no. 69 december 2013 … villa ... parry, whose father worked at the fac- ... run on similar lines...
TRANSCRIPT
page 1
Asbestos support group ... p.2Banner Group .................... p.3Church Brigade ................. p.3Clarence Villa .................... p.3Computer Lessons ............ p.3Death of a coal mine ......... p.3
Hair Hut ............................. p.8Health Trainers ................. p.2Infant & Nursery School .. p.4Local History Society ........ p.3Nature Notes ...................... p.4Neighbourhood Watch .... p.2
Parish Council ................... p.5Park Hill ............................. p.7Police Commissioner........ p.7Quarry ................................ p.7Romaine Square ................ p.2Youth Club ......................... p.4
No. 69 www.interchange.bowburn.net December 2013
Methodist ChurchSun 22• nd Dec: 10.30am. Rev. Shaun SwithenbankMon 23• rd Dec: 2.00-3.30pm. Carols, crafts and cakes and the end of the sheep trail! (All ages welcome. Come and join the fun.)Christmas Day, Wed 25• th Dec: Elvet Methodist Church, 10.30amChildren – Watch out for the •sheep hiding in Bowburn from 1st December until Christmas!
Bowburn Hall Hotel(See also advert on page 2)
Sat 4• th Jan – Music through the Decades, Party NightSat 11• th Jan – Music through the Decades, Party Night
Clarence Villa2• nd–24th Dec.: Festive Luncheons & Dinners, dailyChristmas Day: Lunch•New Year’s Eve: Dinner, with •swing singer and a glass of fizz
Crowtrees WMC(See also advert on page 5)
Tues 17• th Dec: Country & Western – £3
All below are free entry: no cover charge
Sat • 21st Dec: Alison WestXmas Eve: open 12 noon till •midnight. Vocalist – Paul AnthonySat • 28th Dec: Michael StevensNew Years Eve: Danny•Sat • 4th Jan: Sue AllenSat • 11th Jan: Johnny Reynolds
Bowburn Community Centre
Mon 16• th Dec: 5.30pm Family Christmas PartySat 21st Dec: 2pm •Pantomime. “Cinderella”– SOLD OUTSun 22• nd Dec: Toy Fair, 10am-3pm
Active Life Centre, CoxhoeWed 18• th Dec: The Silver Belles concert, 2pm–£4Sat 21• st Dec: Pantomime. “Cinderella”–£3New Year’s Eve: Party, •7pm–£13/£6
Bin collectionsR• ecycling: Sat 28th Dec
R• ubbish: Fri 3rd Jan
BVC, who produce this quarterly newsletter, wish all our readers,
advertisers and volunteers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Seasons Greetings!
Award winnersA GRouP of Bowburn girls have won this year’s
“Youth Work That Works” Award for the Durham area, coming first from over 70 entries.
Shannon Griffiths, Jodie & Cara Storer and Abby Jackson, with Cllr Jan Blakey and Paul Hebron, Positive Activities
Manager, Durham County Council
Christmas lightsTHE Esh Group has
donated a Christ-mas tree for the lawn in front of Bowburn Com-munity Centre.
It will be lit in time for the Family Christmas Party at the Centre on Monday 16th December.
Next year, a children’s competition will be held to decide who lights it.
This seasona l pho-tograph was taken by R i c h a r d C o w e n , a t C r o w t r e e s N a t u r e Reserve.
If you have a picture of a local scene in winter that you’d like us to pub-lish, why not take part in our “Winter Photo” com-petition? Just deliver it to Bowburn Community Centre (addressed to “Bowburn Interchange”), or e-mail it to <[email protected]>.
See page 4, for Richard’s latest “Nature Notes”.
Jubilee partyFormer youth workers, committee
members, old members, volunteers and friends met at the DJ Evans Youth Club on Monday 9th December, for a fes-tive end to the club’s fiftieth year.
The celebration included mince pies, a quiz featuring questions about the club’s history, and the swapping of many fond memories.
On the inside pages…
Licensed
What’s on at Christmas?
Christ the King ChurchSun 22• nd Dec (4th Sunday of Advent): 11am Sung Mass; 3pm Nativity Play & Christingle Service for all the familyChristmas Eve, Tues 24• th Dec: 11.30pm Midnight Mass with Blessing of the Crib, preceded by carol singing from 10.45pmChristmas Day, Wed 25• th Dec: 9.30am Festival Mass with carols. (Children invited to bring present to open during service)Sun 29• th Dec: 11am Sung Mass with carols.
They were nominated by Natalie o’Conner, their youth worker for the session, and four of the 12 girls involved received their certificate, a trophy and a £50 cheque at County Hall on 13th November.
Their project included sexual health, personal safety, how to be mentally and emotionally healthy, and improving self esteem. The girls engaged in a 5-week healthy cooking project and raised £250 to visit York dungeons.
page 2
Asbestos supportA NEW group is being set up lo-
cally, to advise and support peo-ple suffering from asbestos-related illnesses – or a relative, if the sufferer has died. This follows concern about the possible long-term impact of the Cape universal asbestos factory in Bowburn, which closed in 1990.
There have been prominent press reports, after Cape Intermediate Holdings PLC agreed an out-of-court settlement, in october, with Caroline (Annie) Wilcock, who lived here as a child. And solicitors have been adver-tising for clients seeking compensation. A support group would give practical advice and emotional support on a local basis.
one of those seeking to set up such a group is former Bowburn resident Tina Parry, whose father worked at the fac-tory and whose mother died of cancer three years ago – it is believed due to washing his clothes. Tina can be con-tacted on 0797-038-3747 or by e-mailing <[email protected]>.
Bill Lawrence, who has been cam-paigning on asbestos hazards for 40 years, is also keen to help, as he has else-where. The Merseyside Asbestos Victim Support Group, for instance, celebrated its 20th Anniversary last March.
Meanwhile there is already a North East Asbestos Support and Awareness Group (NASAG), which started in July 2005. Help can be obtained in claiming disablement benefits or other compen-sation by contacting Bob Stephenson on 01642 240 044.
