Friends' AGM 2023
2023-10-28 | Georgian Theatre, Stockton, Green Dragon Yard,, Stockton-on-Tees, TS18 1AT
The date for our AGM this year will be Saturday 28th of October and will be held at the Georgian Theatre in Stockton. Details still to be announced.

Limestone Quarry, East Thickley and Locomotion Shed 2
2023-11-04 11:00 - 14:00 (Europe/London) | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Details yet to be announced. Watch this space!

December Meeting & Christmas Social
2023-12-07 19:00 - 21:00 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
We’ve reached the final meeting of the year and as is tradition, we will be holding a shortened December meeting at the Railway Tavern, High Northgate, Darlington followed by a bring and share buffet. There will also be book stalls and Caroline will be bringing a selection of fantastic Railway Station giftware, so you can buy S&DR themed presents for Christmas!
Please bring along a contribution of finger food for the buffet (there is no cutlery etc. at the tavern so please make sure that all food can be eaten with fingers!) Christmas jumpers, Santa hats etc. are optional but highly encouraged. Good cheer is essential.
Members can find the papers in the members area, non-members are welcome to come along and see what we do although will have no vote on agenda items. You can sign up for membership on the night.
The agenda is available to download here: 2023-12-07 FSDR Meeting Agenda

Talk: The History of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
2024-01-24 18:00 - 20:30 | Friends Meeting House Darlington, 6 Skinnergate, Darlington, DL3 7NB
The North East Region of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers is pleased to present a talk on the History of The Stockton and Darlington Railway by Caroline Hardie.
The presentation will be in the Elm Meeting room of the Darlington Friends Meeting House, 6 Skinnergate, Darlington DL3 7NB, at 6pm on Wednesday January 24th 2024.
Attendance is free and Members and non-members of the IMechE are welcome to attend – so Friends of the S&DR can attend.
Please register using the link below at The Stockton & Darlington Railway – The Railway that got the World on Track (imeche.org) as numbers are limited.
https://nearyou.imeche.org/…/North-Eastern/event-detail…

February 2024 Members Meeting
2024-02-01 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our February 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

G5 Open Day
2024-03-02 11:00 - 15:00 | g5 Locomotive Ltd., Unit 8S, Hackworth Industrial Park, Shildon, DL4 1HF
Enjoy a tour of the G5 locomotive works followed by a social drink.
Contact John Raw for more information
jraw2883@aol.com

March 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-03-07 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our March 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

How the Railways Came to Heighington
2024-03-09 14:00 - 16:30 | St Michaels Church, Heighington, DL5 6PN, Church View, Heighington, DL5 6PP, United Kingdom
St Michael’s Church, Heighington will be holding a history day on Saturday 9th March 2pm to 4:30pm.
There will be talks on Heighington’s contribution to the rich history of the S&DR, Book Stalls, Railway Gift Shop and Static Displays.
Tickets £5 (under 16s free entry) from Margaret 07970 600631 or can be bought online here: https://bit.ly/48ePT1l

Etherley Railway Walk
2024-03-15 10:30 - 12:30 | Etherley Incline
Join us for a gentle walk up the Etherley Incline, this short walk of approximately 2.2 miles meets at the former Methodist Chapel in Phoenix Row.
To book a place contact jraw2883@aol.com

April 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-04-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our April 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

May 2024 Members Meeting
2024-05-02 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our May 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers will be sent to members and published here the Monday before the meeting.

Walking the Line – Shildon to Heighington 11th May 2024*
2024-05-11 10:30 - 13:30 | Shildon Station
Continuing our programme to revise and update our self-guided walks booklets before 2025, our next Walking the Line event will be on the 11th May.
The purpose of this walk (apart from fresh air and exercise) is to check the content of the old walks booklet and see what content needs updating before the redesign. We will also be looking for better photographs, so feel free to take pictures on the day.
You can download a copy of the old walk booklet here:
https://sdr1825.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SDR-Booklet-4-Shildon-to-Heighington-2017-08-31.pdf
We will be doing this walk backwards from the route in the walk booklet.
The itinerary for the day is as follows but feel free to adapt the beginning to suit your own location:

