Durham Magazine - March / April 2018

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DURHAM

Photo By - Henry Popiolek

March / April 2018 - Issue 21

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Editorial - March / April 2018

Welcome

Hello Durham,

Welcome to another free edition of the Durham Magazine this February.

story - We’ll give you full credit and you’ll share your work with a whole new audience.

Warmest regards,

We’ve got numerous stories and news to share with you in this edition.

Best wishes from everyone here at Durham Magazine and the entire Firefly New Media team

A number of family activities are planned in Durham Parks this half term on page 5. Local historian Brian Harrison visits the historical Blackhill Park in Consett on page 6.

We have a photography showcase from local student Rebecca Gibson on page 8. This and much more in this packed February / March issue.

PS - Got a business located in County Durham? Looking to expand your reach locally? Durham Magazine is published each month

by Firefly New Media UK based right here in County Durham.

We’d like to thank Barrington William Kirkham III for contributing this month’s front Cover photograph of Medomsley in the Snow, keep them coming.

We’re able to help you market your products and/or services to people in your area (we now publish 6 online & print magazines throughout the North East, provide web and design services, and much more.)

If you’d like to see your photograph or story published on the front cover of next month’s magazine, simply email editor@durhammagazine.com with a high quality image and/or your

Simply call Marco on 0800 955 122 on how to increase your sales and boost your business in 2018.

Contributors Brian Harrison Audrey Rogan Neil Collins David Sunderland Alex Nelson Glenn Maltman Roger Langley Andy Potts Rebecca Gibson

Content and advertising team Barry Kirkham Marco Elsy Firefly New Media UK

Contact us editor@durhammagazine.co.uk

Advertising Info sales@durhammagazine.co.uk

How do I submit news, stories, events, or photographs?

How do I advertise my business in Durham?

Email us at:

Email us at:

editor@durhammagazine.co.uk

sales@durhammagazine.co.uk

Call us on 0191 394 1266

Call us on 0191 394 1266

Disclaimer: Durham Magazine and durhammagazine.co.uk make sure to only use reliable sources and we try to verify all content as much as possible. We cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions. All details are believed to be correct at the time of printing. We recommend that readers check information with any venue about times and dates of events in advance. Readers are welcome to send photographs, letters and other content to Durham Magazine and Firefly New Media UK but we cannot guarantee they will be featured in the publication. Firefly New Media UK reserves the right to neither use submitted material in print and online publications nor return it. The views and opinions expressed in advertisements and content do not reflect that of Durham Magazine and Firefly New Media UK. No part of this publication/website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from Firefly New Media UK. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing.

To reduce environmental impact, once finished with please recycle this magazine or pass it on to friends and family. Firefly New Media UK - All Rights Reserved

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5

Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

Snow Clearing Teams Join Forces To Open Road “It was like when the English and French teams drilling from either end of the Channel to build Eurotunnel finally met in the middle!”

That is how Durham County Council’s highways superintendent Lee Potter recalls the moment teams from the authority and neighbouring Northumberland County Council met at their border in the culmination of co-ordinated efforts to reopen a snow blocked road.

The meeting was the conclusion of the planned operation between the two councils to reopen the road which crosses the County Durham Northumberland divide in the North Pennines.

Teams from the two councils started at their respective ends on Monday morning, using snow blowers and tractors to carve out channels wide enough for vehicles to get through.

The teams reached the border minutes apart at lunchtime.

John Reed, Durham County Council’s head of technical services, said: “Creating channels in snow so deep you cannot even open the door of your vehicle is obviously very challenging.

“But when the snow is stopping our residents making journeys it is vital that we do it to make roads passable and we are always happy to work with our colleagues in Northumberland to help people on both sides of the border.”

David Laux, Northumberland County Council’s head of technical services, added: “We were working round the clock to keep roads clear and open up parts of our network which were cut off.

“It’s always great to be able to meet our counterparts in Durham but it’s rarely under such unusual circumstances.

As good as it was to share a handshake, the main thing is we were able to clear a channel through this key road for local communities.”

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“We stopped and had a quick chat, shook hands then got back to business,” adds Lee.

The road in question, the B6295 between Cowshill and Allenheads, had been rendered impassable by last week’s severe weather. Five foot of snow had left residents in the area unable to make journeys.

