Yarm is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in North East England. It is on the south bank of the River Tees and for ceremonial purposes is in North Yorkshire. The bridge at Yarm marked the farthest upstream crossing point of tidal section of the River Tees until the Tees Barrage, which was opened in 1995 in Stockton, made that section no longer tidal. As the lowest down stream bridge Yarm bridge was superseded by the five stone arch toll bridge opened in Stockton on Tees in 1771 and the Middlesbrough Transporter bridge opened in 1911. The oldest part of the town around High Street is situated in a loop of the river and the newer parts of the town extend to the point where the River Leven meets the River Tees.

History

The name of the town is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word ''yarum'' meaning an enclosure to catch fish or from the Old English ''gearum'' with the same meaning. Yarm was first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and was originally a chapelry in the Kirklevington parish in the North Riding of Yorkshire; it later became a parish in its own right.

The Domninican Friars, often called Black Friars or Friars Preachers, settled in Yarm about 1286 and maintained a presence there, a Friarage & a Hospital, until 1583. Their memory is preserved in the names Friarage and Spital Bank. See http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36293

Bishop Skirlaw of Durham built a stone bridge across the Tees in 1400 which still stands. An iron replacement was built in 1805, but it fell down in 1806. For many years Yarm was the head of the tide and of navigation on the Tees.

On 12 February 1821 at the ''George & Dragon Inn'', the meeting was held that pressed for the third and successful attempt for a Bill to give permission to build the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the world's first public railway.

In 1890 Bulmer & Co listed 12 Inns in Yarm; Black Bull, Cross Keys, Crown Inn, Fleece, George and Dragon, Green Tree, Ketton Ox, Lord Nelson, Red Lion, Three Tuns, Tom Brown, and Union. Also listed Cross Keys beside the Leven Bridge.

At one point Yarm was a classed as a borough; this status did not persist. It formed part of the Stokesley Rural District under the Local Government Act 1894 and remained so until 1 April 1974 when, under the Local Government Act 1972 it became part of the district of Stockton-on-Tees in the new non-metropolitan county of Cleveland. Cleveland was abolished in 1996 under the Banham Review, with Stockton-on-Tees becoming a unitary authority.

Government

House of Commons

Yarm is part of the Stockton South Parliamentary Constituency which is represented in the House of Commons by James Wharton (Conservative), who was elected on 6 May 2010 for Stockton South. From 1997 to 2010 the Constituency was represented by Dari Taylor (Labour).

Borough Council

The Yarm ward of Stockton (which includes Kirklevington) has three local councillors sitting on Stockton Borough Council. From 3 May 2007 until May 2011 they were Conservative councillors Jennie Beaumont, Jackie Earl and Andrew Sherris.

From 5 May 2011 Conservatives Mark Chatburn, Ben Houchen, and Andrew Sherris became the councillors on the Stockton on Tees Borough Council for the Yarm Ward.

Town Council

The town has a town council which is responsible for certain aspects of the town's administration, including allotments and the cemetery. It meets once a month in the town hall.

Yarm Town Council has 11 seats with a Chairman, who for ceremonial purposes, is "Mayor". The post is usually held for 2 years. The current Chairman is Cllr Jason Hadlow. (2011 - 2013). Elections for the Town Council are held every four years.

An election for all 11 seats was held on 5 May 2011. Jason Hadlow is the current Chairman & Michael Hornby the Vice-Chairman. The council is made up of 4 members of Yarm Independents Society and 7 members of the Conservative Party.

December 2008 by-election

A by-election was held for two vacant seats on the council after the resignation of one, and disqualification of another Conservative councillor. The Conservative Party fielded two candidates against two Independent candidates who stood under the banner "Former Councillor". The Labour Party and Liberal Democrats chose not to field any candidates, the former instead backing the Independents. Turn out for the election was low, with the Conservative candidates elected by a small margin.

October 2009 by-election

After the departure of a Conservative councillor a by-election was held on 15 October 2009 for one place on the town council. Peter Monck, a former town councillor and Liberal Democrat candidate for Stockton South in the 1997 general election stood as an independent candidate against Paul Smith, a Conservative party candidate.

Geography

Yarm is divided into five estates and the peninsular area where the town centre is situated. The estates are Willey Flatts, Layfield Farm, The Kebbell (locally known as Spitalfields), Leven Park and Levendale (occasionally referred to as Ingleby Grange).

Rivers

Yarm is bordered by two rivers. The River Tees is located to the north and the River Leven to the east. The Leven is a tributary of the Tees. In its past, Yarm was the highest port on the Tees, with merchant vessels travelling up the tidal river to Yarm from the North Sea to unload their cargoes..

