A LOOK back at what made the headlines 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 125-years-ago. Do you remember any of these stories?

10 YEARS AGO

MAJOR MILESTONE: A World War Two veteran from Tynedale who was one of the last men to be evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 celebrated his 100th birthday. Col Michael Bell marked the day with family and friends.

STEPS AHEAD: Hexham racecourse hoped to become the first carbon neutral race track in the country. Plans were afoot to erect two windmills beside the course to generate power for its own needs and to sell to National Grid.

RARE HERON: An unusual visitor to Tynedale was spotted on the river at Hexham - a white egret. It was incredibly rare to see this snowy-white bird this far north.

SYSTEMATIC FAILURES: Hexham care homes Chesterholme and Oaklands were caught up in a national scandal exposed by BBC Panorama after inadequate findings.

25 YEARS AGO

HEALTH RISK: A patch of waste-land alongside Prudhoe West First School was becoming a health hazard because of the large number of dogs using it as a toilet, according to town councillors. The piece of land, off Errington Place, was branded an eyesore and a potential hazard to children's health at the town council's meeting held at Prudhoe Waterworld. It was agreed landowner, Northumberland County Council, be told to clean up its act.

SENTENCED WORKER: A Prudhoe care worker was ordered to undertake 200 hours' community service for assaulting a mentally handicapped patient. Elaine Raphael was also ordered to pay £470 costs when she appeared at the Hexham court for sentencing. The magistrates did not award any compensation to the victim because no injuries were reported.

CASH ROW: A controversial stone shelter the cycling group Sustrans intended to build at Black Hill, near Nenthead, sparked outcry after the announcement it had landed an £80,000 National Lottery grant. Critics denounced the plans for the 16.5m-wide structure designed by leading American sculptor James Turrell as a waste of public money.

COW CULL: Tynedale farmers feared they would have to cull even more cows after the shock announcement mad cow disease could be transmitted from mother to calf.

HOME DELIVERY: Father Kevin Armstrong delivered his second child in his home after his 7lb 8oz daughter Samantha made a hasty arrival. He had missed the birth of his son and swore he wouldn't be at the birth of his second child as it "just didn't appeal to me".

50 YEARS AGO

GRAND OPENING: A new cafe and milk bar opened at Hexham's Wentworth car park.

TRACTOR TROUBLE: An out-of-control tractor careered down Causey Hill, Hexham, crashing through a fence and stone wall before coming to a halt in a dining room of a bungalow, causing £1,000 worth of damage.

HOUSING PROBE: Questionnaires were circulated among council house tenants in Prudhoe in a bid to determine whether housing stock was being fully occupied.

MINDLESS ACT: Thieves damaged a rare stained glass window while breaking into Hexham Abbey. The window was one of only two in the country made of Roman glass and £500 worth of damage was caused.

75 YEARS AGO

INVESTMENT BID: Hexham Urban Council called on Northern MPs to back its bid to attract more light industry to the town.

SHOW SUCCESS: The Tynedale Agricultural Society show, held at Dilston, Corbridge, proved the best to date, attracting more than 2,000 entries and a turn-out of some 30,000 - reported to be only the second time in over 100 years it had been held outside Hexham.

FOOTBALL FANFARE: A two-day fair held by the Hexham Association Footballers' Supporters' Club at the town's Abbey grounds raised well over £150 in proceeds.

CHILD'S PLAY: Hexham Urban Councillors criticised adults for using children's play equipment at the Sele. It followed an incident where two women broke a piece of equipment by riding on it.

100 YEARS AGO

NEW RECORD: That year's Tynedale Agricultural show at Hexham attracted a record number of entries (2,731) and also set a new record for the amount of prize money on offer (£1,100).

BOOTS LACED: At a meeting of football fans held in Stamfordham, it was decided a new, local football league should be set up. The eight teams of which the league was to be made up of were Stamfordham, Bolam, Belsay, Capheaton, Kirkwhelpington, Wallington and Milbourne.

125 YEARS AGO

SHOW TIME: Cambo Industrial, Horticultural and Loan Society's first-ever produce show attracted a turn-out of more than 500.

DRINKERS DENOUNCED: At a meeting held by Prudhoe United Temperance Society, the late locomotive engineer George Stephenson, of Wylam, was praised as an example of the success that abstainers could achieve. No such praise was forthcoming for successful drinkers Lord Byron and Rabbie Burns, however, both of whom came in for criticism.