Tag: durham

County Durham Record Office Holds Half Term Family Event

By on 6th February 2016in In & Around

Families are invited to honour fallen First World War soldiers, make medieval-style illuminated letters, create cameras, and discover how Durham County Record Office cares for the region’s history…

 

The archive, which is based at Durham County Council’s Aykley Heads headquarters, is holding its seventh annual Family Fun Day this half term.

Education and outreach archivist Dawn Layland said: “This is a family fun day with a difference. It’s a great chance to find out about local history, and our fun activities are coupled to a rare opportunity to explore the Record Office and our archives as a family.”

On Friday 19th February, from 9.30am to 12.30pm, families will be given the chance to discover what the Record Office offers and find out more about the heritage of County Durham.

There will be lots of activities, including:

  • Making your own pinhole camera
  • Having a go at historic jigsaws
  • Making an illuminated letter like those found in medieval manuscripts
  • Making a remembrance card to commemorate a fallen soldier of the First World War
  • Seeing the strong rooms where the archives are kept
  • Playing with historical toys, and for younger children, dressing up.

Entrance to the fun day is free, and you do not have to book, but children must be accompanied by a parent or carer at all times.

Nominations Open For County Durham’s Chairman’s Medal

By on 5th February 2016in Have Your Say

There’s a new look to County Durham’s top award, as big-hearted people who’ve made a difference in their communities are being sought for the Chairman’s Medal…

 

A new category has been introduced with special emphasis on honouring the county’s outstanding young people. The Chairman’s Medal is awarded by the Chairman in recognition of significant achievement and outstanding effort in all walks of life.

It’s the highest honour the council can bestow, and Area Action Partnerships (AAPs) are looking for countywide nominations in the run-up to a major presentation later this year.

Cllr Jan Blakey, Chairman of Durham County Council, will double the award recipients from 14 to 28 when she announces the names of the successful entrants in May.

The Chairman has introduced a new Young Person’s Medal to rank alongside the Chairman’s Medal, and nominations can be made for both categories in each of the 14 AAP areas.

The medal has been County Durham’s top civic award since it was introduced in 2007, and Cllr Blakey will hold ceremonies just before her term of office ends in May to honour chosen ‘individuals for voluntary effort’ or ‘outstanding charitable organisations’.

The Chairman is working with the AAPs to find people and organisations that have gone above and beyond to make a difference, and in particular is keen to highlight the Young Person’s Medal.

Cllr Blakey, said: “I am certain we will have many outstanding entries to be considered for both categories.

“We have some wonderful young people throughout the county who richly deserve recognition for the selfless work they do – work that very often goes unnoticed, but is so vital to the individuals or communities it helps.

“I want this presentation event to be a celebration of the achievements and effort that people of our county put in every day. We do care about what they do, and I can’t over estimate the value that we place upon these people.

“I am writing to all AAP forum members and voluntary organisation partners to ask for nominations, and there are no fixed guidelines – anyone can nominate someone.”

The deadline for nominations for both the Chairman’s Medal and the Young Person’s Medal is Monday 14th March, and completed forms should be forwarded to: The Chairman’s Office, Durham County Council, County Hall, Durham DH1 5UL.

For more information, call 03000 267 202, visit www.durham.gov.uk/ChairmansMedal, or email chairmansoffice@durham.gov.uk.

Primary School Pupils Participate In ISS Science Project

By on 4th February 2016in In & Around

Budding scientists from Witton Gilbert Primary School are preparing for a delivery that’s out of this world – 100 seeds from space…

 

The school will be taking part in the Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Rocket Science Experiment.

The national project, which is run in partnership with the UK Space Agency, aims to encourage pupils to think about how plants might grow in space and to help them understand the difficulties of living, growing and eating in space.

In September, 2kg of rocket seeds were flown to the International Space Station (ISS) on board the Soyuz 44S.

The seeds will be held in microgravity for six months, and British astronaut Tim Peake will be in charge of them during his time on the ISS.

The seeds will come back down to earth in April, and Witton Gilbert Primary School will be one of the lucky recipients.

The school will then grow the space seeds alongside some seeds from here on earth to find out if there have been any differences in growth.

Nobody from the school will know which seeds have been to space and which have stayed here.

Pupils will care for the seedlings, record their growth and observations over seven weeks, and enter the information into a database. Once all the data has been collected, the results will be analysed by professional statisticians.

Leading scientists from the RHS and European Space Agency will interpret the results and draw possible conclusions before publishing the finds on the RHS Campaign for School Gardening website.

