Talk of the Town January 2014

EDITION 151

CIRCULATION 4,800

JANUARY 2014

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

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SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor Happy New Year, everyone! It is unusual to be given so much space on this page for my letter from the editor. Some of the regular contributors to this page can be found elsewhere in the magazine while others have been too busy preparing for Christmas to think ahead to January so early in December.

Although this is January’s magazine it is printed before Christmas and at the time of writing it feels more like the end of a year than the beginning of a new one. It would require too much time for me to write a review of the year but others have done so, and I have no plans for the new year other than the continued survival of this magazine, a great achievement in itself. I remember once being asked what my five year plan was, and that was long before the current economic climate, but even then I replied that it was simply survival. The person who had asked me insisted that I should have a five year plan, but I just laughed. I remember in the 60s a book called ‘The Limits to Growth’ but fifty years later businesses still make the same mistake: overstretching themselves and being obsessed with every last penny of profit instead of what really matters, survival and customer service.

I’d like to thank the Friends of Talk of the Town for making a real difference to this magazine’s prospects, as well as to my own wellbeing. It’s good to have them here. I thank Richard for always helping out in any way he can and I’d especially like to thank James and Tereena Haddow of Chocolini’s, partly for the magnificent chocolate snowman which they kindly donated for Talk of the Town’s Christmas Draw and also for their kindness recently in helping me with my beloved Siamese cat. The Christmas Draw took place in Jackie’s Saverstore so she deserves lots of thanks too, for hosting Talk of the Town’s post box and for selling the

calendars and mugs, not to mention the draw tickets, that the Friends have organised to help raise funds. I also must thank all the readers of Talk of the Town who think to put something in the collection boxes. Every donation helps to ensure the survival of the magazine. Thank you very much to each and every one of you!

I was once told that a local town (not Saltburn) had a meeting of its business association and debated the question ‘why haven’t we got a magazine like Saltburn has Talk of the Town?’ I was delighted to be told this and said that I could answer that question immediately. I replied ‘because they haven’t got me!’ I have recognised for a long time that the greatest asset to the magazine is ‘me’ but that I am also the greatest threat. Although I am quite dedicated if at any time I become lazy, bored, tired, depressed, ill or distracted by other things, then the magazine suffers. That’s why I am in the contradictory role of greatest asset and greatest danger, but then life is full of contradictions and opposites. Almost every decision is a choice between two opposing forces resulting in a ‘trade-off’. For example I’d like the magazine to be even larger, and in full colour throughout, but must balance the income against expenditure. I can only do so much. Anyway, that’s filled this space, so once again I shall wish everyone a happy new year and now start preparing February’s. Love, Ian.

Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by Friday, 17th January 2014) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. Telephone: 01287 623903 or email: talkofthetown@tyasi.freeserve.co.uk. Talk of the Town has a website: www.tottsaltburn.co.uk and the Friends of Talk of the Town can be found on Facebook.

Correction: In last month’s Talk of the Town it was stated WI Report: Ladies of Saltburn WI have had a busy month that two people were interested in taking over the Brockley starting with a Carol Service at Emmanuel Church, Saltburn, on Hall business. Unfortunately there was no truth in this. the 3rd of December. This service was attended by invited Saltburn Charity Crafters would like thank everyone for their response and offers of help. We look forward to seeing guests from other WIs and our own members. A congregation you all on 8th January at ‘The Workhouse’, Dundas Street of over one hundred ladies heard readings from the Christmas West (next to Ripping Yarns), between 2pm and 4pm. For Story and the first advent candle was lit by president Ann further information please contact Angie on 01287 205153 or Cowie. The service was followed by light refreshments and heralded the beginning of Christmas activities, another of email kath.west45@virginmedia.com.

Emmanuel Church Hall Table Top and Collectors’ Sale: which was helping to erect and light the Christmas Tree in the Our next dates are Saturdays, 4th and 18th January. FREE town’s bandstand. On the l2th December a Christmas buffet ENTRANCE and a warm welcome to everyone. I would like supper was held in Saltburn House with invited guests and to thank every one who has supported us at our table top sales again more than sixty ladies were entertained by members of last year and are looking forward to seeing everyone in the Hinderwell WI choir – these troubadours created an evening of new year. We wish you all a happy new year. With over 26 hilarity and good cheer. This was followed by a festive buffet stall holders, selling lots of bric-a-brac, books, toys, baby that WI members can always be relied upon to provide. Our goods, and all sorts of collectables, and some crafts, there is next meeting is in the New Year on the 9th January when Tony something for everyone. Home made refreshments and light Nicholson will tell us about “Further Secrets of the lunches are on sale all day. Our all day breakfast and lunches Attic”. Meetings are held on 2nd Thursday of each month, and popular home baked stall are always available. Thank you except August, at the Methodist Church Hall, Milton Street, everyone for your support. Contact Denise Marshall on Saltburn. New Members are always welcome.

Barbara Spanner Barbara Spanner 07929 589538.

Cover Illustration: Visitors to the Woodland, by Richard Dales-Coupland 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 Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ. (Ian Tyas tel: 01287 623903.)

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Lincoln Christmas Market

Lincoln Cathedral from Big Wheel

Spot Saltburn People!

Saturday, 7th December witnessed an unusually crowded Saltburn station platform at 8.00am. Folk from Saltburn and elsewhere had come to join the special train organised

by Saltburn Railtours, destination Lincoln. This was the third special train to leave the town in 2013; the previous trips were a long weekend on the Isle of Wight organised

by Saltburn Railtours, the other was to Dundee organised

by Compass Tours by Rail. In addition the station has been visited by excursions from other parts of the country including a steam hauled special and the Royal Train, proving that the station is a valuable asset to the town.

After picking up passengers at Redcar, Middlesbrough and Eaglescliffe, we were fortified by a bacon and sausage sandwich, tea or coffee. Our journey took us through York where we spotted the A4 locomotive ‘Bittern’ in steam ready for a journey to Kings Cross which would run at 90mph for a short section. After Doncaster our train passed through Gainsborough before arriving in Lincoln. Lincoln Cathedral and Castle dominate the city, standing on what must be the only hill in the whole of Lincolnshire.

The Christmas market was held in the grounds of the Castle and surrounding area, a one way system was operating for pedestrians. We eased our passage through the expected crowds. It was difficult to see some of the stalls such was their popularity but in general we got to see most of them. Feeling ready for a sit down and being near the Big Wheel I suggested a ride at £4 each, and much to my surprise Cath agreed. It was a first time experience for both of us and thoroughly enjoyable viewing the landscape of Lincolnshire from a lofty perch.

Sainsbury’s stall provided us with a little sustenance with free tasting samples before we made our way back to the city centre finding it as busy as the Christmas market.

Lincoln Cathedral from City Centre

Although we have visited the City on a number of occasions many changes had taken place but the congestion caused by the level crossings still persists.

Returning to the station early for our return journey we were confronted by two queues, one for the Saltburn train and the other for the steam hauled special for London Kings Cross, great efforts were made by both the police and the railway staff to ensure people were in the correct queue. However, when our train was on the move there was a very perplexed couple wondering why coach F was full and looked different to the one they had arrived in.

Steve the guard took matters in hand and found that they should have been on the steam special to Kings Cross instead of heading for Saltburn. An unscheduled stop at Doncaster ensured that they were able to catch another train to London. On the return journey we were treated to a glass of mulled wine, a piece of delicious Christmas cake and a tot of Bailey’s. Our arrival back in Saltburn was on time and thanks to the organisers and stewards we had thoroughly enjoyed the whole day. It would be nice to visit Lincoln when things were a little less busy.

Tony’s first visit to Lincoln was on Easter weekend in 1952 when a group of cyclists from the Redcar Section of the CTC decided to cycle to Hull, Lincoln and Selby before returning home. Tony had to work on Good Friday but arranged to meet the group at Lincoln Cathedral at 4.30pm on the Saturday. His 6.00am start and with an excellent tail wind he arrived in Lincoln at 3.30pm. There were no sign of his friends until they decided to visit the other end of the Cathedral from the one where they were waiting. No mobile phones in those days. Our B&B overlooked one of the level crossings so it was a very early wakeup call the following morning.

Cath and Tony Lynn

Saltburn Photographic Society Wednesday, 8th January: The results of members’ Bingo Photo shoot will be shown. Wednesday, 15th January: NY&SD Silver Salver competition prints will be shown.

Wednesday, 22nd January: the results of the 3rd monthly competition, ‘Tranquillity’ will be shown. Wednesday, 29th January: presentation of the RPS 2012 International Projected Images Portfolio will be shown.

Practical night will be held during January; more 4

details available from contact number.

Meetings are held in the upstairs hall, Saltburn Milton Street Methodist Church TS12 1EB at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome to any of our meetings; there will be a small charge.

For more information visit our web site www.saltburnphotographicsociety.co.uk or contact Tony Lynn on 01287 622519.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Ruth Cowen MICHT

Reflexologist A New Year begins.

Make the most of each and every moment so that at the end of the year you can look back with the knowledge you are closer to fulfilling your dreams.

Have a happy 2014.

4, Station Street, Saltburn by the Sea, TS12 1AE Tel: 01287 623 368

Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month 11.00am – 12 noon, Saltburn Library Councillors Joan Guy, Stuart Smith, Philip Thomson Every 3rd Saturday of the month, Councillor Stuart Smith will be available in the Station Square area 11-12, weather permitting, if not, in the Methodist Hall.

Fully qualified and CNHC Registered Enjoy the Benefits of Reflexology in Your Own Home.

This gentle therapy reduces stress, tension and inflammation. Improves circulation and restores the flow of energy and nutrients to the body’s cells, strengthening the immune system and encouraging the natural healing processes of the body.

Tel: 01287 623029

Need a Taxi?

For a Reliable, Friendly Service, call Colledge Cabs

01287 622800 Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Friends of Talk of the Town Hello from Friends of Talk of the Town!

We would like to wish all of our readers, advertisers and supporters a Happy New Year. Let’s hope we all continue to enjoy good health and success in all that we undertake.

Friends of Talk of the Town have been going quite a while now and thanks to your support we have, I think, made a reasonable job of helping to sustain this magazine. By the time you read this our first ever Christmas raffle will have been won and all prizes distributed to the lucky winners. We thank you for your support in buying the tickets and I would like to personally thank my wife and daughter for selling tickets for us in their respective work-places! Once again, Jackie of Jackie’s Saverstore has been our local ‘champion’ in hosting the draw and indeed selling lots of tickets in Saltburn. I’d be surprised if you haven’t actually met Jackie or Mandy; however, I can assure you they’re both fantastic ambassadors for Talk of the Town who really don’t like much in the way of publicity! Regardless of that I’d just like to repeat our appreciation for their efforts: you’re both stars!

The wonderful staff at Thurston Printers, who always get Talk of the Town out on time, have a much deserved Christmas holiday, so we have to ‘go to press’ very early in December. This of course puts more pressure on me (I’m writing this on the ninth of December) and naturally our Editor has more things on his mind than Figgie pudding or even decking his halls! “There’s no rest for the wicked” I can hear him saying doing his best scrooge-like impression as he ponders just who’ll be the blighter to make him wait for their article, this month. I do like to be that ‘one’ myself usually but as we’re getting into the spirit of things festive I thought

I’d have a change and surprise him this time round.

A New Year is something to treasure isn’t it: bringing with it fresh hopes and ambitions but not always the determination to see these things through. I prefer to be a little more conservative (but certainly not at the polling station) in the making of any resolutions. Unlike our Facebook friend Kipper Tranter who has made remarkable ‘gains’ in the weight-loss department I can’t pretend I made any real progress with absolutely any of my own resolutions! Congratulations Kipper, I’ve wondered at your achievements for quite some time, now!

I do feel like I’ve gotten a little fitter as the year went on and feel that thanks in that department should probably go to those lovely folk at Friends of the Valley. We’ve spent a good few hours down there leading up to Christmas and I’m sure that bank down to the Woodlands Centre gets steeper every time! Thanks to all who’ve said hello to us while we’ve been working down there: especially one certain lady (who knows who she is) whom I’ve not seen for almost twenty-five years. Talk about a blast from the past, I suddenly felt all of my forty-five years!

Finally, our thanks to all who have maintained their standing order support and everybody who has kindly donated through our collection boxes over the past year. We appreciate every penny you give and hopefully through your continued support, this time next December we will be reflecting on another year of progress in sustaining Talk of the Town.

All the best for 2014!

Richard Dales-Coupland Secretary, Friends of Talk of the Town

Veterinary Matters A Happy New Year to one and all.

Let’s hope that the festive season was a relaxing one for you and your pets. If we follow tradition, then the decorations will be coming down in early January. Cats and dogs being what they are, they will love the tinsel and baubles coming down and might be tempted to play with them and they might vanish into their mouths! Take care and make sure these tasks don’t lead to a trip to the vets.

One interesting question that followed from the December article asked if it was only pork that ought not to be fed to dogs and cats as a rule. Pet food companies have, over the years, introduced different flavours to diets, as well as adding different types of food to them. When you read a food label, see if it is flavoured or has the designated meat(s) in it. Flavouring would not mean there are the proteins associated with that meat, but, equally, it may make you think it is okay to feed that form of meat in its pure form. As far as which ones are all right to be fed, by and large they all are, unless your pet has developed an allergy to one of them. In my experience I believe a lot of food allergies are derived from wheat gluten, dairy products and pork in any form.

Another asked that if cats are fed a wet diet, do they need to drink? Humans have mostly lost the ability to know when we need to drink and often, when to stop: however, the animal kingdom still retains a water divining capability. A 6

normal cat, or dog, needs about 30ml (6 teaspoons) of water for every kilogramme they weigh, per day. This will vary depending on level of activity, time of year, whether they live inside and we have turned on the central heating, and so on. If you feed a wet diet to dogs or cats, they are around 70 -80% water, whilst dry diets are around 10%. Therefore on a wet diet, a 4kg cat eating two 100g pouches a day will get most of its fluid from the food, and possibly only sip at water. Equally, I am often asked why someone’s dog has suddenly started drinking “loads” when they change to dried diets.

New Year has always been a traditional time for making new resolutions. Do not forget to take your pet into account when you decide to train for Everest, as your dog may not be quite up to it. Equally, you might spend long sessions researching a new hobby whilst your pet misses out on regular exercising! Cats may seem detached, but they do love human companionship, and dogs can develop separation anxieties at any age. Whatever we decide to do this year, enjoy your pet’s company and they will enjoy yours.

If you want to ask me a question or raise a topic for this article, contact me by e-mail on j.haddow@live.co.uk or call me at Jacqui Paterson vets on 01642 604555.

