Coastal View issue 76

Free Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region Issue 76 January - February 2017

•• Now 26,200 copies monthly ••

Young Carers’ time to party

A

s most regular Coastal View readers will know, we raise money each year at our annual Community Awards’ Night for the Junction Foundation and in particular the Young Carers.

Last year’s event raised over £3000, money which will give Young Carers the chance to spend some quality time with their families.

Some of the money raised at last year’s event was put to great use when we organised a party which was recently held at Holey Molies in Skelton.

But this wasn’t just any party, as apart from the mountains of great food provided by Holey Molies, the Young Carers got to play on the extensive indoor golf course which was decorated in a Winter Wonderland style as well as a free of charge chance to win one or more amazing prizes, kindly donated by Cygnet Law, on the tombola.

To say the evening was magical is an understatement and it was great to see these inspirational young people, laughing and enjoying themselves.

Here are some of the things that the Young Carers and their family members told us on the night: “Without days like this we would be lost! It’s so important to us as a family to go out.”

“We have really enjoyed ourselves and it’s nice to see our daughter with her friends being a kid.”

“We have loved tonight. It’s good to come out as a family for once.”

“It’s awesome. I really like going on trips that I wouldn’t normally be able to go to because they cost loads of money.”

“Tonight’s been cool and I really like golf.”

The Junction Foundation, Young Carer’s coordinator Eileen Cowle said: “This event gave young carers and their families chance to spend quality time together as a family which is often difficult, due to complex health needs and family situations.

“It was great to see families enjoying themselves in an environment that was non judgemental and supportive of their needs. Holey Moley’s were great, they catered for individual needs, nothing was a problem for them and the food was fantastic! A great evening all round! Thank you to everyone who supported it.”

We think it’s pretty fair to say that the party was enjoyed by all and wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the generosity of our awards’ sponsors and the people who attended the Awards’ night, who all contributed to make this evening possible, and very special for these amazing young people and their families.

Owner of Holey Molies, Andy Oliver told Coastal View: “The pleasure was all ours to host the party. A fantastic and well deserved night for all the people involved in this amazing charity.”

It will be a night that they will remember for a long time and we would like to thank Andy and his staff at Holey Molies for helping to make it so enjoyable.

Online at www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk latest news, comment, get involved Find us on facebook,

2

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Welcome to Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76

S

o here we are again with our first newspaper of 2017 and as always it’s full of the news that matters from our local area!

Over the Christmas and New Year holiday period it was a great opportunity for us to have some rest, a good excuse for us to eat lots of chocolates and watch all of the Harry Potter films!

Because it is the first issue since Christmas, you will find articles sent to us by the local communities about the events they held over the festive period. We are most grateful for all our contributors because without them we wouldn’t be able to bring you such local news, so keep sending us your great stories from your area and remember we can only publish what we get so if you don’t let us know what’s happening then we can’t pass on your stories to our 65,000 readers!

Good news that we have already had the shortest day which means every day that goes by, now gets a little longer and it gets even better when we put the clocks forward at the end of March.

Up until now, the weather has been relatively kind to us with only a dusting of snow so far. However this is the most

difficult time of year for our old and vulnerable residents when temperatures can plummet to below freezing. If you have a neighbour who could be at risk, why not pop in to see them from time to time to make sure they are OK. It doesn’t take much time and your kindness costs nothing.

We have made a couple of changes for 2017, and from this month we will include a new feature column written by our very own Wayfarer, Ken Bibby who not only travels the world, but also reads a lot of books. Ken has agreed to write brief reviews of some of the books he has read over the years which we know some of our readers may find very useful. You will find Ken’s new column, called ‘The Reader’ on page 48.

You may also notice we have no readers’ letters page/s. The reason for this is due to space limitations and it’s sad when we have to hold over or not publish articles sent to us by readers, so by doing this means we can free up valuable space to be able to include them. If you want to make a point or have your say we would invite you to send us an article instead which we will consider along with all the rest. We must point out that articles are never guaranteed

to be published so please bear that in mind if you have at any time sent us anything which we did not include.

The size of the newspaper is determined by the amount of revenue we get from the advertising in it and we guarantee that editorial will always be at least 60% of the paper, ensuring you have lots to read. We would also like to point out that we receive NO form of funding and all costs must be covered by the advertising revenue. We are very lucky to have so many loyal advertisers who support us with every issue and for this we are most grateful.

Our front page story features an event which was completely funded by Coastal View supporters and which was made possible due to their generosity. So long as we continue to produce Coastal View, we will continue to raise money for our chosen charity, The Junction Foundation’s Young Carers. So we would like to say a massive thank you to all who support us in doing this.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue.

s l l o h ic N e v e t S & Lynne

Next issue available from March 8th 2017 Editorial and Advertising deadline for this issue - February 24th 2017 Coastal View & Moor News is published, produced and distributed by Genesis Media Promotions, 67 Guisborough Road, Moorsholm, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS12 3JA. Tel 01287 669418.

Printed by Trinty Mirror Printing Ltd Middlesbrough Copyright Genesis Media Promotions 2017

Genesis Media Promotions accepts no liability from any contract entered into with any advertiser. The publication of advertising in this newspaper does not imply any approval or recommendation

by Genesis Media Promotions of those goods and services advertised.

Any views stated in Coastal View & Moor News are not necessarily those of Genesis Media Promotions who remain impartial from and are not connected with any political parties and other organisations.

Layout & Design By

Stephen G Nicholls Photographic & Design Services

01287 669418 email: stevienicholls@yahoo.co.uk

Contacts 9am-5pm Monday - Friday

Have Your Say and General Editorial Steve & Lynne Nicholls 01287 669418 editor@coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk

Advertising Lynne Nicholls 01287 669418 advertising@coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk

www.coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk

This Month 26,200 copies Coastal View & Moor News is distributed to areas of:

Redcar, Marske, Saltburn, Guisborough, Brotton, Loftus, Carlin How, Skinningrove, Skelton, Easington, Lingdale, Stanghow, Boosbeck, Margrove Park, Charltons, Moorsholm, Liverton Mines, Liverton Village, New Marske, Kirkleatham, Wilton Village, Upleatham, Dunsdale, Yearby, Ugthorpe, Danby, Staithes as well as libraries, and various other outlets.

Coastal View & Moor News Outlets

If you do not get Coastal View delivered to your door you can pick it up at any of the following outlets:Redcar The Community Heart The Hub Parker Stag, Queen St McColls Laburnum Rd Savers, High Street Seabreeze, Coatham Clock Gallery Aldi West Dyke Rd Anna Turley Office Milbank Terrace UK Dry Cleaners WestTerrace Dormanstown Westfield Farm Furniture4You Premier Store Saltburn Destinations Wellbeing Centre Guisborough Sunnyfield House Belmont House Feed Em, Morgan Drive Guisborough Pool Easington Farm direct Staithes Co-op

Carlin How Cuts

Brotton Cleveland Country Store Marske Longbeck Nurseries New Marske McColls New Marske Pharmacy Gleneagles Centre Skelton Civic Hall Bhive reception Devaney’s,High St Skelton Mill Skinningrove KasKane Cafe Danby Health Food Shop Public Libraries Skelton Guisborough Loftus Redcar Marske Saltburn Dormanstown Laburnum Rd Ormesby Roseberry

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Conservatives pick Tees Mayor Candidate

C

llr Ben Houchen, a local business owner and solicitor, has been selected as the Conservative Party’s candidate for the mayor of Tees Valley.

Ben, 30, who leads the Conservative group on Stockton Borough Council, was selected after impressing a meeting of party members from across Tees Valley with his plans for “change where it’s needed and continuity where it works”.

A Teesside man, he attended Conyers School in Yarm before studying law and Northumbria University. He is married to Rachel, a secondary school teacher.

He was elected to represent Yarm and Kirklevington on Stockton Council in 2011 and again in 2015, contested the Middlesbrough parliamentary constituency in the by-election that followed the death of Sir Stuart Bell, and stood as a candidate in the 2014 elections to the European Parliament.

Ben said: “This election will put Tees Valley at the centre of the action as one of only four Northern Powerhouse devolved areas, and the only one with a Mayor-led Development Corporation.

As Mayor I will pursue a simple political strategy of continuity where it works, change where it is needed. The impressive Tees Valley Strategic plan and the early work being undertaken by the shadow South Tees Development Corporation provide an excellent starting point. The plan places business growth as its number one priority. Given that I run a growing business that relies on Tees Port to connect with the world I agree that we need more new businesses and our existing businesses need to become larger and more successful.

“The Mayor will be taking office at a time of great opportunity for the area. Unemployment is falling, the number of new businesses is rising and big new projects such as Peak Minerals and Sirius are investing in the area. The new arrangements will mean the Mayor can veto expensive or unworkable proposals and the Mayor’s ideas can only be passed if a majority of the council leaders agree. Having sensible people from both parties on the new Combined Authority will force local politicians into a formidable consensus. That consensus will only be possible with a Conservative Mayor, electing Labour will mean Tees Valley becomes a one party state. As a Conservative Mayor I will also provide a critical brake on costs, preventing the Combined Authority growing into an expensive and cumbersome bureaucracy.”

Caption: “Cllr Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayoral Candidate.”

Tributes paid to Councillor Chris Abbott, Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland

T

ributes have been paid to the Deputy Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Councillor Chris Abbott, who sadly passed away on Saturday 7 January, 2017.

Chris had served as a councillor in Redcar and Cleveland for 30 years, elected in 1987 to represent the Newcomen ward.

He was a Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration between 2003 and 2007, and became Deputy Mayor in 2016.

Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Barry Hunt, said: “Chris was a close colleague and a welcome support as Deputy Mayor. I was shocked and saddened to hear about his death at the weekend, and my sincerest condolences go out to his family and friends.”

Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Councillor Sue Jeffrey, said: “I worked with Chris for a long time and he had many years of experience in local politics. He will be remembered for his passion and his strong principles, and will be missed

by everyone at the council.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Josh Mason, said: “Chris was a bastion of local democracy and a lifelong liberal, whose knowledge, passion and dedicated community work have been an inspiration to us all. Redcar & Cleveland Council will be a lesser place without his principled values, commitment and tireless efforts for local people.

“I offer sincere condolences to Chris’s family and to all who knew him, as we mourn together, the loss of a dear friend.”

Chief Executive of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Amanda Skelton, said: “This tragic news has come as a huge shock to all the staff, particularly those who worked closely with Chris. Our thoughts and sympathy are with his family and friends at this very sad time.”

Chris leaves three children and six grandchildren.

3

Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Sue Jeffrey selected as Labour Candidate for Tees Valley Mayor

L

eader of Redcar and Cleveland Council Sue Jeffrey has been selected by Labour Party Members from the five Tees Valley Boroughs to stand for Labour in the Mayoral Elections to be held on 4 May 2017.

Sue who is currently Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council told Coastal View: “I wouldn’t move from being Leader of the Council to this job if I didn’t feel there were going to be real benefits for the people of Redcar and Cleveland.”

Speaking after the selection meeting Sue said: “I believe for the first time we have the opportunity to take back control of our own economic destiny, and lead our own economy.

“We know more than most what happens when those without our interests at heart are able to abandon us. Now we have to come together and rebuild our power, our pride and our passion.”

Under devolution Redcar and Cleveland will come together with the other four Boroughs, Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool to work with a new mayor on transport, jobs and growth.

Sue wants the mayor’s office to be a strong voice for the area challenging London based policies that are bad for the Tees Valley.

She said: “As Mayor of Tees Valley I will be a new voice, to speak out, to challenge, and to deliver real change. That is change that has to come from plans made by people here in the Tees Valley.”

Top amongst her priorities will be job creation and a campaign for an end to shamefully low wages.

Alongside this is a promise for a new deal for

transport - roads, rails and buses - that’s so badly needed in Redcar and Cleveland.

The mayor’s office would also ensure the best education and training in the skills is available so that local people are able to get and keep local jobs.

Already Sue, has worked with the Tees Valley’s other four council leaders to set out a plan for a £2.8bn economic boost to the region over the next ten years.

“Turning around our economy after years of neglect will not be easy,” Sue said. “We need to stand together as one to make the best of our economy to benefit us all.

“We have to continue to fight for more say over our own destiny, and make sure not only that the Tees Valley makes the best of the current devolution offer, but that we are fighting for more and refusing to settle for less.”

4

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

5

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Skelton Heritage Project starts a big year of action

Lighting up Skinningrove Jetty

T

By John Roberts

he jetty at Skinningrove was built in the 1880s to transport goods by ship from the ironworks on the clifftop above.

By the late 1930s road and rail transport had removed any significant need for its use. During its life the jetty has been hit by vessels and, in World War Two, attempts were made to disable it in order to prevent enemy invasion. This resilient structure has withstood tides and extreme weather but its condition eventually deteriorated until it became unsafe. Fortunately, resources became available in recent years to restore the jetty to a safe condition as part of coastal protection work.

The jetty is now safe for walkers to use and it has been enhanced by the installation of benches and lighting; the path between the village and the jetty also has lighting now. Walkers on the

A

s the New Year begins, 2017 will see big changes coming to Skelton High Street. This work has been made possible

by National Lottery players with a £952,200 grant from HLF Led by Skelton Villages Civic Pride and aided by our Partners Redcar & Cleveland Council, Tees Valley Rural Community Council and of course the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Skelton Townscape Heritage Project will enter its first year of major works in the village.

Councillor Dale Quigley, Cabinet Member for Economic Growth on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “These are exciting plans for what is an excellent project led by our friends at Skelton Villages Civic Pride. I’m sure these improvements will have a strong, positive impact for the whole town.”

Just prior to last Christmas, the Project completed the appointment of its professional design team. Landscape Design Architects Southern Green and Architects Harris Irwin, who worked on the development ideas for the Project in 2015 have re-joined the Team to help with Project delivery. They are joined by Identity Consult, a Sunderland-based firm of cost consultants with considerable experience in the sort of work to be done in Skelton.

Southern Green have now developed detailed proposals for the High Street, including paving, planting and new street furniture. New landscaping schemes are proposed for sites

at either end of the High Street, including one that will incorporate a mosaic to commemorate Skelton’s history. The landscaping at the foot of The Hills will involve the removal of the BT Payphone box. Any comments on this aspect of the proposals can be made at the Project Office, 97, High Street, where all of the plans for the High Street can be viewed.

These proposals will be going out to Tender in February. Work is planned to start in May 2017 with completion set for the end of July 2017.

The first phase of Shopfront improvements will be carried out later this year. Internal surveys of all the first phase shops will be carried out shortly to assist in preparing planning applications. The work will be tendered in early summer and the building work started in late summer 2017.

Part of the Project involves the investigation of the site of a medieval settlement on the edge of Skelton. Last Autumn, we carried out a geophysical survey of the site. A workshop and public event to describe the findings will be held in March. The next stage will be an earthworks survey to be carried out in late spring this year. Local people will be encouraged to volunteer to get involved with the archaeological investigations.

All of the details of the Project can be found on the new Website at https:// skeltontownscapeheritage.org.uk/

Cleveland Way and North Sea Trail can enjoy fresh views of the coastline from the jetty, with Cattersty Sands to the west and towering cliffs towards Boulby. Councillor Barry Hunt, Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council says: “Skinningrove Jetty is a very significant part of the area’s history and heritage. It’s certainly a unique feature along our coast and probably much further afield as well.

“Support from The Environment Agency, Coastal Communities Fund and the borough council has secured it for safe use and I’m pleased to see local residents and visitors making use of this iconic structure. It’s a dream of mine to one day see recreational use of the jetty include boat trips stopping here so more visitors can explore the local area.” ●● Pictures by John Roberts

come along

& TRY...

The workout that tones the whole body!

• Burns 46% more calories than ordinary walking

• Easy on the knees and joints

• Increase your energy levels

• Great for neck, shoulder and back problems

• Tone up and lose weight

• Sociable, safe outdoor exercise

• Suitable for all levels

Call for more details on

07774 844921 www.SmilliesNordicWalks.co.uk

6

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

O

Boosbeck

Community Centre needs you

B

oosbeck Community Centre is looking for committed, enthusiastic people to take on the responsibility of all aspects of the running of this community building in order to secure its future.

The current committee, who have a combined age of 379 years, will soon be stepping down, however, without new volunteers from the community coming forward to take over the running of the centre this could mean the doors of this valuable community resource could close for good.

Use it or lose it

The community centre first opened its doors in 1983 as a direct result of the hard work and effort of Boosbeck residents. Initial funds were raised through carnivals, coffee mornings and other activities, which evidenced the enthusiasm of the village to have their own community centre.

Lottery funding for the refurbishment of the building

was secured, and in 2003 the centre was closed temporarily whist the building work was undertaken to update the facility and comply with health and safety and disability regulations. The centre was re-opened in 2004 by Reverend John Wheatman, the vicar of St Aidan’s church at that time, who also helped to obtain the Lottery funding to secure the future of the building for future generations.

We now urgently require committed, enthusiastic people to carry on running the community centre and all associated activities, events and finances.

This is your community centre and a new committee must be found to keep it open.

If you would like to play your part in keeping Boosbeck Community Centre open and would like to discuss this further please contact Mrs Kath Jackson on 01287 654218 by Saturday 25th February to register your interest.

Loftus Church affiliates to the Royal School of Church Music!

n Sunday 15th January 2017, members of Saint Leonard’s Parish Church Loftus celebrated the great news, that Loftus Parish is now an affiliated member of the Royal School of Church Music - the RSCM! Formal affiliation with the RSCM comes within four months of the arrival of Mr Richard Bendelow as our Director of Music and within three months of the reestablishment of a new choir at Saint Leonard’s Parish Church Loftus.

The creation of of a new choir in Loftus, during the autumn of 2016, marked the historic return of a church choir to Loftus Parish for the first since 1969, when the previous church choir was disbanded!

Father Adam Gaunt, Rector of Loftus said: “I am delighted that we are now formally affiliated to the RSCM. This is yet another step in our journey to building-up the gift of church music here in

East Cleveland. As a parish, we now recommit ourselves to making the best use of music in the service and worship of Almighty God.” As an affiliated parish, choir members will now be able to make full use of the excellent resources and training made available to church choirs by the Royal School of Church Music.

Saint Leonard’s Parish Church Choir is still recruiting children from across the local area.

If any children are interested in joining the new Church Choir, please can their parents or guardians contact Mr Richard Bendelow on 01287 634429 alternatively, simply attend one of our regular Sunday Morning Services, 10:30am at Saint Leonard’s Parish Church Loftus, and make yourselves known to the Director of Music and/ or to the Rector at the end of the service.

Further information about the RSCM can be found here https://www.rscm.com

7

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

M

‘FRED’ festively spruce up Coatham Dunes

embers of Friends of Redcar (FRED) joined forces with RCBC Countryside Rangers and residents on a beautiful Sunday, January morning to begin “The Coatham Dunes Restoration Project”, an initiative to conserve and protect the dunes at Coatham.

They requested Christmas Trees to be left at the entrance of Majuba beach to use on the dunes and were not disappointed. Over 200 trees were dropped off and FRED had a lot of work to get on with.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Councillor Carl Quartermain and Chairman of FRED said: “The Coatham dunes directly in front of the caravan park suffer from a number of issues that leave them barren and exposed particularly because they were artificially created as an extension to the original dunes. The denuded dunes at this point are so depleted that their underbelly is exposed revealing the dangerous jagged and broken masonry used to create them.

“Natural ecological depletion and steep inclines coupled with anti-social behaviour through the use of quad bikes and off road motorbikes, littering, smashed glass, substance abuse and dog fouling mean that this area is unappealing, unsafe, difficult to navigate and prevent seeding grasses and wildlife from colonising.”

The call to ‘Save the Dunes’ has been voiced

by FRED over the past few years when concerns were first raised by a member of the public about their depletion, the anti-social behaviour and their general poor condition. This, while the voluntary community group worked on a project to remove hundreds of tonnes of rubble from Redcar beach left by contractors working on the sea wall defences project.

FRED vowed to raise awareness and did so beginning with a friendly protest against the lack of care, followed by a huge clean up involving volunteers, RCBC, Countryside Rangers and Environmental Group members. This current initiative is the next step in their aim to create an attraction and safe place for residents and visitors to explore.

Carl went on to say: “The use of Christmas trees to build up coastal dunes is not unique and is used successfully elsewhere around the world.

The trees are dug in deep and act as a sand trap in high winds to naturally bulk up the size of the dunes. Repeating this process over time will hopefully be effective. They also protect barren areas allowing those seeding Lyme and Marram grasses a better chance to establish.”

He added: “We wrote a blog on this in 2014 which we sent to the council, Environment Agency and various other Environmental groups.

We have tried to set up meetings with various interested parties with little success. When a local resident contacted us recently this year and shared this same idea, it prompted us to stop waiting for action but to get on with it ourselves.

So at short notice after this year’s festivities we engaged with residents to see what interest there was. It was immense.

“Through Facebook and Twitter, local media and radio, residents were requested to bring their Christmas trees to the Majuba entrance.

Our Facebook post alone was shared around 800 times and viewed by almost 80,000 followers.

The result saw over 200 trees delivered to the drop off point and many positive comments.

“As work began, trees were still being dropped off and curious residents and visitors stopped to ask questions and offered praise to the volunteers.

One lady came back with a box of chocolate biscuits in way of thanks.

“Recently we planted around one hundred trees so thank you to everyone who brought theirs to be recycled and of course huge praise goes to all those residents and Countryside Rangers who came out to get these trees in the ground.

We even managed a litter pick while handballing the trees onto the beach. A great job by all and over the coming fortnight the remaining trees will also be planted.”

The Coatham Dunes Restoration Project will be an ongoing concern for FRED who will look to continue this initiative annually whilst looking at a variety of ways to grow this project, all whilst ensuring the dunes remain accessible and are increasingly enjoyed by all.

A New Year Message

Dear Friends, I want to share with you just how very proud I am of Friends of Redcar (FRED), an eclectic mix of Redcar residents of all ages and from all walks of life, volunteering to improve their home town.

I’m writing this in reflection that while our children, teenagers, adults, parents and pensioners were volunteering on the dunes recently, a lady spotted us working away, she went home and came back with a box of biscuits for us all to share as a small token to say “thank you”. This simple gesture moved me and demonstrated to me that we are all together in this, wanting good things for our town. It’s acts of kindness, over and beyond what we’re doing in FRED, that lifts the spirit and reinforces purpose wherever that may be and that this unspoken, simple yet very strong support happens daily and means a lot to the receiver. Those actions fuel the desire to keep going and says, you’re appreciated and thought of. Thank you for the biscuits whoever you are and to all the well wishers for affirming our actions as meaningful.

Over 250 residents and business owners have

directly contributed to FREDs projects. Many more have indirectly helped us by sharing, supporting, offering contributions and passing on positive messages. I thank you all, past and present contributors. Without you there is no action. With FRED there is no expectation or pressure, come one come all, come once come always it’s entirely down to you. Turn up at any event at anytime, share a post, spread the word, request assistance within your own community group, help with contributions, initiate a project, share an idea, pass on a kind word. We are all FRED when we’re working to improve the appearance and perception of Redcar. We are you and you are us. When I speak of pride over FRED I am speaking about you. Keep 2017

Personal Injury Specialists

Guisborough Tool Hire Seasonal Specials

Rotovator Turf Cutter 8” Floor Sander Wacker Compaction Plate 1/2 Bag Mixer - Electric 15% Discount Breaker with this voucher 14x4x4 Tower

To Book Tel: 01287 636007 Open 9.00 - 12.00 Mon - Sat

Guisborough Tool Hire & Trophy Centre 231 Westgate, Guisborough,TS14 6NJ

positive and it will rub off. Start your own initiative and give us a shout. Look around you and remember - simple gestures, kind words make a huge difference to anyone’s struggle.

Thank you again, please do keep sharing our posts and I hope to see you on the beach or around the town sometime this year. Cheers Carl Quartermain FRED Chairman

01642 252 828 www.macks.co.uk

8

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Feel good fundraising!

Campus joins forces to support the community

● The Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland talks to Huntcliff’s REACH Project students; celebrating recent community work and shoeboxes they had collected for homeless people at Coatham House

S

● Saltburn Primary School LSA, Julie Rayson (right) delivers sacks of Christmas presents and donations to homeless charity, Bridge House Mission

altburn Primary School and Huntcliff School collaborated last term to help people most in need.

Both schools, on Saltburn Learning Campus, donated a variety of essential resources and took part in fundraising activities to support members of the local community, especially at a time so significant as the festive season.

Whilst celebrating Huntcliff’s community work as part of its new REACH Project (Respect, Educate & Act for Community Hope), the Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland, Councillor Barry Hunt, spoke to students on 14th December about his Christmas Sleep Out, which he did in Redcar in the holidays to support both a homeless charity, Coatham House, and Earthbeat – a theatre group for adults with learning disabilities. Manager of Coatham House Breda Collins and former residents also spoke to students.

Over the course of several weeks, students

had filled shoe boxes with gifts, toiletries and clothing, which they presented to the Mayor on the day.

Sarah Smith, Technology Teacher and REACH Project founder, was moved by the level of student engagement, which she said was “testament to the huge amount of compassion, experience and creativity within the school”. The group meets regularly and is currently spending time planning this term’s work.

The Project also supported senior citizens in the area by hosting a Christmas party involving games, performances and homemade refreshments. In addition, it also promoted the campus’s joint campaign to support the local area Food Bank. As part of this, pupils from Saltburn Primary school led a Christmas Jumper & Hat Day to raise money for the food bank, and funds raised also supported Zoe’s Place baby hospice.

Huntcliff supported Save the Children on

the last day of term in a festive themed nonuniform day.

Saltburn Primary Learning Support Assistant Julia Rayson led a drive for donations to a Stockton-based homeless charity, Bridge House Mission, and on 23rd December took time to deliver eight sacks of presents, a cake decorated by fellow LSA Ruby Temple, a Christmas tree and gifts for the staff. Julia said that school children and their families have been so kind and generous in their donations, as well as willing to get involved in other activities. Amy Barton, Year 4 teacher, and her ‘Rota Kids’ – a group of pupils who carry out charity work and link with Saltburn Rotary Club - also contributed.

The estimated total, including presents, was close to £1,000.

Thank you to everyone who took part in fundraising at the end of the year, including those who supported the campus’s PTFA Christmas Fair on 25th November.

Attention All Glasses Wearers: Do You Wear Glasses 7 Days A Week? If yes you need to read this…

Special Free Report on a Revolutionary Glasses Solution What you will discover: 1) What ‘normal’ glasses can do to your nose over 2 years 2) A special frame that can suit anyone 3) The scary truth about “designer” glasses that will shock you 4) How you can easily be judged by the glasses you wear 5) The unique glasses system that will amaze you 6) One pair of glasses that can last you a lifetime My name is John Prouse. I am the Optician and Owner of Loftus Optical. In my special report I candidly reveal all about a revolutionary glasses solution.

To get my report simply call 01287 550550 and listen to the recorded message for the instructions on how to get the report for free OR: Visit: www.2grams.co.uk (2 grams is how much these new glasses weigh - the same as just 2 paper clips) (this is where you can watch my before and after video on what glasses can do to your appearance!)

Testimonials:

BRING THIS VOUCHER & receive:

Jean & Ken French, Normanby – “My husband and I both used Loftus Optical for the first time and found the service was excellent by all members of staff. Our eye examination was fully explained by John and the help we received by the girls in choosing the correct frames was super. We highly recommend Loftus Optical”.

1) FREE retinal photograph & MPOD scan - a special scan for macular degeneration - the most common cause of blindness in the UK for people aged over 55 (worth £30)

Sarah Wilson, Staithes – “After many years in the corporate wilderness I am delighted to find a proper optician once more. Even better than my old optician. I cannot recommend Loftus Optical highly enough”.

Jean Yardy, Loftus – “Yes, I would recommend John Prouse to anyone. My new specs are spot on!”

Dorthy Pell, Skelton - “I have now had two eye examinations by Mr Prouse, which were thorough and not hurried. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. I would have no hesitation in recommending Loftus Optical to anyone.”

2) FREE eyewear styling consultation (worth £37) to find your perfect glasses.

We have the biggest collection of Rimless Lindberg glasses in the North East!

Offer ends 30/09/2016 28/02/2017 Offer

Call 01287 644211 Loftus Optical, 24 Zetland Road, Loftus, TS13 4PW Free parking on Westfield Terrace and South View car park off North Road. See map on my website: www.loftusoptical.co.uk/contactus www.loftusopticl.co.uk/contactus

For more information or to book your eye test call: 01287 644211

9

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Mobile library under threat: another East Cleveland service in jeopardy!

Have your say on the council’s plans for the library service

R

edcar & Cleveland Borough Council has launched a consultation exercise for its proposed changes to the library service.

It wants to find out what library users think about proposals to change some of the libraries’ opening hours, to modernise certain branches with self-service machines, to relocate two of the libraries, and to stop the mobile service.

The proposals would see none of the council’s 13 libraries close and more of them would have customer information and access to services in the future.

Residents can get involved by completing the survey online on the council’s consultation webpage at www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/haveyoursay.

The council will also be hosting drop-in sessions in the below library branches:

R

edcar & Cleveland’s Labour cabinet has recommended that the mobile library service, to residents and schools, be discontinued as part of the latest council cutbacks.

The final decision will be taken by the Full Council in March.

The mobile library serves 35 locations, on a two-week rotation, and receives approximately 600 visits a week. Its main purpose is to provide library and customer access services to those in isolated communities who find it difficult to visit normal libraries.

Councillor Steve Kay, who represents Lockwood ward, in East Cleveland, said: “There is no way I am voting for this draconian proposal.

Other than the mobile library, there are no library services in my ward. Again, the countryside suffers, with the urban areas hardly feeling the pain!

“In order to keep its traditional libraries open, the Labour leadership is willing to wipe out the mobile library service altogether. This would be a blow to the villagers of East Cleveland, who rely heavily on the service; not to mention the village primary schools which take advantage of the mobile library’s regular visits. The Authority is in danger of shooting itself in the foot because, in many ways, the mobile library is a flagship for the Council in the villages.

“The Council claims that the mobile library duplicates the service provided by the traditional libraries, but this is just not true. Villages like Lingdale, Moorsholm, Boosbeck, Margrove Park, Liverton, Skinningrove, Carlin How and Easington have no nearby alternative.

Furthermore, not everybody can drive a car and, in villages like Moorsholm, bus services are extremely infrequent.

“It is a case of taking away the last vestige of council support from villages, already starved of council services. As well as being a book-

borrowing service, the mobile library provides a link to other council amenities and is a valued social hub. It is simply not fair that, even after the proposed cutbacks, Redcar will continue to have four traditional libraries, but the small East Cleveland villages will have nothing! It is yet another case of Labour favouring the urban areas, at the expense of the rural communities.

“The Council claims to promote life-long learning for all its residents. Is it now to deprive villagers of all ages of this vital educational facility?”

Moorsholm resident Sue Jacques said: “I am a big reader and visit the mobile library almost every time it comes to Moorsholm. Everything that goes on in the village is organised by the people. I think the Council has forgotten we exist. The plan to cut the mobile library is the last straw. As well as the books, it was just nice to visit and have a chat with the other users and staff. I am not a driver and there are hardly any convenient buses visiting Moorsholm. I just hope someone is listening and the mobile library will be spared.”

“I would urge mobile library users to contact their councillors so that this element of the budget proposals can be voted down, irrespective of the opinion of the Labour cabinet. Residents can find their councillors’ details on Redcar & Cleveland Council’s website,” added Councillor Kay. We urge you to have your say on the council’s plans for the library service and you can find full details on this page.

When asked about the future of the mobile library service Councillor Alec Brown, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, told Coastal View: “If the proposals go through full council all users of the mobile library will be given alternatives, such as catalogues or even Kindles! It’s very important that these people are serviced.”

Location

Date

Time

Loftus Library Roseberry Square Library Brotton Library Dormanstown Library Laburnum Library

Thursday 26 January 2017

2pm to 4pm

Tuesday 31 January 2017

2pm to 4pm

Thursday 2 February 2017

2pm to 4pm

Tuesday 7 February 2017

2pm to 4pm

Friday 10 February 2017

2pm to 4pm

Marske Library

Tuesday 14 February 2017

2pm to 4pm

Saltburn Library

Thursday 16 February 2017

2pm to 4pm

The consultation will end on Monday 10 April 2017.

Councillor Alec Brown, cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “The council needs to find £25.6 million of cuts by 2020, £400,000 of which we are proposing to come from Library and Customer Engagement Services.

“Our proposals are to keep 13 building-based libraries open and we want to reassure mobile library users that we will work closely with them to ensure that they have access to our library service.

“We understand how important libraries are to each and every community and the utmost thought has been put into minimising the impact on the library service due to ongoing central government cuts.

“Before any decisions are taken, it is important that library users have the opportunity to give their views, so please attend one of the sessions or fill in the survey online.”

10

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

An NHS silver

Pioneering drug shrinks lung cancer six years after diagnosis

●● Dr Talal Mansy and patient Sylvia Lewis at The James Cook University Hospital

W

hen Sylvia Lewis wakes up on a morning she no longer thinks ‘I have cancer’.

The Brotton grandmother has been battling lung cancer for more than six years, but recently discovered a renewed sense of energy after experts at The James Cook University Hospital introduced her to a new pioneering drug.

Sylvia, 78, has never been a smoker so was shocked when she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010 after becoming increasingly breathless.

Because of the way the cancer was developing Sylvia was deemed suitable to receive a tabletbased treatment. These tablets have often proven more effective than chemotherapy in such cases, but can eventually stop working.

Luckily for Sylvia she was able to start taking a new drug called Osimertinib in June last year – four months before it was

approved for general NHS use.

Consultant oncologist Dr Talal Mansy sought special permission to provide the drug through an expanded access programme and the results have been very encouraging.

