ISSUE NO 32 APRIL 2002 THE A NEWSPAPER FOR NORTH SKELTON & LAYLAND Happy 80th Birthday Ida! Hello again! The hustle and bustle of Christmas is long gone, but Don and I were once again overwh elmed by the number of cards, telephone calls and e-mails you sent to 11.1'. I am sorry so many of you were unable to purchase a copy of the Xmas edition of 'The Key ' which most of you seem ed to think was our best publication to date. Unfo rtunately, Devany 's sold out very quickly. I have had some copies re­ turn ed to me so it's 'first com e, first served'. PLEASE DON 'T BIN THE KEY - hand it back in to the local shops or pu sh it through my letterbox. We have a second outletfrom where 'The Key' can be pur­ chased - Cooper's fruit and vegetabLe shop, next to Bell' s Stores, ha ve kindly offered to sell copies f or 11.1'. Don 't for­ get, it's flOW 50p per copy. Throu gh a grant from the SINGLE REGENERA TION BUDGET SKELTON PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY CHEST FUND, I flOW have a PC to help with the typing of Our congratulations go out to Mrs lda Routledg e, who will articles for the maga zine, although I'm still baffled but bat­ be 80 years young on 30th April, 2002. tling away at the computer course. Also, Don '.I' had a CD­ Originally f rom Moo rsholm, Ida has lived in North Skelton writer fitted so he can now save the publications onto disk. for 36 years. Her late husband, AIj. was a steel worke r at Don and I thank you very much. Skinningrove and Ida worked many years for George & Eleanor Berwick in Richard Street. To all on my mailing List, it's now £3.00 per year to ha ve She is mother to Jewel and Linda and gran dma to Ka ren, 'The Key' mailed to you in the UK. Most of yo« already Ma rtin, Rachael and Craig and also great-grandma to send me a much greater donation than this - thank you. Shannon May who she is holding in the photo above and For overseas, please get in touch and I'll let you kno w the who shares her great-grandma '.I' middle name. cost. PLease make all cheques payabLeto 'The Key '. Happy Birthday Mam ! Editor: Norma Templemau, 7 Bolckow Street, Lo ve from us all - XXX North Skelton, Saltburu, CLeveland TS12 2AN Tel: 01287653853 Any Robinson's Who Can Help? Assistant Editor: Don Burluraux, 8 North Terrace, Skelton, Salt/m m, Cleveland TSI2 2ES I have come across you r publication on the internet and no­ Tel: 01287 652312 ticed some ' Rob inso ns ' feat ured in the issue of Apri l 200 0. E-mail: don.buriuraux tipntlworld.com Th is is just a long shot, but I was wonderi ng how long these famil ies have been in the area and if they know anythi ng of Treasurer: Stuart Fawcett their family history, My maiden name was Robinson and I Assistant typist: Krishna Templeman have bee n research ing my fam ily history. My grandfather wa s George Robinson ( b. 1864 ) and he was Some ph otos from Issues 24 - 29 of 'The Key' can be born in the Ske lton area, but also lived in Moorsholm , viewed on the internet - the website address is: Guisborough and Boosbeck. He was a Mi nes Deputy at one of the Iron stone Mi nes and I have been given to understand www.burluraux I.freeserve.co.uk/keyiudex.htm tha t he also 'worke d for the squire' at Ske lton Cas tle. His par­ ents were Robert Robinson and Mary Wilso n who are buried at Moorsholrn Churc h. Robert Robinson was married twice St Peter's Church - An Easter Reading and so me of the ch ild ren listed were by his firs t marriage to a Dorothy Ingled ew. Christ our Passover has been Sacrificedfor 11.1': My gra ndfa ther's siblings were named Ja mes , John , Jane Han­ Th erefore let us keep th e f east with unleavened bread of nah (who I know married a Newark Ditchburn ), Robert, sin cerity and tru th. Elizabet h, Martha, Isaac, and Alice . Some of these may not have survived to adult hood - I know there was ano ther named Com e and j oin us at St Peter' s on the 2nd and 4t h Sunday Charles who did not. of each month at 6pm, whe re yo u wi ll be sure of a wa rm If any of the Robinson 's in the area feel they may have a con­ welc ome. On the I st Saturday of ea ch mo nth meet up wi th necti on I wo uld be pleased to hear from them . yo ur friends at our Coffee M orning. God Bless. Margaret O'Shea (nee Robinson), Oxford. A lison Husband Ennail: m.oshealGntlworld.com 2 Honours for Two North Skelton Ladies! In November 2001, North Skelton hit the 'big time'. On a cold sunny Saturday