad Gefrin, Wooler

    Afternoon tea at 3pm followed at 5pm by Christopher Ward's talk My Life in the Shadow of Titanic, about his family link to the ship's bandsmen. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • George Szirtes: Crossing Borders

    16:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    George Szirtes on poetry, the translation of poetry and the poetry of translation. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Family spell jar workshop

    17:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · £15 per adult and child pair

    Learn the folklore of herbs and crystals, then layer your own spell jar to take home. Only three pairs per session. Organiser

  • Ben Barry: The Rise and Fall of the British Army 1975 to 2025

    18:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Ben Barry traces the rise and fall of the British Army over fifty years, from 1975 to 2025. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Seán Hewitt: Open, Heaven

    19:30 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Seán Hewitt talks about Open, Heaven. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Space for Shorebirds talk

    19:30 St Mary's Parish Centre, Ponteland · £3, refreshments included

    Wildlife ranger Katherine O'Hara of Northumberland Wildlife Trust's Ponteland group explains how the Space for Shorebirds team protects nesting birds and dunes on the Northumberland coast. Email pontelandwildlifegroup@gmail.com to book. Organiser

  • Tit's Up!

    19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £25

    A funny and moving play about three women facing breast cancer together. Organiser

Wednesday 7 October 2026

  • Amanda Roberts: Discovering Isabella's Berwick

    11:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    A local history talk exploring Berwick in the past, described at the time as a thievish and ill-behaved place. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Music in the Café

    12:30 Woodhorn Museum, Ashington · Included with Woodhorn Annual Pass (£11 adults, £10 concessions, under 18s free)

    Three's a Crowd play easy listening songs from the 60s and 70s in the Winding House Café. Drop in with a cuppa. Organiser

  • Crafted Christmas: Crafternoon

    13:00 Wallington, Cambo · Free with admission

    Drop in to help make handmade Christmas decorations for the house, from paper chains to felted and crocheted pieces. Further sessions on 13 October (1pm) and 21 October (10am). Organiser

  • Peter Aitchison: Black Friday, the Eyemouth Fishing Disaster of 1881

    13:00 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    The story of the 1881 storm that devastated the fishing fleet of Eyemouth, just up the coast from Berwick. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Dominic Gregory: Lifeboat at the End of the World

    15:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Dominic Gregory talks about Lifeboat at the End of the World. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Anthony Delaney: Queer Georgians

    16:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Anthony Delaney on the lives of queer Georgians. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Late Fame

    18:00 Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full, £10 concession, £6.50 under 18s, students 18 to 26 and benefit

    A drama about a forgotten New York poet who finds a circle of young admirers and has to decide how sincere their interest really is. Organiser

  • Bach Reimagined

    19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £13

    James Wilton Dance performs athletic contemporary dance to Bach, played live on cello with a heavy metal edge by Raphael Weinroth-Browne. Organiser

  • John Lloyd: Funny Old Life

    19:30 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Comedy producer John Lloyd, behind Blackadder, QI and Spitting Image, looks back on his career in conversation. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

Thursday 8 October 2026

  • Illicit Whisky Walk: Wholehope Still

    Coquet valley, just past Alwinton, Alwinton · £18

    A guided walk of three to four hours to the site of an old illicit still in upper Coquetdale, with hot drinks and a small whisky tasting. Groups are small, so book ahead and wear sturdy boots and waterproofs. Organiser

  • Practical Magic 2

    Maltings Cinema at Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10.50 full (£8 on Thursdays), £10 concession, £6.50 under 18s, students 18 to 26 and benefit

    Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman return as the Owens sisters, who must confront the curse that threatens their family. Check the cinema listing for screening times. Organiser

  • Martins Book Printers factory tour

    09:00 Martins the Printers, Sea View Works, Spittal · £10

    A one-hour tour of Martins, the family-owned book printers that has worked in Berwick since 1892. Tours at 9am and 10:30am, with more on Friday 9 October. Organiser

  • Louise Tucker: Find Your Way to Writing workshop

    10:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £25

    A two-hour creative writing workshop with Louise Tucker for anyone wanting to find their way into writing. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Guided Walk: Wannie Line

    10:30 Scots Gap (Wallington estate), Scots Gap · £5

    A six-mile volunteer-led walk along a former railway line, beside a stream and across farmland, starting from Scots Gap. Dogs on leads welcome. Organiser