Annie’s mother, Pat Wilcock, hopes that attempts to set up a local group will be successful, though she worries about the distress that awareness of the dan-gers may arouse. “I regret the anguish that going down this public route may have caused people in the community”, said Pat. However she believes that, “given the situation, forming a group to address all issues is the best possible out-come that one could wish for.”
Pat added a further message, follow-ing the conclusion of her daughter’s legal battle: “I welcome this opportunity to thank everyone who got involved to bring this about and also those who now put things in place for the future. Thank you so very much.”
Members have com-pleted a number of craft projects and have had great fun playing various games – parachute games being particularly popular with the different groups.
Due to popular demand the age range has been extended to cover Martins, Y-Team and JTC (5yrs to 13yrs) with Martins (infant school pupils) meeting between 6pm and 7pm, while the older groups meet between 7pm and 8.15pm.
The detachment will be holding its first Church Parade at the parish’s Christingle Service at 3pm
on Sunday 22nd December 2013 when it is hoped that as many members as pos-sible will be in uniform.
Business WatchTHE first meeting of the new
Bowburn Business Watch was held at Esh House on 14th Novem-ber.
This follows a rise in thefts from prop-erties on the two industrial estates in Bowburn and has been set up with the help of Tim Thompson, Community Liaison officer with Durham Police.
Run on similar lines to Neighbourhood Watch schemes, the new partnership will enable local businesses to share infor-mation between themselves and with local police, to deter and protect against criminal activity on the estates.
For more information contact Tim Thompson Tel. No. 101 Ext. 668 2814 or e-mail: <[email protected]>.
Get out more!Health Trainer News
by Sheila Pinkney, Health Trainer
IF you’re thinking about getting out more but not sure what activ-
ity is right for you, why not try one or more of the activities organised by PCP at Bowburn Community Cen-tre?
PCP Health Trainers offer low cost and free activities to help people social-ise and improve their health and wellbe-ing in Bowburn.Sessions starting week-commencing 13th January 2014:
Walking group – Mondays, 10am–•12noon. Cost free.New age Kurling – Mondays, 1–2pm. •Cost £1.Nia Dance – Tuesdays, 1–2pm. Cost •£2.Gym Workout – Tuesdays, 1.30–•3.30pm. Cost £1.50.
Coming soon:Breakaway Techniques for women.•
By appointment:Check 4 Life Health Checks. Cost •free. Includes height, weight and waist measurements, a simple finger stick test for cholesterol and blood pressure checks (if eligible).For further information, contact Sheila
Pinkney, Health Trainer for Bowburn on 0789-064-2689 or e-mail: <[email protected]>
New Pilates Classes for All
by Helen Stockil
BAC2BAC is a unique Pilates class promoting healthy, balanced
bodies within the community. our motto is “Pilates for all” and we wel-come people from all walks of life, and abilities, to join us.
Many people in our communities are suffering with back pain and joint pain caused from poor posture which in turn creates poor spinal alignment and unbalanced movement patterns. Pilates also assists people with reduced trunk stability to condition the deep stabilising muscles in the abdomen. This in turn supports the spine and the surrounding structures. By minimising the stress on the joints, connective tissue and mus-cles, we can increase our mobility, stabi-lise the joints and in many cases reduce pain. Pilates is great for pregnant ladies, mums, sportsmen, athletes and lower back pain sufferers.
Sessions take place at Bowburn Community Centre every Monday at 5pm to 6pm. Membership is on a drop in basis and costs £5 per session. Please call Helen on 0780-968-2577 for further information or follow us on face book and twitter under the Bac2Group.
Nia–a unique blendby Anne Cosgrove
WHEN was the last time you experienced the Joy of Move-
ment, during an exercise class?Nia is a fun, low-impact workout,
with easy-to-follow moves, to inspiring music from around the world. Classes are suitable for anyone, whatever their size, shape or level of fitness and are guaranteed to improve flexibility, agility, mobility, strength and stability. Nia will also leave you feeling alive, energized, centred and connected, inspiring you to live with mindfulness and joy.
Nia classes are unique because Nia is a unique blend of dance, martial arts (like Tai chi and Taekwondo) and healing arts (like Yoga and Alexander technique). For more about it, see: <www.nianow.com> or <www.supplechange.co.uk>
Classes start at Bowburn Community Centre on Tuesday 14th January, 1– 2pm. Cost £2.
Anne Cosgrove is one of only two Nia teachers currently providing classes in the North East of England.
Romaine SquareA SCHEME to improve access to
the bus stop at Romaine Square, and to upgrade the appearance of the area, will go ahead next year.
£3,000 has been set aside from the vil-lage Regeneration Fund and the rest of the funding will come from Strategic Highways and Public Transport.
The works will cost £14,000 in total. This will include a new litter bin, at a cost of £320, after consultation with shop owners about where to put it.
Work is expected to start in February.
Neighbourhood WatchTHE Safe Durham Partnership is
keen to see the growth of Neigh-bourhood Watch schemes, it was re-ported to the November meeting of the Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership.
The British Crime Survey shows that fewer crimes are committed in active areas. Most household insurance pro-viders offer a premium reduction. It provides a close link with the local polic-ing team and support from the commu-nity liaison officer.
Park Hill has had a successful scheme for some years. However they have come and gone in the rest of Bowburn. Several were set up after a drive to get them established in 1999. (See Bowburn Interchange no. 10.)
Much depends on the village being divided into small manageable areas. They are free to join. Anyone interested should contact Tim Thompson (tel. no. 101 ext. 668 2814, or e-mail: <[email protected]>).
Boggy areas, which had made the bridleway on the other side of the former Bowburn pit heaps unusable, have been
drained and repaired, thanks to the Regeneration Fund and the Parish Paths
Partnership. (See page 5.)
Craft and games at Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade by Steve Taylor
THE Brigade detachment at Christ the King Church opened as planned in october and will meet every Thursday evening other than during the
main school holidays.
by Carole Parker
oH yes, New Age Kurling has come to Bowburn – not on ice
but on wood in the Community Cen-tre!
Kurling – What’s that?
our group meets every Monday after-noon, and until attending a taster ses-sion we had no previous experience of Kurling or what was involved. No spe-cial clothing or footwear is needed and all ages and levels of fitness can enjoy this fun activity.
