Living by the sea...
1st edition
Saltburn by the sea
April 2013 GRAND OL’ OPREY OF CLEVELAND. Sun 31st March – West Coast Night with Flossie Mallavialle & Paul Donnelly, Fat Medicine, The Rascals. Proceeds to Great North Air Ambulance Service Mon 1st April – Blues Night with The Good Bad Guys, Skinny Blues, Duncan Lister Band Proceeds to Friends of the Valley, Saltburn Tues 2nd April – Country Night with Kellys Country, Willow Creek, AC/KC, Tony Goodacre. Proceeds to Barnado’s North East Wed 3rd April – East Coast Night with Platinum, Colin Holt, Bolt of Blue. Proceeds to Rotary Club of Saltburn Charities Thurs 4th April – Big Band Night with Gene Jarred’s Band with Guest singers. Proceeds to Saltburn Community Theatre Tower Fund Doors 6.45 Curtain Up 7.30pm Saltburn Jazz Night with THE SUE FERRIS QUINTET. Whether playing an exuberant straight ahead blues or picking her way through a delicate ballad powerful tenor saxophonist and flautist Sue Ferris’ enthusiasm and mastery is evident. Fri 5th April Doors and Bar 6.30 Concert 7.30pm SALTBURN MINIATURE RAILWAY EXHIBITION @The Saltburn School - dedicated to Reg Blacklock – photography by Ian Forsyth. March – June ROOTS IN THE RECITAL ROOM @ The Saltburn School starring HASE WAITS - previously playing at Roots North Festival, HASE WAITS are a young band who play Eastern European,Eastern Mediterranean and Celtic Music…a highly competent and rising band of musicians. Sat 6th April Doors 1pm Close 4pm
DOUBLE TROUBLE AT SEA. Join Tom and Damian on a swashbuckling adventure. Comedy, juggling, unicycling, magic and slapstick. Great fun for all the family. Sat 6th April Doors 1.30pm Curtain Up 2pm BRASS NECK COMEDY CLUB. Ian Moore, Quincy and Brass Neck favourite MC Matt Reed. Sat 6th April Doors and Bar 7pm Curtain Up 8pm Saltburn Film Club presents SKYFALL. Bond’s loylalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst M16 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Starring Daniel Craig and Judi Dench Runtime 143min. Thurs 11th April Doors 6.30pm Screening 7pm RHYTHMS FROM LATIN AMERICA:RICARDO CURBELO IN CONCERT A highly skilled Latin American harpist Ricardo Curbelo returns to the Saltburn stage, taking us on another colourful journey through different Latin American countries. Sat 13th April Doors and bar 6.45 Curtain up 7.30pm Opera Nova presents MAGICAL VOYAGE. Welcome aboard MS Nova as we set sail on a modern day cruise shop. Passengers embark on a musical voyage of discovery each with their own tale to tell. Saturday 20th April Doors and bar 6.45 Curtain up 7.30pm Saltburn Film Club presents THE MASTER A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettles and uncertain of his future – until he is tantalised by The Cause and its charismatic leader. Starring Joaquain Pheonix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Runtime 144min. Thurs 25th April Doors 6.30pm Screening 7pm
Welcome Sweeping beaches, cliffs, big skies, surf, seabirds, Saltburn has them all and is our favourite place to be. This month sees the launch of our first magazine, one which we hope will become a regular monthly feature bringing you news, events and features which encapsulate, accentuate and celebrate Saltburn by the Sea as part of the great British seaside – its landscape, its history, its attractions and its community. April is a good time to set off for a weekend walking along the coast or to enjoy a quiet ramble in the North York Moors. We live in such a beautiful part of the country and there are plenty of places to choose from. A walk is a great opportunity to get together with friends or family and enjoy a good chat, excercise office-bound muscles and get some fresh air. If you've travelled to the coast for the weekend an important part of your walk is where to stay on a Saturday night. Somewhere cosy serving delicious food - all that walking whips up a guilt-free appetite. Each month we hope to feature local accommodation and eating establishments in the area to help you make that all important choice. If you haven't decided on your weekend activities we hope the suggestions in this and future issues will come in handy. Listed Health Walks are produced by the North York Moors National Parks organisation and supported by The Walking for Health Network - there are a variety of walks ranging from one to five miles and everyone is welcome to take part. Alternatively you can go it alone and explore the coastline or countryside at your leisure. 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 |
Fish and chips became so essential to the diet of the ordinary man and woman that one shop in Bradford had to employ a doorman to control the queue at busy times during 1931. The Territorial Army prepared for battle on fish and chips provided in special catering tents erected at training camps in the 1930's. The fish and chip shop was invaluable in supplementing the family's weekly diet in the Second World War, as fish and chips were among the few foods not to be rationed. Queues were often hours long when the word went round that the chip shop had fish!! On one occasion at Brian's Fish and Chip Shop in Leeds, when fish was scarce, homemade fish cakes were sold along with the confusing, and slightly worrying, warning: "Patrons: We do not recommend the use of vinegar with these fish cakes"!! So are fish and chips any good for us, nutritionally? Fish and chips are a valuable source of protein, fibre, iron and vitamins, providing a third of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins for men and nearly half for women. Magnus Pyke cites it as an example of a traditional dish once jeered at by food snobs and even censured by health food devotees but now fully appreciated as a nutritious combination.
The first fish and chip shop in the North of England is thought to have opened in Mossely, near Oldham, Lancashire, around 1863. Mr Lees sold fish and chips from a wooden hut in the market and later he transferred the business to a permanent shop across the road which had the following inscription in the window, “This is the first fish and chip shop in the world�.
Ahh.... Fish, chips and mushy peas! There is nothing more British than fish and chips. Freshly cooked, piping hot fish and chips, smothered in salt and soused with vinegar, wrapped in newspaper and eaten out-of-doors on a cold and wintry day - it simply cannot be beaten! So how, when and where did this quintessentially British dish come about? Fish and chips were first served as a complete dish around 1860 - the Malin family of London and the Lees of Mossley, near Manchester both staking claims to be the first. However, the fried fish and cooked potato trades had existed for many years before this. Fried fish was first introduced to London by Jewish immigrants from Portugal and Spain probably as far back as the 17th Century. American President Thomas Jefferson described eating 'fried fish in the Jewish fashion' on a visit to the capital at the end of the 18th Century and even Charles Dickens makes reference to a fried fish warehouse in Oliver Twist. Fried potatoes as chips probably originate from Belgium.
Dickens was indeed an early advocate of the trade also recounting 'Husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil' in 'A Tale of two Cities', published in 1859. In Scotland, Dundee City Council claims that "...in the 1870s, that glory of British gastronomy - the chip - was first sold by Belgian immigrant Edward De Gernier in the city's Greenmarket". From the 1870's the fish and chip trade spread rapidly, especially in London and the cotton and woollen manufacturing towns of the Pennines, and soon became a readily accessible hot, nutritious meal for many factory and mill workers. During this time the growth of fish and chips can be attributed to mechanisation both at sea and on land. The develpoment of trawl fishing in the North Sea provided unprecendented supplies of white fish. The development of the rail network, connecting ports such as Grimsby and Whitby to the Nation's major industrial cities meant that fresh fish could now be readily transported to the heavily populated areas with legions of hungry workers to feed.
