THE reaction of most people to the news that a Darlington meeting on elected regional assemblies had been poorly attended was: "What meeting?" One person who had heard about it was under the impression it was an "invitation only" event.

The same could not be said of the publicity for plans of the proposed pedestrianisation of the town centre. A display in the heart of the shopping area was generating a great deal of interest last weekend, with those staffing the display facing a barrage of questions, debates springing up among complete strangers and written comment forms being filled in.

That was public consultation in action. All that now remains is to see whether the public actually discovers the results of the consultation and, more importantly, whether it has any bearing whatsoever on the finished product.

In pain

THE fancy titles they give to some things these days.

Spectator has often gritted his teeth when he has seen - and he encountered them again only the other day in Aiskew - signs announcing some obscure thing called Towncare, accompanied by the usual waffle in small print and the inevitable call centre number.

According to circumstances, aforesaid signs may or may not presage the arrival of temporary traffic lights.

All they mean in practice is that somebody somewhere is causing a pain in the neck by digging another hole in another road.

Yes, a minister

IN THE face of concern about diet and obesity, the Liberal Democrats' spokesman on food and rural affairs, Baroness Miller, has produced a report Hungry for Change which, it is claimed, is "the first comprehensive document from a politician to address the issues of food".

Among recommendations on policy, labelling, advertising and the like is: "Co-ordinate food policy at cabinet level, giving one cabinet minister overall responsibility.

Er, excuse me, but haven't we been here before? Fifty years ago we had - a Minister of Food. Back to the future, folks.

Craft work

THE Croft Spa Hotel near Darlington has just undergone an extensive and no doubt expensive re-vamp. Rebranded as simply The Croft, its owners have set out to recapture the establishment's glory days as one of the area's premier eating venues.

So no doubt they must been delighted to find that chef Christopher Rhoney had stormed through to the finals of the Great British Pub and Restaurant Challenge.

Unfortunately the press notice which announced this great news to the world referred to the hotel as "The Craft". Oh dear.