Showing posts with label Stockton-on-Tees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stockton-on-Tees. Show all posts
14 January 2009
Centre’s a flower power winner
WELLINGTON Square Shopping Centre in Stockton has been praised for helping to create a better environment in the town centre.
The centre received the Care For Your Area Community Award from Stockton Council for the second time in recognition of its floral displays and for forming links with local schools to create artwork for Northumbria in Bloom.
The hard work and dedication of centre staff ensured Wellington Square’s victory in the business category of the annual awards, said centre manager Rob Gildersleeve.
He said: “We have been working for three years now to create ways to display artwork produced in aid of Northumbria in Bloom by children from the schools in the borough. We have used them on hoardings and banners and they have been amazingly colourful. We have been highly commended by the judges in Northumbria in Bloom this year, and won a Silver Gilt award.”
He added: “As a responsible business, we feel that we have to lead the way. We have worked with Stockton Council to create greenery in the malls, as well as a very unusual sculpture as a planter for a variety of flowers.
“This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees, which often goes unnoticed by the public. The operations manager, Colin Smith, and the rest of his team should be very proud.”
Mr Gildersleeve was handed the honour by Mayor of Stockton John Fletcher at a ceremony in the Swallow Hotel.
The Care For Your Area awards are designed to reward the unsung heroes of the town for their contribution to making Stockton a better place for residents and visitors.
The centre received the Care For Your Area Community Award from Stockton Council for the second time in recognition of its floral displays and for forming links with local schools to create artwork for Northumbria in Bloom.
The hard work and dedication of centre staff ensured Wellington Square’s victory in the business category of the annual awards, said centre manager Rob Gildersleeve.
He said: “We have been working for three years now to create ways to display artwork produced in aid of Northumbria in Bloom by children from the schools in the borough. We have used them on hoardings and banners and they have been amazingly colourful. We have been highly commended by the judges in Northumbria in Bloom this year, and won a Silver Gilt award.”
He added: “As a responsible business, we feel that we have to lead the way. We have worked with Stockton Council to create greenery in the malls, as well as a very unusual sculpture as a planter for a variety of flowers.
“This award is testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees, which often goes unnoticed by the public. The operations manager, Colin Smith, and the rest of his team should be very proud.”
Mr Gildersleeve was handed the honour by Mayor of Stockton John Fletcher at a ceremony in the Swallow Hotel.
The Care For Your Area awards are designed to reward the unsung heroes of the town for their contribution to making Stockton a better place for residents and visitors.
16 November 2008
When the lights go on all over the Tees Valley
This month sees the launch of Stockton’s first ever Christmas Market Fair which promises treats and delights for all the family. The fair kicks off the five-week long Stockton Sparkles Christmas Festival celebrations which sees events being held every weekend before Christmas Eve, encouraging shoppers and visitors into the town centre. The market, which will run from November 27-30, will feature delicious food from local farmers, a Victorian themed funfair, street entertainment and a Christmas Circus. Stockton’s Parish Gardens will be filled with log cabins hosting crafts people with a variety of gifts to sell, as well as vendors selling hot food and drink, including mulled wine and German sausage.
Stockton Council is funding the festival for three years, culminating in 2010 with the 700th anniversary of the Stockton Market Charter. After 2010 it is expected the Christmas Market Fair will become a self-funding annual event. The run-up to all the Christmas festivities begins on Sunday, November 23 – the day of the Christmas light switch-on which will be performed by Emmerdale’s Charlie Hardwick, who plays Val. The four-day Christmas Market Fair begins on Thursday, November 27. Throughout these four days there will be a stage in the Green Dragon Yard for live music and performances in the Georgian Theatre. A Farmers’ Market will be running in
Wellington Square on the Thursday with a mobile kitchen where a local chef will be demonstrating how to cook some of the products on offer from the farmers. On Friday, November 28, shoppers and visitors will be treated to a variety of entertainment including the Christmas Circus, a Christmas Market and Craft Fair in the Parish Gardens and live performances including Adrian the fire eater, performing pirates, the Snowmen Family and Man in a Xmas Present. The Victorian funfair will be found during all four days of the fair at the south end of the High Street with free entertainment and rides. The free Christmas Circus, on Riverside Road, will be giving 45-minute performances throughout all four days of the Christmas Market Fair as well as holding circus skills workshops for children. On Saturday, November 29, you can see local Bollywood dance troupe Navrang Arts, the Stockton Rhythm Train, and the Kings Choir Gospel Singers. The Christmas Market Fair draws to a close on Sunday, November 30, with the World Fair as well as entertainment from the winner of Stockton Council’s Busk Idol competition, Chris Wright, belly dancers from the Tees Valley and artist John Hicks’ Icons, upside down and revolving paintings of Christmas scenes executed to music.
A fireworks finale provides the final flourish. Other Stockton Sparkles events include a reindeer parade on Sunday, December 7, and Christmas Carnival Parade on December 14. In the week before Christmas the Christmas Land Train will be taking people up and down the High Street.
TEES Valley gets into the full festive spirit with Christmas lights being switched on around the region.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Thursday, November 13, from 5.30pm
Fun starts for the Middlesbrough Christmas lights switch-on from 5.30pm with the switch flicked on this year’s dazzling display at 6pm. You’ll also be able to see Glow, where performers use programmable juggling clubs which change colour, fade or strobe in unison with music and each other.
STOCKTON: Sunday November 23
EMMERDALE’S Charlie Hardwick, who plays Val, ably assisted by Santa will switch on the lights at 4.30pm. There will be fun in town from 2.30pm.
DARLINGTON: Sunday, November 23
THE fun starts in the Market Square at 3.15pm. Ian Reddington, star of the Darlington Civic’s panto, will then turn on the lights at 4.30pm followed by fireworks.
SALTBURN: Saturday, November 29
THE Christmas tree lights switch-on takes place on Albion Terrace. Marske Band will be playing from 4.30pm with carols
Stockton Council is funding the festival for three years, culminating in 2010 with the 700th anniversary of the Stockton Market Charter. After 2010 it is expected the Christmas Market Fair will become a self-funding annual event. The run-up to all the Christmas festivities begins on Sunday, November 23 – the day of the Christmas light switch-on which will be performed by Emmerdale’s Charlie Hardwick, who plays Val. The four-day Christmas Market Fair begins on Thursday, November 27. Throughout these four days there will be a stage in the Green Dragon Yard for live music and performances in the Georgian Theatre. A Farmers’ Market will be running in
Wellington Square on the Thursday with a mobile kitchen where a local chef will be demonstrating how to cook some of the products on offer from the farmers. On Friday, November 28, shoppers and visitors will be treated to a variety of entertainment including the Christmas Circus, a Christmas Market and Craft Fair in the Parish Gardens and live performances including Adrian the fire eater, performing pirates, the Snowmen Family and Man in a Xmas Present. The Victorian funfair will be found during all four days of the fair at the south end of the High Street with free entertainment and rides. The free Christmas Circus, on Riverside Road, will be giving 45-minute performances throughout all four days of the Christmas Market Fair as well as holding circus skills workshops for children. On Saturday, November 29, you can see local Bollywood dance troupe Navrang Arts, the Stockton Rhythm Train, and the Kings Choir Gospel Singers. The Christmas Market Fair draws to a close on Sunday, November 30, with the World Fair as well as entertainment from the winner of Stockton Council’s Busk Idol competition, Chris Wright, belly dancers from the Tees Valley and artist John Hicks’ Icons, upside down and revolving paintings of Christmas scenes executed to music.
