Picture above: The wheelchair-bound Lady Masham performs the opening honours at Northallerton’s new tourist information centre in October 1990. The specially-designed octagonal building is still open and run by volunteers. Back then it was operated by Hambleton District Council but tourism services was one of the first services to suffer when the council began trimming its budgets in 2009

From this newspaper 150 years ago. –

Richmond Town Council. A special meeting of this council was held on Tuesday, in compliance with a requisition from 24 ratepayers of the borough, to consider the propriety of adopting the Local Government Act, 1858.

Hitherto, the Nuisance Removal Act has been the principal power by which sanitary measures have been executed in the borough. It is now, however, felt desirable to adopt the Local Government Act, 1838, in order thereby to strengthen the hands of the council in dealing with those whose private drains are public nuisances. 

Darlington and Stockton Times:

BENEFICIAL: Advertisement from this newspaper in 1914

There are parties to either view of the question, some for, others against; the principal, and a very powerful objection too, of the latter being that hitherto the ratepayers have enjoyed that enviable exemption from all local rates possessed by few other towns in the kingdom, and they fear that the adoption of the Act will entail upon the borough a rate in perpetuity of something like 3 1/2d in the pound.

The Worshipful the Mayor (Alexander Young, Esq) told the council that the question was one which demanded their very serious consideration, and while refraining from expressing any opinion himself, said he was fully conscious that there was not one of them but was anxious to do all they could for the benefit of the inhabitants and the interests of the borough.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. –

Presentation to an Arkengarthdale hero. The schoolroom at Arkengarthdale was filled to overflowing on the night of the 9th, to do honour to Mr George Harker, a local miner, who, as reported some time ago in these columns, has been awarded the Carnegie certification for conspicuous bravery and a cheque for £20 by the Carnegie Trustees in recognition of his gallant conduct in April last, when he rescued from death Mr Thomas Harker, the mines manager. The two men were proceeding up a lonely drift in an old working of the Stang Mines, when the roof suddenly collapsed, and Mr Thomas Harker was buried beneath a great mass of rock and earth. There was no assistance available, and for one and a half hours George Harker struggled single- handed, amidst falling debris, and in constant peril of his own life, to extricate Mr Harker, who, but for his rescuer’s incessant efforts, must have died a terrible death.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

PICK ME UP: Advertisement from this newspaper in 1864

The dogged perseverance with which Mr G Harker stuck to his almost impossible task in spite of bodily injuries forms an example of courage and devotion to duty which could hardly be surpassed.

Deeds such as these, performed far away from the public eye and without the encouragement of praise or hope of reward, have done much to raise Englishmen to the pedestal they occupy in the eyes of the world.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. –

Stockton General Purposes Committee was told on Thursday that Vaux and Associated Breweries Ltd had successfully appealed at Durham Quarter Sessions against the committee’s decision refusing permission for a “one-armed bandit” to be installed in one of the company’s public houses. The town clerk, Mr J B Haworth, then read an application from Vaux for permission to put in gaming machines in a further six public houses, and said in five of these cases he did not think the committee had any option but to grant them. In the other case the police had inspected the premises and concluded that the public bar was not suitable for the machine.

Commented the chairman, Ald C W Allison: “The door has now been opened and it might well be that every pub in Stockton will become a casino.”

Ald A Ross said the position was ridiculous and Ald E Wiseman felt that the machines would be the death knell of the donations given in public houses to such charities as spastics and cancer research.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

FIT FOR PURPOSE: Advertisement from this newspaper 50 years ago

An application to install a gaming machine in his cafe at Norton Road was received from Mr A Rossi, and the committee decided to invite him and a representative of Vaux to attend the next meeting.