The Northern Echo: North East & North Yorkshire News, Crime, Health, Education, Weather

 Campaign News

Prince Charles voices support for Auckland Castle plans

8:40am Wednesday 18th April 2012

PRINCE Charles has pledged his support to the North-East in a personal message to be shown to visitors to a popular food festival this weekend.

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Talks to be held over Auckland Castle's future

8:00am Friday 1st April 2011

A NATIONAL Trust delegation will arrive in County Durham today, as efforts to secure the future of Auckland Castle as an arts and heritage attraction are stepped up.

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Benefactor sees Zurbarans paintings for the first time

8:00am Friday 1st April 2011

THE benefactor who has saved the Zurbarans caught his first glimpse of his £15m purchase yesterday and declared: “I don’t want to be the Mother Teresa of the North-East.”

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Zurbarans saved - Auckland Castle to become major attraction

12:00am Thursday 31st March 2011

TWO wealthy financiers have teamed up to save the Zurbarans and potentially turn Auckland Castle into a major heritage tourist attraction, The Northern Echo can reveal.

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• More campaign news

 Commissioners' Statement

The Church Commissioners have released the following briefing outlining their position on the potential sale of the Zurbaran paintings and Auckland Castle.
• View the statement

 The History

Journey of the Zurbarans
The Zurbaran collection in Auckland Castle tells the Old Testament story of the Blessings of Jacob. Chris Lloyd explores the background of these paintings.

 The Leaked Documents

On Thursday, November 4, documents reached The Northern Echo's Parliamentary Correspondent Rob Merrick via Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman showing that the Church Commissioners had hatched detailed plans to sell the historic Zurbaran paintings in Auckland Castle without any form of consultation with local people.
A couple of hours before publication, a representative from Mishcon de Reya, a leading firm of London lawyers, contacted the Echo in a bid to prevent the story from reaching the press. She asked for an undertaking that we would not publish the documents and asked that they be returned as they were confidential.
The story was published on November 5.
The Church Commissioners are still refusing to reveal their plans for either the paintings or Auckland Castle, although Tony Baldry, the Commissioners' Parliamentary spokesman, has since told us that the paintings will be sold in the New Year and that the castle is likely to follow.
These are the documents which the Commissioners did not want published.

 Sign The Petition

If you would like to download and sign the petition set up by Bishop Auckland MP, Helen Goodman, concerning the sale of the Zurbaran paintings, click here.