The Stockton & Darlington Railway was all about bringing people closer together and, 200 years after it opened, it is still doing that.
This week, we were extremely lucky to get a picture of the Stockton West MP Matt Vickers and the Darlington MP Lola Vickers – Conservative and Labour – outside the Houses of Parliament with copies of our fabulous new SDR200 bookazine.
The bookazine tells how the railway brought the two towns together as well. Initially, in 1819 each town had its own plan for joining the south Durham coalfield with the port of Stockton, and representatives from each town were rushing around Parliament trying to get as much support for their scheme to the detriment of their rivals.
Book a place and get a free copy of the magazine
Eventually, they united behind the railway idea and when Thomas Meynell, of Yarm, laid the first rail on May 23, 1822, a historian wrote: “All jealousy had passed away and the two towns now worked harmoniously together.”
The bookazine costs £9.95 and it is officially launched on Tuesday at Hopetown with a new illustrated talk by the Echo’s Chris Lloyd, who has written it.
Tickets for the talk at £10, to include a bookazine, and £5 for the talk and a cup of tea. They can be booked through store.newsquest.co.uk, or call 01325-505062 and we’ll save you a place.