The aim of the game is to push a “stone” on to a target area, using a pole to propel the stone across the floor. We usually play with two teams but can adapt to accommodate any numbers turning up on the day. Lots of inter-team rivalry, banter and laughter always ensure a fun-filled afternoon.
We would love to welcome new mem-bers to join us and find out how easy it is to become “hooked” on this activity. After just one session attendees have said “Brilliant”, “Never laughed so much for ages”, “Can’t wait for next week”, and “It’s the best £1 I’ve ever spent”.
To find out more, please contact Sheila Pinkney, Pioneering Care Partnership (PCP) 01325 321234, or look out for notices in Bowburn Community Centre.
page 3
New Faces?BoWBuRN Banner Group is plan-
ning to get some minor damage to its Centenary Banner repaired, be-fore the next Durham Miners’ Gala on Saturday 12th July. While that is being done, this may be a chance to paint some new mini-portraits to the Gala crowd scene in “The March of Time”.
Whether this will be done or not, and how many faces can be added, will depend on costs. However several people have asked whether this would be possible, since the banner was pro-duced in 2006. So now is the time to find out. Anyone else interested in buying a place on the banner should contact the Group’s secretary, Mike Syer, or any Banner Group member. It is hoped that the price can be kept to between £20 and £30 per portrait.
Banner portrait of Bobby Howden, a dedi-cated supporter of the Bowburn banners,
who sadly died last month
Meanwhile details of the Gala Day parade route through Bowburn have now been agreed. The Kippax Band will play at the “bullring” in Park Avenue at 8am, when they first arrive from Leeds. Then they will play “Gresford” at Bowburn Community Centre, while a wreath is laid at the mining memo-rial there. And at 8.30am the parade will proceed up Burn Street, Bede Terrace South, Bede Terrace North, through the cut to George Street and terminate in Dallymore Drive. Buses will depart from there for Durham at 9.30am.
The Banner Group is keen to involve more people in carrying the banners, both through Bowburn and in Durham. Anyone interested in doing this should contact them by ringing 377-1491, e-mailing <[email protected]> or leaving a message at the Community Centre.
Cuddy kicked outTHE former Kicking Cuddy reopened on 22nd
November, with its original name, The Clarence Villa. It is the third pub and restaurant (the oth-ers being in Chester-le-Street and Hebburn) to be launched this year by the owners of the Sonnet 43 brewery next door.
Local history speakersBoWBuRN Local History Society will start the
New Year with a fascinating talk about “Small things of mediaeval life”, by underwater archaeolo-gist Gary Bankhead, on Thursday 16th January.
Computer LessonsTHREE computer courses, run
by Ian Boseley, of Park Hill, will be starting at Bowburn Community Centre in early January 2014:
Introduction to Computing – suit-•able for complete beginners (6 weeks)
Introduction to the online •Community – everything to do with the internet for those looking to expand their online skills (10 weeks)
using Photoshop Elements – learn •to enhance your images using the same techniques that professional graphic designers employ (10 weeks)
For more depth information and fee details go online to <www.idalc.co.uk>, e-mail – <[email protected]> or call Ian on 0780-805-7241.
Please note that courses will only run if there is enough interest. (“So bring a friend”, said Ian!)
THE poem above was received by Bowburn Interchange last month and we are proud to publish it in full. It was
submitted by Mrs. Dorothy Webster, who had found it among the effects of her mother, Mrs. Ethel Latue, who passed away in August.
“The Death of Bowburn Mine”by E. Stewart
The wheels of toil stand lonely and stillThat once did set men’s lives in motion.Silent evidence of a pulsating lifeWearing an air of hopeless Desolation.An unnatural stillness pervades the skies.The machinery’s hum, is now a silent song.Windows shuttered like dead eyes,Where once they gazed on a busy throng.The pit is dying – soon to be no more.Yet – there amidst its dirty, grimy face,Can one yet see a quiet dignity and graceThat’s rooted to its very core?Wander our thoughts above that Abyss darkSome sweet recollections of the past.The Pathos and the beauty that enriched its life –Thy day is done, – only the dreams will last.No finer men upon this earth be foundThan those who died for thee, and –Yet – for their Epitaph – I look, and seeA black rosette upon a banner bound.Phantom sentries on their errands glide,The Ghosts of men who worked there side by side,Keeping watch, like the Keeper at the GateGuarding a way of Life – yet Guardians of its Fate.Men will pass by in future years and give no heedTo those who toiled, and died, for those in need.Turn, yet turn, the wheel of LifeAnd turning will forget, the poverty and strife.So die in peace, Bowburn mine, and
on thee sweet compassion rest.The targets reached – the battle won, and onThy tombstone may inscription read:“A work accomplished, and Well Done”.
Mrs. Latue had lived most of her life in Bowburn, till she moved to Sedgefield a few years ago. Her husband, Jack Latue, who died in 1997, worked at Bowburn pit for over 30 years.
Mrs. Webster is not sure, but thinks the poet, E. Stewart, may have been the colliery account-ant. If any reader knows whether this is correct, or can add fur-ther information, we shall be pleased to let readers know in our next edition. Please write
to “Bowburn Interchange”, c/o Bowburn Community Centre.
The poem was dated october 1967 – three months after the last coals had been drawn at Bowburn, on 20th July. About 40 men remained to do sal-vage work, which continued for another year, and the pit was finally abandoned on 1st June 1968.
The pictures shown above were taken by the late Mr Walter Goodwin, of Walker Street.
“The Clarence Villa has been completely refur-bished”, said Mark Hird, for the brewery owners. “There is a lot of anticipa-tion locally surrounding the pub’s re-opening and we are hoping it will also prove popular and become a real destination venue, being easily accessible from the A1.” He believes around 50 full and part-time jobs will be created.
Mr Hird also explained the decision to go back to the original name. “We were keen to stay true to local roots, as the brew-ery itself does with its own name – Sonnet 43 being the work of Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning who was born in Coxhoe”,
he said. “‘The Clarence Villa’ was derived from the neighbouring Clarence Railway which was used for coal transportation and was named after the Duke of Clarence who later became King William IV.”
