Talk of the Town May 2016

EDITION 179

CIRCULATION 4,800

MAY 2016

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

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SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor I spoke too soon last month when I mentioned that our phone line had been repaired in time to send the magazine to the printers. That was true, but it failed again in a few days and we were without telephone and usually without internet for another three weeks. The BT engineer said he was only doing what the first engineer hadn’t done as well as we had first thought. Our phone is now working perfectly and our internet connection is also much improved. Compiling this month’s magazine should have been fairly routine but on ‘deadline weekend’ my computer must have downloaded a so-called update to the programme in which I put the magazine together. This was, of course, without my permission or

request and initially without my knowledge, but it was soon discovered that something, infuriatingly, had changed. I could no longer edit pictures because the so-called ‘picture toolbar’ had disappeared. For a few days I had to waste time putting each picture into another programme to edit them before copying them back into the magazine. It wasn’t until the magazine was finished that I found the missing picture toolbar.

It had hidden itself to one side. My eyesight isn’t brilliant.

When were they going to tell me? It seems like updates, rather than making improvements, are just a waste of time. Love, Ian. Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by Friday, 20th May 2016) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. Telephone: 01287 623903 (or email: talkofthetown@tyasi.freeserve.co.uk). Talk of the Town has a website: www.tottsaltburn.co.uk and the Friends of Talk of the Town can be found on Facebook.

Saltburn Farmers’ Market: The popular monthly Farmers' Market takes place on Saturday, 14th May, with more than 35 stalls brimming with good locally produced food, drink and art. Starts 9am. And planning is well underway for this year’s Saltburn Food Festival, which takes place this year on Sunday, 31st July. See our story on page 16, (or visit Craft Club Busy Fingers: 2nd and 4th Thursday of each www.saltburnfarmersmarket.com). month, 1.30 till 3.30pm in the Coffee Room, Saltburn The Guisborough and District Branch of the Community Centre.

Embroiderers’ Guild are holding their monthly meeting on Saltburn Vintage Fair 2016: a spectacular launch event on 1st Saturday, 7th May, 2016 at 2pm in Sunnyfield House, May to let local vintage fans know it is back on the map! The Westgate, Guisborough TS14 6BA. Our speaker will be Julia event is The Seaside Vintage Fair, and is being held at Saltburn Tristan and her subject will be Identity and Intimacy. On 2nd Community Hall. For this launch event there will be a best July our speaker will be Nona Jenkins and her subject is vintage dressed competition, random gift give-aways American Quilts – The Underground Railway. Visitors are throughout the day, visitors can get a free vintage-style photo of welcome whether non-stitchers, beginners or more themselves with our professional photographer and vintage experienced stitchers. The car park behind Belmont House props. There will also be a pop-up tea room with delicious (council offices) is free on Saturday. For more information cakes, soup, and snacks which are all suitable for vegans / dairy please contact 01642 314860.

Linda intolerances. We have some fantastic vintage traders lined up, Back to the beach! Eebydrum! will play on the beach on and are supporting Teesside Hospice and Age Concern.

Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2-4pm and on Sunday 5th Full details here: https://www.facebook.com/ June. We also invite you to our practice sessions at Toc-H off events/903273456454394/ and see also Facebook.com/ Albion Terrace at 7pm on Fridays, 13th and 27th May. We heartisanevents and the colour advert on page 19. also run after-school sessions for primary-aged children at Sarah Iveson Huntcliff School (Mondays 3.30-430pm) as well as regular WI Report: Another busy month for the ladies of Saltburn WI. sessions with special needs groups. We also play at charity At our meeting on April 14th the speaker was Denise Graham and fundraising events. Contact us through Colin at who gave us an informative and interesting talk about the cattersty@ntlworld.com/ or phone 07834 213 543. production of tea bags. We hadn’t realised just how much Emmanuel Church Hall Table Top and Collectors’ Sale: expertise goes into making the 300 million bags produced each the sales resume in April after a short break in March. The week. sales are on Saturdays 7th and 21st May then 4th and 18th of In addition to our monthly meeting we have enjoyed a June. FREE ENTRANCE and a warm welcome to everyone. full programme of events. Everything from walks to Flower With over 26 stall holders, selling lots of bric-a-brac, books, class. Supper club to cookery master classes. There really is toys, baby goods, and all sorts of collectables, and some something for everyone. We were looking forward to crafts, there is something for everyone. Home made celebrating the Queen’s 90th birthday with a tea party on April refreshments and light lunches are on sale all day. Our all day 21st. breakfast and lunches and popular home baked stall are Our next meeting will be on Thursday, 12th May at 7.30 always available. Our kitchen is very busy and popular. in the Methodist church hall in Milton Street. If you like to join Following her recovery from an operation, Denise says, “I am us you can be sure of a warm and friendly welcome. You can feeling really well at the moment, going on long walks and find more details of our activities on our website not out of breath. It’s great.” (www.saltburnwi.org.uk).

Contact Denise Marshall on 07929 589538.

Diane Falla Cover Illustration: Beside the Fossil Garden by Margaret Grant 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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National Service Part 5: Cruising the Mediterranean

Disembarking from MV Cheshire

Palm Beach, Benghazi

We boarded the troopship MV Cheshire which was originally a first class passenger ship now converted for carrying more passengers than intended. We were allocated our mess decks and then allowed on deck to watch our departure from England. Our exit from the River Mersey was via a buoyed channel with submerged wrecks of many ships showing on either side, the results of the second world war bombing.

After a sumptuous meal we were then subjected to lifeboat drill and how to wear our life jackets. On the mess deck we noticed lots of hooks above; these we discovered were for slinging our hammocks. One of the crew gave us a swift demonstration of how to sling our hammocks, and how to get into them complete with blanket. The crew no doubt retired to a corner to enjoy the fun and games that followed. Tying the knots to the hooks for our hammocks was the first challenge then getting into the hammock complete with blanket was the next hurdle. Many were deposited on the deck after they discovered in a very sudden fashion that they had not acquired the correct knot fixing. Once the hammock was secure getting in was a skill which was learned only by getting in one side then being tipped out the other side.

Eventually we were all secure in our hammocks by lights out although the deck was still lit by a blue lighting system. When I awoke during the night and looked around it seemed that all the hammocks were swinging in unison but the reality was that the ship was rolling in the swell.

The following morning all the hammocks had to be stowed before we could use the mess tables.

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Valette Harbour

Together with a colleague our duty was to mess stewards which meant going to the galley and bringing the food to the table. There were twelve to a table. The ship by this time was rolling quite steadily in the rough Irish Sea. On arrival back to the mess deck there was only one person sat at the table, the rest were apparently leaning over the rail so we enjoyed rather more food than we should. As a bonus there was less crockery to wash after breakfast. It was the same for the other two meals of the day before everybody found their sea legs.

Our last sight of the British Isles was Bishop Rock Lighthouse on the Scilly Islands. Crossing the Bay of Biscay, the sea was very kind to us and the next sighting of land was Cape St Vincent on the Southern tip of the Portuguese coast. We were impressed by sighting The Rock of Gibraltar as we entered the Mediterranean Sea, the sea itself was as calm as a mill pond. Flying fish and porpoises were seen most of the day.

Then the order came to change into tropical kit. We ran into some very rough weather: the ship was rolling very badly and water was cascading over the deck. It was certainly an exciting experience as was also witnessing a water spout and the island of Pantelleria.

Our first port of call was Malta where we sailed into Vallette Harbour at 6.00am. Unfortunately I was detailed for guard duty at the armoury which was deep in the bowels of the ship. I was only able to get a brief look at the harbour where there was an aircraft carrier, other Royal Navy ships and a large floating dry dock. All the buildings on the dockside bore evidence of the severe bombing that the island had suffered.

Our next port of call was Benghazi, in modern day Libya, which was our disembarking port. The ship dropped anchor outside the Benghazi harbour and we went ashore in a converted landing craft ship, during the boarding of which we had to carry all our equipment down a very steep gangway. One of our colleagues managed to drop his kit bag into the sea between the ship and the landing craft. It was quickly retrieved by the native crew of the craft but was very soggy and heavy. The harbour was full of sunken ships. War damage was to be seen everywhere. Our first impressions were depressing. This was the beginning of another exciting stage of National Service.

Cath and Tony Lynn

Same chef and owner for over 6 years

SALTBURN METHODIST CHURCH Milton Street, Saltburn.

Sunday Services at 10.45 a.m.

Looking for that special gift and card?

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

Now also available online.

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

Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries

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

Cllr. Thomson: 01287 624883.

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

Sunday school 10.45 a.m.

Mid week worship Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Prayer Meeting Tuesday at 1.30 p.m.

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

MONDAYS AT EIGHT LADIES GROUP at 8 p.m.

COFFEE MORNINGS: WEDNESDAY 10 - 11.45 a.m.

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

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

See notice board for other events.

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

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

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Once Upon a Time in the Wapentake If my memory serves me well, I finished my last month’s article on possible ways of avoiding catastrophic climate change by asking can we afford it; can we afford the measures that need to be taken. The immediate, obvious retort has to be: can we afford not to?

Consider this: it has been suggested that a very large chunk of the world’s wealth has been invested in companies that deal in fossil fuels, in coal mines and oil wells. That’s where much of our savings, our pension funds, our insurance premiums, have been deposited, not by us personally, of course, but by the financial institutions that manage these funds. And the energy companies are worth billions, trillions even, because they hold vast reserves of oil and gas and coal. But they are only potentially worth that if they can be extracted and burnt. If they have to stay in the ground, they are worth nothing, and all our worldly wealth evaporates.

But there must be ways of avoiding total meltdown.

Financial institutions could start diverting their funds into the kind of green industries that will replace the carbon burners: solar power, wind farms etc. For that matter the energy firms could themselves start diversifying into cleaner forms of power. No doubt there will be financial hiccups, or worse, but financial crises can be overcome. They have been in the past. An irreversible change in the world’s climate cannot be overcome. That we cannot survive.

That is the general global picture. But do we have a particularly special problem in this country? We are repeatedly told that sacrifices have to be made, because there is so much we cannot afford any more: libraries for example or proper care for the elderly and disabled.

Amongst these things that we can’t afford, apparently, are the very things we need to do to avert climate change in the future, grants for solar panels, for example, and the things we need to do to deal with its existing consequences, flood control measures and the like. What is so surprising is that the same people who tell us how poor we are, will, sometimes in the same speech, tell us how wonderfully well our economy is doing, how extraordinarily prosperous we all are. Which is true: rich or skint? Certainly certain parts of the country seem to be doing very well indeed. Vast amounts of money are flowing into the City of London (by way of the Isle of Man or the British Virgin Isles).

Unfortunately much of this is hot money, which is to say that corrupt dictators or cocaine cartels wanting somewhere safe to stash their ill-gotten gains, or simply perfectly respectable companies wanting to put their money somewhere the tax men can’t touch it…and where no questions will be asked. One of the problems with hot money is that it can easily evaporate, or at least go somewhere else where the rules are even less strict. Another problem is that it has fed the bubble economy. You have ten million dirty dollars that want to turn respectable, so you use it to buy property in a posh part of town. You’re not going to live there, of course. That’s not the point. You are buying something for ten million that you know you can sell next year for fifteen million. And such bubbles always burst. And in the meantime, virtually nobody can afford to 6

live in Central London and, increasingly, anywhere else.

But if we are not really rich, and savings will have to be made, is there anything that we can do without? I think there is. I have written before about how much our rulers love grandiose mega-projects, our version of the Pyramids of Egypt that will give them immortality, so I am repeating myself. Sorry. There is High Speed Rail. Our railways desperately need investment, but I believe there are much cheaper ways of increasing capacity and speeding up journeys, and which would improve services to Saltburn. However, I am hoping to produce a pamphlet detailing my ideas, so I won’t go into them here. Then there is Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power station. Only two of a similar design are under construction, one in France, one in Finland. One is five years behind schedule, the other nine years. Both are wildly over budget. The company that will build and operate the plant seems increasingly reluctant to do so, despite being guaranteed a price for the electricity produced that will be three times the market price. It will be massively subsidised, and huge amounts of energy will have to be expended in mining and refining the uranium fuel, and building the plant. This will be justified as reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, despite there being much cheaper and more efficient ways of doing so, the very ways for which subsidies are being cut.

But the biggest waste of money, by far, the real white elephant in the room which we’re not supposed to mention is, I believe, the proposed replacement of the Trident Missile Submarines. A Conservative MP has calculated this will, eventually, cost a total of £170 billion. His figures have not been challenged. But, the argument goes, an independent nuclear deterrent is essential for our defence, despite most countries in the world not feeling the need for such a thing, and despite it being difficult to see how it could be used defensively, difficult to see any circumstances in which it could be used at all. Might it not be reasonable to ask the armed forces whether they would prefer the £170 billion to be spent on giving them the tools to fight the real wars that we ask them to fight?

So what is it for? Michael Portillo, a former Conservative Defence Minister, put it rather neatly when he said we had such things so our leaders could continue to pretend that they were members of the big boys’ club, waving their big boys’ toys around. (He didn’t actually say toys.) Except they’re not really with the big boys, because the big boys have their own toys, while the Trident missiles, and their replacement, are American, and there is no way they could be used without the approval of the USA. Any other reasons? To keep jobs? That kind of money, spent on flood defence (defence against a real and present danger) would create far more employment. And the argument that seems to be most convincing at the moment: no political party could dare go into an election saying they would not replace Trident. In the last General Election the SNP said just that…and, I seem to remember, did quite well.

Tim Beswick

Real Meals Purveyors of Fine Foods

What do you buy for that hard to buy for person?

Real Meals has introduced a new range of 'Make Your Own Kits' Choose from 6 kits including: Make your own Cheese - mozzarella/ricotta or goats Make your own Bacon and even a Chilli Ginger-Ginger Beer Plant!

They range in price from £5.95 and in May you'll get 15% off with this advert.

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

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

New email address: realmeals.uk@gmail.com

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

Councillors’ Column With the Combined Authority up and running, one piece of good news is that priority has been given to improving infrastructure, in particular the rail networks. Darlington station is to be restructured to eliminate main line and local branch crossings and therefore allow a much better service all -round. This could allow what is known as ‘clock face’ timetabling. The clock is ticking.

Most recent housing market projections indicate not only a lower need for new build but more emphasis on single households and reflect the much increased demand for bungalows. The Borough population is not expected to grow much if any by 2035 but the demographic change will reflect quite clearly a populace where those aged over 65 will make up almost 29% of the local inhabitant mix. The implications are clear. The traditional working age population is decreasing therefore someone has to carry out the work that still has to be done. This has obvious implications, indeed.

Working after aged 65 may become much more of a normal occurrence if the younger age population is not to grow or the use of robotics is not to increase.

It is likely that more care homes will be required. In a town already with well above the average supply there are further questions to be answered. Despite the ever increasing conversion of Victorian properties into dwellings of multiple occupation, the need for affordable housing, either to rent or to purchase, is not going away.

These factors should weigh heavily on the details of proposed build when the detailed planning application for

development on the Marske Road site comes before the Regulatory Committee shortly. More bungalows and smaller units of affordable housing is the market demand order of the day. These planning decisions should be taken in May. Other important decisions to be taken in this month include the choosing of a Police and Crime Commissioner, hopefully to give greater emphasis on community policing in East Cleveland. High on the agenda should be a need to address the recent history of ‘rot at the top’, which has reflected badly on those conscientious and dedicated servants of the people who are at the sharp end of law enforcement.

The Post Office is another body making decisions.

Requests have been made at various levels not to progress with the intended move out of the retail centre of the town.

Given the complex nature of some decision taking this is not a straightforward case of relocation. A specific request has been submitted to defer a final decision until a convincing, thorough evaluation of all alternative sites has been exhaustively conducted.

For those still interested in building and development but tired of the vagaries of the planning process and the procrastination over decision making, an opportunity for some serious alternative mind stretching is afforded through an exciting exhibition at Kirkleatham, a local village. Here, from the 7th May, some of the most iconic buildings in the world are reconstructed for our admiration in LEGO brick.

Philip Thomson 7

Saltburn Library and Friends of Saltburn Library On Tuesday the 17th May at 2.00pm Angela from “Ripping Yarns” will be the guest speaker at Friends of Saltburn Library’s monthly series of talks. Angela is known by Barbara, a member of the Friends, and therefore can assure that all knitters and crafters are in for an interesting and informative afternoon. She will be displaying different wools and crafts alongside wool which is for sale. Also discussed will be the very worthwhile workshops which she organises and runs. Beautiful British wool will be discussed along with garments and patterns on display. Friends of Saltburn Library will also be providing knitted and crafted goods for sale, so look out for a bargain! And as usual refreshments will be served. Don’t miss out!