After the first week a CT scan revealed that the cancer was shrinking and a recent scan in January shows it has reduced even further still.

But Sylvia doesn’t need a scan to tell her the treatment is working as she feels better than she has for years!

“I feel over the moon,” she said. “We just can’t believe it!

“I have more energy now so I don’t necessarily need an afternoon nap every day.

“I don’t wake up on a morning and think ‘I have cancer’.

“I have received the best available treatment under the watchful eye of Dr Mansy, for which I am eternally grateful.”

Husband Alan said: “Six years ago there is no way we would have expected to be sat here now benefiting from this new drug. It is fantastic.”

Dr Mansy added: “Sylvia is probably my longest surviving lung cancer patient so it is great to see her benefitting from this exciting new treatment. For more details contact the Communication and Engagement Team 01642 854343 “At James Cook, we strive hard to get patients the most effective and newest treatments wherever possible.

“We have also expressed interest in more lung cancer clinical trials in the hope that this year we can do better still.

“The treatment landscape for lung cancer is rapidly changing but hopefully patients will do better than ever.”

O

By Councillor David Walsh

ver the coming weeks, the time of coughs and sneezes (and worse) a lot of readers of Coastal View are likely to be making their way to their local GP surgery, or if they are unlucky, a visit as a patient to one of our local hospitals.

When they do, it’s possible that amongst all the info leaflets on the tables will be a new one extolling what is called the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for the local NHS and which - in a series of colourful graphics will be trying to convince us that this is to be the new shape of local health services up to, and beyond, 2020 So are these STP’s the silver bullet for the NHS in 2017?

To start with, and before we come to our own area, we have to look at the national picture.

Since 2010 the NHS budget has been almost static, while the UK population has increased by two and a half million and is predicted to grow by 440,000 a year over the next ten years, with a growing proportion living longer and having more long-term illnesses. So it is no surprise that NHS hospitals in England look likely to have overspent their 2015-16 budgets by £2.5 billion and that even despite this, care quality is now, in some areas arguably declining. There is an acute shortage of GPs; Clinical Commissioning Groups (the local bodies supposed to commission NHS services) are announcing cuts in the range of treatments they will pay for; waiting times for treatments, including for cancer, are rising; hospital wards are understaffed; beds are also unavailable because too many are occupied by patients who can’t be discharged because of cuts to social care provision. And Monitor - the Statutory NHS finance watchdog - has told seriously overspent

trusts to ‘reduce their headcount’.

NHS leaders have never felt the warm words from government on their expected outcomes were credible and are now wondering when the emperor will be finally be seen to have no clothes. Many feel as if they are living in a parallel universe in which they are striving to sustain existing services and motivate hard pressed doctors, nurses and clinical staff in conditions of adversity while the government promises improvements in care that cannot be delivered with the resources presently on offer.

However the government are the bosses and the Chief Executive of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, has proposed to them major improvements in disease prevention and a radical transformation in the way health services are organised, in the belief that this can make services better as well as cheaper, improving productivity by as much as 3% a year by 2020-21.

His 2014 paper, “A Five Year Forward View” argued for a new generation of Sustainability and Transformation Plans simply initially designed just to maintain services of the same quality as in the past. But even this needs more cash as simple accountancy shows that by 2020-21 the NHS in England would need £30 billion a year more than the government was planning to give it just to stand still..

NHS England’s response is that without such a major increase in funding the NHS as it presently operates cannot continue; but a major increase in funding is ruled out by the government’s austerity strategy, and most of the practicable savings from salary freezes, delayed maintenance, etc, have already been made.

Last year, NHS England managed to get government to agree to provide £8 billion of that

11

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

bullet or a poison pill for 2017?

● Redcar Primary Care Hospital £30 billion a year needed by 2020-21, with some of that increase coming early enough to cover the cost of adopting the ‘new models of care’ on which the hoped-for productivity improvements depend.

Developing these new models of care are what the Sustainability and Transformations Plans (STPs) are supposed to achieve. The first requirement is that the local NHS must – somehow – cut their expenditure and stay within their budgets in 201617; and then, by keeping all providers’ books balanced for the following four years, and by making satisfactory responses to a long set of questions set out in the guidance, earn access to centrally-controlled ‘transformation’ funding which will allow them to make changes to service delivery while ‘maintaining and improving’ patient safety and quality over the years 2017-21.

The stick behind the carrot is that local health systems whose STPs fail to secure an overall financial balance in 2016-17, or which fail to meet enough of the other requirements spelled out for them, will not get any transformation funding – which will from now on be the only additional funds available.

Some of the suggestions in the local STP are ones no-one would disagree with. It calls for better partnership between local GP’s and local hospitals, a greater use of the expertise of local pharmacists and the need to get better integrated social care plans in place, implemented by the NHS and our local councils like mine - who now get, in theory at least, a greater say in the devising and implementation of these plans.

But there is a far darker side. Not all of the measures suggested in the NHS England questionnaire look like an improvement in care so much as ceasing to offer it (for example: ‘How will you achieve a step-change in patient activation and self-care? How will this help you moderate demand and achieve financial balance?’) or transferring work to unpaid family carers (‘How will your area ensure that people with learning disabilities are, wherever possible, supported at home rather than in hospital? How far are you closing out-moded inpatient beds and reinvesting in continuing learning disability support?’).

This darker side is reinforced when one drills down deeper into the local STP draft plan (and I have to say that, even with 35 odd years of reading local government and social policy documentation, this is one of the most jargon ridden, impenetrable documents it has ever been my bad fortune to read).

Take the broad assumptions on hospital admissions across the Tees, North Yorkshire and South Durham area.- the base area for our “local” STP Some of these are breathtaking. It is, for example, envisaged that “non-elective” admissions - admissions usually made as a matter of emergency via a GP - will decline over the coming four years by no less than 44,000. And this at a time when we are being warned that more and more people will have to wait longer for a GP appointment, with the likelihood of such

● East Cleveland Hwospital emergency admissions becoming more common than now. Similarly, they assume that outpatient appointments involving a consultant will drop by just under 35,000 on the same time line. Fat chance is my cynical view.

Overshadowing all this is the elephant in the surgery waiting room - the sheer growth in the numbers of the elderly and the exponential growth of what I call the “elderly elderly” - the over 80’s.

This cohort, we all know (and as a 67 year old I am personally only too aware) are more prone to illness, the onset of dementia, falls and vascular problems. Local social care commissioners (like my council) and providers (home and residential care businesses) are working hard together on programmes to keep older people in their own homes, out of hospital if practical and for early and appropriate discharge into recuperation if hospital admission has to occur.

The local STP endorses this approach and argues that it needs to be expanded and improved - but crucially, I couldn’t pin down figures in the document to quantify this locally. This isn’t helped by the fact that although local councils are supposed to be “part of the change process”, in practice most of the assumptions being worked on are from NHS England and local senior clinicians - and not social care managers - and that the providers - the people who run residential homes and domiciliary care services - do not even have a seat at the table when discussing issues which are literally their bread and butter.

The obvious has to be stated. Most local councils like mine, as commissioners of social care, know they are already hitting the wall when it comes to finding things like a home care provider for someone living in a remote rural village, or finding a room in a residential home for a person with complex social needs. These practical problems are simply addressed in the local STP document as follows (and pardon the jargon) “Less reliance on hospital based care through developing innovative models of care with partners. Bringing together core primary medical care services with wider community-based NHS services and, potentially, social care (extending beyond primary care atscale) with a focus on out-of hospital services based around registered populations through development of community hubs. Developing multi-specialty community providers all essentially working towards the same goal, quality improvement, cost savings and working together more efficiently.” If you can translate all this into reality, please do not hesitate to contact me!

Of course, when it comes to the bullet being bitten, these issues will probably stay below the radar. Most attention will be given to the core assumptions of downscaling at acute hospital level, with a choice being offered as to whether it will be Darlington Hospital or North Tees Hospital which could lose its A & E provision and be downscaled to “local hospital” status, to allow for the other to remain as an acute hospital and for James Cook to stay in the NHS Premier League as a “Major

Trauma Centre” (one of only 27 in England).

However, in the undergrowth, I have seen another possibility canvassed - that all three become “acute hospitals” which would mean the North East only having one Major Trauma Centre, Newcastle’s RVI. Locally, the only hospital mentioned is James Cook. No mention of the work already being done to boost outpatient services at part of the Guisborough hospital site and how this can be expanded and developed in a growing town.

And crucially no mention at all of the new Redcar Hospital or East Cleveland’s own small hospital at Brotton. This worries me, for as any reader who has had to use them will know, compared with the airport terminal style crowds of patients, outpatients and visitors passing through the James Cook buildings, these two smaller hospitals are as quiet as the cabins of the Mary Celeste.

So, if the STP is to deliver what it promises, why not flag these two truly local units up as places where frail elderly people recovering from acute treatment and operations at James Cook can recuperate both nearer to their homes and families and freeing up precious acute bed space at the Marton Road complex? Yet on this seeming “early win” the document is silent.

Mind, the STP model is not altogether flawed.

I guess any new government wanting to try and look to change and improvement would want to see, in NHS England’s words “A Health Service

organised to support people with multiple health conditions, not just single diseases. A future that sees far more care delivered locally but with some services in specialist centres where that clearly produces better results.”

But how far these aims can be achieved by new models of service delivery that also reduce expenditure is open to serious question. The guidance makes it clear that saving money is now utterly and totally the be all and end all. Locally, the footprint target is to eliminate a current overspend of £281 million.

I suspect there are those in senior ranks in Government who sense the whole STP experiment is doomed to fail. Squeezed between the nutcracker jaws of expanding health needs, a booming population and an ever growing cohort of elderly on the one hand, and a programme of financial austerity and continuing cuts on the other, any failure will be used as what I’ll characterise as “policy based evidence making” to bring in greater privatization of health care, a lowering of the standards and conditions for health care workers and a grimmer and less healthy future for anyone in these isles unable to afford anything above the most basic healthcare provision.

That’s not a future I want to see, nor - I hope - do the readers of this newspaper. We need to urgently look to the development of new health and social care policies and structures to both keep alive and refresh the starting point of the NHS which was universal provision free at the point of access.

We are where we now are as the result of political choices. One of these choices over past years was to spend some two and a half percentage points less of our GDP on health than comparable European countries– 8.5%, compared with France’s 10.9%, Germany’s 11.0%, the Netherland’s 11.1%, and so on. If we are to move back to these averages and to properly integrate social care, some radical form of financing based on a new universal insurance system as to be considered. Are there any policy wonks out there equal to the gargantuan task of looking at how we achieve this?

David Walsh is the Adult Services Cabinet member for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council

12

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Resolve to make a ‘fresh’ start this New Year

B

J

anuary is often a month where, after the excesses of the festive period, we all become stricter with ourselves and pledge to make drastic changes to our lives; perhaps we resolve to do more exercise, cut down on alcohol or go on a strict diet to shed some pounds.

According to the Independent newspaper poll, Friday 20th January is the day when the UK’s collective willpower is most likely to be broken – and has been dubbed “Fail Friday”.

The Street Eats team would like to let you know there is a less painful way to make a fresh start and to make positive changes to your health and wellbeing.

Here are five simple tips to help anyone who wants to become healthier and happier in 2017; 1) Eat Fresher – Let’s face it, we can’t all completely avoid processed and convenience foods, but this year pledge to buy and cook more fresh produce and meals from scratch.

They taste much better, have more vitamins and minerals than processed foods and can make you feel fuller for longer.

2) Meal planning – Planning your weekly family meals in advance (and sticking to the ingredients you really need when shopping rather than snacks full of empty calories) can help you reduce food waste, reduce the cost of your weekly shop and encourage you to try more new dishes.

3) Walking – You don’t need to take out an expensive gym membership to do more exercise. We can all make an effort to get out into the fresh air and walk more. Walk the children to school, pop to your local shop or

look out for local walking based groups or one off activities – all will help you to improve your health and wellbeing.

4) Help Others – According to MIND, research into actions for promoting happiness has shown that committing an act of kindness once a week over a six-week period is associated with an increase in wellbeing. If that act of kindness is also something that encourages you to be more active, like gardening for an elderly neighbour or relative or volunteering on a local community allotment, then even better as it’s getting you physically active too.

5) Join ‘Street Eats’ – If after reading tips 1 to 4 you still don’t know where to start then join the Street Eats project! All our activities are FREE. We run cooking workshops to show how easy it can be to incorporate more fresh produce into your diet. We provide advice and resources around meal planning and eating more cheaply. We run regular walks in the Redcar & Cleveland area and we work in partnership with other community groups, run gardening sessions and provide opportunities for volunteering as little or as much time as you have available.

‘Street Eats’ is an innovative project funded by the Reaching Communities strand of the Big Lottery Fund. It gets residents of Redcar & Cleveland more active, growing their own fresh fruit and vegetables, cooking more healthy food and encourages the sharing of time and expertise.

For more information about Street Eats please contact Laura Ince-Henry at Groundwork on 01642 815663 or email laura.ince-henry@ groundwork.org.uk.

Advertisement feature

13

Bewick Mobility A local family run business

ewick Mobility are a local family run business who are a real success story, providing a unique service in the North over the past 20 years.

They have expanded year-on-year, becoming the North East’s leading vehicle adaptations and barrier free living specialists.

Bewick Mobility are vehicle adaptation specialists who offer many ways to make your mode of transport fully accessible no matter what your needs. They work closely with Motability and franchised car dealers and are happy to advise on free or low cost vehicle adaptations for drivers and passengers.

Vehicle adaptations range from free hand controls for people who are having difficulty using foot controls, to subsidised boot hoists (from only £95) to lift heavy electric wheelchairs or scooters into the boot. Swivel Seats and person hoists can also be fitted to assist transferring into the front passenger seat from wheelchair. Advice is given on funding through Motability and other grants means. They can also advise on VAT free adapted car purchases. More information can be found on their website – www.bewickmobility.co.uk Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles are available through Motability with advance payments from only £150 with a worry-free lease for people on the Enhanced Personal Independence Payment or Higher Rate Disability Living Allowance. Used wheelchair accessible vehicles are also available to purchase from only £3,000. More information can be found on their website – www.bewickmobility. co.uk Bewick Mobility have a range of adapted cars and

Approved Driving Instructors for demonstrations, test drives, driving assessment and tuition to enable people to try out NEW electronic hand controls, mechanical hand controls, left foot accelerators or steering aids etc before they buy or lease a vehicle on the Motability scheme. They have instructors based in Tyneside, Teesside, Northumberland and Cumbria. Drivers who are thinking of returning to driving after illness or amputation can be assessed on safe off-road areas and written reports can be provided for DVLA and Doctors if necessary. Specialist driving tuition is also available. More information can be found on their website – www.bewickmobility.co.uk Bewick Mobility have showrooms in Blaydon and Stockton where you can try out a range of mobility scooters and wheelchairs before purchasing or leasing on the Motability scheme from only £11.50 per week using your Enhanced Personal Independence Payment or Higher Rate Disability Living Allowance.

Scooter and wheelchair servicing/repairs are carried out in a fully equipped workshop by factory trained technicians.

The North East’s leading vehicle adaptation and barrier free living specialists Free Driving Adaptations Assessments/Test Drive We Fit:• Boot hoists • Hand controls • Swivel seats Scooters and Powerchairs from only £9 per week on our 3 year lease

Mandale Wharf, Boathouse Court, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 3FA Chainbridge Road, Blaydon NE21 5AB

14

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

15

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Simon Clarke welcomes fair funding for East Cleveland schools

C

onservative Parliamentary spokesman for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Simon Clarke has welcomed important changes to make school funding fairer.

The Government is introducing the first ever national school funding formula from 2018.

This will help to end the current arbitrary and unfair system, which leads to huge differences in funding for schools. Last year the ten best funded areas of England received an average grant of £6,300 per pupil, compared to just £4,200 per pupil in the ten most poorly funded areas.

At the last General Election the Conservatives promised to tackle this unfairness, and the new formula is the result. It starts from an equal baseline and then has a transparent mechanism that accounts for factors like deprivation, prior attainment, geography, schools costs and so on.

The move has gained support from teachers’ leaders’ unions such as the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers.

Many East Cleveland schools will gain from the new fair funding formula. Hillsview Academy in Eston’s budget will rise £148,000 based on 2016/17 funding levels, while Freebrough Academy in Brotton will gain £41,000. Many local primaries will also gain, like Skelton Primary School, whose budget increases by £103,000 (5.4%), Highcliffe Primary in Guisborough and Hummersea Primary School in Loftus.

Simon said: “Parents in East Cleveland rightly expect that their children should receive a fair level of school funding based on a transparent and objective assessment of their needs, and the Government’s new formula is a welcome step towards delivering this. Most people will be surprised that such a system wasn’t introduced long ago.

“As a region the North East stands to gain £23 million from these changes and many schools in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland will see their budgets rise. For those schools that will see their budget fall as a result of these changes, the Government has been clear that

stability is important and no school will see its per pupil funding fall by more than 3%. The Government is currently consulting on the new formula and how it will work and people have until March to have their say at https://consult. education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schoolsnational-funding-formula2/.”

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Labour MP Tom Blenkinsop said: “Their claims are spurious. Indeed the claim was put out before the critical meeting of a local Redcar and Cleveland Schools Forum which agreed the allocations under this new formula “The claims are also geographically illiterate.

The local Tory spokesman thinks that one school named by them - Hillsview Academy on Normanby Road in South Bank - is in “East Cleveland”. A refresher lesson in map reading is needed here!

“In broad terms Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has had a cut of £636,266 in its education service grant for 2017 to 2018, whilst the new formula going down to individual school level shows that only a minority of schools will see increases - but even these increases will be swallowed by new charges imposed by the Government.

“The reality is that in Redcar and Cleveland only 21 primary schools and two secondary schools will have an increase in their budget but thats only up to 1.55%.

“Eleven primary schools and seven secondary schools will see decreased budgets of up to 1% and 12 primaries and one secondary will see a reduction of up to 1.5% in their support.

“A total of 31 schools will lose out on government funding.

“Of course, even for those who are supposed to gain, the increases are so low that they will be eroded in this year alone by things like increases in National Insurance costs to schools, any pay awards, payment of the apprentice levy for maintained schools and the rising costs of goods and services.”

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Conservatives appoint Parliamentary spokesman Simon Clarke

S

outh Tees Conservatives have chosen Simon Clarke as their new Parliamentary spokesman for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

Simon, 32, was born at North Tees Hospital and grew up in Marton before winning a scholarship to study History at Oxford University. He is a qualified solicitor and works as a policy specialist on health and education. He contested the Middlesbrough constituency at the 2015 General Election.

Simon is married to Hannah, a teacher, and they have a one year old son.

As Parliamentary spokesman for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, Simon will spearhead the Conservatives’ campaigning in the marginal constituency ahead of a formal candidate selection closer to the General Election.

Speaking upon his appointment by the South

Tees Conservative Association’s Executive Committee, Simon said: “It’s a huge privilege to have the opportunity to champion the area where I grew up. I’m looking forward to getting out and speaking to as many people as possible, and to working with Conservative councillors to address their concerns.

“With Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party ever more out of touch with working people, I’ll be setting out a positive vision for how the Conservatives will deliver a stronger economy and better public services for Teesside, as well as securing the best deal for Britain after Brexit.”

Brotton Councillor Malcolm Griffiths, the Chairman of South Tees Conservatives, said: “We’re delighted to have chosen Simon to represent us. He’s a good campaigner who knows Teesside inside out. His grandad Patrick was an NHS neurosurgeon at the old Middlesbrough General Hospital and his dad Richard was a solicitor at Jacksons, so his roots here go back a long way. Simon in recent years has devoted a great deal of his time and has proved to be a great listener on the doorstep he’ll be a very effective voice for people and businesses in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.”

Marton West Councillor and Middlesbrough Conservative Group Leader Christine Hobson said: “Simon couldn’t have worked any harder as our candidate for Middlesbrough at the last General Election and I’m really pleased he’s our new Parliamentary spokesman. He built terrific ties with our members and I know he’ll go down well across the area.”

Belmont Field and the Local Development Plan

T

By Valerie Halton

he statement about Belmont Field, made

by Tom Blenkinsop is totally without foundation. To say that the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats ‘behaved completely irresponsibly’ is completely untrue.

The Opposition voted against the previous draft Local Development Plan, because we were not involved and residents views were not considered. Marske and New Marske would have been joined together, Guisborough was to be built up to be completely urbanized and Redcar was to be practically joined with Marske – this under the last Labour administration – was opposed by Labour Party members in the Borough, as well as by the Conservatives, but

under George Dunning the Labour councillors were whipped into voting for it.

The present administration, with Sue Jeffrey as Leader and Dale Quigley as cabinet member for Infrastructure, recognized that Opposition Groups should be part of the steering group, which gave full consideration to residents’ views.

The result is a Plan which is acceptable to the majority of people.

At the Council Meeting which agreed this draft, Councillor Quigley thanked the Opposition Groups for their co-operation and contributions; appreciation which is can be verified on the web recording.

This was a true collaboration by politicians from all sides to get the best that we can for our Borough. This is a prime example of Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Independent and Labour councillors in Redcar and Cleveland working together, listening to residents and protecting our heritage.

The Opposition members of the steering group were: Independent Mary Lanigan, Liberal Democrat Chris Abbot, Conservative Valerie Halton, along with Labour’s Dale Quigley and Sue Jeffrey. When it is in the best interests of our residents and businesses we councillors will always work together.

Perhaps Mr. Blenkinsop will explain why he made an untrue statement.

SALE NOW ON Bespoke beds hand made in Whitby with up to 3000 pocket springs and luxury natural fillings

FURNITURE SUPERSTORES

BEEVERS & Co HANDMADE BEDS

Forum Buildings, Normanby Road, Middlesbrough TS6 9BZ Tel: 01642 456631

WHITBY

The Old Mill, Stakesby Vale, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO21 1JZ. Tel: 01947 604351 | FAX: 01947 604315

Buy in store or online at www.beeversbeds.co.uk or www.beeversofwhitby.co.uk

16

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

THE MEDAL CENTRE

Coin & Medal Valuation Days

IMMEDIATE ON THE SPOT OFFERS on all types of Medals & Military Items

Militry Badges

As well as the following types of small collectables Coins, Banknotes, Postcards, Uniforms, Pre-1947 Silver Coins, Sovereigns, Krugerrands, Swords & Daggers, Masonic & R.A.O.B. Medals & Jewels, All Gold Coins, Gold Watches & Chains, Pocket Watches, Scrap Gold in any amount including Jewellery.

We will pay up to £1000 per troy oz for hallmarked fine gold.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 6TH

The Elmwood Community Centre 53 Darlington Road Hartburn Stockton-On-Tees TS18 5EP Pocket Watches & Chaims

Campaign and Gallantry Medals

Gold Coins

Charltons Community Centre (The Small Hall) Charltons Saltburn By The Sea TS12 3DB

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8TH

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9TH

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10TH

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11TH St.Hildas Parish Church (The Church Hall) The Corner Of Roseberry & Mersey Road Redcar North Yorkshire, TS10 4DF

Stokesley Town Hall (The Stokesley Room) The Market Place Stokesley Middlesbrough, TS9 5DG

St Barnabas Church (The Supper Room) 1A St Barnabas Road Linthorpe Middlesbrough, TS5 6JR

Pre 1947 Silver Coins

EACH EVENT WILL RUN BETWEEN 9.30AM & 4.30PM Please come along to see our expert for a genuine no obligation cash offer.

If you cannot attend on the day please telephone us to make an appointment for us to call and see you at your convenience.

FEEL FREE TO VISIT OUR RETAIL SHOP AT 10b HENCOTES, HEXHAM. WE ARE OPEN 9AM TO 5PM EVERY DAY EXCEPT THURSDAY & SUNDAY BUT IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO TELEPHONE FIRST BEFORE MAKING YOUR JOURNEY AS WE MAYBE AT ANOTHER EVENT OR MAKING A HOME VISIT WE CAN ALSO VALUE MOST SMALL ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS ITEMS AND WE CAN ALWAYS OFFER YOU THE OPTION OF HAVING YOUR ITEMS ENTERED IN OUR NEXT AUCTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CUMBRIAN AUCTION HOUSE

Telephone: 01434 609794 Gold Coins

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7TH

All Small Collectors Items

Northallerton Methodist Church (The Cottage Meeeting Room) High Street Northallerton North Yorkshire, DL7 8EG

War Medals

Head Dress Badges

Scrap Gold

Mobile: 07950421704

www.themedalcentre.co.uk

Bravery Medals

17

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Marske Community Christmas 2016

Moorsholm Christmas Lights Event

F F

By John McVeigh

or the third year in a row a number of East Cleveland residents had a Christmas Day to remember sat amongst friends new and old.

The Marske Community Christmas Volunteers with the help and support of a number of local individuals and local businesses worked hard to make it a special day for their guests.

The guests were transported from their homes by car to the Marske Leisure Centre, where they were met by the Marske Brass Band led by Chris who played a monologue of Christmas songs.

After sitting down to some traditional Christmas Fayre served up by a number of firemen from Redcar Fire Station , entertainment was provided by Hannah Whiley and Pheobe Hall who received rapturous applause for their “songs from the shows” spot.

No Christmas day would be complete without a game of bingo, where this year top cash prizes were available for the winners.

Much to the delight of all the guests there

was an appearance from one very popular man - Father Christmas who even after the rigours of the previous night managed to pay a visit to the Marske Leisure Centre. He kindly gave out “Goody Bags” to the good people who were in attendance.

All guests were then taken back home with broad smiles on their faces, and some very fond memories of their very special day.

The Marske Community Christmas team would like to thank the following individuals and organisations for helping to “Make a difference” on Christmas Day 2016.

Darlington Building Society Redcar, Jeff Smith at The Circuit Newspaper, John Hullah – Marske Leisure Centre, John Rhodes of Eco Drives and Paths, Saltburn, John Huthwaite, Karen at The Fruit Bowl Marske, Lynne and Steve at the Coastal View, Marske Brass Band , MSM Flowers Stockton, Nettie at The Wynd Café Marske, Outwood Academy Bydales, Ray Moult Poultry Dewsbury West Yorkshire, Redcar Fire Service , St Marks Church Marske, Tim Blair, TSB Bank

By Barbara Cartwright

riday 2nd December saw the latest Moorsholm “Christmas Lights” event at which villagers gathered together at the Church Hall to celebrate the switching on of the tree lights and snowman.

Santa arrived on a decorated trailer ringing his Xmas bell to the delight of the assembled children. Santa then spent time with each of the children carefully recording each one’s wishes in his special notebook. Each of the children received a bran tub gift before joining in with the card making activities.

A splendid buffet was provided consisting of mulled wine, sausage rolls, mince pies and

cakes and was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

The event was organised by the Moorsholm in Bloom team with food donations from many villagers.

Austin Cartwright, the Moorsholm in Bloom treasurer, said: “This annual event started several years ago when our group was founded.

It is an opportunity for people to get together and celebrate the spirit of Christmas.

“We are very grateful for the support of villagers who contribute baking and refreshments, to Santa for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit us and to Lynne and Steve from Coastal View whose support enables us to provide presents to all the children”.

18

T

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Did you go wild as a child?

he Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is looking for volunteers to share their memories of growing up in East Cleveland.

The Where the Wild Things Were Project wants to capture memories from the older generation of childhoods spent outdoors in the woods, fields, becks and beaches, the wildlife seen, and changes to the countryside they have witnessed. It is particularly interested to hear from people with a passion for fishing, egg collecting, finching, rabbiting, wild flowers, birding etc. Did you collect newts? Can you remember red squirrels or dormice? Do you have memories of lizards or snakes? What wildlife do you remember as a child that you don’t see so often now? Did you spend summers on the beach or winkling? What did you get into trouble for? Do you remember field names? Which films influenced your outdoor play? Were you a crack shot with a catapult? Did you go tattie picking? Could you climb the highest tree? What do children today miss out on? If you can talk about your childhood memories we would love to hear from you, especially if you were born before 1960.

The project, funded by National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery and Northumbrian Water, aims to build a better picture of changing wildlife, countryside and children’s connection with nature in East Cleveland.

“The interviews are revealing some amazing stories of childhood and memories of wildlife, especially wildlife we don’t have now ,“ said Kate Bartram of the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.

“Men in particular have very good memories of bird distributions from egg collecting and wildlife of the becks from fishing. We would love more men to get in touch with us. One of the more intriguing themes emerging from interviews to date was the importance of caged bird societies in East Cleveland villages. It is a theme we would like to explore some more, so if anyone has memories of gathering finches please get in touch.”

To help with the project please call the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust on 01287 636382 or email info@teeswildlife.org

T

●● Goldfinch

●● Linnet

●● Yellowhammer

●● Photos by Margaret Holland

Land art competition launched to celebrate 100 days to go!

o celebrate 100 days to go until the start of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire, which runs between 28-30 April, Welcome to Yorkshire has launched its annual land art competition and is now on the hunt for the county’s best installations.

Last year’s competition proved a huge success with massive, eyecatching pieces being displayed right along the race route, and businesses, landowners, farmers, schools and community groups are all being encouraged to get creative once again.

Whether it’s a church spire draped in a blue jersey, a field housing a mammoth bicycle, or a market square spelling out messages of ●● Sutton Bank support, all works are welcomed and stand a great chance of being beamed to over 11 million people in 178 countries when the race’s live television helicopters sweep across the county.

Last year a giant piece of art featuring a horse, ram and wild boar riding a penny farthing on Sutton Bank - commissioned by the North York Moors National Park Authority and Hambleton District Council - was crowned the winner after an international public vote, and the coveted trophy is now up for grabs once again.

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “Yorkshire’s land art has attracted a lot of attention in the past, with people creating everything from multi-coloured sheep and spotty houses, to huge murals and striking street art.

“These fantastic pieces really bring the race to life and give you the chance to celebrate your community. We want you to shout to the world about what Yorkshire has to offer.”

How to enter: 1. Send in plans, pictures and designs, and include information about what inspired the piece, how it will be made and where will it be. This will then be shared with TV producers before the race in the ●● Dovecote Barns, Kelfield hope of catching the cameras.

Submit entries and any questions you may have to Danny Roberts on droberts@yorkshire.com 2. Welcome to Yorkshire will shortlist the 12 best land art pieces over the three days of action.

3. The shortlisted entries will then be put to a public vote and one lucky winner will receive our coveted land art trophy!Top tips for creating eyecatching land art are: 1. Position it as close to the race route as possible.

2. Make it as large and as striking as possible so the television helicopters can see it.

3. Land art doesn’t need to be bicycle or tour related, it’s about celebrating communities and getting people talking.

4. Think about what’s connected to a community – a famous face, an event – what makes it special?

5. Land art shouldn’t be commercial (a company logo for example) but you may wish to celebrate a specific industry – for example, big pints of beer for breweries? A mouse and cheese for cheesemongers/creameries?

6.Get permission to work on the land you intend to use. Please check with local landowners and ensure the local community is happy with plans.

For more information competition visit http://letouryorkshire.com/landart

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Grammar schools OK!

19

Church clock gets facelift

●● Councillor Steve Kay outside the former Coatham Grammar School

D

By Councillor Steve Kay

espite all the evidence to the contrary, the anti-grammar school brigade is out in force, trying to talk down Theresa May’s proposal to create more of these excellent establishments (‘Bringing back grammar schools will only benefit the wealthy few’, Anna Turley, Issue 73; ‘No gap for a Grammar School in Redcar and Cleveland’, Craig Hannaway, Issue 74; ‘Grammar School debate’, letter from Philip Newton, Issue 75).

I shall declare my interest from the start. I was lucky enough to obtain a place at Coatham Grammar School (aka Sir William Turner’s School), Redcar, which was, in effect, a springboard to a university education. Apart from the former school hall and cloisters, the rest of the site is now occupied by Redcar & Cleveland Council’s HQ, the Community Heart. So, for me, as a councillor, geographically speaking, things have gone full circle!

The hall remains a monument to the school and bears the inscription: ‘Site of COATHAM GRAMMAR SCHOOL (Sir William Turner’s) 1869-1963’. Under the name of Coatham Memorial Hall, it is now run by the Redcar Development Trust, whose founder, Frankie Wales, organises events and activities for all generations. Frankie’s ambition is to refurbish the hall to include a theatre, coffee shop and micropub.

I wish him every success. It would be fitting to see it restored to its former grandeur.

The ethos of the grammar schools was ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’, with an emphasis on the humanities, mathematics, science and languages, accompanied by plenty of competitive sport. All in all, they provided a wonderful education; an education to be found, today, only in the independent sector, whose astronomical fees few families can afford.

Labour tries to justify comprehensive schools on

the spurious grounds of social integration. But the almost ubiquitous comprehensive system is simply not delivering; as shown by comparative testing, which invariably sees the UK trailing Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany and many others.

Comprehensive education would improve if independent schools were abolished altogether, thereby drawing the wealth and power of our ruling elite into the state system. Such a move, however, will not happen, as long as our political class continues to have its children educated on independent lines.

Until they were all-but abolished, grammar schools provided a ‘bridge’, allowing intelligent lower-middle and working class children to enter an environment where they could compete, on something approaching equal terms , with those fortunate enough to be educated privately.

When Tony Blair, who had a privileged education at the extremely smart fee-paying Fettes College, banned the creation of any more grammar schools, he did young people a great disservice, because the grammar school was a tried and tested educational vehicle, opening the door for millions of children, from ordinary backgrounds, to enter industry, business and the professions.

Theresa May is right to remind us that grammar schools provided social mobility, by allowing children, from poor and average-income families, to enjoy an education rivalling that of the independent sector. Theresa was a grammar school girl herself who, like Harold Wilson, Edward Heath and Margaret Thatcher before her, ended up at Number 10, via Oxford University.

