Focus on Dunston Hill & Whickham East

30/08/2026

Yesterday, Lib Dem councillors and campaigners - Peter and Susan Craig, Marilynn Ord, Peter Maughan, Jason Meecham and Jonathan Wallace - visited Dunston fair. Jonathan also took along Dandelion and Basil, two of his goats. Both were very popular with visitors to the fair.

I was asked by the organisers of the community fair in Dunston if I...

28/08/2026

Looking for something to do tomorrow, Saturday 29th August? Come along to Dunston Community Fair in Dunston Park. Cllr Jonathan Wallace's goats are popular and are often seen at local fairs. Tomorrow he will be bringing Basil the billy kid and Dandelion, one of his nannies. 11am to 3pm.

20/08/2026

Today, we’re celebrating a big Lib Dem win for disabled people - from April, disabled persons' bus passes will finally be valid at any time of day.

Free local bus travel is a vital lifeline for many disabled people. But, currently, these bus passes are only valid for travel on weekdays from 9.30am to 11pm, unless local authorities fund an extension.

After an almost two-year campaign by Liberal Democrat MPs, we're delighted to share that the Government has finally listened - agreeing to remove these impractical restrictions next year.

Disabilities don’t start at 9.30am, and neither should disabled bus passes.

11/08/2026

Liberal Democrats are leading the fight to protect patients

Andy Burnham must urgently fix the Health Bill - which will take an axe to safeguards that keep people safe.

11/08/2026

Want to watch the eclipse tomorrow but don't have any solar glasses? Make a pinhole projector instead!

How to make a simple pinhole camera to watch the solar eclipse

Get a cardboard box
Cut out a white piece of paper and stick it down to one side of the box.
On the opposite side of the box to the paper, cut out two square holes.
Cover one square hole with kitchen foil, sticking it down with tape.
Use a pin to poke a small hole in the centre of the foil.
Make sure the box is completely sealed at the top, so the only gaps are the pin hole and the empty square.

When the eclipse is about to start, head outside and turn your back to the sun. You want to angle yourself so that the sunlight hits the kitchen foil, as you want the light to go through the pinhole you made.

Put the box up to your face and look through the other square hole you made. You should be able to see the sun reflected onto the piece of white paper at the back of the box. This is where you'll see the eclipse in action.

The BBC have produced this video

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02lxxm7

Remember not to look directly at the sun.

11/08/2026

Ed Davey has cared for his mother, his grandmother, and now his son. Few politicians understand social care from the inside the way he does.

As cross-party talks on reform begin, he argues the crisis can be fixed by finally putting the millions of unpaid family carers at the heart of any deal, and by reforming a carer's allowance he says traps people out of work.

After decades of failed attempts, the Liberal Democrats want these talks to deliver for the families holding the system together.

19/07/2026

Can you take part in a butterfly count? You don’t need to be an expert on butterflies. You just need to give a few minutes in July or August to count butterflies near your house.

The count is coordinated by Butterfly Conservation, the UK’s biggest butterfly charity.

The count kicked off on Friday 17 July and runs until Sunday 9 August, to help scientists see what’s happening with some of our most common and much-loved butterflies.

The Big Butterfly Count asks people to spend just 15 minutes outdoors in a sunny spot, count the butterflies and day-flying moths they see, and submit their sightings via the free app or at www.bigbutterflycount.org.

This year’s Big Butterfly Count carries greater urgency than ever. In 2024, Butterfly Conservation declared a butterfly emergency after numbers fell to their lowest level in the survey’s history, and in 2025 the charity launched a rescue mission to help reverse long-term declines.

Around 80% of UK butterfly species have declined over the past 50 years, the result of habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use, and scientists need as many eyes as possible looking for butterflies this summer to see what’s happening. Every sighting counts.

The Peacock, Red Admiral and Holly Blue can all be recorded as part of Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, along with 17 other butterflies and day-flying moths.

How to take part
• Download the free Big Butterfly Count app or visit www.bigbutterflycount.org
• Between Friday 17 July - Sunday 9 August spend 15 minutes in any sunny outdoor space and count the number and types of butterflies and day-flying moths you see.
• You don’t need to be an expert - use the free ID guide on the app and website to help you identify what you’ve seen.
• Log your sightings on the website or free app and help protect UK butterflies for future generations

Be part of this nationwide survey and help take the pulse of nature. Butterfly declines reveal the poor health of the environment. We need your sightings.

14/06/2026

10/06/2026

Planning permission is being sought to build 252 homes on land to the north of Askew Road. Search DC/26/00269/FUL on the Gateshead Council website for more details.