Living by the sea...
6
Saltburn by the sea
September Saltburn Film Club presents. SONG FOR MARION. Grumpy pensioner Arthur honours his recently deceased wife’s passion for performing by joining the unconventional local choir to which she used to belong, a process that helps him build bridges with his estranged son, James. Cert:PG Starring Gemma Arteton and Terrance Stamp.
Saltburn Blues Club with. MORELAND AND ARBUCKLE support Bad Bob Bates. All the way from Kansas as part of their UK tour, M & A mix Delta blues and the raw energy of post WWII urban blues, distilled into a hard driving and powerful garage rock configuration of guitar, vocals, harp and drums. Not to be missed!
Thurs 5th September Doors 6.30pm Screening 7pm
Fri 6th September Doors and bar 7.30pm Curtain up 8pm
Saltburn Jazz Night with ACV (SUPPORTED BY JAZZ NORTH) Andy Champion launched his quintet ACV in 2009, to play compositions reflecting his wide music interests, drawing on influences as diverse a prog rock and free improvisation, but with jazz always at the heart. Fri 6th September Doors and bar 7.30pm
All or Nothing presents. BRASS NECK COMEDY CLUB. Steve Harris, Chris Cairns & MC Dave Twentyman. Sat 7th September Doors and Bar 7pm Curtain up 8pm
Satlburn Film Club presents. A LATE QUARTET. Members of a world-renowned string quartet struggle to stay together in the face of death, competing egos and insuppressible lust. Starring Christopher Walken. Cert:15 Runtime 105mins Thurs 19th September Doors 6.30pm Screening 7pm
OPERA JUST WENT JAZZ with. Opera singer Jeanette Wainwright and pianist Jane Robinson Sun 29th September Doors and bar 6.30pm show starts 7pm
Welcome
Sweeping beaches, cliffs, big skies, surf, seabirds, Saltburn has them all and is our favourite place to be. This month sees the publication of another magazine bringing you some special features which encapsulate, accentuate and celebrate Saltburn by the Sea and the rest of our north eastern coastline as part of the great British seaside – its landscape, its history, its attractions and its community. It was because of the railways that people started holidaying at the seaside, attracted by the space; the coastline, fresh air, nature. The seaside was heavily marketed by the train companies, especially after the war. Posters of sunshine and optimism advertised sunny shores and cooling breezes. Posters featured women in bathing suits, beach balls with smiley faces and children on donkeys. And people flocked to the seaside in their thousands. In the early sixties the railways found themselves victims of brutal government cuts. Many stations closed. Much loved routes became blocked off. Train travel, and to some extent the seaside, were never the same again. Many resorts withered and died. Redcar was, until recently, best described as an aging 1950's seaside town in the rain. Now, however, it is good to see the town beginning on a new adventure. New sea defences, the futuristic 'Beacon', the newly refurbished promenade with its penguins, iron postcards, tribute statue to 'Atonement' and the Sinterlation sculpture have helped breath new life into the town and attracted an increased number of visitors. . If you haven't visited yet we encourage you to do so. We think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise. And of course, there is always Pacitto's to visit for that Lemon Top ice cream.
Sea Breezes welcomes contributions from readers. If you have a photo, story, poem, event or article of news that you would like to share please e-mail it to: saltburnbysea@gmail.com and include Sea Breezes in the subject box. Text submitted to the site may be sub-edited for the sake of clarity or readability. Images submitted to the site may be cropped or digitally enhanced (for example, to improve contrast). The editor is under no obligation to publish any text or photos submitted to Sea Breezes and may reject material on the grounds of copyright infringement, offensiveness or other legal considerations. The copyright of all photographs featured within this magazine remains with the magazine or any photographers credited. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any way without prior written consent. Sea Breezes is produced by saltburnbysea.com, an independent website which is not affiliated with, or officially sponsored by any Local Authority or Tourist Information Centre based in or near Saltburn by the Sea. saltburnbysea.com tries to ensure that the articles and announcements made on the Sea Breezes pages are accurate, but views expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the webmaster. Any offers in adverts are made by the advertiser and details should be confirmed with them. Always confirm event details with the organisers, in case of alteration or errors. Š 2006-2013 SaltburnbySea.com. All rights reserved worldwide | Created by seasalt |
The Saltburn and Cleveland Advertiser
Between the 1870’s and the 1930’s The Saltburn and Cleveland Advertiser was a free monthly publication which prided itself on being the 'Largest, Best, and Cheapest Advertising Medium in Cleveland'. It was published by The Ivanhoe Press, proprietor Joseph Parks, from its office on Windsor Road and circulated 5,000 copies gratis each month, distributed in Saltburn, Marske, New Marske, Guisborough, Brotton and the Skeltons. The following article is the second of a number of articles which were published in monthly episodes throughout 1930.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SALTBURN BY IVANHOE CHAPTER V Saltburn Church contains a lady bell of the reign of Henry VII which is still rung for daily service. This was discovered by Mr Hope of Marske, in the old Church of St Germains, Marske and was removed to the Emmanuel Church when it was consecrated in 1872. The sister bell is, we believe, still in Marske Church. These two bells must have originally hung in the old Norman Church which covered the present site of St Germains at Marske. A unique possession of Saltburn Church is a Dutch Banquet Dish of beaten brass, used as an Alms dish. It was washed up on the beach some forty five or more years ago, claimed by the. Marquess of Zetland, and presented to the Vicar and Wardens for use at the offertories. It is thus inscribed in old Dutch "De Druf ys Sovedt sy is voer men goedt" meaning, "The grape is sweet; it is for the good of men." Within the legend are depicted two juveniles bearing a pole from which hangs a massive bunch of grapes. This may represent the spies which were sent out by Joshua to show the fruitfulness of the Land of Promise. There is no date, which might however, be ascertained by anybody aquatinted with the history of Utch dress or art, either from the design itself or the process of beating the brass. Kirkleatham, a village a few miles away, boasts an alms dish supposed to be Spanish in origin and a work of the 16th century. It is finely embossed with foliage, roses, pomegranates, birds, rabbits, lions, mermaids etc. it was
washed ashore at Coatham during the 18th century and was presented by the lord of the manor, Mr TurnerNewcomen of Kirkleatham Hall, to his parish church. Saltburn Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1865 at a cost of £1,200, exclusive of the site. In 1872 it was found necessary to enlarge it in order to accomodate the increased number of worshippers, and a gallery running round three sides was put in at the same time, the cost of both being £400. Two years later an organ was added at the expense of £200. Of recent years the chapel has been considerably enlarged. The first chapel used by the Primitive Methodists is now utilised as a picture house, but a magnificent edifice in the style of a Chinese Pagoda was erected by this denomination prior to the war. This faces the Queen's Hotel and causes the break in what was originally known as Piccadilly Circus. The Congregational Church also have a place of worship in Saltburn. During recent years the Parochial Hall has been used for Mass on Sundays by those of the Roman Catholic persuasion but great efforts are being made to erect a permanent and more suitable building upon a site facing the Convalescent Home. At one time both the Plymouth Brethren and the Friends had places of worship here. The British School was built in 1869, by Joseph Pease, Esq., and was enlarged by the addition of an infant's room in 1886. The first Workingman's Club and Institute was opened in 1888 and its present successor is now run as the Lune St. Social Club. The Conservatives and Ex-Servicemen have also clubs in Saltburn, whilst the British Legion, Liberals, Free Masons,
R.A.O.B., and many other organisations are well represented. At the west end of the town overlooking Hazelgrove Ravine is the Convalescent Home, erected by Messrs. Pease at a cost of £12,000 for their own workmen. It was later opened to others at a small charge but is now the property of the Club Union, and is used for the benefit of its own members. The steep road which zig-zags to the highest point of the Esplanade, and known locally as the "Cart Road" cost £1,000 in the making. It has been the scene of several fatalities. Previous to the war it was considered a great feat for a motorist to be able to ascend the steep road without the ignominy of pushing his own machine. The Lower Promenade which was not built until 1882, was constructed of stone blocks originally used as sleepers on the first public railway between Stockton and Darlington. ( TO BE CONTINUED)
Saltburn by the Sea
Speed Trials
Sweeping Sands
A brief history:
Round the last Boulby headland is a green crumble of cliff-top and then the high but still magnificent tabletop of Huntcliff. It is one of the highest cliffs in England. It thrusts out long and rough. A hazard of red boulders at its feet runs out into a long shambles of rock.
