Talk of the Town August 2016

EDITION 182

CIRCULATION 4,800

AUGUST 2016

SALTBURN’S FREE MONTHLY MAGAZINE www.tottsaltburn.co.uk 1

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SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor

It’s a rare luxury indeed that I’m granted so much space for my letter from the editor. I have no explanation why there are fewer announcements on this page this month. I find myself saying every month, ‘there’s no pattern to it at all!’ Usually I’m referring to whether the magazines disappear from the shops straight away or whether they seem to linger or are even left over. If there was a pattern to it, I could adapt and make sure distribution was efficient but when every month is different it’s hard to make plans.

Recently I saw a young person’s CV. It was very impressive, even though he was still at college, and was far better a document than I could have compiled about myself!

However, one thing struck me as odd. In his CV, he stressed his keen ability to work as a member of a team. This was not the person I knew but I accepted that it was an important quality for someone to have at work, and therefore something that needed to be emphasised in his job applications.

I don’t work as a member of a team, myself.

Although the Friends of Talk of the Town provide much help and support, and are greatly appreciated, I am still very much alone when it comes to compiling and running the magazine.

My partner helps with creating some adverts and does some writing too, but the vast bulk of the job I have to do myself. I don’t create the content of the magazine, that is of course down to the advertisers, writers and contributors but I do create the layout, and the compilation. I can imagine that

working as part of a team must be quite rewarding. I am greatly moved when I see television reports of a team effort bringing great success, whether it is Leicester City’s fantastic football success last season (and Boro’s of course) or Mission Control’s spontaneous outburst of joy for landing a space probe exactly where it was targeted. It must be nice to be part of a team, just as it is to be part of a community, so why is it, I wonder, that England and Wales have voted to leave the European Union and thereby shown themselves not to be team players? There is still so much anger, and irrational hatred, and nonsense being spoken about this emotive subject. I can imagine that Europe will be glad to be rid of us. It’s all very sad. What will we find to whinge about in the future?

In my observation of British politics over the last forty years (since I started taking an interest) I have noticed one thing: each government, despite being initially popular, ends up being worse than its predecessor. Lessons are never learned and the same mistakes and lies keep on being made. I think that this continuous disappointment and frustration with our own ‘leaders’ is probably the real reason for the referendum result rather than how we feel about Europe. Love, Ian.

Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by Friday, 19th August 2016) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. Telephone: 01287 623903 (or email: talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com). Talk of the Craft Club Busy Fingers: 2nd and 4th Thursday of each Town has a website: www.tottsaltburn.co.uk and the month, 1.30 till 3.30pm in the Coffee Room, Saltburn Friends of Talk of the Town can be found on Facebook.

Community Centre.

WI Report: At the beginning of our July meeting we extended Saltburn Beer Festival: 11th and 12th November at the a warm welcome to several visitors and expressed the wish that Community and Arts Centre. Any local businesses or we will see them again at future meetings. After singing individuals who would like to support the festival by Jerusalem and the business element of our meeting we sponsoring a cask of beer please contact Jill (at welcomed our speaker Mr Mick McElvaney whose subject was jilljakday@gmail.com).

‘Travels of a teacher’. We hadn’t known what to expect, so Saltburn Farmers’ Market: At the time of TotT going to little did we realise the treat we were in for when he spoke with print, final preparations were in full swing for Saltburn Food great enthusiasm about his two trips to Antarctica as a Festival on Sunday, 31st July. Then, after a mini-summer mountain guide with the British Antarctic Survey. He had break the popular monthly Farmers’ Market returns on enjoyed these trips so much that he didn’t regard them as work.

Saturday, 10th September. For further info, visit His talk was illustrated with a superb selection of beautiful www.saltburnfoodfestival.co.uk or see the Saltburn Farmers’ photos, of the stunning landscape where there was daylight 24 hours a day and of the animals from Chinstrap penguins to Market facebook page.

Elephant seals and whales. We loved his photo of a penguin Emmanuel Church Hall Table Top and Collectors’ Sale: and chick taken at midnight on Midsummer day.

The next sales are on Saturdays, August 6th, 20th and 27th, Although we don’t have a meeting in August we are September 3rd and 17th and then 1st, 15th and 29th October. looking forward to a visit to Wynyard Hall rose garden later in FREE ENTRANCE and a warm welcome to everyone. With July, a visit to Esk Valley theatre in Mid August and the De over 26 stall holders, selling lots of bric-a-brac, books, toys, Brus Group Afternoon tea hosted by Loftus WI. baby goods, and all sorts of collectables, and some crafts, Our next meeting will be a Social evening, held in the there is something for everyone. Home made refreshments Methodist Church Hall in Milton Street, on 8th September. If and light lunches are on sale all day. Our all day breakfast and you would like to join us you can be sure of a warm and lunches and popular home baked stall are always available. friendly welcome. Further details of all our activities can be Our kitchen is very busy and popular. Contact Denise found on our website (www.saltburnwi.org.uk).

Marshall on 07929 589538.

Diane Falla Cover Illustration: Saltburn Donkeys by David Rigg Disclaimer: Talk of the Town tries to make sure the articles and announcements made on its pages are accurate, but views expressed in letters and articles printed in Talk of the Town are not necessarily those of the editor. Any offers in adverts included in Talk of the Town are made by the advertisers; details should be confirmed with them. Always confirm event details with the organisers, in case of alteration or error. Talk of the Town is printed by DC (Yorkshire) Print, Unit 34a, Lidgate Crescent, Langthwaite Business Park, South Kirkby, West Yorkshire, WF9 3NR. Website: www.dcprintyorkshire.co.uk Tel: 01977 642331. Proprietor/Editor of Talk of the Town: Ian Tyas c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ. (Ian Tyas tel: 01287 623903.)

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August Victorian Week Memories

Above: Watching the judging of the best dressed Victorian in Station Square

Below: Hire Wire antics on the Pier

Sand castle competition on the beach

Flying Scotsman attracts large crowds

Cyclists leaving Marine Parade for a round Cleveland race

SALTBURN PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Members are exhibiting photographs relating to the iron and Steel Industry in the Main Pavilion at Kirkleatham Museum from July 22nd until the end of August.

An outing to Whitby on Wednesday Evening, 3rd of August has been organised. For more details phone Tony Lynn 01287 622519.

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Assembling for the town parade and photograph

Cath and Tony Lynn

Same chef and owner for over 6 years

SALTBURN METHODIST CHURCH Milton Street, Saltburn.

Sunday Services at 10.45 a.m.

Looking for that special gift and card?

Choose from our vast range of products incl: Woodwick scented candles, Jellycat soft toys, Thomas Kent clocks, Arran Aromatics toiletries, Emma Bridgewater & Cath Kidston pottery & much more.

Now also available online.

Visit us at www.bramblesgiftshop.co.uk 4, Station Street, Saltburn by the Sea, TS12 1AE Tel: 01287 623 368 www.bramblesgiftshop.co.uk

Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries, each month - all on Saturdays 1st Sat. Library 11-12 Cllr. Craig Hannaway 2nd Sat. Library 11-12 Cllr. Philip Thomson 3rd Sat. Outside Sainsbury’s Cllr. Stuart Smith 9.30-10.30 and 11.30-12.15 4th Sat. Library 11-12 All Councillors Cllr. Hannaway: 07515 863440. Cllr. Smith: 07557 540628.

Cllr. Thomson: 01287 624883.

Mid Week Worship AndWednesday 6.00 p.m.at 10 a.m

Sunday school 10.45 a.m.

Mid week worship Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Prayer Meeting Tuesday at 1.30 p.m.

OPEN CHURCH - 10 a.m. - 12 noon MONDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY. A quiet space with a listening ear, Or just call in for tea or coffee.

MONDAYS AT EIGHT LADIES GROUP at 8 p.m.

COFFEE MORNINGS: WEDNESDAY 10 - 11.45 a.m.

SATURDAY 10 a.m. - 12noon TUESDAY 2.p.m. KNIT & NATTER. TUESDAY & THURSDAY TODDLERS GROUP. If you would like to come please drop in and ask as there is normally a waiting list.

First TUESDAY OF THE MONTH Soup & Bun lunch at 12.30 p.m.

See notice board for other events.

Anyone is welcome to join us at these events, do come along, we’d love to see you.

We also have rooms to rent for meetings etc, for more information please contact 622826.

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Once Upon a Time in the Wapentake All I have to say on the matter is this: almost all my adult life I have felt myself to be a Citizen of Europe, and now I am facing a future as a Subject, with all that this implies. I am sorry but I do not regard it as a promotion.

Or is it just me, being a ‘Dinosaur’ and not adjusting to changed circumstances? Once again, am I being stupid in not embracing the new, simply because it is new?

Though being a Subject isn’t really new; after all that is what we all were in the days of Bad King John…and just as I do not automatically get excited by the new, I do not think that everything old is automatically good. I really wouldn’t like to see them bringing back slavery, or bear baiting, or witch burning…or dentistry performed without antibiotics and anaesthetics.

However, writing as a ‘Dinosaur’ last month, I expressed a wish to continue reading the news of the day in the form of a printed newspaper, rather than as something on a screen. There is, though, a problem. Too often, when I go to get my paper, I find it has not yet arrived. Go somewhere else, you say. Well, no, because apart from the loyalty I feel towards that particular shop (another ‘Dinosaur’ characteristic perhaps?) there is really nowhere else to go. There are other shops, of course, that sell newspapers, but they all get their newspapers and magazines from the same place; if one shop doesn’t get a delivery, then none of them do.

Once upon a time there were two companies in Britain in the business of delivering your Mail, and your Mirror and your People’s Friend: W H Smiths and Menzies. Smiths had a virtual monopoly in much of England, and Menzies in Scotland, with some overlap in Northern England. At some point they seemed to have come to an agreement not to intrude into each other’s territory, to not compete in other words. More recently, they appear to have actually merged and become one company. I am sorry if I am unclear about this. It seems to be one of the characteristics of modern business that it is sometimes very difficult to find out who owns who…and who doesn’t. I think I have written before about my bewilderment on being told that Sainsbury’s Bank has nothing to do with Sainsbury’s, or that HSBC Merchant Services has nothing to with HSBC, or that any letters from the Yorkshire Bank come from Scotland even though it’s an Australian company.

Whatever the precise relation between Menzies and Smiths, the effect is obvious: if you don’t think they are doing a proper job, then there is nothing you can do about it. You do business with them, or not at all.

Why, then, doesn’t someone set up in competition by providing a better service? I think it would be an enormous undertaking, setting up a nation-wide distribution network, acquiring the vans and the depots and hiring the staff, and with no guarantee that there will be enough business for more than one organisation. And I might suspect that there will be a, no doubt unwritten, understanding that, if a publisher or retailer does business with a potential rival, then there will be consequences.

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That is just one of the ways monopolies maintain their monopoly.

As a result of this poor service more and more people will get their news on line. Instead of getting your newspaper on your way to the station, and reading it as you commute into work, you’ll use your smart phone to get (more up to date) news. You may not want to do it that way but, if your paper isn’t going to arrive until after your train to town has left, then you will have to do it that way. And the fewer people who buy papers the old fashioned way the less profitable it will be to produce, to print and distribute them, and the less reason there will be for shops to stock them.

It could be that Menzies/Smiths, and the newspaper publishers have decided that print media is finished and they might as well just speed up the decline whilst moving their business on-line. However, the explanation I’ve heard as to what is really happening is slightly different: it’s having to pay people a living wage that stops them from employing enough staff to provide a decent service.

I have nothing against paying people a decent wage, but I do realise it will impact unfairly on small independent businesses such as our own. We provide a proper service. We try to deal with each customer as an individual, and we try to create as much as possible by hand, from scratch. To do that, we have to have the staff.

A giant monopoly that can take its customers for granted doesn’t need to do that; wages go up 10%, so sack 10% of the staff, and if your customers find it even harder to find a real human being to talk to…then, tough.

Once upon a time it seems people got rich by creating new industries, new jobs, new things for people to buy. Nowadays it seems they get rich by doing the opposite: Sir Philip Green, for example.

But perhaps all is not really lost. Perhaps the printed word that has always meant so much to me is not really dead. It seems the sales of proper books is increasing. Admittedly a lot of this increase is made up of colouring books, but they’re still books. And the number of small independent bookshops is increasing, despite the power of Amazon, a would-be monopoly even more frightening then W H Smiths.

I would like to think that Saltburn is special, but it seems that shops like Book Corner are happening in other places, too.

I hope I am right, because once something becomes extinct, it is not easy to bring it back to life, and, as the old song had it, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got, until you lose it.’

We have lost so much we took for granted: look around the villages of East Cleveland and wonder where the local pubs and post offices have gone. Look at towns the size of Guisborough without a railway station. Losing our daily paper would be one more nail in the coffin of what used to be a civilised way of life.

Tim Beswick

Real Meals Purveyors of Fine Foods

“Now is the Winter of our Discontent made Glorious Summer by this Sun of York.”

Time then for Barbecues and Picnics...

Find what you want at Real Meals and be Content.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 6.00pm, Saturday: 8.30am to 5.00pm, Sunday 10.00am to 2.00pm.

For more details contact: REAL MEALS, 25 MILTON STREET, SALTBURN, Tel: 01287 622266.

New email address: realmeals.uk@gmail.com

New Website: www.real-meals.co.uk

Councillors’ Column A last chance exists to contribute to the discussion on the Redcar & Cleveland Local Plan, a template for the Borough’s development for 15 years starting in 2017.

With the closing date of Monday the 8th of August, positive suggestions can still be made either through the portal on redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/plan or in writing to the Strategic Planning Team using the comments form made available in the Library.

The ‘missing’ mosaic, reported on by many a concerned passer-by, is being returned to its former glory after considered refurbishment. A small ceremony will accompany the unveiling on the 17th August, to coincide with that special commemorative day when the first excursion train entered the town back in 1861. Many changes have been experienced since then, life not standing still.

The current Saltburn Post Office will close its doors on the 22nd August, transferring the counter service to its next venue, which will be on Windsor Road. Opening the following day, the new facilities will offer continuity and some extension to service hours. Despite much concern about this move, particularly on safe access, the die is cast. Restrictions on local highway parking have been agreed and further consultation will ensue for future improvements to address pedestrian safety.

Another landmark may soon experience a different future. Neighbourhood Police, under a new strategy for East Cleveland teams, now commence their parade each day at Guisborough. The Saltburn Police Station, so long a focal point of community engagement, has finally closed its doors.

Suggestions may now finally be explored for alternative use.

With single person demand for accommodation in the town identified in the recent housing survey, one option might be conversion for residential purpose.

Anti-social behaviour does not always require police enforcement to assuage it. Self discipline and good behaviour do still count for something. Cyclists are prohibited from riding their bicycles in the Valley Gardens.

Many instances are being reported of near misses and distress being experienced by pedestrians enjoying the quiet ambiance of the Gardens. Measures are in place to highlight this By-Law and to enforce it, but observance would avoid this unnecessary use of officer time.

‘There is no smoke without fire,’ is a much used aphorism. The local Brigade are keen to encourage residents not to be reticent in reporting incidents where it is thought that a fire may have been started, even if the incident is not immediately thought to be posing a threat to life or property.

So, the guidance is clear, do not hesitate to pick up the phone.

Not many residents have experienced the variety of natural environment that exists within the Saltburn Gill vicinity, recently polluted by the break out from old mine workings near Hagg Farm. The land is managed by Tees Valley Wildlife Trust which is responsible for this Nature Reserve, a secluded valley of much ancient woodland. On the 28th of August an expert led walk of some three hours will start at 1pm at Cat Nab Car Park. Enjoy.

Philip Thomson 7

Friends of Saltburn Library The summer break is here and the children are at home, so Friends of Saltburn Library have organised for their August monthly talk a visit from Kirkleatham Owl Centre on Tuesday, 16th August at 1:45 to 2:45pm.

Because in past years this event has proved so very popular, we are advising you to call in the library to book your place. Only a certain number of seats are available; don’t be disappointed!

Entrance is free, but we would be grateful for any

donations you wish to give. Any money received on these occasions goes towards paying for occasions such as today and is for the benefit of Saltburn and district children.

Educational as well as entertaining!

Barbara Chaffer For any further information you can email us (at saltburn_library@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk) or ring us on 01287 623584.

Saltburn Athletic FC The official football season may have finished but the football does not end as tournaments and friendlies continue to keep the players active and keep their fitness levels to a good standard as well as increasing their skill levels.

Our own football tournament was held on Saturday, 25th June at the Huntcliff school campus and was again a very successful day with some glorious sunshine.

The under 8s had two teams entered: the Sharks whose coaches are Andy Croll and James Kesterton and the Dolphins whose coach is Mark Grayson, but it was the under 8 Sharks that were able to reach the semi final before losing narrowly to Skelton. The final between Kader and Skelton was a close run game and eventually went to penalties and it was Kader who took the trophy.

The under 11s saw three teams from Saltburn compete and eventually the final was a crunch game between Saltburn Seagulls and Saltburn Dolphins with both teams refusing to yield and as a result a second final went to penalties with the Seagulls coming out on top. Well done to Phil Barnes and his Seagulls team and well done to Kev Robinson’s Dolphins who can take great credit from their performance. The other team Coached by Rick Day have only recently formed but performed well.

The under 12s competition final was between Saltburn Athletic coached by Karl Agar and Bob Mitchell and Stockton Rangers. The under 12 team had performed

well all day in the qualifying rounds and this continued as they duly won the final 3-0.

The under 13s coached by Dave Lawrence and Ollie Whitehead had a frustrating day and were unable to progress beyond the qualifying games. The final saw New Marske compete against Guisborough with New Marske winning 3-1.

