From the D&S Times of December 31, 1966

THE New Year’s Eve edition of 50 years ago looked back on the year that had just passed in each of its major towns.

“Traffic and houses have been Richmond’s recurring topics” was a headline, which reported that the “motoring merry-go-round” in the Market Place remained unresolved, despite a year of debate. In 1967, it was hoped that a one-way circuit would be introduced.

Then the report turned to housing and what emerged is a complete reversal of today’s shortage. “At the end of August, it was reported that the council had more houses than people wanting to be tenants,” said the D&S. “The result was a shoal of applications from all over the country. Most were disappointed but at least the council got sufficient tenants.”

The paper also noted that during 1966, the council had amended its policy so that tenants could only keep one cat or one dog.

Also in 1966, Richmond had held a referendum to see if market day should be moved from a Saturday to a Thursday – Thursday lost.

In Northallerton, “the nurturing of civic pride and the preparing of the town’s future with increased industrial development were features of this year's activity”.

The Standard Way Industrial Estate was expected to welcome its first inhabitants within months: Kosset carpets’ £3m warehouse and manufactory was planned to eventually employ 1,200 and then York Trailers would employ 400 within six years.

By contrast, the paper lamented the lack of progress on the demolition of the town hall. Everyone agreed, it said, that the blockage should be removed from the High Street, and so a new £70,000 civic centre needed to be designed quickly somewhere off the main street.

“The town must have a heart and it is hoped something imaginative will be created in the new town centre scheme being prepared by planners,” said the D&S. As we enter 2017, the town hall still blocks the High Street (but there would be an outcry if it were ever removed).

The big issue of 1966 in Teesdale had been the ongoing proposals to build a reservoir at the top of the dale to quench the thirst of the Teesside chemical industry.

“The name Cow Green, familiar only to hill farmers and ramblers, became widely known not only in this country but abroad,” said the D&S.

December 30, 1916

THE issue of 100 years ago is noticeable for its flatness – the war had drained all the joie de vivre out of the season.

“Christmas of 1916 will be the quietest on record in Upper Wensleydale,” said the paper. “The absence of so many of the young men who in past years made homes so bright and who were the life of the clubs and village institutes wrought a great change.

“There were no carol singers at Bedale this Christmas Eve and the town was wrapped in quietude. The gracious spirit of Santa Claus, which generally selects the inmates of the local workhouse as the suitable subjects for benevolence, has been here for some reason or other in a state of decay for years, and this year there was another falling off in the number of gifts.

“On Christmas Day the 16 inmates had a very enjoyable dinner of roast beef, vegetables and plum pudding, and a pint of beer or mineral waters as desired. Up to last Tuesday there were only three persons who had sent gifts, viz Mr James Ingledew, bottle of rum for sauce, Miss Greenwood, tea, tobacco and sweets, and Mrs Lascelles, tea, tobacco, sweets and biscuits. Mrs Eddison lent a gramophone for the inmates’ entertainment.”

The one bright note was that Mrs Charlesworth had distributed nine tons of coal in Grinton in the week before Christmas.

December 29, 1866

A PUBLIC meeting had been held in the King’s Head in Richmond to vote on whether or not the Richmond and Ripon Chronicle’s reporter, Mr Andrews, should be banned from attending corporation meetings due to the quality of his reports.

The R&R Chron was then a separate paper although today it is part of the D&S Times.

Mr Andrews insisted his reports were “fair and impartial”. The D&S said: “He characterised the statement that their reports had been grabled as a deliberate and wilful falsehood.” People in glasshouses should never throw stones, but the opponents of the press must have sniggered when the word “garbled” became garbled.

James Doherty moved that "the council wish to give every facility for a faithful report of their proceedings being made public but request that in future (the R&R) should send some other reporter than Mr Andrews”.

Mr Doherty was defeated, and the chairman, solicitor Cllr Robinson, said "the press was the bulwark of the people and the sure safeguard to the prosperity and happiness of our great and enlightened country. He hoped that they would by their vote show that they would be represented by the press in all the proceedings appertaining to Richmond and that they would not allow the council of that borough to manage their affairs without having a proper and impartial report of the proceedings”.