By Phil Lambell A SOUL band that can trace its roots back more than 35 years is marking Christmas with a new CD and a home town gig. The Smokin’ Spitfires have been performing their unique combination of soul and rhythm ’n’ blues originals
YIPPEE, only six sleeps 'til Christmas – or 12 if you like a 20-minute lunchtime power nap sat on the office toilet with your head slumped against the toilet door. After months of growing excitement and building anticipation, it's almost here –
By Chris Wiltshire For three, bone-chillingly cold evenings, Lapland's lady of the night had stood me up and I was beginning to despair. Aurora Borealis, the Roman goddess of dawn, had lured me deep into the heart of icy Finland with the promise
FROM OUR ARCHIVE: In December 2005, these youngsters were the stars of the show in the Thirsk Community Primary School Christmas show. Unfortunately, our photographer didn't get their names. Can readers, or the young stars who will now be at secondary
By Jenny Needham There’s an old saying that you get warm twice when you use logs on your open fire. Once, when you take your chainsaw or axe to the tree and slice it into log-sized pieces before loading it into a trailer. And then again when you
The Chuckles of Oz, Civic Theatre, Darlington BEING lent a pair of 3D glasses before taking your seat is novel in a theatre and betokens something cinematic and exciting. It is well into the first act before they are needed and then – wow –
By Nicholas Rhea A RECENT report in The Times newspaper suggested that Christmas as a religious festival is being gradually eased from our modern way of life. One example is that only a third of our schools are this year staging a traditional nativity
ITALIAN restaurants are ten-a-penny in Darlington. Not a month goes by it seems without another establishment opening serving spaghetti carbonara, margarita pizzas and tiramisu. There is, however, the Daddy of Darlo’s Italians and that’s Sardis
By Betsy Everett THERE’S a stillness about Judith Bromley. Anybody more at ease in her own space, whether the beautiful Askrigg home which is also her studio and gallery, or the hills and moorland that rise above it and which have been her delight
By Nick Morgan THE mild weather in November was not really conducive to exciting bird sightings and so continued what has been a rather disappointing autumn. Even usually common winter visitors like fieldfares have been mainly notable for their
By Hannah Stephenson The shops are awash with poinsettias at this time of year in shades of red, pink and cream, the colourful bracts having taken an average of eight weeks to turn from green to red. Garden centres, supermarkets, homeware shops
Baroque Music for Christmas, All Saints’ Church, Northallerton IN SOME ways this was an odd evening’s music. Billed as Baroque Music for Christmas, the North Yorkshire Chorus concert began with part one of Messiah and continued with Bach’s Advent
PROSPECTS for farmers in 2015 are more uncertain than for many years.There is a general consensus emerging that farm profits will be down in 2015 and that follows a fall of about 15 per cent in 2014.The factors that depressed output prices – particularly
THE well-travelled Barclay Simpson, Richmond's long-serving ambassador, has been hob-nobbing with the international jet set again as part of his ongoing efforts to spread the word about the North Yorkshire town around the world.The author of Richmonds
Sir, – ON December 10, at about 11am, a very large branch fell from a tree in Thorpe Thewles churchyard totally blocking the road into the village (the tree is waiting planning permission to be felled).A resident rang our local Care for Your Area and
Sir, – Councillor Dorothy Long must travel around Darlington with her eyes shut if she failed to see the number of people who ride bikes on pavements and footpaths in all parts of the town and who are a danger to young and old alike (Echo, Dec 5).They
Sir, – As a vital emergency service that provides life-saving care and treatment to residents of Yorkshire and its many visitors all year round, Christmas is just like any normal working day for many of our staff.To ensure patients receive the care they
Sir, – Walking down Bedale High Street between 9am and 10am last Friday morning, I was surprised by the lack of traffic, never more than five cars at any one time.Talking to some of the locals, they said there was a mad rush between 8-9am and 5-6pm otherwise
Sir, – Nigel Boddy is almost right about floods (D&S letters, Dec 12).Holding water back in lakes, ponds and water meadows, or letting it soak away into the ground, is the best protection for urban areas downstream.But every time someone paves their driveway
