Coastal View Issue 133

Remembering the Queen in the borough

People across Redcar and Cleveland have been remembering Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Mayor of Redcar & Cleveland, Cllr Stuart Smith has led the tributes and has signed the Book of Remembrance in Redcar Civic Centre.

Flowers are being left at the Garden of Remembrance in Redcar, at the Civic Centre in Redcar and at cenotaphs across the borough. The flag remained at half mast on all public buildings until 8am on the morning following the funeral - apart from occasions when it will be raised for ceremonial purposes in line with national protocol.

Mayor Cllr Stuart Smith, read the proclamation to the new king at 3pm on Sunday (September 11) at the Garden of Remembrance in Redcar, said: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has served the country with honour, grace and sensitivity, over a remarkable period of time as the longest reigning British Monarch.

“Throughout both happy and challenging times, she was an inspirational figure to us all and always put her country first. She gained universal respect from the people of Great Britain and every country throughout the world and will be greatly missed by people worldwide.

“We will remember her as someone whose duty always came first and who carried out that duty in an impeccable fashion on every occasion. Queen Elizabeth II will always be dear to our hearts and her legacy will live on long into the future.”

Saltburn salutes The Queen

By Mike Morrissey

F

lags flew at half-mast all over Saltburn and surrounding areas to mark the death of the Queen. People also prayed - in their different ways - for her and for the new King Charles III.

At Emmanuel church, Saltburn, and other local churches public prayers were said and people called in to pay their own respects.

Editors Note: The picture shows a painting on the window of Gosnay’s Butchers in Saltburn which was designed specifically for the Platinum Jubilee but recently updated following the sad passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 11.

It was painted by Drew Allan of Drew’s Wonder Walls. We would like to thank Gosnay’s Butchers for allowing us to use their beautiful picture.

● QUEEN’S VISIT: The Queen visiting Teesport in 1978, the year of the Silver Jubilee.

● MAYOR REMEMBERS: Mayor, Cllr Stuart Smith signing the Book of Remembrance in Redcar Civic Centre.

Welcome to Coastal View & Moor

We went up to London to visit The Queen

Then over Lambeth Bridge and into the snake which we must have gone up and down about 100 times,

“Now only 20 minutes away from seeing The Queen’s coffin, finally through security airport style and we were nearly there.

“On entering the hall we weere ushered forward to the top of the steps as they were just changing the guard. What a moment,now to file past the coffin and pay our respects. The time now was 08.30am Friday morning.

“As our train did not leave till midday we decided to go up The Mall to Buckingham Palace collecting some flowers on the way. We were lucky enough to see the Changing of the Guard and then walked into Green Park to lay our flowers, What an amazing sight, just flowers everywhere.

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Heart McColls

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Seabreeze, Coatham

Clock Gallery

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West Terrace

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Jackie’s Saverstore

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Longbeck Nurseries New Marske McColls New Marske Pharmacy

Gleneagles Centre Public Libraries

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One of our distributors, Jeff Bringloe, together with his wife Jayne told us of their recent experience when they went to London to vist The Queen in state.

Jeff said: “,We left our home in Brotton at 3.30pm on Thursday afternoon for the trip to Darlington by train to get the 17.59pm train

to London Kings Cross arriving at 20.39pm, “We looked on the Digital Culture Media and Sport website to see where queue was then got on the tube to London Bridge. After a quick change we went onto the Jubilee Line to Bermondsey and from here a 30 minute walk to Southwark Park to join the queue,

“We met a lot of people on the route which wound its way up and down streets and alongside the River Thames arriving at Tower Bridge at approx 12.30am to get our wristbands,

“From here we continued along the streets and the Thames until we could finally see Westminster Hall on the opposite side to us,

“Now it was time to head to Kings Cross to return home arriving back at 4.30 pm and after a quick shower, something to eat and bed by 7.30pm as we were absolutely shattered with aching legs, back and feet after our long wait through the night but it was all definitely worth it

“The whole experience was very moving and one we will never forget.”

Lynne & Steve Nicholls

Sunnyfield House

Guisborough Pool

Easington

Farm Direct Staithes

Co-op

Loftus Redcar Marske Saltburn Dormanstown Laburnum Rd Ormesby 25k Centre Ayton Drive Brotton

Next issue available from October 26th 2022 Editorial and Advertising deadline for this issue October 14th 2022

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Charltons, Moorsholm, Liverton Mines, Liverton Village, New Marske, Dunsdale, Yearby, Ugthorpe, Staithes as well as libraries, and various other outlets.

Work starts to transform Duncan Place in Loftus

DNA tagging spray to be used in Cleveland to target off-road bikers

ADNA tagging spray is being introduced across Cleveland which can forensically prove that suspects were in a specific location at an exact time.

The spray can be used at scenes of a crime to detect a suspect if they make off from police, and one of those instances when it will be used is to spray off-road bikers committing antisocial driving. It is an additional tactical option and can also be used in a crowd, such as at a mass gathering of quads or off-road bikes.

The substance can be sprayed from a distance to mark the bikes, clothing and skin of any riders and passengers with a uniquely-coded but invisible DNA that will provide forensic evidence to link them to a specific crime.

tactical option for our officers if faced with a situation where the spray may provide an opportunity to identify a suspected offender who makes off from the scene of a crime.

“The spray provides us with forensic evidence that someone was in a specific location at a particular time. It could potentially assist us in court in bolstering any cases where we can provide this evidence.

“One of the examples where we will use the DNA tagging spray is when our officers are confronted with antisocial driving by those on off-road bikes and quads. This spray gives us the option to avoid putting other members of the public and our officers at risk of the significant harm associated with pursuits.

Work has started on the £2.2million scheme to transform Duncan Place in Loftus.

The historic building, where the youth and community centre is currently located, will be renovated and extended to create a facility for the town which will bring together several council services within one improved building.

This includes the relocation of Loftus library into a new extension of the building, with a small refreshment counter, alongside revitalised spaces for youth and family activities including a brand-new community hall.

This is to reflect the council’s commitment to ensure the community’s needs are better met.

Middlesbrough firm WB Construction Ltd. Are carrying out the work, and preparations started on site towards the end of August. Construction began officially on 1 September, with a completion date of July 2023.

The plans are part of a series of exciting new proposals to regenerate and improve Loftus High Street.

The project will be jointly funded by the Government’s Future High Streets Fund and through the Tees Valley Combined Authority Indigenous Growth Fund. Overall, the council

has a package of £11 million for the Loftus Regeneration Masterplan projects.

The, then, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Greg Clark MP visited Loftus recently to see the exciting progress made so far for the area. He was accompanied by Simon Clarke, MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (the current Levelling Up Secretary of State), Cllr Mary Lanigan, Leader of the council, Cllr Chris Gallacher, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at the council, and Tim Gray, ward member for Loftus.

Cllr Chris Gallacher said: “Our vision is to transform Loftus into a modern market town, providing facilities and attractions for residents as well as creating a memorable destination for our visitors. It was a privilege to welcome Greg Clark MP to the area, to show the real potential Loftus has to offer.

“Duncan Place is in a prime location, and this project will create a modern facility all under one roof for our residents to access key services, and residents will see much-improved appearance of the building.”

For more information about the Loftus Masterplan, please visit: https://loftusmasterplan. co.uk/

‘Giant’ Labour man is remembered

He lived in Windsor Road, Saltburn for a while in his earlier life in the North-east.

Dave was born in the south but migrated to the North-east as a young man. He worked as a crane driver at a Middlesbrough factory but studied for a degree when made redundant. He used his education to gain a political post with Ashok Kumar, Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

A number of other Forces around the country are also using the DNA tagging spray, which can help avoid the risks around carrying out pursuits.

Chief Inspector Wendy Tinkler said: “We have received the DNA tagging spray and training in its use is ongoing with officers. This is a viable

“It will provide us with further investigative opportunities to identify anyone causing mayhem and disrupting the lives of those in our communities with their reckless behaviour and it will also enable us to identify their quads/ bikes after the event due to its lasting durability.”

By Mike Morrissey

rolonged applause broke out at the end of tribute to Dave Walsh, Labour stalwart from East Cleveland, who died age 73 after a period of ill-health.

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He was a former leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council and Labour politician with Langbaurgh Council before that.

It was said that he was “wed” to politics, but he also was keen on researching local history. For several years he wrote the Hollie Bush page in Coastal View which researched offbeat facts about our area.

He was a giant in personality, travelling usually on buses to and from his East Cleveland home.

Paving our way to a carbon neutral future

of achieving Carbon Neutrality.

The amount of carbon footprint produced, after being measured by a bespoke carbon calculator, will be offset through a Verified Tree Planting Carbon Scheme and this will also be recognised by planting trees around the Borough, through Miles Macadam.

Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Cllr Cliff Foggo said: “Highway maintenance is an essential part in preserving our road network. Providing this service, whilst looking to help tackle climate change, is important to us.

“Being able to calculate how much carbon footprint is produced by the resurfacing process allows us to compensate these emissions by planting the necessary number of trees in the area which means the project will not have any

negative impact on the environment.”

Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Culture, Cllr Louise Westbury said: “Over the past years we have made significant efforts within our Climate Change Strategy in our commitment to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. We are pleased that we contracted Miles Macadam, an enterprise which shares our ambition for a carbon neutral future, to undergo such an innovative project which will bring us closer to our target.”

Miles Macadam said: “ We are extremely pleased to be working with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on this scheme and are grateful for the opportunity to promote lower carbon resurfacing techniques, embracing innovation to assist Climate Change”.

The Council is undergoing the first carbon neutral road resurfacing scheme in North East as part of their ambitious aim to become a Carbon Neutral Borough by 2030.

Work has already started to resurface Stirling Road in Redcar, the first street involved in this scheme. Further resurfacing is to be done in Marske and Moorsholm.

The project, which was procured and awarded through the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO 210) Highway Surfacing Framework, is run by Miles Macadam, one of

the first enterprises in the surfacing industry to become carbon neutral. Miles Macadam work with an innovative surfacing product, Milepave, which, due to the materials used and a production process that requires lower temperature, leads to a reduction in aggregate, bitumen and fossil fuels, lowering the carbon footprint of conventional road surfacing by 35%. In addition, using a Carbon Neutral contractor ensures that there are no indirect carbon emissions attributable to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, facilitating the Council’s ultimate aim

Work to start on new car park

The construction of a new 100-space car park has started at the former Coatham Bowl site in Redcar.

It is part of a wider ambition to regenerate the seafront area with an 18-hole adventure golf course, as well as a new hotel and play park.

Construction on the hotel is expected to take place towards the end of the year, meaning car parking spaces next to Tuned In! will be lost.

The new pay and display car park, with disabled parking and Electrical Vehicle charging points, is scheduled to finish early December to rectify this.

This work was meant to commence earlier this year, but due to inflation and the rise in cost of materials, the project had been delayed while officers made efforts to ensure plans were kept within budget.

As well as a new car park, a grassed recreation space will be created and the whole of the old bowl site will be tidied up and landscaped.

In early 2021, the Council was approached

by Coatham Arena Ltd. to explore locating a 5,000-seat indoor area on the site. Constructive, but confidential, discussions around the future development of the Coatham Bowl site are still ongoing. The council will proceed with plans to tidy up the site while these continue and it will not prejudice any future development plans in the meantime.

Cllr Chris Gallacher, cabinet member for economic growth at the council, said: “We want to thank everyone for their patience on this, as our team needed to do a significant amount of value engineering across all of our Coatham projects to ensure we met the budget while costs and materials are increasing. There was a risk that the increase in cost could have threatened the viability of the car park and we had no option to delay and revisit the costings at this very late stage. So, I’m pleased that things are now moving, and residents will soon see a significant improvement to the whole site.”

● Road resurfacing on Stirling Street

● Stirling Street completed

Memories of the Queen

and Brexit, as well as on people like Margaret Thatcher, but she never let them be known.

As head of state, the Queen was a great ambassador for our country and was de facto Queen of the whole world. Even though the Americans successfully rebelled against her ancestor, George III, they loved the Queen and still adore all the trappings of royalty. Isn’t it ironic, that to escape the Royal Family, Harry and Megan have found refuge in the USA, a republic full of Royal Family lovers?

Charles III has something to live up to, but if he sticks to his mother’s example, he won’t go far wrong. The two maxims he must follow are:1. Keep your personal opinions to yourselfand 2. Never reply to criticism. We’ll wait and see.

I can just remember when George VI died, and Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne. At primary school, we’d been taught to sing God Save the King and it seemed so strange and awkward to have to change to God Save the Queen.Now, of course, we’re back to square one.

By Councillor Steve Kay

Like the vast majority in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and beyond, I was greatly saddened by the news of the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

The Queen was the greatest constitutional monarch ever, and never slipped up in the massively important role she occupied throughout the whole of her 70 years’ reign.

Whether you’re a monarchist, or a republican, you cannot help but admire her wisdom and faultless behaviour, keeping her opinions to herself and leaving governance to the elected politicians. I’d bet she had very strong personal views on matters like Scottish independence

Over the years, I’ve had the honour to meet the Queen Mother, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne, but never Her Majesty. I have, however, seen the Queen, in the flesh, on three occasions.

When I was a Boy Scout, the Queen and Duke visited Middlesbrough. We lined Linthorpe Road and loudly cheered as she was slowly driven past. I surprised myself because I didn’t tell myself to cheer but, with everyone else doing it, I realised I’d just joined in spontaneously.

The second time was when I went to the FA Cup Final in 1965, at the old Wembley Stadium.

Preferring the horses, I don’t think the Queen was very keen on football. But, on this occasion, perhaps because the World Cup was about to be

hosted by England, she was in the Royal Box, surrounded by 100,000 fans. At full time it was goalless, but Liverpool went on to beat Leeds 2-1 in extra time (as a Boro supporter, I was neutral).I didn’t leave until I’d witnessed the Queen present the Cup to the winners, and medals to both teams. Did Her Majesty enjoy the match? I have no idea. Moving forward almost twenty years, I was proud to become Mayor of Langbaurgh (now Redcar & Cleveland). At my inauguration,I took an oath of loyalty to the sovereign and, soon after,received an invitation from Her Majesty, via the Lord Chamberlain, to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace. I felt greatly privileged to enter the Palace, and on into the immense garden behind. It was full of Lord Mayors, Mayors and other dignitaries: a few hundred I would guess. There was afternoon tea in the presence of the Queen and other members of the Royal Family (I was secretly disappointed that Princess Diana wasn’t among them. Didn’t she know I was coming?). Unfortunately, it started to drizzle but it didn’t dampen the high spirits of the crowd, determined to make the most of the occasion. I could see the Queen, dressed in canary yellow, laughing and joking with Princess Margaret,under the shelter of the Royal Marquee. Eventually courtiers entered the crowd and picked out people, at random,to speak to the Queen and the other royals. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected. But, although I never got to meet the Queen, I wouldn’t have missed this royal experience.

I apologise if the Queen’s departing has made me a bit nostalgic. Now that both great Elizabethan ages have been consigned to history, how many more centuries shall we have to wait for another?

In Memory

Simon Clarke, Conservative MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, said: “Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was an extraordinary monarch.

“This last year we have marvelled collectively at the near lifetime of service she gave our country and the Commonwealth over seventy years, spanning and embracing so much social, political and economic change.

Throughout all that change our Queen was a constant source of leadership, dignity and grace. I will never forget the outstanding speeches she delivered during the Covid pandemic - “we will meet again” - and her wisdom was on display time and again in her Christmas speeches, which reflected her deep Christian faith.

“Her love for Prince Philip, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren was so clear for all to see, and our thoughts and deep condolences will be with her family tonight.

“For all of us, Queen Elizabeth had become a sort of national grandmother, whose presence felt both so reassuring and so inevitable. We will miss her enormously, but can draw so much strength from her example.

“Tonight my particular thoughts are with King Charles, as he assumes this extraordinary responsibility.

“God Save The King.”

Jacob Young, Conservative MP for Redcar, said: “The nation is in mourning at the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.

“Around the world, Britain is admired because of her service to our country and to the Commonwealth.

“During her reign, the Queen’s sense of duty and devotion to a life of service has been a

● Cllr Steve Kay with his invitation to Buckingham Palace

Memory of The Queen

constant pillar of stability through periods of enormous social change, and many of the most significant chapters in our nation’s history.

“As well as our monarch, she was a mother and a grandmother, and I know people across Redcar & Cleveland will join me in offering our sincere condolences to the entire Royal Family.

“Today we mourn and express our deepest gratitude for the truly remarkable reign of Elizabeth II.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Steve Turner has paid tribute to Her Majesty the Queen saying:

“My team and I are saddened to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, Britain’s longest serving monarch.

“The Queen devoted her life to being our monarch, undertaking her public duties with selfless passion and dedicating her time to meeting the public across the globe.

“My thoughts – and those of my team – are with the entire Royal Family at this sad time, who we must remember have lost a dearly loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

“Whilst we are saddened by her loss, we feel united in our gratitude for The Queen’s exceptional public service and devotion to leading the nation.”

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:

“I am heartbroken to hear of the death of Her Majesty The Queen. As our nation mourns, my thoughts are with the King, the Queen Consort, Prince William and the rest of the Royal Family at this moment.

“The Queen has been the beating heart of our nation for 70 years and her life of noble service is the guiding light for her subjects across the United Kingdom and her beloved Commonwealth.

“Since ascending to the throne The Queen was a constant for millions of people here at home and across the globe in an ever-changing world. Her passing will leave a void in all our hearts.

“On her 21st birthday Her Majesty devoted her life to selfless service in the national interest, a commitment that she steadfastly stood by for the rest of her magnificent life.

“The United Kingdom has lost an extraordinary public servant. Today our nation is united in sadness and grief.”

And a very touching comment on Facebook posted by Ian Enderwick said: “I spent 12 years serving Her Majesty in the Royal Air Force and was proud to do so.

