Take a look at articles providing news from across the area.
If you’d like to submit something for inclusion in the website to share with the community and visitors please send them via our contact page or to info@visitconsett.co.uk
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Take a look at articles providing news from across the area.
If you’d like to submit something for inclusion in the website to share with the community and visitors please send them via our contact page or to info@visitconsett.co.uk
The major rewrite of our Club website http://leadgatecommunityhistoryclub.co.uk is now complete. It has been recoded with imbedded links for faster response time and the external links to Adobe Spark have gone. Major new content has been included, Leadgate Fallen in WW2. We hope you find it easier to navigate and the content educational as to the history of our village.
The Community Arts Team at Derwent Valley Partnership are currently developing a community arts and social history project called ‘Workers Thread’ linked to Consett Empire Theatre. They would be keen to hear from any local drama, theatre, history and/or art based groups who may be interested in getting involved. A full outline of the project is attached for you which provides some background information relating to the project idea, an overview of the project itself and its intended outcomes. This is a really exciting opportunity to bring history and art together to celebrate one of our iconic and most visited town centre buildings. If you, a member of your group/organisation, or someone you know, are interested in participating in the project or wish to find out more, please contact Martin Weston, based in the community arts team, who will be able to assist you: martin.weston@durham.gov.uk This information will feature on the Derwent Valley Life website and DVP Facebook page in due course, but please feel free to share this information via your own networks as appropriate, we hope to generate as much interest/involvement in this local project as we can. Workers Thread-RB-Project Intro Invite
Teddy bear’s picnic has been going for 28 years, originally from an idea by a regular at the Crown & Crossed Swords in Shotley Bridge, to bring festive cheer to older members of the local population. Usually patrons are collected from 3 local care homes, (these are St Mary’s Convent, Shotley Park Care Home and Kaydar in the village of Shotley Bridge) and brought to the Crown & Crossed Swords. Other local residents who may be alone or vulnerable are also contacted and invited to join us. Here they are treated to a full Christmas dinner, dessert, drinks and entertainment. Fundraising takes place throughout the year to raise enough to cover costs, and volunteers to help with serving meals and washing up are always welcome. This year we had to be more creative, but didn’t let it hold us back. There were care packages assembled for staff and residents at the 3 care homes, including home-baked goodies, and sweets, biscuits and mulled wine generously donated by Tesco Consett. The marvellous Anna Reay provided some amazing sing-along songs in car-park and roadside concerts with her amplifier and microphone powered from her car! Where there’s a will, there’s a […]
PRONOUNCED dead following the worst disaster in the history of Consett steelworks, a blast furnace man lay motionless on a slab at the mortuary. He and 11 others had been overcome by deadly carbon monoxide which had seeped out unnoticed into their workstations. Overcome by the poisonous gas, they fell where they stood. Later, their bodies tagged, their families had been informed and were coming to terms with the tragedy. But then Joseph Foreman woke up. Click this link to read the full article on The Northern Echo
Attached are the citations for the 9 men recognised by Carnegie Hero Fund Trust. Click on the image to enlarge it.
2020 sees a number of major anniversaries and commemoration’s for the Consett area and the Consett & District Heritage Initiative (CDHI). On 12th September 2010 the CDHI opened its doors for our first ever exhibition which saw more than 1000 people attending at the Lodge in Blackhill & Consett Park. The date was of a major significance as well being exactly 30 years from the closure of Consett Steel Works. It was for this very reason that our group was initially founded to help commemorate that monumental date. After that event the CDHI was cemented and took up our place in the area as an archive and also to help spread the proud heritage of our area for now and future generations. Read the full article on Consett Magazine using this link.
Please take a few minutes to listen to the amazing insight from Ernie Jeffrey. Ernie talks about Consett through the ages and is an inspirational opportunity to hear from someone who has lived through the various historical Consett eras and talks about the Steelworks furnace disaster in 1950. PDF Transcript of Interview
Please take a look at the link below sent to us from Leadgate Community History Club about the History of Photography. Please get in touch with richardjudd@leadgatecommunityhistoryclub.co.uk if you have any pictures you are willing to share or want scanned. https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/history-photography
*** Information provided by Karbon Homes *** For those of you who might not be aware, Karbon runs a telephone befriending service for over 55’s, Silver Talk. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK 4 months ago the demand for Silver Talk has rocketed and we have tripled the number of service users who receive a weekly social call from one of our volunteers. Many of our existing volunteers were keen to support this growth and take on more calls each week, however to bridge the gap and make sure that new service users were able to benefit from the service as quickly as possible, we turned to Karbon colleagues for help. This worked fabulously and we’re incredibly thankful for the time our colleagues gave up to help, however now that lockdown measures are easing and many of our services are back online a number of our colleague volunteers are having to return to their original roles and aren’t able to support to the level they were before. Unless we’re able to recruit more community volunteers to fill the gaps, we’re afraid that some of our service users, who have grown incredibly attached to the service […]
A new Facebook page has been set up by the family and partners behind the ongoing work to restore this wonderful historical community building and plans are to re-open it for community use in 2021 all things being equal. If you would like to find out more information or to support them then please message or email them at: info@watlingspaces.co.uk You can also find a photo album on the Leadgate Community History Club Facebook page under the photos tabs.
