POETRY DATE: Scotland's national poet, Liz Lochhead, will visit Barningham Village Hall to perform a celebration of the spoken work in poems, monologues, characters and theatre pieces. It takes place on Friday, March 1 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £9 for adults, £6 for children and £20 for families. For details, phone 01833-621203.

WARD SURGERY: County councillor Stephen Hugill will hold a ward surgery in the Randolph Centre, Evenwood, on Tuesday, February 19, between 6pm and 7pm.

PACT MEETINGS: Police and Communities Together meetings for Cockfield and Staindrop will take place on Tuesday, February 19. The Cockfield meeting takes place at Lipscomb Hall, Front Street, starting at 6.30pm. The Staindrop meeting is at 7pm in the Scarth Hall.

HOLOCAUST CASH: Barnard Castle Town Council agreed to make a £55 donation towards the cost of staging the Holocaust Memorial Day event at Durham Cathedral, on January 28. Hundreds of school children – including pupils from Teesdale School, Barnard Castle - attended the event, which included a talk by Holocaust survivor Ruth Barnett.