morning, Jean Tokarski cut the ribbon to officially open the BMX track, situated at the top of William Street. A tap on her shoulder brought Jean, and everyone else who was there, the biggest surprise of her life. She turned round and there stood the famous Australian entertainer, Rolf Harris! Hovering behind him were TV cameras, and parked on the tarmac was a beautiful white stretch limousine. It was an unbelievable scene to all who had come just expecting to witness the opening ceremony. After Jean had got over her initial shock, she and her daughter-in­ law, also Jean, were whisked away to London for a fabulous weekend. Their hotel was the height of luxury, The Savoy over­ looking the London Eye. As well as taking in the sights, Jean was treated to a full make-over. Afterwards, and looking a 'million dol- lars', she was transported to the Royal Albert Hall to see her fa- Jean Tokarski and Rolf Harris vourite singer, Daniel O'Donnel1. During his performance, Daniel dedicated one of his songs to Jean, and afterwards she was invited backstage to meet her idol. On Christmas Day, Jean was featured on national TV in Rolf's Merry Christmas programme which showed ar­ ranged surprises for people who deserved them. It was a memorable weekend which Jean will never forget. The accolade was for Jean's continuous voluntary work to help make life better for the people of North Skelton and we at The Key would like to join in with our congratulations - well done Jean! High unemployment in the Eastern Part of Middlesbrough was one of the main reasons the town was designated among the fi rst 11 City Challenge Pacemaker Authorities in the country. 'Jobs Match ', the project / led from Septemb er 1992 to March / 997 was fo rmed to tackle this problem as part of the City Challenge 'Route to Work ' strategy.A partnership between City Challenge, the Employment Service, Middlesbrough Borough Coun cil, Teesside TEC and sup ­ ported by East Middlesbrough Community Centre, the aim ofthe project was to link residents of the City Challenge area to j obs that suited their capabilities, qualifications and experience and helped them overcome the barriers in their search for employment. / was leader of the team ofeight which comprised of Employm ent Service Staffon attachment, Dorothy Bowmaker two Middlesbrough Borough Coun cil Staff, a cons ultant from Teesside TEe, a local Labour Constru ction Co-Ordinator, an Ethnic Min ority Outreach Worker and an Administrative As­ sistant emp loyed f rom the local community. We undertook a skills audit of residents which provided the necessary information to fo rm a database to use to match people to jobs and training. We had a yearly budget fro m City Challenge and the othe r partners to offer in­ centives to the unemployed in the fo rm of working clothes, tools, fees for training or cash grants - anything to ge t over the barriers preventing the take-up of employment. We also offered enhancements to employers who em­ ployed p eople from the area. The project was so successful during the period oJ City Challenge Funding (1992 - / 997) that we were able to fi nd work fo r over 2,000 people, improving their standard ofliving and that ofthe local economy. The partn ership de­ cided to keep the project operating aft er the need of City Challenge Funding and the team was moved to Central Middlesbrough whe re we continued to work fo r the residentfrom all Wards in Middlesbrough until March 2000. Through out the whole p eriod of 'Jobs Match' / was privileged to meet and work with some of the most prof es­ sional, experienced, moti vated and caring people and, through joint team- working, we fo und success. The 'Jobs Match ' p roject was short listedfor the / 996 British Urban Regeneration A wards, and runn er-up fo r the 1996 prize fo r Public Man agement Leadership fo r which we rece ived a high Commendation f rom the Office f or Public Man­ agement. On a personal level / was awarded the Public Service Woman of Achievement Award in / 997 and most recently the MBE in the 2002 New Year Honours list. / just wish my Main and Dad had been here to see it but / am sure they will kno ll'. The main aim of 'Job s Match' was achieved and the concept was rolled out through similar projects nationally into the Employment Service New Deal Programme and Employment Zon es and Action Team s which are currently operating in various under-privileged areas.