Talk of the Town March 2018

EDITION 201

CIRCULATION 4,600

MARCH 2018

SALTBURN’S FREE MONTHLY MAGAZINE 1

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SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor

University tuition fees have been in the news again, and quite rightly. I wonder why it is that the fifth richest country in the world cannot provide decent services to the people who pay their taxes for such services. Certainly the European Union is not to blame, for other European countries have no problem providing a properly funded modern health service and a decent education for their kids, and those countries are not as rich as the United Kingdom. Whichever political party is in power the problems remain the same and as they get worse, politicians declare them to be an improvement. Just what is wrong with them? When the coalition government caused such damage to higher education I had no choice but to discontinue my studies with the Open University. I used to love being an Open University student and I had already qualified for one degree and was well over half way to a second. I never claimed my degree, because I felt too disappointed with being prohibited from further studying by Saltburn Farmers’ Market is back on Saturday, 10th March, 9am-2pm, with an amazing selection of pastries, vegetables, meats, drinks and cheese! Be sure to be early! See also page 17.

Brexit Insight lecture and discussion at Saltburn House on Wednesday, 28th March at 7pm. Michael Lloyd is an economist with many years‟ experience of working in the EU. He is currently giving a series of Brexit Insight lectures at Newcastle University where he is a visiting fellow. The Teesside Socialist Campaign group have arranged for him to give a talk in Saltburn. This is a good opportunity to become better informed about the economic issues around Brexit. All are welcome.

Redcar’s Visual Presentations: On Tuesday, 13th March in the Redcar East Community Centre on Durham Road at 2.15pm Chris Nettleton will be visually presenting „Flying Scotsman - the Locomotive‟. This will obviously be of great interest to railway buffs and we extend a warm welcome for those interested to come along on the above date and join us.

A fortnight later, on Tuesday, 27th March at the same time and venue, we will be welcoming back Alan Betteney, who this time will be visually presenting a historical look at „Shipbuilding in Stockton and Thornaby‟ showing just how it looked many years ago. Admission to each presentation is £2.50 at the door and visitors are most welcome.

Tony Crow Emmanuel Church Hall Table Top and Collectors’ Sale: We will be back on 3rd, 17th and 31st March and then 7th and 21st April. If anyone is interested in booking a stall to have a clear out contact me on the number below. We are also doing our usual lunches and all day breakfast, fresh home baked cake, pies and scones. Home made refreshments and light lunches are on sale all day. FREE ENTRANCE and a warm welcome to everyone. With over 26 stall holders, selling lots of bric-a-brac, books, toys, baby goods, and all sorts of collectables, there is something for everyone. Contact Denise Marshall on 07929 589538.

Cover Illustration: Spring Flowers in

the exorbitant price (and after all, it wasn‟t as if it was suddenly going to lead to a change of career at my age), but I never gave up on the ideal of life-long learning and have continued to learn new things ever since, but privately, from books, and recently by joining the U3A. Over the years I had noticed the dumbing down of courses and the embracing of all modern gimmicks and gadgets, particularly internet and computer nonsense, to make courses attractive to younger people but which alienate older students. It is ageism by sheer thoughtlessness, rather than intent. Driven by interfering governments, who know the cost of everything but the value of nothing, great British universities began to charge the highest fees in the world but provided a lesser service. They promise great support to students but don‟t deliver. Guided by targets and box-ticking a great academic process has become silly. I welcome a review of tuition fees but don‟t expect any great changes that will benefit me, or anyone else really. Love, Ian Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by Friday, 16th March 2018) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. Telephone: 01287 623903 (or email: talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com).

Talk of the Town can be found on a new Facebook address at www.facebook.com/talkofthetownsaltburn.

Craft Club Busy Fingers: 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, 1.30 till 3.30pm in the Coffee Room, Saltburn Community Centre.

The Guisborough and District Branch of the Embroiderers’ Guild are holding their monthly meeting on Saturday, 3rd March. We will have our guest speaker Janet Barker and her talk is on „Don‟t Be Afraid to Experiment‟. Visitors are welcome whether you are a non-stitcher, a beginner or more experienced stitcher. Parking is free on Saturday in the Council car park behind Belmont House. Contact telephone number 01642 314860.

WI Report: February is the month when the WI has its Green Hearts, show the love campaign. The aim is to raise awareness of climate change: “Don‟t lose what you love to climate change”. At our meeting we were each given a green heart fridge magnet, which we decorated with flowers, leaves and insects, some of the things that we could be in danger of losing.

As we worked we discussed our own thoughts and observations on change.

We have another busy month ahead of us with our masterclass cookery session, a coffee morning as well as flower class and book club. Of course we mustn‟t forget supper club we like our food!

We are a friendly group and if you would like to join us we now have a new venue at the Huntcliff Learning Campus.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, 8th March at 7.00pm. Please come along; you can be assured of a warm welcome. Details of all our activities both past and upcoming can be found on our website (www.saltburnbytheseawi.wordpress.com).

Diane Falla Saltburn Woods by Heather Lofthouse

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

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Memories of Saltburn Valley Gardens Saltburn Glen, the valley through which the Skelton beck flows, was a very important part of the plan to build the seaside resort of Saltburn-by-the Sea. It was opened to the public in 1862 and also a small house for the Head Gardener was built. The valley became known as “The Pleasure Grounds�. Throughout the years there have been many changes and uses of the grounds but importantly it is still giving pleasure to many people. The photographs represent some of the changes and events.

The green houses and modern bungalow before demolition

A view from the Halfpenny Bridge Right: Newspaper advert for a firework display

A view of the replacement fountain which only lasted a short time before it was stolen

The weir which was built to allow boating on the beck 4

Cath and Tony Lynn

Same chef and owner for over 6 years

MID WEEK MEETINGS Monday at 8 Ladies meeting

Looking for that special gift and card?

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

Now also available online.

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

Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries Saltburn Councillors‟ Surgeries, each month - all on Saturdays 1st Sat. Library 11-12 Cllr. Craig Hannaway 2nd Sat. Library 11-12 Cllr. Philip Thomson 3rd Sat. Outside Sainsbury‟s Cllr. Stuart Smith 9.30-10.30 and 11.30-12.15 4th Sat. Library 11-12 All Councillors Cllr. Hannaway: 07787 880613. Cllr. Smith: 07557 540628.

Cllr. Thomson: 01287 624883.

Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Mums & Toddlers At 1.30 p.m.

Prayer Meeting At 2.05 p.m.

Discussion Group Thursday at 10 a.m.

Mums & Toddlers Ladies meeting 2.30 p.m. fortnightly COFFEE MORNINGS Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Saturday at 10 a.m.

SOUP AND BUN LUNCHES 1st Tuesday the month at 12.30 p.m.

COME AND WORSHIP With us on SUNDAY at 10.45 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Sunday School At 10.45 a.m. for all the children.

Mid week worship WEDNESDAY AT 10 a.m.

Anyone is welcome At any service.

Our Church is open From 10 a.m—noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.

For Prayer or Sit and have a cup of tea with us.

SALTBURN METHODIST CHURCH MILTON STREET SALTBURN ROOMS FOR HIRE RING 623145 5

Once Upon a Time in the Wapentake First off, things I forgot to mention in February‟s article.

When thinking about our links with the lands north of the river, perhaps I should have mentioned that the Pease family, who were so important in the development of Saltburn, were from Darlington, County Durham.

The Stockton and Darlington Railway, of international importance and a source of local pride, originally linked two towns in County Durham. Only later was a bridge built to carry the line south of the river, to what was to become Middlesbrough, and thence to Redcar, and ultimately on to Saltburn.

There are those who feel that our links to the north bank of the river and beyond, to Durham City, Wearside and Tyneside, are such that we should be thinking of ourselves in Cleveland, not as part of Yorkshire, but as part of the North East. After all, most southerners seem to think we‟re all Geordies round here. My head tells me they might be right, but in matters like these it‟s the heart that counts. Emotions convert and inspire people, not reasons, (so why am I trying to put forward a reasoned argument?) and Yorkshire already has those things that work on the emotions: the flags and the song. The song might become the world‟s only National Anthem to warn about the dangers of going outdoors without a hat on, but that seems like a sensible piece of advice that Yorkshire people can be proud of. Other people can celebrate in song that they are the best country in the world (and rule the waves or be uber alles); God‟s Own Country doesn‟t need to.

Sport is also a powerful emotional trigger. In Yorkshire that has traditionally meant cricket, but now it has its own international soccer team. (They‟ve just held a powerful Manx side to a draw). I know very little about football, but I do get the impression that following the England Team can be rather dispiriting. Following Yorkshire might prove rather less so.

God‟s Own County, may now have a football team to unite behind, but what it doesn‟t have is a national epic, that mixture of history and myth, of gods and kings, that most nations and would-be nations usually have. Yorkshire has never been short of poets. One of them, Simon Armitage perhaps, could create one. How about „The Tragedy of Erik Bloodaxe, Last King of York‟?

Poets and players…which brings us to the subject of culture, however we define it. To be taken seriously, any would-be nation has to have a culture that is, first of all, of international importance, and secondly, distinct and different from anywhere else. By international importance, I mean that we should be able to produce a list of men and women whose impact has been felt far outside their homeland. Preferably they should be more numerous than we would expect. I think it‟s called „punching above one‟s weight‟, (in the way Scotland does) and I think Yorkshire qualifies.

I‟m sure there are plenty of names that you can think of, dear reader, but here‟s my suggestions for starters: The Brontes, Alan Bennett, David Hockney, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. (It was one of those last two who, when asked why they worked so much in stone replied, “Lots of stone in Yorkshire”, which is surely a good Yorkshire answer in every way.)

Then there are those less famous but deserving of celebration: Atkinson Grimshaw, a wonderful nineteenth century painter of mainly urban West Riding scenes; Joseph 6

Bramah, the inventor of both the beer pump and an improved water closet, who so impressed them down in London that „Bramah‟ to mean brilliant was still current amongst Cockneys until quite recently. (At least it was in the lyrics of Ian Dury.)

Thomas Chippendale, the furniture designer, and George Hudson, the Railway King (and inadvertent inventor of the scam that is now known as the Ponzi scheme); Blind Jack of Knaresborough the road builder; J B Priestley, playwright, novelist and broadcaster; Herbert Asquith, the Prime Minister who took the UK into the First World War, and Harold Wilson the Prime Minister who kept us out of Vietnam; poets Tony Harrison and Ted Hughes…the list goes on. It seems every day I read of someone from Yorkshire making their mark.

The principal male dancer in St Petersburg‟s Marisky (formerly Leningrad‟s Kirov) Ballet company is from Hull.

The new leader of the Scottish Labour Party is a Yorkshire man, and, of course, the latest Doctor Who is a Yorkshire lass.

And is there anything especially distinctly Yorkshire about those names? Without wishing to reopen ancient feuds, I would answer that by comparing them with a similar list of the achievements of those on the other side of the Pennines. What has Lancashire ever done for us? There is Professional Football, which started in England when Preston North End imported professional players (from Scotland), and ever since Lancashire teams have dominated English Football; at the moment the top three teams in the Premiership are Man. City, Man. United and Liverpool.

Mass popular entertainment seems to be Lancashire‟s great strength; Blackpool is the model of what the seaside should be, from rock to pier to ballroom, to fish and chips and Kiss Me Quick hats. „Coronation Street‟ is the world‟s most successful television soap.

We are so used to popular entertainers from George Formby and Gracie Fields by way of Ken Dodd, Morecambe and Wise and Billy Fury, The Beatles, Happy Mondays, Oasis, Peter Kay and Johnny Vegas being from over there that hearing a Manchester or Liverpool accent seems to be an invitation to enjoy ourselves (or not as the case may be.) and this seems to have been recognised a long time ago.

Even Charlie Chaplin, who had no connection with Lancashire, or Yorkshire for that matter, first appeared on stage as one of the Five Lancashire Lads. That Lancashire produces fun whilst Yorkshire is serious is a generalisation, and some very serious Yorkies have found themselves very popular entertainers, and some Lancastrian entertainers have been very serious about what they do, but I do feel that, as with most generalisations, there is a truth in there somewhere.

Is it significant that David Bowie, who tried to make serious art at the same time as having hits, had a mother from Lancashire and a father from Yorkshire? (Or was it the other way round? Any road, the Spiders from Mars were from Hull.)

And that‟s enough for now. Next time should I be serious or entertaining? After all, though I went to school in Manchester, and now live in Yorkshire, I‟m really from Cheshire, and can be whatever I want…can‟t I? Tim Beswick

Real Meals Purveyors of Fine Foods

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Starter

wine and smoked bacon

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Chocolate Bakewell Tart

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Pea and watercress soup (v)

with

Treacle Tart

Chantenay Carrots With Basil Main

Roasted Butternut squash

£12.00 per head for 2 courses,

Pot Roast Poussin, with white

Creamy mashed Potatoes

£15 per head for 3.

REAL MEALS, 25 MILTON STREET, SALTBURN, Tel: 01287 622266.

New email address: realmeals.uk@gmail.com

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

Councillors’ Column New opening hours for the Library will apply from the 5th March. Recently Tuesday has been a closed day and now, as a result of low usage, Sunday will also be a closed day. The remaining open times have been rationalised to allow standard hours that will not confuse irregular and indeed regular users.

Weekdays will now open 10 to 5 and on Saturday 9.30 to 12.30.

The new self serve book logging in and out facility is a vast improvement on the previous model and now can even cope with French and Polish languages.

Recent refurbishment programmes whilst welcome have not been well planned. Hopefully any further improvements will be better managed.

Further refurbishment has been evident at the Cliff Lift.

The prospect of being open again in time for Easter is now in some doubt. The start schedule was already two weeks late as a result of poor planning. Whilst the Contractors on site are trying hard to pull back on this slippage, which is not of their making, this ambition is being frustrated as new challenges are unearthed following years of under-investment.

Partly as a result of recent low temperatures pot hole fever has taken hold. Incidents are cropping up, or down, all over the town. There is no need to despair as sufficient funding is in place as long as the repair team can find the time to get round to do the work if temperatures hold up. Residents are encouraged to report potholes. If getting through to Customer Service on 01642 774774 is a problem, just call in and report at the Library where the team will assist, with this and many other service queries.

Local ward boundaries are up for redesigning. Not all wards currently have equal representation. This exercise is designed to reduce this democratic inequality. The Local Government Boundaries Commission has made recommendations to redraw boundary lines. These recommendations can be seen on the Commission‟s web site where details can be perused and comments made. Access is via the following address: lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews and everyone has until the 16th April to do so.

One recommendation is to move the Saltburn boundary further West to the edge of Quarry Lane roundabout. Apart from more equal representation, this boundary change would allow Saltburn Councillors the right to be consulted on proposed developments on the edge of the town. Current proposals to build more houses on the West side of Saltburn cannot be commented upon because technically this development is in St Germain‟s ward.

Having mentioned the current proposal it may be useful to examine some principals of development.

Construction should only take place within an area of permitted development. Construction should only take place if firstly all brown field sites have been considered and built on. Construction should not take place within the agreed Strategic Gap between settlements, which includes in particular Saltburn and Marske.

Further consideration should be given to the ecological challenge to the environment before continually developing green field sites.