Locally, we had Coatham Grammar, Cleveland Grammar, Guisborough Grammar, Middlesbrough High, Acklam Hall, Yarm Grammar, Grangefield Grammar and Whitby Grammar. Once restored, such great schools would, overnight, boost our local and national educational standards exponentially.

Ltd

www.daleheadflightconnect.co.uk

Travel in comfort

Chauffeur Service 8 Passengers MercedesTraveliner Any UK Airport, Any UK Sea Port Ring today for a competitive quote

01287 650762 or 07836 378513

or email : enquiries@daleheadflightconnect.co.uk

I

By John Whitehead

nitial restoration work at Moorsholm Parish Church is now complete.

After two months without the cheerful sound of the church clock chiming every quarter hour normal service has been resumed. Whilst the scaffolding was in place on the tower the three faces of the clock have been re-painted and gilded restoring it to its former glory.

The five yearly survey of the church identified over £35000 of work that was needed to maintain the structure of the building for

future generations. With the help of a grant from the Landfill Communities Fund ( Impetus Trust) and the generosity and support of local residents and friends a large proportion of the work has been completed and the building is now weatherproof.

The architect competing the survey identified two cast iron grave markers of historical significance in the church yard that were in need of repair and renovation before the inscriptions became too worn to be read. The PCC is now seeking any information about these graves and funding to complete this specialist restoration.

20

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

News from the Loftus Ward

I

By Councillor Mary Lanigan Independent Borough Councillor Loftus Ward

hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

This is to inform you of the progress that has been made in the Ward.

Liverton Mines

Liverton Mines now has a new management team in place and we had a very successful Santa day with over ninety children attending and over £360 raised towards the upkeep of the hall.

Starting this month the hall is to have a revamp and repairs done to bring it back up to standard.

The work is extensive but we will endeavour to get it done as quickly as we can.

The hall is open for bookings and events; contact details are on the notice board.

Loftus

Three new business are due to open in the town.

We are still waiting to see if we are awarded

the Heritage Grant to address the problems in the conservation area; this is due for decision sometime towards the end of January.

The Cooperative Supermarket in the Market Place is having a total revamp in February and I understand it will be closed for a number of days while this work is being done.

Interest has been shown at the Arlington Chapel; hopefully this will progress and the building reinstated.

The bus garage at East Loftus is to be demolished

by February - no planning application has yet been received for this land.

The Royal at East Loftus however looks very promising as an application has come in to the Council for development as has the small piece of land adjoining the premises. This will tidy this area up.

The Asda bus is still operating in our area so please use it as this was initially for a trial period and we do not want to lose it.

T

he Redcar & District WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) have had a busy time of late as their campaign to rectify the State Pensions injustice which has been dealt to them continues apace.

Redcar Beacon was illuminated purple on Saturday, 3 December last year as part of the WASPI Paint Your Town Purple initiative. Out of our region, Penshaw Monument was illuminated purple as was the Millennium Bridge over the River Tyne. Redcar & District’s group were thrilled, following Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council’s unanimous

support of the WASPI Motion on 17 November that such a public display of support was shown.

A spokeswoman for the group said: “We are keen to embrace ladies of a certain age across the Borough and are especially keen to attract interest from the Loftus/East Cleveland/ Guisborough & Saltburn areas. we appreciate travel is often difficult and we would like to arrange more local meetings for these ladies once sufficient interest has been generated.”

Please e-mail redcarwaspi@ gmail.com or ring Jane, the group’s Chairman on 07980 154 321. The group intend

supporting, where finances permit, national events which are being arranged during the Spring into the Summer of 2017.

Friends of Guisborough Cemetery,

Easington

The post office service via a mobile van is proving a success and again this needs to continue as it took a great deal of effort to secure this so please continue to use this service.

I’m sure most of you have heard that we have a British cycling event taking place in our area in April. This is not a Redcar and Cleveland initiative but has been organised by the Big Local, a group that represent the Ten East Cleveland Villages.

I will be organising public meetings very shortly to give you all the full details.

I know there is still a great deal of work still to do but we are moving in the right direction.

Can I thank you all for the commitment you having given over the last few years. We live in a wonderful area and we will make sure East Cleveland is firmly on the map.

WASPI update

I

By Lorna Buckle

t appears that during the Christmas holiday period the Chapel in Guisborough Cemetery was vandalised.

Also during the storm on 23rd December, yet more tiles were blown off the roof, leaving the whole building very vulnerable.

Did any visitors see anything suspiscious? What is going to happen to these ancient buildings? We as a group of volunteers are very concerned about the future of these buildings.

This chapel has a history, as do all the buildings within the

cemetery, but is now shrouded in protective fencing for safety reasons. The buildings were built using local stone, Cass House stone, quarried locally in our own hills in 1873 and are part of the Heritage of our Market Town in the same era as Gisborough Hall and Guisborough Town hall being built.

In 1870 the then Burial Board in the town had to make a decision because the Churchyard at the rear of St Nicholas’ Church was full. Admiral Chaloner agreed to give land on Church Lane site for a new cemetery.

Then the Burial Board

launched a national competition for Architects throughout the UK to present their drawings/ plans for two Chapels, a morgue and lodge. This was won by an Architect from Hull and the ‘rest is history’.

We are a local charity with volunteers who are working constantly to keep the cemetery in good condition for those who come from all over the country to be at their loved one’s graves.

If you are able to spend some time helping in the gardens which we tend or have other skills to help please do get in touch. Tel:-07980969580

21

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Make 2017 the year you make the most of the technology that surrounds us

W

By Paul Davies

ell here we are with a whole New Year in front of us, and we were wondering how many people have been given nice shiny new technologies for Christmas and have spent the time since wondering how on earth to make them work, let alone get the best from them.

Don’t panic, you are not alone and a few simple sessions on the basics will soon have you surfing and browsing like you had done it for years.

More than 30 million of us use the internet everyday in the UK. More than half of all leisure travel is now booked online, many new jobs require basic internet skills and more than seven million jobs were posted online last year. If you’re looking for work, Job Centres often ask that you use their own online only processes. If you’re one of those new to the internet after this Christmas or who are not yet online and feel that you could be getting more out of computers, this could be the perfect opportunity to give it a go! The fact is, most people don’t use computers and the internet just for the sake of using them – they use them

to do the things they do anyway, but more quickly, more cheaply and more effectively, and learning really can be easier than you think.

Whether you’re looking for a bargain or a new job, wanting to keep healthy or just wanting to stay in touch with family and friends or follow your favourite sport, you could be getting more out of life online. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never even touched a computer before, or if you already know a little bit or are just not sure about them, with our free and easy computer courses, you can get to grips with computers and the internet at your own pace, with friendly staff on hand to help along the way.

If you are still unsure about what you need to get started and worried there are too many options out there, all of them confusing!, from this January visitors to Destinations can not only get the chance to find out how the internet could help them in everyday life, but we will also offer help and guidance on what equipment is best suited to your needs and what broadband package could be right for them. So give Sue or Paul a call on 01287 626432 or call in at Station Street Saltburn and see how you can get Online.

CAFE & COFFEE SHOP Serving Fresh Food Daily

Enrolling now for a range of ICT courses

Call in for a coffee and take advantage of our internet access.

New informal learning packages to suit all IT levels. Learn at your own pace either at home or at the centre.

Station Sq, Saltburn, 01287 626432 Mob 07950838879 Mon - Thurs 9am - 6pm Fri 9am - 5pm

Sat 9.30am -3pm

Happy 60th Birthday Cleveland Bay

T

By Russ Clark

he Cleveland Bay at Redcar East has been standing on its hill next to the railway station for 60 years now.

The pub has been through some good and bad times and over the years it has seen the rise and fall of the steel works, the iconic Coatham Bowl, which hosted some fantastic acts disappear and the hordes of people that came to the seaside on the train for days out, holidays and Redcar races.

Sadly a lot of the events I remember over the years have probably gone forever: the firework displays on the boating lake and coast road with a big bonfire, the British Steel Gala with its floats and marching bands. I even remember ‘It’s A Knock Out ‘at the boating lake. There are probably a lot more events that have been forgotten over the years as well. The sad part for the trade I am in, is the public houses, hotels and night clubs we have lost in my short era. There was the great York hotel with ‘Revels’ nightclub, The Swan hotel and Bulldog nightclub, Manhattan’s nightclub, Leo’s, Sharkey’s, The Hydro, The Mayfair, The Station and The Royal to name a few. On the upside there are now some great micro pubs popping up in Redcar and hopefully this will raise an interest in the town once more.

Over the years at the Cleveland Bay there have been a lot of changes from the days when there was the ‘snug’ and the bar, the off sales at the front and days before food was a big part of the business. Over these years the clientele has changed and ‘The Bay’ has evolved into a family friendly local award winning pub and hub for all the community. There have been countless landlords, landladies and bar staff over time

but The Bay has managed to retain some of its original customers that have been here from the beginning and may I say they can tell some tales about the place and the people that have come and gone over the years.

In a time of losing public houses on a daily basis it is reassuring to see that the Cleveland Bay has still got a future surrounded by a fantastic local community with clientele of all ages coming and enjoying the food, atmosphere and company. So happy 60th birthday to The Cleveland Bay and we wish you many more to come.

With thanks to Bob Shaw , Colin and Delia, John Appleyard , for your loyal custom over the years.

Editors’ note: Unfortunately we couldn’t manage to track down any old photos of The Cleveland Bay. If you have any photographs or memories from the ‘Bay’ then why not share them with us by sending them to email editor@coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk or 67 Guisborough Road, Moorsholm, Yorkshire TS12 3JA

22

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

‘Teesside ready to take lead on clean industry’

Festival of Thrift announces date for its return to Kirkleatham in 2017

R

T

he hugely popular Festival of Thrift has announced that it is returning to Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds near Redcar on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September 2017.

Over 35,000 people attended the 2016 event on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September to be entertained, inspired and educated about how to live thriftily and sustainably in style.

Festival of Thrift director Stella Hall said that the Festival team are delighted to have been invited back to Kirkleatham

by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council.

“Redcar and Cleveland welcomed us with open arms in 2016 and gave us wonderful support that enabled us to deliver an amazing festival to help boost the area so we are thrilled to be coming back in 2017.”

Visitors flocked to the 2016 event to enjoy a weekend jam-packed with activities designed for everyone.

Stella added: “It is fantastic to have another year now secured for this unique event. We can now press on with planning a programme to delight and inspire visitors again at Kirkleatham in September. It will be

another amazing event so I would urge everyone to get the date in their diary.

“If people want a break from the dark days of January there are photos from last-year’s super, sunny and joyful Festival on our website as well as a lovely film that will prompt lots of happy memories. You can also sign up for our email newsletter so you keep updated about what we have planned.”

Further details: www.festivalofthrift. co.uk Videos and photos are available to view here: http://www. festivalofthrift.co.uk/videos/

edcar MP Anna Turley recently pressed Industry Minister Nick Hurd on the Government’s support for carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology which could make Teesside the first clean industry zone.

At the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee, Anna questioned Mr Hurd on what the new government’s policy will be after former Chancellor George Osborne cancelled a funding competition for CCS over a year ago.

A group of energy-intensive industries on Teesside have been working together as ‘Teesside Collective’ to develop a plan for the first clean industrial zone.

Last year an independent report commissioned by the Government named Teesside as one of the industrial locations which could benefit from the thousands of jobs the technology can deliver. However, they warned that the technology could only take off if the

Government took a lead.

In response to Anna’s question Mr Hurd indicated the Government were looking for a way forward on the technology.

Speaking after the Committee meeting, Anna said: “It was reassuring to hear that the Government are still committed to CCS but we need to see some clear leadership if this technology is to get off the ground.

“In order to meet our climate change obligations without burdening our industries and consumers with higher energy costs, investing in technology like CCS is crucial. It also has the potential to deliver thousands of new skilled jobs which we desperately need.

“Teesside is ready to step forward and show the world what CCS can do but the clock is ticking and we must seize this opportunity before other countries beat us to it.

“I hope Nick will take that message back to his colleagues in government.”

23

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

A

Nominations for Inspiring Women awards open

n award-winning Inspiring Woman is urging people to submit their nominations for a ceremony which recognises the outstanding effort of women in Redcar and Cleveland.

The Inspiring Women Awards are back after last year’s inaugural ceremony and nominations are now open. The overall winner for 2016 Stacey Phoenix, a solicitor at Redcar-based Cygnet Family, was recognised for the significant impact she made on the local community.

Stacey, who dedicates a substantial amount of her own time to provide help and support to domestic abuse and forced marriage victims, is encouraging residents of Redcar and Cleveland to nominate someone in their life who deserves the same recognition.

Stacey said: “Redcar and Cleveland has so much to offer and we have been through some difficult times as a community, but all over the borough people are making such positive changes. So I think these awards are a great opportunity to say a ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’.

“I was overwhelmed when I won the Mo Mowlam award last year. My mum was there, who has been with me through everything, so it was lovely to be able to share it with my family.”

Specialising in family law, she is also committed to raising awareness of legal issues around parenting for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender relationships.

She said: “Since the awards last year, I’ve added to my charity work. I’ve joined the board of trustees at Redcar and Cleveland Mind, which does such amazing work. I’ve raised money taking part in their Pirate Festival, and I also took part in the Christmas collection for the Junction. I’ve even started walking dogs at

Maxi’s Mates kennels at the weekend!”

Giving up a day a week of her time for different pro-bono causes throughout the area, Stacey has also set up free legal clinics around the Tees Valley.

“I started doing this job to help people, and my plan for 2017 is to keep it going. I don’t see what I do as worthy, because I’m lucky enough to work in a job that I do. I only wish there were more days in the week!”

As part of this year’s awards, she will be work shadowed by a student and more opportunities will be available for girls in years 10, 11 and 12 in Redcar and Cleveland to shadow other inspiring women from across the Tees Valley.

Coinciding with International Women’s Day, events will begin in March and will culminate in an awards ceremony in the Bellamy Pavilion at Kirkleatham Museum and Grounds on Saturday 11 March. The ceremony will be hosted by Zetland FM’s Julie Donaldson who is also on the organisation team for the awards.

The week-long schedule of events was in response to a call sent out across the borough last year by Redcar’s MP Anna Turley seeking ideas to recognise the late MP Mo Mowlam.

Anna Turley MP for Redcar said: “We started this event last year as a way to commemorate Mo Mowlam and build on her legacy so it is great to welcome the Inspiring Women awards back for a second year.

“Last year’s event was a huge success, celebrating the achievements of brilliant local women like Stacey and providing opportunities for our young people to learn more and reach higher.

“I am really looking forward to this year’s awards and events and would encourage

Coast & Country issues bogus caller warning

●● Always check the identity of callers

C

oast & Country is warning people in the area to be aware of bogus callers who prey on vulnerable people.

Police in Redcar recently received reports that two men had been going house to house, claiming to be from Coast & Country and that they have been sent to fix a leak. Coast & Country has also received calls from tenants describing unsolicited visits from an individual claiming to be from a well-known national charity.

Iain Sim, chief executive of Coast & Country, said: “Most callers are genuine, but unfortunately there are a very small number of unscrupulous individuals who target vulnerable people. They can be very plausible and try to trick their way into people’s homes to steal money and valuables while the householder’s attention is elsewhere.

“Coast & Country staff, along with the vast majority of other genuine callers, carry photo ID with them and will always show you it.

“We would advise anyone who is unsure about the validity of a visitor claiming to be from Coast & Country, to never let anyone in their home without checking the callers ID first. If in doubt, please close and lock the door and call our 24 hour contact centre on 01642 771300.”

A Cleveland Police Spokesperson said: “We would like to warn people to be extra careful if their home is approached by unknown people asking to do work at their homes as they could potentially be bogus callers.

“Please ensure that if any unexpected callers knock at your door that you confirm their ID or contact the company they are claiming to be from to validate their visit.

“Anyone with information on the reported incidents is asked to contact Cleveland Police on the non-emergency 101 number or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”

●● 2016 winners picture (l-r) Back: Ruth Fox, Helen Anderson, Emma Thomas, Dorothy Ahmed, Stacey Phoenix. Front: Caitlyn Manley. everyone who knows someone they find inspiring to submit a nomination. There are so many women making a huge difference in our area and this is a great opportunity to give them some recognition.”

Cllr Sue Jeffrey, Leader of Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council said: “Stacey is a great example of the hardworking and dedicated women we have in our borough.

Her achievements speak for themselves, and I’m delighted we have been able to give her this recognition which she thoroughly deserves.

“It would be fantastic if every year we could do the same for other women in Redcar

and Cleveland who give so much to their communities. So I’m encouraging as many people as possible to nominate.

“I am particularly looking forward to the work shadowing, as it is important we inspire our younger people who may one day wish to become solicitors, MPs and leaders themselves.”

The Royal Air Force will be supporting competitions in schools during the week, and there will be plenty of activities for adults to discover more about the inspirational women of Redcar and Cleveland, both past and present.

To nominate a local, inspiring woman, you can download or fill out a form online at: www. redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/inspiringwomen

24

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Protecting victims and vulnerable at the centre of PCC Plan

V

ictims and vulnerable people are at the heart of the policing priorities set out by Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland Barry Coppinger.

His new Police and Crime Plan cements the PCC’s five objectives for policing between 2016 and 2021, following extensive consultation with the public at over 400 community meetings.

Among these objectives is Mr Coppinger’s commitment to ensuring victims have access to high quality support provision when they need it most.

The PCC’s five policing objectives are:

•Investing in our police •Getting a better deal for victims and witnesses •Tackling reoffending •Working together to make Cleveland safer •Securing the future of our communities The plan sets out a number of commitments for policing during Mr Coppinger’s second four-year term, supported by Chief Constable Iain Spittal.

The document was unveiled at a Christmas dinner for pensioners at St Cuthbert’s Church Hall in Billingham on Tuesday 13th December.

The PCC’s commitments include: •Continuing to invest in neighbourhood policing, including funding for officers and PCSOs •Monitoring the Victim Care and Advice Service launched earlier this year •Further developing Restorative Cleveland and the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy •Establishing a multi-agency Cleveland wide reducing reoffending group •Working with councils, community groups, the fire service, housing, education and health to deliver value for money and efficient service •Continuing with Your Force Your Voice, a personal commitment to engage with all 79 Cleveland wards Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger said: “I’m

delighted to be launching the first Police and Crime Plan since my re-election in May and I’d like to thank those who took part in the consultation process for their input.

“It’s crucial my plan reflects the policing priorities of the public, which is why I’ve attended over 400 community meetings, to gain a better understanding of what the public expect and need.

“Central to my plan is a commitment to supporting victims and vulnerable people in our communities and it’s fitting to launch my plan at a Christmas dinner for the elderly, who can so often be preyed upon by criminals and scammers.

“Working with partners and the Chief Constable, I’m confident my objectives of investing in our police, getting a better deal for victims and witnesses, tackling reoffending, working together to make Cleveland safer and securing the future of communities can be achieved.”

The Police and Crime Plan is available on the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Website at www.cleveland.pcc.police.uk

Hoover

2yrs Labour

10yrs Parts Guarantee

Was £379.99 Save £130 Now Only

£249.99

A

n innovative machine which is used to protect property and deter thieves and burglars is being launched in Cleveland.

The ‘Dot Peen’ machine will be used to mark property which can then easily be traced back to its owner if stolen in a burglary. It can be used to mark property such as tools, saddles and items of tack, laptops and mobile phones.

The machines are already utilised

by North Yorkshire Police, who have had great success in marking tens of thousands of items including power tools, bikes, golf clubs, saddles – and even musical instruments.

All too often there is no way of identifying the rightful owners of recovered property and being able to trace the owner not only helps people get their property back, but it can also provide vital evidence in securing convictions.

Dot Peen marking involves using a tungsten carbide-tipped pin to indent an object with dots to create a visible, permanent unique number. The unique number will be entered onto the national Immobilise property register database, vastly increasing the chances that it will be reunited with its owner if it is lost or stolen.

Inspector Phil Morris, from Cleveland Police, said: “The new machine is going to be an excellent tool in our fight against crime and in getting stolen property back

Dynamic Next Advance • 8kg Load Capacity • 1600rpm • A+++ Energy Efficiency • White • All in one wash technology • Dynamic next styling • Touch display • 3D Dynamic Wash System • Intelligent Wash System • KG Mode • Variable Spin & Temperature

• 55 Litres of Usable

Oven Space • Easy Cleaning • Free Standing Model

3yrs Labour

3yrs Parts Guarantee

• A Energy Efficiency Rating Was £249.99 Save £50 Now Only

£199.99

to its rightful owners.

“Travelling criminals should now beware that we are using this equipment and are working together to target criminals who are moving between the borders of Cleveland and North Yorkshire in order to commit crime.

“We will be holding regular drop-in sessions for members of the public to get their property marked, and these will be highlighted on our Cleveland Police social media sites and on Cleveland Connected.”

Members of the public can keep an eye out for upcoming dates of dropin sessions on the Cleveland Police Twitter account @ClevelandPolice, on the Cleveland Police Facebook page and on the Cleveland Connected website.

Inspector Lee Pointon, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “We’ve had an excellent response to our Dot Peen property marking campaign in North Yorkshire, and it’s fantastic to see the service available in Cleveland too.

“Working with Cleveland means that life is going to be even more difficult for cross-border criminals, who will find that security-marked property in both force areas is ‘too hot to handle’. Marking your property is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from being a victim of crime – your property is far harder to sell on if stolen, and we are much more likely to be able to return it to its rightful owner once we recover it.”

Hoover

Belling Cooker

Link with one Touch • 7kg Load Capacity • 1400rpm • A+++ Energy Efficiency • White • One Touch • LED touch display • Hoover Link Styling • KG Mode • Variable Spin & Temperature • Three rapid programs

Innovative property marking launched to target travelling criminals

1yrs Labour

10yrs Parts Guarantee

Was £399.99

Save £100 Now Only

£299.99

-Family Run For Local People17 West Dyke Road, Redcar Tel: 01642 484103 www.birkbeckselectrical.co.uk • birkbecks@hotmail.co.uk Free Delivery within a 10 mile radius - Sunday delivery available

Your Local Euronics Center

• BOSCH • ZANUSSI • HOOVER • CANDY • HOTPOINT • INDESIT • BLOMBERG • LEC • BELLING • AMICA • BEKO • PANASONIC • TOSHIBA • SEBO • STOVES • NEWWORLD • BAUMATIC • LG • LINSAR • ELECTROLUX • IBERNA

25

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Multi-million pound plans for Cancer Centre at Friarage Hospital are unveiled

M

ulti-million pound plans to expand cancer services at the Friarage Hospital have been unveiled.

Macmillan Cancer Support has been working with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to develop proposals for a new cancer centre at the Northallerton hospital.

North Yorkshire-based philanthropist Sir Robert Ogden is jointly funding the project with Macmillan. This is his third similar project in partnership with the charity. The building would be known as the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre.

Patients, staff and visitors are being given the opportunity to have their say on the proposed development ahead of a planning application being submitted to Hambleton District Council.

The building, which will cost in the region of £10 million, will create a modern, state-of-theart facility for patients, carers and relatives and will include: • A chemotherapy treatment lounge with capacity to treat up to 35 patients a day • Complementary therapy facilities • Treatment and consulting rooms • A Macmillan cancer information and support centre • Supporting accommodation (including telemedicine facilities) If planning permission is granted, building work on the new centre could begin this summer with the project completed by the summer of 2018.

Sir Robert Ogden said: “I am delighted to fund this, my third cancer treatment centre in Yorkshire, the design of each one of which improved on and learned from its predecessor.

The new Friarage centre is a much needed advance in the provision of cancer treatment to the people of North Yorkshire”.

Paul McCavana, Macmillan head of services for the North, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity

to provide a state-of-the art cancer care facility, all under one roof, for people in and around Northallerton. It will provide a space for patients to have all their needs assessed, not just physical and clinical, but their financial, emotional and psychological needs too. That will help ensure there’s a more joined up service.

“We’re pleased to now be in a position, with our partners at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, to showcase the plans and to acknowledge the generosity shown once again

by Sir Robert Ogden.”

The Trust’s Chief Executive Siobhan McArdle said: “We are excited to be working with Macmillan to build this fantastic facility at the Friarage. This centre will enable us to further enhance our delivery of leading edge cancer services closer to the population we serve.

“This project, along with the new MRI scanner and other planned service developments, demonstrates our long-term commitment to delivering clinically safe and sustainable services to the people of Hambleton, Richmondshire, Whitby and the surrounding area from our Friarage site.”

Dr Angela Wood, strategic lead for cancer services and a consultant haematologist, added: “This is the start of an exceptionally exciting time for the development of cancer services at the Friarage and will help us to provide the highest quality of care possible for our patients in a dedicated environment.”

Currently, the Friarage provides diagnostic cancer services for lung, upper GI, urology, gynaceology, lower GI, breast and haematology as well as skin cancer and brain tumours. It is also a treatment unit for colorectal, haematology, breast and lung cancer.

Comments about the plans can also be made to Operations Director at the Friarage Hospital, Ingrid Walker, by email ingrid.walker@stees. nhs.uk throughout January.

Redcar Residents` Association given interesting and informative presentation on work of GNAA

T

he guest speaker at the December meeting of The East Redcar Residents` Association was Dave Gibson from the Great North Air Ambulance.

With the aid of three videos, Dave gave an interesting and informative presentation.

Dave described the work of the GNAA, the specialist staff they employed and the detailed, sophisticated medical equipment they used.

It costs £4.5 million pounds to run the service and this is funded entirely by the public.

40% comes from legacies, a substantial amount from the sale of donated clothing as well as about £1 million pounds from their own lottery. However, individual donations are essential to make up the rest. Maintenance costs of the helicopters is substantial – with a gearbox alone costing half a million pounds.

The Chairman of The Association, Ken Bibby, thanked Dave for such a fascinating presentation.

He commented that although £4.5 million seemed a lot, when you consider that a gearbox alone costs half a million and then there were all the

doctors, pilots, paramedics and other staff they employed, etc.etc , it was remarkable what the service achieved.

The meeting showed their appreciation with a round of applause and presented Dave with a donation of £25.

Anyone wishing to get involved can get in touch with Dave on 0755 445 3493 or e-mail david@ greatnorthambulance.co.uk .

Any donations should be made to Great North Air Ambulance and sent to:Great North Air Ambulance, The Imperial Centre, Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5NQ Their telephone number is:- 01325 487263 or Fax:- 01325 489819 The next meeting of the association is on Thursday 2nd Feb. at 7pm in St.Peter`s Church, Redcar Lane, Redcar in the upstairs meeting room.

All welcome. Ring Ken on 01642 482132 for more details.

E

New Year, new opening times for Eye Casualty

ye casualty at The James Cook University Hospital will change its opening hours in the New Year.

The department, based within eye outpatients, is currently open 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, but from Monday 9 January 2017 it will be open: • 8am to 5pm - Monday to Friday • 8am to 12noon - weekends and bank holidays The changes have been introduced following changes to junior doctors’ working hours, but patients are being reassured that they will still be able to get emergency treatment 24/7.

Outside of these new opening hours patients with an eye injury or other serious eye problem can access services via the hospital’s accident and emergency department.

For non-emergencies the hospital also offers a fast track eye clinic which provides an appointment slot within one to five days of referral.

Clinical Director for Ophthalmology, Chrisjan Dees, said: “Many patients who come in with an acute eye problem do not need to be seen immediately. For this group of patients we run a fast track eye clinic.

“This clinic is also for patients who are referred urgently by their optometrist or GP. Patients will typically receive a phone call within 24 hours of referral offering them an appointment time.

“Any emergencies outside of eye casualty opening times will be treated in the A&E department.”

26

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

27

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Rural Crime Update Coastal View – Rural Page - January 2017

H

appy New Year everyone, and welcome to the first Rural Policing page of 2017.

I hope you all managed to spend some time with family and friends over the festive period, and that Santa brought you all that you wished for.

I’d like to start this year off by updating you on a few things from the end of last year, as it was all hands on deck in December, when over 200 police officers and volunteers took part in December’s

major clampdown on Rural Crime.

Operation Checkpoint - is the

largest rural policing operation of its kind in the country, and regularly sees officers from Cleveland, North Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria, Lancashire and Northumbria join forces to target crossborder criminals.

Running from 3pm Wednesday 7th December till the early hours of Thursday 8th December, intelligence-led deployments were coordinated between the six forces, along with static vehicle checkpoints and visits to vulnerable premises.

Intelligence shows that organised crime groups from across the north of England are involved in thefts, burglaries, handling stolen property and targeting rural areas. These criminals use their extensive knowledge of the road networks across the region in an attempt to avoid detection.

Operation Checkpoint targets, disrupts and deters vehicles suspected of being linked to criminality by deploying officers and volunteers with expert knowledge of their local area, crime patterns, intelligence and road networks, and using Automatic Number Plate

Recognition (ANPR) technology.

The operation saw over 100 vehicles stopped for checks across the Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and Northumbria areas resulting in a number of vehicle seizures, fixed penalty notices and arrests. In total Cleveland Police had 4 arrests for the operation due to the directed patrols and intelligence received.

Cleveland were the lead force on this occasion for this operation with the Special Constabulary, the Dog Support Unit, Road Policing Unit, Neighbourhood teams, the Angling Trust’s ‘Volunteer Bailiffs’ and ANPR all assisting to reassure local communities that we are working together to keep our areas safe by clamping down on criminals A large number of farms were also visited during the operation, to let those we serve know that we are out there on their behalf I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those volunteers who took part and support our Rural Watch, and the Tees Rural Crime Forum. We made great strides in 2016 in tackling Rural Crime, and I know we can take on bigger and better things in 2017 with all your support.

Joint Rural Patrols with North Yorkshire Over two nights in December Sgt Fay Cole’s team of PCs Paul Hutchinson, Eric Simpson and Adrian Berryman, from Guisborough and East Cleveland Neighbourhood teams worked with officers from North Yorkshire Police’s Rural Task Force on an operation directed at tackling cross border criminality.

During the first night, the team seized

PCC calls on GPs to “scrap the fee” for domestic violence victims

C

leveland’s Police and Crime Commissioner has backed a national campaign to end charges for domestic violence victims to access legal aid.

Currently, victims applying for legal aid need to provide evidence that they have experienced domestic abuse, in order to help take their case to court.

An accepted form of evidence is a letter from a GP, which some GPs are charging up to £75 to provide.

The issue has been highlighted by MP Tom Watson, who has started a Scrap the Fee petition to abolish the charges.

PCC Barry Coppinger has written a letter to his partners urging them to sign the petition.

Mr Coppinger said: “Entering the legal system as a domestic violence victim is already an incredibly brave thing to do and the last thing they need is to face financial difficulty in order to access legal aid.

“I fully support Mr Watson’s campaign and I have contacted my partners in the Cleveland area who have advised that this is a common experience for many victims in our

region.

“Victims suffer enough and GPs simply should not be allowed to charge them for access to the justice system.”

Becky Rogerson, Chief Officer at My Sister’s Place, said: “We have dozens of victims being asked to jump through hoops to gain access to legal representation. It is yet another barrier to justice for victims, who are simply trying to keep themselves safe.

“These charges add another layer to the burdens on a victim at a time when they are at their most vulnerable and least able to cope.

“Some GPs seem to charge whatever they like and make their own judgements about what constitutes domestic violence.

“Legal protection is a human right in this country – a right we extend to serious offenders but seem to be denying to victims, unless they can afford to pay an access charge. It’s seriously wrong.”

Find out more about the Scrap the Fee campaign and sign the petition here: http://www.tom-watson.com/ scrapthefee

N

●● Just some of the Cleveland Police officers and Volunteers taking part in Operation Checkpoint lead by Superintendent John Lyons a vehicle from poachers on land near the A171, Nunthorpe, they arrested a male for drug driving in Kildale and issued a cannabis warning to the female passenger and finally, two males were arrested shortly after a burglary was reported in Loftus.

On the second night, PC Paul Hutchinson with PC Arfan Rahouf (NYP) spotted two suspicious males in a rear alley in Coronation Street, Carlin How. After speaking to one of the males they attended his address in Loftus and upon entering detected cannabis. A search of the property revealed two bins filled with cannabis bush, cocaine, ecstasy and a significant amount of cash with further evidence of drug dealing. The male and also the female occupant were arrested for drug and money laundering offences and have been bailed pending further enquiries. The team along with NYP, worked throughout the night to secure and preserve evidence. #DOTPEEN We have an exciting new bit of kit coming your way in 2017, with our new DOTPEEN marking device.

This new system will enable us to engrave almost any type of material such as Bikes, Laptops, Horse Tack plus hundreds of other items including even Fishing Rods and Golf Clubs with your postcode and house number, and will be free of charge. This will enable

Quality Kitchen Facelifts

us to identify lost or stolen property more easily, and hopefully return it to the rightful owner.

North Yorkshire Police have had their devices for approx. 18 months now, and have marked over 10,000 items of property in that time. We are currently training all the PCSO’s in the force to use it, and with the feedback I have received so far from them I believe it’s going to be a great tool for everyone in tackling thefts and strengthening community engagement.

I’ll have more on this in the next issue of Coastal View as we’ll be launching it this month, and i know that in 2017 you will be given the opportunity to come along to pre-arranged marking days and have your property marked.

Thank you for reading this piece again, and look forward to updating you on further Rural Crime issues in the coming months.

Before I go I would ask that if anyone has a particular question they want answering, or a piece they would like me to write about then please feel free to contact me as I want this to be your page and cover issues that affect you.

Please contact me at: ruralcrime. webmail@cleveland.pnn.police.uk Regards, Paul Payne - Rural Crime Reduction Coordinator

Est. 1999

• Huge choice of doors,

worktops, appliances, sinks and taps • Installed in 1-2 days by professionals • Installed by local skilled tradesman

01642 646 029

www.dreamdoors.co.uk

ow that the Christmas holidays are long gone, during which we probably had a little more food and drink than we would normally have, and as we begin 2017, its time to consider our New Year resolutions.

