Haydon News

June 2000

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EDITORIAL

Charles Thomas, Chairman
The Friends of Haydon Bridge

EDITORIAL POLICY OF THE HAYDON NEWS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Sir

May I through the pages of your newsletter thank all those who made my recent visit to Haydon Bridge such a pleasant experience.

However, I must point out that my visit was marred by the activities of numerous young people whom I observed attempting to deface the War Memorial on Church Street.

What may I ask do they teach youngsters in school these days? They would appear to have no respect for the generation that went through the war years. Perhaps it is time that the older generation stood up and be counted.

Yours faithfully

EXCUSE ME MISTER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

When we lived much further south we had a huge aviary of tiny tropical birds – the aviary was large enough to contain small trees, bushes and shrubs. The birds we kept were seed eaters but when they had young in their nests they needed "live food" for the nestlings. A bucket of ripe fruit left in the aviary attracted lots of Fruit Flies and when in the aviary a smart kick to the bucket would cause a small cloud of these "delicacies" to fly up and be rapidly caught by the parent birds and duly delivered to the gaping beaks of their hungry young. Another source of "live food" much appreciated was ants eggs – and we would go "egging" for these armed with a few screw top jars and a couple of old spoons. We would hunt out ants nests in a nearby disused quarry – scooping up spoonfuls into the glass jars and getting well and truly bitten by the angry ants in the process. At home – a couple of times a day we would empty a small heap of these ants eggs onto the ground and they were rapidly fed to the young birds.

Quite often while collecting ants eggs, children would approach and say, "What are you doing Mister?" and we would explain at length. One day four children we had not met before watched from a distance and eventually came the inevitable question as to what we were doing and why.

My husband – who has an odd sense of humour said, "We are collecting ants eggs". "But what for?" they persisted. He replied, "Because we quite like them on toast for breakfast!"

The children ran off squealing, and I would love to have been a fly on the wall when they got home and were telling their parents about those people collecting ants eggs for breakfast!!

Thursday 22^nd June 2000

Riverside Project is progressing.

Britain in Bloom to be judged on Wednesday 12^th July.

Concern has been expressed at the recent increase in vandalism in the village which might be reduced were the Police to patrol on foot.

The next meeting of the By-Pass Committee (open to the public) will be held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 28^th June in the main hall of the Community Centre. Another traffic count is to be undertaken in the village later in the year. It has been recognised that the standard of roads in the North East is below that of other areas and it has been requested that money be made available to remedy this.

Community Partnership meeting held on Wednesday 14^th June. The Council urged the Partnership to scrutinise their expenditure in terms of best value for money.

Concern has been expressed that the District Council has less say in the allocation of what were previously Council Houses. Councillor Mitchell informed the Parish Council that previous arrangements for allocating accommodation were still in force and would be for a further two years.

Old Bridge Improvements. Students from the High School at present are involved in designing new centre panels for new railings on Ratcliffe Road and there are plans to floodlight the Bridge and Church in September for one trial evening to gain the public’s view.

The Army has been approached to repair the steps down to Spa Well.

A Children’s Play Areas Committee has been set up by Tynedale District Council to look at play provision in the area.

Some paving stones on Ratcliffe Road have been re-set and Road Link assert that the damage to pavements is caused by parked cars!

Proposal to move the directional sign from outside the Community Centre to the grassed area at the junction with Hordley Acres. Local residents will be consulted over this.

Letter received from Royal Mail with regard to re-siting the two existing post boxes in Langley Village. Views of Langley residents will be sought.

In response to an enquiry to the Rail Company as to why so few trains stop in Haydon Bridge, the Parish Council has been informed that the line through Haydon Bridge is a "high speed line" which does not allow for frequent stopping.

A letter of objection has been received from a local resident for the proposal to use all or part of the Rose Garden on Ratcliffe Road for car parking. Discussion followed on the lack of car parking facilities in the village and Councillors were asked to look around the village for areas suitable for car and coach parking. This will be discussed at the next HERS meeting which is to be held on Wednesday 19^th July.

There has been a request for the state of Public Rights of Way in Haydon Bridge Area to be checked.

The Parish Council’s attention has been drawn to the state of the road gutters in the Estate which require clearing of grass and weeds urgently.

