Darlington's unfailingly affable Mayor, Coun Ron Lewis, is rarely lost for words but found himself flummoxed when he offered to do a favour for one of his constituents recently.

Returning from a practice for last Sunday's Remembrance Sunday service and parade with his wife, Margaret, they noticed an elderly lady with a stick gingerly negotiating the slippery, leaf-plastered pavements with some difficulty. As the mayoral limousine was parked nearby, Coun Lewis gallantly approached the lady and inquired if he could give her lift home.

She turned to him, bedecked still in his mayoral chain, eyed him up and down suspiciously and said: "I don't usually accept lifts from strange men."

Coun Lewis did manage to convince the lady of his entirely honourable intentions and escorted her safely home.

I don't believe it

Well bully for Arriva Trains Northern. Only a matter of months after losing the Transpennine rail franchise franchise, the much-criticised train operator has won the Institute of Logistics and Transport's award for Excellence in Passenger Transport. Clearly no-one from the institute has travelled by train between Thirsk, Northallerton and Darlington recently.

Safety first

At the Mayor of Stockton's Charity Ball last week the tombola was a spectacular success. Mayor Ann Cairns' helpers had secured an amazing range of prizes and Spectator was pleased to put his hand in his wallet for some tickets.

It was a pleasant surprise to be informed that one ticket was a winner and to be handed a envelope containing £50 worth of vouchers for Arco, a store in Portrack Lane which specialises in "safety equipment and clothing and maintenance supplies."

A dinner table guest, a very helpful man from Stockton Borough Council's works department, told me the firm does a very nice line in fluorescent jackets.

A worthy stint

AS a postscript, Spectator concurs with the best wishes sent to Dot Sly on her retirement from the pumps at The Lodge at Leeming Bar.

Fifteen and a half years may not seem long in the general scheme of things. Given the average turnover in younger bar staff these days, however, it was long enough for Dot to become highly regarded not only by regulars but by lorry drivers and coach parties from all over the country, and indeed the world, who made her workplace a repeated stopping off point on a very long road.

Spectator met her many times, on both business and social occasions, and can only agree with the sentiment expressed by one who sent her a card on her last night, saying she was a role model for everything a good bar person should be. Have a happy retirement, Dot.