A WRITING workshop is taking place at the Orange call centre in Darlington.

Author Carol Clewlow will spend a night shift with workers, encouraging them to write down and share memorable anecdotes from their work. The tales will be included in a collection of stories from people who work in different industries in the North-East. The collection will be called Tyne Tales and will be published on the Internet as a modern day version of the Canterbury Tales. The final work will appear on www.bbc.co.uk/tyne

MALE CHOIR: The Billingham Synthonia Male Voice Choir performs at St Mark with St Paul's Church, Darlington, on Tuesday, October 1, at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £4 and £2 and proceeds go to church funds. Contact (01325) 356599 for details.

COUNCIL MEETS: The next meeting of Darlington Whessoe parish council takes place in the village hall on Wednesday, starting at 7pm. Items on the agenda include flooding problems in the Princess Road area.

VOLUNTEER'S MEETING: The annual meeting of Darlington Council for Voluntary Services and Volunteer Bureau takes place in the borough council chamber on Wednesday, October 9, at 7pm.

FLOWER FESTIVALl: Eastbourne Methodist Church, in Yarm Road, Darlington, is holding a flower and craft festival on October 5 and 6. Admission is £2.

DRIVING DATE: Darlington Advanced Motorists are offering free assessment drives on Sunday, October 6, from 10.30am to 2.30pm, at Morrisons, North Road. The event is available to all drivers.

ANTIQUES FILMING: The BBC's Bargain Hunt programme will be filming at Thomas Watson Auctioneers, in Darlington, next Monday, and during an auction day on October 1.

PARTNERS MEET: The next meeting of Crook Community Partnership is on Thursday, October 3 at 7pm in St Catherine's Community Centre, Market Place, Crook.

UNDER SCRUTINY: A meeting of Sedgefield Borough Council's scrutiny committee for regeneration and the environment will be held tomorrow in the council offices, Green Lane, Spennymoor, from 10am.

FOREST RIDE: A mountain biking ride with a guide is held at Hamsterley Forest, next Sunday, at 1pm. The medium-level ride costs £8 and details are available on 01748 812071 or 07702 080206.

AREA FORUM: Sedgefield Borough Council's area forum for Newton Aycliffe, Aycliffe Village, School Aycliffe and Middridge will be meeting at the Great Aycliffe Town Council offices, School Aycliffe Lane, tomorrow, at 6.30pm.

COMMITTEE MEETING: A meeting of Wear Valley District Council's central resources committee will be held in the Civic Centre, Crook, on Thursday, at 6pm.

DANCE NIGHT: The Midi-Dance Orchestra hosts a 50/50 night for ballroom and sequence dancing from 8pm next Friday, at Spennymoor Town Hall. Admission is £3.