  • Guided walk: Wannie Line

    10:30 Wallington, Cambo · £5

    A six mile volunteer-led walk that starts on the old Wannie Line railway, then follows a stream across farmland and woodland. Expect some short climbs, steps and mud; dogs on leads are welcome. Organiser

  • Mark Batey: Grace and Josephine to the Rescue

    11:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Author Mark Batey talks about his book Grace and Josephine to the Rescue at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Martyn Howe: The Coast Is Our Compass

    13:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Author Martyn Howe talks about The Coast Is Our Compass at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Matthew Parris: If At First You Don't Succeed

    15:00 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Writer and broadcaster Matthew Parris talks about If At First You Don't Succeed at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • John Osborne: Sandy Arse

    17:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    John Osborne talks about Sandy Arse. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Vanbrugh 300 talk: Vanbrugh and the Queen's Theatre in the Haymarket

    18:30 Seaton Delaval Hall, Seaton Sluice · £15

    Dr Annette Rubery and Dr Nicholas Helm tell the story of Vanbrugh's ambitious London theatre of 1705 and why it mattered politically. Booking essential on 0344 249 1895; wrap up warm for the Saloon. Organiser

  • An evening with Chris McKinnell

    19:00 Northumberland Haunted Museum, Amble · Free

    A free talk, question and answer session and book signing at Amble's haunted museum. Organiser

  • Cabaret of Words

    19:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    An open mic night for poets, storytellers and lovers of the spoken word, with table seating and a bar. Free to watch, with optional donations; part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Frankie the Concert

    19:30 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £27

    A tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and their hits. Organiser

  • Vince Cable: Eclipsing the West

    19:30 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Former Business Secretary Vince Cable discusses the shifting balance of global economic power. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Shooting Star Supper: Draconids meteor shower

    21:00 Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory, Wark · £27.50 adults, £24.50 concessions, £75.50 family of four

    Soup and sandwiches in the Battlesteads restaurant, then the observatory to learn where shooting stars come from, handle meteorites and watch for the Draconids. Indoor activities run if it is cloudy. Organiser

Friday 9 October 2026

  • Martins Book Printers factory tour

    09:00 Martins the Printers, Sea View Works, Spittal · £10

    A second chance to tour the Berwick book printers that has been binding and printing books since 1892. Tours at 9am and 10:30am. Organiser

  • Paul Stevenson: My Tics and Me

    10:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Paul Stevenson on changing the story of Tourette syndrome. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Marion Todd: Killing People for a Living

    12:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Marion Todd gives her talk Killing People for a Living. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Bella Bathurst: The Lighthouse Stevensons

    14:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    The story of the family of engineers who built Scotland's lighthouses, a fitting talk in Berwick's lighthouse bicentenary year. Organiser

  • Diarmaid MacCulloch: Finding Our Bearings

    14:00 Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Diarmaid MacCulloch on Christianity's long journey. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Joanne Harris: Sleepers in the Snow

    16:00 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Chocolat author Joanne Harris talks about Sleepers in the Snow at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Music Night in Beodern

    18:00 Ad Gefrin, Wooler

    Local singer Chloe Maguire plays a relaxed set that builds through the evening in Ad Gefrin's restaurant, with food, cocktails and Ad Gefrin spirits. The first of a run of music nights that continues until 6 November. Organiser

  • NT Live: The Misanthrope

    19:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick

    Sandra Oh stars in Martin Crimp's version of Moliere's dark comedy, screened from the National Theatre. Also shown on Tuesday 13 October at 3pm with subtitles. Organiser

  • Alistair Moffat: The North Sea

    19:30 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Borders historian Alistair Moffat explores the history of the North Sea and the people around its shores. Organiser

  • The Floyd Effect: Pulse of the Darkside Tour

    19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £30

    A Pink Floyd tribute that pairs The Dark Side of the Moon with material from the Pulse live album, with a full light and laser show. Organiser

Saturday 10 October 2026

  • Alwinton Border Shepherds' Show

    Alwinton Show Field, Alwinton · £10 adults, under 16s free, free parking

    The last agricultural show of Northumberland's season, with sheepdog trials, fell races, Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling, terrier racing and the Rothbury Highland Pipe Band. Gates open at 10.30am. Organiser

  • Halloween Spooktacular

    Whitehouse Farm Centre, Morpeth · Online: £18.50 children 2 to 16, £16.95 adults, £64.95 family of four; under 2s free