DANCE CLUB NEWS

HISTORICAL NOTES OF HAYDON BRIDGE

Dennis Telford

Superintendent Stephenson, an Inspector under the ‘Food and Drugs Act’ visited Haydon Bridge on Friday 7th December 1877. The result was an appearance at Hexham Petty Court Sessions for three of our village’s Inn Keepers.

Anthony Hunter of the ‘General Havelock’ was first to be summoned. The Inspector had purchased two gills of Gin for which he was charged 2s /8d by Mrs Hunter the wife of the Inn Keeper, two gills of Whiskey and two gills of Rum. When the County Analyst found that the Gin was 43 under proof and the Whiskey and Rum each 32 under proof, Mr Hunter was quick to reply. He said that, "The Gin was deliberately weakened for the purpose of giving it to the calf which was ill in the byre behind the Inn. The bottle was replaced on a shelf in the bar-room without Mrs Hunter’s knowledge". It had not been intended for sale of course! As for the Whiskey and Rum. "They were last used in the Ale Marquee at Stagshaw Bank Fair and goodness knows who could have tampered with them there!", said Mr Hunter.

When the Inspector had purchased similar quantities of Rum, Brandy and Gin at the ‘Grey Bull’ on Church Street, (an Inn which was later to be re-named as the Railway Hotel) they were found to be 26, 45 and 29 under proof. Thomas Parker, the Inn Keeper, informed the Petty Sessions that his wife had served Superintendent Stephenson and, "The Rum was simply the rinsings of a Rum cask and the bottle was placed on the shelf without my wife’s knowledge". She wasn’t to know that there was no intention to sell it! Parker said that he couldn’t be held responsible for the Brandy as it was, "old stock left by the previous Inn Keeper", and "the Gin would still be fairly good stuff even at 29 under proof wouldn’t it!"

In 1877 the ‘Black Bull’ was on Ratcliffe Road. John Brown, the Inn Keeper, also had a visit from Superintendent Stephenson that day. Once again it was the lady of the house who served him with two gills from a ‘Grey Hen’ containing Whiskey. As he was leaving with the Whiskey Mrs Brown had the presence of mind to tell him that it was really for her husband’s use and therefore it was watered down to suit his taste. Not surprisingly then, the Whiskey turned out to be 54 under proof. There were two more bottles on the shelf but Mrs Brown insisted that they were not for sale and she wouldn’t allow the Inspector to take a sample.

At the Hexham Petty Sessions in December 1877 our Inn Keepers on the north side of the village were not short of an answer to the charges against them. The court wasn’t wholly convinced, however. Thomas Parker was fined £4 for the Rum, £2 for the Gin and £2 for the Brandy. John Brown was fined £3 for the Whiskey. Anthony Hunter was fined £3 for the Whiskey and the Rum but the case of the Gin which was "watered down to feed the ill calf" was dismissed. I have no knowledge of whether the calf recovered!

Betty slid the bolts back, opened one of the double doors and glanced cautiously left and right along Shaftoe Street. As I turned my collar against the cold north wind that was sure to greet me when I turned Todd’s Corner on to the Old Bridge, I heard the unmistakable sound of a glass, empty but for six slices of lemon, being banged three times on a table in the Resident’s Lounge and a voice which I recognised. "Am aa going te get another Whisky then? And mind aa don’t want water in it this time!"

The End.

Pull my nightie down when you’ve finished !!

Hi folks

‘Tis Mitch back on stream again using the title my daughter Angela intends to adopt for a book she has with her Publisher. She will not let me see the manuscript so I shall have to wait until it is published to find out what the title means. Angela has hinted that the book is about a real lass growing up in the 60’s and 70’s but she declines to give me any reassurance that some of her dad’s past is not revealed in the book. I await its publication with more than a passing interest. This follows the publication of her first book

Your First Great Dane
Paperback (March 2000)
Parapress; ISBN: 1898594678

Looking at the title one can be excused from thinking it might be a story about a guy from Denmark when it is, in fact, an account of the problems and joys of bringing up a huge dog in suburbia. Some of you may have seen Angela around the village a year or so ago with what looked like a small horse – well that was Hovis the star of the book – mind you I bet she doesn’t say that he was banned from High Brindles. He’s a lovely dog but froths a bit around the mouth – then when he shakes his head the stuffs sprays the kitchen walls and anyone in there, up to a height of two metres.

