PUPILS are enjoying a safer and more comfortable ride to school in a pilot transport project.

Youngsters at Kingsmeadow School, Gateshead, are road-testing more than £10,000 of improvements to their school bus. The project aims to make buses safer and easier to use. The pilot scheme incorporates CCTV technology, improved emergency warning buzzers, numbered seats, redesigned internal lights and a coloured floor. External features include larger wing mirrors, bigger safety lights and improved signs. The school has also appointed a transport co-ordinator for each bus service and operators Nexus and Go North East have promised a dedicated driver for each route. The project is a partnership between the bus operators, the school and Gateshead Borough Council. If it proves successful, it will be extended to other schools across the borough.

BRIDGE CLOSURE: Sunder-land's Wearmouth Bridge will close from 2am to 5am tomorrow to allow a traffic management system from today's game against West Ham at the Stadium of Light to be removed.

RURAL VIEWS: Miles Middleton, chairman of the Hadrian's Wall Tourism Partnership, will give an open lecture on the future of the countryside in Newcastle University's Curtis Auditorium on Thursday, at 5.30pm. Admission is free.

ROCKERS RETURN: Rock 'n' Roll acts relive the 1950s next month when the All American Solid Gold tour hits Newcastle. Stars performing at the City Hall on Wednesday, November 6, include Bobby Vee, the Big Bopper Junior, Bryan Hyland and The Chiffons.

COMPUTER WORKSHOP: Age Concern is planning an open access workshop on computers for beginners in the Stanley area next month as part of its Active Ageing project. For further details, contact the charity on (01207) 218866.

ENTRY SLASHED: Youngsters can enjoy cut-price entry into Langley Park attraction Diggerland over the half-term holiday. Half-price vouchers for the adventure park can be printed out from the Federation of Master Builders website at www.fmb.org.uk.

ART SHOW: Castleside Art Club holds its annual charity exhibition in the village hall on Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 27, from 10am to 5pm. Admission is 20p. About 200 paintings will be on show and for sale. Homemade refreshments will be available. Proceeds will go to the Macmillan Nurses Palliative Care unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital.

ART WORKSHOP: A group of local artists will stage an art workshop at the Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, The Banks, Durham, today. They will be creating artwork based on the museum's Mining Memorabilia exhibition and people can drop in between 11am and 4pm. For further details, contact Jim McCaffery on 0191-374 3623, or Karen Exell on 0191-374 7911.