From The Editor's Chair
Peter Barron was born in Saltburn, and raised in Middlesbrough. He joined The Northern Echo as a reporter in 1984, rising to become the paper's editor in January 1999.
Oh ye of little faith
WHEN I was appointed as racing tipster of
the Roman Catholic newspaper, Northern
Cross, there were those who mocked.
Wasn't this the same Peter Barron who'd been
sacked as racing tipster of the Scunthorpe
Evening Telegraph in his junior days for failing
to get one in the first three for six weeks? The
same Peter Barron who had gone on to earn himself
the reputation of being the worst tipster in
Britain?
Well, the Northern Cross is the kind of publication
which believes in giving folk a chance.
The Barron - as I was known in my tipping days
- was revived and duly inflicted upon Northern
Cross punters. The result may have been somewhat
unexpected.
My first tip back in the February edition was a
horse called Tidal Bay, trained in County Durham.
My advice was that it would win at Cheltenham -
and that's exactly what it did last Tuesday at odds
of 6-1.
My second tip in the March edition was Denman
to beat hot favourite Kauto Star in the Cheltenham
Gold Cup. Denman won at 9-4 on Friday,
leaving Kauto Star trailing in his wake.
It might be considered the equivalent of the
most dreadful pub singer suddenly blossoming
into Pavarotti.
The Barron, ladies and gentlemen, is back.
ON the day Tidal Bay was romping to glory at
Cheltenham, I happened to be at Sedgefield Races
as a guest of law firm Blackett, Hart & Pratt.
I couldn't help noticing a horse called Pete was
running in the last race and the omens were irresistable
- he shared my name, he'd been gelded
and he was carrying a bit of overweight.
Sadly, he didn't win. In fact, he didn't even
start. For some unexplained reason, he was withdrawn
at the last minute.
Oh well, no one's perfect.
LATER that night, I had to race through the
howling storm into North Yorkshire to
speak to Burneston and Carthorpe Women's
Institute.
They kindly gave me a £25 cheque for the Butterwick
Children's Hospice and asked for a plug
for a forthcoming flowers and fashion evening in
association with the Friends of Herriot Hospice
Homecare.
The event takes place at Masham Town Hall on
Tuesday, April 8 at 6.45pm. Tickets, to include
wine, cost £8 and are available from Sandra on
01845-567569 or Julie on 01845-567682.
Job done, ladies - and I promise the money
won't go on a horse.
MEANWHILE, on the morning of the Gold Cup,
I was wandering aimlessly round Marks &
Spencer in Darlington when two ladies came up
to me.
"Excuse me, are you Peter Barron?" asked one
of them, called Kath.
She went on to explain that she never gambled
on horses but she'd read about my tip for Tidal
Bay and had a fiver each way.
"I won nearly £50 and I just wanted to say a big
thank you," she said.
It made my day.
ON a far more serious note, my saddest duty
of last week was to attend the funeral at
All Saints Church in Darlington of the
lovely Lesley Givens.
Lesley, the wife of Stressholme golf professional
Ralph and mum of star golfer Ellie, was so
popular there simply weren't enough seats in the
church.
I'll remember Lesley as the always-smiling,
friendly face of Stressholme Golf Course and of
Blackwell Golf Club before that.
I know there are countless others who will remember
her in exactly the same way.
12:19pm Monday 17th March 2008
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