The following is the opening paragraph of a letter which appeared in the Northern Echo, Friday April 10th 1891
DEAREST AMY - We have got back to town after our Easter by the sea, and oh, how perfectly enchanted we are to re-inhabit our warm and cosy rooms! I do not think that I ever in my life suffered so much from cold as during last week. Easter was at its earliest this year, and the bitterest nor'westers and nor'easters alternated during our sojourn by the sad sea waves. You would have been amused to see how carefully we avoided the sea, keeping inland as far as possible, and rushing across the roads and streets that led down to it, as if we had been shot out of catapults. I heartily wish
that the Easter holidays could be stopped from ranging up and down the calendar, and comfortably made a fixture for the last week in April, which is generally fine, bright, warm and enjoyable. I should like to know, out of pure curiosity, how many severe illnesses have been caused by the general exodus this year from warm town quarters to cold country houses, draughty hotels, and chilly seaside houses. ... Ever your loving cousin, MADGE
So, there you have it. Nothing much seems to have changed does it?
No, your eyes do not deceive you - a wily, woolly octopus is the latest addition to the continuing appearances of yarn bombing in the town. Olly has taken up residence and currently occupies the best seat in the Anchor Garden. Make no mistake - this is graffiti, but with yarn. It's not something new - people have been doing it for years, all over the world - but in Saltburn it has become something special. Olly's debut comes only weeks after another visitor took up residence. Perched proudly on her throne, complete with one of her pet corgis, HRH Elizabeth II sits knitting an outfit for William and Kate's baby. Her majesty can currently be seen on the railings outside the Community Theatre. It was back in October 2011 when we first reported that a knitter, or knitters, had tried to pull the wool over the eyes of hundreds of visitors and residents by tying scarves and knitted figures to various parts of the town centre - to lamp-posts, railings, buildings and outside the library. Knitted teddy bears were also to be seen having a picnic on Marine Parade. Then, one morning in March, the town awoke to discover an entire Olympic squad created in wool wrapped around the pier. There were knitted gymnasts
and weightlifters, hurdlers and canoeists amongst the figures in the 50-yard-long creation. A few weeks later the yarnbombers struck again. This time it was a Diamond Jubilee tribute, with the woolly Queen depicted in a number of outfits, several corgis and Princess Beatrice and her mad hat. On both occasions thousands of people flocked to Saltburn to witness the woolly works. Soon after, pictures of a naked Prince Harry caused a furore and just when you thought the yarn about his naked Vegas romp couldn't get any longer visitors to Saltburn were in for a new surprise. As Harry tried to distance himself from his partying antics a knitted figure, modelling the pose of the now infamous photos, mysteriously appeared on the upper prom near to the cliff lift next to the Diamond Jubilee display. The consequences of his drunken week-end may not have been a laughing matter for the prince but the knitted doll is thought to be amongst the more complimentary tributes to his antics. Now Olly, as the latest attraction, can be discovered basking in all his eccentric glory on the upper promenade while everyone wonders just how or where or when the mysterious knitters will strike again.
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 1 in this (April 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.
There are, I suppose, few places even on the East Coast of England more lonely and remote than the village of Little Sundersley and the country that surrounds it. Far from any railway, and some miles distant from any considerable town, it remains an outpost of civilization, in which primitive manners and customs and old-world tradition linger on into an age that has elsewhere forgotten them. In the summer, it is true, a small contingent of visitors, adventurous in spirit, though mostly of sedate and solitary habits, make their appearance to swell its meagre population, and impart to the wide stretches of smooth sand that fringe its shores a fleeting air of life and sober gaiety; but in late September—the season of the year in which I made its acquaintance—its pasture-lands lie desolate, the rugged paths along the cliffs are seldom trodden by human foot, and the sands are a desert waste on which, for days together, no footprint appears save that left by some passing sea-bird.
I had been assured by my medical agent, Mr. Turcival, that I should find the practice of which I was now taking charge "an exceedingly soft billet, and suitable for a studious man;" and certainly he had not misled me, for the patients were, in fact, so few that I was quite concerned for my principal, and rather dull for want of work. Hence, when my friend John Thorndyke, the well-known medico-legal expert, proposed to come down and stay with me for a weekend and perhaps a few days beyond, I hailed the proposal with delight, and welcomed him with open arms.
"You certainly don't seem to be overworked, Jervis," he remarked, as we turned out of the gate after tea, on the day of his arrival, for a stroll on the shore. "Is this a new practice, or an old one in a state of senile decay?"
"Why, the fact is," I answered, "there is virtually no practice. Cooper—my principal—has been here about six years, and as he has private means he has never made any serious effort to build one up; and the other man, Dr. Burrows, being uncommonly keen, and the people very conservative, Cooper has never really got his foot in. However, it doesn't seem to trouble him."
"Well, if he is satisfied, I suppose you are," said Thorndyke, with a smile. "You are getting a seaside holiday, and being paid for it. But I didn't know you were as near to the sea as this."
We were entering, as he spoke, an artificial gap-way cut through the low cliff, forming a steep cart-track down to the shore. It was locally known as Sundersley Gap, and was used principally, when used at all, by the farmers' carts which came down to gather seaweed after a gale.
"What a magnificent stretch of sand!" continued Thorndyke, as we reached the bottom, and stood looking out seaward across the deserted beach. "There is something very majestic and solemn in a great expanse of sandy shore when the tide is out, and I know of nothing which is capable of conveying the impression of solitude so completely. The smooth, unbroken surface not only displays itself untenanted for the moment, but it offers convincing testimony that it has lain thus undisturbed through a considerable
lapse of time. Here, for instance, we have clear evidence that for several days only two pairs of feet besides our own have trodden this gap."
"How do you arrive at the 'several days'?" I asked.
"In the simplest manner possible," he replied. "The moon is now in the third quarter, and the tides are consequently neap-tides. You can see quite plainly the two lines of seaweed and jetsam which indicate the high-water marks of the spring-tides and the neap-tides respectively. The strip of comparatively dry sand between them, over which the water has not risen for several days, is, as you see, marked by only two sets of footprints, and those footprints will not be completely obliterated by the sea until the next spring-tide--nearly a week from to-day."
"Yes, I see now, and the thing appears obvious enough when one has heard the explanation. But it is really rather odd that no one should have passed through this gap for days, and then that four persons should have come here within quite a short interval of one another."
"What makes you think they have done so?" Thorndyke asked.
"Well," I replied, "both of these sets of footprints appear to be quite fresh, and to have been made about the same time."
"Not at the same time, Jervis," rejoined Thorndyke. "There is certainly an interval of several hours between them, though precisely how many hours we cannot judge, since there has been so little wind lately to disturb them; but the fisherman unquestionably passed here not more than three hours ago, and I should say probably within an hour; whereas the other man--who seems to have come up from a boat to fetch something of considerable weight--returned through the gap certainly not less, and probably more, than four hours ago."
I gazed at my friend in blank astonishment, for these events befell in the days before I had joined him as his assistant, and his special knowledge and powers of inference were not then fully appreciated by me.
"It is clear, Thorndyke," I said, "that footprints have a very different meaning to you from what they have for me. I don't see in the least how you have reached any of these conclusions."
"I suppose not," was the reply; "but, you see, special knowledge of this kind is the stockin-trade of the medical jurist, and has to be acquired by special study, though the present example is one of the greatest simplicity. But let us consider it point by point; and first we will take this set of footprints which I have inferred to be a fisherman's. Note their enormous size. They should be the footprints of a giant. But the length of the stride shows that they were made by a rather short man. Then observe the massiveness of the soles, and the fact that there are no nails in them. Note also the peculiar clumsy
tread--the deep toe and heel marks, as if the walker had wooden legs, or fixed ankles and knees. From that character we can safely infer high boots of thick, rigid leather, so that we can diagnose high boots, massive and stiff, with nailless soles, and many sizes too large for the wearer. But the only boot that answers this description is the fisherman's thigh-boot--made of enormous size to enable him to wear in the winter two or three pairs of thick knitted stockings, one over the other. Now look at the other footprints; there is a double track, you see, one set coming from the sea and one going towards it. As the man (who was bow-legged and turned his toes in) has trodden in his own footprints, it is obvious that he came from the sea, and returned to it. But observe the difference in the two sets of prints; the returning ones are much deeper than the others, and the stride much shorter. Evidently he was carrying something when he returned, and that something was very heavy. Moreover, we can see, by the greater depth of the toe impressions, that he was stooping forward as he walked, and so probably carried the weight on his back. Is that quite clear?"