Congratulations to all the winners of an excellent tournament.

Many thanks must go to the mothers of the under 8s teams who ran the barbecue all day without a break and for selling the raffle tickets.

Also thanks to the Rotary Club of Saltburn for the help in running the scorers’ tent and car park.

Local shops also played their part and many thanks to Gosnay’s butchers for providing the burgers and sausages as they have done now for several years and also to Stonehouse Bakery for donating buns and lastly to Sainsbury’s who kindly donated a selection of goods such as buns, bananas, cheese, water and juice.

There were 26 teams taking part, the biggest number we have ever had. Thanks to Huntcliff School for their help, particularly the facilities manager Gavin Witherington. I hope I haven’t left anyone out.

We will be running eight teams when the new season starts on September 11th at U9, U10, U12, U13 and U14 age levels.

Andy Croll

Saltburn and District Group for Visually Impaired People Our planned speaker for this month had to cancel unfortunately, due to home circumstance.

As we gathered in the Community Centre as usual, enter Councillor Philip Thomson! He was there to meet conservation teams, but when approached and told of our predicament, he readily agreed to give some of his valuable time to come and speak with us. We were given a brief history of the Centre, from its beginnings as a local church, to its take-over by the ’53 theatre group, and its developments since. As we all can appreciate, it takes a huge amount of money to keep such a lovely building in a state of good repair so that we can all enjoy it.

Philip shared his experiences of sight problems, and how it changed his understanding and attitudes to this issue which is now becoming more common.

Thank you so much, Philip for stepping in at the last 8

minute, sharing your experiences with the Centre, and also your understanding of sight loss issues. It was appreciated by all present and, who knows, if you would like to return and give more details, we could plan in advance!

We do not have a set meeting in August, but we do have some IT training. This is given by RNIB’s On Line Today who show people how to access the features on smart phones, tablets etc. There will be one-to-one sessions, with plenty of opportunity to sample devices, or increase your knowledge of your own. This will be on 17th August in Destinations, from 10 – 4.

For further info, contact Chris Ferguson on 01287 204 170.

We will meet on September 14th, from 2pm in the Coffee Lounge, Community Centre. Please join us if you can.

Summer at Saltburn Library By the time you read this we will be well into the Summer Holidays and hopefully you will have enjoyed some of the fun activities we had planned for July and the children should be getting into the Summer Reading Challenge. All children who complete the challenge are being invited to a fun event on Monday, 19th September with ZooLab and they will also be presented with their certificates. Just a reminder that children need to read six books over the course of the holidays and they will get collectable cards, a bookmark, a door hanger and a keyring as rewards and they need to check in at the Library on a regular basis. There is a website for the Big Friendly Read with Games and Competitions and fun ideas ( http:// summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/).

Our next exciting event is brought to us by “love science” and is a series of interactive experiments based around the book George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl. This event is for older children aged between 5 – 11 and is on Thursday, 4th August at 11.00am. There will be limited places so please book your place as soon as possible.

On Tuesday, 16th August “Friends of Saltburn Library” will be welcoming Kirkleatham Owl Centre for an interesting and informative talk.

Also Katherine Lynas will be coming along to the Library with Roald Dahl based crafts including the BFG on Wednesday, 10th August and Wednesday, 24th August at 2.00pm.

Monday morning’s Rhymetime will be replaced by Pop in and play for babies and young Children at 10.00am.

Rhymetime will continue on a Wednesday in the holidays at 10.00am with a Pop in and play session at 2.00pm.

Thursday afternoon at 2.00pm will be pop in Craft session.

You are welcome to call in the Library at anytime to change your books, or just come in and read and relax, or potter

about in the Library Garden. The Library Garden is looking really pretty at the moment with lots of help from all the

Children tidying up and watering the plants, as well as help from Parents and Grandparents with planting.

The Wheelbarrow has been planted up with herbs and we have planted peas and tomatoes and courgettes to see how they will grow, along with lots of bee and butterfly friendly plants. Come and see what Beatrix Potter characters you can find hidden in the Garden. Also a big thank you to Sue who tidied the front garden. Any donations of perennial plants from your garden would be gratefully received as well as any help with keeping the Gardens nice.

Lynne

‘Respect’ call to young people following fire An appeal to Saltburn’s young people to ‘show respect’ for the town has been made by a local resident following a bonfire of three wheelie-bins on the Hob Hill playing field.

Anne Brown, who lives in the area, was upset at youngsters creating a bonfire of wheelie-bins in mid-June.

“This shows disrespect for our beautiful area and the people who live here - a lot, like me, walk their dogs on the field,” she told Talk of the Town when invited to comment.

“Few people mind kids having a bonfire, which we all did at their age, but we ask them to respect the area. At least they should clear up after making a mess.”

Ms Brown also pointed out that wheelie-bins and their contents contained toxic fumes when lit. She suggested that householders suffering a loss reported it to the police and obtained a crime incident number. Ms Brown also deplored the burning of a mature tree at the Hob Hill playing field entrance to Spooks’ Wood, behind the town’s cemetery.

“Fires were started under the tree about two years ago and now the result of the damage is apparent,” she said looking at the dying tree.

A spate of wheelie-bins thefts on the Hob Hill estate was reported last September. Several residents were said to be refusing to pay the £25 replacement fee charged by Redcar &

BURNT BINS: Anne Brown holds a steel rod from one of three wheelie-bins, which have been burned at Hob Hill.

Drinks cans and plastic containers litter the bonfire area.

Cleveland Council.

The council has put up a new litter bin on the Hob Hill car park, opposite the golf club. It handles both litter and dog poo.

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Are you looking for a really rewarding volunteering experience that will change a child’s life?

Life is better when everyone can read well and express themselves confidently. Sadly, that isn’t the case.

Last year over 63,000 children left primary school unable to read to the required level, something that will have devastating consequences on their future prospects.

Beanstalk is a children’s literacy charity that works in primary schools to rewrite this story. Beanstalk recruits, trains, and supports volunteers to work with children who are struggling with their reading, ensuring that they have the skills and confidence to reach their true potential and lead successful lives.

Beanstalk’s trained reading helpers work with children on a one-to-one basis, giving them consistent support to improve their reading levels, increase overall confidence and enjoyment of reading.

Each Beanstalk reading helper works with three children individually for two 30 minute sessions a week, during term-time, for a whole year. Together, they read, play and talk. With Beanstalk’s support the child’s approach to learning and enjoying reading is transformed: “One little girl, Jenny, walked out of our initial sessions half the height she actually was. Gradually over time the shoulders went back, then her chin went up and then one day she smiled.

That was a great day.”

Beanstalk is looking for helpers in Middlesbrough and East Cleveland and would love to hear from you.

To find out more about becoming a Beanstalk reading helper, contact Beanstalk on 01325 315040 (or visit http://www.beanstalkcharity.org.uk/reading-helpers).

Saltburn Friends of the Valley I know it is only July (August when you read this!), but we know how quickly the time flies so here are two dates for your diaries: our Little Light Garden on Sunday, October 30th, and Santa’s Grotto on the miniature railway (weather permitting) on Saturday, December 10th and Sunday, December 11th. Santa has it in his diary so all is well. Further information will be available nearer the time.

Have you ever thought about who is behind these events? Who makes the garden beautiful and the birds regularly fed? Who plans ahead and organises events that people enjoy in the surroundings of the Woodland Centre?

Simple – volunteers do, and we need more people to join in with us. We are a registered charity and limited company and you will be most welcome to help us.

If you would like more information about this please go to our web site and facebook page at s a lt b ur nf r i en ds of t h e va l l e y. co m ( or c ont a ct ingridsalomonsen@gmail.com).

Thank you.

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Hands On Therapy Clinic Remedial Therapy Reflexology Sports Injuries Relaxation Louise Clark ITEC Diploma MBSR, GCP, BCMA Reg Saltburn Leisure Centre, Marske Mill Lane

Tel: 01287 625700 Mob: 07775 610745

Brotton Library Knit and Natter Group We are a small group making items for charity whilst sharing skills and friendship. It is free to come to the group. We have a few regular members and would welcome more. Thursday afternoon 2pm till 4pm in Brotton library (attached to Freebrough Academy).

Deborah

June Hume Aesthetics, RGN, INP. Fully Qualified Practitioner with 38 years medical experience offering all Non Surgical Treatments including all injectable procedures to correct wrinkles and volume loss due to the natural ageing process.

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Queen’s Birthday honoured by Mothers’ Union

This photograph was taken by Angela Smelt in Emmanuel Church Hall on Tuesday, 5th July.

The Celebration Tea was organised by Saltburn Mothers’ Union for the Queen’s 90th Birthday and to celebrate 140 years of the Mothers’ Union as a Worldwide organisation. Members and friends of Saltburn Mothers’ Union attended the party.

Tony Nicholson was the guest Speaker, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Redcar and Cleveland came for tea, also assisting Tony to cut the Celebration Cake. Also in the photo is Audrey Norris, who opened the event with prayers for the Queen and the Mothers’ Union, before inviting Tony to speak.

Audrey Norris

Saltburn 500 Club Congratulations go to Mrs Blackett who won the £100 from the June draw and to Mr Kitchen who won the £100 from the July draw.

As I write this, we are not quite half way through the Summer Bandstand schedule. The performances we have had to date have been of a very high standard and I would recommend that you support the forthcoming performances.

August brings the Saturday performances of Doc Noir & Friends (13th), Goodfellas (20th) and Platinum (27th). August Sunday performances are Billingham Silver Band (7th), North Skelton Brass Band (14th), Cleveland Constabulary Band (21st) and Darlington Community Wind Band (28th).

I am in the process of organising a Jitterbug, as a part of my fund-raising towards the cost of the erection/ dismantling of Saltburn Christmas lights. It is to be held in the Community Centre on Saturday, 24th September (1940s dress preferred but not essential). I have arranged for live music to keep the night swinging and there will be a raffle to squeeze even more money from your pockets. The tickets will be £10 each and will shortly be available. I am attempting to get as much publicity as possible so feel free to share the information with others that may not read Talk of the Town.

Full details are available on posters around the town and on the Friends of Saltburn Facebook page. You can also contact me on the email address below.

My other fund-raising events are Table-top sales, in the Community Centre, on Saturdays 20th August, 10th September and 8th October.

Please remember that the Bandstand performances and Christmas lights are funded by monies raised by Saltburn 500 Club and the Friends of Saltburn. Raising the necessary funding is impossible without volunteers and so I would like to thank the volunteers at the Bandstand who set up the seating etcetera and those who go around shaking the bottle under people’s noses. I would also like to thank the team of volunteers who help me to produce the Christmas lights display each year. You know that you are always welcome to join these teams so come along and chip in.

Trevor Welburn Secretary, Saltburn 500 Club/Friends of Saltburn trevor.welburn@btinternet.com

or email: simon.robson1@ntlworld.com

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SALTBURN EVANGELICAL CHURCH Leven Street, Saltburn Seeking to be more like Jesus and sharing His love with those around us.

"We love Him because He first loved us."

(1 John 3:19) Please join us as we gather to worship and learn more about Jesus, to build and strengthen our faith, and encourage one another to grow more like Him. We meet each Sunday at 10.30am and 6.30pm.

Sunny Saltburn’s palm tree blooms

BLOSSOMING: Eric Jackson proudly shows off the firstever white blooms from his cordyline plant at Black Bridge, Guisborough Road, Saltburn.

SCAA Open Arts Show Saltburn Community & Arts Association are pleased to be reviving its Annual Open Arts Show. The exhibition will take place in the Community Hall over the August Bank Holiday weekend (Saturday 27th – Monday 29th).

All entries need to be submitted on Tuesday 23rd August between 10am and 7pm and should be collected after 4.00pm on Monday 29th. The show will have three main classes – Paintings, Prints and Drawings; Handicrafts; Photography.

There will be a theme of ‘Architectural Detail’ for one of the photographic sections but otherwise all classes are completely open with no particular theme or topic. The only restriction to exhibiting will be size. Full details of entry are available from the theatre office. Entries are limited to four per person and there is a charge of £2.00 per entry. All exhibits can be priced for sale or not – the idea is to encourage as many entries which are as varied as possible.

There will be a Private View for all exhibitors on the evening of Friday, 26th August with a buffet sponsored by Sainsbury’s. Exhibitors are asked to give a brief onesentence description of themselves and to title their work, if appropriate, in order to produce a catalogue of all work on display.

The weekend is sandwiched between the end of the Olympics and the start of the Paralympics, so it will be an opportunity to take a break. The exhibition in the SCA2gallery throughout August and September will be ‘Real Rio’ – the second display of drawings by Graeme Miles following the successful ‘They Bunged us in Khaki’ exhibition in June and July. The drawings are from a visit he made in the 1980s with his wife Annie. Graeme, being Graeme, was attracted to the favelas or shanty towns of the city and his drawings are an honest record of the people and their poverty. They share the same matter-of-factness as his army drawings despite the different subject matter.

The Across the Vale concert, which was held on the opening night of the show of his National Service years, raised £1,200 to be shared equally between Teesside Hospice and SC&AA. The organisers would like to thank all the performers for freely giving their time to support both charities and in raising the profile of Graeme’s work... and for giving us a great evening.

See also pages 44 and 45.

Amateur gardener Eric Jackson was chuffed that his cordyline bush at Black Bridge, Guisborough Road, Saltburn, was blooming for the first time since he planted it 10 years ago.

“The white flowers were more profuse in June, but are still here in early July,” he said as he weeded round the plant at the entrance of his house. ` “The only other similar plant I’ve noticed from the hundreds in bloom in this area this year is at the roundabout in Marske town centre. It’s great!”

Cordylines are believed to have been imported to Britain from New Zealand and are described in gardening books as a ‘palm-like’ shrub, sometimes known as a cabbage tree. They bloom from spring to summer.

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Sunset Be Glory

Saltburn-by-the-Sea Garden Flat available for holiday lets.

The Napoleonic Wars cost the crown dearly. As the King’s Revenue Service mercilessly squeezes every penny from taxable goods, England’s smugglers discover their backs against the wall. In Saltburn, legendary Richard John finds the empire he’s forged illegally importing and distributing liquor besieged on every side.

Richard John can see the future, but knows there is still money to be made. He discovers his son Tom refuses to take over the family business, and his headstrong daughter Margaret shrugs off any attempt to encourage her to settle into domestic bliss. With the authorities closing in, determined to stamp out the contraband trade, Richard John suddenly finds himself fighting for his way of life.

Then he meets young Valentine Rudd, a Saltburn fisherman eager to learn, hungry to fulfil his ambitions, and maybe, just maybe fill his pockets with golden sovereigns along the way…

Local author Chris Scott Wilson is no stranger to Saltburn’s past, his previous History of Saltburn is still the town’s prime reference book. In Sunset Be Glory Chris blends fact and fiction to vividly portray the lawless and swashbuckling lifestyle of those contraband runners 200 years ago, the beach echoing to the bark of muskets, the clash of steel and the thunder of hooves.

Sunset Be Glory paperback (197 pp £8.99) is available from The Book Corner Saltburn, Guisborough Bookshop, Whitby Bookshop, The Clock Gallery Redcar, Kirkleatham Museum Redcar, Worthy Pearson in Gt Ayton, Waterstones Middlesbrough (or from the author’s website www.chrisscottwilson.co.uk).

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Less than five minutes walk from the sea and from the train station, shops and local restaurants etc.

The property consists of a fully fitted and equipped kitchen, spacious and well furnished lounge overlooking the garden (which is for your personal use), and a double bed with en-suite bathroom.

WiFi access Prices - £35.00 per night (minimum of two nights) Contact Mr & Mrs Smith on 01287 623740 (home) Or 07988 838956 (Mr Smith mobile) Or 07877 384977 (Mrs Smith mobile)

Andy Pollard 07773006361 (based in Saltburn) Residential and Commercial Property Maintenance Plumbing, Drainage, Property Refurbishment, Roofing Repairs, Fencing, Carpentry, Joinery, Painting and Decorating, General/Ongoing

Neil Wilson Builder and Joiner

Your local professional builder Established 1974.

All aspects of building and joinery work undertaken by qualified, experienced tradesmen.

For free estimate call:

01287 652124 or 07976 628783 Member of the Federation of Master Builders

Craft and Produce Show The 2016 Saltburn Craft and Produce Show was a great success. We had some excellent entries in all classes, but, possibly due to the weather, the produce exhibits were slightly down in numbers.

Mr John Lambert, Chair of the Parish Council pr es ent ed t he tr op hies t o the excit ed winners. Congratulations to M Craven who took the Best In Show trophy with a miniature scene of a children’s nursery.

This year, we also included an inter-schools competition and received over 200 entries, everything from treasure maps to handwriting and some gingerbread men too. The trophy went to Errington Primary at Marske; well done. Can they win it next year?

Thank you for your support - see you all again on Saturday, 8th July 2017.

Lynn, Vice Chair, SCPS

Saltburn’s Rowan is a national ‘rising star’ Saltburn singer Rowan Pierce has been named as a ‘rising star’ by the BBC Music Magazine.

And in an interview with Elinor Cooper she praises her parents Andrew and Sue Pierce for “having the patience of saints” to sit through 54 versions of a song ‘Little Silver Fishes’ during a competition when she was a child.

Rowan’s teacher Betty Middleton affectionately known as Middy - also came in for praise from master music teacher Anne Lampard in a note accompanying the article, which can be read at Saltburn’s Methodist hall.

The article reports that Rowan, 26, is currently ending her first year of a post-graduate degree course in performance at the Royal College of Music in London.

