Hexham Courant headlines in Hexham and Tynedale 150 years ago

10 years ago

HOUSING BID: A property developer from Cheshire was eyeing land at Corbridge earmarked for up to 250 homes. Representatives of Congleton-based Gladman Developments had spoken to county planning officers about the land at Milkwell Lane. The company then wanted to hold informal discussions with Corbridge Parish Council to explain its plans for the site.

Scarlett Thompson had her face painted at Allendale Fair before tucking into a hotdog in 2014 (Image: Kate Miller)

COLLEGE TAKEOVER: After being on the market for a year, the Mencap college at Dilston Hall near Corbridge was sold. The new owner of the college, which had 45 students with learning disabilities on its books, was the Cambian Group, one of the UK's leading providers of specialist care and education.  

WALL'S GLORY: Hadrian's Wall was the backdrop of the popular fantasy Sky TV drama, 'Game of Thrones'. The Wall, approximately 700 feet tall and hewn from solid ice, was an augmented version of Hadrian's Wall. Writer George RR Martin revealed his inspiration for the Wall came from a visit to Northumberland.

25 years ago

ROYAL VISIT: The Princess Royal was to visit Kirkley Hall College near Ponteland to open new mounted police facilities there. Princess Anne was to meet members of the police's mounted section, together with their horses, and to watch a musical ride while at the stables.

PARK REVAMP: Hexham's town centre parks were to receive a £500,000 revamp. The Sele, the Abbey grounds and Hexham House's grounds were to be refurbished through summer.

INNOVATIVE LAUNCH: Tynedale Council became the first local authority in the North East to transfer the management of all its sports and leisure services to a charitable company. Leisure Tynedale took over the running of Wentworth Leisure Centre in Hexham, Prudhoe Waterworld, Eastwoods Park in Prudhoe, Hexham swimming pool, Tynedale Sports Development Scheme and the Tynedale Healthy Life Scheme.

50 years ago

PURCHASE PLAN: The South Tynedale Railway Preservation Company announced plans to form a guarantee-backed company to buy the Haltwhistle-Alston railway line.

ROCKET RUMOURS: Fears that the former rocket base at Spadeadam was about to be converted into a gunnery range were dismissed as groundless by the Ministry of Defence, following the tabling of a question in Parliament by then Hexham MP Geoffrey Rippon.

ALL THAT JAZZ: A jazz club was formed in Hexham. More than 100 music fans turned out for its first meeting, held at the Beaumont Hotel.

CUP WIN: Haydon Bridge's football team beat their Hexhamshire counterparts 6-1 to claim the Clayton Cup.

MARTIAL ARTS: The Bruce Lee film 'Enter The Dragon' was showing at Hexham's Forum Cinema. 

75 years ago

WATERY WORRIES: Extra demand was about to be put on Hexham's water supplies by the installation of new machinery at the town dairy company likely to require at least 52,000 gallons of water a week, almost 1.5 per cent of the total amount of water consumed in Hexham, it was reported.

SPIRITED AWAY: Thieves broke into Corbridge's Wheatsheaf Hotel and stole several bottles of spirits and £50 in cash.

100 years ago

LONG WEDLOCK: Haydon parish councillor George Nicholson and his wife, whose name was given as Mrs George Nicholson, celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.

FATAL FIRE: A 40-year-old Haydon Bridge woman, Louisa White Reid, died after her nightshirt caught fire while she was setting light to the kitchen fire at her West Lands End Cottage home using paraffin oil.

HOW BAZAAR: A bazaar at Corbridge Town Hall, opened by the then Viscountess Allendale, raised £50 for the village's Wesleyan chapel.

ROAST BEEF: Three cows were killed when fire broke out at a byre at Whitehall Farm, Hexhamshire.    

125 years ago

PLANT ACCIDENT: George Potts, an employee of the H Bell and Sons chemical manure works in Burn Lane, Hexham, was injured when the plug came out of a barrel of vitriol he was moving.   

150 years ago

BUSY HEN: A hen belonging to Mr J Goodburn of Nenthead laid no fewer than 19 eggs in one sitting.

HALF-DAY: Calls being made across the country for a half-day a week to be set aside for recreational purposes were heeded by Alston shopkeepers, who agreed to begin closing on Tuesday afternoons.