FIREFIGHTERS were called to three house fires across Cleveland at the weekend.

The worst blaze was at Mayfair Street, Hartlepool, in which there was 80 per cent fire and smoke damage. The fire was reported to the brigade at about 2.20pm on Saturday. There were also fires at an unoccupied house in Manor Road, Middlesbrough, at about 8.35am yesterday and at a property in Furness Street, Hartlepool, at about 10.10pm on Saturday. Both caused slight damage to the property. No one was hurt in the incidents.

WASTE RECYCLING: A two-month pilot scheme to encourage recycling of garden and green waste has been launched. A 40cubic yard container skip has been opened at a council amenity site at Wilton Lane, Dunsdale, near Guisborough. Items that can be put in the skip include grass cuttings, prunings and cuttings, flowers, tea bags and coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, green or brown leaves, vegetable and fruit peelings and weeds. Once the skip is full the waste will be taken to Scugdale Farm, Guisborough.

EVENING COURSES: Enrolment sessions for evening courses will be held from 6.30pm to 8pm on Thursday, and on Thursday, September 19, at Laurence Jackson School, Guisborough. For more information call (01287) 631849 or (01642) 475397.

READING CLUB: Saltburn has established a reading club which meets on a Tuesday morning of each month between 10am and 11.15am to discuss a particular genre or writer. The next meeting is on September 10 and the subject is The Classics. Call (01287) 623584 for more details.

COFFEE MORNING: A coffee morning and Christmas card sale will be held on Saturday, from 10am to 11.30am at Skelton Methodist Church. There will be coffee and biscuits for a small charge. Proceeds go to chapel funds.

SCHOOL REUNION: A reunion of former pupils who left their school more than 50 years ago will be held in Redcar later this month. All those who attended James MacKinlay School between 1945 and 1950 are invited to The Regency Hotel, Coatham Road, Redcar, from 7pm to 11pm, on Tuesday, September 24. Contact Joan Shakespeare on (01642) 477343 or Maureen Brunskill on (01642) 291969 for more details.

AUTUMN GOLD: The Teesside Autumn Gold Festival will take place at Preston Hall Park on Saturday and Sunday. Doors open from 10am until 6pm on Saturday and from 9.30am to 5.30pm on Sunday for the garden festival. Tickets cost £3 for adults and £2.50 for concessions. Children accompanied by an adult are allowed to enter for free.

PARK RANGER: Tony Raine has taken on the job as ranger at Ropner Park, Stockton, and will develop links with community groups and schools. Plans for a £3.5m restoration project at the park have been unveiled and Stockton Borough Council has made a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the money.