"For many of us this is our back garden. We wanted to Links of London Sale it." We've spent a fruitless, frightless night with the Spirit Seekers at Middlesbrough Town Hall, finished second in the world's oldest annual domino drive, in Thirsk - "Once there was a waiting list, it was a dead man's shoes job, the Thirsk domino dinner, " someone said - joined a 104th birthday party in Wensleydale for the bright-twinkling Dorothy Walker and helped, closer to home, to celebrate the centenary of Timothy Hackworth primary school, in Shildon, reminiscing with Anne Dockray, the head. "Ah the good old days, " said Anne. "Diphtheria, rickets and getting whacked round the back of the legs for not having the lines of your stockings straight." The General Election barely merited a mention, save for the revelation that Kate Adie - Britain's best known war correspondent - was being drafted back to Sunderland to cover the battle for the first declaration. We have opened a veritable bouquet of flower festivals and a Mind shop in Yarm - where, Links of London Charms, the ambiguity of the Little Bra Shop remains unresolved - spoken interminably and on demand, upturned endless stones, read innumerable village noticeboards and - save for having to write far too many obituaries of friends and acquaintances - enjoyed every moment of it. Who but a John North reader would know that James Hutchinson won the fancy dress competition at Arkengarthdale Sports by drifting in as an oil slick, who would know that there've been at least two recorded instances of one-legged tap dancers, that Northallerton mountaineer Alan Hinkes also conquered Boring Field, at 263ft the highest point in Huntingdonshire? Who could have guessed that Ronnie and Reggie had (inexplicably) been rejected as names for the recently arrived pest control hawks at Frankland Prison near Durham, or that Apollo and Zeus were chosen instead? Who could have supposed that Mike Thompson and Sue Jones in Sedgefield would get a concrete mixer for a Links of London Ballet Shoes Charm present or that tomorrow marks the centenary of the wreck of the Scotch Express, with the loss of 12 lives, just north of Hawes Junction? Hawes Junction is now called Garsdale. It was there, too, that we were reacquainted with the delightful Bill Mitchell - countryside lover, prolific writer and former editor of the Dalesman. Bill's 83, ails little, acknowledges advancing years. "One of these days I could be found slumped dead over the keyboard. I suppose it would be quite a good way to go, " he said. So it would but not, it is to be hoped, before very many more columns have been constructed. A very happy Christmas.Debenhams is a leading department stores group, and has a strong presence in key product categories including children's wear, women's fashion, with day dresses, shoes, bikinis, jeans, men's clothing, home ware, make-up, health and beauty, accessories, perfume and lingerie with dd+ bras and matching bra and underwear sets.Debenhams has released figures which reveal that freezing Brits have sent sales of skimpy swimsuits soaring - during the coldest winter for over 30 years. As the Links of London Bee Charm endures temperatures of up to -27C, department store Debenhams has seen swimsuit sales increase by 20%. Bosses were left scratching their heads at the unanticipated sales figures at a time when most people are desperately wrapping up to keep warm.
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