John North: In need if a king's ransom

"We might need a bit bigger sign outside," admits Steve Rodchester, the head.

The school, as people still call it willy-nilly, will be 400 years old in 2005 and claims a direct lineage from the Scottish king's charter. Royalty will again be invited, reunions planned, the Bishops of Jarrow and of Durham will present awards to top and tail the celebrations.

By that time, too, they hope to have raised £50,000 locally to fund a push for specialist arts college status.

Almost everything's changed, not least that the old "boys'" school has completely disappeared save for the listed building which once housed art rooms, library and labs.

Even that's been seriously vandalised. The wreckers don't usually take much account of Department of the Environment listings.

The empty land may house a leisure centre, perhaps a sixth form college. The listed Laurel Building, as it has become known, would have become a pub had not the neighbours, not entirely surprisingly, objected.

"Laurel" is Stan Laurel, the school's most famous old boy, if only for a couple of theatrical terms in the early 20th century. A Laurel and Hardy exhibition sits in the foyer alongside awards for this and that and a notice headed "Expectations" and aimed at pupils.

While not necessarily great expectations, as Mr Dickens might have put it, they are pretty demanding for all that. Though pupils no longer fear the headmaster, says Mr Rodchester, they probably regard him as strict - "firm but fair".

It's totally changed in 400 years, of course, and an awful lot in the last 40 - pretty nearly - since last we'd been head to head.

What of the quad, the cube and the old chemmy lab? Whither the academic gown, the punitively propelled chalk? Whatever happened to Mary Littlefair, the heart-of-gold school cook, and to her unequalled chocolate pudding?

Now there are interactive white boards and clusters of excellence, strategic initiatives and lifelong learning. Now the 3 Rs could be radio, reflexology and rock climbing, at least after school hours.

Only the goal posts remain, the field of dreams and - for the poor myopic Flying Pig - of still recurring nightmares.

Mr Rodchester, born in Crook and educated in Wolsingham, arrived at King James I 18 years ago as head of technology and became headteacher last September. "It's in my blood, we're very proud of 400 years of tradition and it's a great honour to be here," he says.

Raising £50,000 towards specialist Arts College status will, they hope, release up to £500,000 in central funding. They hope to develop dance and music recording studios, visual arts gallery and enhanced facilities for the media arts. Every other aspect of college life, the head believes, will be caught up in the windfall's slipstream.

From next year there'll even be creche and child care facilities and a drop-in health and social clinic. That's the "full service" bit.

"We want it to be the focus of the community, offering something for everyone at all hours of the day," says Mr Rodchester.

When he came King James I had around 1,250 pupils, now there are 760. "We're really quite a small secondary school now, but after 400 years we still pursue excellence," he says - kings of the castle as always.

* Companies or organisations interested in sponsoring King James I's specialist arts college bid can contact Mr Rodchester on (01388) 603388 or find out more on www.kj1.co.uk

Joking aside for Cannon and Ball

BETTER known for their comedy double act - their London Palladium pantomime broke all British theatre records - Cannon and Ball will be in Whitby on Saturday as part of the fifth Gospel Music Convention.

Both "found" God - Bobby Ball first, his partner eight years later. "I was drinking a bottle of whisky a day, seeing as many women as I could and getting into fights as often as possible," Bobby once told an interviewer.

Organised by well-known "Jim Reeves" singer Paul Wheater, the three day convention at Whitby Pavilion also features world renowned American gospel singer Larry Ford and appearances from everyone from the Stockton Salvation Army band to 3D, a group from Ghana.

"Numbers who've booked in advance are miles higher than anything we've had before," reports Paul.

Bobby Ball was initially wary about our attendance. "You might nick my best jokes," he said cheerfully. Now that he's convinced otherwise, there'll be more of this in At Your Service on May 22.

l The convention starts with a concert tomorrow evening (6.45pm) and ends on Sunday evening. Details on www.paulwheater.com

IF not exactly packed to the municipal rafters, 106 people finally turned up for the "R3 Tenors" performance at Spennymoor town hall last Friday.

"Most of them gave us a standing ovation, encores the lot, I don't think they were expecting the quality of performance for the money they paid," reports Bob Crowe, Hartlepool born but now in Scotland.

The tenors play Hartlepool in September. Thus encouraged, a section of the Spennymoor crowd has got a bus up already.

LAST week's column carried a piece on Huntley and Palmer biscuit tins , chiefly the sort with unwitting rude bits (above with auctioneer Steven Dewar). The same day's Daily Mail, coincidentally, had a piece by Mark Palmer - the former chairman's son - welcoming the company's return. After all these years, Huntley and Palmer are once again going to make biscuits like biscuits ought to be.

A final farewell to a real fighter

THE Rev Harold Hutchinson, a man who fought the good fight long before his ordination, has died after a long illness. He was 67.

He'd wanted to join the Church from the age of 18 but lacked the academic necessaries, became an unpaid "lay reader" at 21 and worked in transport until finally becoming a priest in 1985.

"Without doubt this is a dream come true for me," said Harold at the time, adding that his wife thought she'd already been married to a vicar for 25 years.

It's as one of the three musketeers who took on and beat Durham County Council's insidious "Category D" policy that he will also be remembered, however.

It's getting on 40 years ago now, the council determined - blindly, brazenly, almost unbelievably - that no further development would be allowed in 121 villages.

It was a death sentence, and one which Labour councillors signed without exception.

Many were opposed but none more vigilantly, vocally or imaginatively than Harold, Allen York and John Callaghan, all three of whom became members of the former Bishop Auckland Urban Council.

The late John Callaghan was the swashbuckling, jaunty Jack the Lad. Allen York, born and bred in Witton Park - which became fulcrum of the fight - felt the pulse, knew the temperature, knew everyone else as well..

Harold was the quiet one of those marvellous Musketeers, perhaps the most thoughtful, and for an intending sky pilot certainly the most down to earth.

Many a time in the pub, Porthos and Athos would bounce around ideas like rubber balls in a frenzied playground, all designed to give the county council a richly deserved comeuppance.

Harold, (Aramis) would urge diplomacy. He didn't always get his way, but quite often he was right.

The trio not only won an improbable and extraordinary victory but began housing associations to ensure that the communities could be revitalised. Without their stand, the map of County Durham would already be totally different.

Harold subsequently became a curate in Bishop Auckland and assistant chaplain at Bishop General before taking over as a much loved Vicar of Coundon.

His funeral service is at St James's, Coundon, at 10.30am on Saturday, his burial in Witton Park where perhaps he felt he belonged. May he rest there in peace.