Philip Thomson 7

Saltburn Beachwatch Ghost Fishing Ghost fishing refers to lost or abandoned fishing nets, lines and trawls and is one of the biggest threats to animals in our oceans. Approximately 640,000 tonnes of “ghost gear” is left in our oceans each year which is more than one tonne every minute! Every year more than 100,000 marine creatures including whales, dolphins, seals, turtles and even polar bears get caught in abandoned or lost fishing gear and this figure does not include the countless birds and fish that get caught and often experience a slow and painful death. Literally hundreds of kilometres of nets get lost every year and due to the plastic materials used to produce these nets they can and will continue trapping fish for decades, possibly for several centuries not only catching the above but destroying hard and soft corals, causing large scale damage to marine ecosystems, littering beaches and reducing yields and income in fisheries throughout the world.

Here in Saltburn over the last few years our seasonal litterpicks and surveys have shown that fishing related debris accounts for on average about 8% of the total with plastic fishing net pieces outnumbering fishing line. At last year‟s summer litterpick volunteers removed from the beach a 500 kilo mass of tangled net and rope which looked like it was part of a commercial fishing operation. However, it is usually much smaller pieces that we find and record on our beach. Groups of divers like the Ghost Fishing Foundation do tremendous work locating and removing ghost nets and other discarded fishing gear and sharing their knowledge with other divers around the world, but they are fighting against the symptoms of the problem. What if we could solve it at the source?

Over the last few years some promising work has been done to develop bio-degradable fishing nets using different polymers. Tests have shown that although these nets had an inferior theoretical performance to regular nets they performed equally as well when actually fishing.

These nets have been shown to start bio-degrading after two years and while this is not quick enough it is preferable to them lasting for centuries.

In order to help stop aquatic animals getting trapped in lost fishing gear engineer Alejandro Plasencias has created the “Ramora System” which includes a biodegradable net, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and an RFID reader as an app. This system is designed to help fishermen find and repair damaged nets instead of abandoning them to become ghost nets and eventually breaking down into micro plastics.

Governments, Industry, marine scientists and non government organisations have got together and formed the Global Ghost Gear Initiative with a view to understanding and tackling this problem but when it comes to ghost nets I think the best long term outcome for the marine environment and in particular our beach would probably be the creation of global regulations (and policing them) making compulsory the use of biodegradable nets coupled with RFID tags to enable gear that is lost or discarded to be located, removed from the ocean and recycled.

Roy Smith 8

MILES, HUTCHINSON & LITHGOW SOLICITORS CONVEYANCING DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL LEASING (FREE WRITTEN QUOTATIONS ON REQUEST) MATRIMONIAL MATTERS CIVIL - CRIMINAL LITIGATION

CHILD CARE IMMIGRATION PROBATE & WILLS POWERS OF ATTORNEY LEGAL AID PRACTICE

For a friendly efficient service on all legal matters Tel:

(01287) 623049

Our New Address: First Floor, 15 Station Street, Saltburn-by-the-Sea TS12 1AE

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 March for babies and newcomers to the town

Christina Simpson Bespoke Furniture, Joinery Fully Qualified Experienced, Local Carpenter/Joiner 1st, 2nd Fix Doors, Flooring, Skirting, Loft Conversions Hand-Made Kitchens/Bedrooms, Painted Furniture Paintings Commissioned

No Job Too Small

Call 07773 091727 Email: simpsonc999@gmail.com

Churches Together in Saltburn invite you to join our Easter worship Palm Sunday: 25th March 2018 10.00 am 10.30 am 10.45 am 6.00 pm

Holy Communion Holy Mass (Blessing of Palms) Morning Worship (Preacher Mr G Cottham) Evening Worship

Parish Church Catholic Church Methodist Church Methodist Church

Holy Monday: 26th March 2018 9.45 am 10.00 am 7.00 pm

Morning Prayer Holy Mass Evening Prayer

Catholic Church Catholic Church Parish Church

Holy Tuesday: 27th March 2018 9.45 am 10.00 am 7.00 pm

Morning Prayer Holy Mass Evening Prayer

Catholic Church Catholic Church New Marske Parish Church

Holy Wednesday: 28th March 2018 9.45 am 10.00 am 7.00 pm

Morning Prayer Holy Mass Evening Prayer

Catholic Church Catholic Church Parish Church

Maundy Thursday: 29th March 2018 7.00 pm 7.00 pm

Holy Communion Parish Church Mass of the Lord‟s Supper Catholic Church Watching before the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday: 30th March 2018 10.00 am 11.00 am 2.00 pm 3.00 pm

Good Friday Worship (Preacher Revd K Martin) Town Centre Act of Witness Good Friday Devotion Celebration of the Lord‟s Passion

Methodist Church Station Portico Parish Church Catholic Church

Holy Saturday: 31st March 2018 7.00 pm 9.00 pm

Easter Vigil and Holy Mass Easter Vigil

Catholic Church Parish Church

Easter Sunday: 1st April 2018 8.30 am 10.00 am 10.30 am 10.45 am 6.00 pm

Holy Communion (Revd H Harbottle) Holy Communion Easter Day Family Mass Morning Worship (Preacher Mrs J Haigh) Evening Worship

Methodist Church Parish Church Catholic Church Methodist Church Methodist Church

Church Locations and Contacts Parish Church of Emmanuel

Windsor Road

01287 622007

Parish Church Office

Macnay Street

01287 622251

Methodist Church

Milton Street

01287 651340

Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church

Milton Street

01287 623619

Easter Message 2018 A number of years ago now, certain celebrities were asked to share with television viewers where their most favourite place was. The television cameras duly followed them around while they extolled the virtues of the place whilst trying to win over the voting viewer. Of course, this set me off trying to work out where my favourite place was – the two top ones being Whitby and especially the Abbey, and the National Trust property of Cragside House in Northumberland. But then I thought about all the woodlands I had visited, especially Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire and realized that I couldn‟t live without „a wood‟, so I suppose my favourite place is „a wood‟, because regardless of the time of year there is always so much happening.

Now I grant you that winter is a bit bleak with everything either flown off, nested up or holed in, but there is also a sense of expectancy and hope. This is but the waiting time; it won‟t stay like this for ever. Spring is just around the corner, and with the spring comes bird song and nest building, the bursting of green, pink, purple and silver buds, the vibrancy of daffodils, the softness of primroses, the dangling of „lambs tails‟ and the sprouting of „pussy willow‟; the busyness of squirrels, bees, frogs and rabbits – the beauty of the woodland which continues in its different forms through the year.

One of the disciples‟ favourite places was a garden. With the arrest, trial, flogging and extreme suffering and death of Jesus on the cross, they had faced a dreadful „winter of the soul‟. With their leader gone they faced a time of utter despair – a time of loss, of death, of loneliness, of darkness, of being holed in; but spring, with all its hope of newness, and of vibrant new life, was arriving in a garden not too far away; but in order to recognise this they needed to lift their eyes and shift their gaze in faith from the bare form of a tree to the new life just beginning – and somehow, even against the odds, they did. From despair to hope, from dark to light, from sadness to joy; they ran, they laughed, they sang and shouted with joy – just as Jesus had said they would, just as He had promised, and just as He promises us. „Winters of the soul‟ come to us all at some stage whether the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the worry over a family member, and when those things come to me I like to picture „a wood‟ in spring and put myself in it – feeling the warmth, listening to the rustle of leaves and the song of the birds. This becomes my Easter garden – my hope, my peace; a place where I find my risen Lord and all His promises, and feel and know His love for me.

I pray you have, or find, your Easter garden.

Revd Helena Harbottle 9

Friday Friends We are an independent, inclusive friendship group, based in Saltburn, for people of all abilities over 18. We are a friendly group and welcome new members.

We meet at Emmanuel Church Hall on Fridays.

Macnay St, Saltburn TS12 1LE. Activity mornings are 1012.30. Arts and Craft afternoons by Caroline 1-4.00pm.

First taster session is free then £2.50 a session or £4 all day to help cover costs. Door money helps to cover costs as we are non-profit making and volunteer run. Carers are always free. Tea/coffee and board games/colouring-in too. We are a friendly group and you‟d be more than welcome!

For more info please contact 07833 895 501 (or Thefridayfriends@outlook.com).

Anjee Charman-Clark, chairperson

Notice from Saltburn Station Gallery Please note that Saltburn Station Gallery will run another competition this year and would like to invite talented people of the area to take part.

The theme is „GO WILD in the northeast!‟ covering wildlife/weather/scenery/people. Accepted mediums for the competition will be fine art and photography. Submissions can be sent from Monday, 19th March and closing date is 23rd April. Accepted entries will have a £10 fee per artwork. Accepted entries will be displayed in the competition from 1st May till 31st May. Entry forms are also available from the gallery premises.

Also look out for exciting new stock arriving at the gallery in the coming months for example the new range of Côte Noire candles and life-like rose diffusers.

Saltburn Evangelical Church Saltburn Evangelical Church (Leven Street Mission) Following Jesus - the Bible our guide Here for you: WELCOME! Sundays 10.30am & 6.00pm www.saltburnevangelicalchurch.org.uk _________________________________

“Seeking Allah – finding Jesus” A fascinating 8-week programme Thursdays, 7.00 – 8.00pm Starts 15th March Saltburn Evangelical Church, Leven Street Nabeel Qureshi grew up in a devout, loving Muslim home.

He developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God. In this series of DVD presentations (each followed by group discussion) he shares his insights, and explains how his questioning led him to faith in Christ.

This is a thought-provoking series which gives an excellent insight into both Islam and Christianity, and how they differ. We all know this is an area where there are tensions worldwide and closer to home. We can shy away from the difficulties, avoiding the issue, or we can grasp chances like this to engage, put aside prejudices and learn together.

(Nabeel Quereshi held an MD from Eastern Virginia Medical School, and MA in Christian apologetics from Biola University, and an MA in religion from Duke University. He sadly lost his life to stomach cancer a year ago.)

If you missed this series when it was run last year by Emmanuel Church, or want to take a second look, you will be very welcome to join us!

Full details of the programme, and a video taster, can be seen on our website.

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Saltburn 500 Club Congratulations go to M Hubbard for winning the £100 First Prize in the Saltburn 500 Club draw for February.

I thought that this would be a comparatively quiet time of the year for me but have come to realise that it was just a wishful dream. The Christmas lights are all tucked away until November but I am in the process of raising funding to have one or two of the motifs refurbished. There is also electrical work to arrange around the town, during the warmer months, in readiness for the 2018 Christmas lights.

We have been successful in raising funds that enabled Roy Smith to purchase new litter-pickers and bag hoops – these monies were funded by the Saltburn Councillors Ward Fund and a second batch was funded by Taylor-Wimpey. Many thanks to both parties for the contributions. I was sorry to hear that Roy will be standing down from organising the Beachwatch activities, after April. However, he will continue being a member of the team.

I was also sad to hear that Lynda Parkes will be stepping down as Chair of Saltburn in Bloom. Again, Lynda will still be taking a part in the team but the responsibilities (and work that goes with them) are being taken on by somebody else. A big thank you to both Roy & Lynda for the sterling effort they have put in through the years. Perhaps I should consider convincing somebody that the work I do is good for the soul and a joy to do – I‟ll have to seek advice from Roy & Lynda.

Funding is now in place to refurbish the model loco at the Marske end of the town and work will commence as soon as the weather permits and, hopefully, completed before the judges come for Northumbria in Bloom.

The next fund-raiser for Saltburn Christmas lights will be held on Saturday, 21st April so please support the event by coming along to the Community Centre.

Bargains are to be had from the stalls and refreshments are available.

The Summer Bandstand Schedule will soon be available. Marske Brass Band open the Sunday programme on 6th May at 2.30pm. Marske Junior Band open the Saturday performances on 7th July at 2.30pm.

Please give the bands all the support you can. If you would like to volunteer with the setting up of the bandstand, please let me know by contacting me on the email address below, or by dropping off a letter in the Saltburn 500 Club jar at Saltburn Library.

T: 01287 201876

M: 07737 654772

E: darrenflintoff@yahoo.co.uk A: Unit 2, The Drive, Longbeck Industrial Estate. Marske, TS11 6HB

Website: www.flintoffs.co.uk

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

Friends of Redcar Cemetery The Friends of Redcar Cemetery would like to invite you to a Easter Fair on Friday, March 23rd at 10.00am3.00pm, at Laburnum Road Library, Laburnum Road, Redcar East.

There will be an Easter egg tombola and raffle bric a brac with many bargains and home made cakes and savouries. Please support us if you can.

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Saltburn in Bloom Here we are approaching March and wondering when the weather will become warmer with the arrival of Spring. The hard frosts and salty winds have certainly taken their toll of many plants especially on Marine Parade and we will have to replace some. Donations towards plants and floral displays throughout the year are always welcome. Please, residents of Saltburn, contact us on 01287 209518 or email saltburn.in.bloom@gmail.com if you would be willing to make a donation. Fundraising for us continues all year round!

Some people ask why we do so much gardening as “The Council” should do it all and we are taking Council jobs. As you know Councils all over the country have had their budgets cut and Services are stretched. In Saltburn for many, many years there has been a culture of volunteering, encouraged by the late Jackie Taylor MBE, with individuals and groups taking some responsibility for their own communities. The current Council have introduced the LOVE IT campaign, which has the same principles. We are lucky in Saltburn to have so many groups and individuals who care so passionately about the town and quietly work to make a difference to the place where we live. We also have active volunteers like Trevor and Jean Welburn, Roy and Pam Smith, Peter Hartley, Councillor Stuart Smith who all live out of Saltburn and give so generously of their time. This voluntary spirit actually supports the Council and frees them to focus on other things.

Our gardening group are very active and are eagerly awaiting warmer weather. This friendly group meets on Wednesdays between 9.30 and 11.30 and you would be made most welcome if you would like to come along. If you are new to Saltburn with some time on your hands, please consider joining us. We meet at a different location each week, with people attending when they are able. Everyone works within their capabilities and goes home when they wish, having enjoyed a cup of coffee and a couple of hours in the fresh air among like-minded people. Tel: 01287 209518 if you are interested.

Our AGM will have taken place by the time Talk of the Town is printed, so more news of this in the next edition.

Sue and Stuart will be attending the Inauguration Meeting for the Northumbria in Bloom competition on 7th March and will return with a date for Spring Judging, after which a route which shows Saltburn off to greatest advantage will be planned for this.

Lynda Parkes

Julie Jurgan Medium - Healer - Soulactivist Life Readings & Healing Sessions available. @ Yoga, Meditation & Therapy Space in Earthbeat Centre, Saltburn.

Call/txt: 07506 032301 Email: julie@blossomofthesoul.org www.blossomofthesoul.org 12

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 Prices - £40.00 per night (minimum of two nights) Contact Mr & Mrs Smith on 01287 623740 (home) Or 07988 838956 (Mr Smith mobile) Or 07877 384977 (Mrs Smith mobile)

Andy Pollard

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

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

Deborah

Architectural Services & Chartered Structural & Civil Engineers Architectural Planning and Building Regulation Advice Listed Building Experts House Extensions & Loft Conversions Alterations and Refurbishments Residential New Builds, Shop Layout Designs, Alcohol Licence Applications Office Warehouse Designs

Structural & Civil Engineering

Also, Joinery Work Undertaken

Call Liz on: 01287 203571 Mobile: 07834 022289

Structural Surveys, Beam Designs, Building Restoration Foundation & Underpinning Design General Building Works Professional and Friendly Service Structural and Civil Engineering contact: Gregory Sills BEng (Hons) CEng MIStructE FGS

t: 01287 624644 m: 07960 967865 Architectural Services contact: Martin Ledger BA (Hons) PgDip Arch

m: 07870 631415

Email: liz.ingledew@btinternet.com Website: www.liziesdecorating.co.uk

www.scurator.co.uk info@scurator.co.uk www.beamdesignservice.co.uk 13

Friends of Saltburn Library The Friends are delighted to have “Chocolinis” visiting on Wednesday, 14th March to entertain you with a talk, demonstration and also goods on sale. There will be the usual welcome at 1.30pm of tea and biscuits. Don‟t miss this treat!

