Fire cover in Northumberland is getting a boost after the Government give cash for three new fire stations.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) has put forward the investment in the form of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Northumberland's £7.5m allocation will be used to develop fire stations in Prudhoe, Haltwhistle and Seahouses.

Children can prepare for Christmas with some green-themed fun.

Prudhoe Castle and Cockshot Dene are holding family open days from 11am to 3pm this Saturday and Sunday.

Children of all ages can make their mark by making decorated alphabet letters at the Children's Centre to put up in the tree canopy along the footpath to the castle.

And families can join a tree survey session organised by OPAL (Open Air Laboratories) to help record air quality in the area by monitoring lichen growth on trees.

There will be mulled wine and juice at the castle and soup at the Children's Centre. For details, contact Andrea at the Volunteer Centre, Prudhoe, on (01661) 836 668 or visit www.cockshotdene.org

Artists in Northumberland are welcoming visitors for this year's Christmas Art Tour.

The festive tour is organised by Network Artists and takes place in twenty different venues around the region, running on weekends until Christmas.

Art lovers will have the chance to look around at artists' work, often in beautiful surroundings, while enjoying a friendly seasonal welcome from the artists themselves.

A new venue this year is the Buzz Factory at the Drill Hall in Prudhoe where five artists will be exhibiting their work, with mince pies and mulled wine also on offer. The exhibition will be open from 11am- 4pm on the 22 November, and 13 and 22 December.

View the Christmas Art Tour leaflet at www.networkartists.org.uk for full details.

Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is taking to the road to attract new recruits.

A series of events are being held across the county to inform people of career opportunities with the service.

Tickets are on sale for a charity ball.

Members of the Wylam Housing Group are organising a 1920s-themed night in aid of Shelter North East and other homeless charities.

The ball will take place at the Wylam Institute on Saturday, October 3, from 7.30pm.

Calamity Jane will come to Prudhoe next month.

The town's Dragon Tale Theatre Group will perform the show at the high school from October 28 to 31.

Tickets are available now for £7 (£5 concession) by contacting Ian or Caroline Warburton on (01661) 833 614 or warburtonsuk@hotmail.com

Prudhoe is gearing up for its annual flower show.

The Prudhoe in Bloom awards event is being held on Saturday, September 19, at the Parish Hall, on Front Street, in the Northumberland town.

The hall will be open from 9am selling tea, coffee and light refreshments, with the awards ceremony due to start at 11am.

Representatives from Northumberland County Council, the town councils and the Northumbria in Bloom working group will all be there.

The biggest bike ride in the UK is returning to the North East. After starting on September 12 in Scunthorpe, the Tour of Britain's second stage comes to the region the next day.

The North East stage starts at Darlington and heads through Durham, Northumberland and Tyneside, finishing at Baltic Square in Gateshead.

Hugh Roberts, chief executive of the Tour of Britain, said: "We are extremely pleased to be bringing the 2009 Tour of Britain back to the North East for a second time.

After a packed summer of family events around Northumberland, the final weekend of the summer holidays is beckoning, with another busy programme across the county.

The event likely to attract the biggest crowd is the Glendale Show (pictured), now in its 117th year, featuring a host of rural attractions and stalls. Spectacular carriage driving and falconry displays and a Ready Steady Cook style cooking competition are some of the highlights of the event on Bank Holiday Monday.

In the bottom corner of the county on the same day, Blanchland & Hunstanworth Show (see link below) will be taking place, and two days before on Saturday Bellingham will also be welcoming visitors to its Show to take part and watch various traditional competitions.

Football-mad youngsters in Northumberland will be able to try out their skills at a series of free football coaching taster sessions.

Children will benefit from professional coaching at the sessions, courtesy of the Northumberland Football Partnership (NFP).

The NFP will hold sessions, led by the NFP's qualified coaches, in Prudhoe and Hexham, where children from five to 14 can take part.