THERE'S no shortage of contenders for the title of most remarkable sporting figure in the North-East – but I'd put a few quid on the evergreen Mick Easterby to take some beating.

Michael William Easterby might be short of a few teeth these days but he remains in sparkling form as the country's oldest racehorse trainer at 86.

There he was, at Redcar's Easter Monday meeting last week, dancing a jig in the winner's enclosure after scoring a treble which followed a double at the seaside course the week before.

Easterby, who trains at Sheriff Hutton in North Yorkshire, is commonly referred to as a "right character". Rough and ready, he wouldn't look out of place alongside Worzel Gummidge, but he's been banging out winners for donkeys years. Indeed, his first big winner came 50 years ago this year when Boismoss won the Cesarewitch at Newmarket, and other highlights were Mrs McArdy taking the 1977 1,000 Guineas, and champion sprinter Lochnager carrying all before him in 1976.

“I don’t go to bed ‘til one in the morning and I’m up before six. I’m like a spring chicken,” he told me at Redcar. "And I 'ave a drink every night in The Highwayman in Sheriff Hutton. It's a grand place – make sure you give them a write-up."

The Highwayman's landlady Lisa Rushworth was duly grateful for the mention, saying: "Oh, Mick's a great character. He's a local celebrity really and he knows his horses – there's been a few celebrations in here over the years."

Mick announced his retirement four years ago but that seems to have been long forgotten. I wouldn't mind betting that they'll still be toasting his winners in The Highwayman when he hits 90.

AT 85, my mum's just a year younger than Mick Easterby and she's also still going strong. If she was listed in the form book, they'd call her "a true stayer".

I took her to Redcar Races with me last week and we were having a cup of coffee in the cafe when a stranger on the next table struck up a conversation.

"Are you having a nice day?" he enquired.

"Lovely, thanks," I replied.

"Is this your wife?" he asked.

Either my mum looks 30 years younger than she should, or my paper round was a lot harder than I thought.

DURING 37 years as a journalist, I've had some strange conversations but few have rivalled the exchange I had with the Easter Bunny at Redcar Races.

I thought it would make a nice picture for The Northern Echo to have the Easter Bunny placing a bet, while his friends – Alice, The Mad Hatter and The Queen of Hearts – looked on.

I gave the bunny a tenner and we approached veteran bookmaker Johnny Ridley. Johnny, from Shotton Colliery, has been a bookie for as long as Mick Easterby's been training "osses" and knows the business inside out.

"Has he got proof of his age?" Johnny asked me.

And so, without thinking, I actually found myself asking the Easter Bunny: "Have you got any ID on you?"

The rabbit shook his head – no credit cards, passport or driving licence. What's the world coming to?

A COUPLE of days later, I was under orders to talk to Peterlee U3A and, although Easter had only just passed the post, Christmas found its way onto the agenda.

Before I got up to speak, members were advised that the Christmas lunch had been booked for December 13 at Hardwick Hall Hotel, Sedgefield and deposits were required.

And after my talk, veteran independent councillor Joan Maslin wanted to publicly thank The Northern Echo for its coverage of "the world's worst Christmas tree" being erected in Peterlee. That was nine years ago but it's never too late to accept a bit of praise.

Described by one resident as having fewer bristles than a toilet brush, the "forlorn and threadbare" tree went up outside Castle Dene Shopping centre, hours before the lights were due to be switched on by Atomic Kitten pop star Natasha Hamilton.

"It was even reported in Egypt but it all started in The Northern Echo and it made sure we didn't get such a rotten tree again," said Joan.

FINALLY, The Northern Echo's front page on the announcement of the election made me smile.

I know how the ostrich feels. With seven weeks of electioneering, I feel like running away too.