The miles of flat sands at Saltburn have provided the visitor with a
Then the sands begin, sweeping north for over six miles. They are the 'finest in England', white, wide, empty, silken, safe. At low tide they are wet and sculpted in ridges, flashing with salt pools,glittering in places with brush-strokes of shiny black sea-coal. The wind hurtles over them and mile-long snakes of fine, stinging white sand blow like smoke just above their surface. On windless days, a bluish light reflects in them. They are the sands of the 'Walrus and the Carpenter' which Lewis Carroll is said to have written after a day here with friends during a long vacation from Oxford.
hard, flat, smooth sands which were several hundred feet wide at low
Jane Gardam, 'The Iron Coast' 1994
number of different pastimes - cricket, sand sculptures and donkey riding have all played their part. In the early 1900's the more adventurous looked upon the beach with a different perspective with the pursuit of excitement and speed as their goal. In the early part of the 20th century, Saltburn boasted five miles of tide. It was in July 1904 that they were first considered for use for motor racing and the following year the first run on the sands was made by L.R. Anderson. On July 14th 1906, the Yorkshire Automobile Club organised the first Motor Races and Speed Trials to be held at saltburn. 60,000 spectators watched as Warrick Wright set a Yorkshire record of 96.5mph, although the real star of the day was probably W Ashford, whose 15hp steam car reached 54mph. There were six events in all, the final one being for touring cars which was won by Mr A Farnell with his 30hp Daimler 
John Andrew was eventually caught, an enormous fine was levied which he could not pay so he underwent a long term of imprisonment. He died in 1835. Smuggling continued for a while after John Andrew's capture in 1827 but without his brains and organising abilities. This, along with the punishment he recieved and reduced duties on imports all acted as an additional deterrent. Soon the clandestine meetings at the Ship Inn declined as the smuggling cutters ceased to make their trips to the Continent and back to the Cleveland coast. Even after the heyday of smuggling had passed, the village of Old Saltburn remained a seafaring community, with most of the residents earning a living as sailors and fishermen. Some of the men were occupied seasonally in the collection of ironstone nodules from the beach for shipping to Newcastle although steady employment in this field was not secured until the first ironstone mine opened in 1864 at Hob Hill. In 1848, in the first guide book to Saltburn ever published, Walbran said "All visitors to Saltburn should ... make a point of duty, once at least, to drink tea and eat 'Fat Rascalls.'" From this it can be noted that even after the Ship had lost its importance as the headquarters both of the smuggling fraternity and of those interested in the Cleveland Hunt, its situation and its tradition made the Inn a popular summer resort.
The Ship Inn survives today, having been enlarged over the centuries with the original bar closest to the road. Improvements to the Ship came slowly. Although electricity for private comsumption came to Saltburn in 1900, hurricane styled lamps were still being used in the Inn as late as World War II.
The following year saw the arrival of Algernon Lee Guinness, the brewery heir, with the world's fastest car - a French-made 200hp Darracq with an impressive missile-shaped tank tied to the top of its engine. Lee Guinness - "Algy" to his friends was up against a Dietrich which belonged to the Maharajah Tikara.
Although it was June the Northern Echo reported that "The heavy rain had made the sands wet and heavy but with a whirr and a flash the cars went by appearing to almost rival the streaks of forked lightning which a few minutes before had flashed across the sky." The Maharajah's motor barely moved but Algy reached "a marvellous speed" of 111.84mph - an unofficial English record
The following year, because of the tides, the trials took place in the early morning. Again thousands of spectators watched as Algy Guinness once again raced across the firm dry sands between Marske and Saltburn to equal the British record of 121.6mph.
In 1909, he was back again with his Darracq. The weather was again dreadful but Algy scorched across the sodden sands: AW Tate came second, his Mercedes reaching 92.43mph. Despite the fact that Algy only clocked 120.26mph compared to his 1908 run it was strangely described as an English record.
After his final run, Algy examined his engine and noticed that piston number six had cracked. The Darracq was taken home, dumped in the garage and Algy bought other, faster vehicles. Eventually he sold the Darracq to a dealer, but got cold feet days later. Unfortunately the dealer had started dismantling and all that was left was its V8 engine. The engine passed through various hands and has recently been restored. In April 2006 it was fired up for the first time since its last race at Saltburn and it appeared once again on the sands here on September 19th 2009.
Algy Lee Guinness with his brother Kenneth (left) and the Darracq 200 on Saltburn Sands 1907-09
1907 June 22 Saltburn speed trials Yorkshire record flying kilometre 111.84 mph 1908 June 28 Saltburn British & European record flying kilometre 121.57 Equals world record 1909 June 26 Saltburn FTD flying kilometre 120.25
In the years before the First World War, when a car manufacturer wanted more horsepower, they just built a bigger engine. Fiat was one of the leading makes of the time, and had been successful in racing with their S61 and S74 models, the S74 having a four cylinder engine of around 14 litres. The concept of the Land Speed Record was not yet established, but the world records for the flying kilometre and flying mile were highly prized. In 1911 the enormous 'Blitzen' Benz of over 21 litres held both these records, and Fiat decided to attack them with the S76.
In 1911 Fiat tried the car out at Brooklands, then took it to the sprint event at Saltburn Sands. The driver, Pietro Bordino, spurned the idea of putting the car on a trailer and drove it from Brooklands to Saltburn on the public highway Ă˘â‚Źâ€œ a 300 hp racing car with stub exhausts belching several feet of flame at passers-by. The intrepid passenger reported that on the journey the speedo sometimes read over 120 mph. At Saltburn, although the sand was damp and hence slow, the Fiat captured the flying mile record at a mere) 116 mph, but Fiat were happy and saw no need to make further use of the car.
The First World War interrupted the events and it wasn't till July 1920 that the events recommenced. In 1922 Malcolm Campbell raced here in an Austro Daimler and won the event for cars up to 2,500cc. More importantly, Campbell also borrowed the Louis Coatalen 350hp Sunbeam and brought it to Saltburn determined to set his first land speed record. This same car then held the current record at 133.75mph when Lee Guinness drove it at Brooklands on 17th May 1922. Campbell believed that without the restrictions of the banking that was at Brooklands he could set a faster speed on the sands. On his first run on 17th June 1922 he roared down the two mile run up before entering the measured mile and achieved 130.6mph. The return run achieved a faster speed at 134.76mph despite being into the wind and having narrowly to miss a dog that suddenly appeared on the beach. Campbell went on to complete six runs, ending the day with a record of 138.08mph and his first land speed record. However, this was not recognised by the international body, The Commission Sportive, in Paris, could not approve the figures as the Yorkshire Automobile Club timekeepers had used hand-held stopwatches instead of the electrical timing apparatus required by the official rules. This was the first time the authorities failed to accept one of Campbell's records
By 1938 the Saltburn sands were no longer considered suitable for racing and the sands further to the north at Redcar and Coatham were used instead although they were not as good as there were wet and dry patches. The Second World War interrupted the racing and it wasn't till 1946 when the beaches were completely cleared of barbed wire and mines that racing could begin again.
