Freda and Richie Longstaff, well-known Dale pony specialists, had an American counterpart, Steve Barker, as a guest at their farm in Newbiggin, in Upper Teesdale, this week.

Eleven years ago, Mr Barker bought two of their young ponies, along with three others from Britain, and shipped them to Oregon, in the US, the setting for many a cowboy film, to start his own strain of the breed, and he is more than pleased with the results.

He was also delighted to see a pony bred by the couple, Low Houses Black Magic, taking the show title at Barnard Castle on Saturday, after a string of successes at other major county events, including the Great Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Royal Norfolk shows.

Mr and Mrs Longstaff have also sent ponies to France and Germany. But they say they would rather the ponies stayed in Britain, so they can follow their progress. They went to Olympia to watch one competing in the Horse of the Year show. "We were both very proud to see it in the ring there," said Mrs Longstaff.

Why is the breed so special? "They are all-rounders," she explained. "They are excellent for working, for riding and driving. They are very placid, which makes them ideal for disabled groups, and can carry any weight, from small children to heavy adults."

Relics from the Second World War, including a ration book, steel helmet, gas mask, air raid warden's torch and piece of shrapnel from a German bomb, will be on display during a six-day exhibition at the Methodist Church, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, starting on Thursday, September 15.

There will also be a wartime light lunch with delicacies such as spam sandwiches, eggless sponge cake and other treats concocted by resourceful dale housewives during the food shortages.

The event is being organised by the Craft Works group, whose manager, Anne Noble, has been collecting local Second World War memorabilia, including photographs of the Home Guard and school events.

She has also been writing down people's memories of those years.

"It is already causing a great deal of interest," said Mrs Noble. "Lots of people have been relating their stories and looking out items that will help to show what life was like during the war."

Anyone who would like to lend Mrs Noble an item, or recall a wartime memory, is asked to contact her on (01833) 695095. "We welcome anything that will make the display more interesting," she added.

Two poaching cases that caused a great deal of gossip and controversy in the dale more than a century ago were pointed out to me this week by a reader who came across the details in dusty records.

The first case involved Tom Taylor, a veteran of the Crimean War, who became a staff sergeant in the South Durham Regiment of Militia. He was hailed a local hero after saving several people from drowning in the Tees.

He also made a name as a poacher, who helped himself to salmon and trout from the river. It was claimed that the authorities turned a blind eye to his exploits because he was well-liked, though other culprits were fined.

The chief constable of North Yorkshire, Thomas Hill, spoke out against the way the Taylor escaped punishment, so eventually he was summoned to Greta Bridge Court in 1877 and fined £5.

Soon afterwards, there was excitement when another poacher, none other than the chief constable himself, was caught twice within a few days. He said he had simply forgotten to renew his rod licence, but he was taken before the same court and fined £10. It caused ripples of amusement across the district.

Scaffolding will go up shortly at Bowes Museum, where work is due to start on roof repairs. The project is to cost £3m, a figure that would have caused nightmares for the founder, John Bowes.

Before building work started in 1869, the cost was estimated at £38,500.

In the years that followed, Bowes grumbled about the spiralling sums and suffered a lot of cash problems. By the time he died in 1885, the museum had not been completed, but he had spent more than £160,000 on it.

* I'll be glad to see anyone who calls with snippets of news at The Northern Echo office at 36 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, on Mondays and Tuesdays, telephone (01833) 638628.