Talk of the Town May 2019

EDITION 215

CIRCULATION 4,600

MAY 2019

SALTBURN’S FREE MONTHLY MAGAZINE 1

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SALTBURN’S TOWN TALK Letter from the Editor: Sometimes there is just no space for Send letters, adverts and contributions for the next issue (by me to have my say, but that‟s fine because it‟s not all about Friday, 17th May 2019) to: The Editor, Talk of the Town me! I mention some heartfelt thanks on page 21. Love, Ian c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Saltburn Farmers’ Market returns on Saturday, 11th May, 9 Cleveland, TS12 1AQ. Telephone: 01287 623903 (or till 2, in and around the town centre. Saturday 11th May email: talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com). brings our Strawberry Market! The first fresh Yorkshire Talk of the Town can be found on a new Facebook Strawberries of the year will make their appear alongside address at www.facebook.com/talkofthetownsaltburn. several new stalls - if you‟ve not been for a while come on down! We‟ve a new sour dough bread stall , Korean Saltburn Life Drawing Group: Toc H Coach House, Albion Dumplings, gluten free bakery and gourmet dog treats Terrace. Every Tuesday 7.30pm. £6.00 with coffee. Tel: 07948 amongst our meandering array of fantastic food, gifts and 619063 for further details. See article page 11. drinks all made here on Teesside! And a date for your Change of Venue for Dementia Group: From Wednesday calendar - the amazing Saltburn Food Festival will be on 24th April, the Reflections charity Dementia Care Cafe Sunday, 28th July this year, 10-6! An event not to be missed. (promoted in April's magazine) will be running from 10.00 Wildlife and Music Festival: On Saturday, 1st June 2019 12.00 on Wednesdays at the 25k Community Centre, Ayton Cleveland Bat Group and For People not Profit are holding a Drive, Redcar, TS10 4LR. People with Dementia and carers free wildlife and music festival in Saltburn. The festival will are welcome to drop in. offer people of all ages a great opportunity to learn about bats Saltburn Studios and Gallery: On Saturday, 27th April artist and other wildlife in our area. There‟ll be food, live acoustic Sara Henry opened Seven Sins, a solo exhibition of her abstract music, craft stalls and lots of information about how to enjoy paintings inspired by the Seven Sins. The show runs for 4 weekends 12 noon - 4pm until Sunday 19th May. Our next and protect the wildlife around us. See page 19.

Craft Club Busy Fingers: 2nd and 4th Thursday of each Open Studios will be on Saturday, 11th May as part of the month, 1.30 till 3.30pm in the Coffee Room, Saltburn celebrations of 150 years of Saltburn Pier. Hey Ho Printing are coordinating a Saltburn wide Open Studio event on this day.

Community Centre.

Random Stitchers of Cleveland (Embroiderer's Guild) are Saltburn Traditional Music Workshops: Do you play a holding their monthly meeting on Saturday, 6th of May in melody instrument? If you are interested in playing traditional Sunnyfield House, Westgate, Guisborough. TS14 6BA. The music of the British Isles please come and join us. We play meeting starts at 2pm and everyone is welcome. The cost is tunes slowly for people to get used to playing together and £5.00. Car parking is free on Saturdays in the council car park welcome the use of recording devices to enable you to take the behind Belmont House, Rectory Lane. The meeting on May tunes home with you to practise. We will be meeting on Friday 6th will be led by members and a number of practical 10th and Friday 24th May from 2pm to 4pm in the Coffee activities will be available to try, so come along for an Room at the Community Hall. Please contact Angie on 01287 enjoyable afternoon.

S y b i l 205153 for a natter to find out more about our friendly group.

Emmanuel Church Hall Table Top and Collectors’ Sale: WI Report: At our April meeting the ladies of Saltburn WI We are going to be doing a special extra table top and listened to an extremely interesting talk by Colin Hart from the collectors sale on the 11th May from 12 till 4pm in the Skinningrove mining museum, who told us about the social Emmanuel Church Hall to celebrate 150 years of the Pier and history and development of Skinningrove due to Ironstone the church will be also open. We will be doing our usual light mining and iron production. Illustrated by a series of lunches and afternoon teas and all day breakfasts. We will be photographs and census information he traced the development back for our normal sales on 4th and 18th May then 1st and of the village from a small hamlet to a thriving village 15th June. We are really taking off as we are using all three community during the 19th century.

As usual we have a full month of activities to look rooms and it‟s really busy. It‟s nice that we have a lot of people just wanting a clear out. In this sale we are using three forward to. Later in April we visited the Sunderland Winter rooms full of stall holders and we have also let some charity gardens with a shopping trip to Dalton Park on the way. Our people in like Friends of Redcar Cemetery, different church new Food tasting venture will see us sampling a variety of groups, cancer charities and more. It‟s helping a lot of people, starters and swapping recipes on the last Monday of the month.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again and thank you We will continue our weekly strolls and our monthly book club all for your support. We are also doing our usual lunches and and supper club meetings, while at flowers our theme will be an all day breakfast, fresh home baked cake, pies and scones. Easter arrangement.

We meet on the second Thursday of each month at the Home made refreshments and light lunches are on sale all Saltburn Learning Campus. New members are always welcome day. FREE ENTRANCE and a warm welcome to everyone. so why not come along and give us a try. Full details of all our With over 26 stall holders, selling lots of bric-a-brac, books, activities can be found on our website toys, baby goods, and all sorts of collectables, there is www.saltburnbytheseawi.wordpress.com or you can follow us something for everyone. Contact Denise Marshall on 07929 on Facebook.

589538.

Diane Falla Cover Photograph: Cleveland Klondike races past Cat Nab by David Hankin. See article page 31.

Disclaimer: Talk of the Town tries to make sure the articles and announcements made on its pages are accurate, but views expressed in letters and articles printed in Talk of the Town are not necessarily those of the editor. Any offers in adverts included in Talk of the Town are made by the advertisers; details should be confirmed with them. Always confirm event details with the organisers, in case of alteration or error. Talk of the Town is printed by DC (Yorkshire) Print, Mercury House, Grove Lane, Hemsworth WF9 4BB. Website: www.dcprintyorkshire.co.uk Tel: 01977 642331. Proprietor/Editor of Talk of the Town: Ian Tyas c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ. (Ian Tyas tel: 01287 623903.)

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HMS Saltburn visited Saltburn-by-the-Sea On Wednesday, 12th September 1934 the ship arrived off Saltburn-by-the-Sea on a rather misty morning for a fiveday visit. The ship has been fully described in previous issues of the magazine. When the forthcoming visit was announced to the Saltburn and Marske Urban District Council there was also a request from Commander Brooke for a copy of the Town‟s Coat of Arms to display on board the ship. Despite the long history of the town no Coat of Arms had ever been adopted. To remedy the omission a competition was held attracting 20 entries, the judging panel which included Commander Brooke during the ship‟s visit selected the winning entry by local schoolteacher Mr G E Tallant Sidaway who was awarded the £5 prize money. The Coat of Arms is still used by the Saltburn Marske and New Marske Parish Council.

There were many visitors from a wide area to see the ship. The photographs shown here are in an album presented to the Chairman of the Council, Rev A H Waton.

HMS Saltburn with HMS Cherwell, a Mersey Class Royal Navy Trawler, in the background.

Above: Meeting at the Council Offices, Albion Terrace prior to the wreath laying ceremony.

Below, Left to Right: Commander Brooke laying wreath at War Memorial. A page from the programme arranged for the visitors.

The Saltburn Marske and New Marske Coat of Arms officially granted June 19th 1935.

The civic party aboard HMS Saltburn.

Cath and Tony Lynn 4

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Saltburn Councillors’ Surgeries Saltburn Councillors‟ Surgeries, each month - all on Saturdays Because of the Local Elections on May 2nd we don‟t yet know (at the time of this magazine going to press) what changes might have to be made to the surgery times but check with the library for further details during May until clarity is resumed in June‟s magazine.

Worship on Sunday 10.45am & 6.00pm And 10.00am Wednesday Sunday school 10.45am Prayer meeting Tuesday 1.15pm

MONDAY

8.00pm Ladies Meeting

TUESDAY

10.00am - Mums & Toddlers 1.15pm Prayer Meeting 2.00pm Knit & Natter

WEDNESDAY 10.00am Mid week Worship THURSDAY 10.00am Mums & Toddler 2.30pm fortnightly - Ladies Meeting COFFEE MORNINGS: WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY AT 10.00am WE ARE OPEN FROM 10.00am - 12 NOON MONDAY, TUESDAY , THURSDAY, FRIDAY DO COME AND HAVE A CHAT AND A CUPPA For Hire of rooms ring 01287 623145 5

Once Upon a Time in the Wapentake I don‟t want to bore you all by banging on about trains. I have been told that my hobby is in danger of becoming an obsession. There is, however, another way of looking at it.

Transporting freight or passengers in vehicles that run on metal rails uses less energy than those that run on roads, and trams and trains can be powered without burning fossil fuels. I‟m not alone in believing that rail will play a major role in preventing climate disaster.

There are also things in last month‟s article that I need to say more about. One of these is the mining of coal to be transported to Redcar ultimately for steel making.

Environmentalists have pointed out that blast furnaces emit carbon dioxide, and that steel can be produced from scrap using the electric arc process, a much less damaging process. This is true, and one day, when all those tens of millions of cars that today congest, and pollute, our towns and cities, are deemed obsolete, then there will be enough scrap available to make blast furnaces equally obsolete. But before that can happen there will have to be public transport, fast, frequent, cheap and reliable, and operating in rural areas where now people are particularly dependent on their cars. Battersby, as well as Clapham, Junctions must be catered for. But to create such a network will need a lot of steel for rails, wheels, pylons to carry the cables that carry the power and for wind and water turbines to generate that power. So it is possible that steel making of the kind we used to know on Teesside may have to go on for a few years at least.

Another thing I need to address is my suggestion that something like British Rail will be needed to make the necessary changes happen. I did not say exactly like. I am aware that there were things wrong with BR; mistakes were made that should not be repeated. But I remember a journey I made in the 1970s. It was the first time I had travelled on one of the then new HST 125, built by BR in its own

workshops, and still the fastest and most comfortable diesel train ever made. So popular it was that there were no seats available in Standard Class, so we sat in First, which you were allowed to do then. (Don‟t dare try it nowadays!) Once there we decided to splash out on Afternoon Tea. So we floated northwards through a beautiful English Summer‟s day enjoying one of the very best Tea Parties of my life.

The BR sandwich is sometimes given as symbolic of the bad old days, by people who don‟t know that the railway sandwich was already a joke 150 years ago, long before the railways were nationalised. (Charles Dickens was one who made the jokes.) I remember the excellent Ham and Pease Pudding Butties (and home made cakes) you could get on Darlington Station, and that BR had hundreds of restaurant cars, and long distance trains that didn‟t have those had decent buffets. Now you‟re lucky to get a trolley service selling bags of crisps and plastic cups of instant coffee.

Most of what was wrong with BR was down to a lack of cash. Privatisation was supposed to have brought a flood of private capital. And lots more investment did come in. But it was not from private sources. It was almost all public money, our money, some five or six times more public investment than BR ever received. The dreaded Pacer Trains seem to sum it up. It was a desperate expedient by a cash strapped BR, expected to last at most fifteen years, but forty years later, after twenty-five years of privatisation, and billions of pounds of our money given to the companies now running our railways, the Pacers are still rattling and screeching into Saltburn.

Enough! But with the editor‟s, and yours, dear readers, permission, I will continue my rant.

Tim Beswick

Funding The Future Saltburn Learning Campus is backing a national funding campaign along with other schools in the North East and beyond who have been hit by the funding crisis in education.

The campaign calls on the Prime Minister to #FundOurFuture, by asking people to create a banknote with a photo or drawing of their child on it that will be sent to Westminster. The banknote literally puts children at the centre of the picture and will show the Government the public support for investing in our children‟s futures.

An average of £500 per student is missing out each year due to the reduction of school funding in England.

Saltburn Learning Campus has launched their campaign in April, calling for Government to commit to plugging the £4.2 billion funding gap. They are raising awareness on their social media platforms and have asked parents/ carers to get involved too to send the Prime Minister a clear message.

Schools North east is asking everyone to take a 6

minute to visit the FundOurFuture Website to create a banknote, then share it online with the hashtag #FundOurFuture.

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Councillors’ Column By the time readers have received this edition the process of local democracy and the procedures associated with it will be drawing to a close.

There will have been discussion on local issues and how they affect the daily lives of residents. These, however, will not have been the only subjects being debated. The line between local and national issues is not always clear to voters, let alone the managers of much fought over democratic systems.

This year the local democratic experience has been subject to greater decisions being debated, if that is the right word, in legislatures across the nation and further afield.

In the good old days, Parliament was a place far off that did not really affect what was happening on the doorstep. Today every word is not only recorded but is readily audible across the land. The immediacy of politics has brought home how complex the process of legislating can be and the human element in that process so subject to a plethora of different pressures.

A cross in a box does not seem much but there may be fewer crosses recorded this year as confidence in any electoral system is being challenged and the influence of local people apparently disregarded. Whatever the propositions proposed and claims of panaceas the ballot boxes will have been emptied, the contents analysed and the mathematical resolution proclaimed.

What now? Is that an end to any lay influence? Should Diogenes be reincarnated and invited to live in Station Square to demonstrate to us all the true purpose of life?

Perhaps the injection of moral philosophy is too rare an ingredient to introduce into the local political arena, or is it?

During the next four years of normal everyday living, before the banner headlines of another election there will be time enough to engage in considered discussion.

There will be time enough to engage in the political process and to shape the future of the town without awaiting the edicts from places of legislature far away.

Every resident has a point of view. These should be able to be expressed and their reasonable requests responded to. When the Saltburn Neighbourhood Action Partnership was established there was scepticism about another talking shop. SNAP has matured into a public forum where requests can be made, points of view expressed, without fear of recrimination, and results achieved.

