A DOORSTEP visit from Santa is just one of the treats organised for children in Middleton-in-Teesdale today [Saturday, December 5] as part of the village’s Christmas lights switch-on.
Festivities are normally well-attended in the village, but due to coronavirus restrictions, organisers have come up with new, novel ways to celebrate the start of the festive season.
The Christmas tree lights will be switched on at 5pm by Christine Mitchell and it is hoped residents who have decorated their own homes will come out onto their doorsteps for another illuminating experience.
Lantern making kits, complete with electric candles have been put together by staff and volunteers at Utass (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services) with materials donated by artist Gemma McColl.
Children at Middleton-in-Teesdale Primary School will put them together this week.
The lanterns will be held aloft while carols are sung.
Santa Claus’ pre-Christmas visits to the village – usually with him atop a quad bike – is always hugely popular.
However this year children will need to pre-book a doorstep visit by completing the request form at www.utass.org/book-your-door-step-visit-from-santa.
![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)
