September 23, 1865

SEVEN years after industrialist Henry Pease had his prophetic vision on the Cleveland seafront of “a town arising on the cliff and the quiet, unfrequented and sheltered glen turned into a lovely garden”, a correspondent from the Lancet magazine visited Saltburn.

It was one of the world’s first railway seaside resorts, and the medical man was impressed. The D&S Times was so impressed by his report that it re-printed it in full.

“At this season when every medical man is seeking fresh air for himself and his family or is being driven to his wits' ends to find suitable country quarters for fastidious patients, we may perhaps advantageously call attention to a new watering place in the north of Yorkshire, Saltburn-by-the-Sea,” he began.

He described the fledgling resort’s location as near the “busy ironworking district which surrounds Middlesbrough on Tees”, but he said: “Far beyond the reach of smoke, however, Saltburn or at least as much of it as is finished, is delightfully placed upon lofty cliffs facing the German Ocean, and overlooking a little bay, the even sands of which extend to Redcar, a more populous town five miles distant.

“The great charm of Saltburn, however, is not simply the seaview, but its combination with inland scenery afforded by the surrounding country, and especially by a deep glen, which, running from the sands into the main land, is profusely wooded, and gives passage to a rivulet or ‘beck’ of clear water, from which the town derives its fresh water supply.”

It would seem that our medical man from the south had never encountered the northern word “beck” before.

He continued: “In addition to its other attractions, Saltburn resembles Scarborough and Harrogate in possessing a chalybeate spring, containing a minute quantity of iron in combination with lime and chloride of sodium, so that its resemblance to the water of the Harrogate spa is close. This is situated in the glen to which we have alluded, and which, under the fostering care of the Saltburn Improvement Company, is being rendered accessible and pleasant by the formation of paths which lead into Lord Zetland’s woods.

“Owing to its northern position, Saltburn possesses all those bracing qualities of climate which have rendered the Yorkshire watering places so popular, and in addition, owing to the high hills placed on its eastern side, it is protected from those cutting winds which prove so trying to the invalid.

“It possesses also in its picturesque glen a sheltered and choice sanitarium where the cold winds never penetrate, and where even in mid winter the atmosphere is both warm and moist. Thus even in the autumn months the invalid or valetudinarian will be able to enjoy open air exercise and amusement.”

The medical man – perhaps staying in Mr Pease’s splendid Zetland Hotel, which had opened in 1863 – was deeply impressed by the resort’s drainage and water systems, and he noted: “With such a dry climate and with good hygienic arrangements, it is not surprising that the amount of sickness in Saltburn is exceedingly small, and that hitherto it has escaped those epidemics which less favoured watering places have been so frequently exposed to.

He concluded: “Eight hours of railway travelling will take Londoners to this pretty seaside spot, and we believe they will not regret their choice when then make its acquaintance.”

September 25, 1915

AT the meeting of the Northallerton Board of Guardians, Mr W Shout proposed a motion expressing the board’s deep sympathy with their chairman, the Reverend GT Winch, whose son, Harold, had been killed at Gallipoli while serving with the Australian Expeditionary Force.

“His son's life had been given for the good of the country and the cause of humanity,” said the D&S Times. “The members arose and passed the vote in silence.”

Mr Winch was the vicar of Brompton, near Northallerton. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission website says that his son, Pte Winch, was only 19-years-old and that his body was never recovered – in fact his date of death is given as between August 7 and 12. His name is on the Lone Pine Memorial in Turkey

The D&S continued: “Mr Winch assured members that he deeply appreciated the kind words in which Mr Shout had alluded to the loss of his son. He might say that the news did not come as a shock and a surprise to him, as he had for months past scanned the list of casualties in the daily papers, and he frequently wondered how his son or anyone escaped in their hazardous movements and the terrible fire to which they were exposed.”

The vicar revealed that in his youth “he took part in the Crimean War, a very humble part, as a powder monkey on board one of the wooden ships”.

The D&S Times published the short letter he had received from Clarence G Page of the 1st Infantry Brigade informing him of his loss. The letter said: “His speech was pure and his thoughts were on the higher plane and his general bearing of the Christian type.”

It concluded: “PS Harold met his death during a brilliant charge on August 6 at 5pm.”

September 25, 1965

The D&S Times reported that in the last 12 months in the Darlington area, there had been “13 accidents caused by dogs straying into the road. In these there were three people hurt, two of them seriously”.

The report went on: “Those who are more interested in the welfare of the dogs will be horrified to know that 154 dogs were either killed or injured by motor vehicles and 99 of these were in the Darlington Borough.”

Can this really be true? Was there really such canine carnage on the roads back in the 1960s?