Anne Lampard said: “Patience, hard work, tenacity and the ability of listen are the foundations for a solid career.”

She ended her internet post: “Rowan, you are the best role model I know and many congratulations upon being a BBC Music Magazine Rising Star. Totally deserved, hard-earned and Middy would have been over the moon.”

Soprano Rowan, who was due to visit Saltburn at the end of July, will take part in a London concert this summer and in Oxford in October. She recently visited Bolivia to perform.

Her early career included singing at the Saltburn theatre in many productions and teaching music at Eaglescliffe School.

Sue Pierce is a member of Saltburn’s singing group Renaissance, which started as the Betty Middleton choir. Andrew is a former music teacher.

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Megan’s Mind As I write this I am very, very sunburnt! I have tried after sun, cooling spray, cold cans of Diet Coke, a cold hot water bottle and I even had a hot shower as I was told that would help. It didn’t and it just made me burn even more! I suppose it is my own fault for not wearing sun cream but I didn’t expect to be out for as long as I was nor did I expect it to be so hot! Normally I’m quite good at putting sun cream on, and this is only the second time I have ever been sunburnt and from now on I am going to make an effort to always wear sun cream because it’s very sore and very hot and burns! It’s on my back so it’s hard to sit down on chairs and lie down in bed. Ouch. I just want to jump into a bath of ice!

I’m happy about the nice weather though.

However, I don’t have many summer clothes. My wardrobe is pretty much full of jumpers. Perhaps this is an excuse to go shopping? I have a couple of dresses but that’s about it really. I had a dress on today when I got sunburnt so maybe I won’t wear dresses as much and try cover up my back and shoulders a bit more!

Recently I have been drinking lots of wine and it’s been fantastic. I was at a friend’s house and drank wine, and the next I was at my house with my mum and drank wine, and then the next day I was at my own house with my mum and drank wine. We had Kir Royale, Bucks Fizz, Bellini Fizz, Pink Fizz and Prosecco. They weren’t the big bottles though, only small ones. It was nice but I don’t think I fancy drinking anything else for a while! Having said that, I didn’t have a hangover on any of those occasions!

Even when I was drinking red wine which normally gives me a headache.

I think there may be another get together at a friend’s house in a few days but I’m probably just going to stick to Diet Coke, as I don’t want to risk a hangover. They scare me a bit. They feel like you’ve been trampled by lots of horses and I do not enjoy it one bit. I don’t even think having a good night is worth the hangover. My mum is going on holiday soon so that means I will have the house to myself for a full week. Can’t wait.

Probably won’t do anything exciting but it will be nice to have a little bit of time to myself. I don’t get it very often! Not sure what I will do either, but will enjoy myself definitely. Might have friends over!

I don’t normally talk about politics or world events or anything like that in here but what is going on with the world?! Brexit and people using it as an excuse to be extremely racist and horrible. People need to realise that there is only one race, the human race. The amount of pigment in a person’s skin does not make them any different. I feel like screaming and banging my head against a wall sometimes when I hear people talking this way. And all these bombings! The world has gone mad! Very upsetting.

Megan 16

SNAP audience is stunned An awkward silence from a dozen residents greeted a question at the end of the July SNAP (Saltburn Neighbourhood Action Partnership) meeting when they were asked their opinion on newly-installed ‘good and bad’ features of Victorian houses photographed for a display in the library.

The borough council’s new conservation officer Tim Brown had finished a presentation on the start of an audit of properties in the town’s conservation area. Then he asked, in an unofficial vote, if people would be happy with planning controls in the area to be tightened up.

One of the audience commented on the hesitant way fellowresidents responded to the call to indicate their preference: “It looks like Yes if they (restrictions) don’t include my house!”

A consultation exercise on the audit has started with photographs of some of the hundreds of houses in the conservation area being on display in the library.

Lune Street and the Alexandra House area were two parts of the town spotlighted. Mr Brown said the photos showed “good and bad” examples of houses being altered compared with the original 19th century style. He particularly mentioned UPVC windows and modern chimneys.

Mr Brown, who admitted the council currently had no power to enforce bans on most unsightly changes, said feedback from owneroccupiers had been ‘supportive.’ But he had not talked with landlords yet.

Speaking of TV satellite dishes, he said planning permission was needed. He suggested communal dishes in, say, an attic, would help.

SNAP’s Councillor Philip Thomson, chairman of the partnership between the council and community group, said a one-year consultation exercise would now take place. He said he had suggested to the council that a reminder about planning permission could be included in the annual rates demands, but no action had resulted.

Lydia Scarth, of the council’s regeneration team, said grants were available to people or groups interested in putting forward a ‘townscape heritage’ scheme to coordinate and improve shop fronts and iron canopies in the town centre.

Bids to prepare developments could be included in grant applications, she said. Similar exercises at Skelton and Loftus were currently underway. Skelton’s bid for funding for the village revamp project was approved by the National Lottery in mid-July and £950,000 is to be allocated over the next few years to renovate shop fronts and for landscaping.

Other points which arose during the meeting, which lasted just over an hour, included: Black bridge pavement: A scheme to widen this for people with buggies was planned, said Councillor Thomson.

Saltburn Gill cleanup: Nearly £5 million in Government-backed grants has resulted in a near 100% improvement in the quality of water from the ‘red river’ beck near the Ship Inn. A plaque to commemorate the late Bernard Storey, one of the architects of the scheme, is planned.

Flooding: Floods at Princes Road’s enterprise zone are to be checked with a camera along the culvert to Hazelgrove.

Police: Two new Police Community Support Officers Lauren Clements and Georgia Borrow were introduced. They cover the area between Loftus, Saltburn and Guisborough with a team of four other PCSOs and police. Their reports will be published quarterly on the police website and will be available in printed form at the library.

Officers: Councillor Thomson was re-elected chairman, Jim Wingham elected vice chairman and Tracee Hall-Young, of the council’s office at the library, will continue to provide admin support until a secretary is found.

Next meeting: Meetings are to be held every quarter in future.

They are usually held at the library at 6pm and are open to the public.

Mike Morrissey

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Science News A remote galaxy may harbour a certain type of black hole that comes directly from a huge cloud of gas rather than forming after the death of a star. This rare black hole could explain how some galaxies built massive black holes in the first billion years or so after the Big Bang. The galaxy, known as CR7, is unusual as it blasts out more ultraviolet radiation than other galaxies that lived at the same time, roughly thirteen billion years ago (about eight hundred million years after the Big Bang). The gas in CR7 also appears to lack elements such as carbon and oxygen, which are forged within stars and then ejected into space. One theory is that CR7 is giving birth to first-generation stars, similar to the first stars ever created in the universe.

Another idea is that CR7 harbours the first known “direct collapse” black hole, one that forms when a blob of interstellar gas collapses under its own weight without first forming stars. A black hole is more likely, according to Aaron Smith of the University of Texas at Austin. The researchers developed computer simulations that explore how interstellar gas interacts with the harsh radiation from primordial stars or a large black hole. Smith and colleagues find that the light from a cache of hot, young stars can’t explain why a parcel of gas is racing away from CR7 at about five hundred and eighty thousand kilometres per hour. What can push the gas, they report, is radiation from a super heated disk of debris swirling around a black hole roughly one hundred thousand times as massive as the sun.

If CR7 does host a black hole, it would be the first evidence of one forming out of clouds that haven’t given birth to stars yet. Astronomers struggle to explain how some super massive black holes could form in about one billion years out of just smaller black holes merging together. “There is just not enough time to do that,” Smith says. A direct collapse black hole, however, creates a massive seed all in one go, jump-starting the growth of a behemoth that will eventually weigh as much as several billion suns. “This is definitely a good step forward,” says David Sobral, an astrophysicist at Lancaster University who discovered CR7 in 2015. But it’s too early to say whether a black hole or a group of stars is powering CR7, he says. “I’ve tried to stay a bit away from it and argue that what we need is new observations instead of taking sides.”

Data from both observatories will help researchers look for traces of heavy elements in CR7. If these more sensitive data still show no sign of atoms such as carbon, says Sobral, then CR7 probably hosts a nest of firstgeneration stars. A black hole, on the other hand, probably would have formed long enough ago that there would be enough time for stars to form and pollute CR7 with a smidgen of heavy elements, he says. A growing census of similar locales will help as well. “We’re now finding that CR7 is not alone,” Sobral says. He and his colleagues have since found four other galaxies comparable to CR7 in the early universe, results presented June 27th at the National Astronomy Meeting in Nottingham, England. “We don’t have to discuss one single thing,” he says, “but we can put CR7 into a broader picture.”

Megan Bridge 17

SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB

SALTBURN BLUES CLUB

Marske Mill Lane, Tel 01287-622761

Saltburn Blues Club usually takes a summer break in August but when an agent called about a gig with MICHAEL CHAPMAN on the 27th, I couldn’t turn it down. Not a name familiar to everyone, but definitely one of my musical heroes. A very influential, soulful singersongwriter, Michael started out playing guitar with jazz bands, moving into folk and ‘progressive’ music, writing songs laced with emotion. His aptly named album, ‘Fully Qualified Survivor’, was John Peel’s favourite album of 1970, which tells you something of the quality of this artist.

The influences of jazz, folk, new age and blues permeate the music he’s written across the decades – over 40 albums.

Fluid guitar style, smoky vocals, Michael’s talent has endured. Like the Rod Clements gig, this is a big coup for Saltburn. You will not be disappointed if you make this a date to enjoy some brilliant live music here on your doorstep. I can’t recommend this event highly enough.

That’s the 27th August at THE EARTHBEAT CENTRE on Marske Road.

Supporting Michael is a young female guitarist, Jilly Riley. Jilly sings original soul and funky blues. Great, distinctive vocals that resonate with commitment. Check out ‘Summer Scat’ on YouTube to get a flavour of her style.

Doors: 7.30.

N.B. Venue: The Earthbeat Centre Tickets: £10 available from: 07960 935263, www.yorkshireticketshop.co.uk and Whistlestop Wines, Saltburn. Find all our details at www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk and our Facebook page.

My show, STILL GOT THE BLUES, goes out on ZETLAND FM on 105FM and online for listeners outside the area every Monday night, 7-10pm. 3 hours of the best of blues music, old and new. Listen in, add your comments, request a favourite track. It’s also available to listen to later on Mixcloud. Just follow the link at the bottom of Zetland FM’s web page.

Harry

rd

Weds 3 , 17th & 31st Aug – BINGO eyes down 8.00pm Sun 7th Aug – Bowls PATRONS' DAY Wed 10th Aug U3A QUIZ – 7.30pm prompt

Sun 28th Aug BAR 11 CRICKET MATCH – erm, just turn up and enjoy it!!

Sat 10th Sept – BAND & BOOGIE NIGHT THE SANDS OF TIME play everything from Beatles to Adele CRICKET MATCHES most weekends – SPECTATORS WELCOME Bar open *Free WiFi in Club * BIG screen TV showing SKY sports etc ***FEATURED IN CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE 2016!!*** ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A VENUE FOR family events, weddings, parties, funerals & meetings - free use for charity & community groups' during normal opening hours.

Convenient venue, free parking, reasonable bar prices.

Contact us to book your event.

Members and non-members welcome.

Facebook saltburncricketbowlsandtennis socialclub –

Saltburn Charity Crafters Saltburn Charity Crafters will be meeting on Wednesday, 3rd August from 2pm until 4pm in the coffee room at Saltburn Community Hall. Please come and join us for a cuppa if you would like to knit for charity. Contact Angie on 01287 205153 if you would like further information.

PLEASE add us as a friend and check our Facebook page regularly!

Craft Magic Craft Magic is a beautiful new gift shop in the heart of Saltburn, offering affordable shelf rental to local crafters. We sell handmade items and gifts at affordable prices. We are located at 4 Dundas Street West Saltburn and we open Monday – Saturday 9am-5pm. Look forward to seeing you.

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01287 624505

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At Ryedale Auctioneers, we have fortnightly general sales, with live internet bidding. We also have Specialist Sales, Antique & Fine Art Sales, Militaria & Sporting Sales and Railwayana & Toy Sales.

We also do house clearances, and have our own collection/delivery service. We provide valuations for probate, insurance and sales.

Upcoming Sale dates for August are: General Household Sale - 6th & 20th Outdoor Sale - 13th Militaria & Sporting Sale - 7th

Ryedale Auctioneers Cooks Yard, New Road, Kirkbymoorside, York YO62 6DZ

Tel: 01751 431544 Email: ryedaleauctioneers@live.co.uk Website: www.ryedaleauctioneers.com

We sell a good selection of Stationery i.e. Envelopes, Labels, Tapes, Mailing Bags, and Greetings Cards plus a wide range of Personalised Cards.

This month’s Bargain Buy: Quality Dishcloths 2 large or 3 Medium, £1.00 a Roll 20

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Cleveland Diving Club During the early part of summer Saltburn (along with a number of other North Yorkshire towns being: Staithes, Runswick Bay & Hinderwell, Sandsend and Robin Hood’s Bay), provided one of the venues for the great ‘Fish Fillet Feast,’ which was organised by the coastal department of The North York Moors Park Authority. The aim of the event was to celebrate the coastal heritage of these towns and Cleveland Divers were more than happy to lend their support. Our club members took up residence with the club’s boat on the lower promenade, next to the fish eatery. (photo one.)

Unfortunately the planned ‘fresh from the sea fish barbecue’ was thwarted by rather high seas and winds.

Undaunted by the weather the cooking of fish ensued and throughout the day inquisitive groups of people milled around enjoying freshly cooked fish. The club’s decorated boat also drew a fair bit of attention and club members were only too delighted to discuss and answer questions about what the club does, for example how it trains scuba divers, the type of diving activities we do and the work we do with the community such as raising funds for the RNLI and the Great North Air Ambulance. Together with volunteers from the Redcar branch of the RNLI, almost £90 was raised. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made a donation; it is greatly appreciated.

It is always a gratifying experience when working together with other people toward a community based appreciation event to celebrate our region, its wonderful coastline and the generous people who live here. Of course there is more to our coastline than meets the eye from the shoreline and it is the unseen marine environment that attracts all of our diving members.

Although it has been a slow start to our local diving season this year, some of our members have managed to get into the sea to explore and seek out some of our local marine life. For example: photo two, taken by John, a keen underwater photographer, is a male ‘Lumpsucker’ fish. Not noted for its attractive appearance this rather melancholy looking, blue-grey, rounded, stocky fish, is certainly eligible for the ‘best dad prize.’ Once the female fish has laid her eggs and scooted back to the deep sea our diligent father, using a sucker under his chin to cling to rocks, protects the eggs from predators and wave surge until they are hatched and the young can fend for themselves.

Photo three shows what is commonly called a ‘Sea Slug.’ However, unlike its name would suggest, it is one of the smallest, (about 5cm in length) but most beautiful of the creatures found in our local seas. It is also an important inhabitant of any sea environment being a ‘maritime hoover,’ grazing the sea floor, or in this case a fond of kelp seaweed, searching for algae or decaying matter to feed on.

Hopefully these two examples of salt water aquatic life go some way to dispel the idea some people have, that our local waters are bereft of beauty or gallantry. It is seeing creatures like these that seduces our members time and again back to the sea and to make the most of better weather and sea conditions and opportunities to pursue their hobby during the summer. Also at this time we have a 22

break from our pool training sessions which recommence in September. The next six week introductory scuba training will begin shortly after. If you are interested in learning more about scuba diving or extending your existing diving skills contact us on 079 6060 8529. Novices and experienced divers are welcomed.

June Coomber

d.a.n.i.delights shop opening times: Tuesday to Thursday: 10:ooam-4:00pm Friday: 10:00am-6:00pm for all enquiries including those for organic raw vegan catering bookings please contact Dani on 07884 045742, or danimitchell333@yahoo.co.uk or connect with me on my Dani delights facebook page J d.a.n.i.delights, The Earthbeat Centre, Marske Road, Saltburn by the Sea, TS12 1QA 23

G . Bishop - Decorator *Interiors and Exteriors

*Free Estimates

*All Aspects of Decorating Undertaken *Realistic Prices

Time Served Telephone 01287 624016

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40 Years Experience Mobile 07757 912575

Skelton Open Gardens During the weekend of 25th and 26th June Skelton Open Gardens enjoyed a second successful year when £5,450.00 was raised for the Great North Air Ambulance.

We were blessed with warm, sunny days with visitors starting to arrive as early as 10.15, catching one garden opener in her PJs! Over the two days nearly 700 people attended the event, which, in addition to supporting a worth-while charity, benefitted businesses in the village.

Visitors came from as far afield as Durham, Darlington, Tyneside and North Yorkshire, thus continuing the establishment of Skelton as an interesting place to visit.

On Wednesday, 29th June all the garden openers and members of the management team, who oversaw car parking, programme sales and entry to the Castle grounds, gathered for their own garden tour and presentation of a cheque for £5,450.00 to Janet Hume from the Great North Air Ambulance. In accepting this money Janet stated ‘This is a tremendous amount of money for such a small group to raise. Each helicopter flight costs £2,500.00 so this money could potentially save two lives.’

Our thanks go to My Insurance Broker, who sponsored the programmes, Morrison’s, Sainsbury’s, Farmfoods, Skelton Co-op, who donated food or vouchers and RES Scaffold, for sponsoring the porta-loo, 24

Frontline Taxis, for courtesy transport, along with Skelton Mill, Hair Expressions, Deli @ 85, Kingston Pharmacy, Gisborough Hall, Play Factory, The Ivories, Glam & Glow and The Royal George who donated raffle prizes.

