Walbottle Village News

I have lived in walbottle village since 1989 moving into my grandparents family home, Bank Top House. This house and small holding has family history going back to 1890 when the house was built by the Duke of Northumberland to replace a cottage on the site.

As a child I spent most weekends staying with my grandparents Stella and Bob Mitchison helping out with the pigs on the small holding as well as visiting my Aunt Elsie Graham who lived on Percy Way. She worked for many years in the village post office both before and after the redevelopment of the village in the 1960s.

My Husband Nick and I really enjoy living in the village and I hope I can continue the great work previously done by Kim Rosie and Shirley.

My now good friend and neighbour Kim kicked off the WVTRA during COVID / maternity leave with the goal of bringing the community closer together and feeling like a safer and more beautiful place to live. Originally from the Midlands I relocated to the Walbottle almost 15 years ago after I met my husband. I work as a commercial manager in the rail industry. You may have seen me gardening and litter picking around the village trying to keep my two children entertained.

The most rewarding aspects of being involved in the WVTRA and volunteering have been the new friendships I’ve built, collaborating with different personality types, gaining new gardening skills and the feeling that I have made a difference, if only a small one.

Hello, I am Nick and I moved to Walbottle 20 years ago to join Lorraine. As a small child I lived in Newcastle but my family moved to Wiltshire in 1963. I came back to take up a consultant eye surgeon post in 1992 where I worked both at the RVI and also in Carlisle. I retired in 2022.

I am a trustee and the treasurer for the Walbottle Village Institute and a member of the village’s gardening group.

I now spend much of my time maintaining a large garden - some would say too large! - at the southern edge of the village.