Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

Family Fun Day to celebrate the Anniversary of the S&DR
2021-09-26 | Hopetown
Looking for something to do on Sunday 26 September 2021 – Come down to Head of Steam between 10am – 4pm and join in with the Family Fun Day to celebrate the Anniversary of the S&DR
The museum cafe with be open serving a selection of sandwiches, paninis, toasties, hot and cold drinks, snacks and crisps
SDSME – South Durham Society of Model Engineers will be here with their mini train ride
Adults £2, Children £1, under 5’s are free and included in admission and yearly passes

CELEBRATING OUR RAILWAY’S BIRTHDAY – ALL ABOARD FOR S&DR SPECIALIST MARKET
2021-09-25 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Stockton High Street, TS18 1LR, United Kingdom
A specialist railway-themed market is heading to Stockton town centre on the 25th September as part of celebrations to mark the 196th birthday of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
The free market on Saturday, September 25 will host a range of enthusiasts, exhibitors and traders selling and showing railway related gifts and memorabilia.
The event, which is being held from 10am to 4pm, is part of the countdown to the 2025 bicentenary, which will celebrate 200 years since the first journey made on the famous Railway. It is being organised by the Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway in partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and will take place on Stockton High Street.
Visitors to the town centre will also be able to hear atmospheric sounds of the railway as they walk through Wellington Square, transporting them back in time.
Councillor Jim Beall, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Leisure and Culture, said: “The modern railway started in this Borough in 1825 and it’s impact since has been revolutionary in changing history, industry and the way people travel.
“This market celebrates the 196th anniversary of railway and at Saturday’s event there will be something for railway enthusiasts and all the family alike.
“So, come along to the market and join in as we gear up and go full steam ahead towards the countdown to the 2025 bicentenary.
The list of traders includes:
· Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway
· North Eastern Locomotion Preservation Group
· Railway Correspondence and Travel Society
· Weardale Railway
· Bowes Railway
· Tanfield Railway
· Durham Locomotive Preservation Group
· George Morton Transport Books
· Norton Heritage Group
· The Fitzhugh Library
· Friends of the Settle to Carlisle Line
The nearest car park is at Knowle Street, but this is quite small. It can be found at TS18 1SJ. The Riverside Car park has much more capacity at TS18 1TE.

CELEBRATIONS OF THE 196th ANNIVERSARY of the S&DR
2021-09-24 13:00 - 16:15 | Toft Hill & Etherley Community Centre, DL14 0JB
Etherley & Witton Park Colliery Group at the Toft Hill Community Hall. Tom Walker demonstrates the MODEL STEAM ENGINE BUILT BY THOMAS GREENER of ETHERLEY. Register with John Raw 01833 663764; ‘e’mail: jraw2883@aol.com

Beer and Bread Guided Tour No.3
2021-09-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Stockton High Street, TS18 1LR, United Kingdom
The story of the navvies who built the S&DR and how they celebrated on the opening night. A guided tour around Stockton’s taverns. No free beer but free nibbles at the end of the walk. Meet at the Market Cross at 7pm and bring your ticket with you. Book your tickets here: johnharris@interacting.info

Beer and Bread Guided Tour No.2
2021-09-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Stockton High Street, TS18 1LR, United Kingdom

Beer and Bread Tour No.1
2021-09-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Stockton High Street, TS18 1LR, United Kingdom

Brusselton Incline Group Open Day
2021-09-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Whistle Stop Cafe, Redworth Road, Shildon
On Saturday 18th September, the Brusselton Incline Group, an area group of the Friends of the S&DR, will be hosting an open day from 10.00 am. This will be held in the Whistle Stop Cafe, Redworth Road in New Shildon, the Cradle of the Railways.
A display of the work carried out by the group since 2014 will be on view. Information about the 2025 vision for the whole area of the line will be available. Members of the public are invited to get involved in the group’s activities.

Rail Heritage Exhibition
2021-09-05 | Shildon Railway Institute, Shildon, DL4 2JJ, United Kingdom
Rail stories told by local societies through images, objects, sounds, words and film.

Friends of the S&DR AGM
2021-09-02 19:10 - 20:30 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Papers and an agenda can be found in the Members’ section of this web site.

Friends of the S&DR AGM 2021
2021-09-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway – Annual General Meeting. Thursday 2nd September 2021 at Darlington Cricket Club. Doors open at 7.00 pm with meeting starting at 7.10 pm.
Did you know???? Darlington Cricket Club is nearly as old as the S&DR! They recorded their first ever match in 1827 – the year the Royal George was built in Shildon!