Paula Nelson, Witton Gilbert Primary School head teacher, said: “We are delighted to be taking part in Rocket Science. It will be an exciting way for our young scientists to contribute to a national experiment, and share their learning with the whole school community.

“Hopefully their experience with the project will encourage them to get involved in growing plants, and also inspire them to find out more about future careers in STEM subjects including horticulture, plant science and the space industry as a whole.”

For more information about the Rocket Science project, click here.

The ISS can be tracked here, and you can follow the project on Twitter with #RocketScience, and on Facebook.

John Godber Brings Mining Drama To Durham Gala Theatre

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Miners will take centre stage this month, as BAFTA Award-winning playwright John Godber brings his latest play to Durham’s Gala Theatre…

 

Shafted! follows the lives of former pitman Harry and his wife Dot – played by Godber and his wife Jane Thornton – in the thirty years after the strikes of 1984, as the pair struggle to settle into new jobs and to rebuild their community.

Fresh from its premiere at the Theatre Royal Wakefield, the comedy arrives in Durham on Monday 15th and Tuesday 16th February.

For more information about the show, which will be performed at 7.30pm each night, or to book tickets – priced £15 or £13 for concessions – call the Gala box office on 03000 266 600, visit the venue in person, or book online at www.galadurham.co.uk.

Carnival Themed Charity Ball Set For Ramside Hall

By on 3rd February 2016in Entertainment

Ramside Hall Hotel is being transformed into Rio de Janeiro for a colourful, carnival-themed charity ball…

The fifth annual Moorbennhall Charity Ball, organised by Andrew Bennett and Calvin Moore, will be held at the luxury hotel near Durham on Saturday April 16th.

Guests at the event, including Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt, celebrity make-up artist Armand Beasley and star of TV show Real Housewives of Cheshire, Ampika Pickston, will enjoy a fabulous four course dinner, as well as live entertainment running throughout the night.

This includes performances by top comedian Brendan Healy, popular North East singer Jerome Remblance, and a troupe of Rio Carnival dancers.

Proceeds from the black tie ball, which has a filthy rich and fabulous dress code, will be donated to Rochdale-based charity, GEM Appeal, which funds research into genetic diseases affecting children across the UK.

To date, The Moorbennhall Charity Ball has raised £50,000 for the appeal, and charity patron and TV star, Denise Welch, is expected to attend this year’s event to show her support.

Event organiser, Andrew Bennett, said: “Calvin and I attended a fundraising event for the GEM Appeal many years ago, and were really touched by the charity’s efforts to help children and their families struggling with genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism.

“Establishing The Moorbennhall Charity Ball seemed like a natural extension to our own work among young people with learning disabilities, and we’re delighted to have raised such a significant sum over the past four years.

“This year’s event looks set to be one of our most glamorous yet, and we can’t wait to see everyone dressed up and shaking their maracas in a night not to be missed.”

Bronze tickets for The Moorbennhall Charity Ball at Ramside Hall Hotel are priced at £50 per person, including limited seating and a drink on arrival.

A Silver option is also available at £65 per person, with the addition of a wine package, while top tier Gold tickets, incorporating preferential seating and a goodie bag, are priced at £85 per person.

For more information or to book, call Entertainment Today Events Ltd on 0161 4840876 or email info@entertainmenttoday.co.uk.

Ramside Spa: Could You Propose To Your Man?

By on 3rd February 2016in Lifestyle

A leading North East spa is helping women take advantage of a leap year tradition in hope of making their love last forever…

February 29th is the day when women can turn the tables and propose to their partners, and comes round just once every four years.

And to ensure that the answer is “I do”, the Spa at Ramside, at Ramside Hall Hotel near Durham, is suggesting that would-be brides make their visit extra special by taking advantage of its private infinity pool, which can be added to the venue’s range of spa packages.

“The new infinity pool is a great way to spend some quality time together,” said Jill Russell, Spa Director at the Spa at Ramside.

“Private use of the facility can be added on to any of our packages. It’s the perfect setting for a surprise proposal, and couples can celebrate their engagement with a bottle of bubbly too.”

Along with their signature spa days and packages, the Spa at Ramside also offers a range of men’s treatments, which will help women to “soften up” their man before they pop the question.

Among the treatments available are the Men’s Reviver, which includes a double cleanse exfoliation, a face, neck and shoulder massage, a lifting and smoothing cooling mask, and a scalp massage.

Other packages include a Stress Buster package, which offers a back massage, and a facial and scalp massage, the Golfer’s Tonic package, which includes a foot soak and exfoliation, a foot and leg massage, a back exfoliation and a back massage with hot stones, the Made for Men package and the Heaven on Earth package.