“Thank you Ma’am for your service to the United Kingdom ,you deserve our Love and Respect , May you rest eternal with Philip ,thanks again to you both for your loyal service to our country.”

Coastal View and Moor News pays tribute

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her remarkable and unrivalled reign leaves an enduring legacy for the nation. Thank you Ma’am.

Jessie joins the Queen’s Baton Relay

Redcar and Cleveland College’s Jessie Baguley flew the flag for all the key workers as she took part in the Queen’s Baton Relay.

Picking up the baton at The Palace Green in Durham, she said: “It was pretty amazing and I was really excited. It wasn’t as heavy as I thought and I didn’t drop it, so I was quite happy.”

A former engineering further education lecturer and a squadron warrant officer with the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, Jessie had been nominated by her sister-inlaw for her commitment to the young people, specifically during lockdown.

Jessie said: “I felt really honoured, particularly coming from her, as both my sister-in-law and brother work in the NHS and at times, during covid, both have worked in intensive care. The fact that after witnessing the biggest impact of covid, she took the time to think of me, I honestly felt quite humbled.”

Like so many teachers and key workers during the lockdowns, Jessie was determined to give a bit of normality to her learners and young air cadets.

“I wanted to offer as many live lessons as I could so that the students could interact with me instantly and ask questions” she said. “Engineering is such a visual subject; I didn’t want them to miss out.”

At times it meant Jessie was regularly sitting on Teams from eight in the morning until ten at night.

Added to that was the challenge of adapting to the needs of each individual learner.

Jessie explained: “By doing as many of the lessons live as I could, it ensured each student was getting the best education possible at that time.”

As for the cadets, she said: “We were so aware that it was something they needed. It was a chance to talk to friends and a break for them.”

Finding out in January this year she

had been nominated to carry the Queen’s Baton, Jessie, who is now working as engineering partnerships officer at Redcar and Cleveland College, admits she thought it was a joke. She said: “When I realised it

wasn’t, I felt honoured.”

While walking those 200 metres, Jessie felt modest about her contribution, she said: “It was lovely for that short moment in time to feel I was representing all the key

workers. It wasn’t about me, it was about everyone, all those people, their families, and my brother and sister-in-law who, with covid still prevalent, are still, at times, working in full PPE.”

● Jessie Baguley

Can An Eye Test Save Your Life?

I would like to start with a story, a true story. My name is John Prouse, a local Optician. It was a Tuesday morning and a new patient arrived for a routine eye test…

I checked the health of the eyes using a “Fundus Camera”, an adapted camera that can take a photo of the retina inside the eyes.

Everything looked normal. So far so good! Normally this would be the end of the story, but not today.

I suggested one last check to be on the safe side.

The check was with a machine called the Optomap. This gives an “extra-wide” picture of the retina. What I discovered shocked me…

It was a large black-grey tumour lurking on the side of the retina. This would have been missed if I had not done the Optomap scan.

The decision for this lady to have an eye test that morning saved her life. I referred her urgently to the hospital and radiotherapy was ultimately given to stop the tumour spreading from the eye.

That is why I now recommend the Optomap scan to all my patients. To see a video of what else it can do visit www.skeltonoptical.co.uk.

As a child I had repeated ear infections and ended up with ‘perforated ear drums’. I was never allowed to attend the school swimming lessons. (I had to stay behind the glass windows reading a book whilst all the other kids were having fun!)

I digress slightly, but I ended up with mild hearing loss, so ‘hearing’ this research (pun intended, apologies) prompted me to offer state of the art hearing tests as well as eye tests.

As part of the service my audiologist provides micro-suction ear wax removal (sounds delightful I know)! This is very effective because something as simple as wax build up can cause hearing loss.

You get unlimited appointments, there’s no rushing through the hearing test and never any obligation to purchase hearing aids.

If you do purchase spectacles or hearing aids, everything is covered by my year round guarantee and aftercare. I’m only happy if you are happy. Yes it sounds cliche but it’s true. The team and I have hundreds of “5 star Google reviews”, there’s nothing like blowing your own trumpet!

But joking aside, we should not take our vision & hearing for granted. I’m always researching the best diagnostic equipment and I’m always happy to answer any questions and concerns you may have.

One last thing…

When I was in my twenties I started offering a home visit eye test service for people who struggled to get out.

Now as I hit forty, I’m still doing this service and along with with my Audiologist I am now offering hearing tests at home for all my housebound patients.

Looking after our vision and hearing is vital if you want to live a happy and healthy life. By providing eye tests and hearing tests at both my practices in Loftus and Skelton and for home visits, there’s no excuse not to have regular check ups!

Special *Eyeplan Offers:

The Optomap image

the left can see over

surface than a standard retinal camera

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No matter how good your vision is, a regular eye test is very important. If your Optician has the Optomap, I strongly advise getting this scan done.

The Optomap scan is a £50,000+ piece of kit and it is not covered by the NHS.

However, I offer a low cost monthly eye care scheme. This gives you unlimited eye tests tailored to you whenever you need, including Optomap scans.

And, it’s not just your eyes that are taken care of. You also get free private hearing tests with my Audiologist.

How hearing tests can help prevent dementia

Scientists have found a link between hearing loss and dementia.

In fact, according to the Lancet, a scientiÞc journal, hearing loss is one of the biggest ‘modiÞable’ (meaning we can do something about it) risk factors for dementia.

1. Get a FREE Private Hearing Test (Worth £60)

2. Get FREE Micro-Suction Ear Wax Removal (Worth £70)

3. Get a FREE Optomap Scan & Private Eye Test (Worth £90)

Get a FREE Home Eye Test & Hearing Test (Worth £60)

BONUS OFFER: FREE Zeiss Self-Tinting UV Lens Upgrade (Worth £70)

31st October 2022

er ends 30th September 2022

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*Eyeplan is a low cost monthly eyecare scheme that starts from £7 per month

For More Information or To Book An Eye Test: Call 01287 644211 (Loftus) or 01287 650655 (Skelton).

visit www.skeltonoptical.co.uk for my free special report, video and online bookings

Watch out for bikers!

By Councillor Steve Kay

emporary warning signs have been erected throughout the area advising drivers to be aware of motor cyclists, during what is left of the fine, biker-friendly, weather.

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Cleveland Fire Service is to be praised for heading up another ‘Bike Wise’ campaign, concentrating on popular rural biker routes like the A171 Guisborough-Whitby Moor Road. My only criticism is that the campaign should have been initiated a couple of months earlier.The purpose is, not only to remind drivers of the presence of fast-moving bikes, but to protect both the bikers, and themselves, from injury, or even worse.

I’ve long pressed for more effective road safety measures on rural roads, especially after I once came upon the scene of an accident and, to my horror, saw two bikers lying dead on the verge. It was a sight that has haunted me ever since. Motor bikes are exhilarating but all road users must remember that they are deadly weapons.

The signs, with some bearing strong messages, such as BENDS DEAD? AHEAD and TO DIE FOR...? are all aimed at preventing accidents involving motorcyclists. Whilst THINK BIKE is the oft-repeated, central message.

The Moor Road runs through my Lockwood ward. It’s a beautiful scenic route, leading to great destinations, so you can understand why bikers love it. But many forget the speed limit, using the road as a racetrack, weaving in and out of other traffic.We all know speed is exhilarating but it is better to get to Whitby in one piece, rather than not at all. Over the years there have been many accidents, some of them fatal, on this twisting, undulating road. Of course, it’s not only bikers who drive recklessly and, I believe, to avoid injury and death, we need more police enforcement to back up the sign campaign. Former semi-professional bike racer, Graham Jacques, who lives in Moorsholm, near the Moor Road, said: “People put all the blame for accidents on the bikers, but other motorists should share the road fairly with them. Bikers have a small profile and are consequently difficult to see. Dangerous situations often arise because drivers are oblivious to their presence.All road users should constantly be on the watch for motorcyclists, in every direction. The colourful signs are certainly effective reminders.”

As long ago as 1978, the government Central Office for Information introduced the iconic slogan: THINK ONCE…. THINK TWICE….THINK BIKE! It’s a road safety message that’s just as important today as it was almost half a century ago.

£2 bus fare cap across England to save passengers money

• People could save more than £3 per single bus ticket to help with cost of living pressures

• £2 bus fare cap on almost every single journey across England, saving people 30% on the average fare, helping millions with travel costs for work and essential journeys

• Government providing up to £60 million over three months to subsidise operator costs and incentivise greener travel for commuters

Millions across England will save money through a new £2 cap on single bus journeys from January to March, backed by up to £60 million to ensure affordable transport across the country.

The Transport Secretary has announced the Government will provide up to £60 million from January to March next year, to help bus operators to cap single adult fares at £2 per journey.

The move will help passengers with travel costs for work, education, shopping and medical treatments over the winter months while they are facing pressures from the rising cost of living.

Bus fares vary across different parts of the country and between bus operators, and can even reach almost £6 for a single journey in rural areas. The new cap means passengers in those areas could save more than £60 a month if they took four single trips a week.

The average single fare for a three-mile journey is estimated at over £2.80, meaning that the new fare will save passengers almost 30% of the price every time they travel.

The funding to keep fares down follows the Government’s announcement of £130 million last month to protect vital bus routes and services across the country, which those on lower-incomes in particular rely on.

The previous Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: .“Buses are by far and away the most used form of public transport, so ensuring that almost all bus journeys are no more than £2 will assist passengers over the winter months and provide direct help to appointments.

“We know people will be feeling the pressure of rising costs this winter, and so we have been working hard this summer to provide practical concrete help that will lower daily expenditure.”

The new initiative follows the allocation of more than £2bn to support bus services in England through the pandemic and a commitment to fund improved services, new bus priority measures and new electric or hydrogen buses as part of “Bus Back Better,” the ambitious national bus strategy, published last year.

During the pandemic bus passenger numbers declined significantly, along with other public transport users, and figures show usage has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

However, ensuring the public can access affordable bus fares will encourage more people to choose buses for local journeys, which helps to reduce carbon emissions as the country moves towards Net Zero targets. The scheme is estimated to take at least 2 million car journeys off the roads, cutting congestion and pollution for everyone.

Introducing the fare cap by January enables the Government to work with operators and local authorities to implement a scheme that most effectively delivers real savings for passengers. Operators representing around 90% of the bus market have expressed support

for the scheme and we hope that all bus operators will participate.

The fare cap builds on lots of offers around the country in areas with high bus demand, which include daily, weekly and monthly ticket options and promotional offers. Single fares which are already lower than £2 will not be affected by the cap.

The Government will continue to work closely with bus operators and local authorities and consider future support to help passengers continue accessing reliable and affordable bus services after March.

A flat-rate bus pilot scheme, backed by £23.5 million of Government funding, launched in Cornwall this January and has already seen an indicative 10 per cent increase in passenger numbers. The ‘Any Ticket Any Bus’ scheme, running over four years, includes a £3 day ticket within towns or a £9 day ticket across all of Cornwall, which is valid across different bus operators.

...Dawn Badminton-Capps, Director for England for charity Bus Users, said: “The cap on fares being announced will bring welcome, short-term relief to the millions of people who rely on buses to access to ensure it supports the long-term sustainability of bus networks, which are vital in connecting communities with jobs, education and skills, as well as friends, family, and essential public services.”

If you had no voice, who would

want to

Lasting

of

have peace

that

trust

make the decisions if

no longer can.

● Cllr Steve Kay beside the A171 at the top of Birk Brow

Reaching Out to People in Mental Distress The Suicide Prevention Tins Initiative

By Rosemary Nicholls

First Aid resources and Defibrillators are in place in community settings to respond to symptoms of physical ill-health;

The Health Improvement Team at Redcar and Cleveland Council is leading a local project to reach people overwhelmed by mental distress.

Team members are supporting the North East and North Cumbria Suicide Prevention Network by distributing their resource tins across our area.

The NENC is committed to improving access to trustworthy and consistent information to support people at a time of crisis. The views of people with lived experience have been listened to as the service has been developed.

Thea Fulton, Community Health Development Co-ordinator at Redcar and Cleveland Council, says: “The Suicide Prevention Tins are small tins that contain six different types of information cards regarding suicide and self-harm and where to access help and information should someone need it. People can take the cards for themselves or give the cards to someone who might need support. The tins have been placed in a variety of venues across Redcar & Cleveland including pubs, clubs, village halls, betting shops, churches, hairdressers and pharmacies.

Thea adds: “We welcome ideas from local people about where else

the tins should be placed in Redcar and Cleveland. We want the tins to be in accessible locations to ensure if people feel they or someone they know needs support they know how to access help. We’ve had lots of positive responses from businesses and community venues regarding the tins.”

Two of Thea’s colleagues cover Redcar and Greater Eston areas, while she focuses on East Cleveland. “In East Cleveland, we’ve placed tins in several villages including Skelton, Loftus, Saltburn, Guisborough, Skinningrove and Carlin How,” she says.

Abigail Bowers, Boots Pharmacistin Saltburn reports: “We’ve had several people visit our pharmacy feeling desperate, distressed, and having suicidal thoughts. It’s often difficult to know where to signpost and how to

be able to help.

Sometimes the patients who attend have tried to access help but to no avail. The Suicide Prevention Tin supplied to us has been helpful as it gives us lots of phone numbers and websites to signpost the patient to - often places they haven’t tried or were unaware of. It feels, now, that we can give them more than just our time and empathy. It’s been especially helpful for team members who have less experience or for Locum pharmacists who are unaware of local services.”

Richard Gerrard, who covers Greater Eston adds: “Suicide Prevention Tins have been placed here in barbers, hair salons, leisure centres and betting shops, as well as local authority venues. Staff have welcomed the opportunity to share this useful information with

their customers. Local charities like Kidz Konnect and Grangetown Generations continue to support the local communities they serve, using this resource, along with the likes of Grangetown United Community Hub and South Bank Credit Union.”

The North-East and North Cumbria Suicide Prevention Network has a very informative but user-friendly website (www.stopsuicidenenc.org). Using text, short videos and animations, it explains how it works to reduce the incidence of suicide and to improve support for individuals, families and communities impacted by overwhelming despair.

NENC’s commitment to enabling easy access to information about managing mental health and emergency phone numbers has led to the creation and promotion of the Resource Tins. In them are key telephone numbers, sources of support and a QR code link to the Suicide Prevention website. There’s information about where to find free suicide and self-harm prevention training and copies of the Wellbeing and Mental Health during Covid-19 booklet.

Three wallet cards have been developed. The Suicide Prevention Wallet Cards cover ‘Thinking about suicide’, ‘Worried about someone’ and ‘Safety Planning’. The Self-harm Wallet Cards cover ‘Understanding self-harm – what you need to know’, providing a guide for parents and carers about safety planning. The Postvention Wallet Cards give further information

about what help is at hand. They can be taken from the Resource Tins for free.

Thea explains further: “We’ve distributed over a hundred tins so far and have added other local information to the tins, including cards for our Feel Good Redcar and Cleveland Facebook page that promotes all the fantastic health and wellbeing opportunities available in the Redcar and Cleveland area.” (www.facebook. com/FeelGoodRedcarandCleveland)

“It’s up to the venues to decide where to put the tins, but we encourage them to consider where the booklets and wallet cards can most easily be picked up. Some tins have been left open on pub bars, on window sills and wallet cards have been left in toilet facilities for easy access.”The NENC promotes the Zero Suicide Alliance twenty minute online training for hosts, which aims to support them in their role. As their website says: ‘Having the confidence to talk about suicide could be a life saver.’

As one in four people will experience mental illness in their lifetime, it’s a pity that there’s long been a reluctance to speak openly about it. However, the pandemic has brought the importance of good mental health to the fore and public figures including sports people and royal princes have talked about their personal struggles. Our local Health Authority and Council are liaising on several initiatives to keep people mentally well.

Footprints in the Community projects support people facing food poverty

Charltons swings repaired at last

By Councillor Steve Kay

The swings at Charltons play area are back in action, after being out of commission for over two years.

There are some fantastic pieces of play equipment at Charltons, all with timber supports. But there’s literally a built-inproblem. Over the years, the timber rots at ground level, causing play items to be taken out of use on safety grounds. To make matters worse, play equipment is extremely expensive and often hard to repair.

Needless to say, I hate seeing items out of use or, worse still, removed. In 2020, I persuaded Redcar & Cleveland Council to reprieve a large climbing frame, at the site, which had earlier been condemned because of rot. All the supporting timbers were replaced, at a cost of £4,100. But, a completely new climbing frame would have cost in excess of £20,000. Because play equipment has to be

constructed to strict safety standards, it’s invariably extremely expensive.

Unfortunately, around the same time the climbing frame was resurrected, the council took the only swings on the site out of use by the simple method of unhooking the chains from the supporting timbers. You’ve guessed it! One of the legs had rotted through, making the swings unsafe. What a sad sight, to see the wooden frame standing there with no swings hanging from it!

It was not that the council refused to pay for a new, suitably treated, supporting timber but, believe it or not,,because of the pandemic,such a component was extremely difficult to source. Meanwhile, I continually, nagged our officials to search harder and to come up with the goods.

But, all’s well that ends well. Recently, the council acquired the necessary woodwork and, I’m delighted to say, the Charltons swings are now fixed, along with brand new seats, for the kids to enjoy again.

● Helen Hedges Foodbank Manager

By Rachel Wall – Volunteer Co-ordinator

Footprints in the Community is here to provide emergency food and support to anyone facing food poverty, whatever the reason for the crisis.

Footprints in the Community started in 2011 and now run a number of projects from their offices at 10 Queen Street in Redcar, each of which aims to reduce poverty and isolation and improve health and wellbeing, in Redcar and the surrounding area.

Redcar Area Foodbank is one of Footprints’ projects. They work with a wide range of local care professionals, who can all refer people in genuine crisis to a foodbank centre for a parcel containing at least three-days’ emergency food. A maximum of four referrals are allowed in a six-month period.

