FIVE years ago this week, hundreds of people gathered at Durham Cathedral to say farewell to the Right Reverend Justin Welby in his last appearance as Bishop of Durham before he became the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Welby talked of his highlights and the "amazing privilege" of meeting the people of Durham.

The farewell service included hymns, prayers, Bible readings and a symbolic ceremony in which Bishop Welby passed the staff-like Lightfoot Crozier to Dean Michael Sadgrove as a sign of the cathedral's guardianship of spiritualities until the next bishop was appointed, before the Dean laid it on the Shrine of St Cuthbert, in readiness for the next bishop.

Also that week, a couple celebrated winning a four-year legal battle with Darlington Borough Council when their car was destroyed by a faulty rising bollard.

Claire and Ashley Savidge won the favour of Middlesbrough County Court when the council’s CCTV showed the bollard rose at 9.55am instead of 10am.

The BMW M3 Mrs Savidge was driving was struck from below in November 2008, causing the 34-year-old to need hospital treatment.

Mr Savidge, 40, had said: "The council dug its heels in and said it was Claire's fault, that's why they've gone to court. They gave evidence that the car went through the bollard at 10am, but their CCTV evidence proved us right.”

Meanwhile a group of people seeking to make the most of the melting snow enjoyed a day sledging in bathtubs.

Lorry driver Paul Stothart was given six unwanted tubs and he and his friends spent a Saturday afternoon sliding down Dowfold Hill in Crook, County Durham.

Photographer Shaun Stoker captured the afternoon on his camera and said: "It's a very unusual way of getting down a hill, but it worked a treat.

"It was so much fun that we have now put the baths in storage and are planning a proper session when it next snows."

And a nursery in Stapleton celebrated when one of its children won a national Christmas card competition.

Samuel Pick, who attended High Bank Day Nursery, in Stapleton, designed a card with Father Christmas on and was the only child from the region to win a prize in the competition run by the Mini Me Card Company.

He received a certificate and 20 cards with his design on it, and won a hedgehog house for the nursery.

Nursery manager Jennifer Thompson said: "We are so proud of Samuel for winning the competition and to discover he was the only child and we were the only nursery in the region to win makes it even more special.”