A potentially interesting tussle may develop within Hambleton district in the next couple of years over the destination of around £340,000 of cash probably destined for one of its market towns.

As followers of this newspaper's Market Town Revival campaign will be aware, a major initiative to boost the fortunes of Yorkshire market towns was launched recently by Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, and its partner, the Countryside Agency. This initiative will help 18 towns in the county launch regeneration schemes, each town receiving in the region of £340,000.

Some simple maths outlined by Hambleton's planning supremo Steve Quartermain suggest that six towns in North Yorkshire will benefit and therefore one town in Hambleton should be in for a windfall.

The interesting question is which one? A clue lies in Mr Quartermain's report on the issue to this week's economic development sub-committee. He states that two towns, Bentham and Malton/Norton have already benefited from the initiative's first round. All district councils were invited to bid but given only a week to do so. Officers were unable to consult anyone, even members, in the time available so made a bid on behalf of all the district's five towns but, in the words of the report, "identifying Northallerton as a priority".

Given historical tensions between the "Hambleton five", it will be intriguing to see if Northallerton remains a priority when subsequent bids for cash under this initiative are made.

The wrong track

ON the well-tried principle of checking a reference book's authority by first looking up one's own field of expertise, Spectator began a booklet on rail tours with one entitled "The Dalesman".

A "morning of steam on the Keithley (sic) and Worth Valley railway" did not augur well but might be a chance misprint. No such excuse could be offered, however, for the tour entitled "The Tee's Transporter", an aberrant apostrophe repeated on the back cover map.

The French tours fared little better, with the "Champs Elysess" and the "Eifel" tower. Next year's planned trip looks increasingly like an independent effort.

No charge

Spectator recently visited Lincoln and Canterbury cathedrals. Both now charge for admission.

Both have good reasons to do so but it was a reminder of the privilege we enjoy in the north. Our great cathedrals at York, Durham and Ripon remain free and long may they remain so.