Also, on March 7th, 8th and 9th we will be holding an exhibition to celebrate the Centenary of the first breakthrough of women being given the vote.

“Suffragette Ladies” will be serving refreshments in the library. There will also be quite surprising events taking place by the “Suffragettes” and their sympathisers.

Other Library News There will be two craft sessions during the Easter holidays for the children. As yet, there are no details available. However, nearer the time, the library staff will be able to give you all the information needed.

Barbara Chaffer

Hewitt’s Property Services Cleaning Contractors and Building Maintenance Joinery Plumbing Woodworm Treatments Garden Maintenance Driveways, Patios, Gutters Cleaned End of Tenancy Cleans, Landlords and Contract Work welcome, Fully Insured, Competitive Rates, Est. 12 years For all your property needs call Steve on

07966 152553 Congratulations to Heather Congratulations to studio artist Heather Bareham who has won herself a place on the Make It In Design Summer School 2018. Heather, owner of Patternation, has been taking part in the MIID Winter School online course in which surface designers are set a number of design briefs and challenges by trend forecasters Patternbank.

The school, founded by surface designer and illustrator Rachel Taylor and successful entrepreneur Beth Kempton, helps pattern designers to build their portfolios, provides opportunities to have work published and seen by companies within the surface design industry, as well as offering a chance to connect with other designers.

During the four weeks of Winter School there are a number of competitions to get involved in. Heather was delighted to discover she was the winner of Trend Brief 1, automatically securing herself a place on the next school due to take place in the summer. All of the patterns created during Winter School are now available to view in the MIID online galleries at www.makeitindesign.com.

For more information about Heather and her work visit www.patternation.co.uk.

14

Twinning Association News Redcar & Cleveland Twinning Association‟s AGM will take place at the Redcar Community Heart, Ridley Street, Redcar TS10 1TD on Thursday, 15th March 2018 at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Light refreshments will be available.

All members are invited to attend, along with anyone else interested to learn about the Twinning Association.

Please come along and find out about what we do, as we plan for our next visit to Troisdorf in Germany, close to Cologne & Bonn, at the end of October during the school half-term holiday. New members are always welcome and there are also Committee vacancies for a new Chair and Vice-Chair this year to take the Association forward.

Please join us to help maintain the strong links with our German friends that were established in 1990.

Full details about travel arrangements and costs for the October visit to Troisdorf will be on-line very soon.

Please let us know if you might be interested in coming to Germany with us. For anyone without computer access you can contact our Secretary Emma on 07429 718223.

See our website: www.redcarandclevelandtwinningassociation.org.uk and Facebook page for more information.

Saltburn Drama Festival The stage is set for Saltburn Drama Festival! The best theatre companies from around the North East are heading to Saltburn Community Theatre from Wednesday, 14th to Saturday, 18th March for the One Act Drama Festival.

Competition is fierce and the standard is very high with each company having to abide by the strict rules of the festival. Says Sheenah Taylor, Chair of Saltburn Drama Festival, “Each play must be set, performed and struck in one hour. It demands a very creative approach – from the writing right through to staging – but it does produce some very exciting theatre.”

Audiences can look forward to two plays from Northallerton‟s Allerton Players on Wednesday; performances from Middlesbrough Theatre and Saltburn ‟53 Adults on Thursday and three entries on Friday from Scarborough‟s Bananadrama and Cresta groups along with Saltburn ‟53 Youth.

Saltburn ‟53 will be hoping to match last year‟s achievement when they took their Aberfan mining disaster epic all the way to the Grand Final in Somerset. This year‟s entry is another Welsh based play – although the group are keeping tight lipped about the details.

Following the drama of the competition, the awards evening on the Saturday is a chance for all the groups to relax and enjoy some musical entertainment before the trophies are presented. Programmed by Saltburn ‟53‟s Musical Director Andrew Pierce, it‟s a hugely entertaining evening of song, dance and music. “It‟s such a fun evening,” says Sheenah. “There are some great performances from local singers, musicians and improvised acts. Entry is free to weekly ticket holders and if you haven‟t been before, we‟d love you to join us.”

Tickets for the festival are on sale from the theatre, SPAR Gosnay‟s and online at www.saltburnarts.co.uk, priced £6/£8 per evening or £15/£20 for the week. A weekly ticket also entitles the holder to a vote for the Audience‟s Award. Curtain up is at 7.30pm each evening with doors and bar at 6.45pm except Saturday‟s award ceremony which starts at 7pm (doors 6.15pm).

Loftus ACCORD Walking Group – Thursday 22nd March 2018 –

Guided Walk

There is a free guided 4.5 mile circular walk from Loftus to the area of Kilton Castle on Thursday, 22nd March starting outside Loftus Town Hall at 10:30am.

We shall follow woodland paths and the old bridleway from Liverton to the area of the former Castle and discuss some historic elements of the Thweng family history from the Crusades to presenting petitions to Pope Gregory IX in Rome and their link to Westminster Abbey.

This walk may have a few muddy sections as we approach the bridge crossing near Castle Woods. Please bring refreshments and come suitably dressed for a woodland walk. There‟s free parking at South View, off North Road TS13 4JL; Loftus is served by Arriva X4 and 5 buses.

No booking needed; for more information phone 01287 641000 (or e-mail office@loftustc.co.uk).

15

March Events at Book Corner Tony Nicholson: Thursday 22nd March at 7pm Chloe Daykin: Saturday 31st March at 11am We have two exciting events coming up at Book Corner this month.

Firstly, we will be hosting a talk by Tony Nicholson on Thursday, 22nd March at 7pm. Tony is a former history lecturer who spends his time writing and researching. Back in 2000, he was rummaging through some bags of rubbish which had been cleared from the roof eaves of his Georgian house in North Yorkshire. Hidden amongst the rubbish was a treasure trove of Victorian photographs, papers, and letters. He began to realise that the letters contained a secret. They belonged to a mysterious woman called Annie Bowen. Tony set about reconstructing her amazing story, and his book, „The Love of Dangerous Men‟, is the result of his research. Tony will be discussing his book and signing copies. The talk is free, but places are limited, so please visit Book Corner, call 01287 348010, or email jenna@bookcornershop.co.uk to reserve your place.

Children‟s author Chloe Daykin will be visiting Book Corner on Saturday, 31st March at 11am. She will be

Saltburn’s Independent Bookshop reading from her debut novel, „Fish Boy‟, and signing copies. „Fish Boy‟ tells the story of Billy, a lonely boy who lives in a fictional town on the North East coast. Billy is struggling to come to terms with his mum‟s mysterious illness. Then one day he meets a talking mackerel, and his whole world changes. „Fish Boy‟ won a Northern Writers‟ Award in June 2014, and has already garnered huge critical acclaim. An artist, designer, playwright and teacher, Chloe lives in Northumberland with her husband and two boys. She is one of New Writing North‟s Read Regional authors for 2018, and is visiting Book Corner as part of this campaign.

Fiction, non-fiction, children’s books, and bargain books.

Opening Times: 10am – 4.30pm (Closed Sundays and Wednesdays) 24 Milton Street, Saltburn, TS12 1DG

01287 348010 www.bookcornershop.co.uk 16

7th GUISBOROUGH CHARITY BEER FESTIVAL

Saltburn Farmers’ Market returns

Organised by The Rotary Club of Guisborough and Great Ayton, The Guisborough and District 41 Club and Cleveland CAMRA

Saltburn Farmers‟ Market returns on Saturday, 10th March after its traditional two month winter break.

Located in and around the town centre and only open 9 till 2 trade is swift!

And 2018 sees us celebrate 10 years of Farmers‟ Markets in town so if you haven‟t been yet - get yourself here! Food is not just vital to survival, it‟s part of our culture. The vast diversity of food and people the market brings into town touches on sensitive issues such as sustainability, identity and even how we perceive the town and the area we live in, and how we want it to be. I for one love the luxury of being able to purchase fresh goats cheese, seeded breads and cider made from the apple orchards of Teesside - not to mention the goat curry, the Portuguese tarts and the vegan burgers! I also love bumping into friends and watching my children greet their friends and chat about what they‟ve bought or seen or heard.

Come on down and experience the buzz for yourself - but make sure you arrive early if you want to bag a bargain!

Lorna

This will be held on Friday, 6th and Saturday, 7th April 2018 at the Guisborough Parish Hall, Bow Street.

There will be 30 cask conditioned real ales, predominantly from East Anglia, as well as local breweries, plus real cider, perry and fruit wines. The full beer list can be seen on www.clevelandcamra.org.uk. Soft drinks, tea and coffee will also be available along with a charity tombola stall.

Guisborough butcher John Lund, of Enfield Butchers, will again be supplying steak and ale pies made with a dark real ale from a local brewery. Alongside these will be other choices of hot food and snacks. Saturday evening entertainment will be provided by the Jamie T Duo. Admission times are 11:00 – 16:00 and 18:00 – 23:00 with an entrance price for each session of £3.00, which includes a free commemorative tankard and programme. CAMRA concessions £1.00 off entrance price by refund at the door on production of a valid membership card.

Tickets are available from Guisborough Book Shop in Chaloner Street. More details from paul@whitefoot.plus.com and www.clevelandcamra.org.uk.

Jazz ‘send-off’ for Rex Scales, 88 Popular Saltburn retiree Rex Scales, a former „Dixon of Dock Green-type‟ policeman, has died at 88.

He lived in Upleatham Street and died round the corner at the Greta Cottage care home at the end of January after a fortnight there.

Rex‟s family held a jazz party at the Spa Hotel on 17th February where family and friends recalled a man who was a staunch West Yorkshireman with a good sense of humour.

He was a former chairman of Saltburn and District Retired Men‟s Forum and enjoyed listening to Sunday afternoon music at the bandstand (always sitting in the same area to the left of the bandstand), going to Harry Simpson‟s blues concerts and keeping fit at Harry‟s weekly chairborne exercises sessions at Emmanuel‟s church hall.

Rex was born at Mexborough and joined the Army in 1947. He spent a month sailing to Malaya. In the Army he learned to drive many vehicles from jeeps to large vehicles in Malaya.

Rosemary Nicholls recalled in a Profile article published in Talk of the Town in April 2014: “He taught himself to drive all the varied vehicles, which has stood him in good stead. He taught both sons and his wife Anne to drive and they all passed first time.”

On demobilisation, he joined the West Riding Constabulary working at Keighley and Wakefield. He spent the last six years of his 30 years service as the village constable of Grassington. For retirement the Scales bought a house at Skipton and Rex spent 13 years as a rent collector and bailiff with Skipton‟s Craven Council. He retired at 65.

Rex and Anne moved to Saltburn to be near family.

They had two sons, Andrew and Martin. Andrew works in computers and his wife Caroline is a music teacher

and organist at Emmanuel Church. Anne, who was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish, died of breast cancer in 2011. Martin, of High Wycombe, works in the Foreign Office‟s service.

Rex did not want any fuss when he died and left his body for medical research. The jazz wake recalled many memories from family and friends.

Mike Morrissey 17

SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB Marske Mill Lane, Tel 01287-622761

BINGO – Wed 14th & 28th March – eyes down 8.00pm Play FLOODLIT TENNIS all winter – contact us for details SUNDAY NIGHTS – WEEKLY QUIZ – be in it to win it!

Teams of up to 6, everyone welcome ** LIVE MUSIC NIGHTS ** *SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB …welcomes back… THE JON CASEY BAND Sat 10th March – tickets £5 from Club *SALTBURN BLUES CLUB Sat 31st March LAVENDORE ROGUE – all ticket night, £12 (10% discount for club members)

*Free WiFi in Club* * BIG screen TV showing SKY sports etc * ***FEATURED IN CAMRA GOOD BEER GUIDE!!*** GREAT VENUE for YOUR family events, weddings, parties, funerals & meetings - free use for charity/community groups during normal opening hours. Convenient venue, free parking, reasonable bar prices. Contact us to book your event.

Members and non-members welcome.

Facebook saltburncricketbowlsandtennis socialclub PLEASE add us as a friend Also at https://saltburncricketbowlstennissocial.club

18

SALTBURN BLUES CLUB Regular readers will be used to my enthusiastic promotions, but this month‟s gig is a real coup and one of this year‟s highlights. LAVENDORE ROGUE is one of the most exciting bands on the UK Roots scene and will perform for us on Saturday, March 31st. Jojo Burgess (Vocals), Joel Fisk (Guitar) and Stephen Cutmore (Drums) were three band members of one of my all-time favourite bands, Hokie Joint, who had amazing success performing on the circuit and landing gigs with ZZ Top, Steve Winwood, Moby, Jamie Cullum and Booker T. They‟re now joined by Rob Barry (Bass) and Warren Lynn (Keyboards) and as LaVendore Rogue are a truly fabulous live band. 2017 UK Blues Challenge WINNERS, they represented the UK at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January and will be at the European Blues Challenge in Norway in March. Fisk and Burgess create LaVendore Rogue‟s distinctive sound and are the band‟s principle songwriters, sharing a passion for Delta Blues, Rock „n‟ Roll and Americana. Their 2017 live album, „A Night in the North‟, perfectly captures what the band do best with absolutely no overdubs. Sheer talent.

Venue: Saltburn Cricket Club, Doors: 7.30pm, Tickets: £12 available from Destinations Cafe, Saltburn, www.yorkshireticketshop.co.uk, www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk and 07960 935263.

Don‟t forget, my radio show, Still Got The Blues, is on Zetland FM every Monday 7pm – 10pm, on line, or you can catch it later on Mixcloud at a date and time that suits you. Just visit the website, www.zetlandfm.co.uk and scroll down to Mixcloud. It‟s 3 hours of the very best of the Harry blues.

Emmanuel Church Hall, (off Windsor Road) Saltburn Mondays at 9.30am and

Tuesdays at 3.30pm, 5.30pm or 7.30pm.

For Details Ring

Stevie on

01642 474920

19

20

Huntcliff School News On the evening of Thursday, 1st February over 40 Huntcliff School students were invited to receive their Duke of Edinburgh Award certificate as part of a formal presentation held at Freebrough Academy.

Students proudly accepted their certificates to commemorate their hard work during the programme, to an audience of friends, family, special guests and other Redcar & Cleveland DofE centres. The certificates were presented by Rebecca Durrell, a British professional racing cyclist and coincidentally a former student at Huntcliff, which is based on Saltburn Learning Campus.

Duke of Edinburgh in Huntcliff School undertook a massive shift last year moving away from using an external Approved Activity Provider - employed to provide a full package of training, supervision and assessment for the expedition section of the award - to being completely self- Duke of Edinburgh students and one of two DofE Coordinators sufficient; with a team of internal instructors training and at Huntcliff (Miss Tompkins - far left) on an expedition, passing supervising students with additional support from members along „The Man on the Moors‟ statue within the North York of Huntcliff staff, parents/carers and the Redcar and Moors National Park.

Cleveland Duke of Edinburgh network.

The school not only had its biggest cohort of Duke of In total 60 students were taken out as part of their Edinburgh students to date during the academic year, but expedition section last year, covering over 100km over 6 also had its first ever Silver team. weekends.

