Latest news with #Shildon
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Spirit of true sportsmanship' as 300 pupils compete in County Durham sports day
YOUNG athletes from secondary schools all over County Durham competed together at a trust-wide sports day. Pupils from schools that make up the Advance Learning Partnership (ALP) gathered at Shildon Running and Athletics Club to face off in a series of track and field events. Guy Gray, Head of PE at Parkside Academy, in Willington, spearheaded organisation of the day. He said: 'Events like this are so important because they give young people a chance to compete, to try their hands at different events, and to represent their school with pride. 'For many of the pupils, this will be their first time taking part in any competition outside their own school. Just getting the opportunity to compete against others can have a profound impact on wellbeing and self-confidence. 'I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken part – they've taken it seriously and conducted themselves as true ambassadors for their schools and their sports.' The event was sponsored by the education trust's community outreach arm, ALP Active, whose staff also acted as timekeepers and event marshals. Stephen Cheeseman, ALP Active's Head of Community Partnerships, said: 'It's been great to see all the pupils competing and really giving it everything they've got in the spirit of true sportsmanship. 'ALP Active's focus is to provide opportunities for people to improve their health and wellbeing – both within and outside of our primary and secondary schools – so supporting an event like this falls nicely into our remit.' Most read 300-year-old North East pub sold after its owners decide to retire The historic County Durham village with "timeless charm" and community spirit County Durham takeaway accused of employing illegal workers faces review More than 300 pupils from across the ALP Secondary schools in the trust competed in flat races, relays, javelin, discus, long jump, and more. James Keating, executive headteacher of Greenfield Academy, in Newton Aycliffe, said: 'It's a pleasure to see so many schools and so many children come together to enjoy sport and to compete in a wonderful event. 'I want to say huge thanks to ALP Active and everybody involved for organising the day, and to Shildon Running and Athletics Club for hosting us. It's been brilliant.'
The Sun
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Walkers launches new Quavers flavour for the first time in THREE years and shoppers are buzzing
WALKERS has launched a new Quavers flavour inspired by a popular cheese. From this week foodies will be able to pick up the tasty snack from Shildon Stores nationwide. The snack giant is introducing Red Leicester to its classic Quavers range. The crisps will join fan favourites such as Cheese, Prawn Cocktail, BBQ Sauce. Fans have taken to social media to share their excitement at the new flavour. In a post on Facebook one user said: 'What a time to be alive'. Another agreed and said: 'I so need to try these xxxx.' While a third added: 'Bet these will be nice.' Walkers say the new snack is made using 100% Great British potatoes and features a cheesy flavour. Shoppers can grab a bag of the crisps in Shillingdon Stores now. A single-serve bag will cost £1.35. The tasty snack will also be available as a grab bag and multipack. It will come as welcome news to fans still mourning the loss of Quavers Salt and Vinegar, which were axed in 2023. The retro flavour first joined Walkers' lineup in 1993 and returned to shelves in 2021, along with prawn cocktail Quavers following demands from crisp lovers. Other Walkers launches The new Red Leicester crisps are not the only Walkers launch to land in the past year. In March Walkers brought back two crisp flavours inspired by popular sauces. Why are products axed or recipes changed? ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders. Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether. They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers. There are several reasons why this could be done. For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes. Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs. They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable. For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018. It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version. Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year. Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks. While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose. Fans were delighted when Tomato Ketchup crisps were spotted on shelves after going missing for the last two years. They were also accompanied by multipacks of the Worcester Sauce flavoured crisps - which were originally brought back exclusively to a single store in Worcester. But after a surge in demand, the company admitted it had made a mistake and relaunched the snack nationwide. Last August it also launched a new Smokin' BBQ Sauce flavour. Shoppers can get their hands on the crisps at Tesco. A six bag of the crisps costs £2.15. Walkers also launched three other limited-edition crisp flavours in the same month. These included the Sausage Sarnie flavour, which is combined with Heinz Tomato Ketchup. Another new flavour to join the lineup was Cheese Toastie, which was made with the classic Heinz Beanz flavour. The third flavour is a twist on the classic Roast Chicken but combined with Heinz Mayonnaise. But shoppers had to be quick as the range was only available until October. A 45g grab bag cost £1 while a multipack of five 25g cost £1.65. Meanwhile, 70g bags were also sold at convenience stores for £1.25. Meanwhile, in April Walkers launched a bold new twist on a British classic, which left fans divided. Wotsits Mac 'N' Cheese bowls are available in three flavours including Really Cheesy, Sweet & Spicy and Flamin' Hot. The bowls cost £4 and were available at Tesco.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sadness as body of missing Shildon man Curtis Davies found