A fireworks finale provides the final flourish. Other Stockton Sparkles events include a reindeer parade on Sunday, December 7, and Christmas Carnival Parade on December 14. In the week before Christmas the Christmas Land Train will be taking people up and down the High Street.
TEES Valley gets into the full festive spirit with Christmas lights being switched on around the region.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Thursday, November 13, from 5.30pm
Fun starts for the Middlesbrough Christmas lights switch-on from 5.30pm with the switch flicked on this year’s dazzling display at 6pm. You’ll also be able to see Glow, where performers use programmable juggling clubs which change colour, fade or strobe in unison with music and each other.
STOCKTON: Sunday November 23
EMMERDALE’S Charlie Hardwick, who plays Val, ably assisted by Santa will switch on the lights at 4.30pm. There will be fun in town from 2.30pm.
DARLINGTON: Sunday, November 23
THE fun starts in the Market Square at 3.15pm. Ian Reddington, star of the Darlington Civic’s panto, will then turn on the lights at 4.30pm followed by fireworks.
SALTBURN: Saturday, November 29
THE Christmas tree lights switch-on takes place on Albion Terrace. Marske Band will be playing from 4.30pm with carols
21 September 2008
BY GEORGE...things have really changed
STOCKTON has undergone a transformation since its council became a unitary authority, says George Garlick.
And the borough is well placed to continue its progress in the coming few years.
Mr Garlick, 57, is leaving the authority to take over as chief executive of the new unitary council for County Durham. With 500,000 people, it will be the biggest local authority in the North-east and one of the biggest in the country.
Mr Garlick arrived as the chief executive at Stockton Council in 1995.
It was preparing for the major shake-up in local government on Teesside with the scrapping of Cleveland County Council and the setting up of the unitary councils covering each of the boroughs in 1996.
Mr Garlick believes the creation of the unitary councils has been a success for Stockton and for the whole of the Tees Valley.
“The effect of providing the four Teesside unitaries and a unitary council for Darlington to form the Tees Valley has been quite virtuous.
“We have competed with each other to provide the best services and that has raised the standard of service delivery across the whole area.
“Last year all five Tees Valley councils were four-star authorities,” said Mr Garlick.
He said the decision of the councils to set up the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit had helped drive forward the agenda on economic, planning and transportation strategy.
Mr Garlick said that in the past 13 years Stockton had gone from an average performing authority - and in some cases such as street cleansing, a poorly performing authority - to being one of the top three performing councils in the country.
He pointed to Stockton’s success in being the overall winner of the city category in the 2007 Britain in Bloom finals as a clear indication of how the appearance of the borough had been transformed.
Examples highlighted by Mr Garlick on the progress the borough had made were:
Stockton schools’ performance at five or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent was 39.5% in 1997. This year the figure was 64.4%.
At the end of Key Stage 2 performance at Level 4 or more was, in English, 59.8% in 1997 and this year it was 84.5%. In Maths, the 1997 figure was 62.3%, this year it was 82.5%.
Satisfaction with the way the council provides services had risen from 45% in 2000 to 54% in 2006.
In 2000 Stockton’s average ranking in the index of multiple deprivation was 75th worst nationally. By 2007 the borough had fallen to 98th.
Housing regeneration work in the borough has seen 1,000 homes demolished and 500 new homes have been provided so far on the regeneration sites. There has also been an £89m investment over five years in improving the council’s housing stock.
Mr Garlick said: “The borough has been transformed in so many ways.
He sees the Tees Barrage and its “creation of an 11-mile lake” as a huge catalyst in the work to regenerate the borough.
And he said the modernisation of the political system in the authority provided a new focus on quick decisions in local government.
“Big changes will happen in the next five years. Thornaby town centre is being rebuilt, Billingham is about to be renewed and in Stockton town centre we have the Southern Gateway project,” said Mr Garlick.
He added that there will be further progress on the Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative.
“The Building Schools for the Future programme in the borough is another wonderful opportunity and another spur to the huge emphasis we have had on education.
“Events such as the Stockton International Festival have gone from strength to strength.
“I have had a fantastic 13 years but it will be good for Stockton to have a change.
“Durham will be a very big unitary council. It is a big job and a big challenge,” said Mr Garlick, who plans to continue to live in Stockton.
And the borough is well placed to continue its progress in the coming few years.
Mr Garlick, 57, is leaving the authority to take over as chief executive of the new unitary council for County Durham. With 500,000 people, it will be the biggest local authority in the North-east and one of the biggest in the country.
Mr Garlick arrived as the chief executive at Stockton Council in 1995.
It was preparing for the major shake-up in local government on Teesside with the scrapping of Cleveland County Council and the setting up of the unitary councils covering each of the boroughs in 1996.
Mr Garlick believes the creation of the unitary councils has been a success for Stockton and for the whole of the Tees Valley.
“The effect of providing the four Teesside unitaries and a unitary council for Darlington to form the Tees Valley has been quite virtuous.
“We have competed with each other to provide the best services and that has raised the standard of service delivery across the whole area.
“Last year all five Tees Valley councils were four-star authorities,” said Mr Garlick.
He said the decision of the councils to set up the Tees Valley Joint Strategy Unit had helped drive forward the agenda on economic, planning and transportation strategy.
Mr Garlick said that in the past 13 years Stockton had gone from an average performing authority - and in some cases such as street cleansing, a poorly performing authority - to being one of the top three performing councils in the country.
He pointed to Stockton’s success in being the overall winner of the city category in the 2007 Britain in Bloom finals as a clear indication of how the appearance of the borough had been transformed.
Examples highlighted by Mr Garlick on the progress the borough had made were:
Stockton schools’ performance at five or more A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent was 39.5% in 1997. This year the figure was 64.4%.
At the end of Key Stage 2 performance at Level 4 or more was, in English, 59.8% in 1997 and this year it was 84.5%. In Maths, the 1997 figure was 62.3%, this year it was 82.5%.
