In this week’s paper:
A 12-page section featuring pictures of school nativities and from across the dale
A mum and daughter are celebrating after their festive lights display won first place in a compoetition organised by Startforth Parish Council
A petition has been launched calling for a permanent safe crossing at a busy Barnard Castle junction
Schools in far-flung parts of the dale are to receive an increase in their budgets
Tributes have been paid to mum-of-two Amy Purvis who died in hospital after a road accident on the A66
A dale youngster is featuring in a Christmas film being shown on Sky
Dale vicar Eileen Harrop says she is “humbled” after being told she will be installed as a non-residential canon of Durham Cathedral
Buoyed by the success of Joseph, Teesdale Operatic Society has lined up a busy 2022 for fans of musical theatre
A 2.5lb grayling landed six-year-old Robert Smith the young anglers’ trophy at Barnard Castle Angling Club’s annual awards
In sport, meet the new head greenkeeper at Barnard Castle Golf Club and find out why dale darts ace Kirstie Hutchinson faces a delay in her bid for world championships glory
Plus… a look back at vintage issues of the paper, puzzles, Bob Garton’s Christmas quiz, puzzles, our Review of the Year, readers’ letters, family announcements and much more
All in the Christmas issue of the Teesdale Mercury.
Please note there will be no Teesdale Mercury next week (December 29).
The next issue of the paper will be out on Wednesday, January 5.
![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)