“The Cuddy” was origi-nally a nickname, believed to have originated when a late 19th century landlord organized horse fairs from what was then a hotel. It was still known locally as that even after “The Kicking Cuddy” became its official name in about 1960, when Gordon Snowdon was landlord. At that time it was tied to Vaux Breweries. (For more about the his-tory of the pub, see <www.bowburhistory.co.uk>.)
Most people first heard of Gary when he found items belonging to Bishop Michael Ramsey (later Archbishop of Canterbury), in the river near Prebends Bridge in 2007. That was when Gary, a fire fighter and keen sub aqua diver for over 20 years, first got interested in archaeo-logical research, which he is now studying for a Master’s Degree at Durham university. Since then he has concentrated on the area around Elvet Bridge, and found an incredible 2,800 recordable items.
Then, on Thursday 20th March, the group wel-comes back archaeologist Richard Annis, with a talk on “Durham’s medieval town walls”.
This will be the third time that Richard shares his remarkable knowl-edge and enthusiasm with Bowburn’s local historians. He has previously given talks on the finds made when ground was being prepared for the new A688 link road between Bowburn and Cassop Moor, and about archaeological digs at Roman sites at Sedgefield and Binchester. Members know that they are in for another treat.
They hope other local residents interested in our rich heritage and history will join them for both these talks, in Bowburn Community Centre, start-ing at 7pm.
other talks during the year will include John Davison, who pioneered
research about the Bowburn men who served and died in World War I, and Towan Hancock, of Shincliffe, who will talk about the his-tory of Whitwell Colliery. A meeting about the his-tory of local public houses is also being considered. The dates of these meet-ings will be reported in future editions of Bowburn Interchange.
The group is also con-sidering another visit, next summer, to one of the major mining muse-ums, near Wakefield or near Edinburgh, and also to the Weardale Museum at Ireshopeburn. They will also lead one or more countryside walks around areas of historical interest near Bowburn.
Meanwhile, the group hopes finally to open its History & Heritage Room, in Bowburn Community Centre, to visitors on a reg-ular basis.
Storage has been a prob-lem since they moved from behind the stage to the smaller but much more accessible room near the front of the building. When this is resolved, the room will initially be open from 10am till 12 noon every Monday and Thursday, as well as by appointment.
N e w m e m b e r s a r e always welcome, and eve-ryone is invited to attend all meetings addressed by guest speakers. For more information, visit <www.bowburnhistory.co.uk> or e-mail: <[email protected]>.
page 4
by Trish Fay
ouR new school year welcomed new pupils into Nursery, Minnows and Shrimps classes, along
with new members of staff! Mrs Clarey is now teach-ing in Minnows and Mrs Mason is part time in Sea-horses.
Parking on Crowtrees LaneM E M B E R S o f
B o w b u r n a n d Parkhill Community Partnership have spent a lot of time recently discuss ing parking issues on Crowtrees Lane, outside the In-fants School. The mat-ter has also been dis-cussed with the Police at the PACT meetings.
The problem is that when children arrive at the school and again when they leave, parking on this road causes sig-nificant obstruction. It is also potentially danger-ous as visibility is severely reduced.
It may be only for a relatively short time but it happens every day that the school is open. It is perhaps time that this matter was properly con-sidered. No one wants to see an accident involv-ing any child coming to or leaving the school – or indeed anyone else.
one thing that has been considered is an alterna-tive parking place for those who do need to come by car. There is ample park-ing at the Community Centre, only a short dis-tance from the school, and parents are encour-aged to use it. There may also be parking avail-able at the Cooperage. If it is vital that children are brought by car, these would provide safe park-ing places for children to be walked the short dis-tance to or from school and would solve the cur-rent problems.
The Police are involv-ing the children in a mock “parking ticket” scheme at the moment. It is hoped this will help them and their parents realise the problems that are currently being caused and the potential dangers to children and indeed other road users.
Double yellow lines in this location are also being considered. It is hoped this sort of enforcement is not necessary but if the current problems do con-tinue, they may have to be seriously considered.
T h e I n f a n t S c h o o l would like to support a Walking Bus, but it needs volunteers to walk the children to school. If you are interested in being a volunteer please ring the school on (0191) 377-0606.
However, there are also good berry crops in Scandinavia so winter migrants could in fact be staying over there rather than flying across the North Sea. But many have arrived and now some Redwings, those small thrushes with an orange/red patch under their wings and a prominent eye stripe, have arrived in the Crowtrees Nature Reserve. Arrow-like in flight, they almost seem to erupt from the middle of a bush before disap-pearing back deep into another bush. As yet however I have not seen any of their larger cousins, the Fieldfare.
Most of the finches that can be seen in the summer stay here all year. The stunning Bullfinch is more obvious in winter when leaf cover no longer gives it cover. They are also more likely to come into gardens at this time of year if feeders are put out. Goldfinches love nyjer seed. They are almost gaudy in appearance, the adults having a clown-like red face (grey in juveniles). once they find a suitable feeder, they can come into the garden any time of year. Green finches too can be striking, the male a bright green with a yellow flash
on the wing. These birds are perhaps more likely to come to gardens in winter than summer. However they have
recently been badly hit by disease caused possibly by dirty feeders. Keeping the feeders clean is perhaps an obvious thing to do but it is important.
Chaffinches are perhaps the most widespread of the finches and can be found practically anywhere around Bowburn. Common they may be but the male Chaffinch, with his salmon
pink breast and grey head, is a very smart bird.
The softer coloured Linnet however does not tend to stay here in the winter. Common in summer, I rarely see it from october to March. Many go to the coast. But its close cousin, the Twite, is a bird of the uplands in summer. Rare as a breeding bird now in England, a few still winter around our coasts. But of course they have to get there and at the end of october I had a sur-prise while w a l k i n g a long the track from old Quarrington to Parkhill. In one of the paddocks, a Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail caught my attention. But then I noticed about half a dozen other birds, down by the mud feeding. A closer look through the binoculars and I realised they were Twite. They had to be just passing through but still a wonderful sight for just those few minutes.