Satisfaction with the way the council provides services had risen from 45% in 2000 to 54% in 2006.
In 2000 Stockton’s average ranking in the index of multiple deprivation was 75th worst nationally. By 2007 the borough had fallen to 98th.
Housing regeneration work in the borough has seen 1,000 homes demolished and 500 new homes have been provided so far on the regeneration sites. There has also been an £89m investment over five years in improving the council’s housing stock.
Mr Garlick said: “The borough has been transformed in so many ways.
He sees the Tees Barrage and its “creation of an 11-mile lake” as a huge catalyst in the work to regenerate the borough.
And he said the modernisation of the political system in the authority provided a new focus on quick decisions in local government.
“Big changes will happen in the next five years. Thornaby town centre is being rebuilt, Billingham is about to be renewed and in Stockton town centre we have the Southern Gateway project,” said Mr Garlick.
He added that there will be further progress on the Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative.
“The Building Schools for the Future programme in the borough is another wonderful opportunity and another spur to the huge emphasis we have had on education.
“Events such as the Stockton International Festival have gone from strength to strength.
“I have had a fantastic 13 years but it will be good for Stockton to have a change.
“Durham will be a very big unitary council. It is a big job and a big challenge,” said Mr Garlick, who plans to continue to live in Stockton.
22 August 2008
And finally, the finale... Join in the handover celebration
TEESSIDERS are invited to join the UK in a mass celebration this Sunday as the Olympic flag is handed over to London for the 2012 games.
From 2pm until 5.30pm Middlesbrough centre square will become a hub of activity with residents able to take part in a variety of sporting and cultural activities.
The day will include performances from Middlesbrough Youth Dance Academy and the Gandinis Circus.
People will be able to watch the Olympic closing ceremony live from Beijing on the big screen.
And the square will be helping to unite the UK in song at 4pm.
Sing the Nation will see regions across the UK holding a mass sing-a-long led by community choirs.
Each town or city will sing one song at the same time that connects to that location.
Teesside-based international performer Richard Grainger will perform Middlesbrough’s song “One People (shoulder to shoulder)”.
The song was originally recorded with children from Lingdale and Abingdon Primary School in Middlesbrough. The latter adopted the song as their daily anthem.
Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton Borough council will both be holding flag raising ceremonies.
These take place 2pm at Tees Barrage and at 2.30pm on Redcar sea front opposite Bath Street.
Stockton’s flag will be raised by Olympic gymnast Craig Heap, and Redcar’s by Mayor Councillor Mike Findley.
More than 400 councils across the country have arranged events to mark the
From 2pm until 5.30pm Middlesbrough centre square will become a hub of activity with residents able to take part in a variety of sporting and cultural activities.
The day will include performances from Middlesbrough Youth Dance Academy and the Gandinis Circus.
People will be able to watch the Olympic closing ceremony live from Beijing on the big screen.
And the square will be helping to unite the UK in song at 4pm.
Sing the Nation will see regions across the UK holding a mass sing-a-long led by community choirs.
Each town or city will sing one song at the same time that connects to that location.
Teesside-based international performer Richard Grainger will perform Middlesbrough’s song “One People (shoulder to shoulder)”.
The song was originally recorded with children from Lingdale and Abingdon Primary School in Middlesbrough. The latter adopted the song as their daily anthem.
Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton Borough council will both be holding flag raising ceremonies.
These take place 2pm at Tees Barrage and at 2.30pm on Redcar sea front opposite Bath Street.
Stockton’s flag will be raised by Olympic gymnast Craig Heap, and Redcar’s by Mayor Councillor Mike Findley.
More than 400 councils across the country have arranged events to mark the
15 August 2008
Making a Splash with £3m
A LEISURE centre in Stockton is all set for a £3m wave of investment.
Stockton Council’s planning committee meet today to discuss Tees Active’s proposals for Splash, pictured above, in the town centre.
These include extending and refurbishing its Activ8 Fitness Suite and increasing capacity from a 45-station to a 75-station gym.
Two new multi-functional rooms would be built, along with new and improved changing rooms, an extended and refurbished entrance and a modern, larger cafe.
New activities would include martial arts, community events, health sessions, mini gymnastics, aerobics, spinning, wrestling, sports wall and the latest dance mat technology.
The existing through route from the car park to Church Road would also be relocated westwards.
A spokesman for Stockton Council said: “The redeveloped Splash will be an even bigger and better place to get fit and have fun in central Stockton.
“We anticipate the project will begin in November and last for about one year and we’re aiming to keep disruption to services to a minimum.” No objections have been raised. However, Sport England said it felt the application should be delayed until a Local Needs Assessment is completed.
A spokesman said: “Work on Stockton Local Needs Assessment is under way but to our knowledge has not reached a stage where it is advanced enough to help inform the kind of investment that is being proposed as part of this development.”
But Stockton Council’s planning officers have recommended the application stating: “There is a need for the expansion of the health and leisure facilities at Splash due to the imminent closure of the Tilery sports centre.”
As previously reported, Stockton Sports Centre in Tilery will close later this year.
Splash was opened in 2001 by the chairman of Sport England
Stockton Council’s planning committee meet today to discuss Tees Active’s proposals for Splash, pictured above, in the town centre.
These include extending and refurbishing its Activ8 Fitness Suite and increasing capacity from a 45-station to a 75-station gym.
Two new multi-functional rooms would be built, along with new and improved changing rooms, an extended and refurbished entrance and a modern, larger cafe.
New activities would include martial arts, community events, health sessions, mini gymnastics, aerobics, spinning, wrestling, sports wall and the latest dance mat technology.
The existing through route from the car park to Church Road would also be relocated westwards.
A spokesman for Stockton Council said: “The redeveloped Splash will be an even bigger and better place to get fit and have fun in central Stockton.
“We anticipate the project will begin in November and last for about one year and we’re aiming to keep disruption to services to a minimum.” No objections have been raised. However, Sport England said it felt the application should be delayed until a Local Needs Assessment is completed.
A spokesman said: “Work on Stockton Local Needs Assessment is under way but to our knowledge has not reached a stage where it is advanced enough to help inform the kind of investment that is being proposed as part of this development.”
But Stockton Council’s planning officers have recommended the application stating: “There is a need for the expansion of the health and leisure facilities at Splash due to the imminent closure of the Tilery sports centre.”
As previously reported, Stockton Sports Centre in Tilery will close later this year.
Splash was opened in 2001 by the chairman of Sport England
05 August 2008
SIRF Community Carnival
Stockton International Riverside Festival Community Carnival parade on Saturday brought the town centre to a standstill, as colourful dance, theatre and youth groups took to the streets to bang the drum for multi-cultural Teesside.