For my resolution, I intend to lose a few pounds. I know I can do it, I’ve done it before, I just know that I need to some effort into it, I know that I need to cut my food intake and exercise that little bit more, and I know that this will be challenge for me every single day.

For my first crime prevention blog of 2017 I would like to set you a challenge, to ask you to consider making a New Year resolution, to get into the habit of locking your doors and securing windows, even when you are at home. It will be a challenge for some of you, it will involve changing the way you do things, getting into a habit, however, if you set a rule in your house that you always lock your doors and secure your windows, and reinforce the message, and encourage your family members to do the same, then you can help prevent yourself and your family from becoming victims of crime.

What’s worse is that the thief may also target those car keys that you’ve conveniently left near to your front door, or on the stairs. It’s the criminal’s BOGOF deal, they Burgle One, and they Get One Free! Don’t make it easy for them! Lock it or lose it!

So, let’s make 2017 the year where we make a dent in the unacceptably high figures of ‘walk in’ burglaries, that’s 1 in every 3 burglaries, where the thief simply tries their luck and gains entry into your home through an unlocked door, or insecure window.

If you have any information about a crime, contact the police on 101 or you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Gerry McBride Crime Prevention Officer and Architect Liaison Officer

A fresh new look this winter

Why replace when you can reface?

Call Kevin For a Free Estimate:

Gerry’s Blog Happy New Year!

Visit our Showroom: Dream Doors Teesside, Yarm, Stockton on Tees, 21 High Street , TS15 9BW

28

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Fighting back for Redcar - Anna Turley MP Government needs to get a grip of NHS waiting times

I

t would not be an overstatement to say that our health service is in crisis and the Government desperately needs to get a grip of the situation.

Across the country waiting times in Accident & Emergency departments are through the roof.

The target, introduced by Labour, is for people to be seen within 4 hours. The latest figures from NHS England show only 88.4% of patients admitted to A&E were dealt with in four hours in November. Hospitals have not met the target of 95% since July 2015. Recently, one A&E patient at James Cook hospital was forced to wait for nine hours for a hospital bed!

One of the big problems is a lot of preventative services are not working. If people cannot get an appointment with their GP they may go straight

I

to A&E. Equally people are struggling at times to get advice from NHS 111 because they cannot get through. With the cuts to social care, when elderly people are deemed medically fit to leave hospital they sometimes cannot because there is no provision for them at home. In Parliament I challenged Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on the number of cases of malnutrition on Teesside requiring hospital attention which has more than tripled in the past six years. More people have been forced into this position due to the policies and decisions of his government. There has been some talk of the Government scrapping the four hour target for non-urgent cases but this would do nothing to address the issue. The Government needs to get a grip on the situation and relieve the pressure on our NHS.

Military Charities

have been working with the local branch of the British Legion on addressing their concerns about the activities of supposedly charitable organisations purporting to be supporting ex-servicemen and women but who in reality do very little.

These organisations are often styled with names similar to Help For Heroes, such as ‘Soldiers off the Streets’ and ‘Army of Heroes’, in order to use the leverage of that brand to solicit donations.

In reality very little of the funds they raise are reaching the exservice community they claim to

be representing. This practice not only undermines the trust and the confidence of the donating public but deprives authentic charities supporting ex-service men and women of vital funds. I have raised the issue with the Charity Commission, Cleveland Police, and the local council. I would urge residents to be vigilant and make sure any donations they are making to charity are going to a legitimate organisation. This month I will be joining British Legion for their collection on Redcar High Street.

If you are passing, please show your support for the great work they do supporting veterans.

Choosing Teesside’s first mayor

I

● Anna and Sue Jeffrey at the steelworks site

n May people in Redcar & Cleveland, and across the other boroughs in the ‘Tees Valley’, will have the chance to elect the first Metro Mayor for our area.

The Mayor will chair the combined authority (a committee of all the local council leaders) and together they will gain new powers from central government over issues like employment, skills and transport. The combined authority will also have £15 million a year to invest in our region.

People understandably have doubts about having a Mayor, which was a government requirement of the devolution deal, but the role gives us the chance to take control of our own fortunes and be competing on a national and international level alongside the likes of Liverpool and Greater Manchester.

Our local council leader, Sue Jeffrey, has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the election. Sue is an excellent candidate with a proven track record of fighting for Teesside.

She understands the challenges we face and will continue to work hard alongside our local authorities, businesses, industry, and others to grow the local economy. If Sue wins the election in May I know she will be a hardworking and inclusive mayor and a strong voice for our area.

Contact Anna Write: Anna Turley MP, 10 Milbank Terrace, Redcar, TS10 1ED Email: anna.turley.mp@parliament.uk / Phone: 01642 485138 www.anna4redcar.org.uk / Twitter: @annaturley / Facebook.com/Anna4Redcar

I

The future of the steel industry

t is 15 months since our community was shattered by the hard closure of our steelworks.

A huge blow to our area and to thousands of families employed directly or indirectly at the site. We campaigned hard to get the Government to fund a mothballing to protect the assets and allow the site to reopen in future. They refused and the blast furnace and coke ovens are now beyond repair. So we have to move forward and rebuild which means finding new industries to set up on the site. This challenge is being tackled, albeit slowly due to the Thai Banks holding the site to ransom.

Our main steelworks may have gone but the steel industry still has a stake in Teesside. The new ownership of Teesside Beam Mill under British Steel is a prime example. We also have the Materials Processing Institute at South Bank leading cutting edge research on future steel technology. Steel continues to be one of Teesside’s strengths which means the crisis that still embroils the industry needs tackling.

When you elected me 18 months ago I joined the All Party Parliamentary Group on Steel and Metal Related Industries in order to champion the needs of steel. Over recent months we have been running our own inquiry into what needs to be done to save the steel industry across the UK and allow it to grow. Our report has just been published with some key recommendations for the Government to take on board. Working with other MPs from steel communities, I will keep the pressure on.

Tories make local taxpayers pay for their social care crisis

O

ur social care system is in crisis.

We have an aging population with increasing care needs but at the same time social care funding has been cut, leaving services overstretched. The Care Quality Commission said that social care was approaching “a tipping point”, while the Local Government Association has warned that social care faces an estimated funding gap of an £2.6 billion by 2020. In Redcar & Cleveland the amount spent on social care has gone down in real terms by 10.4% under the Tories. Without appropriate funding we risk failing to meet basic needs for our society’s most vulnerable, such as ensuring elderly or disabled people are washed, dressed and helped out of bed. With shorter care visits, we risk a reduction of quality and safety in care.

It also puts more pressure on GP and hospital services which are already struggling to cope.

Just before Christmas the Conservative Government announced an outrageous proposal to raise extra funding by allowing councils to increase the social care levy on local taxpayers (currently capped at 2%) by 6% over two years.

This puts more pressure on local people and in less-wealthy areas like ours the money raised would be a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed.

Labour have been pushing for extra funding for social care but it should come out of the central government pot to address the crisis properly. To date the Government have not budged. We will keep pressing the urgency of decent care for elderly and disabled citizens.

Anna Turley MP - Surgeries Upcoming surgeries: Friday 17th February - 3pm to 5pm / Saturday 11th March - 10am to 12noon Please call 01642 485138 or email anna.turley mp@parliament.uk to book an appointment

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

29

30

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

31

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

News from the Local WI’s Moorsholm WI

T

By Mary Heathcote

he last meeting of 2016 for our WI was well attended and had been decided as a fun and party games evening.

A short discussion of immediate business was run through then we arranged ourselves for some quite eventful games.

Three members of the committee devised

amongst other ideas a picture quiz and a pass the parcel game with a difference which involved a pack of playing cards which certainly caused some hilarity.

The Faith supper consisted of a dish of savoury or sweet supplied by each member so as usual a delicious array of food was had by all.

Moorsholm WI always arranges car sharing

Saltburn WI

A

By Diane Falla

buzz of conversation greeted everyone as they walked into the January meeting, as people greeted friends and caught up with news after the Christmas and New Year Holidays.

Our speaker was David Lane who runs The Clucking Pig Company. David began by telling us how he started off in a small way selling eggs from the ex battery hens he kept on his smallholding. From there he progressed to making scotch eggs to sell at Farmer’s markets and local Food festivals.

His first venture was just 70 scotch eggs, but this has risen steadily year by year and is now over 2000. The main thing that came over in his talk was his passion for using locally sourced ingredients and selling them in local

markets with a personal touch. We all enjoyed his informative and entertaining talk, and of course the samples of the product which we were able to try. Definitely to be recommended.

Now into a new year we are planning for the year ahead. Tonight we were asked to form a darts’ team and a quiz team for the Teesside federation competitions. We were told of plans for outings and craft workshops coming up, as well as our usual round of monthly activities, from walks to book club and masterclass cookery. Hopefully something for everyone. For a full list of all our activities check our website www.saltburnwi.org.uk. Our next meeting is on Thursday 9th February in the Methodist Church hall in Milton Street 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. New members are always given a warm welcome so please do come along.

Loftus.W.I.

W

By Linda Wilson

ith 2016 behind us we are able to look back and remember what a good year it was for Loftus WI. We began the year with our banner reveal which has worked to great effect , bringing us numerous new members with a wide variety of ages.

We enjoyed speakers who entertained us with talks on a wide range of topics, from Whitby Goths to the confessions of an antique dealer.

In April we celebrated the Queens birthday with lunch and birthday cake , also in April we had a team represent Loftus W.I. in the annual County W.I quiz .During the course of the summer we held numerous workshops in members’ homes preparing our scarecrows for the Scarecrow Festival being held in Loftus and surrounding villages in August. August also saw us host a tea party for the De Brus WI Group when 84 ladies enjoyed tea and entertainment in Loftus Town Hall.

As the year progressed plans were put into place to host the first ever Christmas Tree Festival to be held in St Leonards Parish Church . Again workshops were held in members’ homes enabling members to make decorations to be hung upon the WI Christmas tree. The festival of trees and wreaths held in St Leonards was a resounding success; the traders of the town all did an amazing job in producing trees and wreaths which reflected their type of business and also

their commitment to the town . This year, 2017 has just begun and already we have lots planned for the year.

As always we meet on the second Tuesday of the month in Loftus Town Hall 7pm - 9pm; our banner serves as a reminder for members and also as a welcome for any prospective new members, so please come along if you think you would enjoy our varied range of events, you would be made very welcome.

when going to events outside the village so as our Christmas lunch was at Ellerby this year we were all sorted with who was driving who; it works very well and everyone takes a turn at this.

We ended the evening a little later than usual with a ‘secret Santa’ bran tub so no one went home empty handed.

A very enjoyable evening had by all.

We are all looking forward to a packed diary of a variety of events for 2017 and welcoming new members joining this friendly Women’s Institute.

Here we are starting 2017 off with our January meeting with the usual WI business, we then went on to discuss the new events coming to our calendar to include amongst others, Burns Night at the Memorial Hall on Friday 27th January, tickets priced £10, these tickets go

quickly as it’s a popular annual event. Anyone interested needs to contact Sheena Smith. We also have managed to secure good seats for the Ballet at Whitby pavilion to see Cinderella in June.

In July we will be having The Seatones, a quartet of ladies who sing 40’s music and dress the part too, well worth seeing and singing along with. We have a varied and full diary of events for the forthcoming year so once again the ladies and phone numbers to contact if anyone would like to join us are printed below.

Better late than never, a very happy new year to everyone.

To contact Moorsholm Women’s institute ring:Enid McCabe – President 01287-660808 Sheena Smith – Secretary 01287-660839

Hutton Lowcross WI

O

By Pat Bolton - President

ur Christmas celebrations lasted for the whole of December!

At our own Christmas Party we were entertained by Marske Fisherman’s Choir who sang a wide range of material from sea shanties and folk songs to Christmas Carols. The highlight was a joint rendition of “Jerusalem”, which raised the roof.

We also had a Christmas afternoon tea at Gisborough Hall and hosted the De Brus Group Carol Service at the Methodist Church Conducted by Rev. John Henry. This was attended by 80 members from the local area and concluded with refreshments for all.

In addition we sponsored a tree in the St Nicholas Christmas Tree Festival, with our theme being “Jam and Jerusalem” and were fortunate in being selected as runners up in the Community Group category.

At our January meeting on 12th Jan our speaker was Roger Luntz who talked about

Peru and the Galapagos. This was followed by our Post Christmas Lunch on Jan 17th.

We were treated at our November meeting to a fascinating insight into the world of being a line judge at Wimbledon by Christine Shutt from Stokesley. She explained the process involved in becoming a line judge and umpire and how volunteers are able to be assessed and move up through the rankings, which has enabled her to be at Wimbledon for the last 24years. She had brought along her latest uniform made by Polo / Ralph Lauren and worth £2000 in total.

Questions were many and varied as members enjoyed hearing about everything from the underground passages at Wimbledon enabling the easy movement of staff, to the grunting of Sharapova.

32

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

In the Frame

Why are we concentrating or moving our young people into Education, Employment, Apprenticeships or Training?

A

nalysis of figures indicates that we are very good at moving young people from compulsory education at 16 into continued learning.

The vast majority of our younger residents remain in learning for at least two years. That is the remit that we have been given and we perform well in this area.

An area we need to look at improving is with young people between the age of 18 and 24. Those with a definite career path tend to move into employment but those that are a little vocationally confused tend to drift.

Our challenge is to identify areas of jobs growth in the local labour market that we do have. We need to ensure that our young people are aware of growth sectors and that they are supported with the right upskilling to apply for Apprenticeships and jobs in those areas of work. We also need to work with local employers to encourage them to engage with the education sector via Routes to Employment so that awareness of the local labour market opportunities is an integral part of the school curriculum for future education leavers.

There are some things that will take a long time to overcome – our previous reliance upon large heavy industries, poor transport links from East Cleveland to where the jobs actually are, lack of financial services using Redcar & Cleveland as a base. All of these will take time to overcome but our colleagues in Business Growth are working hard to address those issues.

We would like to encourage local business to engage with Routes to Employment for recruitment of Apprenticeships. Routes to Employment support businesses with recruitment, training and funding and we work hard to ensure residents have the right skill sets to fill those opportunities.

To find out more about how Routes to Employment can support you please call 01642 444666.

In the Frame H

elen Horsley is the Owner and Director at Redcar Auto & Performance Centre Ltd based on Tod Point Road in Redcar.

I called in to see Helen and asked her about her experience of recruiting an Apprentice for the business and the reason why she felt it was necessary.

What made you decide to employ your first apprentice?

We have been open for almost 1.5 years now and we have built an excellent customer base. As the business has grown and developed I found myself becoming weighed down with administration and not able to concentrate on the running of the business as I would have liked to do. The idea of an Apprentice to support me with the Administration

was appealing but I wasn’t sure about how I would go about recruiting one, what it would entail and I didn’t really have the time to look into it.

How did you hear about Apprenticeships and the support available?

I was approached by Gavin Smith from Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Routes to Employment Team after we had advertised the opening of the branch in the local paper.

How did you find the process, recruitment, information available etc?

I had a bit of an advantage when it came to selecting an apprentice for the business, we employed Faye who happens to be our daughter. Faye was originally looking at an alternative

career path but after gaining some work experience she decided her original career idea wasn’t really what she wanted to do. I didn’t know if there would be any restrictions for the funding and training if I employed Faye with her being family but I was reassured there wouldn’t be any issues.

Gavin introduced me to Mike Elliott from Redcar and Cleveland College who is the training provider for Faye’s NVQ. Mike came to see me and talked me through the NVQ process, funding and support available for Faye and for me as the employer.

How has an apprentice contributed to your business?

Faye has bought a new lease of life to the office, she has implemented some new processes that seem to be working really well. Faye set up and maintains our social media presence and has acted professionally throughout her time here and she has an excellent attitude to work. As a family run business it is great that Faye has been

● Helen Horsley is the Owner and Director at Redcar Auto & Performance Centre Ltd able to join us and she loves her new career path.

Would you recruit another apprentice?

We are currently happy with our

Routes to Employment are currently looking to fill the following Apprenticeships • Horticulture Level 2 Apprenticeship based in and around Redcar and East Cleveland.

• Business Administration Level 2 Apprenticeship based in Eston.

• Business Administration Level 2 based in Central Redcar.

• Hospitality and Catering Level 2 Apprenticeship based in Redcar and one based in East Cleveland.

• 2 x Apprentice Laboratory Technicians Level 2 based on Wilton.

• 2 x Apprentice Construction Site Managers Level 2 based in the TS6 area.

If you are interested in learning more about the vacancies above or would like to apply for one of the roles pleased contact Routes to Employment on 01642 444666.

01642 444666

We would like to encourage local business to engage with Routes to Employment for recruitment of Apprenticeships

staffing levels and have a really strong team with an exceptional set of skills.

I do recognise we may need to expand our team in the future but for now we are at the level we need to be. Things do change and we are increasing our customer base each week so I would say it’s something we may look at in the near future.

Helen is the owner and director of Redcar Auto & Performance Centre Ltd and is happy to chat to any other business owners who are interested in apprenticeship and want know more about how they have helped and supported his business, Helen can be contacted on 01642 480987

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Huge tidal surge hits Saltburn As high tides caused much damage on January 13th along the whole of the east coast a local resident was in Saltburn and sent us these amazing pictures.

Photographs by kind permission of Lee Pearce from Brotton.

STAY WARM THIS WINTER FIREPLACES MULTI-FUEL STOVES WOOD BURNING STOVES FIRES Full Installation Service Available*

43 Vicarage Drive Marske Cleveland Tel: 01642 291021 www.fireplaces-stoves.co.uk TS11 7AT

33

34

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Always give the NHS the funding it needs Join up services from home to hospital to provide a integrated health and social care service Give mental health the same priority as physical health

Tom Blenkinsop MP Working hard for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland info@tomblenkinsop.com

01287 610878

@TomBlenkinsop

35

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

G

rants of up to £2,000 are now on offer to land managers in the North York Moors National Park for hedgerow planting and drystone walling.

The Traditional Boundary Scheme seeks to restore and improve traditional field boundaries, which form an important part of the landscape character across the National Park. The Authority wants to help landowners improve, protect and restore these traditional features, which include drystone wall restoration, hedge laying, coppicing and gapping up.

Roy McGhie, Conservation Projects Assistant at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said: “The Traditional Boundary Scheme offers an excellent way for land managers to restore field boundaries, which deliver multiple benefits for everyone involved. The walls and hedges of

the National Park act as stock-proof boundaries, reduce erosion, provide shelter for animals, increase habitat connectivity as well as providing the aesthetic landscape character that makes our National Park so distinctive.”

The Traditional Boundary Scheme is a competitive scheme that can grant-aid traditional field boundaries in the National Park providing they do not already receive funding from other sources. Priority is given to those boundaries which are most visible from a public right of way or of particular historical or environmental interest. For more information please visit http:// www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/tbs, email tbs@ northyorkmoors.org.uk or call 01439 772700.

The current application window will close on 31 March 2017. It is anticipated that there will be a further round of applications later in the year.

Conservation Award 2017 now open

T

National Park’s gallery celebrates 10th anniversary

Walling and hedging grants now available

he North Yorkshire Moors Association (NYMA) is inviting applications from individuals, groups or organisations for its biannual Conservation Award.

Jointly funded by the North York Moors National Park and the North Yorkshire Moors Association, this prestigious award has been running since 1996, recognising the very best in both individual and community projects.

Applicants should be carrying out work furthering the objectives for which the National Park was designated, namely to conserve and enhance the natural and/or built environment of the North York Moors National Park.

For an application form and more details please contact the NYMA Secretary, Dr. Janet Cochrane at janetcochrane55@gmail.com or

telephone 07570 112010.

Entries should be submitted by 31 March 2017 and will be judged by representatives from the Association and National Park. An award of up to £500 will be made to the winning entry and presented on Saturday 10 June 2017.

Richard Gunton, Director of Park Services at the North York Moors National Park Authority said: “It’s wonderful to be able to support these awards. We see entries on a wide range of subjects, from both individual and community projects, which is fantastic. Previous winners have included: Wildlife Management Rosedale Intake Danby, Faceby Village Hall Project, Oak Tree Planting Oakridge Staithes, with the Kirby Trod Restoration Project picking up the award in 2015.”

Big Local helping Santa

●● Staithes Clare Caulfield pecial exhibition a t I n s p i re d b y … gallery marks a decade of showcasing art inspired by the beauty of the North York Moors A special exhibition opens next month within the North York Moors National Park to mark the 10th anniversary of its art gallery at Danby.

The Past and Present Exhibition runs from 12 February until 13 March and brings together an extensive body of work, much of it specially created for the exhibition, from many artists who have been involved with the Inspired by… gallery at The Moors National Park Centre during the last decade.

The exhibition will also showcase the work of artists who will be represented in future exhibitions at Danby.

The gallery, which is free to enter, has hosted around 100 exhibitions since it first opened in 2007; each year providing a valuable platform for up to 100 emerging, local and nationally-acclaimed artists whose work has been inspired by the diverse landscape of the North York Moors.

The initial success of the gallery, which now attracts

S

around 103,000 visitors annually, led to the National Park extending the exhibition space and through the formation of a volunteer group eight years’ ago, more artists and exhibitions are now being supported every year.

The wild moorland, majestic coastline and quiet dales together with the heritage of the North York Moors National Park have provided a rich seam of inspiration for artists over the years using a wide range of media – from textiles and ceramics through to photography to paintings.

This will be reflected in the display of work by 21 artists during the milestone exhibition which sees many first showings of new work including paintings by John Freeman and Clare Caulfield, and a fascinator designed by milliner Bridget Bailey, together with existing paintings by artist Len Tabner.

Through a collaboration with the Zillah Bell Gallery in Thirsk, new paintings by renowned artist Norman Ackroyd will also be on display.

The first day of Past and Present opens with a Love in the Air event on the Sunday

before Valentine’s Day, which will also lift the curtain on a display of jewellery that features in a parallel exhibition at the gallery entitled ‘Heart of the Landscape’.

Sally Ann Smith, curator of the Inspired by… gallery comments: “Past and Present will be a celebration of all the achievements of the last decade, particularly the strong relationships we have built with art galleries and artists and the support we have been able to give to those artists who have a real passion for the National Park.

“Having been involved with the gallery right from the start, I’m still impressed with and proud of the creativity and new ways that artists find to express the special qualities of the North York Moors such as the huge walk-in fabric beehive created by artist Laney Birkhead and the tree root sculptures by Azad Mohammed.

“Inspired by… is now a popular visitor attraction and we’re looking forward to working with more emerging as well as familiar artists in the future.” www.northyorkmoors.org. uk/inspiredby

New 4-Bed House in Brotton,

Reduced by £45,000 to £175,000 for quick sale TY ER LE P O

PR

R

FO

T

SA

By Gloria Robinson

he Big Local helped Santa to deliver festive sweets which they provided for every pupil at the Lockwood schools: Lingdale Primary and Lockwood School Boosbeck, through their respective community groups.

The presents were met with great cheer from the children.

Tel 07940 584642 or 07590 006698

Part Ex Considered - Double-length garage - Block-paved driveway - Gas central heating - Double glazing - Full carpeted with curtain rails - En suite main bedroom - Spa bath - Ground floor shower/wc - Large lounge - Dining room Roof panels provide cheap electricity

36

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Your Voice In Parliament

Tom Blenkinsop MP Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

M

Tom set to join the Army Reserve

y New Year’s resolution is a bit different this year, I’m going to spend at least 27 days a year training with the army by signing up to be a member of the Army Reserve.

In January I took part in the final assessment stage before signing up for phase one basic training, which I will take alongside my parliamentary duties.

I enjoyed my time at Glencorse barracks in Scotland where I underwent my formal Army assessment for the Army Reserve.

Passing these tests will allow me to start training with the 243 Provost Company, Northern Detachment, 1 Regiment Royal Military Police, which has a base in Stockton. I can’t wait to start.

My family has a strong tradition of military service, my

father was a Royal Navy veteran, my grandfather was a British Army veteran and my brother has just joined the Royal Navy Reserve. Military service is a family tradition that I am proud to continue.

This has been great motivation to keep fit, Frankie and Nick from Redcar Amateur Boxing Club have been putting me through paces for months in anticipation for my Army fitness tests, I’m sure that this hard work will pay off when I start my basic training in a few months’ time.

The Army Reserve is the largest of the Reserve Forces, and supports the Regular Army at home and overseas, Army Reserve Soldiers come from all walks of life and work parttime as soldiers for the British Army alongside full-time Regular soldiers.

Fighting for green investment

A

breakthrough thousands of miles away in the Indian port of Tuticorin could be the key to starting a new green industrial revolution in Teesside.

A British company, Carbon Clean Solutions, have, for the first time, developed a technology that turns the Carbon dioxide produced by industry into useful green products, in this case, baking soda. This process known as Carbon Capture and

Utilisation (CCU) offers a huge opportunity to make traditional industries environmentally friendly and produce valuable green products.

Companies around the world are trying to master this technology and I think now a British company has made the first major breakthrough in India we should bring this success, and the jobs and investment it promises, home.

Recently I met with the founder and CEO of Carbon Clean Solutions, Aniruddha Sharma, in Parliament to discuss his success in India and whether he believed it could be replicated in Teesside.

I learnt that Mr Sharma has already explored similar projects in our area, projects that could bring investment and jobs in our region. In fact, in the view of Carbon Clean Solutions, Teesside is the best location in the UK for the development of Carbon Capture technology. All CCU needs to get started in our region is initial Government investment – investment that was promised in the last Conservative manifesto but has not yet been delivered on.

We need our Government to keep their promise to Teesside and back our area and Carbon Capture technology with cash. I will be working in Teesside and parliament to make sure they do!

D

NHS faces another crisis this winter

ominating the news over past weeks has been the long dreaded NHS cash crisis.

All the warnings of a looming gulf between the funding that the NHS needs and the miserly approach of government towards health and social care have now materialised in the shape of long queues at A and E units and high numbers of frail elderly patients occupying hospital beds because of a lack of social care provision.

Lack of government investment it social care, the looming threat of a new round of job losses and ward closures are all part of the problem.

The local NHS is forced by government to develop what are called ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans’ to somehow reduce and eliminate cash overspends caused by a growing population and a dramatic demographic rise in the numbers of elderly people.

These issues and the spectre of this crisis have been on the Government’s radar for years. Yet instead of looking to bold measures to tackle these issues, they have been transfixed and paralysed like a rabbit in the headlight of an oncoming car while vulnerable people are suffering.

What has been done is weak, muddled and confused, rather than accept that social care has to be financed centrally, the Government have passed the buck on to local councils forcing them to impose a “levy” on council tax as a part solution which has caused even more problems than it has solved.

Being based on council tax mean that councils like ours, with a large number of elderly and infirm, but with a low total council tax income are subsidising local authorities in the leafy south of England with younger populations and a higher total council tax income.

The answers are short and simple, we need to adequately fund all councils based on the health and age of their residents so that they can push more resources into creating a care service which can allow social care agencies to recruit carers or even open new residential homes if there is a need to do so.

We need to come to a long term funding solution for the NHS based not on bureaucratic plans or cost cutting, but on developing better and more sustainable primary care in the community to allow the acute hospitals to do what they can do best - to treat serious illness and long terms conditions in a far more settled environment than we have today.

Gaskell Bridge is reopened

I

was pleased to visit Gaskell Lane in Loftus to see the final stages of construction of the rebuilt bridge which collapsed in the 2013 floods.

The building work was paid for by the Labour-led Redcar and Cleveland Council and Northumbrian Water, even though the bridge was in private ownership.

Redcar and Cleveland Council will be

adopting the road and the bridge so that this can never happen again.

This has been a long process for the residents of the lane in particular Mr and Mrs Himsworth who have been flooded on multiple occasions and have allowed the other residents of the lane to use their garden to access their homes. I am pleased that I played a part in the rebuild of this bridge.

Contact Tom

Please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or concerns.

I aim to reply to all enquiries as quickly as I can.

Write: Tom Blenkinsop MP, Harry Tout House, 8 Wilson St. Guisborough TS14 6NA. email: info@tomblenkinsop.com / Phone 01287 610878 / Fax 01287 631894.

Twitter:http://twitter.com/tomblenkinsop

37

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

C

New Head of Development appointed

oast & Country has appointed Clare Harrigan as Head of Development.

Clare joins from one of the largest social housing providers in the UK, Bradford-based Incommunities.

Clare’s responsibilities will focus on the successful evolution and delivery of Coast & Country’s approach to development, to achieve the aims of the Property and Development Strategy and the promotion of its service excellence culture.

Iain Sim, chief executive of Coast & Country, said: “I am delighted to appoint a high-calibre housing professional to this important role.

“Clare will further build on a culture in which high standards of service and performance are expected and which focuses on achieving results. I am confident that with her skills and experience she will make a real impact at Coast & Country.”

Clare said: “I am delighted to be joining Coast & Country and am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

“Housing is key to the economic success of a region and I am looking forward to playing my part in delivering Coast & Country’s objectives for Redcar & Cleveland and the wider area.”

Eagle-eyed schoolchildren set to count Tees Valley’s birds Big Schools’ Birdwatch, 3 January- 17 February 2017

T

ens of thousands of schoolchildren across the UK, including throughout the Tees Valley, will be swapping books for binoculars this term to take part in the UK’s biggest schools wildlife survey.

The RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch 2017 takes place during the first half of the spring term and helps children discover the wonderful wildlife they share their school grounds with, whilst providing a helpful insight into which species are thriving or declining.

According to research conducted by the RSPB2, one in five children are disconnected from nature. Big Schools’ Birdwatch aims to inspire children to care about the natural world around them in the hope they’ll want to help protect it for future generations.

Last year almost 100,000 pupils and teachers from schools all across the UK took part by counting the birds that visited their school grounds, and it is hoped even more will take part this year.

Over the years, more than 70 different species have been recorded in school grounds, ranging from starlings and house sparrows, to red kites and green woodpeckers. The blackbird remained the most common playground visitor in 2016 whilst starlings held onto the second spot. And for the first time wood pigeons made the top three, jumping up the list from sixth position the year before.

Since its launch in 2002, the Big Schools’ Birdwatch has provided opportunities for

children and teachers to learn about how to give nature a home in their school grounds.

Many schools prepare for the event in advance by putting up feeders and nestboxes and making bird cake. Seeing and counting the birds coming to their feeders during the Big Schools Birdwatch is the perfect reward for their efforts.

Emma Reed, RSPB Education, Families and Youth Manager in Northern England said: “Taking part in Big Schools Birdwatch uses just one lesson or lunchtime so it’s really easy to get involved. We hope the excitement of taking part will then inspire children in the Tees Valley to get out and experience more of the wildlife around them.

“With studies showing that children are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature, a concern that is linked to poorer physical and mental health, we want to provide young people with as many opportunities as possible to have fun exploring the natural world around them.”

The Big Schools’ Birdwatch is the school version of the Big Garden Birdwatch – the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey aimed at families and individuals. The event will take place over three days on 28, 29 and 30 January 2017 and further information can be found on the RSPB website rspb.org.uk/birdwatch To register to take part in the 2017 RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch, visit rspb.org.uk/ schoolswatch. Everything schools need to take part is available to download from the RSPB website.

●● Clare Harrigan, Head of Development at Coast & Country

38

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Coatham Road, Redcar

Tollesby Lane, Marton

Spacious, detached, three bedroom bungalow on a corner plot in a much sought after location. Front and rear gardens, drive and garage. Available now.

One bedroom, ground fl o o r apartment with fitted kitchen, bathroom with walk in shower and a shared yard.

There is space for parking at the front of the building.

Available 18th January.

Green Road, Skelton End of terrace cottage comprising of living area and separate kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor and two newly carpeted bedrooms on the first floor. Available soon.

£695 pcm / £695 bond

£419.11pcm / No bond

£450 pcm / £450 bond

Marlborough Court, Skelton

High Street, Loftus

North Row, Lazenby.

Three bedroom house set within a well maintained apartment block.

With two bedrooms and the bathroom on the ground floor, living area, separate kitchen and a further bedroom on the first floor.

Available now.

£450 pcm / £300 bond

Tw o b e d r o o m spacious apartment set over two floors.

Living area, separate dining area, separate kitchen and bathroom on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor, available from 31st January.

Three bedroom terraced house currently under refurbishment to include full redecoration. There is living area with an open fire, separate kitchen with modern units, bathroom and three single bedrooms.

Available early February. Landlord will accept the Council’s Paper Bond scheme.

£400 pcm / £200 bond

£450 pcm / £450 bond

SPECIAL NEW YEAR OFFER LANDLORDS - Sign-up to our Essentials Management service by 21st February for only 10% monthly fee for first 3 months.

Call 01642 484845 for more details ( Quote The Ethical Lettings Agency - Coastal View offer )

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

39

Health Secretary challenged on rising Don’t just give up – give blood online survey* carried out by NHS and Asian communities, and donors with the A&E admissions due to malnutrition Anew Blood and Transplant, found that 70% universal blood group O negative. of 2,126 adults aged 16-79 in England did not Less than half of people who signed up to give

R

edcar MP, Anna Turley has recently challenged Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt on why hospital admissions for malnutrition on Teesside have increased under his Government.

A recent report revealed admissions at Teesside hospitals had more than tripled in the past six years.

An increasing number of people on Teesside are also having to rely on emergency food parcels from local Food Banks. Before Christmas, Redcar Area Food Bank was giving out twice as much food as it was receiving.

In the House of Commons, Anna said: “The Secretary of State has spoken a lot today about trying to avoid unnecessary admissions to A&E. Could he tell me then, why admissions to A&E on Teesside as a result of chronic malnutrition have trebled under the Conservative government, and whether he thinks that is any reflection at all on their broader approach to public policy and tackling poverty in this country?”

