A LOOK back at what made the headlines 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125-years-ago. Do you remember any of these stories?

10 YEARS AGO

BARE-FACED CHEEK:Commuters on the A69 got an eye full after a groom-to-be was stripped naked and dumped near Throckley by the rest of his stag party. Police were inundated with reports as he made his way up the A69 towards Hexham, with sightings reported in Heddon, Newton and Corbridge before a traffic officer came to his rescue and took him to Hexham Police Station. In Haltwhistle and unbeknown to the groom, the best man had also been stripped and turfed out of the group’s van on their way back to their native Cumbria.

TEACHER STRIKE: Fewer than a third of the district’s 53 county council-run schools closed after a national teachers’ strike over pension reforms by the National Union of Teachers. Another 12 were partially closed but were still able to provide some lessons for pupils.

RAISING ROOF: Triple Olympic medalist Sir Bradley Wiggins warmed up for the Tour De France on Tynedale roads. Wiggins and Mark Cavendish were among the cycling stars to compete in the British Championships but it was Wiggins who took the honours at the race which both started and finished in Stamfordham. The village’s St Mary’s Church raised over £2,000 towards its roof restoration appeal and its village hall also raised a significant amount.

FATAL COLLISION: A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on the A696 near Belsay. Glen Berry (44), of Birtley, was travelling through Milbourne when he collided with a Nissan Qashqai travelling in the opposite direction.

25 YEARS AGO

MEDAL WINNERS: Northumberland National Park Authority was trying to trace the families of quarry workers who were awarded long-service medals 40 years ago. Five engraved medallions had been found gathering dust in the offices of the former Northumberland Whinstone Company in Newcastle. It was not known whether the recipients were ever presented their medals.

GUN HAUL: 60 weapons, including shotguns, rifles and handguns, were handed in at the district’s police stations as part of the firearms amnesty.

TOWN TWINNING: Hexham was to have another twin town, joining Noyon, France, Metzingen, Germany, and Brande, Denmark. Members of Hexham Town Council received a letter suggesting a twinning arrangement with Westhoughton near Bolton. It was believed the idea had come from a former Hexham resident who had gone to live in the area.

WASTE SITE: Opposition was growing to plans to set up a major rubbish sorting depot on the Bridge End industrial estate in Hexham. Then Hexham MP Peter Atkinson intervened in the dispute, urging the Secretary of State for the Environment to determine the application personally. The reason, he said, was “in view of the close relationship between the development and the planning authorities.” It was decided a site visit would be held followed by a public meeting.

50 YEARS AGO

HOT STUFF: A heatwave melted roads in Tynedale. On the A69, cars were bombarded with ‘hailstorms’ of chippings when the recently applied surface dressing turned to molten tar.

BIG DIG: Hexham Urban Council workmen had to dig a hole more than 17-feet deep to clear a blocked sewer on St Mary’s Chare.

CAR QUIZ: Motorists using the approach roads into Hexham were stopped and questioned by Northumberland County Council’s surveyors department. It was hoped the information would help plan for the future.

75 YEARS AGO

RATIONING RUMBLES: Protests against bread rationing were voiced at Hexham Urban Council; a motion of protest moved by Coun. J.J Ebdon was carried by eight votes to three, even though Coun. Sam Wright described it a “necessity.”

ROAD RAGE: A petition signed by 25 people was given to Hexham Urban Council calling attention to the bad condition of the road from Lowgate to Haydon Bridge.

100 YEARS AGO

HOT WHEELS: A spark from a passing railway engine set seven piles of hay on fire at Dilston Haugh Farm in Corbridge.

BACK WORKING: After a three-month break, the coal trade dispute was settled and the district’s collieries were starting to return to work.

HEAD SLANDERED: The headteacher of the Hott Council School, Bellingham, received substantial damages and costs for slander from a Tarset farmer at Newcastle Assizes after the farmer alleged he indecently assaulted female pupils “almost everyday”.

125 YEARS AGO

TRAIN PRICES: Under a new scheme launched by North-Eastern Railways, passengers could travel for 1,000 miles by train for an all-in cost of £5.5s.

SCHOOL PLANS: A meeting was held in Haydon Bridge to determine the feasibility of opening a secondary school in the village.

RIGHT TRACKS: The first general meeting of Wylam Athletics Club was arranged, where it was expected 80-100 members would be enrolled.