A DANCE teacher who lit up the lives of the many she taught and shared her love of line-dance is being remembered for her sense of fun and kindness. Mary Latcham, who died on February 19 aged 72, was the teacher behind Darlington’s Texas Toe Tappers, a line-dancing troupe which took part in large-scale dance events in the town centre and on stage. Her daughter Suzanne Latcham paid tribute to her mother. She said: “My mum was married to my dad Barry for just short of 52 years – March 1 would have been their 52nd wedding anniversary. “She had two daughters, Karen and Suzanne, and two grandsons: Dominic, 18 and Oliver, 15.
This is what Christmas is like in for families in Darlington s women s refuge CHRISTMAS can be a nightmare for women and families experiencing domestic abuse. Annual leave and school holidays mean everyone is packed back under the same roof, if that is not already the case due to Covid, removing the only escape from abuse that is provided by school or work. While fleeing domestic abuse means finding a safe place away from violence, it also means leaving home, friends, family and school. For the 30 children supported by Darlington Family Help, the town’s only women’s refuge, resettling can be challenging. Many families come from out of the area, often bringing little with them, but staff at the refuge have been working hard to ensure children know Santa will still visit them.