Bridges

Yarm has two road bridges over the river. Yarm Bridge crossing the Tees from the High Street to Eaglescliffe, and Leven Bridge crossing the Leven between Yarm and Low Leven. On 26 February 2010 Leven Bridge was closed after cracks appeared in the bridge. Engineers initially suggested the bridge would remain closed for at least two weeks. Later it was confirmed that the bridge would be closed for up to three months after major damage was found to the Grade II listed structure. Repairs took less time than expected and the bridge re-opened on 18 June 2010.

High Street

The small town hall, situated in High Street was built in 1710 by Thomas Belasyse who was Lord of the Manor. In a poll taken for the BBC's Breakfast programme on 19 January 2007 Yarm's High Street was voted the "Best High Street". The many Georgian-style old buildings, with their red pantile roofs, fronting High Street and its cobbled parking areas add to the visual appeal of the town.

The A67, which runs through High Street was previously classified as the A19 until a new dual carriageway was built in the 1970s - this is about three miles to the south of the town near the village of Crathorne. When the A19 ran through High Street, the traffic was heavily congested and very busy. The road is still used by heavy goods traffic travelling both ways as a shortcut to Durham Tees Valley Airport, formerly called Teesside Airport. The classification of the road as an 'A'-road means that it is not possible to place a ban on heavy goods vehicles; however the town council has made efforts to come up with voluntary agreements with many haulage firms.

Churches

Yarm Parish Church is the Anglican parish church, dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. It is situated on West Street, where there has been a church on the site since at least the 9th century. The Catholic church of Ss Mary and Romuald, built in 1860, is at the south end of High Street. Yarm Methodist Church was John Wesley's "favourite chapel". This octagonal church, built in 1763, is to be found on Chapel Yard, on the east side of the town by the river, and is the oldest octagonal church in current use in Methodism.

Woodland

thumb|right|The RookeryYarm has multiple areas of woodland. Most of these woodlands are part of private estates. The Rookery is a public area of woodland next to the River Tees situated at the bottom of Goose Pasture. The ash, sycamore and lime woodland is estimated to be about 200 years in age and is owned by Yarm Town Council. In 2002 a walkway was constructed around the wood to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Within the woodland, close to the river, BMX riders have created numerous dirt ramps which are regularly used during summer months.

Viaduct and railway stations

The imposing long railway viaduct was built between 1849 and 1851 for the Leeds Northern Railway Company. Its designers were Thomas Grainger and John Bourne. It comprises 7 million bricks and has 43 arches, with the two that span the river Tees being skewed and made of stone. The original Yarm railway station, now closed, was situated on the Eaglescliffe side of the river at the north end of the viaduct. The current un-manned modern station, opened in 1996, is located to the south of Yarm, off Green Lane.

Location

Road access: The A67 leading to Durham Tees Valley Airport and Darlington in the north west, the A135 leading to the A66 and Stockton in the north, the B1265 leading to the A167 and Northallerton in the west, the A1044 leading to the A174 and Middlesbrough in the east, the A67 leading to the A19 and Thirsk in the south.

Rail access: Yarm Station also Eaglescliffe railway station

Nearest airport: Durham Tees Valley Airport (MME)

Bus services

Arriva North East is the main operator serving Yarm and operate the following services:

Service 7:Yarm Willey Flatts-Eaglescliffe-Stockton Service 12AYarm-Hartburn-Stockton-Teesdale-Middlesbrough Service X6Yarm-Ingleby Barwick-Middlesbrough

WP & M Hutchinson operate one route serving Yarm:

Service 82 Yarm-Hutton Rudby-Stokesley

Leven Valley Coaches is the other operator, running the following services:

Service 507: Yarm-Hilton-Maltby-Thornaby-Stockton Service 551: Willey Flatts-Eaglescliffe-Stockton-Billingham-Low Grange Service 577:Yarm Willey Flatts-Eaglescliffe-Stockton

Sports

Yarm Cricket Club

Yarm Cricket Club is situated on Leven Road, and has been in existence since 1814. It currently runs 3 senior teams in the North Yorkshire South Durham League, and 4 Junior Sides; Under 11's, Under 13's, Under 15's and Under 17's, who all play competitive cricket throughout the season. In recent years, Yarm's 3rd Team who play on a Sunday have been the most successful team in the club, winning the NYSD Sunday Division 1 on several occasions, along with the League/Cup double in 2008. The club are currently looking for investment in order to take the club forward, including improvements to facilities and also to increase the playing members of both the senior and junior teams.

Events

Many events are held in the town each year such as a Gala, Fair and a 5 km Fun Run.

Gala

After lying dormant for almost 100 years Yarm Gala re-started in 2008. In 2011 it will be held on Sunday 19 June.See http://www.yarmtowncouncil.org.uk/pages/gala.html

Fair

A fair is held in High Street in the third week in October. It starts on the Tuesday evening and lasts until Saturday night. See http://yarmtowncouncil.org.uk/pages/fair.html It was once a commercial fair that traded in cheese and livestock, but is now primarily a funfair. still attend the fair and ride horses up and down the street on the Saturday. The travellers have to wait outside the town until 6:00 pm on the Tuesday, at which point they are allowed to cross the bridge over the River Tees into the town.

Fun run

Yarm has an annual fun run. The 5 km run starts at Conyers School and ends on Snaith's Field. It used to end outside Yarm Parish Church, but this changed some time around 1998. The 2008 Fun Run took place on Sunday 20 April, and was won by Daniel James Rice.

Charities fair

Yarm and District Lions Club run a charities fair in High Street every year. This mostly takes a market-like approach.

Lighting of the Christmas tree

A ceremony takes place each Advent to light up the town's Christmas tree. Christmas carols are sung to a band and High Street is temporarily closed for the event.

Education

There are three primary schools in the town: Levendale (Single form entry), Yarm Primary (Two form entry), and Layfield School.

Conyers School is a mixed comprehensive school and also has a sixth-form. It was founded in 1590 as "the Free Grammar School" by Thomas Conyers. Following the change to comprehensive education it was renamed to reflect its founder. Conyers is a specialist school for maths and computing.

The town is home to the private Yarm School, the senior school being situated at the Friarage and the preparatory school and nursery at the old Yarm Grammar School. The school was formed some time after the re-designation of the original grammar school. The school had plans to move within the next decade to a site near to their playing fields on Green Lane, south of the town. However, planning permission was not granted by the local council and Yarm School is no longer planning to move, instead choosing to renovate and improve the current site.

To read the reports of HMI inspections of schools visit the OFSTED site.

Public services

HMP Kirklevington Grange

On the southern edge of the built up area of Yarm, is HMP Kirklevington Grange, a men's resettlement prison for inmates intending to settle (on release) in the North East of England.

Notable people

People associated with the town include John Wesley, founder of Methodism and Tom Brown, hero in the Battle of Dettingen.

It is home to professional footballers such as Middlesbrough and Holland international George Boateng and former Valencia and Spain International Gaizka Mendieta. Former England boss Steve McClaren also regularly visits the town, as his family home is situated in the neighbouring village of Aislaby. Iron Maiden guitarist Janick Gers lives here. West End playwright and international screenwriter Graham Farrow also lives in Yarm.

Over the years many famous people have visited Yarm. They include Diana, Princess of Wales and Sir John Major. Diana's son, Prince Harry, also visited the town on Tuesday 7 August 2007, while making a week-long army visit to RAF Leeming. He was spotted drinking with friends in the ''Black Bull'' pub and later moving onto ''The Keys'' nightclub. Rock band Oasis famously drank in the ''Black Bull'' in the mid-1990s.

Twinned towns

Yarm is twinned with two other European towns: Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany Vernouillet, France There is also an agreement with Olkusz, in Poland.

On 2 July 2005, two trees were planted to the north of the town hall to mark the 20th anniversary of the twinning between Yarm and the two towns. The trees were marked with plaques.

Photo gallery

References

Category:Towns in North Yorkshire Category:Civil parishes in North Yorkshire Category:Locations in the Tees Valley Category:Stockton-on-Tees Borough

fr:Yarm it:Yarm nl:Yarm nn:Yarm pl:Yarm ro:Yarm simple:Yarm vo:Yarm

name	Dane Bowers
background	solo_singer
birth name	Dane Leon Bowers
born	November 29, 1979Sutton, London, England
died
origin	Croydon, London, England
genre	R&B;
occupation	Singer, songwriter, producer
years active	1997–present
label	Conehead UK
associated acts	Another Level, Truesteppers
website
notable instruments	}}

Dane Bowers (born 29 November 1979) is an English R&B; singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer. He was a part of R&B; boyband Another Level between 1997 and 2000 when he performed on seven Top 10 singles. He then went on to perform solo projects, working with Truesteppers and Victoria Beckham and has made TV appearances on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Come Dine With Me.

Early life

Dane Leon Bowers was born on 29 November 1979 in Sutton, London, England.

Early music career

When he was fifteen years old - after leaving Trinity School of John Whitgift, Shirley Park - he enrolled at Croydon-based performing arts college, The BRIT School. After leaving, Bowers joined British boy-band Another Level, where he performed as a part of the group for 3 years between 1997 and 2000 with fellow members Mark Baron, Wayne Williams and Bobak Kianoush.

Another Level gained seven Top 10 singles in two years in the United Kingdom, including 1998's UK Number one "Freak Me"; and a platinum selling, self-titled debut album. Their follow-up album, Nexus, released in 1999 achieved a gold selling status and was followed by a Brit Award Nomination for Best British Newcomer in 1999.

Another Level also performed as the supporting act on the European leg of Janet Jackson's The Velvet Rope World Tour in 1998.

Solo projects

After the group split in 2000, Bowers wrote and fronted two UK Top 10 hits, for the UK garage act Truesteppers in 2000; "Buggin'" and "Out Of Your Mind". "Buggin'" reached number 6 in the UK charts in April 2000. The latter featured the first solo recording of Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham. "Out Of Your Mind" reached number two, as it was beaten to the number one spot by Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor with "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)" in August 2000.

In 2001, two solo singles released under the moniker of 'Dane', "Shut Up And Forget About It" (allegedly written about his relationship with Jordan) and "Another Lover", both stalled at number nine on the UK Singles Chart; and an album, 'Facing The Crowd' remained unreleased.

Bowers subsequently went on to focus on behind the scenes work, writing and producing, including a collaboration for Victoria Beckham's debut solo album, in autumn that year.

In 2010, Bowers returned to making music and signed with independent record label, Conehead UK to record a pop album, with the first single, 'All She Needs', written by Jamie Scott to be released in July 2010.

Television

Dane ventured into presenting in 2002, co-hosting Popstars: The Rivals "Extra" show with the former Pop Idol contestant, Hayley Evetts.

In 2004, Bowers wrote and starred in a sitcom pilot called "Bow to the Bowers." It was a satirical look at the music industry, casting Bowers as an egotistical, vain version of himself. It also starred former Steps member Lee Latchford-Evans and ex-Brother Beyond star Nathan Moore, though it never made it to mainstream TV.

Bowers appeared in the follow-up TV show to Totally Scott-Lee, called Totally Boyband, in which five boyband members from past groups were modelled into a new singing act called Upper Street. The group featured him alongside Lee Latchford-Evans of Steps, Jimmy Constable of 911, New Kids on the Block's Danny Wood and S Club's Bradley McIntosh. The series commenced on MTV in the UK in September 2006, but their first single charted at Number thirty five and the group subsequently disbanded.

In 2009, Bowers appeared in an episode of Celebrity Come Dine With Me alongside Bobby Davro, Laila Morse and Dani Behr where he served langoustines, beef tenderloin and bread and butter pudding. Bowers' theme for the evening was 'funky, cool and fashionable'

In January 2010, Bowers was the seventh contestant to enter Channel Four's Celebrity Big Brother; he made it to the final two, but lost to Alex Reid.

DJ

Dane Bowers regularly plays DJ sets at established nightclubs and clubbing brands in the UK including Gatecrasher, Sintillate and has performed many sets for the Luminar brand in various parts of the UK.

Dane has also played many DJ sets abroad in Marbella and Tenerife, including the famous Eden and Es Paradis nightclubs, based in Ibiza. Dane also made a PA at the Radio 1 Big Weekend in Ayia Napa at 'The Abyss Club' for 'Twice as Nice' in Ayia Napa in 2001 alongside DJ Luck & MC Neat.

Personal life

Bowers has a son Kai (born late 1997 / early 1998, Sutton, London) by ex-girlfriend Emma-Jane North. From 1998 to 2000, Bowers was in a relationship with model Katie Price. A sex tape of them later was uploaded to the Internet.

In 2007, Bowers married his agent Chrissy Johnston in Las Vegas; they separated in May 2009.

Discography

Singles

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Date !rowspan="2"|Single !colspan="2"|Chart position |- !width="45"|UK |- |April 17, 2000 |"Buggin'"(with Truesteppers) |align="center"|6 |- |August 14, 2000 |"Out of Your Mind"(featuring Victoria Beckham) |align="center"|2 |- |February 19, 2001 |"Shut Up And Forget About It" |align="center"|9 |- |June 25, 2001 |"Another Lover" |align="center"|9 |- |July 11, 2010 |"All She Needs" |align="center"| |- |}

(as Upper Street) {|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Date !rowspan="2"|Single !colspan="2"|Chart position |- !width="45"|UK |- |October 16, 2006 |"The One" |align="center"|35 |- |}

Albums

''Facing The Crowd'' (2001 promo - unreleased)

Other releases

''CD Collection'' (2001)

*Given free with Smash Hits magazine in 2001 in conjunction with Little Chef. Contains "Shut Up ...and Forget About It" original version and El B Vocal Mix.

References

External links

Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:Big Brother UK contestants Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:English rhythm and blues musicians Category:People educated at the BRIT School Category:Musicians from London Category:Old Mid-Whitgiftians Category:People from Croydon

de:Dane Bowers pt:Dane Bowers fi:Dane Bowers