A TRANSFORMED community centre in Newton Aycliffe is to be officially opened with a Golden Jubilee fun day.

Silverdale Community House has been transformed over recent years, and has been closed since January while the latest stage was completed, thanks largely to £50,000 from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

A family fun day and jubilee party for children will be held on Saturday, to mark the official opening. The event has been organised by Aycliffe Support in the Kommunity (ASK) chairman Marjorie Minnes and her committee.

The new-look centre will be home to children's activities, a crche, after-school club and IT suite. There are also plans for a youth club, connected to the town's existing youth centre.

Attractions on the opening day will include a large marquee with several events and activities inside, children's games, Highland dancing and singers.

The committee has asked Sedgefield Borough councillor George Gray to perform the official opening to recognise the work he has put into the house over several years. It is in the West Ward area of Newton Aycliffe.

* Sedgefield village jubilee celebrations centred on the community association headquarters Ceddesfeld Hall. A full weekend of events for all the family are planned starting with an under-12 junior disco tomorrow from 7pm to 9pm. Admission £1. This will be followed on Saturday by a Jubilee Spectacular from 3pm until 11pm with strawberry and champagne reception at 4pm and bar and barbecue available throughout. Visitors are advised to take their own chairs and rugs.

The programme includes: Northumbrian Pipers, Lyric Singers, Tees Valley Youth Band, Prelude, The Happy Cats, The Connor Brothers and the Johnny Wrightson Band in an afternoon and evening of merriment. There will be a traditional ending in 'Last Night of the Proms' style with a fireworks display. Tickets are £7.50 (first come, first served). Details from (01740) 620042.

On the Sunday there will be a musical cream tea from 2pm until 4.30pm. The celebrations end on Monday with a family fun day from 1pm until 5pm with kite and puppet making, puppet shows, circus skills, face painting, bungee run and tombola etc.

* Pupils at Reid Street Primary School in Darlington will be holding a series of events tomorrow to celebrate the jubilee.

Morning assembly will include a procession of class kings and queens and the singing of the national anthem. That will be followed by a guess the jubilee teacher competition. Staff will bring in photographs of themselves taken in 1977, the year of the Queen's silver jubilee, and pupils will have to work out who they are.

The day will be completed with a jubilee party in the afternoon, with tables in the playground, food, sing-a-longs, fancy dress, musical chairs and other games.

* A jubilee street party and summer fair is being held at Darlington Manor Residential Home, Falmer Road, Eastbourne, on Monday.

The event, for all ages, lasts from noon until 11pm with new Darlington mayor Doris Jones proposing a toast to the Queen at 2pm.

Entry costs £1, or £5 if visitors want to have lunch at 1pm, and the event will include a summer fair, live music and the lighting of an official beacon fire at 9.45pm. For details call (01325) 361166.

* The Darlington Scottish Country Dance Group will celebrate the jubilee during their annual summer end of season dance at the Central Hall of the Dolphin Centre on Saturday night. The first part of the event will feature dances to music associated with the Queen and other Royals.

* A selection of pictures of the Queen's visit to Darlington,including hundreds of crowd scenes, can still be bought from our web site. To view visit www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/photo sales and search the special editions and selections section for the heading Queen Visits North-East. Photographs can be ordered through the web site, by calling our photosales department on (01325) 381313, or by calling at our offices in Priestgate, Darlington. Remember to note the reference number.