A WEEK-LONG festival or theatre, film and workshops in a former pit village drew to a close on Friday.

The July Festival was staged for the first time by Theatre Cap-a-Pie at The Store, the group's new headquarters in the former Co-operative store building, at Dipton. The festival was run by Cap-a-Pie's Creative Campus project, an arts programme for young people at risk of exclusion from mainstream schools and society. The festival was the first major event to take place in the old Co-op building, which has been renovated to include an upstairs theatre with original wooden ceiling and lighting fixtures, formerly part of a cinema in Scotland. Gordon Poad, of Cap-a-Pie, said: "We are delighted with the response from local people to the variety of events and hope that this will be the first of many exciting projects involving the community."

ANNUAL MEETING: The annual meeting of the Waldridge Millennium Green Trust will be held on Wednesday, August 21, at Hermitage School, Chester-le-Street, starting at 7pm. There will be a guest speaker from the Countryside Agency. Everyone is welcome to attend.

CAR CRASH: A man was freed by firefighters and taken to hospital in Hartlepool after a car overturned on the A179 Station Town to Wingate road early on Saturday. Two people suffered shock after their car hit the central reservation of the A1(M) northbound between Bowburn and Carrville on Friday night.

CHARITY SALE: The Elvet Charities Supporters Group will hold a "something for everyone'' sale at The Institute, Church Street, Durham, on Saturday, at 2pm. Admission costs 10p. Books, bric-a-brac, household goods and clothing will be on sale. Proceeds will go to the charities taking part.

MUSIC DATE: Rock band Knee Jerk Reaction will perform in the Stables Bar of the Beamish Mary Inn, No Place, near Stanley, on Thursday. The event starts at 8.30pm and admission costs £1.50. For further information, call the pub on 0191-370 0237.

SIGN PLAN: Durham City Council is seeking planning permission from its own development control committee to site a metal sculpture, incorporating a school sign, on land at the junction of Whitehouse Lane and Whitehouse Court, Ushaw Moor.

FOLK NIGHT: Haswell Folk Club is holding a singers and musicians night on Friday, at The Wayfarer pub, Front Street, Haswell. The evening starts at 8.30pm and admission is free. For more details, call Fred Brierley on 0191-517 1274.

MARKET FUN: A family fun day will be held at Chester-le-Street tomorrow, when there will be Irish dancers, stilt-walkers, face-painting, a puppet show and a performance by singer Gemma Louise Kelly. The event will take place at the town's market place and begins at 10.30am with a line dancing performance.

MELODY MAKERS: After a successful concert tour of Northern Italy, the Gateshead Youth Chamber Ensemble will give a charity concert at Elvet Church, Durham, at 7pm, on Friday. Admission £3.

HOMES PLAN: Chesterford Properties Ltd is seeking planning permission from Durham City Council to build three three-storey homes, incorporating workshop and office space, on land at Avenue House, North Road, Durham.