James Haddow, Veterinary Eye Consultant Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Real Meals Purveyors of Fine Foods

Sunday, January 19th is The Great Real Meals Food Quiz.

50p per person to enter and £10 voucher first prize.

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

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

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

Councillors’ Column A New Year opens, a list of good intentions lies on the table.

To rebuild a shattered foreshore and a valley drowned from the sea and the land. To reshape the democratic process and service structure of a Council. To grow a stronger local economy.

Tides not experienced for 60 years left a devastation that will cost much to repair. Promenade frontage, the pier and pier building, slipways and walkways suffered. Such was the strength of the combined wind and tide that stone sleepers which formed the road bed for the original Stockton and Darlington Railway and brought to Saltburn as foundations for a permanent foreshore, were lifted and tossed aside like Lego. The little sand that was left after recent years of erosion now hardly covers the shoreline leaving exposed the Boat Park. Cat Nab car park stands ready to resume its former boating lake status.

Short term remedial measures are already in hand and medium term rebuilding is on the drawing board to reconstruct and strengthen the foreshore for use once again, whilst building in features that experience has brought.

‘Shaping Our Future’ has been the title for a root and branch review of all services provided by the Local Authority. Radical thinking has been applied, searching for cost savings and a new approach to service delivery. Not all change will be welcomed, inertia having its own comfort blanket.

One might ask why does cost saving alone have to drive improvement. Some elected members have reservations about the new structure but time will tell. The

democratic process will also alter, with some semblance of a Committee system being introduced but the main decision making body remaining a Cabinet of 10 members, leaving a question mark over democracy.

One remaining feature will be the Saltburn Neighbourhood Action Partnership which meets next on Wednesday 15th in the library at 6pm and to which all residents are invited to attend.

A stronger local economy will undoubtedly be a possibility if the City Deal announcement is followed through.

The Tees area has 1% of the UK population but 10% of carbon emission. European levies topped up by further UK penalties ensure that local heavy industries are struggling to compete in the international market place. Development of low carbon technologies and carbon capture is to be given encouragement with our area now being at the forefront.

There are many aspects of the package, including District Heating Schemes to recycle waste heat from high energy usage companies, all of which are to be spearheaded and managed by Tees Valley Unlimited, the Local Enterprise Partnership.

With sights set on high attainment there will be many challenges to be met in the interim, not least tackling a current harsh economic environment and cold weather. Some neighbours may need help to get through and looking out for them is a contribution that all can make.

Councillors will be in the Library every 2nd and 4th Saturdays at 11am, awaiting New Year wish lists from residents.

Philip Thomson Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Talk of the Town’s monthly

Pride of Saltburn Award

Michelle Rudd Dip NTC MPTA CGLI Piano Tuning and Repairs by a qualified and experienced professional (Est. 1983) Covering Teesside, East Cleveland and the North York Moors. Free advice, friendly service.

Tel 01609 779983 Mob 07740 201188 email: michellerudd@hotmail.com website: www.pianotuningyorkshire.weebly.com

Happy New Year to all our customers

The winner of this month’s Pride of Saltburn is Philip Chisholm, who has become the first nomination by the Friends of Talk of the Town. About Philip they say, “We felt that it was high time Philip’s outstanding efforts on behalf of the people of Saltburn and Marske was brought to the attention of our readers. Our Facebook ‘faithful’ are well aware of Phil’s educated views on many local matters, especially those concerning the works of Sustrans (Sustainable Transport). Keen cyclists will be well aware that Phil is a volunteer Ranger Coordinator and his team recently built the NCN168 which comes from Kildale into Saltburn via Kilton. His team of eleven Rangers also maintain the Dover to John O’Groats NCN1 as it passes through our borough from Staithes to the Tees Barrage. Phil is perhaps best known by his camera, being principal photographer at Studio Tristan for forty years. He is passionate about the renaissance town of Saltburn where he is an Honorary Fellow of the Saltburn Photographic Society. Phil says “Saltburn is a town of Art, Photography and wonderful restaurants. Its cafe culture supports the varied music of the community, choirs, brass bands and the many voices of the folk singer.” Philip claims he has travelled the length and breadth of the UK with his camera and nowhere else has he found the unique combination of culture and energy that runs within the voluntary fellowship of this Edwardian town.” Thank you Phil, for being you, the Pride of Saltburn.

Every month, a £25 bunch of flowers, kindly donated by Eveline Brentano’s Florists, is awarded to someone in Saltburn who has earned admiration, gratitude and love for whatever reason. 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 Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. (Please include your name, phone number and the reason you are nominating the person of your choice.) Please also confirm with the nominee that they are willing to receive the award (many people feel shy about it). All the nominations will be read and kept for future use, so even if your choice doesn’t win this month, they might do so next time.

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Free delivery in Saltburn and Marske

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 Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Saltburn in Bloom

Saltburn Miniature Railway

As many of you will know that earlier this year the Railway purchased an unfinished steam locomotive and the picture shows that work is steadily progressing in our workshop. The two main driving wheels are now in place together with the brake hangers, also the steam cylinders are now in place with the crosshead and guides being visible (enthusiasts please note that valve gear is Walschaerts). Work has been slow as we have nearly completed repairs to the track after the great flood which has nearly taken the 60 tes of ballast which was delivered earlier.The repairs have taken many hours and it is something that we do not want to be doing on a regular basis.Possibly some people will be asking if we have a name for our steamer, well we have and it is call “Blacklock” after our Chairman. It is modelled on a 4-4-2 big boiler Atlantic with a separate six wheel tender and this ( when completed) will make our fourth locomotive, these being Prince Charles (4-6-2), George Outhwaite (0-4 -0) and Saltburn 150 (4-6-2).

R. Proctor (chairman) 10

As the year draws to its close the Saltburn in Bloom committee have been reflecting on 2013 and making plans for the year ahead. We believe that we have had an outstanding year, enjoying success in Northumbria in Bloom, gaining 6 Gold Awards and Saltburn winning the best Small Coastal Resort. But more importantly we have worked hard, in co-operation with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, to ensure that the town has looked attractive all year round and continues to attract visitors. Like you, we want Saltburn to thrive.

We have already made some plans for 2014. Our AGM will be held on Tuesday, 14th January at 5.00pm in Saltburn Library, to which you are invited. We would welcome new members to the committee!

We will be holding a quiz to raise funds in the New Year. Keep your eyes open for more details.

The sponsor letters for floral displays (in the Summer) will be delivered at the end of January.

Gardening work on Wednesdays 10.00am – 12.00 will continue when the weather allows. The amberol planters on Marine Parade are going to be moved slightly, into groups of three to try and make more of a visual impact. The small fossil bed will be planted with Flanders poppies to honour the memory of all those killed in conflicts since World War 1. The Engine bed will have soil improvements made and some new planting.

Just a few tasks there to keep us going! If you’re worried about the amount of work we’re doing you can always help! Contact Lynda Parkes 209518, email lynda_parkes@hotmail.com.

Finally, on behalf of Saltburn in Bloom I would like to wish you all a happy and peaceful New Year.

Lynda Parkes (Chair)

Saltburn Beachwatch My first Beachwatch litter pick in September as organiser followed the worst floods in decades; my second on 7th December followed the day after the worst storm surge in 60 years! I’m beginning to wonder what the next one will have in store for the volunteers who once again did a great job in helping to keep the beach free of litter. In two hours the volunteers surveyed and removed 4132 items of rubbish off the beach weighing 80kg. The results of the survey showed that 80.01% was plastic waste (more about this in the next issue of Talk of the Town) and the overall total worked out at an average of 10.33 items of litter per square metre.

The area of beach surveyed is from the Pier to the Ship Inn and if you would like to be a volunteer at the next Beachwatch event in March 2014 please see notices in Talk of the Town or contact myself on 01287 204204.

Roy Smith Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Offers a variety of classes for ALL AGES & ABILITIES. Dance your way to fitness in 2014!

This steamy workout will awaken the sassy woman in you… a toning workout using a chair and wearing heels (or trainers)!

Thurs 6pm

Spirals

A Pilates, Yoga & Ballet inspired fitness class.

Spirals works on core strength, toning and flexibility.

Weds 7pm / Fri 10am The easy to follow, toning version of Zumba® packed with Latin rhythms!

Mon 6pm / Thurs 10am

Jackie’s is the home of Talk of the Town’s post box

FOR INFO: CALL ESTELLE ON 07887525234 OR VISIT...

My Time – The Spa Hotel Saltburn Saturday 25th January 10 – 4pm With John Pearson

Inner Shell Therapy “Looking after yourself – is not selfish It’s essential”.

A New Year – Create the change you want to see. Enjoy a day’s NLP workshop in a relaxing atmosphere including meal.

Discovering and caring for self – Max 20 to keep it personal.

Feel free to call for further details.

Bookings before 11th January £40 9:30 for coffee & registration – The Waves room – Spa Hotel 01287 622544…

John is a Master Practitioner NLP & member of NLPtCA innershell@mail.com

Emmanuel Church Hall, Macnay Street, Saltburn

Tuesdays at 7.00pm.

NEW 5pm SESSION ADDED FROM 7th JAN Telephone Stevie on

01642 474920 Also, The Civic Hall, Coniston Rd, Skelton, Wednesdays at 7pm.

Ring Susan on 07787 701558

07769 694121 Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Saltburn’s Second International Over Fifties Table Tennis Tournament at Saltburn Leisure Centre

Saltburn Over Fifties Table Tennis continues to go from strength to strength. Membership now stands at over 35 with the weekly sessions (Wednesday 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm) attracting up to twenty-six players.

We have had marvellous cooperation and support from the staff at Saltburn Leisure Centre and we now have four new full size Table Tennis tables for our weekly twohour sessions. We have recently purchased an electronic table tennis robot which can be used for practice at all levels.

The group remains focused on enjoyment rather than excellence, although some of the players are becoming quite formidable, but most of us are in it for laughs.

Our second Christmas Doubles Tournament was held in Saltburn Leisure Centre on Wednesday, 18th December, around twenty four players competing for the prestigious gold (coloured) platters. Look for a report in the next issue of Talk of the Town.

Remember if you feel like having fun and getting some exercise with a friendly group of people just come along any Wednesday at 2.00pm.

A Happy New Year from all at SOFTT. Bernard Storey

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Cakes sold at the library

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Kristina Agnew selling cakes at Saltburn library chats with colleague Louise Redding, who was visiting with her newlyborn baby girl Isla.

Cakes were sold and a raffle was held at Saltburn library to help the Prince’s Trust to aid young people in need. Over £99 was raised.

A neighbourhood apprentice Kristina Agnew, who works at Saltburn and Marske libraries, organised the event for the Trust’s ‘Million Makers Corporate Challenge 2013’.

Kristina, 22, thanked local businesses for giving prizes and her family and friends for baking cakes. She made the biscuits on sale. The children of her sister Helen Rant, of Saltburn, came to the cake sale. She has worked at the libraries since last June following gaining a level three extended diploma at Redcar and Cleveland College where she completed an art and design course.

“My aim is to get into customer service or business admin. I enjoy meeting and helping people. Those who come to Saltburn library are very polite and community-spirited.

They are also cheery. Most are computer-literate,” she said.

Kristina, who went to Bydales School, Marske, said she enjoyed reading biographies and was currently reading Caithlin Moran’s autobiography ‘How to Be a Woman’.

Library colleague Louise Redding, who was visiting Saltburn library with newly-born daughter Isla, said she expected to return to work in April following being off on maternity leave.

Also, Joinery Work Undertaken

Call Liz on: 01287 679913 Mobile: 07834 022289 Email: liz.ingledew@btinternet.com Website: www.liziesdecorating.co.uk Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Saltburn, Marske & New Marske Parish Council Father Christmas made a visit to Saltburn on Saturday, 30th November. The Christmas tree lights were switched on by two local children who had won a fire safety poster competition. Tracy Meadows, Clerk of the Parish Council accompanied competition winners Chloe Fowler and Laura Wigmore to the Christmas tree where Stefan Peddie, aka Big Keith from TV show Hebburn, did the countdown to the switch on. Mary, Joseph and a donkey led the parade organised by Saltburn Fire Station, which included a festively decorated fire engine. Santa brought his sleigh to a halt at the tree so that Chloe and Laura could jump on and accompany him to his grotto located at the Station Portico. Hundreds of local residents turned out to enjoy the festivities throughout the afternoon including face painting, Punch and Judy, circus skills and balloon making. Entertainment round the tree was provided by Ten Feet Tall and children’s activities in the afternoon had been organised by Saltburn 500 Club, Saltburn Library and the Borough Council neighbourhood team. The Parish Council wish to thank all those involved who helped to make this a wonderful community event.

The Fire Brigade are appealing for photos or video 14

footage (on a disc if possible) of the event. If anyone can assist, these can be dropped into Saltburn Fire Station on Leven Street either Tuesday nights between 6-9pm or Saturday mornings between 9-12noon.

At the December Parish Council meeting a decision was made to invite the Crime and Police Commissioner to a meeting with Members in the New Year. It was noted that Arriva had responded to the complaint about the poor X4 bus service through Saltburn. They advised that a different bus was being deployed in East Cleveland and Saltburn as the bus previously used had been unable to cope with the hilly terrain. Arriva were making efforts to improve the service and they apologised for any inconvenience.

An application from Friends of the Valley for a grant to complete the toilet facilities at the Woodlands Centre was considered. Members agreed to a grant of ÂŁ4,500 so hopefully work will be able to commence shortly.

The Parish Council office will be closed from 23rd December 2013 to 1st January 2014 inclusive and as reported last month our website and email address will be changing, details to be given in the next edition.

Best wishes for a peaceful New Year.

Tracy Meadows (Clerk and RFO to the Parish Council) 01287 623477 Saltmars_parish_council@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/SaltburnMarske

SALTBURN BLUES CLUB ‘The Blues Is My Business’ they sang, and then went on to prove it, beyond any doubt! The Little Devils headlined the Club on November 23rd and put on a performance that showed just why they are currently riding so high. Lead singer/saxophonist/flautist Yoka had the audience rapt, her evocative vocals leading us down many emotional paths.

One moment playing a thought provoking track and then in the next breath becoming total party animals rocking the place! Then the first of our two December gigs saw the wonderful talent of Londoner Sean Taylor perform for us at the newly re-opened Saltburn House, a one off gig at that venue. A really good turn out enjoyed a very special intimate night of quality singer/songwriter music. I’ve never experienced an audience totally quiet during two 45 minute performances before. No having to ask people to shush this time! Sean held the audience spell bound for the whole set! I hope we can get him back in the near future!