"Perfectly," I replied. "But how do you arrive at the interval of time between the visits of the two men?"
"That also is quite simple. The tide is now about halfway out; it is thus about three hours since high water. Now, the fisherman walked just about the neap-tide, high-water mark, sometimes above it and sometimes below. But none of his footprints have been obliterated; therefore he passed after high water--that is, less than three hours ago; and since his footprints are all equally distinct, he could not have passed when the sand was very wet. Therefore he probably passed less than an hour ago. The other man's footprints, on the other hand, reach only to the neap-tide, high-water mark, where they end abruptly. The sea has washed over the remainder of the tracks and obliterated them. Therefore he passed not less than three hours and not more than four days ago-probably within twenty-four hours."
As Thorndyke concluded his demonstration the sound of voices was borne to us from above, mingled with the tramping of feet, and immediately afterwards a very singular party appeared at the head of the gap descending towards the shore. First came a short burly fisherman clad in oilskins and sou'-wester, clumping along awkwardly in his great sea-boots, then the local police-sergeant in company with my professional rival Dr. Burrows, while the rear of the procession was brought up by two constables carrying a stretcher. As he reached the bottom of the gap the fisherman, who was evidently acting as guide, turned along the shore, retracing his own tracks, and the procession followed in his wake.
"A surgeon, a stretcher, two constables, and a police-sergeant," observed Thorndyke. "What does that suggest to your mind, Jervis?"
"A fall from the cliff," I replied, "or a body washed up on the shore." "Probably," he rejoined; "but we may as well walk in that direction."
We turned to follow the retreating procession, and as we strode along the smooth surface left by the retiring tide Thorndyke resumed: "The subject of footprints has always interested me deeply for two reasons. First, the evidence furnished by footprints is constantly being brought forward, and is often of cardinal importance; and, secondly, the whole subject is capable of really systematic and scientific treatment. In the main the data are anatomical, but age, sex, occupation, health, and disease all give their various indications. Clearly, for instance, the footprints of an old man will differ from those of a young man of the same height, and I need not point out to you that those of a person suffering from locomotor ataxia or paralysis agitans would be quite unmistakable."
"Yes, I see that plainly enough," I said.
"Here, now," he continued, "is a case in point." He halted to point with his stick at a row of footprints that appeared suddenly above high-water mark, and having proceeded a short distance, crossed the line again, and vanished where the waves had washed over them. They were easily distinguished from any of the others by the clear impressions of circular rubber heels.
"Do you see anything remarkable about them?" he asked. "I notice that they are considerably deeper than our own," I answered.
"Yes, and the boots are about the same size as ours, whereas the stride is considerably shorter--quite a short stride, in fact. Now there is a pretty constant ratio between the length of the foot and the length of the leg, between the length of leg and the height of the person, and between the stature and the length of stride. A long foot means a long leg, a tall man, and a long stride. But here we have a long foot and a short stride. What do you make of that?" He laid down his stick--a smooth partridge cane, one side of which was marked by small lines into inches and feet--beside the footprints to demonstrate the discrepancy.
"The depth of the footprints shows that he was a much heavier man than either of us," I suggested; "perhaps he was unusually fat."
"Yes," said Thorndyke, "that seems to be the explanation. The carrying of a dead weight shortens the stride, and fat is practically a dead weight. The conclusion is that he was about five feet ten inches high, and excessively fat." He picked up his cane, and we resumed our walk, keeping an eye on the procession ahead until it had disappeared round a curve in the coast-line, when we mended our pace somewhat. Presently we reached a small headland, and, turning the shoulder of cliff, came full upon the party which had preceded us. The men had halted in a narrow bay, and now stood looking down at a prostrate figure beside which the surgeon was kneeling.
"We were wrong, you see," observed Thorndyke. "He has not fallen over the cliff, nor has he been washed up by the sea. He is lying above high-water mark, and those footprints that we have been examining appear to be his."
"I'll ask you not to walk round the body just now, gentlemen," he said. "There seems to have been foul play here, and I want to be clear about the tracks before anyone crosses them."
Acknowledging this caution, we advanced to where the constables were standing, and looked down with some curiosity at the dead man. He was a tall, frail-looking man, thin to the point of emaciation, and appeared to be about thirty-five years of age. He lay in an easy posture, with half-closed eyes and a placid expression that contrasted strangely enough with the tragic circumstances of his death.
"It is a clear case of murder," said Dr. Burrows, dusting the sand from his knees as he stood up. "There is a deep knife-wound above the heart, which must have caused death almost instantaneously."
"How long should you say he has been dead, Doctor?" asked the sergeant. "Twelve hours at least," was the reply. "He is quite cold and stiff."
[Illustration: PLAN OF ST. BRIDGET'S BAY. + Position of body. D D D, Tracks of Hearn's shoes. A, Top of Shepherd's Path. E, Tracks of the nailed shoes. B, Overhanging cliff. F, Shepherd's Path ascending shelving cliff. C, Footpath along edge of cliff.] ...to be continued
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.
Wednesday 3 April
Sunday 7 April
A wild daffodil walk
Gribdale's grime and glory
Your leader Chris Bush takes you on a 3.5 mile walk following the River Dove, passing an isolated Quaker burial ground to reach Dale End bridge in time for a lunch stop.
This 3 mile walk led by Mike Nicholson takes in the renowned local monument to Captain James Cook and then follows the Cleveland Way, offering wonderful views to the south.
Your return is through woodland and fields interlaced with a patchwork of wild daffodils the sign that spring is truly here.
The return is through the little known valley of Gribbdale which has seen its share of mining in the not-so-distant past.
Packed lunch required. Start 11:30am finish 1:30pm Lowna Car Park, Farndale (west of the bridge).
Start 10:00am finish 12:00noon Gribbdale Gate/Forest Enterprise car park (OS Grid Ref. NZ592110 )
Sunday 7 April
Wednesday 1 may
Spring in rye dale
Tall tales about trees
Join Natural England Community Outreach Advisor Kerry Netherway on a gentle 3 mile walk, following Rye Dale through Duncombe Park National Nature Reserve, returning past the main house.
This 2 mile walk with Tony Auckland follows riverside and woodland paths in Forge Valley there is a steep section but also plenty of stops. Along the way you'll hear lots of fascinating facts and folklore relating to the many tree species found on the walk.
Focusing on signs of Spring, you will finish the walk by sampling some homemade soup with a rather surprising natural ingredient.
Start 2:00pm finish 4:00pm Old Man's Mouth Car Park (OS Grid Ref. SE984871 ).
Start 1:30pm finish 4:00pm Market Cross, Helmsley
wednesday 1 may
sunday 5 may
Wykeham & Hutton buscel wander
Bluebells in springtime
There is so much to see on this short evening walk linking the villages of Wykeham and Hutton Buscel - including the unusual church, the ice house and the pinfold.
Join Mike Nicholson on a lovely 3 mile walk through open fields into woodlands that - fingers crossed - should be carpeted in bluebells at this special time of year.
A 2 mile walk led by Peter Turton.
There are some styles and uphill sections along the way.
Start 6:3m finish 8:00pm St Helen's Camping & Caravan Site (reception), Wykeham on the A170
Start 10:00am finish 13:00noon Great Ayton Municipal Car Park, near the Tourist Information Centre
REALLY GET TO KNOW THE NORTH YORK MOORS Join a National Park Ranger or one of our specially chosen experts on one of our walks.
