The Hexham Courant headline news in Tynedale 150 years ago

10 years ago

M&S SITE: A major retailer was considering moving next to Marks & Spencer in Hexham. The company wanted to take advantage of the long-standing planning consent for two shops on the south side of the M&S store in the current car park. But instead of two shops, the retailer wanted to run them together to create one large store. The would-be developer had not been named, but it was known it did not have premises in the town at the time.

GO-AHEAD FOR HOUSING: Fears over flooding and potentially fatal landslips failed to thwart plans by Northumberland Estates to build up to 80 new houses in Prudhoe. Northumberland County Council's west area committee gave unanimous approval for the outline scheme on land south of Broomhouse Lane. Strong objections from Prudhoe Town Council and 22 individuals failed to persuade the committee to reject the scheme.

25 years ago

SWEET MUSIC: Hotels, B&Bs, cafes and pubs in Hexham saw crowds flood the town to see the Northern Spirit Hexham Jazz Festival. A 30 per cent leap in sales of weekend tickets brought an influx of several hundred jazz enthusiasts and musicians from as far as the South Coast and northern Scotland. 

Haltwhistle Carnival was a hit as hundreds turned out for the parade in 2014. Pictured are Scott Nicholson and Liam Jackson (Image: Kate Miller)

TRAFFIC PLAN: A £100,000 package of improvements to Hexham town centre met a mixed reception. The county council planned to spend the cash on five different schemes including information boards and cycle stands at Hexham Railway station; footway widening, street lighting, a pelican crossing and dropped kerbs between Station Road and Market Place; and a traffic-calming crossing point from the Market Place to Hexham Abbey.

JOB SCHEME: A possible jobs boost to Tynedale's unemployment black spot of Haltwhistle was opposed by both Tynedale planners and councillors. They felt having a massive sand and gravel quarry near the town would be too high a price to pay for the quarrying and transport jobs that would be created. The council lodged a formal objection.

50 years ago

NEW HOUSING: Hexham Urban Council promised to support any applications to build houses at Kitty Frisk, Hexham.

MODERN GUIDES: The new uniform of the Girl Guides was on show at an exhibition at Hexham's Moot Hall.

NEW HEALTH CENTRE: A new health centre was to be set up in Corbridge in the grounds of the Charlotte Straker Hospital.

75 years ago

CONCERN: Hexham Rotarians expressed deep concern about a proposal by Newcastle Corporation to turn Hexham Hydro into a mental institution.

HOUSES: Hexham Urban Council applied to the Ministry of Health for permission to erect 50 Airey-type houses on land at the east of the town.

RECRUITING: Recruiting for the 4th Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers began in Tynedale. 

100 years ago

MILK TRAIN: The North Eastern Railways decided to allow weekend visitors to Allendale to return by the 5pm milk train on Sundays.

SLALEY BAZAAR: More than £153 was raised by a bazaar at Slaley to purchase an organ for the United Methodist Church. 

125 years ago

COACHMAN WANTED: "Wanted a coachman. Wages 22s per week with free house and coals. One with a wife who can milk preferred." Advertisement in the Courant.

CYCLISTS' GIFT: The road-mender with the best-kept stretch of road in the Allendale district was presented with 5s by Allendale cyclists desiring to promote better road conditions.

150 years ago

LOST CHEESE: An advertisement in the Courant stated that a cheese had been found between Fore Street and the railway station. Anyone who could prove ownership could have it. 

FOR DOGS: A meeting of the Hexham Local Board of Health decided that a large stone drinking trough was to be erected in Priestpopple for dogs to use.

GIANT MUSHROOM: A mushroom measuring 11x10in and with a circumference of 32in was found in a field in Heddon.