For the woman who wants to go all out, there is The Man Up and Spa package, which includes a two course spa lunch in the venue’s Fusion restaurant, and a choice of a 60 minute, 90 minute or two hour men’s treatment.

It also offers full use of the spa’s state-of-the-art facilities, which include a hydrotherapy pool, five heat experiences, an outdoor vitality pool, and a 25m swimming pool.

The Spa at Ramside also offers a range of packages which are suitable for couples.

Prices for the men’s spa treatments start from £65. For full details of the packages and treatments available, visit www.ramsidespa.co.uk or contact the spa on 0191 375 3088.

Durham PCC Calls For Local Opinion Over Crime Prevention

By on 2nd February 2016in Have Your Say

The Institute of Directors in the North East is bringing together all three of the region’s Police and Crime Commissioners, to allow the region’s business community to actively participate in the debate on crime prevention and enforcement…

The event, which is open to all business people, will be held in the Durham Centre at Belmont Business Park between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday 25th February. It will include talks by the region’s three PCCs; Vera Baird QC, Ron Hogg, and Barry Coppinger, alongside experts on cyber security, human trafficking, and slavery. The three PCCs will also lead seminars to hear the views of business people from their respective areas.

David Cliff, Vice-Chairman of the IoD in the North East, who is completing a four year study into Police and Crime Commissioners, said: “Businesses in the North East are rightly concerned about crime. On average, one in three are affected by economic crime each year. On top of age old concerns about the security of their premises and employees, there are modern issues like cyber-crime, which costs the UK £27 billion a year, and workplace bullying.

“Good policing provides a stable environment for our businesses to operate in, and is at the heard of cohesive communities, so getting our PCCs and business leaders together is a positive thing for the North East as it can boost both our security and prosperity.

“Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for County Durham and Darlington, said: “It is really important that businesses tell us what their priorities are for reducing and preventing crime. The nature of crime is changing, and this will be an excellent opportunity to plan together how to address it. I hope as many business people as possible are able to attend.”

To book tickets for the event, which cost £10 plus VAT and are free to IoD members and their guests, email Sukie Ranken on iod.northeast@iod.com.

Help Needed In Search For 1966 County Durham Footballers

By on 29th January 2016in Have Your Say

An appeal is being made to help find members of a County Durham youth football team that beat the Germans in their own back garden the day after England won the World Cup…

 

As part of an exchange with County Durham’s partner area of Kreis Moers (now known as Kreis Wesel), a team of under-18s from schools and youth clubs across the county defeated their German counterparts on 31st July 1966. With the 50th anniversary this year, Durham County Council’s International Office is trying to help two of the players track down their former teammates so they can hold a reunion to commemorate the victory.

As well as being key players for the team, Graham Comer and Brian Hopkins were best friends in 1966, and remain so nearly fifty years later.

With the exchange arranged months in advance, neither of them dared to dream that England would reach the final, let alone against Germany and go on to win. But on 30th July 1966, the group found themselves watching the match on a big screen in a dance hall in Rheinhausen, cheering England on alongside over 100 Germans students.

Graham, a former physics teacher who is now semi-retired (though still working part time at Tanfield School), said: “The atmosphere was good natured but fraught at times – especially when Germany equalised in the 89th minute! Our hosts were extremely gracious in defeat, though, and when we all went back to the homes of the families we were staying with, they insisted that we sat at the head of the table in celebration of England winning.”

The real match, however, was still to come, and the boys lined up the next day against the Kreis Moers team, determined to do as well as the national side.

And they did, with a solid victory, although exactly how solid is slightly uncertain some 49 years later. Graham and Brian are certain that they scored six and won, with Brian getting two goals – one a tap-in after a free kick from Graham came back off the bar – and think the final result was County Durham 6-4 Kreis Moers.

Graham continued: “With the fiftieth anniversary coming up, we’d love to be able to have a reunion with the other lads from the team, so we’re hoping they see this, or someone they know does and gets in touch with the council so we can make it a reality. It would be great if we could all get together again after so many years, and even better if one of them can remember the final score!”

Brian Stobie, Durham County Council’s international officer, said: “We’re delighted to try and help reunite the team. Over the years we’ve arranged many collaborations and exchanges with our partner area in Germany and across the world which have strengthened County Durham’s international standing, and given unique learning experiences to hundreds of young people.”

People with information about the team and their current whereabouts are asked to email the council’s International Office at international@durham.gov.uk.

