THE Health and Safety Executive invited Northern farmers to a safety awareness event at the Westmorland showground last week and about a thousand, half of those invited, pitched up.

The invitation had pointed out that attendance would be seen as "a positive sign of their commitment to manage health and safety risks in the workplace" - but a note has been made on the records of farms not represented.

Did it occur to the HSE that a one-man operation, maybe a sheep farm in the middle of the big autumn sales or a single-handed dairy farmer, might not be able to get a stand-in?

To be fair, agriculture has not the best of records on death and injury at work, especially among one-man outfits, but maybe there are times when the mountain should be the one to make the excursion.

The centre of what?

Silly comment of the week was made by Brian Hall, co-ordinator of the campaign for a North-East Assembly. Commenting on the debate about where a regional assembly should have its base, he said: "There is a consensus that Durham is the centre of the region, both geographically and historically. But it is important to say that the assembly can also meet in other places as well, like Middlesbrough, Berwick and Newcastle."

In few words Mr Hall summed up the contradiction that is the regional assembly idea.

How can Durham be the geographical centre of a region which includes a town which lies only 60 or so miles from Edinburgh?

The only thing that Durham City is geographically the centre of is Durham County. We already have a regional assembly.

Music to the ears

Two visits to last week's Rhythm an' Brews festival at Darlington Arts Centre were a treat for ears, if not the tastebuds.Perhaps Spectator picked the wrong barrels but two samples of rather warm and soapy bitter were more than enough.

The music in the foyer, however, was a different matter. Paying just £3 to see the Smokin Spitfires on Thursday and the Marcus Malone Band on the Saturday was an absolute bargain.

We'll spare the blushes of the lady who sent us some information about the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She inadvertently wrote about the National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children. It could have been worse, of course. She could have written Promotion.