I’VE had a little bit of correspondence condemning me for my discourteous attitude towards Hannah Hauxwell.

For the record, I don’t hate Hannah Hauxwell. She’s an old lady – no doubt some of my best friends will one day be old ladies.

In last week’s column, I was merely finding amusement from the fact that someone had more than a bad word to say about the Hauxter.

Personally speaking, don’t get me started on Lynda Bellingham, but I will stress again I have no problem at all with Teesdale’s most famous farmer.

It was interesting to hear John Blackie and Stuart Parsons had been accused of bullying staff at the NHS care commissioning group which wants to downgrade the children’s unit at the Friarage.

While I wasn’t at the consultation meetings in question, I’ve been to enough Richmondshire District Council meetings to know both men are apt at verbal volleying.

NHS staff more used to cosy boardroom meetings full of friendly faces and ginger nut biscuits must wonder what they’ve done wrong to be landed in a town hall full of angry residents and two councillors – who love them or Hauxwell them – both care passionately about their communities.

The staff reckon their integrity has been questioned – a claim both councillors deny, but in the council chamber at Swale House that’s par for the course.

Rambunctious is a word I don’t use lightly, or without double-checking its meaning and spelling, but that’s how democracy works locally and nationally.

Someone proposes something and then, if it’s controversial, there’s a good old row with integrity, competence and sometimes even sanity called into question.

The end result may still be the same, but at least the proposal, and the reasons for making it, have been robustly explored.

In the end, this is what happens when unelected officials make unpopular decisions about public services – you can’t vote them out and it seems you can’t shout at them either.