What made Hexham Courant headline news 150 years ago?

10 years ago

HOME DEVELOPMENT: Prime green belt land in the heart of Stocksfield was being eyed for a development of up to 300 homes. The 40-acre site south of the A695, opposite Broomley First School, was proposed as a suitable location for a mix of high-end and affordable housing by landowner, Allendale Estates.

Dr Iain Shaw had been headteacher of Prudhoe High School for eight years before leaving in 2014 (Image: Newsquest)

SCHOOL CRISIS: The headteacher of Prudhoe High School left his post in the wake of a damning Ofsted report. Iain Shaw served eight years in the job and departed by mutual consent after the school's action plan to get it out of special measures was deemed 'not fit for purpose'.

FLU OUTBREAK: Tynedale coughed and sneezed its way into the New Year as doctors struggled to cope with a major outbreak of cold and flu. Some doctors' surgeries reported long queues, and increased requests for home visits as the elderly in particular were hit hard by illness.

25 years ago

POWER CUT: A major power cut ruined New Year's Eve in Allendale when hundreds of spectators were ready to enjoy the Tar Bar'l ceremony. The electricity supply failed at around 10pm and affected around 1,500 consumers.

GARAGE CLOSURE: Both branches of Bishops Garages in Hexham and Corbridge were to close with the loss of 19 jobs. The businesses' association with Tynedale dated back to the dawn of the century to 1903.

ANNIVERSARY: The fiftieth anniversary of the NHS was celebrated with the planting of a tree at Tyne Green in Hexham. 

50 years ago

CHAPEL DEMOLISHED: One of Hexham's oldest Methodist Churches, the Tanners' Row chapel in Gilesgate, built in 1798, was knocked down to make way for a new housing development.

BEST IN BRITAIN: Dorothy Bell, 26, of Meadow Flatt in Alston was named Britain's first-ever shepherd of the year in a competition run by the magazine Livestock Farming and the veterinary products from Pfizer.

TRIPLE BREAK-IN: Thieves broke into Alston's TSB Bank twice in the same night. After breaking into the town's Henderson's Garage to acquire the tools they needed to burgle the bank they helped themselves to a safe at the TSB, only to discover it had no money in it. 

75 years ago

APPEAL ALLOWED: Brampton property owner Charles Henry Roberts won an appeal against a Haltwhistle Rural District Council order that he provide refuse bins outside his 20 houses at Halton-lea-Gate.

Haltwhistle magistrates allowed his appeal after hearing that the cost of providing the bins required would account for all Mr Roberts' profits from letting out the houses over the next year.

PROMPTNESS PLEA: Hexham urban councillors agreed to complain to British Rail about the tardiness of services on the Hexham-Newcastle line.

CAR ACCIDENT: Catherine Mary Titchmarsh, 22, was killed after she was knocked down by a car while walking home to Anick after a New Year's Eve dance at Humshuagh.

100 years ago

GROCER MOURNED: Hexham grocer Robert Cato died at the age of 80.

WINTER BALL: A fancy-dress ball held at Colwell's schoolroom raised £5 for the village reading room.

125 years ago

DRY NEW YEAR: A new temperance group was set up in Corbridge. Edward Snowball and Robert Richardson were among the speakers at its inaugural meeting, held at the village's Wesleyan schoolroom.

KITTY BOOST: A sale of work held at Wark's village school raised £110 towards the cost of repairs required at the parish church.

150 years ago

DOGGY DIVERSION: A service at Haltwhistle Wesleyan Chapel was disrupted after a large black Newfoundland dog wandered in, jumped up at the preacher and pushed its nose into his face.