World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton has been voted the Greatest Living Northumbrian in a poll on the Your Place microsites.

The Ashington-born footballer won 27% of the votes, beating actor Robson Green (17%) and comedian Ross Noble (15%).

Other nominees in the poll were Sir Bobby's brother Jack, musician Kathryn Tickell, cricketer Steve Harmison, the Duchess of Northumberland and darts commentator Sid Waddell.

Budding young chefs from two schools in Northumberland have made it to the finals of this year's Kitchen Chemistry competition.

Fusing science and food technology, the competition challenges pupils who are 11 and 12 to create a main course and dessert, which demonstrate the use of at least one scientific concept during the cooking process.

The entries have been whittled down to teams from schools in Haltwhistle and Bedlington, plus teams from North Tyneside, Newcastle and County Durham.

BBC news frontman George Alagiah is to launch a campaign to make Hadrian's Wall Country a world-first Fairtrade zone.

Hadrian's Wall Country covers an area 10 miles on either side of the world heritage site from Tyneside to Ravenglass in Cumbria.

The world heritage site campaign, which is being led by the Hadrian's Wall Fairtrade Group, hopes to establish the corridor as the first cross-county Fairtrade zone in the world.

The future looks brighter for a number of the North East's at-risk historic treasures - including Blenkinsopp Castle near Haltwhistle.

Yesterday an English Heritage grant of £14,000 towards a rescue and interpretation saw the future of Grade I-listed Hollinside, overlooking Derwent Walk Country Park in Gateshead, secured.

And English Heritage expects that this year a number of other historic places removed from its At Risk register.

Small local producers are being urged to show off their goods at an event designed to introduce them to buyers.

Hadrian's Wall Heritage has organised the Locally Produced Trade Fair, which will be staged in Hexham next month.

It wants businesses producing everything from food and drink to textiles, greetings card and jewellery, to attend the event where they will be able to show off their goods to buyers from around the region and hopefully secure orders for the coming tourist season.

An axed rural post office due to be replaced by a van will be rehomed in the village hall instead.

But protesters last night said they were not happy with the new plan and claimed it could bankrupt the hall.

Georgia Shorrock from Gilsland is unhappy about the plans

Gilsland Post Office was one of 80 which network bosses announced they were seeking to close across the region last July.

Tynedale made it hard for themselves, but played through the wind with confidence to see off Cinderford on Saturday.

The Corbridge men recorded their 36th straight Tynedale Park league win, grabbing a bonus point, too, in this National Two encounter, thanks to scores from Charlie Ingle, Greg Irvin, Rob Miller and Tim Visser.

A serial burglar who spent decades touring the region and raiding rural homes has begun a nine-year jail term.

Anthony Graham targeted wealthy families in Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, creeping into their isolated properties and making off with treasured possessions.

The 50-year-old even plundered an historic castle of expensive antiques in his 30-year career as a "professional burglar".

Changes have been made to the type of post office that will be available to a village on the edge of Northumberland.

The Post Office last year said that it was going to close the post office in Gilsland, which straddles the border between Northumberland and Cumbria, and replace it with an outreach service.

Gilsland was one of 70 post offices in the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham caught up in the Post Office re-organisation.

Tim Visser is back with Tynedale tomorrow as the Corbridge men look to prolong the National Leagues' premier home record.

Tynedale can do themselves and rivals Blaydon a favour by seeing off Cinderford (kick-off 2.30pm), who sit one place below the Crow Trees men in 10th spot in National Two.