Talk of the Town, December 2007

EDITION 78

CIRCULATION 4,500

DECEMBER 2007

SALTBURN’S FREE MONTHLY MAGAZINE 1

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Peter Lynn Pepper Suitable for all kiting activities.

Various Sizes From £84.99

SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor

Merry Christmas to all in Saltburn and readers of Talk of the Town elsewhere. There is a chance that January’s edition will be out on time if it can get printed before the Christmas holidays (note the early deadline). This is the first time the December magazine hasn’t set a record number of pages, but it’s still crammed full of articles and adverts and seasonal greetings. Best wishes to all and, as always, love from Ian.

Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by Friday, 14th December 2007) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town c/o Real Meals, 4, Station Street, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AE. T elep hone 01287 623903 or email: talkofthetown@tyasi.freeserve.co.uk.

Thank you: The Christmas Coffee Morning held at 2 The Green on 1st November in aid of Children With Leukaemia and Cancer Research UK raised £520.00 which was shared equally between the two charities. A big thank you to all who helped and supported this event, from Sue and Pat Halcrow.

Saltburn Viaduct: A massive job on repairing brickwork at Saltburn’s 132ft high railway viaduct is nearing completion.

Network Rail said the 10-month contract was ending “imminently” and the Rifts wood field under it would be returned to normal after a road had been constructed across it.

The work should have been started early last year, but Network Rail had to carry out a major bats’ survey first. The rail line carries potash and steel from Boulby and Skinningrove to Teesport.

Saltburn and District U3A: The next Coffee Morning on 7th December in the Saltburn Community Centre, at 10.00am will have a Christmas theme, with a number of groups providing entertainment and work of interest for members. Singing for Pleasure will render some seasonal cheer, and Creative Writing and Play Reading Groups will present a short play called “Who Dun It”. The Craft Group will have displays of work they have done recently and members who went to Rydal Water for a holiday at the end of October will be showing photographs of the event. Mince Pies or Shortbread will be offered with the coffee or tea.

If you want to know more about the U3A, and are over fifty and retired or semi retired, visit our website at www.saltburndistrictu3a.org.uk.

Saltburn District U3A members would like to wish all readers of ‘Talk of the Town’ a Very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous 2008.

Alan Cotterill, Publicity Officer The Cricket Club bonfire and fireworks: The seventh annual Bonfire Night fireworks display at Saltburn cricket club drew 1,500 people on Monday, producing a “small profit” for the club, said secretary Chris Hodgson.

Mobile Library: at Wilton Bank 2.50-3.15pm and Gresley Court 3.25-4.00pm as usual on alternate Wednesdays, on 5th and 19th December.

Saltburn in Bloom: Saltburn Christmas lights switch on took place on Saturday, 24th November at 5.00pm. There was entertainment all day and there will be bands on every Saturday leading up to Christmas (see the list on page 46). The BBC television programme ‘A Passion for Plants’ is on BBC2 at 8.00 to 8.30pm every Friday, and the Saltburn programme is due to be screened on Friday, December 7th. The programme is based on the filming of the Saltburn in Bloom judging day.

Recent Fundraising: A table-top sale on October 14th raised £300.61. Car boot sales in September raised £198.35, £203.85, and £235.33. A Tombola raised £102.74. The Parish Council donated £600 and £380 towards the cost of the new Milton Street lights. £500 was raised from the 500 Club, Senib Corp, Brown Beer, Nixon and Malby, Tesco, Retired Men’s Forum, Inner Wheel, Methodist ladies, Amee, Tailormade Lettings, and other donations.

Saltburn Primary School Christmas Fair 2007: on Saturday, 8th December from 2.00pm to 4.00pm at the Upleatham Street Base.

Comedy Nights: Now confirmed that The 777 Comedy Club, local comedy from local people is doing two shows Friday, 30th November and Friday, 14th December at The Captain Cook Inn, Staithes. Starting at 8pm and tickets are £2.50 . Seats are limited so call 01287 653367 to book.

WI Report: The Saltburn Ladies WI met for their meeting in the Toc H on Thursday, November 8th. The meeting was well attended and again with some new members, who we were all pleased to see. Our speaker was Mr Rough who sang along with us with much gusto to our opening hymn Jerusalem. It was quite strange to hear a man’s voice among the ladies. He was an excellent speaker who told us about the Leprosy Mission and the work that they achieve.

The Pageant of Light went well with more people than ever taking part. This year our wreath at the Cenotaph was laid by our President Mrs Anne Cowie. This month our outings are to the Knitting and Stitching Show in Harrogate and to the Hindu Temple in Middlesbrough which we are all looking forward to.

E Leonard The Inner Wheel Club of Saltburn-by-the-Sea: President Eileen welcomed guest speaker Margaret Allen to our October meeting. Margaret wrote her life story 22 years ago. She gave an interesting account of her life, likening it to a patchwork quilt, matching the colours to the employment and the life styles of her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins, the tales of her childhood in a pit village during the 1920s strike and then her later move to Saltburn. Her talk was typical of the war years, full of both happy and sad times. Margaret has continued her story, looking back on the last 22 years. We look forward to hearing Margaret in the future.

Thank you to all our ladies who have knitted for us. A selection has been sent to Romania and the Special Baby Unit at James Cook University Hospital. Best wishes for the festive season.

Club Correspondent, Joy Swales

Cover Illustration: A Saltburn Christmas Present by Adam Steele

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 Thurston Printers, 6 Amber Street, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1DT, Tel: 01287 623756. Proprietor/Editor: Ian Tyas c/o Real Meals, 4 Station Street, Saltburn, TS12 1AE. (Ian Tyas tel: 01287 623903.)

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Saltburn pictures from the past

Mothers Union members on parade during Saltburn-by-the-Sea 1961 100 year Celebration Parade, Councillor Will Loraine taking the salute

Mary Martin outside the Pay Booth where she worked at the entrance to the Valley Gardens

Hazelgrove: does anyone know the purpose of the building in this photograph taken by John Besford in 1947?

Pier Entrance and Cliff Lift Circa 1895 Aged People Club members in their Hall, Pearl Street now converted to living accommodation 4

Cath and Tony Lynn

Hardwood and laminate flooring supplied and fitted Quality laminates from the market leaders Massive choice of colours and styles including rustics, single plank, V grooved and tile effect

Hardwoods, from the economical engineered board to brushed and oiled solid oak Saltburn Community Hall, Albion Terrace Tuesdays at 6.30pm.

Telephone Dawn on

01287 625524

COLLEDGE CABS SALTBURN COMPETITIVE PRICES All manner of work undertaken Polite, Courteous and Friendly Service

Tel: 01287 622800 Licensed Private Hire Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries Every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, 11.00am - 12 noon, Saltburn Library Council contact details: 8.00am - 8.00pm 0845 6126126 8.00pm - Midnight 01642 771379 or use the access point in Saltburn Library

See samples in your own home For a free estimate, call Phil Dove

phone: 01287 624954 fax: 01287 205931 Email: phil.dove@morr-laminat.co.uk

Ruth Cowen MICHT

Reflexology Therapist Enjoy the Benefits of Reflexology in Your Own Home This gentle therapy reduces stress, tension and toxins, improves circulation and restores the flow of energy and nutrients to the body’s cells, encouraging the natural healing process and bringing the body into balance.

Tel: 01287 623029 Carousel Hairdressers Merry Christmas to all our customers 3 Dundas Street West, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Cleveland TS12 1BL

Clynol Products

Tel: 01287 622154 5

The Real Meal’s Food Column by Sheila Beswick

So What Will We Do This Year?

Ian tells me that every year I start my December article with the words “It’s that time of year again”. This year I’m making a conscious effort to avoid the phrase and finding it surprisingly difficult. As I get older I do find that Christmas arrives with increasing frequency and with it the question “What will we do this year?”

This does not refer to the big day itself. That is taken care of. This year I am planning to do goose with a roasted gammon joint. Rather my dilemma refers to Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. When my children were young we always knew what we were doing and Christmas Eve too was taken care of. We used to put up the tree, then go into the kitchen to make the mince pies and dinner would always be a meal of their choosing. (Of course that is now a ritual of the past.

Our children grow up and so things have to change, but eating together is still a very important part of our Christmas, as it is in most families and one of the few times in the year when we are all together.

Since we started our business Christmas Eve is a very busy time for us and by evening we are all very tired, but we still need to make it something special and a time that is different to all the other nights of the year.

After much debate it has been decided that this year as long as we don’t have gales or driving rain we will wrap up well and do something completely mad and unseasonable. We’re planning to have a big barbecue with lots of candles and flares in the garden and maybe even a small bonfire. We’ll have a big pan of soup on the cooker in the house and then on the barbecue we’re going to have lots of buffalo burgers, kebabs, boerewors (South African sausage made for barbecues – thank you to our South African customers for introducing us to this), lots of warm potato salad and mulled wine to wash it all down and as the barbecue is cooling I’ll just put lots of bananas on the rack to cook whilst we eat our mains. After half an hour or so their skins will be splitting and they will be oozing honey–sweet syrup. All far from traditional but we are looking forward to it – even though we may be so cold that we vow to never do such an usual thing again!

But we do need a plan B in case the weather is such that we simply cannot have a barbecue. As there will be ten of us I really do not relish the prospect of standing in the kitchen grilling all of that barbecue food on my small grill.

Plan B is to have a great big fish pie. In the morning it will probably be obvious what the weather will be like for the rest of the day so the contingency plan can be put into operation if necessary. Frozen fish put to defrost in the morning will be fine to use and the pie itself entails very little work in its preparation so it will leave me free to relax with my family for most of the evening.

Of course, in much of Central and Eastern 6

Europe fish has always been a very traditional Christmas food. In these cosmopolitan times I am happy to make it part of my plans for something different at Christmas this year.

That only leaves Boxing Day to be taken care of and this year I will once again leave tradition behind and do something different. As gammon will form part of our Big Meal (and I think the capital letters there are totally justified!) I am hoping to have enough of it left over for the following day. This left over gammon I intend to bake with leeks and cheese, which I’m hoping will be a simple supper to neutralise the previous day’s excesses.

Christmas Eve Fish Pie (serves 10 – 12)

2kg fish, skinned and filleted – this can be any mixture but avoid herring and mackerel (a little smoked fish adds a good flavour) 1 pt milk 75g butter 75g flour 1 onion studded with a couple of cloves 1 bay leaf A little Gruyère cheese 5 tomatoes 1 small onion, finely chopped 200g prawns (frozen will be fine) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1.

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Pour the milk into a pan and add the whole onion and the bay leaf. Set on a low heat and leave for about half an hour.

Meanwhile cut the fish into cubes about 1 inch long or a little larger if preferred.

In another pan melt the butter and stir in the flour.

Cook gently for 2 minutes.

Now start adding the flavoured milk about a third of the quantity at a time. Beat well over a low heat between each addition. When all the milk has been added you should have a thick sauce.

Add the grated cheese and taste. Season according to your preference.

Now add the diced fish and mix well.

Turn into a large ovenproof dish.

Cook at gas mark 6 or 200ºC for half an hour.

Meanwhile remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cut the flesh into small dice then mix with the parsley and chopped onion.

Remove the pie from the oven and cover with prawns and then top with the tomato and onion mixture.

Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes for the topping to heat through.

Serve at once with baby potatoes and a green vegetable.

Real Meals Purveyors of Fine Foods

Order your Pies, Pâtés, Quiches and Cheeses.

Pies and Gift Baskets from £12.00 (plus carriage if applicable) despatched to anywhere in the UK.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 6.30pm, Saturday: 8.30am to 5.00pm, Sunday, summer only, 10:00am to 2:00pm.

For more details contact: REAL MEALS, 4 STATION STREET, SALTBURN, Tel: 01287 622266.

Email: enquiries@realmeals.co.uk, Website: www.realmeals.co.uk

TRADITIONAL REAL ALES and PREMIUM LAGERS

Saltburn’s Premier Music Venue Live Music Thursday and Sunday Evenings Bands at The Victoria during December Sun. Thurs.

Sun. Thurs.

Sun. Thurs.

Sat. Sun. Wed. Thurs.

Sat. Sun.

2nd 6th 9th 13th 16th 20th 22nd 23rd 26th 27th 29th 30th

Fear of Falling 101 Pulse Pewter Raised on Rusks Squealer Christmas Disco Fallen Ruby Diamond Northern Lights DJ Party Little Stevie and the Business

Pool Table in the Bar Saltburn’s Local

Open until 12.00pm on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

3-5 Dundas Street East, Saltburn.

Tel: 01287 624637

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SALTBURN COMMUNITY AND ARTS ASSOCIATION DIARY OF EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2007

The centre office is open 9.30-12.00 weekdays. Phone 01287 624997 Arts Development Promoter 1.30 - 4.30pm weekdays Registered Charity No: 1113704

Performances in the Community Theatre/Hall Friday 7th December – Saltburn Community Hall at 7.30pm Saltburn Jazz Night Christmas Party with Gerry Richardson’s

BIG IDEA Get the festive season off with a bang with the superb nine piece big band lead by Gerry Richardson. Gerry stunned the Saltburn jazz night audience last year with his trio featuring the Hammond Organ, one of the most exciting sounds in jazz. He returns in full force – be prepared to get blown away. (Could all the ladies please make sure that they ‘sparkle’!)

All Tickets £8.00 Available from Saltburn Health Foods 01287 624622 Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th December at 7.00 pm Saltburn Community Theatre EARTHBEAT THEATRE COMPANY present

THE CHRISTMAS TIME TRAVELLER Following on from last year’s fabulous Sleigh Ride into the Seventies Earthbeat will be returning to Saltburn Community Theatre with a Christmas show unlike any you’ve seen before. Join Dr Who’s estranged wife, Mrs Who, as she travels through time observing over 3,000 years of Christmas music. Unbelievable!

