WE looked through our archives to find out what made Hexham Courant headlines up to 150 years ago.

10 years ago

LEGACY LIVES: Stu Ridley, the North Tyne farmer and rugby player, who inspired thousands of people around the world with his brave battle against a brain tumour, died at the age of 25. He left behind an enormous legacy of love and goodwill, as well as more than £200,000 in hard cash. The Stay Strong Stu campaign was set up in his name by friends from the farming and rugby worlds immediately after his diagnosis and stretched around the globe, with wrist bands and t-shirts spotted across the planet. 

WHITE STUFF: The empty Poundstretcher shop on Hexham's Fore Street seemed the likely location for a new store planned by high-end fashion retailer, White Stuff. 

GREEN LIGHT: Ancient traffic lights were creating a driver's nightmare at one of Hexham's busiest junctions. The junction between Hencotes, Allendale Road and Shaftoe Leazes was used by hundreds of children from St Joseph's Middle School and Hexham's Queen Elizabeth High School twice a day in term time, but the traffic lights were either out of sequence or were off altogether for several days.  

25 years ago

BIG CAT SPOTTED: There was another sighting of Hexham's mysterious big cat - this time by two police officers. Police officer Jenny Wigham spotted the large black panther-type cat crossing Allendale Road. It was about the size of a fully grown labrador dog and passed directly in front of her police car before running into a field. Her companion, PC Nigel Cawley, also saw the creature and got out of the car to follow it before it disappeared.

COACH CRASH: A road accident involving a tank transporter and a tourist coach brought calls for tighter security on large army vehicles using the notorious A696 in Tynedale. The accident, in which some of the 49 passengers needed hospital treatment, was one of two coach crashes in Tynedale that week.

PLANNERS DELAY: Proposals to build a massive electrical sub-station near Fourstones were deferred by Tynedale planners for the whole committee to make a site visit because of the complexity of the proposals and the huge significance to local residents.

50 years ago

OVER 60S APPEAL: Mayor of Hexham Cllr John Pickering launched a £2,500 appeal to help Hexham's Over 60s club replace their premises at Maiden's Walk, destroyed by fire a year previously. 

NURSING SUCCESS: For the fifth year running, a 100 per cent success rate was reported at the nurses' graduation at Prudhoe and Monkton Hospital. 

NEW ARMY HOME: The former Royal Air Force base at Ouston was to take on a new lease of life under the Army. It was to be the new home for an infantry battalion. 

75 years ago

GOLDEN EAGLE: A golden eagle left a trail of 50 slaughtered lambs in a fortnight in the Kielder and Falstone areas before suddenly disappearing. 

STREET LIGHTS: Wark Parish Council asked the Minister of Health for sanctions to spend £275 to enable Wark to have its first set of street lights. 

100 years ago

NEW PREMISES: Hexham and District Ex-Services Club moved to its new premises at the top of Hallstile Bank, formerly the Black Bull Inn.  

SMALLPOX SPREADS: The smallpox outbreak at Prudhoe continued to spread, with seven more cases confirmed to bring the total to 30. 

125 years ago

SNOW IN MAY: Snow fell in many parts of Tynedale and five degrees of frost were recorded at Dilston. 

Humshaugh pupils turn out for their school photograph in 1907. Among them is (fifth from left, back row), the father of Hexham businessman Terry Robson Humshaugh pupils turn out for their school photograph in 1907. Among them is (fifth from left, back row), the father of Hexham businessman Terry Robson (Image: NQ) STONE LAID: The foundation stone of a new Free Methodist Chapel was laid in Slaley.

150 years ago

PICKPOCKETS: Several females had their pockets picked during the May Servants Hiring in Hexham, but the males escaped the thieves' attention.  

FIRE OUT: The great fire at Acomb colliery was subdued after burning underground for several weeks.