Due to the current situation and the Steel Club not re-opened yet and when they do due to the interest in this event it WILL NOT be possible to hold a “physical event” at this time but we will look to re-arrage for next year Margaret has kindly agreed to look into doing some form of presentation on line we will probably look to use Zoom So that we can confirm there is interest in this short term alternative any one who would be interested in this or being kept up to date on events going forward is asked to EMAIL please use richardjudd@leadgatecommunityhistoryclub.co.uk and put Coal Talk in title Thank you for your understanding Richard
The History of the Consett Steelworks project (supported by the Leadgate Community History Club) are delighted to announce the launch of a website which has now got its first content added We are grateful to Gavin from the Northern Echo for his time and now producing this article which online from now but will in the hard copy paper on Monday next week Link to article https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18465452.forging-links-past-preserve-history/?fbclid=IwAR0ARlZlznxPZijknrPEapB5zNgGAJQonqHOAGjGXYirEsH1yvSbwBi1cyM The project team are keen to start to collate stories and pictures to add to the website and also for the “Last Day” on line event on Sat 12th Sept 2020 which of course will be the 40th anniversary of the closure of the Steelworks back in 1980 More details on that event will follow in due course https://www.facebook.com/events/598337434100901/ Link for the website please do have a look and share- please bear in mind its a work in progress and will have content added regularly https://historyofconsettsteelworks.com/ Email to make contact with the project group with any stories, pictures or questions is historyofconsettsteelworks@gmail.com If you are on Twitter please follow and re share Tweets for us https://twitter.com/ConsettWorks?lang=en-gb The Facebook group which is already […]
Durham Community Tennis Partnership Head Coach helps frontline practitioners with PPE What do you do to fill your days when you are a furloughed tennis coach, used to being on court every day and evening? The answer for one Co. Durham coach was easy, put your 3D printer to use, when not making tennis racquet parts, why not have a go at making face masks for front line workers in care homes and surgeries who are struggling to get hold of personal protective equipment. Sam Stokoe, who is employed by DCTP and is the Head Coach at Durham Moor, Chilton, Bishop Auckland and Lanchester Tennis Clubs heard of the problems currently being experienced in G.P. surgeries and care homes from his aunt who is a retired nurse practitioner, now back working to help the increased demand on the N.H.S. so he decided to do something about it. Sam set to, to make some masks for a G.P. surgery, word soon spread and he has now made over 750 masks which have been distributed to GP.s and care homes across Durham as well as Newcastle and Sunderland After a Facebook appeal for acetate sheets and plastic ribbon for 3D printers, Sam […]
British Cycling is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mike Hodgson. As organiser of one of British road racing’s most iconic and challenging events – the Tour of the Reservoir – Mike contributed an enormous amount to cycling in Britain over many decades, and his loss will be felt by all within the racing community. Speaking on behalf of the organisation, British Cycling President, Bob Howden OBE, said: “I have lost a close friend, and the world of cycling has lost a tremendous servant. Mike had an indomitable spirit and whilst the Tour of the Reservoir was one of the toughest races on the calendar, he was always looking to do more with the formula, in search of being bigger and better. “As a fellow organiser I had tremendous admiration for Mike’s commitment, which was in spite of his underlying health issues, and I would often reflect as to whether I could ever achieve that level of fortitude should I be in the same position – invariably the answer would be a resounding ‘no’. “I won’t be alone in regretting that this terrible virus prevents me from saying my goodbyes at the funeral of a true friend. I […]
The Rugby season is over. It may have been officially cut short, but it has been a remarkable effort by the players at Consett RFC who contributed week in week out to maintain a 100% record, 22 games 22 victories! There can’t be too many teams across the country who have wrapped up their league championship by the middle of March with a 100% record. Thanks to official Club photographer George Ledger we have pictures of the presentation of the League Championship Shield by Mark Short representing our main sponsor Amethyst Homes. Receiving the trophy is Captain Courageous, Connor Petch, who gives 100% every week and has played all 22 games along with the other 100%’r Dave Adams. It remains to be seen what will happen following the current crisis but, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’, and I’m sure whatever the RFU decide to do with the leagues the lads will be up for the challenge and all our players will be ‘champing at the bit’ to get back on the field. Finally, you can check out all the accurate 1st team squad statistics https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/consett/teams/28999/statistics revealing the 100% record with an average of 40.4 points per game scored and […]