In his response, the Health Secretary insisted

a strong economy was delivering the resources to tackle these issues.

Following the debate, Anna said: “After reading a report exposing this issue, I was appalled to see the number of people needing hospital treatment for malnutrition. In 2017, in a country as wealthy as Britain, it is a national disgrace that some people are being deprived of even a basic diet.

People should not have to choose between eating properly and paying for other living costs.

“I took the opportunity to question the Health Secretary about this today because he was trying to blame too many people going to A&E for the crisis we are seeing in our hospitals. More people have been forced into this position due to the policies and decisions of his government. Cuts to social security and stringent sanctions have left vulnerable people living below the poverty line, and cuts to social care mean more older people are stuck in hospital waiting to get home.

“Jeremy Hunt’s response, or lack of it, shows he has no understanding of the real world consequences of his Government’s decisions.”

KTS plus Community Café Every Friday morning 10.00am- 11.30am You are invited by KTS+ Staff and students to join us at our community café to enjoy fresh made food and to play prize bingo in a clean, hygienic and friendly environment.

KTS Academy, Marshall Drive, Brotton, Cleveland, TS12 2UW

Maxi’s Mates

W

Rico - Male Lurcher

e are looking for an experienced owner used to this breed.

He is not suitable in a home with children as he can nip if excited. He is also not good with small animals and was muzzled when out running off lead because of this. He does however seem to be good with other dogs similar to his own breed.

Rico is available for adoption. An adoption fee and a home check will be required. He is at Carlin Howe Farm, Redcar Road, Dunsdale, Cleveland. TS14 6RG. Opening times are 12.00 - 3 pm daily. For any more information, you can ring, text Maxi’s Mates on 07507 104636.

make a New Year’s resolution in 2016.

Why not do things differently this year? In 2017, instead of giving something up, people in County Durham are being asked to give, by becoming a blood donor and helping save lives.

By giving up just one hour of your time you could save or improve up to three lives. Proud (43%), helpful (42%) and happy (38%) are the top three words people chose to describe how they feel after their most recent donation.

The survey highlights confusion and myths about who is able to donate. Of the 2,126 adults surveyed, 20% believed it was true that having a tattoo would prevent them from donating, 16% felt the same about piercings, 15% believed that you can’t donate if you smoke and 3% thought vegetarians wouldn’t be able to donate.

We urge potential donors to check the donation criteria on the blood.co.uk website. While people currently need to wait four months after a new tattoo or piercing, there are no specific criteria preventing smokers or vegetarians from donating. Many people who believe they can’t donate, may discover they can.

NHS Blood and Transplant always needs first time donors to replace those who can’t donate any more, and to ensure we have the right mix of blood groups to meet patient needs.

More than half of our current blood donors are aged over 45 so it’s especially important that we recruit younger people to donate blood now and in the years to come. By becoming a blood donor you can help ensure that patients have access to the blood they need, when they need it.

NHS Blood and Transplant needs donors from all blood groups and communities but is particularly looking for new donors from black

blood in January 2016 went on to donate during the year. Anyone who has registered to donate but hasn’t given blood yet, is encouraged to make 2017 the year they start saving lives.

Mike Stredder, Director of Blood Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “The New Year has traditionally been a time when people think about giving things up. This year we’re asking people in County Durham to make a new kind of resolution and register to give blood. Or if you’ve already done so but haven’t managed to donate, we’d love to welcome you to one of our sessions in 2017. It’s easy to sign up to become a blood donor and book an appointment, online, via an app or on the phone. Each donation can potentially save up to three lives. In 2017 don’t just give up, give.”

In general, as long as you are fit and healthy, weigh over 7 stone 12 lbs (50kg) and are aged between 17 and 66 (up to 70 if you have given blood before) you should be able to give blood.

If you are over 70, you need to have given blood in the last two years to continue donating.

If you’re already a blood donor, why not look into whether you could become a platelet donor. We particularly need donors with the A negative blood group as they can help any patient, regardless of blood type. One platelet donation can help up to three adults or twelve babies or children.

It’s quick and easy to register to become a blood donor, visit ww.blood.co.uk, download a give blood app, search ‘NHSGiveBlood’ in the app store or contact 0300 123 23 23. You can donate platelets at your nearest donor centre.

If you already give blood, ask about platelet donation at your next appointment.

40

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Hollie Bush Writes A right rite for our Saxon ancestors O

n a dark Saturday afternoon in the November just gone, I went to what could have been - on the face of it - a rather grim and sombre occasion.

This was a ceremony to re-bury a number of skeletons of our ancestors following work by local archaeologists.

Those people were Saxon villagers from what we now know as the tiny settlement of Kirkleatham. Kirkleatham (or as it may have been known by those long gone villagers, West Lindun - its name in the Domesday Book) was where their remains - all dated from between 682– 875 A.D. - were found.

The service was held in the villages’ St Cuthbert’s church - a building which for all its stone grandeur is not too well lit - and so on a dark November late afternoon, the shades were falling around the 150 plus of us in the church.

The reburial of our Saxon ancestors came after a service based on parts of the medieval rite used for the reburial of King Richard III a year or so back, and

so was not a form of service familiar to most of us.

The burial itself, allowed by the Ministry of Justice, agreed by the York Diocese and assisted by the work of Redcar and Cleveland Council was in a grave just to the west of the Church building, a church that itself has a skull and crossbones motif on its main gate and an attached mausoleum.

Let me not try to give the impression that this was a scene from a Hammer horror film. A dark building under a lowering sky is never going to be bright and cheerful but everyone present felt that they had happily and joyfully discharged a modern day debt to the remains of people who were just like our fathers, mothers or brothers and sisters of today, save for the fact that they had been dead for 1400 odd years already.

Getting the ceremony set up was a job in itself, Tees Heritage Trust coordinator Stewart Ramsdale explained: “The archaeologists approached me to use my contacts at St Cuthbert’s Church to make the necessary arrangements.

However, this proved quite complicated as an Order in Council made in 1977 prohibited any further burials in the old part of the churchyard. Other options were considered such as burying the remains inside the church – all with different cost implications! So, the least costly option was chosen and the

A whimsical look at our area

Ministry of Justice was approached to unravel the legal complications. In April 2016 another Order in Council was granted giving permission to bury the remains next to the church tower.

“Everything then fell into place when the archaeologists, Philip Abramson and Dr Stephen Sherlock, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Tees Heritage Trust Ltd, W. Storey, Funeral Service and Harry Thompson Funeral services, pooled their collective resources to enable the re-burial event to proceed without cost to the church.”

The genesis of the story however, goes back three years before the November event. At the time a new classroom and teaching block was being built for Kirkleatham Hall School and as this was on the site of the original Kirkleatham Hall, built in 1625, replaced by a larger one in 1669 and then enlarged in the 1760s, and as it was known that some human remains had already been found in the area in 1902, it was decided by the council’s planners that the building site was to have what is called an archaeological “watching brief” conducted at the time the foundations were to be laid.

Leading the brief were two local men - Dr Stephen Sherlock and Phil Abramson. Both Phil and Stephen had worked together in the past. Stephen, for Coastal View readers, is, best known for the excavations at Street House near

Loftus, a dig that gave us that discovery now known as the hoard of the “Saxon Princess” - a collection of precious items on display a few hundred yards from the School building site, in the Kirkleatham museum.

The initial objective for both Stephen and Phil was to record any evidence of the Hall that might have survived below ground level.

Some of the hall’s foundations were uncovered, but on the last day of the dig an archaeologist spotted a human skull and several long bones lying within a sandy deposit.

Closer examination revealed that they comprised the remains of at least three individuals which had been placed into the fill of a drain associated with the Hall.

Over the next few weeks several grave-cuts were identified cutting into the subsoil. All of the graves had been disturbed by the construction and subsequent demolition of Kirkleatham Hall.

The minimum number of individuals was found to be 19. There were more adults than children and the material that survived was characteristic of rural communities, with individuals surviving to older middle age.

There was almost an even distribution of sexes present, with at least nine females and seven males. The age distribution was also varied, with most

age groups present (from infants to mature adults), but the overall majority of individuals found were adults (18+ years of age).

The most common pathological condition observed among the Kirkleatham skeletons was joint disease, with degeneration of the vertebral discs, and osteoarthritis in the spine and extra-spinal joints. This is to be expected from the number of adults present and is characteristic of an ageing population.

Three objects were recovered from the burials; a copper-alloy pin with a round head which may be a shroud pin, a small iron annular brooch and a small hexagonal stone plaque, with faint scratched marks on one side.

All this gives the bare bones - a very bad pun indeed - of the discovery and of the background of the people who had originally been interred But in a sense, there is still a great enigma out there, a vast darkness between these discoveries and those more prosaic facts and the actual life that these people - our own direct DNA line - lived and the world that they lived that life in.

There are more questions than answers. Let’s start with a few.

What would Kirkleatham (as we know it now) been like in the period of the burials?

What was the shape and form of

SALE UP TO £150 OF F

DESIGNER GLASSES*

*see website for terms & conditions

Info@IntelliSightopticians.co.uk 01642 450 982

www.IntelliSightopticians.co.uk

67 High Street • Redcar • TS10 3DD

/RedcarOpticians

41

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017 daily life?

I was imagining or assuming a settlement for possibly some 10 to 15 families, engaged in basic agricultural life - crop growing, animal husbandry. I assumed the site would have been chosen as being level, not too near the more lower sandy soil nearer to the coast and the salt marshes, and would be - as now -overlooked by the hills. I am visualising that the non tilled area would be surrounded by original woodland which would cover the hillsides to the south.

Stephen’s take on this was that: “The settlement was essentially a small village with mixed farming with some economic gains from the sea and Coatham marsh.” However it was not as insular as I may have imagined it - as he said: “Remember travel by sea” and so places like Whitby and Hartlepool would be familiar to those who went down to the sea in ships. Stephen also agreed that the area would indeed be wooded - but, crucially “no more than now”.

I assume the houses would be wood and wattle with wood posts supporting the roof and they would be adjoined by paddocks for farm animals. An odd query - would they have had dogs as companions or as guards?

Then there was the church or place where worship would have been observed. Stephen argues that “the placing of the bones in a set North / South direction” indicated a form of rite and I can see that this would indicate acceptance of a deity and at the time Christianity was the growing religion. However, and this article will be full of “howevers”, did the original burial take place near to a holy site - possibly a church?

Let’s firstly assume a church. What of that church? Would it have been a building in its own right? Or, given we are only a few generations on from paganism in all its forma, would it have been a cleared and defined area of open space with - say - an altar or the like?

Again there may not have been a church at all. As Stephen said: “Some cemeteries were directly associated with religious houses (Whitby or Hartlepool) but some were not physically located beside a church before the tenth century.

In this sense the cemetery served the rural community adjacent to where they lived, whilst their spiritual needs were perhaps met by a travelling priest. When a church was established in Kirkleatham a new site was chosen, on marginally higher ground and this is the location of the present church. Here there is the evidence for Viking burials, based upon stone coffins, one of which is in the church.”

Who were they as individuals?

Stephen said: “We reinterred a group of men, women and children from this Saxon settlement. There were at least eight males and eight females amongst the nineteen individuals unearthed during the excavation in 2013. They represent a variety of ages as you would expect, ranging from two infants, one child, one teenager, three young adults (16-25),

● St Cuthbert’s Gate nine adults and three mature adults, one of whom, a women, was over 46 years of age. In some instances more than one person was in the same grave and the children were all buried alongside an adult.”

The oldest person found was a woman. What then, of gender?

Would the women have a defined and separate role as child bearers and rearers or would they have been expected to muck in with the heavy lifting of farm work? Or was it cooking, brewing and housekeeping?

And the kids - likewise put straight to toil once they were big enough?

What of, to give it a title, the class system? Stephen talked to me of local and regional kings (and being a King, whilst grand, was not a long term job prospect, as Bede’s Chronicles record an almost annual cull of Kings by rivals) along with families who would have been seen as a local ruling caste and with older, possibly wiser villagers, acting as (in modern language) “Aldermen”.

Would these Aldermen be from just one village or a scattering of villages (I assume that there would have been forms of settlement nearby at places like - and here I guess Wilton, Marske, Lazenby or Saltburn and Loftus? Certainly, in the last two towns we already have prior knowledge of Saxon occupation.

Then we come back to the questions arising from the original burial - questions of those peoples “belief systems”, of reverence for the dead, of the forms of worship.

Would there still be elements of Paganism around (I note that the one written account of the period, the works of the Venerable Bede, accepts that elements of paganism were still common out with the Abbeys and larger churches)? Would they have had dual beliefs - Christianity as a overriding religion “handed down” by the rulers, but meshed in with animist beliefs or the veneration of particular parts of the landscape? In that context, we have to remember that the original name for what we now call nearby Roseberry Topping was “Odensberg” - the mountain of the God Odin.

There was no doubt that everyday life in Anglo Saxon England was hard

● Where the remains were found - the new Kirkleatham Hall School Teaching Block and rough even for the rich. As said, the bones found at Kirkleatham all had one common feature - the impact of heavy labour, with many of the bones showing signs of osteoarthritis. teeth ground down by coarse meals and joint problems. These are all classic signs of hard outdoor work, poor diet and unremitting toil.

But Saxon England wasn’t like this for everyone. As said above, there were toffs around as well. Society was divided into three classes. At the top were the thanes, the Saxon upper class. They enjoyed hunting and feasting and they were expected to give their followers gifts like weapons. Below them were the churls.

Some churls were reasonably well off.

Others were very poor. However at least they were free. Below them were a class of slaves called thralls. Their lives were very hard.

I don’t know but I like to guess that the original people from Kirkleatham were Churls. Some churls owned their own land but many ‘rented’ land from a thane. They ‘paid rent’ by working on the thane’s land for part of the week and by giving him part of their crops. There lies the reason for the creaking limbs of those original villagers.

Overall, in England and in Northumbria, the population was very small. There were perhaps one million people in England at that time. Almost all of them lived in tiny villages like our present day Kirkleatham. and one account I read told me that the majority of settlements had far less than 100 inhabitants. Each village was mainly self sufficient. The people needed only a few things from outside like salt and iron. They grew their own food and made their own clothes.

They would have spent their lives in a very narrow circle of their direct and extended family and of their village neighbours and possibly neighbouring villagers. A telling way of emphasizing this is to imagine that, if ,say, you work for a large employer on Teesside, commute in by car or bus and on your way home pop into a large supermarket to do your shopping, you may have, on that one day, met, passed or intermingled with perhaps as many

people as the Kirkleatham villagers did in their entire lifetime.

The Anglo Saxons grew crops of wheat, barley and rye. They also grew peas, cabbages, parsnips, carrots and celery. They also ate fruit such as apples, blackberries, raspberries and sloes. They raised herds of goats, cattle and pigs and flocks of sheep. In the time line of the people we re-interred the land would probably be highly fertile as tree ring analysis showed that in Europe 700ad marked the peak of a long period of a generally warm and wet climate.

However, despite the warm summers, farmers, in the absence of fertilisers, could not grow enough food to keep many of their animals through the winter, so as winter approached many of them were slaughtered and the meat salted, probably from salt got from the brine marshes of Coatham.

The Anglo Saxons lived in wooden or mud wattle huts with thatched roofs.

Usually there was only one room shared by everybody. (Poor people shared their huts with animals divided from them by a screen. During the winter the animals’ body heat helped keep the hut warm).

Thanes and their followers slept on beds but the poorest people slept on the floor.

There were no panes of glass in windows and there were no chimneys.

Floors were of earth or sometimes there were dug out and had wooden floorboards placed over them. There were no carpets.

Rich people used candles but they were too expensive for the poor. Instead poor Anglo Saxons used rush lights (rushes dipped in animal fat).

Anglo Saxon women ground grain, baked bread and brewed beer. Another Anglo Saxon drink was mead, made from fermented honey. (Honey was very important to the Anglo Saxons as there was no sugar for sweetening food. Bees were kept in every village). The women cooked in iron cauldrons over open fires or in pottery vessels. They also made butter and cheese. Anglo Saxons ate from wooden bowls. There were no forks only

knives and wooden spoons. Cups were made from cow horn.

The Anglo Saxons were fond of meat and fish. However meat was a luxury and only the rich could eat it frequently.

The ordinary people usually ate a dreary diet of bread, cheese and eggs. They ate not just chickens’ eggs but eggs from ducks, geese and wild birds. Kirkleatham was perhaps more fortunate in that the nearby sea and the, then fast flowing and unpolluted becks could be places where fish could be caught, so the diet here may have been a lot better than for some living further away from the coast.

So there we have at least fragments of our own forbears, the life they led and the land they lived that life in. These are only flashes of direct illumination, with impressions made from archaeological digs from across the rest of the country to indicate other aspects of their daily life.

So is that it for Kirkleatham? Not necessarily said Stephen: “AngloSaxon cemeteries in the Tees Valley have recently been reviewed, and the finds reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme also suggest that there is a denser concentration of Anglo-Saxon cemeteries in the area than was first thought 30 years ago. It is as yet unknown if the burials at Kirkleatham form part of a monastic house or a church with a village, a distinction that might be resolved if the opportunity arises for further excavation in the area.”

So more digging on the site? For the sake of gaining more knowledge of where we both came from and who preceded us, let us hope so.

Hollie Bush Hollie Bush can be contacted directly if readers want to comment on articles, or to suggest topics (the odder, the better) that help to define the East Cleveland we all live in.

Email: holliebush@gmx.com

25% DISCOUNT ON ALL HIGH SECURITY INTERNALLY GLAZED WINDOWS With Argon Filled Energy Efficient Units NO JOB TOO SMALL

UPVC DOORS Fitted from

£395

Choice of 20 Designs

COMPOSITE DOORS Fitted

from

£695

20 Designs to choose from • Choice of Colours

FRENCH DOORS BOWS Fitted from

£595

Fitted from

£650

ALL SEASONS WINDOWS

Local Family Business Est 21 years.

FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION VISIT CALL 01642 613600 OR FREEPHONE 0800 1699276

42

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Is this HMRC text genuine?

I have already filled my tax return but yesterday, I received a text from HMRC saying I needed to pay my tax. Is it genuine?

Y

ou’re right to be suspiciousthere are a lot of scam emails and text messages out there- particularly claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a communication, do not give out private information (such as bank details or passwords), reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails.

Instead, forward suspicious: • text messages to 60599 (text messages will be charged at your network rate) • emails to HMRC’s phishing team phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk You should also check HMRC’s guidance on recognising scams if you’re not sure.

Please note, HMRC will never use texts or emails to: • tell you about a tax rebate or penalty

• • • • • • • • • • • •

• ask for personal or payment information HMRC emails will never provide a link to a secure log-in page or a form asking for information.

Instead you’ll be asked to log on to your online account to check for information.

However, you should be aware that HMRC has recently been sending out email and text reminders to taxpayers, advising them to pay their tax before 31st January 2017.

The texts and emails do not provide any details though- they are simply a prompt.

If you have tax to pay, you can find out about the different payment methods on HMRC’s website here: https://www.gov.uk/pay-selfassessment-tax-bill If you have yet to complete your tax return, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your local TaxAssist Accountant would be happy to help.

Business Accounts and Taxation.

Sole Trader Accounts Partnership Accounts Limited Company Accounts Self Assessment Bookkeeping and Vat Returns Payroll Services CIS Contractors and Taxation Company Secretarial Business Plans Free Initial Consultations Home Visits available

TaxAssist at Parker Stag Redcar

TaxAssist Accountants c/o Parker Stag 6 Craigton House Queen Street Redcar TS10 1DL Tel: 01642 614022 Mobile 07905497905 Email: michaelturnbull@taxassist.co.uk

43

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Marske Boxing Day Dip

M

By Marilyn Marshall

arske residents have again got involved with raising money for good causes by volunteers engaging in the Boxing Day Dip.

Donations from onlookers were collected again this year for Marske Hall. Thank you to all who participated and a big well done as it was very chilly on the beach and more so for the brave souls who entered the water. Well done to all concerned.

Palace Hub introduces Freelance Friday for self-employed

W

orking for yourself doesn’t have to be lonely work.

This is the idea behind the new Freelance Friday initiative in Redcar which is bringing the self-employed who work from home into a business environment.

The Palace Hub, on Redcar Esplanade, will now be available on the first Friday of every month, for any sole traders, freelancers and entrepreneurs who wish to work alongside like-minded people, and become “colleagues” for the day.

The first session for 2017 took place on Friday 6 January and future sessions will be held from 10am to 3pm, and people are asked to bring in their own laptops. It is free to attend and a member of staff from Redcar

& Cleveland Borough Council will be there to assist on the day. Tea and coffee will also be provided.

Councillor Carl Quartermain, cabinet member for jobs, skills and leisure at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council said: “This is a great opportunity for people who work from home to come into a business environment for the day and meet with fellow entrepreneurs.

“Freelance Friday will be friendly and informal but will be a productive space for people to bounce ideas off, and enjoy some company in a different environment.”

If you wish to attend these co-working days, please book by calling Barbara Webster on 07733 110168 or email Barbara.webster@ redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Putin and Trump matter to YOU!

D

By Councillor Steve Kay

espite interminable coverage in the media, mentally, we often shut out international affairs because they are not usually happening in our own back yard.

We should remember, however, that we are living in a ‘global village’ and, if things go wrong between the two big nuclear powers, our little corner of the world could literally be devastated.

The recent change in the balance of power, in the Middle East, is therefore of the utmost importance to us in the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire. We should be extremely concerned about the recent rise of Russian power in the Arab world and the unwillingness of the USA to get heavily involved.

During Barack Obama’s presidency, Vladimir Putin has run rings round Washington.

Only a few years ago, Russia was regarded as a pariah state but, thanks to decisive and clever leadership, she is now calling the tune, reminiscent of the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Taking advantage of Obama’s muddled and indecisive Middle East policies, the Russian President has turned round the Syrian civil war in favour of his ally Bashar al-Assad, with the result that Russia is now the major player in the region.

Just a few weeks ago, Putin was accused of war crimes but, through an unexpected, pragmatic alliance with Turkey, he is now hailed as a

peacemaker, pushing America to one side Having had 35 diplomats expelled from the USA, because of alleged cyber-attacks on the American presidential election process, Putin has resisted the temptation to react in the traditional tit-for-tat manner.

Instead, the Russian leader has announced he will defer any reprisals until he tests the waters with the Trump administration. The result is that Putin presents an image to the world of both statesmanship and magnanimity.

It is also nice to know that a man with his finger on the nuclear button has the strength of character to resist provocation, justified or not. Let’s pray Donald Trump is of a similar demeanour!

The recent shift of power in the Middle East has destabilised the world. It is now up to Putin and Trump to calm things down and make a settlement acceptable to the major players involved, including al-Assad.

In 1914, an assassination in a distant country (Bosnia) sparked the First World War, in which tens of thousands of local men perished.

Nuclear weapons would make a Third World War infinitely more tragic, both for us, locally, and for the whole world.

This is why, what goes on in the Middle East, and other world flash-points, should be of the greatest concern to us in the North East.

For our own sakes, let’s wish Vladimir and Donald the utmost success, as peacemakers, not warmongers!

Macmillan Cancer Support Night Saturday 17th December 2016

T

his was another great sell out success, the local rock band “The Rogues” actually bettered their previous excellent performances and were a great warm up for the main band AC/DC UK who seem to attract a loyal following for this Christmas event each year.

We would like to thank everyone who came and supported the event and in particular those who provided prizes for the raffle and bought the tickets.

The event raised £1,007 for the charity and we hope that the event is as well supported for the repeat booking on Friday 15th December 2017.

Services at St Mark’s Church Marske-by-the-Sea Sunday 8.00am Holy Communion (said) 9.30am Holy Communion (sung) Monday 7.00pm Holy Communion (said) Wednesday 10.00am Holy Communion (sung) All are welcome to attend our Services.

Coffee is served after the 9.30 Service on Sundays and on Wednesdays.

Sunday Club for 4 yr olds to 10yr olds is held in church at 9.30am every Sunday during term time.

Messy Church This is held on the second Saturday of every month from 3.30 to 5.30pm.

Families are welcome to come along to hear a story, try activities (some messy) and enjoy something to eat.

Visit our web site www.stmarks-marske.co.uk

44

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Saltburn Beachwatch

Time for a change

Independent Councillors – working together

By Councillor Mary Lanigan Independent Group Leader

B Great British Beach Clean 2016 Results

T

By Roy Smith

he Marine Conservation Societies (MCS) Great British Beach Clean is the annual flagship event of the ongoing coastal environmental initiative which has taken place on the third weekend in September for the last 22 years.

Using the new standard survey form for the whole of Europe, Saltburn Beachwatch (SBW) joined just under 6,000 volunteers in cleaning 364 beaches around the coast of the UK, recording what was found. This amounted to 268,384 individual pieces which over just one weekend represents a huge problem for all our beaches. However figures show that there has been a reduction by nearly a half in the number of plastic bags found per 100 metres of beach surveyed which indicates that the 5p charge for a carrier bag is having an effect.

Here in the North East we had the highest litter density in England. Although on average 958 items/100mtrs were found representing a decrease of 14% compared to 2015, levels still remain much higher than the UK average.

During 2016 data collected by volunteers showed a rise of over 4% in the quantities of drinks containers found on the UK’s beaches - including plastic bottles, bottle tops and aluminium cans. This rise makes the case for a

deposit and return system even more urgent. There was also a very large (53%) increase in balloon related litter.

Turtles and other marine animals can mistake balloons and plastic bags as food and these items can then block their digestive systems leading to starvation and death. A recent study has shown that some species of seabirds are attracted by the scent of this plastic “junk food” and go so far as to feed it to their young. The MCS has said that it is taking its “Don’t Let Go” campaign to a local level to persuade more councils to ban the release of balloons and sky lanterns on local authority land. How about it RCBC? Saltburn Beachwatch will over the coming year keep a watch on the English litter strategy currently being drafted by DEFRA and other strategies being developed elsewhere in the UK. I feel that any strategy must include specific measures to tackle the problems highlighted in our surveys. Here in Saltburn, plastic cotton bud sticks washed up on the beach have been a growing problem over the last few years with literally thousands found at each event, so the move by Tesco and Sainsbury’s to use only biodegradable cardboard in their own brand sticks is to be welcomed - we now need all retailers to follow suit. Although we have a formidable task ahead of us in the fight against marine litter and pollution, the last year has shown that we can effect change by engaging our community in direct action.

eing an Independent Councillor means that you are not answerable to a Political Party, for example Labour Councillors have to sign a contract committing themselves to Labour Party Policy, even if it is against the wishes of the people who elected them.

As Independent Councillors we are free to make decisions that are best for the people of Redcar and Cleveland and we believe that Local Government would be better off with more Independent Councillors. We know that there are many people working voluntary within their local areas who are not politically minded, but would like to make a difference within their community, so we would like to give them an opportunity to serve their local communities as Independent Councillors. If we get enough interest we would be willing to organise get-togethers and talk to anybody who may be interested.

What matters to you in your local area? Is it the state of the local park, the need for more activities for young people, improving services for older people, making the roads safer or ensuring that local businesses can thrive? Whatever needs changing in your neighbourhood, you could be just the person to change it by becoming

a local independent councillor. You could be the fresh new talent that our Council needs and help change the face of local government. No other role will give you a chance to make such a huge difference to the quality of life for people in your local area.

What do councillors do? Councillors are elected to the local council to represent their local community, so they must either live or work in the area. Becoming a councillor is both a rewarding and a privileged form of public service. You will be in a position to make a difference to the quality of other people’s daily lives and prospects. Being an effective councillor requires both commitment and hard work. These will all make legitimate demands on a councillor’s time, on top of the demands and needs of their personal and professional lives. Before you consider becoming a councillor you may want to discuss it with your family and friends to make sure they understand what you are taking on. You will need their support as you’ll have to spend some of your spare time on council business.

If you are interested in helping to make a difference and change the face of local politics, then please contact Carole Fletcher Independent Group Assistant by email – Carole.Fletcher@redcar-cleveland. gov.uk

Exercising - check.

Healthy eating - check.

Stubborn fat and cellulite that won’t budge - check.

Don’t worry, our tasty 3D-lipo offer can make ALL the difference...

WHY CHOOSE 3D LIPO AT SAKS GUISBOROUGH? Award-winning non-surgical system for fat removal, cellulite reduction and skin tightening.

Non-invasive with no downtime.

Combines several state-of-the-art technologies (cavitation, cryolipolysis ultrasound/radio frequency and vacuum rollering) to target your individual needs.

Emma, Sally and Debbie are longstanding body contouring experts.

3D-lipo is an amazing alternative to liposuction offering a powerful new dimension in non-surgical fat removal, cellulite treatment and skin tightening for the face and body.

It’s the holy grail of body contouring – pain free with fast result and no down time – a HUGE hit with A-listers, models and actresses, who simply don’t have time for recovery from surgery.

Debbie Passman franchisee of Saks Beauty Guisborough says: “3D-lipo targets areas that are difficult to improve with diet and exercise.

It’s great for cellulite on the thighs and buttocks and perfect for post-babytums. It’s a safe, pain

free and non-invasive procedure and we’re seeing fabulous results with those tricky bums, tums and thighs!

If you would like to find out more about our fantastic NEW YEAR OFFERS or come and try a 3D LIPO treatment, we are currently offering a consultation and trial treatment for only £25. Call us on 01287 630055 for details…

PAYMENTS for courses of treatments can be made in instalments, ask for details.

45

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

East Cleveland Community Organisation (ECCO) update at the end of 2016 and the start of 2017

I

By Bob Moodie

n 2016 interest increased in this East Cleveland group, which is resident led and non-political and has representation of over 50 residents, Ward Councillors, Parish Councils and other community groups and will provide help and support, where individuals or communities are finding it difficult, or impossible to deal with, or resolve issues on their own.

ECCO quite simply will challenge for the rights of residents and their communities, wherever it is needed on any major issues, The ECCO group has now been in place for over 18 months to provide a `bigger voice` for the 22 villages in East Cleveland (EC) with a combined population of over 62,000, which is over 45% of the total population of the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland.

ECCO aim to make a difference, by working with the East Cleveland communities, whereby residents also play their part in taking ownership and looking after the interests and wellbeing of their own villages. We all want to make a difference to their quality of life and maintain safer communities for us all to live in and enjoy.

During last year we engaged with Cleveland Police and the Police & Crime Commissioner, to better understand the new Neighbourhood Policing (NP) arrangements that were due to be rolled out across EC. Residents had indicated that this was a major issue, whereby their communities had lost touch with NP officers in the last few years.

ECCO had a number of meetings with the newly appointed Chief Constable Iain Spittal, the Deputy Chief Constable Simon Nickless, the Asst Chief Constable Ciaron Irvine and Barry Coppinger the Police & Crime Commissioner and under this new management team we were very confident that we would see the return of NP across EC and a strong working relationship between the Police and ECCO. During the year we have met with many other senior officers and are pleased to report that this working relationship has strengthened as the year went on and it culminated in a meeting held on the 30th November which Brian Gleeson attended and reported on for ECCO. Full report is shown below* ECCO are very confident that we are now in a far better place under these new police management arrangements and we have received their assurances and full support for the work that ECCO are undertaking, to look after the neighbourhood policing in EC in conjunction with their officers. This is the start of an ongoing process, whereby the residents engage and take

ownership of their communities and work together with the police to keep our residents safe and free from crime in their towns and villages.

A follow up meeting will be arranged in five - six months time to discuss and review the new NP arrangements and the outcomes that are being achieved.

ECCO were consulted by RCBC in the Local Plan consultation stage and submitted their comments in August.

RCBC have prepared a publication version of the Local Plan, to go to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and have invited representations up to the 31st January 2017, which ECCO will be doing.

ECCO have been in regular discussion with Andy Mollon the Engineering Manager for RCBC, regarding the follow on work that they are leading on, in the villages of Marske, New Marske, Yearby, North Skelton and Saltburn after the flooding that took place in September 2013. Andy issued in December 2016 a flooding update and this has been issued to the representatives in the five villages for their perusal and comments to allow the ongoing works to continue in 2017.

If anyone or a small group is interested in joining us or wants more information, please contact Bob Moodie the ECCO Facilitator on 07754 052 934 or email bob.moodie@ntlworld.com

*East Cleveland Community Organisation hears about Neighbourhood Policing changes in East Cleveland

By Brian Gleeson

Members of the East Cleveland Community Organisation came together with Civic and Police Leaders in Saltburn to hear about Cleveland Police’s plan for neighbourhood policing in East Cleveland. The group heard from the Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Mr Barry Coppinger, Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson, head of Neighbourhood Policing in the Cleveland Police, and Inspector Guy Hall responsible for Neighbourhood Policing for the Guisborough Sector in East Cleveland.

As well as members of the Organisation, the 40-strong audience included the Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Councillor Sue Jeffrey, the Mayor, Councillor Barry Hunt, the leader of the Independent Group, Councillor Mary Lanigan and Councillor PhilipThomson, the Conservative group leader.

Mr Coppinger said that there was to be additional investment in Cleveland Police with extra posts and recruitment funded through strong financial management and savings and efficiencies. There would be five forcewide crime prevention co-ordinators,

●● L to R Inspector Guy Hall, Chief Supt Alastair Simpson, PCC Barry Coppinger and ECCO Chair Ralph Ferguson. one community cohesion co-ordinator, co-ordinators for refugees and asylum seekers, two staff investigators for hate crime, four for early intervention co-ordinators and two positions for integrated offender management officers.

Chief Superintendent Alastair Simpson outlined the Force policy and method for Neighbourhood Policing (NP). He said that he was responsible for neighbourhood policing and dealing with vulnerability across the Force area. NP was just one aspect of the delivery of the police service but was the key interface between Police and public.