Sale of raffle tickets raised £967.00 of the final total, and the winning tickets were as follows: 1st Brown 531 (AV7T NL57), 2nd Green 739, 3rd Pink 139, 4th Yellow 664, 5th Orange 468, 6th Yellow 318, 7th Yellow 579, 8th Yellow 610, and 9th Yellow 859.

Stuart White

Redcar & Cleveland Philatelic Society Whilst R&CPS takes a summer break, we show a spectacular and rare pictorial propaganda envelope item carried on the Darlington/Stockton railway to remind general readers that our society does not just concern itself with stamps and postcards but several of us reconstruct the social and postal history behind items we acquire. This one was written by Miss Elizabeth Pease, (later Mrs E. P. Nichols, 1807-1897) who vigorously promoted several Quaker causes: anti-slavery, antisegregation, civil rights, equality for women, and suffrage. Elizabeth was a cousin of Henry Pease (18071881), whose vision of ‘a new town rising above cliffs’ (Saltburn) is well known to local readers. Here Elizabeth Pease promotes cheaper international sea postal rates by means of the earlier of only two so far recorded of registered Ocean Penny Postage envelopes. She registered it because (as her surviving letter explains) she ‘encloses a banknote as her charitable donation’ to an

Geoff. Reynolds (Secretary, 01642 478229)

‘impoverished Dr Dick, then on basic poor relief of £20-30 pa, with seven orphaned grandchildren and other dependants in his sole care.’

Geoff Reynolds (Secretary) 01642 478229 David D. Turner 01287 624736

Ripping Yarns British Knitting Awards Ripping Yarns is looking for your vote in the British Knitting Awards 2016.

After a little over four, hard working and exciting years R i p p i n g Y a r n s ha s developed from a moment of inspiration to being nominated in the Top 5 Independent Wool Shops in the North of England.

Starting with a small budget but lots of ideas and imagination Angela has created a thriving Wool Shop, serving fantastically loyal local customers as well as customers from all over the UK who visit the wonderful seaside town of Saltburn.

As Angela’s and Ripping Yarns’ success continues to grow, it would be much appreciated if you could take time and make the effort to vote for her in the British

Knitting Awards 2016. Visit www.letsknit.co.uk/ britishknittingawards and reward a local shop, excelling for Saltburn. For those of you with out access to a computer, voting forms are available from Ripping Yarns.

Damaged mosaic plaque repaired The newly-refurbished ‘Saltburn heritage’ plaque-panel on Sainsbury’s wall opposite the railway line will be unveiled on Wednesday, 17th August.

The mural is the central one of five and shows the first train arriving at Saltburn in the 1860s. Some damage was caused to it last winter and rain lifted some tiles.

The damage - the first reported since the mosaics were put up in 2011 - had been repaired by artists Derek Mosey and Helen Jane Gaunt, who made the originals with help from a wide section of the public.

The work has been paid for by the sale of postcards of the mosaics in Saltburn library.

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BOOK CORNER

Fiction Non-fiction Cut-price Books Children’s Books Ordering Service Gifts for Book-lovers Open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 5pm (Closed Wednesday) 1 Regency Buildings, Station Square, Saltburn

01287 348010 www.bookcornershop.co.uk

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August Events at Book Corner Three very different authors will be visiting Book Corner this August.

Children’s author Flinty Maguire will be here on Saturday, 6th August from 11am – 1pm. She will be signing copies of the first two books in her Ellie Booton’s Journal Series: ‘Trouble at the Crab Shack Cafe’ and ‘The Lighthouse Code’. The books are aimed at ages 9 and above and follow the adventures of Ellie, who lives with her family by the sea and is quirky, funny, thoughtful and a bit of a worrier!

Sophie Nicholls will be here on Saturday, 13th August (11am – 1pm) with her novel for adults, ‘The Dress’. Sophie lives in North Yorkshire and teaches Creative Writing at Teesside University. ‘The Dress’ was a bestseller on Kindle and is being published in paperback at the end of July. The first in a trilogy, it tells the story of Ella and her mother Fabia, who arrive in York to set up their vintage dress shop. But not everyone is on their side...

Finally, author Frank English will be here on Friday, 19th August from 11am. His latest book, ‘Jack the Lad’, is the first in his new adult family saga series, set in the Yorkshire coal fields around Wakefield from the 1940s onwards.

Frank will also be signing copies of his books for children, ‘The Magic Parcel Trilogy’ of fantasy adventures, and the ‘18 Mulberry Road’ series.

All author events are free and informal. Call in, chat to the author, and get a signed copy of their book.

Steampunks turn Saltburn Victorian Saltburn was transported back to its Victorian past as a Steampunk event came to the coastal town on Saturday, 16th July.

Organised by Victorian Steampunk Connection, the event was a celebration of the Saltburn Cliff Lift – which recently celebrated its 132nd birthday – and all other things from the 19th century.

The Steampunk look, a type of science-fiction that incorporates 19th century fashion with industrial revolution era steam-powered machinery, was also out in force at the weekend.

Running from 10.00am until 4.30pm, the event promised a sea of Steampunks taking part in a number of activities including learning Bartitsu, a martial art made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes novels. Also on offer were tea and Nerf gun duelling sessions at Saltburn Valley Gardens as well as a Steampunk craft fair at Saltburn Methodist Church. The highlight of the day was a fashion parade with prizes for best dressed man and best dressed woman.

Councillor Carl Quartermain, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Skills and Leisure, said: “This should be an absolutely great and unusual event offering something for everyone.

Saltburn is steeped in history and I’m pleased to see that the Victorian Steampunk Connection thinks the same and have decided to transform the town into a Steampunk paradise.”

To find out more about the event, go to www.Facebook.com/VictorianSteampunkConnection.

Pictured below: Elise and Allan Smithson at the Steampunk Fair, Saltburn Methodist Church.

SALTBURN STATION GALLERY UPDATE! Autumn Competition Saltburn Station Gallery is holding another art competition focussing on the Autumn season and invites local artists/ artisans/photographers to submit work for this event.

There will be 2 categories for the competition – Fine Art (painting, drawing, and mixed media) and Photography. Details required and conditions of entry forms will be available in gallery and submissions accepted from 1st August.

Please also note we have new artists exhibiting within the gallery – Chris Higgins, showcasing alcohol-ink painting and oils on board/canvas. And new high definition photography by Trevor Shelley, including a stunning new photograph of Aurora Borealis (northern lights) over Saltburn Pier.

Exclusive to Saltburn Station Gallery – we also have unique printed T-shirts and shopping bags of Saltburn by Peter Stirk – not to be found elsewhere and not mass produced – but still at reasonable prices.

We look forward to seeing you in the gallery.

Sean and Sue 27

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Tel: 01287 637702 Mob: 07870 176370 28

Discovering Saltburn’s smaller mammals The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust will be running a one day workshop for people who would like to know more about the smaller mammals to be found in Saltburn and how to record them from sightings and field signs.

The workshop will begin by checking survey traps (which will have been set by our local mammal expert the night before) and hopefully seeing some of the animals at close quarters. We will be demonstrating how to handle the animals carefully and safely before releasing them back in the wild. The workshop will then be spent as a mixture of indoor and outdoor activities.

These include looking for field signs, how to set survey traps and presentations to help you learn about the different species. In the afternoon our mammal expert will talk about how to discover the mammals on your doorstep using wildlife cameras. This will include practical advice on how and where to set cameras and videos of mammals caught on film.

The workshop is part of the Where the Wild Things Were project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northumbrian Water. Participants will be asked to help monitor Saltburn for mammals over the next few months and to report their sightings to help us gain a better understanding of local wildlife. The Trust will run a series of follow up activities looking for particular species such as harvest mice, water voles and dormice.

To help people discover and report the wild mammals on their doorstep the Trust may be able to loan wildlife cameras for short periods of time.

Places are limited so please book to ensure a place.

The course is suitable for those with an amateur interest.

There is a small charge of ÂŁ2.00 to cover costs. Bring a packed lunch. Please note that there will be some walking over rough terrain and you will need to bend close to the ground to search for signs. Dress warmly and wear footwear suitable for the outdoors.

Saltburn Mammal Workshop: Saturday, September 24th 2016 at Saltburn Woodland Centre (9.00am to 3.30pm). To reserve a place call: 01287 636382 (or email: info@teeswildlife.org).

Otter, wood mouse and bank vole by Kenny Crooks Harvest mouse by Amy Lewis

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Saltburn Beachwatch 20th Anniversary This year marks the twentieth anniversary of Saltburn Beachwatch (SBW). After several years of ad-hoc litterpicks Miss Jackie Taylor said she was walking along the beach one day and seeing the amount of rubbish there thought what could be done about it. So in 1996, with 2 or 3 like minded people and the support of the council (RCBC) and Saltburn 500 Club, SBW was started. Miss Taylor became a regular feature sitting at her table in the station portico and getting people to sign up to the 500 Club and its activities including Beachwatch. She achieved this by “looking them in the eye,” she said.

Luckily Saltburn is a town where people care about their environment and are willing to help. In 2000 SBW acquired its second group of organisers who were involved in helping to persuade the Environment agency, RCBC and Northumbrian Water to install better sewage facilities at Skinningrove and drainage at Hazelgrove. This led to a significant reduction of sanitary waste being washed up on the shore. Organisers kept a sharp eye out for problems and were supported by Surfers Against Sewage and RCBC who provided litter grabs, gloves and bags. It was about this time that SBW became part of the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) “Adopt A Beach” scheme.

The MCS survey sheet lists 118 items under 12 categories and this became the way to record the data and it is still used to this day. Organisers visited local schools and got children and families involved along with Brownies and Scouts. The numbers of volunteers improved when notices and occasional articles began appearing in Talk of the Town magazine. Refreshments were also introduced at this time and this gave volunteers the opportunity to meet like minded people and chat about the work of the MCS. Over time the profile of SBW’s Adopt a Beach scheme increased and volunteer numbers gradually rose.

During the summer months RCBC used to use a mechanical rake to clean the beach which left it looking good and at the same time litterpickers working on the beach helped to promote good practice. Sadly, with cutbacks, the tractor and rake are no longer available.

Around 2008 a new organiser came along and for the next few years volunteers consistently gave up 2 hours of their time 4 times per year to help with the litterpicks and surveys. Having myself first started as a volunteer I took over as organiser in 2013. I have always been interested in Natural History and have studied ecology and conservation.

As a volunteer over the years in various areas of nature conservation I have always got a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction from “doing my bit” and from meeting lots of varied and interesting people. I believe passionately that we need to stop ruining the things we all depend on (e.g. the Oceans of Planet Earth) and live in an environmentally sustainable way. Over the last 20 years the number of volunteers has increased as more people become aware of the problems caused by marine pollution and are prepared to do something about it. These days as more cutbacks occur people are less inclined to say “the council ought to be doing it.”

Asking “Beachwatchers” why they have become involved over the years has resulted in a number of quotes: “As Saltburn residents we hate to see litter on the beach”; 30

surfers say they “naturally want to care for the environment”; many said they “enjoy giving up 2 hours of our time to clean up our beautiful beach”; others that they “get a great sense of achievement from helping”. One person “felt like a womble on holiday” and some said they come “to make new friends and eat rather nice cookies!” Quite a few felt it was important to make environmental issues real to children through practical action. I do think that by such action SBW has made a positive contribution in the last 20 years and has helped to make Saltburn beach a great place to be.

As to the future as long as it is necessary SBW will continue to remove and record litter found on the beach and hopefully continue to make a difference.

Roy Smith

Harry Braves the Shave

This is Harry....my wonderful Son who has decided to ‘Brave the Shave’ to raise money for Macmillan.

Harry is 10 years old and has wanted to do this for a long time. A couple of weeks ago Harry saw the ‘Brave the Shave’ advert on the TV and asked me again if he could do it!

Harry says, “cancer makes me really sad... I wish that they could find a cure BUT if I brave the shave this will help people who have it!” Harry lost his Granddad and great granddad to cancer, and although he was only very little when they died he would like to do this in their memory.

It’s such a wonderful selfless act and me, his dad and 2 big brothers Liam and Jack are VERY proud of him.

Harry is having his hair shaved by Cheveux Hairdressers in Saltburn on the morning of Tuesday, August 2nd. They have very kindly offered to do it as a donation so thank you Very much!

You can sponsor Harry through the just giving ‘Macmillan Brave the shave page’ online (just type Harry Laverick to make a donation) or message me, Corrie Laverick via Facebook to sponsor him via his sponsorship form OR come to Cheveux on the morning of the shave where we will have a collection bucket! :) Please help Harry meet or exceed his £200 target.

He is already VERY close.

Me and Harry would love to say a Massive THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated and shared his ‘brave the shave’ page via Facebook.

I will also send a ‘after photo’ of Harry for the September issue of Talk of the Town.

Corrie Laverick

Canine Rehabilitation and Fitness

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FUTURE PLANS?

BY REV ADAM YOUNG Over the past four years I have had the great privilege and blessing of living in Saltburn and ministering at Emmanuel Church. These four years have gone by quicker than I could ever have imagined. Whilst not always easy (life never is) these have been four wonderful years that have greatly shaped who I am and no doubt who I will always be.

Sadly, my time here has now come to an end and what the future has in store for me is far from clear.

Two things have been on my mind these past few weeks, two teachings from the Bible which have become much more profound and personal. In James' letter we read some important truths about making plans for the future: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.' You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes. Instead, you should say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that...'"

hold all such plans and dreams very lightly

When thinking about the future, when imagining where we would like to see ourselves, we must remain utterly humble and hold all such plans and dreams very lightly. The reality is we simply don't know what is in store. In the face of this we should rely on God to give us a certainty and grounding when thinking about how to go about our lives and our futures, trusting in Him

whatever may come.

The second teaching is from Saint Paul's Letter to the Philippian Christians. Paul wrote this letter whilst in chains waiting to see what punishment he might face for his preaching the Gospel (ultimately he was executed). Yet despite his very uncertain future he could write these words: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

No matter what we are facing or have faced in life, we should be marked by rejoicing and constant thanksgiving. Now that is a real challenge!

Services Times Sundays in August 10.00am morning worship

Tuesdays 9.30am said communion

Morning Prayer 9.00am Mon-Fri in ECHO

Contact Details tel 01287 622251

email emmanuelsaltburn@hotmail.co.uk

Visitor opening times in August

web www.emmanuelsaltburn.co.uk

Saturdays 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th 10am - 4pm

Sundays 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th 1 - 4pm

All welcome 32

Saltburn Miniature Railway

Saltburn Miniature Railway is celebrating a new addition after three years of painstaking restoration. The opening ceremony conducted by Councillor Philip Thomson was reported in last month’s Talk of the Town.

Ken Bladen adds: “On Sunday, 19th June 2016 at 2pm, in front of an invited audience, a new addition to the rolling stock of Saltburn Miniature Railway made its first public appearance. Summoned by the Town Crier, Sharon Wilson, we had the honour of witnessing the naming ceremony for Blacklock R. Our local councillor, the sartorially elegant, Philip Thomson, performed the naming ceremony with great respect and much aplomb. Councillor Thomson told us that the new steam locomotive is being named after the late Reg Blacklock who was instrumental in the revival of the Saltburn Miniature Railway in the 1980s and was often to be seen at the controls of ‘Prince Charles’. With great dignity, Councillor Thompson “knighted” Blacklock R with his swagger stick and thus crowned three years of dedicated work by a team of volunteers who restored this wonderful steam engine.

“Invited guests, including members of Saltburn Retired Mens’ Forum where Reg was chairman for many years, piled aboard the three carriages and with a huff and a puff Blacklock R majestically set off on her maiden voyage. A rare sunny afternoon in June this year was thus splendidly enjoyed by all aboard. Long may Saltburn Miniature Railway be enriched by the sound of steam and the rattle of the rails as Blacklock R enhances the visitor attraction of the Miniature Railway and serves as a fitting memorial to Reg Blacklock.”

Saltburn Miniature Railway was founded in 1947

and ran for many years but eventually fell into disrepair. It was rescued in 1985 by the founders of SMRA and has carried on successfully ever since. The attraction is based in one of Redcar and Cleveland’s country parks, Saltburn Valley Gardens.

Bob Proctor, Chairman of the SMRA, said: “We have always wanted our own steam locomotive. Previously we had visiting locomotives but we finally managed to buy a part built one which took three years to complete.

“The new addition brings the locomotive stock to four at the Saltburn Miniature Railway, with the Prince Charles 46-2 diesel electric, George Outhwaite diesel electric, Saltburn 150 diesel hydraulic and now Blacklock R. Without the fantastic work from our volunteers we would not have the railway, which is such an important attraction for the Valley Gardens and Saltburn.”

The Saltburn Miniature Railway is open from 1pm to 5pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays.

During school summer holidays the attraction is open daily (excluding Mondays). For more information, please visit: www.saltburn-miniature-railway.org.uk.

Seaview and Greta Cottage caring together 5 star care homes awarded by Redcar and Cleveland for their quality of care and personalised service.

Home from home with daily activities and weekly trips out in our own minibus.

Please feel free to visit us at anytime.

01287 622498 and 01287 625178 33

Saltburn in Bloom

On Tuesday, 5th July, the 2nd Saltburn Brownies and Rainbows joined some Saltburn in Bloom volunteers at the large garden near Sainsbury’s. During June these groups had been busy planting flowers, kindly donated by Sainsbury’s. They also made some paper flowers with messages to the general public about looking after our town by not dropping litter, using the litter bins provided in the area, not trampling on the plants and the need to recycle or reuse. The children were so enthusiastic about this and our volunteers loved them being involved.

