Former town clerk for Barnard Town Council, Jane Woodward, has won her claim for unfair dismissal A FORMER deputy town clerk who was branded a gold digger by gossips after she formed a personal relationship with a married councillor has won her claim for unfair dismissal. An employment tribunal heard the atmosphere turned sour in the office at Barnard Castle Town Council when colleagues learned Jane Woodward had grown close to then councillor Roger Peat, whose wife Rosemary was in a care home with Alzheimers disease. Mrs Peat died last October, shortly before the hearing. Seeing Ms Woodward going on holiday with Mr Peat while his wife was confined, and learning of gifts bought for her by him, the view took hold that Ms Woodward was manipulating and taking advantage of an older man.
18 Dec 2020
POPULAR: Barnard Castle s Christmas lights
BARNARD Castle’s popular festive lights will continue to shine brightly next year after town councillors backed an increase in spending on the illuminations.
They agreed the annual budget should be increased by £500 to £7,500 next year, with an extra £1,000 available to lights organisers to cover any shortfall in fundraising as a result of the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
The town council pays the Barnard Castle Christmas Lights (BCCL) group to organise the festive displays each year.
In addition to cash from the council, the group’s volunteers also organise fundraising events throughout the year to help cover the cost of supplying new displays and repairing existing lights.
14 Dec 2020
A CALL has been made to scrap next year’s 1940s weekend in Barnard Castle.
The event is usually held in late June and is organised by the town council.
It features a number of re-enactment groups, promenaders in period dress and other vintage-themed concerts, events and activities.
This year’s 1940s weekend was called off due to the pandemic and with continued uncertainty as to what the next few months could bring, Cllr Sandra Moorhouse told members of the town council’s partnerships committee the best thing to do would be to call it off again. She also said expecting the depleted town council staffing team to help organise the event would be asking too much of them.