The Trust had a display of old photographs at the Consett and District Heritage Initiative’s open day in the Heritage Centre, Blackhill & Consett Park last Saturday.
[Click on an image to enlarge.]
Local people have been donating their photographic collections to scan into the Heritage Centre’s photographic archive and there are some interesting photos of Shotley Bridge. I intend putting a gallery of old photos of the village on this site later this year.
The Consett and District Heritage Initiative is holding another exhibition at the Heritage Centre in Blackhill Park on Saturday 9th April 2011, 12-4 pm.
The Trust is supporting the Initiative to help preserve the history of Shotley Bridge and will have a display table of old photographs at the event.
The research room at the Heritage Centre is open on a Wednesday, where old documents, artifacts and photographs can be looked at. Permanent displays about the history of the area are being created in the foyer.
The artifacts include some from the ‘Consett Steelworks Exhibition’, which used to be in the Shotley Bridge Heritage and Tourist Information Centre.
Please let me know if you have any artifacts or records of the area that you are willing to donate or loan to the Heritage Centre. In particular, the Centre is compiling a digital archive of old photographs and is appealing to borrow personal collections for scanning.
Shotley Bridge Hospital Support Group now meets every two months in the staff restaurant, near the main entrance. On Wednesday night the main topic under discussion was the future of the hospital once the Durham and Darlington Primary Care Trust is abolished in 2013.
[Update – As the hospital restaurant closed in February 2016 the Group now meet at the Lodge, Consett & Blackhill Park.]
Four days of events will take place next weekend on the Spa Grounds at the Shotley Bridge Cricket Club.
Friday 27th – Sunday 29th August sees the cricket club’s 3rd Annual Beer Festival, in conjunction with CAMRA. Tickets are £4 on entry. On the Sunday, Consett Rotary Club are holding a charity cricket match, in aid of Willowburn.
Then on Bank Holiday Monday, 11am-5pm, the Benfieldside, Blackhill, Bridgehill and Shotley Bridge Partnership are holding a Shotley Spa Fete. There will be live bands in the marquee, a few stalls with zorbing, paintballing, an assault course and a bouncy castle, for children. This event is free entry, being funded by the Partnership and there is a minibus service from Blackhill, as parking is limited.
2400 households in Shotley Bridge and Benfieldside should receive a copy of the Shotley Bridge Directory through their letterboxes over the next two weeks.
The Directory, which was published by the Trust last December, provides information on community facilities, clubs and groups in the village and at Snods Edge. It also includes a map of the area together with information about the history of the village and the Village Trust.
If you do not receive a copy, pick up one from local businesses or Consett library. Alternatively you can download it here.
Shotley Bridge Village Trust 