Our Xmas gig with the Dani Wild band will have been held when you read this so more about that in the next issue.

On January 25th we welcome back Street Corner Blues, a duo comprising the Blues roots vocals/guitar of Chris James and the superb harmonica playing of Martin Fletcher, winners of the North East heat of the New Brunswick Battle of the Blues 2013. Supporting Chris and Martin is the very talented entertaining young singer/ songwriter Lucy Zirins who combines raw energy blues with sweet melodies. Catch her wonderful debut album ‘Chasing Clocks’. Should be yet another great night. Tickets only £8 from the usual outlets (see picture).

I am pleased to say that my radio show STILL GOT THE BLUES is back on air (internet only) on Palace FM every Friday 2-4pm. Enjoy the best in Blues old and new.

At the beginning of another year I would like to thank our sponsors Saltburn Car Centre and R.C. Ayres Roofing Co. for their continued support together with the Saltburn

businesses that support our website (see the Saltburn page on www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk).

Happy New Blues Year folks, and I hope to welcome you to our gigs soon. Keep the Blues alive folks!

Harry

Creative Movement with Movement Therapist, Jo Drew Moving in your own way, with a friendly and welcoming group, Creative Movement is great fun, good exercise, eases bodily tension and relaxes the body and mind.

Creative Movement exercises and nurtures your body, mind and soul. Exploring Movement and Dance in Fun Ways, in a safe environment. All abilities very welcome.

Tuesdays, 12noon to 1.30pm at MIND, 23a Diamond Street Saltburn-by-the-Sea This is a Free Course The Course is run by the WEA in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland MIND. For more information ring Jo: 07551 361593 or Mind on 01287 622118.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Are you interested in adopting a child?

Redcar & Cleveland’s Adoption Team have children of all ages waiting to be adopted. These are children who through no fault of their own are not able to live with their birth family. Whilst such children live in foster homes where they are being well cared for, this is not the same as having adoptive parents who can offer them the security, stability and ongoing love that they will need as they grow up.

We are looking for adopters from all walks of life, irrespective of their: Gender, Marital status, Sexual preference, Disability, Employment Status, Religion, Race/Ethnicity.

What is important to a child is having a parent/s that will nurture, love and provide a stable home environment where they can enjoy security and a structured routine.

If you feel you meet the above and want to help us to make a difference to a child’s life, then please ring 01642 304541.

Web link: redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/adoption 16

Saltburn 500 Club I hope that you all had a lovely Christmas break and enjoyed the peace of Christmas. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy 2014.

Thanks go to the small team of people who turned up to help with the Christmas Lights and who, hopefully, will be turning up on 6th January to help with the re-storing of the lights. I would also like to thank all of those people and businesses who contributed towards the cost of the lights.

2014 is going to be a busy year for Saltburn 500 Club and Friends of Saltburn. As you know, fund-raising is a nonstop job and will be continuing throughout the year. These funds will be going towards the cost of the usual activities (Saltburn in Bloom, Christmas Lights, Bandstand maintenance and performing bands) but, also, this year we will be trying to support extra efforts.

Some time in the early part of the year there will be Victorian figures placed in the garden at the bandstand. We are also instrumental in supporting efforts to refurbish the War Memorial in readiness for the centenary of the start of the First World War. We will also be hoping to supply funds towards the cost of replacing the wrought iron fencing around the cemetery, something which the Friends of Saltburn Cemetery are involved in.

It is OUR town so if you can think of anything else you feel we should be doing, please let us know, or better still, join us in our quest.

All the best to you.

Trevor Welburn Secretary of Saltburn 500 Club/Friends of Saltburn Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Talking Points A WISE man once said that resentment was ‘like drinking poison and hoping it will kill your enemies’. You probably know of him; he went by the name of Nelson Mandela. It was one of those effortless sound bites in his seemingly endless collection that helped cast him into the annals of history.

I couldn’t help thinking that particular quote was quite fitting in light of the outrage the BBC coverage of his death sparked. In the days and weeks after the world took a short sharp intake of breath upon learning the 95year-old had drawn his last, the word excessive was bandied about like cheap sausage rolls at an office Christmas party.

The corporation dispatched around 120 staff members to South Africa to cover the mourning of the colossus at a time when the east coast of Britain had experienced the worst storm surge in 60 years.

In a period of freak weather conditions, Saltburn was once again slapped in the face by the force of nature.

Railings collapsed, paths disintegrated, the amusements flooded and the water savagely carved out gaping holes along the bottom promenade. There was an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

Saltburn was not alone. Across the east coast homes were swept into the sea as thousands of people were evacuated to safety and the clean-up operation began to take hold.

Frustrated and emotional, it’s inevitable that people looked for a scapegoat with the faceless grandeur of the BBC providing the perfect dartboard. In a sense the BBC

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were caught between a rock and a hard place and in my view, took the correct, if rather difficult, decision.

Perhaps the coverage was a little excessive – but then rolling news generally is these days. You only have to look at the Diamond Jubilee, the royal wedding or the death of Margaret Thatcher in recent years to see that the coverage of significant events usually dominate the schedules with a Dimbleby at the helm feeding our insatiable appetites like pieces of foie gras.

But the significance of Mandela’s passing should not be underestimated. To undersell an opportunity to celebrate a man who has changed the face of political history by unshackling the chains of apartheid is surely a crime in itself. That’s not to say he was a saint, as is often portrayed by the media when a high profile figure dies, but there seems little debate that he was a global icon.

And yes, undoubtedly the coverage of the storm suffered as a result, but placed in a wider context, is it not understandable, if unfortunate? Of all the angry complaints about the BBC’s so-called excessive coverage – there have been more than 1,000 in total – it’s those people who cite the interruption of hit comedy Mrs Brown’s Boys that rankles the most.

If a man like Mandela can feel no outward resentment after 27 years of imprisonment in wholly barbaric circumstances, surely people can find it in their hearts to forgive the BBC for ten minutes.

Jonathan Whiley

SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB Marske Mill Lane, Tel 01287-622761 Wednesday 8th and 22nd January BINGO! all welcome Saturday 18th January BAND NIGHT featuring “WET & WILD” Tickets £2 Saturday 25th January SALTBURN BLUES CLUB featuring “STREET CORNER BLUES” support “LUCY ZIRINS” All-ticket night £8 (10% reduction for Cricket Club members) Club available for your functions – Loads of free parking, prize-winning real ales.

Members and non-members welcome.

Contact Club for function details and available dates to book your function Tickets from Club or Celebrations Cards, Milton St Facebook saltburncricketbowlsandtennissocialclub 17

Trevor gets an award Saltburn-by-the-Sea Garden Flat available for holiday lets.

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

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

WiFi access

Independent Councillor Stuart Smith nominated Saltburn resident Mr Trevor Cox for this year’s Mayors community achievement award.

Trevor, who was presented with his award at a ceremony in Redcar on Wednesday, 20th November, is a resident at the Victoria Lodge Residential Home and has been street collecting for the charity Zoë’s Place, Normanby for the past 5 years and during this time his endless efforts have raised a staggering amount of well over £22,000 for this charity. Trevor’s day is occupied collecting for this charity and he can be found throughout the year, in all weathers stood in the Station precinct collecting. In the weeks leading up to Christmas he dressed in a Santa Claus costume. He also holds a car boot stall every Sunday to raise funds.

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

Shane Slater Plumbing & Heating All aspects of domestic plumbing

Tel: 01287 625657 Mobile: 07812 391418 Bathrooms Showers Tiling

Fires/Fireplaces Boilers Heating Systems

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Saltburn Community & Arts Association

Can You Help?

A community facility has existed in the old Primitive Methodist Church at the corner of Albion Terrace and Windsor Road since 1970.

There have been ups and downs over the years but the community organisation, now affectionately known as SCAA, has weathered most storms. Today, however, SCAA is insolvent.

In order to continue to serve the town, money needs to be raised to pay off accrued debts, make essential repairs, fund ongoing overheads and rebuild the reserves.

A recent Lottery award will pay for work in the theatre, but is ring fenced and will not finance the work needed to restore SCAA to financial good health.

Appeal Letters have been sent to SCAA members, past and present. Now an appeal is made to all those who have used the Community Association facilities in the past to assist in raising much needed funds.

Donations may be made by cheque, payable to SCAA, and sent or taken to the SCAA Office at Albion Terrace, TS12 1JW, or paid in cash at the Office where a receipt will be given.

Fund raising events by well wishers would be welcomed.

SCAA has a new Chairman. Les Manship was elected as a Trustee at the AGM on the 19th November and subsequently elected to lead the Board by fellow Trustees.

Les has resided in Saltburn with Rosemarie for 37 years. As a past President of Saltburn Golf Club and previously a senior member at CORUS, he brings experience and commitment, believing that Saltburn has a tremendous community spirit and that SCAA, as a centre for numerous activities in the town, merits residents volunteering to give up their free time.

At the AGM, members and residents gave wholehearted support to keep SCAA in business. Les has said to supporters of SCAA, “There are hard times ahead financially and difficult decisions to make, but with your support we will succeed.” ` Please do what you can to help rebuild this community facility and help to secure a future for at least another 40 years.

Please come and support events that are being organised. We do look forward to welcoming you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SCAA Forthcoming events

Saltburn Jazz Night with THE MARK TOOMEY QUINTET’S Tribute to Charlie Parker Fri 10th January Doors & Bar 6.30pm Tickets £8 Valentine Special with THE HAPPY CATS Marty Craggs ex-Lindesfarne, brings the Happy Cats back to Saltburn.

“A drop of the Irish, a hot spoonful of salsa, a twist of Tamla, shake it all up with thirty years of Rock and Roll, experience and garnish with good humour” Friday 14th February Doors & Bar 6.30pm Concert 7.30pm Tickets £12 (Early Bird £10) Events in the Community Hall Saturday 4th January and Saturday 1st February - Flea Market 10am until 4pm both days.

‘Boot Sales’ every Sunday morning - 9am until 1pm Film club evening Thursday 30th January @ 7pm (Community Theatre) Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa - Cert 15 When Alan’s radio station, North Norfolk Digital, is taken over by a new media conglomerate, it sets in motion an hilarious chain of events which see Alan having to work with the police to defuse a potentially violent siege.

Starring Steve Cogan. Runtime: 90 minutes Arts Development Promoter, Wilma Gardiner-Gill would like to personally thank every single person who voted for us for the Saltburn Theatre Magical Transformation Project Big Lottery Fund. It made all the hard work worthwhile.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Friends of Saltburn Cemetery

The Friends of Saltburn Cemetery are pleased to announce that the cemetery railings should, by the time this magazine goes to print, have been replaced, after they were removed during the Second World War, and the gates are being, or will be very shortly, painted to match. Black was the choice of paintwork as it was felt more fitting than green, bearing in mind that the gates and railings are surrounding the cemetery.

Enquiries and quotes are being sought as to price and design for a notice/information board which will be situated within the cemetery gates. No further information is available as yet, but Talk of the Town will be informed as soon as any further news is available.

Also, the possibility of planting willows and training them into shelters has been discussed and so further information and guidance is being sought on this matter also.

The Council is to be approached to request that the drains and gulleys within the cemetery be cleared and cleaned as necessary in an effort to reduce the quantity of water that often runs off when the weather is particularly inclement.

Finally, if you have any spare time, if you have family members within the cemetery or if you would simply like to join us to offer help and or advise, please note our next meeting will be on Wednesday, 26th February 2014, to be held in Saltburn Library at 6.00pm.

Deana

Saltburn Athletic to receive £50,000 of legacy funding Saltburn Athletic FC is one of a number of sports projects across England to receive a share of lottery funding from Sport England’s ‘protected playing fields’ fund to improve their playing field.

The money received will go towards the revamp of the football playing area on the top field at the rear of Huntcliff School (formerly used by Saltburn Town Seniors). The unevenness and bad drainage made it near impossible to play football during adverse weather conditions. This revamp will include a drainage system, leveling the field and re-seeding.

Once this has been done the club will be in a position to have not only a good surface to play on but scope to expand the number of age levels the club can have to play in 20

the local TJFA league (age levels range from under 7 to under 18 in this league). These improvements along with the guarantee of protection for at least 25 years means the facility can be enjoyed by our community for years to come.

Andy Croll and Roy Myers of Saltburn Athletic wish to extend their thanks to the National Lottery, Sport England, the assistance given by Redcar and Cleveland Council Sports Development and Council Estates teams.

There has also been numerous letters of support from the local community and beyond.

Andy Croll and Roy Myers Saltburn Athletic FC Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Saltburnbythesea.org We are having a great time recording your histories and meeting people around the town. With your help, we would like to learn more about Saltburn’s past.

Another important part of the project is recording events and people in 2013/2014, on the grounds that, “today is tomorrow’s history” as one of our team, Tony Lynn, points out.

We have taken photographs of some of the events of note this year, but we could always do with your help.

If you submit a photograph to us, we will create a digital copy, watermark it for you with your name (or a number if you want to be anonymous - we will retain your name and contact you should anyone ever approach us to use your photo).

We would like to thank the salerooms staff (John and Victoria Simmons, Sandy Reid, Dougie Wilson, Jeanette Stinchcombe and Charlie Carr) for their help in allowing us to photograph the salerooms working in the last week. You were all wonderful and we wish you all good luck in your retirement.

We recorded the last ever sales day at Saltburn Salerooms. It would be lovely to hear your stories of the salerooms, or other places that have now gone. You can already visit our website, or if you’re not online, come in and see us in the library to watch some of the videos and photos we have taken - not just of the salerooms but of all out contributors.

We have begun working on a project to take the names of the men on the war memorial and fill in some of the information about them.

With people’s help we have our first picture of a gentlemen named on the war memorial; would you have any others? We appreciate the help and research done by Ian Bedford and Cath and Tony Lynn. Much information can be found in Ian’s book ‘Behind The Names’, but there are still gaps to be filled in.

We have photographed some medals and we are in the process of finding out what the medals where gained for. So if you have medals in your loft, bring them in and we will photograph them and if our researchers don’t know what the medals relate to, we will help find out.

Do you have medals in your loft you don’t know much about? Do you have a connection to someone who served or died in one of the many wars? Do you have a connection to one of the men on the memorial? Not all the people who died in the wars have been commemorated on

the Memorial.

We are working with other groups around the town to arrange an event to commemorate the First World War starting at the end of June 2014.

This is not only an important commemoration, but an opportunity for groups to inform the wider community of what they do and maybe recruit some new members. To get involved, your group must be not for profit, benefit the community or a particular part of the community and not in any way political. If you are interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you.

We are looking to show how things have changed between then and now. Did your group or anything like your group exist in 1914 and can you find out how many members the group had?

