A prison governor is to retire after a 40-year career in some of the North East's toughest jails.

Alex Tait, governor of Castington young offenders institution, has decided to call it a day after witnessing decades of changes in the region's prisons.

Mr Tait's career has seen him look after some of the country's most dangerous prisoners.

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.

Proud teachers at a Northumberland school were enjoying double celebrations yesterday after two separate sets of twins chalked up cracking exam results.

The sibling success stories were among the highlights at Morpeth's King Edward VI High School, as twin sisters Amy and Rebecca Gibbison and brothers David and Lee Redpath amassed an amazing 36 A* and A grades between them.

Rebecca, left, and Amy Gibbison

Amy and Rebecca achieved 19 A* and A grades, while David and Lee managed a total of 17.

A new look for Northumberland online is being fronted by TV presenter Wendy Gibson.

The BBC personality features in a video on Northumberland Tourism's relaunched website, offering potential visitors to the region a virtual tour of some of its highlights.

Among the sites explored from spectacular aerial views are Hadrian's Wall, Bamburgh Castle, Berwick, and Lindisfarne.

A major review of local government boundaries in Northumberland is entering its second phase.

The Boundary Committee for England has started a second round of public consultation on future arrangements for the county's new unitary council.

The main purpose of the review is to ensure "electoral equality" following the restructuring of local government last year.

The Northumberland Cricket Board have announced the winners of the 2009 Northumberland OSCAs.

The NatWest OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards) are aimed at recognising volunteers who give so much of their time to cricket.

The winners were corporate hospitality guests at Durham's Nat West Pro40 match against Hampshire on Sunday, where they were presented with their recognition certificates.

People in Northumberland are being urged to do their bit to maintain the beauty of the county's beaches.

The county has some of the most picturesque beaches in Britain.

But they can be spolit by litter which in turn can put wildlife at risk.

A fire crew averted a potential disaster when it was called in the early hours to housing trust accommodation.

A resident in the Dunlin Court sheltered scheme in Lynemouth, Northumberland, had fallen asleep while cooking a meal in his oven.

Firefighters from Ashington were called at around 1.30am after a fire alarm went off.

Another historic bird of prey hatching has taken place in Northumberland. The first confirmed breeding of marsh harriers in the county since the early 1880s occurred at Druridge Bay.

The four chicks fledged at Northumberland Wildlife Trust's East Chevington reserve, a remarkable turnaround on what was once an opencast mining site.

The marsh harrier success comes not long after the success with ospreys, who have bred in Northumberland for the first time in more than 200 years.

The governor of a North East young offenders' institution has hit back at a report that compared his jail to a "dungeon".

Alex Tait, pictured, governor of HMP and YOI Castington in Northumberland, reacted furiously to the findings of leading prison charity the Howard League for Penal Reform.

As reported in The Journal earlier this week, the charity raised concerns after seven inmates were found to have suffered broken wrists at the hands of staff.