Bramble picking with the Railway Pioneers of St. Helen Auckland
2021-08-31 10:15 - 12:00 | St. Helen Auckland parish church, Manor Road, St. Helen Auckland, DL14 9ER, United Kingdom
On Tuesday 31st August WASH (our area group covering West Auckland and St. Helen Auckland) are inviting you to bramble with us from 10.15am in St Helen Auckland Parish Churchyard, NZ 18835 26773. There will be a guided tour of seven gravestones related to S&DR early employees and their families including Storey, Young, Booth, Greener, and the recently found Thomas Summerson, the youth rewarded with a shilling by Mr Kitching on Brusselton Incline in the 1830s.

Garden Open Day on the Etherley Incline
2021-08-15 13:30 - 16:30 | Etherley Incline
Sunday 15th August, Mary Smith, our Etherley Incline Witton Park Colliery Group secretary, will be opening her garden at Hillside Cottages, for the National Open Garden Scheme from 1.30 – 4.30pm – admission £5.00. Refreshments available. This garden overlooks the Etherley Incline and we will be having a stall, where we will give out information and sell booklets etc. Why not join us and explore the incline at the same time? Garden post code is DL14 0EZ. You can book in advance if you prefer but it is not essential here.

The Shildon “Little Big Meeting”
2021-08-07 11:00 - 16:00 | Hackworth Park, Shildon
The Little Big Meeting, will take place in Hackworth Park, Shildon, on Saturday 7th August 2021. The event will run between 11am and 4pm.
This is one of 18 events across the region taking place this summer in place of the annual Durham Miner’s Gala. Each will be different, but the Shildon one will be modelled on miners’ family picnics of old – so very much in the spirit of the Gala; celebrating our coal and rail heritage – it will be an event for the whole family.

History of the Fighting Cocks area
2021-07-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Fighting Cocks
The Friends are meeting with members of Middleton St. George Historical Society on Thursday 22 July at 6.00 pm Fighting Cocks on the 1825 route of the S&DR.
We will talk with them about the history of the Fighting Cocks area. We will have a look at the various projects of the Heritage Hub then walk through The Whinnies to Oaktree Junction continuing to Goosepool then back through The Whinnies. This is an opportunity for our members to find out what we are all up to.
Meet outside the former Platform 1 (Fighting Cocks) pub.
Please let Peter Bainbridge know if you would like to attend.
Numbers may be limited subject to whatever Covid restrictions and requirements are in place at the time.

Save Fighting Cocks Community Pub public meeting
2021-07-14 19:00 - 20:00 | Save Fighting Community Pub
A public Zoom meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 14th July, at 7pm to discuss our way forward now that planning permission has been given for the pub. Zoom Codes will be sent to people registering an interest in attending.
We hope that you will be able to attend. It has always been the Group’s intention to be able to hold a public meeting, but circumstances have prevented us from doing so up to now. We do hope that the meeting will be an opportunity where you can ask the Group questions. But also, the Group would very much like to hear your comments and suggestions as to where we can go from here. We are all members of the Middleton St George Community – villagers – and do recognise that we need to work together.
Many thanks,
Save the Fighting Cocks Community Pub Group

BIG Weed!
2021-07-02 09:30 - 11:30 | Brusselton Incline
Can you help clear weeds from the Brusselton Incline on the 2nd July? Meet near the Accommodation Bridge at 9.30am. You will need:

sturdy footwear
long trousers (to avoid thorns brambles etc)
any litter picking gear you have (though some will be provided)
gardening gloves
water to drink

a can do attitude……………
Please contact John Raw to say if you are coming at jraw2883@aol.com

WASH Litter Pick
2021-07-01 13:00 - 15:00
West Auckland/ St. Helen litter pick. Meet at the green bridge next to the Gaunless Bridge at 1pm.
You will need:

sturdy footwear
long trousers (to avoid thorns brambles etc)
any litter picking gear you have (some will be provided)
gardening gloves
water to drink

a can do attitude…………..
Please contact John Raw to say if you are coming at jraw2883@aol.com

Meeting 1st July
2021-05-10 08:00 - 17:00
Sadly, due to ongoing restrictions, our next Trustee’s meeting will still be on zoom, not in person, and will take place on the 1st July. The minutes of previous meetings and future agendas are available to paid up members of the Friends on the Members’ Page. We are constantly monitoring the situation in the hope that we can soon restart indoor meetings.