Trained volunteers currently run nine centres, all based in local churches across Redcar & Cleveland. There is a full list of foodbank centres on the website https:// redcararea.foodbank.org.uk

Everyone who enters through the door is given a warm welcome. A Support Worker is also available to provide guidance, support and signposting to other agencies and Footprints’ projects who may be able to provide further help. One of these projects is Next Step Shop, which is a subsidised members’ shop and is often the ‘next step’ for foodbank clients.

There are currently two Next Step Shops in the area; one at Queen Street in Redcar and one inside the Grangetown United

Community Hub, allowing members to choose the most convenient place for them to shop. Shop members pay a small contribution of £3 towards their shopping and can visit their chosen shop on a weekly basis. For £3 they receive 10 items of tinned or packet food. A daily selection of fresh food is also available, such as fruit, vegetables and bread products.

Donations of non-perishable food and toiletries are needed by Footprints’ projects now more than ever. If you would like to help, donations can be dropped off at 10 Queen Street in Redcar during office hours. There are donation points for food and toiletries for Redcar Area Foodbank in most local supermarkets. Monetary donations are always appreciated as they allow items that are most needed to be purchased. Donations can be made at https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/20571

Helen Hedges, Redcar Area Foodbank Manager said, “We want to thank the public for their generous support, as we know that these are difficult times for everyone. We have found an increasing number of local people are coming to us for help and we are expecting this demand to grow. Your generous donations of food and toiletries are vital to allow us to continue helping people in crisis in the Redcar area.”

You can find out more about the work of Footprints in the Community at www. footprintsinthecommunity.co.uk

WANTED

Model Railways & Old Toys

● Cllr Steve Kay with grandchildren Emily, Penelope and Thomas enjoying the refurbished swings at Charltons

Taking student success higher!

Having travelled all over the world visiting family, Fatima Dawson knows the aviation industry well.

Having achieved a Double Distinction Star in her Aviation Operations QCF, Fatima is now heading to Sheffield University to start a degree in Airline and Airport Management.

Lola

Lola Becket secured a top spot at Durham University to read Japanese studies, having achieved an A* in English Language, A* in English Literature and A in Religious Studies.

“I was so pleased with my results as I’d revised really hard and tried to avoid becoming too stressed about the whole process. I think it’s important to give yourself grace if you make a mistake. It’s not the end of the world and you can always try again.”

Free travel from Redcar!

Sulimaan Mohammed secured his dream apprenticeship three days before picking up his results.

Having already built fundamental technical skills on his Construction and the Built Environment course at the College, Sulimaan impressed employers at Newton Aycliffe-based manufacturer Gestamp and was offered an engineering technician apprenticeship with the company.

“I was over the moon when I opened my results! My tutors at the College and the team at Northern Skills (the College’s apprenticeship and training arm) really supported my ambitions and gave me the confidence to apply for the apprenticeship – I couldn’t have done it without them.”

“I’ve loved studying at the College and have learnt so much from my teachers, who have the real air industry experience that I want to get.”

“With a subject like aviation, you have to be passionate about it. Luckily, it was clear from my teachers that they had that passion, which made the learning environment really supportive and positive.”

Sulimaan

Now taking applications for Sep 2023!

Guisborough grandmother Susan picks up her first GCSE at 67

Picking up her first ever qualification on GCSE results day was quite a moment for Susan Booth.

Opening that envelope, she said: “I felt quite apprehensive, I was just hoping that I hadn’t let myself down.”

As it turns out the Guisborough grandmother needn’t have worried as she achieved an impressive grade 5.

“I was very surprised but also pleased,” she said. “At 67, for me a pass is a pass, but when they told me it was such a good result, I was chuffed to bits with myself.”

First choosing to study maths two years ago at Redcar and Cleveland College, Susan said her intention then was simply to brush up on her skills to be able to help her grandchildren with their schoolwork.

She said: “I used to love maths, but they would come home from school, and I would think, what on Earth are they talking about? Things are so different from when I was at school 50 years ago.”

Keen to be able to offer a helping hand, Susan signed up for the functional skills course at the college. It was the teachers that urged her to progress to the GCSE.

She said: “I didn’t think I would be able to do it, but obviously I have now proven that I can.”

Susan explained: “You didn’t get qualifications when I was at school. I left and went straight into being a shop assistant.”

After a career spent working in shops, the post office and ultimately a post office manager, Susan has obviously remained good with numbers. Though she said: “You do get a bit rusty.”

Studying through the challenges of covid, Susan said: “I have had a combination of online lessons and face-to-face, but I most enjoyed the lessons in college.”

Not a technical person, she said thankfully her husband was always on hand to offer technical support.

Now with her first ever qualification in hand, she said: “In a way I am disappointed that it’s finished. I am not one for just sitting around, I like to be doing something.

“The family are so proud of me, and I am proud of them.

“I have proved that you are never too old to learn, and if you want to do something you should just get up and do it!”

Suicide prevention fundraiser

By Ruth McConnell

Agroup of determined, motivated and inspiring group of people left Scarborough and headed, on foot, to Marske by the Sea on Friday 9th September 2022 to walk overnight and throughout Saturday 10th September 2022 in order to raise money for two mental health charities ‘Veterans At Ease’ and ‘Find the Light’. Both charities support people who need help and advice regarding mental health.

This challenging walk of 43 miles coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day which took place on the 10th September 2022.

World Suicide Prevention Day is hosted on 10 September each year by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and provides the opportunity for people, across the globe, to raise awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the country, but suicides among teenage girls and young women have almost doubled in recent years.

The 2021-2023 theme for World Suicide Prevention Day, as set by the International Association for Suicide Prevention is ‘creating hope through action’. The message is clear –create hope through action, by reflecting on how you can support someone in your life who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or at risk of suicide. Encouraging understanding and sharing experiences creates a society where people have the confidence to take action, building hope for the future.

This is something very close to this year’s main organiser of the 43 mile “walk”, Samantha Newton, whose close friend committed suicide in December 2018. Samantha states: “I lost such a big part of me and I’ve never recovered from it. I feel as if I failed her and I don’t want to fail anyone else ever again. So every year, I will shout, scream, walk….whatever it takes, I will say something, do something – anything to make a difference to mental health.

” This is Sam’s second year of walking from Scarborough back to Teesside. In 2021, she

completed this gruelling task alone with friends and family cheering her home at Redcar’s South Gare after she had completed the 44 mile hike. However, this year, others have joined her to take on this venture, including veterans who believe deeply in this cause.

On their arrival to Marske, a crowd of friends, family and customers of The Ship public house in Marske greeted Sam and her hikers where an evening of celebration and more fund raising took place with live singers, a DJ, games and raffle with prizes donated by local businesses in Marske, New Marske, Redcar, Saltburn and Guisborough.

So far, Sam and her group of hikers have raised over £3000. Next year, they hope to double this amount and are already enthusiastically planning an evening of fund raising for 2023 to support others who need to ‘find the light’.

If you would like to donate to the fundraising page, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ the-della-campaign?utm_term=ZYgaGBZpr

● Susan Booth

Council’s countryside team want YOU! Redcar and Cleveland woodland sites looking for more volunteers

After the recent Green Flag Award success at Flatts Lane Woodland Country Park and Guisborough Branch Walkway, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s countryside team are welcoming more volunteers to join the ranks and help keep standards high.

A range of locations across the borough are home to a number of existing volunteer groups, looked after by Countryside Rangers, Paul Murphy and Paul Bamber. In addition to the Green Flag sites, the locations include the likes of Errington Woods, New Marske; Foxrush Community Woodland, Redcar; Westfield Community Woodland, Loftus and Riftswood, Saltburn.

Countryside volunteers get involved in a range of activities. At Guisborough today (Tues 23

Aug), the group could be found keeping the popular Branch Walkway neat and tidy for its visitors, completing tasks such as clearing the tree nursery and hedge lines, painting planters and laying fresh bark on the ground in the mini amphitheatre. And, of course, sharing a giggle over a packed lunch and several rounds of tea.

There are many personal benefits to giving your time volunteering. Nigel Acornley works with the Friends of Guisborough Forest and Walkway. He said: “Everyone I work with is lovely. Very dedicated and professional. Being part of a group like this really brings you out of yourself and gives you a chance to make great friends. You get to work in nature.”

Councillor Barry Hunt, cabinet member

Woodland Trust reopens applications for free trees for school & community groups

The Oxfordshire-school’s ‘Eco Club’ now meets twice a week and teaching assistant Adele McCrindle said she was “thrilled with the results and impact”, which has increased biodiversity and raised awareness of environmental issues for the children.

She added: “It’s so important to develop a love of nature because, to quote Sir David Attenborough, ‘no one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced.

“By planting the hedge and seeing the project through, the children have been so engaged and have been able to learn so much.

for Neighbourhoods and Housing, said: “We appreciate the work of all our volunteers tremendously and always want to welcome new ones. The support they give to our staff, who I’d also like to thank, is invaluable and I know they love working alongside them too.”

New recruits are welcome to come along to a task day to see the team in action and whether or not it is ‘for you’. There is a registration form

to complete and an induction session will be arranged to go through paperwork, expectations and to organise uniform and personal protective equipment. All volunteers are covered by RCBC insurance.

The countryside volunteers range in age from 18 to 80+. If you’re interested in becoming one, please contact Countryside Officer, Karen Preston, on 07966 624966 or karen.preston@ redcar-cleveland.gov.uk to be passed on to the relevant Ranger.

● RAF Benson Primary School

Get free trees from the Woodland Trust and join hundreds of thousands of people in helping wildlife and fighting climate change

The Woodland Trust has ambitious plans to break its record annual giveaway of more than 1.3m free trees to schools and community groups as the next round of tree-pack applications opens.

Almost 9,000 schools and community groups benefited from the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity’s ever-popular scheme in 2022.

Applications for trees to be delivered in spring 2023 are now open and Woodland Trust senior project lead Vicki Baddeley hopes even more schools and groups will take up the offer of free saplings and get planting in the coming year.

She said: “This year our communities have really felt the impact of climate change first hand, and many are seeing the incredible benefits trees can bring to provide much needed shade, shelter, and help to prevent flooding.

“By offering the free packs we aim to equip our schools and communities with a simple yet mighty tool to combat the effects of climate change, as well as provide ever more vital food and habitats for local wildlife.”

The figures for 2022 are the Trust’s best yet, surpassing the previous best total of more than 1.1m in 2021.

Eco-friendly pupils at RAF Benson Primary School were just some of the enthusiastic youngsters who played their part by creating a native hedge which has helped the wildlife and environment.

“Aside from the satisfaction of planting 30 new trees at this critical time, doing something positive to help combat climate change and improving the local ecosystem, it has the potential to inspire both children and adults and it’s so easy to apply.”

The Woodland Trust’s free tree packs scheme has seen trees sent far and wide this year, with the spring giveaway alone delivering a total 623, 910 saplings to 3865 organisations across the UK:

• England: 506,415 trees to 3186 organisations

• Scotland: 76,665 trees to 474 organisations

• Wales: 40,830 trees to 205 organisations

Our tree packs have been generously funded by lead partners: Sainsbury’s, Lloyds Bank, Ovo Energy, DFS, Joules, Bank of Scotland and Sofology.

Baddeley added: “We couldn’t do this without the support and generosity of our funders. We have great backing and our thanks go out to each of them for their vital support.

“The desire to plant trees is growing all the time and we expect demand for our free trees to be even greater this time out.

“There will be 600,000 saplings up for grabs in the spring round of applications and I have no doubt they will go quickly so I would advise any interested groups to apply sooner rather than later to secure their saplings!

“Giving away 1.3m in 2022 will be a huge achievement, but I am confident we can do even better in 2023 and deliver every one of the 1.4m saplings available.”

Free trees for schools and communities

The Woodland Trust is giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities to make sure everybody in the UK has the chance to plant a tree. To apply, or see terms and conditions, visit: www.woodlandtrust.org. uk/freetrees

&

● Volunteers Friends of Flatts Lane Country Park

● Volunteers Friends of Guisborough Forest Walkway

Northern Gas Networks expands apprenticeship scheme as part of major social mobility drive

Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distributor for the North of England, has provided an employment boost for the region’s young jobseekers after expanding and enhancing its popular apprenticeship scheme.

The company regularly takes on gas and maintenance operatives with a passion for problem solving and technical innovation for multi-year on the job apprentice placements

But now for the first time in five years, NGN is also recruiting seven new business support administrator apprentices on twoyear placements as part of its commitment to increasing social mobility.

Lindsey Filer, HR Director at Northern Gas Networks, said: “Our operational apprenticeships have always been a really popular way for people to get their foot on the ladder of a career in the gas industry and train

Energy price rise crisis prompts gas safety warning

Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the gas distributor for the North of England, is backing a major national awareness drive in a bid remind customers that gas safety is critical – even in times of major economic uncertainty.

Gas Safety Week, which ran from 12th –18th September 2022, is now into its second decade, bringing organisations from across the UK together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

And this year NGN, which provides the region’s rapid response when a smell of gas is reported, has pledged to throw its full weight behind the campaign amid fears that soaring prices may tempt some households to try and cut corners or even attempt dangerous DIY on their domestic gas appliances in a bid to save money.

NGN Customer Experience Director Eileen Brown said: “We’re in unprecedented times when it comes to rising energy costs and we know that a lot of our customers will be understandably anxious about the financial implications for themselves and their families.

“In these challenging circumstances, it can sometimes be tempting for people to try and take matters into their own hands – but our clear message to them in this important week of awareness-raising is that gas can be extremely dangerous and must be treated with respect at all times.

“If you smell gas, call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 immediately. This line is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and our engineers will be with you within the hour.”

This year, Gas Safety Week focuses on the steps consumers can take to ensure they stay safe, including only using professionally qualified engineers and being aware of the warning signs of unsafe appliances, such as dark or sooty staining, or increased condensation.

Jonathan Samuel, chief executive for Gas Safe Register, said: “During these difficult times it’s important to stay aware of the warning signs of an unsafe gas appliance and contact a Gas Safe registered engineer if you’re worried something’s wrong, as well as having your annual gas safety check.

“We’re delighted to see so much support for this year’s Gas Safety Week, and by working together we can keep the public informed of gas safety and help reduce the risk of dangerous gas appliances across the UK, helping the whole nation to stay gas safe.”

The Gas Safe Register has pulled together a list of handy hints for households including:

• Know the symptoms of CO poisoning: headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, collapse, and loss of consciousness.

• Look out for warning signs your appliance may be unsafe, such as dark or sooty stains around the appliance, increased condensation and pilot lights frequently going out.

• Make sure you leave vents unblocked as these are there to help your appliance work safely and efficiently.

• If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak, call the free 24-hour National Gas Emergency Helpline number immediately on 0800 111 999.

• Never attempt to work on a gas appliance yourself, always seek the help of a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer.

• If you’re having your annual safety check, only employ a suitably qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to carry it out.

• Always ask to see your engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. Make sure you check the back of the card, which will state which gas appliances they are qualified to work on.

Gas Safe Register is the official register for legally qualified engineers. You can find a registered engineer in your area by visiting the Gas Safe Register website at GasSafeRegister. co.uk.

with an innovative gas network, putting steps in place for a greener energy future.

“But this year we’ve decided to open up even more opportunities in the administrative side of the business. We have offered such apprenticeships in the past, but we’ve focused on operational roles in recent years. We’re now looking to widen our talent pool by recruiting a diverse range of young people to join NGN in both hands-on and office-based roles.”

The expansion of the scheme is part of a company-wide commitment NGN has made to improve social mobility and life chances by opening up career opportunities to young people without formal qualifications.

As well as an interest in low carbon energy technology, the gas distributor is looking for those with a ‘can do’ attitude who will enjoy working with customers, and for candidates from diverse backgrounds who haven’t considered a career in the energy sector before.

In addition to on-the-job training and the opportunity to undertake a qualification, successful applicants will be assigned a mentor to help and support them throughout their apprenticeship with NGN. They will also get the opportunity to learn about the wider business, providing the real-life experiences needed to succeed in the future.

The opportunities on offer for 2022 are:

• 12 Apprentice Gas Operatives – Network

wide (North East, Northern Cumbria & Yorkshire) https://www.cv-library.co.uk/job/217445043/ Apprentice-Gas-Engineers - North East - Tyne & Wear, Teesside and Northern Cumbria https://www.cv-library.co.uk/job/217444685/ Apprentice-Gas-Engineers - Yorkshire and Humber

• 5 Apprentice Network Maintenance Operatives – Yorkshire and Teesside only https://www.cv-library.co.uk/job/217445490/ Apprentice-Network-MaintenanceCraftsperson - Teesside https://www.cv-library.co.uk/job/217445615/ Apprentice-Network-MaintenanceCraftsperson - Yorkshire

• 7 Business Support Administrators – Leeds https://www.cv-library.co.uk/job/217446384/ Business-Support-Administrator-Apprentice - Leeds

In addition to the opportunity to earn and learn, NGN will also help successful applicants to get their driving license by paying for some lessons, a theory and a practical test, as well as offering a travel allowance, generous pension scheme and a range of flexible benefits. Anyone who smells gas or suspects carbon monoxide should call the National Gas Emergency Service immediately on 0800 111 999. This line is in operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

ALERT: Energy rebate scam emails

ction Fraud is warning the public about a sharp rise in reports relating to fake emails purporting to be from Ofgem, the independent energy regulator for Great Britain.

A

The emails claim that the recipient is due a rebate payment as part of a government scheme and provides links for the recipient to follow in order to apply for the rebate. The links in the emails lead to malicious websites designed to steal personal and financial information.

Between Monday 22nd August 2022 and Monday 5th September 2022, a total of 1,567 phishing emails related to this scam have been reported via the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). All the emails display the email subject header “Claim your bill rebate now”. Offenders are using the Ofgem brand logo and colours to make the emails look as authentic as possible. However, the emails ask recipients to “apply for an energy bill rebate before September 2020”, which is

what prompted many recipients to realise the emails weren’t genuine.

