From this newspaper 100 years ago.

A very largely attended meeting was held in the Assembly Hall, Darlington, on Thursday night in celebration of the ten years' representation of the Borough of Darlington by Mr Pike Pease. It had been arranged that the gathering should be addressed by Lord Helmsley MP and Sir George Doughty MP and their remarks were punctuated with frequent applause, the proceedings throughout being most enthusiastic.

Sir Jonathan Backhouse, Bart, presided and he was supported by Mrs Arthur Pease, Col. The Hon. W L Vane, Mr R Blackett, Major Backhouse and Capt. Hely (London Liberal Unionist Association) etc.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - Advertisement. "Me a Capitalist?

Call me that if you like. All I know is this. What money I have spare goes into the Rock Building Society, in their preference shares, because I know it is safe there. And because I get 3 per cent interest - income tax paid by the Society into the bargain.

It's a grand feeling being a Capitalist!"

You can invest your money as safely and profitably, write for more details to the Rock Building Society, Market Street, Newcastle-upon- Tyne.

From this newspaper 25 years ago. - A proposal to move the long-established Darlington Arts Centre was this week branded as lunacy.

The attack on the borough council proposal came at the first of two public meetings in the town to gauge public opinion. Protestors turned out in force on Wednesday evening to attend a meeting at the gallery premises in Crown Street, Darlington. Mr Richard Welton, the arts centre director, was on hand to answer questions and the meeting was chaired by Coun. Alan Gill. After an hour of debate Coun Gill and Mr Welton were left in no doubt about the general feeling of the meeting - the proposal must not go ahead.

From this newspaper 10 years ago. - Great Ayton's tiny museum depicting the early years of the village's most famous resident, the explorer James Cook, has received a £141,000 boost from the heritage lottery fund. The grant will allow the Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum, which started in 1928, to recreate the kind of charity school room in which Cook learnt to read.