The Blackthorn Wood pool team plays matches every Wednesday evening in the Welland Valley Pool League. For more information, contact George Barker on

07904 954040.

A local craft club for pre-school children, launching on Tuesday 20 April 2010.

‘Crafty Monkeys’ is a non-profit making venture organised and run by two local mums to allow young children the freedom and opportunity to express their creative ideas in a fun and safe environment. There will be at least six different activities including one main focus for each week and the children will be able to take home everything they make.

The club meets every Tuesday during term time, from 1.45pm to 2.45pm at Drayton Village Hall. The cost is £18 for a 6-week term, payable in advance, to include a drink and cake for each child. All children will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

 To book a place, please contact Nicola Gumbeer, Church Street, Cottingham on 770563, email nicolabond@tinyworld.co.uk 

New Cottingham FC plays in Division 1 of the Kettering Area Sunday League with home games currently taking place at West Glebe Park in Corby. Most of the team live in, or originate from, Cottingham and the lads are helping to revive a tradition of football in the village that stretches back at least 100 years. They are playing in the original Cottingham FC colours of yellow and green and are being generously sponsored by The Royal George. For more information, contact club secretary and treasurer Neil Jarman on 07708 323077 or visit their website at www.clubwebsite.co.uk/newcottinghamfc/

Football training is available on Tuesday evenings (5.30pm to 6.30pm) and Sunday afternoons (4pm to 5pm) on Cottingham Recreation Field for youngsters aged 5 to 9. The cost is £2 each per session, £1.50 for two children or £1 each for three. If you are interested in playing or helping out with the training, please contact Mark Steiner on 07731 385107. 

The Group is also looking to gather photographs of bygone days, recent pictures that show significant changes in the villages, old maps, books, plans or documents of interest and any artefacts relevant to the history of the villages.

If you can help, know of anyone no longer living in the village who may have useful information or would like to join the Group, please contact Del on 771353, Dryden on 770950 or Jane on 770821.

The Royal George Golf Society meets up on the first Saturday of every month to play competitions throughout the region.  If you’d like to join, contact Treasurer Norman Golding on 771081, mobile 07768 536344, email nrmgolding@ aol.com or pop into the Royal George and have a word with landlord Mass Farabella.

Have you ever fancied turning your hand to a bit of creative writing? Cottingham’s Rita Haas is looking for fellow aspiring writers who’d like to meet up, read out and discuss their own work at a regular group that will meet every other Tuesday between 10am and 12 noon. If you’ve got a story, an article or a poem just waiting to get onto paper, give Rita a call on 772338 and she’ll tell you more about it.

A 12 week course of free yoga classes starts up on September 9th at the Village Hall Annex on Thursday mornings (from 10am to 11am), funded by Corby Borough Council. All ages, abilities and new members are welcome. Just come along or, for more information, contact Sue Webster on 710603.

East Carlton Health Walking Group meets every Monday and Wednesday at 11am, outside East Carlton Park cafe*, to enjoy an hour’s walk, often across the Jurassic Way to Cottingham and Middleton. Led by trained walk leaders, beginners or enthusiasts are all welcome. The group is based on friendship and fun, as well as improving fitness levels, and ends with a chat over a cup of tea at the cafe. For more information, call Noel Rogers on 771837, email him at noelrogers@m3mra.freeserve.co.uk or simply turn up on the day.

*On the first Wednesday in the month, the group also 'walks away' to take in different scenery and distances, for example Foxton Locks and Fineshade Woods.