Some of you attentive readers will recall that last July I was talking to you about the House Martins and their love making activities in Heugh House Lane which resulted in a healthy flock of birds who, on schedule in September emigrated to their winter homes. Well folks, you’ll be pleased to know that they’re all safely back – have built their mud and spittle nests, done their courting and the rest of the business. Now ensconced in their homes on the front of our houses they’re sitting on eggs waiting for the infants to arrive. And so the life-cycle continues.

Sylvia eagerly awaits her third grand-child – eldest daughter Louise already has two and Denize expects to have hers in early July.

Sadly the year has been tragic as far as local deaths are concerned most of us have been effected one way or another – I will not list all of those no longer with us however, I would like to mention some of them whom I regularly met.

In last year’s July edition of the Haydon News I featured three Charltons, ‘Lang Bob’ Charlton, Robert Charlton and Charles Edmund Charlton.
Last year saw the departure from this life of Lang Bob – aged 97 years, Edmund Charlton’s wife Hilda (Holiday) died suddenly and sadly Robert Charlton died suddenly and unexpectedly, at the age of 90. Then of course the popular Alan White died recently – the Parish Church absolutely jam packed and overflowing with the hundreds of mourners who attended – I shall miss them all as will I the cheerful, always smiling face of Flo Ord who departed so suddenly this year.

It was in the June 1989 issue that the Haydon News carried a full page advert announcing the opening of Oddfellows Restaurant and Tearooms with Anna Coulson as proprietor. As readers well know I have visited Oddfellows frequently since coming back to the village in December 1991 – indeed it featured in many a tale through these columns during my editorship of your newsletter (Jan 1995 – July 1999). During my enforced second bachelor-hood 1994 -1996 Anna supplied me with most of my culinary requirements served by her always cheerful staff and in particular I recall Rachel Bradley and Chloe together with Jeannie, Claire and Joanne. The business closed in December last and Anna is looking at ventures new.
I understand that the premises will soon be opening, under new ownership, as an Indian take-aways. A lover of Indian cuisine I look forward to this and wonder if it will eventually become a restaurant – many people would like that although what the ancient order of Oddfellows would think of these developments I wouldn‘t dare ask.

At The Havelock the new owners of that popular Restaurant are Gary and Joanna Thompson who hail from the Coventry area. Having sampled both their Restaurant and Bar menus I can heartily recommend a visit. The Restaurant caters for those who like something special both in terms of service and food – you will need to book. On your first visit if you mention my name you may get a free drink. There again you may not !!!

A totally new venture is starting just along the road from the Oddfellows where Liz Jukes is setting as a practitioner in the art of the application of the Bowen Technique. You may not have heard of this form of therapy – let me explain.

The technique was developed by an Australian Thomas Bowen who died in 1982 aged 79 who claimed that by using small and gentle manipulation procedures the body’s own mechanisms for self healing could be induced to react and start a natural self healing procedure. It is claimed that various maladies can be treated using the Bowen Technique, the treatment is not massage but produces a similar sense of relaxation.

It is also important to point out that the Bowen Technique is not a substitute for Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Fascia Release, Lymphatic Massage nor any other such technique.

A couple of years ago I visited a Hexham Certified Practitioner of the Bowen Technique and was certainly relieved some of the problems I had at the time. I went on a personal recommendation of a number of people in the village who claimed similar relief. Should you wish to know more please contact Liz Jukes direct on 01434 688 851. Perhaps if you have any medical questions about the treatment I’m sure your Doctor will advise.