You no doubt have noticed the RSPB advertisements this autumn about pro-viding nature with a home. Perhaps I can endorse that message here. Even if you cannot provide a home, feeders do help our wild resident birds particu-larly through the winter. And watch-ing birds come to them, often squab-bling over the best perch, can be very rewarding.
one other surprise sighting I had at the beginning of November was a Large Red Damselfly in the Reserve. Certainly not a rare creature, but I would say completely unexpected at this time of year. Perhaps the warm autumn we have had fooled it into thinking it was spring.
New places for 2-year-oldsBoWBuRN Infant & Nursery
school opened its newly refur-bished “Puffin” room, in Septem-ber, to make high quality provision for two-year-olds.
There are currently eight places on both morning and afternoon. Funded and paid places are accepted and there is a mixture of both at the moment.
Anyone interested in a place should contact the school on (0191) 377-0606.
Youth Club News
by Joanne Eden
BoWBuRN has youth provision from Monday to Thursday and
the Bowburn Youth footballers use the centre on Fridays.
Sessions are starting to pick up now the dark cold nights are here, and the new gym is proving popular with the young people.
We have secured funding for new computers and chairs, so the IT suite is starting to take shape and getting lots of use, with young people doing homework at the Centre.
Garages to be demolishedPREFABRICATED garages owned
by the Council are expected to be demolished, subject to the results of consultation now under way.
The garages in question are in Tunstall Avenue, Surtees Avenue, Lawson Road and Marlene Avenue.
It his goes ahead, Council officers say that people renting them will be allo-cated an alternative.
by Richard Cowen
THE wonderful summer we had this year led to good crops of berries and fruits for plants that flowered later in the year. Blackberries had a
bumper year but so too have the wild roses and hawthorns, all providing good food for our resident birds (and of course for those of us who went blackberry picking!)
We are very pleased to announce we have a new Internat iona l Par tner school. Gokhale Memorial Girls School is in Kolkata, India, and they are very excited to be partnered with such an experienced International School. Have a look at their website: <http//gokhalememorial-girlsschool.org>
We were very excited to welcome local author Adam Bushnell back in school. He helped each class in KS1 to launch their class topics on China, Africa, Italy and Egypt.
Sharks and Dolphins were very excited to be invited to take part in the Johnston Festival of Culture as part of Durham Book Festival. Sharks class attended a seminar by the author Debi Gilori who told the children about the Tobermoray Cat, and were given instruc-tions in how to draw the infamous crea-ture. Dolphins a t t e n d e d a seminar by the famous illus-t r a t o r , N i c k S h e r r a t t , o f Tracie Beaker f a m e . B o t h c l a s s e s w e r e g i v e n t h e opportunity to buy books by the speakers and to have them autographed.
Seahorses class were very lucky when they visited Seven Stories in Newcastle as one of our focussed a u t h o r s , J u d i t h K e r r famous for the Mog books, was there talking about her life as an author. The chil-dren took part in several activities there and had a thoroughly enjoyable visit.
M i s s F l y n n i n t r o -duced the Autumn Term Friendship Day with a spe-cial assembly where the children joined in a quiz answering questions based on friendship.
The highlight of the Assembly was the presenta-tion of the class Friendship bears to Rawan, Rebecca, Scott, Kelsey, Ronia, and
Ash. After Assembly, the children were split into mixed aged groups to work with a teacher different from their own.
Thanks to funding from the British Council, Mrs Fay was able to visit our Connecting Classrooms Project partner school in Nepal. The Head and Deputy Head spent an
exciting week in Bowburn in July and Mrs Fay was look-ing forward to visiting their school in Nepal. G l a d s t o n e Academy has 9 0 0 p u p i l s aged between 3 and 16 but our project is
with their Pre-Primary department.
Mrs Fay spent time in many of the classes helping the children and staff with their English speaking. They were very interested in the way phonics is taught in our school and Mrs Fay held a workshop to help them understand the con-cepts and pronunciation of many English words.
Mrs Fay also worked in two Year 4 classes who are working with a project based on World Heritage s ights in the uK. As
Durham Cathedral is one of the best, she took infor-mation, books and photo-graphs to help them with their project.
Mrs Fay was very hon-oured to be invited to an end of Dashain (a Hindu festival) family party, which was held on the terrace on the roof of the school. She was the first English person to be invited to this special celebration.
Lots more in forma-tion about her visit to this amazing country is avail-able on the Connecting Classrooms section of our school website, along with photographs from all activities held recently at school.
See: <www.bowburn-inf.durham.sch.uk>
Mrs Janet Gillham and Miss Rebecca Phillips, the lead staff for this new ven-
ture, with Peyton, Ava, Keegan and Mia.
Twite
© R. Cowen
Chaffinch
© R. Cowen
Nature Notes
Trish Fay in Nepal
Adam Bushnell in Sharks
page 5
Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council
Quarterly Parish Council Newsletter No. 22 (2013)
33, Scargill Drive,Spennymoor,Co. Durham,
DL16 6LY.Mobile no.: 0798-631-9443E-mail: [email protected]
Parish Council Website:www.ccqparishcouncil.org
November / December 2013
Dear Parishioners,Death of Former Parish Councillor
I am sure that Interchange Readers will be greatly saddened by the news of the recent passing of Former Parish Councillor Jack Barker, who passed away suddenly on November 1st, aged 73. Jack lived in the locality all of his life and I am informed by reliable sources that Jack’s Great Grandfather of Coxhoe was a World Fives Champion.
Jack served continually on the Parish Council for more than 30 years until May 2013, when he stood down along with Councillors Bill Tickell and Stan Robinson. Along with several other Parish Councillors, Jack had a consid-erable knowledge of Local History. He will be greatly missed by his Fellow Parish Councillors and Local People throughout the Parish Area. Drainage Repairs on Local Bridleways 36 & 37
Much needed Drainage Repairs on Local Bridleways 36 & 37 are now nearing completion. Funding for this Scheme has been received from Bowburn Regeneration Fund (up to £12,500), from the County Council’s Parish Paths Programme (£2,000) and from the Parish Council itself (£2,000). Repair Works were badly needed as parts of the Bridleways had become seriously impassable for Walkers and Horse riders after heavy rainfall.