6

The Colliery Band & the Candymen- By Brian Harrison

Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

The Colliery Band & the Candymen In late 1885 at South Medomsley Pit, also known as Pontop Hall Pit, the masters and men clashed over pay and conditions, something that happened all to often in those days, the miners notices having expired on the 4th December.

It was a hard time of year and the masters of the pit decided in their wisdom to force the men round to their way of thinking. So in a cold hard winter they closed the pit and enforced a Lock-out until the men would agree too all their demands. With no money and only themselves to rely on they banded together to ride out the winter. Things became hard and the men still hung on. By January 1886 the masters of the pit decided enough was enough and demanded the men return on the second Saturday of the month, but the men refused as their demands for pay and conditions had still not been met. At this point Mr Tyzack, the Manager intimated that if they did not return that steps would be taken to eject them from their lodgings.

Saturday came and went and the men waited for eviction notices to arrive, normal a 4 week notice. However, a secret plan had been hatched by the masters, who without notice had arranged for the men and families to be evicted.

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Like clockwork in the early morning of Tuesday 12th January the Police arrived in force with about 32 men from Consett under the command Supt. Oliver taking up position

at the Pit houses at High Stables, about one mile from Leadgate. At almost the exact same time 20 to 30 “candymen” arrived directly off the train from Newcastle. The miners tried to explain that they had not been given enough notice or time which was granted them by law, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. A ring was formed round the two small rows of houses by the Police who then demanded the candymen to do their job and evict the miners and their families.

However something strange then happened, they resolutely refused to carry out any action.

The police asked a second time and once again the request was refused. The miners looked on in amazement. The candymen themselves had been deceived many believing they were there to shovel snow for 5 shillings a day plus food and lodgings, others had been told that they would be moving furniture. All stated that the idea of throwing families out on the streets in winter was the last thing they would ever want to do.

The termination of the eviction's brought not only the union men and miners the greatest of satisfaction but cheers went up from the entire village. An almost carnival atmosphere took hold and the miners and candymen paraded through the village and head onto the Black Bull Inn in Dipton, then the headquarters of the Miners Lodge. It snowed throughout the day with slight

showers here and there but it did not stop the merriment.

The celebration lasted throughout the morning and into the afternoon culminating in the candymen being escorted to Lintz Green Station by the Villagers and the Colliery Band for the 4pm train back to Newcastle. The police left a small contingency of men and returned to Consett. A happy reprieve for the miners and their families.

A major weather front hit the following day known as “The Great Snow Storm” which last from January 13th till February 12th without a break adding to the hardships of the people of the whole area. Although the first set of eviction's didn't happen it was on “Stormy Tuesday” 2nd March that the 2nd eviction's began which saw 60 miners and their families losing their homes.

Almost exactly 100 years later the great Miners Strike took place with similar events taking place throughout not only this area but the whole country, sharing echo's to the past.

If you ask most children now what coal is most wont even know. Coal the backbone of our area for hundreds of years ceased in 1990, with the exception of one small going concern. Country wide less than a handful of deep pits remain. A proud tradition blinked out by change.

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International Women’s Day

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Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

Inspiring women from across the North East shared their success stories as part of an event to mark International Women’s Day 2018.

The event, which was hosted at County Hall on Friday, 9 March, is ran by DurhamWorks in partnership with training provider Raw Digital and is aimed primarily at 16 to 24 year olds.

Festival Makers receive county’s highest honour Volunteers who give up their time to play a vital role in the running of council events, have been awarded the county council’s highest honour.

Representatives from the 600-strong group of Festival Makers headed to County Hall to accept the Chairman’s Medal from Durham County Council’s Vice Chairman Cllr John Lethbridge.

The Chairman’s Medal is the highest honour Durham County Council can award to individuals and organisations for outstanding voluntary contribution to the county and in awarding them Cllr Lethbridge recognised their time given and their dedication.

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He said: “This is our most prestigious civic honour and I’m delighted to award it to our Festival Makers who dedicate their time to ensuring our schedule of events run smoothly for the thousands of people who attend.

“They help us to bring people together, to enjoy themselves

and feel the sense of community which makes Durham such a special place.”

Big events such as Lumiere, BRASS and Bishop Auckland Food Festival rely on volunteers who are tasked with handing out flyers, being a point of contact for queries and generally being the face of the festivals. 240,000 visitors attended Lumiere in 2017 across the four nights of the festival.

