What made Hexham Courant headlines up to 150 years ago?

10 years ago

UNEARTHED: Remains of Blanchland's historic medieval abbey were discovered dating back to 1165 during an ambitious upgrade of the Lord Crewe Arms.

Lord Crewe Arms employee Linda Geddes and contracts manager Trevor Carroll on the newly discovered cloisters (Image: NQ)

HERO: Hexham's Alex Waters, who was made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, was shortlisted for the prestigious Pride of Britain awards.

He was nominated in the Local Hero section to represent the Tyne Tees region because of his support for local sport and St Mary's Church in Hexham.  

BUZZ KILL: Witnesses were sought after a female adult buzzard was shot and killed in Blanchland. The bird, riddled with lead and wounds which had become infected, could not be saved.

25 years ago

LEGACY: Rising mine water at the old Acomb Colliery and in old lead workings in the upper South Tyne led to serious water pollution. The mines, which had closed more than a quarter of a century previously, left a potential multi-million-pound legacy of debt for Tynedale ratepayers.

RESCUE: A landowner was rescued after his car rolled down the riverbank and landed upside down on the edge of the Tyne. Major John Benson, 85, had a lucky escape after the 20ft tumble near the Roman bath house ruins Chesters, near Chollerford.

ENDING: Stretches of the two main routes through Tynedale, the A68 and the A69, were nearing the end of their shelf lives according to a survey by the Highways Agency.  

50 years ago 

LEISURELY PROPOSAL: Broomley and Stocksfield Parish Council came up with plans to build a leisure centre at the disused Merryshields quarry in Stocksfield.

SCHEME: Construction firm Taylor Woodrow landed the £1.5 million contract for the sewerage system renewal scheme in the pipeline for Hexham at the time.

HOME PLEA: Hexham Rural Council stuck to its guns over its decision not to re-let any of its houses at Settlingstones despite a plea to allow a Fourstones family facing eviction to move in there.

75 years ago

WILL: Haltwhistle watchmaker Joseph Brown left £6,500 in his will, the bulk of which went to his niece Iris Koerner.

GHOST: Three Haltwhistle men returning home from a British Legion dinner in Hexham saw a figure dressed in an ankle-length cloak flitting to and fro across the road past the cemetery.

It was apparently looking for something. This, it was reported, was the second sighting of the ghostly figure within the last few months.

100 years ago

GREEN DEAL: Barrasford's village green was taken over by Chollerton Parish Council after it struck a deal with the land's owner, the then Duke of Northumberland.

THUNDERSTRUCK: Three sheep at Plenmeller Farm died after being struck by lightning during what was reported as the most violent thunderstorm to have hit the Haltwhistle area for many years. 

ANNIVERSARY: A garden fete held for Haltwhistle War Memorial Hospital's first birthday raised £49 in funds.

125 years ago

TIPPLE: Forty-two people were convicted of drunkenness at Bellingham's town hall court, three more than the year before. 

GOD'S WORK: Hexham's new Rector, Sidney Savage, announced plans to carry out £7,500 worth of improvements to the town's church facilities, including the restoration of parts of the abbey and construction of new parish buildings. 

MINE MISHAP: A screener at Prudhoe's West Wylam Colliery had to have his legs amputated after being badly injured when a shunting engine knocked him over at the pit.

150 years ago

BULLFIGHT: A fight broke out between two bulls being exhibited at the Cumberland and Westmorland Society's annual show at Alston. One of the bulls broke loose, charged at the other and butted it, knocking it flat on its back. This caused no serious injury to the other bull.  

FARMER FINE: A farmer was fined 6s for allowing two of his pigs to stray onto the road through Wall.