A body has sadly been found in the search for missing Shildon man Curtis Davies. Police confirmed specialist search teams found the body, believed to be that of Curtis. Curtis, who worked for Durham police, had been missing since last Sunday (June 22) and his family, friends and colleagues have been informed and are being supported by specialist teams. His death is not being treated as suspicious. A spokesperson from Durham Constabulary said: "We are very sorry to report that a body has been found in the search for Curtis Davies, one of our Durham Constabulary colleagues. "The body was located by specialist search teams in the Shildon area this morning (Sunday, June 29). "Formal identification has yet to take place, but we believe it to be that of 32-year-old Curtis from Shildon. LIVE: Fire service tackling 'smoke' coming from DLI Museum in Durham Northumbria Police to install defibrillators in every response car by summer Renewed calls for calm as youth gangs blamed for more damage in County Durham town "We would like to thank everyone who assisted in the search for our friend and colleague, and who worked closely and considerately with officers on the ground. "Curtis' death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner. "Our thoughts remain with everyone who loved Curtis."- Samaritans is available, day or night, 365 days of the year. You can call them for free on 116 123, email them at jo@ or visit to find your nearest branch. - If U Care Share on 0191 387 5661 or text IUCS to 85258 - SANE on 07984 967 708, Calm on 0800 58 58 58
BBC News
20-06-2025
- BBC News
Durham Police objection sees Raven Court children's home refused
Plans to convert a house into a children's home have been turned down amid objections from residents and County Council's planning committee rejected proposals for a home for three children on Raven Court in Shildon, County Police had objected, saying the location was unsuitable, while residents said its proximity to a nature reserve posed a risk to the children and put pressure on Taylor, from applicants The Family Tree Group, said it would have given youngsters the chance to "grow up in a home, not a facility". The property backs onto Middridge Vale, which itself backs on to a large nature reserve that is in some parts covered by dense woodland, which police advised posed a "great risk" to children who went missing from force also said there was a higher level of crime and anti-social behaviour in the area and so thought the location of the property was "not suitable for looked-after children". Letters of objection Residents said there had been heightened anxiety for the wellbeing of the area since the application was submitted, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Craddock, a single mother-of-two, said: "The proximity of this house to the nature reserve is a risk to all the children in the home and puts massive pressure on police services."We are not unreasonable people, it just doesn't work."In total, 117 letters of objection were Mr Taylor disputed the concerns, saying the facility would have been supported by trained carers 24/7."The police are stereotyping the children as criminals but they are victims," he members praised the applicant's intentions to support vulnerable children but said the police force's concerns were too serious to Elizabeth Pears said: "We are not working on the assumption that all of these children are going to be trouble. "But what has concerned me is the fact that the police believe that these children will not be safe there."That is the main reason that I'm not happy with it." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- The Guardian
‘The railway that got the world on track': a walk through 200 years of history in County Durham
It was as strange a sight as you could stumble upon in the English countryside. As a muggy summer's day began outside Shildon, Durham – rain threatening, bees drowsy in the hedgerows – I found myself standing on an embankment, surveying two rows of colossal stone teeth jutting through the earth. It looked as if someone had buried a sleeping giant. 'You wouldn't believe it by looking at it, but this is one of railway history's most amazing feats,' my companion, rail expert Richie Starrs, said as we gazed down at the molars beneath our feet. A closer look revealed they were abandoned rail sleepers, laid out between the hawthorns and along which coal wagons were once pulled uphill by steam traction locomotives. 