ALWAYS be nice to those on the way up because you never know when you might need them on the way down.

Over the years, I’ve worked with a number of people in junior positions who’ve gone on to powerful roles.

David Yelland was an earnest young reporter in the outer reaches of our Stanley office, and no one would have guessed he’d end up as editor of The Sun, Britain’s biggestselling daily.

The Northern Echo’s current managing director started as a promotions assistant and is amusingly remembered for being required to wear a Peter the Panda costume at country shows.

You never know where someone is going to end up so, apart from the fact that people should be treated with decency at every level anyway – it’s never wise to burn bridges.

There was a good example of this philosphy at the recent grand final of the Darlington Sports Winners scheme when respected grassroots football coach Paul Bielby presented a trophy.

Paul told of the time he’d been a young apprentice at Manchester United and he was on cleaning duty the night in October 1973 when one of his heroes, Denis Law, had his testimonial against Dutch masters Ajax – a game that featured such idols as George Best and Johan Cruyff.

Law came in after the game and wanted his fellow players to sign some memorabilia but he didn’t have a pen. Paul, the apprentice, who was busy sweeping the changing room, lent him his best Parker.

In the melee, Law disappeared and Paul consoled himself in the knowledge that, if he was going to lose his best pen to anyone, it might as well be to a Manchester United legend.

But the next day, there was an envelope waiting. The pen was inside with a note inside: “To Paul, thanks for everything. All the very best for the future.”

Even at the time his glittering career was being celebrated by some of the greats of world football, the legend had remembered the lowly apprentice.

A FEATURE of last week’s Headline Challenge between The Northern Echo and BBC Tees was a story from China.

Four state troopers were despatched to the town of Maine after a woman reported terrible screaming from her neighbours’ house.

The emergency ended when the police discovered the noise was actually coming from a male pig having the time of his life after being put in a pen out the back with five sows.

Our headline was inspired by the Marvin Gaye classic “Sexual Squealing”. It was inexplicably beaten by “Feeling Ham-orous”.

Irrespective of the result, I couldn’t help wondering whether the neighbours are still talking to each other.

You wouldn’t be at all happy if you’d been mistaken for a rampant pig in the throes of passion with a harem, would you?

THE Tweet of the Week award goes to County Durham fell runner Paul Riddell in response to the news that Newcastle’s horse racing meeting on Friday had been abandoned due to waterlogging.

“Magpies still crying over the derby result,”

he suggested.

I’m guessing he’s a Sunderland fan. Just as well he’s a good runner.