Abrass plaque honouring an Upper Teesdale man who died a hero many years ago intrigued a female visitor who saw it during a service at Forest Parish Church, so she contacted this column to ask for more details.

The church was locked when I drove up there this week. But two local men, Vince Wearmouth and Clarrie Beadle, went to a lot of trouble to open it up so I could read the plaque, which records a remarkable and tragic piece of gallantry.

It states: "To the glory of God and in memory of Ernest Barker of Langdon Beck in this parish, aged 32, who was drowned in the Indian Ocean February 13th 1914 in a brave attempt to save the life of a fellow passenger."

The plaque was paid for by other passengers of the SS Llandovery Castle, on which Mr Barker, son of widowed Rebecca Barker, landlady of Langdon Beck Hotel, was sailing from Middlesbrough to South Africa to join his brother William, who had emigrated a year earlier.

Reports said a young woman jumped into the water. Ernest dived after her but landed awkwardly and sank. A boat was lowered and pulled the woman to safety, but our hero was never seen again.

A machine which makes splendid coffee has been installed in the tourist information office in Woodleigh, Barnard Castle. Everyone will have a chance to sample it next Friday when the office will be one of the venues for the biggest coffee morning in the world. Manager Val Wilson says all local residents will be welcome to call in for a free cup. They will just be asked to give a donation to Macmillan Cancer Relief.

A report in The Northern Echo last week about a horse called Captain and its link with Willam Thomas Scarth, one-time chief agent to Raby Estate, led to me digging into old records to find out more about the man. This brought out the fact that he died in as unlikely a setting as anyone could imagine.

His demise came at the age of 77, in August, 1898, during a glittering occasion in the Baron's Hall at Raby Castle, at which he was guest of honour. He was presented with a specially-commissioned oil painting of himself and a silver salver to thank him for more than 50 years of service. Scores of tenants and friends chipped in to have the portrait painted by John Lee, of Newbiggin. They turned up in force to see it handed over.

Glowing speeches were made by the 9th Baron Barnard and other VIPs before Mr Scarth said how pleased he was to have worked for one of the finest estates in the land. Then, he sat on a raised platform while everyone prepared for a sumptuous meal. And there he died, with a contented look on his face, during what must have been one of the proudest days of his life.

He had followed his grandfather and father as chief agent. The Scarth Hall was built in 1875 as a memorial to his father, Thomas Freshfield Scarth.

Mention was made here a while ago about two rhyming jingles written more than a century ago by Richard Watson to promote Raine's cordial and Barlow's pies in Middleton-in-Teesdale.

But now a reader has shown me another advert written by Watson to boost the sales of Ralph Raine's baking powder. It starts: "Nature's stern laws require we must be fed/And mankind's staple food we know is bread."

After rambling on about differing standards of home baking, it ends: "Raine's baking powder use; you'll find/Your loaves in quality are not behind."

The poet would not claim it as a masterpiece, but it probably earned him a shilling or two to help feed his family.