Durham City Freemen held their Annual Dinner on 3 October. There were 60 guests which included local Freemen and their guests as well as others from around the country. We were also joined by friends from other Guilds and by representatives of the Freemen of England and Wales. We were delighted to welcome the Worshipful […]
On Wednesday 26th August Phillip, 31, and Richard Milbourne, 29, from North Elmham in Norfolk and Freeman of the City of Durham, rode into Upton Park, home of West Ham United, to complete an epic 2,200 mile, thirty-one day challenge of riding to all Premier and Football League grounds in the country. In all they […]
Grandmother, Helen Gent, reinforced her family’s long-standing ties with the freemen at a unique ceremony, following a working life that has brought her full circle. Helen, now 65 and retired, left Whinney Hill School to join a well-known city travel agent – before moving to London where she worked in hotels before becoming an au […]
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 […]
Little Newsham Forge near Staindrop is over 200 years old but ceased being a ‘Smithy’ around 1920 and was then utilised by a local farm for a variety of purposes including that of the cowshed. That changed in 1974 when a 24-year-old Arts graduate, born and bred in Durham called Brian Russell started the process […]
The Freemen ladies were invited to the Right Worshipful the Mayor of Durham, Councillor John Robinson’s Reception on Thursday, 14th May 2015 in the Town Hall together with Councillors, Justice’s of the Peace, Durham City Pointers and friends to celebrate the Mayor’s year. The evening commenced with an address by the Mayor welcoming everyone and […]
A woman, who has played a key supporting role behind the scenes for more than a decade, has been afforded the honour of becoming Durham’s first Lady Freeman. Grandmother Doris McElwee was officially sworn-in at the May Day Guild Day – joining the eight men who make up the small but select band of Gentlemen […]
Retired field service engineer Barry Shotton was admitted into the Cordwainers’Company at the May Day Guild Day. Sixty-eight-year-old Barry started his working life in 1961 as an apprentice electrician with Durham Rural District Council and went on to work underground at Eppleton Colliery before joining Lansing Bagnall, where he remained until his retirement. He lives […]
We are delighted to learn that Peter will become a fully time-served Joiner late this year when the college course he has been attending comes to an end. In 2012 Durham City Freemen worked with the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral to establish the sponsorship of a craft apprentice. The Dean and Chapter selected […]
Trustees’ chairman Roger Norris, who has stepped down after 20 years at the helm, has been praised by his peers for his outstanding contribution to the modern-day “re-birth” of the city’s freemen. Roger, then deputy librarian at Durham Cathedral, was invited to become a trustee in 1988 and took over chairmanship in 1995. Numbers of […]