All tickets £5 (All proceeds to UNICEF) Available from Earthbeat box office - 07969 623118 or Saltburn Health Store Friday 14th December at 7.30pm

THE SALTBURN ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOW Come along to an evening of splendid entertainment. All ages will enjoy music, song and dance from a wide variety of artists with a traditional ending of carol singing.

Tickets £5.00 Concessions £4.00 Available form Saltburn Health Food Store 01287 624622 Doors and Bar open 7pm Friday 14th December – Saltburn Community Hall

THE HALCYON SINGERS

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SCAA LTD ADMIN OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, 24th DECEMBER UNTIL TUESDAY, 1st JANUARY INCLUSIVE Regular Events in The Community Hall and Coffee Room

Saltburn Spiritualist Church Saturday – Divine Worship 7.00pm Monday – Healing 6.30pm Open Circle 7.00pm

Slimming World (Hall) Tuesday at 6.30pm For further information call Dawn on 01287 625524

Weight Watchers (Hall) Thursday 6.30pm, call Joanne on 01642 820552 Infinite Tai Chi & Meditation Thursday 8.00pm – 9.30pm £4.00 waged £2.00 unwaged

Socatots Specific play programme for children from walking to five years. Sundays 9.00am until 1.00pm. Please call to book an appropriate slot for your child’s age group Call Emma Hall on 01287 641442 or 07958 500187 e-mail:emma.hall@socatots.com

Marske and Redcar School of Dancing (Hall) Mondays – Adult Tap and Children’s Ballet, Tap & Modern Call Kay Savage on 01642 501727 Mobile:07881 823 770 Kaysdance@hotmail.com Little Nippers (Hall) Mondays & Wednesdays (term time only) 10am until 11.45 First Child £1.50, siblings 50p

Enjoy a festive evening with The Halcyon Singers, including a programme of light music, and sing along with the Christmas songs and carols.

Tickets £5.00 available from P. Smith Butcher Raffle and Bar. Pie and Pea Supper included in price of tickets.

are continuing classes in the centre.

Classes are available in – Appreciation of Antiques and Watercolour Painting Techniques.

For more information call 01642 490409.

Saturday 15th December – Saltburn Community Theatre at 7.30pm

Saturday Events in the Community Hall

THE WHITE ROSE SINGERS MUSIC FOR A WINTER’S EVENING With guest singer Bill Greenwood Selection of songs, including traditional Christmas favourites. Tickets £4.50 Concessions £3.50 (includes interval tea/coffee) Available from Saltburn Health Foods 01287 624622 8

Redcar & Cleveland Adult Education

Table Top Sales and Refreshments 10.00am – 4.00pm Saturday 1st December SCAA Ltd Flea Market Saturday 8th December St. Johns Table-Top Saturday 15th December SCAA Ltd Table-Top Saturday 22nd December Saltburn Folk Festival Table-Top Saturday 5th January Saltburn Rotary Table-Top

Saltburn’s late summer ends

Windsor Sandwiches

Tens of thousands of visitors have flocked to Saltburn beach this mixed-weather summer, which officially ended in November with the cliff-lift shutting for the winter.

The lift, which had carried over 101,000 people up to last weekend, was kept open an extra month following a late burst of Indian summer weather. It was open all week to cater for school half-term holidays.

Last year it carried 102,000 visitors and its use is a barometer of Saltburn’s summer season business. The record number of passengers was 112,000 in 2001.

“We’ve had more rain than sun this year and the Indian summer came a little late to help trade,” said veteran beach shop and café owner Edna Vernon.

“On hot days we do quite well, but when it rains no one comes.”

Mrs Vernon has invested thousands of pounds in a new shop and takeaway at her rebuilt café near Cat Nab. It is due to open next March.

Nick Noble, who runs the surfing school and equipment hire side of Saltburn’s surf shop, said: “We've done well this year.”

Colleague Gary Rogers said: “We’ve had a pretty good autumn and the surf has been tremendous. On a good day we’ve averaged 40 surfers, some from Leeds, Cumbria and Durham.”

A Redcar and Cleveland Council spokesman said the cliff lift had taken over £49,000 for the year so far and the total expenditure was £67,750. “This is a fantastic and well-loved attraction and we welcome its continuing success.”

The spokesman said there was no planned opening date for the restaurant at the controversial foreshore building opposite the pier. Saltburn Foreshore Committee, made up of businesses and beach users, said it is looking forward to the opening of a community room at the newly-painted building.

Ten new dog and litter bins are to be placed on the lower promenade next spring.

we deliver free anywhere in Saltburn No Minimum Order All Sandwiches, Jacket Potatoes and Hot Food at

PARK NEWSAGENCY Home News Delivery Special

Cards & Gifts Magazines & Books DVDs / CDs Toys & Games Confectionery, Drinks, Ice Creams

Stockists of Talk of the

1a Windsor Road Tel: 07891 319841

£1.80 each Hands On Therapy Clinic Remedial Therapy Sports Injuries

Reflexology Relaxation

Louise Clark ITEC Diploma MBSR, GCP, BCMA Reg 7, Station Street, Saltburn. TS12 1AE

Tel 01287 625700 BLG PLASTERING & HOME SERVICES

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9

Talk of the Town’s monthly

Pride of Saltburn Award

Florist 01287 625562

7 Station Buildings, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Ged and Sue of

SALTBURN TAXIS Friendly, Reliable Service

01287 623567 Est. 25 Years

The winner of this month’s Pride of Saltburn Award is Paddy Patterson. He was nominated by Jane Heseltine.

About Paddy she says “I would like to nominate Paddy, Jody and Nell’s Daddy, for the Pride of Saltburn Award for his dedication to Little Nippers Playgroup. Paddy has been setting up and clearing away the toys for many years now but more recently he has been setting up alone. Snow, sun, wind, rain and more rain Paddy comes and sets up the hall for all the little nippers that use it to come and play.

After singing they all help with their mum, dad or carers to help Paddy tidy up at the end, so this award is a big thank you from all the little nippers.” Thank you, Paddy, for being you, the pride of Saltburn.

Every month, an £18 bunch of flowers, kindly donated

by Nicola Strike’s Florists, is awarded to someone in Saltburn who has earned admiration, gratitude and love for whatever reason. It could be your favourite grandma who always does the baby-sitting, a friend who has been there when you needed them or even someone you have admired from afar for some achievement. Indeed, anyone. And men receive flowers these days as well, so why not your dad?

Talk of the Town invites nominations from you, the readers, to chose whom you would like to receive recognition and a bunch of flowers. Send your nominations to Talk of the Town’s postbag at Real Meals, 4 Station Street, Cleveland, TS12 1AE. (Please include your name, phone number and the reason why 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.

10

M. BELL

Freelance Postal and Courier Services

2, North Avenue Saltburn-by-the-Sea North Yorkshire TS12 1QD

Tel/fax: 01287 623673 Email: m.bell7@virgin.net

Can pick up mail from local sorting office and deliver to you by 9.30am for £1 per week

Margaret Shields LRAM, GRSM

Piano Tuition Beginners or improvers of any age. Learn simply for pleasure or to take Associated Board Exams to Grade 8

Telephone: 01287 624778

VICTORIA GARDENS

AND PROPERTY SERVICES LANDSCAPE DESIGN PLANTING PLANS RENOVATION & MAINTENANCE PRUNING - HEDGING - TURFING FENCING - PATHS - PAVING PATIOS - GUTTERING ROOF REPAIRS GENERAL MAINTENANCE FOR FREE ESTIMATES CALL: JASON UPTON

01287 201052 or 07834 831149 2 Warrior Terrace, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

M & M DIY

Paints Mixed while you wait Choose From 20,000 Colours

All your DIY needs

Electrics, Plumbing Tools, Light bulbs, Batteries, Coal sticks and Logs etc.

Just in: Stylish Italian Mixer Taps

Call in for Christmas Lights and also Gifts for Men. Keys Cut: Caravan keys, Small Selection of car keys.

23 Milton Street, Saltburn

Tel: 01287 626306

Call in today and order everything you need for Christmas.

Pork Pies, Turkeys, and Christmas Hampers from £46.99 Coca Cola 2lt Teachers Whisky 70cl

2 for £2 £8.99

Open Boxing Day & New Year’s Day 8am-6pm Call in for all your Christmas Essentials 11

Beauty by Donna Mobile beauty treatments in the comfort of your own home Full treatment list including manicure, pedicure, facial, waxing etc.

Fully qualified beauty therapist with 14 years salon experience offering a full range of beauty treatments throughout the local area

For mobile appointments please call 07903 150118 or 01642 493393

Your car’s had one – but DO YOU NEED A WINTER SERVICE?

Put a spring back in your step with a Bowen or Daoyin Tao treatment – a useful maintenance tool at this time of year to boost your immune system and strengthen your core stability.

Contact Smart Therapies for info or appointments Judith: 01287 660745 Norman: 01287 660462 Better health Reflexology Centre: 01287 630113

Gift Vouchers available for all treatments

12

Also, Plastering and Joinery Work Undertaken

Call Liz on: 01287 281148 Mobile: 07834 022289 Email: liz.ingledew@ntlworld.com Website: www.liziesdecorating.co.uk

Councillors’ Column Letters requesting residents to reclaim their wheelie bins on the appointed collection day have been sent out.

Unfortunately, not everyone is playing their part in keeping back alleys clean and tidy. As a result the quality of life for the remainder of the nearby residents continues to be affected. Please take your bins back in.

After considerable discussion about the frequency of refuse collections, there is to be an eight week trial in the new year to collect weekly and evaluate the effect on service and costs.

A good attendance at the War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday was an indicator of the community’s continuing gratitude to those who have served and particularly to those who have fallen. Plans are currently being drawn up to enhance the area of the Memorial. Being listed, this will require extra consideration. When the cost of the work is calculated it is intended to launch an appeal for funds.

Down on the foreshore the new building for community use is ever nearer opening. It is hoped that visiting schools will be able to use it during the winter period and local groups soon after. Toilets and disabled access are current limiting factors.

The long awaited renewal programme for street lighting is almost upon us. Before the Saltburn programme starts there is an opportunity to highlight areas where extra lighting could be beneficial. If you have any suggestions to make please let us know.

We can be contacted at the Library on the 1st and 3rd Saturday in each month, from 11.00am to 12 noon. If you cannot make those times, please write to us and leave your letter in the Library.

Some dog owners are still not looking after their little friends and certainly on one particular day last month Marine Parade was an obstacle course. If you wish to report the fouling of pavements or other areas, please contact the Call Centre on 0845 6126126. Your complaint will be logged and attended to.

Currently 91.7% of calls are answered, 68.6% within 20 seconds. If you are one of the 8,383 who abandoned their call in the first six months of this financial year, please try again as we would urge callers not to give up. The reporting of information is essential to finding out what matters to you and what needs to be done to help.

A big welcome back to the Youth Club and the enthusiastic management team. Welcome also to the visits of the YIP Bus and their equally inspiring crew.

In preparation for a January review, we would welcome any ideas you have for the more effective management of traffic and parking in the town.

If you are caught short in the Cat Nab area do not expect to find the toilets open. They are apparently not required during the winter months.

See other articles relevant to the points raised here on pages 9, 15, 16 and 20.

13

Trevor Duck

Ten years in Business

Opening Times

Monday Tuesday, Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Closed 9.00 till 5.00 9.00 till 6.00 9.00 till 5.00 9.00 till 4.00

All Christmas appointments are now being taken, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Winter Offers

20% off all treatments booked with stylist Holly on Fridays and Saturdays.

For those party nights out: Hair put up, Full spray tan and Full set of acrylic nails: All for £55 L'Oréal Christmas packs Orders for GHD Christmas Hair & Beauty Vouchers Available

12-14 Ruby Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea Cleveland TS12 1EG

Tel: 01287 623700

Trevor Duck, The Wrought Iron Specialist, would like to thank all past, present and future clients and wish them all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2008.

Trevor is celebrating his 10th year in business in 2008 and is grateful to local people for making his business a success in that time. His workshop is in Brotton High Street above the cobblers shop, and he has worked mainly in Brotton, Skelton, Saltburn and surrounding areas, offering a wide range of both single and double gates, railings and security bars and with his service there is an added bonus of an annual top-up painting work, to keep his work looking good for the area. All work is carried out to personal specification with Trevor designing to customer needs.

Trevor would also like to thank the Talk of the Town and local church magazines for local advertising, which has bought most of the work his way, along with past customers’ word-of-mouth for a good job done successfully!

Once again, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2008!

Trevor Duck Wrought Iron Specialist

Q C Heating Corgi No: 219560

Tel: 01287 622289

Mobile: 07074 QC HEAT

Designed Installations and Upgraded Renovations

Gas Fires • Central Heating • Bathrooms

A AND R EXTERIOR PAINTWORK CHIMNEY AND RIDGE POINTING INTERIOR WOODSTRIPPING FLOORBOARDS REPAIRED, CLEANED AND VARNISHED UPVC REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENTS

Call CHARLES on 01287 622289 Or Mobile: 07796 382624 14

Saltburn Remembrance Day 2007

Naval reserve Lieutenant.-Commander Frank Cook, Mrs Geraldine Jordan and Councillor Mrs Marion Jefferson.

In the background Roy Rudham.

Mrs Veronica Tait, 90, probably the oldest in the parade, and Naval Reserve officer Frank Cook at the cenotaph.