This event is being held at the end of June 2014, the 100th anniversary of the day Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, starting the chain reaction that led to the First World War. Life in the UK would change forever; social barriers were removed for many and we can still see echoes from that time, right down to some of the language we use today.

Not all of those we remember were fighting; some were medics and drivers, others working in reserved occupations like doctors and some coal miners (many people were involved in mining in this area), who the government deemed more important to be home to provide the skilled labour and expertise to keep our country going and to keep supplies to those fighting in both wars.

Many of our parents and grandparents lived through WWI and so we want to take this history and turn it into something tangible for people of all ages, abilities and interests.

If you have an idea or you are part of a group and would like to do something or be a part of the commemorations, please get in touch either through a box on the library counter (leave a message and we will contact you), or you can email together@saltburnbythesea.org and let’s get together and turn the names on the war memorial back into people with lives and loves. We understand that it may not always be possible, but let’s have a go.

We have already started by meeting and talking to a gentleman who lost his grandfather in the First World War and his father in the Second World War. Thanks to all who have helped so far; let’s continue getting together. It’s lovely to see people meet with us and, as they talk, others come over and begin to share their histories, each story prompting a memory of something else.

In some cases, people who have first met at our dropin sessions at the library have begun to meet independently, to discuss old times.

We are 6 months into collecting people’s histories and we have learned a lot from you. We have heard there may have been some German writing on a part of the town, inscribed during the Second World War. Can you shed some light on this? If so, we’d love to hear from you.

We look forward to meeting you every Wednesday in January, apart from New Year’s Day. We look forward to seeing you there.

Fiona Wylie of The Pocket Watch Team Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Well Being For All Well Being For All is a new charitable community organisation based at Saltburn WellBeing Centre, on Station Street, with the aim of improving people’s physical and mental health and general wellbeing. We have great news of some free groups and low cost or nocost activities available to anyone from the Tees Valley/ East Cleveland area.

With the aid of funding from Awards For All and the Community Health Fund, we are able to offer a new drop-in, open to everyone, and are running several groups to help people or families with health issues. Call in, and see what’s happening.

Here are just a few things you’re welcome to attend – all free except where stated: Well Being Drop-In – Fridays 10-12, every week free, from Friday 10th January. All welcome. It’s an informal coffee morning format, with an opportunity to find out about the many services in the area – many of them free! Just come for a chat, or get information.

There will be guest speakers in future. Information is available on services like carers’ organisations, volunteering opportunities, addiction services, health and wellbeing activities, social opportunities and signposting to other agencies and groups. We’ll also be asking you if there’s anything you’d like to see us set up, to help you or people you know.

Meditation for Relaxation - 12 till 12.30pm Wednesdays, from 15th January. Half an hour of relief in the middle of your day! Pop in during your lunch hour.

Small donation requested.

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Support Group - last Wednesday of the month - 10am until 12 - free – for anyone affected by allergies themselves or their family/ friends.

Cancer Support Group - 2nd Saturday of the month, 12-1.30pm – free, from 11th January. For anyone affected by, living with, or recovering from cancer, including family and friends.

We are also working with Health Watch, helping people get their views across about what they want to see in health services.

In addition, the Wellbeing Centre hosts or runs a range of alternative health and therapeutic activities for mind, body and spirit – from Counselling, Personal Development, Confidence building, NLP and Life coaching to Acupuncture, Bowen, Reflexology, Homeopathy, Massage, Fitness, Yoga, Laughter Yoga, Reiki, Angelic Reiki, Buddhist Meditation, Spiritual Channelling, Tarot and Mediums, to jewellery making, creative writing and more. We have monthly taster sessions and open days on market days. Pop in for a chat from Tuesday to Saturday and see what’s available – or run something yourself. If we don’t do it, we know somebody who can help!

For further details, pop into Saltburn WellBeing Centre at 6A Station Street, Saltburn, TS12 1AE, or telephone 01287 204400 or 07855 990491. We’re also on Facebook & Twitter!

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Will buys a car

Will Goodhand, Saltburn resident and the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for this constituency, bought a classic car recently and told Talk of the Town all about it.

He says, “I have done a foolish thing. In a moment of nostalgic indulgence I bought a 1973 Triumph Dolomite as my daily car - my Granddad owned one as I grew up, and this one is magenta – irresistible. Tragically, it broke down within an hour of buying it (loss of third and fourth gears on the motorway!) and only my brother’s skills as a mechanic have got it to the point that I can enjoy it around Saltburn. (Though I wonder how she will handle the S bank when the snow comes…perhaps I can get a push from the bus?)

“It’s incredible to think that when this car was built, Britain still had a thriving motor industry of its own. I’m too young to remember those days, but I do know how lucky I am to have grown up in this country where there is plenty to celebrate today – take Nissan’s car production here. This is not an empty sentiment – seeing so many Nissans being driven on Teesside is testament to the people of this area: they have made a deliberate choice to support what’s important to us, backing the production, showing solidarity.

“I look forward to meeting people – and hopefully in circumstances other than appealing to you to help push a badly-driven 1970s British Leyland car up the bank over the next month or so!”

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Network Rail stopped in its tracks!

On the morning of Wednesday, 27th November, I was walking along the road to the allotments when I discovered a crew of tree surgeons busy with chainsaws along the railway siding. They were from Railscape contracted to Network Rail. I asked them what was going on and they told me in no uncertain terms that they had been instructed to chop down all the trees from opposite the caravan park - all the way to the cattle arch (approx 300 yards). I asked them why and they said they were just following orders. These trees were of no danger to the railway tracks as they were 40 feet away and of no danger to the road. I rushed home and called Network Rail’s hotline and also the Council’s Planning Dept in the hope of getting a preservation order slapped on the trees.

Saltburn councillors Smith and Thomson also contacted the planning dept and more complaints from the public followed. By the end of the day I counted 8 chopped down. Some of these were planted by British Rail decades ago because the original stakes were still beside them. They were relatively young trees ranging between 15 and 40 years old and all valuable habitat. It’s not rocket science, less trees equals less wildlife, birds, insects etc and they look a lot better than just a steel fence!

The contractors were due to return the next day but they didn’t show. The job had been stopped. Representatives from the Planning Dept and Network Rail made a site visit and I took the Gazette down there too. The Planning Dept later informed me that none of the trees would be saved as they were not of “sufficient amenity value”. Whatever that meant I’m sure the wildlife would disagree. All the trees were coming down.

The contractors didn’t return until a week later and after the article had been in the Gazette. I got straight down there to film it all and to my amazement was told by the contractor that there had been a sudden change of plan. The trees were no longer coming down but being trimmed back apart from the biggest one, a 40 year old sycamore. I asked why it was still being felled and he said he didn’t know. I asked him if it was diseased or

dangerous and he said it wasn’t. I began filming this beautiful tree being butchered. The chainsaws cut through its limbs like butter. Its branches were fed into a machine and spat out like peanuts. If us mere mortals did it we’d be prosecuted.

Suddenly the contractors’ manager was on the phone telling them that I had no permission to film. I replied that I didn’t need permission as I was on public land and. Shortly after, British Transport Police arrived following a complaint that I was “being abusive and threatening” to the contractors. What lies! The Officer spoke to the contractors who knew nothing of the allegations made against me, obviously by someone higher up the chain of command. I informed the Officer of the facts and he happily left though he must have thought what a wasted journey it had been following the bogus call.

Then a Network Rail manager, Tom Brand, turned up.

He told me that the contractors had got it all wrong. He claimed they were only ever felling two or three trees that were a danger and trimming the rest back. When I asked him why the big sycamore was being felled, he said that the base was hollow and diseased and had to come down. I was unconvinced. Had the contractors really got it wrong? Or was this Network Rail saving face in the wake of bad local press following bad national press when the RSPB criticised them heavily for habitat destruction last year? Why were lies told to the police about me being abusive and threatening? And why did the stump of the ‘diseased and hollow’ sycamore, felled the next day, prove to be perfectly healthy?

I think it is safe to say that all the trees, around 40, would have come down in no time had the whistle not been blown. I personally believe Network Rail’s plan was to cut them all down as a money saving measure to avoid coming back to trim them in the future. But they didn’t get away with it! Thanks to all those who also made their voices heard.

Craig Hornby / www.pancrack.tv

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01287 348548 or 07796 478361

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Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Redcar & Cleveland Citizens Advice Bureau Returning goods Many people are unsure about their legal rights to take back unwanted items to shops and stores.

There is no legal right to a refund or replacement, if an item is an unwanted present except if the seller specifically agreed to a refund or exchange on return of the goods and for certain home shopping purchases which can be cancelled from the day on which the contract is concluded until 7 clear working days after receipt of the goods.

Many shops have ‘goodwill policies’ of their own.

This means the retailer will provide a ‘no quibble’ refund (often valid for 3, 6 or even 12 months) or will allow you to exchange goods within a specific period, even if they are not faulty. Check with the shop if it has a goodwill policy before you buy, particularly if you are buying the item for someone else. This will prevent problems if the goods aren’t suitable.

Sales Goods Your rights apply equally to goods bought in a sale. You should ignore any signs which say otherwise as they have no legal effect. In fact traders who do so can be prosecuted by trading standard officers. Some sales goods can be reduced because of slight defects so check carefully. The seller is not obliged to give you your money back if you are complaining about faults pointed out prior to purchase.

Gift Vouchers Many people don’t realize that gift vouchers are only valid for a certain period of time, typically 12 months from the date of purchase and they are not normally exchanged for cash. You may be offered vouchers when returning faulty goods, but you don’t have to accept them, as among other remedies you may be entitled to a cash refund.

The Sale of Goods Act says goods must be:  ‘of satisfactory quality’, which means standards that a reasonable person would regard as acceptable, bearing in mind the way they were described, what they cost and any other relevant circumstances.

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‘fit for their purpose’ which includes any particular purpose mentioned to you by the seller, eg if you buy a computer game and say to the trader that you want to play it on a particular console, it must be compatible. ‘as described’ on the package, display sign or any the seller, eg a jumper described as cashmere mustn’t be acrylic.

Anyone seeking advice on the above or any other issue can ring CAB consumer help line 08454 04 05 06, or contact the Bureau as below: DROP IN ADVICE SESSIONS REDCAR LIBRARY, Redcar and Cleveland House (at the back of the old library) Tuesday and Thursday 10.00am – 1.00pm GUISBOROUGH, Belmont House, Monday and Wednesday, 9.30am – 12.30 SOUTH BANK LIBRARY, Normanby Road, Friday, 9.30 – 12.30 LOFTUS LIBRARY, Every 2nd and 4th Thursday, 1.30– 3.30pm SKELTON LIBRARY, Monday – every 1st & 3rd week, 1.30 – 3.30pm TELEPHONE ADVICE, Friday, 10.00 – 12.00 Tel: 01642 469880. You can also find us on facebook at www.facebook.com/redcarcab.

Redcar & Cleveland Philatelic Society Our two Wednesday meetings in January at the Community Centre, Durham Road, Redcar, commencing 7.15pm are: 8th January Members’ evening, and 22nd January President David Newstead’s Choice.

At the first meeting most members display aspects of their collections so the session is always popular, nonspecialist and varied. It would be a splendid opportunity for prospective members to see what we do. Anyone wishing to come along will be most welcome. If they then join, they will receive free a commemorative postcard, showing the un-issued design for the One shilling stamp intended for King Edward VIII’s Coronation, pictured here. These are now scarce and we have very few left.

The December issue of Talk of the Town referred to the Teesside Trophy. This was won by Middlesbrough Philatelic Society but our team lost by only a narrow margin. A photograph and report will follow in the next issue.

Contacts: Geoff. Reynolds (Secretary) 478229. David D. Turner 01287 634893.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

01642 25

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Planet

The phrase ‘you are what you eat’ refers to an age-old concept that the food we eat can have an effect on our health. Centuries ago, Hippocrates allegedly said: “let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine thy food”.

There is little doubt that our diet can have an influence on how our bodies look and function, and may even contribute to how happy we feel. Most people are aware of the direct link between what they choose to eat and how they feel.

However, the benefits of eating healthy foods are not limited just to how we feel when we eat it. What we choose to eat can also have an impact on the health of the soil, the animals, farmers, local communities and the environment in general.

For example, when food is grown organically this means that less pesticides are used. Since many commonly used pesticides are suspected of being carcinogenic, eating organic produce can benefit our health. In addition, using less pesticides is also healthy for the soil – since the use of artificial fertilizers has become widespread, the levels of certain nutrients in fruit and vegetables have also declined sharply. When less nutrients are present in the soil, less nutrients are consequently present in the plants that we eat (and the animals we eat that eat those plants).

In addition, organic farms often support a more diverse range of wildlife. According to the Soil Association, there are more wildlife species – from larks to butterflies – on organic farms, which benefits the greater environment. A reduced use of artificial fertilizers also means that less energy is consumed.

Farming in gentler, more eco-friendly ways is not limited to organic farming – permaculture and growing your own are just two examples of potential additional sources of high-quality produce.

The way we farm not only affects the crops, but the animals too. Those animals which are factory farmed often live in unnatural, cruel conditions.

Choosing meat and animal products which have been raised in more humane ways helps to support those farmers and industries which are more concerned with standards of animal welfare and the animals’ behavioural needs. Ethical reasons aside, leaving factory farmed animal produce off the dinner table also means less antibiotics and growth hormones, amongst other substances, in our diets, which is beneficial to our own health.

Another choice which can be healthy for both our bodies and the greater environment is sourcing locally produced food. This saves on transportation costs, and helps to support local farming communities.

Finally, healthier eating can be done on a budget.

Getting an organic veg box delivery can be cheaper than getting the (mainly non-organic) equivalents in the local supermarket. Cooking the veg from scratch and freezing any leftovers can also work out economical, especially if cheaper veg like carrots, onions, cabbages and potatoes are used. Cutting down on meat can also save money, since it tends to be the more expensive option.

Tatiana 26

The Guisborough and District Branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild The Guisborough and District Branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild are holding their monthly meeting in Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough. TS14 6BA on Saturday, 4th January, 2014 at 1.45 for 2pm. The meeting will be ‘Inspiration’.

Visitors are welcome whether non-stitchers, beginners or more experienced stitchers. Please come and join us and start the New Year with a fresh hobby or to revive an older one.

In February our meeting will be on Saturday, 1st February, 2014 at 1.45 for 2pm. Our guest speaker is Liz Ingledew and her subject is ‘From Concept to Design’.

The Belmont House car park (behind the council offices) is free on Saturdays. For more information please call 01642 314860.

