Supposing there to be several bits about pubs, Tim Grimshaw kindly sends the 85th anniversary edition of that grand old magazine The Dalesman.
Originally threepence, now £3 75, the magazine has now extended its reach across the Ridings – perhaps it’s that, perhaps the wretched weather, which dictates that that this month’s walk isn’t across the hills but around the centre of York.
Elsewhere there’s a recipe for matter o’ money cake – good Yorkshire dish, that – a listing for the Yorkshire Brick Show (this very weekend on York racecourse) and a piece about Blind Jack of Knaresborough, a road builder after whom a pub is named.
As ever, there’s also a pocket cartoon of Old Amos, a bearded sage in whom some see a certain resemblance and who has appeared in every edition since 1953.
“Just as Dennis the Menace never reached puberty, so Amos seems to have discovered the secret of perpetual old age” a former editor once wrote.
This month’s aphorism has the old boy supposing “Round here, an argument is won by whoever gets the last word in first.” The cartoon above appeared a few years back and at the time we’d permission to reproduce it.
They won’t mind: we’re pretty much family, aren’t we?
*Knowing the Grass routes roots to be firmly north of the Tees, several kind readers have forwarded a lengthy piece from Thursday’s Guardian – a “sombre” piece, one calls it – about where it all germinated.
It’s headed “To understand Britain’s malaise visit Shildon, the town that refused to die.” The first part of the headline’s rubbish, the second a silly cliche. There’s simply nothing new.
For evidence of renaissance, of community cohesion, of positivity and of true spirit, look no further than the football club.
*Weather affected once again, Wednesday’s blog recorded West Auckland’s 13 games in April 2014. “You missed out Consett on the 30th” says former club secretary Dave Bussey.
It reminded former North Shields FC secretary Dave Thompson that, as well as the FA Amateur Cup final – 55 years ago today – the Robins were faced with 13 games in 26 days at the end of 1968-69.
They dropped just one point, twice scored eight, won 6-0 at Spennymoor United and on the final day travelled to Whitby Town neck and neck for the title with old rivals Whitley Bay, who were at Shildon.
Two goals from Tommy Orrick and further strikes from Brian Joicey and George Thompson gave North Shields a 4-1 win. “When news came through that Whitley Bay had been held 3-3 at Dean Street all Shieldsmen were celebrating with Whitby fish and chips washed down with a few ales” Dave recalls.
Sufficiently recovered, they completed the treble four days later with a 2-0 win over Tow Law in the League Cup final.
*To whispered dismay, word arrived during Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s wonderful talk at Bishop Auckland on Thursday that the entire opening day programme for the North Yorkshire and South Durham Cricket League – April 20 – had been called off. Groundsmen just haven’t been able to get near.
Keith Nicholson had already reported that the North East Premier League had put its opening programme on April 27 back to September while the Durham and North East League has switched April 20 fixtures to the end of May.
The Northumberland and Tyneside League still hopes to start on Saturday (April 13) but is likely, as a racing man might suppose, to find the going a bit on the soft side.
John Rogers forwards the appropriate image above, though whether a sign of the times of a bit of technological trickery is uncertain. Poor old Durham, taken for 490-1 at Edgbaston today, may simply suppose that it never rains but it pours.
Grass Routes 