There was a competition for the best flower, which was judged by Molly Griffin and on the Tuesday evening the winners were presented with their prizes kindly donated

by Sainsbury’s. Saltburn is the real winner, however, as it is great to know that young people care about this lovely place where we live. We are hoping the message spreads to everyone who uses that area. As you know RCBC Neighbourhood team, Sainsbury’s cleaner and Saltburn in Bloom regularly litter-pick and tidy in that area, with the gardening being carried out by our gardening volunteers.

Shane Slater

Plumbing & Heating All aspects of domestic plumbing

Tel: 01287 625657 Mobile: 07812 391418 Bathrooms Fires/Fireplaces Showers Boilers Tiling Heating Systems Underfloor Heating Systems

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On July 13th the Northumbria in Bloom judges were escorted around Saltburn for Summer Judging. A route had been planned to showcase the town to advantage, with individuals and groups coming along to tell the judges about their work. Saltburn in Bloom is the organising group for the entry, but many individuals and groups, including Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Friends of Saltburn, Friends of the Valley, the Miniature Railway, Saltburn Beachwatch etc., contribute to the entry through the work that they do and by telling the judges about it so enthusiastically. The entry shows our strength as a community and, whatever the results of the competition on September 14th, Saltburn again is a winner.

Thank you to all who support what we do. Perhaps you might have some time to give to one of the volunteer groups that operates within the town. We all need more active people to help, PLEASE! To contact Saltburn in Bloom email: lyndaparkes4@gmail.com.

Lynda Parkes 01287 209518

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d.a.n.i.delights A raw or living organic vegan diet consists of unprocessed, raw plant foods that have not been heated above 48°C/117 °F, have been grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides and are free of animal products. Foods cooked above this temperature lose their nutritional value. Typical foods include fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, sprouted grains and legumes.

Eating this way promotes health and vitality.

Benefits include: reaching your ideal weight, increased stamina, improved mental focus and clarity, lower cholesterol, reversing of chronic conditions, healthy skin and hair growth, improved vision, a youthful and glowing complexion, longevity, improved moods and emotions. d.a.n.i.delights is providing an Autumn class schedule to assist you on your raw organic vegan food journey: On Saturday, 10th September 2016 Introduction to organic raw chocolate making, 10:00am-12:30pm: learn to create highly nutritious and delicious organic chocolates entirely free from dairy products, refined sugar and gluten and take your choc creations home with you.

In the afternoon: Introduction to organic raw vegan lifestyle, 1:30pm-4:00pm. Learn how to reach and maintain your ideal weight, increase your energy and achieve nutritional balance...organically and naturally!

On Saturday, 24th September 2016, Introduction to organic raw vegan edible skincare, 10:00am-12:30pm.

Learn how to create your own beauty treatments entirely crafted from organic raw vegan edible ingredients and decorate your own beauty box to store them in.

In the afternoon, Intermediate organic raw chocolate making, 1:30pm- 4:00pm. Next level organic raw choc creating for those who have taken part in my Introduction to organic raw chocolate making class.

On Saturday, 8th October 2016, Intermediate organic raw vegan lifestyle, 10:00am-12:30pm. Level 2 organic raw vegan lifestyle class creating for those who have taken part in my Introduction to organic raw vegan lifestyle class.

In the afternoon, Advanced organic raw vegan lifestyle, 1:30pm- 4:00pm. Level 3 organic raw vegan lifestyle class creating for those who have taken part in my Introduction to and Intermediate organic raw vegan lifestyle classes.

On Saturday, 22nd October 2016, Introduction to organic raw chocolate making, 10:00am-12:30pm. Learn to create highly nutritious and delicious organic chocolates entirely free from dairy products, refined sugar and gluten and take your choc creations home with you.

In the afternoon, Introduction to organic raw vegan lifestyle, 1:30pm- 4:00pm. Learn how to reach and maintain your ideal weight, increase your energy and achieve nutritional balance...organically and naturally!

All classes are at d.a.n.i.delights, The Earthbeat Centre, Old Saltburn School, Marske Road, Saltburn by the sea, TS12 1QA. All ingredients and utensils are provided and no previous experience is necessary :-) Each class is £44 per person and places are limited to 4 per class to allow individual support :-) Booking in advance is essential. To book your place please contact Dani via my Dani delights Facebook page, at danimitchell333@yahoo.co.uk or on 07884 045742.

Thank you ♥ 36

Love dancing? Want to get fit?

DanceFit classes start again in September...

The ‘STRICTLY’ STYLE, PARTNER FREE, DANCE & FITNESS class featuring all the classic Ballroom and Latin dances will be back in the Autumn…

More details coming out very soon…

Spirals Starts Wednesday 07/09 - 7pm - The EarthBeat Centre, Saltburn.

A PILATES, YOGA & BALLET inspired fitness class: Spirals will build up your CORE STRENGTH, TONE and define your figure, improve your BALANCE and natural FLEXIBILITY. This class is great on its own or perfect as a complement to other high energy fitness activities.

Starts Monday 05/09 - 6pm - Emmanuel Church Hall Starts Thursday 08/09 - 10am - Saltburn Community Hall EASY TO FOLLOW, OVERALL TONING and LOW IMPACT ON THE JOINTS. This dance fitness class is packed with Latin rhythms & International beats! Come and groove at your own pace… this class will shake up your routine!!

For more information call ESTELLE on 07887 525234, email at estelle@dancefitsaltburn.co.uk or visit...

Saltburn Animal Rescue Association A small charity seeking to rescue and re-home cats and dogs, Tel: 01642 488108 (weekdays only, 10am to 2pm).

SARA has many dogs and cats that need new homes. All are clean, healthy, neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

Betty and Twinkle are a mother and son feline pair who are looking for a loving home together. Betty, the mum is a very friendly and playful 2 year old cat. She is a very pretty black and white short hair with greenish eyes, and her young kitten Twinkle also inherited her markings and colouration but has blue eyes. Betty came into SARA’s care as a pregnant stray and now it is time to find her and her last kitten a caring home where they can be together.

Hello! We are Chester, Betty and Twinkle. We are looking for our forever homes, and we were wondering if perhaps you can help us.

First up this month is Chester the dog. Chester is a lovely terrier type cross breed who came into SARA after he was found wandering alone as a stray. He is about 6 years old; he is an attractive reddish brown colour with some darker markings on his face and ears. Chester is a very friendly and affectionate boy who really enjoys long walks. Chester would probably be quite happy and fit in well living in a family with another female dog and slightly older children, perhaps aged about 10 years old and above.

SARA fundraising events during August The next monthly meeting of SARA will be held on August 3rd, at the TocH premises, Albion Terrace, Saltburn at 7.30pm. Please come along and meet members of SARA and we look forward to meeting more new members.

Saturday 6th August – SARA will be holding their Birthday Celebrations, 11 - 4pm at Foxrush Farm, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar TS10 5NJ. Come and share our 9th birthday party and re-union of SARA dogs rehomed over the years and view our cats and dogs awaiting new homes. There will be a flyball demonstration, doggy games and fun for all the family. Refreshments will be on sale with homemade food. There will also be a variety of stalls

and a raffle. Come along with family, friends and pets to enjoy a fun packed day. There is plenty of parking on the Foxrush field. All funds raised will go to the ever increasing number of animals that so desperately need our help.

Saturday 13th August We will be holding a street collection in Saltburn. If you would like to help collect please contact the centre on 01642 488108.

Funds we have raised recently included The Neil Diamondo evening £470 and the Fun Dog Show £2347.

Thanks to all the people who contributed to the success of these events.

John Fuller, Press Officer Helpline: 01642 488108 37

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Region's 1st fairy adventure weekend

Fairies invited to flutter in for a magical bank holiday weekend Tickets on sale for Liverton campsite’s first fairy adventure weekend

A campsite on the edge of the North York Moors National Park will become a fairy tale wonderland for families over the August Bank Holiday as it stages the first Fairy and Lost Boy Adventure weekend.

North Shire at Liverton, near Saltburn, will be sprinkling fairy dust over the woodland and grass fields to turn the popular campsite into an enchanted land of make-believe for three nights over the bank holiday (2629 August) where fairies and lost boys, the characters from JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, will take centre stage.

Tickets have gone on sale for the weekend’s festivities where families are invited to dress up as their favourite mythical character and venture into a magical world of making wands, wings, potions and outfits befitting the best-dressed fairies and elves.

They will also be treated to a pantomime that is being produced especially for the North Shire weekend by local theatre director Wendie Middleton; or they can step aboard a pirate ship and walk the plank.

Budding sprites can stare in awe at the King and Queen of the Fairies, enjoy meeting animals such as owls that are popular in fairy tales or listen to storybook readings.

The entertainment continues with live music, a range of food stalls and an opportunity to simply flutter through countryside that any fairy would be proud to inhabit.

Carol Hopkinson, owner of North Shire explains: “The weekend sums up the story book surroundings that we’re creating on the campsite where people can leave the real world behind and enjoy simply spending quality time together as a family.

“We’re aiming to create a magical world of makebelieve during the weekend that will captivate children and will find parents easily getting in the spirit of it all.”

There’s camping for up to 100 tents and a threenight ticket for a family of four will cost £75.

Valley Players

We are in the early stages of planning next August’s commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Elvis’s death.

This will take place over two nights and we want it to be ‘mega’! We definitely want everyone To feel that Elvis is in the building!

To this end we would love to hear from anyone who has any Elvis memorabilia which they are willing for us to auction at the event, or even which we could use as part of our display.

We are also looking for archive material which could be projected on to the screen, and finally of course, we would love to hear from any talented singers or impersonators - now is your chance!

Any profits will go to local charities in the spirit of giving which Elvis embodied (we can be contacted at djenane @valleyplayers.org.uk).

Djenane

Budding sprites Rosie, Poppy and Holly Hopkinson, the organiser’s daughters, at a fairy festival which proved to be the inspiration for the Liverton event.

Alternatively visitors can come for the day by purchasing tickets costing £10 per person (children aged three or under are admitted for free). Workshops will cost £4 per child aged three and above.

Tickets are available from North Shire by contacting 01287 642228 or emailing: carolhopkinson@msn.com

East Cleveland Plumbing and Building Property Repairs renovations and maintenance bathrooms re-fitted, sinks, showers leaks, burst pipes all emergency call out work a friendly reliable service with competitive rates call Steve 07966 152553

39

Loftus Welcomes Walkers Loftus ACCORD Walking Group started out in 2013 aiming to improve walking opportunities for local residents and visitors to the area. With strong support from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Loftus Town Council and North York Moors National Park Authority, the group has:      



organised a series of guided walks; led weekly health walks; participated in borough council walking festivals; undertaken repairs and improvements to footpaths and bridges; gained Walkers are Welcome status for the parish; secured funding from Awards for All England to produce leaflets of local walks; developed a website.

On the Cleveland Way

Paul Turner, Chair of the group, says “There’s been a real team effort by our volunteers, working with the local authorities to develop a better service for walkers around the parish. It’s still relatively early days but we’re seeing differences already as we work together to enhance visitor numbers. This is a beautiful area with a rich history and an extensive network of footpaths connecting it together and we want people from near and far to be able to appreciate it.”

To find out more, visit the website http:// loftusaccordwalkin.wix.com/walkingloftus

Having a cuppa around Loftus

Street House, resting place of the Saxon Princess

Many local people and visitors will have been saddened by the closure of the Angel Cafe in Loftus Market Place. All the best for the future to Dawn and her colleagues. Fortunately, there’s a recent addition to where you can get a cup of tea and coffee: it’s Willow Cake Shop in the High Street, across the road from Loftus Town Hall. This is a welcome addition to the growing number of places in and near Loftus where you can sit down for refreshment.

In Loftus there's also Stonehouse’s in the Market Place and the Old Co-op Building in the High Street, while nearby there’s KasKane in Skinningrove and Farm Direct Country Store at Easington. The parish of Loftus, Home of the Saxon Princess, is seeking to attract more visitors and initiatives such as these will help significantly in welcoming them as well as quenching the thirst of local residents.

Sunset at Scaling Reservoir

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Talk of the Town’s monthly

Pride of Saltburn Award

Open 7 days a week Stocking a wide range of health foods, chutneys, jams and honeys.

If it’s grown locally we do our best to source it.

Quality Fresh Fruit and Veg at Competitive Prices.

Monday to Saturday: 9.00am to 6.00pm Sunday 10.00am to 4.30pm Open till 7.00pm on Fridays The winner of this month’s Pride of Saltburn Award is Christine Pollard. Christine was nominated by her friends and neighbours Roxburgh and Julie Richmond. Recently Julie required medical intervention in the form of an ambulance and Roxburgh was working away down South. Abigail, Julie and Roxburgh’s daughter had to contact Christine in the early hours of the morning and Christine did not hesitate and came round in minutes.

Julie and Roxburgh say about Christine she is your friend and your guiding star and she supports you in time of needs, you smile knowing this person is there and you just know that she truly and deeply cares. When you feel down she always knows and will do anything to make you smile again, she is one of the few genuine people who never judges. Thank You Christine you truly are amazing.

Thank you, Christine, for being you, the Pride of Saltburn.

Every month, a £30 bunch of flowers, kindly donated by Ruby Lilly’s Florists of Marske, is awarded to someone in Saltburn who has earned admiration, gratitude and love for whatever reason. Talk of the Town invites nominations from readers, to chose whom to receive recognition and a bunch of flowers. Send your nominations to Talk of the Town’s postbag at Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ or email Ian (talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com). (Please include your name, phone number and the reason you are nominating the person of your choice.) Please also confirm with the nominee that they are willing to receive the award (many people feel shy about it). All the nominations will be read and kept for future use, so even if your choice doesn’t win this month, they might do so next time.

Grasers 07703 884184 Try something different at Grasers

Coconut Goodies Grasers stocks a wide range of coconut products. As well as the traditional creamed coconut and coconut milk invaluable for creating an authentic taste for Thai cuisine, there’s also extra virgin coconut oil and traditional desiccated and flaked coconut for baking. More unusual products include coconut flour and coconut sugar, much healthier than their alternatives, and even coconut peanut butter! There are delicious thirst-quenching coconut water and fruit juice mixes and coconut ices and chocolate coconut sweets.

Research into the many health benefits of eating coconut, shows it is rich in vitamins and minerals, and high in the fatty acid lauric acid which promotes good HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Coconut oil is also beneficial for skin and hair and is used in a wide range of beauty products.

41

Chocolinis

Saltburn Variety Show!

Chocolatier Continental Chocolates Moulded Figures Our Own Recipe Bars Speciality Ice Cream Celebration Cake Toppers Wedding Favours Luxury Hot Chocolate Coffees Teas www.chocolinissaltburn.com

3 Windsor Road Saltburn TS12 1AX 01287 626141

CHOCOLINIS NEWS NUGGETS

Are our handmade Belgium chocolate fish and chips better than the real thing?

Come and try them and make up your own mind. If it's a typical British summer day come and warm up with a luxury hot chocolate with marshmallow, cream and buttons to make your day brighter.

42

Saturday, 3rd September 2016, 7.30pm, Earthbeat Centre, In aid of Leleka Fund Come along to an evening packed with music and dance, and it’s all for a good cause!

April saw the 30th anniversary of the world’s worst nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Despite the passage of time, the after effects will be felt for many decades to come. Leleka Fund is a non-profit organisation which helps Ukrainian children who suffer leukaemia and other illnesses as a direct result of Chernobyl. They arrange for the children to holiday abroad with a host family, so they can have uncontaminated food and drink, get first-hand experience of another culture, improve their language skills and build long-lasting friendships.

The evening features performances from some excellent musicians, including harpist Sarah Paterson, folk singer Maggie Camp, flautist James Cairns, and internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Nina ScottStoddart. Adding some glitz and glamour to the evening will be the Easington Tappers, who some of you may remember from last year’s Christmas Market.

There is also the chance to win some fabulous raffle prizes, including free surf lessons for four people courtesy of 360 Surf! All proceeds of the evening go to Leleka Fund.

So come along, sit with a glass of something, and enjoy the show!

Tickets £5 adult, £2.50 children, available from Sarah (07729 865666) in advance, or on the door. For more infor ma tion on Leleka Fund visit: www.lelekafund.blogspot.co.uk.

The Countryside Ranger and Volunteers, August 2016 I started last years’ August article with the news that the site had gained a Green Flag award – well, we have kept up the hard work and have just found out that we have passed again.

A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers, who have contributed their time and enthusiasm into making the Valley the wonderful place it is. Without their hard work it wouldn’t have been possible.

August is a great time for insect enthusiasts, as clouds of multicoloured butterflies take to the air. Plants disparaged as weeds put on displays to rival our most exotic blooms, and Britain’s most dazzling birds turn up unexpectedly.

For the bird enthusiast, August is often a quiet month, sandwiched between the end of the breeding season and the start of autumn migration. However, just when you least expect it, you may chance upon an unusual sighting that will remind you of the unpredictability of the bird-life of Britain.

One of the most intriguing discoveries may well be a kingfisher, because in August these colourful birds often turn up in the most unexpected places. The reasons for the species’ dispersal in high summer are two-fold. Firstly, young fledged from this year’s broods are often actively encouraged by their parents to leave their territories. Secondly (although not really appropriate this year!) if rainfall has been low then kingfishers - even adults – occupying marginal habitats may find that their feeding grounds are drying up, forcing them to move away in search of water.

The acorn crop varies from year to year, influenced by factors such as the weather, insect populations and the abundance of the crop the previous year. By late august, however, the boughs of most oak trees will be laden with

clusters of these distinctive nuts, which ripen from green to brown. Many acorns are attacked by weevils and other insects, while large numbers are consumed by squirrels and small mammals. However, enough survive to ensure a new generation of majestic oaks.