Sunday 7 April Daffs in the Wild On the second of our seasonal daffodil walks, let National Park Ranger Jay Marrison show you a spectacular display of these vibrant Spring flowers. The 3.5 mile walk will take you along the River Dove to Church Houses, before returning through Farndale farmland to Low Mill. There are some styles along the return route. Start 10:30 am Finish 12:30pm Meet at Low Mill, Farndale. Minimum age 7yrs
Thursday18 April
Saturday 20 April
Sunday 28 April
Grosmont and Esk Valley Ramble
A meeting with Remarkable Trees
Spring is in the Air
Join our National Park Rangers on a pleasant 4.5 mile walk in the scenic Murk Esk Valley, along woodland paths and through green fields. The route also offers an opportunity to learn about the industrial heritage of the area, as well as experience some great views of the North Yorks Moors Railway. Grosmont also has a selection of tea rooms to enjoy at the end of the walk. Please note, paths will be muddy. Start 10:00am Finish 1:00pm Meet at Grosmont Railway Station
Led by woodland expert Brian Walker, a rare opportunity to see some spectacular ancient trees, some of which are more than 500 years old, in the heart of the medieval deer park on the Duncombe Estate. Discover how conservation work is ensuring the survival of these majestic trees. The walk includes a short minibus ride. Start 2:00pm Finish 4:00pm Meet at the National Park Offices, The Old Vicarage, Helmsley. Sorry, no dogs.
Take a walk with National Park Ranger David Smith and see nature come to life in the Spring air in the woods and countryside around the villages of Lockton and Levisham. The 6 mile route includes several short, moderate uphill and downhill sections. Start 10:30am Finish 3:30pm Meet at Lockton opposite the cemetery. (OS Grid ref. SE847899) Minimum age 9yrs. Please bring a packed lunch.
Discover... A Coastal Walk at Saltburn.
Your Route: Leave the car park and join the main road. Cross at the crossing then go right towards the Ship Inn. Pass the inn then take the path up the cliff at the rear of the Ship Inn car park signed Cleveland Way.
Climb up the stepped path to the top of the cliff, then take the cliff path. In a few paces turn right through a small gate towards Coastguard cottages. Pass the cottages, bearing left, then keep left onto a wide farm road. When the wide road goes right keep straight ahead by the side of a large metal gate to continue along a wide track towards the farms.
crossroad of tracks. Keep straight ahead here signed to Warsett Hill.
Soon you reach the mineral railway line. Cross here as directed over two stiles into a field. Keep straight ahead across the middle of the field to another stile in the fence opposite. You are now circumnavigating Warsett hill.
As this is open access land you can climb the hill if you want then return here to continue the walk.
Cross another field to another stile in the opposite hedge. There are two stiles here, use the one on the Keep straight ahead at the yellow waymark and past a left. Head for the stile in the corner of the next field on farm and continue along to another house at a the left. The path is indistinct here but keep going downhill to the corner. Head towards, then past the
Guibal Fan House now, ignoring the gate on the left. In Best map: OS Landranger 94. a couple of hundred paces go left over two stiles to Parking: Car park below Cat Nab at the bottom of cross the railway into a field. Saltburn Bank.
Refreshments: Try the old smugglers haunt The Ship Descend the field then join the cliff path over a stile and Inn. turn left. Take care on these high, unguarded cliffs and Public toilets: In the car park at the start. keep strictly to the path. Behind you there is a grand view past the old harbour of Skinningrove to the highest cliffs in the country at Boulby.
Continue along the path past the many metal sculptures along the way and enjoy the view from these high cliffs. You pass a couple of information boards as you go, one describing the Guibal Fan House, the other the Roman signal station and well.
Continue along the now-descending path with grand views across Saltburn with its fine pier to industrial Teesside in the distance.
Distance: 5 miles (8km.) Time: 2 hours Grading: Moderate, dangerous cliffs. Start: Saltburn car park, grid ref 668214.
From 'Mr Punch at the Seaside'
A Large Bump of Caution
Flora: "Oh, let us sit here, Aunt, the breeze is so delightful. Aunt: "Yes - it's very nice I dare say; but I won't come any nearer to the cliff, for I am always afraid of slipping through those railings!"
Saltburn by the Sea
The Spa Hotel Welcome
Occupying a fine position on the coast between the valleys of the Tees and the Esk and backed by the Cleveland Hills Saltburn by the Sea has been aptly called "the hidden gem of the North." It is not the best known nor most visited yet this small seaside town seduces all those who discover its charms.
A brief history: The resort of Saltburn by the Sea was founded by the Victorian entrepreneur Henry Pease and the legacy of his vision is the Station complex, Zetland Hotel, Pier, Cliff Lift and Valley Gardens as well as the so called "jewel streets" along the sea front. Today Saltburn's Victorian heritage is brilliantly preserved whilst modern Saltburn presents an excellent surfing beach. The family run Spa Hotel occupies a prime location boasting unrivalled panoramic views of Hunt Cliff, the North
Until the mid 19th century Saltburn consisted merely of a cluster of dilapidated cottages by the shore 'with quaint villagers engaged in fishing and seal catching, but mainly smuggling.' The 1860’s saw the creation of the new town which flourished in its early days and by 1870 Saltburn was a fashionable resort rivalling other well known Victorian watering places such as Harrogate and Bath.
Sea and beautiful surrounding countryside.
In many ways it has remained the most perfect of Victorian resorts, complete with pier, cliff tramway, miniature railway, sandy shore and leafy woodland gardens, the whole rounded off by majestic views as the cliffs tower away to the east.
buildings of its kind.
It was originally intended that the towns Assembly Rooms should be erected on the corner of Milton Street and Britannia Terrace ( now Marine Parade) next to the Zetland Hotel. However lack of funding meant that this didn't happen. The Assembly Rooms (the building now known as The Spa Hotel) were eventually built in 1884 by a Mr T.D. Ridley of Coatham to a design by Alfred Waterhouse of London and was considered as one of the finest
The contract for the building was awarded in February 1884 and erection must have proceeded with great speed as a Mr A T Griffin was granted a licence in May of the following year for 'dramatic performances,' but no alcohol was to be served. The opening concert was held on Friday July 10 1885 attended by a 'large and fashionable audience.' The concert hall could accommodate 600 people and was described as boasting commodious dressing rooms, waiting rooms and as being elaborately furnished. Many touring companies were to grace the stage in the ensuing years. The building became known as The Spa Pavilion after it was extended and extensively 'modernised' circa 1935 and was considered as a notable asset to the town. At this time a sun lounge was added, fitted with Vitaglass, offering 'charming views across the woodlands and cliffs to the sea.' The Pavilion boasted a cafe which offered complete shelter against inclement weather but with sliding glass doors which could be fully opened to admit the maximum of sunshine and air. At the same time the Dance Hall was equipped with a fine stage and a maplewood floor. Dances were held weekly throughout the year and attracted considerable audiences from many surrounding towns. It was proudly advertised as having ample car parking facilities for patrons.
The building became known as the Philmore Country Club in the early 70’s and then as just Philmore's circa 1983. The night club boasted a capacity of 1400 on split levels with a balcony overlooking the dance floor. Both Chris Rea and Sting (as a member of Last Exit) played here with Chris Rea's 'Rainbow and a Rose' often being played as the last dance record in the late 70’s early 80’s. By October 1989 Friday nights became known as 'Big Beat' night as part of the Rave scene and were so popular that the club was eventually forced to close in April 1992 following the loss of its entertainment licence after a number of problems and complaints. It finally became known as the Spa Hotel circa 1994.
