Cleveland Sailor supports major Royal Navy Deployment

Robyn Buckle works in the sickbay onboard
HMS Albion, Flagship if the Royal Navy
(Luron Wright/Royal Navy).

A Royal Navy sailor from Saltburn-By-The-Sea is playing a key role in a major deployment to the Mediterranean and Middle East, including supporting international efforts to protect civilians in Libya.

Robyn Buckle began her working life in a local fish and chip shop. Now aged 25, she is serving as a medical assistant onboard HMS Albion, Flagship of the Royal Navy.
The 18,500 tonne assault ship is leading the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group, a maritime quick reaction force consisting of ships, helicopters and Royal Marines.

At the end of May the Task Group was diverted from a multi-national amphibious exercise to the Libyan coast. In an effort to increase pressure on Col Gaddafi, Apache helicopters from HMS Ocean were launched against selected military targets ashore, whilst HMS Albion acted as the floating command platform directing and guiding the Task Group.

“On the night of the first Apache mission I could see the lights along the Libyan coastline from the Ship”, said Robyn.

Robyn’s role is to help provide healthcare to HMS Albion’s ships company, and also to the Royal Marines and battle staff from Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG) who are embarked onboard the ship for the duration of the deployment.

Robyn, who attended Westgarth Primary and Bydales Secondary School, said, “I always wanted a career where I could help people, so the role of medical assistant in the Royal Navy appealed to me straight away. The job is hands on. On a daily basis I could be doing anything from vaccinations and first aid to patient referrals, so I learn and experience new things every day”.

When HMS Albion is at ‘Action Stations’ Robyn is part of a team poised to respond to emergencies such as fire, floods, battle damage or a man overboard.

“In a crisis situation I would be among the first people on the scene in order to assess and treat any casualties. It is something we train for on an almost daily basis so it becomes second nature”.

Robyn, HMS Albion and the Task Group have now passed through the Suez Canal for a series of engagements designed to strengthen the UK’s relationships in the Middle East.

“Joining the Royal Navy was the best thing I have ever done. I have a brilliant job, I get to travel to new places and I have made friends for life – the best thing is I get paid to do all of this.
I’ve travelled to some great places with the Navy including New York, but Cleveland is definitely still home. Whenever I’m at sea I miss going out with my friends and family and taking my dogs for a walk especially in Saltburn woods or on the beach”.

HMS Albion

Saltburn Music Festival

Saltburn's "friendly" music festival will be held in two of the town's churches in early July - and organisers are trying to trace its history over the past 150 years.

Committee members Clare McCullagh, Pat Fleming, Sue Pierce, Sara Nelson, Caroline
 Scales and Joanne McCullagh with trophies for Saltburn music festival.
It has attracted 250 entries from all over the North-east.

"The mystery is where did it start. We think it evolved from Methodist festivals over the decades since the town was started in 1861," said Mrs Sue Pierce, coordinator of the seven-strong organising committee.

"We would love to hear any information on how the festival was started."

Mrs Pierce said the event, which attracts entries from all over the North-east, was known as the 'friendly festival' because of the way the organisers are flexible with entrants' wishes and strive to keep calm.

She said the festival would feature music from both instrumentalists and singers playing music from Beethoven to Lloyd Webber - "sonatas to songs from the shows."

An SOS appeal in early June brought in a £500 anonymous gift, which will help to pay the £4,000 costs.

The committee also needs more volunteers to help to run the event with jobs including refreshments, on the door, announcing classes or paperwork.

"Though we try very hard with fund-raising our funds are so low that it is likely we shall be unable to run the festival beyond this year," said Mrs Pierce before the £500 arrived.

"We offer a platform to youngsters, and the not-so-young, to perform and receive positive criticism. Entrants are aged from six to 60-plus. Our four adjudicators are all highly qualified and from different parts of the country."
They are Ann Lampard, Kathryn Page, Janet Howells and Pat Fleming.

Mrs Fleming, who is also a Saltburn-based committee member, said that the late Betty Middleton, founder of the Saltburn-based Betty Middleton Singers, was her singing teacher as a child.