Vicar the Rev Guy Donegan-Cross leads prayers at Saltburn's cenotaph as Frank Cook, right, a lieutenant-commander in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, joins over 200 others in remembering.

More than 200 people took part in a service at Saltburn’s cenotaph.

Prayers were led by the Reverend Guy DoneganCross, of Emmanuel Church, who also led a silent prayer for peace in the world.

About twenty wreaths and crosses were laid by representatives of local authorities, organisations and groups and private individuals.

The Last Post was played on the trumpet by exWelsh Guardsman Crawford Hall.

Earlier a service of remembrance was held in Emmanuel Church led by Guy Donegan-Cross. The preacher was the Reverend Jim Platten, of the Methodist Church, who urged everyone to “be ready to love” each other.

Fewer forces veterans than usual were present owning to old age and infirmities. Probably the oldest was 90-year-old Mrs Veronica Tait, of Saltburn, who wore two service medals from her wartime work. She represented Churches Together.

Roy Rudham, of Irvin Avenue, Saltburn, wore 12

Roy Rudham, with 12 medals given to members of his family for their service in both world wars. Roy was too young to join in national service, which ended in the 1950s.

medals from members of his family in the two world wars. He said he had been too young for national service, which ended in the early 1950s.

The Saltburn branch of the Royal British Legion has been renamed the Saltburn and District branch because it now takes in much of rural East Cleveland.

New chairman Mr Dave Willis, 60, a former colour sergeant in the Coldstream Guards, of Loftus, said meetings had been transferred from Saltburn to Loftus.

“The branch has about thirty active members, plus others. Members are very enthusiastic and numbers are going up,” he said.

The Redcar Royal British Legion branch remains separate from the new branch.

Mr Willis can be contacted on 01287-641503.

15

Saltburn’s HSBC branch to close Saltburn’s long-established HSBC branch in Milton Street is to shut in February.

Customers are upset at the move which was announced in mid-November. They have been told their accounts will be transferred to the Redcar branch and that internet and telephone banking is available.

Several wrote letters of complaint to the bank’s service quality team at Leeds.

Mrs June Taylor, of Carlin How, said as she waited for her daughter outside the branch: “It’s a shame.”

Her daughter Tracey said: “It’s a long way to travel to Redcar and it will be difficult for older people. I might bank on the internet.” Another elderly customer said she and her neighbour had written to the Leeds address to express her dissatisfaction.

Councillor Philip Thomson, of Saltburn, said: “This is a blow to the economic viability of the town. The branch’s service has been reduced recently. It will not help in the

reawakening of the town’s economy.”

A large notice at the front door says the branch will close on Friday, February 8th, 2008.

HSBC looked at the viability of the Saltburn branch a few years ago and decided to invest thousands of pounds in renovating the offices.

While it was still owned by the Midland Bank it had a resident manager. Currently it comes under the Redcar branch.

The address of the quality service team is HSBC, Arlington Business Centre, Millshaw Park Lane, Leeds LS11 0PP. Tel. 0845-7404404.

HSBC Bank press officer Catherine Cook said at the London head office the branch was “very small” with very low use by customers and this was in decline. She said the cash machine would be left and the two staff would be redeployed to other branches.

“The decision, which is final, was not made lightly.”

Police Chief hears Councillors’ concerns

Smashed fences, broken windows and eggs being thrown at buildings - all are now being personally investigated by police in Redcar and Cleveland.

“We’ll hammer it (the anti-social behaviour problem),” said Superintendent Stewart Swinson, district commander, to members of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council.

Speaking at their monthly meeting at Saltburn in November he said: “Every incident of criminal damage gets a visit, which we didn’t used to do. We feel we should investigate more thoroughly criminal damage like fences or windows smashed. It is a huge undertaking by the police with between 280 and 400 offences of this type being reported each month.

“It is mostly done by kids. Gradually we shall get the message through that pulling down a drain pipe, throwing eggs at windows and pulling gates is criminal.”

Superintendent Swinson said the vast majority of youngsters were decent, but there was a small element who were “criminal by nature and deed.”

If the police did not get a grip on the problem peer pressure would affect others. “It is about making a stand so they don’t become role models.”

Superintendent Swinson said the priority being given to property damage might mean other incidents would not receive personal visits from police.

Councillors expressed concern about a lack of continuity of some neighbourhood police, especially at Marske. They had difficulty in recalling the names of ‘community cops.’ Superintendent. Swinson said he was a firm believer in neighbourhood policing.

He was doing his best to persuade officers to remain in their posts, which attracted a bonus payment, and aimed for them to stay at least two years. But some had ambitions and officers’ personal circumstances changed. There had been very little movement since April when he started in his post.

“We do our best to make sure they remain as long as 16

Superintendent Stewart Swinson is greeted by Councillor Mrs Marion Jefferson, chairman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, as Councillor Ray Hensby, vice chairman, looks on before the Saltburn meeting. possible,” he said.

Councillor Roy Hensby, of Marske, said a policeman used to visit the town’s youth club on his off-duty night.

The police chief said he was in favour of police visiting youth clubs, schools and leisure centres. Some officers at South Bank and Grangetown had arranged football competitions, sometimes over the holidays “when kids get out of hand on occasions.”

He said the Behaviour and Truancy Teams at Redcar schools were doing a good job. “If we can get kids back on the ‘straight and narrow’ we can get them out of more trouble.”

Councillor Joan Guy said Saltburn community policeman PC Stuart Smith had joined the primary school governors.

Superintendent Swinson said he had applied to become a governor at Yarm’s Conyers School as a “positive contribution.”

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Once Upon a Time in the Wapentake by Tim Beswick This may seem to have nothing to do with Christmas. I have a leaflet in front of me from the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation or HSBC for short, “the World’s local bank”. “We’re closing your local branch”, it says, almost triumphantly. Not “Sorry!” I notice. It goes on to tell us all that our everyday needs will be catered for at the Redcar branch. What will that do for our carbon footprint if we have to travel into Redcar every day? And it extols the wonders of Internet banking. Great, if you don’t have to pay cash in. Pound coins and bank notes (and cheques) just won’t fit down the wires. I haven’t tried it but I’m sure it wouldn’t work.

Not only do they not apologise; they do not attempt to justify or explain why they are closing our branch. So why are they? Is it because Saltburn is such an unimportant, insignificant sort of place that it doesn’t merit a branch of its own? Is it because nobody uses it anymore? Every time I’ve been there I’m at the end of a very long queue. I really think there’s a need, a demand there. So is it that HSBC is skint and can’t afford to keep our branch open? What was HSBC’s profit last year? 90 billion wasn’t it? Was it that they were doing what Northern Rock were doing, lending money to people who they knew could never repay?

Apparently not. I’ve just been reading an article about HSBC. They are writing off 9 billion as a possible loss due to bad debts; this is such a tiny proportion of their total reserves that their shares went up in value at the news.

I think the answer is that our branch is under performing. That’s a word you’ll hear a lot these days.

There are individuals and companies who get very rich taking over under performing businesses. What that means is that you may have some long established company with a good reputation for the things it makes. I may employ a skilled and experienced work force to do interesting and satisfying work and pay them a decent wage. It may have some sense of responsibility to the local community. The result of this is that it doesn’t make a very big profit. It’s under performing. So the whiz kids move in, and buy the company. Any factories, offices or shops that are in areas where property prices are high, which is pretty well everywhere nowadays, are sold off for development. The well-paid, skilled work force is dispensed with.

Manufacturing is either relocated to South East Asia or, if kept in Britain is done by cheap unskilled immigrant labour, preferably illegal, as that’s cheapest of all. Raw materials are no longer high quality and locally sourced. Of course, the finished item is not what it was, but that doesn’t matter.

The whiz kids are buying a brand and a label. And the label is still the same. Sooner or later the customers will notice that things are not the same, or at least some will. But that doesn’t matter either. By the time that this happens the whiz kids have sold the now very profitable concern for vastly more than they paid for it and moved on to the next victim.

Our HSBC branch was under performing, I suspect and had to go.

Lots of not very profitable businesses in our high streets have had to go in the last fifty years. It’s what I call the Tesco effect. When supermarkets first emerged they sold tinned and packet foods, soap, cat food, things that

your corner shop or high street grocer sold. Can there be many people under forty who know what a grocer’s was, unless they’ve seen a mock-up in a museum? Then they put out of business the newsagents, the tobacconists, and the sweet shops. Next the supermarkets started selling fresh meat and fish, fruit and vegetables and freshly baked bread. Bye bye, butcher, baker, fishmonger, greengrocer. Now Tesco and its rivals are estate agents, pharmacists, insurance brokers, travel agents. They also sell petrol and diesel. The result of the last clever move is that there are now fewer filling stations in Britain that there were in 1913 (incredible but true). Another consequence is that people are having to drive ten, fifteen miles to fill up. That costs them more in fuel bills than they save by buying cheaply. And think about the carbon footprint.

It’s about greed. Anybody in business has to make a profit.

It’s what pays the wages, the rates, the taxes and maybe even gives the owners a little something for themselves. It’s the amount of profit, and the lengths you’re prepared to go to get those profits that matter. This Christmas Scrooge is not a lonely miser counting his coins in an under-heated counting house. Scrooge is a vast faceless corporation whose home is nowhere and whose heart can not be touched, even by the ghosts of Christmas past, present or future The trick only works on us because we’re all greedy too, understandably greedy. For much of our history we have been cold and hungry and miserable. But now we have a roof over our heads and warm clothes and food on our tables and we’re happy. The understandable mistake is to believe that if we have two sets of warm clothes, and two roofs over our head and far more food than we can ever possibly eat we’ll be twice as happy. So when we go into one of those vast temples of over consumption called supermarkets, piled high with everything we’ve ever wanted and lots of things we didn’t even know we wanted until we saw them, and lots of things we can buy for other people to stop feeling guilty about ignoring them the rest of the year, we all go a little mad. And at this time of the year, when the cold and the dark remind us of the hungers of the past we’re especially vulnerable. Add to that the amazing bargains, luxuries we can all afford, and it’s wonderful, a winter wonderland. Just don’t ask why everything is so cheap; don’t ask why the Christmas lights are a tenth of the price they were ten years ago. (They’re made by convicts in China – slave labour.)

Don’t ask why a frozen chicken is only 99p. (The producer in Brazil is paid 2p a bird.)

Scrooge did change his ways and shared his wealth and there was feasting, and merriment did break out and even Tiny Tim got to eat more than he should, as this Tim will this festive season. All right then, a little bit of excess, a bit too much to drink, another shovelful of coal on the fire, just try and buy the best of things, the excess of things in your local high street. Remember as well to share. We, the citizens of Europe enjoy peace, prosperity and personal liberty unimaginable to our ancestors, unimaginable to billions of people we share this world with and whose labours make our affluence affordable. Scrooge is in all of us, but don’t let him win.

Listen, I hear ghostly chains a-rattling!

19

Parish Council takes action on speed A “Smiley Sid” traffic sign is to be put up outside Huntcliff School, Marske Mill Lane, Saltburn, for two weeks, probably before Christmas.

And Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, which has paid £1,700 for the SID (Special Indication Device), wants to hear from residents about where else they think the sign should be placed.

Saltburn fire fighters are to commission the device, following a suggestion from Redcar and Cleveland Council’s road safety manager.

Councillor Jim Wingham said speeding was a problem outside the school. If motorists were travelling at over 30mph the sign would light up indicating the vehicle’s speed and telling the driver to slow down.

Drivers travelling at under 30mph would get a smile from the device.

“The school would like the speed limit in Marske Mill Lane to be 20mph. This matter was raised at a governors’ meeting when concern was expressed about speeding vehicles,” he said.

Marske problem: A site meeting is to be held with Redcar and Cleveland Council about road safety problems at Longbeck Road, Marske. The matter was raised by Councillor Margaret Wilson.

Gill action: A presentation is to be made at the council’s January meeting by members of Saltburn Gill Action Group, which wants to clean up the ‘red river’ problem in the beck leading to the sea at Saltburn.

Police report: PC Stuart Smith said two verbal warnings and two penalty notices had been issued to motorists parking illegally outside Saltburn Community Centre in both Windsor Road and Albion Terrace.

He said vehicles parking on double yellow lines

near Bell’s Stores, New Marske, were being monitored.

Marske councillors expressed concern at a “lack of stability” between local residents and community police officers with officers moving to other posts.

At New Marske police community safety officers were attending the youth club to help with activities. This followed graffiti on shops in the village and the arrest of one youth.

Bins: The borough council is to be asked to take action on residents who leave wheelie bins on the street at Saltburn. This follows arson attacks on bins.

Anti-social behaviour problems are being reported round shops at Woodrow Avenue, Saltburn.

PC Smith said a Saltburn resident had been arrested and charged with assault after apprehending youths.

Lease: Councillor Jim Wingham said he had attended a meeting of Marske Sport and Recreation Association and found that the lease extension had been given on the understanding that the building would be replaced.

Plans: Councillors recommended that the borough council rejects a planning application for converting the former Rosedene Nursery, Marske, into five apartments (concerns about traffic access); and approves the following applications: building a stable block at Tofts bungalow and converting redundant farm buildings into a new dwelling at Tofts farm, both at Marske Road, Saltburn; changing a public telephone kiosk at the Station Street and Dundas Street East junction, Saltburn, into a public payphone and an ATM; converting a building from a shop and four flats to an office and eight flats at 9A Station Street, Saltburn; building four single-storey garages, including gates 1.7metres high, at the Old White House, Saltburn Lane, Saltburn.

Saltburn Christmas lights In November a dozen volunteers helped professionals to put up Saltburn’s annual Christmas lights display, which is the biggest ever.

Lights are displayed along a longer-than-usual stretch of Milton Street.