Alfred Waterhouse (19 July 1830 – 22 August 1905) was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for Manchester Town Hall and the Natural History Museum in London, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the country. Financially speaking, Waterhouse was probably the most successful of all Victorian architects. Though expert within Neo-Gothic, Renaissance revival, and Romanesque revival styles, Waterhouse never limited himself to a single architectural style. Born in Liverpool, Waterhouse was the son of wealthy mill-owning Quaker parents and his brothers were accountant Edwin Waterhouse, co-founder of the Price Waterhouse partnership that now forms part of PriceWaterhouseCoopers and solicitor Theodore Waterhouse, who founded the law firm Waterhouse & Co. that is now part of Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP in the City of London. He studied architecture under Richard Lane in Manchester, and spent much of his youth travelling in Europe and studying in France, Italy and Germany. Upon his return to England, Alfred set up his own architectural practice in Manchester Waterhouse had connections with many wealthy Quaker industrialists through schooling, marriage and religious affiliation and many of these commissioned him to design and build country houses, especially in the Darlington area. Waterhouse became a fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1861, and was President from 1888 to 1891. He retired from architecture in 1902, having practised in partnership with his son, Paul Waterhouse, from 1891. He died at Yattendon Court, Berkshire, on 22 August 1905. 
FAT RASCALS Fat Rascals are large rich soda-raised flattened buns made from wheatflour with candied peel, sugar and cream. Usually they are decorated on top with glacĂŠ cherry slices and nuts. They are closely associated with the Cleveland area on the borders of County Durham and Yorkshire. The origin of the name is unknown, but has been in use since at least the mid-nineteenth century and the cakes themselves are thought to have originated in Elizabethan times. Although the origin of the name is obscure, the term 'fat rascal' was used in the 1855 'Glossary of Yorkshire Words and Phrases Collected in Whitby and the Neighbourhood' where the definition of 'Spice Cake' is given as; "tea cakes with currants as well as cakes more generally, known as plum cakes for which this quarter is famous. The tea cakes made rich with butter and cream are called fat rascals." "All visitors to Saltburn should, in observance of laudable and prescriptive usuage, make a point of duty, once at least, to drink tea and eat 'Fat Rascalls.' (Small, round, very rich cakes made of flour, butter and currents, served hot)" Walbran writing in the first guidebook to Saltburn ever published, 1848 The 1859 short story 'Mother's First Lodger' in Charles Dicken's 'All Year Round' magazine has: "You might go across to the baker's too," I whispered, when I got her into the passage, "and ask if they've any fresh-baked fat rascals. Your missus is very fond of fat rascals." ... "we used to have cakes something of the same kind at home, when I was a girl, but they culled them singing hinnies. They are famous at Saltburn for their fat rascals."
Ingredients: (there are many recipes for fat rascals, some are carefully guarded secrets. This one is from The Foods of England Project.)
Serves: 10-12 50g Lard (2 oz) 50g Butter (2 oz) 350gPlain flour (12 oz) 75g Currants (3 oz) 25g Candied mixed peel (1 oz) 1 heaped tsp Baking powder 75g Caster sugar (3 oz) 150 ml Whipping cream, slightly soured (5 fl oz) GlacÊ cherries and almonds for decoration. Rub the fat into flour, add the dry ingredients and mix with the cream to a stiff paste. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness and cut into rounds. Decorate the surface with a cherry and two or thre almonds. Brush with milk. Bake at 425 °F / Gas 7 on a floured sheet for 10-15 minutes.
Mother's First Lodger
First published in Charles Dicken's 'All Year Round Magazine' in June 1859 When my mother and I took No. 32, of the High-street, Aiskrigg (of which the ground floor is a shop sublet to the butcher), we found that, after portioning off a tidy parlour, a room for ourselves, and a cupboard for the maid, there yet remained two nice front rooms, one just over the shop window, the other right above that, which, as I said to my mother, were just the thing for a lodger. "Our income isn't large, mother," I said ; a little help of this sort would be most desirable. And it is one of the best situations in the place, just opposite the post-office and the baker's. If people wish for country air, the back windows look right down on the churchyard. Besides, it's a genteel-looking house; the side passage and green door make it very private; and the people coming and going to the shop below give a cheerful appearance. I am sure, if we bought a bit of drugget, and put in the chiffonier that belonged to my aunt, the horsehair sofa, the round table, and that picture of you in your green satinet, we should have our choice of lodgers any day. My mother looked up sharply from her knitting; so sharply that she jerked a stitch over her pin, and made a mess with her stocking, that kept me bothering over it for the next half hour. "I won't have no young men, I can tell you, Patty," she said, decidedly. "No young men. It wouldn't be right, on any account. You're an unmarried woman, Patty, and people might talk. I don't know that I approve of the idea in any wise. But, as you say, it would
help the rent, and this move of ours has made a hole in the last quarter. We might look out for a single lady, or a widow." My mother took out her red silk pocket-handkerchief (which had been my father's, and she used it in remembrance of him) and wiped the moisture from her weak eyes. The sunlight was glancing into the room over the green blinds—a line of yellow along the faded carpet, a white star on the polished back of the mahogany arm-chair, falling on my mother's face and dazzling her eyes, then losing itself amongst the gilt bindings in the bookcase. I got up, pulled down the blind, and unravelled the knitting; my mother watching with her elbows resting on her apron, and her shaking head supported between her two hands and the red handkerchief. For a few minutes we sat silent: I taking up the stitches and shrugging my shoulders at the notion of a widow lady, and my mother, as it seemed, pursuing the same train of thought ; for, all of a sudden, she raised her head, stretched out her large-jointed fingers to tidy the antiMacassar on the arm-chair, and said emphatically, "I won't have no men, Patty." I didn't argue the subject ; that wasn't my way. I just got up, took the cups and saucers from the corner cupboard, and put on the kettle. The clock had struck the halfhour; my mother was always cross as she got hungry, and I called Betsy from the kitchen, and sent her next door to the greengrocer's for a quarter of a pound of butter. "You might go across to the baker's too," I whispered, when I got her into the passage, "and ask if they've any fresh-baked fat rascals. Your missus is very fond of fat rascals." Betsy ran off with a couple of plates, and was presently at the parlour door again, too much out of breath to talk, but with successful purchases. I took the things to the table, found the toasting-
fork, and set myself down before the fire to cook the cakes. Of course my mother asked what I was doing: of course she scolded about the expense; but I hurried the tea, set her a chair, and, before she had got through her first cup of tea, or swallowed a fat rascal, she had recovered her temper, and was ready to hear reason. "Just fill me up my cup, Patty dear, and give me a mouthful more of something. Dear! dear! how those things do make me think of when I was young. Before you were born, Patty— when I was staying with your father, poor dear man, at Redcar, after he had the smallpox, and we went in a shandrydan to Saltburn to see the country, and got caught by the tide, and stopped to tea, that was the first time I ever tasted fat rascals—we used to have cakes something of the same kind at home, when I was a girl, but they called them singing hinnies. They are famous at Saltburn for their fat rascals."
Our interested readers can find the rest of this story at: h t t p : / / w w w. d j o . o rg . u k i n volume 1 of All Year Round, p156. The Saltburn of the story is what is now known as Old Saltburn which was at that time a small and relatively isolated hamlet. A shandry-dan was a two-wheeled, hooded cart or chaise. Mr and Mrs Flint had travelled along the sands from Redcar to Saltburn as evidenced by the fact that they had been caught by the tide which forced them to stop and take tea. A singing hinnie is a type of gridle cake or scone. Hinny is a term of endearment in the coal-mining districts of the North East. The singing refers to the sounds of the sizzling of the lard or butter in the rich dough as it is cooked on a hot plate or griddle.