    Indoor pumpkin patch with a free pumpkin for each paying child, pirate games, comedy and magic shows, a Walkway of Terror and fancy dress, plus the usual farm animals. Book online for the lower price. Organiser

  • In The Lighthouse: sound and light installation

    Ness Gate and Berwick Pier, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    Artist Ed Carter lights up the walk along the pier to Berwick Lighthouse with a sound and light piece about Robina Burgon, the town's first female lighthouse keeper. Free, just turn up; wrap up warm as the pier is exposed. Organiser

  • Tastes Through Time: Victorian kitchen

    Alnwick Castle, Alnwick · Included with castle admission

    Costumed experts bring a Victorian kitchen to life with traditional tools, period ingredients and historic menus. Organiser

  • Hexham Farmers' Market

    09:00 Hexham town centre, Hexham · Free

    Local food producers at Hexham's farmers' market in the heart of the town, usually held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Organiser

  • Hexham Community Arts Open Day

    10:00 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · Free

    More than 20 local creative groups show what they do, with performances and free taster sessions in singing, dance, poetry and ceilidh. A good way to find a new hobby. Organiser

  • Masud Husain: Our Brains, Ourselves

    10:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Masud Husain gives his talk Our Brains, Ourselves. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Nature reserve open day

    10:00 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · Free

    A chance to explore one of the Trust's newest rewilding reserves, with free parking and staff on hand to talk about the conservation work. There are no toilets or refreshments on site. Organiser

  • Stephen Alford: All His Spies

    10:00 Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Stephen Alford on the secret world of Robert Cecil. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • West Chevington open day

    10:00 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · Free

    A chance to explore the trust's West Chevington reserve near Widdrington, with staff on hand to talk about the conservation work and future plans. Organiser

  • Willow birdfeeders workshop

    10:00 Wark Town Hall and Mechanics Institute, Wark · £35

    A three-hour willow workshop in which you weave two birdfeeders to take home. Places are limited. Organiser

  • Yule Goat Dressing Workshop

    10:00 Ad Gefrin, Wooler · Free

    A Saturday chance to help dress the six-metre Yule Straw Goat with thatching, sewing and craft. Twelve places, free refreshments. Organiser

  • Adventure Babies sensory storytelling

    10:30 Berwick Library, Walkergate, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    Free sensory stories for babies and toddlers with puppets, music, lights and parachutes, at 10:30am and 12pm. Part of Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Beaver enclosure safari

    10:30 Wallington, Cambo · £35 per person

    Beaver ecologists from Wild Intrigue lead a walk through the wetland the Wallington beavers have reshaped, looking for signs of their work. The beavers are nocturnal, so this is about their habitat rather than seeing the animals; book with Wild Intrigue on 07484 214610. Organiser

  • Guided reserve wander

    10:30 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · £3

    A leisurely three mile guided walk over uneven ground, looking at the habitats and the work to boost biodiversity. No dogs. Organiser

  • West Chevington wander

    10:30 West Chevington nature reserve, Widdrington · £3

    A guided walk through the reserve's habitats, looking at the improvements made by the Biodiversity Boost Project. Organiser

  • Christian Foley: Babblin' Animal Raps

    11:30 The Guildhall, Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    An interactive show of animal poems, freestyle raps and audience participation for primary-age children. Free, but booking is needed. Organiser

  • Newcastle Rugby Foundation Raceday

    11:45 Hexham Racecourse, Hexham

    One of Hexham's busiest Saturday fixtures, with the first race at 1.43pm and children's activities in the afternoon. Under 18s go free with a ticket. Organiser

  • Borderland walking food tour of Berwick

    12:00 Berwick town centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed

    A small-group guided walk around Berwick with local food tastings and stories of the Borderlands, led by a local guide. Groups are capped at 14, so book ahead. Organiser

  • Clare Coghill: Cafe Cùil Cookbook

    12:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Clare Coghill on the Cafe Cùil Cookbook, recipes from the Isle of Skye. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Iain MacGregor: Battle

    12:00 Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Iain MacGregor on the moments that transformed warfare, from ancient Greece to Ukraine. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Lighthouse 200 Celebration Cake

    12:00 Marygate market place, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    Baker Jim Ford recreates the giant lighthouse-shaped Christmas cake made by a Berwick baker in 1908, with free slices while they last, live music and local history stories. Part of the celebrations for 200 years of Berwick Lighthouse. Organiser

  • Red Squirrel Awareness Day

    13:00 Wallington, Cambo · Included with normal admission (National Trust members free)