01 August 2008
Weird and wonderful at Stockton’s Riverside Festival
FROM peep shows to cheeky jugglers, the weird and wonderful street theatre of Stockton International Riverside Festival came to life yesterday.
Visitors escaping a cloudburst were entertained with theatrical sights, circus highlights and musical delights as the festival celebrates its 21st year.
Among the high street highlights, two marionettes performed a “comedic and sexy exploration” of the relationships between the sexes in Corpus’ Le Grand Peep Show.
A small caravan - the ChromaVan - provided the perfect place to relax, inviting small groups to enjoy a soothing light and colour experience.
Part of the high street was transformed into a beach for Desert Island Discs by Artizani, a show full of gags, tightrope walking and buried treasure.
Elsewhere Australian juggler Great Scott wowed the crowds.
Off the high street in the Municipal Buildings car park is Metro Boulot Dodo’s haunting winter - where icicles creep under cupboards and melodies seep through walls.
At Arc tonight and tomorrow the Riverside Festival welcomes Gob Squad and their unique show Super Night Shot. The action starts an hour before the audience arrives, when Gob Squad take to the streets of Stockton with video cameras to shoot a live film.
Each performance of Super Night Shot is as unique as the town in which it is filmed.
Sarah Thom, of Gob Squad, said: “Super Night Shot is a completely unpredictable show, which elevates the everyday into the epic and plays with people’s perceptions of the familiar. Anything can happen and usually does.”
Catch Super Night Shot at Arc at 9pm. Tickets £6 and £4 concessions are available from Arc on 01642 525199.
For full details of times and venues for the festival and the Fringe Festival go to www.sirf.co.uk
Festival-goers are invited to upload their pictures to www.flickr.com/groups/sirf2008
Tonight’s performance of An African Circus at 8pm has been cancelled. Despite having work permits, the company was denied work visas. A festival spokesperson said they were grateful for all the help of Stockton South MP Dari Taylor in her efforts to resolve the situation.
Visitors escaping a cloudburst were entertained with theatrical sights, circus highlights and musical delights as the festival celebrates its 21st year.
Among the high street highlights, two marionettes performed a “comedic and sexy exploration” of the relationships between the sexes in Corpus’ Le Grand Peep Show.
A small caravan - the ChromaVan - provided the perfect place to relax, inviting small groups to enjoy a soothing light and colour experience.
Part of the high street was transformed into a beach for Desert Island Discs by Artizani, a show full of gags, tightrope walking and buried treasure.
Elsewhere Australian juggler Great Scott wowed the crowds.
Off the high street in the Municipal Buildings car park is Metro Boulot Dodo’s haunting winter - where icicles creep under cupboards and melodies seep through walls.
At Arc tonight and tomorrow the Riverside Festival welcomes Gob Squad and their unique show Super Night Shot. The action starts an hour before the audience arrives, when Gob Squad take to the streets of Stockton with video cameras to shoot a live film.
Each performance of Super Night Shot is as unique as the town in which it is filmed.
Sarah Thom, of Gob Squad, said: “Super Night Shot is a completely unpredictable show, which elevates the everyday into the epic and plays with people’s perceptions of the familiar. Anything can happen and usually does.”
Catch Super Night Shot at Arc at 9pm. Tickets £6 and £4 concessions are available from Arc on 01642 525199.
For full details of times and venues for the festival and the Fringe Festival go to www.sirf.co.uk
Festival-goers are invited to upload their pictures to www.flickr.com/groups/sirf2008
Tonight’s performance of An African Circus at 8pm has been cancelled. Despite having work permits, the company was denied work visas. A festival spokesperson said they were grateful for all the help of Stockton South MP Dari Taylor in her efforts to resolve the situation.
31 July 2008
Stockton International Riverside Festival kicks off in style
A HEADY mix of acrobatics, Kung Fu warriors and breathtaking aerial work got the 21st Stockton International Riverside Festival off to a flying start.
The Flying Dragon Circus, a groundbreaking celebration of the very best of Chinese and European circus traditions, takes centre stage at the five-day festival.
East meets west, boy meets girls, and monks and punks fly in the show, which premiered in Beijing in May to great acclaim.
Promising family-friendly fun, the Flying Dragon Circus warmed up with a full rehearsal yesterday before performing to the amazed crowds in an 800-capacity tent at Stockton’s Trinity Gardens last night.
Commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival and partners Culture 10 and Beijing Chaoyang Intercultural Association, the show is produced by Event International and directed by Pierrot Bidon, French founder of the famous Archaos circus.
Frank Wilson, Festival artistic director, said: “With interest in Chinese sport and culture at an all time high with the imminent Olympic Games, Flying Dragon Circus is a must-see attraction.
“The exhilarating performances show the grace and dexterity of Chinese circus tradition and the truly stunning aerial skills of the British artists.”
Mr Wilson said the show did “exceptionally well” on its European premier in Newcastle earlier this month and was a “worthy highlight” for the festival.
Catch the Flying Dragon Circus every day of the festival, times are: today – 2pm and 8.30pm; tomorrow - 7.30pm; Saturday – 2pm and 7.30pm; Sunday – 2pm and 7pm. Tickets £12.50, £5 for concessions and family tickets (two adults and two children) £25.
The show features an original score performed live by Chinese musicians and Newcastle band The Baghdaddies, who also feature at the SIRF Festival Club which returns to ARC after five years.
The Club will see performances from Maybe Myrtle Turtle and local favourites the Wildcats of Kilkenny tonight, tomorrow and Saturday starting at 10.30pm.
Meanwhile catch the start of SIRF’s colourful world class street theatre throughout Stockton town centre from midday today, including giant slinkies, trampolining acrobats, hip hop dancers and break neck stiltwalking.
For information visit www.sirf.co.uk or upload your festival pictures at www.flickr.com/groups/sirf2008
Today’s line-up and locations
Trinity Green
14:00 Flying Dragon Circus
20:30 Flying Circus
Parish Church Gardens
12:00-17:15 Honey
22:00 Suma
Municipal Buildings Car Park
12:00-21:45 Winter
High Street
11:00-18:00 Camera Obscura
12:00-15:00 ChromaVan
12:00 Great Scott
12:45 Desert Island Discs
13:30 14:15 14:30 Peep
15:15 Great Scott
15:45 Le Grand Peep Show
18:00-21:00 ChromaVan
19:00 La Grosse Couture
19:30 Peep
20:00 An African Circus
20:30 Le Grand Peep Show
21:00 Trampoline Mission 3
Arc
22:30 Festival Club
The Flying Dragon Circus, a groundbreaking celebration of the very best of Chinese and European circus traditions, takes centre stage at the five-day festival.
East meets west, boy meets girls, and monks and punks fly in the show, which premiered in Beijing in May to great acclaim.