Recent subjects raised by residents have included, over development of the town, not enough respect for its heritage, continuing problems with inconsiderate parking, unsafe road markings, planning applications not respecting the feelings of residents, misuse of fuel burning stoves, protection against unsolicited door step vendors, waste and recycling and the care needed to protect the environment.

Thus, there may be life after the ballot box. Coming together, having free and frank discussion, respecting othersâ€&#x; points of view and retaining an open mind are good starting points.

Athenian democracy is alive in Saltburn. Let us acclaim and participate. Democracy, like Charity, begins at home.

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Saltburn Athletic FC Under 8s: The team has now completed its fixtures for the season and has shown a vast improvement from the seasonâ€&#x;s start. This was their first year and having played at five a side level they will now go on to play seven a side games. Team Coach Tim Raynes.

Under 10s: This is another team in their first year and congratulations are due as they won their respective division.

Some of the players have played at an age group higher previously and that experience has helped enormously. They will now go from seven to nine a side next season. Coach Mark Grayson.

Under 11 Seahawks: Yet again another new team and from a shaky start to a very strong finish this team can be proud of their first season together. Hopefully this experience will help in their quest for honours next season. Coach Will Hopkin and Assist Matty Dobson.

Under 11 Sharks: Yet again another successful season and winners of their division. They will now be promoted to Division Three of nine divisions. Congratulations to all who have been part of this team. Coach 1 James Kesterton and Coach 2 Andy Croll.

Under 12s: This team nearly did it again but unfortunately and unluckily just failed to get another promotion. This team are well capable of having another successful season coming up and I am sure they will vie for promotion. They will now step up from nine a side to eleven a side. Coach Ron Campbell, Assists Dan Bennett and Gary Summerfield.

Under 14s Falcons: Having had a very shaky start they progressed throughout the season and with a game to play they stand 6th and are well placed to get that 5th spot provided they win the last match. Coach Rick Day, Assist Sue Day. Under 14s Dolphins: This team has had a very successful season and lie 3rd in their division with a great chance to finish second and hopefully promotion to division one. They need to win all three of their remaining games to do that. However, it doesnâ€&#x;t stop there as they have reached the North Riding cup final to be played on 28th April against Boro Rangers. This is a fantastic achievement as this cup takes in teams from all over North Yorkshire and the Teesside area. Well done to all those involved. Coach Kev Robinson.

Under 15s: From a glorious start to the season to an unfortunate end. Due to some unfortunate issues with players missing for vital games they eventually finished 4th in division three. They have done well over the past few seasons but lady luck deserted them this year. Coaches Bob Mitchell and Phil Barnes.

Thanks to Rick Day for organising the referees for all our home games. Thanks also to our treasurer Sue Day. Our off field committee member Roy Myers has been busy dealing with Sport England, CLS, R and C council and various other companies negotiating funding for the club and this has involved many thousands of pounds and still has much to do.

Thanks Roy for all you have done. Thanks to all coaches and assistants mentioned above and a very big thanks to all the players and parents. There is also Dave Sadler our chairman to thank for all his input and help. Lastly but not least is our goalkeeping coach for all teams, Tom Turner, who also puts a great deal of work in outside his coaching remit.

We have now fully erected the fence and gates around the new community area and it is now waiting for the area to be grass seeded before the end of April. This is the area at Hob Hill behind our football field.

Our own Club football gala days are the 8th and 9th June when we will be inviting teams from Teesside and Durham areas and all games are to be played either at Huntcliff Campus or our own field at Hob Hill. Entry to the tournament will be via Huntcliff Campus with gates open by 8am. We are expecting around 48 teams to play over the two days.

Andy Croll, Club secretary

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Help! Your local Playgroup needs you!

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We have spaces in May for babies and newcomers to the town

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Proposed Camping and Caravan Club Site at Saltburn I am sure that the view from the top promenade in Saltburn is considered iconic, with the beautiful picturesque rolling hills and valleys and the magnificent Huntcliff, a breathtaking vista to behold.

However, this could soon be replaced with a view of a caravan and camping site, looking something more akin to this:

Saltburn Evangelical Church (Leven Street Mission) Following Jesus - the Bible our guide

Here for you: WELCOME! Sundays 10.30am & 6.00pm www.saltburnevangelicalchurch.org.uk _________________________________

On 15th March a senseless act of brutality against innocent people in Christchurch, New Zealand cost 50 lives. The media reported, and the world was stunned.

The land in question is bordering on a conservation area and a protected site of special scientific interest.

The assets team of Redcar Council, tasked with encouraging tourism to the area, highlighted this field as a suitable location for a camping and caravan site. They then approached Skelton and Gilling Estates to determine if this was acceptable to them, and they, in turn, contacted the Camping and Caravan Club.

This proposal was brought to a consultation in March to allow the public to comment, and following this, it is probable that a planning application will be submitted to the council in due course. This will then go into the public domain, and there will be a three week time frame for people to comment. If there are more than five objectors, it will go to committee for a decision.

It is important that Saltburn residents are aware of this situation and are prepared to voice their opinion.

Names withheld by agreement

A date for your diaries Renaissance presents

A Summer Serenade at Saltburn Community Hall Saturday June 29th, 7.30pm

An evening of music from opera to jazz from this award-winning choir - look out for further details in next month’s Talk of the Town.

And keep the date free - this will be an unmissable summer event!

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Four days earlier, gunmen attacked a village in Africa. They torched houses, shooting and hacking down anything that moved. 71 people died … and this is the first you’ll have heard of it. The daily systematic extermination of Christians by extremist groups is not news, and goes largely unreported.

Sharia penalties recently introduced in Brunei have attracted wide condemnation, but you won’t have read in your paper that converting to Christianity is already a capital offence under Sharia in several countries. Christmas has been banned in Brunei since 2014!

When the terrorists kidnapped 76 African converts to Christianity four women were forced to watch as their husbands were executed for refusing to renounce their faith in Christ. Next they were threatened: “Renounce your faith or your children will be shot tomorrow.”

They prayed, and during the night Jesus Christ appeared to them in a vision telling them to stand firm, and promising protection.

Morning came. They still refused to deny Christ. The militants took aim at their children. Then suddenly, “Snakes!” they screamed. Some ran away; the rest dropped dead where they stood. One of the children said, “Can’t you see the men in white fighting for us?”

It didn’t make our papers of course, but those children will never forget! “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.” (John 1:5)

Saltburn Library News Feeling lacklustre…no spring in your step? Why not join us for a series of Health Talks aimed at improving your overall well-being. Starting May 8th with guidance over healthy weight loss, these 4 x talks will also take place in Marske Library on the same dates if you miss those at Saltburn. But in the afternoon!

LOVE LIFE, LIVE WELL – Series of Talks (also running at Marske library on the same dates, at 13:30).

8th May 11:00 am Healthy Weight Loss (advice and guidance for healthy food swaps and how to adopt better eating patterns for life).

29th May 10:30am Library Reading Group meeting – The Master Bedroom by Tessa Hadley.

22nd May 11:00am Cancer Awareness & Prevention.

5th June 11:00am Improving your well-being.

19th June 11:00am Dementia Friends (general talk aimed at improving dementia awareness).

Other looking ahead dates: May – 150 Years of Saltburn Pier celebration (Library display) and also Tour De Yorkshire (Library display celebrating the cycle race).

June – 50th Anniversary Cleveland Way (Redcar & Cleveland Walking Festival).

3rd June 11-12 pm Talk hosted by Countryside Team on walking The Cleveland Way. August – Summer holidays kids crafts and events (TBC).

Kelly Rose

Undressing for the Neighbours?

Taking your clothes off for a hall full of art students in a city university must be a challenge, but I suspect that it has nothing on baring all in a tightly-knit community of fewer than 6,000 dauntingly over-connected people. It was only in the weeks after I first modelled for Saltburn Life Drawing Group myself that I fully grasped the implications: commuting, shopping and even churchgoing suddenly brought me into contact with townsfolk I‟d never noticed before that night who‟ve probably spent more time exploring my peculiarities than my husband.

While it was happening, however, I felt surprisingly energised, as the fear I‟d experienced in the days leading up to my first session immediately fell away. All of the artists were there - like me - to work, and they made me feel like an equal rather than an object. Moreover, I found that the demands of holding even the simplest of poses quickly diminished any feeling of isolation, imperfection or vulnerability, simply because I had neither the time nor energy to think about anything other than what it was I was actually doing.

I felt my body fall away from my self, of it becoming a tool, a thing I could use in pursuit of not just my own needs, but of something greater. More significantly, I felt liberated; I‟d given myself one less worry to carry, one less thing separating me from others, and a sense that if I could do that, in front of all those strangers, I could do anything.

In the days and weeks after it felt a bit weird bumping into class members in Sainsbury‟s, but, after a while, this only compounded my sense of empowerment.

The more that people knew me for doing it, the stronger I became. As well as all the other things I am in my busy life, I‟m now also a life model; I have a new profession, a role that‟s mine - for me - based on the conquest of my fears.

I‟m not the only one either: I know of one model whose moonlighting had no impediment upon her role as a successful Saltburn businesswoman, and another woman who works in one of the town‟s most high-profile venues.

If you‟d like to find out more about who you are, why don‟t you model? Not only would you be doing something personally rewarding, but you‟d also be supporting something that has itself supported the unique social and cultural amenity of our beautiful town for nearly forty years.

Saltburn Life Drawing Group is a self-supporting group that‟s played a quiet, but vital role in the nurturing of our town as a centre of excellence in the arts, one that promotes the old-fashioned belief that it is looking and feeling - rather than thinking - that is the wellspring of artistic expression, one that believes that the primal reaction of one body to another can only be translated into something transcendent with the application of that increasingly elusive thing we call skill.

There is nothing more provocative, absorbing, and infinitely variable than the human form, and every emotion that the naked body elicits is essential in both our aesthetic development and in our full understanding of our humanity; what‟s more, it will always be thus.

Go on - try it.

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Saltburn 500 Club Congratulations got to Mrs Noonan for winning the £100 First Prize in the Saltburn 500 Club April draw. I know many of you will be upset if I don‟t finish the opening paragraph by begging for more people to become members. Therefore, application forms can be found at Saltburn library, or, at Jackie‟s Saverstore.

Just prior to writing this article, I have just heard that the weather people have forecast a sizzling hot Easter.

I‟m undecided, should I believe them and look for space in the fridge to keep my Easter eggs cool, or should I dig out my waterproofs? If we manage to get the sunny weather, I‟m hoping that it continues throughout the summer and encourages many of you to come along to the weekend performances at the Bandstand. As mentioned last month, the May performances are: Sunday 5th May, Marske Brass Band; 12th May, Bilsdale Silver Band; 19th May, Hurworth Concert Band and 26th May, Darlington Community Wind Band.

Saltburn 500 Club were approached by Saltburn in Bloom and asked if we could fund the tidying-up of the area around the Victorian statues at the Bandstand, as the Britain in Bloom judges are due to be visiting soon. We have decided that the gravel around the statues is going to be replaced by a resin surface, the result being that it is much easier to keep tidy. I am hopeful that this work will be complete before the end of May. I was approached by a representative of Saltburn Business Association and they have expressed an interest in supporting the appeal for funding for the Christmas lights. It was suggested that various businesses would be prepared to have a collecting bottle on their counter and, as a result, you will now see bright orange collecting bottles around the town. The Friends of Saltburn have managed to raise sufficient funding to have the first refurbishment done. It was decided that the main area of concern was the lights on the frontage of the Queen‟s Hotel. As some of you will know, we have had an intermittent problem here for the past two or three years and it is a focal point when we have the tree-lighting parade. We are in desperate need of more funding so please help if you can.

Our first Community Centre fund-raiser for the Christmas lights was held on Saturday, 13th April. We managed to raise just over £300 and would like to think we can match this in the next three fund-raisers, the next one being on Saturday, 22nd June. Thank you to the volunteers who baked and/or helped in the kitchen and also to the stall holders who support various fund-raisers in the town. The final thank you is to those of you who came along and supported us.

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

Saltburn Charity Crafters Saltburn Charity Crafters will be meeting from 2pm to 4pm on Wednesday, 1st May in the Coffee Room at the Community Hall. You are welcome to join us. If you would like further information on what we do please contact Angie on 01287 205153.

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T: 01287 201876

M: 07737 654772

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

Website: www.flintoffs.co.uk

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Saltburn in Bloom We have been having lovely Easter weather and, at the time of writing, Saltburn in Bloom gardening team is working really hard to get the town looking lovely for residents, visitors, businesses. Spring judging day was 29th April and a huge THANK YOU to all of you who worked so hard gardening, litter picking, sweeping and tidying, and being there on the day. It makes me very proud to live in Saltburn.

Saltburn in Bloom committee thought it would be helpful to describe what goes on with the Northumbria in Bloom (NiB) and Britain in Bloom (BiB) process.

Saltburn joined the NiB scheme twenty-eight years ago, led by Jackie Taylor, who was passionate about our town.

England is divided into regions for the „in Bloom‟ initiative and there is also in Bloom for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Entrants are placed into categories according to population size, which include villages, towns, cities, urban communities, coastal resorts and business parks. Northumbria is one of the few regions where judging takes place twice, in spring (April) and in summer (July), with spring being an opportunity for entrants to meet the judges, tell them what to expect in summer, while showing them what an area looks like in spring. When all the judging is completed, the judges get together, look at all the scores and agree which place has come top in each of the categories.

The overall winner in each category in each area is then invited by its in Bloom committee, to join BiB as a national finalist. Over the years, Saltburn has taken part and the best we have achieved is silver gilt. Awards go from merit at the bottom, to bronze, then silver, silver gilt and gold. Some years we have been invited to join the finals but declined because we didn‟t feel ready or didn‟t have the capacity for the extra work involved. In 2018 Saltburn won gold and a trophy for the best coastal resort category. We were invited to enter the national finals for 2019 and we agreed.