Modernisation of Parish Council’s Website
Work has now been completed on the modernisation of the Parish Council’s Website. The old Website set up under the Communigate System (organized by the Northern Echo) was becoming outdated and difficult to expand and keep up to date.
Councillor Frank Salisbury has set up a new Website (see weblink at top of page) and it has been completely re-vamped. When time allows we may also instigate links to Twitter and Facebook for social media enthusiasts.
Many thanks to Councillor Salisbury for his efforts to bring the Parish Coun-cil Website up to date and thanks also to Councillor Mike Syer for many years’ work managing the previous Website.Financial Assistance to Schools and Community Groups in the Parish Area
I am delighted to report that, once again, the Parish Council has been able to make a number of donations
of financial assistance to various Lo-cal Schools, Community Groups and Sporting Groups. The donations of mostly £100 have been made by the Parish Council to assist the Schools and Local Groups with their annual run-ning costs and specifically nominated projects.
For the first time this year, a small donation has been made to the Great North Air Ambulance.County Durham Plan (the Future of County Durham)
Members of Cassop-cum-Quarring–ton Parish Council have attended several of the Public Consultation Events concerning the County Durham Plan and they have previously drawn the following matters of concern to the attention of the County Council.
The “Daisy Field” is a Local Amenity Field adjacent to the C12a Road, at the top end of the Bowburn Junior School Playing Field, from which it was fenced off a couple of years ago.
The Field is currently used mostly for dog-walking and as a pedestrian route between the Hallgarth Estate (Millford Way) and the Park, rather than as a play area, and the grass is no longer cut regularly. Members suggest it could quite possibly be claimed to be a “vil-lage green”, in view of its open, unre-stricted access for so many years and its regular use by local residents.
There are also concerns by Parish Councillors that the area should be designated as a possible site for a new combined Infant and Junior School for Bowburn and Parkhill Children in the future. The existing Infant & Nursery School was built over 100 years ago and the current Junior School will soon be 50 years old. Members of the Parish Council also wish to have a designated Secondary School for Children from Bowburn and Parkhill, instead of the present chaotic situation where chil-dren from these locations are bussed to one of several Secondary Schools, and not necessarily the first one of pupil or parental choice.
Members of the Parish Council also support an emphasis on the significant merits of Tursdale – being both near an A1 (M) junction and a railway junc-tion (if or when the Leamside Line is re-opened) as a site for a Rail Freight Interchange, under Policy 24 of the County Durham Plan.
When the Durham Green Business Park finally gets under way, the close proximity of Tursdale as an important transport link should not be over-looked.
Members have also emphasised the need for a sustainable supermarket in Bowburn in order to stop the huge car mileage now undertaken by local resi-dents to Durham, Spennymoor etc.
Members of the Parish Council are worried about the wording in Plan Policy 26, which might imply that noth-
ing larger than a (local) supermarket serving oNLY the needs of Bowburn would be considered by Planners for the Village.
The wording of the Policy Statement might imply that other people, from a wider area, would not be attracted here from other larger stores – which would mean that our own Supermar-ket wouldn’t actually be well enough stocked (and suitably priced) for our own residents use.
Members feel that the County Coun-cil should be advised to steer well clear of protecting big business interests in other towns and villages and allow full competition (and lower commodity prices) to prevail.
Members of the Parish Council are also strongly opposed to the inclusion of a Coxhoe Relief Road in the Plan Proposals (Ref: page 34 in the Infra-structure Delivery Plan Document). Members are of the view that this idea merely upgrades the existing haul road to the Local Landfill Site and it would significantly increase traffic through Cassop and Parkhill as traffic travel-ling to and from Peterlee seeks to make the shortest route to the A1 Motorway. If a Coxhoe Relief Road is ever built, it would clearly undermine the eco-nomic case for the existing Bowburn to Wheatley Hill Link Road.
However, Members of Cassop-cum- Quarrington Parish Council do strongly support the inclusion of a Bowburn
Industrial Estate Access Road (which is also referred to on Page 34 of the Infra-structure Delivery Plan). This scheme would be essential in order to max-imise local employment potential for Bowburn and surrounding settlements within the Parish Area.
It is expected that the proposed In-dustrial Estate Road would run between new roundabouts outside the motorway service station and the Gulf garage at the north end of Bowburn. The inten-tion of building the road would be to make it easier for traffic to access Bowburn’s Industrial Estates and, of course, to keep that traffic away from residential areas.
The present Consultation Period for the County Durham Plan expires on December 6th 2013 and Local Residents should submit their comments to the County Council about the Plan before that date. Letters should be sent to the Spatial Policy Team in the County Council’s Regeneration and Economic Development Department. (E-mails to: <[email protected]>.)Death of Councillor Chambers
It is with deepest regret that we an-nounce that, following a short illness, Councillor Janet Chambers died at home on Saturday 30th November. our heartfelt sympathies are extended to her husband David and her son Michael.