In 1948 Bob Berry raced here with his motorcycles and 1955 saw the last mixed motorcycle and car race meeting at Redcar. In 1962, some local bike racers formed the Tees-Tyne Motor Cycle Sand Racing Club with special permission to race obtained from the Local Authority and the first event was held on 8th September 1962. There was a further event in 1963 but this was only followed by a few more. The sands had deteriorated and there was no suitable stretch of flat, hard sand to use for high speed racing, a condition which still remains today.
This solid silver medal was awarded by The Yorkshire Automobile Club in 1914 to Harold Nelson-Smith for winning the 2500cc Open Event at the then famous and prestigious Saltburn Speed Trials. Nelson-Smith was competing in his 9 h.p. (1,357cc) single-seater Hillman motor car. These trials were held on Saturday 11th July on the sands between Saltburn and Marske. The medal was given as a 1st place prize with the 2nd place medals being identical, but made from bronze. The obverse is decorated with the coat of arms of York surrounded by the club's name. "Yorkshire Automobile Club" The medal is stamped with a full English (Birmingham) sterling silver hallmark corresponding to the year 1914 and with the makers mark. "BHJ" (B. H Joseph & Co., silversmiths, Birmingham) The front bears the beautiful image of a goddess holding a laurel branch and a motor car wheel and is engraved with Ihe inscription, "Saltburn Speed Trials -1914 - Open Event - 2500 cc" The following report about the 1914 Saltburn Speed Trials was published tn the July 18th edition of 'Autocar' magazine: "The day broke fine but slightly misty, with the result that drying of the course was delayed somewhat. However, a start was made at 11 am and the events were run through with commendable promptness, so much so that by about 2pm all the events with the exception of the racing car classes had been got through, making twenty events in three hours. The meeting was attended by a large number of spectators. No records were broken during the day, presumably on account of the course not being quite at its best, and also because a strong headwind was blowing.
The meeting closed with an attempt by Dano Resta on the 12 cylinder Sunbeam to beat the World's record for the flying kilometre, in one direction he achieved a speed of 104.4 mph and in the other direction, with wind, 117.6 mph. The mean speed being 111.05 mph. The Open Event M' for cars not exceeding 2500cc was won by Harold Nelson-Smith in a 9 h p. Hillman (1,357cc) The second place in this event was awarded to C. Bianchi in a 15 h.p. Crossley (2452cc). Nelson-Smith drove his Hillman in other events the same day. winning the Open Event 'L' (cars not exceeding 1850cc) and coming second in Open Event K" (cars not exceeding 1400cc).
Harold Nelson-Smilh was born in Coventry on 28th October 1880. His father, also named Harold, owned a varnish manufacturing business. His mother, Florence Emily (nee Nelson), had died giving birth to him. In 1908 he married Kathleen Obre Green in Bedford.
The 1911 census lists Harold Junior as being a manager of a motor car works and living in Coventry with his wife, retired father and two servants. He became the managing director of Rotherham and Sons Limited (watch and clock manufacturers, vehicle component manufacturers and precision engineers), a position he held until his sudden death on the steps of Drapers' Hall in Coventry on the 5th November 1942 aged 62. At the time of his death he lived in Kennilworth, Warwickshire.
Middlesbrough & District Motor Club Historic Motor Gathering
Sunday 15th September 2013 10.00am – 4.30pm
Discover some of the hidden jewels Of the North Yorks Moors. This years programme of walks has everything from short family rambles to a challenging 12 mile moorland hike for experienced walkers. Each walk is guided by National Park Rangers, specialist guest leaders or a knowledgeable and dedicated band of volunteers. They will take you to almost every corner of the Park to enjoy a breath of fresh air, to look at wildlife, geology, archaeology, buildings, signs of Spring, beautiful views, in fact almost everything that makes the North York Moors the place it is. Booking is essential
Other information
All walks are FREE but donations are welcome as they help us to care for the National Park.
Unless specifically stated dogs are welcome on walks provided they are on a short fixed lead at all times.
Places are limited on all walks and each one operates on a first come first served basis, so booking is essential. To book a place call 01439 772738 What to bring
Please wear appropriate clothing and suitable footwear. Do bring sun protection in hot weather. Please bring plenty to drink and for our longer walks, the individual event details will state whether you need to bring a packed lunch with you.
1 Level 1 Walks are 30 minute walks on easy going terrain for about 1-1.5miles. Total time allowing for stops etc will be about 1hr.
Children are welcome on all walks but MUST accompanied by an adult; some of the walks stipulate a minimum age. A number of walks are accessible by wheelchair and this will be specified in the individual walk details. You can get to many of our walks by Moorsbus or public transport, check out www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/public-transport for more information.
2 Level 2 is slightly more challenging. You will be walking about 2 or 3 miles. These walks could take up to 2 hours including information stops.
3 Level 3 is the highest level and will be up to 5 miles. These walks are much more challenging and you will need to be reasonably fit; they could take up to 3 hours for the total walk including information stops.
Sunday 1 September
Sunday 1 September
Cropton - 'the hill top settlement'
Hearbeat's Heather Country
Cropton, meaning 'hill top settlement', is a quiet village on the edge of the moorland. This 1.5mile walk led by Peter Turton looks at the site of a medieval castle and at some interesting buildings in the village.
A challenging 5mile walk - including some stiles and a few steep slopes - led by Mike Winterflood, which passes through some of Yorkshire's finest heather moorland. The route runs along part of Wade's Causeway before returning to Goathland on a quiet minor road.
Start 11:00am Finish 12:30pm Old Reading Room (Village Hall), Cropton High Street.
Start time 1:30pm. Finish 4:30pm Mallyan Spout Hotel, Goathland
Sunday 1 September Saints and surgeons
Lastingham church is one of the gems of the National Park, with its superb Norman crypt and unusual history. On our wheelchair-friendly 1mile walk led by Peter Turton, you'll also discover a link with one of the pioneers of modern medicine and learn about two tragedies which affected the village. Accessible by wheelchair. Start 2:15pm Finish 3:45pm Lastingham Church
Wed 4 September A Drovers's journey
Join Mike Nicholson on a fascinating 4.5 mile linear walk along the ancient Drover's Road from Square Corner to Sheepwash. You'll get the feel of what it was like to drive livestock on the open road in days gone by, passing the sheep washing point, Old Chequers Inn and the Scarth Nick gap. Return transport is provided. Start 10:00am Finish 12:30pm Square Corner, between Osmotherley and Hawnby (OS Grid Ref SE479959)
Wed 4 September
Wed 2 october
The cawthorn conundrum
Damage and disaster
Cawthorn is one of Britain's most intriguing sites. This 1mile, wheelchair-friendly walk with Peter Turton attempts to unravel the mystery behind these Roman 'camps' which have puzzled archaeologists for so long. There are also wonderful views of the Tabular Hills escarpment and the moorland beyond. Accessible by wheelchair.
This 3.75 mile walk with Chris Bush examines the evidence left of the damage caused by a flash flood that destroyed all in its path. The event occurred in June 2005, when six inches of rain fell on the Hambledon Hills in just 45 minutes.
