Royal visit to mark jubilee

The Queen is to visit Darlington as part of celebrations to mark the golden jubilee of her reign.

Plans are under way at Darlington Borough Council to prepare for the visit on May 8. She last visited the town in 1967.

A book of congratulations has been opened at the town hall for people to pay tribute to the Queen. It will be sent to Buckingham Palace later in the year.

LIBRARY OPENED: The main Darlington library will reopen today with improved facilities for the disabled. A new public entrance with lift, reception desk and disabled toilet has been installed.

OUTDOOR CENTRE: The Darlington and District Youth and Community Association has bought a £250,000 outdoor pursuits centre in Forest-in-Teesdale. It will cater for 32 youngsters and plans are under way to extend it to accommodate more people.

AWAY DAY: Members of St Edmund's Church, Sedgefield, will be able to take part in an away day to Greatham Hospital on Saturday, from 10am to 4pm.

COUNCILLORS MEET: A meeting of Great Aycliffe Town Council's policy and resources committee will be held in the council offices, School Aycliffe Lane, Newton Aycliffe, on Wednesday, at 7.15pm.

BIKES STOLEN: A man's blue Concept Bronx mountain bike, worth £190, and a woman's silver Falcon Explorer mountain bike, worth £180, were stolen from the garden of a house in Wynyard Road, Trimdon, between 4pm on Friday and noon on Saturday.

MOPED THEFT: A red Sym moped, registration W134 ADC, was stolen from outside a nursing home in Middleton Road, Shildon, on Saturday.

CHOIR CONCERT: The Sedgefield Lyrics Youth Choir will hold a concert in Sedgefield Parish Hall on Saturday, at 7pm. Tickets are available at the Selections shop and from members at £3.50, or £2 for concessions.

CHARITY AID: The nominated charity of the month for Sedgefield's St Edmund's Church is the Northumbria Deaf Mission. The February collection for the Children's Society raised £33.27.

COUNCIL FORUM: A meeting of Sedgefield Borough Council's area forum covering Spennymoor and Tudhoe will be held at Tudhoe Community Centre, St David's Close, Spennymoor, today at 6.30pm. A meeting of the council's area forum covering Bishop Middleham, Chilton, Ferryhill, Cornforth and Windlestone, will be held at Cornforth Community Centre tomorrow, at 6.30pm.

LIGHTS INSTALLED: Two new street lighting columns have been installed at the back of Hackworth Street, Dean Bank, Ferryhill, at a cost of £7,636.

COUNCIL MEETING: A meeting of Spennymoor Town Council will be held at the town hall tomorrow, at 6.45pm.