THE deadline for contributions for a book celebrating a Darlington street has been extended.

Residents wanting to contribute original prose, poetry and images to Darlington trader Beryl Hankin's book called Spirit of High Row have until Wednesday, August 1, to submit their entries.

Ms Hankin, who owns Guru Boutique, said the deadline had been extended because although she had received a lot of entries, some were not in the spirit of the book.

"It is simply and purely to share people's experiences and memories of High Row, so we don't forget it."

She said one of her best memories of the street was when she was 15, and an artist's assistant for Arthur Hughes, who owned the Art Shop.

"One of my favourite jobs was to be dropped off by car in High Row on a certain day every week by Mr Hughes, with rolls of posters and a three big buckets of paste and a brush," she said.

"I'd be left there all morning to paste the cinema posters, and other adverts we had prepared, on the hoardings that ran all along it at that time."

Entry judges will be Darlington author Allene Norris, whose novel Grannies Like Us made Waterstone's top ten paperback best-seller list, and Richard Hindle, who owns Darlington art gallery Gallerina.

Cash prizes of £100, £50 and £25, will be on offer, plus £25 for images used.

Written entries should be between 50 and 900 words and should be sent to Beryl Hankin at Guru Boutique, 24 Blackwellgate, Darlington, DL15HG, by Wednesday, August 1. Contact details should be included.