As you can see, it‟s all quite involved. On the ground, though, it‟s simple but very hard work. Our gardening team in particular and the Saltburn in Bloom committee, go all out to make sure the town looks as good as it possibly can. For us, though, the complexities of the in Bloom bureaucracy, although important, take the back stage when we think about how we want Saltburn to look for our residents, businesses and visitors.

National judging will take place on 1st August, quite close to NiB summer judging, so the run up to those dates will provide us with a lot of work to make us look our best. Before that time, we will be contacting residents and businesses on the judging route, to ask whether you would mind doing your bit to make your patch look as good as possible.

Between us, I know we will do our best as I know how much we all love Saltburn. If you can offer any time or have any questions, contact us by email: it‟s Saltburn.in.bloom@gmail.com. Sue 14

Saltburn-by-the-Sea Garden Flat available for holiday lets Less than five minutes walk from the sea and from the train station, shops and local restaurants etc.

The property consists of a fully fitted and equipped kitchen, spacious and well furnished lounge overlooking the garden (which is for your personal use), and a king size bed with en-suite bathroom.

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

Andy Pollard

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

Saltburn Photographic Society Monthly evening outings commence in May with a visit to the Blue Bell woods at Newton under Roseberry. In June we visit North Gare at Seaton Carew. In July, Locke Park.

August, Coatham Sands. Tuition is available on all outings by request, and non-members are welcome to join us - see contact below.

A selection of membersâ€&#x; work is on display in Saltburn Library; the emphasis during May and June will feature Saltburn Pier.

For more information visit our web site www.saltburnphotographicsociety.co.uk or contact Tony Lynn 01287 622519.

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Yorkshire Jewellery Company This month saw family owned Yorkshire Jewellery Company create a new retail store in Station Square Saltburn. The family business is owned by Robert Metcalfe and his Dad Roger.

The father and son team manufacture Whitby Jet Jewellery as well as other gemstone jewellery. Many of their exclusive designs have been created by them and handcrafted in solid precious metals.

The new store includes a workshop where the jewellery can be seen being manufactured and it often allows for items to be created within the hour if not available from stock.

Yorkshire Jewellery Company work with other materials including Blue John, Amber, Turquoise, Mother of pearl and Abalone. Their exclusive designs are also set with rare recycled materials such as Fordite and Bowlerite.

The company is also developing its e-commerce business and the owners recognise the need to have a good high street location as well as a popular online website.

The business also retained the previous shopâ€&#x;s alcohol licence and now stocks a range of crafted gins that are produced in Yorkshire and available to those who like the ever popular liquor.

Yorkshire Jewellery Company looks forward to becoming an integral part of the increasingly popular Saltburn town centre.

Website: www.yorkshirejewellerycompany.co.uk

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

Deborah

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

Structural & Civil Engineering

Also, Joinery Work Undertaken

Call Liz on: 01287 203571 Mobile: 07834 022289

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

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

m: 07870 631415

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

www.scurator.co.uk info@scurator.co.uk www.beamdesignservice.co.uk 17

Scarecrow Event Scarecrow building and making workshops at the Toc H Coach House, off Albion Terrace Mondays 1.30 to 3pm, 13th and 20th May. Getting ready for the Scarecrow festival in August.

Come along and let‟s make this really special!

Maria For the 150th Anniversary year of Saltburn pier we are looking at joining in the Scarecrow Festivals with other surrounding towns and villages by creating a Scarecrow Trail this August (Monday the 12th to Sunday the 18th). Any groups, businesses or individuals wishing to make a Scarecrow and join in the Trail please email us to register your interest (at buildingbridgesdayopportunitycentre@mail.com).

Friends of Redcar Cemetery stroll The Friends of Redcar Cemetery are inviting you to an hour‟s stroll around the cemetery to explore Redcar‟s history. If you want to know more about a butcher, baker, printer, painter and cemetery maker this is for you. Please meet at the arch entrance in the old section at 6 pm on Thursday May 9th. The walks are free; however, a donation would be appreciated to help with the Friends‟ work.

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4 People Not Profit & Cleveland Bat Group present Batty About Wildlife festival

What’s Happening at Marske Hall May Cream Tea - The finishing touches are being made to this event. Please call the Hall on 01642 482672 or check the Facebook page for details and date.

June Family Fun Day - Saturday, 22nd June, 11am -3pm, Marske Hall, Redcar Road Marske. The event promises to be a fun packed day for all the family with a wide range of stalls, bouncy castles, slide, bric-a-brac stalls, cake stall, books and DVDs, along with winbola, the grand raffle and free entertainment. Free entry, donations welcome. All funds raised will go to help fund activities and activity equipment for the residents of Marske Hall.

Call 01642 482672 or search for Marske Hall on Facebook.

Organisers welcome any additional winbola prizes.

These can be left at the Hall on Redcar Road Marske, any time between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday or can be donated on the day. Registered Charity No: 218186.

For press interviews call Ruth Hebden 01642 482672. Marske Hall, Redcar Road, TS11 6AA. Appeal: The fundraising team is always looking for tombola and raffle prizes to use at events throughout the year. Simply call into Marske Hall from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. Visit www.facebook/marskehall.com.

Kath Bloomfield

4 People Not Profit team up with the Cleveland Bat Group this summer to bring an exciting free wildlife themed festival to Saltburn. The Batty About Wildlife festival will bring a full day of music and wildlife fun, crafty and educational activities for all ages. We will also be raising money to help the fantastic work that the Cleveland bat group do to protect local bat species.

The festival is at Saltburn House on Saturday, 1st of June and will run from 1pm till midnight. 1 - 6 will be outside with acoustic stage and various stalls and activities. Then from 7pm till close will be inside Saltburn house with a full line up of bands to get you all bouncing.

The outside afternoon has a variety of incredibly talented acoustic artists such as Carl James Dunning, Reece Hanrahan and Phil Murial and many more. Also confirmed are Cleveland Bat Group, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary, Cleveland Naturalists field club, Cleveland Hedgehog Preservation society, Teesmouth Bird Club, Creative Self Care (Adult wildlife crafts), Tribe Tattva (tribal belly dancing), Whippet up music workshops, Hidden Jewel Vegan Curries, Wildlife themed tombola and yoga sessions.

Inside for the evening‟s shenanigans we have a very special guest headlining in the 12 piece reggae, dancehall delights of the Sofajunkies. Also playing we have the reggae, ska, punk hell raisers The Almighty Uprisers, the pure unadulterated filthy rock n roll of The Likkor men, indie rock fun from The Grizwolds and acoustic delights from Natasha Graham and Julie Easley. And to top the night of fun we will have 4 People Not Profit‟s resident DJ Marc Fox dropping some Drum n Bass to end the night.

And last but not least we also have a wildlife themed fancy dress competition so get your finest and craziest animal costumes out and you could be crowned best dressed! Don‟t miss out on this wild and wonderful festival fun and get it marked in your diaries, spread the word and let‟s all get Batty About Wildlife!

Saltburn Folk Club 'Saltburn Folk Club have teamed up with Book Corner to bring a Literary and Music Festival to Saltburn on the weekend of Friday, 31st of May through to Sunday, 2nd of June. Events such as concerts will be taking place principally at the Marine Hotel but also in other locations throughout the weekend. Full details including tickets available from Book Corner, Milton Street.

Our May Hotspot on the 13th will be Hartlepool‟s own Ian Bartholomew whose excellent song writing and smooth performances have made him a favourite of the local music scene. May includes two bank holidays upon which the folk club does not meet but otherwise we invite anyone with an interest in listening or performing their own or other people‟s songs or verse to join us on a Monday evening upstairs at the Marine Hotel from 8.00 o‟clock.

Guy Cuthbert 19

VACANCY

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PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR The successful candidate will act as Project Co-ordinator for FRIDAY FRIENDS based at The ECHO Centre, Emmanuel Church, Upleatham Street, Saltburn.

Friday Friends offers a friendly and supportive environment for those over the age 18 with a variety of additional needs.

The person appointed will have responsibility for coordinating a programme of activities along with group members, volunteers and trustees, in addition to work with external agencies and partner organisations.

Proven organisational skills and some experience in the field of additional needs will be essential.

Working time will be 12 hours per week, 9.30am - 4.30pm, on Friday (based at the ECHO Centre), with remaining hours worked flexibly by negotiation with the trustees.

Remuneration: £15.00 per hour (in the first instance) – statutory, pro-rata holiday entitlement applies.

Further information from The Chair of Trustees, 01287 280883 CV and letter of application to: The Chair of Trustees FRIDAY FRIENDS 16 Exeter Street Saltburn-by-the-Sea TS12 1BN

By Monday 20th May 2019

Loftus Bluebells Walk Come on a guided walk on Saturday, 4th May to spot bluebells and other spring flowers in bloom. Starting outside Loftus Town Hall at 10.30am, this walk takes you through local woods. Mr. Richardson, former owner of Handale Abbey, received a Society of Arts award in 1789 for planting 40 acres of mixed trees.

Please be prepared for muddy conditions. You need a good level of fitness for this circular walk of about six miles that includes stiles, descents and climbs. There‟s a lunchtime stop at Liverton Village Hall where vegetable soup, roll, tea and healthy fruit dessert can be purchased for £5. There‟s free parking at South View off North Road, Loftus TS13 4JL; the town is served by Arriva X4 and 5 buses. This walk is organised by Loftus ACCORD Walking Group. No booking is needed; for more in fo r ma tio n p h o n e 0 1 2 8 7 6 4 1 0 0 0 ( o r e ma i l office@loftustc.co.uk).

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Friday Friends Friday Friends is an inclusive friendship group based in Saltburn, for people aged over 18. We are a friendly group and welcome people with different abilities.

May programme 3rd May 10 12 Seated keep fit with Taylor and then 1-4pm paper crafting Origami.

10th May a coach trip to Ryedale Folk Museum.

17th May 10-12 Drumming with Colin then 1-4pm draw a decorative Owl picture.

24th May 10 -12 Marko‟s circus workshop and then 1-4pm sew a pot stand.

31st Bowling and lunch (if pre-ordered) at Saltburn Bowls Club 10- 12 followed by 1-4pm Paper Mache over a plastic fruit container We are a non-profit making group, run by volunteers. We meet on Fridays at Emmanuel Church Hall, McNay Street, Saltburn. Activities are 10-12.30 and arts and crafts 1-4. First session is free to see if you like it then there is a charge of £2.00 per session or £3 all day. Carers are always free.

For more information ring 07833 895 501 (or email thefridayfriends@outlook.com).

Registered Charity No 1177967.

Keith Bowers, chairperson

News from Saltburn U3A American Tribal Style dancers With parasols no less! Our latest photo shows us practising a parasol dance at the Earthbeat Centre, Saltburn for Earthbeat‟s Open day in July. It‟s quite a challenge handling a prop and dancing at the same time but we are getting there. After a busy dance season last Autumn and Christmas, we have an amazing twelve events to look forward to between now and July. Requests just keep coming in for us to dance and we love it! Members gave a big welcome to our recent new dancer, Bo. We practise at Earthbeat Centre every Monday at 2.30pm and you are welcome to come and try two free lessons to see if you like it. Please let us know you are coming by ringing or texting Val on 07908 005850.

Saltburn Station Gallery Saltburn Station Gallery has had a hectic year so far with a fantastic Easter break, that has seen thousands flock to sunny Saltburn.

Ian Doughall‟s exhibition of the Cleveland Way continues into May to coincide with the Cleveland Way‟s 50th anniversary.

Saltburn Pier‟s 150th anniversary is also this month, on 11th May, and the gallery will have a special display of artworks celebrating the pier, including a commissioned piece

by Sean Halcrow, a large panoramic painting of Saltburn beach and Pier. Also watch out for people in fancy dress.

Thanks Mike!

In this month‟s magazine there are no articles from Saltburn‟s much loved retired reporter, Mike Morrissey. Mike has decided to call it a day on all the articles that he has continued to write since he retired as a professional journalist some twenty years ago. His contribution to this magazine over the last seventeen years has been absolutely magnificent and I thank him and wish him all the best for continued health and happiness. He will be a hard act to follow, but people are invited to write articles and submit them, by email preferably, to talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com. If you have some family news or wish to publicise some event, anything really, follow in Mike‟s footsteps and get writing!

Ian Tyas 21

SALTBURN BLUES CLUB Consistently first-class performances from solo bluesmen and bands in an easy friendly atmosphere – that‟s Saltburn Blues Club. The popularity of SBC has been steadily growing for some time now. So much so that we‟re having to consider making SBC gigs all ticket events. Regular sizeable audiences mean even more attention must be paid to the safety and comfort of everyone. I strongly advise you check details of coming events regarding ticket sales so that you are not disappointed if you plan to come along.

On Saturday, May 18th, I‟ve indulged myself in a birthday treat. I‟ve booked a band that I really enjoy – and I‟m certain you will too – BIG WOLF BAND. Big Wolf is a rock blues powerhouse clearly influenced by legends such as Peter Green, Gary Moore, Paul Kossoff, Jimi Hendrix. Big Wolf Jon, with his distinctive guitar style and rich vocals is backed by the talent of Mick Jeynes (bass), Tim Jones (drums), and Paul Brambani (keys). Playing an array of self-penned tracks and some classic covers, the band delivers every time. Energy filled sets, spontaneous improvised breaks, dynamic highs and lows.

They can bring a song down to a whisper before exploding with energy and power, capturing the essence of great live music every performance.

Venue: Saltburn Cricket Club. Doors: 7.30pm. Tickets: £10, available from 07960 935263, Milo‟s Cafe, Saltburn, www.yorkshireticketshop.co and www.saltburnbluesclub.co.uk.

