IT seems an odd juxtaposition the idea of Newcastle Building Society, surely the epitome somehow of the North East, planning to open a branch in Hawes which has been deserted by other financial institutions. Indeed they're extending in Stokesley too after similar vanishing acts by the banks. Bravo says Spectator and what seems even more fitting for Hawes particularly is that this is a legacy of that great Dalesman John Blackie.

Elsewhere in the paper are many rightful tributes to a man who worked tirelessly for his community and what he believed in. But it's comments made by Newcastle Building Society managers before his death which hit home. In their Press Release about the Hawes plan Director Stuart Miller says: "Remote and deeply rural Hawes has become renowned for its self-reliance and community grit. In the face of the withdrawal of a raft of local services, under the leadership of Cllr John Blackie, the town has over the past 15 to 20 years, become a symbol for how towns and high streets can transform and thrive in the face of changing times.

"The town boasts comprehensive and timely bus services, a library, police station, community petrol station, Post Office and Information Centre, run largely with the help of a team of 70 volunteers from the Upper Dales Community Office. There is a network of co-operation that channels the determination of the town’s residents and businesses led by Cllr Blackie who had a vision and a drive to ensure Hawes maintained local services against the odds."

John's partner Jill McMullon summed up for many. "There are now dark clouds over Wensleydale and Swaledale because it was John that brought the sunshine."