Northumbria in Bloom

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council has praised communities across the Borough for their blooming good efforts in the annual Northumbria In Bloom awards.
The results of the 2009 Northumbria in Bloom competition were announced and presentations made at a ceremony in the Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre in Durham City on 14th September.
Over eighty entries reached gold standard in their class this year with judges looking for much more than pretty flowerbeds in spring andsummer. These days floral excellence is vital but not enough and permanent, sustainable planting involving trees and shrubs, conservation projects, cleanliness and year round community effort are all included in the final marks.
This year Saltburn was awarded the gold medal and Amberol Trophy for the Best Seaside Resort. Best conservation project and Gold Medal was awarded to Saltburn Valley Gardens. Best railway, bus or metro station: Saltburn Railway Station. Saltburn Gold Club was awarded a Gold Medal as one of the best kept sports premises. An RHS a Neighbourhood award was given to Laurel Road.
Locally Stanghow received Gold for the Best Small Village and Eston was awarded the Best Urban Community Award with Lingale being recognised as the most improved entry.
Both Stanghow and Eston have been selected to represent the North East in the prestigious 'Britain in Bloom' national competition.

New School Campus Opens

The new Saltburn Primary School opened its doors to pupils today. As the school’s Upleatham and Marske Mill bases completed their move to the new site at Saltburn Learning Campus, shared with Huntcliff Secondary School, headteacher Janet Richardson said she was delighted. She said: “Some of us were here in January 1992 when the infant and junior schools amalgamated, and we’ve been in two buildings ever since. So you can imagine our excitement at moving on to a single site.”
The school has also unveiled a new logo featuring Saltburn Pier, a compass, a book and the sun. It was designed by former pupil Thomas Chisholm, 11, now a student at Huntcliff School.
The school's new playground includes an amphitheatre and a pond with its own bridge, to allow for environmental studies.
The scheme is part of a £60m Government Primary Capital Funding programme that will see schools throughout Redcar and Cleveland updated. Redcar and Cleveland Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services and education, Councillor Ian Jeffrey said: “We are providing 21st century facilities for our children.”

Ravine rescue drama...

A Nunthorpe man whose dog fell 20 feet became the subject of a dramatic search and rescue operation himself after falling down a ravine in Saltburn Woods.
The 45-year-old, who made an emergency call from his mobile phone after falling, had been walking his dog in Valley Gardens when it fell down a steep slope and into a small ravine. He tried to get down to retrieve the dog but slipped himself and fell about 30 feet, sustaining serious injuries.

He landed in the shallow water of the beck that runs along a footpath close to Valley Gardens and Saltburn Woods. Cleveland Search and Rescue team, along with the Great North Air Ambulance, an RAF Sea King helicopter and Cleveland Police attended the scene after receiving the SOS call.

The Search and Rescue team used a stretcher to move the man to a suitable point where he could be safely winched into the helicopter. The team were up against considerable tree coverage in the Valley Gardens and gusting winds, but an effective winch was carried out and the man, who suffered back and leg injuries, was quickly airlifted to the accident and emergency ward of the James Cook University Hospital.

Plea to help clean up Saltburn beach.

Saltburn is being targeted as one of six key UK beaches in a surfers' clean-up tour.
Surfers Against Sewage and Barefoot Wine want people to roll up their sleeves to help make British beaches Barefoot Friendly! The SAS Barefoot Friendly Beach Cleaning Tour will visit Saltburn on August 2 as part of their tour which also includes Newquay, Croyde, Bournemouth, Llangennith and Brighton.
This year's campaign builds on the success of last year's effort, in which more than 400 people helped remove litter from Britain's coastline. SAS campaign officer Andy Cummins said "Marine litter is a huge problem all over the country and this tour gives beach-lovers a great opportunity to make a real and positive difference. It's vital that people take an interest, but it's also really important that people have fun doing it. The beach cleans we organise are enjoyable, educational and a great way to bring local people from all walks of life together."
Starting at 3pm, the session will kick off with a full introduction and briefing. Volunteers will be given gloves and a rubbish bag.
Clean-ups will be followed by a free BBQ for all volunteers from 5pm to 6pm.
Afterwards, there will be fun surf quizzes and free Barefoot wine at the Community Room, on the Lower Promenade.
Ali Feest, chief Barefooter, said: "Last year's campaign highlighted how many people care about British beaches and enjoy being an active part of a campaign to protect them." There are limited spaces for each tour stop. To book a free place contact Andy Cummins at SAS on 01872 555950 or email andy@sas.org.uk. Alternatively, write to him at SAS Unit 2, St Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0RD.