Talking of Doctors! - Do you remember the Aberdeen University research fellow Dr. Monika Strell who came down to see us for two months at the end of last year? She interviewed about 20 local families and met with a number of individuals as well as local organisations, Schools and Churches whilst carrying out an Ethnography of Three Rural Communities which was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Well folks Monika will be returning to the village in September to hold a feedback meeting where the research team will report back on their tentative research findings to establish whether these reflect local opinion and experience. The Team intend for the meeting to provide a useful forum for people to express their opinions on the policy recommendations arising from the report. The meeting is planned for Tuesday 26^th September, 7.00 – 9.00p.m. in the Methodist Centre – a crèche will be provided. Families participating in the study, and those on mailing list, will receive an invitation with full details and the event will be well publicised before the time. For further information Contact Dr. Strell on: 01224 274106, Fax: 01224 273902 email: m.strell@abdn.ac.uk

It is now a little over one year since David Smith and I were elected as Haydon Ward members of Tynedale District Council – for me it has been a personally rewarding time and not too strenuous and so far the bouquets outnumber the brickbats. I’ll try not to bore you in trying to explain some of the things going on.

Before doing so let me tell you a little tale that happened in a local hostelry in Church Street – The Railway Hotel. Tynedale Council meetings are mostly held in the evenings at about 6.30pm at Hexham. On the way home I pop into the Railway for a B&C. As I enter the bar JB usually shouts out "Here’s Cooncillor Mitch caallin for his broon envelope!" Riotous laughter from all around the bar follows. On this occasion JB sat down next to me and started bending my ear "aboot all that is wrang wi the Cooncil and aal them backhanders flying aroond" All in all JB is a good bloke and a bit of a comedian seen around with the hunting and horse racing fraternities. However like a prize stallion he must be reined in gently otherwise he’ll bolt.

We were nattering about things in general. A couple came into the bar and took the spare seats on the bench next to JB – when we’d finished the lady who’d been listening to our conversation, said in a loud voice

"It’s a lang time since ah seen ya Mitch canna say something?"
I replied: "Carry on Hinny"

To which she responded: "Yi knaa you wuddent a’ gottin in if Marion had still been heor!!"
Silence fell over the whole place, JB grinned as the Independent Cooncillor (me) responded:
"So ya voted Conservative then ?"
She thought for a minute before replying: "Whey naa.... aah voted fer yee!!"

Loud laughter followed. – I wonder if I’d get her vote if I stood in the County Elections next year?

A butt of fun poked at Councillors is the imaginary vast sums of money paid to them. I receive the basic allowance of £157.50 per month which is subject to the standard rate of tax leaving £122.96 per month net. This equates to less than £3 an hour. Mind you I’m not complaining – just answering the critics. The only other allowance received is a standard rate for petrol for attendance at Council meetings. This rate is an agreed figure covering petrol, insurance, depreciation etc. To some wags who have suggested I do it for free I say "Haddaway and divvent be s’daft"

Back into posh voice. Currently a Bill is going through Parliament which will result in Legislation forcing all Councils in England to change their structures and way of operating. Currently there is a clause allowing councils to retain their present method of working through Committees, however it is believed that this option will be removed before the Bill becomes Law.

The options are:
MAYOR & CABINET - The Executive comprises an elected Mayor and a Cabinet of between two and nine Councillors appointed by the Mayor who can choose a single Party Cabinet or a cabinet which reflects the political balance of the Council.

LEADER & CABINET -The Leader is appointed by full Council and can therefore be removed by the Council. The Full Council will decide whether to appoint the Cabinet itself or whether to allow the Leader to appoint his own Cabinet.

MAYOR & COUNCIL MANAGER - The Executive consists of a Mayor and Council Manager. The Full Council appoints the Council Manager who is responsible for appointing staff. The Mayor’s role is to give broad political guidance to the Council Manager.

OTHER OPTIONS - Under discussion in Parliament

A Political Structures Working Group has been set up in Tynedale to consider the issues and yours truly was pleased to be invited to be a member. It consists of Members from each political grouping ( Labour-2, Conservative-2, Liberal Democrat-2, Independent-2). Additionally the Chief Executive of Tynedale and appropriate senior staff. I understand that a public referendum is likely to be held to decide on which option Tynedale should choose. The Public will certainly be asked for their views and will be encouraged to participate. If you have any provisional questions regarding this please don’t hesitate to contact me on 01434 684 035. If I don’t know an answer I’ll certainly find out for you. However please remember the Bill has not yet been finalised by Parliament.