Meet at Shildon Station to catch the 10.32 to Heighington. (Allow time to buy your ticket on the platform £3.30)
Alight at Heighington at 10.40 and cross the level crossing to Heighington Station, the former Locomotion No.1 pub. We’ll have a chat about the Save Heighington Station Campaign and the significance of the building. If you live nearer Heighington, feel free to join us there and hope that some kind person will give you a lift back from Shildon at the end of the walk.
We’ll head northwards back towards Newton Aycliffe and Shildon – some of this will be along the newly created S&DR path at Preston Road.
We will finish at Locomotion having looked at the Locomotive refuelling drops, Kilburn’s Warehouse (Soho Shed), the Goods Shed and Hackworth’s House.

This is a relatively level walk along tarmacked surfaces (mostly). It will take at least two hours largely due to interesting stops along the way. Allow for more.
Dogs are welcome, but please note that Locomotion in Shildon does not permit dogs inside, not even to the café. There is a lot of broken glass on the ground behind the Heighington Station.
If you plan to join us on this walk, please send your name, email address and mobile phone number before the 11th to caroline@aenvironment.co.uk and also say if you are joining us at Shildon Station or at Heighington Station. Your contact details are required so we can get in touch on the day if plans unexpectedly change.
The updating and redesign of this booklet has been made possible by sponsorship from Husqvarna who have premises on Preston Road.
Caroline Hardie. M: 07773 195686. E: caroline@aenvironment.co.uk

* It’s National Train Day!

Heighington Station Goods Yard Clean Up
2024-05-25 10:00 - 13:00 | Heighington Station
25th May – gather together to give the goods yard a clean and make it safer to visit.

June 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-06-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our June 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club on Thursday 6th June. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available to download below:
2024 – June Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-05-02 Minutes Draft – Copy
2024-06-06 FSDR Meeting Agenda
Additional information for Item 8
BIG EIWPC Checklist for walk leaders (Item 8)
Editor & webmaster June 2024
May Meeting Combined Papers
Planning Report 24.06.06
Membership Report 31.05.2024
MSG Stockton and Darlington Railway BiCentenary Organisation Group 09.05.2024 – Minutes for the Friends.doc
H&S Risk Assessment FoS&DR 6th June 24 – Guided Walks

Guided Walks along the S&DR in Stockton
2024-06-29 10:15 - 17:00
Join us for a guided walk along the historic Stockton and Darlington Railway on Saturday 29th June 2024
Walk A – from Allen’s West Station to Preston Park
Meet on station platform at 10.15 am
The trains from Darlington arrive at 09.35 and 10.08.
The trains from Thornaby arrive at 09.38 and 10.01.
Walk B – from Preston Park to Allen’s West Station
Meet at Eaglescliffe Station at 1.00 pm
The trains from Darlington arrive at 12.37 and 13.10.
The trains from Thornaby arrive 12.37 and 12.59.
For further Information and to book a place please contact
Peter Bainbridge – membership.sdr1825@virginmedia.com
01642 868877/07941 446663
Please supply mobile phone number together with ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact name and phone number.
A limited number of spaces are available and so booking is required.
Dogs are not allowed.

Circular Walk around Shildon
2024-07-04 10:20 - 13:00 | Locomotion, Shildon, Dale Road, Shildon, DL4 2RE, United Kingdom
Walking into local history
The Railway that got the World on Track
An invitation to take an easy, circular walk around the very first Railway town in the World, Shildon.
Thursday 4th July meet at LOCOMOTION car park 10.20
If you’d like to come please contact jraw2883@aol.com
Approximate distance 3.2 miles.

