Allan Bews added this beautiful photo of Hareshaw Linn, a waterfall near Bellingham, to the Your Place Northumberland Flickr group.

Hundreds of people are flocking to a remote part of Northumberland to see a rare bird nest.

Visitor numbers to the osprey nest and three chicks at Kielder Water are continuing to grow, and special ferry trips have been put on to cope with demand.

From today a special daily cruise is being provided by the Kielder Water ferry - called Osprey.

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.

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.

A woman who carried on a university degree even when she was hospitalised with ill-health has seen six years of hard work pay off after graduating from university.

Pauline Murfin took up Open University study six years ago after stopping work due to chronic ill-health.

Despite having to take her books to hospital to study, Pauline, from Stonehaugh in the North Tyne Valley, persevered and always managed to finish her assignments on time.

More meetings are to be held in Northumberland to allow people to have their say on £200m proposals for new and improved hospitals in the county.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust has drawn up plans for a new specialist emergency care centre near Cramlington, plus improvements to Wansbeck General and the rebuilding of community hospitals in Berwick and Haltwhistle.

But the changes would see the closure of emergency departments at Wansbeck and Hexham General, moves which have caused some concern with patients.

Finance chiefs at Northumberland's cash-strapped super council are trying to recover almost £9m in unpaid council tax inherited from the county's former district authorities.

The huge debt has been revealed following the abolition of Berwick, Alnwick, Castle Morpeth, Tynedale, Wansbeck and Blyth Valley councils on April 1 - and their replacement by the all-purpose unitary council.

This is the first image of Northumberland's historic osprey nest.

And it was revealed yesterday that the first ospreys to nest successfully in the county for over two centuries have hatched three chicks.

Photo by Mark Pinder

The photograph shows the female sitting on the artificial nesting platform, erected by the Forestry Commission last year at Kielder Water.

A total of 32 anglers, including rugby players Jamie Noon, Richard Hill, Raphael Ibanez and Jason Oakes, Coronation Street actor Sean Wilson and Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes star Dean Andrews, took part in last Thursday's Fly Fishing with a Celebrity event at Sweethope Loughs, Northumberland.

Hardy & Greys Ltd and Game Fishing Supplies of Morpeth had joined forces to support and raise money for Grace House North East Children's Hospice through the event that gave the everyday angler a chance to pair up for a day's boat fishing with a celebrity.

Older people in Northumberland are threatening a revolt against new charges for day centre care which are being brought in by the county's cash-strapped super council.

Apart from meal and transport costs, attendance at day centres has been free for elderly and disabled people until now. But means-tested fees are being introduced to help County Hall bosses make savings on their adult care budget.

Day centre clients are being assessed and told how much they will have to contribute to their care each week, based on their income and savings.