Promising family-friendly fun, the Flying Dragon Circus warmed up with a full rehearsal yesterday before performing to the amazed crowds in an 800-capacity tent at Stockton’s Trinity Gardens last night.
Commissioned by Stockton International Riverside Festival and partners Culture 10 and Beijing Chaoyang Intercultural Association, the show is produced by Event International and directed by Pierrot Bidon, French founder of the famous Archaos circus.
Frank Wilson, Festival artistic director, said: “With interest in Chinese sport and culture at an all time high with the imminent Olympic Games, Flying Dragon Circus is a must-see attraction.
“The exhilarating performances show the grace and dexterity of Chinese circus tradition and the truly stunning aerial skills of the British artists.”
Mr Wilson said the show did “exceptionally well” on its European premier in Newcastle earlier this month and was a “worthy highlight” for the festival.
Catch the Flying Dragon Circus every day of the festival, times are: today – 2pm and 8.30pm; tomorrow - 7.30pm; Saturday – 2pm and 7.30pm; Sunday – 2pm and 7pm. Tickets £12.50, £5 for concessions and family tickets (two adults and two children) £25.
The show features an original score performed live by Chinese musicians and Newcastle band The Baghdaddies, who also feature at the SIRF Festival Club which returns to ARC after five years.
The Club will see performances from Maybe Myrtle Turtle and local favourites the Wildcats of Kilkenny tonight, tomorrow and Saturday starting at 10.30pm.
Meanwhile catch the start of SIRF’s colourful world class street theatre throughout Stockton town centre from midday today, including giant slinkies, trampolining acrobats, hip hop dancers and break neck stiltwalking.
For information visit www.sirf.co.uk or upload your festival pictures at www.flickr.com/groups/sirf2008
Today’s line-up and locations
Trinity Green
14:00 Flying Dragon Circus
20:30 Flying Circus
Parish Church Gardens
12:00-17:15 Honey
22:00 Suma
Municipal Buildings Car Park
12:00-21:45 Winter
High Street
11:00-18:00 Camera Obscura
12:00-15:00 ChromaVan
12:00 Great Scott
12:45 Desert Island Discs
13:30 14:15 14:30 Peep
15:15 Great Scott
15:45 Le Grand Peep Show
18:00-21:00 ChromaVan
19:00 La Grosse Couture
19:30 Peep
20:00 An African Circus
20:30 Le Grand Peep Show
21:00 Trampoline Mission 3
Arc
22:30 Festival Club
30 July 2008
Theatre takes to streets for Stockton International Riverside Festival
WANDER down Stockton High Street this week and you might bump into slippery slinkies, an oversized ghetto blaster, trampolining acrobats, hip hop dancers and break neck stiltwalking.
World class street theatre companies will deliver a range of performances throughout the five days of the Stockton International Riverside Festival, starting today.
Australian company Stalker brings Stiltbreak to Stockton and with it a fusion of breakdancing and hip hop style with power packed stilt performances at the weekend.
Fellow Aussies, Bedlam Oz, make a welcome return to the Festival with the unforgettable Slinkies, performing five different comical mini shows on Friday and Saturday.
Tomorrow the High Street will be transformed into a beach for Desert Island Discs by Artizani - a show full of gags, tightrope walking and buried treasure.
A caravan parked up on the High Street provides the perfect place to relax thanks to Impossible Theatre and their Chromavan, using miniature and innovative LED lighting technology to create a soothing light and colour experience. Catch them tomorrow.
World music, rock and jazz are also fused together in original compositions by French musicians Le Grosse Couture tomorrow, at 7pm.
Tonight Flying Dragon Circus kicks off the Festival in majestic style at 7.30pm at Trinity Gardens.
Meanwhile the Without Walls consortium is aiming to present and develop the work of the next generation of British performance groups working outdoors.
The passion of the tango gets an extra dimension thanks to extraordinary lifts provided by Wired Aerial Theatre who will perform on Church Road Plaza on Saturday and Sunday.
The Tavaziva Dance Company presents Beautiful People – a unique combination of contemporary and African dance styles. They perform on Stockton High Street on Friday and Saturday.
In the same location, Gulliver’s Boom Box by Company Fierce offers a funky and hilarious take on street dance styles since the 1970s.
For full details of times and venues for the Festival, including the Fringe Festival with headline acts Happy Mondays and Super Furry Animals, go to www.sirf.co.uk
Festival-goers are invited to upload their pictures at www.flickr.com/groups/sirf2008
Stockton International Riverside Festival
Malaya Now in its 21st year, Stockton International Riverside Festival is Europe's largest free open-air gathering, featuring a diverse five-day programme of outdoor theatre, street entertainment, circus, music and dance.
With its unique form of theatre performed among the crowd, Close-Act is set to be one of the highlights of the festival, providing a show that aims to tap into viewers' dreams and nightmares. Beginning as an adventurous journey through space, Malaya (Sun, Aug 3, 10pm, High Street) is played out in a fantastical world populated by fire-breathers, stilt-walkers, marching percussionists and singers in hot air balloons.
Also famed for creative stage set-ups is Exos, which creates otherworldly performances through circus, dance and theatre. Using a dreamlike setting, its show, Suma (Wed, Jul 39 until Sat, Aug 2, 10pm, Sun 9pm), will transform Stockton's Parish Gardens into an ethereal landscape.
Metro-Boulot-Dodo, meanwhile, will be showcasing part of its outdoor installation project, Four Seasons. Each year the group creates a new piece of art reflecting the different stages in a person's life. Journeying from rebellion and recklessness to responsibility and mortality, Winter (Wed, Jul 30 until Sun, Aug 2, noon, Municipal Buildings car park) promises to be a chilly place where icicles and snow shakers reign supreme.
Wed, Jul 30 until Sun, Aug 3, various venues and locations across Stockton on Tees, times vary, free. Tel: 01642 525199. www.sirf.co.uk
With its unique form of theatre performed among the crowd, Close-Act is set to be one of the highlights of the festival, providing a show that aims to tap into viewers' dreams and nightmares. Beginning as an adventurous journey through space, Malaya (Sun, Aug 3, 10pm, High Street) is played out in a fantastical world populated by fire-breathers, stilt-walkers, marching percussionists and singers in hot air balloons.
Also famed for creative stage set-ups is Exos, which creates otherworldly performances through circus, dance and theatre. Using a dreamlike setting, its show, Suma (Wed, Jul 39 until Sat, Aug 2, 10pm, Sun 9pm), will transform Stockton's Parish Gardens into an ethereal landscape.
Metro-Boulot-Dodo, meanwhile, will be showcasing part of its outdoor installation project, Four Seasons. Each year the group creates a new piece of art reflecting the different stages in a person's life. Journeying from rebellion and recklessness to responsibility and mortality, Winter (Wed, Jul 30 until Sun, Aug 2, noon, Municipal Buildings car park) promises to be a chilly place where icicles and snow shakers reign supreme.
