In the male-dominated world of early 20th century politics, some of the North-East's MPs blazed a trail for the fairer sex.

A NOTE from Gillian Wales: "How many people know that Bishop Auckland had one of the first women MPs?" she asks - which is true, but only for three months. After that, her husband wanted his ball back.

She was Ruth Fox, identified on the ballot paper as Mrs Hugh Dalton, and only the tenth woman at Westminster when elected at a by-election in 1929.

Mrs Dalton, reported the Echo, had "a very hearty reception at the declaration", and had been supported at a rally in Shildon Hippodrome - with 1,500 squeezed in - by Sir Oswald Mosley, then still a Labour party member.

She herself talked of 45 per cent of miners being out of work. "The distress and despair are appalling."

It wasn't so much a hot seat as a keeping it warm seat, however. At the general election that summer Dr Hugh Dalton, previously MP for Peckham, came north to bag it for himself.

"There was more than a sign of disappointment, especially from the women folk, when the time came for her to stand aside," wrote one of Hugh Dalton's obituarists in 1962.

The Daltons are recalled in Bishop Auckland Civic Society's latest magazine by Gillian's husband Glynn, retired head of Ferryhill School, who talks of Hugh's bombastry, bullying and "aggressive ambition" and also of "romantic attachments to handsome young men" like Rupert Brooke, the poet, and the politician Tony Crosland.

Dalton was 6ft 3ins tall and with a voice to match. In London they called him the booming bittern, to Bishop folk he was simply Huge Dalton.

His clergyman father had been the future King George V's tutor at Windsor Castle, though the king thought little of Dalton. "The canon anarchist's son," he called him.

Apart from an enforced break from 1931-35, he remained Bishop Auckland's MP until 1959, held several high offices, outlawed trouser turn-ups to save cloth and resigned as Chancellor in 1947 after leaking budget details to a journalist he mistook for a friend.

Subsequently as minister for town and country planning, he introduced National Parks - for which all North Yorkshire is doubtless grateful and is chiefly credited with bringing ICI to Teesside.

He also compiled a diary which ran to 1.5 million words. "I didn't know the bugger kept one like that," Herbert Morrison taciturnly observed.

On retirement he became Lord Dalton of Forest and Frith - the thinly populated parish at the top end of Teesdale - but died three years later. Since his wife had bequeathed him her parliamentary seat, he kindly left her his money.

PURE coincidence, that most wonderful of all journalistic devices, dear old Stan Wilson has been on about Ellen Wilkinson - one of the leaders of the Jarrow March and among the best known pioneer women MPs.

"My mother was one of the early suffragettes, though not one of the posh ones," Stan recalls. "My father wasn't even allowed to take her out until he'd delivered some leaflets for Ellen Wilkinson."

It wasn't even that he called about, but the ceremony tomorrow at which 70-year-old Madge Moses, a Liberal Democrat grandmother of 12, becomes mayor of Redcar and Cleveland.

Stan, once a well known cricketer, footballer, teacher and councillor in the Redcar area, is now near Thirsk but remains a Liberal and has tilted at several parliamentary windmills. He's no longer on the candidates' list. "I'm a bit old, but if someone rings and says they're short..."

What he really wants to know is if Mrs Moses is Redcar's first Liberal mayor since the first mayor of all, Alderman B O Davies from 1922-24.

Benjamin Owen Davies is a Redcar legend, campaigned to win county borough status for the town and is remembered everywhere from the name of the health centre to the name of the pilot cutter.

"I think Stan's probably right," says the man from the council, adding that there's a B O Davies gardening cup as well.

For corroboration we have been to the truly remarkable Vera Robinson, at 90 still the undisputed authority on all things Redcar. "How did you know I'm on writing a booklet on ten great Redcar personalities?" she asks.

B O Davies is one, born in Wales but brought to Redcar as a sickly child because it was thought the sea air would be more salubrious. ("We laugh at 'salubrious'," says Vera.)

Other local heroes include Sir Rex Hunt, governor of the Falkland Islands at times of trouble, Whitbread Prize-winning novelist Jane Gardam (who lists her hobbies as gardening and Swaledale) and Lord Pennock, a former head of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Madge Moses? "Stan Wilson's right," says Vera. "It's 80 years since the town had a Liberal."

SINCE we have been discussing matters parliamentary, it may be recalled that last week's column - unashamedly via The Observer - reported a bit of a difference at a smart London restaurant allegedly involving former health secretary and Darlington MP Alan Milburn. Alan, it transpires, wasn't even there. "He was sitting at home watching Newcastle play Marseille on television," says a lady in his office. Apologies.

FREE to a good home, an extraordinary collection of vintage vehicles including the Co-op cart - if not, perhaps, the store horse.

The owner, a retired transport firm boss on Teesside, wants to give his collection to an "appropriate" museum.

It includes 1954 and 1967 lorries, a Ford Model A used on Stockton to Whitby runs, a furnished and restored showman's caravan, a horse drawn sleigh, a steam engine used in a Yarm tannery and the cart, aforesaid.

The owner, who doesn't want to be identified, offered the lot to Stockton Museums Services which hasn't enough space. Museums officer Paul Lake will handle enquiries, however. He's on (01642) 526474.

....and finally, a truly memorable service on Tuesday evening marked both the end of Canon Bill Broad's tenure as Team Rector of Great Aycliffe and his retirement from the active Church of England ministry.

Only in the Royal British Legion club afterwards, however, was it revealed that Bill's wife Daphne is the great, great niece (or some such) of W T Stead, the Echo's eminent first editor.

"It's nearly as big a claim to fame as having Bill in the family," said Daphne. Much more of that extraordinary occasion in the At Your Service column on Saturday.