January 8, 1966

J FAIRFAX-BLAKEBOROUGH, who proceeded Nicholas Rhea in writing Countryman’s Diary (see Page 62 for Nicholas’ account of his succession) wrote of a “Yuletide hupset” that an old Yorkshireman had recounted to him a few days earlier.

It concerned Lizzie Leckonby, who was preparing her best parlour for a Christmas tea for her chapel friends for tea. She lit the fire which immediately filled the house with smoke.

“She gat that putten about that she went inti histericks and rushed inti t'street as black as a crow, asking folks ti gan ti t'tallyphone and call t'fire engine,” said the Yorkshireman. “She'd tried ti tallyphone hersen but kept getting her coppers chucked back at her no matter how she tonned the wheel thing round ti 999.

“T'bobby landed up ti see what all the stir was about, and when he went in he found a dead owl stuck in Lizzie's chimney. When it was getten out it fetched mair soot down.

“Two or three of her cronies set to ti clean things up, but what made matters warse was that Mrs Mary Thompson, who lives next door and isn't what you calls kissing kind with Lizzie, was creating on in the front street till the bobby telled her to gan in and keep quiet.

“Seemingly, Mary's cake had been bont and wasn't cooked in t'middle. She blamed Lizzie for having blocked her chimney o'purpose at the time she knew Mary wad be baking her Christmas cake. ’Cordingly, it was ruined, and she dursen’t fetch it out for no one ti see let alone taste.”

January 8, 1916

DESPITE being at war with the Germany, it would appear that children still had a soft spot for certain seasonal items produced with great skill in enemy territory.

The D&S reported: "Mr W Brown JP announced at a meeting of Whitby Urban Council on Tuesday evening that he proposed shortly to call a meeting of residents to consider the advisability of beginning the manufacture of toys locally in order to oust the German trade.”

January 6, 1866

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD was the panto being performed at Darlington’s only theatre, the Theatre Royal in Northgate, "with marked success”. The theatre was near the Cocker Beck, where the small cinema is today.

“The part of Red Riding Hood, as well as that of Columbine, had been allotted to Miss Fiddes, and she sustained her character with grace and ability,” said the paper’s uncritical critic.

“The Queen of the Fairies was impersonated by Mrs Lindo Courtenay, whose sylph-like appearance was universally admired. Mrs Helen Graham, in her representation of Boy Blue, was remarkably felicitous, and Mr and Mrs Maurice James performed several hornpipes and jigs with ease and accuracy.

“Miss Wilson, as Cupid, astonished the audience by her intelligent manner. The Clown, Mr J Robe, caused much merriment by his amusing feats, and the Pantaloon, Mr EW Burton, played the part of an old man with his accustomed histrionic power.”

The article concluded: "The transformations were executed with facility and were loudly applauded.

"The new proprietors have spared neither labour nor money in the production of a piece worthy the approval and patronage of the Darlington public."