Talks to be held over Auckland Castle's future (From The Northern Echo)
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Talks to be held over Auckland Castle's future
8:00am Friday 1st April 2011 in Campaigns: Save The Zurbarans
HISTORIC HOME: Auckland Castle could complete a cultural corridor in the region.
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.
The trust will hold talks with representatives from the Church of England and Durham County Council about their plan to open the historic home of the Bishops of Durham to the public.
The visit emphasises how the focus is already shifting from the saving of the Zurbaran paintings to the role they can play in the rebirth of Auckland Castle as a major tourist attraction.
The plan is for the 13 Zurbarans to form the centrepiece of a thriving art gallery, with other paintings loaned from the National Gallery, in London.
But the National Trust has sought to calm speculation that its involvement is a done deal, cautioning that only “early conversations” have taken place and hard negotiations lie ahead.
Full story in today's The Northern Echo
Comments(4)
Well hello
says...
4:27pm Fri 1 Apr 11
hullgodfreyshire
says...
2:12pm Mon 4 Apr 11
were you born manic depressive or what
as a frequent visitor to the area I would have thought the more there is to see the more visitors there will be.
I hope the national trust DO back this venture as it can only help promote the area, there is MORE to see in the northeast than ANY other area in the country.STOP KNOCKING IT AND PUTTING THE AREA DOWN.
ROLE ON SUMMER AND ANOTHER VISIT TO GODS COUNTRY.
Well hello
says...
8:59pm Mon 4 Apr 11
"Uhhhh... I feel my bi-polar disorder getting much better after that..."
Well hello says...
4:23pm Fri 1 Apr 11
This is just what Bishop Auckland needs, perhaps half a dozen new jobs, then the opportunity for volunteering work. As a few hundred people, annually descend upon Auckland Castle to view a few obscure paintings.
Alarm Bells Ringing Yet? They should be!
The National Trust, a charity can't afford it, the heritage budget has been slashed, they are struggling to raise funds for the attractions that they already own & run.
The M.P for Bishop Auckland Helen Goodman is on the band-wagon as usual, with the odd sound-bite & rare public appearance.
Bishop Auckland town center is dying & this hair brained schem will never revive it in a millenia. Bishop Auckland had great night life but the planners decided to issue licensed premises liscenses, almost as often as parking tickets & the over capacity killed the night life off.
Two hotels the The Queens & Postchaise are now forsale for £500,000. Either hotel will be lucky to survive in their current capacity, as over capacity of available rooms is now a problem, since over delevopment at Tindale.
Bishop Aucklands best kept secret the Roman fort, has been underdeveloped & under funded for decades.
Q. How many people from Bishop Auckland have actually seen these paintings & how many people are actually interested in their future, will be very surprising?
A. A small minority of the population of Bishop Auckland, the educated few with money.
Q. How many people from Bishop Auckland will be prepared to pay an National Trust admission fee of perhap's £7 - £10 to view the Zs.
A. Not very many, except a few.
Don't listen to anyone that believes that this will be good for Bishop Auckland, other than keeping the paintings at Auckland castle for the very limited few to adore or for the sound bites from an totally inept Member of Parliament, Helen Goodman.
What Bishop Auckland requires, is as the rest of the region is genuine jobs, in established or hi tech industries, as Tony Blairs vision of an Britain of Leisure, is totally blurred.
Do we need real jobs for people or another white elephant in the town? These proposed plans are unviable & just like the multi-plex cinema won't happen!
The solution for everyone concerned to keep the pictures in the region, would be to place them on permanent display at Durham Cathedral, where they could potentailly receive the admiring glances that deserve, end of story!
"Here endeth the lesson" ;-)