A WRITERS group has received high praise for an ambitious project it has just undertaken.

Mayor of Durham, John Lightley gave a personal pat on the back to the Valley Writers Group which has been awarded lottery funding of more than £2,500 to investigate the life of Roman Catholic martyr John Boste.

Based in the Deerness Valley, the group decided to gather information on the 16th Century priest, who lived in the area.

Eve Gamblin, a member of the group, said: "There are not many communities which have their own saint, and we decided to look into the history of ours."

Mrs Gamblin lives in Waterhouses where John Boste was arrested in 1594 for giving mass to a Catholic family. He was later found guilty of high treason and hung, drawn and quartered on Dryburn Hill, on the edge of Durham City.

The group plans to retell the saint's story by staging a major exhibition.

"We will be telling his story with the written word, by using actors to bring the times to life, through music and even food," said Mrs Gamblin.

The group is collecting pieces of medieval music and is researching the food eaten in the 16th Century and reproducing recipes.

It will also visit local schools.

The group meet on alternate Mondays between 5.30pm and 7pm in Esh Winning Library.

For more details, contact 0191-373 3089 or visit www.valleywriters.co.uk