Still Got The Blues goes out on Zetland FM every Monday 7pm – 10pm, on line, or you can catch it later on Mixcloud. Visit the website, www.zetlandfm.co.uk and scroll down to Mixcloud. 3 hours of the very best of the blues.

Harry

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Cleveland Diving Club

At long last the diving season is underway and members of Cleveland Divers are very busy indeed. It is all steam ahead for our current group of open-water trainees and their instructors to ensure they advance through a program of skills to become qualified divers. The development of these skills involves learning them whilst wearing cold-water protective clothing and then performing them at increasing levels of depth. Although the skills can be taught in the sea locally, to perform skills at depth requires a trip to „Capenwray,‟ in North Lancashire. Capenwray was born out of the old „Jackdaw Quarry,‟ and is an extremely popular dive site for divers from across the country. In addition to offering the right conditions and a wide range of depths for training, it also has a variety of underwater features that have been sunk at different levels that, along with the changeable underwater topography, provide a range of training challenges from minimal to more complex. For example following the gentle slope of the southern entry point trainees encounter skill training platforms at 2m and 6m before going on to explore features at about 8m such as the „Lord Lucan‟ (photo 1). The eastward entry point again has 2m and 6m training before allowing trainees to descend to 12m and 14m where they can explore the „African Queen‟ (photo 2).

Further challenges for trainees are a stride entry from the southeast jetty where they can descend a shot line to the wing of an aeroplane before swimming through the plane and out of the tail end (photo 3). While training can sometimes be a little intense these features afford the trainee with a rewarding and beneficial element of fun. Capenwray also has a range of fish that mostly congregate around the southern entry point much to the delight of trainees who can swim with perch, fresh water trout and shark-like sturgeon fish (photos 4 and 5). Cleveland Divers can be contacted via

Facebook, „The Diving Club-Cleveland‟ or on 07960 608529.

June Coomber

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

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

Please feel free to visit us at anytime.

01287 622498 and 01287 625178 24

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G . Bishop - Decorator *Interiors and Exteriors

*Free Estimates

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40 Years Experience Mobile 07757 912575

What Is Silent, Painless And Can Ruin Your Life?

Glaucoma. It‟s an eye condition that nearly half a million people in the UK suffer from. You are most at risk after the age of 40. The good thing is, in many cases, if it‟s seen early enough, this horrible eye condition can be stopped in its tracks. However, most people don‟t have regular eye tests.

Not going to the Dentist is one thing (you can always eat with false teeth) but neglecting the Opticians is another (you can’t see with false eyes!)

My name is John Prouse, I‟m an Optician and I do a home visit eye test service especially for people who struggle to leave their home or you can visit me at my practice. Either way, don‟t risk spoiling your vision and your life.

Call 01287 644211 or visit www.loftusoptical.co.uk for your free over 40 eye test.

26

You Can’t Go Wrong By Getting Strong

We are regularly told that exercise is good for our health, but this important message rarely comes with any specific advice on which type of exercise is best.

Physical activities can be broadly categorised into three groups. These are 1) cardiovascular exercise; where the heart and lungs receive the main stimulus, 2) resistance exercise; where the muscular system is primarily involved and 3) mixed exercise; where both the cardiovascular and the muscular systems are trained equally.

Examples of cardiovascular exercise are running, cycling and swimming. The most obvious resistance type of exercise is weight lifting, whilst an example of a mixed exercise would be the increasingly popular Crossfit and Metafit type of workouts.

The benefits of regular exercise are immense.

Research shows how exercise can reduce the risks of heart and lung disease and can help prevent and even reverse type II diabetes. Regular exercise has also been shown to reduce pain in a wide variety of chronic spine and joint disorders and can even improve some mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.

So, back to the question of which type of exercise is the most effective to achieve these health and wellbeing benefits? Well the simple answer is that anything is better than nothing and that the benefits of exercise are only achieved if the exercise is performed regularly and consistently. So it is important to choose exercise activities that you enjoy and that you will stick with on a regular basis.

The other thing to address is variability. This means trying to get a balance between the 3 types of exercise mentioned above. Probably the most underutilized type of exercise is resistance training.

There is a growing amount of scientific evidence that points to the importance and effectiveness of building and maintaining muscular strength in order to gain health benefits.

You can find more information on the health benefits of exercise on our website.

Philip & Pauline Newton Chartered & Health Care Professions Council Registered Physiotherapists Newton Physiotherapy 01287 767287 www.NewtonPhysio.com

Linda Hodgson BSc (Hons) McPod / SRch HCPC Registered Podiatrist / Chiropodist Appointments available call

07985 194056 27

Morning Bird Chorus Walks Every morning, especially in spring, songbirds across the world welcome the dawning of a new day with their birdsong, the famous „dawn chorus‟. Join Saltburn Valleys CIO, along with thousands of people around the world, to celebrate the joy of spring bird song on Sunday, May the 5th, International Dawn Chorus Day! This is the perfect opportunity for nature lovers to gather at dawn at Saltburn Valley Gardens to listen to the sounds of birds as they sing to greet the rising sun. Join us as we head out for an early morning walk to soak up the joyous Spring celebration. Led by Steve Ashton, Tees Valley Wildlife Trust‟s bird expert, listen out for your favorite birds as well as some more unusual songsters.

Watching the sun rise and listening to birdsong is well worth the early start.

Dawn Chorus Walk: Sunday 5th May, 5.30am.

Meet at the Bandstand on Glenside.

To contrast the bird song to be heard at the Saltburn Valley Gardens, join us on two other early morning bird song walks to listen to the morning chorus and find out about the birds that make the Saltburn Valleys their home.

Early Morning Bird Song Walks Saltburn Gill, Thursday 16th May, 6.30am.

Meet at Cat Nab Car Park.

Hazel Grove, Wednesday 22nd May, 6.30am.

Meet at Junction of Marine Parade & Milton Street.

These walks are part of the Saltburn Valleys CIO‟s Ancient Hazel Project which is supported by funding from National Lottery players through the National Lottery Heritage

Bird photographs by Margaret Holland.

Left to Right: Chiffchaff, Nuthatch, Song Thrush and Blackcap.

Fund. A number of events and activities are being planned over the next ten months exploring the woodlands and the history of hazel. To keep up to date on events and activities, join Saltburn Valleys CIO by emailing saltburnvalleys@gmail.com or check our websiteat http:// www.saltburnvalleys.org.uk/ Places are limited so you will need to book a place by calling 01287 636382 or emailing info@teeswildlife.org Wrap up warm and wear suitable footwear. The paths can be steep, wet and muddy.

Kate Bartram

Easter Saltburn Stars Loyalty Card Prize Draw Winner Announced One lucky local resident has been named the winner of the Saltburn Stars Loyalty Card Prize Draw, selected randomly from all the entries, on Friday, April 19th.

This is the second time the loyalty card promotion has been organised for the town, with twenty-seven local businesses offering the cards and encouraging their customers to take part, an increase on the number involved at the Christmas promotion. A card was provided when a customer would spend just £6 in one of the participating outlets, which included a variety of eateries, clothing stores, gift shops, hotels and many other retail businesses within Saltburn. The card required six „Saltburn Stars‟ to be stamped by six different businesses, a stamp being provided each time a minimum of £6 was spent. Once complete, the card became an entry into the prize draw.

Winner Stella Forrest was born and raised in Saltburn, and was delighted to have won. “We are very fortunate to have such a great selection of independent traders here in the town. Saltburn Stars is a great initiative to encourage locals and visitors to support our town. We have participated in both the Christmas and Easter events, and are thrilled to have won this fabulous prize.”

Speaking with Stella as the hamper was handed over, she and her husband love the cosmopolitan lifestyle of Saltburn and the wonderful regeneration that has been going on over the last decade or so. This week is a lucky week for them it seems, as they‟ve also just got the keys to 28

their beach hut after a 15 year wait, so the hamper was going to be a great way to have their first Beach Hut Party!

The hamper, seen here with Lorna of Real Meals before handing over to Stella, contains prizes from all businesses that took part in the Stars promotion, with a mixture of vouchers and goodies valued at over £400, and after yet another successful promotion, the Saltburn Business Group that organised the Stars prize draw suggest keeping your eyes on the Discover Saltburn website for details of the next one! Saltburn has such a large variety of businesses that you really can stay local for your shopping, and as a business it‟s extremely exciting to reward your customers for their loyalty.

For details of future promotions within the town, visit www.discoversaltburn.com or @discoversaltburn on Facebook.

Spring Clean with our Special Offers!

Any two ASTONISH cleaning sprays (of the ones normally priced £1.25 each) 2 for £2.00 ZOFLORA (56ml) £1.00 ELBOWGREASE £1.00

Check out our Cheapest Prices in Saltburn Thank You for Supporting Your Local Small Shops Open 9.00am till 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday 29

Tees Valley Wildlife Trust News

Thank goodness it‟s spring! We are Deborah and Jip from The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.

My background is military and conservation. Jip enjoys moonlight walks and sunny days out on Portrack Marsh. The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust office is located in the old school at Boosbeck. Visitors are always welcome, follow the badger!

Jodie at the Trust works very hard to sort out all the paperwork and niggly bits, one of a small number of staff that work tirelessly to make sure our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy these special places and the huge variety of wildlife in our 15 nature reserves.

Community Stepping Stones did their first tabletop sale at our Boosbeck Centre run by Di Pearson and Joe Foster; the cream teas and craft stalls were really popular! Ozzy the educational otter made an appearance and was knitted a hat by natty knitter Julie. This will definitely help him to keep from thinning on top from his adoring fans!

The next dates are Sunday, 12th May and Sunday, 2nd

June, so do please come along to support these two brilliant charities working in partnership for the local community.

Please note that membership money for the Tees Wildlife Trust directly benefits local areas such as Saltburn Gill and all of it stays in the Valley, so please come and see us most Sundays in Saltburn Square if you would like to volunteer and do your bit.

Hope to see you soon!

Deb & Jip

Saltburn Backgammon Club: When’s the next one?

Saltburn Backgammon club‟s second meeting was a super success with 14 players attending. Phil and the set-up gang were busier than usual: the Cons Club Concert Room was mid-renovation, so chairs and tables needed moving and wiping down before we could begin. As players arrived in ones and twos, introductions were made and games started.

The room was chilly but backgammon players are a hardy lot and nothing could stop them playing.

Backgammon has a long and interesting history. The world‟s oldest backgammon board was discovered by archaeologists in Sistan-Baluchistan province, south-eastern Iran in 2004. This board is believed to be 5200 years old. In the 1920s, game layouts which resemble modern backgammon were found in Ur of the Chaldees, Mesopotamia (Iraq). These boards are thought to be 5000 years old and were lavishly decorated with shell, bone and lapis lazuli.

Excavators of Pompeii found backgammon tables carved in the courtyards of almost every villa. Backgammon 30

was known in Anglo-Saxon Britain and was very popular during the Crusades. In medieval society, innkeepers attracted customers by providing them with boards and dice.

Perhaps that‟s why we feel so at home in the Cons Club.

My favourite game on the night was being thoroughly out-played by Andrea, who had an uncanny knack of predicting how his dice would roll. “Double five”, and by Jove he got them! Thanks to Keith Gill who kept us on track with backgammon strategy, instruction and education. We gratefully acknowledge the Cons Club for letting us have the room for free, and for publicising the events.

Meeting dates: 2 May, 6 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November, 5 December 2019 (first Thursday of the month).

Contact Lynne and Phil McFarlane 07949 628336 Saltburn Backgammon www.facebook.com/SaltburnBackgammon/ UK Backgammon Federation www.facebook.com/ukbgf/

2019 East Cleveland Klondike Grand Prix I heard it for the first time ever when I was a little boy so many years ago. It was May and the word was a bicycle race was going to pass by on the main road a few miles away from where I lived. My dad took me there on his motorcycle and we stood waiting on the roadside along with a few other dads and kids. After a while we began seeing cars with some signs, a police vehicle or two, and then in a distance there was a car with high beams on. It looked odd to me because it was a sunny day and being a little kid I thought headlights were to be used only at night.

And then, almost immediately following that car there it was – the peleton! What a fantastic site it was! They swooshed by us in a colourful blur of jerseys and bibs with their numbers in what felt to me like merely a second or two. So fast I did not catch features of any single rider.

This was my very first experience watching the road race which now is a faint and distant memory. But there is one thing which stayed with me for all of those years and that thing is the sound of the peleton. A hundred chains going through derailleurs, jockey wheels and gears. Okay, you can call me – well, whatever comes to your mind, but trust me - there is no other sound like that and I have loved it ever since.

For the above reason I was rather excited when the East Cleveland Klondike race took place for the first time two years ago and I have been a fan of it ever since. One could say that one race is like any other, but I disagree because I see its popularity growing. And there is another thing. Back when I was little it was merely a few seconds and it was all over. Here in Saltburn or anywhere along the route we can watch it multiple times and this year it was six times because women were racing as well. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I could watch the race from different places. I watched ladies from two locations on Guisborough Road and later I watched the men – first I was standing by the Spa Hotel, I then moved and watched them on Guisborough Road near the golf club and finally I ventured to the top of Hob Hill where I had the riders coming almost straight at me up the hill with the majestic Huntcliff in the background. Fantastic view, it does not get any better.

Last year I drove to Thirsk to watch Tour de Yorkshire which was a treat but they just flew by me in a few seconds and there was nothing left to do but go back to my car and drive home thinking of how much more fun it is to watch the Klondike race looping around the relatively small area.

This year we had live music by The Saltburn U3A Ukulele Group and a perhaps larger than last year number of people lined up on Saltburn Bank. I saw families with kids. I saw people young and old. There were people who cycled to Saltburn to watch the race going through the hairpins of the bank and then they cycled to catch them somewhere else.

There are only few sport disciplines that go out of stadiums or dedicated arenas taking competitors through the countryside and thus close to people who perhaps otherwise would not see them. Bicycle road racing is one of them. We are fortunate indeed to have it in Saltburn and, as was the case this year, it was practically an all day event.