You can view examples of the fake emails in our social media posts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

How you can protect yourself and others

• If you have any doubts about a message, contact the organisation directly. Don’t use the numbers or address in the message – use the details from their official website. Remember, your bank (or any other official source) will

never ask you to supply personal information via email.

• If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to report@ phishing.gov.uk. Send us emails that feel suspicious, even if you’re not certain they’re a scam - we can check.

For advice on how to stay secure online, please visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk

(If you found this information useful, please share it with your friends, family and colleagues)

● Freya Osment, electrical and instrumentation apprentice at Northern Gas Networks

Would the 4 ward councillors for Skelton please stand up for our Skelton Civic Hall facility

In November 2020 Redcar and Cleveland Council Cabinet and Skelton’s 4 Ward Councillors agreed to plans put to them by the Managing Director, which will result in evicting at least half of the existing service users, many have used this facility for up to 25 years and cramming into the Hall additional services. Work was to commence in April 2021.

The Managing Director of Redcar and Cleveland told the Cabinet in his report:

“In developing the Accommodation Plan, service outcomes and the needs of service users will be the main concern.”

That ‘they were commencing consultation including Community Groups’

They would be “Meeting residents’ needs – providing a place where communities come together and interact”.

Really? Service users learned what was really proposed on Facebook, in May 2022 and from a former Brotton Councillor who now lives in Ireland!

Consultation with Community Groups? Not so from the response on Facebook where there is clear evidence this did not happen.

The Plan? Sell off the library, to who knows what, and for what purpose, and move it across the road! Then build a dividing wall in the middle of the Civic main hall on top of a fantastic sprung floor and put the library into one half.

Meeting the needs of service users with a place to come together and interact? How when at least 50% of the current service users will be evicted because they cannot operate in what will be half of the hall. Current users are: Skelton Civic Pride – fund raising for Skelton improvements, Karate, Tai Chi, Yoga, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Boro Fit (MFC Foundation) Zumba, Seated fitness, Sequence dance group, Private Dance Group, Friends of Skelton Community Orchard, Christmas parties, Pantomimes, Civic events, special parties for children and over 60s many provided free, concerts, and charity events. Many of these activities serve elderly and vulnerable adults. They have called their sessions a life saver.

The Managing Director claims by moving the library, it will ‘strengthen the library role’ and develop it into a 21st century facility. He says, it could be used by Theatre Touring Groups. In half of the hall? Any touring group would love to use the existing Hall, with stage, and separate rooms. Library staffs say they were not consulted, haven’t seen the plans and not aware of any risk assessment for them having to carry books up and down stairs. Surely this is against Council policy.

Another additional service being squeezed in is a mental health hub. But when questioned, there was no knowledge of whom, or to what extent or for how long. This crucial service requires confidentiality. But users of the service will have to enter a public place where their confidentiality about accessing the service is compromised. Surely not a satisfactory Council approach.

A further result of this squeezing and cramming into one building means they have been forced to provide communal toilets. The Civic Hall toilets are used by the general public regularly, including walkers to the area. There is no evidence of any analysis of ethnicity, age, gender, use by children, adults and vulnerable adults. This must be unacceptable and contrary to Council Equality policies.

Warning. There is an alert warning in the Managing Director’s report. He states that Skelton is the first locality to be considered in this placebased approach to asset management. He says they will learn from one locality to take their approach into the next. Have our Ward Councillors allowed Skelton to be a test case? So that Officers can learn from any mistakes in Skelton? Won’t that all be too late? Which village centre is next? We don’t want mistakes foisted onto us in Skelton.

The Council’s plans were presented to the Parish Council in December 2021 and according to the Parish Council they were told under no circumstances should they be made public!

Skelton’s 4 Ward Councillors – Cllr Lee Holmes, Cllr Craig Holmes, Cllr Cliff Foggo and Cllr Julie Craig have not been given any mandate from the residents or service users to agree to this scheme which is fast becoming a shambles.

If there really was a vision amongst our Ward Councillors for the library service, and support for investment in Skelton rather than squeezing and cramming and rather than selling off the library, they would be exploring investment opportunities and retaining our one existing community facility. Other Ward Councillors in other areas in East Cleveland have been successful in doing this. Loftus, Guisborough, Saltburn and Redcar – all retain their community, leisure facilities and hubs and substantial investment. Our Cyber Café was sold and we lost our secondary school.

Please stop!!

Skelton has been developing significant housing and a retail park. Surely there are grounds for better spending in Skelton than the shambles we are now facing.

The Civic Hall is a fantastic facility where there is a superb sprung floor, the best in the area, there’s a stage, kitchen, tea Bar, meeting room, offices, including the Parish Council and well maintained.

Eventually when on Facebook there were expressions of anger from service users and residents, the Council came up with ‘Information Sessions’. Not consultation! The few plans were laid out were just basic drawings, out of date. You had to book an appointment and a maximum of 3 at a time. There was one worn report - the November 2020 Cabinet Report.

At a meeting of concerned residents on the 22nd August, 2022, and their decision to form a Group to oppose this scheme, one after the other told of their experience at these Information Sessions.

• The approach was high handed, suggestions dismissed, told work would commence January 2023.

• The Parish Council was blamed for everything. Told that it wasn’t the Council’s responsibility to consult service users, which is contrary to what the Cabinet was told.

• Told it was the Parish Council who should be consulting

the plans public. And despite this being the result of the Council’s proposals.

•

Told there would be no caretaker and users would have to get out and set out their own tables and chairs. Absolutely no thought given or discussion, or care about who those service users are, their ability to do this, and what risks they run. Yet the Managing Director’s report states there are no Health and Safety concerns! Who would be liable for any injury or accident?

• When asked about any load bearing assessment in the main hall for the library which could crack the floor, no details were given. Instead – the responses were ‘if you can do any better’ or if you want to get your own Architectural assessment they would look over it.

• Entrance to the Civic will be digitally operated. How will that be secure when the code becomes known? Officers were not aware the toilets were used by the public.

• One said minutes at the Information Session would be taken, the other said no minutes, only notes.

We believe this has all been underhand in the hope that it would all go through unnoticed.

We also sent a Freedom of Information request to the Council. They have failed to reply to this request which is contrary to their legal obligations. We are pursuing this.

Service users have formed a Group and NO to this scheme which has become a shambles being foisted on us. We want to work with Cllr Lanigan and Ward Councillors to stand up to retain what we have and develop a proper vision and investment in Skelton including its library. We have experienced fund raisers and are prepared to do what we can.

Many of us have written to The Leader, Cllr Mary Lanigan stating our objections and asked to meet the Borough Councillors. There are other options. Councillor Lanigan has said she will work with us.

For further information contact Eileen Goodenough 07932469962

On behalf of Friends of Skelton Civic Hall.

Editors Note: We contacted the four Skelton Councillors and Cllrs Foggo and Craig commented: “As we are still considering all options available to us with regards to the Civic Hall, we don’t feel this is the time to offer any statements.”

Friends of Skelton Civic Hall say no to a botch-up of their hall

Unsafe approach to Saltburn Campus, Marske Mill Lane, Saltburn

the wider pavement was still below the standard width that a new development would have to meet.

It is still not possible for normal usage to accommodate push chairs, mobility scooters and two way foot traffic without some need to step on to the highway to pass by other users.

In addition, the speed and volume of traffic particularly at school opening and closing periods is a hazard.

Councillor Thomson raised this matter through formal question at the last Full Council meeting.

He requested:

Many residents and parents have contacted Saltburn Ward members to express concern about the unsafe nature of the section of highway between Black Bridge and the pedestrian crossing outside the school.

The approach from the South is only accessed using one pavement.

When the new campus was developed in 2008 no thought was given as to how the additional foot traffic to the Campus would be accommodated.

Both feeder schools in the town were closed and all pupils transferred to one site.

The one pavement was so small it could hardly accommodate more than one person.

Over the ensuing years Councillor Philip Thomson had campaigned to have the footpath widened. This was eventually carried out but even then, because of physical constraints on maintaining the legal width of the main highway,

A ‘No Loading at any time’ restriction on the single pavement, which would prevent any parking or loading at any time.

A 20 MPH restriction be introduced on this section of highway during school opening and closing periods

A Flashing Light system be installed to warn of approach to a school.

SLOW signage on the highway approaches to encourage a reduction in speed of vehicles.

Correction of the erroneous signage advising of distance to the pedestrian crossing. Currently the sign advises that there is 150 yards to go before reaching the crossing, when in fact the distance is only 46 yards. A considerable distance and highly misleading.

That the School sign, which is totally covered by foliage and cannot be seen by any driver approaching the school

entrance, be revealed with immediate effect.

Councillor Thomson recognised that there is no significant history of accidents on this section of highway, but the number of expressions of concern received by Ward members is indicative of the concerns of parents and the level of stress experienced by many.

In response to the formal requests, Councillor Thomson was advised that it was not possible to put any more signage on the highway as there was no space on the road, and that all the provision for flashing lights, and 20 MPH limits on vehicles was already in place, and there were never any vehicles parked on the pavement.

Councillor Thomson was quite taken aback by the lack of local knowledge indicated by the information contained in the brief prepared in answering his requests.

He called for a site meeting to clearly demonstrate the veracity of the need for his requests and to refute outright the quite erroneous statements made in reply to his requests.

Councillor Thomson said after the meeting that he was extremely disappointed in the response he had received, particularly because it showed little respect for the demands and concerns of parents who had regularly been in touch with Ward members.

Sea Bathing Water Quality at Saltburn

Councillor Thomson has been very supportive of the campaigning work being carried out by local groups in highlighting the polluting effects of sewage discharge in rivers and the sea itself.

He raised the recent poor sea water testing results at Saltburn during the Full Council meeting at Redcar & Cleveland, saying that these results have shown high levels of Intestinal Enterococci and E-coli.

Such levels are disappointing, indicated Councillor Thomson, particularly given that Saltburn beach has a Blue Flag status.This was a significant negative in promoting Saltburn as a safe and enjoyable place to visit and enjoy.

Environmental officers could offer no explanation of these poor test results.

Councillor Thomson had previously requested that additional sampling of sea water be considered to assist in identifying the source of any pollutant. He suggested that areas near to the outflow of Pit Hills Stell would benefit from testing and enquired how much the current testing actually costs.

He stated that it is well known that storm overflows occur at this outfall and could affect sea bathing water quality.Given the tidal flows along the shoreline it would be very useful to have additional sampling to supplement that currently undertaken East of the Saltburn Pier.

His request for costing information was ignored and he was advised that no additional testing was required as tests had only to be taken in areas of the sea which were seen as sea bathing areas.

Councillor Thomson has since expressed his deep concern that such guidance was being given. He holds the view that sea bathing does take place West of the Pier, and that this is within the designated Blue Flag area and also contains storm overflow outfalls.

He intended to continue with his endeavours to achieve a cleaner and safer sea for bathers and for the natural ecosystems of sea life in the local coastal waters.

Saltburn Mosaics

New Railings on Marine Parade Saltburn

Over recent years the railings along Marine Parade in Saltburn have deteriorated and the maintenance applied has been slow and to a poor standard, leaving embarrassed residents and bemused visitors to question why the town is promoted as a tourist destination.

Despite many sustained requests for improved maintenance and consideration for replacement, little was done until accidents started to occur with incidents of people actually falling through the poorly maintained structure.

The second of the Saltburn Mosaics has been completed and unveiled.

A goodly crowd of spectators saw a group unveiling in August.

The ‘unveilers’on this occasion were again well representative of many who have been supportive of the project.

The work programme for rebuilding the famous and award winning Saltburn Mosaics continues through September with workshops on Saturday mornings from 10am until noon against the Mosaic Wall.

The workshops will also take place well into October until the third mosaic is completed.

Project organiser, Philip Thomson, is very pleased with the support given by members of the public and a major sponsorship from a local business.

The workshops are open to anyone who wishes to come along and place tiles, under supervision, in the mosaic reconstruction. Residents and visitors of all ages have been delighted to have the opportunity of playing their part in this community project.

Warm Banks

As the energy supply crisis continues to raise concerns, discussions are being held in Saltburn to consider producing a calendar of venues which would be open on nominated days during the week on a regular basis.

Anyone not able to afford to heat their own home during the coming winter might be able to take advantage of these open venues to gain some warmth, at least for part of a day. Venues such as Emmanuel Church, the Community Centre, the Methodist Church and the Saltburn Libraryare some of the possible venues which might appear on the calendar, which is intended to be started in October.

Anyone who is part of an organisation which might have a venue which is already being heated but is not fully occupiedis asked to get in touch with Councillor Thomson who is leading on the project in the town. Cllr Thomson can be contacted on philip.thomson@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

The original fencing was installed with little thought to architectural heritage, with concrete rails and wooden posts being all that a budget could provide and a vision that did not reflect previous aspirations.

The accidents have prompted action at last and some discussions have now been held with Ward members to agree a programme of renewal.

Currently it is being proposed that new railings be installed reflecting the design of those already in place at the Cliff Lift, The Fossil Garden and all the steps leading down to the Lower Promenade. This set of railing would stretch from the Cliff Lift to the main viewing area opposite the Marine Hotel.

The remainder of the fencing, from the viewing platform along to Hazel Grove would be maintained in its current

● Marine Parade fencing

design but with new top sections installed to make the whole length safe.

Funding for this work would come from an allocation for Foreshore Development which has lain unspent for the last four years.

Councillor Thomson said he was pleased that proposals were finally being pulled together and he hoped that everything would be in place before the commencement of the new season but that in the interim every effort would be made to ensure that the existing structure was made secure. Having waited this long, he hoped residents would be accepting of the proposals.

Where and When Special Mass for Ukraine

By Mike Morrissey

It is apparently not uncommon for bus timetables to be requiring updating.

It is not very common for no timetables at all to be showing to potential passengers.

An example is clear on the Brotton Road where the bus stop signage gives no indication where the next bus may be going or when it is going to arrive.

Apparently, Redcar & Cleveland Council is the organisation responsible for maintaining the display of timetables.

It will be interesting to see what time the next timetable is coming along.

Saltburn is promoted as a tourist destination; one of the outcomes is an ever increasing number of visitors.

Many of the visitors who come to the Borough, and Saltburn in particular, come in their own vehicles and many of these are for overnight stay. Motorhomes or Motor caravans are ever more popular.

Many places in the Borough have seen numbers of such vehicles increase.

Whilst visitors are welcome, if the infrastructure is not adequate and concentrations of vehicles take place, the nature of areas can change.

This has happened on Marine Parade in Saltburn where a residential area has been transformed by the very high volume of Motor Caravans and similar vehicles, primarily at weekends and in periods of good weather or events, but latterly into an everyday occurrence making the highway into a virtual caravan park.

In addition to the physical transformation, the additional challenges of barbecues, playing of music, insanitary disposal of waste and levels of arising litter have finally tested the patience and hospitality of local residents.

Previous requests for local bye laws to be considered to manage the levels and areas of parking of such vehicles had come to nought.

Councillor Philip Thomson proposed the following motion at the most recent Council meeting with a view to resolving the matter once and for all.

This Council seeks to regulate the residency overnight in nominated streets and areas within the Borough by limiting the stay of specific vehicles.

In general terms, these vehicles in the main are technically known as Motor Caravans, although are better known colloquially as motorhomes.

Many residents have expressed concern about the volume of such vehicles being parked overnight in certain areas, particularly residential areas and more particularly in Saltburn, along Marine Parade and Glenside.

This concentration of Motor Caravans has radically altered the ambience of areas in the Borough and has impacted on the use of the highway, in some cases detracting from the amenities of areas and resulting in many instances of abuse of the local environment.

Through this motion it is requested that the Council consider enacting No Overnight Parking restrictions in nominated and agreed areas of the Borough.

This is to be enacted through Road Traffic Regulation Orders or other relevant powers as

appropriate to mitigate against the highway impact and other adverse effects.

It is understood that the Department of Transport has issued to at least one local authority,through special directive, appropriate traffic signage which will facilitate the prohibition of waiting of motor caravans during specific hours.

By introducing a Prohibition of Overnight Parking between nominated hours in agreed areas it is expected that the concerns expressed by residents about the impact of overnight parking of these vehicles can be addressed.

It is expected that all elected members will be consulted to seek their views and to identify agreed areas that would be subject to such Prohibition.

It is understood that full public consultation will subsequently be required to be undertaken to assess the views of all interested parties in the Borough.

Whilst intending to reduce the limit to where and when Motor Caravans can park, it is also expected that full support will be given to encourage Motor Caravan users to visit the Borough and utilise the nominated areas which are being provided for their enjoyment.

It is therefore proposed that subject to the outcome of any consultation as outlined above

A

special Mass was celebrated at Saltburn’s Our Lady of Lourdes RC Church on 24th August to mark Ukraine’s independence anniversary when about 30 Ukrainians were among the congregation.

They ranged in age from a few months to around 40 and sang a moving national anthem at the end of mass.

The Mass ended with the Ukrainians singing their national anthem.

No Overnight Parking on Marine Parade in Saltburn

and any necessary approval being received from the Department of Transport or other appropriate body, this Council shall proceed to introduce appropriate Prohibition of Overnight Parking restrictions in relevant locations identified through the consultation process, and to do so at the earliest opportunity but, at the latest by the 1st of April 2024.

Councillor Thomson had researched practices within other authorities within the UK and had found that it was possible to introduce appropriate legislation to manage such issues. He did acknowledge that the process for establishing and implementing such legislation was time consuming and would require full public consultation and whilst he wished for immediate resolution of the problem, he had set out a timetable which reflected the complexity of the legislative process.

In a full and extensive debate many aspects were raised from elected members across the Borough. Some reservations were declared but Councillor Thomson was able to answer these, particularly the actual provision of suitably equipped alternative sites. Saltburn Ward members were among those who spoke in support and the motion was passed with a virtually unanimous vote.