Linda Danby

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 January for babies and newcomers to the town Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

POSITONE

©

SEA STUDIOS

A new and innovative service has come to Saltburn!

BELIEVE Holistic Therapies© are pleased to announce the opening of their POSITONE© programme in the New Year. This is a three tier programme built around physical exercise and overall mental and emotional wellbeing which helps in dispersing stress whilst releasing those feel good endorphins.

Enjoy complete low impact exercise which is gentle on the joints whilst toning the body. Proven to have beneficial effects with multiple sclerosis (MS), repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and rehabilitation amongst many more. Benefits of the programme are improved circulation, better posture, improved flexibility and joint mobility, and dependent upon the package chosen can be life changing.

Jenny, the creator of the POSITONE ‘Mentoning’© programme has a working background in education, health and the voluntary sector with over 30 years’ experience covering management, swimming teaching, and advice work. She is a self-published author, motivational speaker and advocate, and expert patient. Her fun loving, compassionate personality is an inspiration to others. Along with a natural empathic talent to teach her self-motivated passion originates out of very diverse personal life experiences. In 2007 after 13 years where a toning table regime played a major part in her physical recovery, Jenny healed from a crippling disability. She went on from not even being able to hold a piece of paper to hammering, chiselling, decorating and oh, much more! Now as your holistic health mentor Jenny brings you the opportunity to achieve the changes in your life that you aspire to.

POSITONE© comes in 3 very special packages, Deluxe, Supreme and Precious.

The Deluxe package works on the physical bringing about muscle toning and inch loss, consisting of a 6 week block of two toning sessions per week set on specific days.

The Supreme package works on the physical, mental and emotional, consisting of a 6 week block of one toning session plus one ‘Mentoning’ session per week during which you have the opportunity through varying modalities, to rediscover where you are and where you want to be in life.

The Precious package is totally about You. With no time limit, this works on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, consisting of two ‘Mentoning’© sessions, one in-depth, per week during which you have the opportunity through varying modalities best suited to you, to explore those areas in your life you wish to change on a much deeper level, to enhance and maintain your overall sense of well-being. Together Jenny can help you find your way around the maze of healing

knowledge to bring freedom and choice into your life. A confidential ‘Mentoning’© programme purely about ‘YOU’ that is uniquely tailored to meet your desires will emerge.

Sue Anderson from Be All You Can has known Jenny since she arrived in Saltburn eighteen months ago when she first popped by Rigwood House to say hello.

Sue says, “Jenny’s commitment to maintaining her own personal growth with a positively optimistic I Can Do It attitude will greatly benefit others on their personal journey of enlightenment. Many of us ask the question, am I the best I can be? Exercise with a mentoring programme tailor made to suit your needs is a fantastic idea to explore a new you. Jenny, a strong loving woman with a good heart is holding on to her personal dreams and I am so proud of her for getting into action! Delighted too that she is inputting the Be All You Can ethos of searching to find ways for people to fulfil their potential into the PosiTone programme. I have no doubt that all who connect with Jenny will benefit greatly from the programme to become the best they can be. I wish Jenny every success, and to all who take their first step into this unique opportunity to reach for the stars!”

We live in a society today often full of fear, negativity, stress, ‘dis’-ease…where fears can hold us back. Jenny’s persistence in letting go of unfounded fears continually moves her forward in life. Jenny has inspired many along her journey making her knowledge a priceless gem. Rediscover yourself in reaching the peak of your potential physically, mentally and emotionally, feel reinvigorated! Let Jenny’s expertise guide you through the stress and confusion in your life.

POSITONE© opens its doors in the New Year to all ages, 18-80+ Why not drop by to the Open Day on Sunday 5 January 2014 between 11am - 3pm. See how you can benefit from this new and refreshingly exciting programme! Studio 3, Sea Studios, 1-3 Bath Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS12 1BJ. Jenny can be contacted on 07837 775483.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Having a ‘Gran Old Time’ Sometime things creep up on us and it takes a photograph to make us accept the reality. This was certainly the case for Saltburn resident Julia Robinson. “I was looking through some pictures taken at a wedding in February when I realized I looked just like my Gran! It was a shock to see that my weight gain had aged me as well as making me heavier and it was the kick-start I needed to do something about it. In April I joined the Saltburn Slimming World group and am really glad I did. I’ve lost two stones and feel happier and healthier than ever” says a delighted Julia.

“It took me till July to lose ten percent of my starting weight and that’s when I really started to notice a difference in my clothes and work uniform. It was great! I had no idea when I first joined that I would enjoy the Slimming World eating plan as much as I do and cooking for the family has been easy. One of the new family favourites is lamb tagine. Lots of the things I cook are really quick and easy which helps a lot. I still enjoy my social life and haven’t felt like I’m on a diet. Now I’m at my Target weight I go to the group every week for free which is even better” “I love seeing people transform from being uncomfortable and reserved to much happier and confident with every pound they lose. Losing weight makes such a huge difference to overweight people in so many ways” says Julia’s proud consultant Stevie.

If you’d like to lose weight in a generous, flexible way please come along. Group details can be found in this Talk of The Town on page 11. New Year brings lots of resolutions. If yours is to lose weight in 2014 come to a group where no food is banned and you’ll be eating normal meals such as roast dinners, curries and egg, chips & beans while you lose weight.

Pictured opposite: newly slim Julia Robinson.

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Camel’s Bid For Saltburn Stardom Rehearsals are well underway for Saltburn ’53 Drama Group’s January pantomime, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. Like all pantomimes, it features a cast of colourful and likeable characters, including a musicloving dame, a villainous head-thief and his longsuffering employees, an endearing hero and heroine and a magical storyteller.

However, no good panto would be complete without a particularly important character, a character who neither speaks nor sings, but who occasionally dances: the pantomime animal, usually a horse or a cow.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is perhaps a little more unusual, as it features a highly intelligent camel, known as Kamil.

Kamil is played by Samantha Lightwing and Becky Tranter, both aged fifteen. These two young actors are never seen by the audience, and yet they have the unique challenge of bringing Kamil to life. They volunteered to play the role, which requires both creativity and teamwork.

“It’s hard to get everything across without speaking, and to get things in perfect time,” says Samantha. “It takes lots of practice.” Kamil also has his own dance routine – “Egyptian Reggae” – which needs to be both comedic and in time.

Samantha and Becky joined the ’53 Drama Group early in 2012 as members of the backstage crew for ‘Oh Oh Malvolio’, a one-act play based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Directed by Sue and Andrew Pierce, ‘Oh Oh Malvolio’ was performed during last year’s Saltburn Drama Festival. It was also part of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Open Stages project, a festival in which amateur theatre companies from around the country performed their own adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays. Samantha and Becky toured with the production as it visited Bishop Monkton, the Sage Gateshead and finally the RSC Open Stages final in Worcester, providing backstage support at each stage of the competition. They continued to work backstage for the full production of Twelfth Night, as well as Nickleby and this year’s October production, Lady Windermere’s Fan. Samantha and Becky have now made the switch to appearing onstage, first in the chorus of last year’s panto, Beauty and the Beast, and now as Kamil the camel.

“We wanted to try different aspects of theatre,” says Samantha. “It’s a different experience,” Becky adds, when asked how it compares. Both girls say they would work backstage again.

Samantha and Becky say that playing Kamil is hard work, but enjoyable and different to anything they’ve done before.

“It’s different but good fun,” Becky says.

When asked if they would be in other productions, the girls say yes: “We’re looking forward to being in the next youth production or the Drama

Festival.”

The ’53 Drama Group gives its members the opportunity to be involved with theatre both onstage and behind the scenes. This would not be possible without Saltburn Theatre, where the group stages its productions.

Saltburn Arts (SCAA), who manage the theatre for the community, have just been awarded a grant through The People’s Millions, a programme run by the Big Lottery Fund and ITV. Saltburn Theatre Magical Transformation won the viewer’s vote and £50,000 of Lottery funding, which will allow for refurbishment of the theatre, thus benefiting the venue’s user groups, including the ’53 Drama Group.

Any theatre production requires an extraordinary amount of effort from all involved. In addition to the hardworking visible actors, there are also many who work unseen to create a show, whether they are painting the set, providing costumes, moving scenery…or, indeed, playing a camel!

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is at Saltburn Community Theatre from Thursday, 16th to Saturday, 18th January, and again from Thursday, 23rd to Saturday, 25th January. Evening performances commence at 7.30pm, and the Saturday Matinees at 2.00pm.

Tickets are £7 (Concessions £5) and are available from Saltburn Health Food Shop, the Theatre Box Office or online at www.saltburnarts.co.uk.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

29

Banish the January blues!

A warm welcome is promised in Saltburn on Saturday, 18th January when a table-top sale is held to ‘banish the mid-January blues.’

Plate-sized Yorkshire puddings with steaming chicken stew and hot drinks are among goodies on offer at the event, which is being held to help build a church in the middle of Africa.

Caterer Doris Welcome, of Loftus, said she would be making Yorkshire puddings, eight inches in diameter, with chicken stew “to keep out the frost.”

She said the £2 dish was popular with both visitors and locals.

Pat Watson, 79, of Middlesbrough, said as she tucked into a ‘Yorkshire’ at a December table-top: “These are gorgeous. I enjoy one each time we come with my friend Pam Watson, who is no relation.”

Pam, who is 66, said: “They are fantastic value and are just what we like an a nippy day.”

Table-top organisers are putting on a sip of hot punch drink for those who buy raffle tickets.

Joyce Conlin, of Loftus, who collects rents from the 17 tables, and who runs a bric a brac stall, said: “Many of the sellers are regulars and turn up whatever the weather. Among good causes which benefit on most Saturdays of the month are the local animal charity, the ’53 Drama Group, and Saltburn in Bloom.

She said the hall and kitchen were rented out by Saltburn Community and Arts Association, for different charities. SCAA itself held a flea market on the first Saturday of each month.

The 18th January event is being organised for an appeal being run by Mike and Bernie Morrissey, of Saltburn, for St Patrick’s parish, Madera, Soroti, Uganda, which is rebuilding its 100-year-old church. They plan to

Pat Watson, left, and Pam Watson, on right, thank cook Doris Welcome for the “gorgeous” plate-sized Yorkshire pudding chicken stew they enjoyed at a recent table-top sale at the community centre. Doris is to make more £2 puddings for the ‘banish the January blues’ 18th January sale.

put on a table-top tombola at the event.

Among items for sale at a recent table-top were three foreign coins for £1 - including one from the former Yugoslavia - newspapers reporting World War Two, including the D-Day landings in 1944 at £2.

Regular visitor Carol Gaunt, of Marine Parade, Saltburn, said: “We are always looking for a bargain. The best buy I’ve had was a beautiful turquoise stone for a pendant. It cost a modest £8 and was made by a local man.”

The sale will run from 9am-4pm at the Windsor Road community hall, next to the library.

Tony’s Health Advice

New Year, New You? It’s the time of year when people start thinking about New Year Resolutions and being healthier after the excesses of the festive period. Whilst I fully endorse any resolution that results in you improving your health most resolutions don’t last as people quickly fall back into their old ways.

When thinking about your resolution try and think of something that you believe you will be able to stick with not just for a month or a year but something that will become a habit for the rest of your life. Try and make it specific, instead of just saying that you are are going to exercise more specify what exercise you are going to do and how often. You then have a clear plan to stick to.

You might also want to make it a small change, these are easier to keep than trying to stick to a big change. Eat healthier may seem like a big change but if you say that you will eat an extra piece of fruit a day or not eat a bag of crisps a day you are not only eating 30

healthier but it is a small change that will hopefully become a habit that can be built upon over the year.

It has also been shown in numerous studies that people find it easier to change their behaviour if they find it fun. If you want to exercise more find an exercise that you find fun you might want to follow the strictly trend and start dancing, not only is it great exercise but it great fun and a wonderful way to meet new people and socialise.

Or if you want to eat healthier but don’t really know where to start then take a cookery class.

Some resolutions may not do much for your physical health but can be a great boost for your mental health. Here are a few different resolutions that you may want to consider. Get your photo taken in five different places. Learn a language. Learn something you wish you’d learned as a child. Trace your ancestry.

Whatever you decide to do, or not do, good luck with achieving it before 2015.

Tony O’Neill, Pharmacist, Boots Pharmacy.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Volunteer today to help a child read, grow and succeed Beanstalk is a national literacy charity that recruits, vets, trains and supports volunteers to work in primary schools with children who have fallen behind with their reading.

We urgently need volunteers to work in schools in Teesside Volunteers are matched with three children who they will work with on a regular basis, building a relationship to help them read, grow and succeed.

To become a Beanstalk reading volunteer, you must:  Be able to spare three hours per week, plus your travel time  Commit for at least a year  Have been resident in the UK for at least two years  Be fluent in English and a competent reader  Believe in the importance of literacy

Get involved and make a real difference to a child’s future Call 08454 500344 or apply online at durham@beanstalkcharity.org.uk.

Beanstalk is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful applicants will be required to obtain an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Beanstalk is the trading name of Volunteer Reading Help. Registered Charity No. 296454 (England and Wales). Registered as a company limited by guarantee in England and Wales No. 2101719.

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WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN (in 300 words) by the Rev’d Adam Young Though I was raised going to church I never really had a ‘spiritual life’ that I can remember. By the age of fourteen I had decided that though a God probably exists He must be a mean and vindictive God as He took my Great Aunt from me and she was an amazing Christian. That would have been that but for two things that persuaded me that I was wrong and God was real, loving, and good.

Firstly, there was my calling to ministry. At the age of sixteen I went to bed one night set on being an archaeologist.

That night God powerfully revealed Himself to me in all His holiness. I can’t really explain it, but when I awoke I knew that I had to be a minister in the church. My faith was weak and ignorant, and I believed so many wrong things, but I knew that I had experienced something. It wasn’t the last time that I have felt God with me or speaking to me, guiding or delivering me, but it was certainly the most dramatic.

But so what if a God exists, that doesn’t mean the exclusive claims of Christianity are true. The other reason why I am a Christian is that during my studies at university I have become totally convinced that the man who was called Jesus of Nazareth died on a Roman cross. I am also certain, based on the historical evidence, that this Jesus three days later rose from the dead. This resurrection was the divine stamp of authority and authenticity on everything Jesus said and did. That means when Jesus said He was God and that the only way to heaven is to believe in Him He was not a lunatic, He was not lying, He was God revealing Himself.

That is why I am a Christian – personal experience and historical evidence.

FREE BREAKFAST at ECHO (Emmanuel Church Hall)

Thursday 23rd January 2014 9am-10.15am Everybody welcome...