During the time I was Editor of the Haydon News I received many requests to take up a cause on their behalf and after satisfying myself that there was sufficient support and justification in the case would bring it up in the columns of the newsletter. Naturally the originators of the complaint were pleased about this and Mitch took the stick from the other side. During this time pro and anti Mitch factions developed in the village.

However on a number of occasions individuals used devious means to try and discredit me. Since becoming an elected member of Tynedale District Council the heat has become greater. Let me tell you a story.

Yesterday was Thursday 22^nd June and as usual it was a hectic day. I had risen about 5.00am, spent a few hours on the village archive before having breakfast at 8.30am. Sylvia’s car had developed a serious petrol leak and she had taken her car to Scudamores the day before to be told that the petrol tank had to be replaced and they would need to keep it for a few days to get new piece and carry out this expensive replacement.

After breakfast, Sylvia using the Vitara drove into village to collect her daughter Louise and Megan who are spending the morning with granddad Mitch and grandma. Ten minutes later they’re back. Now High Brindles is a smashing home, built for Margaret Hindle (now living in Cornwall) the well designed and constructed house was, I understand, built by a local team; Ernie Edwards, Basil Young and David Armstrong. For a lively child High Brindles is great as by leaving three doors open you can run noisily from the kitchen, through the hall into the lounge, through the dining area into the sitting room and back into the kitchen where granddad Mitch sits at the table. Alongside is Millie’s basket.

Millie starts barking as the mail van approaches. Sylvia goes and collects keeping the bitch at bay or she will have a go at the intruder on her patch. As ever, smiling and cheerful post-man hands over most of which is for Councillor Mitch. At the kitchen table I spend the next hour so reading and dealing with the correspondence.

Megan, enjoying the space in grandma’s house races around the High Brindles track – every time she passes Millie’s basket woof woof woof. About 11.30am read papers for 2.00pm Tynedale Meeting. Mid-day I came up to my study where I look up some genealogical information for two people who have written direct with queries, make a note of details to include in a later reply.

At 12.30pm into bathroom for shave, telephone rings – it’s for me – the Editor asking if paper and ink is here for Haydon News – return to shave. Two minutes later door bell rings – it is the delivery of paper and ink for the Haydon News. Finish shave, into shower – phone rings, it is Alistair Burrowes would like to collect a memory card for his camera to take more pictures for Archive 2000 – tell him to come straight up – finish shower and into dressing gown. Door bell rings and Alistair arrives, we go into study and upload another 100 pictures into archive. He leaves with empty memory card. Alistair is really a big help with the project and helps me enormously - thanks.

It is now 1.00pm. – Sylvia comes upstairs and helps me dress – she has made lunch and the four of us sit down to eat ten minutes later. At 1.30pm we’re on our way down to the village where we drop of Louise and Megan thence into Hexham – parking at the Old Grammar School at 1.57pm. Sylvia goes off to hairdressing appointment.

I enter building and take my place at table – room fills up and at 2.00pm the Political Structures Working Group start their work. Present at the meeting is The Chief Executive of Tynedale District Council, Head of Legal Services and six elected Councillors together with the Minutes clerk. After two hours of discussion and debate the meeting comes to an agreement on points discussed and the result will be distributed to staff and members for comment. We were finished at 4.00pm.

We arrived home just after 5.00pm and Sylvia started preparing dinner for two whilst I dug out the papers for a 7.30pm Parish Council Meeting.

After reading these and a letter from a Ratcliffe Road resident I carried out some more archiving, had dinner and headed for the Community Centre where Sadie Pickering and Bryan Bell had been stuck in the lift for about an hour, nine days earlier.

John Martin our famous painter was born at East Land Ends farm in 1789, his parents moved with the family over to the North Side soon after his birth. They lived in a thatched cottage on the very site that is now occupied by No. 30 immediately to west of the Community Centre. If John’s Dad Fenwick Martin was still alive today he may have suggested a bit of sword practice (he was a teacher of the art).

I entered the building from the North side just as Councillor David Smith was entering from the South. In the fine new hallway we had a word about a joint letter sent by us, as Tynedale Councillors, to the Community Association on 1^st June which had asked 21 questions. This took but a few seconds and we belatedly entered the meeting room where the meeting was already underway. Business was soon concluded and I was back home at just after nine.

