Columnists

THE actor Derek Fowlds, who has died at the age of 82, will be remembered with fondess by devotees of the ITV series Heartbeat that was filmed at Goathland. Playing the role of the police sergeant Oscar Blaketon, he then became a quizzical – and sometimes sceptical – postmaster, and then publican, in the drama, featuring in all 18 series.

THE Government’s commitment to the North is welcome – and overdue. However Ministers also need to show similar urgency when it comes to the plight of rural areas – the underinvestment and lack of political attention is now chronic.

SHORTLY before Christmas I attended a wedding in London and sat next to a retired accountant who told me that, throughout his career, his greatest dread was being re-located to Hull. He considered it a very unhealthy place.

I NEVER imagined I would have much in common with Rebecca Long-Bailey, but this week she made a comment that had me nodding my head in agreement.

IT is not just readers of this newspaper that have growing misgivings about Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock’s capabilities – so, too, does his predecessor Jeremy Hunt.

IN the next decade, Brexit will not be the biggest challenge to the UK Government and our nation. Fast globalisation of trade and massive technological change will create bigger challenges and bigger opportunities even than Brexit.

As a coastal town, seagulls are very much a fact of life in Scarborough – but there are hopes that the number of bird attacks they carry out on humans can be reduced.

THIS month, faith leaders, unions and others called for 2020 to be the “decade of reconciliation and reconnection”.

“LET’S get people off the roads and onto public transport” – that was the message over the last decade.

NOW THAT TransPennine Express is under formal warning from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to get its act together, long-suffering travellers await the response of managing director Leo Goodwin.

THE Power Up The North campaign’s call for the post of Northern Powerhouse Minister to be elevated to the Cabinet was heeded by Boris Johnson on the day that he became Prime Minister. Now the Tory leader needs to appoint a dedicated Minister for the Coast as part of his Whitehall overhaul.

I’VE finally got around to watching the Julian Fellowes film Downton Abbey. It’s an instructive couple of hours for anyone baffled by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex versus the rest of the Royal Family soap opera.

IT HAS taken compromise, conciliation and collaboration to break Yorkshire’s devolution deadlock – three watchwords which need to underpin this region’s future relationship with the Government.

IT WAS apposite that the Prince of Wales found the time during his visit to flood-hit Fishlake to meet those firefighters from South Yorkshire who assisted with the rescue effort.

IT is a chilling experience chasing a car load of poachers in the dead of night, knowing that your police radio doesn’t have a signal and praying they don’t have guns. Yet, that was something I regularly did as a police officer in Yorkshire when stationed on a rural beat.

PERHAPS one of the most entertaining TV shows would be to go out into the highways and byways and ask vox pop who is vying for the leadership of the Labour Party.

THE ambitious £150m plan for a new terminal at Leeds Bradford Airport is, potentially, the most significant announcement in the post-war history of the site.

IMAGINE being in the incredibly lucky position of having a brand like Yorkshire to sell to the world?

DUTY CALLS for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when they make their joint visit to Bradford to give their own Royal seal of approval to various community projects.