Start 6:30pm Finish 7:30pm Cawthorn Roman Camps cer park (OS Frid Ref SE783894
Start time 2:00pm Finish 4:00pm Anya's Wood, between Hawnby and Osmotherly. (OS Grid Ref. SE528928)
REALLY GET TO KNOW THE NORTH YORK MOORS
Tuesday 17 September
Thurs 17 October
Sunday 15 December
Over the Hills and Far Away
Maybeck and Littlebeck Meander
Winter Woodlad Walk
Let our National Park Rangers introduce you to the splendours of the autumnal woodland on this 4 mile circular walk that passes Falling Foss waterfall and its unique stone hermitage. Please note, paths will be muddy.
Join our National Park Rangers for a festive stroll around the woods, seeking out woodland carvings and hidden surprises. The walk is around 3.5miles and you'll be able to enjoy the woods, waterfall and brisk winter air, and maybe even a mince pie!
Join a National Park Ranger or one of our Join our National Park specially chosen experts on one of our Rangers for a 6 mile circular walk across walks.
farmland and moorland, taking in some of the northern dales and moors and enjoying some of the best views in the area. It's an easygoing route, suitable for all the family.
Start 10:00am Packed lunch needed.
Start 10:00am Finish 1:0m
Start 10:00am Finish 3:00pm Danby Moors National Park Centre
Finish 12:00 noon Maybeck car park. (NZ 893 024)
Falling Foss car park (OS Grid Ref. NZ888036)
Discover... Slapewath to Skelton Green
Starting from the Fox and Hounds Inn at Slapewath, follow Skelton Miners’ Hospital on the gable of a building to your the lane on the north side of the building in Cleveland Street left before passing Manless Terrace on the left and Trout Hall past a sign pointing to Skelton Green, 1½ miles away. Lane on your right side.
Walk ahead along the lower edge of woodland with views of Margrove Park across the valley to your right. Passing through a wooden gate there is a wall on your left side and at the split follow the lower pathway. The track runs downhil, turn left over a stile that leads into a field with views of Boosbeck directly ahead. The route continues down the slope to another stile and then bends left to cross a beck before running up an incline and through a gap.
The Miners’ Arms is prominent on your right and Green Inn, on your left, before you turn left into Airey Hill Lane. You soon pass Thompson’s Road on the right, to join the Cleveland Way, left, with a sign to Slapewath saying two miles. A wide trackway runs up a gentle slope to pass Cripple Hill and Green Plantation on your right before the buildings of Airy Hill Farm feature on your left. Birk Brow Road is prominent on the hillside away to your left with the craggy summit of High Cliff dominating woodland to the south of Guisborough.
Continuing below Hutton Wood and Marley Wood there are five stiles along the next section before you pass allotments on your right hand side and reach Boosbeck Road. Continuing ahead down the grassy slope, the Cleveland Way bends to the left with a fence on the left and woodland on the right before running through woodland to seats and At this point turn left along the pavement that runs uphill to a view point. Skelton Green. You can pick out markings of the former
A long flight of steps runs down the hillside between gorse bushes with the former quarry face on your right and you continue round to the left past Railway Cottage and Spa Gill to return to your starting point at the Fox and Hounds Inn.
Location: Slapewath is on the north side of the A171 2 miles east of Guisborough
Start: Fox and Hounds Inn Distance: 4 miles Going: Clearly-defined routes with several stiles (on Cleveland Street). Several moderate/severe inclines. Care needed crossing public roads
Map: Ordnance Survey Explorer OL26 North York Moors Western Area
Refreshments: Fox and Hounds Inn Dogs: Under proper control Wheelchair access: Not suitable
From 'Mr Punch at the Seaside'
By the Sad Sea Waves
"But, are you sure?" "Yus, lady. E's as strong as an 'orse!" "But how am I to get on?" "Oh. I'll lift yer!"
A brief glimpse of the past... Kirkleatham According to the Domesday Book there was a priest and a church at Kirkleatham. In the fourteenth century a dozen monks were established as a Chantry to pray each day for the souls of the De Thweng family who had owned estates since the Norman Conquest. In the early 1700’s when the nearby alum works were at their most productive (the works being the oldest in the country) a John Turner came from Herefordshire to be the works manager on behalf of the mine’s owner, Sir Thomas Chaloner. The said John Turner married Elizabeth and they had thirteen children. In 1623 he bought the Manor of Kirkleatham and two years later built Kirkleatham Hall, this was enlarged in 1676 by his eldest son, also named John. William a younger son of John the elder spent his boyhood at the Hall and in later years, founded the Hospital for the deserving poor. In 1719 Cholmley Turner made many improvements to the Almshouses and later built a Chapel and school. His nephew, Charles Turner, in 1774, decided to make the entire village into a park as he was keen on agricultural pursuits and improving the farmland. The Turner family owned the estate for over 200 years until it passed to the Newcomen family in 1848. In 1949 Mr. Le Roy Lewis (a descendent) sold it to Ortem Estates and there was an auction of farms, cottages, the Hall and it’s contents. Sir William Turner’s Hospital, sometimes known as Kirkleatham Almshouses, continues to provide sheltered accommodation, as it has done for the last 325 years. During 2000 it was extensively renovated. The Free School has been converted into a museum and a “Special School” was built on the site of Kirkleatham Hall, which was demolished in 1956.
50 Spades of Clay...
Growing your own fruit and vegetables.
September As the gaps appear after harvesting you can fill them with green manures for an easy life and to nourish the soil or put in some winter crops. Seed sown in autumn for the New Year and next spring can produce exceptionally sturdy plants in autumn that should positively gallop ahead as soon as the frosts are over. Autumn-sown broad beans are known to give bumper crops and, being out of sync with the blackfly season, are rarely bothered by them. If you want exceptionally big and beautiful onions for the show bench, now is the time to start them off. Winter is a great time for growing all sorts of greens ranging from unusual salad leaves to turnip tops. You have to allow more time for plants to grow through winter. They stop and start with the dips and rises in temperature. Hardy cool season plants go into a state of suspended animation once weather gets
below 4° – 7°C (40° – 45°F). So a winter lettuce planted in September won't be ready until January but most would agree that it worth waiting for a fresh home grown lettuce at that time of the year. If you plan to grow salads, spinach, spring cabbage or oriental greens outside through the worst of the winter, it is worth every penny to invest in some crop covers. Don't delay but sow spring cabbage now in modules to plant out in October. Pointed cabbages 'Duncan' and 'Peter' get the top marks for versatility . They will provide you with good leafy spring greens right through to March and hearted spring cabbages in summer. Any seeds left over can be sown in spring for summer and autumn eating. Many grow turnips in winter for purely for their green tops. So, if you have seeds left over from last spring, this is an excellent way to use them up.
Put on some fertilizer and get your overwintering onion sets planted out early in the month. 'Swift' is popular variety that produces a crop six weeks before the spring sown ones. The original Japanese overwintering onion 'Senshyu' is another good bet. Onions obligingly grow to the size allotted to them - within reason. For full sized ones, plant them about 7.5 (3 inches) apart with the growing tip just below the surface. Plant new strawberries or pin down the runners. Remember to start on fresh ground every three years, either all at once or in stages. Keeping young strawberries well watered in autumn will make for good fruit the following year. Some hardy annuals can also be sown out now for next year. These include, marigold, Calendula, poached egg plant, Limnanthes, California poppies, Eschscholzia, and poppies Papaver somniferum, all of which are top of the pops for friendly predators and bees.