It started with a kiss...

Jay Preller, 51, and fiancée Hazel Costin, 39, of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, shared their first kiss on the town's Grand Pier back in 2007 and since then the couple have developed a love and fascination for one of Britain's most traditional seaside features.

So much so that they are now touring Britain to visit each of the 54 piers before getting married. The latest to have been visited - and kissed on - by the couple is Saltburn's very own award-winning pier.

Hazel, a teacher, said: "Of all the piers we have visited this is certainly one of the best. It's nice that it is so old fashioned. We've found that every pier is different - we're becoming real experts."

The couple met for the first time at the entrance to the Weston's Grand Pier, which was destroyed by fire last year. They started their tour a year later but once it has finished it won't be the end of the couple's pier antics. Next year, Jay and Hazel will be the first to get married on the re-built Grand Pier.

They will then sit down to write about their travels in a book.

"Neither of us have ever written a book or anything before so it will be a challenge," Hazel said."Hopefully in 10 years we will be able to tour them again - we have grown quite fond of them!"

Action plan for Sea Front

A meeting of the R&C council's Cabinet on Tuesday will be recommended to approve a two-year maintenance programme in a bid to get the Saltburn sea-front building, pictured above, fully operational.
The £212,000 action plan is yet another attempt to try and get the Lower Promenade building fully up and running, seven years after it was built.
The council took it over in 2002 after the community group that conceived it, the Saltburn Improvement Company, ran into difficulties.
The £600,000 building has two retail units - Charlie's Don't Surf and another which is currently under offer and hoping for a summer opening. It also houses the Seaview Restaurant, changing and shower rooms for surfers and a community room. Since its inception it has been dogged by damp problems, legal wrangling and allegations that it was turning into a "white elephant".
The council's Cabinet member for culture, leisure and tourism, Councillor Sheelagh Clarke, said: "There have been real difficulties with this development since it was delivered by the Saltburn Improvement Company and we need positive action. A lot of work has already been done in securing our control of the building and we believe its tenants appreciate we are moving forward with purpose. I am delighted we are very close to having the building fully let for the first time, but there remain problems."
A structural survey identified the building needs remedial works and an annual maintenance regime. It will cost £212,000 over two years. The first year will tackle structural issues, roof and damp problems. The second year's budget is earmarked for replacing shutters and tackling brickwork and decoration.
Cllr Clarke added: "The need for funding is paramount - if not, the building will remain in disrepair and with the limited maintenance budget currently available, the structural issues will not be addressed. The state of the building will inevitably deteriorate, so approval funding is essential to carry out the renovation to bring it back to an acceptable standard."

5 Pieces of Gold for Saltburn Biathlete

Charlie Pasco (pictured with coach Bill Cook, © Dan Hill) of Saltburn & Marske ASC, successfully competed in the 2009 Northern Region Biathlon and Triathlon Championships at Maiden Castle on 5th April. Charlie finished in first place in the Youth Group C category for both the biathlon and the triathlon, taking best shoot, run and swim all with personal best times (shoot 43, 100m swim 1.10, run 1000m 2.58). He has now qualified for the National Championships to be held in Macclesfield on 17th May.
Charlie is also a member of New Marske Harriers and takes shooting lessons from his granddad.