Lord Haw Haw’s wartime propaganda broadcast telling how Heighington’s chip shop had been forced to close and people in the village were starving was reported again this week. Rtn Jill Thompson told Newton Aycliffe Rotary Club how her prisoner-of-war uncle heard the statement while interned in Germany. (Lord Haw-Haw was a nickname applied to World War II broadcaster William Joyce whose programmes opened with ‘Germany calling, Germany calling’ spoken in an affected, upper-class English accent.) Jill revealed Lord Haw Haw’s message as part of a nostalgic trip down memory lane based on a wealth of memorabilia discovered in her late mother’s home.
It included newspaper cuttings of old stories about lions escaping in Darlington, a visit to Redworth Hall by a Russian prince, ghosts in her own back garden, an “I Spy” book from the war years and photographs of family members in knitted swimming costumes while competing in a bathing beauty competition. Jill’s presentation was one of several made by club members as part of a social meeting organized by Rtn David Hogg. Rotarians were entertained with amusing anecdotes, personal stories and experiences, and an old community song about the Peasants Revolt. David was thanked by club president Nora Scott. Jill is pictured discussing stories in an issue of Newton News dated August 1974 with the newspaper’s present editor and fellow Rotarian, Syd Howarth. After more than 25 years of weekly Tuesday night meetings at Redworth Hall, the club has moved to Woodham Golf Club. Rotary club secretary Geoff Knapton and president Nora Scott thanked the management and staff at Redworth Hall for their long and valued support. Two projects for which the club is particularly grateful are allowing the hotel to be used as a base for a 1990s sponsored walk for the Yellow Brick Road children’s charity and providing free accommodation in 2011 for a visiting team of Group Study Exchange Rotarians from Brazil.