❯ Sow now... Spring lettuce, winter spinach, oriental leaves, pak choi, salad leaves, turnips, hardy green manures
❯ Plant now... Spring cabbage, autumn onion sets
❯ Harvest now... Salad leaves, lettuce, radish, potatoes, globe artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, runner beans, French beans, broad beans, beetroot, leaf beet, spring onions, bulb onions (from store), carrots, parsnips, peas, squashes, marrows, courgettes
Sow: Spring cabbage: Sow in July/August; transplant in September/October. Summer cabbage: Sow from late February/early March (under cloches or similar cover) until early May; transplant in May/June. Winter cabbages: Sow in April/May; transplant in late June/ July.
Cabbages.
Soil: dig well and add plenty of well rotted manure the autumn before planting. You can also grow a nitrogenfixing green manure over the site three weeks before planting. Sun: Sun. Largely frost-tolerant. Doesn't mind a windy patch. Grow: Transplant the young plants to their final growing position when they have five or six true leaves, setting the lowest leaves at ground level. Leave 15cm between Spring/Summer varieties and 20cm between Winter varieties.
Harvest: when the heart or centre of the plant feels hard to the touch.
Problems: use a collar around the base of the plant to protect from root fly. Net the plants to protect from Cabbage White caterpillars. This is a fungal disease causing stunted growth, purplish foliage and wilting in hot weather. The root system also becomes swollen and distorted. It is worse on acidic soils and in warm, wet weather. If you have acidic soil you should apply lime before you plant. Rotate properly and burn diseased plants.
Throughdraft Things happening this month...
Breaking news, events and happenings you might miss this month.
Wanted in Saltburn on September 22nd: adventurous teddies (with owners of any age) to parachute from the top of Emmanuel church tower! Get your teddy to bravely go where no teddy has gone before. Each parachuting teddy will receive a certificate and a photo of their descent. There is a fantastic prize for the most sponsorship money raised. Sponsorship forms are available from Emmanuel church office tel 01287 622251 or email emmanuelsaltburn@hotmail.co.uk and all funds raised will go towards the church tower repairs.
A NEW CHURCH FOR SALTBURN. LORD ZETLAND LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE. On Saturday afternoon, the foundation stone of the first church erected in Saltburn-by-theSea was laid by the Earl of Zetland. Though even yet in its infancy, Saltburn has risen so rapidly in reputation, that it already takes rank as one of the most attractive of Yorkshire wateringplaces. With few exceptions every house has in the place has been built within the last half dozen years. The streets are well laid out, and the white brick-fronted buildings look especially clean and neat. For the convenience of the inhabitants, and the numerous visitors who soon found out its natural beauties and advantages, services in connection with the Established Church were commenced on Ash Wednesday, 1863, in an unfurnished stable belonging to the Zetland Hotel,
but they were afterwards held in the waiting-room of the railway station, until, through the kindness and generosity of Mr. W. Thompson, a temporary church was erected in Ruby Street. This temporary structure, however, has already proved to be too small, and, mainly through the exertions of the Rev. E. L. Lane, vicar of Marske and Saltburn, the steps necessary for the erection of a large and commodious permanent ecclesiastical edifice were some time ago adopted, and a numerous committee of gentlemen began undertaking of the work. "The Church of Emmanuel" - the name conferred upon the new building it has even determined to erect - will, when completed, be a large and handsome structure in the early decorated Gothic, freely treated in the French style. The site selected is a commanding one, and it is only a very short distance from the lovely, picturesque, rock embosomed dell, whose terraced walks, woodland sides, murmering 'burn', and other natural and artificial beauties form, together with the chalybeate waters, the rolling ocean, and the extensive sandy shore, the chief attractions of
Saltburn. The building has been designed by Mr.J.P.Pritchett, of Darlington, and the work was really commenced some time ago, but, from various causes little progress has yet been made. The complete design comprises a nave, with north and south aisles, 89 ft by 55ft; north and south transept, 24 ft by 12ft; chancel, with octagonal apse, 30ft by 24ft; vestry, organ chamber, north porch and tower and spire at north-east angle, 18ft square at base, and 100 ft in height from the ground to the apex of the cone. It is only intended, however, to erect for the present the nave, the north aisle, and the north transept, this portion offering accommodation for 568 persons. The chancel it is hoped will soon follow, and then the tower and spire, leaving the south aisle and south transept to be added when the increase of congregation shall make such a step necessary. The entire building when completed will seat 810 persons. The contractors for the various works are Messrs. Shaftoe and Barry, York, masons; Mr. Elwon, Darlington, joiner; Mr. Wharton, Darlington, slater; Mr. Doyle, Leeds, plumber and glazier; and Mr. Tompkin, of Marske, painter. That portion of the work at present undertaken will cost about £3,200, towards which about £1,639 has already been obtained. Of this sum Lord Zetland has contributed £500, the Diocesan Society £300, the Archbishop of York £20, and the Archdeacon of Cleveland £25. Mr. W. Morley, of Saltburn, has generously given the value of the site. For the ceremony of laying the foundation stone an extensive raised wooden platform was especially erected for the convenience of lady and other visitors, and the day being very fine, it was crowded throughout the proceedings. The builders plant was gaily decorated with a large number of banners, which had been obtained for the occasion. The musical part of the service was performed by the united choirs of Marske and Saltburn, under the leadership of Mr. George Cooper.
The Rev. E. M. Lane conducted the service appointed for the occasion, and amongst the clergymen present were the Rev. John T Gray, Curate; Rev. A. C. Smith, Middlesbro'; Rev. C. T. Bowen, Guisbro'; Rev. F. Morgan, Guisbro'; Rev. Mr. Castley, Skelton; Rev. V. C. Moyle, North O r m e s b y ; R e v. R . L . P a g e , Coatham; Rev. H. Goer, Coatham; Rev. R. M. Battye, Redcar; Rev. F. E a r l , W h o r l t o n ; R e v. G e o r g e Roberts, Thornaby; Rev. J. G. P e a r s o n , D a r l i n g t o n ; R e v. F. Tyreman, Wilton. Rev. Dr. English; Rev. H.S. Hildyard, Lofthouse; Rev. J. D. Heed; Rev. G. Gordan, Kildare; Rev. T. Robson, Kirkleatham. In addition to Lord Zetland, there were also present amongst the laity Sir Henry and Lady Rich; Mr. W. R.
L. Hopkins, Elton Hall, Stockton; Mr. James Hopkins, Middlesbro'; Mr. G. T. Trotter, Upleatham; Mr. W. Morley, Saltburn; Mr. T. T. Trevor, Guisbro'; Mr. G. E. Macnay, Darlington; Mr. W. Thompson, Mr. G. F. Bodlington, Mr. Pritchet, &co. A mallet and ivory-handled silver trowel had been prepared for the ceremony, the inscription on the latter being:- " The foundation stone of the Church OD Emmanuel, at Saltburn- by- the- Sea, in the parish of Marske, was laid by the Right Honourable the Earl of Zetland, September 29 th, 1866." A hermetically sealed bottle, containing a variety of documents, was placed in an aperture under the stone.
