Smaller communities should be thinking ahead to the day when they can generate all their own power, energy expert Dr Barbara Sexon believes.

Dr Sexon runs the Thropton Energy consultancy in the Northumberland village of the same name, near Rothbury.

She studied for a PhD 25 years ago on the potential of small scale wind turbines in the days before wind farms of considerably larger machines became the hot potato they are today.

A presentation on plans to revamp the region's hospitals takes place in Northumberland next week.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is proposing a new specialist emergency care hospital near Cramlington for people living in Northumberland and North Tyneside, improvements to Wansbeck and North Tyneside general hospitals and rebuilding community hospitals in Berwick and Haltwhistle.

A presentation on the plans takes place at a meeting of Warkworth Parish Council on Thursday, June 4 at 6.30pm in the Memorial Hall on Castle Street.

Go Wansbeck has recruited four new business experts to join its enterprise coaching team.

Sophia Ali, Karl McCracken, Lisa Scott and Billy Webber have joined existing coaches Jan Grieveson and Graeme Trotter to help people in Wansbeck to turn their ideas, skills, hobbies or interests into business ventures.

The game of musical chairs at the top of the SG Wealth Management Northumberland League continued with Alnmouth & Lesbury regaining top spot.

Alnmouth were almost back to full strength for their trip to Bates Cottages, and they certainly had too much power for their hosts even though Michael Fenwick hit a defiant 64, including nine fours and one six, when the Cottagers took first knock.

Lynemouth are Morpeth Sunday League Division One champions, but runners-up Traveller's Rest, Choppington closed their league campaign with a point as Amble Pier 81 held them to a 3-3 draw. Chris Glass, Darren Riddell and Josh Hay netted for Pier 81, with Mark Miller, David John Kilpatrick and Stephen Young scoring for the Lewin Cup holders.

Red Row Brick Club bounced back from their defeat in the Lewin Cup final last week to beat Stobhill Social Club 4-1. Ronnie Warwick bagged a hat-trick and Stuart Dunn also scored. Ashley McAlpine replied for Stobhill.

The final reckoning for the Morpeth Sunday League Division Two table will have to wait until next week after Blackthorn Rovers v East Chevington was postponed until next Sunday.

Bosses at Northumberland's new super council are being recommended to stick with its controversial 0845 single telephone number.

County hall chiefs have been urged by campaigners both locally and nationally to change the 0845 6006400 number, which has been provided since April 1 for all people who need to contact the unitary authority.

Rubbish police could confiscate bins if householders fill them with the wrong items.

Northumberland County Council hopes to crack down on contamination in recycling wheelie bins using hard-line tactics.

Householders who repeatedly ignore warnings to stop throwing waste food, nappies or dirty items into the bin which is supposed to be for dry, clean, recyclable materials, will have their bin confiscated.

Tynedale and Ponteland have made it into the second round of the Wellstream NTSL Charity Bowl after wins this week.

Tynedale racked up 151-2, with Paul Scandle scoring 55 not out and Barry Stewart chipping in with 30. In reply, Alnwick could only score 114-9, with Stewart picking up four wickets for nine runs.

Ponteland beat Percy Main after scoring 124-6 and restricting Percy Main to 101-9. Dan Wright top scored with 50 and Jonathan Appleby picked up four wickets for 15.

In the SG Wealth Management Northumberland Midweek League, Bates Cottages (167-2) beat Bomarsund (96), Warkworth (130-2) prevailed against Cramlington (124-5), Bedlington (137-4) saw off Northern Social (102-9) and Kirkley (102-3) beat New Hartley (101-6).

West Sleekburn Middle School is on the up after transforming itself from a failing school.

The school was put into special measures by education inspectors Ofsted last year after being judged inadequate in every category.

But since then, the school has taken advantage of a federation formed with Bedlington High School to improve its teaching, the relationships between staff and pupils and many other parts of school life.

A dance enthusiast has spun her hobby into a dream business venture with help from Go Wansbeck.

Claire Hanson decided to set up Dance Northumberland after being made redundant from her role as a marketing manager, so she approached Go Wansbeck for business support and advice.

Now she has a solid business plan, has bought equipment and created a website to help her business.