Wed, Jul 30 until Sun, Aug 3, various venues and locations across Stockton on Tees, times vary, free. Tel: 01642 525199. www.sirf.co.uk
13 July 2008
Stockton Castle
Stockton-on-Tees began as an Anglo-Saxon settlement on high ground close to the northern bank of the River Tees. In later times this area became the site of a Norman castle belonging to the Prince-Bishops of Durham. Dating from at least the Twelfth century this castle was originally a hall belonging to Hugh Pudsey a famous Bishop of Durham. At what date the hall was fortified we do not know although it is first referred to as a castle in 1376. During the Civil War Stockton castle was a Royalist stronghold and in1640 when a treaty was signed making the Tees a boundary between the forces of Scotland and the King, this castle stayed in Royalist hands.
The Scottish forces finally captured Stockton castle in 1644 and it was garrisoned by them until 1646. At the end of the Civil War the castle was destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell and only the castle barn was left standing. Sadly this barn was demolished in the nineteenth century and today nothing remains of the old castle of Stockton on Tees;
"Old Noll in his day out of pious concern.
The castle demolished sold all but the barn."
The site of Stockton castle is now occupied by a prominent hotel its former presence indicated by Tower Street and the Castle Shopping centre. Some of the stonework from the old castle was incorporated into Stockton's Green Dragon Yard, just off the High Street.
The Scottish forces finally captured Stockton castle in 1644 and it was garrisoned by them until 1646. At the end of the Civil War the castle was destroyed on the orders of Oliver Cromwell and only the castle barn was left standing. Sadly this barn was demolished in the nineteenth century and today nothing remains of the old castle of Stockton on Tees;
"Old Noll in his day out of pious concern.
The castle demolished sold all but the barn."
The site of Stockton castle is now occupied by a prominent hotel its former presence indicated by Tower Street and the Castle Shopping centre. Some of the stonework from the old castle was incorporated into Stockton's Green Dragon Yard, just off the High Street.
£3.5m Tees Barrage watersports plan a step closer
A MULTI-million-pound upgrade of the Tees Barrage white water course to make it one of the best in the world has moved a step closer.
The Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative is calling on people to give their views on initial designs for the £3.5m project ready for a planning application to be submitted.
The improvements involve redesigning the main course, building a second shorter course and installing four massive Archimedes Screws to create guaranteed conditions for canoeists, rafters and other white water sports activities.
The 12m long by 3m diameter environmentally-friendly screws will also use excess river water to generate electricity, making the course sustainable in energy terms.
Fred Hartley, senior projects manager from British Waterways, responsible for the upgrade, said: “This is not only a fascinating and innovative piece of engineering it will also result in a truly world class facility for the Tees Valley.”
British Waterways are seeking comments and support from local people and organisations on the designs. Discussions are also underway with current course users, organisations and businesses along the river to ensure details of the scheme meet everyone's aspirations.
Councillor Bob Cook, Stockton Council's Cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “The River Tees brings Stockton and Middlesbrough together. It already has a range of high quality sports and recreational facilities. The new white water course will be a real asset for the region and indeed be of national importance.”
As well as being used as a training camp for Olympic competitors, an upgrade would enable the site to bring some of the biggest watersports events to the Tees both before and after London’s 2012 Games.
Middlesbrough Deputy Mayor, Councillor Bob Kerr said: “These upgrades will make the white water course the best of its kind in the UK. Facilities at the barrage are already an enormous asset to both Stockton and Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley, and will continue to be a major attraction for visitors from around the country and further afield.”
Major funding bids have been made to regional development agency One NorthEast and Sport England for nearly £3m. Together with contributions from British Waterways and the two local authorities, the £3.5m upgrade will be able to proceed.
Subject to the bids being approved the scheme should be able to start in November and finish by summer 2009.
An exhibition of the designs will be held on Friday from 11am-5pm at the Four Seasons, Tees Barrage, Stockton.
The Stockton Middlesbrough Initiative is calling on people to give their views on initial designs for the £3.5m project ready for a planning application to be submitted.
The improvements involve redesigning the main course, building a second shorter course and installing four massive Archimedes Screws to create guaranteed conditions for canoeists, rafters and other white water sports activities.
The 12m long by 3m diameter environmentally-friendly screws will also use excess river water to generate electricity, making the course sustainable in energy terms.
Fred Hartley, senior projects manager from British Waterways, responsible for the upgrade, said: “This is not only a fascinating and innovative piece of engineering it will also result in a truly world class facility for the Tees Valley.”
British Waterways are seeking comments and support from local people and organisations on the designs. Discussions are also underway with current course users, organisations and businesses along the river to ensure details of the scheme meet everyone's aspirations.
Councillor Bob Cook, Stockton Council's Cabinet member for regeneration and transport, said: “The River Tees brings Stockton and Middlesbrough together. It already has a range of high quality sports and recreational facilities. The new white water course will be a real asset for the region and indeed be of national importance.”
As well as being used as a training camp for Olympic competitors, an upgrade would enable the site to bring some of the biggest watersports events to the Tees both before and after London’s 2012 Games.
Middlesbrough Deputy Mayor, Councillor Bob Kerr said: “These upgrades will make the white water course the best of its kind in the UK. Facilities at the barrage are already an enormous asset to both Stockton and Middlesbrough and the wider Tees Valley, and will continue to be a major attraction for visitors from around the country and further afield.”
Major funding bids have been made to regional development agency One NorthEast and Sport England for nearly £3m. Together with contributions from British Waterways and the two local authorities, the £3.5m upgrade will be able to proceed.
Subject to the bids being approved the scheme should be able to start in November and finish by summer 2009.
An exhibition of the designs will be held on Friday from 11am-5pm at the Four Seasons, Tees Barrage, Stockton.
Council backs plans to restore building
AMBITIOUS plans to turn the clock back in a town's high street have moved a step nearer.
Stockton Borough Council's cabinet has backed plans to return the 1825 Shambles building in the centre of the town's High Street to its old use as an indoor market selling fresh produce.
The authority has agreed to borrow £180,000 to get the scheme under way, in addition to £91,000 already earmarked for the project.
Officials believe the revamped Grade II listed building will attract high-quality, specialist and niche food retailers selling organic and Fairtrade goods and local produce.
The Shambles used to be a focal point of the town centre, but market traders moved into the Spencer Hall, part of the Castlegate shopping mall, in the 1970s.
The Shambles was redeveloped with small kiosk units which are now too small for many types of business and no longer suitable for fresh produce.
Sue Burgess, town centre and markets service manager for Stockton, said the new-look Shambles will complement the Castlegate centre on one side and the Wellington Square shopping precinct on the other.