The introductory portion of the services having been concluded, his Lordship said:- We are here today to perform a ceremony in which I trust not only the inhabitants of this place, but also those in the neighbourhood, take a deep interest. You all know how rapidly Saltburn has sprung up and increased, and how it is increasing daily. It is therefore, our bounden duty, as far as is in our power, to take such steps as are necessary to promote the social and religious improvements of the inhabitants, for without them no place can flourish. (Hear, hear. ) It rejoices me to have been asked to perform the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a building which, when completed, will, I trust, tend to the good of the people of this neighbourhood and teach them to worship the Lord their God as they ought to do. It is most gratifying to me to be assured that in this place not only those who belong to the Church of England are doing their duty in this respect, but that our dissenting brethren have either completed, or are on the point of completing, a building wherein to worship God according to their own consciences. I trust that ministers of the church will unite with their dissenting brethren to instruct the people to do their duty accordingly as every man believes it right to do. I rejoice that in this neighbourhood there is so little dissension, but that, on the contrary, there is a firm desire by both dissenters and ourselves to do all in our power to leave our respective flocks to enjoy the right of glorifying God according to their own consciences. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a numerous party of clergy, laity, and ladies sat down to a wellserved luncheon in the large dining room of the Zetland Hotel. The chair was occupied by Lord Zetland, who, at the subsequent
proceedings, gave "The Queen," "The Prince and Princess of Wales. " Mr. W. Thompson gave "the Archbishop and clergy of the Diocese," to which Rev. Mr. Lane responded, and in doing so he acknowledged the kindness of the Archbishop three years ago in laying the first stone of the temporary building above referred to, and stated that his Grace would also have been with them on that occasion but for the short notice he had received of the proceedings. He also thanked the clergy of the district for the kind co-operation in all the objects which he had endeavoured to carry out. Mr. W. R. L. Hopkins next proposed "the health of Lord Zetland," and said that his lordship was not only the largest subscriber to the new church, but he had kindly given the stone from his own quarries. (Cheers) In referring to the ceremony in which he had just been engaged, he said that the committee had had the services of the most experienced hand in that kind of work in the United Kingdom, for it had been done by the Grand Master of the United Freemasons of England, and if the stone was not well and truly laid he did not know what foundation stone could be. ( Laughter ) Lord Zetland, in acknowledging the toast, expressed the satisfaction he had felt at being present at the ceremony, and said he trusted that after the work which had that day been commenced, Saltburn would go on and flourish; that the trade as well as the place generally had received such an impetus as would render profita ble the somewhat bold speculation which had been entered upon by the new company in commencing so many new works; and that the place would so prosper and thrive as to become one of the pleasantest and quietest resorts in the country. (Applause)
The Rev. J. T. Grey in posing "the committee and the laity," made special reference to the interest taken in the new church by Mr. Trotter, Mr. Mowley, and Mr. Thompson - Mr. Trotter responded - "The Subscribers " was proposed by the Rev. Mr. Lane, and acknowledged by Mr. Morley. The remaining toasts were spoken to by Mr. Bodlington, the Rev. Mr. Moyle, Mr. T.T. Trevor, Mr. E. Grove, and the Rev. Mr. Lane. The York Herald, Saturday October 6th, 1866 CHURCH SALTBURN.
BAZAAR
AT
Yesterday afternoon a grand Spanish bazaar was opened by Mr Arthur Pease, J, P., in the Assembly Room at Saltburn. This bazaar was for the purpose of raising £400 to pay off the debt existing on Saltburn Church. The church which opened in 1868, and has grown with the growth of Saltburn. It was originally attached to the mother church of Marske but in 1873, with the Rev. B. Irvin as incumbent, it was constituted a distinct parish church. In that year the church was fitted up with an organ, and in another twelve mouths a handsome parsonage house was erected. About that time, too, mainly through the liberality of the late Earl of Zetland the church was endowrd with an income of £200 a year. Originally, the building consisted of the nave and north aisle, but between 1874 and the present time it has almost been completed. The south aisle and transept, a commodious chapel for daily prayers and part of the tower were added at a cost of over £5,000. The work of beautifying the church has still gone on. Five stained-glass windows have been put in, the capitals have been carved, and much other skil-ful work completed. In 1885, a portion of the tower was turned into an organ chamber. Northern Echo, Wednesday August 24th 1887
GINGER BEER Brewed ginger beer originated in Yorkshire in the mid-18th century and became popular in Britain, the United States, and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the early 20th century A refreshing glass of ginger beer is one of my all time favourite things, especially in the summer when it's hot. I can't think of anything better than having a big jug of iced ginger beer on the table with a barbecue on a hot day. I remember my mum making real ginger beer when we were kids. Bottles of the stuff. Feeding ginger and sugar to the 'plant' and letting it ferment. Then came the bottling using empty glass lemonade bottles. Then the whole process would start again. Halving the culture, feeding the GBP, sieving through a muslin cloth, bottling. The air was permeated with the scent of ginger. Sometimes explosive levels were reached but usually opening (and drinking) a test bottle prevented any disasters. But what is a GBP? Simply put, it is a jelly-like substance used to make a mildly alcoholic ginger beer. What it emphatically is not, is a plant. Its true nature was discovered by an impressively moustachioed nineteenth century naturalist called Harry Marshall Ward. After prolonged and commendably systematic study he discovered it to be a mixture of yeasts and bacteria – about 20 species altogether. However, only two of the constituents were essential in the making of a good brew – one was a yeast and one a bacterium. The ginger beer produced by the GBP is "real" ginger beer, having a subtlety of flavour mostly lacking in one made from ordinary yeast and entirely lacking in the non-alcoholic stuff you buy in the shops. Flavours are difficult to describe and I can only suggest "creamy toffee" to give you an idea. Like many homebrews it is fascinating to watch the fermentation process. The little jelly "crystals", buoyed by CO2 float up and down in the jug to lava lamp effect, albeit it a rather murky one. If you choose to start making real ginger beer you end up with more GBP than you started with and this is where your problems begin – what to do with this exotic living organism that looks to you for love and attention. Well I am sure you will be able to give some away, but mostly you should keep it so you can make more and more ginger beer. After all you are likely to need lashings of it.
Ingredients and method:
The classic real ginger beers use a starter, and these are fantastic but slow and take time to ferment and brew so here's a shortcut for getting amazing results taking hardly any time at all.
Serves 2-4
140 g fresh ginger 4 tablespoons muscovado sugar 2-3 lemons 1 litre soda water or sparkling mineral water (Add a cinnamon stick for flavour if you like) a few sprigs of fresh mint
First of all you need to grate your ginger on a coarse cheese grater – you can leave the skin on if you like. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice into a bowl and sprinkle in your muscovado sugar. Remove the rind from 2 of your lemons with a vegetable peeler, add to the bowl, and slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a pestle or a rolling-pin. Just do this for 10 seconds, to mix up all the flavours. Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add most of it to the bowl. Pour in your fizzy water or soda water.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes and then taste. You may feel that the lemons are slightly too sour, therefore add a little more sugar; if it's slightly too sweet, add a little more lemon juice. To be honest, these amounts are always a little variable so just follow your own taste. Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve into a large jug and add lots of ice and some sprigs of mint.
