NOSTALGIA: Looking back 10, 25 and 50 years ago

Thursday, January 19th, 2006

An Alnwick nursery nurse is to get a taste of life in the fast lane this weekend on a VIP trip to the Monte Carlo rally.

Clare Moralee, of Springfield Park, will be a special guest of Ford and will go behind the scenes of their World Rally Championship Team.

Clare, who works at St Michael’s First School, won the holiday on Metro Radio and will travel tomorrow, the day after her 29th birthday. She said: “It’s quite nice for it to be just after my birthday and it’s been something to look forward to after Christmas.

“I do like cars, everybody likes a fast car, and I’ve never been to Monte Carlo so it’s going to be special.

“It’s also nice to have VIP treatment and get all my food and drink paid for.”

Clare will visit live stages to cheer on the team.

Friday, January 25th 1991

Seahouses parents fear for their children’s education because of disruption at one of the village’s schools.

Parents seeking assurances that Seahouses First School will not lose out further in the future were not appeased by a meeting with the county’s chief inspector of schools, Ben Wilson – a meeting at which the Gazette reporter was asked to leave.

Parents feel that the school has been underfunded and with the introduction of the local management of schools’ system their feelings of mistreatment have been heightened.

After losing one teacher over the Christmas period parents feel that there is a lack of communication between the county and the school.

The school has reduced to four teachers because the number of pupils at the school falls short.

Friday, January 28th, 1966

A congregation of over 400 people packed Amble Congregational Church on Sunday evening and were welcomed by the church secretary, Mr A. Hinson, at a special service to mark the re-opening of the church following alterations and redecorations.

The congregation, which included many visitors and friends of other denominations, expressed their delight with the wonderful transformation which had taken place in the space of a few weeks.

The pulpit had been taken down and re-erected in the centre of the church, immediately in front of the organ, three of the walls had been painted in steel grey and a fourth wall in dawn pink. The ceiling was painted Wedgwood blue and the window surrounds in mimosa. Some 100 square yards of rich blue super wilton carpet covered the area.