    Colouring, fun facts and a guess-the-nuts jar in the Courtyard, all about Northumberland's native red squirrel. Keep an eye on the feeders while you are there. Organiser

  • Best in the World: darts drop-in workshop

    13:30 Market Pavilion, Blyth · Free

    A free drop-in session linked to Unfolding Theatre's darts show Best in the World, which comes to the Market Pavilion in November. Organiser

  • Carolina Ewing: A Blizzard in Berwick

    13:30 Berwick Library, Walkergate, Berwick-upon-Tweed · Free

    Children's author Carolina Ewing reads from her stories set around Berwick and talks about the wildlife in them, with a Q&A and activity sheet. Organiser

  • Bloodaxe Poets: James Berry Poetry Prize winners

    14:00 Berwick Parish Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Readings from the three equal winners of the James Berry Poetry Prize, with Bloodaxe. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • David Breeze: A Chainsaw Massacre

    14:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    David Breeze on recovering from the felling of a tree. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Roland Bibby Memorial Dialect Lecture

    14:00 Morpeth Town Hall, Morpeth

    The Northumbrian Language Society's annual lecture on the county's dialect, given this year by Paul Mein. Organiser

  • Celtic Nights

    15:00 Alnwick Playhouse, Alnwick · £30

    The MacDonald Brothers lead an afternoon or evening of Scottish and Irish songs, from The Proclaimers to traditional Irish music. Organiser

  • David Hepworth: Hope I Get Old Before I Die

    16:00 The Straw Yard, Berwick Barracks, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    Music writer David Hepworth talks about Hope I Get Old Before I Die at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Jake Morris-Campbell: Between the Salt and the Ash

    16:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    A journey into the soul of Northumbria with poet and writer Jake Morris-Campbell. Organiser

  • Book Launch: Stone in the Water by Timothy Pitt

    16:30 Ad Gefrin, Wooler

    Launch of a new book on the shift from Celtic to Anglo-Saxon influence in the north, fitting for a venue built beside the Anglo-Saxon royal site at Yeavering. Organiser

  • James Bailey and Kathryn Mannix: The Meaning of Life

    18:00 Salvation Army Hall, Church Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £10

    James Bailey and Kathryn Mannix discuss the meaning of life. Part of the Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • Pressure (12A) community cinema

    18:00 Seahouses Hub, Seahouses · £8, concessions £7.50, children £4, family £21

    A community screening of Pressure, the story of meteorologist James Stagg and the D-Day weather forecast. Book through the Seahouses Development Trust. Organiser

  • Stargazing for Kids

    18:30 Battlesteads Dark Sky Observatory, Wark · £22.50 adults, £19.50 concessions, £55.50 family (2 adults, 2 children)

    A two-hour family session learning to find constellations, planets and the Moon's phases, with telescopes, binoculars, real space rocks from the Moon and Mars, and free hot drinks. Children take home activity sheets. Organiser

  • Tribe: Glendale Ceilidh Band and Wooler Arts Junk Orchestra

    19:00 St Mary's Church, Wooler · Free

    Traditional and new music from two local ensembles, including Kate Bagenal-Lowe's Wooler Water and the world premiere of John Casken's Melange. Organiser

  • Simon McDonald: Lessons From a Life in Diplomacy

    19:30 Holy Trinity Church, Berwick-upon-Tweed · £15

    Simon McDonald reflects on lessons from a career in diplomacy at Berwick Literary Festival. Organiser

  • The Brothers Gillespie

    19:30 Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham · From £15.50

    The Northumbrian folk duo launch their new album with an evening of fingerstyle guitar, close harmonies and a few extra instruments. Organiser

  • The Mystery of the Pirate Lagoon

    19:30 Allendale Village Hall, Allendale · £18 supporter, £15 standard, £12 subsidised, £10 concession

    A comic pirate adventure play for all the family, touring village halls with the Highlights rural touring scheme. Organiser

  • Qween UK

    19:45 Hexham Abbey, Hexham · From £18

    Queen tribute band Qween UK, fronted by Paul Carr, return to the Abbey for an evening of Queen hits. Organiser

Sunday 11 October 2026

Free, twice a week

Never miss a good day out in Northumberland

Choose your edition. Family days out land on Friday mornings, grown-up days out on Sunday evenings. See the latest edition.

No spam, no ads. Unsubscribe from any email with one click. Privacy