It was great to have so many people together to say thank you to 'Mr Darlington', Alisdair McConachie.

Alasdair is one of the best known businessmen and community leaders in the town and has tirelessly served as Chairman to the Darlington Partnership. He was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from Teesside University and I felt it was so important that the Partnership should show its appreciation of his massive contribution. A number of people paid tribute to Alasdair's endless enthusiasm for the town but hats off to the Editor of the Northern Echo newspaper, Peter Barron, who had collected some very amusing archive material of Alasdair and his car dealership business.