Borough area lines drawn up

It was a tough job but someone had to do it. This band of volunteers had spent many hours removing pigeon droppings from the roof of St Anne’s Church in Catterick Village in June 1980 under the supervision of the vicar, the Rev George Darvill. Can you identify the stalwart helpers? Let From Our Archive know at dst@nne.co.uk

The actual terms of the letter have not yet been actually disclosed even to the members of the Town Council, with the exception of the eight who comprise a special subcommittee for the purposes of this application, but the fact that the sub-committee found it necessary to hold no less than four meetings before coming to a final decision suggests that the conditions are by no means wholly to the liking of those who knew most about them. As the special council meeting was immediately preceded by a private sitting in General Purposes Committee the public proceedings were of a purely formal character, and they add little or nothing to what was already known except for a report which was presented by the sub-committee.

This report finally clears up the doubts as to the area which the Local Government Board is prepared to bring within the borough. The area which the council set out to include within the borough would have given a Greater Darlington nearly seven miles across. This ambitious scheme ends in the addition only of the parish of Cockerton, less that part north of the railway, and the Harrowgate Estate and a small portion on the west side of the railway in the parish of Haughton-le-Skerne. But the sub-committee are veritable Mark Tapleys, and the ruin of their territorial ambitions leaves them rejoicing that “from a purely financial point of view the town will benefit by the reduction in area to the extent of about £432 per annum.

From this newspaper 100 years ago: A conference governed by Mr John Hutton, Chairman of the North Riding County Council, of representatives of the various authorities in the Riding interested in the administration of the Mental Deficiency Act was held at the County Hall, Northallerton, yesterday, to consider the most efficient methods of carrying out the provisions of the Act. The matter they had come to discuss was of the very gravest importance to the whole community.He did not think that any measure of social reform had been passed in later years that appealed so strongly to their best feelings and also to the needs of the community.

From this newspaper 50 years ago: Every week in some parts of the country new business take-overs occur and in many cases the passing of the family business, although, no doubt a sign of progress, carries with it a touch of sadness. An intimate knowledge of the customers’ requirements and a pride in honesty and efficiently supplying them, is becoming more rare as the old established family business is caught up in the takeover, then merged and re-merged until in its place stands a store functioning to the dictates of an army of statisticians, accountants and financiers. In short the soul has gone and left a robot in its place.

One of the rarer retail stores which has been fortunate enough to make real progress while retaining its original identity and name operates in Northallerton and although founded well back in the last century is still under the control of not only members of its founder’s family, but of directors from an early age have taken both pride and pleasure in building it. The firm, as you may have guessed, is Barkers and if you are used to shopping there, the odds are you will have detected a happy atmosphere among assistants, buyers and directors alike, all of whom take pleasure in meeting customers and keeping alive to their changing needs.

The success story that applies here and in many of Northallerton’s other 71 shops owes much to an important factor outside the shops’ control. A progressive and farseeing Urban Council some years ago were quick to recognise the truth in “the town that welcomes the motorist is the town of the future,” and not satisfied with its generous street parking for easily 1,000 cars, it purchased in addition several acres close to the rear of the shopping centre.