Future Tuesday afternoon events include our very own Liz and Steve returning to sing again in June and also the return (in July) of the Tribal Marsquers, the American tribal style belly dancers, accompanied this time by drummer Colin Grant. We have a whole programme of events for the year so pop into the library and pick up a leaflet. There will be something on there of interest to everyone!

Looking forward to the half term holiday in May we are pleased to say that the Friends will be funding a visit by

the popular Hippo Pot a Mess - create your own pot to take away. There will be a small charge per child for this and numbers will be limited, so please pop into the Library to get a ticket and secure your place. The event will be on Wednesday, 1st June at 2.00pm.

There will also be a craft and activity session on Thursday, 2nd June at 2pm.

Here is just a reminder of our regular children’s activities. On Mondays and Wednesdays at 10.0010.45am we have Rhymetime. You and your child can enjoy a session of singing and playing musical instruments followed by toy time. We also have a Pop in and Play session on Wednesdays at 2.00-3.00pm - a great way to meet up and chat with other parents. On Thursdays after school, we plan to relaunch our crafts sessions at 3.30-4.30pm.

For any further information you can ring us on 01287 623584 or email us (at saltburn_library@redcarcleveland.gov.uk).

Tracey Saltburn Library and Tourist Information Windsor Road, Saltburn-by-the-Sea Yorkshire TS12 1AT

Friends of Saltburn Cemetery Welcome to all after the winter break. Now that spring is here we can start work again making the cemetery clean, green and safe for people to tend graves or just stroll around the cemetery.

There has been a tremendous amount of rain this winter and the SW corner of the cemetery is extremely wet.

The borough council are looking into what can be done to alleviate the problem with extra drainage as winters are forecast to get wetter.

On Saturday, 7th May volunteers for a litter pick and clean up are required: please meet at cemetery gates at

10am; the number to call is 07400 750500 for any willing volunteers.

We will be planting out plants and flowers in May. Anyone with spare plants or flowers may leave them in the driveway of 13 Highfield road, Marske after the 1st of May. The AGM for Friends of the Cemetery will be held on Tuesday, 24th May at 5.00pm in Saltburn library; all are welcome. Our new website address in Friends of Saltburn Cemetery 2016 (or E-Mail rocketrobbo@hotmail.co.uk).

Saltburn and District Group for Visually Impaired People At our April meeting we were joined again by Pam from COESI – Centre of Excellence for Sensory Impairment.

Last month Pam introduced us to the idea of Living Paintings, and this month she brought us two pictures to Feel.

We were given a picture of the painting and sculpture for those with some sight and also a Thermoform version which is a tactile copy of the same object. Once we had oriented ourselves we were played an audio description of the picture and then were guided around the tactile version. The first we ‘looked’ at was The Meeting of Jacob and Rachael, by William Dyce, from 1850. this was a very busy picture and, as beginners, we found it a bit too complicated – even those with sight!

Secondly, we had a picture and thermoform of The Kiss, a sculpture by Constantin Brancusi from 1908. This 8

was much less cluttered with detail and easier to follow. Overall it kept us busy and much discussion followed about our experience.

Further information about Living Paintings can be obtained from COESI on 01287 204 204.

On 11th May we will be joined by David who will introduce us to On Line Today, from RNIB. This is a project to get as many visually impaired and hearing impaired people as possible, on line. This replaces a meeting we had planned earlier in the year which was cancelled at short notice.

Please join us in the Coffee Lounge, Community Centre, Albion Terrace, Saltburn from 2pm. For further information please call Chris Ferguson on 01287 204170.

A small charge is made to cover room hire and refreshments.

FreeSoul Arts Festival “The Freesoul is rare – but you know when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them” - Charles Bukowski.

It was a summer’s day in June 2015 when Booma and Julie (Founders of Freesoul Arts Ltd) met the first time at a friend’s birthday party in Carlin How. Right from the beginning they knew that they were destined to meet and it took only two weeks that they found out why.

Booma, dance teacher, DJ, music producer, traveller, practitioner, creator, artist...first came to Saltburn 5 years ago to create and deliver a street dance community project “EVOLUTION” in Carlin How which still continues today. He has further worked in many schools in the local area. With his long background as an arts practitioner in the North he soon made many artistic connections and friends in and around Saltburn. He found he also loved the coastal region for its beauty and unique vibe. Today Booma still continues to find time to travel the world, running and participating in international exchanges and projects, collaborating with artists from all art forms, as well as working and producing his debut album, “Finally after many, many years”...!

Julie, a restless world traveller and founder of Blossom of the Soul (Online Magazine for conscious and authentic living) fell in love with Saltburn in 2013 after a friend from Middlesbrough took her on a day trip to the seaside. Only 6 months after her visit to Saltburn she gave up everything in her home country, Germany to find a new life in the arms of Saltburn. She quickly found a place to live, made new friends and for the first time in her life she felt like she had found home. Being part of the creative and friendly community of the small Victorian seaside resort has changed her life forever. The creative and artistic spirit of Saltburn lifted Julie’s soul in a way she never experienced before. She became an active member of the community and took part in many events that happened in and around town.

“Me and Booma arranged a meeting in Real Meals for a cuppa to chat about things as we felt that we wanted to deepen our new friendship. During our chat we both experienced our passion for music, arts and outdoor festivals. I immediately knew that Booma was similar to me, a Freesoul with the passion in his heart to make things happen, the spirit to bring change into the world, and he loved Saltburn and its community as much as I did.”

It took another 3 months till Booma and Julie found a form how to bring their vision alive but also to create something that would bring a positive impact to

the local community. The setting up of Freesoul Arts Ltd (a non-profit company) was the ideal thing to bring their vision alive, a creative, cultural and peaceful arts organisation with the aim to promote music and the arts to enrich the lives of all who share and partake. Furthermore their aim is to promote cultural, peaceful and social tolerance as well as to bring a long lasting change to the community.

Together they created the vision of establishing an annual pioneering and leading multicultural music and arts festival in the Redcar and Cleveland area. This festival should be a platform to promote, showcase and nurture new upcoming talents and existing artists from within the region, the UK and overseas featuring arts workshops, arts and crafts makers, food stalls and creative performances along with developing an educational youths’ arts day, all with the aim of celebrating the diversity, creativity and culture within the arts in the beautiful location of Saltburnby-the-Sea. After months of hard work and many sleepless nights their vision now should become reality on the 10th /11th of June 2016, so long as funding is approved by the Arts Council. The first Freesoul Arts Festival is then to be announced to take place in the Valley Gardens, with added supported by local businesses and artists.

On the same day there will be a Body, Mind and Spirit Fayre from 10am – 5pm. The entry is free and a lot of interesting stalls and public speakers will welcome everyone in Brockley Hall Hotel.

In addition to that Booma and Julie close the Festival with an “Aftersoul” Party from 9.30pm at the newly opened Brockley Hall which will bring a great opportunity to celebrate and dance into the night. Live DJs will include “Simian Sound System, BOOMBOOM” and others to be announced. Tickets will be limited to 120 people and will be available in local shops/community venues in Saltburn (to be announced) as well as on the night at Brockley Hall itself.

Further info: www.freesoulfestival.com Email: freesoulartsfestival@gmail.com 9

Saltburn Beachwatch Great British Beach Clean 2015 Results On the 9th of April 2016, 31 adults and children removed 22 bags of rubbish from Saltburn beach in 2 hours weighing 104.5kg and consisting of a whopping 5,082 items.

In the August 2015 edition of Talk of the Town I wrote that the beach was the cleanest I had seen it in the 14 years that I had known it and that it remained to be seen whether this was a positive trend or just a blip.

Unfortunately the Great British Beach Clean (GBBC) results show that it was the latter as the overall figures have shown an increase in litter on most British beaches.

The rising tide of litter between 2014 and 2015 shows that the increase is getting larger.

It has been a record year both good and bad. In September 2015 a record 6,035 volunteers attended the GBBC but another record was broken too. This was the record 3,298 items of rubbish picked up per kilometre of beach surveyed. This breaks down into categories with Non Sourced the highest at 44.7%. Non sourced so called as it is difficult to work out where most of this litter comes from as it includes tiny bits of plastic and polystyrene pieces, bits of rubber, cloth, metal, wood, paper etc.

The second largest category is litter left by the public at 31.7% items like plastic bags, bottles, food containers, dog-poo bags, glass, cigarette packets/stubs and clothing.

Fishing accounted for 11.3% of the total which included lines, nets, weights, lures and hooks.

Sewage related debris was 6.3% of the total and this is the stuff that people put down the loo when it should go in the bin, like cotton bud sticks, wet wipes, condoms, tampon applicators and toilet fresheners.

Shipping made up 4.3% of the total-lots of litter that gets dropped or is lost or thrown overboard from small craft to large cargo ships. Shipping litter can include pallets, oil drums and rope.

Fly tipping (1.4%) includes illegally dumped items such as white goods, car parts, paint tins and rubble.

Finally, Medical litter comes in at just 0.2% which thankfully is small but we still find plasters, syringes, needles and inhalers.

All this litter has led to a 34% increase in marine litter on UK beaches in the year 2014 to 2015 with 7 out of 10 items being made of plastic. With increases on this scale it is evident that current legislation to stop litter reaching the sea and beaches around our coast is not working. From public litter to industrial waste, fishing litter to fly tipping this problem is of our own making and it is up to us to fix it.

If you would like to help at the next Saltburn Beachwatch litterpick and survey please see notices in this magazine or the Saltburn Beachwatch facebook page.

Roy Smith 10

Saltburn Photographic Society Summer outdoor meetings have been arranged. In May a visit to Newton Woods to photograph the bluebells is arranged. In June there will be a visit to Guisborough. In July: South Gare and in August: Whitby.

Meeting time at the venue is 7.00pm. If you would like to join our members, please phone Tony Lynn 01287 622519 for details.

Also, members’ work is being exhibited at Kirkleatham Museum during April and May.

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

Tel: 01287 625700 Mob: 07775 610745

Saltburn Cliff Lift back open for the summer The hugely popular Saltburn Cliff Lift, one of the town’s biggest tourist attractions, was back open to the public from Friday, March 25th at 11am.

The water-balancing lift, an iconic piece of engineering, has been in operation since 1884. It is believed to be one of the oldest working funiculars tramways in the UK. During the winter months the cliff lift closes to the public, but is now back open for the summer season.

Councillor Carl Quartermain, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Skills and Leisure at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council said: “I am delighted the cliff lift is back open to the public for the summer season. Over 165,000 people took the trip up and down the lift last year, which is fantastic, so let’s see if we can exceed those numbers this year.”

For more information on the cliff lift, please visit: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/clifflift.

Valley Players Confirming that ‘Best Foot Forward’ starring award winning actresses Sally Lewis and Marjorie Wilson, will be performed on Saturday, May 7th at the Earthbeat Centre. The evening will begin at 7.30pm and will include some poetry readings from our youth. A bar will be available and tickets priced at £6 and £4 can be purchased from the Book Corner or on the door.

Djenane

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The SUSTRANS track to Saltburn-by-the-Sea Whenever I walk, cycle or ride to a town I feel an emotion connected to my destination: to arrive with the anticipation of belonging to my destination, either to recapture the excitement of a possible past visit or in discovery of pastures new. Enter Saltburn, the North Yorkshire renaissance seaside town of culture. Saltburn: an architectural town of natural beauty energised by its purchase atop mighty ancient cliffs, supported by the singular magic of its valley gardens with quiet hidden secret spaces. Then within the town we find a cafe culture bringing vocal energy with rich conversation between visitors and residents. When the brass band plays, the bandstand promenade fills with the town’s people about their leisure and with music, music as rich in harmony today as those first Victorian days.

Annual events bring dedicated focus to the summer holiday weeks and open the hearts of this town’s communities with fellowship for they get involved, they participate in folk music, jazz, theatre and poetry, of water sports, sand castles, ice cream and our families at leisure.

To be in Saltburn is to take a photograph, then another moments later within its changing broad seascape of Constable skies, skies where artists in camera paint with gold and silver shimmering light. Above within the seaside terrace, studio windows overlook a cathedral bay. These vistas hold each an artist’s easel composing a canvas where paint becomes the life of colour in a moment, to paint a sunrise or a sunset across a north facing coast to reflect a composition across wet sand in a tidal flood.

This then is Saltburn-by-the-Sea, one of the many seaside towns along the Sustrans NCN1 track that traverses the east coast from Dover to John O’ Groats. The Sustrans Redcar Rangers look after the section from Staithes through to the river Tees barrage. In particular, we have looked after a short section from Marske through to Saltburn as it runs past the head of Hazelgrove and the allotments. Over the last five years with the encouragement of Councillor Philip Thompson as part of the Sustrans wildlife diversity culture, the Rangers have cleared hundreds of sacks of fly tipping out of the head of Hazelgrove, cleared large areas of the none fruiting briers to access hundreds of littered bottles, cans and plastic bags.

We are reseeding these areas with wild flower seeds, and so far we have seeded £300 worth, with another £160 in donated seed being laid this year. Why not take a walk or ride your bike along the route in the early summer to discover this quiet backwater in bloom amongst the bees, the peacock butterflies set within an English display of wild flowers.

This route has a cycle counting meter which registers each time a bike passes. In 2014 this was 36,000, and in 2015 54,000. We also saw hundreds of residents walking their dogs and since the high profile volunteer efforts, these walkers have adopted by example, to self clean their special place. While further, thousands of people use the path monthly to walk to work and school as well as to travel from the borough’s vast built up conurbations to visit Saltburn’s unique surreal vantage, as an island town bounded by its green hills and picturesque promenade. Here to walk amongst its tiny shops, to be entertained, to enjoy the town’s amazing fish and chips and then in the evening to revel within its cafe cocktail culture while eating delicious restaurant cuisine.

Perhaps we can tap into the good offices of Saltburn Parish Council or the 500 Club to help enhance this track into their renaissance town, being as it is, the major access point for tourists and the outlying community. What more does it need? Possibly a sign to say welcome to Saltburn with pictures and an information board. Cumulatively I feel this wild flower meadow is just as an important part of Saltburn in Bloom as the cultivated flower beds. Also we need some new volunteers to champion and help maintain and refresh the community garden. Personally, I would like to see a garden seat facing the wild flower meadow on the allotment corner backing the railway line, so the likes of Richard Mann, now 84 years old, who cleaned the track as a volunteer for nearly ten years, can sit and watch the flowers dance in a breeze under summer sunshine. Who knows, many could join him. This is your destination end, your masterpiece, your wildlife canvas, so enjoy it, as I do.

Philip Chisholm

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 12

SALTBURN EVANGELICAL CHURCH Leven Street, Saltburn

Seeking to be more like Jesus and sharing His love with those around us.

"We love Him because He first loved us."

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

or email: simon.robson1@ntlworld.com

SCA2gallery

Musical Patterns 11th April – 11th June After returning from a 7 year visit to Australia, where he first developed his pattern imagery, Martyn WyndhamRead was commissioned in the 1960s to do a mural in Carnaby Street. Soon after this the music took over and Martyn has been singing and touring internationally for 50 years. He has now resumed creating visual imagery and in this exhibition will show a collection of his own recent abstract patterns which sit happily with the current vogue for colouring-in. The imagery has a more complex conception than the routine and provides an opportunity to consider basic perceptual and emotional concerns.

His drawings are both obvious and mysterious at the same time. They can be read as simple exercises in catching the eye or they can be interpreted as psychological statements of what at first sight seems to be a balanced mind; Martyn’s cheerful manner gives nothing away.

As part of its Reach Out programme and part of its desire to involve the audience in its exhibitions viewers are invited to give their titles to the exhibits. These will be shown alongside Martyn’s during the final two weeks of the show and should be sent or given to Trev Wardle c/o SC&AA, Albion Terrace, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS12 1JW. All the drawings on show are for sale along with a series of limited edition Giclee prints specially produced in time for the exhibition in Saltburn.

Shane Slater Plumbing & Heating All aspects of domestic plumbing

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Saltburn Station Gallery Update As promised in last month’s Talk of the town: an update on the amount raised over the Easter weekend. Saltburn Station Gallery held an Easter draw over the weekend with kind donations of prizes from artist Alan Tollinton with a large bar of chocolate made by Saltburn’s Chocolinis and a one-off print that found a new home in Bristol, as well as Sean and Sue from the gallery. The amount raised was £100 and has been sent to Children with Cancer UK. Sean and Sue would like to thank Alan for his kind donation, and all our customers for their support to this worthwhile cause.

Megan’s Mind

As you might have noticed, I did not write anything in last month’s magazine. This was because I had just started a new job and I was a busy bee! I’m back this month though, with a potential new job and a partially ruptured Achilles Tendon!

