What made the news in Hexham, Tynedale 150 years ago?

10 years ago

SUCCESS DAMPENED: The Northumberland County Show was overshadowed by traffic chaos for the second year running, with visitors enduring up to two-hour delays. Organisers of the show, which attracted more than 23,000 people, said hold-ups were caused by mud at the venue's rain-drenched entrances.

COUNCILLOR EXPENSE BILL: Tynedale's county councillors pocketed more than £300,000 in allowances and expenses in the previous financial year. Their claims were part of a total package of £1.26m paid to councillors over the past 12 months. The figures released by Northumberland County Council were slightly distorted by the fact there was an election in the May prior, so included money paid to former councillors who lost their seats at the election or chose not to stand.

RUNAWAY COW: Golfers and dog walkers ran for their lives when a heifer went on the run from Hexham Mart. The enraged beast chased a mart employee up a tree on Tyne Green golf course and was said to have attacked a quad bike before being shot dead by police marksmen. 

UKIP TARGET:  The UK Independence Party was to target Hexham in the next General Election. UKIP finished well ahead of the Tories in Northumberland in a poll and many voters felt sitting Tory MP Guy Opperman may have a tough fight on his hands to keep the seat he won four years earlier.

25 years ago

CLOSURE CONFIRMED: Newcastle-based stationery and bookshop chain T & G Allan confirmed its Hexham branch, one of four in the North East, would shut down at the end of May. All six staff at the Battle Hill store were to be made redundant and Age Concern was to take over the premises.

Richard Slainton from Greenhaugh presented the Duchess of Northumberland with a bouquet of flowers when she visited Hexham Hospital to open a unit for children and young people in 1999 (Image: NQ)

SWASTIKA SCAR: Vandals carved out a huge 20ft swastika on Alston's Fairhill bowling green, sparking fears racism may be on the rise in town. The damage, thought to be the handiwork of local youths, was exacerbated by the ground being soft due to the wet weather. It was believed to have been trampled into the green.

LOTTERY AID: Good causes in Tynedale raked in another National Lottery bonanza, with more than £200,000 coming to the district in the latest batch of grants from the Lottery Charities Board. The biggest beneficiary was the Links Housing Group for young people, which was given a bumper £145,050 to help establish a rent guarantee support scheme in the district.

50 years ago

KIELDER MASTERPLAN: Tynedale Council and Northumberland County Council announced that a development plan would be drawn up for the Upper North Tyne Valley to help avoid planning problems following the creation of the Kielder reservoir. 

NAME CHANGE: Alston-with-Garrigill Parish Council agreed to change its name to Alston Moor Parish Council to stop Nenthead feeling excluded.

SCHOOL ON WAY: Building work began on Hexham's £150,000 Hackwood Park School.

PRUDHOE HOLD-UP: The opening of the £31,000 West Wylam Community Centre in Prudhoe was being held up due to a lack of money needed to pay for furnishings. 

NEW CLERK: Guy Harforth, a retired naval architect, took over as clerk of Allendale Parish Council. 

75 years ago

MANAGEMENT RESHUFFLE: George Trestrail retired after 24 years as manager of the Settlingstones witherite mine near Newbrough. Mr Trestrail, originally from Redruth in Cornwall, was replaced by Ernest Carstairs.

PAINT PLANT EXPANDS: New research laboratories were opened at Smith and Walton's Hadrian paint works in Haltwhistle.

APPOINTED: Hexham MP Douglas Clifton Brown also Speaker of the House of Commons, was re-appointed rector's warden at St Edmund's Church in Edmundbyers.

ABBEY IMPROVEMENTS: A £12,000 restoration scheme was to begin at Hexham Abbey in the summer of that year, it was announced.

CUP FIRST: The Hexham Hearts Football team beat North Shields 1-0 to claim the Northumberland Aged Miners' Cup. This was the first time a Hexham team had won it. The winning goal was a penalty taken by Hearts captain Johnny Brown. 

100 years ago

ALLOTMENT PLEA: A 33-name petition was drawn up calling for the provision of more allotments at Town Foot in Haltwhistle.

500FT FALL: A worker at Haltwhistle's South Tyne Colliery died after falling down a 500ft shaft there. He must have taken a wrong turn while pushing a tub of coal through the pit, an inquest heard.

125 years ago

LANDLORD IN COURT: The landlord of the White Swan, Ovingham, was fined 10 shillings by Hexham magistrates for being drunk on licensed premises.

150 years ago

NEW GROUP: Prudhoe Mutual Improvement and Debating Society was founded. Its first committee comprised president Mr J Walton, vice-president Anthony Cooper, secretary Mr J Johnson and treasurer Mr H Thompson.