10 YEARS AGO

GET OUT: Elena Tulip, a 44-year-old asylum seeker from the Republic of Transnistria, was ordered to leave the UK as soon as possible by the Home Office despite marrying her long term partner, Tom (77) from Prudhoe.

NOT MINE: Bellingham’s Irene Urwin was at her wits end after receiving a DVLA fine relating to a car that she hadn’t owned for three years. In fact, her worn-out Ford Fiesta had been donated to the fire brigade to practise rescue techniques.

DOG’S LIFE: The race was on to rehome Rufus and Scruffy the dogs, after their owner had to be moved into sheltered accommodation. If a home couldn’t be found for the dogs, they would have to be put down.

RADIO SILENCE: Directors of community radio station Tynedale FM insisted it still had a future after in-fighting threatened to sink the fledgling enterprise.

25 YEARS AGO

BEAUTY THREAT: The threat of opencast mining reared its head at Whittonstall once again, after Northumberland County Council revealed the village was included on a “secret” list of British Coal sites marked for privatisation.

WEIRD WEATHER: The Tyne Valley was hit by thunder and lightning, a torrential downpour, and a mini-whirlwind all at the same time. The Courant described it as an “attack that left severe flooding and a trail of havoc in its wake.”

DOME DELIGHT: Plans for a giant 40-ft high salt dome on an industrial estate in Haltwhistle were approved by Northumberland County Council’s planning committee.

STEEL STAR: TV personality Bill Steel agreed to open North-East attraction Inisfree’s summer garden fete to be held at the former St. Camilus Hospital near Oakwood.

50 YEARS AGO

IN RED: The Tyneside Agricultural Society was £7,000 in the red. The deficit was blamed on bad weather, which had hit the society’s two previous shows, and the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

PRUDHOE DEMAND: Prudhoe Urban Council chairman, Coun. Ron Procter, and the clerk, Mr Alf Groome, were to meet senior officials from Northumberland County Council to find out what was happening to a proposed bypass for the town.

RESERVOIR PLAN: Members of Bellingham Rural Council were asked for their preliminary reaction to a proposal to site a reservoir in the North Tyne Valley.

TOP DOG: The overall champion at the Milvain and West Percy Hunt’s terrier show at Alnwick was a two-year-old Border Terrier bitch called Wendy, owned by Mr J. Reid of North Walbottle, and bred by Mr and Mrs J.S Heslop of Farnley, Corbridge.

75 YEARS AGO

RECORD BREAKERS: Two men were charged with a breach of the Motor Fuel Order by failing to keep a record of journeys on which their cars had been let out on hire. Both men were each fined 5s 6d.

FINALS VICTORS: In the finals of the six-a-side football competition on the Sele, Hexham ATC defeated Northern Star by two goals in the junior division.

100 YEARS AGO

FOR MAUD: On the occasion of her wedding, Miss Maud Leake received a handsomely bound Bible from the Sunday School Superintendent, Mr Hastewell, at the Wesleyan Schoolroom at Haltwhistle.

AGENT DEPARTS: A special meeting of the Hexham Division of the unionist Association was called to consider the resignation of the agent, Mr E.A Danbury, who was moving to Peterborough.

FRAUD ATTEMPT: A man was arrested in London and brought to Hexham, where he appeared before Magistrates accused of attemtping to obtain by false pretences £20 from Isabella Clayton, of The Chesters in Chollerford.

125 YEARS AGO

HORSLEY SERVICES: Anniversary services were held at the Weslyan Methodist Sunday School in Horsley.

COANWOOD PICNIC: The Coanwood Co-operative Society held its annual picnic, at which there was a good attendance. However, it was thought more people would have turned up, but for the fact that hay making was in its full swing, and the society had paid out its dividend earlier instead of on the day of the picnic.

SOME FISH!: Reference was made to a salmon that was caught at Stocksfield. It was described as the biggest salmon ever sent to Newcastle market, at 4ft 4in long, weighing 57lbs and measuring 2ft 6in round the middle.

150 YEARS AGO

HARD WORK: A number of men were involved in the construction of a new reservoir and associated works at Hallington, to improve the water supply for Newcastle and Gateshead.

WHAT’S THAT: Mr Barkas obtained a huge, 13 and three quarter inch reptile jaw from the Northumberland coal measures. The jaw had a formidable array of teeth and was perfectly preserved.