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Chester-le-Street
Heritage Group



Welcome to the official Chester-le-Street Heritage Group Website.

We are a purely voluntary group formed in 1986, with the main activities being the study of local history issues, in particular Chester-le-Street and the surrounding area.

Our intention is to research and share information and knowledge relating to the history of Chester-le-Street throughout the ages. Wherever possible we aim to publish either in book form, via CD or through this website, information that we feel may of interest to amateur or professional historians, researchers into family trees or even those who only want to find out a bit more about our town.

Registered Charity No: 1120080.

In early August 2007, the Charity Commission wrote to all the nominated Trustees advising that Chester-le-Street Heritage Group had been successful with its application for Charity Status.
Thanks must go to Dorothy Hall for all her efforts in compiling the necessary information and submitting the application.

Please Note: This website is the subject of continuous updating and improvement wherever possible, so please keep visiting us and you are welcome to download any information that may be of interest.

If anyone has any subjects that they would like to see researched or have any information including photographs, maps and newspaper cuttings, then please get in touch either through this website by using the Mail Form listed in the margin or by telephoning 0191-3885592 and ask for the Secretary.
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The Next Group Meeting

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The next Public Meeting of Chester-le-Street Heritage Group will be held in the Library on 17th September, 2008 at 7pm. The meetings usually end at 9pm.

(Please check the "Event Calendar" for dates of other scheduled meetings and events).

The Annual Membership Fee is currently £10 and a charge of £1 is made for the use of the room and to cover the cost of tea, coffee and biscuits each evening.

Visitors & New members are most welcome.
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Friends of C-L-S Heritage Group

The Heritage Group was formed in 1986 with the aims of recording and preserving the history of Chester-le-Street and of making this heritage available to the public and to future generations in the form of documentary and photographic archives. The members give their time and expertise freely to this end and have published several booklets. The Group has secured several grants for special projects like 'Home Front Recall', '1891 Census' and our current project 'Up and Down the Street'. However, this money is not available for the running costs of the Group. We would like to have a Heritage Centre where members of the public can access our archives for their own research, either into local history or for family tree research, and where members of the Group can work and store valuable artefacts and equipment securely. If you are interested in the local history of Chester-le-Street and would like to help us establish a Heritage Centre, but don't have the time or the wish to attend our meetings, you can become a Friend of Chester-le-Street Heritage Group by paying an annual Subscription. The money raised every year will contribute to the rent and running costs of a permanent Heritage Centre in Chester-le-Street. We request that the annual subscription to become a Friend be a minimum of £8.00, and we are grateful for any donations above that amount that you choose to subscribe. What do you get for becoming a Friend? Free copies of our Newsletter, concessions on the cost of booklets and CDs produced by the Group, and half price entry to some events put on by the Group throughout the year, as well as the satisfaction of helping to preserve and make available to the general public the heritage of Chester-le-Street. Organisations that become Friends of the Heritage Group benefit from publicity in our Newsletter and at events. If you would like to become a Friend of Chester-le-Street Heritage Group, then please contact us through the "Mail Form" section of this website, which you will find in the left-hand margin. Some of the Heritage Group Members - Photo taken December 2006. __________________________________________________________

CHESTER LE STREET HERITAGE GROUP
www.chesterlestreetheritage.org.uk

CHAIR:...................Mrs. Dorothy Hall.
SECRETARY:............Mrs. Thelma Walton.
TREASURER:............Mrs. Catherine Button.
PROJECT MANAGER:..Mrs. Dorothy Hall.
WEB SITE ADMIN.:....Mr. Alec Thompson

The Objects are:

1. To advance the education of the public in the heritage, history, natural history and architecture of the area of Chester-le-Street and other relevant aspects of historical and social importance.

2. To establish and maintain an archive containing information, artefacts and photographs, to help advance the education of the public in the history of Chester-le-Street for the present and the future.

3. To preserve, protect, develop and improve for the benefit of the people of Chester-le-Street and of the nation, the historical heritage that may exist in and around Chester-le-Street in features of particular public interest, beauty or historical interest.

4. To undertake research into the heritage and history of Chester-le-Street, and to disseminate the useful results for the public benefit.

The Group will be responsible for carrying out the research, recording and documentation needed to fulfil and achieve the objectives set out above.
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Chester-le-Street Photo Exhibition

A "BIG" Thank You

As part of this years Chester-le-Street Festival, the Heritage Group recently presented an "Exhibition of Old Photographs" depicting the people and places associated with our town.
We are pleased to report that the Exhibition was a great success, bringing in twice as many visitors as we had last year.

We would like to thank the following:

1. "The Salvation Army" for the use of the premises both for the Exhibition and the weekly Drop-In Sessions.

2. "The Shops" in the Front Street who kindly displayed our posters advertising the Exhibition.

3. To the 1400 visitors who came to the Exhibition.

4. ... and last but not least the many "Cestrians" who shared their memories, photographs and memorabilia.

The Drop-In Sessions will recommence on Tuesday, 9th September between 10am and 12 noon at the Salvation Army Citadel.

Group Meetings will start on 3rd September at 7pm. in the Library.
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Chester-le-Street Cricket Club

Chester-le-Street Cricket Club are planning on celebrating their 175th Anniversary next year with the issue of a new book about the history of the club. To achieve this, they would appreciate anyone contacting them with their memories, photographs or memorabilia, no matter how trivial you think your contribution might be. To this extent, the Heritage Group has agreed to assist wherever possible with the collection of information, so if you have any photographs, newspaper cuttings or artefacts, you would be more than welcome to contact any of the following: Stephen Willis (CCC Chairman) - stephen@stephen.willis.com Ian Jackson - ian@irjackson.co.uk CLS Heritage Group - heritage.group@virgin.net Or you may like to call in to one of the Heritage Group’s Drop-In Sessions held every Tuesday between 10am and 12 noon at the Salvation Army Citadel, Low Chare, Chester-le-Street.

The old Pavilion.

If you would like to read a brief history of the Club, based on information currently available, then please go to the page named “CLS Cricket Club” on this website or you can also visit the Cricket Club website at: www.chesterlestreet-cc.com
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Latest Site Information

Check out the new items about:




"BOOKS" - this gives brief descriptions of books that are available which may be of interest to the local/amateur historians or those who are researching their family trees.

"LINKS TO CHESTER-LE -STREET HERITAGE GROUP" - this will take you to our new website which displays the progress of the - "UP AND DOWN THE STREET PROJECT" - Just click on the link to see Old Photographs, Data and Graphics.
(Please Note: The Up & Down the Street website occasionally runs very slow - please be patient the pictures will be displayed in time).


Also, see the tribute's to the lives of:

ARTHUR CARVER.
DONALD OWEN CLARKE GC.
ROBERT JOHNSON.
VINCENT "BUSH" PARKER.



PLEASE NOTE that email addresses have now been removed from the Guestbook entries. This has apparently been considered necessary by Communigate, due to the amount of spam/junk mail being sent not only to the website builders, but also to those who have entered information into the Guestbook.
If anyone should wish to contact Chester-le-Street Heritage Group, please do so through the "Mail Form" section of this website.

******* Please complete our reader Poll *******
Do you think Chester-le-Street should have its own Heritage Centre?

*************** Hit Counters ***************
Hit Counters have recently been added to each of the pages listed on this website. This is so that we can monitor which subjects are the most popular and therefore will help us to target more effectively the subjects that interest our readers.

Website was last updated on 4th September, 2008.