FROM this newspaper 100 years ago. - On Sunday evening, about eight o'clock, a violent thunderstorm passed over Easingwold.

The lightning struck three new houses in Longstreet. A fall-pipe was smashed to atoms, the chimney stacks were hurled down, and ceilings of the bedrooms knocked down. Several inhabitants had narrow escapes for their lives, one being hurled across a room, another being lifted up from a chair, and another being knocked down and stunned by the lightning.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - An old Darlington Corporation trolley bus has been refitted to enable people to travel to all parts of the world - in their imagination, at any rate - and its trips are free. It is Darlington's first bookmobile and is designed to bring books to readers in the suburbs of the town, who might find it difficult to get to the central library. The vehicle is painted cream and the 2,500 books that line its shelves are brightly lit by fluorescent lamps. It has no engine and will be towed from place to place. Since it has been altered, it would be hard to recognise it as a former bus. The office where library tickets will be dealt with stands where the driver's cabin once was. It was officially opened at a ceremony in the Market Place, performed by the chairman of the library committee of the Town Council, Coun L G Turner, and attended by the Mayor, Coun H Sansom, members of the library staff and the Library Committee. Coun Turner opened the door of the bookmobile and entered with the Mayor, followed by other members of the gathering.

From this newspaper 25 years ago. - On Monday, Cleveland Fire Brigade was stretched almost to its limits by several fires in the area. In addition to the conflagration at British Steel Works at Port Clarence, which was attended by 15 appliances, fire almost destroyed ten acres of woodland at Park Farm, Guisborough. The farm is on Lord Gisborough's estate and the 50 ft flames could be seen almost three miles away in the town of Guisborough. Crowds gathered along the A171 Guisborough to Swans Corner road. The alarm was raised at 4pm but the flames, fanned by a fairly strong wind, were almost totally out of control by the time the brigade arrived from Redcar. Another appliance was called from Whitby. Due to the dry state of the undergrowth and the wind, it was impossible to damp down the flames. At 6pm, members of the Cleveland Search and Rescue Group came to help. They had been out on the moors at Rosedale, helping to fight fires there. Station officer Robinson said: "There's only one thing that will take the pressure off and that is a good downpour."