Rotary News Following refurbishment, we are now back at our regular venue at the Golf Club, and our first speaker was Chris Ferguson from Saltburn Group for Visually Impaired People (or VIPs as they like to be referred to) who gave a very enlightening talk.

The regular work of Rotary has also continued in February, planning events; selling raffle tickets and raising awareness of our presence in the town, as well as raising money for worthy causes; welcoming new or returning members; maintaining contact with partners in the town, the north east, and across the worldwide Rotary network. This is a vibrant and energetic club and we are all delighted to be members of it.

At the time of writing we are about to hold our Black-Tie Charity Ball in aid of Cancer Research and a full report on that will be given in the next issue, Other events for the diary are “Afternoon Tea” in aid of Polio Eradication on Wednesday, 18th April at Saltburn Cricket Club, a sponsored walk to fund a defibrillator on Sunday, 6th May and The Howzat Music Festival 2018 on Sunday, 2nd September for which tickets are now on sale.

Next up, however, is a night with the Guisborough Big Band in aid of RNLI. Why not join us for a fantastic music event and at the same time support a fantastic cause? See advert here.

21

Simon Clarke MP Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland Hello! I wrote at the start of the year that I wanted to work alongside our secondary school heads to build on the excellent primary results local schools deliver.

I am passionate about education generally and, as a parent, nothing matters more to me than making sure our children receive a great education which is why I‟ve been actively looking to push our area‟s needs at every opportunity.

With 1.9 million more children now in Good or Outstanding schools than eight years ago, there‟s lots going right in our school system - but there is always more to learn and to do. That‟s why I‟ve launched a programme of meeting all our heads on a regular basis, alternately in East Cleveland and south Middlesbrough. The first of these meetings took place in Loftus in February and the next will be in Nunthorpe.

This month I was also delighted to invite the new Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, to meet local headteachers at Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough.

This was one of the cabinet minister‟s first visits after his appointment last month. It was great to discuss topics including how to attract more good teachers to the 22

North East, teacher workload and children‟s mental health. We‟ve got some fantastic local heads and I think everyone enjoyed the discussion.

It would be foolish for anyone to think that meetings and ministerial visits are all that‟s needed to drive forward the extra improvements we‟re looking for but by giving our educational leaders a local forum and direct access to the government‟s decision makers we can hopefully help them facilitate the environment needed to build on the outstanding work so many of them already do.

Many thanks, Simon

23

Brace Yourself In our last Talk of the Town article we discussed how exercise can dramatically improve the function and reduce the pain in joints which have osteoarthritic changes. In this article we thought that we would discuss an often overlooked way of doing this for certain kinds of knee pain.

It involves the use of a knee brace that is known as an unloader. Unloaders are lightweight sport & activity braces that reduce pain by altering the direction of force transmission through the knee.

doing, they optimise their strength and their joint surface health and keep doing the activities that they enjoy.

You can find more information about knee pain and unloader braces on our website.

Pauline & Philip Newton Chartered & Health Care Professions Council Registered Physiotherapists Newton Physiotherapy 01287 767287

Unloader braces can be worn during any activity that provokes pain, from walking to a wide range of sporting activities. By unloading the painful portion of the knee joint, the unloader helps get around the frequently encountered “Catch 22” scenario - where the exercises and activities that have the potential to reduce pain and improve function are curtailed by the very pain that they are intended to reduce.

For some people with persistently painful knee problems, the use of an Unloader brace is a very helpful tool that enables them to keep active and to functionally load their troublesome knee. In so

or email: simon.robson1@ntlworld.com

Nigel’s VIPs! Very Important Pets!

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TEL: 07891 092007 Insured, Excellent References 24

25

Cleveland Diving Club This first day of March, is a historic celebration day for many Welsh people as they commemorating their patron saint, St David. This year Cleveland Divers also have an historic event to celebrate as it is 40 years since the club‟s application to be recognised as a „British Sub-Aqua Club,‟ (BSAC) was granted. Hence much of the club‟s diving activities this year will have a, „40-something‟ theme. One goal is to complete at least 40 dives per diver and a small group of keen, hardy divers have kicked this off, diving on the last day of January in a rather chilly (5 degrees) fresh-water lake. Although the visibility was disappointing large, self-assured pike were spotted. Encounters with fresh water or marine creatures is for many, what diving is all about offering a challenge to seek out those species that are notoriously difficult to spot. One such creature is a master of camouflage, the charming, charismatic and extremely shy seahorse. There are two types of seahorses distinguished by the length of their snout and where they are found. Short snouted seahorses generally live in the southern seas of England and Ireland and long snouted seahorses generally live in Welsh and northern Scotland waters.

Although well camouflaged amongst the seaweed and sea grasses a determined and patient diver may be rewarded with a sighting. Photograph 1 was taken by one of our club members on holiday in Lanzarote. The diver‟s gloved hand gives an indication of size. Generally they grow to about 15 cm; however, in September 2015 a new record was set when a seahorse measuring 33.02 cm was accidently hauled in off the coast of Dorset, clinging to a fisherman‟s net. Thankfully it was released back to the sea once its tail had been disengaged.

A seahorse‟s prehensile tail (see photo 2) is of particular importance as it‟s used to anchor it to seaweed or seagrass to steady them while eating or during strong currents or rough seas. A poor digestive system means they are incessant eaters, continually feeding on tiny fish and plankton.

The male seahorse is exceptional in that it is the only male animal that becomes pregnant. The female gives her eggs to the male for fertilisation and he then carries the embryos in his pouch, a bit like a kangaroo, until they are fully formed and ready to be released. Check out this amazing video to see the birth of young seahorses: http://theconversation.com/the-secret -sex-life-and-pregnancy-of-a-seahorse-dad-46599.

Despite their non-fish-like appearance seahorses have a swim bladder and gills and as such are classed as fish.

Generally they prefer to swim upright but are poor swimmers like this specimen in photo 3. They have to use their back dorsal fin to propel them through the water and a pair of pectoral fins on the back of their head to steer (photo 4). Other interesting features are that they have an exoskeleton rather than fish scales and eyes that work independently of each other; nor are any two seahorses the same because of the unique design / size of their crown also known as a coral net.

Unfortunately the numbers of this shy, enchanting creature are being severely decimated as they are harvested around the world (30 million per year) to be used by the far east medical trade or are accidently caught in fishing nets together with destruction of their habitats by the anchors of pleasure crafts. Although high on the endangered list some good news came in 2007 with the discovery of a breeding population of seahorses found in the River Thames around Southend-on-Sea (International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Around the world scuba divers are contributing to 26

the protection of these delightful creatures.

So if you are interested in learning to scuba dive contact us on 07960 608529 or pop along to Saltburn Leisure Centre any Monday evening around 8pm for a chat.

June Coomber

27

Friends of the Valley News Volunteers with Saltburn Friends of the Valley have fed the birds in the garden around the Woodlands Centre for years. Unfortunately this autumn we noticed a family of rats had worked out a way to benefit from our bird feeding and in a short space of time we had a lot of well fed rats, so we had to take action. We adapted our feeding programme with help from the Council and now have a feeding programme that should help our birds and general wildlife that excludes the rats. This is why we put up notices about general feeding at the wildlife stations. We are planning some new feeding stations for the birds and squirrels with information on what and what not to feed them.

We are also improving the security of the Woodlands Centre site and we are installing CCTV shortly to try and deter future vandalism of our outdoor shed, buildings and garden.

On a more positive note we are opening the Woodland Centre every Tuesday from 11am to 3pm for people to call in and to take part in activities. Our creative workshops have always been very successful with children and young people and we would love to hear from adults who might like to wander down and get involved.

We are planning another exciting Events Programme for 2018, so look out for future announcements as we confirm a range of events.

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What’s Happening at Marske Hall Easter Monday family fun - Monday, 2nd April, 10am-1pm, Marske Hall.

Enjoy some cracking good family fun with Easter bonnet competition, Easter themed kids‟ crafts, entertainment, bric-a-brac stalls, DVDs, CDs, books and much more.

Free entry, raffle, tombola, refreshments available. All proceeds to Marske Hall.

For other events in March contact Marske Hall on 01642 482672 or visit the Facebook page.

Appeal The fundraising team is always looking for tombola and raffle prizes to use at events throughout the year. Simply call into Marske Hall from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday or telephone 07714 291979 for collection. If you wish to donate a larger raffle prize or would like details of stall/ table hire, please call the Hall.

Visit www.facebook/marskehall.com and thank you for your continued support.

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

Marske Hall, Redcar Road, TS11 6AA

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Open 9.00am till 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday 29

Energy flows where attention goes.

Dedicated to the Individual Rainbow Tai Chi & Chi Kung classes Every Thursday @ 7 to 8.45pm in TOCH Meeting rooms (back of) Albion Terrace Saltburn TS12 1JT Cost per class ÂŁ5 or a block of 6 classes for ÂŁ25 Rainbow Tai chi & chi Kung is a Chinese martial / meditative art or discipline.

It is non-religious; it can be practised by anyone without affecting their beliefs or lack of them. When practised regularly it has been found to promote many genuine health benefits; this is due to the gentle movements within the series of fifteen exercises. Each exercise and affirmation is introduced by David to encourage energy flow inside the body. This is also supported by gentle breathing exercises throughout the class.

For more details enquire from David A Baines email eebydrum8@gmail.com This balanced Personal Self Development class is open to all over the age of 16.

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Saltburn Athletic FC The recent weather has not been kind and many games have been postponed due to waterlogged pitches. However, some games have been played and Saltburn U10 Sharks have won their last two games winning comfortably against TIBS and then defeating local rivals the Saltburn Dolphins with a solid second half display. In the previous game the Dolphins gained a credible draw versus Hemlington.

The U11 team suffered a defeat against league rivals at the top of their division but followed up with an excellent win at home versus Darlington Young Bulls.

The U13 Seagulls continue to struggle in the league with losses against Leven and Kader but recent battling displays are encouraging and a win is not far away.

The U13 Dolphins and Falcons have struggled to get their games played so the season for them will be extended to accommodate the postponed games.

The U14 team unfortunately lost their cup game away to Redcar Town by 3-0 but still lead their division with games in hand.

All teams will see their season extended and all are likely to finish at the end of April a full month behind the scheduled completion.

Lastly the club are to introduce a new team at under 8 level and are seeking players.

There will be a meeting at Saltburn Cricket Club on Friday, 16th March at 6.30pm.

Any parent who wishes their child to be considered please attend. The child must be born between 1st September 2010 and 31st August 2012.

The team will be run by Tim Raynes who recently retired from Cleveland Police, and being a former coach to the club and a co-founder member, he is keen to get this team up and running.

Andy Croll

‘Tom’ defibrillators for Saltburn

Saltburn author dies

Life-saving defibrillators are being put up in public places in Saltburn following the tragic death of Tom Sievert, aged 35, in July last year.

The first spot for the device will be outside Gosnay‟s Spar shop in Milton Street. But other placements are planned.

“In July of last year our eldest son, Thomas, died unexpectedly having suffered a heart attack,” said Mrs Julia Sievert, whose husband is Bob. “The family were utterly devastated. In order to make something positive come out of this terrible situation „Be like Tom‟ was formed and the family decided to fund-raise for defibrillators to be placed in the Redcar and Cleveland locality and beyond. Initially we want to fund 35 defibrillators, one for each year of Tom‟s life.”

Each defibrillator, with a secure box and the necessary electrics to keep the box at an ambient temperature costs about £2,000.

“To date we have placed three defibrillators in New Marske, and within the next month should have two placed in Marske, and one in Saltburn. We have also provided an external box for a scout hut in Perth, Scotland, where Tom‟s sister lives and Tom himself loved to visit.

“Ideally we would like to place three more defibrillators in Saltburn. We have asked for one to be placed near the main road, and would love to see one near the station portico and another on the promenade or by the cliff-lift.

“Permissions must be given by the building owners as we will only fund defibrillators which are to be placed securely on an outside wall and are therefore available to the public 24 hours a day. Through the generous donations of friends, family and local businesses we have raised £10,000 so far. We will work hard to continue fund-raising to achieve our goal.”

Mike Morrissey

Saltburn author Una Horne, who never seemed to be without a smile on her face, has died aged 84.

A former nurse and member of Mensa, the exclusive society for people of high intelligence, she made Saltburn Methodist church her „spiritual home.‟ The description was given by the Rev Helena Harbottle, the church‟s minister, at the funeral service on 15th February.

Friends and neighbours in Diamond Street were among family members attending.

Mrs Harbottle recalled that Una and her husband Bill were regulars manning the weekday morning „open church‟ sessions in the church porch for anyone in the town seeking a cuppa and chat.

Una was also a choir member, but it was as a prolific writer that she was best known. Several Londonbased publishers produce her writings for readers all over the country and world. She wrote about the world of romance in the early part of the last century, particularly in County Durham.

Husband Bill recalled that her teacher at Bishop Auckland grammar school wrote: “She could become a writer.” But it was not until she was in her 50s that she started typing stories. Her first published work appeared in The Northern Echo.

Una, who spent the last 18 months of her life in local nursing homes, wore her fame lightly. She and Bill were inseparable, particularly at the Hazel Grove Nursing Home, Saltburn, where he was a daily visitor.

A recent book The Wartime Nurse by Maggie Hope, her main nom-de-plume, was republished late last year by Penguin Random House, an international company.

Una was the mother of Peter and Susan, mother-inlaw of Lawrence, and the late Valerie, and grandma of Jonathan.

Mike Morrissey 31

4 People Not Profit Gets Behind The Robin Hood Tax Campaign 4 People Not Profit, returns for its first gig of 2018 with a very special night in support of the Robin Hood tax campaign. This is a campaign lobbying for the Government to introduce a tax of 0.05% on the banking system. This tax would raise billions to address poverty and social equality issues, as well as tackle climate change, in the UK and abroad.

This event will be taking place at Saltburn House on Saturday, 24th of March starting at 7.30pm till late, and as ever entry is free.

Headlining this special night is Scarborough‟s finest The Sofa Junkies, a 14 piece reggae, ragga and dancehall extravaganza! A band guaranteed to get any crowd bouncing! In support will be Saltburn‟s own Best Band Dead bringing their party rocking tunes and the unique talents of Reece Hanrahan. As ever the night will be rounded off with Breaks & Drum n Bass DJ sets from our residents Marc Fox & Jonny Da Pigg Justin York, from 4 People Not Profit, stated, „This will be a great night to raise local awareness of the Robin Hood tax campaign and generate support for the idea that the banks that caused the financial crisis can pay for it instead of forcing the public to have its services cut to the bone.‟ The Robin Hood tax campaign itself is attracting more and more support, both in the UK and internationally.

A poll by Oxfam earlier this year found that 51% of the UK public were in favour of it, whereas only 17% were against it. Additionally, several eminent economists have called for the introduction of the tax, including Nobel Prize for Economics winners Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz.

Celebrities such as Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley have also joined the campaign.

This will be another 4 People Not Profit night not to be missed, so get the date booked in your diary, tell all your friends and family to get on down... and above all don‟t forget your dancing shoes!

Saltburn Photographic Society Wednesday, 7th March “Life on the Edge” birdlife on Bempton Cliffs with Steve Race. Wednesday, 14th March Chairman‟s Evening with Dave Sanderson. Wednesday, 21st March Frank Sanderson knockout competition.

Wednesday, 28th March AGM. Wednesday, 4th April Annual Dinner. Next practical night is Monday, 19th March: Studio lighting.

