Glenn Hugill, who caught the eye of audiences in his impressive first venture into showbusiness - in the title role in Merry Christmas Mr Snowman at Barnard Castle Primary School - is now making a big name for himself behind the scenes in television.

His teacher at the time, Eileen Vasey, told me this week that she remembered him putting on a first class performance at the age of nine in the play, which she directed, and in the following school production.

Another teacher, Geoff Dixon, was also impressed. When he asked young Glenn what he wanted to be when he grew up, the instant reply was: "I'm going to be an actor."

That forecast proved to be correct, and he later received excellent reviews for his portrayals on the stage in London.

The aspiring actor then gained a number of memorable TV roles to his credit, including a spell as a detective, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin in Coronation Street.

Now he is series producer of Deal or No Deal, a daily Channel Four game show on which the contestants can walk off with any sum from 1p to £250,000. It is hosted by Noel Edmunds and is doing well in the ratings.

It is eagerly watched each afternoon by Glenn's mother, Gill Hugill, at her home in Barnard Castle.

"It's a really good show and I wouldn't miss it for anything," she told me.

Mrs Vasey, who has now retired, is not surprised by Glenn's success.

She revealed that he was such a fine young actor that she persuaded him to join the Mad Mads, the popular dale drama group.

"There was something special about him, and I was sure he would do well if he went into showbusiness," she said.

Following my piece about the forlorn schoolmaster James Coates, of Newsham, last week, I was asked if this was the same teacher about whom a jingle used to be chanted by young scallywags a couple of miles along the road in Barningham.

In fact, the subject of the chant was a different master, Thomas Granger Coates, who became headteacher of Barningham Academy in about 1828, around 40 years after James Coates died.

He was a strong, fearsome fellow who meted out severe thrashings with a cane, though he had only one arm.

One pupil remarked that he had half the life whipped out of him by Thomas Coates, and he dreaded to think how he might have suffered if the master had two arms instead of only one.

But his hard treatment seemed to pay off in results, as his academy, which had more than 20 pupils at times, earned a reputation for excellent exam marks while he was in charge.

The jingle about him stated:

They're clever folk to who live in Barningham

Old schoolmaster Coates is a boy for larning 'em.

A request came in this week for information about a Teesdale author called Stephen Duthie.

I can say that he was born in Barnard Castle in 1920, attended school in the town until he was 14 and did some jobs locally before he sailed off to Australia in 1949.

He wrote a book called Fidlers Creek which was published Down Under in 1979. This was an amusing collection of "tall tales of a one-pub town", which I enjoyed reading at the time.

Mr Duthie and I exchanged a few letters soon after that, but then somehow lost touch.

The late Geoffrey Guyll, a member of Teesdale District Council, told me years ago that he knew Stephen as a boy and always thought of him as quite a colourful character. There may be a few others still living in the locality who remember him.

Before becoming a writer, he listed his previous occupations as office boy, sailor, mill hand, taxi driver, vacuum cleaner salesman, appliance engineer, barman, chauffeur, saloon steward, bosun, department manager, agent, journalist, printer and newspaper owner.

Richard Watson, the Teesdale Poet, wrote a long rhyming letter about Christmas to two friends, Henry King Spark, of Startforth, and Mary Gaines, of Darlington, to thank them for helping him when he was in poor health and out of work in the late 1880s.

The letter told of cosy scenes around firesides, in rooms decorated with holly and mistletoe.

But Watson, ever keen to point out social injustice, also took a swipe at wealthy types who made great play of giving donations to hard-up folk in the festive season while ignoring them for the rest of the year.

He wrote:

Poor paupers too who in the workhouse dwell

When happy Christmas time comes round know well

Of all the holidays throughout the year at least

This one is kept on which they have a feast.

* I'll be glad to see anyone who calls with snippets of news at The Northern Echo office at 36 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, on Mondays and Tuesdays, telephone (01833) 638628.