No headpine

There's no greater reason

To celebrate

Than the birth

Of real true love,

When God,

Our heavenly Father

Sent his son

From glory above.

There's no greater reason

To dance and sing

Than the birth of Jesus,

Our saviour and King.

To lift up our hands

In joyful praise

On this most special

Day of all days

For he came to rescue

All people on earth,

To save us from sin

Give us a new birth.

So as we celebrate

New hope, new love,

We look forward to

Eternity in heaven above.

Elizabeth Tomlinson,

Richmond

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Children excited be.

A time for families,

But I'm beyond

Silver and things.

A birth for mankind

God would bring.

Jesus humble lay

A gift so pure

To take the sins

Of man away.

Far away the holy lands

Each country

To know to understand.

Gifts to celebrate,

Christmas Day,

But far greater

Jesus so precious.

Surrounded by those

A place so humble

Mary and Joseph

Grateful did go.

No one in the inn

No man they cried.

Jesus,

Animals side by side

Holy night, silent night.

Peace all around

A night so still,

Miracle of a child

To mankind

Who's hearts would fill.

Maureen Thornton,

Saltburn

The Christmas Quest

I searched beyond the walls of doubt

Beyond each great divide,

Beyond the gloom and dark despair

And the oceans deep and wide.

I sought throughout the lust and greed,

Through cruelties by the score.

Across the wilderness of want

And atrocities of war.

I crossed the continent of hate

The frontiers of pure shame.

I saw the sacrilege and waste

The suffering and the pain.

I looked upon the growing rifts

That tear this world apart -

Hoping to see the light of Christ

Reborn within each heart.

Gillian Walsh,

Bilsdale

Lonely Christmas

You look out of the window,

Into the yard.

Snow has been falling

It's like a Christmas card.

You stare at the empty chair

He'd have been sitting there

Whistling away, without a care

And you wonder, if life's been fair.

You hear a step outside

You rush across the floor.

Your heart misses a beat

As the steps go by your door.

You walk from wall to wall

The mirror watches thee.

The heartbreak of it all,

How lonely can one be?

You think of years gone by,

How quickly time does fly.

The good time does fly,

The good times and the bad

The happy times, and the sad

Where once there were two

Now there is only you.

Old friends have grown few

No friends that are new

So you sit here alone,

Your future cast.

Unhappy and forlorn,

Your life straddled in the past.

Knock, knock on the door

It's your neighbour from next door.

A widower, they say.

He moved in the other day.

'Merry Christmas', he says.

'Same to you', you stutter.

'I'm inviting you for Christmas dinner',

Your heart begins to flutter.

N L Kellett, Crook

This Christmas

What are you doing this Christmas,

Are you going out to 'have a ball?'

Are you going to spend a lot of money,

'Live it up', though kingdoms may fall?

Well, if you are, here's wishing you the greatest,

For folks were meant to laugh and have their fun.

Life's too short for sorrow and for weeping,

So 'cheers friends', have a merry one.

But don't forget the birth you're celebrating,

Though it was such a long, long time ago;

He lives, and stands with arms outstretched and waiting

To tell you he still cares and loves you so.

He doesn't ask for much in the way of presents,

He doesn't care for things which cost a lot.

He only wants some love and understanding

From 'those who have' to the many 'who have not'.

A prayer will do, a loving thought or action

To brighten someone else's Christmas Day.

It will be your least-expensive present,

But one worth more than any words can say.

So have fun, folks, make it a Happy Christmas,

But love your neighbour, each and everyone,

For LOVE is the eternal Christmas message

Brought by Jesus, the beloved son.

Mrs Ruth Punshon,

Chester-le-Street

Alleluia

Sing out tidings of good cheer;

Every Christian listen, hear

As his natal day draws near.

Songs, acclaiming Christ the Lord,

On this day of Jesus' birth.

None can doubt the Saviour's worth:

Son of Man, sent down to earth.

Given as a gift from God.

Ring the bells on Christmas morn;

Extol the saviour, heaven-born;

Exalt Him, now, the blessed one;

Take this gift our father gives.

Impassioned, sing his praise, with pride;

Noise the glad news, far and wide;

Good wishes, for his Christmas tide;

See his glory: Jesus lives!

Ken Orton, Ferryhill Station

Christmas

The traditional Christmas tree

Decorated and glistening for all to see.

With a fairy on top and coloured toys.

Gifts all wrapped,

for girls and boys.

Christmas cards, holly and mistletoe,

Such a beautiful picture show!

Excited children such large eyes,

Eating turkey, pudding,

hot mince pies!

Remembering the day Jesus was born,

Children open their stockings on Christmas morn.

The tiny tots all dance with glee,

Round and round the Christmas tree.

To all motorists drive with care

Remember the tortoise won, not the hare.

Alfred Smirk,Darlington

Chill Pull

Fill your hearts with festive spirit at this time,

But the shops have held the reason for tinsel displays, already too long.

Indulge, warm skin, as flesh, roundness grows.

Indulge, veins shiver, flesh tingles, iced cheekbones.

Youth are kept on their feet, in stiletto heels, shameless fashions, by drink, music, and lust,

unable to feel the chills of frozen misty nights and hung over days.

Wire drawn, bold in its attack

cold shivers through veins, pulls at feelings.

Alison Carr,

Bishop Auckland

OUR LOCAL CRICKET TEAM

Started playing cricket

when I was knee high.

The bat that I had

came past my thigh.

Played in the back streets,

bin lids for wickets.

Look out for the windows,

the neighbours did yell.

Sometimes we hit them

and we all ran like hell.

The years passed quickly,

I was in my teens,

playing for Coxhoe when I was 16.

Handy with the bat,

til I got hit on the head.

That ball was so hard,

man, I thought I was dead.

Learned to bowl quickly,

forgot how to bat.

Said to my opponents:

Have some of that.

Started playing for Steetley,

the local works team,

bowling teams out so quickly

it made my face beam.

Ronnie Taylor, Hutton, Ramshaw, Robson and a young Derek Cutty

who was best of all

and me and Paul Painter,

we were fast with the ball.

We won the league easy,

went on to higher things.

Joined the mid-Durham

where Coxhoe were kings.

Bowled them out so cheaply,

I made their batsmen hop.

Got five wickets fairly easy

and wondered why they were top.

Then our turn to bat

and rat-a-tat-tat,

our wickets were torn apart.

For they had a bowler

who was tricky of the pitch.

Bowled out in a few overs,

our batsmen were just so bewitched.

Finished that game, feeling so low,

but that bowler was George Allison

and he was a pro.

So after a beer

we were soon full of cheer,

thinking of our next game

with no one to fear.

Michael Peacock,

Coxhoe

DESSIE THE CHAMP

Desert Orchid, a fantastic grey,

in '79 came down our way.

Who could predict that he would be

the finest horse that we would see.

Four King Georges, a Whitbread too,

and Irish Nationals were just a few

of his great wins, 34 in all.

The Racing Post Chase I do recall,

owner Richard and trainer Dave

admired this horse, he was so brave.

A Gold Cup winner in '89,

he was tired and muddy

as he reached the line.

The people's champ,

he was loved by all.

He was a good jumper

who would rarely fall.

So, goodbye Dessie

is what we say.

The racing world is saddened

that you've passed away.

Derek Robinson,

Stockton