THE current exhibition at the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle - Boudin, Monet and the Sea Painters of Normandy - has attracted, deservedly, national attention, but the whereabouts of the town are obviously a mystery to our national media colleagues.

A national paper, giving the exhibition high praise and half a page, described it as "near Darlington".

Fair enough, when viewed from Docklands, perhaps, but no points at all for Radio 4's Front Row which described a "chateau-style museum near Newcastle upon Tyne".

Anyone alighting at Central Station and asking a taxi driver for "Bowes Museum, please" will get either a "D'y knaa wheor it is, man?" or one very happy cabbie.

Shed sense

THE inspector dealing with the appeal against Hambleton District Council's decision not to grant permission for a DIY store on the site of the Sundial Hotel in Northallerton has heard arguments about the possible effect of the development on the High Street.

This is, no doubt, very important from a technical planning viewpoint. But, surely, there has to be notice taken of one common sense factor. Why demolish a perfectly good building, albeit in the wrong place perhaps, to erect in its place a large and unprepossessing shed?

It's a wrap

SPECTATOR is grateful to a colleague holidaying in Ireland who spotted an intriguing item in the Irish Independent about a so-called "dirty protest" at Portlaoise jail.

The protesting prisoners were expressing their anger through the highly-disruptive practice of not putting their sweetie papers in the appropriate bins but dropping them just outside their cells.

Dirty protests clearly ain't what they used to be. Bobby Sands must be turning in his grave.

Chew on this

IT is a sad indictment of the society we live in that those briefed with solving some of the difficulties facing Northallerton's community centre - now called the Forum - could not come up with any ideas to solve the problem of users who spit their chewing gum out on the floor.

To be strictly accurate, they did, but the suggestions - more litter bins and more frequent cleaning - are somewhat defeatist.

We don't suppose for one second the extra bins will make an iota of difference to the morons responsible.

But no doubt they will be very pleased that someone is to clean up after them.