50 years ago, January 22, 1966

A DISCUSSION in the D&S Times’ letters column about the lack of library facilities in Romanby, near Northallerton, continued with the publication of correspondence from County Councillor Arnold Pearson, the vice chairman of Romanby parish council.

He said the Northallerton library served 10,000 people in the town and villages around and had “an extensive book stock upwards of 9,000 volumes”.

He said: “It is hoped this service will be considerably advanced when the County Library Committee is able to get ahead with plans for the new Northallerton branch library, which it is hoped to build in the coming financial year.

“The library at Romanby, which went on for some years in the old school, was only a small box bookstock, used by a handful of people, though this does not detract from the splendid work of the voluntary helpers who opened it. It closed with the closure of the old school.”

He suggested some "splendid voluntary organisations" might be prepared to run mobile libraries to help fill the void.

He continued: “Romanby is a sprawling village which is closely linked to Northallerton and at its extremities well within two miles of town (the statutory distance under which even primary children must walk to school).

“How much better for its people to have the facilities of a major branch library than seek a makeshift one which by its nature must be limited.”

He finished his letter: “I am sure Romanby will share with Northallerton and Brompton the hope that the new branch library at Northallerton is not long delayed.”

Cllr Pearson’s letter contained the information that next expenditure in the county on libraries had risen from £77,000 in 1960 to £197,000 in 1966. Of course, recently the county’s libraries’ budget has again been in the news as it is due to fall from £7.8m in 2010 to £4.2m in 2020.

Meanwhile, the previous weekend, the D&S reported, Darlington had suffered its “worst January snowfall since 1948 as eight inches of snow blanketed the town”.

100 years ago, January 22, 1916

AT Bedale police court, with Sir Henry Beresford Peirse presiding, the case was heard of Robert Colston, a chauffeur with the Cleveland Car Company in Darlington, who was “charged with driving a motor car at a dangerous speed”.

The offence allegedly occurred on December 22 at Brough, near Catterick, when Mr Colston was taking to lieutenants from the Seaforth Highlanders from Hipswell Camp (now known as Catterick Camp) to Darlington station. It was a dark and foggy night and, at about 6pm, he was travelling between Scotton and Catterick Bridge when he came upon a military funeral party on the road.

The main body of the funeral party was 50 yards ahead, but a couple of “rearguards” had been posted who shouted “halt” when they saw him.

"As soon as he heard, he put on his brakes at once and immediately pulled up," said his defence lawyer. Although he said he pulled up within the length of a car, it was not quickly enough for the officer in charge of the funeral party who caused him to be prosecuted for speeding.

His defence continued: "The road from Hipswell Camp was very uneven and it was not very easy to travel at a quick rate, and in addition the night was very dark and foggy.

“An irresponsible amateur might be tempted at times to travel fast, but a driver whose livelihood depends upon motor car driving has every motive not to exceed the bounds of the law, and it is not likely that a driver with six years reputation was going to drive too fast on such a road on such a night.

"He was in fact driving very slowly – six miles an hour – and that was shown by the time he had taken to do the four miles from the camp, namely 35 minutes.”

Sir Henry, of Bedale Hall, dismissed the case.

150 years ago, January 20, 1866

THE D&S Times’ headline was “Serious accident”, and the report said: “On Friday morning, an accident of a somewhat serious nature occurred at Barnard castle. A horse attached to a large wagon, belonging to Mr Close, hay dealer of Stockton, was standing in front of Mr Peat's butcher, in the Horse Market, when the horse suddenly became frightened, it is conjectured, by a peculiar sound caused by the inmates of an adjoining shop, in raising the window shutters.

“The startled animal galloped off at a tremendous rate down the Market Place, and turned up Newgate, but when it had reached the post office, the vehicle was overturned, and the horse lay in a state of exhaustion.

“It was speedily extricated from its perilous position by the bystanders but unfortunately it was discovered that one of its legs had been broken and it had sustained other severe fractures. It was deemed advisable to put an end to its existence and it was accordingly taken to a neighbouring yard, where it was shot.”