If you walk along the wall that surrounds St Cuthbert’s Church in the heart of Darlington, you might notice, set between the old stones, a weathered block carved with the date 1846.

To most it’s just a curiosity, maybe a mason’s marker or a relic reused from an old church building. But look closer, and you’ll uncover a link to one of Darlington’s most enduring institutions — its grammar school.

The 1846 stone set into the wall around St Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington — a surviving reminder of the town’s former grammar school (Image: ANDREW WHITE)

This modest piece of masonry once marked the addition of a second storey to the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth, which once stood hard against the churchyard.

It commemorates a phase in a story that stretches back centuries, when education in the town was a church-led affair and Latin was the key to learning.

The origins of Darlington’s grammar school can be traced to the medieval collegiate life of St Cuthbert’s.

As early as 1291, boys were being taught in the church’s All Saints chantry — Latin, of course, being essential for monks and clerics. The first written record of a grammar school comes from 1535, but its roots seem far older.

The man credited as its true founder was Robert Marshall, a Cockerton-born scholar who rose to become a provost of Oxford.

When he died in 1531, he left lands in Heighington, Thornaby, Tubwell Row and High Row to support the education of Darlington’s young people in the very church where he had learned his first lessons.

Royal politics almost destroyed his legacy. Henry VIII eyed the church’s wealth hungrily, but Marshall’s bequest survived — just.

An Edwardian postcard of the old Darlington Grammar School (Image: ARCHIVE)

Under his successor Edward VI, religious schools were still viewed with suspicion, and some of the All Saints’ school property was confiscated.

But help came from the next monarch. In 1563 Queen Elizabeth granted the establishment a royal charter, restoring what had been taken and securing its future. The school proudly took her name — The Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth.

For the next three centuries, it endured in various guises. The early buildings were humble – there’s a record from 1632 showing that 16 pence was paid to cover the floor with rushes, and that the headmaster, Richard Smelt, was liable for any broken windows.

By the mid-17th century, a new schoolhouse was built for £60 — still modest, but more substantial than before.

Not all masters were orthodox. One, the Reverend Thomas Cooke, took his religious experiments to alarming extremes.

Appointed in the 1750s, Cooke fasted for 40 days in imitation of Christ, though he gave up at seventeen, and, according to his obituary, even practised circumcision on himself to prove a theological point.

Declared mad, he was dismissed after two years and eventually ended his days in Bedlam.

By the early 1800s, the churchyard had become so overcrowded that the school was moved in 1813 to Leadyard, on land adjoining the church’s east end.

The 1846 stone set into the wall around St Cuthbert’s Church in Darlington — a surviving reminder of the town’s former grammar school (Image: ANDREW WHITE)

The 1846 extension — recorded by that modest little stone — gave it a second storey, though townsfolk were apparently unimpressed.

One historian judged it “a shabby, plain building”, hardly a showpiece for Darlington’s pride.

Still, that wall and its stone remain, a quiet survivor of eras when learning clung to the church’s shadow.

The school would eventually rise again — rebuilt in 1878 on Vane Terrace to designs by local architect GG Hoskins, opening with 84 pupils and a handsome clock donated by Henry Pease.

From the turn of the 20th century, the school came increasingly under the eye of local government.

Durham County Council made several attempts to take control, finally succeeding in 1917 after Darlington achieved county borough status.

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The “free” school had never quite lived up to its title — not until the Education Act of 1944 made secondary education truly free. By then, though, three-quarters of pupils already paid no fees thanks to scholarships and sponsored places.

As education modernised, so too did Darlington’s schools. A full reorganisation in 1968 turned the Girls’ High School into Hummersknott Comprehensive, and by 1970 the Boys’ Grammar School had become Darlington Sixth Form College.

But it’s that unassuming fragment, set into the church wall, that connects the modern passer-by with centuries of Darlington’s educational history — a reminder that great institutions, like great stones, often begin from humble foundations.

Masters chairman Fred Ridley is due to make his traditional pre-tournament speech and some will be wondering if US President Donald Trump gets a mention

Fred Ridley, chairman of the Masters, declined to mention Donald Trump in his speech ahead of the 2025 edition of the tournament and appears unlikely to give the United States president a shout-out this time either. Trump has reportedly pursued membership of Augusta National, the storied Georgia golf club where the tournament is held, though he was recently given a brutal verdict on why that is unlikely to arrive any time soon.

Coaching legend Butch Harmon indicated the president will remained banned from becoming a member “because he is Trump”, arguing he does not fit the profile of the type of person who is approved to be a member at Augusta National. It is one of the world’s most exclusive clubs, with membership restricted to roughly 300 people at any given time.

“A colder than usual January has been conducive to a near-perfect early spring bloom of azaleas,” Ridley said at the start of his 2025 press conference. The chairman also addressed the invitation handed to former champion Angel Cabrera after the Argentine served 30 months in prison but there was no mention of the commander-in-chief.

Ridley’s speech ahead of the 2026 event is due to take place on Wednesday. Once again, Trump’s name is not expected to come up, giving an indication of where the chairman’s head is at.

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When asked about Trump being overlooked for membership, Harmon – who coached the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson – made his feelings clear. “I think you can answer that yourself. Because he’s Trump,” the 82-year-old said.

“I think he is who he is. He’s full of himself. He’s the type of person that I don’t think fits the profile of an Augusta member. I’ve known him most of my whole life, because his father was a member of Winged Foot.

