10 YEARS AGO

CRASH GRIDLOCK: A minibus carrying 14 teenagers crashed into a lorry and a car on the A68 near Hexham. Only one person was seriously injured, but the prolonged road closure saw Hexham, Haydon Bridge, Acomb and Wall all gridlocked.

DRIVEN OUT: Elderly residents looked set to be forced out of their homes, with the news that two residential homes - Abbeyfield House and Anchor Trust House - could be closed within the coming months.

ROBBS REASSURANCE: Fears about the health of the Robbs department store were allayed by David Thompson, the owner of Vergo Retail Group, who claimed a retirement scheme offered to staff had been offered to all 19 stores in his chain to cut costs.

NEW FACE: The race for the Hexham seat in the upcoming general election was hotting up, with the arrival of a British National Party candidate setting “a cat among the electoral pigeons.”

25 YEARS AGO

DUKE’S RANSOM: Gardeners in Corbridge accused the Duke of Northumberland of holding them to ransom over a planning application, submitted by his land agent and a building firm - for housing development on the controversial Chains allotments site.

BIG BILL: Council tax payers in Tynedale were likely to be hit with a bill running into the thousands of pounds - because of councillors intransigence over a planning appeal, relating to a rejection of plans for a nursing home on the site of a former tip at Halliwell Dene in Hexham, which they were almost certain to lose.

ARMFUL WAIT: A Hexham family condemned the closure of the children’s ward at Hexham General Hospital, after their daughter - seven-year-old Phillipa Neesham had to wait over six hours to get her broken arm set at Newcastle General Hospital.

MILL PLANS: Otterburn Mill, which dates back to 1820, was to be restored to provide an information centre and associated visitor centre, creating 26 new jobs for the area.

50 YEARS AGO

CATHOLIC CANCELLED: Plans to build a new Catholic Secondary School at Causey Hill in Hexham were turned down by the Department of Education and Science, which said the school would not attract enough pupils.

TOP TURN-OUT: Haltwhistle polling station attracted the highest percentage turn-out in the country at the 1970 county council elections - more than 71 per cent of the electorate voted.

STAYING PUT: Prudhoe Urban council expressed its determination to remain in Northumberland, following the local government re-organisation that was forthcoming at that time.

EXTRA ELECTRICITY: A £10,000 scheme intended to improve electricity supplies to the Elvaston area of Hexham was announced.

CONVENIENCE CALLS: Haydon Bridge parish councillors called for second public convenience to be provided in the village.

75 YEARS AGO

VE-DAY CELEBRATIONS: Plans were being drawn up locally for VE-Day celebrations, as part of which pubs in Hexham, Bellingham and Haltwhistle areas were given permission to open until 11.30pm on the night,

SALE SUCCESS: A bring and buy sale held by Allendale’s Methodist churches raised £196.

100 YEARS AGO

PITCH IMPROVEMENTS: Allenheads Cricket Club extended its pitch and had it drained and levelled. A fund-raising social event was held at Allenheads Newsroom to help pay for the work.

BOWING OUT: Mr Andrew Carr retired as headmaster of Sinderhope School after 25 years there.

BELLINGHAM BALL: A fancy-dress ball held at Bellingham Town Hall raised £60 for Newcastle’s Royal Infirmary.

125 YEARS AGO

DEATHS FALL: Hexham’s death rate for the first quarter of 1895 - 12 per 1,000 per year - was reported to be the lowest ever for that time of year.

RABID RAMPAGE: A rabies order was put into force in central Tynedale after a Fox Terrier suspected to have the disease went on the rampage, and bit 10 other dogs in Acomb, Chollerford, and Humshaugh. The terrier, which belonged to an Acomb resident, was killed when it reached Walwick and its head was sent to the Royal Institute in London for examination.

150 YEARS AGO

HOUSEWIVES BEWARE: Women were warned to be wary of “a scoundrel” who had been seizing the nether garments of women as they swung on washing lines.

REMARKABLE OCCURRENCE: A blackfaced ewe lambed a lamb on March 31, which was strong and healthy but died at a week old, before lambing another one April 11, which was reported to be alive and doing quite well.