I’m not saying anything about the potential new job because I don’t want to give myself bad luck by talking about it! I have lots of tests to pass to get it though and I’m a bit nervous! But my injury, I had had bad tendonitis for a few months but for no apparent reason. Doctors and physiotherapists think it is to do with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome but they are not sure.

Anyway, I was walking down the stairs and I felt a snap. I collapsed to the floor very dramatically and then had to crawl everywhere. I only fell down two stairs though so I didn’t really hurt myself. My mum and I then went to accident and emergency because I couldn’t put any pressure on it and was advised to go to the hospital by a musculo- skeletal therapist and by Google, so off we went. The doctor there was very lovely although she did hurt me a bit when she pressed on my tendon! I was referred to a physiotherapist who then referred me to another physiotherapist and for an ultrasound scan. It’s very sore and I can’t exercise properly with it but I do what I can. I’m looking forward to when it’s all healed because it’s not very comfortable to walk on. It is starting to annoy me now but the doctor and the physiotherapist both said that it will take about six to eight weeks to be healed. Hope that goes quick because it makes me stressed.

My mum and I both have big birthdays this year and we’re going on holiday to celebrate. I think we are going to Disneyland Paris for Halloween. That’s after both our birthdays but we want to see it as an occasion. We were going to go at Christmas but decided that we wanted to go to the Halloween Party that Disney throw! We’ve been to Disneyland a few times before but we haven’t been for eight years and I think it’s one of my favourite places so I’m really excited to go. The first time I went to Disneyland I trapped my finger in a fire door and the end of my finger pretty much came off. I was rushed to hospital for stitches and now my little finger that was trapped in the door looks ugly! I get acrylic nails put on though so it hides it a little bit but I can still tell. I think you would only know about it if I pointed it out to you as well. I think what gives it away the most is the fast that it’s bent, which you can see even with false nails on.

Under the false nail, my natural nail grows funny and there is an obvious scar underneath, and around the sides where I had to have it stitched back on. Not very nice but surprisingly not painful at all! I wonder if I was just in shock, as it was very scary to see my finger and then to touch it and all of a sudden be able to see my bone. Fifteen years later and I’m still traumatised. It hasn’t put me off Disneyland though! Megan 14

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Candidates for Police and Crime Commissioner election The candidates nominated to contest the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner election for the Cleveland Police Force Area have been announced.

Four candidates will be on the ballot paper for the election, which takes place on Thursday, May 5th.

They are: Sultan Alam (Independent), John Barry Coppinger (The Labour Party), Steve Matthews (UK Independence Party – UKIP) and Matthew Alexander Vickers (The Conservative Party Candidate).

For more information on the candidates standing, go to www.choosemypcc.org.uk.

October in Troisdorf, Germany?

Would you like to spend a few days during October half-term with a German family in our twin town of Troisdorf?

If so, please contact the Redcar & Cleveland Twinning Association for further information and a booking-form, either email our Secretary Emma at secretary@redcarandclevelandtwinningassociation.org.uk ( o r v i a o u r w e b s i t e : www.redcarandclevelandtwinningassociation,org.uk).

We will be setting off on Sunday, 23rd October via the overnight ferry from Hull, arriving in Troisdorf on Monday, 24th. We will stay there with our host families for four nights, with daily excursions around Troisdorf, Bonn and Cologne included, as well as a cabin and meals on board the return ferry crossings.

We’ll leave Germany on Friday, 28th and arrive back home on the morning of Saturday, 29th. The total travel cost will not exceed £300 per person, plus a contribution in Euros to our German friends to cover some of the local excursion costs.

This is a great opportunity to get to know what life in modern-day Germany is like for ordinary families; don’t worry if you don’t speak German as most hosts will be able to speak English and there will always be German-speaking English travel companions from the Twinning Association available to help out as necessary.

Still interested? Please contact us as soon as possible as we need to confirm numbers by 30th June – a deposit of £100 will secure your place on the coach, with the maximum £200 balance payable in full by the end of August.

Pamela Stenson, Chair of the Redcar & Cleveland Twinning Association e-mail: chairman@redcarandclevelandtwinningassociation.org.uk 15

Saltburn in Bloom Last year at this time I wrote how lovely Saltburn was looking in the warm Spring sunshine, but the last couple of weeks this year have been miserable. Other parts of the country had their warmest day of the year, as my cousin in Nottingham gloated that they had been sunning themselves in the garden, but of course we suffer because we live on the East coast.

Owing to the wet ground we have not been able to get on the gardens and have tried to weed without stepping on the soil! On April 22nd the Northumbria in Bloom judges were visiting so we hope the weather will have improved by then as, at the moment Saltburn is looking rather bedraggled.

Councillor Smith and I had a meeting with some Council officers this week, when we discussed the dreadful spraying on the grassy areas all around the town. We received an apology and explanation of a mistake made by a member of the Spraying team. We also discussed the actual need for spraying, the training regime and procedures being put in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again. I hope the judges recognise the tremendous effort that groups like ours put into caring for the different areas of the town.

Our gardeners continue to meet every Wednesday between 9.30 and 11.30, when the weather permits, in different locations around the town. It is an ideal situation that the group meets so regularly, but everyone still has the freedom to pursue their interests. We all enjoy being out in the fresh air among like-minded people doing something for our community and of course enjoy the coffee break and chat! We would certainly welcome some new faces! I email the group weekly giving the arrangements for the following week and volunteers turn up when they can and work within their own capabilities.

Some of the gardeners grow plants at home for planting in the tubs and gardens, with the emphasis being on pollinator friendly perennials, and this cuts down the costs of buying plants. If anyone has any spare plants during the year or if you are splitting perennials we would be happy to receive them. Saltburn in Bloom are holding a Table top at the Community Centre on May 21st and we are having a stall where we sell plants. Roy sells good plants at reasonable prices and if you have any spare plants he would gladly sell those.

I would like to thank residents and businesses who have made generous monetary donations to our work in recent weeks. We are pleased you like what we do and rest assured we always try to use the money wisely. The sponsorship of floral displays and hanging baskets has gone well, but it is not too late to contribute.

Contact me on 01287 209518 or email lynda_parkes@hotmail.com about any of these matters.

See also the article on page 31.

Lynda Parkes 01287 209518

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).

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Friday Friends Hello! We are a friendship group, based in Saltburn. We welcome people of all abilities, over the age of 18.

Further to the Evening Gazette Wish Tokens we are pleased to say we were awarded £103.60; thanks again to all who saved the tokens for us, and thank you to the Gazette for running such a great scheme.

We have a varied programme of activities which we hope will be of interest: May 6th 10-11 Seated Keep-Fit with Taylor. Bingo.

Painting a runny picture of a flower on the afternoon.

May 13th Sing-a-long with Ian on guitar/Making felt badges.

May 20th A games and quiz morning/Making a collage of an owl.

May 27th Bowling at Saltburn Bowls Club and back to the hall to make paper bracelets.

We meet at Emmanuel Church Hall, Macnay St, Saltburn, every Friday. Activity mornings 10-12.30. Arts and crafts 1-4. The 1st session is free, carers always free, then there is a charge of £2.50 for a half day or £4 all day. We have tea, coffee and biccies too.

For more info Thefridayfriends@outlook.com or phone 07833 895 501.

Anjee Charman, Chairperson.

A Taste of Things to Come Busy summer ahead for Saltburn’s Foodies

The region’s foodie fans can look forward to a busy few months ahead, with planning for Saltburn Food Festival on Sunday, 31st July now well underway.

Organised by the team behind the town’s popular monthly Farmer’s Market, the 4th annual Food Festival will again see Milton Street transformed into a buzzing Festival village for a day packed full of fun for all the family.

A huge celebration of good local food, it’s all part of a busy day that includes a bustling street market featuring more than 80 of the best independent food producers from the North East and North Yorkshire.

The festival will also have a kitchen academy for children, world street food, a live cookery theatre featuring special guest chefs, outdoor dining and picnic areas, street theatre, a vintage bus as part of the festival’s park & ride scheme, and much more besides.

And many of the Festival’s new stalls will help set the scene for a busy day, by popping up as special guests at the Farmers’ Markets in May, June and July.

More Festival details will be announced in next month’s TOTT but, in the meantime, foodie fans can enjoy another great day at Saltburn Farmers’ Market on Saturday, 14th May, with over 35 stalls brimming with good locally produced food drink and art right in the heart of town.

Market Manager and Festival Director Lorna Jackson said: “We’ve had a great start to the year, with our Markets in March and April both being as enjoyable as ever. We’re looking forward to our Market in May, planning for the food festival is shaping up very nicely, so we’ve got a busy and exciting summer ahead of us here.”

Saltburn Farmers’ Markets: Saturday, 14th May, Saturday, 11th June, and Saturday, 9th July. 9am-2pm.

Saltburn Food Festival: Sunday, 31st July. 10am-4pm.

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Science News Scientists who study cancer have genetically modified the immune system to help it attack tumours in mice. The immune system is the body’s way of fighting against infection and cancer but tumours develop ways of stopping this from happening. The University College London team have managed to manipulate the DNA in immune cells to make it so they can keep up the fight against infections and cancers. This idea is still needed to be tested in human trials, but they said it was still very exciting. Managing to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer is one of the most exciting fields in medicine. A lot of the research that they are doing is focussed on how tumours are able to disable immune cells. Drugs called Pembrolizumab and Nivolumab, are a class of drugs that are called checkpoint inhibitors and they are able to interrupt the tumours stopping the defence, and they are already available for patients. The drugs affect the whole immune system and because of this they do carry some side effects but they are reported to have had some great results in some of the patients. When tested on mice, scientists took T- cells, which kill cancerous tissue from inside the tumour and if the process of the tumour disabling the immune cells was compared to a handshake then these T cells would be cutting off one hand, called PD-1. Their thinking is the immune cells gathering inside the tumour are trained to attack it. Gene editing was then used to change the DNA inside the T cells so that PD-1 was taken away and cancers would not be able to stop them. This process is known as '’cutting the brakes'’. Experiments done on melanoma and fibrosarcoma, the mice’s survival increased from less than twenty percent after sixty days without treatment to more than seventy percent with treatment.

Scientists are worried that after four major tremors happened in the same region in forty eight hours that a catastrophic earthquake is coming. The first of the tremors was in southern Japan and it destroyed buildings and the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Hospital confirmed that there were forty-five people injured, including five who had serious injuries after a quake of magnitude 6.2 to 6.5 and a series of strong aftershocks happened in Kumamoto City. Some tremors were felt as far as five hundred miles away at the national park in India where the Royal couple, Kate and William were visiting. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed and at least six people were believed to be trapped under homes in Mashiki. One woman was rescued in critical condition. According to scientists there has been an above average number of big earthquakes across South Asia and the Pacific since the start of the year.

There are fears of a repeat of the earthquake that happened in Nepal in 2015 where 8,000 died. The second tremor in Japan was a 5.9 magnitude earthquake which happened off the coast of the southern Philippines. Local authorities said there was no tsunami risk and that they had not received any reports of casualties or damages. Another earthquake hot off the coast of the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, according to the United States Geological Survey, was 53 miles from town Port Orly and the fourth one in the immediate area, after a 6.4 tremor hit a week earlier.

Megan Bridge 17

SALTBURN CRICKET CLUB Marske Mill Lane, Tel 01287-622761

Weds 11th & 25th May – BINGO – eyes down 8.00pm Thurs 12th May QUIZ NIGHT £5 inc pie & peas, 7.30pm prompt (in aid of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Funds)

Wed 18th May U3A QUIZ – 7.30pm prompt Sat 28th May – SALTBURN BLUES CLUB keeping music live in Saltburn. GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND/ DEVENPORT Tickets £10 with 10% discount for Club members Sunday 29th May Saltburn Athletic Football Club presents a BAND NIGHT featuring NO REGRETS tickets £5 playing 70s, 80s and modern hits *Free WiFi in Club * BIG screen TV showing SKY sports etc *

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Members and non-members welcome.

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

New Friends for the Valley?

Friends of the Valley are now looking for volunteers to help get the Woodland centre open. Since the days when we had the luxury of a full-time Countryside Warden based at the Centre, it’s been closed except for our events - next up is Saltburn Folk Club’s ‘Folk in the Valley’ on Bank Holiday Monday, May 30th - and when volunteers meet every Friday at 10am to work in the Valley in partnership with the peripatetic Warden Paul Murphy.

The Centre’s also available for private hire, see our website for details.

We’re not looking for wildlife experts, just folk who love our Valley, so the Centre can become a focal point for Saltburners and visitors who want to share knowledge, ideas and experiences. If you’d like to give a couple of hours, say a regular weekly morning or afternoon, get in touch through our website or by contacting Colin at cattersty@ntlworld.com/ or phone 07834 213543.

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SALTBURN BLUES CLUB

Thank you Saltburn residents and all who came to The Community Theatre to enjoy and support Saltburn Rotary Club’s fundraiser, The Grand Ol’ Oprey. 4 nights of music and banter, with monies raised going to a very grateful South Cleveland Heart Fund. After booking the acts, I compered the first 3 nights and am delighted to say SBC contributed even further by sponsoring the Blues Night on Easter Sunday. We’re a not for profit club and aim to give what we can to our local community.

I’d also like thank those of you who are supporting the club by doing your on-line purchases through the website, easyfundraising.org.uk. It costs subscribers nothing but has so far raised £133.57 for the club. Details are on our website, www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk. We also received £42.05 through our Gazette Wish Tokens collection. It all adds up and helps keep us going so a sincere thank you to all our supporters.

To the music…I wondered how numbers would be on the Saturday immediately after The Grand Ol’ Oprey but I needn’t have worried. It was a great turnout for the TREVOR SEWELL BAND. Trevor is such a class act, deserving of his many awards. He’s a brilliant writer of his own music as well as a superb guitarist. He also gave a perfect rendition of Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing. That is how to do a cover! That’s how to do a gig! Three encores. It was wonderful.

On May 28th we have the fourpiece, GERRY JABLONSKI & THE ELECTRIC BAND. Some gutsy rock and roll with a mix of memorable melodies and sweet harmonies. They play original music influenced by the blues/ rock greats and received Paul Jones’ stamp of approval on his Radio 2 Blues Show. They are supported by a solo act, DEVENPORT. It’s good to see Devenport performing again.

With his acoustic guitar and a voice that’s rich and seriously intense, Devenport is writing his own songs, following his own heart and style. He’s one of the most authentic Blues singers in the UK. The gig is at our usual venue, Saltburn Cricket Club.

Tickets £10 available from Whistlestop Wines, 07960 935263 and www.yorkshireticketshop.co.uk. Doors open 7.30pm and Find all our details at www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk and our Facebook page.

Don’t forget there’s also my radio show, ‘Still Got The Blues’, on Zetland FM (105FM) and on line 7-10pm every Monday. 3 hours of Blues, old and new, information on the artists and their music and a guide to forthcoming gigs in the area. The show is also available on Mixcloud via Zetland FM’s webpage.

Harry

01287 624505

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This month’s Special Offer: Our 89p Greeting Cards are 2 for £1 20

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Cleveland Diving Club It is claimed, as published by the Daily Mail, that ‘Practice makes perfect,’ is the number one most influential and constantly used proverb. An obvious truth, we believe, and is most certainly endorsed by our diving instructors and experienced diving members. However, during late March and early April, there were few opportunities to carry out any under-water skills practice. So, some of our members took the opportunity to practise and develop their shoreline marine species identification skills. They enrolled in the new, ‘Capturing our Coast,’ initiative created from the ‘Heritage Lottery Fund.’ The initiative has a number of ‘hubs,’ distributed around the UK and involves inviting volunteers to attend a short single day course, that includes basic training in species identification and surveying and recording techniques.

At the end of the training volunteers are provided with a tape measure, grid and recording materials so they can begin to survey different coastal areas they chose to visit.

The information gained from these co-ordinated marine surveys around the UK coastline helps to protect the creatures and plants that live there. This initiative is also providing a marine focused activity that keeps our members busy and productive when the weather or sea conditions prevent scuba diving.

John Lampett, a keen naturalist, was the first of the club’s volunteers to put his equipment to good use during the Easter holidays, surveying the marine life living on the rocks of Saltburn (photograph 1). If you are interested in, or want to learn more about, shoreline animals and plants to help protect our coastline then visit the ‘Capturing our Coast,’ website at http://www.capturingourcoast.com/ and you will be surprised by what you will learn. The course is free and open to any member of the public over the age of 18 years, and no experience is needed.

In addition to volunteer coastal surveying members have also been out and about at different inland dive sites practising their scuba skills. Practice of course does not have to be tedious or onerous. Derek, one of our experienced diving members, looks as if he is having great time as he takes up a ‘High Ho Silver,’ pose (which readers of a certain age will recognise from the ‘Lone Ranger,’ TV series) on one of the underwater horses, nicknamed Shergar, which can be found in the in-land waters of an old quarry at ‘Capenwray.’ The trick in achieving this pose is to apply well-practised buoyancy control skills so that you sit on the horse without ascending to the surface. Well done Derek for a successful buoyancy manoeuvre (photograph 2).