Among internationally-known professional musicians and singers who have benefited from competing in the festival are Janet and Christine Lax, opera singer Anna Stephans (STEPHANS IS OK), Teesside opera singer Susannah Clarke, who is the festival's patron, Andrea Moore, who sang at Glyndebourne, and Saltburn singer Rowan Pierce, 21, who has won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London.

The festival takes place from 9.30am to 9pm on Friday July 1 at Emmanuel church, off Windsor Road, and the Methodist church, Milton Street, and on Saturday July 2 at the Methodist church only.

Tickets cost £1.50 per session or £3 for a day.

The festival is sponsored by Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council and 13 local businesses. It is a registered charity. The accompanists will be Andrew Pierce, Alison Gill and Charles Knowles.

The committee is Mrs Sue Pierce, coordinator, and members Mrs Fleming, Mrs Clare McCullagh, Joanne McCullagh, Sara Nelson, Caroline Scales and Julia Weeks.

More information can be had from Mrs Pierce 01287-622529, Mrs Fleming 01287-623526 or Mrs Scales 01287-624811.

Mike Morrisey

The Saxon Princess Exhibition, Kirkleatham.

Today seemed like a good day to take the opportunity to go along to Kirkleatham Museum to visit the Saxon Princess Exhibition and we were not disappointed.

The collection of 7th Century treasures and everyday artefacts was found between 2005 and 2007 at the only known Anglo-Saxon royal burial site in the north-east of England. The collection went on show to the public for the first time at the end of May and has been hailed by archaeologists as containing some of the rarest artefacts discovered.

More than 7,000 people have visited the exhibition to view the spectacular finds in the two weeks since it was opened.

The finds were uncovered by Teesside archaeologist Steve Sherlock, together with members of the Teesside Archaeological Society, at a 109-grave site at Street House, Loftus. The Anglo Saxon objects discovered were clearly of national significance but it was the view of everyone involved that the finds should be displayed locally. This was the starting point for the aquisition of the ownership of the jewellery for Redcar & Cleveland Museum Service. After their discovery the objects were declared treasure by a coroner and, following a debate in the House of Commons, they were finally allowed to remain in Redcar & Cleveland and were purchased with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

Mr Sherlock said, "This is a spectacular discovery that has attracted the imagination and attention of people from all over the country."

Redcar & Cleveland Councillor Sheelagh Clarke, said: "The Saxon Princess exhibition is one of the most stunning attractions we have seen in the Borough for many, many years. To have so many people visit in a little over two weeks is fantastic and we look forward to welcoming many more."

Some of the pieces from the collection are associated with a rare bed burial in which a female body was laid out on a decorated wooden bed accompanied by fine gold jewellery.

The finds included a striking gold pendant - said to be "unparallelled" in the Anglo-Saxon world - which would have belonged to a princess, as well as glass beads, pottery, iron knives, belt buckles and other objects.

Some of the treasure from the Saxon Princess Collection

A further major part of the project was the making of a short introductory film about the Street House Princess. Used as the introduction to the exhibition it presents the visitor with a glimpse of Anglo-Saxon life.

This is an unparalled collection of finds from the Anglo-Saxon world and a visit to the exhibition is highly recommended.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift Adventure

Southside Radio are planning a Guinness Book of Records attempt for the number of live interviews broadcast from Saltburn Cliff Lift on Friday 1st July 2011.

Starting at 9.00a.m Alex Lewczuk will be interviewing a variety of folk from Saltburn whilst producing the show live from the Saltburn Cliff Lift. The output will be relayed to both Southside Broadcasting and siren107.3fm in Lincoln and the interviews will also be featured on their podcast site.

The record breaking attempt means that Alex will conduct interviews while riding up and down in the Cliff Lift throughout the day. He is allowed five minutes every hour for a toilet break and an additional 10 minutes for lunch. Representatives from the Guinness Book of Records will be in attendance and we understand that it will also get significant media – including TV – coverage.

The head of Cultural Development for Redcar & Cleveland BC will be bringing along some folk to be interviewed from local businesses but if any local musicians, artists, poets etc. would like to book some time in Southside Broadcasting would be delighted to feature you.