My final thought is that in our modern world we are very busy, partially because the wonderful technology which is meant to help us lead efficient lives and save us time does in fact the opposite, drawing us in and making us dependent.

And therefore a day spent wandering around Saltburn and watching men and women of steel cycling through our streets and roads is a day well spent.

If it had only been a bit warmer!

Article and photograph by Wojtek Migdalski, Saltburn-by-the-Sea

or email: simon.robson1@ntlworld.com

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Saltburn Festival of Seaside Stories and Song

Friday 31st May – Sunday 2nd June Saltburn Festival of Seaside Stories and Song is a new music and literature festival for Saltburn, and a collaboration between Book Corner and Saltburn Folk Club.

The festival’s theme is the sea and the coast, but this has been interpreted widely to include other events which we hope will be of interest to a local audience.

The weekend will include performances from local musicians and poets, book signings by local writers, and writing workshops. Events will be held in The Marine Hotel and other venues around the town.

There will be a series of free pop-up events in Book Corner on Saturday, 1st June, including book signings with local authors Katy Welford and Flinty Maguire, readings by James Nicholson and Jennie Finch, and a group poetry reading by Saltburn Writers’ Group. BBC Tees presenter Bob Fischer will also appear at a Meet the Author event at The Marine Hotel.

Novelist and poet Carmen Marcus and children’s author Em Lynas will be running writing workshops. Also on Saturday, Real Meals will host a special sea-themed meal accompanied by music and poetry performances.

On Sunday, 2nd June, events move to Saltburn Community Hall. The Festival will finish with a free concert celebration with performances from Janet and Phil Philo and Steve Dagleish, and a chance for workshop participants to share their work. The full programme and ticket information can be viewed at http:// www.bookcornershop.co.uk/literature -and- musicfestival.html, or on our Facebook page, https:// www.facebook.com/saltburnstoriesandsong. You can also phone Book Corner on 01287 348010 for more information.

Jenna – Book Corner

Alan Ayckbourn’s Confusions You’d have to be forgiven for thinking this was another festival event…but it really isn’t. The ’53 will be performing three out of five one-act plays from the pen of Yorkshire writer, Alan Ayckbourn. This work was first performed in its entirety on 30th September 1974. This production is running from Thursday 16th to Saturday 18th May at Saltburn Community Theatre.

The three plays selected for you reflect on loneliness and relationships. There will be an interval between each play and the bar will be open. Tony Smith has overseen this production and has supported all three directors throughout rehearsals. This has been a great opportunity to demonstrate the unique way our group can collaborate and work together. Each play features some characters from the other two plays and all set work, prompting, crewing and costume work has been undertaken by the casts. This is a very exciting way for us to work and our hope is that we can build on what is learned by members from this event. Tickets are available from The Spar on Milton Street, online at Saltburn Arts and at the ticket office. The ’53 will be taking their first round winning entry, ‘Only The Owls Know Our Bones’ to the Northern Area Semi final on May 5th at Washington Arts Centre. It’s a busy time for us all and that is just how we like it.

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Health and Happiness: I am fifty years old this year and that‟s old! Well, not if you‟re ninety. Because everything after all is relative.

My body still feels good and my mind is relatively sharp, though I forget things - don‟t we all? - but is it more than before?

I‟m aware of lots of places and relationships that have flowed through my life like leaves in a river drifting past in front of my memory. The faces of people I have known and loved and a million more forgotten and a thousand different shores landed on and explored.

If you are twenty or even thirty being fifty seems old, or it did to me. At this point there is no more thinking you are still young, dressing young, using street slang, definitely too old to be flirting. Or so I thought back then.

Now I am almost there, the view is very different to how I ever imagined it to be. Flirtation still feels like a healthy energy, a life spark. Sex is still important but in more proportion, it is no longer leading me like a dog taking me for a walk. You could say I‟ve moved in my journey as a young adult from my hips to my head and I hope I‟ve met myself somewhere around my heart.

Chapters passed, friends come and leave, fashions, politics and creative attractions all ebb and flow. I can see life really is a state of flux and we are all part of a oneness of a very real kind. Trees and fields and seas are going to outlive us all yet we are all nature, not separate.

The thing about being fifty is just how short it has been, most trees know this from their perspective yet most teenagers don‟t. How could they? In fact it is wonderful how most teenagers go head long into life without any fear of death or failure, or many of them do, certainly looking back I did.

What I think is so important for all of us is to live life without that fear and with a sense that we can do anything and go anywhere on the planet and essentially live any life we

want to.

It is very, very rare that people die on adventures, yet for those who chose to be led by their passion and their love of something, there is a lifetime full of reward waiting for them.

What I have learnt is that perhaps the most important aspect in our life is our mindset. It leads us to do things we think we can, or it holds us back from those things we convince ourselves we can‟t. Thinking ourselves down or having low self esteem can convince us that we are not worth much and so we don‟t need to treat ourselves well. We manifest that lack of self love with unhealthy food and drink and substances that hurts our body and by getting into jobs or relationships that are essentially not healthy or supportive to us.

What I see from life at this age is that no one really has a clue what we are doing here; I mean as a human being here on this planet. We can each define our own meaning and how we think directly correlates to what we do with this short period of time. The only thing we can be clear about is that we want to enjoy the journey in whatever way we individually find we do.

Being fifty is like being twenty but with more consciousness. I know more about what is important and what isn‟t, how to treat myself well and how to think in a way that supports me. I still have very little idea why I am here but I‟m damn well going to feel as good as I can while I‟m here and support as many other people as I can who want the same.

Kendal Aitken Mental Health and Happiness Training Individuals and Groups.

Contact: coach@happygreenblueeyes.co.uk or 07944 883961

Circles of Life Cat Cafe Circles of Life CIC learning disability service has opened a Coffee & Therapy Cat Café at its premises on Queen Street in Redcar.

The café is open to the public; however, it is especially for people with any form of illness, depression, mental health issues, learning difficulties, autism, dementia the list goes on. Stress and worry can play havoc with your mind and body, so our little place of calm is a soothing environment where you can come and relax with our friendly cats, enjoy a cuppa and a shoulder to cry on if you want it. We advise booking, especially if you would like the café to yourself; we then then close to the public for a hour. We have wheelchair access and facilities. We do not charge entrance to the café; however, if you would like to donate towards our petting farm fund, it will be gratefully received, however not essential. Sorry no under 12s allowed.

Tel: 07760 343394 and find us on Facebook or web (circlesoflife.org.uk).

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SCAA Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Saltburn Community & Arts Association (SC&AA) will be held on Tuesday, 21st of May 2019 at 7.00pm in the Community Centre, Windsor Road, Saltburn-by-the-Sea. SCAA needs you – the people of Saltburn and surrounding areas – to help us in preserving this iconic building. We need volunteers to assist in the general running of the Centre, front of house, bar duties, lighting, sound, box office etc. and assistance in the office by answering the telephone and taking messages for a few hours each week. We need people to become members of the Association and also of the main management committee (the Board) which is responsible for the running of the whole Centre. Meetings of the Board take place once a month for around two hours. In addition, there are subcommittees, such as Repairs & Maintenance and Finance & Staffing which meet several times in the year; such subcommittees report back to the Board. By becoming a member of the main committee, you will be doing your bit to help preserve this beautiful building which is without argument one of the best buildings in the town.

You may or may not know but in addition to the

Hall, there is a 150-seat Theatre with a full lighting and sound system and a cinema screen which allows us to show full length films. Both the Hall and Theatre are available for private hire, as is the Meeting Room, a smaller meeting space and the kitchen/bar area, all of which are offered at very competitive rates.

Do you have any skills that you would be prepared to offer; any ideas for fundraising events; any hidden talents or time to spare? If so, please come along to our AGM, call into the office and speak to either Christine or Wilma or give one of them a call on 01287 624997 or email info@saltburnarts.co.uk.

Tony Smith, Chairman

O’Hooley & Tidow Belinda and Heidi were first nominated for Best Duo at the 2013 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards; they were nominated for the same award last year which emphasises the fact that over the past five years they have continued to be one of the „must see‟ acts on the circuit.

They were both brought up in Yorkshire, met in Huddersfield in 2005 and started songwriting and performing together four years later. They share a traditional Irish music background and have family in County Sligo and County Galway. Heidi also has German ancestors on her mother‟s side; hence their songs have a HibernoEnglish flavour with a Germanic twist and maybe just a hint of rhubarb.

The piano is not immediately considered as a folk instrument but like the answer to so many other questions the pair pose, the best response is “Why not?” Belinda‟s playing is capable of being stirring or moving which is equally true of Heidi‟s singing and their combined harmonies.

They are predictable only in so far as you are never quite sure where they are going next. They sing about issues of moral or political significance or reflect on the glories of English ale and British weather; their list of female muses include Edith Cavell, Beryl Burton and Gracie Fields; they are lauded by the likes of Billy Bragg, Robin Denselow, Mark Radcliffe and Richard Thompson; they can count Eliza Carthy, Rowan Rheingans and Andy Cutting as support artists; they may sing songs by John Renbourn, Shane MacGowan or Oscar Hammerstein but mainly they sing songs by themselves, of themselves.

Their song „Gentleman Jack‟ from the album The Fragile will feature as the closing theme for Gentleman Jack, starring Suranne Jones, which is due to start on BBC1 this month. Some of us are old enough to remember the impact 34

that Take Three Girls had on Pentangle‟s career; others of us just remember the impact Take Three Girls had on us. The new TV drama tells the story of Anne Lister, a well-off Yorkshire landowner famous for her four-million-word diary that documented her lesbian relationships, travels and efforts to transform the fate of her faded ancestral home Shibden Hall. The song is from The Fragile, since the release of which Brenda and Heidi have recorded six other albums, all to great critical acclaim.

If you want to find out more, try O‟Hooley & Tidow New Songs, Playlists & Latest News - BBC Music The exposure on prime TV may give O‟Hooley and Tidow the recognition they deserve; Seaside Folk are simply delighted to welcome them to be their latest guest in the Schoolroom and we are looking forward to the prospect of what promises to be another night of great live entertainment.

35

Emmanuel Church Hall, (off Windsor Road) Saltburn

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Stevie on

01642 474920

36

Keeping It Clean At Saltburn: KICAS News Thank you to all who came to our April beach clean - over 40 people in total.

Together we made a big difference and removed a lot of things from our beach that shouldn‟t have been there.

A big shout out also goes to all of the amazing unsung waste heroes in Saltburn who are picking up litter from the beach, the bank sides and woods as they walk about. You are amazing people and, in the face of so many environmental issues, it offers such hope that people are “being the change” that they, and we, want to see.

It‟s not just the big stuff that we find on the beach; many pieces of small single-use plastic also end up here -plastic bottles, bottle tops, sauce containers, balloons to name just a few - and take from tens to hundreds of years to break into microscopic pieces that never go away. So please, refuse single-use

plastic, re-use and recycle where you can, and use a litter bin.

We have a great community in Saltburn and it has meant so much to have the support of local people, the Council and independent businesses. A fabulous example that has been Milo‟s Cafe Bar, who have given us vouchers to offer all of our beach cleaners a discounted drink.

Our next organised beach clean is, as usual, the first Saturday of the month 4th May, 11am until noon. We meet at the new Victorian Shelter, next to Marshall‟s Beach Huts, who very kindly store our picking equipment. With over 60 pickers, buckets and gloves, it has helped enormously to have a home so close to our beach cleans.

Together we can KICAS !

Barbara

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Saltburn Rotary On hearing that Zoë`s Place in Middlesbrough may have to close for a couple of days per week due to lack of funding the club members unanimously agreed to immediately give £500 of financial support to assist this very valuable Hospice which provides huge support to families across the region looking after seriously ill babies and young children.

There were also donations of £250 to Saltburn Junior Cricket section following their terrific assistance in running our very successful race night, £300 towards a Shelter Box to assist in the relief aid in the Mozambique area following their recent cyclone devastation and £100 to Whippet Up who create activities, workshops, events and provide wildlife and woodland skills in the Valley Gardens.

Rotakids, the junior section of Saltburn Rotary for under 10s at Huntcliff School have just appointed 7 new members to their committee after some existing volunteers

had moved in to the next age group and have appointed a new President, Secretary and Treasurer so good luck to all of you in your new roles!

Our Polioplus afternoon tea will be held again at the Cricket Club on the afternoon of May 29th so don`t forget your tickets at only £5 each as this always proves to be a very popular event and helps to finally rid the world of polio.

The Howzat Music Festival is being held again in the indoor cricket nets to raise funds for the wonderful Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team on 1st September and there are tickets now available from Milo`s cafe in the town square, Saltburn Cricket Club, Rotarian Harry Simpson (Saltburn Blues Club) and online from the Yorkshire Ticket Shop priced at only £25 for SEVEN terrific bands from all around the country - what a terrific day out in Saltburn if you appreciate great music!

Allan Whiley, Community Chairman 37

We are all responsible for our town I recently had a visit from a friend now living in a rural village near Ripon, but she had once lived in Saltburn. She came in late March when the weather was beautiful and we walked through the woodlands along the lower promenade and into the town.

I was saddened by her disappointment at how Saltburn has changed.

We criticise the young people for carrying out vandalism, when in fact, we as adults must take some responsibility for the degradation of our town.

We scatter our pavements with „A‟ boards which blow down on windy days and become hazardous. We litter our fences and walls with banners left long after the event and some blow away in the winds and litter the countryside. We allow the neon signs and bright lights in shop windows to add to the pollution of the night sky.

The worst vandalism we encountered was the poor trees in the woodlands punctured with 10 drawing pins for each plastic laminated sheet of A4 paper, advertising something. We managed to count at least 20 plastic laminated signs like this saying „this way‟ and „opening times‟ and „CCTV cameras in operation‟. This was a sad sight to see the plastic laminated signs littering the poor trees when so much work is being done to try to protect the valleys and woodland.

