IT is hard to understand exactly what is going on in Stockton these days. The suggestion made by a group of disaffected Labour councillors that the wards south of the Tees break away from the existing Stockton Borough has been followed up with one of the borough's Labour MPs, Dari Taylor, saying that such a breakaway is a possibility. This week the pot was further stirred by the other MP, Frank Cook, saying that what Teesside needed was not further splits but unity in the form of a city authority for Stockton and Middlesbrough.

This may be simply an internal Labour row over the way Stockton's Labour cabinet shares out the spoils of power in the borough, or it may be symptomatic of wider insecurities brought about by the prospect of regional government.

Whatever, a district council based upon Thornaby, Ingleby Barwick and Yarm seems as disparate a unit of local government as Stockton Borough

Mysterious St Hedda

A colleaguE reports that autumn crocuses were in full flower outside St Hilda's Church, Egton, last weekend as a flower festival was being held inside.

"They are very similar to spring crocuses and come out just before the autumn leaves fall," said a lady manning the donations stall.

New to me. But maybe not to the horticultural experts among you?

The flower festival was interesting, too, as it was a joint one with the nearby St Hedda's RC Church, Egton Bridge, half-a-mile down the hill.

Among the displays were ones about the TV Heartbeat series, showing a sign to "Aidensfield" and another showing a cricket match.

Others included displays on Father Nicholas Postgate, the "martyr of the moors," who aroused controversy in the D&STimes recently, the local gooseberry show and St Hilda.

Why was there not one on St Hedda? Possibly because he is so obscure.

Bright but grim

Seaton Carew on Sunday was grim. The sun was shining, the North Sea was blue, the sands golden, but the atmosphere away from the beach was universally bleak. The businesses which were not boarded up were for sale. The place wasn't so much down-at-heel as shoe-less.

Surely this part of the world has few enough good quality beaches to make Seaton Carew a golden opportunity for some enterprising business folk. Hartlepool Borough Council take note, please.

That date

September 11 is five days away but Spectator is already starting to get a little depressed at the welter of anniversary coverage on television and newspapers.

So, on a lighter note, and with no disrespect intended, I'll relay this snippet of conversation a colleague heard at the weekend in Gatwick Airport: "I'm not sure of the exact date, but it was the day September 11th happened.