● Bus Stop on Brotton Road

Record number of seals found on Teesside’s shores with new research underway to find out why

The number of Harbour Seal pups being born in our region has hit record levels with over 200 seals now calling Teesside home.

Now a four-year study is underway with the Industry Nature Conservation Association (INCA) and Teesside University to find out more about these lovable mammals and their habitat and behaviour.

Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of INCA’S Teesside Seal Monitoring Programme (TSMP), this year has seen record numbers of Harbour Seal pups being born on Teesside.

The TSMP was originally set up in 1989 to monitor the impacts of the Seal Distemper Virus that was devastating Harbour Seal numbers across the North Sea at that time. The programme was initially led by David Bellamy Associates but since 1992 INCA has co-ordinated it and monitored the numbers and behaviour of the seal population each year.

In that first year, only around 20 Harbour Seals and 20 Grey Seals were recorded, but those numbers have steadily crept up and, in recent years, maximum counts of almost 150 Harbour Seals are being hauled out over the summer.

Grey Seals are harder to count, but their numbers have also crept up and on occasion have reached in excess of 80.

For the first five years of the TSMP, no more than one seal pup was born each year and each of those died, with post-mortems revealing excessive levels of chemicals in their tissues.

Since then, due in part to the river gradually becoming cleaner, the numbers of seal pups have risen by one or two each year and almost all pups now survive until they are weaned.

This year the number of pups born has surprised everyone - jumping from 26 last to 36. This is

the biggest annual increase ever recorded in the number of seal pups born on Teesside.

The actual monitoring of the seals is done by a team of dedicated volunteers, who between them count the seals for two hours, every day for two months over the summer.

With over 30 years of monitoring, they will have amassed one of most extensive sets of data on mammal numbers anywhere.

The volunteer rota is co-ordinated by Linda Watson, who has been monitoring the seals for twenty years.

She said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed being part of the seal project. Over the years I have learnt so much about them, from the colours and characteristics of individual seals, to being able to watch females giving birth. It is fantastic to watch these beautiful creatures go about their daily life, and I will continue to do so for as long as I can.”

The monitoring wouldn’t be possible without the support of local company, Venator, who have enabled the construction of a seal hide on their land overlooking Seal Sands and who provide support to the volunteers when they are out surveying.

Gareth Williams, Environment Manager at Venator, said: “We are delighted to support INCA and their volunteers during the annual seal count. Seeing the numbers of pups increase year-onyear, and the seals thriving in general, makes me extremely proud of what together in Teesside we have achieved, clearly demonstrating that industry and nature can co-exist side by side.”

While the Teesside seal population is clearly a success, unravelling the factors behind that will require a lot more investigation.

Freya Pellie, a PhD researcher at Teesside

Closure of Moore Street toilets, Redcar

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council has temporarily closed the toilets on Moore Street in Redcar after serious anti-social behaviour which put the safety of the public and council staff at risk.

There have been several instances of antisocial behaviour over recent months, but over the weekend, the toilets were vandalised and the council received reports of serious anti-social behaviour. The toilets will now remain closed while the council takes action to make the toilets

safe for users and staff.

Cllr Glyn Nightingale, Cabinet member for Resources, said: “We know how important public toilets are to our residents and this is not a decision which has been taken lightly. However, the problem has escalated to the point where we have no choice but to close the toilets. We cannot put members of the public – particularly the young and older people – at risk due to the state in which the toilets have been left.

“We will reopen the toilets as soon as possible, once it is safe to do so.”

University, working with INCA, has started a four-year study taking a more in-depth look at the seal’s biology. One of the focuses of the study is collecting seal faeces from their haul out locations and analysing their DNA content to understand, not only the populationrelatedness and connectedness of the Teesmouth seal population, but also their diet and internal parasites.

The study’s supervisor, Dr Jamie Bojko, Senior Lecturer in Teesside University’s School of Health & Life Sciences, said: “The seal populations around the Tees are truly wonderful, and we are glad to see their return to the area.

Providing

personal

Hopefully, our work will help to unravel which populations support the Tees seals from outside of the area, and whether their diet and parasite load might help us to understand their success.”

and

Personal,

Funeral

● Adult harbor seal with pup. Photo: Mark Ahlness

● (left to right): Ian Bond, INCA ecologist, Linda Watson, volunteer seal monitoring co-ordinator and Teesside University PhD student Freya Pellie.

Helping local charities

Steve Ashton said: “I would like to thank you for your very kind donation which will help us to continue our work to make the Tees Valley, a place that is rich in wildlife and that people will benefit from.”

Hutton Lowcross WI

By Pat Bolton

Gisborough Hall and running a profitable coffee morning to boost our funds.

Over the last year the Lofthouse Masonic Lodge, based in Guisborough, have been raising money for charity by holding raffles at every meeting and at certain events.

Recently the money that had been raised was donated to seven charities in the area, some of which also received match funding by Provincial Freemason’s Charity Yorkshire, North & East Ridings.

Guisborough & District Friends of ancer Research were given £100, to help hold a flower arranging afternoon.

Wendy Wilson said: “The event went very well and we raised £1586. Thank you for your donation, which covered all the expenses.

Botton Village, Camphill Village Trust received a donation of £200. Sue Walker said: “As a charity we rely on the kindness of our supporters to help provide life

of opportunities to people with learning and other opportunities, so thank you.”

Baby hiospice Zoes Place received a donation of £100 which was welcomed by Alison Taylor the Community & Events fundraiser. She said: “Your donation is very much appreciated and without the kindness of organisations like yours we would not be able to contiribute to provide the valued service extremely free of charge to the families accessing our facilities.

Staithes & Runswick RNLI were given a donation of £100 and Treasurer Bill Whetstone said: “Thank you for your kind donation which will help greatly to fund our operations working to save lives at sea.”

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust which is based at the Herirage Centre in Margrove Park received the sum of £150. People & Wildlife Manager,

Cleveland Mountain Resvue Team were given a £150 donation which will help them to continue to provide a search and rescue service, to assist people who are injured, taken ill or in need of help. The service volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, every day of the year and offer their services for free to the general public.

Guisborough Town Pride received £150. Treasurer Hazel Meynell expressed thanks for the donation and explained that the group’s aim is to promote conservation, protection and improvement of the physical and natural environment in Guisborough. The donation will help towards providing planters and floral displays in the town.

Charity Steward of Lofthouse Lodge, Jim Taylor said: “It always gives us great pleasure when we can help organisations who do so much good in our area and we will continue to raise money for them in the future months to come.”

The picture shows left Colin Fenby secretary – middle Martin Bean master – right Jim Taylor charity steward.

These are the three main lodge members who organised fund raising for the year 2022

W

e held our first meeting after the summer break on 8th. September which opened with two minutes silence following the death of Queen Elizabeth II , which had just been announced.

Our speaker was Colin Harrison from Staithes and Runswick RNLI who talked about the history of the RNLI and how rescues, boats and equipment had changed over the almost 200 years of their existence. As they are all volunteers our members felt moved to make a collection to support their excellent work.

Following some refreshments we then held our business meeting when we welcomed five visitors and talked about the successful events that we had taken part in over the summer including organising a Treasure Hunt around Guisborough for 65 ladies from throughout Teesside, celebrating our 70th birthday at

Ironically we had received a letter and card from the Queen thanking us for our greetings to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee which had arrived during the summer break so it was new to members and showed some familiar smiling images of the Queen.

We had also enjoyed a lunch and visit to the theatre at Glaisdale.

In the future we have lots of events and activities planned including a range of diverse and interesting speakers as well as our usual groups and coffee meetings.

Our next meeting on 13th. October will be our AGM with a talk from a representative of the local charity we are supporting this year, Senses Well being Centre in Skelton.

Visitors are always welcome in Sunnyfield House at 7pm.

Saltburn WI

By Lesley Wilson

Usually August is a quiet month for our group but not this one!

We have held a ‘Glorious 12th’ summer lunch at Saltburn golf club with an excellent meal provided by the team at the golf club. Our speakers that day gave us an insight into the life of Princess Margaret, very interesting.

Several of our members took a trip to the Esk Valley Theatre to see a production of Alan Ayckbourn Liar Liar. A lovely journey

over the moors and a delightful play which we rounded off with an ice cream.

We celebrated the inclusion of one of our members Llinos Mary, being on Gardeners world and in the WI life magazine by visiting her garden on a lovely sunny afternoon. Nibbles and wine accompanied our visit as well as lots of chat. After the last couple of years it really is good to get together with friends.

Our next meeting is October 13th 7.00pm at Emmanuel Church Hall.

Crime Prevention

Hello and welcome to this month’s Crime Prevention Page, brought to you by me, Paul Payne your dedicated Crime Prevention Officer for Redcar & East Cleveland

I would like to firstly thank everyone for your congratulations on becoming a grandad for the first time recently and to let you all know little Oliver is doing brilliantly

Well now for the work-related stuff ...

This month I have been busy with a few on-going projects and events in your areas, including in Brotton at Railway Terraces where we had me, local neighbourhood officers, Councillor Barry Hunt, housing officers, RCBC Area Managers, ASB officers and other local authority departments joining forces to give out advice on our own fields of expertise. I had the crime prevention stall offering advice on how to keep your homes, sheds, garages and yourselves safe and secure. We had plenty of people talking to us all and I think everyone came away satisfied that a impact was made with the local residents.

At the beginning of the month, I was at Helmsley House / Stakesby Close in Guisborough working with Guisborough’s Neighbourhood Team, Beyond Housing and RCBC ASB Team,where the community could come along and speak to us all about anything or raise local concerns to us all simultaneously. We were there throughout the day and had some thoughtful conversations and offered plenty of advice. Plans are being put in place to now replicate this in other areas of Redcar and East Cleveland, and I will let you know when and where they are in future publications.

Guisborough based Neighbourhood officers PC’s Cole and Eeles and ASB Officer Amy Hutchinson, PCSO Adam Bell took the photo.

Designing Out Crime on our Industrial Estates.

I’m currently working with my good colleague, and fellow crime prevention officer Ron Baker (who covers Middlesbrough) on a project to visit every business on Skippers Lane, Riverside and Skelton Industrial Estates to offer Target Hardening advice to those businesses and help improve their security.

We find it disheartening when we visit victims of crime as you can imagine which includes Burglary victims, Domestic Abuse survivors, victims of criminal damage and ASB to name but a few. So, this is our way of helping these businesses take sometimes simple steps to improve their own security, hopefully meaning they stand less chance of becoming a victim. As well as talking to these businesses we are looking at their security and giving Top Tips on what they should consider making it better.

We are also giving away Selecta DNA kits which is a liquid that is applied with a cotton bud, dabbing a small amount on their valuable items such as IT equipment, Tools, and anything else that is of value to the business. We put up our first piece of signage recently and will continue to press on with the near x1000 businesses that these sites include. A huge task, but an enjoyable one, knowing both Ron and I are making a difference and preventing crime by designing it out.

This Months ‘TOP TIP’

Secure your number plate with tamper-resistant screws

In recent weeks In the Redcar and the Great Eston areas, we have had a number of car number plate thefts (Registration Plate Theft)

The easiest way to change the identity of a stolen vehicle or avoid speeding tickets and parking tickets is to fit stolen number plates.

It takes just a few seconds to unscrew the plates held on with conventional screws, and thieves often carry out this simple crime in

places like your driveway while you are in bed or supermarket car parks, while you are buying a lunchtime sandwich or doing your weekly shop.

And as many victims have discovered, life can then become a nightmare, when they suddenly find themselves faced with unwelcome and unearned fines and prosecutions for a whole raft of vehicle related crimes, ranging from speeding fines and parking tickets to congestion charges.

If your number plates were stolen, you can be sure that they will be put onto another vehicle unscrewing and stealing your number plates takes just a few seconds

However:

Fitting security screws are a straight

replacement for standard number plate screws and are a simple way to make things more difficult for the thief

If your number plates are stuck on rather than screwed on, this may not be a practical solution - however your local vehicle dealer should be able to advise you whether it is feasible to use screw fixing in addition to the existing adhesive fixing. Roundup.

Well, that’s it for this month from me, and I hope the tips have been of use and you all have some idea on protecting yourselves, but as always and as your dedicated crime prevention officer I can provide advice to you and help reduce the risk of you becoming a victim of crime.

Legal Notices

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF PREMISES LICENCE

I,Steven Flear, do hereby give notice that I have applied to the Licensing Authority at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for the Grant of a Premises Licence at 23 Station road, Redcar, TS10 1AN and known as The Bank.

The application proposes to permit supply of alcohol, live music, recorded music, anything of a similar description to live music, recorded music , on a Sunday to Wednesday, between the hours of 11.00hrs and 23.00hrs, Thursday to Saturday between the hours of11.00 and 00.00 hrs.

Any other person or responsible authorities may make representations to the application in writing to the Licensing Authority at the address below by 11/10/2022.

The Licensing Register and a copy of the application may be viewed during normal office hours at the address below.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine payable on summary conviction of such offences is level 5 on the standard scale:

Redcar & Cleveland Licensing Service, Redcar & Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1RT Website: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

So, if you want any advice on home security then please email me at: crime. prevention@cleveland.pnn.police.uk (please ask for me by name)

Or visit our Crime Prevention Cleveland Police website at: https:// www.cleveland.police.uk/cp/crimeprevention/ Kind Regards

Paul Payne – Crime Prevention

Officer for Redcar & East Cleveland Email: crime.prevention@cleveland. pnn.police.uk

Emergency No: 999

Non-Emergency No: 101 CrimeStoppers: 0800 555 111 - Online: www.crimestoppers-uk.org

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR THE VARIATION OF A PREMISES LICENCE

I, Francesca Hammond-Banks, do hereby give notice that I have applied to the Licensing Authority at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for the Variation of a Premises Licence at 82 High Street, Marske-by-the-sea, TS11 7BA and known as The Lockdown.

The application proposes to add an off-licence for the premises.

Any other person or responsible authorities may make representations to the application in writing to the Licensing Authority at the address below by October 6th, 2022.

The Licensing Register and a copy of the application may be viewed during normal office hours at the address below.

It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine payable on summary conviction of such offences is level 5 on the standard scale:

Redcar & Cleveland Licensing Service, Redcar & Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, TS10 1RT

Web: www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

● Helmsley House

● Railway Terrace - Brotton

● Skippers Lane

THE MEDAL CENTRE Coin & Medal Valuation Days

IMMEDIATE ON THE SPOT OFFERS

on all types of Medals & Military Items

As well as the following types of small collectables Coins, Banknotes, Postcards, Uniforms, Pre-1947 Silver Coins, Sovereigns, Krugerrands, Swords & Daggers, Masonic & R.A.O.B. Medals & Jewels,

Mint condition British stamps, Presentation packs & Stamp collections

Silver items & Scrap silver including Silver teasets & tableware

All Gold Coins, Gold Watches & Chains, Pocket Watches, Scrap Gold in any amount including Jewellery.

We will pay up to £1800 per troy oz for hallmarked fine gold.

MONDAY OCTOBER 3rd ST PETERS CHURCH (CHURCH HOUSE) LANGTON ROAD NORTON YORKSHIRE

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 5th MARSH HOUSE COMMUNITY CENTRE (FURNESS HALL) MARSH HOUSE AVENUE (AROUND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING) BILLINGHAM TS23 3QJ

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7th ST HILDA’S CHURCH ROSEBERRY ROAD REDCAR

TUESDAY OCTOBER 4th RAGWORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE (THE LIBRARY ROOM) 5 ST JOHNS WAY STOCKTON ON TEES TS19 0FB

THURSDAY OCTOBER 6th GRANGEFIELD COMMUNITY CENTRE 195 OXBRIDGE LANE STOCKTON ON TEES TS18 4HY

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8th NORTON GRANGE COMMUNITY CENTRE 64 SOMERSET ROAD NORTON STOCKTON ON TEES TS20 2ND

EACH EVENT WILL RUN BETWEEN 9.30AM & 4.30PM

Please come along to see our expert for a genuine no obligation cash offer. No appointment needed just turn up on the day. (However you may wish to ring & make

have a

If you cannot attend on

FEEL FREE TO VISIT OUR

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Head

Steampunk Weekend in Saltburn

Three Course Theatre production of Two Ways to Woo

By Bill Colombi (Director)

Three Course Theatre, in association with Middlesbrough Little Theatre, will be performing Two Ways to Woo, a pair of very different one act plays on the theme of ‘love’ in October at four venues on Teesside:

Theatre Upstairs, Billingham on Wednesday 26th October; The Studio, Toft House (next to Middlesbrough Theatre) on Thursday 27th October; St Mary’s Church Hall, Nunthorpe on 28th October; and Saltburn Community Theatre on Saturday 29th October.

All performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets, at £8.00, are available on line (subject to a small booking fee) via the Three Course Theatre website www.threecoursetheatre.org and on the door, subject to availability.

will not know how the play will end each night – it’s all down to the man on the sound desk to make that decision! In Cyrano, Alistair Briche has allowed a little optimism, and dare we say it, humour, to enter the final scene when Cyrano’s life is hanging by a mere thread.

By Kerry Ann Fenton

The Fantabulous Steampunk weekend in Saltburn will be held on Friday 30th Sept2nd Oct

Steampunk was created with the inspiration from authors HG Wells and Jules Verne. Where a futuristic world of time travel is combined with the Victorian era of the steam revolution.

You will see the steampunk community descend upon Saltburn in an array of fantastic costumes.

The miniature steam train will be open all weekend special for the occasion. There will be a tea party meet and greet in the valley gardens on the Friday afternoon.

The main event will be at the learning campus where there will be displays, demonstrations, workshops and a steampunk market.