Our beautiful lower prom is scattered with new businesses conforming not to the Saltburn style, but to what the council decides. We cannot walk freely along the lower prom any more.

One visitor to our town encountered two people along the lower prom having a heated discussion because another visitor walking along the promenade could not continue his walk due to all the litter of tables, chairs and toys from the other person renting a beach hut. By building the new beach huts in the wrong place we have been left no space to promenade along our promenade.

We must stop this attitude of our council turning the other way and saying it cannot be stopped or it is not possible to monitor these things or (the best one) is to accuse the government when in fact most decisions are made locally.

It puts me in mind of the City of York when a giant burger chain wanted to move into the city. York said NO to the famously recognised sign of the business. The giant bowed down because it wanted to be in York and now their sign is in gold, small and discrete.

Businesses are attracted to Saltburn just the same as they are to York and it‟s time our council started to protect us and say NO and mean it.

On a much more cheery note I walked into the town the next day to find a new jewellery shop had just opened and it looked charming tucked in the corner of the square with no flashing neon signs, just a discrete sign and a stylish shop front.

If your product or your food is good there is no need to light up the sky or scatter various adverts around. People will find you.

Word of mouth is at its best in Saltburn.

Names withheld by agreement 38

Talk of the Town’s monthly

Pride of Saltburn Award

The winner of this month‟s bouquet of flowers is Kathleen Myers. Kathleen was nominated by her daughter Diane and her son Kevin. About her, they say, “could we please nominate our Mum Kathleen Myers for bouquet of the month? Due to ill health she has had to stop as a volunteer at The Church Shop after 30 years. She has worked behind the scenes washing and ironing clothes, going through toys, games and jigsaw making sure all pieces are there, sorting bags of donated items, some of which should have gone straight into the rubbish bin! She has washed, ironed, hung and labelled thousands of items over the years and worked through all that life has thrown at her. After over 30 years loyally serving her church I think a bouquet is the least she deserves.” Thank you, Kathleen, for being you, the Pride of Saltburn.

Every month when a nomination is received, a £30 bunch of flowers, kindly donated by Ruby Lilly‟s Florists of Marske, is awarded to someone who has earned admiration, gratitude or love for whatever reason. We invite nominations from readers, to make someone feel special with a bunch of flowers! Send your nominations to Talk of the Town‟s post box at Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, Cleveland, TS12 1AQ or email the Editor, Ian, (talkofthetownsaltburn@gmail.com). (Please include your name, phone number and the reason you are nominating the person of your choice.) Please also confirm with the nominee that they are willing to receive the award (many people feel shy about it). All the nominations will be read and kept for future use, so even if your choice doesn‟t win this month, they might do so next time.

May Celebrations at the Cons Club Welcome to the monthly article from Saltburn Conservative Club.

While writing this article the sun is shining, the temperature is rising and the wind is easing. It would seem that spring has finally sprung. Reporting on last month‟s activities I have to report that the club AGM went very smoothly, which was very pleasing. One notable change was the appointment of Mike Dorrian as a new trustee, replacing Ian Picknett who has now retired and moved out of the area. On Good Friday the club road trip (the first of the season) to Richmond took place to test the beer, food and shops. On returning to the club a buffet was put on for all who went on the buses. This event was taking place the day after I wrote this article but I know that, like all other trips, everybody will have had a fantastic day out in the sunshine. Unfortunately, the March „Open Mic Night‟ had to be cancelled due to continuing work in the new function room but I can now happily report that all the work is now very near completion and will be fully functional for their event in April and throughout the year ahead.

Looking forward to functions taking place in May and we start with the monthly event of the „Backgammon‟ night on Thursday, 2nd May. The last event of this group in April attracted several new people who had a very entertaining evening. It is anticipated that, as word gets around, more people will be attending „Backgammon‟ nights which can only make it better and more fun. Experts will be in attendance to talk you through the game so you do not need to be apprehensive. Come along and join in the fun. The sessions run from7pm to 9pm and everyone is welcome On Tuesday, 7th May we have the monthly meeting of SLUG (Saltburn Line Users Group). Anybody with an interest in railways, especially local line services, are welcome to attend. Entry is free and the night starts at 7pm.

On Wednesday, 29th May we are holding another Quiz, Bingo and Pie & Pea Supper. The night starts at 8pm and tickets are priced at £3.50 and are available from the bar. The ever popular Julie Towell will be asking the quiz questions and calling the bingo after her return from Benidorm, which I‟m sure will have been a fun filled break, and Michelle will once again set the questions. Tickets always sell fast for these nights so don‟t leave it too late to buy yours as we have a limited number available.

This event is followed 2 days later on Friday, 31st May with the monthly „Open Mic Night‟, hosted by Liz Bishop & Friends. Names for people wishing to play or sing are taken from 7.30pm and the singing starts at 8pm. The entertainment will be held in the newly opened function room, which will now be known as the Balmoral Room, and it will be a great night of the best live music in Saltburn on a Friday night.

Please support live music and join us. Entry is free.

Completion date for the Balmoral Room upstairs will be the end of April, meaning that when you read this article the room will be functional. We have already had several enquiries with regard to bookings for birthdays, wedding receptions, meetings etc and the good part is that, if you are a member, the

room is free to hire, dependant on availability of the date you require. Please contact myself or Michelle, our stewardess, if you would like more information. We are also looking forward to our Gay Pride weekend and the Saltburn Folk Festival. The newly refurbished room will be a great benefit for both of these functions and full details of both of these events will be published nearer the time. The Saltburn Food Festival and the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the Pier will also benefit from the new room and we look forward to both of these events being a big success.

On the subject of the new Balmoral Room upstairs I must give praise to builder Paul Hume who has done a great amount of the work. His enthusiasm and commitment has been outstanding.

He is a man of many talents and his work is very much appreciated by everyone at the club. He was very ably assisted by Tommy Simpson who, together with Paul, have done a tremendous job in transforming the room into something we never dreamed of not so long ago.

As mentioned in the previous issue of Talk of the Town we are holding a clairvoyant night on Tuesday, 18th June from 7.30pm to 9.15pm upstairs in the Balmoral Room. Tickets for this event are now available in the club priced at £3 each in advance or £5 on the night. The clairvoyant, Eddie Quinn, is an International Medium who has a big following having travelled abroad on several occasions, meaning he is one of the best Mediums, and in great demand, and we are very pleased to have him booked at the club. There‟s no way Eddie will forget to turn up on the night so make sure you remember to buy your tickets and join him.

As you may know Saltburn has been entered in this year‟s „Britain In Bloom‟ competition. In this regard I would like to praise the town‟s volunteer gardeners, led by Sue Featherstone.

They put in many hours of work to make a difference and it really shows. Among their many projects I have to say that the Fossil Garden next to the cliff lift is absolutely outstanding. They should all be very proud of what they have achieved and I can only hope that their dedication and hard work is rewarded with a Gold Medal.

Finally, the Conservative Club will be raising funds throughout the year for the benefit of Saltburn Christmas Lights.

This is an organisation that works throughout the year raising funds to enable the town to have the incredible trees and lights over the Christmas period. Lots of upgrading on fixtures and fittings are needed this year and their expenditure is going to be extremely high. We are going to do all we can to help and if residents can also give donations to this appeal it would be so very much appreciated.

I have to finish now but remember that „Life is what you make it so make it what you like!‟ Best wishes, David David Rigg, Club President Email : davidrigg21@yahoo.co.uk Article financially supported by Saltburn Conservative Club

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

Every Sunday: Drinks Draw & Cash Rollover. Increases by £25 each week if not won, currently standing at £450… 6pm.

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

Thursday 2nd: Backgammon Club. Everybody welcome to come along… 7pm to 9pm Tuesday 7th: SLUG Meeting (Saltburn Line Users Group)… 7pm Wednesday 29th: Quiz, Bingo & Buffet Supper. Tickets £3.50 each from bar… 8pm Friday 31st: „Open Mic Night‟ hosted by Liz Bishop & Friends… 8pm.

39

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

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

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LORNA SMITH 40

Saving And Re-homing Animals THE ANN PROSSER FOUNDATION

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

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

Hello folks. We are Lenny the dog and Spot the cat.

Lenny came to live with SARA after his owner could no longer give him the care and attention he needed.

He is such a lovely natured lad who is full of energy and enjoys a good play and walk. Lenny is looking for a loving new home with experienced dog people who will carry on his socializing with other dogs. He is looking for a home as only pet.

Spot the cat is about 9 months old. He is a good

looking lad, who is white with dark patches and spots, hence the name! Spot is a very friendly young man who loves spending time in the cattery with our highly trained volunteer cat cuddlers. He is looking for a home where he has safe access to the outdoors, as well as a warm cosy bed, and people for cuddles, and to open his cans of cat food for him of course. Spot is pretty easy going, and would probably be happy and comfortable living in a home with another pet and maybe older children too.

SARA fundraising events during May and June Don‟t forget our monthly meetings for SARA supporters are now held in the Cleveland bay, Ings Road in Redcar on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm. Our next one is Tuesday, 7th May. Come along and hear all our news and meet new members Our next event will be the Spring Stroll on Redcar Stray. Monday, 6th May 11:00 – 13:00. Come along and join in our annual walk along Redcar stray. It‟s a chance to have a bracing walk along the gorgeous coastline with other dog walkers meeting old friends and new. There will be doggy bags for all dogs participating. Meet at the Stray Café before 11:00.

Spring Bargain Sale – Foxrush Farm – Saturday 11th May 10:00 – 13:00. Lots of stalls will be selling a variety of items at bargain prices. Refreshments will be

available.

Redcar Street Collections – Redcar High Street – Saturday, 18th May – all day.

Strawberry Afternoon Tea and Craft Fayre – Foxrush Farm – Sunday, 2nd June at 13:00hrs – 16:00hrs. Why not join us for a lovely strawberry afternoon tea, all things strawberry and cakes will be available to buy. There will be various stalls including tombola, pet stall, raffle and others. Homemade refreshments will be on sale. There is plenty of parking spaces on the field at Foxrush. Come along with your family, friends and pets, have a good time and find out more about SARA. Joy and Mandy Volunteers at SARA 41

Our Saltburn Pier: 150 years on Who would have thought that the vision of John Anderson would still be alive today? A pier built in Saltburn was unlikely to withstand the ravages of the German Ocean with its frequent storms and erosive powers. Despite these and several breaches by uninvited shipping and a most unwelcome World War, a pier still stands at Saltburn. All be it not comprised of the original materials and far shorter in length than its original 1500 feet, it represents the pride of a town that has witnessed many setbacks from severe recessions, particularly at the end of the 19th Century, to alterations in public holidaying habits. Traditional summer seasons of beaches black with visitors transformed to empty shifting sands only populated with memories.

The present pier was rebuilt with funding from national lottery and local sources. At 500 feet long it is still well patronised and stands proud as the only remaining true pier structure on the Yorkshire coast.

Celebrations to commemorate this 150 years presence will start on Friday night of May the 10th at the Saltburn Community Theatre with a revival of a traditional Old Time Music Hall. Tickets are available at Saltburn Library priced at ÂŁ6 so that all can afford to attend, in costume by preference.

Saturday 11th May will have celebrations throughout the day with particular features including a memorable peal from the 8 bells of Emmanuel Church, which will ring out a Yorkshire Surprise Major for 50 minutes starting at 11.45.

Marske Brass Band, founded in 1875, will then follow 42

on in its traditional style from the Lower Promenade.

Whilst the Band plays all residents and visitors who have arrived in costume will be invited on to the pier to take part in a ceremonial cutting of a commemorative tape.

The tape cutting will be undertaken by several senior ladies residing in the town who have qualified through their maturity. To avoid too many international paparazzi crowding on to the pier, their identity will be protected until nearer the day. Sand sculpture and 150 sand castles will adorn the beach.

A wide range of entertainment will be staged at Hazelgrove and an opportunity to have celebratory photographs taken by a traditional Victorian style photographer.

For those who dressed up in Victorian Week, this is an opportunity to revisit those fun filled days. If you have never worn any costume this is the prime opportunity to do so. One does not have to be a Victorian grandee, a chimney sweep will be perfectly in keeping.

Towards the end of the day the long awaited new under pier lighting will be turned on. This new system will replace the previously well loved lighting installed in 2000 and unfortunately destroyed by the sea surge in December 2013.

New LED based lamps will be officially turned on, once again illuminating the traditional infrastructure of Saltburn pier. A firework display will light the sky and provide a suitable culmination to an historic day.

BE GOOD!

BY REV ADAM REED It’s still common to hear parents tell their children to “Be good!” My father still says it to me and I say it to my children. Parents say these words with particular emphasis when the childminder or babysitter are coming round! But how do we define goodness? Against what standard do we measure whether something or someone is good?

The Bible says that the ultimate standard of goodness is God, for He is the source of goodness and He is wholly Good. In the wonderful creation account that opens the book of Genesis, each day of creation is described as being ‘good’. Therefore, the goodness of creation points to the goodness of its Creator.

But, it is true that we experience many things that are not good—ill health, broken relationships, and death to name only three. There is plenty in the world and within the human heart that is wrong and can only be described as bad.

Which is why the world, and above all human beings, need to hear and know the Good News. The goodness of God is the answer to the badness that surrounds us and that is within us. Indeed, I believe it is our only hope, because it seems pretty clear to me that left to our own devices we cannot be good or good enough.

This is especially true because I often hear people say that ‘good people go to heaven’. But how good do these good people need to be to go to heaven? Does goodness need to be 51%, or 67%, or 89%? Alternatively, using this picture of three pieces of paper: If goodness is measured from left to right, from completely clean (perfectly good), to some marks (pretty good) to lots of marks (not good), does the central piece of paper represent good enough?