These podcasts feature Alex Lewczuk meeting with Sheelagh Clarke, Head of Cultural Development in Redcar and Cleveland, and Zohrah Zancudi, beginning the pre-publicity for the July 1st Saltburn Cliff Lift Radio Show.

The Saltburn Cliff Lift Adventure Part 1

Podcast Powered By Podbean

The Saltburn Cliff Lift Adventure Part 2

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Saltburn 150 - Ist Town Mosaic Unveiled

This afternoon the town crier was joined by members of the Saltburn 150 committee, artists Helen Gaunt and Derek Mosey and members of the public for the official unveiling of the first Saltburn150 mosaic which has been hung on the wall at Sainsbury’s opposite the Station Platform.

Chairwoman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council,
Vera Rider with Councillor Philip Thomson at the unveiling ceremony.

Councillor Philip Thomson officially welcomed Councillor Vera Rider, chairwoman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council, who performed the unveilling ceremony. Despite the weather everyone waited in eager anticipation to see the results and were not disappointed. The mosaic is the first of five planned and developed over the past few months under the guidance of Helen and Derek.

More community workshops will be held over the coming weeks and each of the five mosaics will be unveiled by different members of the community when completed.

The completed mosaic hangs on the wall at Sainsburys opposite the station platform.

New Vicar rings in the changes.

New vicar the Rev Adam Reed is welcomed to Emmanuel church, Saltburn, by parish
 secretary Christine Pollard. The hall, which is to be renovated this summer, is to the
left with the church in the background.

Unusually, the bell at Saltburn's Emmanuel church tolled half-a-dozen times on Sunday evening June 5th.

Ringing it was the newly-installed vicar, the Rev Adam Reed, showing that officially his work had started in the parish.

Earlier in a 75-minute service he had received a warm round of applause from the 300-strong congregation for a welcome given by the Bishop of Whitby, the Rt. Rev. Martin Warner.

Also welcoming Mr Reed were civic guests, including the new Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland Councillor Olwyn Peters, and chairman of Saltburn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council Councillor Vera Rider. Councillor Joan Guy spoke on behalf of MP Tom Blenkinsop, who was unable to attend.

Local clergy of other denominations spoke of them all "working and worshipping together happily."

Bishop Warner thanked Emmanuel parishioners, including three retired clergymen, who had run the parish in the year since the departure of previous vicar, the Rev Guy Donegan-Cross, to a parish in Harrogate.

He said he saw signs of many people rediscovering their belief in God.

Mr Reed, 37, thanked Saltburn people for giving him and his family "time and space" in the last few weeks for them to settle in following their arrival from a parish near Pickering. He particulalry thanked those who had sent them cards and cake.

After the service people enjoyed a buffet prepared by parishioners, in the hall, the renovation of which is due to start this summer.

Mike Morrisey

Saltburn 150 - Displays galore at Saltburn Flower Festival

Part of the Photographic Society's contribution to the Flower Festival

A floral display featuring a steam engine will be among those seen at a four-day flower festival to be held at Emmanuel church, Saltburn, from Thursday to Sunday June 9th -12th.
"We'll also show a railway station garden, another railway arrangement and an ironstone mine," said Pauline Davies, of Saltburn Women's Institute, which is organising the event. It's our contribution to the town's celebrations of the first train arriving at Saltburn station in 1861, 150 years ago. Some 31 displays will be on show. Some are being sponsored by local businesses, and many are from groups ranging from churches, the photographic society, golf club and several WIs."

Salturn, Marske and New Marske Parish Council has made a £350 grant towards costs. Entry will be free, but donations are welcome. Two craft and produce stalls will be set up and visitors can see the church's historical exhibition. All donations will go to the church hall renovation fund.
New vicar the Rev Adam Reed will officially open the festival at a preview evening on Wednesday June 8.

The event will be open on Thursday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm and on Sunday from 12-4pm.

Organists Charles Knowles. Caroline Scales and Roger Lobley will play the church organ at various times at the weekend.

Saltburn 150 - Photography Competition for Commemorative Brochure

The Saltburn 150 committee is producing a commemorative brochure to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the town. At June's monthly meeting it was decided to hold a photographic competition to provide the image for the front cover of the brochure.

