CHURCH SERVICE: St Andrew’s Methodist Church, in Coxhoe, near Durham, stages its monthly Shoppers’ Service, on Saturday (November 3), from 10am to 10.30am. The popular services have been held on the first Saturday of each month for almost five years, since completion of major refurbishment of the Church Street place of worship. This Saturday’s speaker will be the Reverend Susan Richardson, from Kirkby Malzeard, near Ripon.

VALE TREK: Voluntary countryside ranger Dave Drinkwater leads an 11.5 mile guided walk, Cassop Vale and Back, starting from the car park outside St Laurence Church, in Hallgarth Lane, Pittington, near Durham, tomorrow (October 31), at 10am. Anyone considering taking part is advised the circular walk is of medium/long difficulty and should take around six hours to complete.

HERITAGE WALK: A circular walk has been launched taking in points of interest and old buildings marking the mining heritage of Hetton-le-Hole, one of many former colliery communities between Durham and Sunderland. Hetton Local History Group has produced 1,000 brochures featuring a map of the walk, with information on the sites and buildings seen along the route. Further details are available at hettonlocalhistory.org, or at its meetings on the last Monday each month, at Eppleton and Hetton Community Hall, in Leeholme, Hetton-le-Hole, at 7pm.

CLEAN CENTRE: Dalton Park shopping centre, in Murton, has won the County Durham Environment Partnership Award along with its security and cleaning contractor, Oasis. The award recognises the east Durham outlet shopping site's efforts, in conjunction with Oasis, to limit and manage waste, including water-saving and recycling measures.

SCHOOLS SWEEP: The stranger danger warning was taken to children at six primary schools in east Durham in a day-long sweep by a police community support officer, with his canine assistants Ben and Jet. The golden (Ben) and black (Jet) police labradors, escorted by handler PCSO Dave Edson, attended special assemblies at Cotsford Juniors, in Horden, Blackhall Primary and Juniors, as well as St Joseph’s Primary, both in Blackhall, Dene House and Seascape primary schools, in Peterlee, plus Hesleden Primary School.

VILLAGES FORUM: People of Bowburn and surrounding villages are invited to attend the East Durham Rural Corridor Area Action Partnership (AAP) meeting, to draw up a list of local priorities, staged at Bowburn Community Centre, in Durham Road, Bowburn, near Durham, next Wednesday (November 7), at 5pm. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the AAP in advance, via email to jane.bellis@durham.gov.uk, or by calling 03000-261128.