C/Supt. Simpson pointed out that there were 1,730 police officers in Cleveland in 2007 with Council Ward based NP officers, who dealt mainly with anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. The Force’s ‘ Making Communities Safer’ policy focussed around protecting the most vulnerable but then there were no specialist investigators for domestic abuse, child abuse and grooming for exploitation and now there would be.

Now there were trained investigators, even though there are 400 less officers than in 2007, and stressed where it was most important to put resources.

C/Supt Simpson outlined the Force’s ‘Victim First’ strategy, where every time a person contacted the Police, their vulnerability was to be assessed and NP would determine what level of support would be needed to prevent risk and solve problems. He said that this was a lot more complex environment to deal with.

He said that the Force had invested in a cybercrime team. This team would be able to assist small businesses who might be victims of this type of crime.

Larger organisations had their own systems but for a small business, a cyber attack might close it down. This was a hidden team who operated as and when required to provide a service to the community.

C/Supt Simpson said there had been a huge uplift in reported child sex offences and that lives were blighted when children were abused. The latest footballers’ offences followed a string of abuse stories which stirred up memories, where lives had been blighted by such abuse. The Force had invested in a paedophile online investigation team and needed resources to stop this crime.

He said that NP had always been about access, influence, interventions, investigations and answers. ‘Access’

involved people knowing who their NP Officers were, and ‘influence’ was because what was going on in a community was important to the police to decide where to put resources. ‘Intervention’ means the Police along with their partners needed to be able to solve or stop things happening. ‘Answers’ meant that people deserved to know what the Police had done about a problem and they were using technology, such as Cleveland Connected, and the Force website.

This meant that not being able to offer an NP Officer for each Ward but to be flexible and move resources to where they were needed. However, there was now a rural and a business crime coordinator, whose job it was to interface with rural communities and to focus on vulnerable small businesses to give the best possible service .

C/Supt Simpson said that domestic abuse made up about a third of reported violent crime. NP Police Officers deal with domestic abuse, and specialist investigators, working with children’s services, were now going to be used as part of NP policy of protecting the most vulnerable.

For the future, C/Supt Simpson said demand was increasing and there would be a focus on prevention.

The Force would be working with partners to reduce troubled families and think about how to support such children whilst they were young. In communication, NP wanted to be more accessible to the public and may depend on technology in the future which will be explored to get messages to a lot of people very quickly. He said that in terms of influence the Police needed to tell the community what concerned NP, what they were doing, and the community to tell the Police what they wanted. This would help communities to be stronger so as to look out for each other and help the most vulnerable.

C/Supt Simpson suggested that communities should look at their problems and share intelligence with the Police. Neighbourhood Policing was a key interface with communities, was the way in which the various services could be accessed and was the golden thread for the future.

Inspector Guy Hall, head of the Guisborough Sector for NP, then took the meeting through how to access information on the Cleveland Police website through NP, via www.cleveland.police.uk/myneighbourhood. Guisborough sector

included all the East Cleveland villages but was separate from Redcar. Insp.

Hall said that it was possible to view the official crime figures for each area down to individual street crime mapping. There was a hyperlink button, which allowed access to report problems. There was also information on current areas of concern, appeals about crime, meetings, news and the latest information on Cleveland Connected. It was also possible to identify the neighbourhood point of contact, how to use the 101 service and view the current performance figures in a monthly sector newsletter.

Submissions on problems were invited and these would be reviewed every month to help inform future policing activity. The results would be posted on the newsletter.

The PCC, Barry Coppinger, closed the address by referring to the work of the Rural Crime Forum and the work around Eston Hills. He accepted that there were problems with the 101 telephone service but he monitored serious incidents daily and additional staff were being recruited. He said call answering times were coming down and it was hoped to resolve issues on the telephone by using advice or on an appointment basis.

The Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, Councillor Sue Jeffrey said that it was interesting to hear how things were changing. It was getting up to speed on how it was going to work in the future and it was needed to keep the partnership going.

Councillor Barry Hunt said he was worried about neighbourhood officers being taken for policing duties at football matches. C/Supt Simpson said that many of the football related duties were filled by Officers working overtime or on their rest days and they tried to leave NP Officers alone.

Councillor Steve Kay said that he would like to see more senior officers at neighbourhood action partnership meetings and asked for Ward reports.

He complained that Bobby Boxes were being removed or not used. Mr Terry Cox asked for body cameras to be worn by the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) but C/Supt Simpson said that these were expensive and there was not an unlimited budget.

There were comments about negative Police action, following calls on the 101 system, but the Chair of the Meeting, Mr Ralph Ferguson, said that both sides needed to communicate better and crime must be reported so as to use the technology.

46

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

47

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Making a difference to the lives of children, young people and families W

2017 here we come! Building on talent

hat are our abiding memories of 2016?

What are the moments that spring to mind when you look back over the year? And what will we take into 2017?

It’s all about the amazing talented young people from our supportive community. In 2017 we build.

For me, one of the most important lessons or learning’s in the year occurred over the summer. The Junction through its partnership with The Hebridean Development Trust was fortunate to be able to take a group of young carers to the Isle of Tiree (seven hours on a mini bus, four hours on a ferry-a long day!)

Now these young carers all aged 13 to 16 and all with their own stories to tell about their lives, all with a fairly significant degree of responsibility, who helped care for their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers and who because of this probably have aspects of their lives which are tougher than, perhaps they would otherwise be.

What came across so clearly on our four night residential to the inner Hebrides was not the highlight of seeing basking sharks from the shore (yes we did) or swimming by the side of the ferry on the way home, not young people completing challenges, Paddle boarding, kayaking or body boarding and feeling the power of the North Atlantic. What came across so clearly was that all of these young people were so talented.

There were singers, song writers,

dancers, gymnasts, artists, body poppers and rappers and even Pokémon experts and I kid you not at least one young carer who is a natural born leader.

Not only were they caring, supportive, sometimes a little excited, sometimes a little tired, sometimes even a little untidy (actually often untidy; but you know we left the place as spotless as we found it) but they all took part 100% and had a go.

“I felt so proud of myself for standing up in front of everyone and speaking, I really enjoyed getting to know everyone.”

But to emphasise a point they were all are so talented and is these abiding lessons that must drive us on in 2017.

For some children and young people 2016 was a tough year and for some 2017 will be tough also. We have seen recent news stories about the huge numbers of young people who are suffering from anxiety, low mood

and mental ill health. How there is a strong belief that the we still have not identified the numbers of young carers in our communities and how young people can face an uncertain and worrying future in regard to gaining employment, getting somewhere to live when they are older, and having a future.

“Today we went to the beach and I did body boarding for the first time– I loved it! It was such a great experience – when I was gliding on the waves I felt so free and alive....”

Life is never certain but have ever faced a more uncertain time outside the catastrophe of war time. Maybe that is too strong but being young in 2017 will be tough for some young people. That is whay in 2017 we will be identifying and building on young people’s talent’s, building confidence, se;lf belief, resilience and an ability to for young people to rise above life’s challenges.

Goodbye 2016 - A thank you to all of our supporters we couldn’t do it without you.

In 2016 The Junction has worked with over 1100 children, young people and their families. This includes working with young carers and their families, children and young people who are dealing with their own mental ill health and young people who are unemployed. The other big impact of the year is the kindness, generosity of our local community from businesses to individuals who are so supportive of the work of The Junction. This is perhaps no better demonstrated than the Coastal View awards, not only is it a warm and inspiring event but the generosity of everyone is fantastic.

Those who donated prizes, awards, who bought tickets, who clapped and applauded young people all help us to make a difference to the

lives of children and young people.

The support from our community in incredible, a heartfelt thank you to you all and we wish you all a happy, healthy 2017.

Roll on 2017...

What about 2017? Well we have some really quite exciting plans...but more next time!

Roll on 2017, let’s make it special, let’s build on the talents of the children and young people in our community and let’s make a difference.

Lawrence McAnelly The Junction.

Registered charity number 1125578

New poll shows children like to be outdoors and enjoy wild places Children rarely see two wild animals featured in John Lewis Christmas advert

A

t a time when people prepare to gather indoors for Winter, a new poll published today shows that an overwhelming majority of children aged 8 – 15 years old feel happy being outdoors, seeing wildlife around them and enjoy visiting wild places. The poll also reveals that two of the four animals – badgers and hedgehogs – depicted in a Christmas advert are rarely seen by children in the wild.

The poll of over a thousand children by YouGov was commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts following the release of the John Lewis Christmas advert #BusterTheBoxer. The Wildlife Trusts are John Lewis’s Christmas campaign charity partner; the advert celebrates the joy of encountering wildlife in a garden using a cast of wild creatures - a fox, badger, squirrel and hedgehog.

The online poll* questioned 1,200 children aged 8 – 15 years old at the end of November 2016. It reveals: • 89% children agreed that being outdoors makes them happy • 81% like seeing wildlife in their garden or local area like birds or trees • 80% enjoy visiting wild places like rivers, lakes or woodlands • 70% enjoy playing outside e.g. climbing trees and building dens The poll also asked children when they last saw the animals depicted in the advert in the wild. Focusing on the highest percentages, it reveals that: • Badger – 67% had never seen one in the wild

• Hedgehog – 20% saw one more than a year ago; 25% had never seen one in the wild • Fox – 23% had never seen one in the wild • Squirrel – 45% saw one in the last week Dominic Higgins, The Wildlife Trusts’ Nature & Wellbeing manager, says: “At a time when it’s increasingly hard for children to spend time in wild places – whether because of parental worries, time pressures or simply absence of wild places near to where people live – this new poll sends a clear message: children are happy outdoors and benefit enormously from contact with nature. It also shows that we must do all we can to ensure there are wild havens close to where people live – whether it’s by making our own gardens wilder or taking action to protect our local community green spaces.”

Reflections on the species in the poll: Badger: whilst it’s sad that 67% children have never seen this animal in the wild this is probably because it’s a nocturnal creature of the countryside. The Wildlife Trusts offer children the chance to go on badger walks and visit badger hides to see them in the wild, although it does mean staying up late.

Hedgehog: This species is one of 56% of UK species that have declined over the last 50 years (hedgehog numbers have fallen by 30% in 10 years - there are now thought to be fewer than one million left in the UK.)* It’s terribly sad that children aren’t seeing these and other wild creatures any more – The Wildlife Trusts are working hard to stop wild species and the habitats they need from disappearing. Help hedgehogs in your garden by cutting a 5 inch squared hole at the bottom of your garden fence and make your garden a hedgehog haven by leaving log

and leaf piles, wild areas for nesting sites and avoid using slug pellets – more ideas here!

Fox: The fox is thriving everywhere, town and country. If children are getting outdoors, particularly in the evenings, there’s every likelihood of seeing foxes frequently.

Squirrel: If children are getting outdoors, even if it’s simply to walk to school, they should be seeing a squirrel every day because grey squirrels are a common species (less so, red squirrels.) So we need to allow children to spend more time outside to reach a 100% figure/within the last week.

Dominic Higgins continues: “These findings are complex and illustrate the parallel problems of lack of access to natural places and wildlife decline. It’s harder and harder for children to spend time enjoying the wild places which make them happy. Plus, our natural environment is under huge pressure and wild creatures and plants are under threat. We must do all we can to ensure our natural heritage is protected for future generations so that it’s still there for these children and their children to enjoy. As Sir David Attenborough said recently, ‘It’s our responsibility to create a planet that’s not just a home for us, but for all life on Planet Earth.’”

The Wildlife Trusts are offering a variety of ways that children can enjoy the outdoors and have a wild time: • Be inspired by our Wild Winter guide and get outdoors!

• Find out how to help UK wildlife • Find out how you can support your local wildlife all year round by becoming a member • Have a wonderful wild encounter!

• Learn more about that adventurous cast of characters!

48

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

The Reader Q:

My expensive carbon bike was damaged

I was involved in an accident two weeks ago while I was riding my bike just outside Guisborough.

A car failed to see me as it emerged from a junction. I wasn’t badly injured, although I was off work for a week and won’t be out on my bike for a while, but my expensive carbon bike was damaged. I don’t like the idea of making a claim and am considering paying for my own repairs and putting the whole thing behind me. Should I see a solicitor?

A

: We fully understand that many people who are involved in bike accidents are reluctant to make a claim and may have concerns about becoming part of a “compensation culture”.

However, we also believe you have a right to compensation to help make up for the injuries, losses and damage you have suffered.

It may not be immediately clear what your losses are and how much the accident could end up costing you.

As well as missing work, you say you are also unable to ride your bike. That could mean you will have to pay out for public transport or car travel to get you to work and other places you would normally ride to. You may also be unable to take part in other sports and outdoor pursuits.

There could even be complications with your injuries that may lead to expensive medical treatment and it’s important that you’re thoroughly examined by a medical expert.

It’s also important to have your bike properly checked out for unseen damage. Carbon frames can sometimes be unsafe to use after a severe impact accident. Only an engineer with experience of such damage can really assess whether repairs or replacement are required.

Macks Solicitors is not a claims management company, we’re a real law firm with an outstanding reputation for client care. Some of us are enthusiastic cyclists ourselves, but first and foremost we’re lawyers who know cycling law inside out.

Our clients include top triathletes and other elite athletes who trust us to represent them and look after their best interests.

We strongly recommend that you speak to one of our specialist solicitors, who can advise you so that you are armed with all the information you need to decide whether or not to go ahead with a claim for compensation.

For all your training needs A brilliant training facility is based here right on your doorstep at the BHive Business Centre in Skelton who offers training to clients both locally and throughout the UK. TB Training NE Ltd provides fully accredited professional training services with state of the art facilities and a fully qualified instructional team.

The courses they offer are designed to enable clients to meet current forklift operating legislation and Health & Safety regulations.

The company is managed by Tom Booth, who has been specialising in the training sector for many years.

Having previously worked in the food industry Tom has experience in all aspects of training.

Courses at TB Training NE Ltd include; • Counter Balance (Forklift) • Reach Truck • Telehandler • Scissor Lift • Cherrypicker • Abrasive Wheels TB Training NE Ltd the BHive, Skelton Ind. Estate. TS12 2LQ. Telephone: 07816 453976 Email: tb.trainingne@hotmail.co.uk www.tbtraining.net

Our regular travel writer, Ken Bibby (aka Wayfarer), is also an avid reader.

He`s read over 400 books over the last few years and he`s agreed to write a regular review series for us.

The Marine From Mandalay

T

his is the incredible but true story of a local lad, William Doyle, who almost by accident found himself in The Royal Marines.

He was subsequently posted to Burma with his “Force Viper” group and landed in Rangoon on the eve of its capitulation in early 1942.

He became separated from his group, was badly wounded and yet decided to attempt marching out of Burma on his own. Despite the fact that he had severe leg injuries, was unarmed and barefooted he set off through the Burmese jungles heading north towards India.

A real page-turner.

The Reader

49

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Wayfarer’s Travels T

Trogir – Croatia

rogir is an historic town and harbour on the Adriatic coast.

It’s actually an island but it’s easily within reach being connected to the mainland by a short bridge. Getting there is simple as there are regular flights from Newcastle to Split airport. From there it`s only a 10 minute transfer to Trogir.

Best time to go is May or September, unless you prefer temperatures up in the thirties in summer.

Almost everything in Croatia is remarkably cheap compared to the UK, despite the decline of the pound. When we first went some 10 years ago we were getting seven kuna to the pound. Even with the recent decline in sterling you can now get nine kuna to the pound.

It`s best to take English pounds and exchange them for kuna at one of the many Croatian money exchanges. You get a better rate of exchange over there.

If you pay by credit card make sure you pay in kuna and not GBP. As ever, Croatian food is superb,

particularly the fish. I`ve never come across so many varieties and a good two course meal including a beer or glass of wine will set you back a mere £10.

The most popular beers, Karlovacko and Ozujsko are quite good and a mere £2 – £3 a pint.

Trogir has enough quaint little alleys and squares to keep you occupied for several days but it`s also an excellent base from which to explore this part of the Croatian coast.

The popular resort of Split is a mere 12 miles down the coast and Sibenik is about 25 miles in the opposite direction.

Split has a beautiful promenade, The Riva, lined with palm trees and faced at one end by the magnificent Diocletian palace, whilst Sibenik is a historic coastal town located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Trogir is also handy for a visit to the magnificent Krka National Reserve.

Here several lakes of different heights

S.A.R.A.

● Trogir Promenade cascade into each other through dense woodland. It’s a spectacular sight with 17 huge waterfalls crashing through the trees. It makes you wonder how these trees survive but they seem to thrive on it. To get to the reserve is relatively simple. There are plenty of buses to Sibenik where you change to a local bus that takes you to the village of Skradin.

Here you catch one of the regular ferry

T

he next monthly meeting of SARA will be held in the TocH premises, Albion Terrace Saltburn, on Wednesday, 1st February 2017, at 7.30pm. New members are very welcome.

There are no events planned for February.

For more information ring Foxrush Farm Monday to Friday from 10am to 2pm on 01642/488108 (or visit our website www,s-a-r-a.org.uk) altburn Animal Rescue Association rounded of their year with two events

Sadie

Is a lovely five year old female who was returned to S.A.R.A after her owners situation changed and she was being left for long periods of time. She is a great dog who loves to run around and play with her toys. Sadie is wonderful with other dogs, she will play with them all day if you let her. She is looking for a home with people who enjoy long walks and she could possibly live with older children 10+ and even another dog. Sadie will make someone a love new family member.

SARA held its annual Christmas Fayre on Saturday 10th December.

There were a large number of stalls providing a variety of goods and games offering chances to win. It was well attended and we raised a total of £1071.25. Thank you to all who attended and helped.

Carols at Foxrush

A lovely afternoon was spent at SARA’s Carols at Foxrush with a large number of dogs bringing their owners for a sing song (and joining in).

Refreshments were available including mulled wine. It rounded

S

Wayfarer For any further information on this or any other destination, e-mail :- Wayfarer@ntlworld.com In our next issue, Wayfarer visits Barcelona on the northeast coast of Spain. .

off another successful year of events. Thank you to all our supporters and helpers.

2017 New Year Dip

ARA held its New Year’s Day Dip, despite blustery showers a number of very brave dippers participated.

On the day £195 was raised with more sponsorship money to come in. Thanks to all who participated and those who supported their efforts.

Support from Sainsburys

T

his year both Sainsbury’s Saltburn and Sainsbury’s Marske voted Saltburn Animal Rescue Association as their charity of the year.

They have not only placed buckets at all the checkouts to collect donations but invited SARA to hold events in their stores. To date these 15 events have raised just short of £1800.

Baked Halibut with prosciutto and blood orange butter Tip use a pan that will go in oven

Christmas Fayre

Elvier & Elijah

is superb for swimming. The water is a clear blue with temperatures rising to the upper twenties.

By John Fuller

S Are a mother and son pair who are looking for a loving home together. Elvier (mum) came into S.A.R.A after she was found in someone’s shed with her five new born kittens. She is very lovely cat who enjoys lot of attention. Elijah (son) is a little bundle of joy who enjoys running around playing.

services up the river and to the start of the waterfalls. Here you can disembark and wander around the many duck boards – some actually passing behind waterfalls.

If you are less adventurous simply prebook an excursion with one of the many available travel companies.

And last, but by no means least, if you have any spare time, the Adriatic

The staff at Sainsbury’s, Saltburn gave SARA a hamper of treats for the volunteers who would be working over Christmas, it was much appreciated.

These are just some of the lovely animals looking for new homes at SARA. For more information call Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm 01642 488108 The Foxrush centre is open to the public from Tues to Sun closed Monday 1pm to 3pm.

Foxrush Farm, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar TS10 5NJ. Check out the website at http://s-a-r-a.org.uk

Ingredients Serves 2 2 x 6-8 oz halibut steaks 4 slices prosciutto ham 1 blood orange and zest 4 oz unsalted butter 1 tblsp small capers 1 small onion finely diced 1/4 bunch finely diced parsley Pre heat oven to 200c 1. Wrap the fish in prosciutto.

2. Gently heat half the butter in a pan.

3. Add onions.gently cook until translucent 4. Add fish parcels.

5. Turn after 1 min and place pan in oven and bake for 10 mins.

6. Remove pan from oven and place fish on warm plates 7. In the pan add juice and zest ,stir and bring to boil.

8. When reduced by half, add capers, stir in butter until melted and stir in parsley 9. Gently pour sauce over fish.

If you have everything prepared and cut. the total cooking time for this dish is only Chef ecret The S about 20 mins.

Bon appetito

50

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

What’s On - Music & Events

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Wildlife Camera Workshop

H

ave you got a wildlife camera and not sure how to get started?

The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is running a workshop for beginners on how to get the best from using wildlife cameras.

The workshop will be led by the Trust’s mammal expert Kenny Crooks who will share his experience of using wildlife cameras to capture animal activity throughout the Tees Valley.

Participants will cover how to get the best from your camera, how to identify good sites for wildlife, camera positioning, wildlife behaviour, editing tips and answers to any questions.

This very informal and fun workshop will both classroom sessions including examples of wildlife camera photography and practical outdoor sessions using the Tees Valley Wildlife

Trust’s education area.

The workshop is delivered as part of the Where the Wild Things Were Project funded by National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northumbrian Water. People are asked to dress warmly for working outdoors and to wear suitable footwear. A gold coin donation towards the Trust would be most welcome.

Details: Wildlife Camera Workshop: Saturday 4th February 2017 10am to 1.30pm Margrove Heritage Centre, Margrove Park TS12 3BZ To book a place please call 01287 636382 or email info@ teeswildlife.org

Discover Hagg Wood’s winter wildlife

●● Photo by Joe Monk

T

he Tees Valley Wildlife Trust will be running a guided walk to explore the winter features of Hagg Wood, Moorsholm.

Hagg Wood is a Woodland Trust Reserve accessed by following the route of an ancient trod and part of a larger complex of wildlife rich ancient semi natural woodland. In winter the woods are laid bare allowing the shapes of the trees and other features to become more apparent. Our expert will point out interesting aspects of the woodland plants and explore evidence for the human influence on the woodlands seen today. Participants will be encouraged to take photos and make sketches to help create a collective digital diary of the wood.

This winter walk is part of a larger programme, funded

by National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, to explore the seasonal changes of the woods throughout a year.

For more information on the programme and details of other woodland walks visit: http://woodlanddiaries.teeswildlife. org/woodland-walks/ Details: Wednesday 8th February 10am to 1.00pm. Meet outside the former Toad Hall Arms, Moorsholm To register your interest in the walk please call 01287 636382 or email info@teeswildlife.org. Please wear warm clothes and footwear suitable for visiting woodlands in winter.

Bring a drink and a snack and don’t forget your camera or drawing materials!

51

Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum opens for February half term

A

n exciting new year starts this February Half Term at Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum and we’re looking for skilled and enthusiastic volunteers to keep driving our museum from success to success.

This year, discover the story of the people and the history of the industry which together shaped North Yorkshire and Teesside for generations to come in our authentic underground experience. Awarded the Certificate of Excellence for the second year running, our 1½ hour, fully guided tour immerses visitors in the day of a life of an Ironstone miner. Plus, rediscover our freshly restored North Drift tunnel, re-opening ready for the new season. We’ve also planned an exciting series of events and exhibitions lined up over the course of 2017, beginning this half term with some fabulous family crafts. Come and make crafty miner’s lanterns on Monday 13th from 11am till 1pm or bird feeders on Wednesday 15th from 11am till 1pm, donations welcome.

Looking for work experience or to give something back and meet new people in a friendly and busy environment (with plenty of cups of tea to go around)? We’re looking for skilled and enthusiastic volunteers to join the ranks of Tour Guides, Artefact Collections Team, Education Assistants and Maintenance Team. Just contact Jean at the museum on 01287 642877 or email jean@ironstonemuseum.co.uk.

So come down this February Half Term, from Saturday 11th to Saturday 18th, and discover with your family the people’s story of Britain’s Iron Valley. Tours will run weekdays from 10am till 3pm and Saturdays 1:30pm till 3pm. Children under 5 enter free, children aged up to 15, £3, adults £6 and over 60s £5.50. The museum opens for the new season on Monday 13th March.

For more information, check out our brand new website at ironstonemuseum.co.uk or call us at 01287 642877.

52

What’s On - Music & Events

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Exciting February Workshop with `The Young Americans`

When and where?

From Friday 10th February to Sunday the 12th2017, The Puma Club in Skelton is working in partnership with `The Young Americans` to bring an amazing performance and training opportunity to the region.

During this three day intensive workshop, 40+ young American performers will take a break in their European tour to descend on the Former Skelton Methodist Church, Green Road, Skelton, with their battle-bus and their huge truck to create their Broadway performance magic in just three days.

The Puma Club

The Puma club is a transformed Methodist Church that hosts weekly classes in Gymnastics, Dance, Tumble, Trampolining and Cheer. The venue is smaller than the usual host venues for the Young Americans, which will make this event more intimate and also means numbers are more limited than large schools venues.

Who are `The Young Americans`?

(http://vimeo.com/15788774 ) Milton C Anderson founded `The Young Americans` in Los Angeles, in 1962, as a choir. By 1965 they were regularly appearing with household names like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and Dean Martin. In 1968 they started performance tours within the USA and internationally. In 1981 they first came to Europe to perform.

In 1992, they started their Outreach tours, aiming to bring music and performance to schools within the USA and at the start of the new Millennium this went international.

Now `The Young Americans` embark on seven international tours a year, have worked with over 600,000 young people in their workshops and have built up a global reputation for inspiring young people, within the vehicle

of the Performing Arts. Check out their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/ YoungAmericansOfficial?fref=ts 80,000 likes can`t be wrong!!

The mission statement of `The Young Americans` is `the promotion of understanding and goodwill among people throughout the world through music, dance, performance, academic education and cultural interaction among student members and their audiences`.

Who could argue with that?

Members of the various ` Young Americans` teams have been successful in other areas of their performing lives, with credits in high-end professional productions of :- Rent, Wicked, Hairspray, Billy Elliot, Chitty Bang Bang, Chorus Line, CATS, Lion King, etc.

Why are we hosting this visit of `The Young Americans`?

The N.E. of England has been a highly successful stopping off point for `The Young Americans` in recent years. N.E. people love their workshops so much that the world`s largest-ever `Young Americans` event was hosted in Newcastle Metro Radio Arena in 2013, when 1100 students came together in a

triumphant performance. Whilst `The Young Americans` have been to the N.E. before, their visits are usually limited to the young people of a particular school or organisation. The Puma Club are very proud to be facilitating the visit of `The Young Americans` to the N.E. region this year so that the opportunity is open to literally ANYONE. It will be great for personal development; for experience; for inspiration; for addition on a C.V. All in all - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!!

Who can be enrolled onto `The Young Americans` Workshop?

Absolutely any young person, from across the region, aged from 6 years to 19 years, who is interested in this opportunity, can be enrolled.

This is regardless of how much or how little previous experience they have had. Everyone is welcome to come along to bond with the team and be challenged to give of their very best to create a simply fantastic musical theatre show on the final evening. If you love to sing, play music, write music, dance, act or entertain this workshop is guaranteed to inspire and excite.

The exciting workshop format

There are two full and inspiring days of

workshops followed by a dress rehearsal and performance on the third day.

Friday 10th February - 10.30am-3pm (Lunch 1pm-2pm) Saturday 11th February - 12pm-7pm All students must arrive having eaten lunch there will be just one small break through the day.

Sunday 12th February - Dress Rehearsal 2pm-4pm. Students then go home and return at 5.30pm. Show starts at 6pm They get 2 days of world-class training from 40+ highly professional and experienced teachers. Not only does this give an incredibly low ratio of students to each teacher across the two days, but it creates some opportunities for one to one tuition which can lead to solo opportunities for students in the show.

The first half of the show is performed by `The Young Americans` themselves, this is a full production with professional lighting and sound and the second half showcases the hard work, dedication and growing confidence of the students as practised in their workshops.

The cost involved

The inclusive cost of £65 covers the three days tuition and show opportunity and a T-shirt to keep afterwards. Tickets for the show can be purchased, price £8 each. Show tickets cost £8 and are available to buy from Thursday night, the children can get them through the day or parents can purchase on collection time.

How to apply or make enquiries

Places on the workshop are limited so an early application is advisable. A deposit of £20 is needed to secure a place. Initial enquiries and applications are to be by e mail to thepumaclub@gmail.com, Facebook Tara Jemson, Phone Tara on 07834836165 Instagram @Bonnie_cheer Finally ........this could be you! – http://vimeo.com/15038571 Come and join us - You won’t regret it!

What’s On - Music & Events Explore Our Heritage

In Loftus Town Hall The Musical Prize Fight of 1859 A talk by Dr Tony Nicholson Brass Band Contest in Loftus in September 1859 (Reported in All the Year Round, a periodical edited by Charles Dickens) Friday 27 January 2017, 7 for 7.30pm Loftus Town Hall TS13 4HG Everyone welcome - free entry (but donations towards costs welcomed!)

This is the first in a short series of heritage talks and events for 2017 organised by Loftus Town Council with the active support of local experts, held on the 4th Friday in the month.

January 27 - Musical Prize Fight of 1859, Dr Tony Nicholson February 24 - Street House before the Saxons, Neolithic Settlement, Timber Circles and Iron Age Saltworking, Dr Steve Sherlock March 24 - Where the Wild things were (tbc), Tees Valley Wildlife Trust April 28 - Made in India (a play/show, part of the Rural Arts Create Tour), Tamasha Theatre Company (entry fee) May 26 - Habitat Restoration , Nature Reserves and Wildlife Monitoring in the Tees Estuary and East Cleveland Coast, Ian Bond of INCA.

Skelton Villages Civic Pride

Our Community Environmental Group is seeking new members to help us to improve our villages.

If you have some spare time and would like to make new friends and help us with our floral displays or help at our weekly Coffee mornings and other fundraising activities, you can either call our Secretary Pam Batts on 01287653077 or call in the Skelton Heritage Office and leave your details where we can contact you.

What’s on at the Gleneagles Centre, New Marske Mondays 10:30-12:30 Carpet Bowls Mondays 3-4 Tai Chi Tuesday 9:3011:30 Quilting Tuesday (fortnightly) Friendship Group Tuesday 7-8:30 Mens Self Defence Wednesday 9:30 Healthy Living Wednesday (fortnightly) German Wednesday 6:30-7:30 Pilates Thursday 10:30-12:30 Carpet Bowls Thursday (first Thursday) 7pm Yorkshire Countrywomen Thursday (second thursday) 7pm History Group Friday 10-12 Bridge Friday 2-4 Carpet Bowls Sunday 10:30-12 American Tribal Dance Sunday 12:30-2 Dog Obedience Training If you are interested in any of these groups please turn up and ask

Brotton Bowls Club

St. Margaret’s Way Brotton Ladies and Gents are you no longer fit enough for high impact sports? Why not come along and try Bowling? It will give you gentle exercise Make some new Friends. Gets you out of the House Come and have a go you may like it Give us a ring at Brotton Bowls Club 677295 Or ring Dorothy 676994, Josie 676632, Judy 679001 or Pat 651440

53

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Rockulele - ukulele group

Modern music for the uke - Wednesday evenings, beginners 6.10pm, all abilities 7pm at the White House, Marske. £2 per session, all ages and abilities welcome, spare ukes available if you just want to give it a try. New members welcome! Redcar Road Rockulele on Facebook or email redcarroadrockulele@ gmail.com.

Loftus And District Flower Club

Usually meet on the third Monday of each month, upstairs in Loftus Town Hall, 7.15pm.

We have National, and Area Demonstrators from all over the country to come and demonstrate at the club.

Members and guests can sit, and enjoy the results of what can be created with flowers and foliage.

At the end of the demonstration, while having light refreshments, there is a raffle, with an opportunity to win one of the arrangements.

Membership for the Flower Club is £22.50.

Visitors are welcome, entrance, £3.

For more information, contact Mrs Susan Hall, 01287 676269.

Redcar Lecture Society

By Tony Crow

The next meeting of our Group will be on Tuesday 14th February in the Redcar East Community Centre on Durham Road at 2.15 p.m. when we welcome back Peter Chester who will be letting us into the secrets of ‘William’s Ladies’.

The William in question is Sir William Turner, a Lord Mayor of London in the 1600’s, who lived in Kirkleatham Hall and founded a well-known school in the area.

A fortnight later, on February 28th, Ken Smith will be Visually Presenting ‘In the Land of the Undead’ which is about the WildLife of Eastern Europe.

On Tuesday 14th March, our penultimate Meeting of the Season, we welcome back John Reeve whose topic is ‘The River Tees from the 1700’s to today’.

Looking ahead, we are organising a Special Event to celebrate our 60th Birthday on Tuesday 9th May. Look out for further information!

Admission at the door is unchanged at £2.50 and visitors are very welcome at any of our Presentations.

All Saints Church - Skelton

Commencing Wednesday 8th March we have a five week lent course entitled Receiving Christ in five different ways.

Each Wednesday session begins at 7pm. Hot drink and biscuits available from 6.30pm.

Suitable for age groups from teens on wards and each session stands alone so if you cannot commit to the full course this need not be a deterrent.

The topics covered are: 8th March As children of God 15th March In the stranger and the needy 21st March In Holy Communion 28th March Through prayer and fellowship 4th April In you - the hope of glory Please come along. Your input will be appreciated.

Lent lunches will again be served in the Civic Hall Skelton from mid day till 1.30p.m. for five weeks commencing 9th March Each week has a choice from four home-made soups, a home-made bread roll or cheese scone and coffee and home-made biscuit.

We ask for a minimum donation of £3 and all money taken goes to charity.

Skelton Men’s Group

At present we meet in the Bull’s Head, North Skelton, on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, September to April, starting at 7.30p.m.

21st February Bruce Harrison - Programme to be confirmed 21st March David Rodway - Castles, mountains and lakes of Germany 18th April Ken Gillance - former High Court Judge. How to defend the undefendable A warm welcome will be extended to anyone who wishes to join us.

