WE looked back through our archives to find out what made headlines on Tynedale up to 150 years ago.

10 years ago

GREEN BELT PLANS: Controversial plans to build thousands of new homes across Tynedale were to appear once again under the public microscope. While the spectre of houses being built on the green belt west of Hexham had been removed at that point, green belt land was still to be sacrificed in Hexham, Prudhoe and Ponteland in the second draft of Northumberland County Council's core strategy.

MEETING CALL: Campaigners called for a public meeting about the future of Hexham General Hospital's accident and emergency department after more than 400 people joined a new Facebook group. The group christened its campaign Save Hexham General A&E.

25 years ago

ROAD PLANS: A string of transport initiatives for the Military Road through Tynedale provoked public outcry at a meeting of residents and Northumberland County Council, despite the fact the council had been forced to water down the proposals after mounting pressure from Tynedale councillors. Transport policy officer Gordon Harrison was shouted down time after time during the two-hour meeting as he tried to outline the new ideas. 

JOB FEARS: Fears for jobs mounted again in Haltwhistle after a takeover bid launched for one of the town's major employers. Pledges of job security were to be sought from South Africa-based firm Nampak which wanted to become the new owner of the Plysu bottle factory at Plenmeller.

COUNCIL CRITICISED: Villagers who fought a decision to cut down an oak tree were heartened by a report criticising Tynedale planners. Residents in Riding Mill had spent the previous year pouring time and money into securing an independent review of the council's decision to let the axe fall on the 150-year-old tree to make way for the rebuilding of Riding Mill's village hall on Church Lane.

50 years ago

SCHEME REJECTED: A proposed new £5m 'California-style' estate of luxury homes in Stocksfield was thrown out by Tynedale councillors. The application included a school, a club and a golf course.  

MARKETING MATTERS: Fourstones farmer Fred Walton appeared on BBC 2's The Money Programme. He discussed the price of beef and gave a market prediction for the coming year.

NEW BAND: Twenty-one-year-old drummer girl Lynn Soulsby, who lived at the Golden Lion pub in Corbridge, was looking for Tynedale singers to join a girl band. She came from a family of singers and was the cousin of Kiki Dee, who was touring America with Elton John. 

75 years ago

DOWN TO EARTH: Bellingham Rural Council warned of a nasty shock in store for council tenants. Due to a faulty wiring system, the houses were not properly earthed and people were receiving electric shocks through their bathtaps.  

SUNDAY ROASTING: The increasing prevalence of Sunday afternoon poaching 'for the pot' was causing problems among the district authorities who vowed the problem 'must be stamped out'. Four local men were observed chasing rabbits across a field after entering a farmer's land with dogs.

100 years ago

HUSTINGS: News was dominated by the debate surrounding the Hexham Division of the General Election, with fears of class warfare coming to the fore as the election battle began to heat up.

ON THE BALL: The Corbridge United football team was on good form, defeating Stagshaw Bank 5-0 in front of a good crowd. 

125 years ago

RECOMMENDED REMEDY: Dr William's Pink Pills for Pale People (from reputable pharmacists only) which were endorsed by heroic veterans of Queen Victoria's wars were advertised. A bargain at 2s 9d a box, these miraculous pills could cure consumption, indigestion, gastric ulcer, influenza, chronic dyspepsia, heart disease, loss of appetite, and 'all forms of female weakness and hysteria'.  

MISSING ID: The dentist George Tinn, with his 'medal-winning artificial teeth', had decided to increase to two days his local attendance, due to his 'great pleasure in intimating to the inhabitants of Hexham and district'.

TOWN'S GIFT: Alston Urban Council received a generous offer from Mr WA Temperley to erect a new drinking fountain in the marketplace. As natives of Alston, the Temperleys hoped the fountain could be an outstanding feature for the ancient marketplace.

150 years ago

VACANCIES GALORE: If you were a 'Hind' at this time of year 150 years ago, then you were likely to have been eating well and working extremely hard. Plentiful job opportunities for skilled 'rustic and rural farm workers' such as these were available and advertised in column after column of the Courant, as farmers sought to employ labourers to help bring in the harvests. 

HYGIENE FIRST: The Salmon Conservancy Board held a meeting to discuss the problem of pollution in the River Tyne caused by 'sewage from Hexham'. Major pollutants identified were large quantities of coal washings from Acomb Colliery and sluicings from Fallowfield Lead Mine. 

SHOWING ETCHINGS: Mr Hare provided etchings to advertise Woods' ingenious New Reaping Machine and the Patent One Horse Reaper.