Members‟ photographs are displayed in Saltburn Library and are changed monthly.

Practical nights will be held frequently; more details available from contact number or web site.

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, view images on our Facebook site or contact Tony Lynn 01287 622519.

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33

Saltburn’s Great Café Culture I wondered if there were too many coffee shops in Saltburn so I asked people and discovered that most are happy about Saltburn‟s growing cafe culture.

Some 30 food outlets exist. They range from coffee machines in the Coop store on Marske Road (Costa), to top hotels like Brockley Hall. More takeaways have opened in recent months.

A survey of a dozen people found a range of opinion.

Gary Roper, of the Dundas Street East butchers, said: “We have cafe overload. Maybe some should open for longer.

They can‟t make a living out of four hours a day. And they should open on bank holidays.”

Cafe regular Guy Mason, 65, of Ruby Street, said: “The number of cafes is adequate. I spend £10 a day in them, coming in for breakfast and coffees during the day.

Today I‟ve had a coffee in Marske and another in Signals.

Now I‟m drinking natural water in Destinations,” said the retired storekeeper and competition secretary of Saltburn‟s sea anglers‟ club.

David Murray, 80, of Marske, a former North Yorkshire policeman, was having a coffee in Destinations after attending a U3A meeting. Welcoming more cafes, he said: “I like choice. The market will find its own level.”

Two Yarm women walking along the beach and pausing for a coffee on the prom said they were happy with the number of cafes. So did a Saltburn walker and cafe frequenter with three favourites eateries.

“I like going to cafes and go three times a week, spending a minimum of £6 a visit. I‟ll return to Taste, which I visited after going out with a local walking group,” she said.

The main town centre cafes are Rapp‟s, Real Meals, Signals, The Sitting Room, Destinations, Virgos and Taste.

A further eight eateries are on the bottom promenade.

Estate agents report good demand for retail premises.

Some 200 new houses are either being built or planned in the town, which should increase demand for eateries.

Lee Ingleby said: “Saltburn is no longer a seasonal attraction for visitors. It is busy 52 weeks of the year. Fifteen years ago cafes relied on residents but this is no longer the case. It is full of visitors and getting more popular.”

Lorna Jackson, of Real Meals, expressed good wishes to the latest cafe to open - Taste, next to the Conservative Club in Dundas Street East. She added: “It‟s a hard business with a long week. We celebrate 20 years in June with our great following.”

Lorna, who runs the monthly farmers‟ market and annual summer food festival, said she intends to repeat a survey of eateries - her last one found 34 outlets.

“Redcar and Cleveland Council have a vision for Saltburn to have a cafe culture, but we need increased parking capacity.”

New cafe Taste has been „astounded‟ by the number of customers since it opened at the end of January. Owners Chris and Julie James, of Skelton, publicised the „tea and coffee house‟ only on Facebook (at no cost to themselves).

I asked 10 customers in the basement room how many lived in Saltburn and five put up their hands. Others came from Eston and Redcar.

Joint owner Chris James, 48, a former engineering 34

ELEVENSES TIME: Cafe regular Guy Mason, of Saltburn, drinks natural water at Destinations after downing two coffees elsewhere, while retired policeman David Murray settles for a coffee. Both had views on the cafe debate.

Photo by courtesy of Ken Bladen.

firm logistics manager, said they wanted to make a business for themselves and decided last September to rent the former photographer‟s studio opposite The Zetland.

“We are not competing with Virgo‟s along the road because we don‟t do big meals. We keep to the simple basics like loose-leaf tea at £1.80, regular coffee at £2.50 and light lunches (soup £3 and paninis £3.50).”

The couple employ nine part-time staff.

On the bottom prom, Seaview fish and chips restaurant, plans to build a „smoke house‟ in a former shipping container for „foodie people‟ at the prom‟s Hazelgrove end. Owner Glenn Pearson said planning permission was being sought from the council and he promised smells would be kept to a minimum - “it would be like smoking a cigarette on the pier.”

Meat, cheese and fish would be smoked over woodchips, as in Tynemouth, for both wholesale and summer dining.

He said the investment would be around £200,000 for all-the-year round opening. Already Seaview has invested £300,000 in the upstairs area for both fine dining and daytime eating.

The Yorkshire Pie and Mash cafe in Pearl Street closed with a bang after two-and-a-half years on 11th February. Rob Vaines, 46, who left a marketing job in Oxford to set it up with a business partner, said: “It paid its way and our idea of serving six varieties of pie with mash potato in a 1940s wartime setting works.” Personal reasons and the lease ending in August were among the reasons for the closure which saw several groups of customers return. A 1940s re-enactment group, North Sea swimmers, a 50th birthday and Sunday morning bikers with black leathers and helmets tucked in with 1940s music playing.

“My mum Lois Hayes has worked really hard and is not happy at having to slow down,” said Mr Vaines, who was sad his local website Saltburn First had not been supported better.

It is understood the shop unit at the former Artsbank building on the corner of Milton Street and Diamond Street is no longer planned to become a cafe/teashop.

Mike Morrissey

Saltburn and District Group for Visually Impaired People On 14th February we had the pleasure of welcoming Jac Wood to our meeting. He is fast becoming a wellknown speaker in our area having moved to Redcar about one year ago.

Jack has spent his career working firstly in marketing and then in the music and theatre industries. As a graphic designer he has produced many record sleeves and theatre programmes. He has also directed and acted on many theatre productions. Jack gave amusing anecdotes on the people he has met and places he has had the privilege of visiting in the course of his work.

We do not want to give too much away as we

hope you will have the pleasure of listening to his fascinating talks. Jack also presents one titled „My Art on My Sleeve‟. He is presenting this one at the U3A history talk on 14th March, at the Methodist Church Hall, 10am. All are welcome and we guarantee you will be entertained!

Please join us at our meeting on Wednesday, 14th March, 2pm in the coffee lounge, Community Centre, Saltburn when we will be learning all about recycling. I for one need a gentle prompt about what can and cannot be put in our bins!

For any further information please contact Chris Ferguson on 01287 204170.

Saltburn Cons Club welcomes the Tees Valley Mayor On his first formal visit to Saltburn since his election in May last year, Ben Houchen made a very good impression.

Speaking at the Saltburn Conservative & Unionist Club on the 15th February to an open meeting and a full house, the Mayor gave a résumé of what life in the first nine months in office had been like.

As a newly formed body the Tees Valley Combined Authority has broken new ground and stands ready to deliver a brighter future for the area.

His prime role was to promote growth in the Tees Valley and with it more jobs, a higher standard of living and, with higher wages, a real opportunity to address areas of deprivation.

As a fervent advocate for promoting the area, he would be talking it up rather than being pessimistic and running it down.

Some projects had already been approved, including a new Tees crossing. The South Tees Development Corporation has 2,000 acres of vacant industrial land with tremendous potential to develop and now enquiries are mounting up.

Questions from the floor included many from

Left to Right: Cllr. Philip Thomson, Joe Cockfield (Chairman), Ben Houchen (Mayor of Tees Valley), David Rigg (President)

SLUG which related to rail infrastructure and passenger service. The Mayor welcomed its expertise and hoped to work with the group closely in the future.

The ambition to buy back the airport was high on the agenda of targets for the second year in office.

General impressions after the meeting were that the Mayor was an excellent choice to represent the new Tees Valley Combined Authority.

Piano Lessons with

Margaret Shields LRAM, GRSM A teacher with a lot of experience and “endless patience”.

You can start from the beginning, improve your skills, or work towards the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) Exams (Grades 1 to 8).

100% pass rate; many pupils pass at Distinction level.

01287 624778 Email: margaretshields2003@yahoo.co.uk

01287 624505 35

Personality Speaking The term personality is a strange one; it can be used to praise or condemn. It is regarded as desirable for comedians or sportspeople but derogatory for scientists or trade unionists. It‟s an odd one when used to describe an artist: if it‟s said about Damien Hirst, it‟s meant to imply that his work is facile; if it‟s said about Tracey Emin, it‟s a reference to the unnecessarily autobiographical nature of her work; and when it‟s said about David Hockney, it‟s meant as an accolade that endorses our acceptance of him as a conventional painter who is privately and professionally unconventional.

Last year‟s retrospective of Hockney‟s work at the Tate attracted 478,082 visitors which is more people than attended all of the Premiership football matches last weekend. Amongst other things, it meant that it was actually very difficult to look at the work on the walls. There can never be a substitute for the one-to-one relationship of looking directly at paintings but there are times when not having someone stand in front of you while you are looking seems like a good idea.

That is partly what prompted Phil Grabsky to start his Exhibition On Screen project and partly a recognition that sometimes it is easier to pop down the road than travel to Brussels, Berlin, Madrid or even London. So, if you want to see some Hockney, there‟s a show on at the theatre in Saltburn on Sunday afternoon at 2.30pm on the 4th March.

The film concentrates not on the Tate show but on the two exhibitions at the Royal Academy where he showed his most recent work.

The first, A Bigger Picture, was a series of large canvases which he produced back in his native Yorkshire, capturing the landscape as it changed through the seasons.

The second, 82 Portraits and One Still Life, saw him adopting a different, new way of working; inviting sitters to his studio with a tight deadline of three days per personality.

One of the factors that has helped make Hockney acceptable as an artist is that he is not the familiar diffident, tongue-tied maestro who let‟s his pictures speak for themselves – instead, you can‟t shut him up. What makes him more peculiar is that he talks directly to camera with knowledge, referencing both a belief in the history of his subject and a delight in how contemporary media and culture impact on tradition. The film‟s commentary also includes the voice of the critic and the curator which stops it from being only about Hockney, the personality.

It was a definite decision to show the film on a Sunday afternoon in the hope that the weekend will feature more prominently in the theatre‟s calendar. Late last year the centre was awarded £14,500 by the Wolfson Theatre Trust to improve and update the building‟s fire equipment and alarm system. This work has now been completed, ensuring that the theatre remains safe for users and that the building is protected around the clock, throughout the year.

As well as being a major voice on the international art circle, David Hockney is also among the most vociferous defenders of the rights of the smoking minority. The theatre will, however, continue to adhere to its No Smoking or Vaping policy and it is also beginning to extend its commitment to being an environmentally-friendly venue. The most recent development has been to support the Plastic Free Coastline campaign which recently gained cross-party support at RCBC; it is no longer selling drinks in plastic bottles and is actively seeking other ways in which it can be more responsible both socially and physically. Whilst the centre is still owned by the council, it continues to be run and managed by its own Board of volunteers who are keen to preserve the personality of the building and sustain the quality of its performances.

The Annual General meeting of SC&AA will be held in the Community Hall in May and will present the opportunity for new people to join the Board so that it continues to be the preferred venue for live entertainment in the town. You don‟t have to be a personality to play an active role in keeping the theatre a vibrant part of the community that is Saltburn.

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

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

Please feel free to visit us at anytime.

01287 622498 and 01287 625178 36

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KICAS News A grey February morning on Saltburn beach was brightened by the enthusiasm and energy of the 131 people who came to Keeping It Clean At Saltburn‟s first Saturday of the month beach clean. We met at the new Victorian Shelter, next to the Surf Shop; this is a great base to start from. We had invested in buckets for collecting and plan to buy more for March‟s beach Clean.

We were thrilled and surprised to have a very generous donation of 30 pickers from one of our regular beach cleaners, Martin, from „Binks Landscapes‟.

Another supporter, Mo Shevis, kindly donated money for us to buy a new picker and also passed on a picker that was given to her by Jackie Taylor! It was a special feeling, KICAS inheriting this picker; I‟m sure Jackie would have been thrilled with this.

We were so enthused to have had people travel from Middlesbrough and North Ormesby.

As the song says, „Teach your children well‟ and that‟s exactly what we saw at the beach clean. Families, The Beavers group, The Brownies Group, all joining in.

The wonderful photos we took can‟t do the atmosphere that surrounded us justice. The recent high tide and sea surge had left us plenty of small plastics to clean away.

There were a lot of plastics cotton bud sticks, also bottle tops.

Nick, from the Surf School on the sea front has placed a collection bucket outside of the premises, to collect plastic beach finds for an arts project. So, if you are doing your own 2 minute beach clean using one of the beach cleaning stations and find any interesting plastics, please donate them for the project.

Some people have taken their own reusable bag and bucket for their 2minute beach clean, a great idea as we can use less plastic bags.

Next beach clean, we will be one of many volunteer groups throughout the nation, joining in with “The Great British Spring Clean” on Saturday, 3rd March. 11am to 12 noon, meet at the Victorian Shelter next to The Surf School, past the Mini Golf on the sea front. Bring your own collection bucket and reusable gloves to be extra eco friendly. Let‟s see if we can break our current record of 136 beach cleaners. Let‟s KICAS. Date for your diary: our AGM will be held on Wednesday, 7th March 7:30pm to 9pm at the Spa Hotel, Saltburn. The Spa have very kindly let KICAS have a room for our meeting, cost free.

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Put the FABULOUS into FITNESS!!

From Salsa to Broadway... Disco to Samba and so much more…

Sosa will get you TONED, FIT whilst having GREAT FUN! For ALL ABILITIES, LOW IMPACT but HIGH ENERGY! Mondays 7pm - 7.50pm @ ECHO, Saltburn - £4 (DISCOUNT! £6 for both Zumba Gold & Sosa on Mondays)

This dance fitness class is EASY TO FOLLOW, TONING and a great OVERALL WORKOUT. Watch out for ‘bums & tums’ targeted dances!

Mondays 6pm - 7pm @ ECHO, Saltburn - £4 Thursdays 10am - 11am @ Saltburn Community Hall - £4 (DISCOUNT! £6 for both Zumba Gold & Sosa on Mondays)

A PILATES, YOGA & BALLET inspired fitness class: Spirals will build up CORE STRENGTH, TONE and DEFINE YOUR FIGURE. It also works on BALANCE and FLEXIBILITY. Wednesdays 7pm - The EarthBeat Centre, Saltburn

Call ESTELLE on 07887 525234 or visit...

Central Saltburn new for holiday lets, within a 300 yard walk from Saltburn centre.

This pleasantly refurnished self catering cottage offers a modern well equipped kitchen, lounge and 2 bedrooms, comprising of a double room, bunk beds in the single room, sleeps 4 comfortably (6 if needed with a sofa bed in lounge). WiFi provided and a private parking space.

Bookings now being taken.

Contact Carol for further information on either 01287 651896 or 07817 506784.

Saving And Re-homing Animals THE ANN PROSSER FOUNDATION

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! This month at SARA, Kiki and Jimmy are looking for their forever homes.

Ladies first! Kiki is a beautiful and adorable Bengal cross cat. She‟s around 5 years old, with big eyes and tiger stripes in a soft fawn colour. Kiki came to SARA as she wasn‟t getting along with the other cat in the house where she used to live. Kiki is a very loving cat with a strong personality and would be best homed with an experienced Bengal owner. Kiki is looking for a home as an only pet and as an indoor cat. Kiki really enjoys playing with her

toys and spending lots of time curled up in her warm bed or on an equally warm lap.

Jimmy is a gorgeous pale gold coloured, 8 month old Saluki cross pup. He came to live with SARA following a change in his owner‟s circumstances. Jimmy is a very active young man: he loves bounding around running and racing around in the pen and always enjoys his walks with our other dogs. Jimmy knows his basic commands and will play fetch with our staff and volunteers. We feel Jimmy would be best homed with another dog as he loves to play. Jimmy could possibly live with older children and would need a home with no small animals, as sight hounds like Suluki and Greyhounds do like to play chase with smaller pets.