She predicted: "It will be as much a destination as a place to shop and I think it will increase the footfall in the High Street. I think its effect will be to give people more reason to come in and use this area of the High Street.
"We have been talking to a lot of producers interested in moving into the Shambles."
Most existing tenants of the Shambles were last year given six months notice to leave. The notice period ends this month. Three will continue to trade in the building.
Bainbridge Carpets will be the last to leave. A spokeswoman for the firm, which has been trading in the Shambles for the past 25 years, said: "We are out and there is nothing we can do about it. The people of Stockton are not pleased, but there is nothing to be done. We are just sick and have had enough."
Stockton Borough Council's cabinet has backed plans to return the 1825 Shambles building in the centre of the town's High Street to its old use as an indoor market selling fresh produce.
The authority has agreed to borrow £180,000 to get the scheme under way, in addition to £91,000 already earmarked for the project.
Officials believe the revamped Grade II listed building will attract high-quality, specialist and niche food retailers selling organic and Fairtrade goods and local produce.
The Shambles used to be a focal point of the town centre, but market traders moved into the Spencer Hall, part of the Castlegate shopping mall, in the 1970s.
The Shambles was redeveloped with small kiosk units which are now too small for many types of business and no longer suitable for fresh produce.
Sue Burgess, town centre and markets service manager for Stockton, said the new-look Shambles will complement the Castlegate centre on one side and the Wellington Square shopping precinct on the other.
She predicted: "It will be as much a destination as a place to shop and I think it will increase the footfall in the High Street. I think its effect will be to give people more reason to come in and use this area of the High Street.
"We have been talking to a lot of producers interested in moving into the Shambles."
Most existing tenants of the Shambles were last year given six months notice to leave. The notice period ends this month. Three will continue to trade in the building.
Bainbridge Carpets will be the last to leave. A spokeswoman for the firm, which has been trading in the Shambles for the past 25 years, said: "We are out and there is nothing we can do about it. The people of Stockton are not pleased, but there is nothing to be done. We are just sick and have had enough."
Proms flies the flag for Teesside
MAJOR award has been won by Middlesbrough Council’s Cultural Services for the BBC Proms in the Park event held last year in the town.
The event was named as the Best Event Tees Valley at the Journal Culture Awards ceremony held in Newcastle.
The council’s cultural services team and Suzannah Clarke, chairman of BBC Tees Proms in the Park Steering Group, led a multi-agency group of partner organisations that staged the Proms in the Park event last September.
A crowd of 5,500 people gathered in Middlesbrough’s Centre Square to take in the sights and sounds of international musicians and regional artists performing live.
The event was covered by national and international TV.
BBC Proms in the Park was up against two other Tees Valley events for the award – the opening night of Middlesbrough’s mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) and Stockton Riverside Fringe Festival.
Dave Budd, Middlesbrough Council’s executive councillor for regeneration, said: “This award is important recognition that we can attract the very best.
“It was a remarkable coup to bring BBC Proms in the Park to the town and a great way to mark the first year of Centre Square.”
The council’s cultural services development manager, Juliet Farrar, added: “This award is recognition for all the partner agencies and colleagues who worked so hard to make the project such a success – staging the Proms was a great example of partnership working in Tees Valley.
“We intend to build on this success and our events programme for 2008 is already under way.”
The event was named as the Best Event Tees Valley at the Journal Culture Awards ceremony held in Newcastle.
The council’s cultural services team and Suzannah Clarke, chairman of BBC Tees Proms in the Park Steering Group, led a multi-agency group of partner organisations that staged the Proms in the Park event last September.
A crowd of 5,500 people gathered in Middlesbrough’s Centre Square to take in the sights and sounds of international musicians and regional artists performing live.
The event was covered by national and international TV.
BBC Proms in the Park was up against two other Tees Valley events for the award – the opening night of Middlesbrough’s mima (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art) and Stockton Riverside Fringe Festival.
Dave Budd, Middlesbrough Council’s executive councillor for regeneration, said: “This award is important recognition that we can attract the very best.
“It was a remarkable coup to bring BBC Proms in the Park to the town and a great way to mark the first year of Centre Square.”
The council’s cultural services development manager, Juliet Farrar, added: “This award is recognition for all the partner agencies and colleagues who worked so hard to make the project such a success – staging the Proms was a great example of partnership working in Tees Valley.
“We intend to build on this success and our events programme for 2008 is already under way.”
£6.6M Refurb Planned for Preston Hall Museum, Stockton
Preston Hall Museum is housed in an 1825 mansion house and its grounds host a part of the historic Stockton to Darlington Railway. Courtesy Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has shown its support for a major facelift planned for Preston Hall Museum, Stockton-on-Tees, with an earmarked grant of £3.7million.
Housed in an 1825 mansion house, the popular museum has proposed a massive project to preserve its physical structure and overhaul its displays to make the most of its significant historical collections. The overall cost has been estimated at more than £6million, which will also be contributed to by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
The grand building is Grade II listed, and was largely remodelled and shaped in the 19th century by its then owner Robert Ropner, a local businessman and shipbuilder. It was acquired by the council in the 1940s and turned into a museum in 1953.
Plans include safeguarding the fabric of the building, remodelling the interior and providing a host of new facilities and access to collections.
“Following detailed visitor focus groups and feedback, we are really excited to be working on a plan for bringing Preston Hall firmly into the 21st century using the latest in curatorial techniques such as live displays and interactive events,” said Jane Hubbard, Museums Service Manager.
“We are looking at a whole range of new exhibition topics to inform, educate and enthral our visitors from shipbuilding to the history of social and domestic life, the Stockton and Darlington Railway to an appraisal of local heroes.”
The hall in 1900. Courtesy Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
The museum houses a massive collection of some 65,000 objects, from armour and militaria to a reconstruction of a Victorian street and fine art. The art collection includes the famous Georges de la Tour painting, The Dice Players (one of only two of the 17th century painter's works in the UK), and Mustering the Warrior Angels by JMW Turner.
It is set in large grounds where a track bed from the original Stockton to Darlington Railway survives. All these things will be brought to life not only with new displays but also an engaging programme of live interpretation and activities, including costumed actors in the Victorian street and traditional craftspeople giving visitors a taste of the past.
The context of the hall and its estate will also be given attention in the new styled museum, from aspects of social history to household economy and staffing in the Victorian era.
“We are delighted to be able to support Preston Hall,” said Dr Keith Bartlett, regional manager for the HLF in the North East. “Not only is it a much-loved museum in Stockton but it is a significant heritage landmark in the North East, and the home for collections of national importance. The support of the Heritage Lottery Fund will ensure that the building and its collections can be enjoyed by everyone as they learn about their past for many years to come.”