Saltburn 500 Club supplied 30 motifs and 20 strings of lights covering the town centre, including the railway station.

The Agora Partnership, made up of business and community groups, is responsible for 30 Christmas trees.

Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Council has made a grant towards costs, which total about £4,000.

Fund-raising continued with a table-top sale on Saturday, 17th November.

The lights were switched on at 5pm on Saturday, November 24th.

The speciality market was held both on that day in the station precinct and on Sunday, November 25th. There was ice-skating, Punch and Judy and bands on both days.

The skating rink was operated from 10am to 8pm on the Saturday and until 6pm on the Sunday. There was 20

Volunteers from left John Addison, Cliff Leach and Jeff Robinson prepare to put up Christmas lights’ motifs.

no charge for either skate hire or skating thanks to a grant from the Tees Valley Community Foundation’s local network fund.

21

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Nick’s Spanish Holiday Looking for a late summer holiday, I was searching for something a bit different. I work for Redcar and Cleveland Mind as a Day Service Organiser in Diamond Street in Saltburn, so spend most of my time talking with people. In my spare time I work as a volunteer presenter at Southside, the radio station based at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. Over a period of 20 years I’ve interviewed numerous local people, and many of them either live or work in Saltburn. I always enjoy meeting new people and I’m not a person who likes to spend their whole holiday lying on a beach.

Eventually I came across a holiday to Spain, where you spend your time chatting with Spanish people. I was intrigued, so I did a Google search and read more about it.

I found the BBC had covered it in one of their holiday programmes – ‘Holiday Hit Squad’ and the Guardian newspaper had featured it. So I signed up for a midOctober break. Although I would be travelling on my own, I got to know the other English speaking participants in advance via email and phone calls on a website forum.

I flew from Heathrow on a Thursday, although that was fraught with problems as all flights were cancelled until 3pm that day due to fog. Eventually after being booked on two flights that didn’t go anywhere, I finally got away to join the start of the programme in Madrid.

For me Pueblo Inglés was a unique holiday experience. 16 English speaking people from Europe & North America thrown together in the beautiful region of Salamanca, in a hotel complex, near the historic village of Alberca. We met up with the 16 Spanish participants who wanted to improve their English, through being totally immersed in the language. For eight days we were together, speaking English from breakfast time through till late into the evening. In return we Anglos (as we were referred to), received free accommodation, three meals a day including wine, and transfers to the hotel.

A Master of Ceremonies (an MC - there were two in our group) and a Programme Director, organised the activities and events. The one-to-one conversations covered a broad range of subjects. We talked about everything and anything: football, families, jobs, philosophy, holidays, royalty, television; the list was endless. I learnt so much about Spanish life, the culture and of course Spanish people. We often walked as we talked - around this scenic area (a world heritage site).

Most evenings we had group activities which were very entertaining. On the second night, I was asked to do a comedy sketch about a mosquito. I’d never done anything like that before, but it was great fun, everyone enjoyed it and talked about it for the rest of the week.

I found the Spanish so friendly and open and we all bonded together very quickly; we felt we had known one another for a long time. We all made new friends, both Spanish and Anglos. Until you attend one of these programmes, you cannot fully appreciate the experience.

Many felt it was life changing, their lives enriched by the whole event. There was an awful lot of laughter and as our sole Irish representative Malachy would say, ‘the crac

was brilliant’. A lot of us didn’t go to bed till late, sometimes 3 or 4 am. On two evenings we danced most of the night, to the sound of an eclectic mix of pop, salsa and Spanish music. One morning we had a guided tour of the village - Alberca, followed by a visit to a traditional Tapas and a meal in a local restaurant. Later on in the week we went for a banquet one evening, which again the organisers laid on for us. It was very enjoyable.

If you would like more information about the holiday I went on, visit http://www.morethanenglish.com/anglos/ index.asp. The company operates from different locations throughout Spain, with the recent addition of Italy.

An alternative company www.vaughntown.com offers similar six day holidays to different locations in Spain and both provide a chance for you to meet your fellow Anglos at a meal the day before you leave for the programme. Incidentally, the two companies were once the same organisation, but the two founders decided to go their separate ways.

From talking to others I would recommend travelling to Madrid from Edinburgh airport with Easyjet. Flights are daily, conveniently timed, cheap and direct. Pueblo Inglés will give you advice on accommodation for your time in Madrid.

For me, it was a privilege to share eight days with such a great crowd of people. Some of us are already talking about meeting up again. To paraphrase Jim, a Canadian who said a few words at the end of the banquet, ‘We came together as strangers, and for a week the Anglos gave the Spanish their voices and their ears and in return the Spanish gave us part of their hearts’. I’m sure you would enjoy the whole experience too.

If you have any questions feel free to drop me an email at nick1@ekit.com. You can also check out some of the photos from my holiday or listen to some of my past radio interviews with local people, such as photographer Joe Cornish, by visiting my website at www.nick.org.uk.

Nick Murray 23

New Marske in Bloom award Mrs Cartwright

Mrs Cartwright was presented with her New Marske in Bloom community award on Monday, November 5th. She is tireless in maintaining the grass verges in front of her house and plants around the trees at her own expense.

New Marske in Bloom were so impressed by her efforts they decided to present her with a certificate and a flowering plant.

She has recently offered to look after two planters as well and these have recently been placed outside her house.

She is seen being presented with her award by the chairman Norah Cooney and members of the committee.

New Marske in Bloom also recently planted 2,000 crocus bulbs around the village and asked that people avoid parking on the grass verges so that the bulbs can have a chance to grow.

Vera Rider Secretary, New Marske in Bloom

Saltburn Scout news Remembrance Day

The Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, with the Army Cadets paraded around Saltburn on Sunday, 11th November.

At a time when young people are being criticised for their attitude to others, the Scouts and Cadets still want to show their respect to the Armed Forces who have died and are still risking death and injury in serving their country.

From 1st to the 19th December Scout Post will be in operation at the usual sites. I would like to thank in advance the people who use our Christmas card service; the revenue from this will help keep the group solvent.

As I mentioned in my previous article in this magazine, we need adults to offer their time as helpers or leaders. The group is growing but without the parents who help us at present and new leaders we will struggle to give effective supervision, especially on outdoor events. All potential leaders and helpers will need to be CRB checked and training will be provided for leaders.

Don Agar, Scout Leader 07946 487743

Words and Music for Christmas

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Meditation Classes Atisha Buddhist Centre holds a weekly meditation class in Saltburn and changed venue from Wednesday, 14th November from the Community Centre to the Well Being Centre, 6A Station Street, Saltburn (above Bells Stores).

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Debbs Kefford Atisha Buddhist Centre 25

Vicky Tyzack, community character One of Saltburn’s best-known, and well-loved, characters has died aged 93.

Mrs Vicky Tyzack, who was one of the most regular customers of the town’s charity shops, died “very peacefully” in Graceland Care Home, Guisborough, where she had lived for several years.

Daughter Mrs Patricia O'Neill praised the “wonderfully caring staff” of the home. She said her mother’s personality was summed up by the photo used in the order of service at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Saltburn, showing Vicky enjoying a Christmas party at the home.

“She was 89 at the time, but she still managed to dance the night away,” said Mrs O'Neill.

Veronica Tyzack, who changed her first name in later life to Vicky, was born in Devon and went to the Notre Dame High School, Plymouth, where she was a “high achiever, but like so many of her generation did not go into higher education.”

She married a young naval officer Pat Tyzack in 1937. They enjoyed the social life, but “there must have been difficult times,” especially during the 1939-45 war when Pat was away at sea for long periods.

After leaving the Royal Navy as a commander in 1956, Pat joined ICI Wilton in the personnel department.

Another ex-navy man there at the time was John HarveyJones, who rose to become a knighted company chairman.

They lived at Nunthorpe and in 1963 moved to Saltburn. Vicky joined the golf club, becoming captain of the ladies’ section, played bridge, helped the RNLI and was an active member of the Catholic community.

In the 1980s both Pat and the couple’s younger daughter Bernadette died in tragic circumstances. Vicky showed “tremendous strength and courage,” said daughter Patricia. Her faith helped.

Left: Vicky Tyzack in the height of fashion in her thirties and right: Vicky aged 89 “dancing the night away” at Guisborough.

“Mother was a lady who liked her clothes. When my husband and I cleared her flat at Gresley Court we took 50 garden refuse sacks of them to charity and still left her with an extensive wardrobe.”

Patricia took some of the dozens of hats to her home in Salisbury. Her grandson likes to dress up in a fur creation and his sister is expected to be attracted to a “more feminine red pillbox, complete with net.”

Vicky Tyzack leaves her daughter Patricia, son Peter, six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

A volunteer at one of Saltburn’s charity shops said of Vicky: “She always had a smile on her face. We loved her coming in to browse round, not always buying clothes, a bag or a hat, but being a good customer.”

Canon Bill Madden, of Our Lady of Lourdes, said at the funeral Mass he recalled Vicky visiting the church daily at both morning Mass and to visit the outdoor grotto to sit and say a quiet prayer - “it was a special place for Vicky.”

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26

Young Opera at the Saltburn Community Theatre On 29th October, a group of young singers from the Royal Academy of Music in London presented a fully-staged performance of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, in a thoroughly idiomatic English translation, to a packed and appreciative house at the Saltburn Community Theatre which would not have disgraced a professional opera company. Every credit must go to the hard-working Director and Set Designer, Sara Reynolds, and the marvellous pianist, Julia Kennard, for presenting such a well-integrated production which did not flag for a second.

The acting was of a uniformly high standard, and much of the singing gave pleasure.

The role of Susanna is one of the most arduous in the repertoire – she is on stage almost throughout the opera – and Anna Sideris did her full justice. The Count Almaviva was played by Edward Hawkins who literally towered, head and shoulders, above the rest of the cast. His beautifully sonorous bass-baritone voice, and imposing stature, recalled the great Russian, Fedor Chaliapine. Holly-Anna Lloyd in the travesti role of the Page, Cherubino brought his ardent impetuosity fully into focus; and Oliver Johnston, in the dual roles of Don Basilio and Don Curzio, brought to mind Heddle Nash, who sang Basilio at the first Glyndebourne Festival in 1934, revealing great promise as a charactertenor of real stature.

The smaller parts were also well played, mainly by very young singers who will no doubt develop and hone their skills as they gain further experience. Outstanding

among the small parts was the Count’s tipsy gardener, Antonio, unforgettably played by Mark Reynolds, who surreptitiously quaffed his master’s wine behind his back, growing ever more unsteady on his feet.

There were only two slight disappointments. Sheila Denham, who played the Countess, has a big, bright soprano voice which she has no need to force – as she did on occasions, leading to inevitable problems with intonation. One would have thought at times she was singing Wagner at the Royal Albert Hall, rather than Mozart at a small, intimate venue. Had she scaled her voice down to suit the theatre, she would have given much more pleasure. With Christopher Moon-Little, who played Figaro, we had the opposite problem. Perhaps it was an off-day, but his voice lacked sufficient weight for the part, and in the lower register was practically inaudible. But he has stunning looks (like a young Tom Cruise), and acts really well. I suspect he should re-train as a tenor, for his upper notes showed a delightful openness; on the strength of this performance, however, his future would seem not to lie in the baritone range.

The chorus was also excellent, and included Saltburn’s own Rowan Pierce, who is currently a part-time junior at the Academy. We wish her, and all the others who contributed to this most impressive performance, every success in the future. I hope we shall be treated to further productions of theirs in subsequent years.

Dan O’Hara 27

New Management at the Saltburn Store “We have decided to try something completely different,” Joan tells me as I climb the stairs to their accommodation above the Upleatham Street corner shop. She and Polly are the new owners of Saltburn Store, which they took over on 11th October this year.

Joan and Polly come from the Sunderland area and have previously been social workers. They have recently tired of the performance driven culture with lots of targets to meet, but less contact with the people they were trying to help. As college students, they worked in a variety of shops, gaining valuable experience, but this is their first time in charge. They are relishing working for themselves and having more control over their daily lives.

They spent a while researching different businesses for sale and attracted by the details of the Saltburn shop, came down a few times to assess its possibilities. They investigated the area and were impressed by the valley gardens, the woods and the beach.

“We also liked the feel of the area,” adds Polly.

“The shop always had a friendly atmosphere when we called.”

Polly and Joan are settling in well. They like walking and take out their dog, Lucy, several times a day.

She is a seven year old German Shepherd cross. They got her from a Rescue Centre at West Auckland. She is struggling a little with having no garden, but loves exercise in the woods and on the beach.

Polly and Joan have noticed that there are a lot of dog owners in the town and feel that it is a community, which they won’t get lost in. They have got to know many people already and everyone has been very welcoming.

There was a lot of concern expressed that the two shop assistants, Karen and Ann, would be kept on and they appreciated the interest of local people in the workforce.

In practice, Polly and Joan feel indebted to their staff for their help in getting them off to such a good start.

From a business point of view, Saltburn Store is a traditional community shop (with a good reputation built up over many years by John Smith) and Polly and Joan aim to keep it this way, while developing some additional services. They are continuing deliveries to the local care homes: Seaview, Hazelgrove and the Convalescent Home and also to some elderly residents for a fair-sized order.

Some elderly or infirm people phone in their order; others come to the shop and select their goods, but are not strong enough to carry them home. Polly and Joan are very sympathetic to older people’s needs, having worked with them before in social care.

The shop has an early 6.00am opening and the first job is to sort out the day’s newspapers and magazines.