A brief glimpse of the past... Commondale. The approach into Commondale village from Kildale. This original postcard, by Tom Watson of Lythe, highlights the bright local brickwork of most of the buildings which stands out vividly in contrast with the villages rural surroundings. Baked clay pipework is stacked in the brickyard grounds to the left. The brickworks and pottery were founded in 1861 by John Slater Pratt, a Stokesley printer, who owned the land. The row of houses on the right is Ness Terrace, built in 1903 with the local bricks, and named after Thomas Ness who owned the brickworks from 1893 for some years. The site of the brickworks is now a peaceful camping ground for the Scout movement.
50 Spades of Clay...
Growing your own fruit and vegetables.
April
April is the time when gardeners in most areas of the country can finally begin their major sowing of the season. Although frosts are still a real possibility for a while yet, the soil should have warmed sufficiently for seeds to germinate reasonably quickly and for hardy veg to thrive. Tender vegetables such as sweetcorn, tomatoes and beans can be sown now in cell trays but will still require the protection of a frost-free greenhouse, polytunnel or cold frame. Sow runner and dwarf French beans in deep cell trays or small pots. Sow the seeds with the ‘scar’ facing down if possible as this is where the embryo root will emerge from. Bury the seeds to twice their own depth with compost, water well and keep in a
frost-free place. Heat is not necessary, but germination and growth will be more rapid with some gentle heat from a heated propagator. From May onwards, seeds can be sown direct in the ground and dwarf types are best sown every 3-4 weeks for a succession of harvests. Potato tubers that have been chitting in trays can be planted out starting from the middle to the end of this month (depending on where you live) with the early varieties. These are among the easiest to grow since they are least likely to be affected by blight later on in the year, by which time they will be harvested. Carrots can be sown from early March under cloches, but if your soil is heavy and cold, success rate can be poor. April is a much better bet in most areas for sowing this indispensable crop and they can be sown in succession every two or three weeks for a succession of harvests.
Sow in rows 15cm (6in) apart and 13mm (½in) deep, watering the bottom of the drill prior to sowing and cover with dry soil (if practical). Germination can be improved by making a larger, deeper drill and filling with fresh sowing compost into which the seeds are then sown. However, if doing this, do be sure to water the compost regularly as it will dry out much more regularly than the surrounding soil. Pruning in the fruit garden should have been completed by now, but if not get it done as soon as possible. At the same time remove any weeds from around the plants. This is very important as they may be harbouring pests and diseases and will compete with plants as conditions improve. Gently prick over the soil taking care not to disturb the roots, many of which such as raspberries, are often just under the surface. This done, scatter some general fertiliser over the soil before mulching with well-rotted garden compost or manure. Cabbages, kale, broccoli and cauliflowers are the mainstay of the kitchen garden. Late April is a good time to sow winter types to ensure your plot remains productive in the leaner months, but remember most
brassicas require plenty of space, many months in the soil and protection from birds and caterpillars. They can be sown in cell trays, or at this time of year in nursery beds in the soil for planting out when about 10cm (4in) tall. Sowing in trays means that plants can be more easily protected from pests. If you do sow outside remember to cover with fleece or netting immediately after sowing and to scatter some animal friendly slug pellets lightly over the soil.
â?Ż Sow now... Beetroot, lettuce, salad leaves, kohl rabi, carrots, parsnips, peas, broad beans, runner beans (under cover), dwarf beans (under cover), summer and winter cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, leeks, broccoli, summer radish, celery, celeriac, endive, spinach, tomatoes, peppers â?Ż Plant now... Potatoes, onions, shallots, pot-grown fruit trees and bushes, pot-grown cane fruit, strawberry runners.
Potatoes
Sow: For an early crop, 'chit' (sprout) potatoes by placing in egg boxes, end with most eyes facing upwards, in a warm, light room until sprouts are 1in long. Plant in comfrey-lined trench 6in deep, end with most eyes facing up. Space early (new) potatoes 12in apart, and maincrop 15in apart. Soil: Great for improving the soil in a new garden: manure heavily the previous autumn. Warm ground by covering with black plastic sheet or old carpet. Grow: Once plants have reached 8in high, draw up soil around the stems to prevent greening of tubers and increase crop. Once flowers appear, start watering well (unless weather is already humid) to swell tubers. Harvest: For earlies, tubers are normally a good size once plant has been flowering two or three weeks: dig down under the plant to check. Harvest maincrop potatoes towards the end of the summer as the foliage dies back. Store in hessian sacks. Problems: Potato blight is the most serious disease caused by humid conditions: black patches appear on leaves and stems with white furry patches on underside of leaf. Avoid by spacing plants well. Cut infected foliage down to prevent spores washing into the soil and do not grow tomatoes or potatoes nearby. Potato eel worm can move in if you fail to rotate the crop effectively.
First published in the 1940’s (c) Express Newspapers these extracts may contain suggestions involving the use of chemicals and other substances now known to be dangerous and/or harmful. These extracts are provided for interest only and readers should seek up to date guidance on anything they intend to put into practice. We disclaim any liability arising from any misuse of the information contained in these snippets.
Backdraft Things you might have missed...
Breaking news, events and happenings you might have missed last month.
Water Quality Saltburn's water quality hit by a disastrous summer. Last year's disastrous summer – one of the wettest on record – has led to a significant drop in the quality of bathing water of Britain’s beaches.
The relentless rain and flooding led to an increase in the amount of bacteria and viruses ending up in the country’s bathing waters.
And the North-East, including North Yorkshire, was particularly hard-hit according to the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Good Beach Guide.
Eight of the region’s breaches failed to meet the minimum standard – compared to none last year.
Beaches that failed in the NorthEast and North Yorkshire included: Sandsend, Staithes, Saltburn, Seaton Carew North, Seaham, Seaton Sluice and Spittal.
New £6million scheme announced.
ready for the new bathing water season which starts on May 15, 2016.
A £6m sheme to improve the
It follows a three-year £370,000 study carried out in partnership with the Environment Agency and Redcar and Cleveland Council throughout Skelton, Brotton, Boosbeck, Lingdale and Guisborough.
water at Saltburn has been revealed - a day after the beach was named one of the worst in the country.
Saltburn beach was one of 42 across the UK that failed to reach minimum EU standards. But Northumbrian Water has today (28 March) announced a £6m scheme to help the water at Saltburn pass the tighter new European quality standards. The scheme is expected to be completed by September 2015,
Improvements will include: :: Transferring waste water from the Dunsdale works for treatment with ultraviolet disinfection at Marske sewage works and discharging to sea through the existing long sea outfall.
:: Increasing pumping capacity at Tocketts Bridge Pumping Station so more storm water is sent from Guisborough to Marske sewage works when it rains. :: More underground storage on existing sites at the former Guisborough sewage works and Layland Bridge pumping station at Skelton for storm water. Stored storm water will be pumped into the sewer to Marske treatment works. :: Four times more underground storage capacity to be created at the two sites. Graham Neave, Northumbrian Water’s operations director, said they were “confident” the work will make “significant” improvements. The Environment Agency says it has “identified a number of issues”, including the local sewerage system and farming practices which relate to the water quality. T r e v o r H a r d y, r e g i o n a l environmental planning manager at the Environment Agency, said: “While water quality was undoubtedly affected by the exceptionally heavy rainfall, it is worth noting that quality usually increases again within a short period after the heavy rainfall has passed. “The results from 2012 do highlight the need for more action to be taken to reduce all
sources of bacterial pollution. That is why we are working with water companies and local authorities to improve sewerage and drainage infrastructure, and with farmers to lessen the impact caused by farmland drainage.” Glen Pearson, owner of the town’s Seaview Restaurant, said he it was “unfortunate” that the beach was rated so low, especially after it was one of the best last year. He added: “It’s a blow but I can understand why after the unprecedented rain we have had that has had a major influence on this result." “The council have made quite large steps at trying to resolve the issue and have been successful in accessing grants." “This is an unfortunate incident, and not due to the council or the infrastructure but purely the amount of bad weather we’ve had.” Tom Blenkinsop, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said of the b e a c h r e p o r t : “ I t ’s v e r y disappointing news. It was improving around this time last year but I think the terrible winter hasn’t helped. Again we have to hold Northumbrian Water to account.” Councillor Steve Goldswain, the council’s Cabinet member for community protection, said they were “committed to
improving bathing water quality in Saltburn” and welcomed the latest developments. Initial action was taken after an Environment Agency report indicated the resort could fail tough water quality standards being introduced in 2015. This would lead to a ban on bathing and surfing and was deemed one of the most serious threats to tourism, prosperity and jobs in the town’s 150-year history. Last May there were celebrations after the beach went from being labelled one of the worst in a national water quality survey to one of the best. The results, published in the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Beach Guide, meant the resort moved from "failing" to being recommended. But the Society yesterday named Saltburn as one of the worst nationally. It was one of 42 out of 754 beaches tested which failed to reach minimum standards.