County Durham and Kreis Wesel have a long history of exchanges and collaborations. Recent projects include pupils from Park View School visiting Germany in autumn last year researching employability and language skills. Pupils from Germany also memorably visited their counterparts at Seaham School of Technology to re-enact the First World War’s Christmas Day truce football match in December 2014.

Chance To #HaveYourSay Over Future Of Sedgefield And Lanchester

By on 28th January 2016in Have Your Say

People at Lanchester and Sedgefield are being invited to help shape the future of where they live, work and shop…

 

Durham County Council has launched a consultation on new character appraisals which have been produced for the communities’ historic conservation areas.

An appraisal helps raise awareness of the special character and interest of an historic area. The documents recommend ways to improve a conservation area and to manage change, and also provide an interesting history and snapshot of the area.

The Lanchester appraisal includes proposed extensions to the designated boundary, changes to rules on external alterations to some properties, and management proposals. The Sedgefield document includes minor changes to the boundary, no alternations to the rules on external alterations, and management proposals.

Both appraisals are at the draft stage, and people who live, own businesses and shop in the two communities are now being encouraged to have their say.

Drop in information sessions are being held at Lynwood House, Lanchester, on Wednesday 3rd February 2016 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm, and Ceddesfeld Hall, Sedgefield, on Tuesday 16th February 2016 from 2.30pm to 6.30pm.

Staff from the design and conservation team, who are leading on the publication of the appraisals, will be in attendance.

Cllr Neil Foster, the council’s cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: “The purpose of character appraisals is to make sure that the unique characteristics and historic features of our conservation areas are preserved, whilst ensuring that they meet the needs of modern communities.

“I hope local residents and businesses will help us build a detailed picture of what is special about the area in which they live and work, by taking part in the consultation events.”

To find out more about the appraisals and to #HaveYourSay, visit www.durham.gov.uk/consultation, email design.conservation@durham.gov.uk or phone 03000 267146.

The consultation period for both documents ends on Friday 27th February.

2016 Big Spring Clean Calls For Volunteers

By on 27th January 2016in In & Around

Litter legends are being called upon once again to help spruce up their communities as part of this year’s Big Spring Clean…

 

LitterFree Durham, Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council are teaming up for the sixth time to stage the annual campaign.

The Big Spring Clean brings communities together to ‘clean up and green up’ their towns and villages.

Over the last six years, thousands of volunteers have rolled up their sleeves and armed themselves with litter picks to rid their streets and open spaces of dumped rubbish.

This year’s campaign will be held from Monday 29th February until Sunday 17th April, and calls are being issued now for people to sign up and get involved.

Cllr Brian Stephens, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “We are delighted to support this excellent campaign. It is always fantastic to see residents come together and do something rewarding in their community.

“This is a great opportunity to make a real difference to where you live, and we would urge everyone to give up some of your time, whatever you can spare, and take part.

“Although most people get rid of their rubbish properly, we work hard to educate the minority who leave their litter lying around.

“Campaigns like the Big Spring Clean make a huge difference to the environment, and help us achieve our aim of making County Durham a safer, cleaner and greener place to live, work and visit.”

Gerald Lee, Chair of LitterFree Durham, added: “Every year more and more people in County Durham and Darlington pledge their time to this extremely worthwhile cause.

“We could not achieve the levels of success that we have without the support of groups, schools, partners and local residents, and we thank everyone for their continued support, including bus company Arriva and the Environment Agency.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the campaign will be supplied with equipment and support, and arrangements will be made to collect all bagged rubbish following litter picks.

Last year’s campaign saw 1,490 volunteers turn out in County Durham, with 147 litter picks carried out. Nearly 3,000 hours were dedicated to collecting a total of 1,458 bags of rubbish.

The Environment Agency also used specialist equipment to remove trees and debris from the River Wear in Chester-le-Street.

In Darlington, 489 volunteers gave up 529 hours of their time to carry out 28 litter picks and collect over four tonnes of bulky waste from rivers using specialist equipment provided by the Environment Agency.

It means that across County Durham and Darlington last year, nearly 2,000 volunteers dedicated more than 3,500 hours to collecting 2,013 bags of rubbish in total.

To take part in a litter pick in County Durham, email litterfreedurham@durham.gov.uk or call 03000 261 000 – in Darlington email litterfreedurham@darlington.gov.uk or call 01325 406 648.

Visit www.durham.gov.uk/bigspringclean for more information.

Litter problems can be reported at www.durham.gov.uk/litter or call 03000 261 000.

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