A new walking scheme in Shildon aims to keep older joints well-oiled by exercise

A GENTLE step back to childhood, the column was invited on Tuesday to inaugurate a "walking scheme" - around Shildon, of all the home comforting places - for Durham County Age Concern.

"Do you know the town at all?" a friendly young lady called Gill Macnab had asked. "Just a bit," we replied.

We'd departed from the Civic Hall, turned underneath the Ineffable Arches, down Main Street, left into Burke Street - where the Urban District Council had for so long met, and with so little opposition - and left again onto the Black Path, where the all comers' marbles championships were held on summer nights amid the muck.

After the Timothy Hackworth museum - now with great expectations - we doubled back above the railway, past the Water Bridge, where recklessly we'd place pennies on the line and be chased periodically by PC 792, the affectionately remembered Tom Trebilcock.

Back through the Rec, where every night we'd play football until Mr McCutcheon's bell would toll the knell of parting day, past the now adventurous playground, back to the Civic Hall where a splendid buffet and Harriet Given, Durham County Age Concern's chief officer, both awaited.

"I had some reports to write," she pleaded by way of leave of absence.

Across the county they run an "Ageing Well" programme - "Adding years to life, adding life to years" - which since the minimum age is 50 might better be described as Catching Them Youngish. "The misconception," said Harriet, "is that we only try to help when people are really ancient."

In Shildon alone there's aquacise in the school pool, healthy cookery, foot massage, reiki, reflexology and tai chi, which is Chinese for - well, you get the picture, anyway.

There were lots of familiar faces, and Mike Bridge whom we didn't recognise but about whom the Eating Owt column had written ten years ago when his family ran a waffle restaurant near Middlesbrough station.

Subsequently he became a professional juggler and stilt walker (trading as Tall Order) before working in arts in what is now known as the Tees Valley and switching to Age Concern.

He carried a first aid kit that could have supplied a medium-sized field hospital. None, happily, offered cause for Concern though one or two were ready for a cup of tea.

It was a lovely morning, a convivial two-mile amble a breath of fresh air. Afterwards, since the response had been underwhelming, they were all invited to take home a doggy bag. They'd walked up an appetite; they deserved it.

l The Shildon Walkers scheme sets off in earnest on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 at 1.30pm from the town's bus station by the King Willie and will repeat the exercise at two-weekly intervals. Walking boots and special clothing aren't necessary. Anyone, but especially the Over 50s, is welcome - grandchildren, too. Details from Gill Macnab or Mandy Robinson on 01388 772898.

ANOTHER opening gambit, we were asked last Saturday to launch the cornucopian Christmas Fair at Richmond Methodist Church.

Though the column remains modest and unassuming - and has, as someone once observed, much to be modest and unassuming about - they had picked the right man. A Christmas character reference ensued.

Though Georgian-themed, it was timeless. There were candy mice and knitted Magi, mob caps and long pinnies, apple chutney and angel cakes, chocolate gingers and lemon curd and together the pot-pourri raised £1,846.

Among those present was a wonderful 99-year-old called Mrs Tallentire, who by suggesting that this columnist looked much younger than his photograph proved again the wisdom of great years, and another lady called Elizabeth, who is the sister of Mr Peter Wilce.

"You once called him 'The Vasco da Gama of the Dales'," she recalled.

Peter, lovely chap, spends at least six days a week traversing the Yorkshire dales by bus, aboard since 1936 when the Northallerton Traction Company would park out the back of their house in Leyburn and he'd be called upon to push.

Though he's now 77 and in sheltered accommodation, he remains a free and a familiar spirit. When drivers need route familiarisation, they don't buy a map, they send for Peter.

He can still be found almost every day amid his transport of delight - "so much better," says Peter, "than sitting at home being miserable."

THE previous evening to Durham Cathedral for G F Handel's great musical masterpiece. Whoever the Messiah, the saviour was Jason Darnell - who just three hours earlier had been shopping at Asda in York.

Joseph Cornwell, the intended principal tenor, had missed Thursday's rehearsal because of visa problems with the American embassy in London. Finally he arrived at the home of David Crooks, the Durham Choral Society secretary, on Friday afternoon.

"It soon became pretty obvious that a combination of stress and three hours in an air-conditioned train had done his voice no good at all," says David. "He decided that it was in everyone's interests that he shouldn't perform."

It was pushing 4pm. "Panic stations," admits David.

Finally, Joe Cornwell remembered Jason Darnell, a Nottingham-based singer with whom he was due to appear in York the following evening. An emergency call ("mobile phones can be very useful sometimes," concedes the secretary) found him amid Asda's aisles, not Durham's.

By 5.15pm he was on a northbound train from York. "The Penzance train was on time, a miracle," says David - a Virgin berth, too - and by 6.25pm he'd reached the Cathedral, borrowed David Crooks's spare dinner jacket and was ready, Hallelujah, for the Messiah.

"All he had time for was a talk through with the conductor," says David. "Luckily the Messiah is the one work that most soloists know reasonably well."

An almost overflowing Cathedral enjoyed the three-hour performance so greatly that the Choral Society has already decided to re-engage Darnell. "Next time," says the secretary, "we'll try to give him more than three hours notice."

STILL the saga of Pat Constantine, belle of the Bishop Auckland ball game, continues. John Marsh in Shildon recalls that Graham Briggs, her late husband, played cricket for Shildon BR II - "quite a ferocious fast bowler". So did Pat's father, Eric, though he died young while playing for the Nomads.

Rather more immediate news is that John has just completed a remarkable 50 years as a Methodist local preacher. He'll be at Coundon chapel at 10.30am on Sunday, as will the At Your Service column. More of that on December 15.

THE Trimdon Grange Explosion reverberates yet. An e-mail from a national radio producer in New Zealand reports an interview with deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in which he asked for the new version by Skerne - in aid of the September 11 appeal - to be played. "Lots of people are asking about it already," says Chris Bourke.

Skerne is the folk band fronted for 30 years by John Burton, former Shildon footballer and Tony Blair's constituency agent. Details of the CD's availability from the constituency office - 01429 882202. The hard bit's finding it unengaged.

...and finally, an apology. The reason that last Thursday's column could report only the winning entry for the competition to win a Lynesack and Softley CD was - as several unhappy readers have pointed out - because we'd set the closing date for December 3. "Might I dare to suggest that you have been a touch premature?" writes Liz Toes from Woodland. Early dotage, an' all.