Special orders are taken (for the Beano on the day I was speaking to them!), as for food, including fruit and vegetables. Six days a week, Polly drives to Redcar for fresh fruit and vegetables, where she buys from Eileen’s, amongst others. The team are sticklers for high quality and 28

make sure Saltburn Store stock is always in good condition.

A special journey is also made to the Mini-Market at Carlin How, which supplies substantial home made sandwiches.

Deliveries also come to the shop early: cakes from Elizabeth Botham at Whitby on Fridays and bread and cakes daily from the Breadbasket at New Marske.

Aware that nursery plants have been sold before at the shop, Polly and Joan say that they will look into this in the spring, but they are taking orders for Christmas wreaths, which are made locally. They have made an application to sell lottery tickets, but have been told that there are enough sellers in Saltburn at the moment. They are continuing the advertising of customers’ goods for sale in the shop window, in return for a donation to Saltburn Animal Rescue Association or in November, to the poppy appeal. Notices of community events are also welcomed for display.

Not only Polly and Joan, but also Karen and Ann keep a keen eye on comparative prices and find that they are competitive and even cheaper on some goods than a much bigger local shop. I tell them that they offer an absolute bargain on Longley Vale cottage cheese and I come regularly for it!

The owners have long-term plans to do general maintenance in the shop and to update equipment: the scales, fridges, freezers and the flooring. They think taking a holiday will take a lot of planning too, but once they’re settled into a routine, it may be easier to consider. Not only have they taken on new jobs, but they have also moved house at the same time and now they need to empty all the boxes and start some redecoration.

“We are focusing at the moment on getting to know the customers,” says Joan. “We are getting used to the pattern of trade, with children and parents coming in before and after school during term-time.”

So – make a visit to the Saltburn Store if you haven’t been there recently: it is open from 6.00am to 6.00pm, Monday to Saturday and until 1.00pm on Sunday. Let’s help our independent shops to prosper!

Rosemary Nicholls

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29

Daffodils planted at Marske Road More daffodils than usual are to be planted in Saltburn this autumn to be ready for flowering next spring.

Redcar and Cleveland Council gardeners dug holes and placed 1,000 bulbs in them along Marske Road, Saltburn, in November.

Owing to a “total misunderstanding” they did not link up with 12 Huntcliff School pupils, who were to have done the planting. Now the Huntcliff pupils are to plant more bulbs in the school grounds.

“There was a total misunderstanding about the time for the pupils and gardeners to meet,” said Mrs Kath Fawcett, a committee member with Saltburn 500 Club, which supplied the bulbs.

“This is the fourth year when we’ve arranged for Huntcliff pupils to plant bulbs along Marske Road.”

Nic Gibson, community link at the school, said the Year Seven pupils were disappointed not to link up with the gardeners, but the school intended to give them more bulbs to plant in the school grounds.

“They were looking forward to planting them in Marske Road. But now if we can’t have a public planting we’ll do

Council gardeners Norman Peacock, left, holding daffodil bulbs, and spade-at-the-ready Martin Brown prepare to plant some of the 1,000 bulbs at Marske Road, Saltburn. something here.”

New allotment holders’ success

A couple who took over an almost-derelict allotment last year were presented with a newcomers' trophy by Saltburn Allotment Association on Sunday, November 11th.

Brian Muddiman and Mary Bidgood, both aged 57, have been judged the best new plot-holders and were presented with the Brian Jefferson trophy by former chairman Brian Jefferson.

Mr Muddiman, of Irvin Avenue, Saltburn, said: “There were piles of rotten wood and brambles 3ft high when we took over our first plot last year. Mary had the vision that it could be improved. In February this year we took on a second section of the plot, totalling 30ft by 30ft, and now we’ve got it cultivated with vegetables.”

Mary said: “We are learning all the time. Other allotment-holders are friendly and give us advice. We’ve done well with beans, but sprouts have not been a success.”

Brian was made redundant from waste recycling firm Biffa at the Guisborough tip two years ago and finds the allotment an ideal recreation.

About the trophy, he said: “I’m chuffed to be nominated. We’ve put a lot of work into the allotment and enjoy it.”

New allotment holders Mary Bidgood and Brian Muddiman start winter work at the Saltburn plot for which they received a newcomers’ trophy.

THE HALCYON SINGERS

are giving a Christmas concert on Friday, 14th December 2007 at 7.30pm in Saltburn Community Centre Doors open 7.00pm Tickets £5 - including Pie and Pea Supper Bar and Raffle

30

This is a very informal and relaxed evening which has been very successful in the past. Tickets are available from Pete Smith’s butchers, 13 Dundas Street, Saltburn, and from choir members.

We are keen to welcome new members to our rehearsals which take place every Tuesday from 7.30p.m to 9.30p.m. in the Methodist Church Hall in Milton Street, Saltburn.

Churches Together in Saltburn invite you to join them in their Christmas worship Sunday 2nd December 2007 3.00 pm

Christingle Service

Sunday 9th December 2007 10.45 am United Advent Service

Parish Church Methodist Church

Saturday 22nd December 2007 6.00 pm

Mass

Catholic Church

Sunday 23rd December 2007 9.00 am 10.00 am 10.30 am 10.45 am 11.00 am 6.00 pm

Holy Communion Worship and Communion Carol Service Preacher David Grimoldby Family Service Mass United Carols by Candlelight

Parish Church Parish Church Lighthouse Church Methodist Church Catholic Church Parish Church

Christmas Eve: Monday 24th December 2007 5.30 pm 5.30 pm 6.00 pm 11.15 pm 11.30 pm

Crib Service Carols Mass Service of Holy Communion Midnight Holy Communion

Parish Church Catholic Church Catholic Church Methodist Church Parish Church

Christmas Day: Tuesday 25th December 2007 9.30 am 10.00 am 10.30 am 11.00 am

Family Service Family Communion Carols Mass

Methodist Church Parish Church Catholic Church Catholic Church

Ice to see you in Saltburn

Many thanks to all those that helped make the Ice rink weekend a success. The Ice rink was organized by the Saltburn Agora Partnership with a grant they had received from the local network fund for children and young people.

The Partnership wanted to give the children both young and old a special treat this Christmas. The Saltburn Agora Partnership has to date mostly been seen promoting businesses, but it also has a strong commitment to the local community and works with the key stakeholders in the town to keep Saltburn a great place to live, visit and work.

Stephanie French

Pop to Saltburn and Win

Saltburn is starting the Christmas shopping season with another popular Pop in and Win Promotion.

The Purple Balloons will be making a festive appearance to tempt shoppers to visit their local shops for their Christmas needs.

On Saturday, 8th December shoppers spending ÂŁ5 or more in participating shops will be able to enter a free prize draw for some lovely gifts generously donated by the businesses in Saltburn. The promotion is organised and run by The Saltburn Agora Partnership, and has proved to be lots of fun since it was first run in February.

The purpose of the promotion is to remind us all of the value of our local independent shops and how they keep our high street alive. The promotion is also lots of fun! So come to Saltburn for your Christmas shopping and discover the treasures on your doorstep this festive season.

Saturday 29th December 2007 6.00 pm

Mass

Catholic Church

Sunday 30th December 2007 9.00 am 10.00 am 10.30 am 10.45 am 11.00 am

Holy Communion (BCP) Worship and Communion Morning Service Preacher Gerald Heasley Morning Worship Mass

Parish Church Parish Church Lighthouse Church Methodist Church Catholic Church

New Year’s Eve: Monday 31st December 2007 9.00 am

Mass Catholic Church Watchnight Service Brockley Hall Please telephone 01287-622329 in advance for time and details

Church Locations and Contacts Parish Church of Emmanuel Windsor Road Parish Church Office Macnay Street

01287-622007 01287-205322

Methodist Church Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church Lighthouse Full Gospel Church

01287-623245 01287-623619

Milton Street Milton Street

Toc H Coach House 01287-624314 Albion Terrace 31

The White Rose Singers

Christmas Concert On Saturday, 15th December, The White Rose Singers will be giving a concert entitled “Music for a Winter’s Evening”. It will be a very varied evening with songs from the shows, other light music, Christmas music, and some humour as well!

We are very pleased to have Bill Greenwood as our soloist for the evening. Bill is a baritone in great demand, and has often sung with us and other local choirs such as the Middleton Festival Choir. He is a member of Opera Nova, and last year gave a wonderful performance in Middlesbrough Theatre as Papageno in the Magic Flute. He has just repeated this success in a production of Die Fledermaus.

There will be a bar open from 7pm, and during the interval. (We are not doing tea and coffee, as previously advertised. The offer of having a bar provided was too good to refuse!)

We are looking forward to a festive evening, and we hope you will come along and join in the fun!

Tickets are £4.50 (£3.50 for concessions) and they will be available from Saltburn Health Foods - Thank you, Saltburn Health Foods, for all your help.

Caroline Scales

The White Rose Singers Present

Music for a Winter’s Evening Featuring Guest Artist

Bill Greenwood At: Saltburn Community Theatre On: Saturday 15th December 2007 Time: 7.30pm (Doors and bar open at 7pm) Tickets: £4.50 (£3.50 Concessions) Tickets available from : Saltburn Health Foods or on the door.

The Bar will also be open during the interval.

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Saltburn Clipper

Fish and Chip Shop

14 Dundas Street East, Saltburn Tel: 01287 622700

Saltburn Clipper would like to thank all its customers for their continued trade.

Come and join us in our newly refurbished café and take-away.

Saltburn Clipper is now offering a ‘Pensioner Special’, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday lunchtimes.

Call in and enjoy a meal in our new cosy smoke-free café.

We look forward to seeing you,

Steve and Helen Pasco

33

Osprey death Following the death of an osprey in Saltburn woods, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has offered advice for anyone coming across a wild bird in similar circumstances.

“Contact the RSPCA, who have veterinary expertise and know about animal welfare,” said RSPB spokeswoman Elisa Cook.

First news of the surprise visitor to the valley, near the woodland centre, appeared in last month’s Talk of the Town.

The monthly Valley Views column reported that the young bird was “poorly” and stayed for six days near the beck. It was the first time an osprey had landed at Saltburn, but “unfortunately it didn't survive.”

It appears a well-intentioned walker had come across the bird and took it home, trying to help it to recover.

Ms Cook said that possibility humans touching the bird had adversely affected it. “It’s best to let experts assess the situation.”

She said UK ospreys, who totalled 158 breeding pairs in 2001, normally migrated to Spain and West Africa in winter.

Several have been seen in recent years flying over Saltburn, but none has landed until the young bird the other week.

Ospreys can be found in Scotland, the Lake District and some other parts of Britain. It is illegal to disturb their nests and steal the eggs. They were driven from extinction a century ago because of egg thefts and were absent for 50 years.

Now, thanks to the efforts of organisations like the RSPB the rare birds of prey are returning.

Car firm in administration Car firm Keith M. Watson Ltd., which was started in Saltburn nearly 100 years ago, is in administration following cashflow problems.

Leeds-based business advisors PKF are now trying to sell parts of the business, which employed 41 people when it called in administrators on October 30th.

A hitch hit PKF when petrol sales restarted at the Marske site three days after the administration started.

Partner Ian Schofield said motorists were surprised to see petrol was being sold at over £1 a litre and thought this was higher than at other local filling stations.

“We were only supplied with new fuel that day and since then other local filling stations have raised their prices to over £1 a litre,” said Mr Schofield.

“Selling petrol is a cut-throat business and there’s not much money in it.”

He added that he was confident of selling the Longbeck Road, Marske, filling station and workshops.

Twelve full-time and part-time employees are being kept on there. But the remaining 29 workers, made up of mechanics and car sales staff, have been made redundant.

PKF is now trying to sell the two properties owned

by Watson’s - the Marske site with business and the closed car showroom on the corner of Windsor Road and Princes Road, Saltburn.

The other Saltburn showroom, on the opposite side of Windsor Road, and the Brotton Hall showroom at Brotton, which are both leased, are to be returned to their landlords, said Mr Schofield.

Watson’s workshop on the Skelton industrial estate, which was opened three months ago, is on a long lease. It is currently closed.

Meanwhile one of the staff still employed Christine Watson, 41, told how Marske customers had been “shocked but pleased the shop is still open” when they learned administrators had moved in.

“We were all surprised because we thought the business was doing fine. The shop manageress took redundancy, but I’m staying on working towards the shop 34

Christine Johnson, 41, welcomes customers to the petrol and ‘convenience’ shop at Watson’s garage, Marske, hoping new owners will take over.

being profitable and having a new owner.

“The shop and petrol filling station are definitely remaining open until and through Christmas. Customers have been shocked but pleased that the only petrol station in the village is staying open.”

Christine started to work in the shop in 1984 when it was owned by Durkin’s, who sold it to Watson’s in 1997.

The Watson group was started in 1912 and its head office until 1997 was at Milton Street, Saltburn. It has been run for the past 20 years by John Richards, formerly with accountants KPMG. In 1997 he said in a newspaper interview he planned to “grow the firm cautiously.” It then had 48 employees and a turnover of £6 million.

It had a Ford dealership at Saltburn and sold used Vauxhall cars at Brotton.

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Please get your tickets in advance for these events Contact the Club for details

A Merry Christmas from all at the Club!

35

Vista Mar . . . changing the face of Saltburn You might not think that Saltburn has much in common with Ibiza, but a brand new concept bar and restaurant is planning to see that change.

Many of you will have noticed the huge refurbishment which is turning the eyesore that was Rosie O Grady’s into a stunning new venue inspired by the sultry sounds of venues such as Café del Mar, Bambuddah Grove and other famous establishments throughout the Mediterranean.