Julie Lavery, Durham County Council’s volunteer and skills manager, said: “Becoming a Festival Maker is not only a rewarding way of giving something back to your community, it also allows you backstage access to some of the biggest events in our county, enhances your CV and can boost confidence and self-esteem.

“We’re extremely grateful to all of our volunteers who donate their time to ensure our events are that little bit more special, making visitors welcome and ensuring they want to come back to County Durham year after year.”

Speakers include Laura Middleton, who founded her own company after she couldn’t find a workplace that suited the hours needed to being a mum. The Office Rocks, based in Sunderland, now has 22 female staff delivering marketing for businesses including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Tesco.

Other inspiring guests included Diane Keller, who recently led the first global mentoring programme at Sage tailored to increasing the number of women in leadership and technology roles, and well-known North East businesswoman Chey Garland, who shared the lessons she has learnt throughout her career.

Newcastle-born Alice Hall, who was included on Forbes’ 2017 ’30 under 30’ European list, appeared via video link to discuss how she turned an initial investment of just £90 into sales of more than £22 million when she founded her clothing business Pink Boutique.

Visitors heard inspiring stories from two women who were supported into employment by the DurhamWorks scheme, including 21-year-old electrician Abi Beck, who talked about the challenges she faced working in a mainly male-based industry, and Anna Hankin, who has recently landed her dream role.

Cllr Olwyn Gunn, Cabinet member for children and young people, said: “There are so many inspiring women in our region and hearing their stories is a fitting way to mark this International Women’s Day.

Business Spotlight Firefly New Media was started in mid 2010 in Consett, County Durham. The company was established to provide website and graphic design service, but quickly diversified into print, advertising, and magazine publishing.

Barry Kirkham, Firefly’s founder wanted to create a magazine in Consett to publish local interest stories and connect the community with a media outlet. Consett Magazine Issue 1 was published in August 2012 - 10,000 magazines were printed and distributed throughout the town. The magazine quickly became an integral part of the community and a place readers could learn about what’s happening in Consett and the DH8 area.

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Firefly New Media UK is looking for you to join their team.

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We are seeking a bright, dynamic and goal-oriented individual with strong communication skills to join our team.

As a UI/UX designer, you'll interact with a large variety of projects among our many clients and will be designing digital solutions that convey our clients' story.

A strong knowledge of modern design standards and computer applications is a essential.

The ideal candidate should be able to communicate with an outgoing and friendly professional demeanour to clients across the UK and Europe.

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Photography Spotlight Fantastic photographs of Durham from Henry Popiolek

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12

Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

Places to Go: Saltburn-by-the-Sea We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. T. S. Eliot

I began this series in 2002 in a single publication with an article on Saltburn, then the destination of most southbound trains from Chester-le-Street. Indeed, for many years we had a staff summer outing to this town of 6,000, one of the first railway resorts.

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In 1858, while walking along the coast path towards Old Saltburn to visit his brother Joseph in Marske, the railway builder Henry Pease saw a prophetic vision of a town arising on the cliff and the quiet, unfrequented and sheltered glen turned into a lovely garden. The Pease family owned Middlesbrough Estate and had control of the Stockton and Darlington Railway which first opened in 1825. The S&DR agreed to develop Henry's vision by forming the Saltburn Improvement Company (SIC) and the railway line was extended to the town in 1861.

Land was purchased from the Earl of Zetland, and the company commissioned surveyor George Dickinson to lay out what became an interpretation of a gridiron street layout, through which

the railway ran to the very centre, now Station Square.

With as many houses as possible having sea views, the layout was added to by the so-called Jewel streets along the seafront—Coral, Garnet, Ruby, Emerald, Pearl, Diamond and Amber Streets, said to be a legacy of Henry's vision.

The town was developed by the railway company and the SIC, and after securing the best positions for development, money was raised for construction by selling plots to private developers and investors.

Most buildings are constructed using 'Pease' brick, transported from Darlington by the S&DR, with the name Pease set into the brick. The jewel in Henry Pease's crown is said to have been The Zetland Hotel with a private platform into which carriages could be shunted, still visible to this day behind the apartment block into which the original Hotel has changed.