“I’ve known Donald pretty much my whole life. What you see is what you get with him. And I don’t think his personality fits the membership at Augusta.

“I don’t think that [being president] has anything to do with it, because there’s been a lot of other presidents who played golf, and they’re not members. [Bill] Clinton, [Barack] Obama… they played golf. I think it’s just his personality doesn’t mix with that particular club. That’s as politically correct as I can be.”

The 2026 Masters is due to begin on Thursday. Rory McIlroy is the defending champion at Augusta, having beaten Justin Rose in a play-off last year to complete a career grand slam.

“It only boosts my belief that I can go ahead and do it,” Rose said when addressing his latest near-miss. “I’ve pretty much done what it takes to win. I just haven’t kind of walked over the line. I feel like I’ve executed well enough to have done the job.

“From that point of view, I don’t feel like I have to find something in myself or do something different. I truly believe that. No, I don’t feel like [the Masters] owes me anything. I come here with a good attitude.”

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Coverage of The Masters gets underway on April 6 and golf fans can watch it live with Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle. This includes 135 channels, nine from Sky Sports, plus HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.

The countdown continues today with a number of iconic sport stars of the past featuring

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The countdown continues as Belfast Live brings you the top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars ever.

On day one, we had international hockey star Katie Mullan, gymnast trailblazer Rhys McClenaghan, rugby legend Mike Gibson, GAA colossus Kieran McGeeney and Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Dan Wiffen, in that descending order.

The stakes are higher today and the arguments sure to strengthen..

20. PAT JENNINGS

It’s often a struggle for goalkeepers to get themselves into ‘greatest ever’ lists, given the constraints of their position, but when it comes to Pat Jennings, it’s hard to ignore his impact on the game.

So much so that the Football Writers’ Association named him their Player of the Year in 1973, and the PFA gave him their award three years later. He remains one of only two keepers to win the PFA prize.

One of the few to cross the North London divide and remain popular at both clubs, he was outstanding for Tottenham and Arsenal.

His 1982 World Cup displays are still fondly remembered.

19. RICHARD DUNWOODY

Former three-time Champion Jockey, Richard Dunwoody became the only jockey of his generation to win the Big Three National Hunt races following wins on West Tip, Charter Party and Kribensis.

He also partnered the great Desert Orchid to seven victories. He won the Grand National again on Miinnehoma in 1994 and was Champion Jockey three times (1993-95). He was awarded the MBE for services to his sport in 1993.

The Belfast native won a then record 1,874 races. In 1993 he was awarded an MBE for his services to sport. Since retiring as a jockey in 1999 he has travelled extensively and undertaken expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic.

18. NORMAN WHITESIDE

Two World Cup appearances, in 1982 and 1986, two FA Cups with Manchester United, and a host of individual honours give Norman Whiteside a spot on our list.

Similar to Best, he was a joy to watch in possession, as he slalomed past challenges from defenders who weren’t as constrained as their modern day counterparts.

The Shankhill Road man notched almost 70 goals for United before moving on to Everton.

A knee injury cut his career short in his prime, but by then he had broken Pele’s record by becoming the youngest ever player to feature at a World Cup, and he was the youngest player to score a first-team goal for Manchester United.

17. SEAN CAVANAGH

The Moy man was one of the players of his generation, winning three All-Ireland medals, six Ulster crowns and five All-Star awards with Tyrone.

He was Footballer of the Year in 2008 and represented Ireland on the International Rules Series, after resisting offers to go and play professionally in Aussie Rules.

He was a standout player at youth level, leading his school St Pat’s Armagh to the MacRory Cup and his county to an All-Ireland minor title.

Cavanagh and those Red Hand minor stars backboned Tyrone’s breakthrough Sam Maguire wins in 2003, 2005, and 2008. He was named man of the match in that ‘08 defining clash with big rivals Kerry.

16. WAYNE McCULLOUGH

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The Olympic silver medallist from Barcelona in 1992 – who beat future world champions Arturo Gatti, Tim Austin and Willie Jorrin in the amateur ranks. In 1995, he travelled to Japan to challenge WBC champion Yasuei Yakushiji in his home town – and came away with a split decision win and the world title.

Two successful defences, against Johnny Bredahl in Belfast and Jose Luis Bueno in Dublin, followed before he relinquished the title to move up to super-bantamweight

He would go on to have five more world title chances – against Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales, Scott Harrison and two against Oscar Larios – but lost them all.

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Tomorrow, the numbers 11-15 of our top 25 Northern Ireland sport stars of all time will be revealed.

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Authorities in British Columbia have urged the public to steer clear of a rock face overlooking a highway, where a red Volkswagen Beetle shell has been suspended in what appears to be an elaborate prank. The province’s Environment Ministry confirmed on Monday that BC Parks is working to remove the vehicle within the week, with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and park rangers now investigating.

The car shell, emblazoned with a large ‘E’ on its roof, first appeared last week above Highway 99 in Squamish. This distinctive marking suggests the stunt is a continuation of a long-standing tradition among University of British Columbia engineering students, known for placing Beetle shells in challenging locations.

In 2009, a Beetle fell from the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge, and Vancouver police arrested five students in a failed attempt to suspend it from the span.

A spokesperson for the university did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said the area around the Stawamus Chief rock formation is a “sacred place” with deep cultural meaning to the Squamish Nation.

He said the area is also popular among hikers and climbers and what “may have felt like an innocent prank” has affected the community.

“This is an area that deserves respect, and that wasn’t the case here,” Hurford said in the statement.