Love from Kiki and Jimmy.

SARA fundraising events during March The next monthly meeting of SARA will be held on Wednesday, 7th March at 7.30pm in the TocH premises, Albion Terrace, Saltburn. The Annual General Meeting will precede the meeting. Members of the public are cordially invited to attend. New members are welcome.

Please come along to the meeting and find out more about SARA and the work we do to help the ever increasing numbers of animals that need our help. We

look forward to meeting you.

Tickets are now on sale for a musical evening with a live band, Crimson Skies (Steven, our centre manager, is part of the band) at £8. It will take place on 17th March 7:30 to 11:00pm at the Saltburn Golf Club.

Saturday March 31st – Easter Fayre at Marske Hall.

John Fuller, Press Officer Helpline: 01642 488108 39

150 Years in the Life of Emmanuel 1913 0nwards With over forty years of service in the community the Reverend Benjamin Irvin M.A., first vicar of Emmanuel, suffering ill health, retired. A hard act to follow as the tributes which flowed at his retirement demonstrated, particularly during a formal presentation in the Parochial Hall, led by the Marquis of Zetland, who quoted the lines „parting is such sweet sorrow‟ in his address.

Sunday School staff, members and leaders of the Band of Hope, clergy from near and far, together with every church member, recorded their gratitude.

Life went on, the Bishop of Beverley duly inducting a successor, The Venerable Archdeacon of Cleveland Thomas Enraght Lindsay. Clergy from every church in Cleveland led a procession into Emmanuel with a congregation filling every pew. The opening hymn was „Soldiers of God, arise‟.

This call to arms would soon take on a different meaning.

The gentile life of Saltburn residents and the bustle of thousands of visitors had become a norm. An incident in Sarajevo on the 28th of June 1914 would soon change all that and on July 28th a Great War began.

Thoughts of greater suffrage soon turned to challenges presented by conflict between nations. How to address this new conflict, praise the Lord and encourage young men to enlist in the name of God, King and Country was a new challenge. For the ensuing war years visitor numbers fell away and the indigenous population fell too as young men went off to do their duty.

A Roll of Honour was created for all who enlisted. By 40

October of the first year 133 names were recorded and to these members of His Majesty‟s Navy, The Royal Flying Corps, numerous army regiments and Prisoners of War would be added. The Roll hangs proudly today in Emmanuel on the North wall for all to see with ultimately 313 having served. On the South wall a plaque lists 64 names. They are seen every day Emmanuel is open. They are not forgotten.

Flanders fields are often mentioned in remembrance.

The Belgian Relief Fund was established to assist those who suffered and one fund raising memory was of an organ recital at which the principal organist of Antwerp cathedral played.

The outside world still turned as war raged across continents. The Panama Canal finally opened. Prince Yusopov finally removed Rasputin from the St. Petersburg stage and a regime change was not far off. After 300 years the Romanovs gave way. At home Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the House of Windsor.

Today Emmanuel continues its worship and all members of Saltburn community are most welcome to share in the celebration of 150 years of ministry.

On Good Friday at 11am a service will be held outside Sainsbury‟s supermarket.

At 2pm in Emmanuel a devotion of Stations of the Cross will be held, with readings and music.

On Easter Sunday a family outing is being arranged with a walking treasure hunt starting at Emmanuel church hall at 1.30, ending with refreshments including traditional hot cross buns.

ONE FRIDAY… 14 STATIONS...

by Rev Adam Reed The story of Jesus’ last days, and especially Good Friday, can help us grapple with some of the most poignant and challenging experiences in human life. One way of entering into this is through the 14 Stations of the Cross. The organisation ‘One Friday’ has produced a variety of pictures and prose based on the 14 Stations; and I am pleased that some of these will be available to see and reflect on at Emmanuel Church on Saturday 31st March between 10am and 4pm. Below is one of the photos, stories and Bible passages, that feature as part of a photography series of the 14 stations. You can follow this link to see the others: www.onefriday.info/photography. May God our Father bless you this Easter.

01 Fear 02 Betrayal 03 Judgement 04 Disloyalty 05 Powerlessness 06 Torture 07 Burdens 08 Mercy 09 Tears 10 Forgiveness

Services Times Sundays 9.00am traditional communion 10.45am contemporary worship

Tuesdays 9.30am said communion

Morning Prayer

11 HOPE STORY When the cell door closed behind me, the reality that I had taken part in a man’s death hit me and I fell apart. When the chaplain asked to pray for me, I said yes. As they did so, I felt something. I felt it again every time they prayed, so I started to go to chapel to find out more. The more I knew, the more weight was lifted off me. I knew I had done wrong, but now I knew that Jesus had paid for that. I didn’t have it all figured out, but I knew I needed to give myself to Jesus.

In November 2016, a few months after getting out, I decided I was truly done with my old life, and so I got baptised. For the first time in 43 years, I feel alive and my smile is real. I thought I had lost everything, but I hadn’t. Don’t give up. There is hope. His name is Jesus.

9.00am Mon-Fri in ECHO

Contact Details tel 01287 622251

email emmanuelsaltburn@hotmail.co.uk

web www.emmanuelsaltburn.co.uk

[Abbreviated from ‘40 Stories of HOPE’ – hopetogether.org.uk/prisonhope]

Visitor and Exhibition opening times in March

BIBLE—LUKE 23: 39-43

Saturdays 3rd, 17th & 31st 10am - 4pm

Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Sundays 11th & 25th 1 - 4pm

12 Family 13 Death 14 Tomorrow 41

Talk of the Town’s monthly

Pride of Saltburn Award There is no Pride of Saltburn Award this month because nobody was nominated. We would like to keep this fun feature going but need people to nominate their loved ones, people they admire or want to say thank you to, or anyone that would enjoy receiving a bouquet of flowers.

Recipients do not have to be „high achievers‟ for everyone deserves a bunch of flowers now and again and it‟s not necessary to take it too seriously. It‟s just a bit of fun. Please send your written nominations to Talk of the Town c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore and do say why you are nominating them, in order to make this feature into more than just a picture with a few words. Please check it out with them first though because some feel a little embarrassed!

Children Outside with Nature I am happy to report that there are now Beach and Forest School sessions going on in Saltburn on Saturdays, Sundays and during school holidays.

Six have taken place during the autumn and winter months, in the Valley Gardens and on the beach.

Children along with their parents have joined us in the great outdoors to explore our beautiful environment. We have used stories as a starting point for creating, inspiring and being imaginative. We have also had fire building, popcorn making, bread dough cooking, clay modeling, weaving and raft making. All our activities take place whilst appreciating and respecting our wild life and fauna. Making new friends, working and playing with children of a different age, from different places and backgrounds, are an extra bonus, which has been of benefit to all of us.

Our next session is in March and details can be found on our Facebook page. Come along and join us….. but make sure you have clothes on that are OK to get dirty!

Rosalyn Boyes and Claire Reily Saltburn Beach and Forest School

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Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner Progress Report Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner, Barry Coppinger, is proud of the extra investment he has been able to put into neighbourhood policing, despite a Government cut of over £39 million (36%) in Force funding since 2010.

Cleveland Police has lost 450 Police Officers and 50 Police Community Support Officers in the last eight years, but in Redcar and Cleveland, there was a 6% reduction in publicly recorded crime in a recent twelve month period.

Barry was successful as Labour candidate in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. He has been a welcome visitor to Saltburn Neighbourhood Action Partnership meetings and indeed, has attended over 500 community meetings in Cleveland since 2012. He says: “I have fond memories of my visits to Saltburn in this respect. The work of the community in Saltburn through various activities is a great example of community spirit and long may it continue!”

He publishes all key decisions on his website (www.cleveland.ppc.police.uk) and ensures that the decision -making process is as open and transparent as possible. He urges everyone to sign up for „Cleveland Connected‟, a free crime and community safety messaging and advice system operated by Cleveland Police (www.clevelandconnected.co.uk).

Funding doesn‟t allow for Bobbies walking about on the Beat in pairs on the lookout for crime as perhaps happened in the past, but anyway crime is changing. There was a 40% reduction in residential burglary and a 40% reduction in robbery in Redcar and Cleveland in the twelve months up to November; however, fraud is a growing problem. There is a Police Cyber Team, whose members are working to raise awareness and the Victim Care and Advice Service (VCAS) and Trading Standards offer training, „Friends against Scams‟, to the public to enable us to combat fraudsters. Barry adds: “Anyone who has been a victim can access this and it can be provided for community groups too.”

Barry has funded an organization called „Home Instead‟, which also offers anti-fraud sessions with communities and this earned a Community Minded Business Award in November.

Another growing service that the public don‟t see is the implementation of the „Violence against Women and Girls Strategy‟. Barry is working with the PCCs for Northumbria and Durham to combat domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking and sex work, forced marriage and so-called honour crimes, female genital mutilation and harassment and stalking. The Commissioners agree that the 25,656 female victims who complained in a twelve month period to the Police in the North East are the tip of the iceberg, since most people do not report. Barry has allocated £30,000 in 2017-18 to fund an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor in Redcar and Cleveland.

Hate crime is also under-reported, but Barry has invested £1.5 million for several dedicated roles. One post is a Cleveland-wide Refugee and Asylum Seeker Co-ordinator and another is a Cleveland-wide Community Cohesion Officer. The Rural Crime Officer spends considerable time on the Eston Hills and in East Cleveland. Refugees and Asylum Seekers are now getting dispersed into Redcar and Cleveland and the relevant Officer is working with them,

ensuring that they‟re not targeted.

Operation Checkpoint is an ongoing rural crime initiative and local volunteers, including university students and retired people, are supporting crime prevention work; this could be engraving postcodes on goods or giving crime prevention advice. “Their work is useful,” says Barry, “but we‟re very clear that it‟s not about replacing staff: it‟s about providing extra.”

The Police Cadets, aged between thirteen and seventeen and based at Redcar, are involved with many community projects. Sarah Wilson, Commissioner‟s Officer for Consultation and Engagement, tells me that Cadets took a group of elderly people with dementia to Beamish (Commissioner-funded) and organised a dementia-friendly screening at Redcar Regent Cinema. “The Cadets have been into care homes to train residents on Skype and email and these inter-generational projects show the good side of young people,” she says.

“We are also strengthened by our volunteer Special Constables, of whom there are seventy in Cleveland,” adds Barry.

He is commissioning outreach work with young people, carried out by Redcar and Cleveland Council, to the tune of £37,000 in 2017-8. “The staff go out on the streets to hotspot areas of youth anti-social behaviour and engage with the young people. They put on activities and signpost them into other services.” £2500 has been assigned to The Right Hook, Frankie Wales‟ diversionary boxing activity and £1000 to the running costs of Redcar Beacons. “I have been out on patrol with all the street angels services in Cleveland, including those in Redcar and Guisborough,” says Barry. £350 worth of sponsorship for the Redcar and Cleveland Voluntary Development Agency Community Champion Award was given in 2017-18 too.

I ask Barry about the closure of police stations, which is always controversial in communities. “When we have a choice of investing in buildings or people, it makes sense to me to prioritise people, but we will always have bases in the Borough. We have closed front desks in stations, which have been very little used. Most members of the public will use the phone to contact the Police, not go to a front desk.

What is Barry most proud of? “It has to be my extra investment in neighbourhood policing,” he says. “It‟s making a difference.”

Rosemary Nicholls 43

Health and Happiness

This article might save your life I have talked in previous months about momentum, the impetus we build up away or towards better health or more happiness through the daily patterns we create. And of course how we treat the body and mind and how we feel emotionally are all intrinsically linked.

I was perhaps less clear about exactly what I mean by a daily practice. So as an example I‟m going to go through what I do daily and in some form or other have done for more than twenty years morning and night.

Now I do a version that suits me, but what I encourage is for you to find whatever works for you. Find what you enjoy doing because only then will you actually keep it going. Don‟t suddenly decide to take on loads but do something daily and it could save your life.

Build a positive momentum. It may be tough to get going but it will get easier and you will feel better, live longer and increase your daily levels of happiness.

I‟m probably not the fittest person you know yet my daily practice along with watching what I eat and drink has given my body a platform that is strong and well and has been all my adult life. Along with psychological techniques I‟ve polished and use daily I sustain a good level of happiness and that is no small thing. Additional to the daily practice I generally run for about twenty minutes every other day and cycle when I can, I go to the swimming pool once a week and enjoy strong fast walks three or four times a week. These practices I can do wherever I am in the world and they make a massive difference every day to my health and my happiness.

Like brushing my teeth twice a day I just take the time to take care of my mind and the rest of my body too.

I wake up and start with a Tai Chi move, legs stretch and arms swirl to begin to move the energy. I will currently then do the Wim Hof breathing technique (if you don‟t know this incredible man who teaches us how to heal our own body and defeat depression through breathing and self visualisation, I would highly recommend looking into him, or ask me to teach you). I do thirty power breaths then hold my breath while doing twenty-five press ups, the same with thirty sit ups, then hold my breath again.

These exercises make my body more alkaline, help to strengthen my core and get my blood flowing and my breathing kick started. I then stand and join hands above my head and turn them in a circle so my whole body moves ten times clockwise and ten anticlockwise, reminding the muscle memory how to work in harmony.

Still standing with feet shoulder width apart I hold both palms together as if praying. I then begin a Kundalini yoga move swinging to my left 90 degrees swivelling on my hips but keeping my legs still I breath out and then swivel 180 degrees so I am now facing right and I breath in, then back to the left and so on. This encourages deep breath and to circulate the energy and the oxygen and strengthens the area around the lower back and waist.

Still standing coming back to essentially a praying position I do a Tantric practice (contact me if you are interested to find out what Tantra is and how it can help 44

you with self acceptance and energy flow). This process is called the microcosmic orbit and involves shooting energy around my body. It uses breath and visualisation and has the added advantage of stimulating the prostate (prostate cancer is now the third most common cancer and this is an area often missed by many of us). This is also a training that allows us to strengthen our ability to withhold ejaculation, leading to more energy in our body and longer lovemaking which is a benefit and a pleasure for both partners, as I‟m sure you know.

I then end with a body scan and visualised relaxation, a technique learnt studying Shaolin Kung Fu. I hold my palms flat facing into my body two or three inches from my skin and slowly move them down from my head to my toes while visualising internal cleaning of my inner organs. I will do this three times then touch the floor with straight legs to stretch the hamstring. Then I rise upright again as if praying and push out both hands as though releasing energy out to others.

At night I include interlocking my fingers on the floor as I kneel and with my elbows and forearms creating a triangular structure I push myself up into a headstand and breath slowly and deeply. This process helps to circulate blood and retain physical balance and focus.

Then into a cross legged meditation position I focus on a single word. I search to find what positive word really resonates with me in the moment and I aim to feel it in my whole body and to carry that energy with me. I call this setting my emotional tone. I then go into clear mind meditation where I clear my mind of all thought and visualise a single dot of white until I have entered „no mind‟. I press my palms together again to end, lift my two hands to my lips and release the energy outwards as a visualisation of good energy going out to others.

Sleep is one of the major underrated areas of importance for life balance and this practice before bed profoundly helps good quality sleep.

Setting our mind and body so that time is taken to nurture it and listen to it is a form of self love and self love in all its forms is the key to our wellbeing.

