Grass routed

It’s a hidden hamlet off the road between Darlington and Staindrop, Raby whitewashed and little changed for a century. Until 1995, the only public amenities were the parish church of St Mary the Virgin, built in 1890, and a telephone kiosk which had appeared about 100 years later. Then the church closed.

“The usual congregation,” the At Your Service column observed, “could just about be relocated into the phone box.”

Back in 1890, the parish had 150 people, a vicar and a full-time curate. “I think I could just about have coped with being curate of Denton,” Michael Turnbull, the Bishop of Durham, told the valedictory congregation.

The village is revisited because the bus stop at the end of the lane features on the home page of my new blog, called Grass Routes. That the sign atop the pole promises “all services” is what folk might suppose disingenuous: there only is one service, to Cockfield or somewhere, and an awfully long wait between buses.

The blog’s sub-titled “A thumbs-up journey with North-East football folk” but, as might be supposed, takes the long way around.

Topics in the first few days have ranged from unhelpful email addresses – my address book includes jillfairies, bagpipeswilson and jbmcslash – to the (allegedly) wanton ways of Anne Boleyn.

Readers may themselves care to take the Grass Routes route: www.mikeamosblog.wordpress.com

ends

Last week’s formalities in Crook to help preserve the memory of Jack Greenwell proved a brilliant community occasion, meticulously planned for eight months by Harold Stephenson – a passionate Middlesbrough fan whose heart remains in Crook.

Jack’s story has been retold in recent days. “A man who helped change the face of world football,” said Canon Vince Fenton, not unreasonably, at the church service which preceded the plaque unveiling.

Jack died suddenly, aged 58, two days after masterminding Colombia’s 10-3 win over Deportivo Texas. “A local derby,” said Canon Fenton, whose theology may be better than his geography.

The plaque’s on the Royal Corner, named after the former Royal Hotel. Since it’s no longer, Jack’s family – over from Canada, and Warrington – stayed at the Brown Horse at High Stoop.

Others recalled that it was the Royal Corner on which Mally Race, a man said simultaneously to be able to smoke his pipe and sup his pint, would in all weathers flog the Saturday night Pink. “How long,” someone wondered, “before there’s a statue to Mally, an’ all.”

HAROLD Stephenson was the senior council official responsible for the West Auckland bypass, and nearby developments like Bishop Auckland FC’s new Heritage Park ground. Might that explain the persistent rumour that, in the time capsule beneath Bishop’s main stand, is buried a Crook Town No 10 shirt? They’re saying nowt, or little. “I can tell you, though,” says local historian Michael Manuel, “we’re terrible lads in Crook.”

KEITH Hopper’s funeral overflowed Darlington Salvation Army citadel on Monday, the first time in recent memory that the last hymn hasn’t been Abide With Me. We sang I Go In the Strength of the Lord instead.

As last week’s column observed, Keith – who was 83 – had played both cricket and football for Durham County, was one of just six vice-presidents of the NYSD cricket league and had devoted much of his life to Bishop Auckland cricket club, where for many years he was chairman. We also noted that he could occasionally be argumentative.

The second hymn was Make Me a Channel of Your Peace. “I’m not sure how that squares with being escorted from the premises by the police at the age of 83,” said Major Colin Bradshaw, the Salvation Army officer.

Whatever could he have meant?

MARKING the centenary of his death on the Somme, the column a couple of weeks back recalled Warwickshire cricketer Percy Jeeves, who played professionally for Hawes – of all places – after answering an ad in Athletics News and after whom P G Wodehouse’s incomparable gentleman’s gentleman was named. Last week a tree was planted at the Cheltenham College ground where Wodehouse first saw Jeeves in action and thought what a nice name it was. Surname, anyway: as Wodehouse ultimately reveals, the gentleman’s Christian name was Reginald.

….AND finally, the 11 Championship – second tier – football teams who’ve won the top division (Backtrack, August 11) are Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Wolves, Derby County, Ipswich, Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield and Preston. Neil McKay in Lanchester was first to work it out.

Today a splendid question from Blyth Town’s programme last Saturday: who is the only player born before 1960 to have scored a Premiership hat-trick?

Still full of goals, the column returns next week.