Join us on our reading project. Month by month we will present part of a short story from R Austin Freeman's 'Dr John Thorndyke's Cases', a collection of short stories of detective fiction first published in 1909. Richard Austin Freeman (11 April 1862 London – 28 September 1943 Gravesend) — known as R. Austin Freeman — was a British writer of detective stories, mostly featuring the medico-legal forensic investigator Dr. Thorndyke. He claimed to have invented the inverted detective story (a crime fiction in which the commission of the crime is described at the beginning, usually including the identity of the perpetrator, with the story then describing the detective's attempt to solve the mystery). Freeman used some of his early experiences as a colonial surgeon in his novels. A large proportion of the Dr. Thorndyke stories involve genuine, but often quite arcane, points of scientific knowledge, from areas such as tropical medicine, metallurgy and toxicology. JOHN THORNDYKE'S CASES (1909) (a.k.a. Dr. Thorndyke's Cases) ORIGINAL PREFACE TO 'JOHN THORNDYKE'S CASES' THE MAN WITH THE NAILED SHOES - Part 6 in this (September 2013) issue.. THE STRANGER'S LATCHKEY THE ANTHROPOLOGIST AT LARGE THE BLUE SEQUIN THE MOABITE CIPHER THE MANDARIN'S PEARL THE ALUMINIUM DAGGER A MESSAGE FROM THE DEEP SEA Preface...
The stories in this collection, inasmuch as they constitute a somewhat new departure in this class of literature, require a few words of introduction. The primary function of all fiction is to furnish entertainment to the reader, and this fact has not been lost sight of. But the interest of so-called 'detective' fiction is, I believe, greatly enhanced by a careful adherence to the probable, and a strict avoidance of physical impossibilities; and, in accordance with this belief, I have been scrupulous in confining myself to authentic facts and practicable methods. The stories have, for the most part, a medico-legal motive, and the methods of solution described in them are similar to those employed in actual practice by medical jurists. The stories illustrate, in fact, the application to the detection of crime of the ordinary methods of scientific research. I may add that the experiments described have in all cases been performed by me, and that the micro-photographs are, of course, from the actual specimens. R. A. F. Gravesend, September 21, 1909.
"Had you ever seen these shoes before you made the drawing?"
"No, sir," replied the sergeant; and he then related the incident of the footprints in the soft earth by the pond which led him to make the arrest.
The coroner gazed reflectively at the shoes which he held in his hand, and from them to the drawing; then, passing them to the foreman of the jury, he remarked:
"Well, gentlemen, it is not for me to tell you whether these shoes answer to the description given by Dr. Burrows and the sergeant, or whether they resemble the drawing which, as you have heard, was made by the officer on the spot and before he had seen the shoes; that is a matter for you to decide. Meanwhile, there is another question that we must consider." He turned to the sergeant and asked: "Have you made any inquiries as to the movements of the accused on the night of the murder?"
"I have," replied the sergeant, "and I find that, on that night, the accused was alone in the house, his housekeeper having gone over to Eastwich. Two men saw him in the town about ten o'clock, apparently walking in the direction of Sundersley."
This concluded the sergeant's evidence, and when one or two more witnesses had been examined without eliciting any fresh facts, the coroner briefly recapitulated the evidence, and requested the jury to consider their verdict. Thereupon a solemn hush fell upon the court, broken only by the whispers of the jurymen, as they consulted together; and the spectators gazed in awed expectancy from the accused to the whispering jury. I glanced at Draper, sitting huddled in his chair, his clammy face as pale as that of the corpse in the mortuary hard by, his hands tremulous and restless; and, scoundrel as I believed him to be, I could not but pity the abject misery that was written large all over him, from his damp hair to his incessantly shifting feet.
The jury took but a short time to consider their verdict. At the end of five minutes the foreman announced that they were agreed, and, in answer to the coroner's formal inquiry, stood up and replied:
"We find that the deceased met his death by being stabbed in the chest by the accused man, Alfred Draper."
"That is a verdict of wilful murder," said the coroner, and he entered it accordingly in his notes. The Court now rose. The spectators reluctantly trooped out, the jurymen stood up and stretched themselves, and the two constables, under the guidance of the sergeant, carried the wretched Draper in a fainting condition to a closed fly that was waiting outside.
"I was not greatly impressed by the activity of the defence," I remarked maliciously as we walked home.
Thorndyke smiled. "You surely did not expect me to cast my pearls of forensic learning before a coroner's jury," said he.
"I expected that you would have something to say on behalf of your client," I replied. "As it was, his accusers had it all their own way."
"And why not?" he asked. "Of what concern to us is the verdict of the coroner's jury?" "It would have seemed more decent to make some sort of defence," I replied. "My dear Jervis," he rejoined, "you do not seem to appreciate the great virtue of what Lord Beaconsfield so felicitously called 'a policy of masterly inactivity'; and yet that is one of the great lessons that a medical training impresses on the student."
"That may be so," said I. "But the result, up to the present, of your masterly policy is that a verdict of wilful murder stands against your client, and I don't see what other verdict the jury could have found."
"Neither do I," said Thorndyke.
I had written to my principal, Dr. Cooper, describing the stirring events that were taking place in the village, and had received a reply from him instructing me to place the house at Thorndyke's disposal, and to give him every facility for his work. In accordance with which edict my colleague took possession of a well-lighted, disused stable-loft, and announced his intention of moving his things into it. Now, as these "things" included the mysterious contents of the hamper that the housemaid had seen, I was possessed with a consuming desire to be present at the "flitting," and I do not mind confessing that I purposely lurked about the stairs in the hopes of thus picking up a few crumbs of information.
But Thorndyke was one too many for me. A misbegotten infant in the village having been seized with inopportune convulsions, I was compelled, most reluctantly, to hasten to its relief; and I returned only in time to find Thorndyke in the act of locking the door of the loft.
"A nice light, roomy place to work in," he remarked, as he descended the steps, slipping the key into his pocket.
"Yes," I replied, and added boldly: "What do you intend to do up there?"
"Work up the case for the defence," he replied, "and, as I have now heard all that the prosecution have to say, I shall be able to forge ahead."
This was vague enough, but I consoled myself with the reflection that in a very few days I should, in common with the rest of the world, be in possession of the results of his mysterious proceedings. For, in view of the approaching assizes, preparations were
being made to push the case through the magistrate's court as quickly as possible in order to obtain a committal in time for the ensuing sessions. Draper had, of course, been already charged before a justice of the peace and evidence of arrest taken, and it was expected that the adjourned hearing would commence before the local magistrates on the fifth day after the inquest.
The events of these five days kept me in a positive ferment of curiosity. In the first place an inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department came down and browsed about the place in company with the sergeant. Then Mr. Bashfield, who was to conduct the prosecution, came and took up his abode at the "Cat and Chicken." But the most surprising visitor was Thorndyke's laboratory assistant, Polton, who appeared one evening with a large trunk and a sailor's hammock, and announced that he was going to take up his quarters in the loft.
As to Thorndyke himself, his proceedings were beyond speculation. From time to time he made mysterious appearances at the windows of the loft, usually arrayed in what looked suspiciously like a nightshirt. Sometimes I would see him holding a negative up to the light, at others manipulating a photographic printing-frame; and once I observed him with a paintbrush and a large gallipot; on which I turned away in despair, and nearly collided with the inspector.
"Dr. Thorndyke is staying with you, I hear," said the latter, gazing earnestly at my colleague's back, which was presented for his inspection at the window.
"Yes," I answered. "Those are his temporary premises." "That is where he does his bedevilments, I suppose?" the officer suggested. "He conducts his experiments there," I corrected haughtily.
"That's what I mean," said the inspector; and, as Thorndyke at this moment turned and opened the window, our visitor began to ascend the steps.
"I've just called to ask if I could have a few words with you, Doctor," said the inspector, as he reached the door.
"Certainly," Thorndyke replied blandly. "If you will go down and wait with Dr. Jervis, I will be with you in five minutes."