'This is the Brusselton Incline, a section of the original Stockton and Darlington Railway. Nationally, it's a story that's not well known, but it's one we're rightly proud of.' For those interested in such rail history, this is a year like no other. Two hundred years ago, on 27 September 1825, the 26-mile Stockton and Darlington Railway opened as the world's first public railway, making Shildon the world's first railway town. And the lessons learned there helped the north-east, then Britain, Europe and the world grasp the importance of rail travel, first for transporting coal and lime, then, decisively, for passengers. It is 'the railway that got the world on track'. A focal point of this year's bicentennial celebrations throughout Britain (see Railway 200 for details on hundreds of events) is Durham's new multi-use S&DR Trail of Discovery. Launching this month as part of the multi-arts S&DR200 festival, the meandering greenway follows the original 26-mile route from Witton Park Colliery near Bishop Auckland to Stockton Riverside and will, its founders hope, stimulate interest in the region's rail history – and give a shot in the arm to the 'left behind' pit communities along the way. There is a buoyant mood around the anniversary, but that doesn't dispel the melancholy that has lingered over much of the rail line since the coalfields were exhausted and the Shildon Wagon Works, once described as 'the jewel in British Rail's crown', was closed. There would be some who find this all too trainspotterish, but not Starrs, S&DR200's project manager, or Niall Hammond, volunteer chair of the Friends of the S&DR, both of whom joined me on the first completed section of the trail, a five-mile ramble from the Brusselton Incline to Heighington station, the world's first train station, at Newton Aycliffe. Over the coming months, the trail – rich in history – will be transformed with 17 information boards and newly commissioned art murals, plus a podcast and augmented reality game, devised to add colour. Fittingly, you can also hop on a train between many of the milestones along the route. The idea, Niall told me, is to encourage travellers to walk, eat and stay on the trail for two to three days, but also spark wider regeneration for the area. According to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Durham remains one of the most deprived areas in England. 'This is more than history for people who like rail tracks and iron,' he told me. 'The whole point is to make it count for locals. We're doing up buildings, cleaning up areas and showing why the world was changed from here. It's urban regeneration in action.' Once my eyes had learned to read the signs of rail history in the landscape, despite the absence of so much of it, it became easier to imagine how this tiny corner of Durham changed the world. Along a stretch of the reclaimed rail line through Shildon, impressions of former goods sheds, an iron warehouse, loading bays and an engine house appeared next to tired houses and an empty pub. We passed a coaling drop, admiring the handsome brickwork arches and columns that once saw wooden chutes rapidly unload coal into hoppers and a row of railway workers' cottages, now memorials to those who dedicated their lives to the tracks. There was no whiff of engine oil, only bluebells and primrose. The newest part of Shildon's compelling train story is at Locomotion, a museum that opened its £8m New Hall last year. It holds Europe's largest indoor collection of historic locomotives (a mightily impressive 99 engines) and is the temporary home of a 150-year-old bronze statue of the great north-east rail engineer Robert Stephenson, after its removal from London Euston during construction works for HS2, Britain's controversial high-speed railway. Alongside his influential father George, who designed the first locomotive for the Stockton and Darlington Railway, Robert shaped rail history, and taking pride of place inside is his world-renowned locomotive Rocket, built in 1829 and on loan from York's National Railway Museum. Sign up to The Traveller Get travel inspiration, featured trips and local tips for your next break, as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays after newsletter promotion Amid all this, another highlight: Locomotion has a buzzy cafe with Eurostar seating and cakes, including a syrupy ginger loaf right from the Stephenson family cookbook. The book, also part of the National Railway Museum's collection, lists more peculiar novelties from the 1840s, including recipes for birch wine, English champagne, mince 'pyes' and calf foot gilly, a pudding made by boiling a calf's foot. Thankfully, that was not on the menu. Another good place to step through the looking-glass is Hopetown Darlington, an eight-minute train journey from Heighington to North Road station, which unloads passengers beside another superlative: the Skerne Bridge, the world's oldest railway bridge that has remained in continuous use. The open-air rail museum, with 3 hectares (7.5 acres) and an exhibition in a Victorian-era station, is an arsenal of detail, with a dust-free archive of 30,000 heritage artefacts. The trivia is half the fun. When a message was to be delivered from a moving train to a station, I learned, the note was tucked inside a slit potato and simply flung from the window. Amazingly, the story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway is on the Japanese school curriculum, but not in England. In its great engineering hall, I was reminded of the UK's contribution to railways the world over. Robert Stephenson went on to help create the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada, as well as the first railroad in Egypt. His work directly influenced the Norwegian Trunk Railway and the first railway in Argentina. Rightly, all of this and more will be celebrated across the UK this summer – from Inspiration, Railway 200's unique exhibition train, which is touring 60 stations (from 27 June), to the largest ever assembly of rolling stock at Derby Litchurch Lane Works, the country's largest train factory (The Greatest Gathering, 1 to 3 August). Essentially, it is an education in the benefits of rail travel and the art of slowing down at home. Or, perhaps, it's better to think of this as a story about people, communities and the tracks that help bring them together. S&DR 200 runs to November 2025 across Durham and the Tees Valley. Railway 200 runs to the end of the year, with events nationwide. The trip was provided by Durham and Visit England