Peter ThorpeClerk to Cassop-cum-Quarrington
Parish Council
page 5
Location Map showing Parts of Bridleways 36 & 37 Requiring Drainage Repairs
Ordnance Survey © Crown copyright 2013
Parish Council Members’ Names, Addresses and Contact Telephone NumbersCllr Andrew Shutt, 27, Park Hill Estate, Coxhoe, Co. Durham, DH6 4JH (Tel:
0191-377-0904) (Chairman of the Parish Council re-elected at the Annual Meeting in May 2013)
Cllr Sylvia Raine, The Grange, old Quarrington, Co. Durham, DH6 5NN (Tel: 0191-377-2728) (Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council re-elected at the Annual Meeting in May 2013)
Cllr Janet Blakey, 13, Philip Avenue, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5EQ (Tel: 0191-377-1608)
Cllr Alan Blakey, 13, Philip Avenue, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5EQ (Tel: 0191-377-1608)
Cllr Paul Leake, 16, Tunstall Avenue, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5EE (Tel: 0191-377-2985)
Cllr George H. Marsden, 31, Luke Avenue, Cassop, Co. Durham, DH6 4RD (Tel: 01429-820017)
Cllr Jason Marsden, 24, Luke Avenue, Cassop, Co. Durham, DH6 4RD (Tel: 01429-821329)
Cllr Muriel Marsden, 31, Luke Avenue, Cassop, Co. Durham, DH6 4RD (Tel: 01429-820017)
Cllr Dennis Morgan, 26, Durham Road West, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5Au (Tel: 0191-377-0553)
Cllr Alan Richardson, 61, Ramsay Street, Tursdale, Co. Durham DH6 5NS (Tel: 0191-377-9957)
Cllr James Robinson, 4, Steavenson Street, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5BA (Tel: 0191-377-1655)
Cllr Frank Salisbury, “Woodside”, 5, Wylam Terrace, Coxhoe, Co. Durham, DH6 4JA (Tel: 0191-377-3899)
Cllr Mike Syer, 8, Clarence Street, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5BB (Tel: 0191-377-1491)
Cllr William Temporal, 19, Tunstall Avenue, Bowburn, Co. Durham, DH6 5EE
page 6page 6
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Merry Christmas from your County Councillors
Jan Blakey(0191) 377-160803000-268-685
Maria Plews(0191) 377-984203000-268-760
Mac Williams(0191) 378-372303000-268-789
Message from the Police & Crime Commissioner
Park Hill play equipment delayedA PLAN to obtain more play equipment, for teenagers, at Park Hill has
been put on hold.
Durham County Credit UnionYour Community Bank
•FlexibleandConvenientLoans•SafeandSecureSavings•ChristmasClub•YourownPaypointCard•DividendonSavings•FreeLifeAssurance•YoungSaverAccounts•LowInterestRatesonLoans
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or ring 0191-375-7677See also www.durhamcountycu.co.uk
Quarry meeting brings comfortby Richard Cowen
oLD Quarrington Quarry is now under new management, following the merger of Tarmac and Lafarge. The new owners of the Quarry have
now held the first Liaison Committee meeting with residents. This was a use-ful meeting when a number of things from the footpaths to traffic were dis-cussed.
£3,600 towards this project has been provisionally set aside from the Bowburn Regeneration Fund. However a full application to the fund, and requests for other grants, will not be made until the County Council has agreed a new coun-tywide policy on play areas across the
county.The Council owns the land at Park
Hill and maintains the existing equip-ment. However their Sport and Leisure Services cannot agree to allow new equipment to be installed, or take on future maintenance, until they receive
Since the A688 was extended to Byers Garth and quarry traffic taken out of Bowburn, I think the environment for us has been much improved. But there can still be issues which need to be kept under review. And of course the recently approved planning appli-cation to extend works to Cold Knuckles Quarry has yet to be implemented.
But I think there is reason to believe that the operators will keep
problems to a minimum and will address any that do arise. And they did mention that there are grants available for envi-ronmental capital projects that people may be able to apply for. one thing briefly mentioned was some possible improve-ments in the Nature Reserve.
I think the main thing that arose from this meeting is that if there are problems (e.g. noise or a lorry being driven
inconsiderately to or from the quarry) you should first contact the quarry. My opinion is that they will take positive steps to resolve genuine problems. only if this should fail will it then be necessary to approach, say, the County Council to complain.
And if you do have an environmental project in or around Bowburn you want to promote, it may be worth enquiring about a grant. After all, they can only say no.
a decision regarding its Review of Fixed Play Provisions.
A report on this review was received by Cabinet in July, following the first round of consultation. This resulted in a change to how the Council decides on the allocation of play sites. Feedback indicated that child population figures should be used; however the 2011 census data, by single age, have only recently been released.
Further consultations will now be conducted next year but a final deci-sion is unlikely to be made before next summer.
police about issues they have in their area.
No call is wasted as it is logged and will pro-vide the police with a
fuller understand-ing of what is hap-pening. It will also allow me to ensure t h a t a p p r o p r i -ate action is being taken.
If it isn’t urgent, call 101. In an emer-gency, it is always 999.
Thank you for the invite to your meeting – work-ing together we can make a difference.
Regards,Ron
My name is Ron Hogg and I am the Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham. Meeting
with residents is important to me, so that I can find out first-hand from yourselves about any policing or community safety concerns you may have.
I was invited to your local PACT meeting which I attended on Wednesday 13th November at Bowburn Community Centre.
I enjoyed a good dis-cussion with residents addressing local prob-lems and solutions and
explained what my role is as Police and Crime Commissioner, in hold-ing the Force to account, especially when tackling local issues.
In that regard, I want to stress the need for the community to call the
page 7
LOGS HARDWOODLarge Dumpy Bag – £60.003 Bags hardwood – £10.004 Bags softwood – £10.00
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Music through the Decades Post
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Christmas Party Night – Saturday 11 Jan 2014
£40 per head ALL INCLuSIVE – Food and Drink included
(as above)
Bowburn Post OfficeOpening Hours:
Mon–Fri: All day to 5.30pm Sat: 9am–12.30pm
(No closing for lunch)National Lottery open till 6.00pm on Wednesday
Post Office Services plus:–The Health Lottery
Free Cash Withdrawals & Cash/Cheque Deposits (all banks, inc.
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Moneygrams; Top Ups – Mobiles, Electric & Gas; Fishing Licences; Photocopy & Fax Services; Dry
cleaning; Wide Range of Greeting Cards; Stationery; Cold Drinks and
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page 8
The skaters, all mem-bers of the Durham City Rolling Angels, took three hours and raised £450 for Children in Need.
Deborah (second left, above) and Kelly (right)
are both volunteers at Bowburn’s community gym, at the youth club.
848 voters, almost three hundred more than last year, took part and many more than that enjoyed the activities available on the day, taking the number to about 1,000.
of the thirty eight projects on display in the colourful and informative “market place”, 26 projects were successful in sharing £85,000. Jane Bellis and her staff will work with the projects that didn’t make it to source other pots of funding.
one of the successful applications was Bowburn Community Centre. (See left.) Well done to those
Correspondence should be addressed to Bowburn Interchange, c/o Bowburn Community Centre, Durham Road, Bowburn, DH6 5AT.Views published in this newsletter do not necessarily represent those of Bowburn Village Celebration (BVC). No responsibility can be accepted for any damage that may
arise from the publication of erroneous information received and published in good faith. A copy of BVC’s Editorial Policy is available on request or on our website.
