Offices plan for park lodge

Darlington Borough Council has applied for planning permission to its planning committee to change the use of the lodge building, in South Park, to an office and associated facilities, with a single-storey extension and improvements to allow disabled access to the caf .

SHAKESPEARE TREAT: The Middleton St George Women's Institute will be visited by the Durham Shakespeare Group on April 18, for a performance called Miscellany from Shakespeare. Tickets for the event, which is open to all, cost £3.

DETECTIVE DRAMA: A performance of The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes will be staged at Darlington Arts Centre on Thursday, April 25. Tickets are available from the box office on (01325) 486555.

CHURCH SERVICES: Easter celebrations at St James the Great Church, Darlington, will include a celebration of the Passion at 3pm on Friday, and an Easter vigil and first mass of Easter on Saturday followed by a party and fireworks at 7.30pm. On Easter Sunday there will be a mass at 10am.

BLOOD DONORS: People can give blood on Tuesday, April 16, at St Cuthbert's Church Centre, Darlington from 2pm to 6pm.

HANDWRITING COURSE: The Workers' Education Association in Darlington is holding a course on calligraphy, run by Anthony Millett, from Saturday, April 6. For details call (01325) 357801.

DRIVING HELP: Darlington Advanced Motorists is offering free assessment drives on Sunday, April 7, from 10.30am to 2.30pm, at Morrisons' store, Morton Park. For details contact (01388) 812323.

BRIC-A-BRAC: There will be a bric-a-brac stall in Darlington's outdoor market on Saturday, in aid of the SOS Diabetic Retinal Camera Appeal.

COMEDY NIGHT: Funny man Jethro will bring his Beyond the Edge tour to Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday, April 5. For tickets call (01325) 486555.

VIKING DAY: The Darlington and District Federation of Townswomen's Guilds is holding a Norse day at St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Darlington, on April 17.

HEDGE COURSE: The British Trust for Conservation Volunteers is holding two hedge laying courses in Darlington, each lasting three days, from April 2 to 4, and from April 9 to 11. For details, call Helen on (01325) 369152.

FIELD CLUB: The next meeting of Darlington and Teesdale Naturalists' Field Club will be on April 9, at 7.30pm, at Darlington Arts Centre, when the speaker will be Tony Smith giving a talk on Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield