40 YEARS AGO.

Original parish church is target of vandals St HILDA'S, the original parish church of Middlesbrough, was having a tragic end to its magnificent 130 years of history. The roof was caving in, the once beautiful building was in a state of collapse and there was no money for vital repairs. The building had also become the target of local vandals.

The invasion of the giant caterpillars POLICE and public health officials set out on the trail of Teesside's latest invaders, giant caterpillars. The caterpillars each about three inches long had been found in gardens in Redcar, experts said that they belonged to the puss moth but were not usually seen in the Teesside area.

London Bridge rebuilt with Teesside steel EVERY morning and every evening thousands of Londoners who crossed the Thames were becoming familiar with a new landmark, 1,700 tons of Middlesbrough steel. London Bridge was being rebuilt and a 90 foot high steel gantry was erected by Redpath Dorman Long to aid construction of the new bridge.

'Build Teesside Polytechnic at Redcar' A SUGGESTION that the proposed Teesside Polytechnic should be sited to the west of Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar was made by two Redcar councillors. They suggested that the land between Kirkleatham Lane and ICI could be developed for the proposed polytechnic.

Police patrol Cannon Street to halt thieves BOBBIES were back on the beat in Cannon Street, Middlesbrough in a bid to try to halt a wave of break-ins and vandalism that struck the area. The bobbies received a warm welcome from residents and shopkeepers who had been plagued by thieves. "Now I will get some peace at night," said one resident.

'Children leaving school for the dole queue' MANY Teesside children were leaving school only to join the rest on the dole queues, a Wolviston rector claimed in his latest parish news letter. He said that employers, local authorities and the Government had not faced up to the fact.