Consett Cycling Festival to be rescheduled as a late-Summer celebration Organisers have decided to reschedule Consett’s popular cycling festival to protect public wellbeing – but have vowed to make it a vibrant celebration later in the year. The now-annual event attracts international professional cyclists to Derwentside for the gruelling Tour of the Reservoir, together with a community festival that attracted 10,000 visitors last year. This year, the organisers – Consett regeneration body the Project Genesis Trust – had planned the festival for 31 May, with even more free events to be held in the town. But Chair John O’Connor said rescheduling was a necessary and responsible measure – and could even have positive effects. “It’s disappointing, of course, but the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors has to be our number one priority,” he said. “We had more than 10,000 visitors to the festival in 2019, together with 1,000 cyclists, supporters and spectators, and we were confident that the May event would attract even more.” Undaunted, the organisers hope that the cycle event and the community festival will both take place in September. “Looking on the positive side, we’ll have even more time to come up with ideas […]
A community festival that attracted elite international pro cyclists and over 10,000 visitors to Consett last year is going ahead again – and this year, it’s going to be even bigger! Last year’s Consett Cycle Festival was a huge success, boosting the local economy by more than £1m. And now the organisers have announced that the 2020 festival will take place on Sunday the 31st May – and once again it will be completely free for visitors and spectators. Sponsored by Consett regeneration body Project Genesis Trust, last year’s event built on the nationally renowned Tour of the Reservoir by extending the usual course so that competitors started and finished in the town centre. The British Cycling Elite Category race was seen over 10 million viewers on Eurosport and national TV networks. John O’Connor, Project Genesis Trust Chair, said: “We built a whole community festival around the cycling, and it was a massive hit with local people and professional cyclists. “So we’ve decided to make this year’s festival even bigger and better, and we’re already planning a range of events built around the top-class cycling that everyone can enjoy.” The idea for the 2020 festival has already won support from […]
A popular theatre in County Durham is set to receive significant investment to carry out improvement works. Durham County Council will invest over £500,000 to upgrade Consett’s Empire Theatre which will see a number of improvements made to the building. The project will involve refreshing the décor of the theatre’s auditorium, enhancements to the stage and lighting, and improving backstage facilities for visiting acts. There will also be essential repairs made to the roof and cosmetic updates to the café and Box Office areas. Empire Theatre’s upgrade means the 500-capacity venue will close temporarily from Wednesday 1 April and will re-open in early September with an exciting new programme of Autumn shows and events. Cllr Joy Allen, Cabinet member for transformation, culture and tourism, said: “The Empire Theatre is a popular venue and is the heart of Consett for live theatre, the latest blockbusters, cultural events, and as a place to unwind at its café. “These improvements will give the venue a real boost so it can continue as a hub for family-friendly entertainment when it re-opens in the Autumn season.” Tickets for upcoming shows will still be available to purchase in advance during the closure, either online at the […]
The Project Genesis Trust works hard to support the local community. Here is a photo of the recent donation to: St Johns Players
The Project Genesis Trust works hard to support the local community. Here are photos of the recent donations to: Consett & District Photographic Society Red Dust Company Choir Lanchester Table Tennis Club
A group of volunteers are setting up as Land of Oak & Iron Trust. They have already achieved some brilliant work, including a Heritage Orienteering project around Blackhill and Consett Park (all fresher students from Derwentside College, plus pupils from 3 local primary schools working together); bringing Tales of Derwentdale and Men of Iron back into print, and a fantastic mapping project where 30 people are involved in digitising changes to the area over time. Next spring the group will be bringing back to life ‘Thread of Iron’ by Douglas Vernon https://helensteadman.com/2016/11/12/literature-review-4-thread-of-iron-by-douglas-vernon-a-definitive-history-of-shotley/10983141/ This will be in Consett, possibly the library. The timing is of course linked to the 40th year anniversary of the closure of the steelworks. Susan is the main contact for this on our team and can pass on details to you.
The Project Genesis Trust works hard to support the local community. Here are a few photos of cheques being presented to some amazing local groups.
Consett Iron Company made Spring steel that nobody else in the world could match – they were famous for their Spring steel – made from the waters of the River Derwent. They exported their steel all over the world! I worked for CIC for 8 years, and was the Shipping Invoice Clerk. I had to copy type Proforma’s, Bills of Lading, Import and Export invoices in the language of the recipient country so I know how far the steel was exported all over the world! Dorman Long from Middlesbrough built Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia using Consett Iron Company steel. The first Polaris submarine was built with CIC steel, and the Empress of Canada ship. It is ironic that I lived my life in all three of these countries: England, Australia and Canada. Nancy Steel
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The major rewrite of our Club website http://leadgatecommunityhistoryclub.co.uk is now complete. It h
The Community Arts Team at Derwent Valley Partnership are currently developing a community arts and social h
Teddy bear's picnic has been going for 28 years, originally from an idea by a regular at the Crown & Cross
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