The Dino Derby Races at the Campus on Sunday 2nd Oct will raise funds for the Earthbeat Centre this year

The 20,000 leagues underneath the sea ball will be at the campus on Friday 30th https://buytickets.at /clevelandsteampunksociety1/732810

The Around The World In 80’s Days cabaret tickets can be obtained at https://saltburnarts.co.uk

● Photos Taken by John Adams, Colin Marris, n c photography members of the Thru The Lense and More Team.

The two plays, The Flawed Flautist and The Singular Act of Cyrano de Bergerac (a concertinaed, poetic prose version of Edmond Rostand’s original) are by the playwright Alistair Briche. Both plays are performed by the same three actors. In the Flawed Flautist there are only the three parts: a pianist, a flautist and the rehearsal studios manager. In Cyrano, the vast cast of Rostand’s original is reduced to a mere ten characters. These include the three principals, Roxane, Christian and Cyrano, so some swift changes of costume and personality are required as our three actors move seamlessly through the five scenes, which match the five acts of the full play.

The two plays of Two Ways to Woo, may be very different, but what they have in common, besides the theme of love, is uncertainty in ending. In The Flawed Flautist even the actors

Two Ways to Woo is a fund raising production for the UK registered charity the Friends of Murambinda Hospital (FMH), which supports the work of the Murambinda Mission Hospital in Zimbabwe. The charity was co-founded by a doctor, now working as a GP in East Cleveland, in 1998. Since then FMH has been able to support the hospital during some very difficult (both political and medical) times, providing care for the people of the Buhera District of Zimbabwe. The trustees have all worked at the hospital at some time in their career, so they are very familiar with the problems that the hospital faces and continue to maintained close contact with the staff there. This ensures that all money raised is well targeted at really beneficial projects, and all expenditure is carefully monitored. Additionally, the trustees pay all the expenses of running the charity themselves, so none of the money raised is used for the charity’s administration. Further information about the charity can be found on their website fmh.org.uk. We are pleased to say that Alistair Briche has kindly waved all royalties for this production in support of the hospital.

Three Course Theatre acknowledges the support of Middlesbrough Little Theatre for use of their facilities at Toft House and The Northern School of Art (Hartlepool) for the loan of a prop Baby Grand Piano.

Walking Netball…..

Is a gentler, easier game for ladies of

and abilities

Where: Huntcliff School

When: Every Tuesday, 5 - 6pm from 6th September Wear: Comfortable clothing and bring a drink

At £4 a session you’ll have the best hour of the week.

Guisborough Photo Group Update

The summer recess,is over and our new season has begun.

We had quite a good turn out for the first night and had a two minute silence for members that had passed on. The chairman then welcomed the members and new one into the club, and reminded them that this year is our 70th anniversary. The competition secretary, did a rundown of a few rule changes, and a reminder of the competitions, and that this year’s fun competition is Bingo 15 subjects with your interpretation..

22nd September:-Lecture HDR and Long exposure by 2 of our members 29thSeptember:- Entries for the NYSDPA Inter-Club competition, and Gallery night which is a fun night of Judge and be judged

6th October:-Results of our first competition (Open )

13thOctober:- Lecture Northern Landscapes- a Journey through the Northern national park with Malcolm Blenkey 20thOctober:-Practical Night and entries for the 2nd competition Celebration. 27thOctober:- 70th Anniversary with Prints and images from each of the decade’s. 3rd November, Practical night :- 4 corners Entries for our first competition which is an open one, A few photos just to show what members have been up to in the summer recess More information on club

site www. guisboroughphotogroup.org.uk

our Facebook https://www.facebook.

ETHEL’S QUILT

By Josie Bland

and feather stitches using embroidery thread. The fabric was undoubtedly popular in the war years as the imagery is militaristic: soldiers in a range of uniforms and poses, Lord Kitchener, the National Anthems of the Allies and flags of the Commonwealth.

I

n January, The Land of Iron (formerly The Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum) received an eagerly awaited parcel that had travelled to Skinningrove from Chicago.

Containing a double bed- sized quilt, destined for the Museum’s permanent display, it had been sent by the granddaughters of the quilt’s maker, Ethel Symons (neé Emmerson) of Skelton-in-Cleveland.

In 1926, Ethel, with her husband, Harry Symons, and five-year-old son, Stanley, had emigrated from Skelton to the United States as a countrywide economic depression bit deep. Ethel took very little with her apart from clothes, and only one household item – the Quilt.

In 2019, Ethel’s granddaughter, Sharon Symons, (daughter of Stanley) visited Skelton on her tour of Scotland and Northern England, curious to see where her grandparents originated. Three members of the Skelton History Group (including myself) showed her round. We were inside All Saints church, where Ethel married Harry Symons in 1920, when Sharon produced her phone and showed us some extraordinary photographs, telling us they were of panels from a very special quilt that her granny had entrusted to her and her sister. She was puzzled by a very small, embroidered central panel that showed a date - 6th June 1917. Peter Appleton, our group’s chairman, was able to tell her that on that very day, in the church where we now stood, Ethel had married her first husband, William Edwin Mills. It’s likely that the quilt is a memorial to Billy.

Ethel, born in 1893, was the third child of Stephen Emmerson and his wife, Mary, who farmed Hollybush Farm, its fields now beneath Skelton’s Hollybush Estate and much of its Industrial Estate.

By 1904 both parents were dead and Ethel lived with an uncle and aunt until 1913 when her brother, Stephen, reached 21 and claimed Hollybush, running it during WWI with the help of Ethel, and another sister, Alice. Letters from the 1950s between Stephen, living in New Zealand, and Alice, by then landlady of The Royal George in Skelton, paint a picture of Ethel as bossy and ‘particular’, that is, she liked things done properly. The fenders on the fireplace had to be well polished, no doubt they were liberally rubbed with Brasso. Her fiancée was Billy, i.e. William Edwin Mills, the son of the gamekeeper from Skelton Castle. He worked as a clerk at the Water Board and it seems Billy was somewhat henpecked. According to Stephen’s letters, if Billy was late for a date with Ethel, he was sent packing. Stephen recalled the dances they went to with their group of friends, listing those who lost their lives in the Great War– Billy Mills and Stanley Videan, (the son of the Ço-op manager) to name two. They, and many others, are engraved on the War Memorial at Cross Green outside the Duke William and on the Roll of Honour in All Saints church.

Judging by the date of the marriage, it’s likely Billy was conscripted. Eight days after he married Ethel

in All Saints church, Billy joined his colleagues. Although he signed up as an Able Seaman, by 1917 troops from all the services were sent to areas of greatest military need, so in October 1917, Billy became part of the Expeditionary Force headed for

France. He joined the Hood Battalion and lost his life, 30th December, on the battlefields of Northern France.

New Year’s Eve, and 1917 became 1918. Did Ethel know Billy was dead, or did she celebrate the New

Year in blissful ignorance? After Billy died she moved back to Hollybush Farm from her in-laws’ cottage at Poultry, the traditional residence for the Castle gamekeepers and their families. Had she begun the quilt before Billy was killed? Sewing it must have had a cathartic effect and helped her to cope.

The quilt is deeply patriotic. It’s made of numerous sewn-together rectangles of pre-printed cloth

Ethel’s contribution, as well as sewing the pieces together, was to outline the images with chain

Ethel did cope and married Harry Symons in 1920. That same year Stephen sold the farm, it’s believed he had gambling debts. Alice married George Judson and Stephen married music teacher Edie Todd, stepdaughter of Charles Skipper of the Duke William and then the Wharton Arms. Harry Symons was best man. In October, Steve and Edie set sail for New Zealand.

The 1921 Census tells us that Ethel and Harry had rented a cottage at 7 North Terrace, next door to the Royal George. Sharing it were Alice and George and their new baby boy. Stanley was born later that year. Alice and George took over the running of The George, and in 1926 Ethel, Harry, Stanley and the Quilt set sail for Canada from where they travelled to Chicago and their new life.

Ethel and Harry never returned to Skelton, but the Quilt with all it represents – patriotism, loss, grief, and a brave Skelton woman - has come home at last, to be proudly displayed in its final resting place, The Land of Iron.

The Land of Iron is set to open in October.

Saltburn audio-visual film reviewed

By Mike Morrissey

pier, cliff-lift, The Zetland and Milton Street methodist church (Saltburn’s oldest).

T

he community theatre was full on two nights in late August when the new audio-visual film about the town was shown.

It is a well-made film narrated by Ross Richards who also spoke briefly to audiences about making it.

Lorem Ipsum

It featured buildings snd places like the beach,

The information was accurate, well-spoken and interesting. Local historians Tony and Cath Lynn were thanked for their contributions.

Over £700 was raised to be split jointly between Saltburn in Bloom. and the 500 Club.

Further details of the film and its makers can be found on the website exploresaltburn.com

Friends of Guisborough Library look ahead to Autumn

By Kate Smith, Membership Secretary

Well, we have had a lovely summer, but our thoughts are now turning to our Autumn activities.

But just to quickly recap, the Jubilee Exhibition, which we held in the Library for the whole month of June, was enjoyed by many and received some good comments. We held a flower arranging craft session in July but it was the day when there was a flood in the library so as the sun was shining we moved outside to the car park. We all enjoyed it and the flood was sorted.

Our Friday afternoon talks start again on 30 September when Susan Antrobus from the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust will be talking on How to make your Garden a Haven for Birds and also demonstrating how to make a natural bird feeder. If you wish to join her in making a bird feeder, please let the library staff know (just so she brings enough materials), otherwise just come along and listen and watch.

We have a special talk on Wednesday, 19 October when Paul Wren will be talking about Tracing your Family Ancestry. Paul has been involved in tracing family history for over thirty years and has written over 20 family histories, many emanating from Guisborough, Staithes and Whitby, together with writing several

S.A.R.A.

bespoke books on individual servicemen’s lives through the wars. The Library has the necessary equipment and licences to enable anyone to trace their ancestry for free and we hope this will encourage people to start a new hobby.

For both talks there is a £3 entrance fee which includes refreshments and they start at 2pm for about an hour.

The next Craft Session to be held in the Library will be on Saturday, 15 October, 10 am – 12 noon, Making Decoupage Gift Boxes. All of our craft sessions are free, thanks to our Ward Councillors, and all materials will be supplied and refreshments provided. As usual, please register in the Library (pop in or telephone 01287 632668) as numbers are limited.

Our Jigsaw Corner is going strong with lots of new donations and there is always a very good selection to choose from – there is a hidden pile of Christmas Jigsaws which will emerge later on. Remember that the Library is free to use, open to everyone and is warm in winter. You are able to use the computer facilities or just sit in a comfy chair and read a book. And of course you can renew your bus pass, process Blue Badge applications and buy parking discs. Various children’s activities are held – please contact the Library for up to date information.

Saving And Re-Homing

Monthly Meetings for S.A.R.A. supporters and the general public continue to be held in the Cleveland Bay, Ings Road, Redcar on the 1st Tuesday of each month at 7.00pm. Everyone welcome to hear news and updates of our charity. Bar Open.

The Shop and Cafe held in the Arundel at Foxrush Farm, Redcar is open Saturday and Sunday from 10.00am – 3.00pm. Please contact SARA on 01642 488108 or e mail sarafoxrushfarm@gmail.com Further details are on our website at S.A.R.A. org.uk

Sing with Guisborough Choral Society

We warmly welcome new singers and invite you to our regular rehearsals during term time on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm in Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough. New to singing? No problem, we have lots of help and encouragement for you. We'll be delighted for you to come have a go.

More information and assistance can be found on our website and social media pages. Please feel free to visit our sites

phone

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Phone/text

BOOK LAUNCH

Due to popular demand Winkies

Castle Folk Museum have produced an updated version of their Changing Marske by the Sea book with more previously unseen images.

The Author, Ian Anderson will be signing books at Sainsbury’s Local in Marske on Saturday 8th October 11am-2pm

Marske Community Church Two Years On!

The new church, which originally met in Marske Leisure Centre at 4.30pm on a Sunday afternoon, now meets in Marske Methodist Church at the same time.

The church is now announcing their immediate plans for reaching out to the community of Marske and the surrounding area.

The first initiative is a ‘Back to Church’ Sunday service on the 16th October, starting at 4.30pm and lasting for an hour. Many people once attended church or Sunday school and for various reasons stopped going to church. Others may have never been to church and wonder what it is all about and whether it is relevant to life in 2022. This service is for everyone, containing old and new music, readings, prayers, Youtube clips and a couple of brief talks on what the church is about and why!

Some may prefer a formal environmentand seating in rows will be available in the Methodist church as well as more informal seating around small tables. Refreshment will be available during and after the service.

The second initiative,commencing on Wednesday 19th October and every subsequent Wednesday and Friday from 2.30pm until

4.30pm in the Marske Methodist Church hall,is called ‘A Place of Welcome’, and is a drop in for anyone who is feeling isolated, lonely or in need of some advice. It will also be warm!

The Rev John Singleton, pastor at Marske Community Church, said: “We want to be there for those who need to meet with other people, who need to talk to someone, who need help in some way, or who are hungry or cold. Free refreshments will be available for everyone who comes.

“Someone from ‘Footprints in the Community’ will be here each Wednesday to provide signposting to services that meet individual needs, including benefits advice and guidance. This is not somewhere where Christianity will be ‘force fed’ to attendees but we will, of course, be prepared to answer questions relating to faith. Volunteers will be both Christians and those without a Christian faith, the key aim being to reach out to those who need somewhere to go, for whatever that reason may be.”

It is hoped that these two initiatives will be a blessing to the whole community of Marske, whatever age, background, or gender they are. The church looks forward to welcoming you to either or both initiatives.

PARKINSON’S UK

Redcar & District Support Group

The

for tea/coffee and a chat.

Chair based exercises are held every Tuesday 1 – 2pm at 25K Community Centre. For further information contact Doreen on 07900348518 or email doreen.arkle@virginmedia.com.

Parkinson’s helpline (free phone) 0808 800 0303 Email: enquiries@parkinsons.org.uk Website: http://parkinson.org.uk

We are the Parkinson’s charity that drives better care, treatments, and quality of life. Charity No. 258197

The World of Theatre

By Kate Bramley

As we move through the autumn the theatre season starts to pick up once more and here at Badapple Towers we have been busy preparing for our autumn tours.

Our much loved comedy ‘The Frozen Roman’ touches down just south of the moors at three venues along the line of the original Dere Street, the Roman Road that joined York to Boroughbridge before heading North along the line of the A1. ‘The Frozen Roman’ comedy- based on an original idea by Jez Lowe- sees the local villagers fighting to save their local pub from the seemingly unstoppable tide of housing developments.

The discovery of a real-life Frozen Roman in the cellar seems to be a way out of the dilemma but things are not always what they seem!

This show comes to the villages of Poppleton, Green Hamemrton and Aldborough before heading off on a national tour so please do feel free to take a trip down from the Moor & Coast to join us for these special events! www.badappletheatre.co.uk

Later into October there’s a show for all the family at Middlesbrough Theatre with The Haunted House, 3pm Wed 26th October. Described as a spooktacular fun Halloween show for children of all ages. Mr Giles, the

old coach driver, will entertain you with an hour long, fun-filled spooky tale all about ghosts, ghouls and strange things that go bump in the night.

www.middlebroughtheatre.co.uk

And on Friday 28th October they host Lilies On The Land at 7.30pm.

“These gripping but charming tales chart the personal journeys of four women who sign up to become Land Girls in World War II, working on farms across the country in a bid to do their best for the war effort.”

More next time!

Theatre students to produce hit play in Saltburn

Asmall group of local theatre students

bringing their debut production of Willy Russell’s Olivier winning play Educating Rita to Saltburn.

Set in a university lecturer’s office, Educating Rita tells the story of Frank (Ethan Warren), a frustrated poet and dedicated drinker who takes on an open university student Rita (Emily Rooney) to pay for his drink - or so he planned.

The heartfelt comedy by renowned playwright Willy Russell became a hit when it was adapted for the screen in 1983 with Michael Caine and Julie Walters.

The local group of students have started rehearsals, and are looking forward to their debut performance as a group. Director and Producer, Dan Sillett, said: “This story needs to be told now more than ever - it is a reminder that you can always become who you want to be regardless of background.”

Cast member Emily Rooney said: “I feel really proud to be spreading such an inspirational message, especially through the such intimate form of art that live theatre is.”

Educating Rita will be shown at the Saltburn Community Arts Theatre on the 24th to the 25th of October, at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now for £8 each, and are available at www.bit.ly/educating_rita or by phoning 0333 666 3366.

Saltburn Folk Festival is Back

By Ken Bladen

What’s on at the Cutty Wren

Every Tuesday at The Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club

t last there was no need to fret, though the sea mist did help to keep us cooler, as Saltburn Folk Festival returned from 12th to 14th of August.

A

There were some notable performances that were appreciated by large audiences. Dutch singersongwriter, Catch the Sparrow enchanted everyone with soaring melodies and rich harmonies. Doc Harvey and the Philistans amused and bemused with costume and song. Pons Aelius provided progressive instrumental folk in the Community Theatre to round off a fantastic opening Friday.

On Saturday, Narthen as their name suggests were what’s happening now in the Emmanuel Church Hall. Cream Tees, young musicians based in Barnard Castle were served up in the evening concert and again on Sunday at the bandstand. In the Pillarbox, acoustic jam was dished out by Saltburn Folk Club.

Sunday began with an informal Meet the Artists session with Janice Burns & Jon Doran, so good to see such talented young performers. Outdoors at the station portico the audience were invited to join the Jet Set (Morris) who tested the paving stones with their sticks. To round off a fantastic weekend of music song and dance, Jez Lowe commanded the stage alone whilst elsewhere The Wilson Family demanded participation as the audience were enveloped in their rich harmonies.

What a fabulous weekend, made possible by the tremendous work of the organising committee and a tireless band of volunteers who ensured everything ran smoothly and exceeded the muchanticipated expectations of the festival- goers. Well done what a triumph.

Hi, all! We’ll be about back to “normal” at the Cutty Wren by the time you read this.

