Help The Aged has organised a day trip to Lavender Farm at Terrington, North Yorkshire tomorrow. It leaves Newton Aycliffe at 9am, with pick-ups at Aycliffe Village, Heighington and Cockerton. For more details or to book a place, ring (01325) 313924.

SPECIAL MEETING: A special meeting of Wear Valley District Council's overview and scrutiny committee will be held in the Civic Centre, Crook, on Thursday, at 2pm.

SLOPE FIRE: Firefighters were called to a fire at the derelict dry ski slope at the Spectrum Leisure Complex in Willington, at 8.30pm on Saturday.

ALLOTMENTS MEETING: A meeting of Spennymoor Town Council's allotments committee will be held at Spennymoor Town Hall tomorrow from 6.45pm. It will be followed by a meeting of the finance and general purposes committee.

PARISH COUNCIL: A meeting of Dene Valley Parish Council will be held at the Methodist Church Hall, Auckland Park, today at 7pm.

BIKE RIDE: Darlington Freewheelers are holding a cycle ride taking in Neasham, Girsby, Hornby, Great Smeaton and Croft, on Tuesday, June 25, setting off from Darlington Market Place at 7pm. For more information contact Gary Dawes on (01388) 710467.

ROMAN TALK: A talk on the Roman occupation of County Durham will be given by Raymond Selkirk at Bishop Auckland Town Hall on Tuesday, June 18, at 10pm.

PRIZE WINNER: Barbara Witton of Spennymoor has won £1,000 spending money after entering a free draw at the town's branch of Hays Travel. For more information on prize competitions telephone 0870 1210191.

HANDBAG STOLEN: A handbag and its contents were stolen from the kitchen of a house in Lancelot Close, Newton Aycliffe, on Friday night, while the occupants were in the living room.

BREAK INS: A garden shed, caravan and a house were broken into in Swainby Road, Trimdon Village, in the early hours of Friday. Items stolen included a red petrol lawnmower, worth £119, a £70 pigeon carrier basket, two pigeon carriers, valued at £54, a yellow lawnmower, worth £159, and a solar-powered calculator.

MOWER THEFT: A Honda two-stroke petrol lawnmower with a black fabric grass box, valued at £700, was stolen from a garage at Langrar, Trimdon Grange, between 4pm on June 2 and noon on Saturday. The heavy duty mower has the serial number M2CD8030057.

FAMILY TALK: Where There's A Will, is the title of the talk to be given by Paul Joiner at the monthly meeting of Sedgefield Family History Group in Ceddesfeld Hall next Monday at 7.45pm Anyone interested in learning about family history research is invited to attend.