The officer came down the steps grinning, and I thought I heard him murmur "Sold!" But this may have been an illusion. However, Thorndyke presently emerged, and he and the officer strode away into the shrubbery. What the inspector's business was, or whether he had any business at all, I never learned; but the incident seemed to throw some light on the presence of Polton and the sailor's hammock. And this reference to Polton reminds me of a very singular change that took place about this time in the habits of this usually staid and sedate little man; who, abandoning the somewhat clerical style of
dress that he ordinarily affected, broke out into a semi-nautical costume, in which he would sally forth every morning in the direction of Port Marston. And there, on more than one occasion, I saw him leaning against a post by the harbour, or lounging outside a waterside tavern in earnest and amicable conversation with sundry nautical characters.
On the afternoon of the day before the opening of the proceedings we had two new visitors. One of them, a grey-haired spectacled man, was a stranger to me, and for some reason I failed to recall his name, Copland, though I was sure I had heard it before. The other was Anstey, the barrister who usually worked with Thorndyke in cases that went into Court. I saw very little of either of them, however, for they retired almost immediately to the loft, where, with short intervals for meals, they remained for the rest of the day, and, I believe, far into the night. Thorndyke requested me not to mention the names of his visitors to anyone, and at the same time apologized for the secrecy of his proceedings.
"But you are a doctor, Jervis," he concluded, "and you know what professional confidences are; and you will understand how greatly it is in our favour that we know exactly what the prosecution can do, while they are absolutely in the dark as to our line of defence."
I assured him that I fully understood his position, and with this assurance he retired, evidently relieved, to the council chamber.
The proceedings, which opened on the following day, and at which I was present throughout, need not be described in detail. The evidence for the prosecution was, of course, mainly a repetition of that given at the inquest. Mr. Bashfield's opening statement, however, I shall give at length, inasmuch as it summarized very clearly the whole of the case against the prisoner.
"The case that is now before the Court," said the counsel, "involves a charge of wilful murder against the prisoner Alfred Draper, and the facts, in so far as they are known, are briefly these: On the night of Monday, the 27th of September, the deceased, Charles Hearn, dined with some friends on board the yacht Otter. About midnight he came ashore, and proceeded to walk towards Sundersley along the beach. As he entered St. Bridget's Bay, a man, who appears to have been lying in wait, and who came down the Shepherd's Path, met him, and a deadly struggle seems to have taken place. The deceased received a wound of a kind calculated to cause almost instantaneous death, and apparently fell down dead.
"And now, what was the motive of this terrible crime? It was not robbery, for nothing appears to have been taken from the corpse. Money and valuables were found, as far as is known, intact. Nor, clearly, was it a case of a casual affray. We are, consequently, driven to the conclusion that the motive was a personal one, a motive of interest or revenge, and with this view the time, the place, and the evident deliberateness of the murder are in full agreement.
"So much for the motive. The next question is, Who was the perpetrator of this shocking crime? And the answer to that question is given in a very singular and dramatic circumstance, a circumstance that illustrates once more the amazing lack of precaution shown by persons who commit such crimes. The murderer was wearing a very remarkable pair of shoes, and those shoes left very remarkable footprints in the smooth sand, and those footprints were seen and examined by a very acute and painstaking police-officer, Sergeant Payne, whose evidence you will hear presently. The sergeant not only examined the footprints, he made careful drawings of them on the spot--on the spot, mind you, not from memory--and he made very exact measurements of them, which he duly noted down. And from those drawings and those measurements, those tell-tale shoes have been identified, and are here for your inspection.
"And now, who is the owner of those very singular, those almost unique shoes? I have said that the motive of this murder must have been a personal one, and, behold! the owner of those shoes happens to be the one person in the whole of this district who could have had a motive for compassing the murdered man's death. Those shoes belong to, and were taken from the foot of, the prisoner, Alfred Draper, and the prisoner, Alfred Draper, is the only person living in this neighbourhood who was acquainted with the deceased.
"It has been stated in evidence at the inquest that the relations of these two men, the prisoner and the deceased, were entirely friendly; but I shall prove to you that they were not so friendly as has been supposed. I shall prove to you, by the evidence of the prisoner's housekeeper, that the deceased was often an unwelcome visitor at the house, that the prisoner often denied himself when he was really at home and disengaged, and, in short, that he appeared constantly to shun and avoid the deceased.
"One more question and I have finished. Where was the prisoner on the night of the murder? The answer is that he was in a house little more than half a mile from the scene of the crime. And who was with him in that house? Who was there to observe and testify to his going forth and his coming home? No one. He was alone in the house. On that night, of all nights, he was alone. Not a soul was there to rouse at the creak of a door or the tread of a shoe--to tell as whether he slept or whether he stole forth in the dead of the night.
"Such are the facts of this case. I believe that they are not disputed, and I assert that, taken together, they are susceptible of only one explanation, which is that the prisoner, Alfred Draper, is the man who murdered the deceased, Charles Hearn."
Immediately on the conclusion of this address, the witnesses were called, and the evidence given was identical with that at the inquest. The only new witness for the prosecution was Draper's housekeeper, and her evidence fully bore out Mr. Bashfield's statement. The sergeant's account of the footprints was listened to with breathless interest, and at its conclusion the presiding magistrate--a retired solicitor, once well known in criminal practice--put a question which interested me as showing how clearly
Thorndyke had foreseen the course of events, recalling, as it did, his remark on the night when we were caught in the rain.
"Did you," the magistrate asked, "take these shoes down to the beach and compare them with the actual footprints?"
"I obtained the shoes at night," replied the sergeant, "and I took them down to the shore at daybreak the next morning. But, unfortunately, there had been a storm in the night, and the footprints were almost obliterated by the wind and rain."
When the sergeant had stepped down, Mr. Bashfield announced that that was the case for the prosecution. He then resumed his seat, turning an inquisitive eye on Anstey and Thorndyke.
The former immediately rose and opened the case for the defence with a brief statement.
"The learned counsel for the prosecution," said he, "has told us that the facts now in the possession of the Court admit of but one explanation-- that of the guilt of the accused. That may or may not be; but I shall now proceed to lay before the Court certain fresh facts--facts, I may say, of the most singular and startling character, which will, I think, lead to a very different conclusion. I shall say no more, but call the witnesses forthwith, and let the evidence speak for itself."
The first witness for the defence was Thorndyke; and as he entered the box I observed Polton take up a position close behind him with a large wicker trunk. Having been sworn, and requested by Anstey to tell the Court what he knew about the case, he commenced without preamble:
"About half-past four in the afternoon of the 28th of September I walked down Sundersley Gap with Dr. Jervis. Our attention was attracted by certain footprints in the sand, particularly those of a man who had landed from a boat, had walked up the Gap, and presently returned, apparently to the boat.
"As we were standing there Sergeant Payne and Dr. Burrows passed down the Gap with two constables carrying a stretcher. We followed at a distance, and as we walked along the shore we encountered another set of footprints--those which the sergeant has described as the footprints of the deceased. We examined these carefully, and endeavoured to frame a description of the person by whom they had been made."
"And did your description agree with the characters of the deceased?" the magistrate asked.
"Not in the least," replied Thorndyke, whereupon the magistrate, the inspector, and Mr. Bashfield laughed long and heartily.
to be continued...
at kirkleatham museum
7th September – 3rd November 2013
A GENUINE OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD EXPERIENCE!! Admission: £2.00 per adult, £1.00 per child (under 5’s free) Kirkleatham Museum, The Pavilion, Redcar TS10 5NW Tel: 01642 479500 www.visitredcarandcleveland.co.uk
this is Redcar & Cleveland
Les Très Riches Heures