Vista Mar, which means ‘sea view’, is set to open on December 7th, and has taken its inspiration from some of the best bars and restaurants around Europe. It will certainly be unlike anything else you’ll find in Saltburn and along the north east coast; in fact, it’s unlike anything in the UK. The new venue will be part bar and part restaurant with the emphasis on choice and quality; that means a range of continental draught beers and a high class wine list, as well as a fabulous food menu featuring some of the freshest fish around.

The building itself will be just as striking. Set into the hillside overlooking Saltburn Pier the eye-catching glass frontage not only means the place will look fabulous, but it will also open up those tremendous views of the North Sea. Dave Stokes, owner of the new venue explains more: “The thing that first attracted me to this project was the unbelievable location,” he said. “This is one of the most

A Merry Christmas from AM Cars

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36

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beautiful spots along the coast and it was a shame that previously the pub had been allowed to run into disrepair and become a bit of an eyesore.

“But that’s all going to change. Vista Mar will bring the Mediterranean café culture and all that offers to Saltburn – whether it’s al fresco dining and drinking or the high standards of service.

“People want to be able to relax in the right environment and stay in one place for a night out, which is exactly what we’ve tried to cater for here.”

Prior to opening Vista Mar, Dave has renovated The Windsors (formerly the Queens Hotel) three years ago, as well as overhauling The Park Hotel in Middlesbrough earlier this year.

In total, he expects the completed refurbishment to cost half a million pounds but is convinced that once everyone has seen the finished product, they’ll realise it’s money well spent.

The new look will include pebbled flooring and a stunning cantilever balcony area, suspended so you’ll feel you are dining over the sea itself.

Vista Mar opens for the first time on December 7th following an invite only champagne reception the night before. They are already taking bookings for Christmas – for a full look at their festive menu, check out www.vistamar.com. To make your booking call 01287 622 750.

Saltburn Photographic Society

On Wednesday, 5th December the results of the Jarvis, Lynn and Ladies competition will be shown and the winners announced. The Chairman Bryan Clare is getting members into the Christmas spirit with his contribution on Wednesday, 12th December.

There is no practical meeting in December. Our first meeting in 2008 on Wednesday, January 9th will be a showing of members’ slides.

Meetings are held in the Saltburn Methodist Church upstairs Hall, Milton Street and commence at 7.45pm.

Disabled access is available. Visitors are welcome, (there is a small charge).

For more details please contact Tony Lynn 01287 622519 0r Malcolm Blenkey 01287 652183.

37

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Help! Your local Playgroup needs you!

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

We have spaces in December for babies and newcomers to the town 38

39

Advertiser’s Feature

Steven James Guitars

It’s now one year on for Steven James and his Steven James Guitar Shop in Middlesbrough. The former rocker has opened a guitar store in Middlesbrough for serious and aspiring musicians.

Saltburn born Steven Bulmer aka Steve James, bass player in the 1980s and 90s band The Dogs D’Amour opened Steven James Guitars on Linthorpe Road one year ago. After working for eight years managing the Guitar Amp and Keyboard Centre (GAK) in Brighton, Steven decided to return to his roots. He said “I realised that despite the thriving local music scene and growing interest in playing rock music, there seemed to be nowhere in Middlesbrough that had a genuine rock and roll vibe and made you feel like you were part of something exciting.

“I decided to return to the North East and create the kind of music shop which I would have wanted to visit and hang out in when I was a professional musician.” As well as a former musician, Steven is an experienced Luthier (someone who builds and repairs guitars).

He is credited with building a Jimmy Page replica guitar for Marc Chadwick, lead singer for the Levellers.

Steve also restores vintage instruments and the shop provides an on site repair service for musicians.

The shop also specialises in a wide range of musical instruments including drums, amplifiers, electric, acoustic and bass guitars and a wide range of musical accessories, books and DVDs. Steven had a taste of the rock and roll lifestyle between 1986 and 1992, when he released four top 40 singles including the top ten hit Satellite Kid, with the Dogs D’Amour. The band made extensive tours of Europe, Japan and the US. Steven is celebrating his first anniversary this year and welcomes all new customers 40

with expert advice and the best selection of musical instruments in the North East at unbeatable prices.

Steven says: “It’s funny how I got started building guitars really. I was on tour with the Levellers, and bought a book (in some small book shop in Edinburgh)

by Andy Manson, who built the three neck guitar for Led Zeppelin, and his advice was if you want to build guitars, just build one, and another, and another. I thought it would be a good read for the next leg of the journey but I soon realised that you could turn £200 of wood into a £4,000 guitar if you had the ability.

“So as soon as I got back I built a guitar in about two weeks. Then I built more and more: a nice flame top Les Paul for the tour bus driver, half a dozen Telecasters, and a Jimmy Page replica Les Paul for Mark Chadwick (Levellers frontman) which he still plays to this day. He loves it; it’s his main guitar.

“Then a friend of mine had just opened a guitar shop in Brighton and persuaded me to come in and work over the Christmas period and that’s how I got into the retail side of things. I ended up there for eight years! The same amount of time as I was with the Dogs! Weird, innit? I’d ever thought of it like that before!

“I wanted to do it for myself and I’d always thought of doing it in Middlesbrough, I thought ‘right I’m gonna go back up North’. So I sold my house, moved up here, got married, and opened the shop. I want to make the shop successful, just to prove that I can do it and that you can survive here without being an out of town ‘supermarket’.

“I don’t like these people that don’t have a shop, just a website and a warehouse. They just shift boxes, and they don’t care about what they’re selling. They can’t even set a guitar up; to them it’s just a commodity…..boxes go in, boxes go out.”

41

Saltburn Animal Rescue Association.

A small charity seeking to rescue and rehome cats and dogs, Tel: 01287 201005 (weekdays only). SARA has many dogs and cats that need new homes. All are clean, healthy, neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

Hello Saltburn. My name is Pip and yes, I’m a dog. I know it’s cat month but I have special dispensation. Of course with my luck lately I could have turned into a cat but I don’t think so; I don’t purr and I don’t meow so I suppose I must still be a dog. With everything going on in my life it’s just as well to check out, because at the moment I am totally bewildered and rather sad.

I don’t know why but 2007 is so far a very mixed luck year for me. I was born in 2006 I think, but I ended up as a stray at about 4 months old. I came into SARA and thought ‘Wow my luck’s changed!’ I found a lovely new home with a family and for a long time I was so happy. Then disaster: I got sent back to SARA. I don’t understand the ins and outs of it all but I think it was due to a serious illness in the family. I don’t think I did anything wrong and certainly that’s what they told me. So I was all ready to try again. Then I went to another home with an older dog, I have had no problems with dogs and I thought ‘Great, at last I can settle down and find my bearings.’ I did but then when I tried to show them all that I was a young, up and coming dog the old dog took against me and didn’t like me anymore so back I came to SARA. I try so hard and all that seems to happen is I get moved back and forward. This kind of thing gets depressing and I have to wonder what I’ve done wrong. Did I try too hard? Did I love them too much? I am told I’m a well-

behaved dog who travels well in cars and is loving and playful. However, they did say that once I settle I do like to be top dog, whatever that means. I think I’m just taking my rightful place in the animal pecking order. Anyway, now I’m totally bewildered, I don’t know what to do. I’m in kennels and it’s safe and comfortable but a bit frightening. Will I ever get a safe and happy home?

I would suit any kind of home: no preferences, other than perhaps I should be the only dog. I have lived with other dogs okay but once bitten twice shy, so I’ve been put down as an only dog. What do I have to offer? Love, play, a long life and lots and lots of love. Of course it might take me a little while to settle because of my experiences but I am never, ever nasty and I’m good with kids. Please could you make me a happy and settled dog and give me a secure and happy home preferably before Christmas?

Love and wet kisses, Pip. PS if you go on the website to see me you might see me as Maddie, if they haven’t changed it. I have had a couple of names and Pip was the original one with SARA so I’m hoping it will bring me more luck than Maddie did. Of course you can call me what you like as long as I get your surname as my surname.

PPS I am a girl and I’ve been spayed so no problems there.

SARA Fundraising Events during December The next monthly meeting of SARA will be held on Wednesday, 5th December, in the TocH premises, Albion Terrace, Saltburn, at 7.30pm. New members are very welcome.

1st December: The monthly dog viewing will be held at the Bandstand, Saltburn, on Saturday, 1st December, from 10am to 12noon. The dogs and puppies currently in the care of SARA will be on show. Fosterers and members of SARA will be available for any information about the organisation.

8th December: SARA will be holding a Christmas Fayre at The Cheshire Home, Marske, on Saturday, 8th December, from 11am to 2pm. There will be sherry and mince pies, other refreshments, and a large variety of stalls. All proceeds will be towards the Foxrush Farm, Sanctuary and Re-homing Centre Fund.

22nd December: Members of SARA will be holding a collecting day in Middlesbrough on Saturday, 22nd December.

All money collected will be in aid of the Foxrush Farm, Sanctuary and Re-homing Centre Fund.

The Christmas Memory Tree to commemorate lost pets will 42

again be placed in the SARA Charity Shop in Guisborough, later in November. All funds raised will go towards the Foxrush Farm Sanctuary and Re-homing Centre. Thank you to everyone who made it such a success last year.

Advance Notice for January: The popular New Year’s Day Dip, will again be held at Saltburn Pier, on New Year’s Day, when members of SARA take part with their pets in the sponsored dip at 11am. Members of the public are also invited to take part with their pets. This event has grown each year and is enjoyed by everyone. Sponsor forms will shortly be available in Saltburn Library, and the SARA Shop in Guisborough. For any further information contact our Helpline Monday-Friday 9.30 to 1.30, or visit the website www.s-a-r-a.org.uk All the proceeds will go towards the Foxrush Farm, Sanctuary and Rehoming Centre.

Recent Fundraising: Middlesbrough Collection Day raised £716.11. Thank you to everyone who made this such a success.

For any further information please ring our Helpline Monday to Friday 9.30am to 1.30pm or visit our website on www.s-a-r-a.org.uk.

Sheila Green

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George Healing

A funeral service for George Healing, a senior Shell engineer, who ‘adopted’ Saltburn in retirement, was held at Teesside crematorium on October 29th.

George Healing, who was 77 when he died peacefully at Brotton Hospital, was born in a small village near Chester where he was the first child for many years to pass the entrance exam to Chester Grammar School.

He trained to become a mechanical engineer and served with the New Zealand Shipping Company and Cunard, which gave him a taste for travel. He joined the Shell oil company and studied to become a chartered engineer. He and his newly-wed wife Stella were posted to Indonesia, then a trouble spot, in the 1960s. An uprising forced Shell to send families to Australia for six months.

George and colleagues were virtually trapped in the refinery.

Shell posted him to Essex and then Teesport in the early 1970s a few years after their refinery had started up. He was in charge of maintenance, then projects and construction. Among the expansion he oversaw was the thermal gas-oil plant, expanding the refinery by a third in the late 1970s.

After five years at Shell’s gas plant in Sarawak, Malaysia, Mr Healing was posted back to Teesport in 1985 to demolish the refinery, which had been run for less than 20 years. “I feel very sad about it,” he said at the time. “It’s an extremely unhappy sort of thing to do, especially as it operated efficiently and professionally.”

At Saltburn, he was an active member of the community, joining both the golf club and cricket club plus Saltburn Photographic Society. He was later made cricket club president.

He worshipped at Emmanuel Church and had a great knowledge of the Bible. The crematorium service was led by Emmanuel reader Mrs Margaret Bennett, in the absence of the Rev Guy Donegan-Cross. The service included a eulogy read by Mr and Mrs Healing’s niece Victoria.

Sue Preston retires

Mrs Susan Preston, left, clerk to Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, is presented with a watch from chairman Councillor Mrs Marion Jefferson after 22 years of service.

Tributes were paid to Mrs Preston - known to all councillors as Sue - at the monthly council meeting held at Saltburn Leisure Centre. The presentation took place at the end of the meeting. She is succeeded by Mrs Tracy Meadows, of Saltburn, pictured below.

45

Saltburn Athletic (Junior) FC Holland 2008 In last month’s article I said that I would give an update on our fund raising efforts for the trip to Holland in March 2008. I am pleased to report that the Race Night at Saltburn Cricket Club raised over £750 and was a great way to start the ball rolling.

The Bonus Ball has also been a success and all numbers have been sold. The brave players (dressed in their SAFC kit) will be taking part in a sponsored ‘Dip’ in the sea at Saltburn on Sunday, 23rd December (11am start). This will be between the Pier and the Ship Inn and we would be grateful for your support on the day.

The committee were absolutely delighted with the recent gifts from Alan Smith (England Football Team Physio). Alan presented the Club with an Arsenal Champions League football shirt (Rosicky number 7) autographed by the team that beat Slavia Prague 7–0 on 23rd October. That night Arsenal undoubtedly gave Slavia a lesson in football. A final decision has yet to be made on how the shirt will be disposed of; however, a number of

Pantomime in Saltburn is crossing borders

This year’s pantomime by Saltburn ’53 Drama Group features an unusual international cast. Actors, musicians and stage-crew from France, Spain, Iran and Holland are involved. And since ‘pantomime’ is quite uniquely British, these foreigners had to be introduced to this tradition. First the wrong idea of “a play with no words how boring” had to be corrected. Then more had to be explained; about the Dame, the jokes, the interaction with the audience. It’s all so natural if you grew up in this country and you visited the yearly panto from when you were three years old. But it is all so different for those folks from the continent.

Nevertheless, the rehearsals for Cinderella are coming along nicely with a charming French prince and a double-Dutch speaking horse. Listen to a Spanish fiddler and be amazed how the wonderful set changes thanks to a crew from Iran, as if they were born into the panto tradition. Who knows if the panto fever will spread abroad. Lucky us, we can all enjoy it at our doorstep in Saltburn Community Theatre; from 10th till 19th January, and tickets available at Saltburn Health Foods.