Yellow-rattle is one of the most attractive of the grassland plants which can be found growing in Mill Field Meadow (by the viaduct). It is recognised by its toothed leaves and striking yellow flowers. These are borne on variable, but often tall, spikes. Following pollination by bumblebees or other insects, the fruits which develop become inflated and then dry as they mature. Inside, the ripe seeds make an audible rattling sound, hence the plant’s common English name. Yellow-rattle is an annual plant which is semi-parasitic on the roots of grasses – it gains some, but not all, of its nutrients from its host. We collect the seed of this plant in the autumn, and spread it after the meadow has been cut as it helps to suppress the coarse grasses and allow the growth of wild flowers.

The Volunteers will continue to meet throughout the year on Fridays at 10am near the Woodland Centre (their work can be seen on the websi te: www.saltburncountrysidevolunteers.btck.co.uk).

If you would like any information regarding volunteering opportunities either within Saltburn Valley, or the wider Saltburn area please feel free to contact; Karen.preston@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk, Sophie.L yth@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or myself paul.murphy@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk.

Paul Murphy and Volunteers

Local author launches book series based on North East coast Author CD Field spent several happy years living in Garnet Street, Saltburn before moving to nearby Redcar.

Her latest children’s book, aimed at the 9 – 13 years age group is the first in a series of many ghostly and spooky adventures to be based around the most popular places along our coastline.

The first in this series is Zackery Grimm Investigates: The Ghost of Agapantha Claypole.

This new series is different to most other fantasy, ghostly tales; the settings are authentic and may be visited and enjoyed by the reader and the plot lines are loosely based on research of the surrounding areas and incorporate many aspects of local folk lore, myths and legends. The Ghost of Agapantha Claypole is set in Scarborough. Our young hero, Zack, along with his lively little cousin, Amelie, enjoy some of Scarborough’s most popular and loved attractions while solving the mystery of the ghost of a Victorian woman who haunts their hotel, high on the cliff above Scarborough’s south bay.

The second book in this mystical series, to be released later in the year is set in Whitby. Zackery Grimm Investigates: The peculiar world of Billy Peanut, sees

Zack and Amelie facing the awesome power of the legendary Selkies who live deep in the sea below Whitby Abbey’s majestic cliffs.

The third book, Zackery Grimm Investigates: The haunting of Eli Shilling, currently in the research phase, will feature Saltburn and Redcar as the back drop to Zack’s adventures. Anyone having information about local, ghostly goings-on are welcome to get in touch with the author via the web site (www.cdfield.eu).

CD Field is also the author of The Medicine Tree series, based on the journey of one young girl through comprehensive school in the North east.

This series of books based on 21st century school life was inspired by the author’s extensive teaching career.

The series is unique in that it explores the specific issues and challenges directly affecting each year group of the comprehensive school years; from year 7 through to graduation in year 11.

Gentle guidance and suggestions drawn from philosophies old and new are woven throughout each story.

A thought provoking read for adults and young people alike.

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Saltburn Community and Arts Association Update

Hello, I’m Tony Smith, the new Chairman of Saltburn Community & Arts Association (SCAA), having been appointed following the AGM in May. First, may I apologise for the delay in this article going to print – it’s my fault entirely but time just flies by!

I would like to begin by thanking the previous chairman, Les Manship, for his enthusiasm and dedication to SCAA and I hope that he will continue to support us for many years to come.

The AGM went well once we were quorate.

Philip Thomson, our Treasurer, has done a wonderful job over the last few years ensuring that our debts were settled and helping us to achieve a more sound financial footing. My thanks go to him and to all of the trustees, past and present, staff and user groups for their continuing support.

We did, of course, lose one of our main users last year, Earthbeat, who have, as I’m sure you know, acquired their own premises in the old junior school building. What an excellent job Tony and his team have done with the old building. My best wishes go to them all for the future. However, the loss of Earthbeat has made a dent in our income and we are doing all we can to attract new users and raise funds in any way we can.

At the AGM we introduced an annual membership fee of £10 for members of SCAA. Paid up members will receive several newsletters during the year which will ensure that they are kept informed of future events etc. Membership forms can be obtained from the office at the Community Centre and all persons who wish to become members or to renew their existing membership are asked to complete a form and pay the new fee.

We now need to focus on restoring this iconic building which is in the heart of Saltburn. The building houses a 150 seat theatre with new seating, lighting and sound system (thanks to a lottery grant), a hall which holds over 100 people and also a kitchen and coffee room, all of which are available for hire during the day or in the evening. Anyone interested in hiring any of our facilities can telephone the office on 01287 624997.

The building is a Grade II Listed Building which is extremely expensive to maintain! Without money from grants and donations we find it very difficult to carry out any repairs or improvements to the building as our current income is only sufficient to meet our day to day expenses. I am therefore appealing to the people of Saltburn and surrounding areas to help us by making donations, promoting the building, hiring our facilities or by getting involved. We are desperately in need of new trustees or sub-committee members who are prepared to give up a little of their time to man the office for example, help in the theatre during shows and productions, man the bar or to help in many other ways.

If you can help, please contact Christine or Wilma on 01287 624997.

Tony Smith 44

Friday Friends

Friday Friends is a Saltburn based inclusive friendship group, open to all over 18, regardless of age or ability.

Sadly, we have to begin by saying that two of our members have recently died.

Linda, who was a prize winning artist, was a valued member of the group, who had a wonderful sense of humour.

Frances, a valued volunteer and committee member, who was always there to help and support us all. Both Linda and Frances will be sadly missed and always remembered.

All at Friday Friends would like to say Thank you to Frances’s family and friends for their generous and moving donation to the group.

Here is the programme for August: 5th - Seated Keep Fit with Taylor then Bingo. Decorating a beach stone/container.

12th - 10 - 11 Sign language with Tom. 11 - 12 Drumming with Colin. Card making.

19th - Meeting outside the church hall by 10.15 for our sponsored walk around Saltburn. Back at the hall for the afternoon to paint a picture of a flower.

26th - Bowling at Saltburn Bowls Club (TBC). Tray cloth fabric painting.

We meet at Emmanuel Church Hall, Macnay St, Saltburn every Friday. Activity mornings are 10 - 12.30/Arts and Crafts 1 - 4. First taster session is free and carers are always free, then there is a charge of £2.50 half day or £4 all day, which helps cover the rent and insurance and all. We are run by volunteers and are non-profit making.

Thefridayfriends@outlook.com or 07833 895 501.

Anjee, Mandy, Caroline, Jean and Lisa.

45

Marske Hall

Church stalwart leaves Saltburn

A former Grangetown newsagent, Ken Lightfoot, who has been a stalwart at the Evangelical Church, Leven Street, Saltburn, since 1987, is leaving town to live with his son in Northampton.

Ken, 94, built up a wide circle of friends in Saltburn and will be sadly missed. But he has also found friends in his new home town after visiting it for several years.

Ken said that when he arrived in Saltburn membership of the Leven Street mission was only eight, but it has built itself up to around 30 now. A social meeting room was built by members’ contributions several years ago.

An oil painting of Saltburn’s pier and Huntcliff was presented when tributes were paid to his faithful service to the church. Maureen Thornton read out a poem she had written about Ken Lightfoot being a ‘faithful and true’ member of the church. Well-wishers at his farewell tea raised a toast to him at the Evangelical Church hall on 28th May before he left.

Ken is also a former chairman of Saltburn and District Retired Men’s Forum. Current chairman Stuart Wright praised him for his long-service as a regularly-attending member.

Ken was also well-known as a former serviceman who laid wreaths at the town’s war memorial on Remembrance Day for many years. He only ceased to join the procession from the supermarket car park to Emmanuel Church and the war memorial a few years ago due to advancing years.

Mike Morrissey

Sea View Care Home

Bespoke Furniture, Joinery

Sea View care home had a successful 2015 fund raising for the Alzheimers society. So once again we have decided to do fund raising for the Alzheimers Society and to give ourselves a little bit more to do we are also raising funds for Breast Cancer.

For Breast Cancer we are collecting old bras, so if anyone has any you can drop them off at Sea View and we will get them collected. They are converted into cash for Breast cancer research and then sent to Africa to be recycled.

For the Alzheimers Society we held a Cup Cake Day on 16th June. It was a great day with cup cakes made by: Tremendous Terry, Amazing Anne, Tasty Tammy, Scrumptious Sam, Luscious Linda, Elegant Elaine and Juicy Julie. And we made in excess of £250.

Once again we are doing the Memory Walk. This time it will be in September and anyone who would like to walk with us and make our day even more successful than last year please call into Sea View and we can share the details with you.

At Sea View we could not do this without the support of a great staff team and the community around us.

Regards, Carol.

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Call 07773 091727 Email: simpsonc999@gmail.com 46

AUGUST EVENTS The fundraising team is busy working on events for the remainder of the year. Coming soon....Afternoon Tea part y.

Following the success of the Queen’s Tea Party in May, the team is hoping to organise another tea party soon. Look out for details or call 01642 482672.

Appeal: The fundraising team is always looking for tombola and raffle prizes to use at events throughout the year.

Simply call into Marske Hall from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

Thank you for your continued support. Funds raised at these events will enhance the lives of people living at Marske Hall. Registered Charity No: 218186. For details of these and other events call 01642 482672 (or visit: www.facebook/ marskehall.com).

Marske Hall, Redcar Road, TS11 6AA. Kath Bloomfield Volunteer press officer

Little Nippers is in desperate need of willing volunteers to help out on Monday and Wednesday mornings, either in the kitchen or in the group. We need people to help set up and put away. If you can help, even if it is only for a few hours each month, we would love to hear from you. So, if you love spending time with young children, painting, glueing, singing, making music or reading stories, or even simply making drinks, then please contact Little Nippers Playgroup on

01287 624575

Setting up a Mental Health Charity: Katy’s Quest “I had been thinking of setting up a mental health charity for a while, but the tragic death of my friend Katy last December spurred me into action,” says Lucy Leaver. “I started Katy’s Quest with the aim of abolishing stigma surrounding mental health problems and bringing general awareness of issues related to mental health.”

Lucy decided her first task would be to raise funds for the Overdale Women’s Ward at Roseberry Park, Middlesbrough. This ward has eighteen beds, catering for over-eighteens with issues such as severe depression, bipolar disorders, eating disorders and schizophrenia.

Some women are rushed in without nightclothes, dressing gowns and toiletries. They may need slippers and lounge wear for daytime. A lot of patients only have an hour a day of occupational health and spend the rest of the time on the ward, so Lucy sees a great need for art supplies, grown-up colouring books, jigsaws and reading books.

“I decided to hold an event in Saltburn to raise funds and this was held at Emmanuel Church Hall on 28th May this year,” explains Lucy. “Its theme was Hearts.” Her cousin Zoë sang and she and Ben Woodrow played their guitars, which created a lovely atmosphere.

Sophie Brignall and Tor Harron offered face painting for children and Louisa Daley ran a children’s tombola.

There was a large cake stall for which many people gave home-made cakes. Refreshments including bacon sandwiches, quiches, teas and coffees were available from an enthusiastic volunteer team: Lucy’s mum Jen Leaver, Andy Joy, Karen Braund, Andrew Colman, Lesley Curwen and Ellen Tipple.

“We had a raffle organised by Emma, Laura and Anne Burniston and my friend Becky Corey ran a hula hoop club outside,” adds Lucy. “I am very grateful to all these people and to Sue and Mick Sullivan and Dorothy Ives who also supported me.”

Raffle prizes were kindly given by Saltburn businesses: Brambles, Drift, Real Meals, Spa Hotel, Camfields, Saltburn Pharmacy, The Cave and Estelle’s Dancefit, as well as friends of Lucy’s family.

Lucy also got together a range of leaflets on depression and anxiety, which gave contact numbers. There were details of courses that are held at Redcar Academy, that aim to deal with depression. These include meditation/ yoga, healthy eating and colour art therapy. More information is available from Maria Kingham on 01642 771193.

A significant part of the event was a Silent Art Auction. Friend Lewis Orchard, who has a textile business creating prints for swimwear, started it off by sending three pieces of artwork and fifteen further generous artists donated work. There were several bids during the day and then the exhibition moved to Northern Lights shop in Milton Street for a further four weeks.

“I was thrilled with the result and thank Ted and Shirley Jeffery of Northern Lights for their help,” says Lucy. “The Art Auction raised £902 and the day raised £1112, making a total of £2029!”

The Overdale Ward Manager, Andrea Card, has expressed delight about the clothes and art materials, toiletries, books and jigsaws that Lucy has been buying with the money. They have been specially welcome at this time,

as there has been a recent change to a no-smoking indoor or outdoor rule and some women find this difficult to conform to, without activities to engage in.

“In the future, I would like to register the charity, which is essential if we raise more than £5000 a year,” says Lucy. “I will need two trustees to help oversee the things the charity is aiming to do and if any reader would like to volunteer, especially if he or she has experience in the field of mental health or accountancy, that would be wonderful. I would also like to hold another event before Christmas to raise money for the children’s mental health ward at West Lane Hospital, Middlesbrough.”

The charity is using some funds to raise awareness for teenagers regarding drug-related issues with mental health.

Lucy aims to hold an evening event with music and activities, towards Christmas, perhaps at ECHO again. She has set up a Facebook page called Katy’s Quest and there will be adverts in Saltburn shops and Talk of the Town.

Buoyed by her success, Lucy has become an NHS Trust Involvement Member. At fortnightly meetings in local areas, she is able to have her say about developments in mental health provision and how people can be reached.

There will be an article about her charity in the NHS Trust Involvement Member online magazine shortly. She has also made over £120 through making knitted heart badges with Jen Leaver, which have been sold at Redcar’s Foxrush House.

These are friendship badges, hand-made with love costing £3 each. She can be emailed if readers want to buy (at lucyleaver@hotmail.co.uk).

Experiencing poor mental health can be isolating, frustrating and hard to bear. The slogan for Katy’s Quest charity is: striving for better mental health and putting the pieces of people’s lives back together. Lucy explains: “It is important to be aware of people being down or acting out of character. It’s vital to care for people and to pull together as a community to help each other.”

Rosemary Nicholls 47

Cons Club Welcomes Saltburn Folk Festival A warm welcome to everyone. I am writing this letter on the day the judges are in Saltburn from Northumbria in Bloom.

On walking around yesterday the town looked lovely with the volunteers having done a wonderful job plus the Council had the grass cutters in operation putting the finishing touches to the verges which made for a fantastic effort which, hopefully, will bring a deserved award once again to our beautiful town. The only area that was a big let-down was the hedges alongside Glenside from the entrance to the woods to the play park. These hedges were very badly overgrown and, in places, they came half way across the pavement. They look terrible, especially as it is on the inspection route, and it reflects very poorly on the Council’s efforts for what they call the ‘Flagship’ resort of Redcar & Cleveland.

Now my whinge is over I would like to reflect on events held in the Club during July. It was very moving to see the number of people who attended the Club on Sunday, 10th July to celebrate the life of John Sparrow, a truly respected and nice man who sadly passed away in Spain.

His great friend Joe Cockfield, our Club Chairman, gave a short speech and recollected amusing stories they had shared and Mike Cummins read out a short speech on behalf of his son Gary and the family. Our Stewardess, Michelle, put on another of her fantastic buffets and a good afternoon was had by all. John would have been impressed.

As I write this article we are 3 days away from the start of our ‘Saltburn Pride Weekend’. This event is a first for the club and the town which we will be making into a regular annual event. I know we have had a good response and I have no doubts that the events and music planned (plus special guests) will ensure 2 days of enjoyment for all who attend. Thanks go to Wendy Shepherd for her organising, to Shaun Cook for the music and to the members and committee for providing Cream Teas on the Saturday and a Barbecue on the Sunday. A big raffle was to be held and all proceeds, along with other monies raised, will be donated to Barnardo’s work with LGBT youths locally and to the North East GAY Federation. Another full house happened in July with a Birthday Party was held in the Club.

The music was great and once again Michelle put on a great spread of food. Remember, the Lounge, snug, committee room and garden area are free to hire for private functions for all members (another good reason for joining). The Club can provide music, food etc. You only need to contact Michelle on the bar to confirm availability of the date you want and any extras you require.

Moving into August, and the main event of the month is the ‘Saltburn Folk Festival’ on 12th, 13th & 14th. Events start in the Club as follows: Friday 12th - 12 Noon, Saturday 13th - 10-30am & Sunday 14th - 11am. The bar will be opening to accommodate the early starts each day and the music will be almost non-stop, finishing at 1am on the Friday & Saturday and late tea-time on the Sunday. A barbecue will be taking place on all 3 days (with a vegetarian option) from 1pm till 7pm and everyone is welcome. The marquee has been erected and the scene is set for what will be a memorable 3 days which will also give us a chance to meet up again with the performers and visitors who use the Club year after year, with the numbers growing steadily. Apart from the music and food we have the best Beer Garden in town with the plants and roses starting to flower and the hanging baskets now looking superb. These will shortly be followed by the hydrangeas, all of which makes it the perfect place to renew acquaintances over a drink with a pint of our CAMRA Award winning Real Ales. Members of the public are welcome to the Club on all 3 days to join in or listen to the music free of charge plus why not have a Barbecue during your visit.

Barbecues are normally held every 2 weeks at the Club which means that they will also be taking place on Sundays 7th & 21st. Sunday is also the day we hold our weekly Beer Draw & Cash Rollover when you could win gallons of beer and the chance to win a big cash prize. If not won the money increases by £25 each week. The draw takes place at 6pm.

