Latest news with #CountyDurham
BBC News
19 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beamish Museum win sparks joy and happy memories
Congratulations have flooded in to an open-air attraction which has been named museum of the the Living Museum of the North, scooped the £120,000 prize money on its 55th anniversary of its attraction, near Stanley in County Durham, brings to life the history of the region from the 1820s to the 1950s. Fans and regular visitors have been taking to social media to offer congratulations and share memories. Receiving the award, Beamish chief executive Rhiannon Hiles said: "This is just perfect to get us on the map and really, really showcase what we do up in the North East of England." She described the win as absolutely amazing, and praised "our brilliant team".Staff and volunteers had gathered in the 1950s cinema to watch the award ceremony and broke into loud cheers at the they spoke of how thrilled, amazed and overjoyed they described it as a win for the whole of the North East, which "shows what the region is worth". Many others echoed the view that it was a broader win for the Luke Akehurst, whose North Durham constituency covers Beamish, posted on social media: "Congratulations Beamish - the Pride of North Durham."Chris Loughran, chair of Beamish, said: "We're proud to be a place, a space and an anchor for all. "Beamish is the North East's leading visitor attraction but it also is the beating heart of our region's identity and values." The Art Fund Prize was launched in 2008, becoming Museum of the Year in 2013. All of the five finalists this year, which included Chapter in Cardiff and Compton Verney in Warwickshire, were based outside of London. Among the congratulations were people reminiscing, with some taking to social media to talk about repeat visits over the many cases it brought back memories of their grandparents' former colliery homes, with leaded ranges and tin remembered shopping at some of the buildings in their original sites - such as the Co-op in Annfield Plain - before they were dismantled and reconstructed at agreed that it was a well-deserved win. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Primary school deputy head who bit and scratched child avoids teaching ban
A primary school deputy headteacher has been allowed to continue working in the profession after she bit, slapped and scratched a child. Claire Herbert, who worked at the Red Rose Primary School in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, got into an argument with the girl that became physical on June 18 2022, leaving the child with reddening and bruises on her skin, according to a Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) tribunal. When visited by a police officer three days later, the girl said the teacher had caused two bite marks to her hand and head, scratched her with false nails and called her fat. Photographs of the child's injuries showed various red marks, scratches and bruising to various parts of her body, including her face, neck, leg and hand, the tribunal heard. The incident took place outside the education setting where there appeared to be alcohol involved. In an email responding to the incident in October last year, Miss Herbert said: 'I have read and considered the attached paperwork and I will admit to all allegations listed although it is a blur.' She had worked at the school since April 2019 and also held the role of deputy safeguarding lead, the tribunal heard. Miss Herbert accepted a conditional police caution in December 2022 for the offence of common assault on the child. A TRA panel found the teacher guilty of unacceptable professional conduct that could bring the profession into disrepute. But it stopped short of recommending a permanent banning order for Miss Herbert as she 'otherwise appeared to have an unblemished record'. 'The panel was mindful that this was an isolated incident which it considered, taking into account the mitigating circumstances and wider context, sat at the less serious end of the possible spectrum of severity,' it said. 'The panel took account of the mitigating factors that were present and the contribution Miss Herbert had made, and could continue to make, to the education sector.' A number of character references provided to the panel commented positively on Miss Herbert's abilities as a teacher and that she normally demonstrated high standards of personal and professional conduct. Miss Herbert, who also sustained injuries from the incident, had shown 'genuine and significant regret, remorse and insight' for her conduct and had been honest about what happened, the panel said. Decision maker Marc Cavey, acting on behalf of the Education Secretary, said: 'In my judgment, the extent of the insight and remorse demonstrated by Miss Herbert, when considered alongside the isolated nature of the misconduct found and the mitigating circumstances that were present, means that there is only a very limited risk of the repetition of this behaviour. 'I have therefore given this element considerable weight in reaching my decision.'
