Local Care Home Swaps Easter Bonnets for Stetsons!

Residents at Hazelgrove Court Care Home in Saltburn were treated to an Easter hoe-down, courtesy of the original Teesside Cowboy, vocalist and guitarist, Eric White.

Eric, who has been playing around the Teesside area since his days as lead singer with Stockton band, The Blue Caps, visited Hazelgrove on Bank Holiday Monday. And his good old fashioned country-style playing got a resounding “yee ha” from residents, as he brought the Easter celebrations to a close.




Tina Temple, general manager at Hazelgrove, said: “Eric’s performance was a great way to end the Easter holiday. We always make a special effort with our Easter celebrations and the residents have worked really hard making decorations and our beautiful Easter banner. We also like to make sure we give a really warm welcome to friends and family who visit on the bank holidays. Our Easter Egg raffle on Good Friday, in particular, was a big hit with residents and visitors alike and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the long Easter break – Eric’s visit was the cherry on the cake.”

Saltburn WWI Centenary Commemoration Day

It was an extraordinary act in the midst of the horrors of war: on Christmas Day, 1914, British and German soldiers on the Western Front put down their guns to play a game of football. Now, to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, Saltburn beach will be transformed into a no-man’s-land on as that infamous match is recreated.

The event, on June 1st will see teams dress up in vintage army uniforms from the era as Saltburn plays its part in remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice.




Event organiser Allan Whiley, who works for Barclays, said: “I really wanted to do something to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One and I wanted the town to play a part in remembering the futility of the conflict.

Last year I started planning to re-enact the Christmas Day truce football match on the beach and on behalf of Saltburn Rotary Club and with the Royal British Legion and other groups, we began to pull ideas together such as the Tiger Moth flyover which will involve dropping 40,000 poppy petals on to the beach.

It's a free event and everyone is welcome to come along and help us mark the anniversary. The public response has been overwhelming so far in terms of support and it continues to grow as we move towards June 1.

We’ve already started selling the poppy crosses at £1 each and we’ve had people from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Poland that have bought them as they remember relatives who were involved in the tragedy of war.”

While the match kicks off at 2pm, there will be plenty going on throughout the day with the event taking place from 10am to 6pm. Bands will play next to the pier and there will be a display of vintage vehicles and re-enactment groups on the lower promenade as well as a replica of a First World War trench. There will also be trade stalls and children's entertainments along the bottom promenade.

A Tiger Moth aircraft will fly over the pitch dropping 40,000 poppy petals and a temporary 'War Cemetery' is planned with a field of 5000 poppy crosses planted in the sand on behalf of the Royal British Legion in tribute to the soldiers who never returned from the battlefield.

There will also be a pop-up exhibition from London’s Imperial War Museum.

Proceeds from the event, to be match funded by Barclays, will go to the East Cleveland branch of the Royal British Legion who will use the funds to restore Saltburn’s War Memorial.

David Willis, for the Saltburn branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “The local branch of the Royal British Legion is proud to be involved.

The Legion will be selling poppy crosses which the public can buy and place in a garden of remembrance on Saltburn beach before they are put on display in a more permanent place.”

When the tide comes in on the day, there will be a short service by a church leader from Saltburn while a bugler plays The Last Post.

In the evening there will be a play set in 1918 and a big band playing in the Community Theatre.

Anyone interested in being involved can contact the organiser Allan Whiley on 07775553049

Saltburn Ward Newsletter

COUNCILLOR STUART SMITH
SALTBURN WARD NEWSLETTER APRIL 2014
stuart.smith@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk Contact no. 07557 540628


POSSIBLE NEW OCCUPIERS MARSKE MILL LANE SCHOOL
According to Earthbeats Newsletter they are in consultation with Redcar and Cleveland Council to occupy this site. If Earthbeat are successful in acquiring the site they will be asking for help to renovate the building. As a Ward Councillor I have not been officially informed of these proposals but I am aware that talks are ongoing. With regards to the playing field, a builder is in communication with the authority’s planning department to build residential homes with the site entrance on Marske Mill Lane.

SALTBURN IN BLOOM JUDGING DAY
The spring judging will take place in the Northumbria in Bloom competition during the morning of Tuesday the 8th April.

RESURFACING VALLEY GARDENS PATHS
Work has commenced in the Valley Gardens to complete the temporary repair work that was carried out as a result of the flooding on the 6th September 2013. The work will reinstate the top resurface of the path ways through the Valley Gardens.

OPENING OF REDCAR & CLEVELAND LEISURE AND COMMUNITY HEART
The opening of the new £31m Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart will be on Saturday 26 April. The new facility for the borough is situated in the heart of Redcar town centre, near to the town’s railway station.
This development will provide a focal point for local communities and visitors and include swimming pools, a wave simulator, register office, fitness suites and conference facilities.
Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart will also be home to the borough’s new council chamber, which will also double up as a multi-purpose space that can be used for community activities.
The mayor’s parlour, accommodation for small and medium sized businesses and retail space will also be located at the Ridley Street site.
Everyone Active the leisure providers for the Council have announced that the opening event will see Olympic stars, European and British champions mixing with the general public on a day when all our activities will be completely free of charge.

UPDATE CLIFF LIFT DRIVERS CABIN
The refurbished driver station cabin was reinstated on Marine Parade on its base on Friday 28th March. Work will continue within the coming weeks to return it to working order. There are plans to repaint the Pier Cliff Lift.

COUNCIL TAX SET TO RISE 1.994%
At the Borough Council meeting held on the 6th March it was passed by the Borough Councillors to increase this year’s council tax rise by 1.944%.
Councillors voted 31-20 to accept the council’s medium term financial strategy, and the proposed council tax rise. It means the council tax for a non-parish Band D property will be £1,661.43 - a rise of £27.18 a year, or 52p a week. A non-parish Band A bill rises 35p a week to £1,107.62. Any council tax increase above 2% would have triggered a local referendum on the decision.