At the Silent Auction, there will be a number of unusual wreaths from the ArtSpace exhibition available for purchase. If you have items you would like to give to the organisers of Silent Auction, they can be dropped off at the Church Office in ECHO.

Sundays at Emmanuel Church: 9.00am & 10.45am services with refreshments served from 10.10am Tuesdays at Emmanuel Church: 9.30am service with refreshments served from 10.15am Emmanuel Church: Tel: 01287 622251 / Email: emmanuelsaltburn@hotmail.co.uk / www.saltburnparishchurch.co.uk

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News and Views from the Valley Firstly, a big thank you to the Parish Council which has stumped up enough money for the toilet to be finished and with luck this will all take place in January.

The first week in December is National Tree Week and we were blessed by a visit by the secret yarnstormers. The beautiful silver birch tree just below the picnic area has been adorned with knitted baubles and stars and looks beautiful.

Thank you, whoever you are.

We apologize to anyone who turned up for the Christmas Grotto. We put out as many notices as we could three days beforehand but I know some people will have come along with their children and been disappointed. At short notice a few key people were unwell and we had insufficient volunteers to fill the gaps so we had no choice but to cancel.

By the time of reading this we will either be “in the money” having sold all our Christmas trees or we will be in debtors’ prison if we don’t sell enough. I hope it will be the former.

We have received another grant from Groundwork and this is for a program of workshops and we feel now able to focus on the task of having the centre staffed and open more in 2014.

We hope the Saltburn community will continue to support us this coming year and on our part we sincerely hope we can build on and increase our services to the community and be a valuable resource.

A Happy New Year from all of us down in the woods.

Lorna Moone www.saltburnwoodlandcentre.co.uk

Hands On Therapy Clinic Remedial Therapy Sports Injuries

Reflexology Relaxation

Louise Clark ITEC Diploma MBSR, GCP, BCMA Reg Saltburn Leisure Centre, Marske Mill Lane

Tel: 01287 625700 Mob: 07775 610745

AMATSU Japanese Natural Therapy A complementary whole body approach to regain health, function and balance by empowering the body’s own natural repair mechanisms.

Eric Birbeck MBRCP Oriental Medicine Master Amatsu Practitioner Telephone 07812 746246 Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

33

Saleroom ‘of memories’ for sale

The hammer fell for the last time on Tuesday, 26th November 2013.

Saltburn Saleroom was bursting at the seams with buyers for the last sale conducted by Auctioneer John Simmons. John has decided to retire after 45 years conducting weekly sales.

John climbed onto the rostrum and announced he would like to say goodbye to as many people as possible. He then played a recording of ‘I did it my way’ by Frank Sinatra and proceeded to walk amongst the public shaking as many hands as possible. In hot pursuit was one of the porters, Charlie Carr, handing out tissues to whoever needed one!

This was the cause of great hilarity.

On completing a circuit of the Auction Room he returned to the rostrum and gave a speech to thank everyone involved in the business over the years ending with a tribute to his wife Victoria who has been by his side from the very

beginning.

John was happy to have his daughters, Katie and Sarah and his two grandsons, Oscar and Max at his last Antiques and Collectors sale (pictured above).

John’s father came to the Saleroom in 1946 after military service in World War II, and took over the business in 1966 from Mr Dickinson who in turn bought the business from a Mr Hunter. Saltburn Saleroom has been in existence for more than eighty years.

Current members of staff, Sandy Reid, Doug Wilson, Charlie Carr and Jeanette Stinchcombe are also retiring, after many loyal years.

John has been deeply moved by the warmth and good wishes he has received since announcing his retirement.

The business is being marketed by ThomasStevenson, Chartered Surveyors of Stokesley.

World War One memorial planned Ideas for a proposed new memorial feature to mark World War One came thick and fast from Saltburn pensioners when Fiona Wylie spoke about the town’s Pocket Watch project.

She told Saltburn and District Retired Men’s Forum meeting on 25th November that she was part of a group which is planning events to mark the war’s centenary in 2014.

One idea being looked at was to put up a wall near the town’s war memorial to record the names of servicemen, who died of their injuries following the war, not only those killed during it.

Among suggestions which came from forum members were to add the names of miners - known as ‘Bevin boys’ who were conscripted during World War Two, Merchant Navy men, and conscientious objectors like Quakers, who served as ambulance drivers rather than fighting. Other examples mentioned were of those who were killed in bombing raids on Saltburn and nurses.

Among wartime stories related by members was of some words in German, which were displayed on the bridge over the stream near the Ship Inn. This said: “How are you?”

It was thought that the tongue-in-cheek question was aimed 34

Fiona Wylie with a lunch group following her talk to Saltburn and District Retired Men’s Forum. From left: Melanie Caddy, Les Ellwood, Peter Martin, and Rex Scales.

at Germans invading Saltburn.

Fiona and the Pocket Watch team are available at Saltburn library on Wednesdays from 2-4pm. She can be contacted by email on fiona@saltburnbythesea.org.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

1st Saltburn Scout Group Into another year and all our young people are hoping for as good a year as 2013. We held our AGM and Presentation Night in late November; this was very successful and even more awards being presented than our young people expected. The Santa Parade which the Beavers and Cubs were invited to join was even more fun, being enjoyed by all involved – despite the vast numbers of people thronging the streets; somewhat unnerving for some of our smaller Beavers – but overjoyed to receive a present from Santa and all with two fire engines and rockets! Many thanks to all involved in arranging the event. It was great fun and we will be there again. We can also have a rest after another successful year with Scout Post. In January our Chief Scout’s Award recipients will be attending the County Awards Night at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, so congratulations to Jacob, Willow, Matthew, Sam and William on their success.

The Beaver Section saw successes at our Presentation Night – with two Chief Scout’s Bronze Awards in the Beaver Section – well done to Jacob and Willow! All Beavers gaining Challenge Awards, much to the delight of parents and families. They have been busy preparing Christmas gifts including dwarf daffodils in pots for mum, cards and decorations. Also experiencing French cuisine as part of a badge to celebrate “Le Grand Depart” next year, the Beavers seemed to particularly like the garlic cheese and of course French chocolate! Several are due to “move on” to the Cub Section and by the time this is being read will be well settled in.

The Cub Section enjoyed the Presentation Night, all

Saltburn Line User Group Next Meeting: Tuesday, 4th February 2014 Meetings at Saltburn Conservative Club are held on the first Tuesday of the month 19.15pm for a 19.30pm Start. As always, all welcome.

Talk to Saltburn Line User Group.

The Group exists to protect passengers’ interests. See our website: www.saltburnlineusergroup.co.uk

achieving Challenge Awards, but particularly Abigail, Alfie and Peter and were told by our District Commissioner (Chris Gell) that within the first few weeks of moving to Scouts in the New Year - could achieve their Chief Scout’s Silver Award. Cubs enjoyed the Santa Parade, particularly the rockets to announce the second parade moving off; their only question being “Could there be some more?” They have been equally busy and have achieved their Road Safety Badge, although we also saw some interesting ideas for traffic signs -which would certainly have slowed motorists down – thinking about their significance. The influx of Beavers moving up will increase Pack numbers in January despite Abigail, Alfie and Peter moving to Scouts.

The Scouts after seeing Sam and William be presented with their Gold Award at the AGM (Matthew unfortunately could not attend) are working well and have gained their Information Technology Award (this is in levels and works through all Sections). We must thank Miss Wills (Saltburn Primary School) and Miss Knock (Huntcliff School) for their assistance in this achievement. Plans are now afoot for some night hikes and sleep overs at our building in the New Year; in other words getting OUT. Our parents continue to assist – particularly in Scout Post – and in other ways and we thank them for their excellent support. We are continuing with our recruitment strategy to attract Leaders for the Group and young people to our Sections; presently asking our parents to volunteer to assist on one evening each term with a Section meeting. It is pleasing that parents are involved in supporting our young people, ensuring our Section meetings or activities are exciting and interesting for our young people. If you can offer assistance or are interested in joining us, please enquire.

John G. Hannah – 07811 801627 or johnghannah@yahoo.co.uk

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Postal Subscription to Talk of the Town If you enjoy reading Talk of the Town, why not subscribe to the postal service? You can have the magazine delivered to your door, anywhere in the UK for as little as £33.50 per year.

Simply send a cheque payable to “Gbiz IT” for £33.50 to TotT Subscriptions, 9 The Wynd, Marske, Cleveland, TS11 7LD. Don't forget to enclose your name and address. Alternatively, you can call us on 01642 477200 if you wish to pay by credit or debit card.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

The End of an Era for Brockley Hall “We’re going out on a high,” says Manager, David Brooking, as he anticipates the closure of Brockley Hall on January 3rd 2014. “Christmas and New Year are fully booked. Our Advent House Party was totally subscribed and the December Thanksgiving and Reunion House Party was full within four days of the letters of invitation being posted.”

Christian Endeavour Holiday Centres were launched over a hundred years ago to provide moderately priced holidays, centres of rest and relaxation and venues for the use of Church groups, in a Christian atmosphere. Through this, the charity aims to promote and extend the Christian faith, without denominational bias and without alcohol allowed on the premises. It caters for families, individuals, Church and youth groups, Sunday schools, conferences and schools in four centres in England and Wales: St Rhadagunds on the Isle of Wight, the Plesaunce in North Norfolk, Beechwood Court in North Wales and Brockley Hall in Saltburn.

These Victorian buildings are well-loved, but the cost of their repairs and maintenance exceed the charity’s income and provision is being cut back. The Isle of Wight and Norfolk centres closed for the winter in November and won’t reopen until March; the Saltburn centre is closing for good. “We’re not in debt,” explains David, “but we’re losing the money in our reserves and this is unsustainable.”

Surprise has greeted the decision to close Brockley Hall, as a brand new block of eleven bedrooms was only opened in May 2011. Previously, a lot of the accommodation was in four - five bedded rooms and this development enabled more people to have single or double bedded ensuite rooms. “The new building was mostly selffinancing from the sale of part of our land to McCarthy and Stone and its cost is not a factor in the decision to close,” comments David. “Its popularity has given us a longer life rather than a shorter one.”

David has been the Manager for sixteen years.

Before that, he worked one season for Christian Endeavour in Cornwall and further back, he was Manager of the Methodist Cliff Hotel in Scarborough. Some people, who were initially loyal to the Cliff Hotel, have been coming to Brockley Hall for up to six times a year and David welcomes them as friends rather than customers. As an Elder at Saltburn’s Evangelical Church, he understands their commitment to Christian values.

Taking part is optional for guests, but Brockley Hall offers morning prayers before breakfast and evening epilogue at the end of the day. The guests frequently attend Church services in the town and David thinks that Saltburn Churches will miss them. As the centre brings in several thousand people a year to the town, he thinks that our shops, especially the charity shops, may notice a fall in trade. Although Brockley Hall has thirteen car parking spaces, most holiday makers arrive on public transport; they appreciate the level access to facilities here and pop along to their favourite coffee shops after a browse.

As Brockley Hall has been a holiday centre since before the war, some guests are now very mature, but Christian Endeavour venues also cater for today’s young

people. “The charity started as a youth organisation a hundred years ago to enable young people to learn about Christianity and to share their faith,” says David. “In November, we had forty children from a Methodist Church near Durham for a stay and we enjoy catering for families with children too.” Quizzes and games are put on by the staff and there is the opportunity for sharing fellowship.

The catering consists of three meals a day, including cooked breakfasts and a packed lunch option for those wanting to go far. David organises popular day trips with Coatham Coaches to places such as Whitby, Scarborough, Helmsley, Richmond, Hawes and County Durham and gives the commentaries himself. People like to explore churches and abbeys especially. Groups have also set off for five day coach trips to Scotland with him, while staying at Brockley Hall at either end of their holidays.

Most guests come from the UK, including some Saltburn residents, but a Swiss family has booked for Christmas and it’s favoured accommodation for people coming to Saltburn Folk Festival. “They will miss us too,” adds David.

The twelve staff will certainly miss their jobs as they face redundancy, As well as David, an Assistant Manager, Angela is employed, as are a housekeeper, a handyman, two cooks, two in the dining room and two washers-up. “The working hours are erratic,” says David, “but we’ve had a very long-serving staff.”

David is looking forward to three months rest and relaxation, before he takes on a new role. He will be based at his house in West Yorkshire, but will be coming back to Saltburn once a month to take services at the Evangelical Church.

The future of the building is being decided by the Charity’s trustees. David draws attention to the beautiful front of the building, which is within the conservation area, and to the new extension which provides very good modern facilities. It is hoped that someone or some organisation with enough money to keep up costly repairs and maintenance and put the building to good use comes forward.

Rosemary Nicholls Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Roy, Jan, Helen and all the staff at The Victoria wish all their customers a Happy New Year

JANUARY GIG LIST Possibly the best January ever!

The Vic Real Ales: with Deuchars IPA being our resident ale, and our ever changing guest ales, there’s no excuse to go elsewhere.

Thursday 2/1/14 – Alpha Place

Tel: 01287 626131

Sunday 5/1/14 – TBC Thursday 9/1/14 – TBC Sunday 12/1/14 – Flatback 4 Thursday 16/1/14 – Flashback Sunday 19/1/14 – TBC Thursday 23/1/14 – Sticklebacks Sunday 26/1/14 – Columbia Thursday 30/1/14 – Russ Tippins

O’Gradys Hotel 18-20 Queen Street, Redcar TS10 1AE

January Gigs: Fri 3rd - TBC Sat 4th - TBC Fri 10th - TBC Sat 11th - TBC Sun 12th - District 504 Fri 17th - Four Letter Word Sat 18th - Fizzy Fish Fri 24th - Soul Rebels Sat 25th - Idolise Sun 26th - Sticklebacks Tue 28th- Benidorm Irish Rovers Wed 29th- Benidorm Irish Rovers Fri 31st- Shiver 38

The Victoria Quiz Night

THE VICTORIA

Every Wednesday £30 First Prize, £10 Second Prize.

Last Wednesday of the Month: £150 Prize Fund.

The jackpot quiz will take place on Wednesday, 29th January 2014.

4 People Not Profit present

‘Affluenza’ 4 People Not Profit’s film night ‘Open your mind’ returns with Affluenza, a groundbreaking film that diagnoses a serious social disease - caused by consumerism, commercialism and rampant materialism - that is having a devastating impact on our families, communities, and the environment.

The film will be screened as usual upstairs in The Marine, Saltburn and will be on Thursday, 23rd January.

Doors at 7pm and the film starts at 7.30pm. With time for discussion after the film, and as ever the event is free entry.