Friday 26th sees our ever popular ‘Open Mic Night’ with ‘Teesside Steve’ and Liz Bishop from 8pm. This is live music at its best and entry is free for everyone. Come and play, sing or listen. You won’t find anything better in Saltburn on a Friday night.

On Sunday 28th the Club is holding a celebration following the Christening of Lauren & Antony’s baby girl Isla. (Lauren is our stewardess’s, Michelle’s, daughter).

Everyone at the Club wishes Lauren, Antony & Isla much love & happiness.

Just a reminder that we hold a Club draw every Tuesday at 10pm and we also have a top quality snooker table which is available for members and guests on the first floor.

Keep well and enjoy the sun.

David Rigg, Club President Email: davidrigg21@yahoo.co.uk Article financially supported by Saltburn Conservative & Unionist Club

Saltburn Cons Club Future Events to entertain in August Every Tuesday: Club Draw Nights for Meat Voucher, Wines & Chocolates ………………10pm Every Sunday at 6pm (apart from 14th owing to Folk Weekend): Beer Draw & Cash Rollover. Increases by £25 each week if not won.

Saturday Afternoons: A get-together by ‘The Conmen’. Americano Musicians Jam sessions from 3pm.

Barbecues in the Garden: 31st July (Food Festival in Town), 7th & 21st August 3pm until 7pm Friday 12th: Folk Festival 12 Noon start plus early Bar to accommodate. Barbecue 1pm – 7pm Saturday 13th: Folk Festival 10-30am start plus early Bar to accommodate. Barbecue 1pm – 7pm Sunday 14th: Folk Festival 11am start plus early bar to accommodate. Barbecue 1pm – 7pm Friday 26th: ‘Open Mic Night’ with Teesside Steve & Liz Bishop……………..8pm start Sunday 26th: Private Christening Party plus Food.

48

Saltburn - still a delight In 1939 my family moved from our home near Billingham’s ICI chemical plant and anhydrite mine and Teesside’s iron and steel industry to my father’s country cottage at Swainby.

Although we were safely away from the war and possible bombing, the war none the less sometimes came to us. Troops were brought in for training and manoeuvres on the moors and Cleveland Hills. They camped in Bell’s field opposite our cottage and school and we used to gawk at them with great curiosity. They would talk to us and send us to the shop to buy them cigarettes, Players, Navy Cut and Woodbines, giving us pocket money for running errands. They were pleasant to us children, so we did not regard them as strangers. They were temporary members of the village and everyone in the village was known to we children and our friends and we all cared for each other.

Another feature of my new village life was Mr Temple’s old bus which was used, petrol rationing allowing, to enhance the social life of the village. It was yellow, its mudguards were damaged and its upholstery was tattered but it could go. The gears would grind as it started up and the engine grumbled as it climbed hills but old as it was, it never let us down. It was used by the Women’s Institute and the church and was always available if called upon along with its owner as driver.

Like all villagers Mr Temple grew to know us children individually and was like a trusted uncle, yet his bus would not have passed a modern MOT. Such a thing was not heard of then anyway. Most cars were laid up for the Duration, roads were empty except for army vehicles and were therefore safe for most people’s chosen transport, bikes.

Once a year we were taken on a Sunday School outing. The memory of my excitement that first year is vivid. I was looking forward to the playground I knew from before the war, playing on the beach, swimming in the sea using the bathing machines and taking rides through the Valley Gardens on the miniature railway.

It was with a sense of homecoming I boarded the rackety bus, girls and the boys together noisy with our feelings of decadent anticipation competing to sit on the back seat. Many of the children had never been outside the village and certainly not in Wartime. The Village, Potto Station and The Market place at Northallerton were decorated with posters which read “Is your journey really necessary?” Billboards with posters everywhere warned against the Squander Bug but that day on Mr Temple’s bus we were free from all of that.

It was a sunny day. Roseberry Topping looked like a dead volcano and as we passed I noticed that the flower gardens had changed. It was wartime and the able bodied had planted out vegetables, ‘Digging for victory’ just as posters in post offices admonished us all to do. But I was more interested in the songs we were singing; ‘Roll out the Barrel’, ‘Run Rabbit Run’, ‘Hang out your washing

on the Siegfried line’. The journey was so much fun and we were looking forward to even more fun at the seaside.

When we arrived my first disappointment was that the bus had to be parked near the sea: the vicar’s wife explained that the cliff railway was closed for the duration and that it would be too hard to walk down with all us children.

But what a shock for my brother and me when we stepped off the bus. No question of playing on the beach, it was barricaded with barbed wire like a crown of thorns, suddenly symbolic to the six year old me of the agony our country was going through. A skull and cross bones warned us that the beach was covered in deadly mines. The Royal Engineers, had shut the pier off and to my dismay its majestic length was no more; its distant end which might have provided mooring for invading ships, had been blown up! The place which for me had been full of innocent peacetime memories had become a fortress against invasion. Huntcliff was now guarded by formidable pillboxes all along its skyline. My hopes of playing in the sea abandoned, only a muddy paddling pool was available near to the beck for us to play in.

Despite this, the Valley Gardens unconstrained by the austerity of the war were a delight to behold. Untended by gardeners who were absent in the forces, the flowers and shrubs were running riot, celebrating their lack of restraint. The sun and sea air could not be rationed, walking along the promenade we saw girls in the uniforms of the Wrens and WAFS. We had experience of soldiers in war time but the women in uniform was a sight to behold to us country children.

During the war we never saw white bread, we had to eat National Bread which looked and tasted like grainy concrete. Everywhere there were dried eggs and dried Milk and margarine. The war and austerity, shortage of clothing and rationing, was what we were used to. I cannot say what extras were available to the people of Saltburn but a culinary delight was to come.

The vicar and his wife had organised tea in a café for us before returning home. The café was above Pearson’s in the town. We climbed the stairs, found our places, and the vicar said Grace with which we all joined in fervently.

What my eyes told me next was a miracle. Like the feeding of the five thousand. How many ration books had been pillaged to provide it all? Jellies, cakes and then wonder of wonders my eyes focused on the sandwiches. With astonishment I saw they were made with real white bread. When I tasted my first one I realised it was real butter and to crown that real eggs, not powdery tasting dried egg! I will never forget that Sunday school outing or the tea that was made for us and nor will I ever give up wondering where it all came from.

All these years later I can still remember and enjoy what a great adventure it all was and would like to say thank you to the people of Saltburn who lived in much greater danger than we did and yet were so generous to us.

Sylvia Williamson 49

30 walk Saltburn’s Somme way Architectural Services & Chartered Structural & Civil Engineers Architectural Planning and Building Regulation Advice Listed Building Experts House Extensions & Loft Conversions Alterations and Refurbishments Residential New Builds Shop Layout Designs Alcohol Licence Applications Office Warehouse Designs

Structural & Civil Engineering Structural Surveys Beam Designs Building Restoration Foundation & Underpinning Design General Building Works Walk organiser Maria Beevers holds the Saltburn wreath dedicated to 64 local men who died in WW1.

She is pictured at the newly-refurbished war memorial.

About 30 people took part in a two-hour ‘Somme memory’ walk in Saltburn on 1st July, 100th anniversary of the WW1 battle.

Local historian Stuart McMillan, of Skelton, led the nostalgic trek, which included visiting the town’s newlyrefurbished war memorial, built a century ago.

A special wreath was laid in memory of the 64 local men who died in the war.

Stuart told how pillboxes, slit trenches and mines were laid on the beach and cliffs near Marine Parade to foil any attempt by Germans to land.

He said that Saltburn House, then a workers’ convalescent home, was used to treat wounded soldiers form the Somme battles. The TocH building, off Albion Terrace, was earmarked as a mortuary but never used.

The pier - then twice as long as the present structure - was out of action to stop any attempt to invade using it.

An official unveiling ceremony will be held in midAugust at the war memorial. Bad weather had corroded the metal on the face of the Sacrifice plaque. Many townspeople and visitors praised the work done by a Shropshire specialist firm.

Saltburn’s Building Bridges project, which meets at the Toc H building behind the library, have produced a map of the town showing the houses where many of the dead soldiers lived. Details are on the back of two sheets, which can be had from the library.

The ‘Walking in their Footsteps’ sheets have been revised and updated from the book written by Ian Bedford, of Saltburn, from the war memorial.

A copy of a book on Britain’s wartime defences written in part by Stuart McMillan can also be seen at Saltburn library.

50

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Eric Matson (volunteer), 25 High Street, Skelton, Tel: 07985 767587

I find life amazing How often do we stop and consider it, the mind blowing ‘coincidences’ that have resulted in us being here on this planet and being born human and able to understand these words written on a page.

Reading is such an incredible combination, with eyes that have grown to work in their own amazing complexity.

We agree on symbols that when put together create what we call a word and when words are strung together in a certain pattern we agree to create a sense of shared meaning and still there’s so much more going on until suddenly we are translating a thought and a feeling that’s inside of us and someone else is feeling it!

Sometimes the amazing subtlety and the unlikely happening of it all can lead us to even put blind faith in a God we cannot see or into a scripture we have no way of knowing if it’s true yet the words to us in a particular sequence can stab an explanation at the place where science or making sense simply runs out. God makes sense for anybody who stops and thinks about it, an architect to this whole amazing experience, yet the concept has been manipulated and used by religions for control, when I think one day it will be seen as the path to freedom and harmony.

I find myself forty-seven years old, living in the North East of England, of all the places in the world I’ve travelled to I never imagined that I would come to rest here, and I love it, the blend of beach and woods and moorland and cliff tops and a place small enough to bump into familiar smiling faces and large enough to feel the warmth of something alive.

I’ve had the pleasure of friends in my life and wonderful girlfriends from different lands and yet I find myself married to the most amazing and the most beautiful of them all. Together we have a child who is like a dream of cuteness, brimming with wellness and bursting with smiles and giggles as though she gains strength from each joy she gives out.

I worked all through my twenties at horrible jobs only to get the money and I never had enough. Then I listened to some wise people and made a commitment to myself to only work at things I loved and since then I’ve found that it hardly feels like I work at all and what they told me has come true: I work less and there’s now more money to go round. So I work at what I love and I love what I do in my spare time.

Nature is often a companion to me, walking or cycling or climbing trees, or lying down silently listening.

Yet if I lie there a while and try and place myself in this experience I find it too full of too many strained probabilities for it all to be mere chance.

There are nearly nine million species on this planet.

Isn’t it a bit of a surprise, to say the least, that I happen to have been born into life as a human being? I’ve read that there are fifty-two billion sperm produced in an average man’s life, and I’m one of three of my father’s that has created a child; that alone gives me about a one in seventeen billion chance of existing. There are about seven billion people on this planet, what coincidences have had to happen to lead to the chance of meeting my wife?

I have all my limbs and no diseases. I’ve never been hospitalized not even for a night. I’ve been down when I was younger but never in depression or mentally unwell. Life is flowing beautifully and I like to remind myself of that every day when I sit with myself and meditate. I don’t fully

understand why it seems to make a big difference to believe that everything is flowing well and that the future is rosy, but ever since I’ve started to practise it life seems to have become more fluid and smooth and more and more joy has simply come to me with ease. Am I lucky or is there more to it?

The one thing I think is sure about life is that we don’t know everything yet. If you think of time and how long this planet has been around and how long humans have been on it, and how quickly we are progressing (a mere thirty years ago when I was a kid there was no internet, or laptops or mobile phones or satellite TV; the most advanced technology we had was digital watches). I think it’s very likely we are in our early evolution as a species, and we will come to understand much more about our lives and our purpose for being here and what we can actually achieve as human beings in future generations.

Yet in my view it’s a wonder and an amazement every day when we realise the coincidences that have had to happen for us to be here, on the only planet that can sustain life that we have so far discovered in all the galaxies of billions of stars. And it just so happens to have incredible beauty too, rainbows and lightning and blue skies and orange sunsets and every shade of green in the leaves and colours in flowers so pure they can’t be truly replicated by man.

One of the main principles of the happiness philosophy is appreciation, to think it every day, to be amazed at being here, having this body, having this life opportunity.

I believe a large part of the good health in my life comes from telling myself a positive story, about life, about me and my body and translating those thoughts into actions that support the thoughts.

I believe my life has flowed to where I am directly because of my thoughts and my actions. I could say because of an attitude, an attitude of general relaxation that says that in the big picture nothing is really that important to get too stressed about, we will all be dead soon, almost everything we stress about really doesn’t matter, and stress creates illness, so why make this journey shorter if you can do something about that, and why not enjoy it more?

I believe that everything in life is interesting, the whole journey and every part of it is a learning and up to us how hard we take it or how light we make it.

I feel sure that in time we will discover that our beliefs about how life in the future is going to turn out has a real and direct correlation to how it transpires.

When I think about life and myself here alive, I think it is almost too farfetched to be real. If someone would tell the story of the coincidences that need to happen for your particular life to come into existence it would all sound too ridiculous to be believable. If a mathematician could explain the probabilities, the number would be so huge it would be considered insanely unlikely.

So I think being alive is worth celebrating daily.

Everything will pass and nothing is really that important, so it seems to me only logical and sensible to spend as much of this time enjoying the experience while we are here, to be healthy and happy, and if I practice the principles I have learnt I can do that and enjoy every day.

For comments, questions or support, contact me, Kendal Aitken, Health and Happiness Coach / Counsellor, on coach@happygreenblueeyes.co.uk or 07944 88396, at no cost.

51

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52

27 Milton Street Saltburn-by-the-Sea

The Saltburn Profile by Rosemary Nicholls Chris Ferguson “If there is a good time to be visually impaired, it’s now,” says Chris Ferguson, who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of nineteen. “Today’s technology is amazing. There are ways round everything and it’s not the end of the world if you are told you’re losing your sight.”

Chris was born and brought up in York in a family with two older sisters. After she left school at sixteen, she did admin in the offices of Terry’s chocolate factory until she went to Bermuda with her accountant partner at the time. The small island had picture postcard views, but she wasn’t allowed to work there and after a couple of years, she came back to York. She decided she wanted to become a physiotherapist, so she took her ‘A’ levels and went to train at the North London School of Physiotherapy, which was attached to the Whittington Hospital.

Chris loved student life in London, but she knew she wanted to return to the north to practise her profession.

She got a job with the Doncaster and Mexborough NHS Trust and was very happy there, but after nine months she moved to Teesside to be with David, whom she met through a family connection.

David’s elder brother married Chris’s elder sister in 1979, so the pair were introduced to each other and David’s mum, who was also a physiotherapist, was interested in getting to know Chris. One day David had two tickets for a meal in Loftus, so he drove from Middlesbrough to York to pick Chris up and drove her back home afterwards! They were subsequently married in St Lucia and Chris got a job at North Tees Hospital, which was on a convenient bus route from their house at Ingleby Barwick.

“I stayed with North Tees till February 2008 and worked my way up through the ranks, latterly staffing outpatient clinics at GP surgeries,” Chris remembers. “Then I decided to open my own physiotherapy clinic on Durham Road, Stockton.” Chris is still happily working there two days a week and altogether, three part-time physios and a receptionist are employed.

Chris and David moved to Saltburn’s Hazelgrove Residential Park in October 2011. Previous to this, her mum was interested in having a caravan for the family and the Saltburn site ticked all the boxes. Sadly, she died before she got the caravan, but Chris and David decided that they wanted to live here permanently, as they just loved the town.

“It’s been the best decision we’ve ever made,” she says.

Chris hasn’t let retinitis pigmentosa stop her trying parachute jumps and sky diving, but in 2012, she signed up for long cane training. However, she hated it and decided to ask to be assessed for a guide dog instead. In March 2013, Quinta, a collie cross retriever came to live with them. She is now aged five and will work until she is ten. Quinta loves to play, but when she sees her harness, she goes into work mode. “She is very well-trained,” adds Chris, “and people like to stop for a chat when they see her.”

In September 2012, Chris set up Saltburn’s Visually Impaired Group, which meets at 2.00pm on the second Wednesday of each month in the Community Centre.

Teesside Society for the Blind helped by sending a mail shot about it to everyone with Saltburn in their address. There is a monthly speaker and all are welcome. Chris has also just

become a member of RNIB Direct, which is trying to reach all people with a sight impairment.

She is a member of Saltburn U3A, enjoying the monthly History talks and quizzes at the Cricket Club. She goes to the Crafters for Charity Group at the Community Centre once a month and to the Ladies’ Luncheon Club at the Golf Club for a meal and to hear a speaker.

“We go walking a lot too,” she adds, “along the beach and in the Valley Gardens and sometimes further afield to Guisborough Woods and Runswick Bay.” Chris enjoys vigorous exercise and is a member of Invictus Gym. She has personal training sessions as well as calling in casually. She has taken up running and is planning to run the York 10K in August with David and Quinta.

Chris reads through audio books. She can get them from the Royal National Institute for the Blind in daisy format and she downloads them onto her Victor Reader. She has lots of knitting patterns and recipes on this little device and she takes it wherever she goes.

David and Chris are enthusiastic classic car and tractor owners. Most recently they bought a 1934 Triumph Gloria and at the time of writing are planning to take it on a trailer to an event at Daventry. This will be followed by a trip to South-West Scotland for a week with their 1973 Triumph 2000 Estate. Their third car, a 1969 Triumph Vitesse went to an event at Runswick Bay in May. Two years ago, Chris did a blind drive at 86 mph on the back straight at Nissan Test Track in a dual controlled car. “Nothing’s impossible!” she says.

What an inspiration Chris is! What a successful life she has.

