CONFECTIONERY giant Mars has made lots of friends in Wensleydale with its large grant which enabled Carperby to build a new sports pavilion.

But our reporter Joe Willis isn’t one of them after the firm’s PR people became rather precious about coverage of the opening which took place yesterday and was due to include an appearance by the Tottenham Hotspur and England football international Peter Crouch.

The film production company which has been covering the building of the pavilion wanted Joe to be a £50-a-day “extra” – acting as a reporter covering a match between Askrigg and Carperby – but he wasn’t allowed to write anything for his newspaper and certainly not allowed to take photographs.

Joe said thanks but no thanks and being a local lad knew we could station a photographer on the public footpath which runs by the pitch and offers a perfect viewpoint. Mars later relented. A small victory for press freedom.

Smooth kick-off

A PUBLICITY stunt nearly backfired when Redcar and Cleveland’s mayor was invited to kick off celebrations to mark Saltburn’s 150th birthday – by booting a football in the town’s community hall.

“Mind out for the Saltburnware pottery table in the middle of the room,”

shouted someone. And Coun Ray Goddard – “I’m no footballer” he readily admitted – narrowly averted disaster.

He tapped the ball for press photographers, nothing was broken and the year of 70 events got off to a smooth start.

Fellow councillor Philip Thomson, who welcomed the 20 people present, said few of them were Saltburnborn.

He thought incomers – an unpleasant word, but it fitted the bill – might benefit from knowing more of their adopted town’s history.

Must not the same be true for many people in smalltown Britain?