The real answer, because of the perfection of heaven, is 100% or completely clean! But if this is the case then no one is good enough to go to heaven. Exactly!

The bad news is that no one is good enough, but there is hope because of the goodness of God and the good news of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfectly good life, 100% and completely clean. And remarkably he lived this good life not for his own sake but for you and me. The culmination of Jesus’ goodness, was the fact that he took all our badness upon him when he died on the cross. This is why we call the day he died Good Friday!

So, how can we be good enough to go to heaven? Let’s look again at the picture of the three pieces of paper. The completely clean piece of paper can only represent Jesus; everybody else is represented by the central and right hand pieces of paper. By trusting in Jesus, he effectively says, ‘Give me your messed up and spoilt pieces of paper, and take my completely clean piece. I know it’s not possible for you to be good enough, but I give you my perfect record of goodness. Trust me and ask me for it.’

Do you notice how wonderfully freeing this is. No longer do we need to stress or strain over whether we are good enough. Jesus is all the goodness we need; and, by living with this knowledge, we are inspired to simply ‘Be good’ for Jesus’ sake.

Services Times Sundays in May 9.00am traditional communion 10.45am contemporary worship

Tuesdays in May 9.30am said communion

Morning Prayer 9.00am Tues-Fri in ECHO

Contact Details tel 01287 622251

email emmanuelsaltburn@hotmail.co.uk

web www.emmanuelsaltburn.co.uk

Visitor and Exhibition opening times in May Saturdays 6th & 20th 10am - 4pm Sundays 14th & 28th 1 - 4pm

43

More Success for Saltburn Photographic Society Following on from Saltburn‟s repeat win in November 2018 of the inter-club colour print trophy in the North Yorkshire and South Durham Photographic Association‟s annual competition for the 13 member clubs, the Society has achieved further success within the Northern Counties Photographic Federation (NCPF).

The NCPF comprises 50 clubs in northern England, covering the area from North Yorkshire to Alnwick in the north and Workington in the west. In the NCPF Inter-club competition, held in February, Phillip Dove's monochrome print of „Toni‟ was judged the best print in the entire competition.

Following on from that, in the Annuals competition held in early April, the Society won the Corder Trophy for club entries comprising six monochrome prints, no more than two from any photographer. Additionally, three of these prints have been selected to represent the NCPF in the 2019 national inter-federation competition organised by the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.

Whilst the Society readily celebrates success of this sort we don‟t want to give the impression that we are in any way elitist or a closed group - far from it in fact. New members and visitors are always made welcome, regardless of their experience. The club is focussed strongly on assisting members who want to improve their photography - both on regular Wednesday club nights and, once per month, during special additional sessions devoted to passing on specific knowledge, advice and techniques requested by members in advance.

Not all members aspire to become better photographers.

A significant number simply enjoy seeing other people‟s photographs - those of other club members and those of the many and varied external speakers we invite.

The club meets at the Methodist Hall in Saltburn over 28 weeks from mid September to early April. The 2018-19 season is complete now but we resume again on 18th September 2019.

Visitors are welcome anytime and we charge a fee of £1.50 per visit. This gives people the opportunity to gauge, perhaps over several weeks, whether the club is for them. All such visitor fees count towards the annual membership fee (£25) upon joining the club. Alternatively, the visitor fee allows non-members to see speakers that simply catch their interest.

The club‟s website is SaltburnPhotographicSociety.co.uk

44

Saltburn and East Cleveland Families Become Befrienders As I waited for a choral concert to begin at St Mary‟s Church, Lastingham, my attention was drawn to words from Hebrews decorating a side wall: „Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.‟ Doing just this locally is a group of people from Saltburn and East Cleveland. Having heard the very challenging story of a young West African man who had fled persecution, concerned women decided to offer supportive social events for asylum seekers and refugees and soon got their menfolk and other relatives involved.

The majority of the 68.5 million people who are displaced today, mainly through war, still remain in their own or neighbouring countries, but some have reached Europe and several families have been settled in Redcar and Cleveland.

Each person is an individual, but there are some common emotions. Malala Yousafzai, the displaced schoolgirl who was shot by the Taliban for speaking up for girls‟ education, says: “I don‟t think most people understand the tangle of emotions that comes with leaving behind everything you know…. They are not only fleeing violence – they are escaping their countries, their beloved homes.”

Befriender Loll convened a meeting at which Kath, who works for Justice First, offered to contact local asylum seekers and refugees. Friends Nick and Alan attended a Drop In session in Eston and talked to Ailsa, leader of the Methodist Asylum Project, Middlesbrough. These organisations and the Red Cross encouraged the volunteers‟ idea of setting up something in Saltburn.

The Befrienders found a venue for a regular social event and a pool of willing car drivers was set up to contact the families to arrange lifts. An initial welcoming event with food was tried with great success.

The families live mainly in Redcar and the surrounding area so the lifts are appreciated, although a few people use buses and trains and are reimbursed by the Befrienders.

There‟s no formal start, but activities, especially for the children, are set out early. There‟s plenty of opportunity for the adults to sit and chat with each other or practise their English with the Befrienders. A few friends are bilingual, but often the children, who are immersed in English at school, translate for their mothers and fathers.

There is continuous provision of hot and cold drinks, although some friends like to bring and share tiny cups of very strong thick coffee. The Befrienders provide food including wraps, samosas, fruit and cakes and the friends are encouraged to take home anything left over. At Christmas, they contributed delicious delicacies from their own countries. Some volunteers have accepted invitations to the families‟ homes to share a meal, so keen are the friends to offer hospitality in return.

Valued volunteers have also brought in clothes, kitchenware, children‟s books and toiletries. Some items have been sourced through Facebook site: Saltburn Pong. There have been generous much appreciated donations from Saltburn individuals too.

Some imaginative spin off activities have been welcomed by the families. Help has been given by Redcar and Cleveland Council to friends to acquire an allotment in the Eston area, so that they can grow food and integrate into the local community. Other plots in the vicinity are available for

the next enquirers.

Family visits to the monthly children‟s film afternoons organised by Saltburn Community and Arts Association have been funded by the Befrienders and these have provided an excellent opportunity for community integration. Other group activities are being considered for the summer, with the possible hiring of minibuses from community organisations.

Fundraising to support the initiatives is ongoing. Nick and Loll have held popular curry evenings with volunteers paying £10 each for a delicious meal, while Kath put on a Sunday breakfast. A table top sale in the ECHO Hall raised over £100 and Alan and Kathryn organised a fundraising concert in the Cricket Club. Supportive individuals have set up regular donations and the Saltburn Councillors have contributed money from their ward funding. The Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner has given a donation from the Force‟s regular sales of lost property items.

So it has become necessary to formalise procedures in order to set up a bank account, which in turn has led to the drawing up of a constitution, a mission statement, and the setting up of a committee, including three officers.

Information leaflets have been written in English and translated into Arabic by an accomplished bilingual Iraqi lady.

Two Syrian asylum seekers were pleased to tell me what the social events mean to them. Youmna said: “I like to come here because there are many different cultures. The staff are very friendly and it‟s good for me to improve my English.” Sadoun added: “Everything is good. Food, play for the children and all the people are my friends.”

Towards the end of the session, everyone is drawn together for the children to show what they have made and for accompanied songs and notices. The Befrienders have adopted a concluding song of friendship: „We‟ll all get together again‟ written by the late Saltburn songster Raphael Doyle.

What a success story! A committee member adds: “If this article leads to one further act of kindness towards our friends, it will have been worthwhile.”

For more information, please contact the Editor.

Rosemary Nicholls 45

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46

All being well and if, as the Scots used to say “The Good Lord preserves us,” by the time readers peruse this article Kate and I will be on the island of Cyprus where we are taking a holiday with one of Kate‟s sons, his wife and their little boy. I specifically said „all being well‟ because it seems that any number of factors can prevent planned flights from taking place these days. Will we be grounded by people flying drones, by strikes on behalf of the airport staff or some other unforeseen happening? I also have to bear in mind that we are flying on one of the cut price airlines, which in itself can lead to all manner of potential problems, such as delayed or cancelled flights, companies suddenly ceasing to trade or accidental or deliberate overbooking of flights.

Fortunately, in some ways at least, things are not quite as bad as they used to be with cut price airlines. I remember quite a few years ago when I was travelling with my then co-writer Chris Knight to the Netherlands. In those days it was impossible to book an actual numbered seat on cheap flights – you just got the seat you managed to occupy. Chris was a past master at this whereas I was not. For some unknown reason the people at the gate allowed all passengers to walk to the aircraft from the gate simultaneously. I say „walk‟ but an eventual brisk canter followed by a gallop was closer to the mark. It began like a slow motion start to the Grand National – made all the more weird by a mixture of the British „need‟ to queue but also a good deal of panic over whether there would be a seat at all when one arrived on the aircraft.

Chris had taken this into account. “I will get the seats” he told me. “You hold back the crowd.” And that is exactly what we did. We somehow got to the front of the mass of people, who were starting to move faster and faster, and when we reached the bottom of the aircraft steps Chris leapt up them and I tried to be as fat as I could to delay the masses pushing from behind. It seemed incredibly selfish but Chris told me later that this was the only technique he had been able to think of to ensure a good seat and that people in the same party could be sure of sitting together.

Booking seat numbers is definitely an advantage, especially for Kate, who lives in mortal fear of being separated from me for the duration of the flight. Kate is not the most confident flyer in the world but it has always been something of a puzzle to me why she thinks sitting next to me is going to prevent the aircraft from coming to grief.

I hope that by the time we get back from Cyprus summer will be in full swing and that we will not notice the difference in temperature. One thing is certain; although it is great to travel and to see new sights there is no place in the world that is better to me than our part of the North East coast when the sun shines and the white topped waves are gently lapping up our pristine golden beaches. I think we are immensely lucky to live in such an amazing location and the more I see it, the greater is my love for our part of the world.

The Saltburn Profile by Rosemary Nicholls June Mulroy “The view of the shipping from our turret is amazing,” says June Mulroy, who with her husband Mike lives in the top flat of Tower Court. “We love Saltburn – it‟s such an endearing place!”

June was born in Middlesbrough, an only child; her parents both worked in the Finance Department of ICI. They were quiet, but strong people who loved to debate the issues of the day. Her Mum was arty and very interested in visiting historic places on holiday; her Dad was an athlete, who encouraged June to play football and cricket.

June went to St Mary‟s Convent in Middlesbrough and then to Birmingham University to study Psychology, with a view to working with adults with learning difficulties.

However, during a clinical placement, she discovered it wasn‟t for her and changed to Accountancy. She moved to London to work as a Chartered Accountant, one of only a few women in the profession at the time. She found that the qualification opened doors for her and she has worked for three of the four big UK Accountancy firms, on Wall Street, in Paris, Poland, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Ireland.

“I„ve gone into a lot of organisations with problems,” says June. “I look into the behaviour at senior level. Often organisations want to change, but are not sure how. It can be quite challenging to work with other established professionals and difficult financial situations.”

Mike is also an Accountant: they met in Switzerland and after a long spell as friends, married at Strawberry Hill House in London, where June had always kept a base. They work separately, however, with Mike focusing more on the financial side.

As semi-retirement has approached, the pair had been looking for a home nearer the sea on the south coast.

But their search was interrupted by the serious illness of her mother in Redcar. Suddenly, they needed to spend much more time on Teesside, where June‟s Mum was in hospital and then in an Eston Care Home. “At first, we stayed at her home, but she was a meticulous housekeeper and not confident that we would be keeping it up to standard,” remembers June. “So Mike was tasked with finding us somewhere of our own and came up with Tower Court.”

Mike, who is not from the North-East, was very taken by the listed building, where three flats were for sale, and by Saltburn itself. They bought all three flats and have a long-term plan to turn two into holiday homes.

“The flat we live in had been updated, but the exterior needed extensive work. As Tower Court is a listed building, we needed permission to make repairs, which were essential because there was a lot of damage to the infrastructure,” says June. “We are grateful to Saltburn historians, Cath and Tony Lynn, who showed us photos of the original building and to the English Heritage trained stonemasons, whom we employed to do the work.”

The first floor windows, which were not a standard size, were replaced and new outdoor lighting, in Victorian style but with LED bulbs, was installed. The exterior of the whole building was re-mortared. There were six or seven storeys of scaffolding!

“I would love to do more research about the building, which was once a school and was used by the

military in World War II. Part of the internal structure is from the keel of a ship and the whole place is a weird shape!” she adds.

While she studied at St Mary‟s Convent, June was in a choir led by visiting Saltburn singing teacher Betty Middleton. She took the singers to Llangollen Eistedfodd and June found the choral activity a welcome break from the rigidity of the Convent. She still has a strong voice and reads music and bulks up in London choirs when there is a shortage of singers. “I‟m a bit of a travelling minstrel!”

She likes singing choral work by Britten, Tippett, Handel and Mozart; she enjoys complex music, but will sing along to anything – except karaoke.

Walking on the moors and along the coast is another of her pleasures. She admits to having two metal hips, but this hasn‟t dented her resolve to carry on skiing until she is eighty (which isn‟t yet!). Since her twenties, she has skied once or twice a year; Mike goes tobogganing and walking while she‟s on piste.

June acquired her current cat, Missy, from a rescue centre in Battersea. She has hip dysplasia, but is a good traveller by car. She‟s also happy to go to a cat hotel when necessary. “I‟ve always had cats,” June says.

As well as still working part-time, June is an active member of a number of public bodies. She is Deputy Chair of the South London and Maudsley Hospital Foundation Trust and still involved in the Mental Health arena. In addition, she is a Non-Executive Governor of St Mary‟s University, London and a Non-Executor Director of Broadacres Housing Association, based in Northallerton.

In between, she and Mike can often be found in their favourite shops: Book Corner, Chocolini‟s, Townend‟s and formerly Northern Lights, where they bought their chandeliers. “Oh and I love Saltburn‟s Theatre too – so professional and only ten minutes‟ walk from home,” she ends.

