• SAG have approved this year’s GATC fireworks display – Aycliffe households only – free wristbands available from 26th October: http://bit.ly/GATCFireworks2014
• October is ‘Taste Durham Month’ (including 30 unique Durham-inspired dishes): http://bit.ly/TasteDurhamMonth
• 6-20 October is the Durham Book Festival: http://durhambookfestival.com/
• Fancy singing the Messiah in Durham Cathedral on 31st Jan 2015 with the Durham Choral Society?  http://bit.ly/DCSMessiah
• DCC consultation on a voluntary smoke-free policy on children’s play areas ends this week – have your say: http://bit.ly/DCCsmokefree
• The new DCC website went live this week. Easier and more convenient to use, it includes a brand new news section: http://ow.ly/CeGWE
• Norman Cornish’s studio has been donated to Beamish Museum in County Durham: http://bit.ly/CornishStudio
• ‘This is Durham’ – 2014 free guides now available: http://bit.ly/1vIINdE
• Livin has signed up to a ‘Smarterbuys’ scheme which helps its tenants to buy furniture, white goods etc. at a much lower rate of interest: http://livin.sbstore.org/home
• On Wednesday morning, 15th October DCC Cabinet will hear updates on welfare reform, NHS/Social Care reforms and Waste Management, and will consider a £13m expansion at NETPark and proposals to protect bus services and to develop the cinema & film offer across the county: http://bit.ly/DCCCabinetOct14
• On Wednesday evening, 7:15pm, 15th October, Great Aycliffe Town Council will discuss School Aycliffe pond, Aycliffe Festival, West Park, the Fireworks display, the senior citizens excursions, a proposal for a MUGA at Moore Lane, and the draft Environment and Recreation budgets.