THE weekly ritual of preparing our Looking Back column involves laying out the bound files of the D&S Times of 100 and 50 years ago. The news of 25 years ago is on trendy Seventies' microfilm.

It is impossible not to glance over the shoulder of the reporter responsible at those yellowing pages, but Spectator was startled this week to read the headline "Evenwood Asked to Boost Civil Defence" on a 1952 report of Barnard Castle Rural Council.

If Dad's Army defended us during the Second World War, was this a call to let Mum's Army take up arms in the Cold War, in case those Commies tried to take the coke works.

Actually, the WI was being asked to promote recruitment on civil defence courses, but the vision of Miss Mainwairings and Mrs Pikes, rolling pins at the ready, persists.

On the same page, the headmaster of the new Alderman Cape Secondary Modern School at Crook used speech day to bemoan the influence of the cinema on the youth of 1952.

He knew of one boy who went to the flicks seven times a week, and added: "Many pictures of today are unfit for children."

By a happy chance of sub-editing, adverts for the week's theatre and cinema attractions were next to the report.

The top advert, for the New Hippodrome, Darlington, was for "Gaily Express", starring "the well-known comedian", Gus Morris. This was 1952, remember.

Films set to corrupt County Durham youngsters included For Ever and a Day, with Anna Neagle; Murder Inc, starring Humphrey Bogart; Anne of the Indies, with Jean Peters; and Texas Rangers, with Noah Berry Junior. Oh, and that sci-fi classic, The Day The Earth Stood Still, which, if Spectator remembers rightly, was filmed at the offices of the Gaily - sorry, Daily - Express.

Future shock

A LITTLE levity doesn't go amiss at council meetings.

Coun Ron Lewis(Con) certainly lightened the atmosphere for everyone at Darlington's full council meeting last week, when he picked up an error and took a political sideswipe at council leader John Williams(Lib) in the process.

He was pointing up the fact that his council agenda said Coun Williams had attended a meeting on the new Code of Conduct members - three days before it took place.

"Three days later, I too turned up for the same meeting and I can testify that Coun Williams did turn up at the appointed hour to fulfill the prophesy of the report - and I was well impressed.

"Can the solicitor give us an opinion of whether Coun Williams has an unfair advantage in his clairvoyance of possibly knowing the outcome of many major issues prior to consultation and debate - and whether he should declare an interest at future meetings on account of it."

Amid much hilarity and banging on tables from all parties, an amused Coun Williams replied: "I will give Coun Lewis the winning Lottery numbers at the end of the meeting and I predict Liverpool will win the cup."