Shopping centres have really become the centres of many communities. Children, as well as adults, see a shopping centre as just the natural destination to fill a bored life. Through revealing personal stories, expert commentary, hilarious old film clips, dramatized vignettes, and ‘anti-commercial’ breaks, Affluenza examines the high cost of achieving the most extravagant lifestyle the world has ever seen. Last year, Americans, who make up only five percent of the world’s population, used nearly a third of its resources and produced almost half of its hazardous waste Add overwork, personal stress, the erosion of family and community, skyrocketing debt, and the growing gap between rich and poor, and it’s easy to understand why some people say that the western consumerist ideal is no bargain. Affluenza travels across the country to show you men and women who are working and shopping less, spending more time with friends and family, volunteering in their communities, and enjoying their lives more.

“A brilliant job of examining a complex issue from many perspectives, in one totally captivating hour.” Ellen Furnari, Director, Center for a New American Dream.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Diamond Guest House Diamond House 9 Diamond Street Saltburn-by-the-Sea Cleveland TS12 1EB Tel: 01287 203912 or 07715 621077 email: diamondhouse9@gmail.com www.diamondhousesaltburn.co.uk

BATH STREET GARAGE SERVICING ENGINE TUNING MOT PREPARATION REPAIR WORK-WELDING For a fast friendly local service contact: PETER MOORE:

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Saltburn Library Reading Together at Saltburn Library: Saltburn Library is providing the venue for a Family Learning Reading Together session. Join us to explore the world of stories and craft making with your little ones. This is a free course and will run for 6 weeks starting Monday, 6th January 3.455pm. Snacks will be provided. Please phone to book a place on 01287 623584. All our normal activities will continue.

We run Rhymetime sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays 10-10.45am and Craft session on Thursday 3.30-4.30 and Saturday 2-3.00pm.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Supporting Young People in East Cleveland

What we’ve been up to!

The Chosen Charity: DoorWays applied for Saltburn Sainsbury’s local charity of the year.

This had been attempted previously but was unsuccessful. We went away, raised our profile and tried again, and were successful! This means that DoorWays work with Sainsbury’s throughout the year partaking in fundraising activities; this will be put in to a pot and donated to DoorWays at the end of the year (May 2014). The current total is around £1,300.

Foodbank: DoorWays now give out foodbank vouchers. For those who are struggling with benefit changes or delays, have a low income or are in debt (no age limit on this service), pop into DoorWays and have a chat.

Saltburn Youth Club is now running at DoorWays on a Monday night in partnership with Redcar & Cleveland Youth Services. Doors open from 6:30-8:30. Please come down! If you are 1319 you are welcome. Come hang out, play pool, Xbox, challenges or come in and spark a conversation.

The Painful Trek: On the 28th September Andrew Campbell of Sainsbury’s in Saltburn and our own John Thompson completed a sponsored walk from Middlesbrough to Saltburn. They started on the journey from Sainsbury’s in Middlesbrough at 11:00am, walked along the “black path” parallel to the train tracks all the way to Redcar and then on to the beach for the final small stint to Saltburn. Between the three of them around £350 was raised.

That’s NEET: NEET is Not in Employment, Education or Training. DoorWays work with young people aged 13 - 19 helping them move into further education, training or employment. Through the summer we went knocking on young peoples’ doors, actively encouraging them to come and use the free facilities here at DoorWays and look for work.

We regularly receive e-mails about apprenticeship vacancies from local agencies.

These are advertised in DoorWays, and our advertisement board in Sainsbury’s.

Visitors to the project here in Station Square, have reached the 900 mark over the last 9 months; the data base has registered 100 young people during that same time. This is a mix of youth club, drop-in and support work and is a reflection of our current change and need. Please feel free to ask more about the project, or catch us on facebook/ website.

To contact us: Email info@doorways.co.uk or phone 01287 625305. Opening hours are Monday to Friday: 10am - 4:30pm.

The DoorWays Project Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Happy New Year from the Cons Our best wishes go to members and friends of Saltburn Conservative Club. Let us look forward to 2014 in the expectation that it will be a good year of new beginnings.

As 2013 becomes part of history, it is worth reflecting on what has passed. Saltburn has survived two storms that have caused considerable damage to our little town. Our club’s flag seems to have been far too frequently flown at half-mast. We have lost many good friends. Some of Saltburn’s oldest businesses have closed including Simmons Sales Rooms and Brockley Hall; our town will not be the same without them. However, not all is filled with gloom: new business ventures have opened and we do not have many vacant shops. This in itself is a symbol of hope for the future and an indicator that all is well in Saltburn, as we survive not only flooding but also waves of economic recession.

Much of the hope for the future is a direct result of the indomitable spirit of Saltburn people. We gained a huge victory over our foes in Council who wanted to inflict insane parking restrictions on us. We demonstrated that we were not willing to stand by and accept bad decisions. Good news came with the winning of £50,000 to improve our theatre and we should acknowledge the dedication of the team, (led by club member Sue Pierce), who worked for and won the grant in the face of much obstruction. I personally wish Saltburn Arts every success in 2014 and hope that they can overcome their current problems. Another ‘well done’ in 2013, is to our members in Camra Club, who had a sell out at their 4th Saltburn Beer Festival. Our members and friends in the Rotary Club also had a success with their 5th Grand Ol’ Oprey music festival, which raised a record amount for local charities and gave the area a great five nights of wonderful entertainment. Plans are in place for a 2014 event, which has attracted fresh and very well respected artists which will give an even better Oprey, starting Easter Sunday. Well done also to the organizers of The 16th Saltburn Folk Festival in 2013. Yet again we had a great weekend in the club with our musical influx of happy singing people.

Our club has done well in 2013. We have completed all of our planned structural repairs and paid for them

without borrowing money. We have renovated and fitted our 2nd floor apartment. It is now let out and providing the club with a steady income for the first time. We have a record number of members of the club. A steady stream of new members have flowed in during 2013, to swell our numbers to 420 for the first time. I would remind members that subscriptions for 2014 are now due. As agreed at the last AGM, 2014 fee will be £12 plus £2 for an affiliation card giving access to 1,200 clubs throughout the country. Your renewal fee may be paid to any of the bar staff, who will supply a receipt. If fees have not been paid by February, loyalty cards will become void.

We encourage members to use our facilities, at no charge, for their own private functions. Birthday Parties, Christenings, Meetings, Anniversaries, Wakes and Weddings, we have done them all. Our Stewardess Michelle can provide catering, see her and make a booking. The club committee have been discussing new ideas to benefit our members and increase bar sales. These include Happy Hours, Charity Karaoke, converting the lobby to a snug, improvements to toilet facilities and much more. The committee have been doing a wonderful job over the past few years and much has been achieved without putting the club into debt. I pass the Chairman Joe Cockfield and his team, my congratulations of a job in progress and being very well done.

I am pleased to be back writing in Talk of the Town; reports of my demise have been somewhat premature and I am planning a lifelong career in writing. My thanks go to the many people who have made kind comments during the absence of this page. As I have said in the past, although I try to reflect club policy in this newsletter, opinions expressed are my own. Please email me, if you wish to comment on anything written on this page. I enjoy getting a response be it good or not so good.

Mike Sellars, Club President. Email mike.sellars@ntlworld.com This article is financially supported by Saltburn Conservative and Unionist Club.

January Events at the Cons 31st Dec 1st Jan. New Year’s Eve Party.

See in the New Year with your friends and us at the Cons.

Fri. 3rd Jan Open Mic Night Be a S.T.A.R. with host ‘Silver Fox’.

Sat. 4th Jan. Behind the Green Door.

Multi Talented Richard Bracknall and friends.

Fri. 10th Jan. Open Mic Night Be a S.T.A.R. with host ‘Silver Fox’.

Sat. 11th Jan. Behind the Green Door.

Garry Stuart, Paul James & Julian Allinson.

Wed. 15th Jan. Julie’s Bingo & Quiz, pie & peas. By ticket only, 8pm start.

Fri. 17th Jan. Open Mic Night Be a S.T.A.R. with host ‘Silver Fox’.

Sat. 18th Jan. Behind the Green Door.

Bob Caswell with Kindred Spirit, Nostalgia Night.

Visit from Members of Northallerton Conservative Club.

Fri. 24th Jan. Open Mic Night Be a S.T.A.R. with host ‘Silver Fox’.

Sat. 25th Jan. Behind the Green Door ‘Kelly’s Country’ with The Newtons and Friends.

Fri. 31st Jan. Open Mic Night Be a S.T.A.R. with host ‘Silver Fox’.

Every Tuesday night at 10pm Members Draw for Meat Voucher, Wine, Chocolates or tins of Biscuits. Bar Snacks.

Every Sunday afternoon Gallons of Beer Draw and Cash Rollover.

Wednesdays 8th and 22nd January. Julie’s Quiz. Bring a team and be part of the craic.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Moola 1 Dundas Street West (Next to Easy PC & Music)

Moola is open from 10.00am until 4.30pm Tuesday to Saturday

Brian Hudson Decorator Interior and Exterior 30 years experience Free estimates

01287 624011

Repairs and Alterations

Sewing Workshops Dressmaking Mobile: 07980 292969

42

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

Saltburn Animal Rescue Association.

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

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

Hello, my name is Ben; I am a black and white collie with a silky coat. I might be a little bit older than most of the young pups and the cats that have appeared previously in Talk of the Town, but please don’t let that put you off because I am young at heart and full of life. I just want to be loved and have fun and enjoy myself in a relaxed and not too taxing way.

I came to live with SARA after my person sadly passed away and the rest of his family were unable to keep me, so I really desperately need a quiet and loving, long term foster home. As a foster carer my vet bills would not be your problem, as SARA would pay these. I would also come with all my own bedding and toys; please see SARA’s website for more details on fostering a pet.

As you can see from my photograph I am a lovely and handsome old boy who loves a fuss and a treat; I am very sociable and friendly with other dogs. I can’t see the point in being any other way!

I really love people and I was a little star at SARA’s last open day when I was playing with my ball with a couple of older children. I am a really beautiful dog who will be very easy to look after, as everybody has fallen in love with me here. I am looking for a quiet home where I can be spoilt rotten and enjoy my twilight years with a new family.

Love from Ben

SARA fundraising events during January 1st January 2014 – The first monthly meeting of SARA will be held on New Year’s Day, in The TocH premises, Albion Terrace, Saltburn, at 7.30pm. Please come along and meet members of SARA to hear about what we believe will be a very promising and exciting year for SARA. 1st January 2014 – Once again SARA, members of the public and pets, will be braving the North Sea when they hold the New Year’s Day Dip. This will take place at Saltburn Pier starting at 11am. All money raised from sponsorship will go towards the welfare of the animals at Foxrush Farm. This is always a popular event when everyone, including the dogs, enjoy themselves. Please come along whether you wish to take part or just join in the fun. Sponsorship forms may be obtained from

Foxrush Farm, the SARA charity shop in Guisborough.

They can also be downloaded from our website http:// www.s-a-r-a.org.uk. If you require further information please ring Foxrush Farm, Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm on 01642 488108.

Funds raised recently – The Christmas Fayre held at Marske Hall raised the Grand total of £950. The Carols at Foxrush Farm raised £385.

We would like to thank everyone who attended these events and made them such a success. All the excellent funds raised will go to helping the ever increasing number of animals that come into our care. We are most grateful for all the support we receive.

A Happy New Year to everyone.

Sheila Green Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

The Saltburn Profile by Rosemary Nicholls Lynda Parkes “Saltburn is such a lovely, natural environment,” says Lynda, the Chair of Saltburn in Bloom. “Just yesterday, we were a team of five volunteer gardeners working away, while admiring the quality of the light over the sea.”

Lynda was born in Stanhope in Weardale. She and her brother had an idyllic childhood with freedom to roam in the countryside. Her Dad was a surveyor for the local council and her Mum was an accomplished organist, playing in churches for sixty years. “They were givers in life, not takers. It came naturally to them to volunteer for lots of activities and they were always showing quiet kindness to people. The house was always full of people enjoying tea and cake! Their way of life moulded me as a person,” remembers Lynda. They were both very interested in the environment and took their children on walks, encouraging them to look at the world around them and care about the environment.

After attending local Weardale schools, Lynda went to St John’s College, York to train as a Primary teacher.

Husband Dave was a student there too. “Our eyes met over a crowded dining room,” Lynda says and they were married in 1972. Their first years of teaching were in Lichfield in Staffordshire, before moving to Middlesbrough, as Lynda wanted to be closer to home. In 1977, they moved into their current house in Saltburn, a place Lynda remembered from childhood holidays.

“We moved to Saltburn at the time of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Street Parties,” she explains, “just before I gave birth to our son, Stuart.” Daughter Sue was born in 1979 and both children attended local schools before heading off to University. Stuart is now a senior pharmacist at York and District Hospital and Sue is an administrator in the Language School at Leeds Metropolitan University.

In 1987, Lynda took up a full-time teaching post at Nunthorpe Primary School, where she spent many happy years. She always strived to interest pupils in their environment and to make lessons stimulating. In 2001, she was asked to become a Reading Recovery teacher at Ormesby and South Bank, working with children who were struggling with the beginnings of literacy. “I found it very rewarding to interest children with low motivation in reading and tried to build a special relationship with each individual, so that he or she wanted to learn” she says.

While a teacher, Lynda was an active member of the Monday at Eight women’s group at Saltburn Methodist’s, eventually becoming President. But she really grew involved with voluntary activities, after she retired in 2006. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Reserve opened at Saltholme, near Port Clarence and Lynda began working there once a week. “I always try to greet people with a smile on arrival and enthuse about Saltholme and the work of the RSPB in making a “Home for Nature”. Dave and I lead guided walks for newcomers showing them everything of interest on the Reserve. My knowledge of wildlife has grown through listening to other like-minded people and we love to pass this on to other people,” she adds.

Since retiring, Lynda has been developing her skills in drawing birds and plants. She attended a drawing class

and progressed to another: “Art for Beginners”. Then an opportunity arose to attend woodcarving classes in Redcar.

“It’s very therapeutic working with wood,” she says, “but it takes a long time to create a piece.”

As a soprano, Lynda has joined Middlesbrough Community Choir at the Town Hall; she and Dave sing weekly for enjoyment with a hundred others and performed on the stage with the choir at the Town Hall in December.

She enjoys going to musicals and concerts, appreciating music from opera to folk. Her favourite play is ‘War Horse’, which she saw in London in 2013: “I absolutely loved it,” she comments.

Lynda likes light reading, including William Boyd and Philippa Gregory novels and crime fiction. She’s an avid Sudoku and word puzzle fan, seeking them out in newspapers, pencil at the ready. Her speciality in the kitchen is Lemon Drizzle Cake. “I like to cook tasty, wholesome food and enjoy having friends round to share it,” she says.