More recently, and more local, some members visited Ellerton Lake near Scorton and blessed with beautiful sunny weather made good use of the day; practising their dive planning and underwater navigation skills (photograph 3).

Continuing with the ‘practice,’ theme this month our instructors will be able to refine and polish their teaching technique during another six week scuba diving taster course. The course fee is a one off payment of £25, which includes all equipment and instruction, and will commence on Monday, 9th May 2016. It’s never too late to try something new so contact us on 07960 608529 or pop along to Saltburn Leisure centre any Monday night between 8 and 9.30pm and chat to one of our members.

June Coomber 22

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At Ryedale Auctioneers,

OllieB Lovely Ladies Clothes and Accessories 12 Dundas Street East Saltburn-by-the-Sea TS12 1AH Telephone: 01287 623715 Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm Sunday 12 noon to 4pm We have an extensive range of clothes and accessories to suit most ages and sizes.

Brands include Masai, Joe Browns, Lily & Me, Luca Vanucci and many more.

Our rails are bursting with fabulous new Summer items!

Lots of lovely bright scarves, hosiery, handbags, and pretty jewellery too!

And our bargain rail at the back of the shop is full of great items at great reduced prices!

For updates and details of our special offers, like us on our Facebook page:

OllieBSaltburn 24

we have fortnightly general sales, with live internet bidding. We also have Specialist Sales, Antique & Fine Art Sales, Militaria & Sporting Sales and Railwayana & Toy Sales. We also do house clearances, and have our own collection/delivery service. We provide valuations for probate, insurance and sales.

Upcoming Sale dates for May are: General Household Sales 14th & 28th Outdoor 7th Railwayana & Toys & Collectables 15th

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

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

Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council

The Parish Council has recently relocated to the Conference Centre on Saltburn Learning Campus and on 11th April the first full Council meeting was held in the new Council Chamber. At the end of the meeting the Chairman was asked to cut a cake and a toast was made to celebrate the successful move.

On Friday, 6th May between 11am and 12.30pm members of the public are invited to come along to the new premises to see where we are now based and to meet your local Parish Councillors.

At the recent meeting it was reported that Chief Inspector Dickson would be attending a future Parish Council meeting to address Members’ concerns regarding the future of Neighbourhood Policing in the Parish. Concern was raised regarding ongoing flooding issues, in particular in Longbeck Marske and the Valley Gardens in Saltburn. A letter would

be sent to the Borough Council Engineer requesting details of the long term plan to address these problems.

Following the Annual meeting in May, meeting days for the full monthly meeting will change to Tuesday evenings at 6.00pm. Details of all meetings are posted on our website or can be obtained by contacting the office.

Residents of Saltburn are eligible to apply for an allotment at any of the sites throughout the Parish and we currently have a couple of vacancies in Marske. If you are interested please contact the office.

Tracy Meadows (Clerk and RFO to the Parish Council) The Conference Centre, Saltburn Learning Campus Marske Mill Lane, Saltburn 01287 623477 office@smnmpc.co.uk www.smnmpc.co.uk

Charity walk with Jeff Stelling and Russ Green HUFC in aid of Prostate Cancer Many of you may know that Jeff Stelling, Sky Sports and Russ Green, chief executive of HUFC walked a marathon each day for 10 days from Hartlepool Football Club to Wembley Stadium.

The first marathon was from Hartlepool FC to Marske United FC on 21st March 2016 to raise funds for prostate cancer.

On this leg they were joined by Gareth and Philip Maidens, (the Maidens Brothers plumbing and heating engineers) who did the walk with them in memory of their brother Michael who played football at Hartlepool FC until he tragically was killed in a car accident in October 2007. They have raised together over £1000 for the cause and would like us to thank everyone in the town who made donations and also their family and friends. To date the funds raised by Jeff Stelling’s Men United walk is £339,345 and still counting.

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Saltburn Athletic FC

There is approximately two weeks left of the current 2015/16 season.

The under 8s have finished their first season just below mid table and credit to all the players for the continued improvement made since the start of the season.

The under 13s have had a season of more downs than ups but an excellent recent win 3-1 over local rivals Redcar Athletic has boosted their end of season effort. Martin Harvey adds: “Sweet Victory! A great performance from the Saltburn Under 13s team sweeping local rivals Redcar aside in an important 3-1 win. Great goals from Flynn (2) and Dan cemented a competitive all round team performance, showing great resilience to come out on top. Onwards and upwards for this battling bunch.”

The under 12s having had a slow start are currently playing their best football of the season and two recent victories by 5-1 and 9-1 have meant a steady climb to 3rd place but with only two games left they may well end up just short of promotion again. A team full of promise and am sure if they stick together next season they will get that promotion.

The under 11 teams of the Seagulls and the Dolphins are the teams of the year. The Dolphins are within one point of the

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divisional title with two games left to play.

The team of the season at this time has to be the u11s Seagulls who have secured the divisional four title and the promotion they thoroughly deserve. Played 18 and won 18 games with two to go. Their manager Phil Barnes as you would imagine is over the moon and so proud of the kids whom he has had since they were 5/6 year olds.

Many thanks to all parents of all teams involved.

The teams for next season will be at the u9, u12, u13 and u14 age groups and all the teams still need players to strengthen the squads. Please contact Andy Croll on 07779 648877 for further information. Also we are on the lookout for any companies etc who may wish to sponsor a team kit for next season.

As a result of winning a local competition Saltburn Athletic u12s together with some of the under 11s Seagulls were given the honour of walking out with the Middlesbrough players onto the pitch at the Tuesday night home game versus Reading on 12th April. All of those who attended had an excellent time and of course were able to watch Middlesbrough win with a very late goal. See the photograph!

Andy Croll

THE ABSENCE OF GOD - Part 2 In Part 1 we briefly explored two aspects of the theme of God’s absence: that, in the context of relationship, He is free to choose to be absent, and that we humans are a great deal more absent to Him than He is to us. (see January edition for Part 1).

Building on this beginning, there is a strong case to be made that God’s apparent absence is not necessarily a bad thing, but is rather an expression of His mercy.

Why is this?

Because meeting the God who creates and sustains the whole universe is a moment of judgement, a moment of crisis. For God is power, God is truth, God is purity, at a level way beyond anything we could imagine. This is why Metropolitan Anthony can write, “Therefore, the first thought we ought to have when we do not tangibly perceive the divine presence, is a thought of gratitude.

God is merciful; He does not come in an untimely way.

He gives us a chance to judge ourselves, to understand, and not to come into His presence at a moment when it would mean condemnation.” (‘School for Prayer’, pp.3) In the Bible there are many stories which highlight God’s mercy, as well as those that reveal His judgement and justice. There is a real sense that God delays His judgement, allowing His mercy to give you, me and all people time to turn back to Him again or for the first time. This delayed judgement, coupled with His mercy, can appear as an absence.

But in those Bible stories where God’s power, truth and purity are experienced, the human response is often one of holy awe and fear. Three of Jesus’ friends were allowed to glimpse for a brief moment His true divinity.

“Jesus took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning… a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’“ (Luke 9:28ff) The friends were afraid when they experienced Jesus’ divine nature and the glory of God. Therefore, let us not be too hasty to find ourselves in God’s presence—and especially if our hearts are not filled with humility.

Every blessing Rev’d Adam Reed (Vicar of Saltburn)

IS OPEN FOR YOU TO VISIT ON… Saturdays 7th & 21st May 10am - 4pm Sundays 15th & 29th May 1 - 4pm

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

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‘Live’ by the Sea 2016 What a night we had "Live" by the Sea on Easter Sunday with rampant reggae rockers Jeramiah Ferrari. The four young lads from Leigh in Lancashire romped on stage with their firebrand version of indie ska roots. Tracks from their debut album, titled simply ‘Jeramiah Ferrari’ plus old timers like ‘Three Little Birds’ and ‘Monkey Man’ swelled the willing crowd onto the dance floor for a night that never stopped rockin.’ Saltburn’s own Josh Newell-Brown added to the dynamic, wowing his audience with a powerful set together with Karl Dowson on cajon.

And so to May, when we’ll be bringing a little chaos to town in the shape of John Bramwell, the utterly spellbinding voice of I Am Kloot. He’s funny, he’s cheeky and just a little bit dangerous. In fact he first performed under the guise of Johnny Dangerously as both a musician and TV presenter; he later teamed up with Bryan Glancy, the real ‘seldom seen kid’ immortalised in song by Elbow; and Guy Garvey produced much of his early work with I Am Kloot. He was nominated for, and in his words, ‘robbed’ of the Mercury Prize in 2014.

With over 100 released songs to choose from, no two of his shows are ever the same, but once you’ve heard it his voice will stay with you for a long, long time. He’ll delight you with his mischief and leave you spellbound.

John brings with him, his regular support artist, Dave Fidler. They met and paired up shortly after playing at the same festival, and later realised that they both came from the same town in Greater Manchester. As John says, they “grew up a few hundred metres apart, but in vastly different decades.” It’s obviously a partnership that works well as they have been touring together since 2014.

You can see John Bramwell and Dave Fidler “Live” by the Sea on Saturday 21st May. Tickets are priced at £12 and available from the Spa Hotel reception on: 01287 622544 or you can buy them online: http://bit.ly/1PdcVoG (please note that booking fees apply to online sales). http:// www.johnbramwell.com/ and http://www.davefidler.com/ We’ve now filled all of our “Live” by the Sea calendar for 2016, which runs from February to November.

On Friday 24th June we go both local and global in the form of the Colin Holt Band from Marske who will be playing with internationally renowned saxophonist, Snake Davis.

On Saturday 30th July we bring you Salford songstress Ren Harvieu performing with Romeo Stodart, from the fabulous Magic Numbers.

We’re really spoiling Magic Numbers’ fans this Summer as we’ve just confirmed a very exciting double-headliner show for Bank Holiday Sunday, 28th August, with the wonderful Michele Stodart, sister of Romeo, along with firm Saltburn favourite Kathryn Williams.

To keep up to date with all our “Live” by the Sea news as it happens check out our new dedicated social media pages: Like our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ LIVEbytheSeaSaltburn. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/live_bythesea. Look us up on Instagram: www.instagram.com/livebytheseasaltburn.

Buy Jeramiah Ferrari’s album plus other merchandise from: http://www.jeramiahferrari.com/index.php?page=shop Inner Treasures EP by Josh Newell-Brown available from: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/inner -treasures-ep/ id997378649.

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1000 ‘likes’ for Mike As a resident of Saltburn since 2007 Michael Carr was well known to many locals. He passed away in September 2015 after a number of years of struggling with PTSD. As a Major in the Army Michael was a veteran of Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. He achieved and did extraordinary things while he was serving his country and as a result he was well respected both as a leader and as a nurse, by all who served with him and those he was in command of. This was apparent in the many tributes he received following his death each one describing him as an outstanding officer and a true gentleman.

Michael qualified as a nurse in 1993 as in the army Michael achieved much in his career and was nominated many times for awards by both staff and patients. Again the love and respect that people held for Michael was evident in the number of children and parents that attended his funeral, with many of the amazing acts of kindness that Michael had done for the families he cared for only coming to light following his death.

Before Michael’s illness we had plans to travel and following his death I have decided that I still needed to do this. Therefore over the next 12 months with the support of family and friends and the company of our dog Ziggy I will be travelling around the world. I always intended to write a blog about my adventures but following a crazy conversation with a work colleague over coffee I have decided to use the time to try to raise awareness of PTSD and to raise money for PTSD charities to help them to help those suffering. I intend to complete 10 personal challenges and this is where you all come in. I have set up a Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/1000likesformike/) and I aim to get a 1000 ‘likes’ for Mike for each challenge and if everyone who presses ‘like’ also donates a £1 that will be £1000 per challenge and £10,000 over the year. Please share my page with as many people as you can so that I can reach this goal by the end of March 2017. If you can’t spare a pound then please still press ‘like’ as the fact that people are following me will help me to continue.

If you don’t have access to Facebook then you can go directly to my justgiving page https:// crowdfunding.justgiving.com/1000 -likes-for-mike? utm_id=2.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful frightening or distressing events. The symptoms of PTSD can vary from person to person but can include re-living aspects of the trauma:  Vivid flashbacks (feeling that the trauma is happening all over again)  Intrusive thoughts and images  Nightmares  Intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma  Physical sensations, such as pain, sweating, nausea or trembling.

These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person’s day-to-day life.

The two PTSD organisations I am supporting work with in very different ways to support people with PTSD. Here is a bit more information about the work that they do.

About PTSD Resolution PTSD Resolution helps Veterans, and Reservists who are 30

struggling to reintegrate into a normal work & family life because of military trauma suffered during service in the armed forces. Through a nationwide network of 200 accredited therapists, PTSD Resolution provides treatment to enable Veterans and Reservists to resolve the mental health problems associated with military trauma that obstruct a normal range of family and work relationships. We are an independent charity that aims to work with the people other services do not reach or have not been able to help. Website: http://ptsdresolution.org About the Re-org Trust The Re-Org Trust is a not for profit social enterprise, specialising in delivering support to Service and ex-military personnel during periods of transition. This could be post operational, moving from military to civilian life, from prison into the community or from being mentally un-well to recovery. The Re-Org Trust's MISSION is to provide support to service and ex- military personnel who have current social needs and fall outside of main-stream provision from either voluntary or statutory agencies. We provide mentoring support to help with daily living and the opportunity to spend time learning new skills on a small holding in France. Website: http://thereorgtrust.org I have already completed my first challenge, an extreme forwards abseil from the transporter bridge in Middlesbrough. Video evidence of this is available on the A 1000 likes for Mike Facebook page https:// www.facebook.com/1000likesformike/ Esther

Mini golf course opens near pier A £120 boost has winged its way from Saltburn’s new mini golf course opposite the pier and next to the cliff lift to the top promenade where the fossil garden, adjoining the lift there, will benefit from a planned revamp.

Saltburn in Bloom officials received the cheque when the £100,000 course was officially opened on 26th March.

Organiser Lynda Parkes said the gift was “very generous” and she expected it would go towards new plants and landscaping work planned at the fossil garden.

“Planning permission is now being sought fo the work and this donation will help our expenses,” she said.

SIB, whose volunteers tidy up public gardens in the town each Wednesday morning, looks after more than 200 hanging baskets and 45 flower barrels throughout Saltburn.

The annual cost is about £8,000, which includes daily watering of the baskets in the summer.

The mini golf course is the brainchild of two Saltburn brothers Andrew and Gavin Smith, who run a fashion clothing importing business.

“We felt mini golf was needed as an attraction and have invested some £100,000 into this venture. We are giving Saltburn in Bloom some support because we see the efforts being put into keeping the town tidy,” said Andrew. “This enterprise is a sideline for our main business, but we might retire to it.” Mr Smith - he and his brother were brought up in Saltburn and went to Huntcliff School - praised the work done in bad weather in January when the golf course was being built. “Only half a day’s work was lost to the weather and the work was completed two weeks ahead of schedule,” he said.

The course has been designed, developed and built

by Urban Crazy, of London. It occupies a 38 metre long and 10 metre wide piece of land which formerly housed a shelter and the occasional attraction like a bouncy castle. It is being

Golfers pose for a photo at Saltburn’s latest leisure attraction the mini golf course near the pier: from left Gavin Smith, Lynda Parkes, of Saltburn in Bloom; Councillor Stuart Smith; Andrew Smith and course builder Jon Angel, of Urban Crazy, London.

leased from the council.

“The business is going okay and we are encouraged by the early response. A lot of families use it. We want to encourage all generations to have an enjoyable time here. We plan to open it seven days a week during the holidays and during term time to open after school from 3-7pm.”

The facility includes a refreshment room. Three parttime staff are being employed and the 10 holes are sponsored by local businesses. Three garden seats are being provided for visitors.

Andrew and Gavin Smith, aged 50 and 47 respectively, who live locally, used to play golf at Saltburn but now they are ‘too busy’ to play.

Councillor Smith is a committee member of SIB.

Canine Rehabilitation and Fitness

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Redcar & Cleveland Philatelic Society May meetings May’s meetings, held at the Redcar East Community Centre, Durham Road Redcar, TS10 3SB are as follows: 4th May Dr. Max Melrose FRPSL A Century of High Values. Max is a Past President of NEPA who has written several articles on this subject in the philatelic press. Such material includes the spectacular PUC £1 black of 1929 and the KGV ‘Seahorses’.

Truly, something not to be missed!