Attendances in summer were generally good. Most of us had a good time at Saltburn Folk Festival, and a good few made it to Whitby Folk Week as well, so we’ll have returned with some inspiration about the music we enjoy and perform.

We’ve some good nights lined up for the autumn. Most of our evenings will be our regular “Singers and Musicians” when the Club regulars and a variety of good folk who can’t be there every week come and do a couple of folk-related songs each. This is a very wide field, coving several centuries and at least two continents, but we go for songs and tunes that speak to the heart. The oldest will be what people sang before we had radio (or even railways!), and the newest might have been written that morning. And if you’re a performer and do anything in the “roots” genre, come along and join us. We do need an audience, too, to let us know how we’re doing.

But for the special nights: We’ve a Hot Spot with Bob Fortune on October 4th. These are nights when a performer, usually local, gets half an hour or more to do an act, and Bob has a greater right than most. He has knocked around the world more than many, been on the local folk scene a lot of years and has written some very fine songs about his bit of Teesside. Two of those have been covered by other singers such as Marie Little and the late great Vin Garbutt. Come along and you’ll hear why. (Note: this is a change from the last issue.)

We welcome Nick Allmark as our guest on October 18th. (We had him down as October 4th last issue!) He’s a fine singer and guitarist, doing traditional songs, but also writing his own about the history and traditions of his native Shropshire as well as his time in Scotland and travels in North America. There should be something there for everyone!

Looking ahead, we’ll have our usual night of “We Will Remember Them” on November 8th. This isn’t a glorification of war, but more a recollection in song of the sacrifice made by ordinary people.

Looking back, the madcap trio, “Beyond the Pail” gave us a fine night of traditional numbers, parodies, drollery and rough harmony. We the audience had a great time with plenty of belly laughs! The Club had a fine night just before Saltburn Festival, with a good turnout of friends old and new with some memorable singing and music. And the following week we had more women than men singing! Folk isn’t just for old blokes with beards....

So –come and give us a try if you’d like to hear some live and real music. We meet every Tuesday at the Redcar Borough Park Bowling Club, Thwaites Lane, off Redcar Lane, Redcar TS10 2FD. Turn off Redcar Lane at the big red racecourse sign, and we’re at the end to the left through the gates. There’s plenty of parking, and a modern comfortable room with a fine bar. Doors open about 7-30 p.m., singing starts about 7.45 p.m., and we finish at 10-45 p.m. There’s a thermometer in the lobby to check your temperature in case of Covid.

Speaking of which, for those still isolating and for those who want an extra dose of the Club, we still have the on-line Zoom sessions on a Thursday night. They begin about 7-45 p.m. and end about 9-45 p.m. There’s a good attendance from around the world as well as Britain. To get the link, email our Secretary Nigel Carden at info@cuttywrenfolkclub.com. That’s our usual email link, and we have a website at www.cuttywrenfolkclub.com. You can ring me on 01642 471769 as well.

Thanks as ever to our kind hosts at the Bowls Club, especially barmaid Gemma, and to our committee, singers, guest and M.C.’s who keep the music alive.

● Bob Fortune

● Nick Allmark

● Jet Set Morris

● All photographs by Ken Bladen

● Doc Harvey & The Philistans

● Janice Burns & Jon Doran

● Pons Aelius

● The Wilson Family

● Jez Lowe

● Narthen

Wayfarer Travels Malta - Revisited

We

fi

rst holidayed in Malta 18 years ago so we thought it would be interesting to return there and see how much it had changed.

We`d previously found the Cavalieri hotel in St.Julien`s Bay very good so we booked the same again. It`s in an excellent location, the food is good and we had a superb view across the bay from our balcony. The hotel`s swimming pool is only a few feet away from the sea and for the more adventurous there are steps leading straight down into the Med.

St.Julian`s Bay itself is also ideally situated. You can walk along the extensive promenade to the other side of Sliema where you can take the water taxi over to the island`s capital,Valletta .

Alternatively, if you`re feeling lazy, the local bus stop is only a few minutes from the hotel. The bus will take you right into the bus centre at Valletta from where you can catch a further bus to almost anywhere on the island. For those seeking a bit of night life, the lively area of Paceville is only a five minute walk from the Cavalieri, but still far enough away not to be a disturbance.

One of Malta`s charming attractions the first time we visited was the old 1950`s buses. Some were partly held together with string, wire & plywood but most were pristine examples, lovingly cared for and handed down from generation to

generation. Sadly these are no more. For some unfathomable reason the authorities gave the bus contract to Arriva and when that proved unsuccessful Autobuses

Urbanos de León, subsidiary of ALSA Group, took over and the beautiful traditional old buses all but disappeared.

There are some excellent restaurants in Malta. The food is good with rabbit being the local speciality. There`s also a huge variety of fresh fish and you can buy a good pint of local Hopleaf beer for about 4 euros.

There`s such a variety of places to visit around the island that it`s impossible to fit them all in in one week. Last time we visited the mysterious cart ruts at Buskett, the Blue Grotto, the Tarxian temples at Paola as well as taking a boat over to Malta`s little sister island, Gozo. There we toured the island, the highlight being a trip in a fisherman`s boat from a small inland lagoon through the narrow caves to the sea and the magnificent Azure Window.

Unfortunately the Azure Window is no more either. It was destroyed in 2017 in heavy storms.

This time round I coudn`t resist revisiting Mdina to explore the nearby underground catacombs of Rabat where I almost got lost!

We also spent a lovely day at Marsaxlokk with its beautifully painted fishing boats and abundance of fish restaurants along

the promenade.

The capital of Valletta is worth at least a day`s visit. If you happen to be there around midday make sure you`re stood up on the ramparts of the Saluting Battery for 12 noon. That`s when they fire the row of cannons over the Grand Harbour. If you`re lucky, as we were, you may even witness a fly past of old aircraft.

To the northeast of the city sits the fort of St.Elmo. It houses the War Museum

which recounts the events leading to WW2 and the progress of the war itself. Special reference is made to the contribution of the Maltese people to the war effort, especially during the incredibly difficult conditions of 1942.

Back to the bus again and a trip to the pretty little coastal town of Marsascala where if you`re feeling energetic you can walk right round the seafront to St.Thomas`s Bay.

Any questions about this review or any other destination please e-mail wayfarer@ntlworld.com

Last but not least I should mention the incredible Hypogeum at Paola. This is a subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase (3300-3000 BC) in Maltese prehistory. It`s the only known prehistoric temple in the world. The remains of over 7000 inhabitants have been found there. Make sure you book well ahead though as it`s fully booked several months in advance of the popular months.

Wayfarer

● St.Julien`s Bay

Many conditions which are chronic (i.e.

term) are a challenge to the medical profession because there is often no simple cure – that is usually why the condition

become chronic.

These include conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and myofascial pain syndrome. Sufferers often present with a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms, whilst suffering from increasing pain, and frequently depression, with still no idea of the underlying cause.

Nearly 10 million Britons suffer pain daily, and this is estimated to cost around £5 billion annually. This has a major impact on their whole quality of life, and is a cause of millions of days of lost work. Chronic pain can be defined as pain that has lasted persistently for more than three months, but it often goes on much longer. It can start without an obvious incident, or can be post-operative, or due to arthritis. There is also neuropathic pain, which is due to damage to the nerves; shingles is a good example of this. These can result in changes to the central nervous system, where the memory of the pain remains and the body continues to respond to pain signals that are no longer useful. Chronic pain can share elements of both; the body is continuing to experience pain long after an event, and leads to changes in the nervous system. Unfortunately, the reason the pain response changes is not fully understood, and ultimately the patient has to cope with and manage the pain.

For reasons that are not easy to explain in a short article, Bowen therapy has been found to lower inflammation and nerve sensitivity at the same time as creating a calmer emotional state. There are moves on particular parts of the body that stimulate the autonomic nervous system directly; many clients notice they feel cold or clammy, and they feel physical responses well away from where the moves were made. The first aim is to lessen arousal in clients suffering chronic pain, which leads to a feeling of well-being and better sleep patterns almost overnight. This in itself is often enough to start to turn things round, giving people a sense of hope along with a calmer, more positive psychological outlook, allowing them to manage their pain better.

This generally is a problem that needs a longerterm approach, as work must be done slowly and gently. Two or three weekly treatments would be needed, and then these conditions then often respond better to longer gaps, possibly having treatments a month apart, so the person has time to integrate the work better. Several clients have found that they have been able to eventually lengthen the time between appointments so that they only come once a year if they have overdone things – but this can take a while to achieve. However, it is generally thought to be worth it, as their pain levels are generally non-existent.

If you have been told that you have to learn to

manage your pain as nothing can be done about it, a trial of Bowen therapy may well be worth a try. The very worst that can happen is nothing – you’ll still be in pain but no worse (and how many times has that happened in the past?) But

you may be one of the many people that Bowen can help, with a gentle, patient approach, and eventually be pain free.

www.smart-therapies.com info@smarttherapies.com Judith 01287 660745

The Bookseller of Kabul The Reader

By Asne Seierstad

to feel threatened

feeling

wits

living

a canine behaviourist,

who believes

close

months

a bookseller and his

Sport Redcar Bears Ryan’s Redcar round upSpeedway

A

nother month of action and arguably, one of the most successful months in the history of the Redcar Bears.

Firstly, Lewis Kerr and Charles Wright stunned the rest of the Championship by winning the Championship Pairs, next, the Bears secured Play-off qualification after being on the very brink of elimination and finally, qualification for the KO Cup final was secured.

The first action of this piece was the Championship Pairs with the pairs scoring system of 4,3,2,0 in place. The Bears started well with maximum points in their opening two heats against Plymouth and Oxford respectively with their only hiccup arriving in their 3rd outing. Wright won the race but as Kerr finished behind both of the Berwick Bandits pairing. After the hiccup, Redcar needed a 5-4 heat advantage in their final race against Poole to secure semifinal qualification. The Redcar pairing flew from the gate and stormed to a maximum 7-2 heat advantage to secure their qualification as group winners.

Redcar, backed by a large travelling support, went into the semi-finals as favourites and despite Benjamin Basso storming to the win, both Bears kept Danyon Hume at the back to take their place against Poole in the final. At the gate, Steve Worrall’s cut out came out with the Poole star breaking down on the start line which gifted Redcar the win. The duo of Wright and Kerr defeated Danny King for a 7-2 as Redcar secured the first national silverware of 2022.

Redcar then travelled to Poole for their penultimate away league fixture. Redcar struggled throughout and fell to a 55-34 defeat.

Lewis Kerr rode well for Redcar with 12 whilst Redcar’s new signing, Kyle Newman (in for Kyle Bickley) also rode well after a 2 month hiatus for paid 7.

Redcar travelled north for the first leg of the KO Cup semi-finals. Redcar, without their

former Monarch Erik Riss, kept themselves on the coattails of Edinburgh throughout despite losing Kasper Andersen to injury after the Dane’s early crash. The Bears were led superbly by Kerr and Redcar’s star guest, Richard Lawson to limit Edinburgh’s lead to 4 points. Lawson top scored for Redcar with 12 whilst Josh Pickering hit 13 for the Monarchs.

Redcar then returned home against Glasgow with Wright and Kerr being presented to the crowd with their trophy. The clash was a cracker

with Glasgow quick out of the traps in the early stages and after 8 heats the visitors were 10 points ahead with Redcar in trouble.

However, Redcar are known for their fighting spirit and the comeback began in earnest with maximum 5-1 heat advantages in heats 9&10 (including a brilliant pass by Wright in heat 10) to bring Redcar within 2 points. The meeting was on a knife edge and heat 13 saw more drama. Heading into the backstraight of the opening lap, Cook was in the lead but Wright picked

Marske Cricket Club

It’s recently been a horrendous time throughout our country, with the sad demise of Her Majesty the Queen; she was an inspiration to so many throughout the world and will be missed by so many for a long time to come – RIP.

I can completely empathise with her family as, on September 11th, I witnessed the passing of a very, very close relative so I can understand totally what they went through.

The season is just about done and dusted for the senior teams at Marske CC, only the third team had one game remaining on September 18th.

The first team have finished a respectable 7th in Division 1. After such a disappointing season last year, this season was one of consolidation and re-building. This has been achieved with some new faces recruited and a new sense of belief in the team.

Some notable performances include a 1 wicket win against Bishop Auckland, who would eventually be crowned champions and this would be their only league defeat of the season. Special mention goes to John Mains and Harry Peirson who took 51 and 50 wickets respectively.

The second team improved significantly on last season in terms of their performances and league position. They continue to bring on the youngsters and seek to grow the experience within the squad. They finished the league

securely in the bottom half of the league.

The thirds, with one game left, will finish in the lower half of the league, but yet again, have significantly developed the juniors within their playing ranks.

The playing side of the cricket club is developing nicely, we have increased the number of players

at the club and the junior section moves from strength to strength. All players, supporters and sponsors should look forward to the 2023 season with a large degree of anticipation!

We hope that you managed to get to, and enjoy, our Karaoke night on the 10th September, which showed that Marske’s Got Talent, also included

up some unexpected drive and clattered into Cook, sending him heavily into the fence with the former Grand Prix star having to withdraw from the meeting. The re-run saw a shared heat whilst Redcar went ahead after a heat 14 4-2. Despite the Bears looking in charge, Tom Brennan and Glasgow’s guest Aaron Summers combined for a 5-1 to send the visiting support wild and give the visitors 3 league points.

With Redcar’s play-off place on a knife edge, they needed to defeat Scunthorpe (the current 6th placed side) to keep their play-off hopes alive. After 12 heats, Redcar’s play-off dreams looked set to be over as the hosts had secured only 2 heat advantages and found themselves 31-41 down to the rampaging Scorpions. Adam Roynon, a former 2022 Bear was undefeated heading into heat 13 but the remarkable turnaround began in heat 13 as Wright passed Scunthorpe’s guest Lawson with Kerr making a successful last bend pass on Lawson to secure the first of 3 maximum heat advantages that were needed. More drama was to follow as Jenkins, (nursing an abdominal injury) won heat 14 and Newman held off Jake Allen to give Redcar a chance of an incredible victory. Heat 15 saw Kerr and Wright gate to secure a memorable success with Redcar needing at least 1 point from their last fixture at Plymouth to qualify for the play-offs. Kerr was the main man for Redcar with a fantastic paid 20 points!

Redcar then travelled to Plymouth and claimed a fantastic 51-39 away success and their first away win of the season. The result saw the Teessiders catapult themselves above Plymouth and into 5th in the table to face Edinburgh (again!) in the play-offs.

Edinburgh then came to Redcar to defend their 4 point KO Cup lead but Redcar started fantastically and had the match in control from the outset as they ran away with a comfortable 54-36 (97-83 on aggregate) success. Wright hit 13+1 whilst Pickering hit 13 Edinburgh.

everyone witnessing some brilliant dance moves from many of those attending.

We also hope that you were able to show your appreciation of our groundsman, John Magor, for all of his outstanding work over the year, at his recent Benefit Night – he deserves every accolade going so, especially from Marske Cricket Club, a BIG thank you John!

In September we had the wonderfully entertaining duo of Sally Glennon & Ted at our monthly Irish Night and, on October 11th, we have the welcome return of Johnny Mac travelling all the way from Ireland, to entertain everyone – followed by singers on the second Tuesday of every month, up to and including December, hoping to get your toes tapping at our Irish Nights. We also have a raffle and an all-in all-out bingo during the evening with doors opening at 7 p.m. and admission is £2.50.

If Country & Western is your scene then come along to our monthly event on Friday October 8th when you can be entertained by some truly talented people, including possibly yourself - if you are that way talented.Our regular Bingo session on Sunday lunchtimes and Wednesday evenings are as popular as ever – so it’s Dabbers at the ready and Eyes Down with cash payouts to be won.

See you all next month – good health and happiness to everyone.

● Left, Lewis Kerr and Charles Wright : Photo by Carl Hurry

Redcar Town FC by Ian Enderwick

Redcar Town FC Ladies

With a lot of our last seasons senior players moving on to new teams we had to change direction and recruit a lot of new young players.

Tiana, Hannah and Eliza all played for one of our junior teams and have made the step up easily.

The rest of the ladies have joined us from other teams and have shown the big jump in standard has not phased them.

We had a decent pre season with victories over a Newcastle Development team and Norton and Stockton Reserves, a draw against Spennymoor Ladies and a defeat to ames a Durham u23 team.

We kicked off the league away at Wallsend Boys Club Ladies and put in a battling performance going down 5-3 with a goals from Jess Round and a brace from Mary Corbyn

There is still time to sponsor a player if anyone is interested please contact Ian on 07522 477928.

ladies 1 Tianna Maloney, Annaleigh Wynn, Mary Corbyn and Jess Round

ladies 2 Lily - May Readman, Megan Day, Heather Power , Scarlett Hames

ladies 3 Grace Nevitt, Tiana Hill, Ellie Yeoman, Eliza Peacock. ladies 4 Charlotte Evans, Tahleigh Cook, Rosie Dunkerton, Hannah Colvin

Sleights ready to go with four Junior teams!

By Andrew Snaith

Sleights Football Club will enter four teams in the Scarborough Minor League for the first ever time.

They now have an Under 8, under 10, under 13 and under 14 side.

The under 8s are managed by Ricky Hall and are excited to get going in their first season.

The under 10s are managed by Annabel Storr and are also keen to make an impact.

Simon Boushall once again heads up the under 13s with the team of Mark Jackson, Andy Hinds and Taylor Humble leading the under 14s.

All four teams are based at the Car Care Sports Ground on Lowdale Lane in Sleights.

The club would like to thank Peter at Car Care of Marske for funding the ground rent fees for the year as sponsor.

The new young age groups have come from the successful Miniballers sessions on a Sunday morning.

These will return at the end of the season as the coaches are busy with their teams until April.

The club raised over £500 with their family fun day. Junior tournaments proved extremely popular and hundreds flocked to cheer on the youngsters. A big thank you to all involved particularly Mark and Donna.