For further details contact the Group Secretary, Stuart White, Tel 01287 654132.

Skelton Methodist Community Church

Charity Coffee Morning Wednesday 15th February 10:00am to 11:30am Cake stall, Tombola Proceeds to British Heart Foundation

Skelton Library

Have you got any photographs of past Skelton events, groups etc?

Would you be willing for them to be scanned for Skelton History Group and a copy kept in the library for displays? If so please bring them into the library on Thursday 9th March 9.30-12.00 for scanning.

New Activities at Skelton Library: “COME AND PLAY” Toddler Play Hour, Monday 10am-11am. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

Do you fancy getting out of the house these dark winter Friday afternoons?

Come along to the library and play our board games. We have Dominoes, Scrabble, Chess & more. All for fun!

Hope to see you soon!

Parish of Boosbeck & Lingdale St Aidan Church

Every Thursday – Church Open Day – visit us for a coffee/tea and a chat – all welcome.

Proceeds to go toward the running costs of the Church

Tea Dance with George and Marie

Every Wednesday afternoon, 2pm - 4pm at Skelton Civic Hall, Coniston Road, Skelton.

Everyone welcome. Suitable for beginners - you don’t even have to dance, just come and listen to the music.

Refreshments served! £2.00

Friends of Guisborough Cemetery

A date for your diary By popular demand Marske Fishermen’s Choir have agreed to stage another concert for our Charity on Friday 17th February 2017.

Venue: Guisborough Rugby Club on Belmangate Tickets are £8.00 each – the price includes pie and peas.

Come and join us for a night of fun and entertainment with these brilliant singers.

Tickets available from Guisborough Book Shop or ring 07980969580

Skelton History Group

Heritage Walks 2017 A small charge of £2 per person will be made on each walk to offset the costs of Insurance.

Please wear appropriate footwear and have clothing suitable for the likely weather conditions on that day. On walks of over two hour’s duration, it is suggested that you bring food and drink as we usually stop around halfway for a lunch break.

Further details can be had from: skeltonhistorygroup@gmail.com or by contacting Peter Appleton (Tel: 01287 281752) Sunday: March 26th – Biggles and the Zeppelins – Duration: 2 hours Meet at 10:30am in the Stray car park near Green Lane, Redcar (NZ 624 237). This easypaced walk takes place on mostly level ground.

There are two ladder styles to negotiate to cross the rail line. The heritage interest includes: the 1913 summer camp of the Northumberland & Durham Brigade of the Territorial Force, the WW1 RFC/RAF airfield, and the Sound Mirror for detecting incoming Zeppelins.

Would you like to be part of the Coastal View team?

We urgently need people to join our dedicated, hard working team of distributors for Guisborough, to deliver Coastal View on a monthly basis You must be over 18, with your own transport and willing to work in all weathers You will be provided with maps, a delivery bag and trolley Self employed people only Please contact Lynne or Steve on 01287 669418 or email editor@coastalviewandmoornews.co.uk

Exciting News!

Looking for something to do during the long winter evenings?

There are still some places available on our evening Craft Classes. We are a fun friendly group covering a wide variety of crafts *Monday Night Craft Class – 7pm start. Places available. Please ring to book a space. *Tuesday Night Craft Class – 7pm start. Places available. Please ring to book a space. *Approved stockists of Everlong Paint *Available from AFE Creations Retail Area – Handmade cards and crafts plus gifts suitable for all *If you require any further information or would just like to pop in to see the retail area, we can be located at Unit 1 Brankin Court, Wandhills Avenue, Skelton Industrial Estate TS12 2LQ or call us on 01287 651005

creations@afesolutionsltd.co.uk or via our Facebook page

/afecreations

54

What’s On - Music & Events

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Treble Top!

The world of theatre

T

T

By Kate Bramley

here is some great comedy theatre in the region over the next few weeks so be sure to check it out.

Stephen Joseph Scarborough will be one of the many venues hosting performances of John Godber’ s ‘The Empty Nesters club’ starring our very own Badapple Theatre company fave Robert Angell.

This new tour from The John Godber Company follows the story of Vicky Barret and her inaugural meeting of The Empty Nesters’ Club. If your children have left home and the nest is empty, this is the group for you! Vicky will share her story of empty bedrooms, fresher’s flu, boyfriends, long goodbyes, motorway service stations and trips to Ikea; and how she fought back to

be the woman she is today, exhausted...

It comes first to Middlesbrough Theatre 8-11Feb and then runs from 13-18 March at Stephen Joseph Scarborough priced £10-18.

If you are a Noel Coward fan then Middlesbrough Theatre has Blythe Spirit from local company Less Is More from 15-18 Feb. It’s a comedy classic with novelist Charles haunted by his first wife, Elvira, determined to devastate his new marriage. High jinks ensue as the wacky medium Madame Arcati conducts a seance and the mischievous ghost wreaks havoc on the household. https://www. middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk/ whats-on/blithe-spirit More next month!

Top TV comics Russell Kane, Paul Sinha & Andy Parsons set for Stockton’s ARC

he brand-new year has got off to an absolutely flying start for Teesside’s comedy fans, with top TV comics Russell Kane, Paul Sinha and Andy Parsons all confirming keenly anticipated dates at Stockton’s ARC this April.

Russell Kane is first up on Wednesday 5 April, with an extra date after a stunning sold out gig at ARC last summer - his Right Man, Wrong Age tour being extended by huge public demand.

Paul Sinha, known to millions of TV fans as the white-suited quiz king from ITV’s teatime favourite The Chase, brings his critically acclaimed Edinburgh smash hit show Postcards From The Z List on Friday 14 April.

Then Andy Parsons comes to town with brand new show Peak Bullsh*t on Thursday 20 April.

Andy Parsons tickets are already on sale, while Russell Kane and Paul Sinha tickets are on sale now.

All three gigs mark hugely welcome ARC returns for the popular comics, with Russell’s gig last summer, Paul’s intimate Edinburgh preview 18 months ago, and Andy’s previous Stockton date two years ago all selling out months in advance.

Satirical kingpin Andy Parsons not only shines on Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo for millions of today’s TV fans, he was also lead writer on ITV’s legendary Spitting Image – the show that took the country by storm and set the tone for others to follow.

And Russell Kane is loved by millions of TV fans after a barnstorming string of gigs on BBC1’s Live at the Apollo.

Nominated four times for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award before winning Best Show in 2010, Russell then went on to make history as the first comic to win both the Edinburgh Award and Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award in the same year.

And, as well as being a big hit on daytime TV, Edinburgh Award nominated comic Paul Sinha is also in huge demand at comedy festivals all over the world.

Graham Ramsay of promoters Ten Feet Tall, who worked alongside ARC to bring the shows to Stockton, said: “Talk about a flying start to the brand-new year - three absolute belters here!

“All very different, but all fresh as ever and always buzzing with new ideas - it’s no accident they’ve all been wowing sold-out comedy crowds all over the world for so long.

“Their last few ARC gigs all sold out months in advance, and it’s great to have them all back in Stockton for these really intimate gigs in April – a real coup for ARC, and a real treat for comedy fans in this neck of the woods.”

• Russell Kane: Right Man, Wrong Age. ARC, Stockton. Wednesday 5 April. 8pm.

Age: 16+. Tickets: £17.00. On sale 10am Friday 13 January. Box Office: 01642 525 199 or www.arconline.co.uk • Paul Sinha: Postcards From The Z List. ARC, Stockton. Friday 14 April.

01642 475757 THE CLEVELAND BAY INGS ROAD, REDCAR, TS10 2DD Winners of the Enterprise Inns Community Hero Award National Award & Regional Award Winners 2016 Regional Award Winners 2015

Serving Fresh Food Every Day Mon to Fri 12 – 8pm Sat 12 – 6pm Sun 12 – 3pm

SUNDAY LUNCHES ONLY

Bookings recommended for tables of 5 people or more.

Pre-orders welcome.

PENSIONER SPECIALS ONLY £2.50 DAILY MON TO FRIDAY 12 PM – 2 PM

● Russell Kane: “A seriously good comedian.”

The Times.

● Paul Sinha: “Hilariously funny, passionate and articulate.”

Chortle. ● Andy Parsons: “A joke-rich rallying call for a better Britain.” The Guardian.

8pm. Age: 18+. Tickets: £14 / £12 concs.

On sale 10am Friday 13 January. Box Office. 01642 525 199 or www.arconline. co.uk • Andy Parsons: Peak Bullsh*t. ARC, Stockton. Thursday 20 April. 8pm. Age: 16+. Tickets: £15.00. Box Office: 01642 525 199 or www.arconline.co.uk

Play ALL in ALL out Cash Prize BINGO at the Cleveland Bay. Wednesday’s.

Ring us on 01642 475757 for more information

LOUNGE / FUNCTION ROOM AREA FOR FAMILY OCCASIONS SEATING FOR 80 PEOPLE BUFFETS FROM £3.95 PER PERSON ACCESS FOR WHEELCHAIRS CAR PARKING AND CLOSE TO BUS STOP AND TRAIN STATION

CHILDRENS BOUNCY CASTLE PARTY DEAL ONLY £99 FOR AGES 9 YEARS AND UNDER BOUNCY CASTLE WITH BACKROUND MUSIC AND LIGHTS FOR 2 HOURS HOT OR COLD BUFFET FOOD FOR 20 CHILDREN WITH JUGS OF CORDIAL JUICE

WEBSITE www.thebayredcar.co.uk EMAIL theclevelandbayredcar@live.co.uk

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

What’s on at the Cutty Wren Every Tuesday at The Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club

H

i, all! I’m writing this on New Year’s Day, and it’s a good time to look forward.

We covered January last time, so we kick off with Feb 7th. This will be a “Singers and Musicians” night, and it’s very much the basis of what we do. This is when ordinary folk music enthusiasts get together and take turns to do a couple of songs or tunes. “Folk” covers a very wide variety of material. But it’s music you can do yourself after some practice, it usually has good tunes and words that mean something.

And, as there are often choruses, it’s material you can join in. We’re a Club because this music is our passion, and we try to support each other and keep it alive. But anyone is welcome to come in, listen and join in for a small charge. We ask only that the audience listen when performers are singing or playing. There’s also a great atmosphere of fun and enjoyment, and a Singers’ Night is a good time to try us if you haven’t been before.

We welcome the quartet “Backshift” as guests on Feb 14th. They are residents at the very successful Davy Lamp Folk Club up in Washington New Town and have been on the bill at Saltburn Folk Festival many times. They have very wide variety of fine, unhackneyed, songs that they perform with power and conviction.

They’re old friends of ours and this will be a great night.

Back to “Singers and Musicians” for the 21st, while we have a “Hot Spot” on Feb 28th. This is when a performer or group, mostly local, gets up and does a longer set than the usual two songs.

It’s good practice for people who are basically amateurs, but you’ll often be impressed by the high standards of singing and playing you’ll hear, not to mention song writing skills. This time we have a very popular local duo, Tony and Margaret Maughan. They’re singers and guitarists with American Gospel and Old-time influences, with an extra treat of some great songs of their own about their authentic Teesside roots and their love of the nearby countryside.

They’re good lively folks as well, so come along and hear them.

After “Singers and Musicians” on March 7th we welcome Anthony J Clarke on March 14th.

From Ireland, but living in the Borders, he’s a highly-rated singer-songwriter, with plenty of CD’s to his credit. I’ve heard one funny song of his, so I’m looking forward to hearing a lot more.

Looking ahead we have a Theme Night of “When Spring Comes In” on March 21st, and a “Singers and Musicians” night on the 28th.

Looking back, we had great times in November and December. The Prostate Charity Evening was great fun as well as raising about £1000! The Theme “Blackleg Miner” brought some great mining songs, as you’d expect, while Bob Fox was on top form a week later. The Christmas had the usual great atmosphere – and food! – to

●● Backshift

●● John Anthony Clarke

●● Tony and Margaret match the singing and music, while we even had a worthwhile turn out on the Tuesday after Christmas.

So why not come and give us a try? We meet every Tuesday at the Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club, Thwaites Lane, off Redcar Lane, Redcar TS10 2FD. Just turn off at the big red Racecourse sign, and we’re down at the end of the lane to the left. Doors open about 7-30 p.m., singing starts about 8 p.m., and we finish about 11 p.m. There’s a well-stocked bar and plenty of fun.

Thanks as ever to out hosts at the Bowling Club, especially to our tolerant bar lady Gemma, to all our members who keep the club going, and of course to our organiser John Taylor. You can ring him on 01287 622623 for more information and we have a website at ww.cuttywrenfolkclub@ talktalk.net. Right – see you soon!

George F

Railway Arms Brotton Sat 28 Jan - No Regrets Sat 25 Feb - Striking Back Sat 04 Feb - The Besoms Sat 04 Mar - Valley Dogs Sat 11 Feb - Steelyard Blues Sat 11 Mar - Tom Jackson Sat 18 Feb - The Aim

N

What’s On - Music & Events

55

Sean Taylor – Flood And Burn

ow that he’s a seasoned performer and recording artist of ten years standing, Sean Taylor has achieved a special maturity — stemming from experience, but also from the excitement in artistic freedom that experience can sometimes bring — with this album Flood & Burn.

Sean puts it like this: “I felt a freedom and confidence in writing the original songs, and in the making of this recording. And that’s exciting.” It sure comes across.

Recorded in Austin, Texas, by ace producer Mark Hallman, known for his work with Eliza Gilkyson and Tom Russell amongst others, Flood & Burn is big enough and confident enough to embrace a variety of genres, a range of feel and texture. And this is with such a rare ease, fluidity and mastery that it works completely towards being first and foremost, a great Sean Taylor album.

Let’s mention just a few songs from this striking album. Codeine Dreams sets up the free and full scope of Flood & Burn with a dream. Cruelty Of Man is close to jazz; there is something of a jazz undercurrent to the set.

Troubadour and Life Goes On have featured in Sean’s live gigs for a couple of years and each has grown over time. Sharp and gorgeous lyrics are everywhere.

Heartbreak Hotel is the only cover — one of Sean’s favourite songs, it features Eliza Gilkyson as a guest on backing vocals, Mark Hallman on bass and Andre Moran on slide. And it’s excellent.

Majestic closer Better Man is all about the beauty and the danger of being a musician. Written with double bass legend Danny Thompson in mind, it features Danny playing. Danny delivers. “It

sticks in my brain,” says Danny.

What better way to close out this album could there be.

Other special guests include: Leonard Cohen’s band leader Roscoe Beck (double bass), the aforementioned Andre Moran (electric & slide guitar), plus Hana Piranha (violin), Ephraim Owens (trumpet), Jaimee Harris (backing vocals), Mike Hardwick (pedal steel), Joe Morales (saxophone), and producer Mark Hallman on all sorts.

For the full credits and lyrics please see the splendid disc package.

For those guitar-minded, two particularly wonderful guitars were used by Sean on this album: a 1951 Gibson J45 acoustic and a Fender Stratocaster 1962 re-issue.

“Flood & Burn may be the best thing I have ever done,” says Sean Taylor. And Sean’s got to be right there.

This is an utterly compelling, assured standout album from a top guy on top form.

Album released February 3rd 2017 by Proper Distribution.

To download the album, click on the link below, you will need a Sound Cloud account which is free and easy to set up. https://soundcloud.com/sean-taylor-songs/ sets/sean-taylor-flood-and-burn/s-2GteG To support the release of Flood and Burn, Sean will be touring the UK and beyond in 2017 and on March 11th he will be at Saltburn Blues Club.

For more information and the latest tour dates, please visit www.seantaylorsongs.com www.facebook.com/seantaylorsongs www. twitter.com/seantaylorsongs

56

Skelton Neighbourhood Action Partnership

Questions to the Chief Constable.

Was the amalgamation of forces previously put forward opposed by Chief Constables?

Mr. Spittal replied it was not opposed, but there was some resistance. There has been work nationally on networking resources, possibility of fewer Chief Constables in future and combined authorities.

Does Teesport present a big problem?

Mr. Spittal confirmed it is a significant port with opportunities for organised crime, people traffickers and terrorism. Colleagues are working to retain a level of support from the national infrastructure.

Communication and new Guisborough Newsletter There was discussion around the content of the new Neighbourhood Policing newsletter in that this could be a vehicle to include elements of the Chief Constable’s report; the difficulty in interpreting the graphs and sharing more positive stories.

While ‘recorded crime’ has increased, levels have not. There has been an overall increase of 2-3% in recorded crime which is in line with the rest of the country.

The use of CCTV in evidence in court.

There have been cases at court with problems in convicting due to presentation of evidence by police

and Crown Prosecution Service. The CCTV varies, sometimes starting part way through an incident.

Mr. Spittal pointed out that there was no capacity to use 24/7 which cost £500 per unit. There is training on its use and when to record.

Rural crime and rural watch Reporting and police acting on rural crime is enhanced if residents and farmers use a longitude/ latitude app. The Rural Watch now has 550 members, hoping this will increase to 1000 in 2017.

Police want to encourage residents to engage on Cleveland connected and their Face book page on the Force’s website, where police pass on positive messages, where awareness of incidents and suspected activity can be shared.

The Rural Crime Forum meets quarterly at Boosbeck. It is hoped to replicate this in other authorities and continue the rural policing page in Coastal View and Moor News.

On the 7th December five forces (Cleveland, North Yorkshire, Durham, Cumbria and Lancashire carried out Operation checkpoint, focussing on rural crime; poaching, theft of fuel, vehicles and machinery. Amongst the results was a drugs/cash haul. Information from residents is key enabling forces to share intelligence. Joint visits to stores around bonfire night tested purchasing and counterfeit goods.

Road Show events are being planned for marking items (except glass). These are then recorded on a system with the location of the marker so that stolen items can be checked and returned.

Anti social behaviour in Carlin How is a priority as well as issues in Guisborough. An ex prisoner has been remanded back after committing burglaries.

Work is continuing in local schools.

Skelton Township Heritage Update Work is likely to begin in May 2017. There will be some disruption on the High Street for example replacing paving. Information is available to view

at the Project Office on the High Street. Public opinion is being sought on BT’s proposal to remove the phone box at the corner of Swilly Lane/High St. The mosaic mural project development is progressing for the Old Institute Site. There has been details contact with shop owners in relation to the project. Planning underway for an Historic Sports Day in 2018.

General matters of interest/concern The Council’s Publication Local Plan is at its final consultation stage. When agreed it will be sent to the Government for approval early next year.

The Council tax will increase by 2% and a precept of a further 2% for adult social care.

White lining has taken place, but the contractors will be returning to complete areas they missed.

No start date yet for development at Pheasant Fields Lane. Planning application has been received from McDonalds.

The Friends of Skelton Old Church group reported the success of the concert which attracted 275 visitors. This group aims to bring the old church back to life – funding opportunities being sought.

Cold call stickers.

These can be obtained from RCBC Trading Standards Department at Belmont House, Guisborough.

The Skelton Neighbourhood Partnership extends to all residents the season’s greetings and good wishes for 2017.

NEXT MEETING – WEDNESDAY 15th MARCH 6p.m. NORTH SKELTON VILLAGE HALL, VAUGHAN STREET, NORTH SKELTON. Cllr. Cliff Foggo (Chair) cliff.foggo@redcarcleveland.gov.uk Cllr. Helen McLuckie – helen.mcluckie@redcarcleveland.gov.uk Cllr. David Walsh – dave.walsh@redcar-cleveland. gov.uk Eileen Goodenough, Vice Chair.

Welham

Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms Studies

Transform Your Home With A Beautiful Bespoke Interior

Terms and Conditions apply.

All kitchen, bedroom and bathroom installations are fully project managed to an exceptional standard.

NEW SHOWROOM NOW OPEN www.welhamkitchens.co.uk 01642 491257

Visit our Showroom: Just off the A174 between Redcar & Marske Redc ar R oad Longbeck Trading Estate, Marske TS11 6HB Redcar Ro Open: Monday-Thursday 8-5, ad Friday 8-4, Saturday 10-2 Ryan

’s Ro

w

ere re h a We

Longbeck Trading Estate

Lo A1

ng

kR oa d

Ask our Staff at the Showroom about our SPECIAL OFFERS

74

be

ck

ec

this level.

• Collaboration. Specialist teams work jointly across forces dealing with organised crime, firearms, road policing and dog handlers. Sharing premises, costs, and procurement with for example with Cleveland Fire Service. Multi-organisational approach to protecting vulnerable people.

The outcome of this work is that HMIC, which last year had concerns, now having just concluded its inspection has stated that Cleveland Police have delivered what they said they would and have shaped the service and made the most significant change anywhere in the Country.

Ra

il S

Sherw

ood

ng b

ear Resident Your local NAP met on the 21st September, 2016 in the Hollybush Activity Centre, Skelton. Mr. Ian Spittal, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police and his Officers came along and gave an extensive report on the Force’s strategy and actions in Cleveland.

REPORT FROM THE CHIEF CONSTABLE In setting the context for his report, Mr. Spittal, who has been with Cleveland Police for 3.5 years, told us that while Cleveland is the smallest force outside of London, it has concentrations of the highest levels of demand and challenges. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) groups forces together in order to make comparisons. Cleveland is grouped with Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Humber and Northumberland.

Mr. Spittal set out the following examples of the model of working which has had to change to reflect changing needs and the gap in the budget.

• Cyber crime means people are more likely to become victims of crime at home than on the street.

• Time and money has been used to investigate historic incidents along with contemporary crime.

• Maintain a response to the Communities need for visibility.

• To meet a gap of £11million (£1million = 20 police officers or 30 PCSOs) downsize expenditure but improve provisions through prioritising prevention and protecting vulnerable people.

• Savings made through changing contracts, for example, service delivery in the control room.

Speed in answering calls could mean insufficient information being obtained with responses not always correctly targeted or required. Adjusting this could mean a longer response time but a more appropriate reaction.

• Wards are graded red, amber and green in relation to levels of threat, risk and harm; red being where there is highest risk for various reasons. Skelton is green with Officers and PCSOs working to maintain

tat

Driv

e

Lo

D

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

ion

De

lam

A1

74

ere

Dri

ve

Riftswood Drive

57

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Around The Towns & Villages Redcar

Skinningrove

Skelton

East Redcar Residents` Association. Our next meetings will be on Thursday 2nd February and 2nd March in the upstairs meeting room of St. Peter`s Church, Redcar Lane, Redcar. The meeting will start at 7pm and finish by 8.30pm. Everyone welcome to come along.

Footprints Community Cafe held every Wednesday at East Cleveland Baptist Church, Park Avenue, Redcar. Excellent food at good prices. All profits from the cafe are fed back into Footprints projects including Redcar Area Foodbank.

Men’s Shed ... every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 9am - 1pm at 17 Queen Street Redcar.

Parkinsons Friendship Group Social/Drop In. We meet on first Thursday of the month in the lounge of the Coatham Lodge, Redcar 2 - 4 pm. On the second Thursday of the month we meet up for lunch (usually in a pub) For both carers and the cared for.

It’s a chance to relax with a cup of coffee/tea, piece of cake and to talk to people in the same position.

Long term friendships can and do happen. For more information please contact Ann on 01642 482066 Redcar & District WASPI group 6pm Wednesday, 1 March & 12 April meeting at Anchor Housing, Coatham Lodge, Coatham Road, Redcar TS10 1SS Redcar Area Foodbank. Donations can be made at Tesco Redcar and South Bank (and they top up by 30%). Any Redcar & Cleveland Library. Co-op at Marske. Halifax Bank on Redcar High Street.

Circles on Life, Queen Street, Redcar. Any Foodbank Centres i.e. St Hilda’s Church Redcar; Park Avenue Baptist Church, Redcar; South Bank Baptist Church; Old Co-op Building in Loftus.St Peter’s Church, Redcar. St Georges Church, Normanby All Saints Church, Dormanstown. Sainsbury’s Ennis Square Dormanstown and The Ings Redcar. St Augustine’s church, Warwick Rd (mornings except Mon and Sat which are evenings), Sacred Heart, Lobster Rd (mornings except Sat 6pm-7pm )

Skinningrove Village Hall Weekly Events Mon – OAP Bingo 6pm-7pm Tue - Free for hire Wed - Breakfast Club. Doors open 9am.

Served 9am-12pm Thur – Kid’s Craft Night 5pm-6.30pm Fri - Breakfasts 10am-12, Bingo 5pm-6pm Sat - Free to hire Sun - Free to hire

Hillside Patients Participation Group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 2.00pm at Hillside Surgery. This is an informal, open meeting where patients have the opportunity to discuss any issues or ideas they may have regarding the Practice and it’s development. Everyone assured of a warm welcome.

Coffee morning in Skelton Civic Hall every Mon 9.30am until 11.00. Come along and enjoy tea or coffee and some real home baking. All proceeds go to Skelton Villages Civic Pride towards environmental improvements and floral displays.

The February meeting of Guisborough Floral Art Club will be at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 8th February in St Nicholas’s Parish Hall, Guisborough. Susan Hall is the demonstrator and her title is “Women of the World”. For up to date information visit our Facebook page.

Search “Guisborough Flower Club”.

Afternoon Tea Dance St Nicholas Church Hall Bow Street Guisborough each Thursday 1pm to 3.30pm with interval for tea/coffee & biscuits.

Sequence dancing with music provided by Kevin & Val with tuition when necessary. £5 per person.

Friendly atmosphere with newcomers welcome.

Enquiries: Rita & Tony Morris 01287 281737

Skelton Library ‘Sharpen your mind’ cake and cuppa session every 4th Friday 10.30am - 12am with a short quiz, reminiscence information and a sing-song to finish. Come along, make new friends, have fun and exercise your brain.

Everyone is welcome. ‘Knit & Natter’‘Crafts & Chatter’ every Monday 2pm-4pm For more information: Tel: 01287 650487 Email: skelton_ library@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Hutton Lowcross WI meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7pm in Sunnyfield House, Guisborough. We have a monthly guest speaker, crafts, computing, outings, and much more. Come along and see what we do.

Visit our web-site huttonlowcross-wi.co.uk

Riverside Building New Company Row Skinningrove hosts the following each week.

Keep Fit Club – Tue 12.00pm – 1.00pm.

Gardening Club – Wed 10.00am - 12.00pm.

Choir – Wed 7.00pm – 9.00pm.

Over 60’s Luncheon Club – Fri 12.00pm.

All newcomers welcome.

Monthly Film Club featuring a Big Screen, Surround Sound HD Experience. Check notice board for details. Open Monday to Friday, 10.00am to 2.00pm and provide access to computers with internet and office applications free of charge. We also provide full colour Photocopying.

Garden Café – Garden café hot drinks and light snacks. See us on Trip Advisor. To find out more or book a room (£5 to £15 per hour) call in at the Riverside Building or call 01287 642508, e-mail at slu@btconnect.com or check us out on Facebook at Skinningrove Riverside.

Lingdale Lingdale Community Art - We are a group of people from East Cleveland who meet weekly to paint for pleasure. Approximately once a month we have a “ master class” with a variety of art teachers. We meet each Thurs at 2pm until 4pm at Lingdale Village Hall. If you are interested in joining us please contact Jim Marvell on 01287650485 or Anne Lake on 01287 650671

Saltburn

Easington

Friday Friends is an inclusive friendship group open to all over 18, we welcome people with different abilities. We have activities inc bowling, drumming, keep fit, singing, bingo, quizzes and arts and crafts. We meet Fridays 10-4, at Emmanuel Church Hall, Macnay Street, Saltburn. 1st session is free (Carers always free). Then £2.50 1 session/£4 all day. Ran by volunteers. 07833895501 Thefridayfriends@outlook.com All welcome!

All Saints Coffee Morning. Village Hall – 2nd Saturday in every month. 10am – 12pm. All welcome

Loftus Loftus and District Flower Club next meeting, Mon 20th February. Members are invited to make an arrangement on the theme of “Spring” which can be made beforehand or at the club. These will then be judged in two categories for the trophies. There will also be a Demonstration. To begin at 19:00, for more information contact Mrs S Hall 01287 625603.

British Legion outreach sessions held 3rd Tuesday of each month in Old Co-op Building.

Sessions are run on a drop-in basis between 10am-12 and are open to any veteran and their family. The British Legion can also be contacted using our free helpline number 0808 802 8080 every day between 8am - 8pm or on our easy to use website at: www.britishlegion.org.uk.

Loftus Town Hall is host to a Tea Dance on the first Tuesday of every month. Doors open at 1.30 for an informal practice session with dancing from 2.00-4.00. Entry is only £1 and this includes a raffle and light refreshments.

Loftus WI - Ladies, why not come along and make new friends. Meetings every second Tuesday of the month at 7pm in Loftus Town Hall. New members welcome. For details telephone 01287 644661

Moorsholm Moorsholm Memorial Hall Moorsholm WI, every 2nd Mon, 7.15pm. Guest speakers, crafts, outings, fun and friendship. All welcome. For more info call Enid McCabe on 01287 660808 Church Hall activities Don’t sit alone at home come and join us at our Social afternoon for bingo, dominoes a good natter and some tea and biscuits. Alternate Thursdays.

Craft Class - Weaving, knitting, rag rugging, dye and crafts every Wednesday 7pm-9pm.

Skelton Methodist Community Church, on Castle Grange at Skelton Green, holds a coffee morning on the first Saturday of each month from 10am to 11.30am.

An Open Church Charity Coffee Morning is held on the 1st Friday every month from 10.00 am - 11.30 am at All Saints’ Church, Skelton. Pop in and enjoy homemade cakes, scones, etc.

Skelton History Group meets on the second Friday of each month at 1:30 pm in Skelton Library. Anyone with an interest in the history of the Skelton villages, or in family history, will be warmly welcomed.

Skelton Weight Management Group - meet the first Thursday of the month, at 10am, in Skelton Library for a cuppa, and an informal chat. A weigh in is available if required. New Members welcome!

Men’s Shed in Skelton. At Skelton Industrial Estate, opening times are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9 - 2pm. Watness Avenue, Unit 7 (27F)Skelton Industrial Estate TS12 2AR.Please feel free to pop along and have a chat about what Men’s Shed is all about and how you can be involved.

New Marske Friendship Group Are you lonely and want to make new friends? Come along to our Friendship Group which is held every other Tuesday at the Gleneagles Centre, New Marske at 2pm. We usually have a speaker, chat, cup of tea, raffle and spend the afternoon in a friendly and caring environment. All welcome

Guisborough

Charltons Community Centre available to hire for parties, functions, meetings etc. Large hall £10 ph, Small hall £8ph. Bouncy castle, disco and projector also available to hire. Contact Rachael 07746 660059 or follow us on fb for more details.

Stanghow Stanghow Community Centre Coffee morning 10am – 12noon First Saturday in each month Bingo Fortnightly Wednesday evening 7:15 start.

For further details of any of the above please phone 01287 650098

Liverton Mines St Hilda’s - Cake & Chat last Wed of month 3pm-4pm Coffee Morning on 1st Tues of month 10am -11am. All are welcome.

Brotton Brotton Library ‘Knit & Natter’ every Thurs 2pm-4pm. All welcome to come and have a cuppa and a friendly natter.For more info:Tel: 01287 676342 or e-mail: Brotton_library@ redcar-cleveland.gov.uk Coffee morning Brotton Methodist Church every Tues & Sat 9.30 - 11.30 Thurs 10-12 Coffee Morning every Wed 10.00am - 11.30am in St. Margaret’s Church, High Street, Brotton.

Prize Bingo in aid of Church funds held at KTS+ site, St. Margaret’s Way, Brotton every Tues at 7pm.

Brotton Village Hall. Every Thursday Prize Bingo 1.15pm Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month Tea Dance 2pm - 4pm

58

Advertisement feature

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

What’s on in Saltburn Spiritualist Church Toc H, Coach House, Saltburn

... your well-being in our hands Two recent treatments reminded me about how useful Bowen can be for the elderly.

O

ne lady aged 86, who has been having treatment monthly for around 12 years, was having a treatment, and I noticed when she was laying on the couch that her right foot was pronated more than the left – it was flopping out to the side, while her other foot was pointing to the ceiling.

I had recently learned some new moves for this so I did them – they were a little sharp, and she jumped, and said: “Oh, that’s new!” When she got up from the couch and walked around, she commented that her “right leg feels good – I can’t explain why, it just does!” She always feels relaxed and positive after

a treatment, but this time was different.

I returned after three weeks, and was greeted at the door with: “You’re a miracle worker!” I didn’t like to disagree (!) but obviously queried why. She went on to tell me that all her life, her right foot had been different – when she put her feet up to relax, the right foot was always flopped out to the side, and she couldn’t straighten it. However, since the last treatment it had gradually straightened until both feet were equal – and they hadn’t reverted.

Now, 10 weeks later, they are still level and she is thrilled!

Another comment came from my oldest regular client, aged 92. She has been

Smart Therapies

.....your well-being in our hands

01287 660745 / 660462 www.smart-therapies.com

seeing me every month for the last eight years. She was originally referred to me by her son, who had received treatment for a shoulder problem, and was so impressed he then recommended me to his family and friends.

She had a painful hip and neck, and Bowen gave her some relief, although she had a hip replacement a year later – until that time she was still getting less pain in her hip than previously. After surgery, she continued with treatments due to her neck. A couple of years later I arrived to do her treatment and she said: “I’ve just realised, my neck doesn’t hurt anymore!” I said that’s great – do you want to stop having treatments, as you’re feeling OK now? She responded: “Don’t be so silly – you just keep me going!”

Just before Christmas, in the middle of a treatment, she asked me: “Do you have this done to you, too? If you don’t, really should, because it feels wonderful!

I can feel it all around my body, and it’s lovely!” As I left, she said: “See you in January – let’s see if you can keep me going for another year!”

