THE recent confirmation that Hitachi is to build a new generation of express trains in County Durham was a wonderful example of the power of working together for the common good.

Today’s announcement that the historic Zurbaran paintings are to remain in Bishop Auckland, with Auckland Castle apparently destined to become a National Trust property, is another.

As with the Hitachi campaign, politicians, Durham County Council, community leaders, and this newspaper, have presented a united front which has made a clear difference.

When The Northern Echo revealed last November that the Church Commissioners were secretly planning to sell the Zurbaran paintings, and that Auckland castle was under threat, there was a passionate sense that County Durham and the wider North-East needed to come together to fight its cultural corner.

Like Hitachi at Newton Aycliffe, this was something which hardly featured on the national radar, but it was an important local issue. It mattered to us.

Our congratulations to those who have joined us in that fight. The MP for Bishop Auckland Helen Goodman, Durham County Council, and Bishop Auckland Civic Society chairman Dr Robert McManners deserve particular praise.

A result has been achieved in which everyone wins. Thanks to Jonathan Ruffer’s philanthropy, the Church Commissioners get their money, the Zurbarans stay in Bishop Auckland, and the castle is heading to a bright future.

We look forward to these new solid foundations being developed into an exciting new era for tourism in County Durham.