In the final chapter of our photographic review of the last 12 months, here are just nine of the more memorable stories.
5. Battling back
Battling Jade Henderson, 24, pictured left with mother Sharon Henderson, resumed her job as a long-haul flight attendant after suffering a brain bleed less than two years earlier. Photo: sn
6. Boxing clever
Hartlepool Round Table's Boxing Day Dip returned to Seaton Carew after a coronavirus-enforced 2020 absence. Photo: Frank Reid
7. Lighting the way
Dot Wright, 72, with her grand children Fearne Wright and Evan Wright, was among the NHS heroes asked to switch on Hartlepool's Christmas Lights in Church Square. Photo: Frank Reid
8. Hat's the way to do it.
Northern School of Art ceremonies at St Hilda's Church, on Hartlepool's Headland, celebrated the achievements of 2020 and 2021 graduates following Covid-19 restrictions. Photo: Frank Reid