From the Darlington & Stockton Times of December 17, 1870

THE D&S Times of 150 years reported that in Barnard Castle “a party of youths left this town on Wednesday morning last, emigrants for Australia”. It also reported that in Northallerton, “pig jobber” George Archer was fined 5s and 7s costs for being drunk and riotous in the Black Swan Yard.

In Darlington, David Leary and Edward Brotton, both 14, were charged with throwing snowballs in Priestgate at the mill girls on their way to work in Peases Mill, where the Sports Direct multi-storey car park is today. The mill nightwatchman also said that on Mondays ironworkers were also “becoming a nuisance by their behaviour to the girls”.

The snowballing charge was not pressed in the hope that the nuisance would now stop.