Quiz winnersWINNERS of the
last Community Partnership quiz (“It’s hot out there”), drawn in November, were: 1st–S. Jones, 2nd–D. Balfour and 3rd–E. Mudd.
The latest one is enti-tled “White Christmas” and will be drawn on 18th February. Quiz sheets, costing £1 each, for prizes of £20, £10 and £5, are avai lable from Janet Blackburn. Tel.: (0191) 377-0653.
Janet also organizes quizzes in Crowtrees W. M. Club, to raise money for Bowburn Interchange. The last one raised £50 on 18th october. Look out for details about the next one.
Curtain up for BowburnBoWBuRN Community Association has
been awarded £4,000 for its “Curtain up for Bowburn” project.
AAP Forum – Bowburn successTHERE was an excellent response when your
local Area Action Partnership (AAP) held its Forum at Sedgefield Community College on Sat-urday 23rd November.
Beautiful Durham winnersBo W B u R N h a d
two winners in this year’s Beautiful Dur-ham competition.
Alan Ward, of Bede Terrace, won one of the 13 main categories: “Best a l lotment or ki tchen garden”. And Bowburn Care Centre won the Alan Siggens Memorial Award for special contribution.
Prizes were presented at Durham Town Hall on 2nd october, by Cllr Pauline Charlton, Chairman of Durham County Council and Mayor of Durham.
“This has been another great year for the Beautiful Durham competition”, she said, “with residents and businesses produc-ing wonderful floral dis-plays and environmental improvements. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the com-petition and the sponsors who helped to make it such as success.”
Kapow! Heroes at the Hair Hut
by Jackie Brown and Emma Wilkinson
oN 15th November, at the “The Bat Hut” in Bowburn City, the superheroes Bat Girl and
Robin, aka Emma Wilkinson and Jackie Brown, the owner of The Hair Hut, carried out their fight against the grey hairs and split ends to support Children in Need.
Skating for charityDEBoRAH Bell and Kelly Etherington, of
Bowburn, were among a team of roller skat-ers who completed 500 laps, the equivalent of 16 miles, on 14th November.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Durham, Cllrs Pauline Charlton and Jan Blakey,
visited Bowburn Infants School, with ceremonial bodyguard, in November.
Park benchesTHE picnic benches
near the Sensory Garden and old bowling green, in Bowburn Park, have been removed, fol-lowing complaints about anti-social behaviour. one had already been de-stroyed by fire.
T h e C o m m u n i t y Partnership has recom-mended that the Council should offer them to the youth club and local schools.
Post Office to move?BOWBURN Post Office is expected to close
next year. If the national Post Office can find a local trader willing to take on the respon-sibilities of a subpostmaster, then Raj Bilkhu hopes to retire.
R a j f i r s t c a m e t o B o w b u r n i n J a n u a r y 2004, taking over from Ray White. He has been assisted ever since then by Ivy Gardener and Shirley owens, and also, early on, by Kathleen Hedley.
“I have loved work-ing here”, he said. “It has been a wonderful experi-ence, getting to know so many people and seeing the younger ones grow up.”
But contracts with the Post office are changing and the opening hours now being looked for in new “Post office Locals”
are much longer. “I don’t want to have to keep that up for another ten years”, said Raj, “so I have informed the Post office that I wish to retire. I will not just walk away, though. It will be a phased move.”
It is understood that there may be an interest in a “Post office Local” being established at the Gulf garage, at the north end of Bowburn.
(See also “Raj seeks new Post office formula”, in Bowburn Interchange no. 27, published in April 2004.)
More speed humpsCoNSuLTATIoN on
the proposed con-struction of more speed humps along Tail upon End Lane ended on 18th
November. The majority of those responding were in favour.
A Council decision will be made in the New Year.
Community gymTHE Community gym,
which opened at the DJ Evans Youth Club last summer, now has 132 members and nine volun-teers.
We decided to fundraise only two weeks before the official date and were thrilled and very proud to collect £420.90 in the space of 10 days. It was lovely to see the smiles on customers’ faces and they were more than willing to join in with the fun for such a good cause.
We would like to thank our customers, friends
and family for their gen-erous donations. Look out for our event next year for Children in Need – it will be bigger and better than this year.
The grant was obtained from the East Durham Rural Corridor Area Action Partnership (the AAP), after votes cast by residents from through-out the area were counted, at the AAP’s “It’s up 2u” event at Sedgefield on 23rd November.
The project will:upgrade and refur-•
bish the stage in the Community Centre,
repair the stage floor, •recovering and levelling the splintered surface,
fit a disabled access lift •to the stage area,
r e p l a c e t h e s t a g e •
curtains, to meet cur-rent legislation and safety standards and greatly improve the appearance of the 50-year-old tat-tered originals, and
instal stage lighting.•The old loading bay
behind the stage, long since unused, will also be blocked off.
Work on the stage floor began quickly after the event, to be ready for the pantomime on 21st
December.other works will be
done as the rest of the required funding becomes available.
Stephanie Matthews and Donna Paget, secretary and treasurer of Bowburn Community Association,
present their winning display at the AAP’s fund-voting event
Bat Girl and Robin, aka Emma Wilkinson and Jackie Brown
who took the project for-ward and thank you to those people who trav-elled to Sedgefield and voted.
T h e r e w a s a g o o d response to the Council Budget Consultation with 181 questionnaires com-pleted on the day (some may have been taken away to submit before the dead-line of 11th December), and 18 group sessions involved 86 participants.
635 people also voted on their three chosen Priorities. The top five results were Activities for Children & Young People; Crime & Community Safety; older People; Employment/Enterprise/Education/Training, and Health & Wellbeing.
Please come along to the next Board Meeting on 22nd January from 5pm, at Trimdon Station C o m m u n i t y C e n t r e , where the priorities will be discussed.
By Janet Blackburn, AAP Public Representative
Perch pronouncements No. 53
I wonder how much ransom
the Infants
will get…
Bowburn seems to have had some great winners and fun-draisers lately. …for the Mayor!