Any parents can contact the club through social media or on Sleightsfc@gmail.com with any enquiries.

Redcar Town FC Ladies

Focus on Grace

1. Team you support?

Middlesbrough

2. Previous clubs?

Skelton United,

Nunthorpe Athletic,

North Riding Football League

By Andrew Snaith

The North Riding Football League season is underway in style with Boro Rangers Reserves looking to emulate their senior side as they lead the NRFL Premier Division. Fishburn Park of Whitby and Bedale are the only unbeaten sides so far in the top tier, while Thirsk Falcons are still looking for their first

point of the season.

In Division One, Redcar Town Reserves have turned around their fortunes after struggling for most of last term. They lead the way from 100% Thornaby and Ingleby Barwick and unbeaten Lealholm. Darlington Railway Association Reserves and Kader Athletic are still looking for their first points.

Sport

Priorymen falter after making excellentstart to new Northern League season

By Bill Perfitt

Following their promising start to the new Northern League season with two convincing victories in quick succession, Guisborough Town have faltered somewhat since as the season has progressed.

The Priorymen have slipped from climbing to joint second in the table at one stage to ninth by mid –September after a run of inconsistent form.

Guisborough rose to new heights in mid-August when they beat then league leaders Whickham 3-0 away with an absolutely exhilarating performance which simply blew the Tynesiders apart.

After that game a delighted Guisborough Manager Steve Bell commented: “This was the best performance since my Assistant Manager Paul Crager and I have been at the club – simple as that.

“I loved everything about it – the energy, quality with the ball and to top it off scoring three goals away to a side who had won all their opening five games with only one goal conceded before we played them.”

In between that memorable Whickham match Guisborough dropped points in a 1-1 draw at home

to Newcastle Benfield and then let slip a 3-0 lead over Tow Law to concede three goals in the last 20 minutes and in the end were relieved to settle for a 3-3 draw.

Guisborough beat lowly Penrith 2-1 at the KGV Stadium to maintain some momentum then got a moraleboosting 6-1 FA Vase win at the KGV over Division Two side Washington with six different Guisborough players getting on the scoresheet.

The Priorymen faced bottom-of-thetable Seaham Red Star next at the KGV hoping to reignite their league campaign but disappointingly after taking the lead after only three minutes through Ben Jackson, Guisborough slipped to an unexpected 2-1 defeat.

Another frustration for Guisborough and their fans was their early exit from this season’s FA Cup at the first Preliminary Round hurdle following a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Bishop Auckland, now managed by their former highly popular manager Chris ‘Chardy’ Hardy.

Although they have slipped quite alarmingly down the table in recent weeks, one saving grace is that because of cup competitions and some postponements, the Priorymen have several games in hand on the teams

above them.

Guisborough are also still in the prestigious FA Vase competition and, as Coastal View & Moor News was due to go to press, the Priorymen were due to travel over to the Lake District for a tough task against Kendal Town in the next round of the Vase.

One particularly bright spot early season for Guisborough has been the sparkling form of striker Cole Kiernan, who has scored a total of 11 goals so far, including a memorable hat-trick against West Auckland in only the second match of the season.

Another pleasing aspect of the season so far has been the healthy crowds attending matches at the KGV with 300-plus attendances a regular feature.

Finally, in common with all areas of sport, Guisborough Town expressed their deep sympathy at the recent passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

In a statement the club wrote: “The Club joins the rest of the country and countries around the world in mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Our thanks to Her Majesty for her service and our thoughts and prayers are with The Royal Family”.

Marske make excellent

By Mark Hathaway

By Andrew Snaith

B

Marske

United have made an excellent start to their first season at Step 3 of the NonLeague System and currently lie in 2ndplace in the embryonic Northern Premier League Premier Division, having played one less game than leaders South Shields, who lead the way by 4 points.

The season commenced with fellow newly promoted side Belper Town making the trip to Mount Pleasant to face the Seasiders. Marske got off to the dream start, taking the lead on just 2 minutes thanks to a beautifully directed volley from Glen Butterworth. It was 2-0 on 39 minutes and who else but last season’s top scorer and FA Cup Golden Boot winner, Adam Boyes, who took advantage of indecision in the Belper defence to sweep the ball home. Marske sat back in the second half which allowed the away side to pull a goal back through Tom Hewlett and there followed some nerves among the home fans. However, Dale Hopson calmed the nerves on 82 minutes to give Marske the 3 points.

Marske’s first away game arrived the following Tuesday with the trip to Bamber Bridge. Marske got off to another fantastic start, taking the lead on 5 minutes thanks to a superb, acrobatic volley from centre back Kev Burgess. A lapse in defence allowed the home side to draw level from a short corner and Brig took the lead on 34 minutes when Isaac Sinclair swept the ball home from the edge of the box with keeper Ryan Catterick unsighted. As half time neared, Marske drew level with another goal of high quality as Hopson fired the ball home from 25 yards, via the underside of the crossbar. Despite the openness of the game there were no further goals as both sides earned a point apiece. Next up was a trip to the outskirts of Manchester to face Radcliffe and for the third game in a row, Marske scored within 6 minutes of kick off, this time thanks to a lovely curling effort from Rob Guilfoyle on his full

debut. Marske’s frailties at corners reared their ugly head again with Rick Smith heading home unmarked at the back post. However, the game turned on a remarkable 3 goal spell either side of half time. First, a delightful cross from Dom Curl from the left was headed past his own keeper by Smith before, on the stroke of half time Guilfoyle set up Boyes, who scored from a tight angle. In the opening exchanges of the second half, a shot from Adam Gell was partially blocked but Guilfoyle reacted the quickest to poke the ball past the Radcliffe keeper to make it 4-1. Though Radcliffe got a goal back, Marske saw out the remainder of the game with relative ease to make it 7 points from their first 9 in the League.

The following Tuesday saw Ashton United make the trip to Mount Pleasant for Marske’s 4th league game of the season. The away side completely dominated the first half and took a deserved lead on 20 minutes thanks to a neat finish from Callum Saunders, son of former Welsh international Dean Saunders. At half time, Marske manager Carl Jarrett made two changes with Curtis Round and Connor Simpson replacing Curl and Guilfoyle as Marske switched to an attacking 3-4-3 formation. The bravery paid of as Marske turned the game around in a five minute spell in the second half.

First, referee Chris Joyce awarded Marske a penalty after some wrestling from a corner and Hopson stepped up to score. On 74 minutes, Ashton were unable to clear the ball and the prolific Boyes smashed the ball home from 8 yards out, meaning Marske were top of the table with 10 points from a possible 12.

Saturday the 27th saw Marske make the long trip to the outskirts of Liverpool to face last season’s non-league FA Cup heroes, Marine. Marske opted for an attacking lineup on Marine’s new 4g pitch but fell behind on 19 minutes when a shot from Doyle, which didn’t look like it was on target, took two deflections and looped over Ryan Catterick. Marske battled hard but

Whitby Town have parted company with joint manager Lee Bullock

ully, 41, who resigned as joint boss, but stays on as commercial manager, joined the club as a player in 2013.

The versatile former Bradford City midfielder was appointed joint manager in 2020 after previously assisting Chris Hardy from 2015.

Nathan Haslam will remain as sole manager. Town began the season with six defeats,

winning against Bishop Auckland 5-0 in the FA Cup and drawing 0-0 in the league at Marske United.

At time of going to press, they remain rooted to the bottom of the NPL Premier Division table after their worst start since the pandemic began.

Haslam and Bullock took the club to the fringes of the playoffs last season in seventh spot and the side was in the same position when Covid ended the 2019-20 and 2020-

21 seasons prematurely.

The Blues thanked Bullock for his hard work after accepting his resignation following the 6-0 defeat at home to Gainsborough Trinity on 13th September.

The Seasiders have brought back Malik Dijksteel on his release from Middlesbrough. The midfielder’s elder brother remains at the Riverside Stadium. Roy Fogarty has left the Blues to join rivals Belper Town.

● Lee Bullock on left with goalkeeper Shane Bland.

● Guisborough Town’s leading scorer Cole Kiernan (centre) in the thick of the action against Washington in the Priorymen’s recent 6-1 victory in the FA Vase. Picture by DAN CLARK

excellent start to season

chances were rare in the first half, with Round seeing a shot saved by Passant and after neat interplay on the left, Boyes set up Round, but his shot missed the target. The second half was played in similar vein with chances few and far between for Marske. The best two chances both fell to sub Simpson who headed the ball wide from a deep cross and then missed the targetafter being set up by Round, as Marske fell to their first defeat of the season. Just two days later, Marske welcomed Whitby Town to Mount Pleasant in only the 4th competitive game between the two teams and the first ever league meeting. In front of a superb crowd of 1,133, the key moment in the game occurred just before the half hour mark when Simpson kicked out at a Whitby player and was shown a red card by referee Dave Holmes. Marske had a goal from Boyes wrongly ruled out for offside, before the game became a tale of both keepers, who were easily the best player on each side. Marske’s Catterick made a number of superb saves throughout the game whereas Whitby’s Shane Bland was less busy though pulled off a tremendous double save in the 2nd half, saving a shot from 20 yards from recent signing Theo Hudson and followed it up by superbly tipping over the rebound, a header from Boyes.

As the season entered its second month, Marske’s first game saw old rivals Runcorn Linnets make the trip to the North-East coast to face Marske in the 1st Qualifying Round of the FA Cup (the latest Marske have ever entered the FA Cup). Marske got off to a tremendous start, leading 2-0 after 17 minutes. The opening goal

Off the field activities at Marske United

By Bob Ryan

of the game on 13 minutes came from, who else, but last season’s FA Cup Golden Ball winner Boyes, who spectacularly volleyed home from the edge of the box. Four minutes later it was 2-0 when Sam Heathcote made a huge error of judgement, heading the ball high over the reach of the Linnets keeper and into the net. The second half saw the away side make a huge effort to get back into the game and they got a goal back on 66 minutes through Ally Brown but couldn’t get the second goal to take the game to a replay.

With games nationwide postponed over the weekend of September 10th following the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Marske’s next game saw them make the relatively short journey to the outskirts of Leeds to face Guiseley, who were relegated from the Conference North the previous season. For the 4th time this season, Marske opened the scoring in the first 5 minutes of the game, this time on 3 minutes when a cross from the left from Curl found Boyes who fired home from close range. In all honesty, Marske then weathered a deal of pressure from the home side with Ryan Catterick superbly saving a penalty from Jake Cassidy and followed this up with further exceptional saves in the second half. Marske doubled their lead with 4 minutes left when sub Hopson sent fellow sub Josh MacDonald clear, who passed the ball past Halifax loanee Tom Scott and into the corner of the net. The home side pulled one back as the game ticked onto 90 minutes before Boyes grabbed his second of the game in the 4th minute of injury time from a Round cross, to give Marske another huge 3 points.

In the 2nd Qualifying Round draw, Marske have been paired with Whitby Town, meaning after only playing three times in competitive games previously, the two sides will play each other for a second time in 19 days. The game will be played at the Turnbull Ground, Whitby, on Saturday 17th September.

Marske have an extremely busy few weeks ahead of them with games on Saturday and Tuesday for the nextfew weeks. The forthcoming fixtures are as follows:

Saturday 24th September 3pm kick off – Stafford Rangers (H) Tuesday 27th September 7.45pm kick off – South Shields (H)

Saturday 1st October 3.00pm kick off – Matlock Town (A)

Tuesday 4thOctober 7.45pm kick off – Lancaster City (A)

On the playing front, Marske have added to their squad with the signing of attacking midfielder Theo Hudson, who started his career at Leeds United and has since played for Darlington, Ashton United and Gainsborough Trinity.

As always, you can keep up to date with the latest Marske United news, both on the field and off the field at: www.marskeunitedfc.org www.twitter.com/MarskeunitedFC

Partnership established with Westgarth Primary School, Marske-by-the-Sea

ollowing discussions between the Head of Westgarth and the club, we are pleased to be able to work with Westgarth, on enabling the pupils to improve their school learning by working with the club on various schemes which will prove a great incentive to the students and let them get the experience of a live football match and the atmosphere that brings.

F

The children have been given the opportunity to become flag bearers as the teams enter the pitch. This is a new incentive and is one we are opening to the other schools and youth organisations in the area.

We are also encouraging the children to take part in compiling pieces of work researching our matchday opponents and the area the clubs are travelling from to present to their teachers and the club.

These along with other initiatives are sure to grow the bond with the club and the community.

Girls Team

The club are still working with Rose and Potter Marske to hopefully launch a girls football team at Under 11 age group very soon. We are still seeking coaches to run this and will then be advertising for girls who wish to become involved in the team. If anyone has coaching experience or

wishes to have a discussion about how you can help please email Amanda via girls@marskeunitedfc. org or visit the Facebook page Marske United FC Girls.

October Half term activities

The club are hoping to run another football fun day during the October half term holiday. These have proved very popular with children aged 7-13 at the football ground. Please check out www.m arskeunitedfc.org for details.

Walking Football

This is still going strong with more and more new members trying it out for themselves. The sessions are now at De Brus Centre Skelton on the following days: Monday 6pm-7pm and Thursday 11am-12 Noon. It is all about the social aspect of the game with the emphasis on social inclusion without trying to be the best footballer. Anyone is welcome to attend. Pleaseemailmsrpfootball@outlook. com for more details or just come along. Refreshments are provided on a Thursday morning after the session.

Mascot Opportunities

The club have once again launched their popular matchday mascot opportunities for children to become mascots for the day at Mount Pleasant. This is for children aged 5-12 and gives the child the opportunity to meet the team, lead the team out on the pitch with the opportunity for you to take a photo of your child with

your favourite player. The child can also join the substitutes at half time on the pitch. This is FREE for all children with the only stipulation your child MUST wear the Marske United 2022/23 Home Shirt when walking out with the team. For further information or to put your child’s name down for this please contact msrpfootball@outlook.com

Marske United Ground Grading With the success of Marske United on the field, goes the challenges of the club keeping pace with the ground grading requirements that are required for the club to participate at Step 3 of the English Football Pyramid. Significant improvements need to be made to the ground ahead of the FA deadline of 31st March 2023. The club have set up a GO FUND ME page on the Clubs website: www. marskeunitedfc.org (at the top of the first page). This is with the hope that Supporters and Businesses can help the club complete the works needed to achieve the required grading level. Essential work needing doing include extra seats added to the stadium, a further turnstile, improved Floodlights, and extra covered areas around the ground. The club are always grateful for any help supporters and the local people of East Cleveland can give to help them maintain their current level of football and their representation of the area.

The club are expanding their 50/50 (former 100 Club) Weekly Cash Draw to make it bigger and provide more opportunities for supporters to participate and the opportunity to win 50% of the weekly money taken. This is a great initiative for supporters to get behind the club with the chance of winning each week with bonus draws at Christmas and Easter. Current prizes are £75 per week and the club would like to be paying out £150 per week if we can get more people to sign up for this. Remember this is not just for supporters attending the games but anyone can take part.

The cost is £5 per month or £60 for the year. You will be given a number which will go into a weekly draw with winners put out on the club’s social media channels each week. To participate or for more information please contact David Hitchenhitchen_david@hotmail.com (Photo on graphic courtesy of Karen Harland)

Sponsorship Opportunities

With the club progressing they certainly rely on business and individual sponsorships to allow the club to compete at the highest level. The club are always grateful to our sponsors and are seeking further businesses and individuals alike who would like to promote their business etc via the club’s footprint.

The club have various sponsorship opportunities for individuals and

businesses alike. Promote your business via the ground/club website (regularly in the Top 50 Pitchero Websites), Twitter and Facebook Media Pages with over 20,000 followers and via the matchday programme. Opportunities include Player Sponsorship, Matchday Sponsorship, Matchball Sponsorship and Advertising Board/Programme Sponsorship. Businesses could also have their name on the Away Shirt as part of a sponsorship deal or even have a stand at the stadium or even the stadium named after their company. It is certainly a great way to expand the reach of your business and to get behind Marske United as they continue to progress. Full details of packages etc are contained in our brochure on the club website www.marskeunitedfc.org. If anyone is interested in any sponsorship opportunities, please contact one of the Commercial team

Eddie Mcnamee - eddie.mcnamee@ btinternet.com

David Lawson - david_lawson@ hotmail.co.uk

Paul Hart- paul.hart@sky.com

The Club- msrpfootball@outlook. com

Thank you for your support of Marske United. Reminder all information on Marske United can be found at www. marskeunitedfc.org where you can also purchase advance tickets to home games involving Marske United.

● Curtis Round in action against Whitby Town and the Marske players celebrating Adam Boyes goal vs Runcorn Linnets in the FA Cup: Photo’s by Emma Hathaway

Whistle Stop Bowls Competition

By John Watson (on behalf of Castleton Danby & D.B.C.

astleton, Danby and District Bowls Club held a Whistle Stop Bowls competition on home ground with the spectacular dale of Danby as a backdrop.

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The event was sponsored by Steve Duck of Integral Collections, Skelton, and the 24 teams of three bowlers competed throughout the day for the A. W. Champion & Son Trophy.

Winners by one point were the Guisborough Priory team of Tom Entwistle, Sue Entwistle, and Marie Dowson, with the Castleton team of Linda Dove, Joe Dove, and Dave Richardson runners-up.

Food and refreshments were served all day in Castleton Village Hall, including a raffle.

A fantastic day of keen competition and the club would like to thank Steve Duck for his generosity and also everyone who worked so hard to make it such a success.

Redcar Town

Passing of the Queen

Redcar Town Football Club is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen and we express our sincere condolences to the Royal Family.

As the world mourns her loss, we give thanks for the extraordinary life and work of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and wish King Charles III a long and healthy reign.

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● Tom Entwistle, Marie Dowson, and Sue Entwistle. Castleton

● Bowling green with Danby Dale in the background.