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Museum of the Year 2025: Beamish, The Living Museum of the North named top attraction
Do you have a favourite museum that you like to go to?Perhaps there is a museum you visited abroad that you love, or are you a big fan of one based in your home town?It comes after an open-air attraction in north-east England picked up this year's Museum of the Year The Living Museum of the North, allows visitors to travel back in time to parts of the 19th and 20th century through a number of interactive forget to let us know what your favourite museum is in the comments below. Beamish Museum is located near the town of Stanley in County Durham. Its aim is to preserve an example of everyday life in urban and rural north-east England from the 1820s through to the museum allows visitors to travel back in time to look around replica towns, villages and working landscapes, meeting costumed staff to experience stories of what it was like to live in those said history was "brought to life" by staff, volunteers and the thousands of objects donated from across the region to recreate life from years gone by. The other shortlisted museums for the award were Chapter (Cardiff), Compton Verney (Warwickshire), Golden Thread Gallery (Belfast) and Perth Museum (Perth & Kinross).So, we want to know what YOU you have a favourite museum you like going back to time and time again? If so, what makes it so special?Perhaps there was an exhibition you once visited which you loved? Maybe you learnt an amazing fact?Or have you previously managed to get up close and personal with an interactive experience that was lots of fun?Whatever it is, let us know in the comments below.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Deputy head who bit and hit student avoids teaching ban
A deputy headteacher who bit, scratched and slapped a student has avoided a ban from the profession. Claire Herbert, who worked at Red Rose Primary School in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham, got into a fight with a student in June 2022. A Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) panel found her guilty of unacceptable professional conduct - but did not consider her risk of repeated offending to be significant enough to bar her from teaching. The panel was told how she caused reddening and bruising to various parts of the pupil's body during the altercation. The incident happened outside of school, where it appeared alcohol was involved. The child said they had been 'called fat' by the teacher and slapped and scratched by "Miss Herbert's false nails". A witness told the panel the child told them them Miss Herbert had left bite marks on their hand and head. She was referred to the TRA in April 2023 after she received a police caution for common assault. Ms Herbert said the incident was a 'blur' but said the argument 'became physical on both sides". The panel heard how the teacher 'accepted the blame as the adult in the situation.". The TRA in breach of teaching standards, but said the incident was 'out of character' and that Miss Herbert had shown "genuine and significant regret and remorse". It ruled that as the risk of repetition was "very low", prohibiting Miss Herbert from teaching for a period of at least two years would not "produce any material change or serve any useful purpose". The panel said: 'The panel therefore determined that a recommendation for a prohibition order would not be appropriate in this case.'
BBC News
a day ago
- General
- BBC News
Surprise wall find as years of Auckland Castle excavations end
Seven years of excavations involving more than 1,000 people have come to an end with the surprise discovery of huge medieval returned to Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, for a final season of digging earlier in project's academic lead Prof Chris Gerrard said the walls, which are at least 8ft (2.5m) wide and "double the height of a person", showed "a lot about power in the North".Digging ends on Friday and findings will be analysed, with hopes more objects will go on display at the Faith Museum at Auckland Palace. Archaeologists from Durham University and experts from The Auckland Project have been working on the site since uncovering a mansion which had lain buried for almost 400 years last summer, they turned to the north side of the palace where they found the structure was buried under a slope, with the remains of a banqueting hall on the Gerrard said the walls were believed to have been built around 1200 and must have been part of a medieval curtain wall running around the palace or garden. He said the "truly impressive" finding helped his team better understand the shape and layout of the medieval bishop's palace."It's completely hidden under the grass," Prof Gerrard said, adding: "We had no idea it was here."It's quite a surprise to find something as enormous as this without any prior knowledge of it."I don't think I've ever found anything so huge under the soil as this. It's much bigger than anything that's still standing here."Prof Gerrard said the structure felt "like a big statement of wealth and power"."It says a lot about power in the North and about the resources that somebody could bring together to be able to construct something on this scale," he added. A piece of folded lead with a cross faintly scratched into it was also among the objects unearthed this Curator John Castling, from the Auckland Project, said exploring the findings would help build a more detailed picture of life on the palace grounds."We'll also be working on interpreting the archaeology to visitors to the palace, including installing a replica of a pillar base from the medieval chapel in the garden over where the original is still buried," Mr Castling added. Frankie Rickett, a first year archaeology student at Durham University, was the 1,000th person to take part in the said one of the most exciting moments was on her second day when they found part of the wall in her trench."It's been quite intense work," she said, adding: "We think we're near the bottom of the section of the wall in the trench that I'm digging in." Prof Gerrard said the excavation had been a great experience and he had been looking forward to it over the year. "I shall miss it next year," he added. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