On 18th May we have another Members’ night, where as many of us as possible display topics beginning with the letter ‘I’. One member is rumoured to have some spectacular early East India we have not seen; one taster-clue as to what will be another very varied evening. Postcard specialists are encouraged to show their material.

At the time of writing the North East England’s Annual Convention (NEPA 2016) had not been held, so the results of our members’ competition entries will be reported in June.

Full details will also be given of Yorkshire’s Philatelic Convention which we are hosting at Rye Hills School on Saturday, 4th June. Our last report noted that Keith Waugh

was due to re-visit us. The photo shows him in action again.

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

Wanted! Volunteers for an innovative new wildlife project Are you interested in local history? Would you be interested in helping with the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s new project to capture oral histories of the past distribution of wildlife and how children’s connection with nature and the countryside has changed? Where the Wild Things Were is a new two year project for the Trust, funded by National Lottery players through the Heritage Lottery Fund and Northumbrian Water. By engaging with the older generation across East Cleveland in dialogue on their memories of nature and wild spaces and the character of their free– ranging outdoor childhoods the Trust hopes to fill gaps in the knowledge of past distributions of wildlife and bring the landscape to life for the current generation of children. All interviews will be archived with Tees Archives for future generations to access.

The Trust is looking for volunteers who would be interested in taking part in the project as story takers by recording interviews. They will provide training in the use of recording equipment, interview techniques and interview protocols and link story takers with story givers. The Trust would also be interested to hear from people who could volunteer time to provide summaries of recorded interviews or prepare transcriptions.

Across East Cleveland, several nationally declining species such as dormouse, water vole, grass snake and harvest mouse are presumed to have either disappeared or all but disappeared from the landscape. Some animals e.g. deer have only relatively recently appeared in the landscape.

By using the spoken accounts of the older generation to provide evidence as to where these species were distributed, the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust will carry out more targeted work to determine whether there are still populations of certain species such as the dormouse, water vole and grass snake left within East Cleveland. Story takers will be asked to explore with the story givers their memories of where they found certain species and collect the information on maps.

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The project will also explore the outdoor free-ranging childhoods of people born in the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s.

These childhoods were characterised by almost unlimited freedom to explore, forage and play across large areas of East Cleveland. Children thought nothing of walking miles to go exploring, fishing, rabbit catching, foraging, egg collecting etc. Through their outdoor lifestyles they developed a strong connection to the natural world. Story takers will be asked to explore with story givers the essence of these outdoor experiences, how activities changed with the seasons and how children learnt about nature.

If you would be interested in helping with this project please contact Kate Bartram, East Cleveland Heritage Officer, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, email: kbartram@teeswildlife.org and Tel: 01287 636382.

Water vole picture by Kenny Crooks.

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The Countryside Ranger and Volunteers, May 2016 Hello and welcome to our monthly view from Saltburn Valley. Sadly I was unable to write last month, but here we are again, refreshed and ready for a busy time.

As you are reading this, things are moving swiftly within the Valley. Our resident birds are in full song, as are too some summer migrants which have made their way here to warmer climes.

If you visit the Valley, more specifically Rifts Wood, you will be welcomed by the sights and smells of mid spring, the Ransom, or wild garlic will be starting to come into flower and covering the woodland floor in a carpet of fragrant, delicate flowers. But stop to take a closer look and you will be rewarded with sights of Arum, Red Campion, Ground Violet, Celandine, Bluebell and Sweet Woodruff to name but a few.

But also take a closer look at some of the shadier parts of our magnificent woodland and you will find an equally spectacular array of ferns, mosses and fungi. We really are spoilt for choice with the rich diversity of plant life to be found.

But as you all know, Saltburn Valley is a Valley of two halves. Take a stroll toward the sea front where the tree cover is a little less dense and once again the variety of flora is equally as enticing. From Wood Anemone and Primrose to Plantains and Zig-Zag Clovers, there is a floral display wherever you look.

Over the autumn and winter months, the Saltburn Countryside Volunteers have been busy clearing invasive Bramble and Bracken from around the Albert Memorial.

Without this ground cover the wild flowers have been given the chance to gain full advantage of the Sun’s effects of warming up the soil, and the sunlight it provides. Many of the paths near the memorial are still covered with old brambles, but it is good to see the primroses and wood anemones blooming where they have been cleared.

Hopefully, next autumn we will be able to clear even more

A cleared area where flowers are thriving

of the banks along the paths down towards the seafront.

The amount of wild flowers within the valley has many benefits: not only do they look attractive, but they play a vital role in sustaining the lives of many other insects who feed on their nectar, and spread their pollen. This in turn provides a food source for many birds and small 34

A lot more work required!

mammals which are also inhabitants of the Woodland.

There is one species of which I will be taking a personal interest within the valley this year and that is the slow worm, now the slow worm is not actually a worm, and neither is it, as it so often mistaken for, a snake. It is actually a lizard, and a legless one at that. This cold blooded creature has been found within the valley a few times over the years at two spots. During the warmer months it spends a lot of time basking in the sun taking in the sun’s rays and raising its metabolic rate. A very shy creature indeed, so any sightings you may make I would love to hear from you, so they can be recorded for future reference, and that will help us to discover more about this shy creature.

Practical conservation work continues every Friday from 10am. If you would like to help with the management of the Valley, come and look for the Volunteers who usually meet near the centre. For more information please contact paul.murphy@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or the Volunteers (at saltburncountrysidevolunteers@virginmedia.com and for volunteering opportunities please contact Karen.preston@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk).

To find out more about the work done by the volunteers throughout the valley from Mill Field Meadow to the seafront, go to their website (www.saltburncountrysidevolunteers.btck.co.uk).

Paul Murphy

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Saltburn War Memorial DANCE YOUR WAY TO FITNESS!!

EASY TO FOLLOW, OVERALL TONING and LOW IMPACT ON THE JOINTS. This dance fitness class is packed with Latin rhythms & International beats! Come and groove at your own pace… this class will shake up your routine!!

Mondays 6pm - Emmanuel Church Hall Thursdays 10am - Saltburn Community Hall

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

Wednesdays 7pm - The EarthBeat Centre, Saltburn.

Saltburn residents are invited to choose the finish they would like to see when the town’s War Memorial is restored this summer.

The funds raised by the community – £19,381 – were recently topped up with two gifts, each of £3,000 from the Lt Col. Cohen Military Trust and the Les Bell Trust and the conservation work can now to go ahead.

Specialist contractor Eura Conservation Ltd, will be appointed and work is expected to start in the summer.

A key feature of the War Memorial is the remarkable bas relief sculpture. It depicts the crucified Christ in the sepulchre before the Resurrection being watched and prayed over by two angels. Sadly, over the last 90 years Saltburn’s maritime climate and air pollution have damaged and stained the memorial and it is the task of the conservators to clean and repair it.

There are two options for the final appearance of the sculpture once the conservation work has been undertaken. Its existing green/blue/black appearance can be kept, or, it can be restored to its pre-weathered appearance – a deep chestnut brown colour.

We are therefore asking residents to choose which finish they would prefer to see – green or brown - and throughout May 2016 a small display is to be held in Saltburn Library illustrating the options and a brief questionnaire will be available to record opinions.

The Saltburn War Memorial project is being led by Tees Heritage Trust Ltd in partnership with the Friends of Saltburn War Memorial and Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council. The memorial is Grade II* listed and was designed in the Arts-and-Crafts style by American born sculptor Sir William Reynolds-Stephens (1862-1943).

Saltburn Library is open daily between 10 am & 12:30 pm and 1:30 & 4:00 pm, except Sunday and Tuesday mornings when it is closed. Tel: 01287 623584.

Stewart Ramsdale Tees Heritage Trust Ltd 36

For more information about these or other classes, prices, discounts, venues etc. call ESTELLE on 07887 525234, email at estelle@dancefitsaltburn.co.uk or visit...

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

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

Hello! This month on the SARA page is Jet the dog and Molly the cat.

First up is Jet. She lives up to her name as she is a black dog, although now she is greying a bit around her muzzle. Jet is a lovely natured girl; she is about 7 years old.

The nice people at SARA think that she may be a Labrador collie cross dog. Jet would really love a home where she can chase a ball all day long and get lots of TLC. She is a very affectionate girl who is looking for a home with experienced dog owners where she can be the only dog, in a home with no children.

Molly is a 4 year old domestic short hair cat, which is just a posh word for moggy! She is a striking grey colour with sparkling golden eyes. Molly is looking for a quite experienced cat home where she can be the only pet.

Molly is an especially independent girl; she can be very approachable and friendly at times and love a cuddle, but at other times she’s best left to her own devices and allowed to be on her own, in her own space.

SARA fundraising events during May Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2016 – SARA will be holding a Spring Stroll. This will take place from the Stray Café, Redcar, meeting at 11am and finish at 1pm back at the café. Come and join us with your family, friends and pets. All the dogs that are looking for loving homes will be taking part. Even if you do not own a dog, come along and meet the members of SARA and learn more about our friendly group.

Saturday 7th and 8th of May from 10 to 3pm SARA will be holding a Spring Bargain Sale at Foxrush Farm with bargains galore, and everything must go. Tea and coffee will also be available. Definitely worth a look.

Saturday 14th May SARA has a street collection in Saltburn. If you could spare an hour or two contact the centre on 01642 488108.

Saturday 22nd May SARA will be holding their Annual Sponsored Dog Walk at Foxrush Farm, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar, from 11am to 2pm. There are two walks: 30 minutes or 1 hour. The starting point is at Foxrush Farm, with a registration fee of £1.00. Even if you don’t have a dog we will lend you one. All dogs must be on a lead in the woodlands and on the farm.

There will be various stalls including tombola, pet stall, raffle and others. Homemade refreshments will be on

sale. There will also be the opportunity to see the improvements that have been made during the past year.

There is plenty of parking space on the field at Foxrush.

Come along with your family, friends and pets, have a good time and find out more about SARA. Sponsorship forms are available from Foxrush Farm, or our charity shop in Guisborough. You can also download and print one from our website (at http.// www.s-a-r-a.org.uk).

Funds raised recently Our thanks to everyone who supported the Easter Fayre at Marske Hall. A grand total of £730 was raised.

Our thanks to everyone who supported the social evening at the Saltburn Golf Club on Friday, 8th April where we were entertained by the Cleveland Ukes. A grand total of £300 was raised Our thanks also go to all the generous people who contributed to the Sam fund, the puppy who needs his leg straightened; we exceeded our total. Any spare money will go towards an operation on another dog who needs both knees operated on.

John Fuller, Press Officer Helpline: 01642 488108 37

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Gordon Turner’s grandfather at the Somme A Saltburn man, whose grandfather was invalided out of the Army after being wounded at the battle of the Somme in July 1, 1916, will be marking the centenary.

Ex-Cleveland police inspector Gordon Turner has shown Talk of the Town four medals Sergeant John William Haywood, received at the end of World War Two - and one involves the infamous "white feather" campaign.

The feathers were given to men wearing civilian clothing who were spotted by campaigners not wearing military uniform. So they were wrongly thought to be conscientious objectors. Sgt Haywood was afraid he would be targeted after he was invalided out of the Army.

He lost the sight of his left eye after being shot in the Somme battle while serving with the Yorkshire Regiment.

“It was a real threat to men of military age if they were seen out and about without a uniform. My grand-dad was proud to be serving his country and didn’t want to be the target of campaigners, accusing him of cowardice. So he asked his regiment for an official letter to say he had been wounded at the Somme,” said Gordon, who lives in Milton Street, Saltburn.

“Among the medals he received was a silver lapel one which I’ve had mounted and which hangs on my bedroom wall. This says it was ‘awarded to servicemen who were discharged from military service as a result of wounds received.’ It was given for service to King and Empire.”

Sgt Haywood also received three other medals, which have also been mounted. They were the 1914-15 star for service in France, the 1914-20 British war medal for service in any war zone and the Victory medal for service in any operational theatre.

“My grandfather was wounded twice and was moved into a training division after the Somme, but later discharged from the Army. Like many of the WW1 soldiers, he never talked about his wartime experiences. He often attended

PRIDE: Gordon Turner with the medals awarded to his grandfather. He is pointing to the silver lapel one which shows it was given to servicemen who were discharged as a result of wounds. - to avoid ‘white feather’ taunts

Armistice Day parades at Skelton, where his family lived.”

Sgt Haywood, who lived at Yeoman Street, Skelton, was married with four children when he volunteered for the Army at the outbreak of war on 1st August 1914. He was promoted to unpaid lance corporal in January 1915 and was soon made a corporal. He saw action on the southern area of the Ypres salient.

In April 1916 he was slightly wounded after seeing action at The Bluff and St Eloi Craters. He was treated in hospital at Etaples, near Calais. He served in the Army until 10th October 1918.

Gordon is waiting to find out what Somme anniversary events, if any, are taking place in the Saltburn/ East Cleveland area before deciding exactly how to mark his grandfather’s death.

Mike Morrissey

One Hell of a Night! Huntcliff Oozes Talent in Spring-time Show Saltburn’s Huntcliff School captivated a sold out audience in the opening night of its annual production, ‘Disco Inferno’ – a lively and colourful musical set in the 1970s.

On Thursday, 14th April, a sell-out hall of 250 people watched as talented youngsters from all year groups told the story of an ambitious and talented hopeful, Jack, and his ‘burning’ desire to be the next big musical sensation. Jack, played by Year 11 student Finn Tosh-Wilson, makes a pact with a devilish femme fatale, Lady Marmalade, trading in his soul to fulfil his dreams. Having everything he thought he ever wanted comes at the expense of all things meaningful, most importantly the love of his life Jane, portrayed by Year 11 Amber Beaty.

An electric performance of key characters, including Jack’s best friend, Tom, aka 16-year old Matthew Rayson, and his girlfriend, played by Year 10’s Kayla Pratt, was complimented by a supporting cast of performers; from those in Year 7 to those studying GCSE drama and music who have all been working tirelessly, including during school holidays, to perfect their roles. There was also the added complexity of double casting as a result of so many students wishing to take part – Lady Marmalade was superbly depicted by both Niamh McConnell in Year 10 and Year 9 student Megan Hill on the first and second night (Friday,

15th April) respectively.

Audience participation was in full swing, helped by glow sticks, novelty headbands and glasses, and there were some 1970s themed party refreshments on offer, including pineapple and cheese sticks, ‘mocktails’ and sangria, as well as home-made fairy cakes.

Mrs Shevels, Music Teacher and Subject Leader of the Performing Arts Department, said, ‘I am so proud of all the students who took part, especially as we were working for the first time live with our student band’. She also went on to say ‘it’s quite fitting as a swan song for some fantastic Year 11 students who we will be sad to lose after they’ve sat their GCSE exams in the summer’.

Mr Eyre, Executive Headteacher of Saltburn Learning Campus, congratulated those who took part, including a particular mention to those working behind the scenes.

Huntcliff’s Head of School, Mrs Juckes said the show had been amazing, honouring the Department, which also comprises Drama Teacher, Miss Peacock. Chair of Governors, Anne Asprey, who attended the second night, was wowed by the event, passing on special thanks and praise to everyone involved.

We are now eagerly waiting what will be in store for next year’s show!

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27 Milton Street Saltburn-by-the-Sea

Talk of the Town’s monthly

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

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

Quality Fresh Fruit and Veg at Competitive Prices.

Monday to Saturday: 9.00am to 6.00pm Sunday 10.00am to 4.30pm Open till 7.00pm on Fridays

Grasers 07703 884184 The winner of this month’s Pride of Saltburn Award is Alan Willis. Alan was nominated by his daughter, Kerry Thompson. About him, she says, “I would like to nominate my Dad for the pride of Saltburn. My mum and Dad have lived in Saltburn for over 40 years. My father taught at Saltburn Junior School for many years and luckily for me and my brother he was a really well liked teacher! Everyone wanted to be in his class! I have always received much praise about him from previous students as well as their parents over the years. He also taught at Huntcliff at times. He has played for the tennis club and is just so well respected. He’s a quiet man full knowledge and a fantastic sense of humour. I really feel it would be so wonderful to recognise his contribution to Saltburn. He was a fantastic teacher and has given so many positive memories to those who passed through his classroom, many of whom still live in Saltburn. I always used to get ‘you’re Mr. Willis’s daughter? He was a brilliant teacher’ then it would be followed by a funny anecdote, remembering a lesson or moment during their time in his classroom. He taught the netball team and took them to matches. He also used to produce the yearly music hall productions, again remembered by so many. He still meets up with the staff of the junior school he worked with and I know they feel very fondly about him. He seemed to develop great working relationships with others. He has been and still is a wonderful father who has taken us around the would and created magical family memories to last a lifetime. He has a true heart of gold. He has always supported my brother and I throughout our lives and is an amazing Grandpa to my son Drew, who thinks the world of him. He really deserves this and I feel it’s probably overdue.”

