A slice of history; Estate's celebration.Byline: By MIKE BLACKBURN A CENTURY of history came to life as a Stockton estate took a nostalgic nos·tal·gi·a n. 1. A bittersweet longing for things, persons, or situations of the past. 2. The condition of being homesick; homesickness. journey into its proud past. Celebrating Newtown is a successful community history project funded by a pounds 50,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This week Newtown residents young and old joined in the fun for the project's first anniversary at Newtown Community Resource Centre. People enjoyed a game of "reminiscence rem·i·nis·cence n. 1. The act or process of recollecting past experiences or events. 2. An experience or event recollected: "Her mind seemed wholly taken up with reminiscences of past gaiety" bingo bingo Game of chance played with cards having a grid of numbered squares corresponding to numbered balls drawn at random. When a number on the card is drawn, the players cover that number (should they have it); the game is won by covering a certain number of squares in a row ", viewed displays of contemporary and archive photos, sampled a prize-winning apple pie apple pie typical, wholesome American dessert. [Am. Culture: Flexner, 68] See : America recipe from the 1950s and tasted other good old-fashioned home-cooked food "like mother used to make". The event also gave residents their first opportunity to see the Newtown Community Heritage Quilt, created by local needlewomen and featured in the Gazette. The project is centred around the former Newtown School - which opened 100 years ago and became a community resource centre following a pounds 2m renovation - and compares the life of local people between 1906 and 2006. Liz Paterson, community heritage officer, said: "The inspiration for Celebrating Newtown came about in response to local residents' interest and affection for the century-old building that housed the former Newtown Junior School. "Over the past year we have amassed a collection of more than 100 school photographs from the 1940s to the 1990s, donated by former pupils, and have collected memories from participants in reminiscence groups. "We have created a community archive of photographs and memories for future generations and this was an opportunity for everyone to come and see." Dr Keith Bartlett, Heritage Lottery Fund North-east regional manager, said communities like Newtown have a shared heritage "that often centres on well-loved buildings such as a school or church". He said: "It's easy to forget that these buildings are at the heart of a community and witness important parts of local life across the generations. "By celebrating Newtown, this rich, enduring sense of community can be shared and appreciated by all those who continue to be part of it." Go online to see more pictures from this event CAPTION(S): APPLE OF OUR EYE: Jean O'Keeffe featured in the Gazette in the 1950s, above, for her winning apple pie recipe. Right, pictures through the years on display at the Newtown centre; OLD SCHOOL DAYS: Pictures from the former Newtown School added a nostalgic touch to the anniversary celebrations; MEMORIES: Anne Thomas with a picture of herself from 1985 and, far left, visitors check out the display Pictures by DAVE CHARNLEY Dave Charnley (born October 10, 1935 in Dartford, England) was an English lightweight boxer and is considered to be one of the greatest British fighters in his weight class. |
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