I last visited Saltburn on 5th March as the thaw was melting the previous week’s heavy snowfall with my stepdaughter Melissa. We went for a wander round the clifftop, delighted in the architecture of the town centre, and found a tiny and rarely open vintage shop called Polyester. We enjoyed an excellent lunch in Coco and Rum, a Thai restaurant on the

south side of Station Square, where we both had a good lunch including drinks and coffee for £31.75. The coconut soup with chicken was delicious.

Saltburn is famous for its pier, illustrated, and the Cliff Lift that rises south from the pier to the top of the town, saving a walk up or down the steep hill. Or it would if it were operational, but at the moment the two lift cars are away for repair. Each car on its separate track counter-balances the other with the descending car given extra weight to raise up the ascending car by use of water in a tank. For regular visitors it looks quite odd to see the inclined railway with no passenger cars, but I am told they will be back in operation for the summer season.

Trains run to Saltburn on the line from Middlesbrough and Darlington (twice an hour daytimes) and Bishop Auckland (hourly).

Connections are available from Durham, Chester-le-Street, Newcastle and Cramlington at Darlington, and from Sunderland at Middlesbrough.

Day returns are available from most stations in the north-east. The original station building is no longer used as such – trains terminate just to the left of the picture instead. Alex Nelson

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Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

Surprise assembly for well-loved ‘lollipop’ lady A County Durham woman helping children get to school safely for 25 years has been recognised by grateful pupils and staff.

Marian Dawson, school crossing patrol near Sugar Hill Primary School in Newton Aycliffe, was honoured in a special assembly to mark her landmark anniversary in the role.

“I was gobsmacked, it was a real surprise. I was given flowers as well as cards made by children from every class – it really meant a lot to me that they’d taken the time to do that,” she said.

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Marian, who lives close to the school, said that although lots of things have changed since she began in 1993, her passion for the job remains the same.

“There are lots of differences between now and then – when I first started we were only allowed to help children

over the road not adults which is quite a big change.

“The uniform has changed as well and I think I’m the only one in Aycliffe who still has the original hat, I won’t part with it. Most people wear the baseball caps now but I much prefer my flat type cap.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed is the children – no matter how low you feel, when you see them coming round the corner and smiling and waving and shouting your name they cheer you right up.”

Even the cold Durham winters aren’t enough to put Marian off.

“I always say I’ll still be doing it with my zimmer frame – they might have to drag me off the crossing!” she said.

Paula O’Rourke, head teacher at Sugar Hill Primary School, said: “Marian has been part of our team for 25 years, always

smiling, always cheerful and always putting the children first.

“It doesn’t matter what the weather is doing, rain, hail, snow or sun, Marian is at her post ensuring the children cross the road safely. I would like to thank her once again on behalf of the whole school, staff, children and parents for the work she is doing and long may she continue.”

Cllr Brian Stephens, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “It’s clear that Marian is a much-loved part of the school community and I would like to thank her for her excellent service over the last 25 years.

“We are always on the lookout for people who might like to become a school crossing patrol and I’d encourage anyone interested to contact us on 03000 268 175 for an informal chat.”

An antiques and collectables valuation event will be happening soon. The experts of Lockdales Auctioneers will be providing free valuations on Tuesday 17th April, 10am to 2pm at Delves Lane Village Hall, Delves Lane, Consett, County Durham, DH8 7BH (small free car park, plenty on-street).

You will have the option to consign goods to auction (subject to terms), or accept a cash offer if you wish.

We recently broke the British record for a Rolex Submariner watch at auction. On 11th October 2017 we sold a c.1964 example with orange

numerals for nearly ÂŁ280,000 including premium. This achievement was reported in the national media. The owner consigned the watch to auction at one of our events in the east of England. Many other star items have turned up at our events and we look forward to meeting the public in Cornwall.

Any questions please call Lockdales Auctioneers 01473 627110, email sales@lockdales.com or see our website www.lockdales.com

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Valuing: Coins, jewellery, watches, stamps, banknotes, medals & militaria, antiques, clocks, pens, gold, silver, pre-1900 documents/books & maps, cigarette-cards, postcards, pre-1960

sporting programmes & tickets, vintage toys & comics, scientific instruments, swords, bayonets and de-activated antique firearms. No appointment necessary at this event.

Your Free March / April 2018 Durham Magazine

Antique Valuations

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