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

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Herbal Teas Grasers stock a wide selection of herbal teas made by the companies Pukka and Heath & Heather. Their websites, pukkaherbs.com and heathandheather.co.uk give lots of details and stories about these wonderful teas. All the teas are organic and FairTrade. There are teas to relax, to sleep well, to revitalise, to energise and invigorate, for wellbeing and detoxing and teas, above all, to enjoy and excite. Teas of many colours and flavours, all natural and healthy and each one can be described as a journey of discovery and a more interesting and healthier alternative to the traditional British cuppa or coffee. Heath & Heather teas are produced from nearly a hundred years of experience with herbs being founded in 1920 and Pukka was founded in 2001.

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Chocolinis Chocolatier

Continental Chocolates Moulded Figures Our Own Recipe Bars Speciality Ice Cream Celebration Cake Toppers Wedding Favours Luxury Hot Chocolate Coffees Teas www.chocolinissaltburn.com 3 Windsor Road Saltburn TS12 1AX 01287 626141

CHOCOLINIS NEWS NUGGETS We have been busy making a few new additions to our scrumptious breakup bites which have gone down very well!

May is a traditional time for Weddings and we have been kept busy with Wedding Favours over the past few months and it gives us great pleasure to work with our Bride-to-be and to play a part in their special day.

We have many new works of art produced in-house by our Staff and they are happy to make something unique for that extra special gift.

Please note that we do require at least a week’s notice for Bespoke items.

This month we have two Bank Holiday Weekends coming up. We will be open as usual throughout both of these.

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Cognitive Functional Therapy We have recently returned from London, where we attended a 4 day workshop at the Royal Free Hospital. This was lead by Professor Peter O’Sullivan who is a world renowned Physiotherapy clinician and researcher, based at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia.

Prof O’Sullivan is part of an international group of researchers who are challenging some traditional ways of dealing with common and often debilitating problems like persistent back and neck pain. They have done this by drawing together clinical research from many disciplines including neuroscience, biomechanics and psychology. These researchers and clinicians have also undertaken numerous research studies of their own to identify the most effective management and treatment approaches.

The results have challenged many beliefs regarding the cause of common ailments such as back pain and to some traditional ways of treating them.

We were amongst the first UK Physiotherapists to study Cognitive Functional Therapy when Prof O’Sullivan ran his first UK courses several years ago. Since then the Cognitive Functional Therapy approach has been tested in clinical trials. It has been proven to be more effective than traditional physiotherapy for persistent back pain, but this didn’t come as any surprise to us as we have witnessed consistently good responses in our clinic.

You can find more information about Cognitive Functional Therapy on our website.

Philip Newton Chartered and Health Care Professions Council Registered Physiotherapist Newton Physiotherapy 01287 767287 www.NewtonPhysio.com

Veterinary Matters With the weather getting a bit warmer, and wetter, we are seeing the wildlife in our gardens emerge. Hedgehogs will be seen more and more around our gardens in the evenings especially. They are an essential part of our ecosystem, so, if you do spot one out on the roadside, gently pick them up and place in a nearby garden.

Equally important are our native birds. They are now starting to nest and as such need to be left alone, especially by hedge cutters, or cats. Feeding our garden friends has long been a topic for debate. If you put food down for hedgehogs in the winter, fine, but it is not necessary in the summer or autumn months. With birds, if we put out food for the smaller varieties, then this needs to be carried on all year round. Any bird or hedgehog food needs to be kept away from our dogs or cats, and also be aware that larger birds, such as pigeons or gulls may then start visiting your garden. These birds, along with the grey squirrel can be a nuisance to our vegetable or flower gardens.

Are fertilisers or pesticides poisonous to our pets?

The answer is a simple yes. Those who use these products to make our gardens look greener need to be aware of the potential risks to not only our own pets, if we have some, but also to visiting wildlife. There are clear instructions on all garden treatment containers which we need to follow. If you do apply a pesticide to your grass verge, where other dogs may be walked, then it could be safer to choose a non-toxic variety. Weeds,

although a nuisance, are an essential part of nature, and control rather than eradication needs to be the catchword.

If you think that your pet dog, cat, rabbit or even tortoise could have come into contact with some hazardous substance, try to find out what has been used and ask your vet what to do.

In answer to a web query, all dogs over 8 weeks of age and all horses must by law be microchipped in this country. Whilst it is not law for others, such as the cat or other exotics, the identification of these species by a readable semi-permanent method like the microchip is to be encouraged. Ask your vet for details.

Saltburn has become more of a place to go to in recent years, and as such, we are seeing an influx of visitors on weekends. Unfortunately, this can also see an increase in dog fouling to our pavements and both promenades. I am sure that we are all proud of our town, but us dog walkers should carry an extra poo bag or two to hand out to those visitors who seem to get caught short when their pet....!

Anyway, let’s hope we can all enjoy the weather and our pets.

If you want to ask me a question or raise a topic from this article, or want me to write about a topic that concerns you, then contact me by e-mail on j.haddow@live.co.uk James Haddow, Veterinary Eye Consultant, GP and Saltburn resident.

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Father’s fundraising efforts a thank you to Portage Service A father whose son went from not talking to being able to recite the alphabet forwards and backwards in less than a year, has raised more than £300 for the Redcar and Cleveland Early Support & Portage Service.

Mark Loughran, the Head Chef at KasKane in Skinningrove, was referred with his son Jack to the Portage Service. The service helps with the social development skills of children with additional needs and disabilities including those on the autistic spectrum. It delivers family groups across the borough each week and Jack went to the session at Guisborough Children’s Centre to help with his autism.

Dad Mark couldn’t thank the service enough, he said: “Before Jack started coming to the portage service he couldn’t really talk, he was not anti-social but he didn’t socialise very well and he wasn’t happy being in a room with other people. Now he’s mingling straight away with the other children. Before, he would be very clingy and he’d get very upset but the Portage team have brought him on something brilliant.”

It was the development and support Jack received that inspired Mark to raise £335 through a sponsored beard growing during the Movember campaign.

A lot of the money came from locals at the KasKane putting their change in the tin Mark had set-up at the bar.

That money was used to buy new toys for the group as

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well as some other bits and pieces to benefit not only the other children, but their fellow parents as well.

That’s because the service doesn’t just help children, it also helps parents grow in confidence in their role as the key figures in their child’s care and development.

For Mark, being able to ask for advice and support from other parents was another major plus point for the Portage Service. He said: “Being able to share advice has been good as well, stuff like different tips and things that work for each other. Even just things like sleeping advice: if your child doesn’t sleep you can get advice off other parents on what they find works. It really does help talking to other parents; before we started we didn’t know any other parents in the same situation.”

Councillor Craig Hannaway, Cabinet Member for Children, said: “I am delighted hearing how the Portage Service has helped Jack develop, and I’m very pleased that Mark chose to raise money for the service in recognition of its great work.

“I would urge anyone that could have a child in the same situation as Jack to get more information on the Portage Service and find out how it could benefit you.”

To find out more about the Early Support and Portage Service, contact Saltburn Children’s Centre on 01287 626158 or speak to your health visitor.

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Where the Heck’s Saltburn?

Memories of childhood holidays in a North Yorkshire seaside town by Martin Jones

Where the Heck’s Saltburn? is a newly-published book which takes a light-hearted look back at childhood holidays at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the 1950s and 1960s.

The book tries to answer why a Surrey family would want to go all the way to North Yorkshire for their annual summer holidays, and who and what they found when they got there. It takes in visits to places such as Stockton, Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay. Updated to the present, the book includes family photographs from the 1940s through to 2015. References to many of the characters, places and activities in the town make this a ‘must-read’ book for all who have known Saltburn over the years.

Miniature Railway, Pier, Halfpenny Bridge, Social Clubs and Cosy Cinema. Ruby Street – our final destination…past Gosnay’s Butchers, Crake Hall House and Sea View guest houses. Old-fashioned interior, hard beds, weekly baths, but where? 1970s and 1980s – death and re-birth in the Victorian town. Present – surfing capital, allotments, mystery knitting, brass bands, steam on the Miniature Railway, WW1 recalled. Future – what the future might hold for Saltburn.

All profits from this book will be given to the Teesside Hospice. Available now, price £9.99, from the Book Corner, Unit 1, Regency Buildings, Station Square, Saltburn.

Saltburn Charity Crafters Saltburn Charity Crafters will be meeting on Wednesday, 4th May from 2pm to 4pm in the coffee room at Saltburn Community Hall. Do pop in and join us for a cuppa if you are interested in knitting for local charities. Please contact Angie on 01287 205153 for more details.

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Marske Hall

MAY EVENTS Queen’s Tea Party on the lawn Sunday, 15th, Marske Hall, 1.30 – 4pm. Leonard Cheshire Disability is holding events throughout the year to celebrate our patron’s 90th birthday. So join us to raise a tea cup and drink a toast to the Queen. Homemade cakes and sandwiches, entertainment, tombola and much more.

Family fun and Race Night - Wednesday 25th, 7pm, Claxton Hotel, Redcar. Back a winner at this fun night out, includes ‘Rock and Roll’, bingo and much more. A great family night out.

Sponsored Walk - Saturday 28th - departs Marske Hall.

Choose your route and step out for charity around Redcar and Marske. There are two walks to choose from: one is approx. eight miles and there is a shorter route of just over three miles. Individual walkers, families and dogs are welcome.

Part of the Leap into Action for Marske Hall programme of events. Sponsor forms available from Ged 07954 783032 or Ruth 01642 482672.

Look ahead Summer Fair - Saturday 18th June from 11am. Enjoy family fun and entertainment at the annual Summer Fair at Marske Hall. Book a stall at the hall - there are still a few stalls left to hire at the Summer Fair. Ideal for local businesses, charities or for selling your unwanted items. Call 01642 482672 and ask for Sally.

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. Visit www.facebook/ marskehall.com Thank you for your continued support. Funds raised at these events will enhance the lives of people living at Marske Hall. Registered Charity No: 218186. For details of these and other events call 01642 482672 or visit: www.facebook/ marskehall.com Marske Hall, Redcar Road, TS11 6AA. Kath Bloomfield Volunteer press officer

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The Furniture Boutique “I’ve always had a passion for decorating and for beautiful furniture,” says Susan Hall, joint owner of Furniture Boutique, recently opened on Saltburn’s Milton Street.

Susan took the opportunity to buy Trendz hairdresser’s, which is also on Milton Street, over eleven years ago and has now branched into a second business selling unusual funky furniture and accessories. This is becoming very popular with customers in Saltburn.

In her twenties, Susan did a Diploma and a Business and Management Degree at Teesside University, which led to her working for an insurance company in Middlesbrough called Iron Trades. This was taken over by an American firm at the time of Susan’s employment and consequently shortly afterwards her office was closed down and all the staff made redundant.

Susan took this opportunity to go back into education and she embarked on a Beauty Therapy course, which she found both interesting and fun. She then gladly accepted an invitation to rent a beauty room at the back of Trendz hairdresser’s, which at the time was owned by Yvette Robinson.

After four years, Susan and one of the hairdresser’s working at Trendz decided to buy a place of their own.

Ruby Jo’s was on Ormesby Bank and she ran the beauty salon there for eighteen months. “But I missed Saltburn a lot,” Susan says. So when Trendz came up for sale, she felt it was time to return.

After taking on Trendz, Susan has found a team of really good, hard-working staff: Donna, Naam, Amy and Charlotte, who have all stayed with her for many years and she has felt settled in Saltburn ever since. “I love getting to know the customers personally and a lot of them have become very close friends of mine,” she explains.

Susan had the idea of selling furniture too a few years ago, but although she had opened a trading account with a popular furniture supplier at the time, she had never got round to developing it. But last year, over a glass of prosecco with her good friends, Joanne and Steve, she discussed taking on the premises next door to Joanne’s PreLoved Clothing shop on Milton Street. The two shops have an internal connecting door, which meant they could plan to share the opening hours without paying for further staff.

Steve was also looking for a new venture and being very practical, he could fit the shop and be available for deliveries.

“The shop is tiny,” says Susan, “but the idea is to show samples of things that we can order a full range of.”

They source most of their furniture brand new from reputable suppliers, but there are a few refurbished pieces for sale. A friend of Susan, Mel, and her daughter, Lauren, do most of the repainting and Mel is also excellent at upholstery. Susan would like to develop this aspect of the business.

When the Furniture Boutique first opened, Susan picked up a range of accessories such as lamps, candle sticks and photo frames to make the furniture look more appealing. But she was really surprised how fast all the nick -nacks sold and she had to go out a week later and replace them. Now ornaments and nick-nacks are a regular part of what she stocks and everything in the shop is for sale: “Even the light fitting!” she laughs.

“This has been my biggest learning curve,” she says.

“Be versatile: sell what people want!”

In the comfort of their own homes, the general public can also view the websites of most of the shop’s suppliers.

Buyers need to contact the Furniture Boutique for prices and then most items can be delivered within two to three weeks.

The furniture in stock is very eye-catching and the shop window is enticing. “We try to change the display every couple of weeks,” Susan says. Items on show are bedroom furniture, dressers, lamps, bookcases, clocks, storage boxes and aluminium furniture, which is currently very fashionable with the young. “It’s funky and reuseable,” Susan explains.

“Hit it with a hammer and it won’t mark! It’s good for teenagers.”

Inside are very feminine dressers, Marilyn Monroe bedside cabinets, chandeliers, a tiger print dressing table and a lovely hand-painted fireplace and jewellery boxes. The stock is ever-changing. Some of the larger pieces of furniture are on display in the window at Trendz hairdresser’s. “We are all very pleased at how well the business is doing and we look forward to being open for longer in the better weather,” says Susan.

At the time of writing, the Furniture Boutique is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10.30 to 4.00. Steve is happy to deliver big items for free up to a five mile radius and then delivery is chargeable by the mile thereafter. He will put anything together too on delivery if need be.

The shop has attracted a wide range of customers, many of whom have been clients of Trendz for several years, but others are people who are visiting Saltburn for the day and may have just got off the train. Farmers’ Market days are especially busy. If anyone needs any further information, Susan is happy to be contacted on 07971 409 611 or to receive callers in person at the Furniture Boutique or Trendz.

Rosemary Nicholls 47

Maytime at the Cons Club I write this article after having been re-elected to the position of President at the club AGM on 4th April. May I thank all members who supported me during my first year and I look forward, with your continued support, to continuing the progress we have made. As pointed out at the AGM the bar turnover and membership were both up and the atmosphere in the club has improved considerably.

Sadly, in April, we lost Tom Balls who was a member for many years, and an ex-committeeman, who moved out of the area to Bellerby where he bought the village pub. We also lost Ray Gill, a current member and ex -committeeman. We send our condolences to Tom’s family and to Wilma, Ray’s wife. We will miss them both.

On Saturday, 9th April we held an Elvis v Abba music night in the club. Once again we had a big attendance with lots of beer, wine, spirits, Prosecco and Champagne being consumed. The atmosphere was brilliant and everyone had a great night. Those members who came in costume looked fantastic and added to the party theme.

Many thanks to Shaun on the decks and the members for yet again showing their commitment and support. On Friday, 29th April we will see Teesside Steve and Liz Bishop hosting the Open Mic Night which will be a great night of live music on the stage. These nights are well supported but there is still space should anybody wish to listen or join in. You would be made very welcome. The evening starts at 8pm / 8-30pm.

The club have just purchased a new grass-cutter which had its first run out this week. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to the look of the garden when the lawn looks good. The roses are all cut back, the weeding has started and we now look forward to planting the borders, tubs and hanging baskets when the time comes and the weather improves. The current window boxes and tubs are blossoming with daffodils and tulips and everywhere is looking very spring-like at the moment.

Membership is still on the increase with another 8 applications being approved at the April committee meeting. This brings the total new members in the first four months of the year to over 35 (we must be doing something right). Long may it continue. You can still join us by calling in the club and filling out an application form, The price is only £12 per person, renewable every January. (You will miss out on so many good times if you don’t.) Barbecue season starts again this month on a date yet to be decided.

These are held every other Sunday from 3pm to 6-30/7pm.

and are a very popular addition to the club’s varied events.

Please read the club notice board, posters in the town or visit our Facebook page at Saltburn Conservative & Unionist Club for information and dates of all club events Events coming up in May include Saturday, 7th when we hold the next club outing, this time to York, to test the beer and food and to look for bargains in the shops. Michelle, our Stewardess, has once again made all the arrangements and there has been a big response. Even as I write she has had to order a larger coach to accommodate everyone. The club opens at 10am and we depart to York at 10-30am. Returning, we depart York at 6-30pm. On our return to the club there will be a buffet for all who travelled, which is included in the price. To round off a fantastic day we are hosting a Karaoke/ Disco Party Night in the lounge with Shaun on the Decks, beginning at approx 7-30pm. Everybody welcome to the evening event. As it’s my birthday the previous day, plus Middlesbrough play their final match of the season against Brighton while we are in York, which hopefully will be a promotion party, I have a feeling my celebrations and those of many others will continue right through the week-end.

