FROM this newspaper 150 years ago. - Collision on the Stockton & Darlington Railway: The mail train, which leaves Darlington at 6.30am for Redcar, ran into a train of empty waggons yesterday morning about midway between Preston Junction and Stockton. Several of the waggons were smashed by the collision, and the engine of the mail train was terribly shattered ... The passengers were of course shaken and much alarmed, but not injured in limb. The driver of the mail, we understand, jumped off his engine in time to escape the collision, after shutting off his steam.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. - Bedale: Christmas Eve was as usual heralded by a number of young croaking carol singers pestering the doors. Inspector Shields, on behalf of Capt Carter (chairman of Bedale Bench), handed to each vagrant applicant a "Yule dough". The Workhouse was nicely decorated by the matron, and the inmates enjoyed a good Christmas dinner on Monday. In accordance with old custom two oxen at the Duke of Leeds (Hornby Castle) were killed and distributed. They consisted of two West Highland steers weighing 120 stone each.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - Thursday's gale, during which gusts of 88 miles an hour were recorded at Middleton-St-George RAF station, led to the deferring of Christmas leave for 2,000 troops at Catterick Garrison, who were kept standing by in case of serious flooding on the east coast. Three special leave trains had already left with troops for Liverpool and London, but four others due to leave at lunchtime, for Gloucester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London, were cancelled "for the time being".

From this newspaper 25 years ago. - An owl accompanied PC Robert Danby when he made his accident report to Barnard Castle Police Station on Wednesday. The owl, a large brown one, had swooped from a tree and crashed into the side of PC Danby's police car, damaging the bodywork and smashing the mirror. A police spokesman pointed out that officers had to make full reports of all accidents involving police vehicles and PC Danby took along the owl, which was dead, to support his statement.