THIS week, a gentleman gave me an old Hexham Courant, dated February 2, 1979, which he had found in a drawer in an old house he had been renovating.

The paper looked very similar in layout to the present day Courant, except this one had turned a funny shade of brown.

To my surprise, when I turned to page two, there was a report and a photograph of my wife Jean and me on our wedding day under the heading School teacher bride for Hexham businessman.

How the memories flooded back. An interesting two hours followed as I searched this paper from cover to cover recalling life as it was in Hexham 35 years ago.

It was interesting to see Thompson and Huddleston butchers on Fore Street were happy to sell home-made, thin pork sausages for 46p a lb – a product which today sells for £3.62.

You could buy, from Great Whittington, a four-stone bag of potatoes for £1.80. These today must cost around £8 a bag.

Thomas Pattinson on Battle Hill was selling a semi detached, five bedroom house on Tynedale Terrace, Hexham, for £18,250 and Wallhead Gray & Coates, on Battle Hill, was offering a freehold grocery and off-licence business with living accommodation in Hexham for £29,750.

Meanwhile, J. and R. Thompson, “your main Colt dealers” in Bellingham, would sell you a three year old BMW 316 for £2,950.

I recalled the battle for trade between Club Fandango and the the newly-established Dontino’s night spot, both of them taking adverts in the top corners on the back page. All this now seems a lifetime ago.

The Courant then was 9p; today it’s £1 – but, may I say, still worth it.

H. THOMPSON

Hexham