Much as I love it when people come to me in pain after an acute injury and I can usually get them feeling normal again pretty quickly, I probably feel more satisfaction from treating the elderly, long term. They appreciate that they don’t particularly have to have anything specific the matter with them to benefit from Bowen. Yes, they did in the first place, but soon realised that when the original problem was sorted, they still felt better generally.

If you think you may benefit from treatment, whatever your age, get in touch and have a chat, or to arrange an initial appointment and see how it makes you feel – it can’t do any harm, and can potentially make you feel great and less liable to injury. www.smart-therapies.com email info@smarttherapies.com Phone Judith on 01287 660745 or Norman on 01287 660462

B R A N D I N G AC R O S S T H E T E E S VA L L E Y A N D B E YO N D. . . .

info@e-strands.com

(01642) 688710

www.e-strands.com

What’s on in Saltburn Spiritualist Church Toc H, Coach House, Albion Terrace, Saltburn TS12 1JW. For further information please contact the booking secretary Jean on 07776331333 JAN 2017 Divine Services: All start at 7pm 28th Mr Allan Skerritt (from Middlesbrough) FEB Special services: Starts prompt at 7pm. £3 on the door.

Saltburn spiritualist church are proud to host an evening of mediumship with Donna Bell from Scarborough. On Monday 13Th Please note that this service replaces our normal Monday services, there are no classes after this service due to a committee meeting.

Monday services: Healing 6.30pm: (free) Open Circle 7pm: (collection) Development group 9pm: (please ask for details) Saturday Divine services: Begin prompt at 7pm 4th Sharon Hall & Lisa Ellis 11th Andrew Walker (from Birtley) 18th Irene Morris & Fledgling 25th Susanne Munley CSNU (from Middlesbrough) There is a collection at the end of this service, to help with the running of the church.

MARCH Special services: Start prompt at 7pm. £3 on the door Saltburn spiritualist church are proud to host an evening of mediumship with demonstrator Mr Richard Cuthbert OSNU from Hartlepool. Monday 27th Please note that this service replaces our normal Monday service, there are no classes after this service due to a committee meeting.

Monday services: Healing 6.30pm (free) Open circle 7pm (collection) Development Group 9pm (please ask for details) Saturday Divine services: Begin prompt at 7pm 4th Paul Maull (from Middlesbrough) Please note we hold an awareness class on the 1st Saturday of the month.

The church IS closed on bank holidays.

All are welcome to all our services.

We welcome applications for membership.

All details correct at the time of printing.

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Speedway Redcar Bears Bears 2017 Team announced plus new promoter!

R

By John Gallon

edcar Bears announced at the beginning of December that their new promoter is to be Kevin Keay.

Kevin is well known to a lot of Bears fans as manager of the Redcar Cubs in the Northern Junior league. He has been a regular at the track during the week over the last few years, helping with track work and carrying out any jobs that need doing. He takes over from Brian Havelock as Bears promoter for the new 2017 season.

Bears team manager Jitendra Duffill has been working to build the new team and are announced as; Jason Garrity - 8.55 Ben Barker - 7.91 Jonas B Andersen - 6.30 Charles Wright - 6.59 Tobias Busch - 4.66 Richard Hall - 3.53 Ellis Perks - 2.38 Team total - 39.92 points (max. 40.00) Jitendra “I’m very pleased with the line up we have put together for 2017. Every one of them has been great to deal with and all of them wanted to ride for Redcar which is very important to me. I wanted to build a side that our supporters would want to watch every week and riders that would give me 100% every single meeting. We have one of the best tracks in the country at Redcar and we have riders who love to race and will take full advantage of that. I feel that we have one of the most exciting line up’s in the country and we are going to see some very exciting speedway at the Media Prima Arena in 2017.”

Kevin Keay on where he wants to take the Bears.

Kevin Keay, retired ex-policeman, spent the last 16 of his 29-years service in the Specialist Operations branch of the Cleveland Road Traffic Unit as ‘pilot rider’ to everything from dangerous tanker loads to royalty. His task now is safeguarding the future of Redcar speedway and raising the Teesside club to it’s former glories and further.

Having had his promoters application approved by the BSPA Kevin was unveiled at the Bears Christmas party. Along with his right hand man, Jitendra Duffill who has has lined up the team for next season, he certainly enthused a packed house at the Redcar Bears pre-Christmas Party enough to generate a buzz which, by common consensus, has not been seen for a couple of seasons.

“It’s a case of bringing the club back to where it once was and trying to put smiles back on faces,” insists Kevin.

“The club has had two very lean years and the crowds have suffered as a result and maybe there has been a bit of a negative attitude develop.

“We have to inject some passion and enthusiasm into the club, making it a happy place to go. We want the riders to be happy, the mechanics to be happy and the crowd to be happy and not able to wait for the next meeting to come along.

“It’s all a bit new to me at the moment - it’s going to take me a little while to adapt to the paperwork and administration. I’ve sought advice from people I trust within the sport and at the club and hope that the enthusiasm that I have for the sport can take us a long way.

“Brian Gladders (one of the Bears very industrious

but less heralded directors) came up with the idea of running hire bikes to get the kids involved and asked me to take charge of that. Out of last season’s NJL squad, five out of six had come through the hire bikes.

Chris van Straaten (founding promoter and still director) approached me in August and asked if I wanted to co-promote. I wasn’t looking for a promoting role but was keen to take over the training sessions. When the opportunity arose to become sole promoter (after Brian Havelock stood down) I thought more about it. There didn’t seem to a long list of candidates and I have my own ideas of how things could be improved. The other directors thought I could do it and gave me their full backing, so here I am.

“I’m almost an unpaid employee of the directors in that I haven’t been asked to put any money in,” he explains “My business plan does involve some investment and the brothers (Eric and Brian Gladders) have backed me on that - I have plans that are not all to do with the team and they have kindly given me their 100% backing. However we can’t go on the way we have been and it’s important to get the fans and the sponsors back involved - not only new ones we have but the ones we have lost.

“We are in the entertainment business and the fans want to be entertained, if they are, then they will come back for more. My attitude is: What do the fans want? Can we afford to provide that and, if not, can we come as close as possible to doing it? My first move after I accepted the job was to get Jitendra more involved and we get on like a house on fire. I told him that I wanted him to be totally in charge of the team and be able to run it without his hands tied behind his back. I expected him to do a good job but he has done an unbelievable job putting this team together - he’s worked day and night and I do mean night!

“It’s important that I express my appreciation of how much work Brian and Marje Havelock have put in over the last eight years. People don’t understand the extent of what they have done during that time.

“I know Brian hasn’t always been Mr Popular with everybody but it can be a thankless task and he has kept the club running and in the black.

“In addition I’d like to thank the directors for putting their faith in me. “I don’t class myself as a promoter in the traditional sense - I’ll try and give the fans what they want and they are then ‘the promoters’ - going home and promoting our club by telling their friends and family and hopefully some of our lost fans back through the turnstiles.

“Even at this stage we are doing a lot of work, including improving the facilities for the fans which we hope will come together before the start of next season.”

Kevin hasn’t discarded his roots either, stressing developing local talent is also crucial to Redcar’s future. He continued: “Whenever we have a free date I will be looking to put on as many National League standard meetings as possible, obviously with reduced rates to spectators, as we need to start producing young British riders. That’s why I’m so involved with our Saturday training schools and I would like the Cubs to become more involved with the Bears and not be two separate entities. That’s one thing I learnt through 25 years involvement with a rugby club (Stockton) - it doesn’t matter what standard you

are, you all belong to and represent the same club.

“If we finish towards the top of the league as well then I’d obviously be very pleased, as will the fans, but my first aim is to send them home feeling they have been fully entertained.”

Ben Barker bonus ball competition Redcar Bears new heat leader Ben Barker will be holding a bonus ball competition to help raise money for new equipment in 2017.

Ben is hoping to raise money to purchase a new engine, and there are a couple of good prizes if your number is one of the winners!

The first ball to come out will receive a season ticket for the 2017 season, as well as the last ball to come out. The bonus ball winner will be Ben’s main sponsor for the season, and will receive his Kevlars and a set of bike covers at the end of the season.

The cost is £25 for a number, and payment is through paypal to benjaminbarker686@gmail.com.

The draw will be run on the first National Lottery draw after the numbers are full and payment is in. (Numbers are the same as the national Lottery numbers, 1-59).

To pick your number please get in touch with Redcar Bears Speedway on Facebook. There will

Sport

59

be a post on there with an updated list so you can see which numbers are still available.

Great turn out for Hugh farewell There was a massive turn out at the Bears Bar on the evening of Thursday 12th January to say goodbye to former two times Bear of the Year Hugh Skidmore and his family.

In fact the attendance was so large emergency rations had to be sent for as the Pie ‘n’ Peas ran out, another sign of the feel good atmosphere that is surrounding the club at the start of 2017.

The crowd were entertained to stories by Hugh of his years as both a Bear and a Tiger at Sheffield plus his plans for the future back down under.

Fans were also kept updated to the latest club news from both team manager Jitendra Duffill and promoter Kevin Keay as Kevin revealed a very welcome sponsorship deal had been struck with long time backer Keith Miller of Ecco Finishing supplies who will sponsor the pit area and also back the junior side, the Cubs, in their assault on the Northern Junior League. Ecco will also back the season long second half racing in a Grand Prix style format to encourage more competitive racing for the Bears stars of the future.

SG Petch return as Bears Sponsors

F

By James Boothby

antastic news for all at Redcar Speedway is that the Bears will once again be backed

by S.G.Petch (Middlesbrough) in conjunction with Hyundai for the 2017 season.

Promoter Kevin Keay has revealed that negotiations have been going on for several weeks but thanks to sterling work by the clubs commercial manager Ian Drinkel and input from James Boothby (website coordinator) the deal was finally sealed.

“We are delighted to have the backing of such

a major company as S.G.Petch and we would like to thank Ian Noble and Shaun Burke for willing to come back on board on what promises to be an exciting season at the Media Prima Arena. Ian and Shaun liked the new positivity surrounding the Bears and to have their support shows that things are definitely moving in the right direction both on and off the track. We look forward to a closer working relationship with the company which we hope will not only benefit S.G.Petch but the Bears fans as well” said a delighted Kevin.

60

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Sport

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

61

Charity football match in aid of Maisie Welsh

Marske Cricket Club

By David Beach

T

he new pavilion is almost finished externally and watertight just in time as severe weather warnings were announced.

The building blends in well with the surroundings and once the scaffolding is removed it will show what a fine acquisition it is going to be for the Club. We now have until the 16th April to have the interior completed in time for our opening fixture of the 2017 season when Whitby visit us for a Sunday league game.

Our players have started the New Year by attending fitness classes, so hope to be at their peak for the start of the season when we hope to have signed an overseas amateur and attracted a few more players to strengthen the squad.

O

●● The Club bar staff ready for another busy shift during the Festive holiday

Guisborough Domino League

T

ommy Swinburn Finals held at G.T.F.C. on Thursday 15th December. Guis CC beat Wharton in Final.

By Ian Enderwick

n 27th December friends, colleagues and players got together to play two football matches in aid of Maisie Welsh the young girl who was seriously injured in a horse riding accident.

We started off with Redcar Town u12s vs Dormanstown u12s in a very competitive match in which both teams shared the spoils with a thrilling six all draw.

Dormo took an early lead on two minutes with a free kick that went in off the post, taken superbly

by Zak Francis; Dormo then doubled their lead on nine minutes after a crunching tackle

by Kai Welsh set up Bailey Green to coolly finish in the bottom corner of the net. On 18 minutes Robbie Cook pulled one back with a shot that looped over the keeper into the top corner of the net.

On 24 minutes Sam Gillson made it 3-1 with a great finish to take us into half time.

Two minutes into the 2nd half Bailey Jackson sliced his clearance past his startled keeper to bring the deficit down to one goal and then two minutes later Ste Sullivan brought the teams

level with a cool finish.

On eight minutes Billy Learman on loan to Dormo scored an own goal to give Redcar the lead for the first time in the match, Bailey Green then scored his second with a firm header over the keeper’s head to bring us level at four each.

Four minutes later Redcar regained the lead with another good goal from Ste Sullivan, then on 20 mins Bailey Green netted his third to make it all square again. Tom Bell then produced a superb finish to make it 6 - 5 in Redcar’s favour and with seconds to go Bailey Green scored his fourth to finish the match 6 - 6 in a superb advert for kids football.

Ste Sullivan and Bailey Green both earned the Player of the match awards for their respective teams.

Redcar Town Fc - Dominic Fleetham, Ste Sullivan, Tom Bell, Jaimie Tinkler, Lennon Tonner, Harley Croft, Joe Cooper, Robbie Cook, Rhys Cooper, Billy Learman, Jack Vyse, Joseph Fodor-Reed, Austin Hunter-Allan and Harry Blackburn.

Dormanstown Fc - Dylan Spillane, Bailey Jackson, Jay Francis, Sam Gillson, Zak Francis, William Lund, Bailey Green, Max Brighton and Kai Welsh.

News Year Day Dip in Redcar ●● Guisborough CC Winning Team

●● Guisborough CC Captain, Les Laviolette receiving Trophy from Danny Jones L/Gue Sec

R

By Ian Enderwick

edcar's New Years Day Dip in aid of Maisie Welsh Fund.

A massive thank you to our referee friends and their mates for doing the Redcar New Years Day Dip and raising money for the Maisie Welsh Fund.

●● Mansi Mohammed, Aiden Sims, Ryan Buckton, Lauren Davidson, Adam Welsh, Ghaf Mohammed, Nipper Nicholson

62

Sport

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Coaches / Parents 5 vs 3 Referees Football Match In Aid of Maisie Welsh Fund

A

By Ian Enderwick

big well done to all involved in raising a substantial amount of money on the day; we couldn’t have done it without our three officials so take a bow JP Gatenby, James McDonald and Keiran Rawlings and massive thank you also to Redcar Town for hosting the event.

Coaches’ Team - McCorrie Carmichael, Drew Moores, Chris Lindsay, Andrew North, Derek and Paul Francis, Andrew Nicholson, Jenny Reed, Martin Cox, Jonathan,nDaniel Croft,nPaul

Dyke, Gary Alderson,nRyan Buckton, Jamie Briggs, Conor Sullivan, Steve Smith and Adam Welsh.

Referees’ Team - Andy Gatenby, Kev Beckett, Kyle Morrison, Graeme Lewis, Anthony Duffy, Mikey Weston, Michael Tonge, Callum Weller, Liam Gibbs, Jake Symmonds, Stuart Campbell, Conor Jackson, Lee Farrell, John McGuinness, Andy Campbell, Emily Dyke, Sophie Bowers, Lauren Davidson, Danny Woods, Beth and Josh Enderwick.

The Coaches team went close to opening the scoring on nine minutes but Ryan blazed over

from 10 yards when it was easier to score.

On 11 minutes Macca showed Ryan how to finish with a shot into the bottom corner giving Graeme no chance, then the coaches went close on 19 minutes but lucky for us Josh was on hand to boot the ball off the line. Macca made it 2-0 with a near post header.

The refs pulled a goal back with a cool finish in the bottom corner from Lee Farrell but the Refs went further behind with Ryan finally scoring on his 100th attempt. In the 42nd minute a contentious penalty award saw Nipper go for an early bath and up popped Mikey to fire past

the stranded keeper.

Eleven minutes into the second half, Michael Tonge scored to bring us level at 3-3, the Refs then missed a sitter when Conor put wide from four yards, Macca then scored the goal of the game curling a shot into the top corner of the net. Emily had a chance to score from the spot with her powerful shot hitting the underside of the bar but the ref had forgot to put his glasses on and waved play on. Adam then put the ball over the bar from three inches out, then in the last minute Adam made amends when he scored a penalty to finish the game 5-3.

D & G Trophies Eskvale and Cleveland League Review (January 2017)

By Luke Hodgson League Secretary

T

he league has found a new sponsor in the form of D & G Trophies who will sponsor the league and the League Challenge Cup for this season.

All of the league’s Cup Competitions are also sponsored for this season however the League would welcome new sponsors for next season therefore if anyone is interested please contact the League Secretary on 01642 287609. The League Committee would relish the chance to talk to any potential sponsors to enable the league to promote the sponsors through the various forms of media that the league uses and discuss any potential sponsorship and additional means of promotion.

Following the festive break, the charge for the league title shows no sign letting up as four points separate the top five. Leaders Great Ayton United suffered a shock defeat to Middlesbrough and Teesside Sports Academy before Christmas but bounced back with a win at Lakes United on their return to action while neighbours Great Ayton United Royals held off a spirited fightback by the same team before Christmas and then had an emphatic win over Hinderwell but went down by the odd goal in five to Redcar Athletic Reserves. Boosbeck United are third in the table and have beaten and been beaten Redcar Athletic and sandwiched in between they have also beaten Hinderwell. Loftus Athletic are fourth having beaten Hinderwell while Redcar Athletic are fifth and as we said have beaten and been beaten by Boosbeck but then beat Great Ayton United Royals. The three remaining teams are still battling away but only Middlesbrough and Teesside Sports Academy have managed a victory in the last month as they beat Great Ayton United.

In domestic Cup Competitions there have been no further fixtures in either the League Challenge or the Knockout Cup although it has been decided that the Hinderwell v Great Ayton United tie which had been abandoned will be replayed. In the Eileen Hodgson Trophy the local derby between Great Ayton United Royals and Great Ayton United saw the Royals win while Loftus Athletic beat Redcar Athletic Reserves by

the odd goal in five. The next set of fixtures in this mini league Competition will go a long way to seeing who will contest the Final.

The Whitby Benevolent Trophy is being run using the same format and Lakes United already look set to contest the Final as they have beaten Boosbeck and Middlesbrough and Teesside Sports Academy while the latter have beaten Hinderwell so the other place in the Final is still up for grabs.

In external Cup Competitions, Loftus Athletic have made it into the semi-finals of the Scarborough & District FA Junior Cup following their victory away to Edgehill Reserves with the draw for the semi-finals being made this week.

In the North Riding Saturday Challenge Cup, Great Ayton United Royals, Loftus Athletic and Redcar Athletic Reserves have all made it into the quarter finals with Great Ayton United Royals beating Huntington Rovers while Loftus Athletic needed penalties before beating Unicorn. Loftus held a good lead before the visitors fought back to send the tie to penalties where Loftus held their nerve to edge through 6-5. Redcar Athletic travelled to play Colburn Town and were beaten 6-3 but found their way into the quarter final draw when the home side were found to have played an ineligible player and were removed from the Competition. In the quarter finals Great Ayton United Royals will be at home to Edgehill from Scarborough and Loftus Athletic will host Huby United from York while Redcar Athletic Reserves travel to Scarborough to play West Pier Table, fixtures and results below;

Results

November fixtures; 26th November; Scarborough Junior Cup – Edgehill Reserves 3 Loftus Athletic 7.

League fixtures; Great Ayton United Royals v Hinderwell postponed; Redcar Athletic Reserves 6 Boosbeck United 2.

Whitby Benevolent Trophy – sponsored by Whitby Advertiser; Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy v Lakes United postponed.

December fixtures; 3rd December – North Riding Saturday Challenge Cup – 3rd Round;

Great Ayton United Royals 2 Huntington Rovers Reserves 0; Colburn Town 6 Redcar Athletic Reserves 3; Unicorn 3 Loftus Athletic 3 (Loftus won 6-5 on penalties).

League fixtures; Hinderwell 3 Boosbeck United 5; Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy 6 Great Ayton United 3.

10th December; Eileen Hodgson Trophy sponsored by James Hodgson; Great Ayton United Royals 4 Great Ayton United 2; Redcar Athletic Reserves 2 Loftus Athletic 3.

Whitby Benevolent Trophy – sponsored by Whitby Advertiser; Hinderwell 2 Middlesbrough and Teesside Sports Academy 3; Lakes United 4 Boosbeck United 1.

17th December; Boosbeck United v Redcar Athletic Reserves postponed; Lakes United v Great Ayton United postponed; Loftus Athletic 4 Hinderwell 0; Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy 4 Great Ayton United Royals 5.

7th January 2017; Boosbeck United 2 Redcar Athletic Reserves 1; Great Ayton United Royals 8 Hinderwell 0; Lakes United 0 Great Ayton United 4; Loftus Athletic 6 Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy 1.

14th January; Great Ayton United v Loftus Athletic postponed; Redcar Athletic Reserves 3 Great Ayton United Royals 2.

Whitby Benevolent Trophy sponsored by Whitby Advertiser; Hinderwell v Boosbeck United postponed;

Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy 1 Lakes United 7.

Fixtures

21st January 2017; Eileen Hodgson Trophy sponsored by James Hodgson.

Great Ayton United Royals v Loftus Athletic Whitby Benevolent Trophy sponsored by Whitby Advertiser Boosbeck United v Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy.

League fixtures; Hinderwell v Great Ayton United, Lakes United v Redcar Athletic Reserves.

28th January; Boosbeck United v Loftus Athletic, Lakes United v Great Ayton United Royals, Redcar Athletic Reserves v Hinderwell.

4th February; North Riding Saturday Challenge Cup – Quarter Finals; Great Ayton United Royals v , Loftus Athletic v , West Pier (Sat) v Redcar Athletic Reserves.

Knockout Cup – Quarter Final; - Hinderwell v Great Ayton United League; Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy v Boosbeck United.

11th February; D & G Trophies League Challenge Cup Semi-Finals; Boosbeck United v Loftus Athletic, Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy v Great Ayton United Royals.

Whitby Benevolent Trophy; Lakes United v Hinderwell.

18th February; Great Ayton United Royals v Great Ayton United, Hinderwell v Loftus Athletic, Lakes United v Boosbeck United, Redcar Athletic Reserves v Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy.

14th January 2017 Great Ayton United Great Ayton United Royals Boosbeck United Loftus Athletic Redcar Athletic Reserves Lakes United Middlesbrough & Teesside Sports Academy Hinderwell

Pld 9 9 8 8 9 8 10 7

W 6 5 5 4 5 3 2 0

D 1 1 1 3 0 1 1 0

L 2 3 2 1 4 4 7 7

GD 15 18 4 11 6 0 -18 -36

Pts 19 16 16 15 15 10 7 0

Coastal View & Moor News Issue 76 January - February 2017

Sport

63

Memorable victory over Marske but mixed start to managerial reign for new Town boss Gary Forster

●● New Guisborough boss Gary Forster

G

By Bill Perfitt

uisborough Town’s bid to avoid relegation from the Northern League top flight received a massive boost when they scored a memorable 1-0 Boxing Day victory over arch rivals Marske United.

It was a tremendous result for new Guisborough team manager Gary Forster, appointed to replace Steve Dowling who resigned after the 5-1 defeat at Ryhope CW in November.

Forster was appointed at the beginning of December and in his first game as manager saw his side earn a dramatic 2-2 victory at home to Newcastle Benfield after the Priorymen had trailed 2-0 with only a minute of normal time remaining.

But a wonder goal from Guisborough’s Talisman striker Dave Onions pulled it back to 1-2 in the 89th minute and then in the fourth minute of time added on Guisborough won a penalty and young midfielder Paul Blake coolly slotted home to

●●Marske laid siege to the Guisborough goal in the second half of the Boxing Day derby but the Guisborough defence held firm with goalkeeper James Dawson in fine form pictured her catching a dangerous cross. Pictures kind courtesy of Yvonne Barker make it 2-2 and earn a precious point for the Priorymen.

A week later Guisborough’s hopes building up a revival under their new manager were dashed when they were extremely unlucky to lose 3-2 at Newton Aycliffe.

But after a 10-day break without a fixture due to cup results, the rest seemed to have done the Priorymen the world of good as they gained huge ‘bragging rights’ with a shock 1-0 victory at derby rivals Marske United in the traditional annual Boxing Day clash.

After a fairly even end-to-end first half Guisborough took the lead just a minute before the interval when

defender Lee Bythway came up for a Guisborough corner and he found the corner of the net with a superb swivel and volley.

Marske put Guisborough under severe pressure in the second half but Guisborough managed to survive for a famous victory to keep alive their hopes of staying up.

However, just over a week later and Guisborough’s roller-coaster season took a downward dive at the KGV Stadium when despite going 1-0 ahead against Bishop Auckland after just four minutes through a Liam McPhillips header.

But the Bishops came back strongly to surge into a 3-1 lead

Whitby Town Round Up

I

By Andrew Snaith

t’s been a mixed start to 2017 for Whitby Town Football Club as they look to continue their promotion challenge in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Premier Division.

The Blues ended a run of five winless league matches with a terrific 2-1 victory over North East rivals Blyth Spartans, on Boxing Day, at the Turnbull Ground. Goals from Matty Tymon and an audacious Adam Gell lob from the edge of the centre circle were enough to secure success in front of a season-high crowd of 612 in the 198th meeting between Town and the famous Northumberland side.

This saw the Seasiders start the new year in second spot and they promptly cut the advantage of league leaders Rushall Olympic to just two points with a win at fellow Yorkshire side, Frickley Athletic. In a bad-tempered affair, Tymon was again on target, with the winner, despite two meaty challenges that saw him yellow-carded and culminated in Frickley manager Lee Morris being sent to the cavernous main stand for dissent, as he

demanded Tymon’s dismissal.

Next up, was another away trip, this time across the Pennines to Ashton United, near Oldham. The Robins provided tough opposition, however, despite being in the bottom half of the table. Whitby went down 3-1 on a hugely disappointing afternoon that saw their hosts play 84 minutes with a midfielder in goal. George Dorrington, making his debut, with the gloves, on loan from Championship giants Huddersfield Town, suffered a serious ankle injury when contesting an early corner.

Richard Smith was forced to swap the number eight shirt for the number one and made one brave stop from Dave McTiernan, but otherwise enjoyed a stress-free outing. The Robins netted either side of half-time, before securing victory, on the break, late on, despite Dale Hopson’s penalty conversion for a handball.

Blues fans had cause for celebration, however, as Chris Hardy’s men bounced back, just three days later. The Seasiders welcome Conference bottom club York City, to the Turnbull Ground, in the quarter finals of the North Riding Senior Cup. The Minstermen never recovered from Steven Snaith’s fifth

by half-time with a fourth goal in the 49th minute putting paid to any hopes Guisborough had of making a comeback.

So after four games in charge which have yielded one win, one draw and two defeats Town manager Gary Forster is under no illusions as to the huge challenge he has between now and the end of the season to keep the Priorymen in Division One. With 15 games to play, Guisborough occupy the third relegation spot in 20th place and are six points from safety behind Washington – but crucially Town have a game in hand on their Wearside rivals.

The Priorymen beat Washington 3-1

at home in October and have the opportunity to complete a precious double over them when the two teams meet again on 4 February on what will be a classic six-pointer.

Guisborough Manager Gary Forster is cautiously optimistic his team can survive and he is actively looking to strengthen a side depleted recently by injuries and player moves.

After the 1-4 defeat against Bishop Auckland the Town boss commented: “Our result against the Bishops was really disappointing,” said Guisborough boss Forster afterwards.

“We started really well and should have gone two goals up when Connor Smith found his way through the Bishops’ defence but after that the game plan we had set ourselves sadly went out of the window.

“We need to re-group now and go again in our upcoming fixtures and myself, my backroom staff and all the players will be doing their very best to gather together as many points as possible in order to avoid relegation. I will be looking for opportunities to bring new players in but obviously at this stage of the season that isn’t easy but we’ll be giving it our very best shot,” added Gary.

minute opener, as Luke Bythway forced home early in the second half and Davy Carson crowned a five-star performance with a forceful third, from the edge of the box, after terrific interplay with Dale Hopson. Town will find out their opponents in the last four this week.

Whitby then made the long trip to West Midlands outfit Halesowen Town, on the 14th of January and suffered a 2-0 loss. Chances were at a premium despite an improved second ●● Graham Todd our club chairman with the Anderson family half showing with George Bowerman’s late winner catching out the Blues’ reshuffled back four. Going into the home clash with Buxton on Saturday 21st, Hardy’s boys sit fourth in the NPL Premier with pressure from the likes of Nantwich Town, Matlock Town, Spennymoor and FA Cup giantkillers Stourbridge who all hold a number of games in hand. Spartans lead the way with a significant advantage at the top.

Meanwhile, striker Mikey Roberts has rejoined former club Guisborough Town on a one-month loan. Roberts, who netted 23 goals as Whitby’s top scorer, last season, has found opportunities limited, this time around, with just five strikes so far for the

Sport Marske United get early Christmas present The Community Newspaper for the Towns and Villages of East Cleveland, Redcar & North York Moors, telling the real news and views of the people of our region Issue 76 January - February 2017

T

By Moss Holtby

he Seasider’s were treated to an early Christmas present in December as the club set a new transfer record to bring Craig Gott back to the club.

The popular midfielder captained the club to the Northern League title in 2015 but left midway through last season to sign for high flying Spennymoor Town in the evo-Stik Premier League.

Gott made 47 appearances for Moors, scoring five goals, and played a significant part in securing promotion to the Evo-Stik League Premier Division through the play-offs, including scoring a goal in the semi-final win over Burscough.

Moors manager Jason Ainsley said: “We have agreed a deal with Marske for Craig to return there after it was determined that he could not commit to the commitments that Evo-Stik football demands due to personal reasons.

“Craig is a fantastic player and person and will be a massive loss to the football club, but family circumstances override any decision to keep hold of a player and we wish Craig the very best.”

But United manager Carl Jarrett resisted the urge to throw Gott straight into the starting eleven at home to West Allotment Celtic and made just one change to the side who had 3-1 at West Auckland Town more than a week earlier.

Marske got off to an electric start, scoring three times in the opening 15 minutes. The first goal arrived on seven minutes and was a quite superb team effort. Glen Butterworth and Peter Bulmer combined on the right to release Reece Kelly and his pinpoint cross found Aaron Ramsbottom inside the six-yard box and the inform striker made no mistake from close range.

It was 2-0 three minutes later when a long ball from the back by Andy Ramsbottom was missed by a West Allotment defender which allowed Danny Earl to reach the ball just before West Allotment keeper Chris Bannon and Marske’s top scorer poked the ball into the net, and on 14 minutes it was 3-0 when Nathan Mulligan superbly plucked a loose clearance out of the air and smashed a low shot past Bannon.

The game was dominated by Marske, but it took until the 53rd minute to add to the scoreline when Aaron Ramsbottom netted his second of the afternoon from close range.

Earl volleyed home United’s fifth goal on 66 minutes but despite creating many more good chances the Seasider’s had to settle for a 5-0 scoreline.

Three wins on the bounce that included 12 goals for Marske set them up nicely for the always highly anticipated Boxing Day derby against Guisborough Town. But it was a bittersweet return for midfielder Gott, whose first

match back in the Seasider;s starting line-up ended in a shock defeat to the Priorymen.

This game was not pretty and the wind ultimately spoilt the spectacle. Yet Guisborough had the best of the first half chances with Dean pulling off two excellent saves. His sprawling stop from Gary Wood’s long distance effort was particularly impressive. Marske had the lion’s share of possession, but Guisborough carried the greater attacking threat, and with just a minute before the half-time break, a partial clearance fell to Lee Bythway on the edge of the Marske area. With his less favoured foot he skilfully hooked the ball over his own shoulder and past Dean, who at full stretch could not keep it out.

With Guisborough kicking into a gale force wind in the second half, the emphasis was on the home side to hit back. Again, they dominated possession but despite fielding a side awash with attack minded players, they were oddly lacking in penetration.

For a visiting defence that had not kept a clean sheet all season, there were collective nerves on the terraces but other than one late headed effort from Ramsbottom that was well tipped over chances were few and far between and Guisborough upset the form book to hang on to their 1-0 lead.

Despite ending the year on a low, 2016 was another exciting and successful year for Marske who finished as league runners-up and league cup finalists.

But they failed to make the start to 2017 that they were looking for after suffering home defeat to Jarrow Roofing at the GER Stadium.

The Roofers dominated for most of the match and really took the game to Marske, who were sitting in fifth place in the table before kickoff, and they deservedly left North Yorkshire with the points as a double from Paul Gardiner and strike from Chris Winn moved the South Tynesider’s up to 18th in the table.

Roofing went in ahead at the break thanks to goals from Gardiner and Winn, but Marske came out firing in the second half and pulled a goal back shortly after the restart through Glen Butterworth.

The visitors found themselves under intense pressure in the second half as the Seasiders searched for the leveller, but some fine stops

by Lewis Brass kept them out.

In the end, though, a special strike from Gardiner in injury time made the points safe, as the visitors showed real character to avoid buckling under the pressure when Marske dragged themselves back into the game.

United will hoping to recapture their winning form quickly with a home game against Dunston UTS on Saturday 21st January before travelling to Seaham Red Star a week later.

● Craig Gott has made a welcome return to Marske United

To Book (01287) 652222 Day Trips in 2017 Sat 4th Mar

York

£14

Sat 11th Mar

Ripon and Skipton

£15

Sat 18th Mar

Beverley

£15

Sat 25th Mar

Bury Market

£15

Sat 1st Apr

Mystery Tour

£14

Sun 2nd Apr

Emmerdale Experience Tour

£35

Sat 8th Apr

Lincoln City

£20

Wed 12th Apr

Bamburgh and Seahouses

£15

Sat 15th Apr

York (Chocolate Festival Weekend)

£14

Wed 19th Apr

Haverthwaite Railway and Windermere Cruise

£27

Sat 22nd Apr

Harrogate Flower Show (coach only)

£14

Sun 30th Apr

Skirlington Market and Bridlington

£14

Sat 6th May

Leeds

£14

Sat 13th May

Mystery Tour

£14

Sat 20th May

Edinburgh

£20

Sat 27th May

York Races (First Saturday)

£14

Wed 31st May

Skipton Market and Canal Cruise

£25

Sat 3rd Jun

Richmond and Leyburn

£14

Sat 10th Jun

York (Food Taster Weekend)

£14

Sat 17th Jun

Alnwick Castle and Gardens (coach only)

£15