50-year-old deal, only a few takers

stronghold as often as they wish free of charge.

Howard Wilson, its helpful custodian, told me this week that he'd like more to take advantage of the perk.

Under an agreement made around 50 years ago any adult living in the town can get a pass from

Teesdale District Council. But receptionist Sharon Bright, who issues them, says only 103 were

given out last year, and just one has been requested so far this year.

Some 22,000 visitors have paid in the past 12 months to look round the 12th century castle, which

saw its last major action, an 11 day seige, during the Rising of the North in 1569. It is an attractive,

interesting place with its colourful history well signposted by English Heritage, which is now

in charge.

The entry fee of £2.60 is soon going up to £3 (with reductions for pensioners and children) so any

local family can make a fair saving on every visit if they know how to obtain a pass.

"We don't publicise this concession much, so I suppose many people simply don't know about it,"

said Mr Wilson. "But I'm delighted when local people get a pass and come in. It's intended for

adults only, so children can't come on their own. But I let them in free when they come with parents

who have a pass. The more the merrier."

But though tourists from around the world are intrigued by the fortress, he suspects some

local folk will never bother to step inside, free or not.

An interesting theory has come from Ted Payne, who called from Middleton in Teesdale following

last week's piece here about the word divvy. It was a term of praise a century ago, based on divine, but is now uttered by young folk as a form of mild abuse.

Mr Payne feels this modern use stems from the Romany word diviou, which means mad. "It can

sound rather like divvy, and I believe young ones use it in a lighthearted way to state that someone

is a bit crackers," he explained.

The retired businessman has studied the Romany language over the years and thinks a lot of

common words, such as dad, pal and fake, are all derived from it.

An item here about Harold Bainbridge's bus based at Eggleston prompted an elderly reader to

call and ask if I knew that the late Tommy Oliver, another great dale character, ran a similar

popular service in decades gone by.

I was lucky enough to have several chats with Mr Oliver when he was a veteran postman in the

Romaldkirk area, so I heard about some of his transport adventures in his own colourful words.

He ran a service to the Kirkby Stephen sales, with sheep and their owners all squeezed into his

single decker on the way there, but more space to relax on the way back after the stock were

sold.

A Baldersdale farmer paid him sixpence fare for a Swaledale ram on one outward journey, but

was disgruntled when it failed to sell in the ring and he had to pay another sixpence to take

it home. But when they stopped at Grains o' Beck for refreshments Tommy helped the farmer

find a buyer for it.

Tommy told me, "He got a good price and should have been pleased. But when he got back on

board he looked annoyed. I saw in my mirror that he scowled all the way home. Then as he got

off he held out his hand and demanded a rebate as the tup had come only half way. I better

not say what I thought of the blighter but I gave him threepence."