Village children are getting new play equipment and a football pitch under a scheme approved by Wear Valley District Council.

But work cannot start at Frosterley recreation ground until drainage problems are resolved, members of the council's development control committee decided after a site meeting. Frosterley parochial church council also raised concerns about a new two-metre timber-edged footpath to the north of the site.

WHIST DRIVE: St Michael's Church, in Bishop Middleham, is holding a rainbow whist and domino drive in the village hall at 2pm on Saturday. Admission is £1, with all proceeds going to church funds.

NEW BOOKS: Newton Aycliffe Library has added 2,000 fiction books and 750 non-fiction titles to its collection. There are also 400 junior fiction books and 200 junior non-fiction, with 70 children's stories on tape.

RECYCLING SCHEME: The Butterwick Hospice, in Bishop Auckland, has thanked people who have given mobile telephones and printer carriages for its recycling scheme, which has raised £400 since November. However, the recycling company is not able to use Epson inkjet cartridges.

RAILWAY EVENT: Bishop Auckland Civic Society will hold a slide show and talk on The Weardale Railway and Heritage Line, presented by John Askwith, at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Tuesday, at 7.30pm.

FAMILY SHOW: Young people's theatre group Pop-Up presents The Snow Children at Bishop Auckland Town Hall today, at 1.30pm. Tickets are available on (01388) 602610.

COUNTRY NIGHT: Sylvia Gee entertains at a Country and Western night at Crook Cricket Club on Saturday, from 8pm.

VALENTINE DISCO: There will be a Valentine disco in Winston Village Hall, between 7.30pm and 11pm, on February 15. Tickets are £7.50 and include a chilli supper. To book or for more details contact Angela Freeman, on (01325) 730818.

SKIFFLE BAND: A Burns Night supper is being held at the Oak Leaf Sports Complex, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, on Saturday, starting at 8pm with the piping in of the haggis. Tickets, costing £7 per person, can be booked by ringing (01325) 300600.

PARENT WORKSHOPS: A series of workshops for parents or carers and their children is to start at a Newton Aycliffe school. Creative movement classes for children aged one to four at Greenfield Community and Arts Centre start on February 28. For further details or to reserve a place on the free sessions call (01325) 307147 or 379048.

PLANTING DAY: Families joined in a planting day to mark the start of an improvement programme for their recreation field. Stanley Crook Village Hall Association is planning to transform the field by installing play equipment and seating, creating a wetland area and paths and carrying out landscaping. On Sunday supporters planted hedging to fill the gaps in the existing boundary hedge.