These practices take between five and fifteen minutes every day yet perhaps add twenty years to my life compared to doing no daily practice at all. It heightens my wellbeing and happiness levels and it feels fantastic in my body. That‟s a pretty good trade off even if beginning a routine can feel hard to do at first. Yet chose what works for you, take time for yourself daily, consciously set time aside and you won‟t regret it.

A man once asked a wise woman: „why do people not take time each day to consciously care for themselves?‟ The wise woman replied: „because they have no real will to live. Deep down they have blocks to self-love.‟ Kendal Aitken Happiness and Wellbeing Coach / Counsellor.

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Charity Crafters Used Stamps for Charity There is a box in Saltburn Library for used postage stamps which are a valuable source of income to a number of charities. Please drop your stamps in the library. Many thanks for your support. There is also a box in Marske Library.

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

Saltburn Charity Crafters will be meeting on Wednesday, 7th March in the coffee room at the Community Hall from 2pm to 4pm. A warm welcome awaits anyone who would like to join us for a cup of tea and a natter to find out what we will be doing this year. Any ideas for new projects will be discussed as well as the continuation of our present ones. For more information please contact Angie on 01287 205153 for a chat.

Saltburn, Redcar & Cleveland Philatelic Society March report We meet on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at the Redcar Community Centre. The photo shows President John Simms, question master, standing at the back, with the winners of the annual philatelic quiz.

On 7th March we hold our second auction of the 2017-8 season. Members are reminded that their auction lots need to be displayed for viewing from 6:30pm so that the auction can commence promptly at 7:00pm.

On 21st March members of Durham Philatelic Society visit to display an eclectic mix of stamps and postal history. SR&CPS are to submit two competition entries: one in each of the Aerophilately and Postal History categories for judging during NEPAâ€&#x;s Annual Convention in April.

Contacts: Geoff Reynolds (Secretary, 01642 478229); David D. Turner (01287 624736).

Left to Right: Jeff Harland, Glyn Wigley, Alan Rodgers, standing President John Simms.

45

Still Marching into The Cons Club Welcome to the monthly article from the Cons Club It‟s cold and very windy with light rain as I write and the town is quiet. Certainly not a time to be going out on a night, yet here at the Cons, it does not seem to put our members off. The attendances during January and February have been excellent which gives us a good indication towards what a successful year we have coming up.

Regarding membership the situation now is that if you have not renewed for 2018 you are no longer on the list of members displayed on the notice board. We have had a lot of new applications for membership passed in the first two months of the year and discussions will be held at the next committee meeting this month to ascertain if it will be necessary to put a limit on the number of members we have.

Such is the friendliness within the club, the excellent events and the trips we organise and the brilliant bar-staff working under our stewardess Michelle (who make drinks look amazing) means we have conjured up a recipe that everybody seems to want a piece of. All committee members have played a major part in the success we have gained and to them I give many thanks.

Looking back to February and I have to report that once again the Quiz, Bingo and Pie & Peas Supper night sold out 2 weeks before the event. These are always fantastic nights of entertainment with Julie Towell on the microphone asking the questions and calling the bingo numbers, Short‟s Butchers from Skelton providing and serving the food while Michelle sets the quiz questions - so to all these people we give our appreciation. Another event that has sold out is the Club Road Trip to Wetherby on Saturday, 14th April. The fact that this has sold out 10 weeks before the date just goes to show the popularity of this event and the support we continue to receive. Further outings will be organised during the year and you can keep up to date on all club events by going on to the club Facebook page at „Saltburn Conservative & Unionist Club‟.

Moving on to events happening during March at the club and we have 3 private parties. Again, this is another concession that you receive by being a member where you can hire the club‟s facilities free of charge. You also receive „Happy Hours‟ from 4-30pm to 7pm weekdays and from 3pm to 5pm weekends plus you receive 15% discount on the price of all alcoholic drinks. If you are a serving member of the Armed Forces you will be given free membership. On Wednesday, 14th March we will be holding another Quiz, Bingo & Buffet Supper, starting at 8pm with tickets priced at £4 each. A limited number of tickets are available from the bar or myself but please remember, as I mentioned earlier, tickets will completely sell out so do not leave it late to purchase your ticket or you will miss out on a great night.

These events are held every 6 weeks, alternating between

Buffet Suppers and Pie & Peas nights. Friday 23rd March is the „Open Mic Night‟ hosted by Teesside Steve & Liz Bishop in the upstairs function room starting at 8pm (names to entertain are taken from 7-30pm). Entry is free and all are welcome to a great night of live music. These events are always held on the last Friday of each month, apart from this month‟s event, which is a week early owing to the last Friday of the month being Good Friday. On the following night, Saturday 24th, we are hosting a LGBT (Gay Pride) Music Night with entertainment. This event starts at 7-30pm and will attract many members and guests. For further information you can contact the club or visit our Facebook page.

Regarding the fitting of a bar in the function room upstairs we have had discussion with The Council Planning & Building department who have been kind enough to talk us through our requirements needed to making sure the work is compliant with all regulations.

The Tuesday Club Draw nights are drawing in more people and it‟s always an enjoyable and friendly evening in a slightly quieter atmosphere which is always much enjoyed.

The night is run every week by committeemen Chris Bell & Andy Dales which is very much appreciated. The draw takes place at 10pm. The Sunday Drinks Draw is also attracting many more members with several drinks vouchers to be won and, as I write, the cash rollover is standing at £700. The draw takes place at 6pm and only members can win the money. The money increases by £25 each week if not won with the odds of winning increasing. Keep checking the club‟s Facebook page for the information on the „Peaky Blinders‟ themed party night. There will be a big response to this night and you will find all the relevant information you will need once the date has been announced. With a view to using local businesses and giving our members new real ales we have placed orders with the „Three Brothers Brewery‟ in Stockton which has recently opened. I‟m sure their beers will go down a treat.

Going back to Michelle, our stewardess, we wish her and Tim many congratulations on becoming Grandparents for the second time. Their beautiful daughter Lauren gave birth to another girl, Aria Rae, on 10th February weighing in at a healthy 8lb 3oz. I‟m sure that everybody at the club will join me in wishing Lauren and Rob our very best wishes and every happiness in the future.

That‟s all I have time for now as I‟m running out of space but remember we will all at sometime need the support of our friends and family. Always stay close and cherish the moments you share. Best wishes and take care, David.

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

Saltburn Cons Club: Future Events to entertain in March Every Tuesday: Club Draw Nights for Meat Voucher, Wines & Chocolates… 10pm.

Every Sunday: Beer Draw & Cash Rollover. Increases by £25 each week if not won … 6pm.

Saturday Afternoons: A get-together by „The Conmen‟ Americana Musicians Jam sessions... 3pm.

Sunday 4th: Private Birthday Party, 12 noon to 3.30pm.

Tuesday 6th: SLUG (Saltburn Line Users Group) Meeting 7.15pm.

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Saturday 10th: Private Party, 3pm to 8pm.

Wednesday 14th: Quiz, Bingo & Buffet Night (Tickets £4 each)… 8pm Friday 16th: Private Party… 7.30pm.

Friday 23rd: „Open Mic Night‟ hosted by Teesside Steve & Liz Bishop. All Welcome… 8pm Saturday 24th: LGBT (Gay Pride) Music Night… 7.30pm.

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The Middleton Choir (Formerly The Middleton Festival Choir)

GOLDEN JUBILEE In 2018 it will be 50 years since the late Betty Middleton formed The Middleton Festival Choir.

In celebration of this, there is to be a Golden Jubilee Concert in Saltburn on Saturday, 23rd June 2018.

We would like to hear from former members of the choir and would welcome former members to join us in this concert. For further information, contact Christina at christinahubbard@btopenworld.com or on 07955 951833.

47

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48

The Saltburn Profile by Rosemary Nicholls Maggie Camp “When I was a child, I remember three of the local characters used to congregate near our house on Friday nights after the pubs had closed and sing „The Old Rugged Cross‟ and „Danny Boy‟ in harmony. “Even though I was very young, I could appreciate it,” says Maggie Camp, who now sings for a living in care homes throughout Teesside and as far as Whitby.

Maggie was born in Bolton, the youngest of four. She went to the local Catholic Primary and St Cuthbert‟s Catholic Secondary School, as she was brought up in a staunch Catholic family. After she left school aged fifteen, she had many jobs, including being a fettler in an engineering works.

“It was a boiler suit job in a dirty environment,” she remembers.

Also for a while, she worked as a chambermaid at Bolton‟s Packhorse Hotel. She was brought up by her parents to care for the less fortunate and she befriended an elderly vagrant called Patrick, who lived in the toilets outside the hotel. She sneaked out illicit sandwiches and hot drinks for him on wet cold, winter days and wrote a song about him.

Then she worked at the Salford Diocese Catholic Children‟s Rescue Association as an assistant house parent for battered and abused children. “That was an emotionally difficult job,” she says.

From the age of fifteen, Maggie belonged to a folk band called „Free Folk‟ with two boys with guitars. They sang a lot of Peter, Paul and Mary songs. After a while, they changed their image, became „White Gold‟ and sang in Colliery Clubs throughout Lancashire and South Yorkshire.

They went to the Ritz Ballroom in Manchester to audition for „Opportunity Knocks‟ with Hughie Green, which was exciting, but they unfortunately weren‟t successful.

In the late seventies, Maggie met and married Peter, a metallurgist and his job took them to Loughborough. She worked as a Council home help, until their children were born – Joanne and then Matthew. Their next move was to Teesside when Peter joined Redpath Engineering. In due course, he retrained as a technology teacher.

Maggie became a driver/handler for Ring and Ride Cleveland Ltd, a service for people with disabilities. She used to love running and got up at 5.00am to do a four mile run before work. But after several years, the service was discontinued, so she got a new job driving with Stockton Shopmobility. Unfortunately she found the physical work increasingly hard, was diagnosed with the auto-immune condition, Lupus, and had to give the job up. Once this was under control, she worked part-time on the tills at Marske Coop and then at a Home for people with personality disorders in Redcar. She worked twenty-four hours a week there, doing activities with the residents, singing, cleaning and doing laundry.

When the film „Atonement‟ was being filmed at Redcar, the Council put on a photographic exhibition at Kirkleatham Museum and engaged Maggie to sing wartime songs to go with it. She hired a real war uniform which was made of wool and very hot on the summer days. Alan Leach, who has since become her second husband, read war poetry as well.

Maggie started writing folk songs in the 1990s and a lot of the characters in her songs are people she grew up with.

She sings these and others now in Care Homes as her main

job. She also gives talks on „Life among the Lancashire Mills‟ in word and song to groups, including the Retired Men‟s Forum, the Women‟s Institute, Church groups and Rotary Clubs. “Within five miles of my Bolton childhood home, there were once twenty-five mills,” she explains.

Meanwhile, Alan does the cooking and looks after their dogs, as he is retired from his job as a junior school teacher. “He is my rock,” she says. They have two lurchers: Zebedee, a greyhound bearded collie cross and Joe, a greyhound saluki cross. Sometimes they look after a friend‟s Schnauzer, who is deaf and nearly blind and Alan‟s daughter‟s little dog Violet. “Then it‟s an absolute mad house!” Maggie admits.

While walking the dogs to Riftswood, Maggie likes to collect little snippets of wild flowers, which she presses to make bookmarks with inspirational verses. These can be bought in Saltburn‟s „Book Corner‟.

Maggie worships at Saltburn Methodist Church, having left the Catholic Church at the age of twenty-one; her Christian faith is of immense importance to her. “But I am happy at any Church that preaches the gospel of Christ,” she says. “I was part of a wonderful ecumenical service a week before Christmas at Emmanuel Church; it truly felt like Christmas.”

Maggie likes to read thriller detective stories, mysteries and spiritual books on „the Christian journey‟. Her musical tastes include Gregorian chants, Blue Grass, Folk and American roots. Her children live at Stockton and she has two grandchildren.

She travels with Alan to somewhere hot in Europe because of her joints once a year, but she emphasises that she‟s very happy being at Saltburn. “I feel very settled,” she says. “I love the people and spirit of the town, which I feel is about caring for the environment, caring for each other and taking seriously our responsibilities to the community.”

49

1st Saltburn Scout Group My Talk of the Town article for last month mentioned our Annual Census, with a youth membership – Beavers, Cubs and Scouts of 61 – and this is down on last year but did show a rise in adult help.

Myself as Group Scout Leader, Lindsey Snowdon as Beaver Leader, Paula and Keith as Assistant Scout Leaders; well supported by Jo, Jamie, Gary, Jonathan and Sam (Section Assistants) we are still needing ADULT HELP; we have several parents as occasional helpers but still need adults with adults willing to undertake training and wear the uniform. The Beaver Colony particularly needs more parental involvement, „entertaining‟ 24 active young people is overload on the part of Lindsey and Jo; whilst the Cub Pack needs more active involvement from parents, especially as the time is approaching for getting out and about! So come on parents, be a bit more supportive.

Essentially Beaver numbers have remained steady, recording 21 at the Census, the Colony actually numbers 24, with the additional members of Bobby, Kay and Thoren who only joined us in early January (not being enrolled at the point of Census means I am not permitted to include them in our numbers), hence a lower number at Census. As I said previously Lindsey and Jo are struggling to cope with the sheer volume. We need more parents to just be present to ensure the well-being of both Beavers and the adults; so can we have some volunteers?

The Cub Pack will total 18 Cubs at present and Cubs are busy „practising‟ for the District Cubs Quiz and having won the event previously live in hope of a repeat! I am ably supported by Jamie (Section Assistant previously with

Saltburn Line User Group Next Meeting: Tuesday, 6th March 2019 at 7.15pm.

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.

Find us at www.facebook.com/ saltburnlineusergroup Email the secretary on: slugsecretary@virginmedia.com

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LINE 50

Beavers), Sam (Section Assistant with Scouts) with Sam (Young Leader Explorer Scout), regular support of Peter (a 1st Saltburn Scout who is undertaking his Duke of Edinburgh‟s Silver Award) and Aidan (another 1st Saltburn Scout undertaking his Duke of Edinburgh‟s Bronze Award) the Cubs are being kept active and entertained.

Scouts; with a Troop of 22 is proving boisterous and as with all Scouts very active! Scouts are also preparing for their District Quiz (and just like Cubs; they also won a previous years‟ event), so again we live in hope! Their evenings are being well filled. Karen (Group Secretary) and Sam (Section Assistant) are busy planning sessions to achieve the Creative Challenge Award, as well as achieving various aspects of the Teamwork and World Challenge Awards. But like all Scouts are now hoping the lighter nights are coming (and better weather!) so we can get outside again. Thanks to all for their continued assistance.

Several members of the Group Executive gave up most of a Sunday for a training session run by the County about aspects of the Charity Commissioners rules and Trusteeship. We have also asked Reverend Adam Reed to be one of our designated Trustees: many thanks Adam. At the same time Emma, Kaye, Suzanne and Keith have volunteered to be listed as Trustees for the Group so again: many thanks. The Executive is now planning the next round of works we want to achieve, including ideas which have come from our training day. 1st Saltburn continues to develop and improve facilities for your young people..

Some of our parents continue to assist us with Section activities; but as I have said repeatedly previously we need help! 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.

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

Elizabethan English by Alan Butler Don‟t worry dear Talk of the Town reader, for this is not going to be a diatribe on 16th century language – well, not specifically anyway. The Elizabeth to whom I refer here is neither the first or second of that illustrious name but rather my step granddaughter. Our Elizabeth is a bright, intelligent, very funny and talented Saltburn 13 year old.

