Chester-le-Street Heritage Group has received a £5,000 Awards for All National Lottery grant to help piece together the town's history.

The group is now hoping to stage its biggest exhibition yet and is seeking the loan of old photographs and memorabilia. Group member Edna Stokoe said: "We want as much material as we can get. We have one man who has a collection of old bottles from Chester-le-Street's old breweries. But it could be anything, from any era, connected to the area. We're particularly interested in memorabilia from the area's mining heritage." Anyone wanting to get in touch with the group, which meets in Chester-le-Street library, can contact Mrs Stokoe on 0191-388 9380.

VICTIM 'POORLY': A pedestrian involved in a collision with a car on the A1(M) last Saturday night was said to be still "poorly" suffering head and leg injuries, in Durham's University Hospital of North Durham yesterday. The 23-year-old Ferryhill woman is believed to have been walking along the inside lane of the northbound carriageway, near Durham Services, at Bowburn, when she collided with a Fiat Cinquecento driven by a 19-year woman from Surrey, who suffered glass injuries in the accident.

BRANCH MEET: Sunderland fans in Chester-le-Street, remaining loyal after last season's relegation from the Premiership, meet again for the new season next week. Existing members and any potential recruits are invited to the first meeting of the 2003/2004 campaign of the Chester-le-Street and District branch of the Sunderland AFC Supporters' Association, at Relton Terrace Workmen's Club, on Tuesday at 7.45pm.

THAI VISIT: Thailand's Culture Minister Uraiwan Thienthong, heading a delegation to promote Siamese culture and arts in the North-East, will be sampling some of her country's traditional fare at the Numjai Restaurant, in Durham's Millburngate Centre, tonight. During her stop-off in the city, Ms Thienthong is also being given a tour of Durham Cathedral as well as being greeted by the Mayor, Councillor Ray Gibbon, at Durham Town Hall.

NEW NURSERY: Durham University has opened a nursery which will allow it to nearly double the places it can offer. The previous nursery only had 48 places, whereas the new one will take more than 80 children. It serves the children of university students and staff, with some places available for people from the outside community.

CENTENARY FAIR: Chester-le-Street Amateur Operatic Society is holding a summer fair on Saturday, at the town's Methodist Church, in Newcastle Bank, from 10.30am to 1pm. Proceeds will go towards the society's centenary production, Oklahoma, which will be performed on the stage in November.