A Barnard Castle-based NHS research boss is urging residents across the dale to sign up for a new trial into a possible Covid-19 vaccine
Work has begun to restore a unique mural painted onto the wall of Barnard Castle’s Parish Hall
Estate foreman Tommy Tomlin tackled one final monumental job before signing off after 41 years
The former Fox and Field store in Barnard Castle town centre has been relaunched as Wild Daisy by new owner Debbie Herbert
Meet the new dale’s new Methodist minister, Revd Graham Cutler
Concern has been voiced about the standard of repairs to Staindop’s historic cobbles
It’s the end of the road for the Barnard Castle bypass after a government inspector said the preferred route should not form part of the County Durham Plan
Brian Boucher’s beautiful leeks impressed at Gainford’s scaled back show
In sport, a raft of new regulations were in force as the dale’s footballers took to the pitch last weekend and we’ve the latest from the golf course
Plus… Read how fishing columnist Andrew Wilkinson realised a 50-year dream; have a go at Bob Garton’s quiz; there’s all the readers’ letters; a Q&A with Ruper Philbrick and all your family notices.
Only in this week’s Mercury, which is heading to the shops today.
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