46

options are being considered, including a raffle, advertising it on eBay or selling it to a buyer who is prepared to offer a substantial sum of money. In addition Alan gave SAFC an Aston Villa number 6 shirt bearing Gareth Barry’s name and autograph. The third item is a Derby County shirt which has been autographed by Giles Barnes. He is currently playing in the England Under 19s team and is tipped to have a very promising England future. All three shirts are accompanied by the all important letters of authenticity. Profits from the shirts will be help towards subsidising the players’ costs for the Holland trip. The Committee are prepared to consider serious substantial offers for either the Arsenal shirt or the Gareth Barry shirt. I can be contacted at derek.whiley@ntlworld.com. Photographs of the shirts in question are shown below.

On behalf of the committee and players of Saltburn Athletic FC we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Derek Whiley (Secretary SAFC)

Saltburn’s Christmas Band Concerts Saturday 1st December 10.00am -12.00 Marske Band (sponsored by the Parish Council) 12.00-1.00pm Marske Junior Band 1.00pm - 2.30 pm Redcar Silverwood (sponsored by Saltburn 500 Club) Saturday 8th December 10.00am -12.00 South Bank Brass 1.00pm - 2.30pm Northallerton Silver Saturday 15th December 10.00am -12.00 Marske Band 12.00 -1.00pm Marske Junior Band 1.00pm -2.30pm Cleveland Concert Band (sponsored by Saltburn 500 Club) Saturday 22nd December 10am- 12.00 South Bank Brass 12.00 -12.45pm Saltburn ’53 Drama Group 1pm - 1.45pm Halcyon Singers 2pm - 2.45pm Jeanette’s Singers

Friends of Saltburn Library

The 23rd October was a special day for the library, as it gave us the opportunity to celebrate the unique life and work of Pat Brown, who was one of Saltburn’s most colourful figures. A packed library enjoyed a relaxed, enjoyable and life-affirming evening of poetry by Pat and others. All of the readings were of an extremely high standard, and the event helped to underline not only Pat’s considerable talent but also the affection and regard with which she was held by many, both in Saltburn and nationally.

One of the undoubted highlights was a recording of Pat reading her own work, and Pat’s unexpected presence gave the event a powerful, rich and poignant air.

The evening provided those of us who knew her with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate her life, and Pat’s daughter, Hilary, has ensured that Saltburn Library will now have a permanent tribute to Pat. She has very kindly offered to donate a selection of some of Pat’s books to the town, which includes some rare and significant volumes that will provide a valuable addition to the library’s own collection. The funds raised on the evening will be used to ensure that this offering will eventually be housed in a special cabinet.

One of the many people in attendance that night was Trev Teasdel, who, through his influence on - and work with - Pat, was a prime mover in the establishment of Saltburn Writer’s Group. There was some talk on the evening that Trev may well return to run further writer’s workshops in Saltburn next summer: watch this space for further information.

Other events held by the library in October were similarly successful. Our last Table Top sale on 27th October was a great hit, and we’d like to thank The Women’s Institute for providing us with some fantastic refreshments. We also ran a day of Halloween activities for children in the library which proved to be equally popular, and was great fun for those in attendance.

Looking ahead to December, We will be hosting a special evening of Christmas Family Fun at the library at 6.30pm on Friday, 7th December. Events planned so far include loads of games, some songs, and our friends from The Women’s Institute will be demonstrating a range of seasonal “Not-so-naughty-but-nice” nibbles for the festive period which shouldn’t trouble the waistline too much! Tickets for this event on December 7th will be £2 from the library. Under 12s come free, but must be accompanied by an adult.

We have much planned for the library for 2008, and if you wish to help us make sure that the library remains a vital part of our community, your help is always welcome. Your contributions make a huge difference.

If you want any further information about any item, or if you have any further queries about Friends of Saltburn Library, please contact Sandra Hall, Secretary, Friends of Saltburn Library, on 01287 623895 or by email on Sandra hall@ntlworld.com.

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Tributes to Michael Maidens A moving tribute was paid to Michael Maidens, the 20year-old Saltburn man who was killed in a car crash on the A66 Greystones roundabout, when the funeral service was held at Emmanuel Church on November 7th.

A packed church heard family friends Joe and Sheila Collins read a letter written by Michael’s elder brothers Gareth and Phillip. It included the revelation that “difficult times” arrived for Michael at Hartlepool FC in the last year.

He had been dropped from the first team. But being made up of the ‘same stuff’ as his parents (Doug and Heather) he didn’t show any outward sign of weakness.

But his confidence had suffered. His “ever-present smile” was disappearing.

“Finally, a few weeks ago, things came to a head and Michael, in a fit of frustration, announced he was finished (with football). His family knew they had a job to do to restore Michael’s confidence and self-belief. With his friends both in and out of football they set about building him back up again.

“Their efforts paid off and Michael’s confidence and winning smile returned. He was now ready to start to fight for his place in the first team squad. This, of course, was two days before the fatal accident.”

Michael Maidens first kicked a football aged two or three. His brothers took him out in a pushchair every

Sunday morning and during the school holidays and he would kick a ball on the beach or in the woods.

At eight he was spotted by Hartlepool FC and he joined the youth set-up. This involved the “real sacrifices” to be made by his parents and himself travelling to and from Hartlepool for training sessions and away fixtures.

At 14 or 15 he represented the club at an England training session at Lillieshall. He went on to play in Dallas, Texas, and in Canada. He joined the club and played his first away fixture at Crystal Palace in the League Cup. The highlight of his short career was a “spectacular strike” against Huddersfield Town at Victoria Park, Hartlepool - watched by the whole family. This was voted the ‘goal of the season.’

The funeral service was led by vicar the Rev Guy Donegan-Cross.

Hartlepool FC chief executive Russ Green said: “He did make it as a professional footballer. He achieved a standard others could only dream of. It has been decided that the number 25 shirt will be retired and left in his memory.

“He is certainly going to be missed. But I can assure you of one thing, he certainly won’t be forgotten.”

Friends and fans left dozens of tributes on the club’s website.

‘Organism’ opening “Organism”, a new sculpture by local artist Andrew Mckeown, was opened officia lly on W ednesda y, 7th November 2007 by Councillor George Dunning, Leader of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.

Local dignitaries and interested residents braved extremely windy weather conditions to welcome this latest addition to the Saltburn Top Prom Development Project, which complements the nearby Fossil Garden.

In hi s op e ni ng s pe e c h, Councillor Dunning paid tribute to Andrew Mckeown’s work a nd expressed the hope that this piece of public art would help put Saltburn on the map.

Created in steel with bronze patina, “Organism” was inspired by microscopic sea organisms called diatoms and is intended to highlight the importance of these organisms in the health of the planet.

Speaking after the opening ceremony, Andrew Mckeown described “Organism” as a tactile sculpture, with smooth curves and edges which people could touch and interact with. He recalled many interesting discussions with 48

local residents while working on the piece inside its security cage on the Top Prom during the previous two months, and appreciated the positive comments he had received during this time. He was really happy with the finished sculpture, and hoped people would continue to engage with this public art.

The Saltburn Top Prom Improvement Project has been funded b y A w a r d s f o r All; Huntsman; Coastal Arc Single Programme; Impetus Environmental Trust; The Goodfund; Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council; the Neighbourhood Renewa l Fund Environme nta l Community Chest; Redcar and C l e v e l a n d B o r o u g h Council; Saltburn Forward; and the SITA Trust.

A video of the opening ceremony and a short interview with artist Andrew Mckeown by local filmmaker Adam Steele can be seen at http://www.myspace.com/ newbreedfilms (with apologies for the poor sound quality due to prevailing strong winds and the eagerness of photographers present to snap the new artwork).

Valley Views

Hello and welcome to this my first time at writing this article…so who is this new guy then? Well let me introduce myself: my name is Paul Murphy and along with Liz Robinson we are your new Rangers down here at the Woodland Centre. We would like to take this opportunity to say all the very best of luck to Neil at his new role of Ranger at Guisborough Forest and Walkway.

After reading a few back issues of Neil’s writings for this article we will very much follow a similar thread of keeping you up to date with all the happenings, both wildlife issues and projects which are ongoing down in the valley.

Site News Since starting here on Monday, 5th November we have been busy continuing with some of Neil’s projects but also with one or two of our own. The first big job we tackled was clearing the site where the old greenhouses once were. The ivy was very much against us on this one, and the idea is to hopefully plant the area with wildflower seeds and try to promote the area as a mini wildflower meadow, with a small path winding its way through allowing visitors to experience some of our more native plants in a much less informal way than within the Italian Gardens.

These are not the only plans for doing some planting; it is also hoped to plant some native bluebells along the bottom path through Rifts Wood, as I have noticed down here, as opposed to my time at Guisborough Forest and Walkway, I have swapped miles upon miles of bramble for the same quantity of holly. Within the next couple of weeks I will be working with our hardy volunteers to thin back some of these and create a few woodland glades in which to plant. So hopefully come the early summertime any visitors will have a much more enhanced walk along the route, and to allay any fears about bluebell planting: don’t worry they are definitely the native variety and not the Spanish or hybrid varieties.

Wildlife News I must admit that as far as the local wildlife is concerned, I’m really excited. The abundance and variety has been a much welcome change from what I have seen over at Guisborough, from willow tits to bank voles, woodpeckers to nuthatches I am truly in awe. As part of having a good look around the site I donned a pair of waders and went on a river walk

along Skelton Beck and was amazed at all that I saw. I was lucky enough to be following a pair of dippers which were playing a game of hide and seek. Hopefully, they will be a breeding pair. The habitat is perfect for them there: fast moving sections of water which tumble over stones provides great feeding for them throughout the year. Stonefly and their larvae are their favourite.

A kingfisher was also seen and talking to Neil I learned that they have historically nested along the beck so once again fingers crossed on that one.

As expected though, wildlife sightings have been not too plentiful mainly due to the time of year, but then again it has been a pretty strange year weather wise. As I sit here writing this and looking out of the window you would think it was an early spring day.

One thing I am keen to do though is to record all that I see around the site, including:plants and flowers, small mammals, fungi, woodland birds, lichen, butterflies etc. This is important for many reasons: firstly I get to go out on site and do lots of exploring; secondly, though more importantly, it gives us a chance to see what we have here and to use this information for different purposes. We can use sightings and recordings as an indicator to our management plan, and we can find out if we are successful in our aims of producing an area rich in biodiversity, and nationally we can record the movement of certain species of animals. We hear every day the concerns over global warming but never really get a true picture of how this will affect both ourselves and the area around us.

So this is where we ask for your help in recording all that you see around you as you are walking through the woodland. The centre is open from Monday to Friday as usual but also every other Sunday too, so feel free to call in and say hello and let us know what you have seen while out walking.

Task days continue throughout December every Friday. We meet at the centre at 10.00am and continue through till 3.00pm.

For more information contact the Woodland Centre on 01287 622408.

Paul Murphy 49

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The Saltburn Profile by Rosemary Nicholls Michael Gosnay “We thought we might lose a bit of trade, but the good of the town was more important,” says Mike Gosnay, when he reviews the success of the Friday evening alcohol sales ban to youngsters in Saltburn. He continues the family tradition of service to the town and enjoys feeling a part of the local community.

Mike was born at Overdene, the youngest of three brothers and lived over the butcher’s shop for his first five years. The most momentous event in these years was being attacked in his pram by a man from down the street and he still has the scars to show from it. But the family decided to put a bit of space between home and work, so they moved to Marske and Mike went to Bydales School.

He had a hankering after training as a draughtsman, but he came down to help his dad with butchering in 1976 and never looked back. He was trained on the job and got grocery experience through the Spar part of the business.

By knocking three premises into one, the business has developed and expanded and more recently has taken on the newspaper business of King’s.

Mike was a bit doubtful about this when he was first approached, but decided to give it a try, as he felt it would be a great loss to the community if the service disappeared. Elderly and infirm people very much appreciate newspaper delivery. Kath from King’s came and helped get things underway and customers have voiced their thanks to the staff. Since the start, the business has been awarded the accolade: Independent Newsagent of the Year. In 2006, the wholesaler encouraged Mike to enter the competition. Judges came to the shop and asked questions. The family were then invited to Grosvenor Hotel in London as one of four shortlisted businesses and to their delight, they found out that they had won! He says: “We were very chuffed. It was due to the very hard work by staff and support from the community.”

In the same year, the Spar business was proclaimed the Best Independent Shop and in 2007, has won the industry’s Training Initiative of the Year Award. Rachael, Mike’s daughter, put forward a package on the computer and in groups, the twenty staff followed a six module course. For the latter, the family were again invited to the Grosvenor Hotel, but this time they were on holiday!

Mike and his brother Peter run four shops between them: at Redcar, Brotton, Saltburn and Heighington, County Durham. It was in 1980 that Mike became a partner in the business and gradually took over more responsibility from his parents. By the end of the 1990s, his dad took a back seat. In 2005, Mike steered a major refit of the Saltburn shop, aiming to offer the very best of family business to Saltburn people.

It still is very much a family business, as his wife Debbie, whom he met at Bydales School, does the accounts full-time. Their daughter, Rachael, aged twenty, is studying Accountancy and Business Studies at

University and is very involved in the shop too. It is her aim to work for the business full-time. Emma, aged seventeen is at Prior Pursglove College and considering studying Law at University. But she is working for the business part-time.

Mike likes to spend his leisure time with the family. In the past they have enjoyed short breaks to Tenerife, but in 2007, all four of them took a trip to Florida. They liked the relaxed atmosphere in America and went to lots of theme parks and shows. When at home, he likes to visit his favourite pub in Marske.

