THERE is so much to learn from the words of Bishop Auckland MP Derek Foster yesterday as he cut the first turf in Shildon for the new railway heritage centre.

As we report on Page 14, he said: "This is the most exciting day for Shildon in my 24 years as a Member of Parliament. It means we are building a brand new future in tourism based on the glorious past of Shildon. We are hoping that something like £1m a year will be coming into the local economy."

He is right in that it was an exciting day for Shildon and the £10m collections centre is an exciting project for Shildon. He is also right that there is money to be made by exploiting the unique railway heritage that history has left behind.

And he is also right to refer only to Shildon, because there is no one in the North-East with real clout, and real access to money, who can pull all the railway strings together to create a real tourist experience that will bring real revenue to the whole region.

Surely someone must have a vision that can re-connect Stockton with Darlington's immense history, join it up with Shildon's exciting project and then send it steaming on up to Stanhope through some of England's most beautiful scenery - and through a dale that desperately needs economic assistance.

If this one project is so exciting and lucrative for Shildon, why aren't Stockton and Darlington jumping up and down and demanding a piece of the action, and why isn't the Weardale Railway and its volunteers being given all the backing they require for their equally exciting project?

Lovely cricket

THE remarkable twist of fortunes over the past five days at The Oval has been a fitting finale to a wonderful season of international cricket.

If English cricket is in the doldrums, as many commentators suggest, then this summer must have sparked a revival in fortunes.

The series against South Africa, played in a remarkably good spirit, has been a glorious advertisement for the five-day game.

And what better way to end the series than an historic English victory, with a Durham bowler and a Yorkshire captain being in the thick of the action.