July 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-07-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our July 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Please find the papers for the meeting below:

2024-07-04 Agenda
2024 – July Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-06-06 Minutes Draft
Merged reports June 24 to accompany minutes
2025 Report for the Friends Mtg 04.07.24
DIG Report
Editor & webmaster July 2024
EIWPC WASH BIG Report
Membership Report 30.06.2024
Railway Fest Mtg Dolphin 250624
Planning Report 24.07.04

September 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-09-05 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our September 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available to download here:
2024-09-05 FSDR Meeting Agenda
2024-07-04 Minutes FInal
July Merged Meeting Reports
Trustee Reports
2024 – September Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
Editor & webmaster September 2024
Planning Report 24.09.05
Membership Report 31.08.2024
Area Group Reports
DIG Reports
DIG min Aug 2024
Railway skernebirdge condition members mtg Sept 2024
BIG EIWPC WASH
big wig
S&DR – Concept Design Presentation (DCC Condensed)
27thSept_Poster

Book Launch 27th September at Locomotion
2024-09-15 08:00 - 17:00
On behalf of Husqvarna and the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, we have pleasure in inviting you to the formal launch of our walk booklet covering Shildon to Heighington on the 27th September from 4.00pm until 6.30pm at Locomotion’s main hall in Shildon. There will be drinks and celebration cake and an opportunity to network, catch up with the latest news from the Friends and an amble amongst the collections. I do hope you will find time to attend on this busy day; the 199th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
For the purposes of catering, please let me know if you plan to attend at caroline@aenvironment.co.uk before the 18th September. If you miss this admittedly short deadline, let me know anyway and we will be pleased to make some adjustments to accommodate you.
Our walk booklets were first published in 2016, but are now being redesigned and updated in preparation for 2025. We have always seen these as an important part of the heritage led economic regeneration strategy that is the S&DR project, spreading the economic benefits of visitors to the area beyond the honeypot sites of Locomotion and Hopetown. They are an important part of the offer for 2025 and beyond and encourage people to get out and about by foot and by train and can be used to link to other heritage interest sites in the wider area such as the Auckland Project. So far, we have updated the books covering West Auckland to Shildon, The Shildon Circular and now this stretch between Shildon and Heighington. We will soon turn our attention to Darlington. Of course, the timetable is largely dictated by the progress of the new S&DR Discovery Trail.
This event is for members of the Friends of the S&DR only and our partners.
We are looking forward to seeing you.

EIWP Group GARDEN PARTY
2024-09-15 13:00 - 16:00 | Etherley Incline
‘Mary’s Place’
2 Hillside Cottages Low Etherley DL14 0EZ
Sunday 15th September 1pm—4pm
Refreshments plus
Optional walk along Etherley Incline
We welcome everyone to join us for this special occasion
Please contact John to confirm attendance – jraw2883@aol.com

October 2024 Member's Meeting
2024-10-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our October 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Cricket Club. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
Papers for the meeting are available for download below:
2024 – October Meeting Chair’s Activity Report
2024-09-05 Minutes
2024-10-03 FSDR Meeting Agenda
BIG-WASH-EIWPG Report
Editor & webmaster October 2024
Membership Report 26.09.2024
Planning Report 24.10.03
Report Sept24 HAG
SDR200 Research on the Rails competition
MSG Stockton and Darlington Railway Bicentenary Organising Group Report to Friends 03.10.2024

2024 AGM
2024-11-09 09:30 - 13:00 | Darlington Baptist Church, Grange Road, Darlington, DL1 5NH, United Kingdom
Our 2024 AGM will take place at Darlington Baptist Church, Grange Road Darlington on Saturday 9th November 2024. Please book using the link below to let us know how many are coming. (We don’t want to run out of coffee!)
Book Here
The papers for the meeting are below:
2024 AGM Agenda
FSDR Chairs Report 23-24
Membership Report 31.10.2024
Planning Report 24.11.9 AGM
Area Group Reports (Combined)
editor and web 2024
2023 AGM Minutes