Please!

On Friday, 27th May Teesside Steve and Liz Bishop will once again be hosting the Open Mic Night from 8pm. If you appreciate live music you will hear the new along with the experienced performers gigging for their pleasure and ours. All are welcome to attend. Free entry and a great night’s entertainment.

Please remember that members can hire the club’s facilities for private functions free of charge. We already host SLUG meetings (Saltburn Line Users Group) The Book club, CAMRA meetings plus more. We have in the past held Birthdays, Wedding Receptions, Wakes, Christenings, Engagement Parties and Charity fund raising events. Also, the committee room is an ideal place for meetings. For bookings please contact Michelle or committee members.

As for myself and Anne, we are visiting friends in Scotland for a week this month, calling in at Bowness on the way back for 2 days. We can’t wait as the Tapas bar in Bowness is one of our favourite eating places.

Be good and have a fantastic month. Life’s too short not to.

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

Saltburn Cons Club Future Events to entertain in May Every Tuesday: Club Draw nights for Meat, Wines & Chocolates, 10.00pm.

Every Sunday: Beer Draw & Cash Rollover. This increases by £25 each week if not won. Jackpot at the moment standing at £300. Drawn at 6pm.

Every Saturday Afternoon: A get-together by ‘The Conmen’ - Americano Musicians Jam Sessions from 3pm.

Tuesday 3rd: SLUG Meeting (Saltburn Line Users Group) A must for all train enthusiasts. Check time in Club.

Saturday 7th: Club Outing to York plus Karaoke/Disco on the Evening from 7-30. All welcome to attend the evening Party Night. Free Entry.

Friday 27th: Open Mic Night with Teesside Steve & Liz Bishop. All welcome. Free entry from 8pm.

Club Barbecues in the Garden: Notices will be displayed in the club and in town as to when these will commence. You can also get regular updates on the club’s Facebook page of all club activities.

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Cleveland Explorer Scouts Tanzania Project 2017

In the summer of 2017, 57 young people will be embarking on an expedition of a lifetime. They will be dropped in an unfamiliar environment, for a month, with the task of building classrooms for the children of Engaruka, Northern Tanzania. This army of volunteers are going to be setting up camp and working together with the help of their experienced scout leaders. 6-8 Training Weekends will be run in order to train and teach the young people how to use skills like brick-laying, cooking, camping, and constructing foundations.

Every single part of the project will be organised by the highly experienced leadership team, a long history of running similar expeditions by Scouts across Cleveland.

Cleveland Explorer Scouts have done other community projects in Malawi, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania once before. Armed with knowledge and experience we are hoping the next is going to be really successful.

Everyone on the expedition, leaders included, need to raise £2600 to go on this trip. That includes flights, food and transport; however, £1,000 of this amount will be going directly towards the cost of the buildings and supporting the local community. This means that we aren’t just going on a holiday for ourselves!

Obviously, £2600 per person is a huge sum of money. In order to try to earn some pennies we are offering

the services of all 58 team members in exchange for a donation to the project, which will be split evenly. Manual labour jobs are our favourite: things like painting, cleaning, construction (e.g. garden walls, patios, garden paths), digging, demolition work, or just generally moving things like bricks. However, we can also help out at coffee mornings, fairs or bag-packs at shops. We are up for anything that will raise funds so if you can give us opportunities or put us in contact with people who can it would be greatly appreciated.

A few local businesses in Saltburn have already helped the project. We would like to say thank you very much to Gosnay’s Butchers of Saltburn for their monetary donation, also Ripping Yarns of Saltburn who have donated a wonderful raffle prize to be won at one of our next fairs.

If you would like to assist with fundraising for this once in a lifetime building project for young people you can do many things. For example, spread the word! The more people who know about the project the more likely we are to get community support. Find or set up a job that needs doing and let us know; we are really keen to do anything!

You can contact us at Tanzania2017@yahoo.co.uk or alternatively keep up to date with the project by visiting our Facebook page ‘ClevelandScoutsTanzania2017’.

News from Friends of Skelton Community Orchard Ringrose Orchard—Official Opening Ringrose Orchard will be officially opened by Mr. Anthony Warton on the 18th May at 11.00am. Everyone is welcome to attend. Children from Skelton Primary School will be there to sow wild flower seeds and plant wild flower plug plants. In the meantime why not come along to view the progress that is being made. Whilst the Orchard is still a ‘work in progress’ there is plenty to see and enjoy.

Also, if you have an hour or two to spare please come along to lend a hand. Volunteers are usually on site Monday and Thursday mornings or you can telephone 01287 654132 for further details.

Throughout the winter our four enthusiastic, and hardy, volunteers, John Chapman, Roger Pell, Derek Hedges and Stuart White, have continued to work every Monday and Thursday morning, weather permitting!

The main object of their efforts has been to demolish and rebuild the sandstone wall which bounds the Cleveland Way path leading from The Hills down to the High Street.

This task is now complete, and a good job it is too. We have been supported by Skelton Estates who have allowed us to select appropriate blocks of sandstone to enable a strong wall to be constructed. Also, we are grateful to Green’s Builders Merchants, who donated a wheel barrow to help with this work.

Additionally, in conjunction with Paul Murphy, Countryside Ranger and his apprentices, a larger group of volunteers have learned how to construct a willow tunnel which leads to the bug hotel, bird feeding area and fruit

and vegetable garden.

Philip Atkinson, wrought iron worker from Marske, has designed and installed a gateway leading into the Orchard from the Cleveland Way. During April we aim to release on to the site rescue hedgehogs, which have been over-wintering at the Kirkleatham Owl Centre. Hopefully we will be able to include the ‘eco warriors’ from Skelton Primary School in this activity.

We are on the verge of completing a rockery at the top corner of the orchard. This work has been undertaken by work experience placements David and Johnny, under the guidance of Joyce White. As the weather improves the area behind the new wall will be cleared and planted. Volunteers from Warburton’s Bakery will be playing a major roll in this task.

Open Gardens After last year’s inaugural, and successful, opening, which raised a staggering £5,400 for the benefit of Skelton Villages Civic Pride, we aim to consolidate Skelton’s place on the open gardens calendar by organising a similar event this year, during the weekend 25th and 26th June.

Mr Anthony Wharton has kindly agreed to open the grounds of Skelton Castle again, and we have some different, and interesting, gardens for the public to enjoy.

This year’s proceeds will go to the Great North Air Ambulance.

Stuart White 49

Saltburn Spring Seminar discussed Valley Gardens Residents of Saltburn were encouraged to attend a seminar to discuss future plans for Saltburn Valley Gardens.

Following on from a Symposium held in 2015, the Spring Seminar aimed to bring residents up to date and to seek support for further work to be completed in the gardens.

The seminar took place on Thursday, April 14th at at the Community Theatre in Saltburn.

A series of talks was held, including a look in the Valley Gardens’ past (From 1861 until recently) by historians Tony and Cath Lynn. An update was also given by council officers on the recent improvements to the Valley Gardens.

Before the seminar, Councillor Helen McLuckie, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, said: “This seminar will be a great way to communicate with residents to discuss future plans for the Valley Gardens. There are many features within the area including the Saltburn War Memorial, Woodland Centre, Albert Memorial, Italian Gardens, Marske Mill site, areas of open space and ancient woodland, so it will be great to see what ideas come from the seminar.”

Councillor Philip Thomson, Ward Member for Saltburn, also before the seminar said: “We’re interested in discussing the land owned by the council which stretches from the Viaduct to Cat Nab. Whilst some progress has been made in reinstating features and making improvements at Saltburn Valley Gardens, there is still work to be done. I look forward to the presentations, which will take an interesting insight into the past, present and future of the Gardens, but I am particularly looking forward to speaking with residents for their thoughts and ideas.”

Entry to the seminar was free, but residents were encouraged to register at Saltburn Library in advance.

Hopefully in next month’s Talk of the Town there will be a full report on how the seminar went and the decisions made but it was not possible for this month’s magazine because of the printing deadline.

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 May for babies and newcomers to the town 50

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I’M YOUR GUY Based in Saltburn CALL GUY ON

07780 008985 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

Holistic you and happiness Weight-loss diets do not create happiness. They are massive money making industries dealing in false promises and marketed as though thinness will make you happy. It’s a lie.

Thinness will not get to the root of your unhappiness.

Giving up smoking doesn’t make you happy, or giving up any drug for that matter.

Trying not to be angry and stressed by telling yourself to stop being angry and stressed in the long run almost certainly won’t make you happy.

These methods can work in the very short term, especially with a tough struggle but I’ve not seen them create lasting long term change.

I point this out because many people want to make changes, they see those changes as the reason why they are not more happy but they keep finding themselves slipping back to where they started.

The reason why diets and giving up drugs and stopping anger or anything else you are trying to get away from doesn’t work is that they are all backwards looking. It’s as if we have an internal GPS system: we have to become self -aware about where we currently are and then it’s about knowing where we want to get to and printing that in as the destination. If you try and print into the GPS I am here and where I want to get to is anywhere not here with this weight or this drug or this stress, you are really not going to get far, the GPS will simply be confused without a destination.

We create more of what we focus on and so when we say for example I must not smoke or I have promised myself not to eat any chocolate today, our mind is repeating the focus on the thing that we do not want and so re-imprinting that thing into our mind. We can use this method and give up things for a short while but we are actually in our awareness storing up more connection with the same thing that we are trying to get away from. Very often this method is really hard work as it’s about depriving ourselves of something we think about a lot, and slipping up can then feel like a treat we have been depriving ourselves of which we can now binge on. It’s like creating a pressure cooker out of ourselves and sooner or later it is likely to have a blow out.

This method I would call a looking back and a holding yourself back from things you are trying not to indulge in.

The method I use that I have seen work long term is to look forward or more precisely envisage and embody, imagine and feel what it feels like to be the person you want to be and feel inspired right now to live that. Rather than constantly trying to restrain yourself you are instead following your desire to be someone that is healthy, calm and happy and you can sense that it feels good to be like that. You want to feel like that.

I talked last month about the relationship we have with ourselves and I understand that can be a confusing concept yet we split ourselves all the time in our heads. We tell ourselves off for not arriving at an event earlier or we motivate ourselves with a positive pep talk before a big race.

It’s as if we are in a conversation with ourselves, as if there are two of us, the one talking and the one we are talking to.

This is not strange, this is human, and many young people (and older alike) I think would find a lot of relief in their life in relation to their weight, depression, anger,

addiction or a hundred other things that would feel so much easier to deal with if they got involved in the happiness philosophy. The reason I say this is that this philosophy deals with all of the modern (and ancient) personal issues of our time that can cause people an awful lot of stress and unhappiness, bulimia or obesity, gender issues, drugs and selfharm, mental illness, addiction, depression, anger, and a host more, they are all build-ups of negative patterns. What is required for real lasting change is to feel inspired in a new direction. After that it’s all about daily practice.

Why the happiness philosophy works is that it builds holistic self-esteem; that is not a catch phrase: it’s what I talked about in a radio interview two weeks ago. Doctors are experts of un-wellness, not of wellness and happiness, psychiatrists deal with the mind but not nutrition and fitness, personal trainers know about the body but don’t work on the psychology. Yet when you learn how to grow your own self-esteem holistically, you work on every part of you and give yourself a basis to deal with every challenge that comes into your life. All of these matters relate to selfesteem and that is only sensibly grown holistically.

Some people call this the relationship between you and you. In a sense there is a you inside you who is thriving, healthy and happy and appreciating everything they experience. (I must say this is not something I have currently yet fully mastered but the practice is to reduce the gap between the me that is well and happy all the time and the me that aims to live that experience and with practice I’m getting there).

When this article comes out if all is flowing I will be riding my bike for charity around the coast of Wales (following on from cycling the coast of England from Saltburn to Saltburn two years ago: see my website at the bottom of this page if you are interested to see the film).

I do this kind of trip for many reasons, I wild camp and the situation with rain and cold and exhaustion can get really tough, yet this is one of the reasons I do it, to see how good I am at staying positive and happy in really tough physical and psychological situations. It’s easy to avoid working on ourselves and weave around not dealing with issues until one day we hit a brick wall. We can tell ourselves we really could do with starting to get fit or to take up healthy food or to face up to why we get down sometimes for weeks on end but we put it off, as if we can run away from ourselves. So I go out and give myself selfcreated challenges to see how well I’m doing and to find out what I could still work on when the whole of me is under challenge and that’s how I get to see more clearly the gap between me and me.

I do find these challenges really tough and if you can support in any way that really, really helps. It’s hard to express how your support makes such a difference. Thank you so much for all your kind words and donations. Please see the website if you do want to do either.

Kendal Aitken Health and Happiness Coach / Counsellor. For comments, questions or support, contact me on 07944 883961 (or see website happygreenblueeyes.co.uk).

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The Saltburn Profile Terry Doyle “A big part of me is my search to find common ground between different faiths and also the scientific community,” says Terry Doyle, who strives to combine a contemplative approach to life with his commitment to social action.

Terry was born in Overdene Maternity Home in Saltburn and brought up in South Bank. His grandparents came to Teesside from Ireland. He was brought to Saltburn for day trips on the train and he associated Saltburn with happy days on the beach and in the Valley Gardens. “I’ve often had a yearning to live in Saltburn and I’ve achieved it on and off all my adult life,” he explains. “It has a great community, it’s friendly, bohemian and I like the music scene.”

Terry went to Sacred Heart Secondary School and St Mary’s College in Middlesbrough, which he left to play rhythm guitar in a punk rock band. He admits he was a bit of a rebel, but he got involved with ‘Rock against Racism’ and other social justice movements. He took a job as a labourer at ICI and played in bands by night.

He enrolled on a part-time degree in Politics and Sociology at Teesside Polytechnic and joined the Labour Party, but he became disillusioned with its Punch and Judy style of politics. Instead, he volunteered for the Youth Offending Service and did a lot of charity work, organising and taking part. “I cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats in nine days and nearly killed myself falling forty feet down Scafell Pike another time,” he remembers. “I believe it’s good to use your energy to effect positive change in society.”

Once Terry started his degree, he found doors opened for him. At ICI Wilton HQ, he rose from distribution clerk to a post in petrochemical sales and marketing in five years. However, a period of chronic illness led him to reexamine his values and lifestyle.

He was helped back to health by holistic therapies: acupuncture, internal martial arts and meditation. They worked by restoring his sense of balance in life. It was a major transformative period, leading to his decision to leave ICI to study holistic therapies in depth. He went to Sheffield to study acupuncture at the College of Oriental Medicine; he learnt meditation and Tai Chi too. Subsequently, with Jason Chan, Terry set up an Academy of Tai Chi in Ireland and taught meditation, Tai Chi and Chi Kung in Dublin and Cork.

Terry’s years of self-discovery have even led him to the Himalayas, where he worked to raise funds for Rokpa, a Tibetan charity, to help build a school and a cottage hospital in Nepal. His understanding of other faiths has developed over the years and Terry was inspired by the words of the Dalai Lama, whom he met in Manchester, to: “Blossom where you are planted.”

Terry has taken vows as an oblate with the contemplative-based World Community for Christian Meditation (wccm.org) and this has influenced his daily meditation and service to the community. He has developed skills in the healing arts and as a Tai Chi and Meditation retreat leader both across the UK and more locally. “I deliver classes at the Earthbeat and the Well-Being Centres in Saltburn,” he says.

Over the years, Terry has balanced that kind of work with social action. He has been involved with social justice projects across the north-east, specialising in helping people

by Rosemary Nicholls

overcome addiction problems and homelessness. He has a part-time role funded by the Church Urban Fund, (CUF), to develop a faith-based response to poverty across Redcar and Cleveland. A member of the Caritas/Catholic Social Action Network (CSAN), he represents the Catholic Diocese on the Inter-Faith Forum. He is working with the Local Authority to win the hearts and minds of local people to ensure a welcome for Syrian refugees later in the year. “I enjoy the diversity,” he explains. “No two days are the same. In various ways, I am able to fulfill my passion to empower and enable society’s downtrodden, marginalised people.”

Terry is organising a conference entitled ‘A Contemplative Response to Austerity’ at Teesside University on July 13th. The keynote speaker is Laurence Freeman, global teacher and spiritual director of the World Community for Christian Meditation. He will explore social justice and resilience.

