| Status: | Active, open to new members |
| Group email: | Past and Present - History group |
| When: | Monthly on Thursday mornings |
Whickham and District u3a’s History Group is called 'Past and Present. 2nd Thursday of the month 10am -12 noon.
This group was started during the lockdowns and met only on Zoom researching information to produce PowerPoint presentations, such as the Mitford Sisters, Heroines of the North East, Steaming into History, A Neet on the Toon, which were shown to all Whickham and District u3a members that accessed the Zoom main meetings.
The group now meet at Whickham Library
The latest project was "The Fifties" and a presentation of the project was given to Whickham and District members on 13th November at Sunniside Club.
If you fancy researching, exploring and looking at the past but also the present this is the group for you.
Please click on the link to send an email to Cecilia Coulson
Past and Present Group visit to Seaham
Members of the group were given a guided tour of Seaham by Malcolm Wilkinson, Chair of Seaham Harbour u3a. Highlights of the tour were a visit to the 7th century church of St. Marys and a history of Seaham Harbour and its connection with coal mining
Past and Present Group visit to Hollinside
Hollinside Hall is an historic 17C gem with uninterrupted views over the Durham county side. It has been owned by the current family for generations and the latest occupants have restored and even surpassed the grandeur of the original stone structure.
Having extensive knowledge of historic architecture many items of interest have been acquired and used to enhance the parterre and lawned main garden. These are seen in the assembled structures positioned around its perimeter. A rear kitchen garden has been lovingly tended and restored to its productive glory. We were all given a freshly harvested cucumber.
The interior of the main house has been brought up to modern living standards, while retaining most of the original farm house features. This is a superb example of loving restoration that has resulted in a unique and graceful country home.
Group Visit to Redhills Durham
The Group is currently producing a project entitled COAL. As part of the research we visited Redhills in Durham City. Redhills was the historic headquarters of the Durham Miners Association, bult in 1915 and recently refurbished and improved to provide a visitor experience at a cost of £14 million pounds. We had a conducted tour of the building by our excellent guide, Mary who described the history of the Durham Miners and we viewed various aspects of the building including the spatial and dramatic conference hall.
