Staff and supporters of a North East theatre are to walk along Hadrian's Wall this weekend to mark its 40th anniversary.

Northern Stage will be 40 years old in 2010 and, to celebrate the occasion, 40 people are to make the 40 mile journey from Haltwhistle to Newcastle. The group is known for showcasing new writing and presenting a range of theatre companies from around the world.

Yesterday the teams of walkers set off from Cawfields Crags, Haltwhistle. Hadrian's Wall Heritage Ltd were present to see the group start their trek, offering a quick history lesson on the Roman Empire and advice on things to discover along the National Trail.

Work to protect a stretch of Hadrian's Wall is finished.

Funding from Natural England, which has worked with English Heritage, Hadrian's Wall Heritage, Northumberland National Park and the owner of the site, has helped to secure the future of the important section of Hadrian's Wall, and a site of special scientific interest running for half a mile westwards from Great Chesters Farm near Haltwhistle.

The length of Wall will now be removed from English Heritage's at risk register.

A volunteer-run radio station is hoping to become a permanent fixture in Northumberland after being granted a licence to continue broadcasting.

Tynedale FM has a new month-long licence from telecoms watchdog Ofcom, and the station hopes it might lead to a permanent licence sometime in the future.

The radio station was given a month-long restricted service licence to test the water back in December, which went successfully and uncovered some talented presenters.

A mother of four joined fellow students in showing off artistic talent at an end-of-year show at Gateshead College.

Gen Stone from Haydon Bridge, returned to education and her passion for art after years spent teaching and raising a family.

Now the 46-year-old, along with other art and design students awarded their foundation diploma in art and design at the college, have won university places for further study.

They are 42-year-old David Tweedy, of Durham; Imogen Coates, 19, Whitley Bay; Newcastle's Dean Crawford, 24, and 18-year-old Paul Robinson.

Gen said: "I'm now really looking forward to the university degree and the possibility of pursuing a career in art afterwards."

Hundreds of elderly and disabled people who use seven council-run day centres in Northumberland face a three-month wait to find out whether they can be saved from closure.

A series of public meetings on the future of the threatened centres in Amble, Bedlington, Blyth, Hexham, Haltwhistle, Ponteland and Prudhoe - which are used by 370 people a week - has now been completed, and final decisions will be taken in September.

Further private meetings will be held with individual centre users and their families, and feedback from the public consultation analysed, before reports setting out the various options are presented to county councillors.

Independent rural petrol stations are facing an increasing battle just to survive, as they struggle to compete with their bigger rivals.

Many of the stations also act as convenience stores in their local communities, but dozens have closed over the last few years, in yet another blow to the rural economy.

Gordon Moore, pictured, who owns the Border Reiver Station in Knowesgate, Northumberland, said the margin on fuel from his station is tiny.

Fears were voiced last night over the potential impact on the health of elderly and vulnerable people if care chiefs press ahead with controversial plans to close seven day centres in Northumberland.

Relatives of elderly dementia suffers who use the council-run Lyndon Walk day centre in Blyth said they are worried that their conditions will get even worse if they have to uproot themselves and move elsewhere.

Two women told a public meeting in the town that their mothers don't cope well with change, and questioned whether adequate alternative provision will be available if the centre closes.

A white mountain of unwanted household appliances is being whittled down to size to help make Northumberland one of the greenest counties.

Hundreds of discarded electrical goods from freezers, fridges and cookers to toasters and hair driers are being collected and recycled.

Last year 1,600 tonnes of appliances were dealt with by Haltwhistle-based Cooler Recycling Solutions (CRS), helping Northumberland to a waste recycling rate of almost 39%.

Amateur photographer Harry Bleech added this photo of a lone Roman Soldier patrolling the heights of Hadrian's Wall to the Your Place Northumberland Flickr group.

The North East's only Conservative MP has returned more than £100 in "gardening" expense claims.

Hexham's Peter Atkinson last month told The Journal his claims were reasonable for his second home in London.

But he declared being ready to repay money if ordered to do so by an internal party panel examining Tory MPs' expense claims.