Walking the line - Darlington 1st December
2024-12-01 11:00 - 13:30 | Hopetown
Continuing our programme to revise and update our self-guided walks booklets before 2025, our next Walking the Line event will be on the 1st December at 11am. We will meet at the foot of the steps up to the Goods Shed, Hopetown on the corner of McNay Street and North Road. This is immediately adjacent to North Road Station so why not arrive by train?
The purpose of this walk is to check the content of the revised walk book content and the new route before the redesign and printing.
You can download a copy of the working draft here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/et0xof6b9z881vjejnne2/ADw82P17qr5OCChJ310wMTs?rlkey=[REDACTED]&dl=0
This is an urban walk, not especially long (2.1 miles) but there will be a lot of stops which can be tiring. It will take at least two hours largely due to these interesting stops along the way. Allow for more.
We will end the walk at Hopetown where you can have refreshments and use the loos at the Clocktower Café after we have been around the outside of the buildings. You will be free to spend as much time as you like at Hopetown once we have finished the walk – entrance is free. Please book your own entrance ticket for about 1.15pm. You can do this here: https://tickets.hopetowndarlington.co.uk/#calendar
Dogs are welcome, but please note that while dogs are welcome in the café at Hopetown and throughout the grounds, they cannot go inside the museum or carriage works.
If you plan to join us on this walk, please send your name, email address, mobile phone number and next of kin’s phone number before the 1st December to caroline@aenvironment.co.uk. Your contact details are required so we can get in touch on the day if plans unexpectedly change and your next of kin’s number is in case you get run over trying to cross North Road. And don’t forget to book your entrance into Hopetown for about 1.15pm (I don’t think it will matter too much if we are a little late or early).
The updating and redesign of this booklet has been made possible by sponsorship from Husqvarna and Councillor Sonia Kane.
Caroline Hardie. M: 07773 195686. E: caroline@aenvironment.co.uk

December 2024 Member's Meeting and Christmas Social
2024-12-05 19:00 - 21:30 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
Our December 2024 Members Meeting will be held at Darlington Railway Tavern. Non-members are welcome to attend but will not be able to vote on items.
The Papers for the meeting are available for download from the below links:
The Chair will be summarising the last year and a copy of his report will be posted after the meeting.
2024-12-05 Meeting Agenda
2024-10-03 Minutes
Planning Report 24.12.05
West End Reports 5th December
InclineWittonPark_Image&Text3
2024 AGM Minutes Final
Festival Launch Publicity Launch Stats Slide from AGM
Membership Report 30.11.2024

January 2025 Members Meeting
2025-01-09 19:00 - 21:00 | The Railway Tavern, Darlington, High Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1UN, United Kingdom
Our first meeting of 2025 will take place at the Railway Tavern, Darlington on Thursday 9th January at 7pm.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

February 2025 Member Meeting
2025-02-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our February Meeting will take place on Thursday 6th February 2025 at Darlington Cricket Club starting at 7pm.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

Allens West Station to Eaglescliffe Station Railway Walk
2025-03-05 10:30 | Allen’s West Station, Eaglescliffe, TS16 0FE
A linear walk from Allen’s West Station to Eaglescliffe Station via Preston park
Meet at Allen’s West Station for 10:30am
Distance about 3.5 miles
Terrain is a mixture of paved and gravel paths with a short path across a grassed area.

March 2025 Members Meeting
2025-03-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Darlington Cricket Club, THE CLUB HOUSE Feethams South Terrace, Darlington, DL1 5JD, United Kingdom
Our March 2025 members meeting will take place at Darlington Cricket Club at 7pm on Thursday 6th March 2025.
Papers will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting.

First Miles of the S&DR
2025-03-12 10:30 | Outside the Former Methodist Chapel, Phoenix Row, Phoenix Row, Witton Park, DL14 0DF, United Kingdom
This walk will meet at Phoenix Row near the farthest western point of the line. Walking up the Etherley incline, you will get a flavour of the rural nature of the Early S&DR and the scale of the earthworks required to provide a straight route to Shildon.
The walk is 2.4 miles and involves some gradients and walking along footpaths. No stiles, dog friendly, approximately 4.2miles, sturdy footwear required.
This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form:

Women of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
2025-03-12 10:30 - 12:00 | Stockton Central Library
The Stockton & Darlington Railway opened in 1825 and the world was never the same again. It is easy to get the impression that the people behind this pioneering phase of our history were all men. Where were the women? What were they doing? Can we find their names and write them back into history? Caroline Hardie attempts to shine a light on a few of the women who were part of the Railway that got the World on Track.
Free, Booking essential
This event is organised by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. Book at your nearest library or visit the link below.
www.stockton.gov.uk/book-library-event