He makes time, though, to be a committed member of Agora, the business association in Saltburn. He is on the committee and aims to do his bit to promote the town and its people. Through Agora, he has met a lot of Saltburn business people who don’t have a shop front and he says: “I hope even more business people will get behind it.” He is backing the current proposal to have an ice rink in the centre of Saltburn in time for Christmas.

Having been in the queues at the butcher’s just before Christmas, I ask him about this busy time of the year. Mike feels that they do well because customers trust them to provide good quality, good value meat. Gosnay’s buy their turkeys locally, make their own sausages and cook their own meat. “As well as our regular customers, we have others who come to us just at Christmas time.

For the two weeks before Christmas, we can work a sixteen to eighteen hour day. It’s a big responsibility to get all the orders ready for families, but when they come back afterwards and say how excellent the meat was, it all feels worthwhile,” he tells me.

Mike aims to be a fair employer, to make good decisions and to lead by example. He strives to give good customer service, making time to chat with shoppers about the food he is selling. He believes it is very important to be a good retailer and to support the local community. It’s not surprising this business is a success!

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Pork – the Way to Armageddon

(with apologies to vegetarians) by Alan Butler ‘Wow, that’s an impressive looking title’, I can hear you say but my epistle this month has more to do with bacon sandwiches than with any discussion of the impending Apocalypse. It has always been said of the British that we will take so much from our rulers and betters but that they should not step beyond a certain point because even we will eventually revolt.

Well, I’ve reached that point and my personal protest begins here. Okay, so I shouldn’t smoke and I’m now told that even so much as a thimbleful of alcohol each week is certain to rot my liver and cause my kidneys to explode. Fair enough, I shouldn’t warm myself by a coal fire, drive my car anywhere at all or put the tiniest scrap of refuse in the wrong bin. I’m now well used to the fact that everything I do from the moment I get out of bed is contributing to the inevitable end of civilization as we know it and that the final trump may be sounded for our species and our planet at any time. All of this I can take, but when some know-itall from London wearing a white coat and an expression like St Simon the Stylite tells me that I can no longer enjoy a bacon sandwich I have to say that enough is enough.

What do ‘they’ want from us? Should we think about wearing starched white collars, black clothes and tall conical hats? Has the time come to elevate the statue of Oliver Cromwell to previously unheard of heights as this new age of the Puritans really begins to bite? I could get really annoyed if it wasn’t for the fact that the whole situation has now become so ludicrous it is reaching the level of high farce.

Slightly away from bacon I was watching a wellknown BBC programme about the countryside a couple of weeks ago and was staggered to see some anaemic and undernourished looking representative of EKU (Everything is Killing Us) informing an unsuspecting world that our demise is now imminent and that it is entirely due to the presence of sheep and cattle.

Apparently there are now so many of them and they are burping so much methane into the atmosphere that Armageddon may be just around the corner. But hang on a minute. Before the white man went to North America there were herds of bison so large that if you stood in one place they would take two or three days to pass you at walking speed. Bison you may recall, like cattle, are ruminants. In the North and East there are still large herds of reindeer, otherwise known as caribou, which are certainly the most widespread wild ruminants on the planet. In days gone by their numbers were very much greater than they are now and there used to be literally tens of millions of them tramping around the tundra.

When there were less people there were countless more wild ruminants worldwide than there are now and the fact that there are now fewer is entirely down to our

habit of killing and eating them at the drop of a Stone Age hat. Apart from the other animals I’ve mentioned the realm of methane belching animals also includes goats, camels, alpacas, llamas, giraffes, water buffalo, deer, wildebeest, and all antelopes. So if we have to part with all our sheep and cattle in order to safeguard the atmosphere it stands to reason that all these animals will have to go too. It’s common sense because with less grazing needed for domestic animals the wild ones will have more to eat and will increase in numbers rapidly.

Once all the ruminants have gone there won’t be anything left for the carnivores to eat so we can also say goodbye to the big cats, the wolves and a host of other creatures that rely on ‘meat on the hoof’.

The only saving grace of the inevitable extinction of so many species is that pigs are not included. Pigs you may be pleased to learn are not ruminants and so don’t contribute to the methane levels in the atmosphere. For a week or more after the dire prognostications regarding the ruminants I consoled myself with the thought of vast herds of pigs, sniffling and snuffling across huge areas of the planet – pork chops, crackling and rashers as far as the eye could see – and all perfectly ecological.

Of course it couldn’t last and now it turns out that it’s the bacon that has been causing us to die all along.

Just a moment though – don’t Jews and Muslims also turn up their toes eventually? If true to their Faith they never take so much as a sniff at bacon and yet they are not immortal, and what is more the average lifespan amongst these communities is no longer than it is amongst pig-eaters.

One headline I read recently did strike a positive chord with me. It said ‘Stress, the Invisible Killer’. Might there not be more than a grain of truth in this? If we spend each waking moment of our lives worrying that what we are doing, saying or even thinking is contributing to the demise of civilization as we know it and even to end this wonderful world of ours, are we not also shortening our lives with worry? More to the point what is the use of living the life of a Trappist monk, unless you really want to be one of course, and then finally pegging out from boredom at 120 years of age?

One thing is for certain. When the dark clouds gather and the four horsemen of the apocalypse are galloping across the sky. When the last tree has been felled to make charcoal for some selfish person’s barbecue and the last carbon-emitting engine has spluttered and coughed its last. When everyone is on their knees begging to be given another chance and lamenting their errant ways. At that moment when you are surrounded by the piteous cries of humanity, look around at your fellow men and women. You’re sure to recognise me. I’ll be the person still clutching a bacon sandwich and thanking God for the wonderful non-flatulent, methane-free pig.

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Saltburn Allotments Association

It’s enough to make you cry, and to equip an army of Frenchmen on bicycles.

Paula Birkbeck grew all these onions, and she’s only had a Saltburn allotment since April last year.

Luckily, Paula, 59, a cook at a nursing home in Redcar, says they’re her favourite vegetable.

She also has lots of family and friends to share them with, and she makes a great chutney at her home in North Skelton.

In her first year she won the Brian Jefferson Trophy for the best newcomer on the allotments.

Proud husband Ron, 65 (pictured), who helps her despite being disabled, insists that she’s the star He says: “We got the onions in about a month earlier than anybody else. The land was in a bit of a state when we first got it, but we didn’t use any chemicals or manure. We are all for being as near organic as we can.”

Ron, who retired after skippering a riverboat at York, added: “We hope that the photograph of our onion crop inspires others to have a go. Because if we can do it, anybody can!”

See another allotments news article on page 30.

Rotary Club News

President Malcolm Douglas told his team after the club’s first ever Blood Pressure Clinic: “If we have saved one life we have done our public service and more.”

The Saturday afternoon clinic was held on the stage of the Saltburn Community Theatre in association with the Stroke Association, on Saturday, 10th November.

Rotarians combed the streets and bars encouraging shoppers and drinkers to spare a few minutes for the test.

Health specialists Elizabeth and Pat Buxton, Alice Green and Sheila Collins gave up their valuable free time to perform the tests and to stress the importance of health checks.

A total of 83 people from children to pensioners took part, and several were referred to their doctors for further examination and tests. The exact number must remain secret under confidentiality clauses.

Malcolm said: “We plan to make this an annual event as a practical contribution to the health of Saltburn and district.

“It was interesting to learn what percentage of people are already looking after their heart through regular checkups, and the numbers that are already on medication – like many of our Rotarians.”

He added: “We might change the hours of the clinic next year to catch more shoppers.”

Rotarians are selling raffle tickets in aid of the Christmas Tea Dance for a hundred pensioners being held at the Emmanuel Church Hall from 2.00pm to 5.00pm on Friday, 7th December. This was a very popular event last year. Captain Mike Sellers on 01287 623443 is one person to contact for tickets.

The draw prize is a three-minute trolley dash at Somerfield on Sunday, 9th December.

Another Rotary event is Carols around the Christmas tree opposite the Community Theatre at 7.30pm on Sunday, 16th December.

The Rotary Club Christmas dinner is on 19th December at Saltburn Golf Club 7.30pm for 8.00pm.

Tickets are £16, and guests are welcome. Contact is again Captain Sellers.

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Letters to the Editor The Festive Season is nearly upon us, and I would like to send seasonal good wishes on behalf of all the members of SARA (Saltburn Animal Rescue Association).

We would like to thank you for all the help and publicity you have given us through the year. We have been supported by so many people it is difficult to list everyone.

We are especially grateful to everyone who has contributed in helping us over the past years, as we have now purchased Foxrush Farm in Redcar, which will eventually become our sanctuary and re-homing centre for all needy animals.

All the donations received, many of them anonymous, from people not only in this area, but from other parts of the country, have made this possible.

Since acquiring Foxrush, we have been overwhelmed by the support given by so many business people and volunteers who have so willingly offered and given their time and hard work in making the very derelict premises habitable in such a short space of time.

These are exciting times for SARA and there is still a long way to go, but with everyone’s continuing support, we will achieve our dream.

Thank you to everyone on behalf of SARA and all the animals you have helped.

Have a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.

Sheila Green (SARA Publicity) I read your ‘Letter from the Editor’ this month and felt a sense of guilt because there was a similar letter from you about a year ago, in which you also sounded defeated and downhearted. I meant to write then (but didn’t for one reason or another) because you really sounded like you needed cheering up.

You may not get immediate feedback, but I can assure you that your hard work is very much appreciated by everyone in Saltburn and beyond. It must be a thankless job you do, but ‘Talk of the Town’ is a fabulous magazine and a free one at that! Whenever ‘Talk of the Town’ is mentioned people’s faces light up; and the next edition is always fondly looked forward to.

As for wanting to keep out “the utter rubbish that pervades most of our modern society” I couldn’t agree with you more. This is what sets off the magazine. It is a publication which rises above all the others, for a lovely town which is also above all the others. And it is all down to you.

Mrs B. Heyes 56

The Pageant of Light

S a l t b u r n w o o d s w er e l i t b y flickering lanterns when 2,500 people walked in the annual Pageant of Light at dusk on Sunday, October 29th to the Woodlands Centre.

“It was a great event and everyone was well behaved,” said countryside ranger Neil Thirkell.

Numbers were well up on last year’s 1,000 walkers with everyone celebrating the end of British Summer Time and clocks going back an hour.

The theme of the event, which was organised by Redcar and Cleveland Council and the Friends of the Valley, was the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

“Three ‘fire-sculptures’ by artist Derek Mosey were a prominent feature, the Orion scouts from Guisborough entertained people in the tea gardens and the Saltburn-based Earthbeat Theatre Company was well received,” said Mr Thirkell.

Saltburn WI provided refreshments at the woodlands centre.

The Butterwick Children’s Hospice, of Stockton, raised about £300 through selling glow-sticks.

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The Saltburn Crossword no 78 set by Warlock Across 1 6 10 11 12

I hired legs for a way to travel to Lapland (6, 4) What a Christmas cracker goes off with! (4) A member of wandering people finds Damon up for it (5) Christmas theatre of tin poem ma finds in disarray (9) A purple-flowered plant much grown in rock gardens is symbol for gold with French cheese and Tia (Maria) (9) 14 Former law is precise (5) 15 Coral he ingested caused terrible disease (7) 17 Nearest Chinese restaurant to paradise in Saltburn? (7) 18 Famous runner Sebastian is company to electronic (3) 19 Fundraising Rudolph was famous for it (3, 4) 22 and 8 Down Warlock extends them to all readers but see sing song stare around (7, 9) 25 Official meeting of all members of a Christian church revealed by classy nodding (5) 26 Weak Elisa tossing and turning on Christmas Eve? (4, 5) 29 The star parts in a play is why wandering Neil roams (4, 5) 30 Comic female characters of 11 across played by men (5) 32 Crab acts back to do a turn (4) 33 Modern times or December 25th? (7, 3)

Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

Down 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 13 15 16 20 21 23 24 27 28 31

Solution to Crossword no. 77

The winner of last month’s crossword was Mrs Dot Bate-Jones of Dixon Street, Skelton.

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He’s a clause we hear written in his delivery business (5) Thelma has a hidden tree (3) As a deity, dog elk I scattered (7) One must do this occasionally to a house plant or pet (5) Overalls for manure followed by a seer up (9) Stimulate and work up (7) See 22 Across An election isn’t much good without them, and sometimes they do it with their feet! (6) Exclamation for a fun startle or to show disapproval (3) ’Tis the season to be jolly (9) Cull a real mix-up is not made of little compartments (9) Cinderella’s manservant in 11 across (7) Commands and lays out the holy ranks (6) A story of a genie and a magic lamp for 11 across (7) Female reproductive gametes sounds finished (3) Calms and comforts in Eastern seas swirling (4) Scholarly writing in Sophie’s saying (5) A dash is such and hatters went so traditionally (3)

Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 78 c/o Real Meals, 4 Station Street, Saltburn, TS12 1AE by Friday, 14th December 2007. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

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Saltburn painting wins national competition This lovely painting, by Sa l t burn ’s Car ol in e Grainger of the cherry trees near the Rosewalk, Saltburn, won this year’s Na t i on al Min d’s ‘Building Solutions’ art competition.

C a r o l i n e explained: “A piece of art work had to be produced to liven up a space inside a building. Mine was for the entrance passage at Redcar and Cleveland Mind’s Saltburn Outreach building in Diamond Street. My prize was a table easel, watercolour paints and watercolour paper. Also as part of my prize was an expenses paid trip to London to the exhibition of the 12 short listed finalists work.

While there, I received a certificate from Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer.”

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