The HLF grant is a ‘Stage One Pass’, meaning that the money has been earmarked by the HLF for the project, but is not yet guaranteed. Stage Two involves a more detailed application to be developed to secure the grant.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has shown its support for a major facelift planned for Preston Hall Museum, Stockton-on-Tees, with an earmarked grant of £3.7million.
Housed in an 1825 mansion house, the popular museum has proposed a massive project to preserve its physical structure and overhaul its displays to make the most of its significant historical collections. The overall cost has been estimated at more than £6million, which will also be contributed to by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.
The grand building is Grade II listed, and was largely remodelled and shaped in the 19th century by its then owner Robert Ropner, a local businessman and shipbuilder. It was acquired by the council in the 1940s and turned into a museum in 1953.
Plans include safeguarding the fabric of the building, remodelling the interior and providing a host of new facilities and access to collections.
“Following detailed visitor focus groups and feedback, we are really excited to be working on a plan for bringing Preston Hall firmly into the 21st century using the latest in curatorial techniques such as live displays and interactive events,” said Jane Hubbard, Museums Service Manager.
“We are looking at a whole range of new exhibition topics to inform, educate and enthral our visitors from shipbuilding to the history of social and domestic life, the Stockton and Darlington Railway to an appraisal of local heroes.”
The hall in 1900. Courtesy Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
The museum houses a massive collection of some 65,000 objects, from armour and militaria to a reconstruction of a Victorian street and fine art. The art collection includes the famous Georges de la Tour painting, The Dice Players (one of only two of the 17th century painter's works in the UK), and Mustering the Warrior Angels by JMW Turner.
It is set in large grounds where a track bed from the original Stockton to Darlington Railway survives. All these things will be brought to life not only with new displays but also an engaging programme of live interpretation and activities, including costumed actors in the Victorian street and traditional craftspeople giving visitors a taste of the past.
The context of the hall and its estate will also be given attention in the new styled museum, from aspects of social history to household economy and staffing in the Victorian era.
“We are delighted to be able to support Preston Hall,” said Dr Keith Bartlett, regional manager for the HLF in the North East. “Not only is it a much-loved museum in Stockton but it is a significant heritage landmark in the North East, and the home for collections of national importance. The support of the Heritage Lottery Fund will ensure that the building and its collections can be enjoyed by everyone as they learn about their past for many years to come.”
The HLF grant is a ‘Stage One Pass’, meaning that the money has been earmarked by the HLF for the project, but is not yet guaranteed. Stage Two involves a more detailed application to be developed to secure the grant.
Stockton butchery couple retire after 38 years
ONE of Stockton town centre’s last remaining family butchers is preparing to hang up the knives after 38 years.
Fred and Norma Stubbs have decided to call it a day and close Ramsgate Butchers, just off the High Street, in July.
The butchers shop originally opened in 1935 - the year Fred was born - under the name of Harry Goodwill.
The Stubbs family took it over in 1970 and have been keeping local shoppers supplied ever since.
The couple are now planning to enjoy their retirement and spend more time with their children and four grandchildren - in Billingham and the sunnier climes of Sri Lanka.
Fred, 72, said he hoped their Ramsgate shop would be taken on by someone else as a butcher.
“It would be an awful shame for it to close,” he said. “There aren’t many family butchers left in Stockton town centre.
“When I came here in 1970 there must have been 30 within a quarter of a mile.
“It’s the supermarkets - people want everything in one shop these days. But you’re not getting the same quality or same service in supermarkets.
“There will always be a place for the small family butcher.”
Fred added: “I don’t know what I’m going to do with my time really. We have a big garden, and we want to spend more time with the grandkids.”
The couple, from Billingham, recently returned from visiting their son Chris and their two grandchildren in Sri Lanka. Their other son, Derek, who until recently helped run Ramsgate Butchers, also has two daughters.
Sue Burgess, Stockton town centre manager, presented Fred and Norma, 71, with a certificate in recognition of long service to the town centre.
She said: “While we are sad to be losing this local independent business from the town centre, we are pleased to have the opportunity to recognise the contribution they have made.”
Fred and Norma Stubbs have decided to call it a day and close Ramsgate Butchers, just off the High Street, in July.
The butchers shop originally opened in 1935 - the year Fred was born - under the name of Harry Goodwill.
The Stubbs family took it over in 1970 and have been keeping local shoppers supplied ever since.
The couple are now planning to enjoy their retirement and spend more time with their children and four grandchildren - in Billingham and the sunnier climes of Sri Lanka.
Fred, 72, said he hoped their Ramsgate shop would be taken on by someone else as a butcher.
“It would be an awful shame for it to close,” he said. “There aren’t many family butchers left in Stockton town centre.
“When I came here in 1970 there must have been 30 within a quarter of a mile.
“It’s the supermarkets - people want everything in one shop these days. But you’re not getting the same quality or same service in supermarkets.
“There will always be a place for the small family butcher.”
Fred added: “I don’t know what I’m going to do with my time really. We have a big garden, and we want to spend more time with the grandkids.”
The couple, from Billingham, recently returned from visiting their son Chris and their two grandchildren in Sri Lanka. Their other son, Derek, who until recently helped run Ramsgate Butchers, also has two daughters.
Sue Burgess, Stockton town centre manager, presented Fred and Norma, 71, with a certificate in recognition of long service to the town centre.
She said: “While we are sad to be losing this local independent business from the town centre, we are pleased to have the opportunity to recognise the contribution they have made.”
The Famous Mouseman
Mouse man you might be thinking, what link to Stockton does it have, well The Mouse man otherwise know as Robert (Mousey) Thompson (7 May 1876 – 8 December 1955) was a British furniture maker. He lived in Kilburn, North Yorkshire, where he set up a business manufacturing oak furniture, which featured a carved mouse on almost every piece. It is claimed that the mouse trademark came about accidentally in 1919 following a conversation about "being as poor as a church mouse", which took place between Thompson and one of his colleagues during the carving of a cornice for a screen. This chance remark led to him carving a mouse and this remained part of his work from this point onwards.
He was part of the Arts and Crafts movement which was a rebuff to the automation and mechanisation of a craftmans work, that was beginning in the late 19th Century - the birth of mass production. Other people who were key to this include John Ruskin, William Morris & Thomas Carlyle. More specific to furniture making in this genre and era include Stanley Webb Davies of Windermere.
The workshop, now being run by his descendants, includes a showroom and visitors' centre, and is located beside the Parish Church, which contains "Mouseman" pews, fittings and other furniture. The company is now known as "Robert Thompson's Craftsmen Ltd - The Mouseman of Kilburn"
I remember during a school excursion to look at churches, we visited The church of St Mary the Virgin in Norton and there on the gate are the special carved mice, he is famous for carving the the mice into the pews, one on each.
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