Terry is in his element in nature. He loves walking on the beach, in the woods and on the moors, alone or in company. He is a life long Boro supporter and believes sport and music bring people together. Still a punk fan, he enjoys folk and rock too. He loves musical events at the Vic and when inspired by the music, loves to dance.

As a child, he was very moved by Steinbeck’s ‘Grapes of Wrath’ and its theme of social justice. Nowadays, he loves reading spiritual books and books by mystics.

Paramahansa Yogananda’s autobiography of a Yogi and ‘A Course in Miracles’ are favourites.

Though divorced, Terry is very proud of his daughter, Anne-Marie, who works as a young people’s counsellor. She was married at Rushpool Hall last year.

Doing very well too is his son Jamie, who is a first year student at Leeds University.

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1st Saltburn Scout Group Although the clocks changed in March (just as we closed for Easter) we are hopeful that now we are meeting again we can get out, if it stays dry long enough! We hope the April showers (which we seem to be having) will stay away long enough for us to enjoy our annual St George’s Day Parade and Service at Skelton, which we will have enjoyed by the time this article appears in May. As Beavers closed for Easter they were saying farewell to Dylan, Harry, James, and Luke as they ‘moved on’ to Cubs (in the case of Dylan and Harry); the others are pursuing their other activity of cricket. We wish them well. The Colony is also welcoming Harry, Preston, Lucian, Pierce and Zachery; so numbers in the Colony are remain at a constant 20 members. Over the Easter break members of the Colony enjoyed a District activity at the Guisborough Walkway, enjoying meeting Beavers from other Colonies in the District. Hopefully with lighter nights (and better weather) they will be able to get out and continue their explorations of the local Saltburn area.

Cubs welcomed Dylan, Harry and Leo to their first night with the Pack; enjoying games and a “Kim’s Game” – this is a memory game, where they have to list the items from a previously displayed collection – it can be surprising how many items they can remember! Thirteen members of the Pack enjoyed an afternoon’s ice skating at Billingham with other Cubs in the District, as part of the Cubs Centenary. We travelled by coach (filling a 70 seater), from Loftus, Brotton, Skelton, Saltburn, Marske

Saltburn Line User Group Annual General Meeting at Costa Coffee, Unit 20 Regent Walk, Redcar Tuesday 3rd May 2016 at 19.15pm (about 5 minutes walk from Redcar Central) We expect speakers from Arriva Rail North (Northern) and First Trans Pennine Express.

Refreshments available and raffle prize draw.

All welcome to attend.

54

and Guisborough. A chance to meet new friends and develop new skills, by the end of the session of two hours we had many very competent ice skaters. Twenty of the Pack are now getting ready for the District Cubs 100 Camp in late May and getting very excited. The opportunity to sleep in tents, experience new activities and meet in some cases old friends from other Packs; and all away from mum and dad! At the same time they are equally optimistic about the lighter nights and the chance to get outside and explore!

Scouts remain static at 17, Nye will be due to move on to Explorer Scouts in July, and with the next influx (possibly as many as eight!) it means an even larger Troop.

But in the meantime all now desperate to get outside; our regular Troop forum (where we discuss and plan for the next few months) featured the ‘outside’ at almost every suggestion; although the suggestion that we try to climb Everest had to be put on hold! But if all works out as planned we will be out and about; not just in Saltburn as they would like to tackle sections of the Cleveland Way and see more of the costal paths; so we will not be inactive.

Hopefully the weather will be kind.

Our building works continue, with well decorated toilets (courtesy of Tony Smith; with soap, paper towel dispensers, etc., it all looks quite posh. We welcomed back the social group from the Caravan site after their winter break; they are very supportive in our ideas for the building and support our fundraising activities.

We will be seen out and about as summer is now upon us; but we continue to welcome assistance in all our activities and if you are interested in joining us, please enquire: John G. Hannah – 07811 801627 (or johnghannah@yahoo.co.uk).

John G. Hannah

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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.

Baggage by Alan Butler In just a few days Kate and I will be flying to America. I have some talks to do in New England and we will be meeting friends there so it will be a sort of holiday as well.

Kate will never allow me anywhere near suitcases when there is packing to be done because she assumes that most men are hopeless at such things and thinks I am more useless than most. This may well be true but I was able to help her with one problem relating to the weight of the suitcase, which is always an issue when it comes to taking luggage on planes.

Kate’s problem stemmed from the fact that we only had one set of luggage scales. We need to take these with us to America so we can weigh the case before we return home. The difficulty is that we cannot weigh the case with the scales ‘in’ it because we need the scales to do the weighing. This led to a discussion about the feasibility of solving this problem, without recourse to another set of scales, such as those in the kitchen or the bathroom. It bothered me for quite some time before I came up with what I thought was the perfect solution. I told Kate about it but she was quite underwhelmed, which is why I am sharing it with you now because I thought it was ingenious.

What I proposed that we should do was to take the suitcase, together with a stout plastic bag and some sand to the local children’s park. The suitcase, which was already packed and with the scales inside it, would be placed on one end of a seesaw and on the other end we should put the empty plastic bag. The bag would be gradually filled with sand until it balanced the suitcase exactly. The baggage scales could now be removed from the suitcase and used to weigh the bag of sand. The result would be the combined weight of the suitcase including the weighing scales.

As I said, Kate was not impressed with my solution and had been to town to buy a second set of baggage scales, identical to the first set. She claimed that this would allow her to weigh the suitcase and the scales without recourse to the children’s park, the seesaw or the bag of sand but it occurred to me that the problem had not gone away at all - at least not if she wanted to take the second set of scales with us in order the check the baggage on the way home and also bring back the second set of scales. All that had happened was that the park, the seesaw and the sand had been postponed until we were in the United States. Do they have seesaws in the United States?

Would we be able to find a suitable park and would a couple of Brits messing about with suitcases and bags of sand raise suspicion amongst the locals? Would we even be able to find a bag of sand when we needed it? These were all issues that had be taken into consideration. I can’t help but think about such things. Kate just told me I was an idiot and went on packing.

I think Kate is being a little dismissive of my experience in this area. Three decades ago when I was first trying to become a professional writer I took a part

time job at Leeds Bradford airport as a baggage handler.

It was only meant to be for six weeks to raise some extra cash but I enjoyed the job so much I stayed there for over three years. It was a very physically demanding job but in addition to handling baggage I also got to drive buses, huge snow ploughs and even fire engines. Sadly nobody ever asked me to fly a plane but if the RAF arrived and things were quiet we sometimes got to go up in a Hercules transport plane and that was unbelievable fun.

I collected so many stories while I was working at the airport that I could fill a book with them. On one occasion the baggage that had come off a business flight was being checked by a sniffer dog, looking for drugs.

The dog in question, a very bouncy spaniel took a fancy to a particular attaché case but before the handler could grab hold of the dog it picked up the case and ran off across the apron of the airport and onto the main runway. All flights had to be suspended and I was despatched to take the handler onto the runway in a Land Rover to rescue the dog and the attaché case. By the time we got there the ingenious animal had opened the case and was busy eating what it had obviously smelled in the baggage hall – a Mars Bar! On another occasion I was helping to unload a holiday flight from Spain when a large insect wearing a stripy T-shirt flew out of the baggage hold and promptly stung me on the arm. Within minutes my arm had swollen to the size of a party balloon and I was ushered to an anonymous room deep in the bowels of the terminal. An hour later a ‘man in black’ turned up from some ministry or other and began to prod and question me. There was talk of me being put into isolation and I was grilled as to the nature of the insect that had attacked me. I was even asked why I had not had the presence of mind to apprehend the critter and keep it for further analysis. The man seemed to think it had been very irresponsible of me to allow it to get away.

Fortunately after another hour the swelling began to go down and he reluctantly released me to get on with my work.

The baggage handlers had our own little hut at the edge of the apron where we ate our meals and sheltered from the rain. On one occasion everything went quiet for an hour. It was only when someone looked out of the window to see men walking around in what looked like space suits that we asked what was going on. It turned out there had been a bomb scare on an aircraft from Belfast that was only yards from our hut. Everyone in the airport had been evacuated – but nobody had thought to tell us!

I would like to tell you more but Kate has just shouted to say that she has somehow lost the second set of baggage scales, so it looks as though we are going to be using my seesaw idea after all.

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Rotary Club News This year’s Grand Ol’ Oprey raised a magnificent £3,000, the organisers The Rotary Club of Saltburn have announced.

The money will go to the beyond-the-state-of-theart Heart Scanner at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough. The scanner is the result of an appeal which reached a Million Pounds target earlier this year, and Rotary Clubs in the region previously raised £80,000.

The Oprey, a four nights musical extravaganza again at the Saltburn Community Theatre, was once more backed by Barclays Employee Matched Fundraising.

The Saltburn club, which always enjoys incredible support from East Cleveland and far beyond, has just 12 members.

Club president Les Manship, who is also the chair of Saltburn Community and Arts Association SCAA and is a veteran of public service, said: “We have come away with a huge success. The Oprey result is tremendous, and I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved. It’s raised a magnificent amount. The Rotary Club of Saltburn is one of the best groups I have ever worked with.”

He heaped praise on Rotarian Harry Simpson, who selected all the artistes for the Oprey using his expertise running the charity Saltburn Blues Club, which also sponsored the opening night.

The artistes, who travelled from as far as Devon, Leeds, Morpeth and Newcastle, waived their normal fees and some declined the offer of expenses.

They showed how much they had enjoyed being able to help the Heart Scanner cause by posting their thoughts on their websites afterwards.

Performer Marie Marx wrote: “Was a great night for a great cause. Was pleased to be a part of it.”

Chris James and Martin Fletcher Band enthused: “Thanks for inviting us. We had a great time.”

Steve Dagleish put on record: “Thanks for inviting me to take part. Lovely concert at Saltburn’s Community Theatre for the Grand Ol’ Oprey yesternight. Thanks to Harry Simpson, Karl for the sound, to staff, musicians and especially the audience.”

The self-styled Saga Louts of the band Old School said: “Well done Harry and many thanks to Karl on the desk.”

Audience member Donna Oakley put on record: “Thanks all who offer their skills and talents for charity.”

Grand Ol’ Oprey raffle winners 1) 000804 £ 100 cash -Val Rowell 2) 000194 £20 cash -Guy Mason 3) 000793 Bottle of Gin- Mrs E Leonard 4) 001938 Bottle of Rose Wine-not yet claimed 5) 000769 Easter Egg -Joe Cooper 6) 000355 Bottle of Red Wine -John Wilby 7) 001734 Bottle of Bell`s Whiskey-Mrs Spight 8) 001059 Bottle of Rose Wine-Jess Madden 9) 001436 Box of Cheese Biscuits and Chutneys- Tate 10) 000276 Bottle of Elderflower Wine-Naomi Lowery 11) 001582 Bottle of Champagne-Liz Bishop 12 ) 000239 Bottle of Red Wine-Conal Manship Rotarian Peter Holbert 56

Saltburn 500 Club Congratulations go to S Williams for winning the £100 First Prize in the April Saltburn 500 Club monthly draw.

It was decided, at the last committee meeting, that some minor changes needed to be done to the Constitution of the 500 Club. Copies of the revised Constitution will be made available in the library (or you can contact me on the email address below) with the intention of having the revisions agreed at the AGM in June.

I have exhausted my supply of Tombola prizes for fund -raising events for the Christmas lights so would be grateful to have anything you can donate.

The schedule for the Bandstand performances has had some additions to Saturday events since it was first printed.

New copies are available from me via email or from the library. It was good to see some new volunteers at my first fund-raising event in the Community Centre; however, there is still room for more if you wish to help raise funds for the town Christmas lights Trevor Welburn Secretary, Saltburn 500 Club/Friends of Saltburn trevor.welburn@btinternet.com

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

The Muses of Jim The last month has been quite interesting. As I was going on holiday I called in at a Saltburn Chemist to ask for my free condoms, as indicated by a notice in the window, explain that I was going on holiday. To my surprise I was refused as I didn’t qualify. Is that discrimination or what? Rebuffed I went home and packed. Fortunately, for me Jill and family were going down to London the day before me and travelling down by car and had kindly offered to take my bag down for me, as I was travelling down the following day by train.

I duly arrived at the hotel on the Monday only to discover that whilst I was booked in here my family was in another hotel. An error they said. The thought of changing my will crossed my mind. It was explained to me that the two hotels had the same name. Does the will need changing? The other hotel it appears was to be of poorer quality than mine.

My room was wonderful. I was on the 8th floor facing south. The view was breathtaking. St Paul’s was directly in front of the Shard. It dominated the skyline.

The view was wonderful, but more about that later. What struck me was the number of tall, tall cranes, dozens in any direction.

As my number three daughter’s partner is sport mad, sporting arenas are important to him and to me I would rather have toothache even though I have false teeth. I would have ample time to do my own thing. On

Tuesday morning I did just that. They were going to go and visit Wimbledon so it was agreed to meet them at the Science Museum at 1.30. So I set off to go the Natural History Museum. I walked to Kings Cross Station, caught the 91 bus to Trafalgar Square, walked down Whitehall to see the crowd of guests to this country watching people entering Portcullis House, where I would be entering the following Tuesday in order to attend a meeting and meet local MPs. Then I headed for my visit to see the Blue Whale and the Dodos. Unfortunately the walk there was that interesting by time I got there the queue was that long I couldn’t have made it in time to meet up with Jill and company. Did you know there is a street named after Lord North, the Prime Minister that lost America? Also I also walked passed Chelsea Hospital of the Pensioner fame.

After not a long wait we met up and entered the Science Museum, which turned out to be a great disappointment. Not a patch on the Manchester Science Museum: another bonus point for the North of England.

Charlie and Molly soon became rather restless, as did I. So we got a taxi to Hamley’s, the famous toy shop and what a delight that was. It made me wish that I was 70 years younger. I had to be prised out as did my two Grandchildren.

Wednesday, I met them outside Madam Tussaud’s where we had to go through a security check before we could enter the building. I had to keep asking Jill and Molly who the figures were and the Chamber of Horrors didn’t go down well with the grand kids. We all enjoyed the nearby Sea Life much better and even enjoyed the hotel bar better each night, where I recharged my drained batteries. After Sea Life, which was a bit fishy for me, we parted company: the two boys went off to inspect the pitch at Wembley. The rest of the gang went to visit St Paul’s at Molly’s request and she discovered the delight of the Whispering Gallery, then we walked to Convent Garden, enjoying the street entertainers.

The next day was the best yet. I met them at the London Eye. This was a test for Molly, as she going to London with the school and she was nervous about going on the Eye but she passed with flying colours and she fully enjoyed the sights but the best was yet to come. After a short but expensive Tube ride, on which I couldn’t use my bus pass, we arrived at the highlight of the week. The Shard. This was another test for Molly. She is nervous of using lifts but she endured two massive lift rides with a courage that would have won a VC in battle. The view from the top of the Shard is breathtaking. The Tower of London looked like a toy fort and MHS Belfast looked like an Airfix model. I could have stopped up for hours.

Friday on the way to the Railway Station my mobile rang: it was the Parish Council Clerk asking where I was because nobody could contact me, but I knew where I was.

It appears that it was to do with my visit to Parliament the following Tuesday.

Jim Wingham 57

The Saltburn Crossword no 179 set by Saxton Across 1 Former name of a once Saltburn pub rules the waves! (9) 6 and 15 Across Talk of the Town vegan advertiser digs the land I sorted (4, 8) 8 Having an unhealthy sexual interest or itch initially pure rage under review in each new trainee (8) 9 Try hard in first river (6) 10 Not long ago sounds like posted again (6) 11 Coach bearing (8) 12 New Saltburn shop found back in babe, I’ll order (5, 1) 15 See 6 Across 16 Give up the throne stirring dace bait (8) 19 Get to land with common tree mineral source (6) 21 Appalling and full of fear (8) 22 Cosy feeling hiding swarm therein (6) 24 Painful condition results from pang in a chest (6) 25 Decorative designs to be copied? (8) 26 Footwear so he can be arranged (4) 27 North polar region will teach crit. when confused (3, 6)

Down Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

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

Solution to Crossword no 178

The winner of last month’s crossword was Ken Booth of Huntcliff Court, 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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Canal boat making rude entry? (5) Inhabitant of Tel Aviv rails i.e. distributing (7) Policeman or any cause of something (5) Observed but without cooling? (7) Large country when Al visits Austria (9) Dearest one, ring lad about it (7) Person who finds the way sounds like the fleet crocodile! (9) Maze of intricate passageways found in the inner ear (9) Annual workers’ dinner or vegetarian abundance? (9) To form a mental picture of age I’m in (7) Completely overshadow obscured by these clips even (7) Gather in a crop cuts shaver to a T (7) Fluid necessary for life (5) Pick-me-up medicine is the home key in music (5)

Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 179, c/o Jackie’s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ

by Friday, 20th May 2016. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

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