Jesmond Community Forum (JCF) have sold over 100 copies of their 2024 Jesmond Calendar since it went on sale on November 4th.

The calendar features 13 photos of Jesmond, and can be bought at Jesmond Library for £5. With Christmas around the corner, copies have been selling fast – only 180 copies were printed. 

The photos featured in the calendar were all taken by local residents as entries for the 2023 photographic competition organised by JCF and Friends of Jesmond Library. 

This year’s theme for the annual competition, which has been running since 2008, was ‘A different Jesmond’. Previous themes have included ‘A Year in Jesmond’ and ‘Jesmond through the seasons’.

Over 40 entries were judged by Jesmond luminaries Marjorie Dodds, David Houpt, Pat Hughes, Felicity Mendelson, Chris Sutcliffe, and Catherine Walker.

David Winham was the winner of 2023 competition, with his photograph titled ‘Noctilucent Clouds over Jesmond’, followed by Fiona Clarke, who was last year’s winner, and Nick Lambert in third place. There is also an under 16s category, but unfortunately there were no entries this year. 

Chris Clarke, a Trustee at JCF, told JesmondLocal what the calendar means to the Jesmond community: “I think that the calendar mainly appeals to people who have lived in Jesmond for some time, and some people send copies to friends who used to live around here, but have now moved elsewhere,” he said.

Clarke explained that the money raised by sales of the calendar mainly covers the costs of its production, and any excess funds go towards other JCF events and activities, such as the annual Jesmond Community Festival.

The theme for next year’s photographic competition has been exclusively revealed to JesmondLocal as ‘Jesmond People’, with entries expected to open in the spring and close in September 2024.