40th Anniversary Spring Steam Gala
heritage railway, visited and enjoyed by 350,000 people each year.
The North Yorkshire Moors
The special festival day will be followed by a 10 day ‘NYMR 40’ Festival which will take place from Friday 3rd to Sunday 12th May and will focus on the locomotives that have contributed to the history of the N o r t h Yo r k s h i r e M o o r s Railway. Highlights include the appearance of Neil Boden’s LNER B1 No 1306 ‘Mayflower’, and visits back home’ by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s K1 No 62005 and J72 No 69023 ‘Joem’. The NER Saloon No1, the “Old Gentleman’s Coach” from the “The Railway Children” will also feature.
Railway celebrates 40 years.
If you missed the arrival of loco 62005 on the platform at Saltburn you can catch up with it on Wednesday 1st May 2013, as it hauls a special train from Whitby as part of the NYMR's special 40th anniversary plans. It is hoped that the newly overhauled Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Colliery tank No 29 (one of the engines that worked the royal train in 1973) will doublehead the train at Grosmont to make the picturesque journey along the line to Pickering. The fare for travel on the special train is £40. On the 1st May 1973 the Duchess of Kent royally opened the North Yorkshire Moors Railway that has since become the world’s most popular
For more information please call 01751 472508, book online www.nymr.co.uk or follow them o n Tw i t t e r @ N Y M R a n d Facebook @North Yorkshire
Engine 62005 K1 The Lord of the Isles visits Saltburn In the late afternoon sunshine on Easter Saturday steam locomotive 62005 K1 pulled into Saltburn station. It had pulled out of Newcastle station earlier in the day as part of a rail tour to Saltburn, operated by the West Coast Railway Company. It was joined on its journey (in top and tail mode) by loco 61994 K4 class The Great Marquess. Route: Newcastle - Morpeth Bedlington (rev) - Ashington (rev) - Marchey's House Junction - North Blyth (rev) Winning Junction - Bedlington Newcastle Ctrl - Ferryhill Stockton - Middlesbrough S a l t b u r n We s t J u n c t i o n Saltburn (break) - Redcar M'bro - Darlington - Newcastle
A  Wreck of Puffins Scientists fear thousands of puffins may have died of starvation, due to severe weather conditions in the North Sea.
If you have braved the weather over the last few weeks and walked along the sands towards Redcar you will have noticed an unusual number of dead seabirds washed up along the shoreline. Hundreds of dead birds have been washed ashore along the east coast, in an area stretching from Aberdeenshire to Northumberland, and now here on the iron coast. It is thought the birds may have been unable to feed due to storms at sea. The death of such large numbers of seabirds in a single incident is known as a "wreck". Experts at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology said it is
more than 60 years since since such a large puffin wreck was recorded. RSPB Scotland said it had received many reports of puffins, as well as razorbills and guillemots, washing up on beaches. A spokesman added: "We are fast approaching the start of the seabird breeding season, where tens of thousands of seabirds return to their colonies to raise their young." "The recent events could have an impact on the success of this year's puffin breeding season, a s p e c i e s a l r e a d y s u ff e r i n g population declines." Many seabirds including puffins have been suffering significant population falls in many parts of Scotland in recent years and it is thought that this may be related to food shortages which could be a result of climate change and changing sea temperatures.
The Puffin Puffins breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among rocks or in burrows in the soil. The puffin is an unmistakable bird with its black back and white underparts, and distinctive black head with large pale cheeks and a tall, flattened, brightly-coloured bill. Its comical appearance is heightened by its red and black eye-markings and bright orange legs and it is renowned as one of the world's favourite birds. With half of the UK population at only a few sites it is an Amber List species. The nearest colonies to Saltburn can be found at the RSPB's Bempton Cliffs (North Yorkshire) or on the Farne Islands (Northumberland).
Local Notes... The Cliff lift has re-opened for the season and is open 7 days a week until September 29th from 11am-5pm. In the school holidays the times will be extended to 6pm Monday to Friday and the weekends will be til 7pm. Charges are £1 for adults and 50p for children and the over 60’s. With regard to the comments often made about the charges we found the following article which was printed in the August 1930 edition of the Saltburn and Cleveland Advertiser which makes interesting reading: The Ups and Downs of Saltburn. It would be a great benefaction to Saltburn if the Townspeople, through their council, owned and controlled the Lift which runs between the two promenades, providing they ran it more for the use and need of the people than for profit. It would add considerably to the amenities of the town, and remove the one objection which many people have to it as a Health Resort, namely the heavy bank climbing from the sands. It would add greatly to the attraction and popularity of Saltburn. Many complaints have been heard this season from residents and visitors about the charges for use of the lift. Visitors especially have been vociferous in their protests. There is a good deal of justification for these complaints. The charges are excessive. To young, healthy and vigorous people the noble banks add to the beauty and interest of the place, but older people and those who are not strong and maybe in ailing health, the banks are forbidding and toilsome. The transport of the people to the sands should be made as cheap and facile as possible. The charge of 3d a return journey for those who have to use the lift several times a day adds severely to the cost of those who are staying in the Town. To many who are not too blessed with the world's goods the charge is actually prohibitive. It is not an uncommon sight to see a fragile woman toiling up the bank with one child in a pram, and two or three at her heels, because the charge for herself, the pram and the children was too heavy for her purse. The charge of 2d up against 1d down is often queried. It is said why should there be this difference when the lifts are alternate and reciprocal, and it takes no more energy to bring one lift up, than it does to let the other one down? However, the lift is a private concern and it should be strongly and respectfully urged upon the Owners, who on many occasions have shewn that they are a public spirited body, to reduce the fairs to 1 1/2d the return journey. By doing this they would not be likely to lose in the long run. With such a charge it is more than probable that the number of passengers carried a season would be increased three or four times over.
Much has been made and said in the past months about the recent parking proposals for Saltburn. It is not our intention here to pass comment one way or the other, but we felt that the following article, published at the same time as the one about the cliff lift made interesting reading. Promenade Parking Saltburn, like every other town in the country today has its "Parking" problem. It is a necessity that public accommodation should be provided for the temporary location of motor cars, etc. To find space for the accommodation of the large and growing number of motor vehicles in use today is a puzzle for most local authorities. Because of this, motor cars and cycles are parked in most unsuitable places. In this connection there is a strong and increasing agitation against the use of the Top Promenade as a "parking" ground. The residents living on and adjacent to the Prom. express great disatisfaction that a long line of all sorts and conditions of cars are allowed to stand and disfigure the whole front. They are regarded as an eyesore and a nuisance. It is alleged that people who utilise the promenade for this purpose are, in the main, cheap and stingy pleasure seekers, who come to absorb the beauties and amenities of the place and add nothing to its trade and wellbeing. These people are called the "Nosebag Brigade" who bring their own food, make cars their restaurants and in some instances their bathing tents. This is severe comment upon which we will not express our views. Is the Top Prom. a suitable place for parking? In out opinion it is not. It is one of the finest promenades in the country, and it is making a misuse of it to use it as a public parking ground. We do not use our drawing rooms for housing our kitchen utensils. It is certainly an offence to the feelings and susceptibilities of the people of Saltburn. Parking there should be prohibited, but at the same time the Council should see to it at once that other and more suitable space be found, and provided for the use of motor car owners.