Especially in the summer, Lynda and Dave go travelling in their caravan. A favourite destination is North Norfolk, where the bird watching and coastal walking are excellent, but they’ve also toured through France, Germany, Holland and Northern Spain. Lynda skillfully does her share of the towing.

On retirement, Lynda and Dave took an allotment and really enjoyed growing fruit and vegetables together.

Through this, they were asked to join the Gardening Group for Saltburn in Bloom and then Lynda joined the Committee.

Every Wednesday morning throughout the year, weather permitting, the team is at work, aiming to brighten Saltburn up for residents and visitors. Lynda is also involved in organising fundraising events, such as SiB Table Top Sales and Coffee Mornings and she says she has met some lovely people in her role as Chair, carrying on the good work begun by group founder, Jackie Taylor.

Lynda feels her life is full and happy. She praises Dave for all the support he gives her. “I couldn’t manage Saltburn in Bloom without him,” she concludes.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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The Good Old Days by Alan Butler January is with us again and the darkest and coldest days of winter can be expected for the next month or two at least. Somehow it doesn’t seem quite as bad as usual for me, probably because during December I was in Minnesota in the United States. As my plane landed the temperature was well below zero but that was nothing compared with what was to come. Within twenty-four hours a blizzard began and then the temperature dropped to 25 degrees below zero. The very act of taking a breath out of doors was physically painful and if dear old Britain was to face even a half of what the Northern part of the USA does each winter, the whole place would grind to a more or less permanent halt.

All the same, it can get pretty cold here on the East coast and we all grumble each morning when it’s time to crawl reluctantly out of a warm bed and tumble out into the elements on our way to work. Since history is my living, I tend to spend more time looking back than most people do, so maybe my perspective is slightly different but I can’t help thinking that despite anything winter throws at us these days and bearing in mind the hardship that some people do still experience, it doesn’t have the effect on our lives that it once did.

Even as a child myself I can remember waking up to find that the frost had painted patterns on the ‘inside’ of my bedroom window, because central heating was barely thought of in those days. Bed time on the coldest days was a nightmare, with extra coarse blankets and layers of pyjamas, whilst getting up often involved putting on one’s clothes beneath the blankets, with some of them having resided under the pillow all night.

All of this was less than pleasant, but when I visit Megalithic monuments across Britain and Ireland, I nearly always try to spare a moment to think of the ordinary lives of the people who dragged these huge stones into place and who dug the extraordinary ditches surrounded the massive henges. These people all lived in draughty huts, warmed only by a central fire that voided its smoke into the thatch. A roaring blaze would have threatened to burn the place to the ground and in the case of large roundhouses, the central hearth could have done little to raise the lowest winter temperatures by more than a few degrees. People would have slept under scratchy woollen blankets, or if they were lucky they may have possessed somewhat badly cured animal furs and hides, which were probably infested with lice and would have smelled terrible when warm.

Neither the word or the concept of ‘waterproof’ really existed prior to the Victorian period and back in the late Stone Age and Bronze Age, practically everything would have soaked up water like a sponge. Both footwear and clothes would have been damp on every winter morning and the thatched roof of any hut would have eventually become waterlogged in the worst rain and snow.

We might complain about the Council not having gritted the roads properly, but imagine a time when there literally were no roads and when only the most 46

rudimentary tracks would have crossed the landscape. Any journey at all in winter would have been a muddy, frosty or snowy experience, undertaken with inadequate footwear and constantly in danger of attack from opportunist thieves or wild animals.

The Neolithic people were subsistence farmers.

Survival in winter meant relying on whatever produce could be laid up during the summer and autumn. If the harvest had been particularly bad, or if disease had decimated livestock, as was so often the case, the winter months would have been that much harder to endure. The British countryside offers little in the way of sustenance in the coldest months, so in addition to the general hardships of life, hunger must have been a constant threat. Here on the coast we could at least have collected shellfish or fished from the shore but taking to the sea in primitive boats in search of larger quarry would have been impossible at this time of the year.

There are unfortunately places in our world where parents still have to watch helplessly as their children starve when supplies run out, and this must have been a common horror across all of Britain in these remote times. Even if a family or a community had managed to put food by, it was likely to be stolen by passing thieves or cutthroats and vigilance would have been an unremitting fact of life for almost everyone.

It is partly these aspects of winter life in Neolithic Britain that caused me to look again at the Megalithic structures that are to be seen everywhere on our landscape.

It occurred to me that most of them must have been created during the winter months. The needs of farming would have prevented this sort of massive, communal venture taking place during the spring, summer or autumn. Everyone supported themselves and lived or died according to the effort they put in to grow and store food. However, once the harvest was in, there wasn’t really a great deal to be done until the following spring.

Is it possible that at least one of the reasons we can gaze upon the results of almost superhuman efforts to leave all the henges, stone circles and avenues to be seen in all parts of our islands was the need to keep warm? Dragging huge stones would have been easier across snow and the sheer effort involved would have helped to knit communities together during the worst days of the year.

Instead of shivering indoors, everyone in each village would have taken part. It would have been possible to ‘see’ those who were most in need and to offer assistance where it was necessary.

It has often occurred to me that such undertakings ensured cohesion within extended family groups and across significant areas. It is harder to fight someone with whom we have toiled and struggled, so inter-community violence would also have been suppressed. All the same, I can’t help thinking that even these days we are likely to fight off the worst excesses of winter and to come through the hardships smiling if we keep busy and find ourselves in good company; and if we recognise just how absolutely awful life must have been for our ancient ancestors, it might make us less likely grumble at our own insignificant winter woes.

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Brass Neck Comedy Club We return with a brand new season at our new home at The Spa Hotel on Saturday, 1st February.

More great line-ups for spring include a mix of familiar TV faces and some of the best circuit comics around. For more news & updates, see Brass Neck Comedy on Facebook.

CHOCOLINI'S NEWS NUGGETS. Happy new year to all our Customers

Valley Players Update We were delighted to hear that we have been awarded a grant of ÂŁ500 from The BBC Performing Arts Fund, particularly since we are one of only 58 Community Theatre groups in the country to be chosen out of hundreds of applicants.

We were anxious to receive this grant as the next production to be taken to Richmond festival in February requires our young performers to be kitted out as two oak trees, an acorn, four robins, a jester and a couple of Elizabethan ladies - none of which comes cheap.

It would be an understatement to say that the youngsters are excited - did I mention the cost of earplugs and aspirin for the directors?

Djenane

we hope you enjoyed your Chocolatey experiences!

We will be closed until Monday 13th January 2014 for routine maintenance and look forward to seeing you again when we re-open We are planning some new creations and will be working towards Easter!

Follow us on Facebook to find out what we are up to.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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Saltburn Allotments Association Happy New Year to all Talk of the Town readers, whether you are local or reading this from afar. Looking forward to a new year of gardening always raises the hopes doesn’t it? Whatever the weather we can sit in the warm with our seed catalogues, or increasingly our computers, and plan what to grow when the weather looks up. The shortest day is past, the evenings are drawing out and, on a nice day we should be able to get out into the garden or allotment and do those tidy up and other jobs in preparation for the coming spring.

If you have any fruit trees or bushes and haven’t pruned them yet, you should get this job finished by the end of February, before the weather starts to warm up.

The allotment association has a shredder which you could use to shred thin branches. Also, thinking about fruit trees, if you haven’t put any grease bands around your tree trunks and stakes, do so as quickly as you can to stop those pesky moths climbing up the trees to lay their eggs in the flower growth buds. If you did grease in October, check that the bands are still sticky.

You might still have brassicas on your plot or in your garden. Some of us are waiting for the treat of purple sprouting broccoli, others are still enjoying sprouts, Savoy cabbages or even various kales. When you can get out and check them, get rid of any old, yellow leaves, make sure any staked plants are secure and check and deal with slugs and snails in your favoured ways. If you suffer from pigeons and rabbits, make sure your protection is secure.

If you are really enthusiastic to get into this year’s growing season, you can start indoors this month. A windowsill, greenhouse or polytunnel could be used to sow peas and broad beans, onions, leeks, salad leaves, spinach and some of the hardier herbs such as parsley.

You could also cover up some areas of soil with black polythene or other insulating material. This will speed up the warming up of the soil and enable you to sow outside a bit quicker. If you are planning to extend your fruit garden, this month is good for getting hold of and planting up rhubarb. You might find that you know someone who has had rhubarb for a while and is splitting a crown. This is a good, cheap way to acquire a plant or two.

Every now and again I use this article to promote our Grow and Learn training course. This year this hands on, practical gardening course will be offering a Horticulture Award to those who take part and would like recognition for the skills they learn. We have some spaces on the course this year if anyone is interested in taking part. If you are on an allotment waiting list, this is an ideal way to get an insight into what you will be doing when you get your own plot. If you’d like to know more with absolutely no obligations, contact me on spf.bs@ntlworld.com or ring on 01287 624169. If you have taken part in the group in the past and fancy coming back, there’s a warm welcome waiting for you.

With hopes for 2014 gardening, Sue. 48

Try something different at Grasers

Jerusalem Artichokes Last month we forgot to mention that Grasers will refill a bottle of Yorkshire cold pressed rapeseed oil, costing £3.99 for only £3. But this month we feature Jerusalem artichokes, which are a root vegetable well worth trying for their nutty flavour. They are actually a species of sunflower from North America, so despite their English name are nothing to do with Jerusalem and are not related to globe artichokes which are a type of thistle. In Europe they are called topinambour. They are about 10% protein and contain no fat or starch but do contain inulin, which is made of fructose. They therefore have a sweet taste. Unfortunately inulin can be a problem to digest so it is best not to eat too many at once, but otherwise they are nutritious and rich in minerals and vitamins. They can be used like potatoes but are best steamed or fried than boiled and go well in soups or mashed. They can even be sliced raw for salads.

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

The Muses of Jim

NEEDS YOU Saltburn 500 Club is looking for new members to join!

The 500 Club, along with Friends of Saltburn, raise funds to help to improve/maintain the pleasant ambience of the town.

Funds raised pay for, or go towards: Christmas Lights Summer Band performances Flower displays around the town Plus many other activities/displays There is a monthly prize draw which pays a top prize of £100 and 5 other cash prizes.

Membership of the 500 Club is £12 per annum, which can be paid monthly.

Membership forms are available from Jackie’s Saverstore or the library.

People not wishing to participate in the 500 Club can make donations to Friends of Saltburn, which is purely for fund-raising.

Today (13th December) I got an email from the Evening Gazette in reference to a story they ran a couple of years ago about my father’s experience in the war. It appears somebody in California, had discovered the story and wondered if my Father was the same Fred Wingham that had witnessed the death of a fellow air cadet in 1942 and this Fred Wingham was the only witness. Now my father trained as a pilot in California at that time but never mentioned the fact that he had lost a comrade. Anyway I have made contact with the Superintendent of the cemetery where the cadet is interned so I should have the full story. I have contacted my two sisters in case dad had mentioned the incident to any of them. I know he had fond memories of training in the States. He found the people to be very friendly, but he and the other cadets were surprised at the ‘whites only’ signs and the fact that coloured people were shocked when the cadets gave up their seats for them on public transport. More about that in the weeks to come.

I have been a busy little boy in the last few weeks with meetings in London (3), York, Hartlepool, Newcastle, Redcar (3), and Middlesbrough. Not bad for a 73 year old, eh? These are above the normal Parish Council Meetings and Club meetings that I attend each month. I have a need to be occupied, more so during the last two years and I feel that I am making a positive contribution to the community I have chosen to live in and Betty would have liked that, nay she would have insisted.

Two meetings were in fact linked, even though one was in Newcastle and the other was in London. I represent Redcar & Cleveland on the Ageing Well board at Newcastle University and as such I was invited to attend a meeting in London to discuss several issues concerning older people. The first one was in London and organised mainly by the DWP and its purpose was to explain what the government is doing to ensure that older people play their part in making sure that Britain is Great again, by having to work longer. This message was given by the minister for pensions himself. Concern was expressed at the way the Government is using the term benefit rather than that more appropriate word.

The second meeting held in Newcastle and was the annual meeting of the Ageing Well Board and this was to show what was being done to help the older people in the area as well as asking people attending what could be done to make towns more older people friendly. I know this piece is a bit short on detail, but it does show that we in the north are playing a part in attempting to improve the lot of the older people of the region.

Finally, a great man has died and the media is full of stories of his life and the impact he had on the world of politics, but I can remember when King George V1 died and out of a sign of respect the BBC cancelled all programmes and played chamber music and the like. I and all my friends were gutted. Not that the King was dead but rather that the BBC had cancelled Dick Barton Special Agent.

Jim Wingham Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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The Saltburn Crossword no 151 set by Advena Across 1 6 9 10 11 12 13 16 19 21 23 24 25 26

5 down is one of these if scum sail away (8) I start creatively for a painter or sculptor (6) Mixes sets as valuable possessions (6) Describes a popular Christmas animal character after too much port? (3, 5) I roar too badly for Bach’s Christmas choral composition (8) They make holes, doctors not well inside (6) Professional boxer dismantles freighter zip (5, 7) Nanna goes back to chaotic dangers at Saltburn’s newest address (5, 7) Oh stop scrambled images (6) Popular science fiction series could describe the Wise Men’s journey? (4, 4) These Christmas staples sound crazy (8) He operates a vehicle in Saltburn’s Red River (6) Dangle awkwardly at a slant (6) Measurements of capacity for Santa’s cargo? (8)

Down Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 15 17 18 20 22

Solution to Crossword no 150

The winner of last month’s crossword was Anne Elliott of Brookside Terrace, Sunderland.

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Badly run, Sue is doubtful (6) Incompetent found in serpentine ptarmigan (5) Irregular stings are making a point (9) A miserly entertainment in Saltburn’s theatre this Christmas (7) Assisted inside said Edward (5) Along with bread they feed a multitude if he stows haphazardly (3, 6) Distorted elms rile with more unpleasant odours (8) Arctic lap revised not just in theory (9) Popularly thought to be Santa’s nationality often goes with a short on the rocks I see (9) No hunter confused being a fugitive (2, 3, 3) Withstands unruly sisters (7) Edible grain appears in instalments we hear (6) In haste, Edward includes a mounted horse (5) Person who steals if in the amalgamation (5)

Note the new address for crossword entries Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 151, c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ

by Friday, 17th January 2014. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

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Backache, wry neck, frozen shoulder, sciatica, headaches, stress, insomnia, hormonal balance, injuries, etc. www.bowen-care.com

01287 204400

Visit us online at www.tottsaltburn.co.uk

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