The Hexham Courant headlines in Tynedale up to 150 years ago

10 years ago

TOP VOTES: The Hexham Courant asked readers to get behind a campaign to get Northumberland chosen as the UK's best holiday destination. The county was shortlisted for the honour in the prestigious British Travel Awards. Victory would raise the profile of Northumberland nationally and internationally, bringing extra tourists, potential investors and jobs to the county.

Looking towards Crag Lough next to Hadrian's Wall in 2014 (Image: Newsquest)

SPARE PARKING: Claims there was a shortage of parking spaces in Hexham was a myth, according to the town's deputy mayor. There were never fewer than 1,000 spaces available according to a week-long survey. The lowest number of parking spaces available was 1,078 and the highest 1,455, Councillor Trevor Cessford told Hexham Town Council. He said the findings exploded the myth that people could not find a parking space in the town.

HOSPITAL CHARGES: The decision to continue charging for parking at Hexham General Hospital when other car parks were free continued to rile Hexham MP Guy Opperman. 

25 years ago

ATTACK ON CRITIC: A community leader in Hexham had a concrete slab thrown through his car window hours after speaking out against the threat of speeding motorists. It came against the background of a public meeting in which some residents demanded urgent action to protect children from speeding motorists during the school holidays. Jim Strain appeared on local television criticising boy racers in town, before his car window was smashed outside his home in the early hours of the morning.

GM FEARS: Students from Queen Elizabeth High School carried out a survey on the topic of genetically modified foods in Hexham. Actor Lesley Joseph from hit show Birds of a Feather was one unexpected respondent who answered questions in Old Church from the students. She told the sixth-formers she was concerned over genetically modified foods and showed interest in their project. 

PANEL PLAN: Tynedale was to get its own citizen's panel to monitor the way the community operated. Approximately 600 people from all walks of life were to be recruited to give Tynedale Council the public's views on the way it was performing and how it could improve. 

50 years ago

RAIN STOPS HAY: Haymaking was two weeks behind schedule in Tynedale due to the recent rain storms.

BIG DIG BEGINS: More than 80 volunteer archaeologists began a race against time to excavate Roman sites near Corbridge. Tonnes of earth-moving equipment had appeared as work started on the new Hexham-Corbridge bypass. 

75 years ago:

WATER SERVICES: Bellingham Urban Council warned that until water and sewerage services were brought to the area there could be no further progress with housing schemes. 

RECORD BROKEN: Prudhoe Urban Council broke a meeting record when they finished their affairs in 15 minutes. 

100 years ago

HEALTHY POPULATION: The health of Bellingham was good, according to Dr Graham Miller. Dr Miller told Bellingham councillors that 16 births had been registered in the district during June 1924. This figure included a set of triplets born at Falstone. There were no cases of infectious diseases and seven deaths were registered.

125 years ago

PITFALLS: A pitfall was thought to have caused subsidence at Mickley's railway station. The hole appeared near the station's southbound platform. A plate layer discovered the subsidence which the Courant reported was of a 'considerable depth'. It was filled with several tonnes of ballast.  

150 years ago:

ANNUAL PICNIC: Humshaugh villagers held their first annual picnic.