At 10.00pm I popped down to the village for a thrashing at Pool and a nightcap – it had been a busy day.

After a single B&C I was sitting quietly in the corner sipping my Tonic Water listening to some people nearby talking about the golf at Slaley and what a fine day it had been. Loud voice comes from across the room - they had read the 21 question letter and did not approve. To emphasis the point the statement was repeated three decibels higher. I fled and was soon in bed wondering is it worth listening and responding other peoples’ view points. I was asleep within 30 seconds.

I have made two decisions.

1. I was not elected on to the Parish Council – no useful purpose will be gained by me remaining on it and I have resigned.

2. I was elected by 352 Haydon Ward voters to act as an Independent Tynedale Councillor until May 2003 – this I will continue to do and will use my best endeavours to continue to act for the benefit of the of the whole Community. This includes finding out exactly why the Community Centre rebuild could not be built within budget and why other work was ‘de-scoped’ to enable unspecified financial savings to be made. It should be noted that the Community Association is a Registered Charity and as such have to comply with more stringent controls than a private business.

If you have any views on this matter and wish to discuss please ring or fax me on 01 434 684 275 or pop a letter into the Post Office addressed to Mitch. Alternatively you may wish to have your letter published, if so address it to, The Editor, Haydon News  e-mail

Bye for now.

Mitch

CHANGING WORK-FAMILY CONFIGURATIONS:

AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF THREE RURAL COMMUNITIES

Many readers will recall our previous features on this interesting topic, which is a current research project being carried out by the Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research at the University of Aberdeen. It has involved research work in three different rural communities, two in Scotland plus ourselves in Haydon Bridge.

During March and April, fieldwork was carried out in the second Scottish community, which is the smallest of the three (population approx 600) and is located in Argyll and Bute, on the Kintyre peninsula.

The village is remote, about 2 hours’ drive from Oban and more than three hours from Glasgow. The nearest service and administrative centre is about 14 miles south. A bus links the village with this town, and with further bus services, including connections to Glasgow. Agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism were traditionally important areas of employment, but while fishing remains important, forestry has greatly diminished, and agriculture and tourism are going through difficult times. The village facilities are basic: Post Office, two groceries, newsagent, filling station, one hotel, two pubs, a Village Hall and a primary school. Formal day-care is provided by only one childminder in the village.

In this third community, interviews were conducted with 18 rural households as well as 6 community figures. There was interesting variation in the employment situations of the families. 14 of the 17 fathers in the sample were working full-time, 9 of them self-employed or running their own business. The number of self-employed fathers was particularly high because of the fishermen in the sample. The particular circumstances of their work (like, in many cases, absence during the week, income insecurity) have a great influence on their role as fathers and affect partners, children and family life in general. The employment situation of mothers shows a very different picture: of the 18 mothers, 4 were in full-time employment, 9 in part-time employment and 5 were full-time at home. Job opportunities for women in the area are scarce and most local jobs are part-time and/or seasonal. Public feed-back meetings in this village are planned for the autumn.

Transcription work from all the interviews in all three communities will shortly be finished – much dedication has been needed in coping with various local accents and tackling manifold background noises, ranging from barking dogs to humming bees. Analysis of the content of the interviews and other material collected is also proceeding. It is intended to hold public feed-back meetings in each of the three fieldwork communities in late September and October. At these meetings research findings will be reported – both generally and with regard to each case study area. It is hoped to learn whether the team’s tentative findings reflect local opinion and experience. The intention is for the meetings to provide a useful forum for people to express their opinions on the policy recommendations arising from the research. This approach will not only give people the chance to compare their situation and experiences with those of other rural communities, it will also be the first step in setting the scene for wider dissemination and community-based action and involvement. Families who have participated in the study and all those on the newsletter mailing list in each community will receive an invitation with details regarding time and venue of the meeting in due course and the event will also be publicised through local press and leaflets. The idea of feed-back meetings for special audiences (like health and education) bringing together representatives of the fieldwork areas is also being explored.

The team can be contacted at:

Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research,
University of Aberdeen, St Mary’s, Old Aberdeen,
AB24 3UF. Phone: 01224 274106; Fax: 01224 273902; e-mail: m.strell@abdn.ac.uk

Medical - Sorry no page this month