As an example of a young woman of her age she isn‟t really all that much out of the ordinary – except to us of course. She and I seem to get on quite well, despite her youth and my advancing years, though I have to admit that the older she grows, the harder it is to tell, if only because half the time I don‟t have any real idea what she is talking about.

It‟s strange how chickens come home to roost, even after a very long time. I can remember my mother and father asking my older sister back in the sixties “Fab? What on earth is Fab?” This is my first memory of an inevitable fact that has almost certainly been in operation since the reign of the original Elizabeth – namely the strenuous efforts of the young to avoid the older generation knowing what they are actually saying – or is it more a desire to stamp one‟s own identity on society by refusing to accept and use previous modes of speech? Either way, it was certainly an issue when I was young, even though Elizabeth and her friends think that the buzz words Kate and I still use were probably first coined by Noah and are so out of date that they positively stink of decay.

The slang we used seemed so natural and normal to us. Depending on the situation, things could be „cool‟ or they might be „pants‟. New pop songs were often „groovy‟ and to anyone affected by the popularity of the Mersey influence, one‟s new clothes or a new car may be considered „gear‟. It does occur to me that most of the buzz words we used did at least appear to relate in some way to the situation or emotion to which they were being referred.

As an example, Fab was at least just a shortened version of Fabulous – though in Elizabeth‟s world the word she would most commonly use for something she thought to be wonderful would inexplicably be „sick‟ and certainly no longer „wicked‟ or „well wicked‟ which is just so last century.

I though in order to try and improve my chances of continuing to be able to communicate with Elizabeth, I ought to make myself familiar with expressions she might use – and thereby prove by my reaction that I am „hip‟ – Oh dear there I go again. I sense that the trouble with this approach could be twofold. On the one hand I would probably use Elizabeth‟s words wrongly and on the other I am painfully aware that the whole exercise is a little like „Dad dancing‟, which needs to be avoided at all cost.

The strange thing is that no matter where I look on the internet, the agencies who have written articles and lists of modern buzz words seem to be well behind the times and I can find very little that isn‟t in common usage by just about everyone. One commentator told me that a really good, modern expression used by every teenager is „Budge Up‟. Maybe it has only recently crossed all county

boundaries but we‟ve been using that one in Yorkshire for as long as I can remember. She also points to „Ace‟ as being something teenagers say to describe something awesome or cool, and yet I know for sure that this example was used by RAF fighter pilots in the Second World War. I had a little more success with the British Urban Dictionary and learned that words presently „on trend‟ include „biscuit butt‟, which apparently means a pert and attractive bottom, „gzb‟, which means the „baddest female‟, though that didn‟t help much because is „baddist‟ actually „bad‟ or „good‟? I expect it means the same as „sick‟. Who would have believed that a „Double McTwist 1260‟ would mean something so awesome it stands well to the north of „sick‟ or that a „nester‟ was someone who lines the seat of a public toilet with tissue and then leaves it there when they depart? I came across „Giraffing‟, which I am sure I have heard Elizabeth use but sad to say the explanation was more incomprehensible than the slang word itself. I was delighted that a „Burtation‟ is a major mistake or blunder and that „3edgy5me‟ is something so spooky or scary that it is best left along altogether. „It made me bleed‟ seems to indicate something with great emotional content (which I think is great if added to „sick‟, as in “That movie was so sick it made be bleed – I just had to see it again”).

I do appreciate that some of these examples, being as they are of the on the „must use‟ list at 12.48pm today are probably American but I‟m sure the ones Elizabeth doesn‟t presently know will catch up with her before long. The trouble is that we live in such an instant world, and one in which everyone wants their „five minutes of fame‟, that by the day after tomorrow, and certainly by the time you read this, all these words will be passé in the extreme and will have been replaced with another set that are even less comprehensible.

Just as fashions in clothing tend to go round and round, it appears that some words do too. My sister‟s 1960s „Fab‟ made a return as recently as the 1990s or later and has probably now become an official word in its own right, which is why of course Elizabeth would run a mile to avoid using it in the company of her friends.

Another expression that is close to the top of trending teenage buzzwords (today at least) is „a case of the Mondays‟, which again is certainly as old as I am and maybe even the first Queen Elizabeth used it because she certainly had bad face makeup and green teeth days.

On reflection I think it might be best for me to avoid all future forays into modern teenage slang. How embarrassing would it be to get the whole thing completely wrong and end up creating a „burtation‟ by becoming the „Mingyaist‟ step grandfather that ever took breath? I might be accused of creating the worst sort of „quora‟ in reverse. One thing I certainly would not be accused of being would „da sh**‟, which apparently is amazing.

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Saltburn Allotments Association This year I‟m a late starter. I‟ve usually started sowing seeds by now but bad weather and family commitments have meant I‟m yet to start. It will be interesting to see what does and doesn‟t catch up. I might be starting things off in situ at the same time as in the greenhouse the way I‟m going at the moment.

Later in the month I‟ll be getting excited about parsnips and other roots. The ground really needs to be at least 7 degrees centigrade before you sow parsnips so you could get a head start by covering the area where you plan to grow them, to warm the soil up a bit. You could then sow them and cover them with fleece to keep them cosy.

I‟m going to try an alternative approach this year and do what I heard someone suggesting last month. This person gets loads of loo roll or kitchen roll innards, stands them upright and fills them with a 50/50 mix of sharp sand and compost. Then two seeds are sown on the top. If they both germinate, one is cut off at the base with a pair of scissors (this avoids disturbing the remaining seedling). With this approach a healthy tap root starts to grow, which won‟t get pot bound because you can inspect the bottom of the tube and see what‟s going on. When you put the plant in the ground you can make a nice deep hole with a crow bar, or smaller one with a dibber, again fill with the sand/compost mix, leaving enough space in the top for you to insert the parsnip (you could do the same with carrot) in its loo/kitchen roll middle. This means that the plant root doesn‟t get disturbed and can keep growing downwards to make a good vegetable. The loo/kitchen roll middle will rot away. You could use the same approach with growing in drain pipes or barrels. I‟m only going to sow carrots high up in drain pipes and the like this year as I was infested with carrot root fly last year.

There are lots of things you can sow this month, all of which I start off in the polytunnel and plant out when they are strong little plants. A fussy approach but I think you get hardier plants with more resistance to all the pests and diseases out there. Some examples include spinach, beetroot, lettuce, salad leaves, peppers, aubergines and tomatoes, spring onions, cucumbers, broad beans and peas, some cauliflowers, leeks, cabbage, spinach and radishes. You can also plant out (if the soil‟s warm enough), rhubarb, Jerusalem artichoke and perennial herbs.

I‟ll be digging out the last of my leeks for the Farmers‟ Market soup on 10th March. If you have anything you could bring to add to the soup, we‟d be very grateful and will be collecting on Sunday, 4th March at the containers between 10.00 and 11.30am. Anything you have that we can sell would also be gratefully received.

Happy gardening, Sue. 52

Saltburn Labour Party News We will shortly have a motion going to R&C Council supporting the right to vote for sixteen year-olds. I have had several conversations about this issue with our excellent Member of Youth Parliament, Kellen Hadfield, who has requested this motion, and am very happy to support it as Cabinet Member for Children and Families.

This reform would resolve the anomaly that sixteen year-olds can work full time, join the army, pay taxes, yet have no say in who represents them, or how their taxes are spent till they reach eighteen. Kellen himself says, “The Votes at 16 campaign is something that has had big support from the young people I‟ve spoken to, who have flagged it as a real issue for them. I can‟t understand why young people can contribute so much to the country, but not have a say in their future, that‟s why I‟m hoping this motion is endorsed by Full Council.”

I think the argument about the future is the fundamental one. The decisions made by older voters shape the country the young inherit. They impact on everyone, so it seems only fair that the young should have their say. It is now clear, for example, that we are leaving the EU entirely against the will of the vast majority of young people. Brexit is a good context in which to view the main argument against Votes at 16. It is said by opponents of this reform that sixteen yearolds are not yet wise enough to vote. How does that opinion look now in the light, or darkness, of the situation we elders have created? A country deeply divided; unable to Remain without harming our democracy, unable to Leave without harming our economy. If wisdom were the main criteria for suffrage, how many eligible voters would there be?

One day, I hope, the advent of Votes at 16 will be celebrated, as we are currently celebrating the centenary of Votes for Women. The more citizens who are in a position to ask the questions of the powerful formulated

by Tony Benn the better: how did you get your power?

In whose name do you wield it? How can we get rid of you if we don‟t want you? I can think of quite a few unelected officials in charge of previously-public services I‟d like to ask those questions to.

Also, in a bleak time in which councils, even Conservative ones, are going bankrupt, social care for both children and adults has a huge and growing funding gap, the big companies that run many of the country‟s public services are teetering or collapsing, hidden unemployment is three times the official claimant count, the NHS is in crisis, schools are struggling under the weight of rising costs, PFI is costing a fortune we haven‟t got, and seven out of ten workers are struggling financially, we need all the celebrations we can get.

Councillor Craig Hannaway

The Muses of Jim Whilst it seems proper to celebrate women getting the vote, it must be realised that only women over thirty years of age were granted the right and further more that they had to hold and own property. Thus it excluded the vast majority of the female population of the nation at the time. The same Act also gave the vote to the working class male at the age of twenty-one, whether they owned property or not. We know what the current status of most women is in the world today. We all know that the status is that of a second class citizen. Just look what is happening at the BBC and Tesco at the moment.

I was in London this week for a meeting of the newly named National Assembly, formally known as The National Council, of the Association of Local Councils of Town and Parish Councils. Amongst things we discussed was the lack of women present for the meeting but with no mention that we were all white. Unfortunately, the charger I took to charge my phone and tablet proved to be useless and therefore I could not charge on the train for free. I had to buy one at Kings Cross Station at WHSmith‟s on my way home. I had to spend £19.99 to get a new one. I cried all the way to Doncaster, but at least I charged up my kit. In Doncaster the train was ten minutes late, due to a trespasser on the line, meaning that I would now miss my connection to Saltburn. So I was forced to buy refreshment on the station at Darlington.

Which was rather expensive. Which led to more tears.

My youngest granddaughter, Molly (sorry, Mollie) is annoyed with me as I keep getting her first name wrong. It‟s all my mother‟s fault. One of her older sisters named her second daughter Mary and my mother preferred Molly. (Or was it Mollie?) I get so confused these days. Sorry, MOLLIE! Or is it really Molly?

One thing I was not confused about was the quality of the ‟53 Drama Group‟s annual pantomime Aladdin, or was it Mollie? Apart from keeping an eye on the lamp, tree, handbag or a naked lady. No, the butterfly you fool.

At least they could have changed the sides of the stage where it was left on. The rest was simply brilliant. All the cast acted with vim and vigour that made me watching very tired indeed. I liked the raw energy of the young people that played their parts with gusto. Even Nigel did well for an old man. The true star for me was Willow, Mollie‟s (or is it Molly‟s?) best friend. In fact everybody was a star. Well done to everyone, and the musicians.

I have had to have five old radiators changed. They were at least fifty years old. I also had a new one placed in the kitchen. Maidens did the work and did a superb job; the house became really hot I had to turn down the settings of each radiator to a less hot position. One radiator is smaller than the original one so I will have to get the decorators in as there is a bare patch of wall now on display. The new one in the kitchen is a wonder, but the best thing about having the work done was the way the lads cleared up after the work was done. Mind you, they did miss the mess in the attic which is not surprising as they did not have any reason to go up there.

My request for a cassette tape player has born fruit with two kind people offering one. I am now able to remember my dad and of course Betty by hearing the music and songs they both loved. I haven‟t had a response about help with my HuMax top box. I can only hope for the best. Perhaps I should ask also for another perfect lady to replace Betty? Perhaps not.

I have noticed that in my back alley, well the alley between Eden and Leven Street, there has been an increase in the amount of dog poo and around Saltburn in general. I was pleased to see the notices in the alley warning of CCTV and the threat of fines being issued. Now the problem seems to be less so dogs must be able to read after all. I have often asked for this action to be taken. The same could be said about cars blocking disabled access, especially in Station Street. Many years ago the Town was pressured into supporting the then District Council to pass a bylaw making it an offence to consume alcohol in certain areas of Saltburn. There were no prosecutions because the council would not take people to court so the police stopped making any arrests. Please do not think I am anticouncil because I most certainly am not, and many readers will know that most of my working life was spent working for one form of council or another. Whichever council it was, the common thread was that the public held the view that they were the employers. So that therefore they have a right to complain about us. Just imagine the reaction if Boro fans rang the owner to complain about the inability to win every game!

Spud has just reminded me that I haven‟t mentioned him yet and I have to mention that he didn‟t attack any of the strangers that have been coming in to the house. In fact he hides in the attic. He is certainly enjoying the new radiators, as I am. More so even.

Saltburn Valleys CIO continues to grow. If you care about the valleys or even Saltburn please think about joining us. Membership forms can be collected from either the library or from Jackie‟s Saverstore. We need people of all ages from zero to 999. Families, especially families. We need and want people from near and far. As a member you will have not just a say but a meaningful vote at general meetings.

I have just remembered that I have still to get my Blue Badge from the Council. I mistakenly set the wrong information when attempting to renew my expiring existing Blue Badge. I was requested to present the proper documentation. Which I did by going to Redcar and Cleveland House, Redcar. So I feel it must be well on its way. Although I have giving up driving it is still useful when travelling with others.

Finally, there has been a sad lost in Leven Street. My fellow club member, Russ Naylor, has died. He never agreed with me and me with him. We enjoyed the banter between us. I was grateful for the support he and his family gave me during Betty‟s final weeks. He will be missed and my thoughts go out to his family.

Jim Wingham 53

The Saltburn Crossword no 201 set by Saxton Across 9 Centre for the artworks (5) 10 Without being rushed, at one‟s own pace (9) 11 and 28 Down New Saltburn Larkfields street, a grand cover or thereabouts (9, 4) 12 Preliminary conscription? (5) 13 and 22 Across New Saltburn Larkfields street stirs danger‟s cool sex (7, 7) 15 Musically soft Russia for old Germany? (7) 17 Child magazine topic? (5) 18 Tree juice found as Soon As Possible (3) 20 and 26 Down New Saltburn houses while stem grows wild (5, 4) 22 See 13 Across 25 Pressed the keys again for word processed a second time (7) 26 Strength perhaps? (5) 27 Soaking up as robbing messes up (9) 30 The evening of a day, but not Saturday or Sunday, sounds like one who wouldn‟t make the round table! (9) 31 He pretends for a living in nuclear reactors (5)

Down Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 13 14 16 19 21 23 24 26 28 29

Solution to Crossword no 200

The winner of last month‟s crossword was Djenane Watkins of Zetland Terrace, Saltburn.

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

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

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Fashion church I see by the sound of it (4) Soldier lodgings where alcohol is sold first then tiers (8) Male deer found first again (4) Smoked herrings stab role about (8) Make a stand against like soldiers standing to attention? (4, 2) One of four pure squad lot shaken after so lost (10) Vegetarians lost irate backing for persons of higher dedication (6) Membrane enclosing organic material in baccy storage (4) Behoving now in garnish found (5) Stuffing, give one art redrawn (10) Greenfly for example in map hidden (5) Organism that feeds off another performs a traipse overturned (8) Noun for material Caxton might have produced or verb for psychological bonding of young animal (8) Course, untidy or long-haired (6) Course, untidy or long-haired (6) See 20 Across See 11 Across Embryo or infectious agent of anger management (4)

Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 201, c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ

by Friday, 16th March 2018. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

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