County Durham History and Heritage

News from the Forum, Issue 3, June 2009

This is the third issue of the Forum’s newsletter. Here is an opportunity for members to post their news and promote future events. So please keep your news coming! The newsletters are now available on the Forum website, http://www.durhamweb.org.uk/historyforum

In order for us to share news and promote events to your members we would ask that you circulate the newsletters and event booking forms to your membership as soon as possible after receiving it. Members of your society may wish to attend training courses or events and any skills and knowledge picked up could then be used for the wider benefit of the society.

News from the Steering Group

Development of the website continues with the recent addition of a speakers list to the site. It is hoped that this list will continue to grow as more speakers express an interest in being included. If you have undertaken research, are an enthusiast on a particular topic or have an interesting local history story which you would like to share with others please get in touch so that we can add you to the list.

A half-day oral history training session will be held at the Resource Centre, Beamish Museum on Saturday 19 September 2009. The session will be led by Jo Bath. Jo is a trained oral historian and one of the Oral History Society’s (OHS) North East Region net-workers. Many of you will have met her in her post at Beamish Museum. Booking forms are now being sent out to the Forum mailing list. Please circulate this information to your society/group members. Places are limited to 12 to allow for practical sessions.

This training opportunity will be repeated on 3 October (see events listing for further information) at the Head of Steam, Darlington Railway Museum. This session will be delivered by Sheila Forster, also an oral historian and OHS regional net-worker. Sheila has been involved in the Durham Miner and Coalmining Oral History Projects over recent years. She is currently working on Durham County

Council’s Durham in Time Project.

We are now working on arrangements for the CDHH Forum conference, which will be held on 17 October. Booking forms and programme will be sent out with the August newsletter. In the meantime please put the date in your diary. There will be an opportunity for around 10 – 12 groups to have display space at the event to promote their society’s events and activities.

We would like to thank the following groups for their donations to the Forum funds:

• Durham County Local History Society.
• Tudhoe & Spennymoor Local History Society
• South Moor Local History Group

On a final note, thank you for your continued interest in the Forum. Membership Forms for the year 2009/10 will be available from August.

For further information about the Forum contact:

• Local Studies, Durham Clayport Library on 0191 3864003
• Julie Hawthorn on 0191 370 8845
• John Banham johnbanham@tiscali.co.uk
(For the website)

News from the Members

The J.T. Packett Prize

Every two years the Cleveland and Teesside Local History Society awards a prize of £200 for a local history essay. It's known as the J.T. Packett prize and was made possible through the generosity of the late Mr. John Packett. The 2009 Packett Prize winner is Valerie Harrison of Middlesbrough for her study of the history of the Cleveland Asylum chapel.

The Society is now inviting entries for the Spring 2011 prize. Any member of the public may enter, that is, anyone except professional historians. This is strictly a competition for amateurs. An entry should normally be an essay of between 2,000 and 5,000 words. It should be your own research and an original piece of work that has not been published anywhere. The subject must be a local history topic with a strong connection to the area around the Tees Valley in South East Durham or North East Yorkshire.

If you think you might fancy entering the Spring 2011 competition and would like to know more about it, please contact Geoff Braddy on 01642 816903 or via e-mail at gjbraddy@btinternet.com

Article by: Geoff Braddy, Cleveland and Teesside Local History Society

Have you been to the Regional Resource Centre yet?
The Regional Resource Centre at Beamish Museum is home to thousands of intriguing objects from our region’s past. From agricultural tools to Zebo grate polish there’s something to interest everybody. The Regional Resource Centre is also where Beamish Museum stores its vast photo archive, audio history archive and library. You can come and read about life in a north eastern colliery village and then listen to a pitman talk about it in his own words. Groups can take a fascinating tour behind the scenes to see some of the amazing collections and learn about how they are cared for. Researchers can come and use the facilities at the Regional Resource Centre to look at specific parts of the collection, investigate local history or simply to browse the wonderful collection of photographs.
		The team at the Regional Resource Centre also offer support and collections advice to local history groups through the Heritage Cube Project. If you would like to find out more about this please get in touch. It’s free to access the Regional Resource Centre so if you would like to visit please contact Beamish on 0191 370 4000. Or you can have a look at some of the collections online at www.beamish.org.uk Article by: Helen Barker, Collections Access Officer, Beamish Museum


Websites
Here is a selection of Forum member website addresses. You will find event information, local history articles and news about society projects – why not take a look?

These and other sites can be viewed via the ‘Members’ section on the Forum website. http://www.durhamweb.org.uk/historyforum
Aycliffe & District Bus Preservation Society http://www.aycliffebus.org.uk/	Teesdale Heritage Group http://www.teesdalerecordsociety.org.uk/
Cassop History Society http://www.cassop-history-society.com/	Weardale Railway Trust http://www.weardale-railway.org.uk/
Chester-le-Street Heritage Group http://www.chesterlestreetheritage.org.uk/	The Surtees Society http://www.dur.ac.uk/surtees.society/surtees.htm/
Cleveland & Teesside Local History Society http://www.ctlhs.org.uk/