53

1st Saltburn Scout Group As I started this article, I realised this was the last week before we close for our summer break. We have benefited greatly from the drier weather taking every opportunity to get out and about; much to the satisfaction of all Sections.

Outside is still the best!

As we closed our annual Presentation Evening and AGM on 15th June, I reported how the Scouts finalised the evening by standing to end (as all 1st Saltburn Troop nights finish) by repeating the Scout Promise and Scout Laws in superb unison. Partly as a result of the ‘challenge’ to the parents and partly as a result of the Scouts ‘presentation’ ending, I have already had offers of additional assistance with both Cubs and Scouts. So perhaps the future is not so dark?

Beavers closed for the summer with several new additions to their ranks and look forward to having a continued number on roll of 22, being joined by Alfie, George, Joolz, Lucian and Preston; at the same time ‘moving-on’ to Cubs will be Daniel and Matthew. So our numbers continue to rise; with new possible recruits to the Beaver Colony due in September or at the half term break in October.

26 Cubs enjoyed a final meeting before the summer break with ice creams on the promenade, rounded off with a game of rounders. The tide and weather made for a great evening and a fitting finale; ‘moving-on’ to Scouts will be Caleb, Harry, Harry, Jacob and Sam. They were to enjoy the next evening out with the Scouts, so it was an evening of mixed emotions.

Numbers are likely to remain the same as we prepare also to have three new members in September (apart from Daniel and Matthew); with outside enquiries to be

Saltburn Line User Group Next Meeting: Tuesday, 6th September 2016 at 7.10pm There is no meeting in August.

Meetings at Saltburn Conservative Club are held on the first Tuesday of the month starting at the new time 19.10pm. As always, all welcome.

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07875 242350 SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LINE 54

followed up.

Scouts meanwhile have had most evenings out; last week on a reconnoitre we walked to and from the viaduct area of the woods. Whilst there and unhappy about the abandoned Somerfield supermarket shopping trolley in the water (as well as an abandoned mini motorbike) resolved to retrieve both and bring back to the Scout building to more suitably dispose of such rubbish. Their target was achieved and much entertainment gained as it was pushed back. The resulting survey of the woods area led to a decision to hold the last night of Scouts at the stream side; have a barbecue and generally enjoy the area. The ‘moving -up’ Cubs were invited to join them; result: a group of smoky, wet and very cheerful Cubs & Scouts finished for the summer. Thanks to the mums and dads who assisted; all had fun and were well fed.

Following our successful activities at the table top sale; Leaders and helpers in discussions with the Group Executive felt our young people deserved a thank you for their efforts with fund raising in the last year; so we are having a fun day close to the golf club. Activities include: archery, bouncy castle inflatables, space hoppers, relay races, football skills and a tuck shop. Many thanks to Jo, Karen and Linsey; who with parents’ help have planned a great session to show the Group’s thanks. In the meantime we have also received news that our £9,500 Lottery bid has been successful; now we can get on with our improvements. Well done Karen!

You will continue to see us out and after the summer break we would welcome assistance in all our activities. If you are interested in joining us, please enquire: John G. Hannah – 07811 801627 (or johnghannah@yahoo.co.uk).

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Write to us at TotT Subscriptions, 9 The Wynd, Marske, Cleveland, TS11 7LD. Don’t forget to enclose your name and address or alternatively, you can call us on 01642 477200 if you wish to pay by credit or debit card.

Recycling by Alan Butler Readers who have become familiar with my articles across the years may remember that my relationships with ecology and in particular with recycling have not always been plain sailing. However, a recent turn in events offered me the opportunity to prove that I am mindful of the planet and anxious to do my bit for the environment.

Last winter the ferocious winds here severely damaged the high garden fence on one side of our house.

Readers will remember that I wrote about it at the time.

Large parts of the fence had to be rebuilt, which left quite a few broken boards and fence posts that were due to be taken to the tip. However, with a sudden burst of enthusiasm and the summer ahead of us, I decided to make sure that the broken but otherwise sound timber would not be wasted and I embarked upon a couple of projects that would prove my credentials as a green warrior and allow me to enhance our garden virtually free of charge. I decided to create a bench for the garden and to also design and build a very small but useful greenhouse so that Kate, who is definitely the gardener around here, could propagate her own seedlings next spring.

I looked around at commercial garden benches and then cast a glance at the timber I had available and decided that the first project was definitely a possibility.

Mindful of the fact that my trusty electric mitre saw gave up the ghost a couple of years ago I thought it prudent to go out and buy another because the task would have been so much more difficult if all the wood needed to be cut by hand. However, I secured a real bargain at a DIY store on Skippers Lane and managed to get a new mitre saw for £34.

I’m not the world’s best planner but it occurred to me that I did have all the wood I needed to make the seat and back of the bench and for the main framework but many of the fence boards were too wide for my needs and had to be split along their length. As useful as it was the mitre saw could not do that job so I was faced with either having to throw away this useful timber or find some way to deal with it. It just so happened that I saw on the internet a bench circular saw that would be ideal for the purpose and at the very reasonable price of £40.

This excellent piece of kit soon arrived and I began my carpentry work.

I decided to cut the wood for the greenhouse project at the same time as that for the bench, thereby getting most of the noise and the sawdust out of the way at the same time. I was less than half way through this task when it dawned on me that the broken fence posts, which I was going to split up and use for the greenhouse frames and parts of the bench were too gnarly and distorted to be of any use, so I put them on one side and went to the DIY shop, this time for bundles of 2” by 1” and 2” by 2” treated timber that would be ideal for my purpose.

I soon discovered that as excellent as the old fence boards were in theory, in practice they had definitely seen better days. I did use some of them, together with parts of a pallet that had been left at the house when the new fence arrived to make the seat and back of the bench but most of them had not only been broken by the wind but also split in such a way that made them virtually useless. A good half of the pallet boards were also splintered and beyond redemption. I placed the whole lot in a pile by the side of the shed, determined to find some use for them as the projects moved forward.

It absolutely amazed me how many screws it takes to put together a wooden framed greenhouse. It is also a fact that no matter what screw is needed for a particular aspect of the job, I am bound to possess every ‘other’ type of screw and so there were a number of trips back to the DIY store to buy seemingly endless boxes of screws, together with several different sorts of glue and a few hand tools that I had either never possessed or which had been lost in the move from Bridlington. Of course wood cannot simply be left to rot in the winter rain so we also had to buy wood stain and varnish.

The task is now nearing completion, I am pleased to say. The bench looks excellent on the patio and the little greenhouse is standing proudly further down the garden.

The greenhouse still needs its shelves and so I sorted carefully through my piles of wood to see what I could salvage but came to the conclusion that, as my mother used to tell me, “There is no point in spoiling the ship for a ha’peth of tar,” so I will go and purchase another couple of bundles of treated 2” by 1” timber. While I am at the store I will also need more screws, some nails and a further supply of varnish.

Yesterday I surveyed the ever growing pile of old timber to one side of the shed, which is now so large it is encroaching on the door and beginning to make the whole garden look distinctly untidy. I toyed with the idea of burning some of it on the chimenea while we enjoy evening barbecues but since it hasn’t altogether stopped raining since April we don’t seem to be spending too much time out of doors.

Fortunately I now have my two new electric saws, which should prove excellent for sawing up the old wood so that I can get it into the car and take it to the tip. Once it is out of the way I will be able to sit back upon the new garden bench in any sunshine we do happen to have before winter arrives again and look proudly upon my creations, knowing that I have done my bit towards saving the Earth’s resources and never for a moment begrudging the £200 or more it cost me to prove my credentials as an eco-warrior.

It is so good to know that no matter how old and set in our ways we are it is never too late for us to acquire new skills and to find ways in which to alleviate the rampant consumerism that blights our world.

55

Saltburn Allotments Association It’s been a strange July, the last couple of days have been lovely and warm and sunny but we seem to have had dull rainy days. Nice not to need to water quite so much but, even though I think it’s rained a lot, I’ve ended up with mini caulis instead of them growing properly to maturity, which is usually a sign of not enough water. I chopped all the haulms off my potatoes last week as I noticed blight had begun to attack… not nice.

If this air borne fungus attacks your potatoes, you will see the leaves turn yellow, then brown and, brown blotches appear on the stems. You need to cut all the foliage off the potatoes as soon as you see this disease. Bag the cuttings up and put them in your municipal green waste bin. These huge municipal recycling sites get hot enough to kill the fungal spores that spread this ghastly disease.

You can now dig up your potatoes and eat as new potatoes or, leave them in the ground for the skins to harden for a couple of weeks. You can then dig them up and store them.

Do inspect them carefully for dark brown blotches in case the blight managed to go down through your potato stems into the tubers. Also, check your stored potatoes in their bags quite frequently.

If you are growing tomatoes, aubergines, peppers or chillies, they are all related to the potato and are thus susceptible to blight. If they are in a greenhouse or the like, they will be protected but keep your eyes open for the telltale yellowing of leaves, followed by brown blotches and remove any diseased growth. This way you should be able to keep the blight at bay. If you miss a plant and it becomes very diseased, get rid of it as quickly as possible to stop the fungus moving onto other plants. I bought a grafted tomato plant at the RHS Harlow Carr Flower Show recently. Grafted plants are quite new and supposed to be super hardy and super cropping. So far, it’s the only tomato plant I have that’s succumbed to blight.

I guess a lot of people will be up to the eyeballs with harvests and harvesting. Remember, though, there’s still sowing to be done if you like harvest all year round. You can sow turnips, spring cabbage, various salad leaves, carrots, endive, lettuces, beetroot and leaf beet, radishes (including winter ones such as mooli), spring onions and autumn onions, kohlrabi, oriental leaves, Chinese cabbage and rocket. I expect there are other things as well if you’re keen. Come and see what we have for sale in our containers on Sunday mornings.

Talking of keen, well done to Joe Abrahams best allotment trophy winners. It’s great to see people taking such a pride in their plots, especially this year as the weeds have gone mad and, great to have their hard work rewarded. It’s a shame, really, that the number of prizes is so limited; there are so many good plots in Saltburn. At the time of writing, I don’t know who has been chosen as the best new plot holder so, whoever it is, well done too.

Happy gardening, Sue. 56

Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council Members of the Parish Council recently met with two representatives from Cleveland Police to discuss the new shape of policing in the Parish, following a restructure of their service which includes the closure of the town’s Police Station for public enquiries. Saltburn now comes under Guisborough and East Cleveland with Marske and New Marske coming under Redcar. Whilst there would no longer be dedicated officers or a single point of contact in Saltburn, there had been a net gain of personnel across the Borough and there would be 3 teams of shifts within each area, all Sergeant led, and it was felt that this would give a better service overall.

Saltburn had been categorised as a strong community area with no deprivation and strong community links and groups and the police would continue to work closely with their partners to seek long term solutions to increase community cohesion. The recent spate of break ins at the Hazel Grove allotment site was highlighted and the advice given was that tenants should report all incidents to the Police in order that resources could be targeted to problem areas.

Community grants have recently been approved to Yorkshire Countrywomen’s Association, Friday Friends and Saltburn and Community Arts Association.

Community Groups can apply to the Parish Council for financial assistance, where the purpose of the monies will be used to directly benefit the residents of the Parish. There is a small pot of funds available and grants are generally targeted to activities which benefit as many people as possible. If your group wish to apply you need to complete a basic application form and submit your last or latest audited accounts (which will not be disclosed to any third party). Further details, the application form and guidelines can be found on our website. These are considered quarterly and the next meeting will be held 4th October.

A couple of dates for the diary for events sponsored by the Parish Council - the 19th International Folk Festival will be held 12th - 14th August and the Saltburn Historic Motor Gathering and Hill Climb will be held on Sunday, 11th September 2016.

The waiting list for allotments in Saltburn is almost cleared so if you would like to have a go at growing your own fruit and veg please get in touch further details and an application form can be found on our website.

Tracy Meadows (Clerk and RFO to Saltburn, Marske & New Marske Parish Council) The Conference Centre, Saltburn Learning Campus Marske Mill Lane, Saltburn, TS12 1HJ Tel: 01287 623477 email: office@smnmpc.co.uk www.smnmpc.co.uk

The Muses of Jim Another month has flowed by. Perhaps the most important one for many decades if not centuries. Who knows? Life must and will go on. I am resting after a very demanding task. When Betty died I had to learn many new skills. One, which was to train a length of thin bamboo cane to search down the backs of radiators.

Unfortunately, after many months of training it still lacks the confidence to work alone. Therefore, I have to hold its less confidence end, whilst the bolder end works away. Thus, after my specially trained cane has done his job, I recognise that it must be male for clearly if it was female it wouldn’t want me to hold it such an intimate way. When at last the radiators have yielded their secret cargo, it is up to me as the only adult in the house to sort them into matched pairs. At the moment I have 10 odd socks to find a match to marry to... At least it’s better than daytime television I suppose.

Well, one ten year old task is now complete. That of Saltburn Gill. I would like to thank everyone who was involved In Saltburn Gill Action Group over the years.

Unfortunately, they are too many to name here, but they know who they are and they can walk taller for what they have acheived. It must be said though what helped the most was the EU’s directive on river water quality. So we had something to thank Europe about at least. I took some of Betty’s ashes along with and spread them around the site at places I knew she would love. The reed beds

with the birds swooping down feeding on the insects, the coots with their young hiding in the reeds and the geese on the banks of the settlement pools. This makes me less guilty in making the curlews homeless.

Moving on to Europe the powers that be in charge do not appear to have plans for moving on. It appears that the Government thought we would remain in the EU. Not to be prepared seems familiar somehow, but I can’t think from where. A Saxon king, Ethelred (or Aethelred) by name I know was called The Unready as he was uncounselled, because he ignored the advice of the Witan.

Which is a bit like avoiding the knowledge of the experts?

Sounds familiar doesn’t?

One of the highlights of the year for us is the annual Redcar & Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency Volunteer Awards 2016. This is one of the most humbling events ever. To hear the nominations in each category is inspiring. How modest each winner is when they received their awards. These people are really going the extra mile to make a real difference to their communities and age is no barrier to them being successful. The youngest winner was only 14 I believe.

One spin off from this event was interesting though sad, but also funny. After the event I was asked if I wanted to take some of the refreshment home with me. Which I did. Not for me but for the lads in the top club and I took an unopened tray of finger sandwiches. Very Posh. This was done. They were soon consumed by the members present of which only a few declined; clearly those who declined were not members of my fan club. The following night this was remarked upon by members who had not been there the previous evening. So I must have a fan club after all.

The last Saltburn Neighbourhood Action Partnership was very exiting with the news that Saltburn Conservation Area is to be looked at again and full consultation will take place. Hopefully there may be a public meeting but it will be on the agenda of the forthcoming meetings of S.N.A.P. for some time to come. It is in your interest to come and attend and play your part.

I am looking now for some new projects and I have a couple in mind but I need to do some more research. More about that later. At a National Council level the Working Party I sit on is looking at a project requested by Skegness Town Council to request the Government to lower VAT rates for seaside towns as they do in the rest of the EU. So I will keep you informed because I feel that there is real mileage in this.

Spud is very well if rather disappointed at the lack of get well cards following his last injury. To be honest I didn’t know he could read, because he never gets any post.

Sorry, he does get at least a few letters a year from the vets, but he never opens them.

Finally, I have to report that I have been shamed and humiliated by Molly, my youngster Granddaughter. After many years I rediscovered my old school report book from the early fifties and she mocked it.

Jim Wingham 57

The Saltburn Crossword no 182 set by Saxton Across 1 Inconvenience for ship or aeroplane is bad tempered gas? (9) 6 Sleepy initially denying our zero years (4) 8 Rag ma’s an example of these types of clue (8) 9 Method or orderly functioning thing (6) 10 and 11 Across Local Facebook site has heavenly body with chemical fire (6, 8) 11 See 10 Across 12 Breakfast vessel for the soft boiled? (6) 15 To feed on garbage or pick up discarded items forms canes veg in disarray (8) 16 Excluded red after bread broken (8) 19 and 22 Across Local road for tree text seer translated (6, 6) 21 and 26 Across Saltburn’s new boutique hotel confused black roll, hey (8, 4) 22 See 19 Across 24 Lob Sue a female garment after sorting (6) 25 Glandular tissue at the back of the nose is done, said and sorted (8) 26 See 21 Across 27 Northern city inserts musically very loud into protection (9)

Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 14 17 18 20 22 23

Solution to Crossword no 181

The winner of last month’s crossword was Mrs M Anderson of The Fairway, Saltburn.

D. V. Townend & Co 8 Dundas Street East, Saltburn TS12 1AH

Country Outfitters Tel: (01287) 623754 Website: www.dvtownend.com Email: info@dvtownend.com Specialising in practical but stylish leisure and outdoor wear, we also stock a wide range of accessories, gifts and leather items from the most famous brands including Aigle, Magee, Seasalt and Tumble & Hide.

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Waterway found in Moroccan alliance (5) Living and wholesome (7) Sensible, turned out well and backing traditional transport (5) Persists in demands at home with short female relatives (7) Cause upset, upsetting pass elide (9) Cause lack of function, upsetting lab side (7) Belgian coastal village and port breeze blowing around university and affectionate horse name (9) Irregular freedom fighter is almost irregular if one letter changed (9) Corresponds in detail, matches, like two straight lines (9) Something which accumulates as a natural development is found in aphrodisiac cruelty by the sound of it (7) Not night time supervision interpreting dace year (3, 4) Soft part of listening device has nobility with honour (7) Bundle of corn or paper located in Ashe, after (5) Closed, it’s all over now (5) Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 182, c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ

by Friday, 19th August 2016. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

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