47

1st Saltburn Scout Group Easter was upon us and despite „resting‟ over the holiday break, Leaders were getting sorted for a variety of events in the forthcoming months. All sections were preparing for St George‟s Day Parade which will be held this year at Marske, when we join with all Groups in the District.

Beavers on the last night before the break were „entertained‟

by Rev. Adam Reed at church; this was linked into their Faith badge, but also an opportunity to discover more about the church (sadly many of our members are not regular attenders) so it was an opportunity to discover what goes on! Cubs had a similarly themed evening, but in our building, when Sam (our „home grown‟ leader) returned briefly from university to ensure the Cubs were as well informed about Easter as part of their Faith Badge activities.

Scouts also had a night out – meeting at Marske Scout building and after a „sit‟ for a while – walked back to Saltburn for their regular 9.00pm finish. The „sit‟ involved a presentation by Sam for his Queen‟s Scout Award and see Sam being presented with his Duke of Edinburgh‟s Gold Award. Sam‟s mum, Grandparents, as well as the Explorer Scouts from Marske (hopefully some of the Saltburn Scouts will be joining them shortly) and other Leaders and Scouting friends saw an excellent presentation and are now awaiting Sam achieving his Queen‟s Scout Award. It was a good evening enjoyed by all, the Scouts who all know Sam well from his time with our Group were well impressed and appreciative of the opportunity to see “what happens next in Scouting after Scouts”. The walk back was not leisurely but appreciated by those Scouts who are shortly to undertake Expeditions with their Duke of Edinburgh‟s Award.

Many parents are continuing to assist with all Sections in their activities, thanks particularly to Phillipa and Oliver who are ensuring the Cubs can attend the „Damboree‟ this June (of which more details later); if you can offer assistance or are interested in joining us, you would be very welcome. Please enquire.

Saltburn, Redcar & Cleveland Philatelic Society Summer break Following our AGM in April, we begin a summer break, resuming on the first Wednesday of September. The photo shows a unique first day use (6th May 1840) of a pictorial envelope designed by William Mulready RA addressed to the Joseph Pease - one of the Pease family which promoted the Darlington/Stockton Railway of 1825, later extended to Saltburn. Details of our 2019/20 programme will be given in the September Talk of the Town.

Contacts: Mr. G. Reynolds 01642 478229 Mr. M. Snowdon 01287 622504

John G. Hannah – 07811 801627 or johnghannah@yahoo.co.uk

Saltburn Line User Group Next Meeting: Tuesday, 7th May 2019 at 7.00pm.

Meetings at Saltburn Conservative Club are held on the first Tuesday of the month, and our starting time is now (permanently) 7pm.

As always, all welcome.

Talk to Saltburn Line User Group.

The Group exists to protect passengers‟ interests.

Find us at www.facebook.com/ saltburnlineusergroup Email the secretary on: slugsecretary@virginmedia.com SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LINE 48

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Postal Subscription to Talk of the Town If you enjoy reading Talk of the Town, why not subscribe to the postal service? You can have the magazine delivered to your door, anywhere in the UK for as little as £33.50 per year.

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

Saltburn Allotments Association Spring is in full swing now and so much is actively growing. Weather is getting warmer at last and we should now have seen the last of the frost, hopefully. However, keep a fleece to hand just in case of a late one as we can still be caught out!

You can sow lots of things directly outside such as peas, beans, sweet corn and courgettes, as well as continuing to sow a succession of salad, brassica crops and roots thinning as necessary to give room to grow. It‟s a good time to harden off young plants that you have raised under cover like brassicas and leeks. If you like to add flowers like marigolds or any others to encourage the help of the insects to protect your crops they can be hardened off too. It can be extremely beneficial to do this as hoverfly larvae and other predators will feed on greenfly. I always grow a selection of flowers and herbs for this reason. Tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins raised indoors should be planted outside at the end of the month, hardening them off first.

Keep a close eye on weeds and hoe them off before they get going; you will give your crops the best start and less competition if you keep them at bay. You can use a mulch to stop them coming back, but make sure the soil is moist before you apply so if it‟s dry you can water well first. This cover will keep in the moisture and reduce the need to water especially if it remains dry. Make sure you have pea and bean supports built or at hand if not already in place.

If you have a greenhouse keep a close eye on the temperature and ensure it‟s well ventilated when sunny.

Damp the floor to keep up humidity and reduce the chance of red spider and other pests and keep plants well watered but not waterlogged.

Harvest your asparagus before the stems reach 18 inches high. Pick about a third of rhubarb stems regularly; continue to do this to encourage cropping.

Collecting water from sheds and greenhouses to reduce the need to use tap water can be done by anyone with a shed or greenhouse, look for large containers so that rainwater is not wasted and you have a collection to water plants in warmer weather.

You may wish to grow some flowers not only to benefit the insect population on your plot but also to contribute to making the area looking its best. Perhaps you could grow flowers at the front of your plot where they can be appreciated by anyone passing by. Your efforts would also be seen by the Northumbria in Bloom judges as they pass through the Hazelgrove site. The Zetland Terrace site will also be seen by Northumbria in Bloom and also Britain in Bloom judges and flowers would make the sites look more colourful. We had lovely comments about the allotments last year so let‟s see if we can impress them further!

Julia

Molly’s Muses I have been asked to write again for this month‟s Talk of the Town. I am not sure what to write about but here goes.

I am currently on Easter holidays. On Sunday, 14th April we went to watch the Klondike go past Saltburn‟s chocolate shop Chocolini‟s; it was quite exciting to see all the police cars drive past and tell people off when they were driving where they weren‟t supposed to. It must have taken a lot of planning for it all to work smoothly.

I did think that it was unfair that the men and the women in the Klondike were cycling in different races.

My mum and dad were trying to explain it to me, but it got me thinking about what other sporting events men and women competed against each other in but we could only think of darts and horse racing. There are probably more.

We went to the pictures to see the new Dumbo film. My mum really enjoyed it but I fell asleep. I loved the reclining seats, it was really comfy, and so it was easy to fall asleep. My mum thought I might as well have just stayed at home. Maybe I‟ll see it again when it comes out on DVD. I am trying to read more, so I am just about to start reading the Sophie McKenzie series. I remember in year 6 we had to write to someone who inspired us and I wrote to David Williams because I loved him on BGT and his books were always funny. Also I liked watching the movies at Christmas; I liked to compare the characters to how I imagined them.

My dad and my brother always go to watch Marske United football club every week and Marske are in the final of a cup! My dad can‟t go so my mum and I and my brother are going to go and watch it at the Riverside.

We are going to Kent in the May holidays as it‟s on my mum‟s bucket list. There‟s a place called Wingham with a safari park. I really like going away to explore new places. We went to Knowsley Safari Park ages ago and that was really fun and we went to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park last year. I really enjoyed seeing the polar bears and that was the first time I‟d ever seen polar bears.

The good thing about England is you don‟t have to fly. I don‟t like flying. I know it‟s how you get to your holiday destinations but I really don‟t like it. I really want to go back to Birmingham because of the new Primark that opened, it looks AMAZING. I‟d probably get lost knowing me!

In June my mum and I are going to see Jess Glynn at the open air theatre in Scarborough. My mum went there last year to see Gary Barlow and she said it was a good venue. We also saw Ed Sheeran last year, at Saint James Park. I really enjoyed it but it was really busy. We had to leave early so we weren‟t in the big rush at the end; I hate that! I wanted to go to the BBC 1 Big Radio Weekend but unfortunately we didn‟t get any tickets. Never mind.

Molly 49

The Saltburn Crossword no 215 set by Dinosaur Across

Name___________________________________ Address_________________________________ ________________________________________ Telephone_______________________________

1 and 9 Across Greeting for local 150th anniversary this month disturbs tipsy and burly bather I rap (5, 8, 8, 4) 9 See 1 Across 10 Annoying insect in finding, naturally (4) 11 Japanese modern symbol for conveying emotion initially ending most of Japanese independence (5) 12 Plenty of places in Saltburn to find these on mixed sale (4) 14 A book is intended to be found in pure admin (4) 16 Nuts backing shock (4) 17 Garden variety of violet plainly losing alternatives and inserting direction (5) 18 Household nuisance of assorted 26 Across (4) 20 3 Down presented in shorter form (4) 21 Playful and cute wild British carnivore found also in this month‟s magazine (5) 23 Put in order using half of stirred prospect (4) 26 Metal breeder? (4) 27 and 13 Down Saltburn road‟s best threat averted (4, 6) 28 American cowboy show confuses red double zero (5) 29 Fruit for romantic meeting? (4) 31 Saltburn street found vicar at door I ordered (8, 4) 32 Former local MP bolts pin men, OK? (3, 10)

Down

2 Saltburn has a close for this river backing starburst (4) 3 20 Across for the Royal Mail? (6) 4 and 22 Down Saltburn row of houses balm or alter race (8, 7) 5 Cute wild animals of Arab bits and pieces (7) 6 Many a traditional remedy or tea describes plant book (6) 7 British fruits insert the French in electronic applications (7) 8 Finished tent, admire after redistributing (10) 13 See 27 Across 14 To find again cider roves about (10) 15 Soak up in crab‟s orbits (6) 19 Total absence of progress reminiscent of current politics (8) 22 See 4 Down 24 Body art removes Sol from toast tool spread (6) 25 Little angel hides in panache rubber (6) 26 Completely wet parties backing part denial (6) 30 Riot rioted to find three musicians (4)

Solution to Crossword no 214

The winner of last month‟s crossword was John R Smith of Carmel Gardens, Nunthorpe.

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

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

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Send your completed crossword to: Saltburn Crossword no 215, c/o Jackie‟s Saverstore, 8 Station Buildings, Saltburn, TS12 1AQ

by Friday, 17th May 2019. First correct solution out of the bag wins a £10 voucher kindly donated by Tim and Sheila of Real Meals.

The Zetland Lifeboat’s return to Redcar Friday 5th April 2019 was a big day for the town of Redcar, and an historic one for the Zetland Lifeboat, the oldest lifeboat in the world.

Zetland had been away from her home at the Zetland Lifeboat Museum on Redcar‟s seafront esplanade for the last five months, during which time she underwent a programme of careful conservation at the premises of A V Dawson Ltd on Teesside. On the morning of 5th April, she was lifted onto a low-loader and taken on her journey back home to Redcar.

On the same morning, a crowd of 200 to 300 people assembled on the seafront, awaiting the return of the Zetland.

Telephone calls were received from the convoy, and eagerly shared; “She‟s at Kirkleatham!”, then “She‟s at Majuba!” and shortly afterwards, at 11.20am, a murmur of anticipation heralded the first sighting of the lorry carrying Redcar‟s famous lifeboat.

The low loader was accompanied by another lorry which carried a giant fork lift truck. This was used to lift the 3-ton Zetland off the low loader and set her down gently at the top of the Royal slipway, opposite the Museum. Work started to release the fastenings for the large tarpaulin that had covered the lifeboat for her journey.

Few people knew what to expect; Zetland had been away for months and some significant work had taken place, involving stripping her back to bare wood to identify areas of deteriorated timber, to locally remove and replace such damage, and to apply suitable preservatives. All of which, of course, necessitated a complete new coat of paint. Would she look new? Would her character be altered?

The tarpaulin was swept off the boat. For a second or two the crowd was absolutely silent, then a spontaneous round of applause broke out; Zetland was home, and she looked fabulous! Yes, the paint was fresher, but she was every inch the 217-year old Zetland that the people of Redcar knew and loved. The work had been done to preserve her for future generations to see, study and enjoy, but her essential character was unchanged; you can still see evidence of her hard, working life but signs of the recent work are almost invisible, having been done so skilfully and sympathetically.

Prior to the work on Zetland, the Museum Committee had carried out a nationwide search for a suitable person to carry out the conservation. In mid-2018, Redcar craftsman Tony Young, with decades of experience working on wooden boats, agreed to do the work and on 22nd November, Zetland was taken from the Museum so that Tony and his small team could commence their task.

Zetland Museum Chairperson, Janette Picknett, said; “It has been a real labour of love planning and carrying out the conservation of the Zetland, but thanks to a huge amount of support by many people, and after a number of years since the project started, I and the Museum‟s Committee firmly believe that a very successful outcome has been achieved; the unique Zetland Lifeboat is completely sound now, so as to last for many future generations. I would like to thank Tony Young and his colleagues for all their skilful work, also A V Dawson Ltd for providing premises and an overhead crane, Johnstone‟s Paint Centre for supplying paint and materials, and The Learning Curve whose members

Zetland and the Zetland Lifeboat Museum

painted Zetland so well. Many others helped us too, and I will be thanking all of these directly”.

Janette continued; “The whole day was a real success. A good crowd welcomed Zetland back to Redcar, our Patron, Lord Zetland, gave a speech and vote of thanks, and the Marske Fishermen‟s Choir sang a number of songs including “Come Along, Brave Boys” which had been written in honour of the Zetland Lifeboat. We also had a wonderful buffet reception which had been prepared by our volunteers – the cups of tea were particularly welcome on such a cold day!”

The Zetland Museum is now open every day from 11am onwards until the end of October, and is run and staffed entirely by volunteers. New volunteers are always welcome: Janette said; “The Zetland attracts many thousands of visitors each year, and we need volunteers to be tour guides so show people around the Museum. You don‟t need any experience, just a smile and enthusiasm for our famous lifeboat. It‟s a fascinating hobby and there‟s always something new to learn about the Zetland and the many heroic rescues she and her crews carried out. Most volunteers come into the Museum for about three hours a week. We‟re a very friendly crew and always happy to show new volunteers the ropes”.

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can call Janette Picknett on 07788 855910.

Martyn Johnson, Publicity Volunteer at Zetland Lifeboat Museum 51

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