 
Snippets The English Grand National ends in chaos - on 3rd April 1993, after a series of events at the start including protesters getting onto the track near the first fence and ending with only some of the riders competing in the race, the decision was made by the Jockey Club to declare the race void.
On this day in April... 1st - April Fools Day. Also Hop Monday. Hops first introduced to England in the first half of the 16thC. 2nd - 1982 saw the beginning of the Falklands War 3rd - 1993 The English Grand National ends in chaos (see detail). 4th - 1968 Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is shot to death by James Earl Ray at a hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. 5th. - Issac Quintard patented apple cider. 6th. - 1896 After a break of 150 years the first Olympics of the modern era was held in Athens,Greece. 7th - Daffodil Sunday - in Victorian times families picked daffoldils from their gardens and took then to local hospitals to give them to the sick. 8th - 1871 Murder in Mayfair. (see detail) 9th. - 1770 Captain James Cook discovers Botany Bay (Australia) 10th - Bananas are said to have gone on sale for the firs time in Britain when they were displayed in the shop window of Thomas Johnson, a London herbalist. 11th - 1890 saw the death of Joseph Merrick, an Englishman with severe deformities who was exhibited as a human curiosity named the Elephant Man. 12th - 1606 saw the flags of England and Scotland joined to form the first union flag of Great Britain. 13th - 1949 in Germany the Nuremberg Trials ended with 19 top aids to Adolf Hitler sentenced for war crimes against humanity. 14th - 1865 U.S.A. President Abraham Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth. He died the next day. 15th - 1912 Titanic sinks. 16th - 1705 Queen Anne knights Isaac Newton at Trinity College. 17th - 1397 Geoffrey Chaucer tells the Canterbury Tales for the first time at the court of Richard II. 18th - 1968 The 1831 London Bridge is sold to an American Oil Magnate to be reassembled back at Lake Havasu City, Arizona. 19th - Primrose Day. 20th - 1841 Edgar Allen Poe's story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, first appears in Graham's Lady's and Gentleman's Magazine. The tale is generally considered to be the first detective story. 21st - 1816 Charlotte Bronte, the only one of the three novelist Bronte sisters to live past age 31, is born.
Murder in Mayfair - on 8th April 1871 Marie Reil, mistress of Crimean War hero Lord Lucan, was found dead in the cellar pantry at her home in 13 Park Lane. Her cook, Marguerite Dixblanc, was convicted of the horrendous crime and served life imprisonment. According to her statement she had quarrelled with her mistress, first about her wages - her Mistress had told her that she had to leave and that she would not pay her wages - and secondly about the soup, and that she had, in a fit of passion, seized her mistress about the throat and Madame Riel then fell. When her mistress got up she was looking for something to strike her (the prisoner) with. The cook then struck Madame Riel a blow across the throat after which she fell and died almost instantaneously. Upon the death she first put the body in the coal cellar before eventually tying a cord around her neck and dragging it to the pantry. The body was discovered by her daughter when she returned from a visit to Paris. Titanic sinks. RMS Titanic struck an iceberg just before midnight on 14th April. The Ship with 2,200 passengers and crew on board on it's maiden voyage was thought to be unsinkable but it sank after 2 1/2 hours when the ship broke in two in the Atlantic Ocean. More than 1,500 people on the ship were lost to the sea. Primrose Day - marks the anniversary of the death of Benjamin Disraeli, former British prime minister. The primrose was his favourite flower and Queen Victoria would send him bunches from Windsor and Osborne House. On this day, his statue in London’s Parliament Square and his grave in Buckinghamshire are decorated with primroses.
22nd - 1970 1st Earth Day held in America to conserve natural resources. 23rd - St George's Day 24th - 1872 Volcano Vesuvius erupts. 25th - 1792 Guillotine is first used to execute highwayman Nicolas J Pelletier. 26th - 1986 The world's worst nuclear disaster as the 4th reactor at Chernobyl in the U.S.S.R. 27th - 1773 the British Parliament passes the Tea Act. 28th - 1789 HMS Bounty is seized in a mutiny led by Fletcher Christian, the master's mate. Captain William Bligh and 18 of his loyal supporters were set adrift in a small, open boat. 29th - 1429 During the Hundred Years' War, the 17year-old French peasant Joan of Arc leads a French force in relieving the city of Orleans, besieged by the English since October. 30th - 1904 Ice cream cones make their debut. Do you love ice cream? How about an ice cream cone?
In the late 1800's and early 1900's as ice cream became less expensive and more popular, they began to be sold by street vendors. Most ice cream from vendors was sold in serving glasses called "penny licks" (because you'd lick the ice cream from the glass, and it cost a penny to do so). There was a major problem with sanitation (or the lack thereof), and another problem was that many people would accidentally break the glasses, or not so accidentally walk off with them.
Did you know that the first cone was introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904? Children who attended the fair were the first ones in the world to eat this delicious treat.
According to most accounts there were more than 50 ice cream vendors and more than a dozen waffle stands selling their wares at these events.
The story goes that when one of these ice cream vendors ran out of cups and spoons, he put the ice cream in a rolled up waffle that the man next to him was selling, and an invention was born.
Chernobyl - In the early hours of 26 April 1986, one of four nuclear reactors at the Chernobyl power station exploded. Moscow was slow to admit what had happened, even after increased radiation was detected in other countries. The lack of information led to exaggerated claims of the number killed by the blast in the immediate area. Contamination is still a problem, however, and disputes continue about how many will eventually die as a result of the world's worst nuclear accident.
The first bananas go on sale in England. The British today love bananas: annual per capita consumption is 12kg, which equates to two bananas per person per week. We spend more on bananas than on any other item from supermarket shelves. Yet until refrigerated ships were available they were little known in this country, their wide commercialisation dating from the early 20th century.
Enterprising herbalist, botanist, and merchant Thomas Johnson somehow managed to procure bananas for sale in 1633, when he displayed them in his Snow Hill shop window. Johnson included a woodcut of a large bunch of the fruit in his 1633 edition of John Gerard ’s “The herball or generall historie of plantes.” It is believed that Johnson’s bananas came from Bermuda, though how they managed to reach this country in a fit state for display is not known.
In 2005 PC Robin Butler, who at that time was the Community Officer for Marske, and Saltburn's then PC Stuart Smith, approached PD Teesport, Middlesbrough on the River Tees regarding the obtaining of an anchor for each of the towns. They were able to supply two anchors which had been dredged up from the River Tees having been lost on the river bed by shipping. Marske were the first to install their anchor on the roundabout in the High Street. The Saltburn anchor was kept until funding was available and decisions were made as to where it should be sited. In June 2007 with the help of funding from the Local Environmental Committee, Saltburn In Bloom were able to go ahead with plans for bringing the anchor to the town. It was first taken to Castle Engineering in Marske where it was shot blasted and painted. Alfred McAlpine then installed the anchor on the garden at the top of Cart Bank. It was decided to place the anchor here because of its close proximity to the sea. In 2008 the Anchor was illuminated at night and the garden bed in which it is situated was redeveloped with a sea-side theme. Included in this are two metal lobster pots which were made by inmates at the metal workshops at Kirkleavington Prison.