Portable Antiquities and Treasure: a note for local history societies
Many local history (and archaeology) societies engage in fieldwork or collect antiquities from their area. While this is fun and exciting, there are a few simple things that your society should be aware of. Treasure is legally defined, and the old Treasure Trove laws were replaced in 1996 by the Treasure Act. An object or group of objects qualify as Treasure if:
• Made substantially from a precious metal; • Is more than 300 years old. In the case of coins, two or more precious metal coins found together qualifies as Treasure, as does ten or more base-metal coins. Furthermore, if two or more metal objects of Prehistoric date are found together, that also qualifies as Treasure. Objects that are Treasure must be reported. If you have Treasure you would like to report, or questions regarding Treasure, please contact your local Finds Liaison Officer. Most objects do not qualify as Treasure, but they are still of interest. The Portable Antiquities Scheme (www.finds.org.uk) was established across England and Wales in 2003, and your local Finds Liaison Officer is in place to identify and record objects of historical interest found by members of the public. He/she will record these artefacts by taking pictures and creating an entry on a digital database freely available on the internet. The Portable Antiquities Scheme database (www.findsdatabase.org.uk) also provides a useful resource for local societies, allowing you to search the records to see what has been found and recorded from your parish or in any area of interest. If you have any questions, please look on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website, or contact your local Finds Liaison Officer for the North East, Rob Collins, by e-mail (Robert.collins@ncl.ac.uk) or telephone (Newcastle: 0191 222 5076; Durham: 0191 370 8847). Article by: Rob Collins, Finds Liaison Officer for the North East

Events Around The County

CDHH Forum Events

Saturday, 19 September 2009

Oral History Training session
10.00 am – 12.30 pm

To be held at The Resource Centre, Beamish Museum. Limited places available booking required. Booking form attached.

Saturday, 3 October 2009

Oral History Training session
10.00 am – 12.30 pm

To be held at The Head of Steam, Darlington Railway Museum. Limited places are available so booking required.
Booking form attached.

Saturday, 17 October 2009

CDHH Forum Conference and Business Meeting.
County Hall, Durham City

Details to follow in the August newsletter

Council for British Archaeology (North)

Sunday, 19 July 2009

A Guided tour of the archaeological excavations at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland.

For further information contact Paul Frodsham.

Sunday, 11 October 2009

From 1.00 pm
Venue: Hartlepool Maritime Experience

Maritime Archaeology Day.
A talk on underwater archaeology by the Nautical Archaeology Society NE. Free entry into the Museum of Hartlepool

To book and for further information about membership contact Jennifer Morrison on
0191 2816117 or
Email: cbanorth@britacrch.ac.uk

Durham Historical Association

Lecture Programme – starts at 6pm

Venue: The Parish Centre of St Giles’ church, Gilesgate.

Free entry. Everyone welcome. Refreshments available.

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Darwin’s place in history’
by Dr Malcolm Smith

Tuesday 20 October 2009-06-25

‘Robert Hooke, a neglected seventeenth century genius’
By Sir Arnold Wolfendale, FBA, 14th Astronomer Royal.

For further information about the lecture programme and membership of the Durham branch of the Historical Association contact:
Professor Batho on 0191 370 9941 or email Gordon.batho@btopenworld.com

Friends of the Fulling Mill

Saturday, 4 July 2009

7:30 pm
Museum of Archaeology, Old Fulling Mill, Durham City

Annual Concert – a Selection of solo songs and duets.

Clive Constance (Baritone), Luke Woodhouse (Tenor) accompanied by Edward Cheesman (keyboard).

The music will be followed by strawberries and cream, wine and soft drinks. Entrance cost is £6.00

Further information:
The Museum of Archaeology, The Old Fulling Mill

0191 334 1823 http://www.dur.ac.uk/fulling.mill

Locomotion, NRM Shildon

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Vintage Tractors Rally
10.00 am – 5.00pm. Free event

Thursday 30 July

Festival of British Archaeology: Guided walk on ‘The Hidden Archaeology of Timothy Hackworth’
Starts at 1.30 pm. Booking required.

Sunday, 2 August 2009

Classic Bus Rally
10.00 am – 5.00 pm. Free event

Further information from:
http://www.locomotion.uk.com/

Thorpe Thewles History Group

7:30 pm, Grindon Parish Hall, Thorpe Thewles

Friday, 18 September 2009

‘Saxons, Vikings & Normans – the medieval settlements of Teesside’ An introduction by Robin Daniels of Teesside Archaeology to post Roman development and settlements in the Teesside region.

Entry by ticket – available from Linda Smith on 01740 630014 at £2.00 each.

Tudhoe & Spennymoor Local History Society

Venue: St David’s Church Hall, Tudhoe
Time: 7.30 pm

Monday, 28 September 2009

‘Recipes and meals through the ages’
A talk by Jennifer Gill

Entry £1.50 for visitors.

Further information at
http://www.picturespennymoor.co.uk/

(Select the ‘history society’ page)

Weardale Railway Trust

The following events will be held at Bondisle playing field, Stanhope.

Trains depart from Wolsingham station:
10.30 am, 1.00 pm, 3.30 pm

Trains depart Stanhope station:
11.45 am, 2.15 pm, 4.30 pm

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Classic Car Rally. Meet the ‘motor stars’ of film and TV…Life on Mars, Heart Beat and The Royal.

Sunday, 23 August 2009

Morris Minor Rally and Charity Day. The Morris Minor was 60 years old in 2008. Come and see the many and varied examples of this classic vehicle. Local charity stalls and displays.

Saturday, 19 and Sunday 20 September 2009

Re-enactments, Military vehicles, dioramas, skirmishes, 1940s dance plus a lot more.

Further information on all these events from:
Tel. 01388 526203
http://www.weardale-railway.org.uk

Wheatley Hill History Club

Saturday, 26 September
10:00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m.
Working Men’s Club, Wheatley Hill

Local History Day and Book Launch

If you would like to promote your events via the Forum website please contact John Banham johnbanham@tiscali.co.uk

For newsletter items contact Julie Hawthorn julie.hawthorn@durham.gov.uk
http://www.durhamweb.org.uk/historyforum/