A long serving freeman, whose family links to the city’s trade guilds stretch back more than 300 years, died in hospital on February 26th after a long illness. Retired police sergeant John Reginald Stout, known to his friends as Reg, was admitted into the Butchers’ Company in February 1964 and at the time of his […]
Durham’s oldest performing arts company, facing a fight for survival, has been thrown a financial lifeline by the city’s freemen. The award-winning Durham Musical Theatre Company, formed in 1908, is, staging a programme of glittering three-hour shows at the Gala Theatre in a bid to secure its future. An ambitious medley from “The best of […]
A great grandmother, who has given behind-the-scenes support to Durham’s freemen for more than quarter of a century, was honoured today (Monday, August 10th) at a unique ceremony in the city’s town hall. Seventy-five-year-old Rita Brown, was sworn into the joiners’ company as a Lady Freeman, joining her two children and five grandsons who have […]
2014 was another year which gave the Freemen of Durham an opportunity to offer financial support to local causes. In the context of our aim to have substance, relevance and purpose this is a key area for the Freemen and one to which a lot of thought is given as evidenced by the plan to […]
There has been a link between the Freemen and the Durham Mayoral Bodyguard for a number of centuries. As long ago as the 13th Century the Bodyguard gave protection to Wardens as they collected taxes and tithes around the City.
We provided funding to support the erection of a monument in tribute to the soldiers of the Durham Light Infantry which has been installed directly outside of the Guild Hall in the Market Place
Our Annual Dinner was held on 4 October 2014 in the Town Hall and was another most enjoyable evening. The dinner has been organised single handedly for over 10 years by our Chairman of Trustees, Roger Norris, to whom we all owe a great debt of gratitude. This was the last Dinner that Roger will […]
Our support for Peter Bennett’s joinery apprenticeship at the Dean and Chapter is now entering its final year.
Each year we make a contribution to the Mayor’s Charity Appeal. A cheque was presented to the Mayor at the Annual Dinner. The beneficiary of this year’s Appeal is Finchale Training College which is increasingly involved in the vocational rehabilitation of former service personnel. The Mayor was especially appreciative of our donation and invited us to […]
Last year through the good offices of Eric Bulmer (Warden of the Plumbers’ Company) we helped to fund a Community Banner for West Rainton, a project that was led by Alison McDonough, Headteacher of the local primary school and a member of the Plumbers’ Company. The school was the centre of the project which had […]