Mark Hickson of Saltburn's Profile Gallery and Sitting Room has agreed to judge the event along with his co-partners. The winner will be announced on 2nd July 2011.

The rules of the competition are quite simple - the picture has to be of Saltburn and be of adequate quality for printing, i.e. 300dpi. Applicants are invited to submit their photographs to photographs (at) saltburn150.org.uk along with name, address and telephone number.

The closing date for entries is midnight on 24th June 2011.

Flying the Flag for Independent Shopkeepers.

In case you missed it Graeme Hetherington of the Northern Echo recently visited a cluster of Saltburn entrepreneurs based in Milton Street who are flying the flag for independent shopkeepers despite the high street recession.

The following is the content of his article:

Real Meals Delicatessen believes it is surviving the recession by maintaining its delivery of niche and highquality foods. The family business, which has been running for 13 years, recently moved into new premises in Saltburn’s Milton Street and trading has been brisk since then.
Sheila Beswick, who runs the business with her husband, Tim, son Dan and daughter Lorna Jackson, believes the location of the shop has delivered results.
She said, Things have been very hard, but because we are a niche business we have been able to survive better than some others. A lot of our stuff comes from artisan producers. We have at least 17 different cheeses from within a 50-mile radius of Saltburn. We also keep an extensive range of specialist meats. My son, Dan, creates fresh meals for our customers and we focus on using the best products for everything. The bacon we use is dry cured at a farm in Thirsk and the smoked bacon is made using proper smoke, which gives it a wonderful taste. Having so many independent traders in the same area is really good for business because people will move from one shop to the next and know they are buying quality goods."

The shelves in the store are packed with quality oils, sauces, herbs and spices, including tastes from North Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Mrs Beswick said, 2We do have a few part-time staff, but essentially we are a family business and that has been the key to our success."

• Real Meals Delicatessen: 01287 622266 or realmeals.co.uk


Specialist sweet shops are few and far between these days, but anyone with a hankering for classic flavours is in for a treat in Saltburn.

Stepping through the doors of Lloyd Scott and Beatty Confectionery is like stepping back in time. The shelves are stacked with old favourites such as Everton mints, lemon drops and peppermints, and it is the feeling of entering a bygone era which adds to its charm.

Natalie Crawford, who has worked in the shop since it opened last November, is looking forward to a busy spring and summer period.
"We opened at a really good time, just before Christmas, so business was really good,” she said. “Since then, it has quietened down, but we are looking forward to the start of the holiday season. Times have been hard, but the number of good businesses around here has definitely been a bonus for us because of the passing trade."

Small independent businesses create the heart of Saltburn and Milton Street is pivotal to the success of the town.
Ms Crawford said, "We have had a lot of support from the local community, which has been really important during the hard times, just to keep us going. However, we are really looking forward to the holiday period because that is when we will get very busy. As well as the specialist sweets, we are offering options for children who just want to spend 20 pence. We will also be selling specialist ice cream, which always proves to be a success in the summer season."

• Lloyd Scott and Beatty Confectionery: saltburnsweetshop.co.uk


Local artists are taking full advantage of a gallery which focuses on talent in east Cleveland. The ArtsBank has created a focal point for people to check out the latest work of several local painters, photographers, sculptors and designers. Situated in the heart of Saltburn, the business has proved a great attraction to art lovers from across the region.

"The thing about businesses in Milton Street is the sense of community," said Michael York, who helps to run the gallery. "At the ArtsBank, we try to support all the businesses in the area. We regularly put up posters advertising a wide range of events in the town. One of things that is always good for all of the businesses is being able to send our customers to any of the independent shops in the area.”

Since the ArtsBank opened last year, artists have been able to get their work exhibited to a much wider audience. Mr York said: "We have customers who travel from all over the region to visit the gallery, so we regularly change the exhibitions to ensure that everything is always fresh. All the people who exhibit in the gallery are based within 60 miles of Saltburn and that is key to the success."

The gallery is currently playing host to a new exhibition of the work of Emily Hesse, a sculptor who works with driftwood, creating unique abstract and figurative sculptures.

• ArtsBank 01287-625300 or artsbank.co.uk

Graeme Hetherington's full article is available to read here.