FROM OUR ARCHIVE: It is September 1987, just over a year after the tail-end of Hurricane Charley laid waste to large parts of the UK and especially the Yorkshire Dales. Swaledale was particularly hard hit and dozens of people had to be rescued from flash floods, including caravanners. Here members of the Durham and District Association of the Camping and Caravan Club present a plaque of appreciation to the emergency service personnel who rescued them a year previously. What are your memories of that day in August 1986? Let From Our Archive know at dst@nne.co.uk.

 

 

From this newspaper 150 years ago. – Railway accident near Darlington. – About three o'clock on Wednesday morning, an accident occurred at what is known as "The Darlington Run," or "Whessoe Curve," which is about a mile west of this town. It appears that a mineral train left Shildon soon after two a.m., to proceed eastward. It proceeded to the place above named, when, unobserved by the engineman, a coupling chain broke, and before he became aware of the facts, the express train from Scotland to London, which is due at Darlington at three a.m., dashed into the wagons, completely blocking the line for a short time. Fortunately the train was coming at a slow rate, or the consequences might have been far more serious. As it was, the engine of the express train was thrown off the line, and as a matter of course the passengers were very considerably shaken; none of them, however, met with any serious mishap. We regret to state that Mr Joseph Pease, of Southend, who was in the train, received some slight bruises about the face, but happily not of such a nature as to cause any alarm to his friends. Mr Pease was able to attend the meeting of the Local Board on the following day. Our readers will probably be aware of the fact that all the traffic between this town and Newcastle had for some time past to be carried round by the Durham branch to Bishop Auckland, and theme to Darlington, owing to a landslip, the particulars of which have appeared in our paper.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. – Thornton-le-Beans and Crosby and the War. – During the past month the ladies of this parish have been actively employed in making garments for the soldiers, sailors, and Belgian refugees from material obtained by means of a local fund, to which everyone able to do so most generously contributed. As the result 47 garments, consisting of dresses, caps, underclothing etc., have been made for the Belgians, and 34 shirts, 12 mufflers, and 50 pairs of socks. The fund to purchase materials amounted to £9 8s. A collection was also made in the parish for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families' Association, realising about £2. The good work is to be carried on as soon as funds can be raised for the purpose.

Salmon Fishing in the Tees. – The salmon fishing season in the Tees, which ended on Monday, may be classed as the worst on record owing to the prolonged dry weather. Very few big fish succeeded in passing the weirs at Barnard Castle owing to the absence of heavy floods. The largest salmon of the season caught on the upper water was a beautiful fish of 17lbs., secured on the fly last Saturday by Mr Simon Hunter, of Sowerby Grange, Northallerton, who kindly presented it to the British Red Cross, Bedale, for the brave wounded Belgian soldiers quartered there.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. – The announced closure by British Railways of passenger services at Brompton, near Northallerton, are likely to raise local opposition as it means the severing of "the last rail link between the village and Teesside." Coun M J Tyreman, Chairman of the Parish Council, said the village would protest and he hoped would be supported by the Northallerton Rural Council. The only remaining service is an outward stop from Northallerton at 9.31am and the return stop at 7.39pm. Coun Tyreman said the real harm was done four years ago with the cutting off of the early morning train which took people to work or technical schools on Teesside. He said groups of people do use the service, mainly for outings to Redcar or a day's shopping on Teesside. The closure of the railway passenger services could also sever the close links between West Hartlepool and the country village which have existed since the 1914-18 war. During the bombardment of Hartlepool many families moved out to Brompton and the bonds have strengthened over the years. Now Workingmen's Clubs arrange summer day excursions to Brompton, where the people are allowed to use the village hall and the recreation ground. Only this summer 450 came to the village by train in July and in previous years there have been several excursions. Coun Tyreman said: "We welcome the visitors from Hartlepool and it is much handier if they come by train. Otherwise, it involves 20 or 30 buses having to be accommodated in the village all day. "The people of West Hartlepool look forward to bringing their children to Brompton as our children look forward to a day at the seaside at Redcar." The last season ticket holders disappeared with the end of the early morning train a few years ago and now there are no "regulars," and train travellers are mainly people on a day's outing to Redcar or shopping on Teesside. If the passenger services are ended it will be the second time in his 47 1/2 years on the railway that Mr Percy Eccles, the station-master, has faced this problem. He was moved to Brompton from Rowley, County Durham, when the passenger services stopped there in 1939.