OVER THE FIRST HURDLE

It was heartening to help get some positive good news about Brigg into the Scunthorpe Telegraph the other day, when I spotted Tom Wood's plans to revamp and extend his Yarborough Hunt hostelry, in Bridge Street.
Details had just gone up on the North Lincolnshire Council planning portal (website) when I happened to spot them while doing my weekly check of Brigg-related issues.
Usually this only provides a paragraph or two, but on this occasion it became the main story on one of our pages.
I'll have to declare an interest here: Tom's hostelry is one of my favourites. By his own admission it is not the cheapest, by any means, but it always offers a good selection of quality real ales. As the saying goes: You get what you pay for!
Tom's plans must now go through the planning process at North Lincolnshire Council before he can pull himself a celebratory pint.
His expansion cleared the first hurdle on Wednesday night, with Brigg Town Council - which must by law be consulted on planning matters - raising no objections.
Indeed, Coun Jackie Brock summed up the situation nicely when she told planning and environment committee colleagues: "It's good to hear of something doing well."
We've endured the closure of the Brocklesby Ox, Dying Gladiator and White Horse, so it's great to see the trend being reversed at the Yarborough by owner and brewer Tom (pictured by me at last summer's Lincolnshire Show while I was sampling a pint of his best!).
And finally...Despite what some might think, journalists love to bring good news, not just bad. It's just that, in a recession, there's a bit of an inbalance.