Shunting history aside?

THE clock is ticking ever louder ahead of an anniversary that gives Darlington a glorious opportunity to showcase its special place in history.

In 2025, it will be 200 years since crowds gathered to watch the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. As the first passenger railway, it was a feat of engineering that changed the world.

The bi-centenary is a chance for Darlington to finally wake up and tell its story properly – for it has lamentably failed to make the most of its railway heritage thus far.

That failure came to a head earlier this year with a dispute that saw Locomotion No 1 – the first engine to pull a passenger train on a public railway – removed from Darlington’s Head of Steam Museum, and transported nine miles away to Locomotion, an offshoot of the National Railway Museum, at Shildon.

It was spun as a compromise, with the historic engine being loaned back to Darlington for six months in 2025, but there’s no doubt that Shildon won the tug of war. There was much gnashing of teeth by politicians, a petition was signed by 7,000, but the truth is that it was all too little too late – Darlington had lacked the vision, going back decades, to grasp the real potential of its historic track record.

Now, we have the 200th anniversary a few stops ahead of us and Darlington Borough Council’s website rightly describes it as “a momentous occasion…an exciting opportunity for the region and the UK as a whole to celebrate this world changing event on a global scale”.

All of which brings us to a meeting today when Darlington councillors will consider a recommendation to demolish part of an historic pub, which is connected to that special railway heritage.

Platform One, formerly The Fighting Cocks, stands beside the trackbed of the world’s first passenger railway at Middleton St George. Tickets were sold from the building, which also provided refreshments for passengers, and the adjacent land incorporated the signal box and coal-shed.

The proposal is to change the use to a Sainsbury’s convenience store and, on all known form – given the way that Middleton St George has become symbolic of the planning free-for-all that has existed – it’s easy to understand why some the villagers believe it is highly likely to be nodded through.

But it will not be without a fight. “The Save The Fighting Cocks Community Pub Group” was established last year to try to stop the plan going ahead, with a counter proposal to reopen it as a community pub with a respectful eye on history.

The pub, owned by Enterprise Inns and boarded up during lockdown, is listed as an Asset of Community Value, and the campaign group believes it could have a viable future as a community-owned pub.

The group is registered as a Community Benefit Society and has the support of The Plunkett Foundation, which helps communities battling to save local pubs. A consultant has been engaged, a structural survey and valuation completed, 3,000 leaflets circulated, resulting in “substantial” financial pledges, and a business plan is being developed along with a share issue prospectus.

Other objections have been lodged by the Council for the Protection of Rural England, the parish council, and the borough council’s own Conservation Officer, who says the proposals would have a “harmful impact on the significance and character of the historic asset”.

In addition, the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, have issued a statement which concludes: “By turning down the application and encouraging the community groups involved in the pub and railway heritage, councillors can lead by example and create something of real lasting value.”

The Fighting Cocks Community Pub Group’s secretary Paul Robinson insists: “There is a groundswell of public support in the village to stop this happening because this is a treasure that we should protect. It’s one of the last vestiges of our railway heritage that we have left – it would be a crying shame to lose it.

“Are we really going to let it be turned into a convenience store when we are supposed to be planning for the 200th anniversary?”

So what of the points on the other side of the track? Councillor Doris Jones is not only a veteran ward councillor but chairman of the Planning Applications Committee.

She says: “I would love someone to take this derelict building over and make the most of it but the reality is that we can only consider the application before us. That is from Sainsbury’s and we have not had an application from the community group.”

Councillor Jones adds that the planning application includes conditions aimed at protecting the heritage of the site. All architectural elements of historic significance would be retained, including the retention of the stone wall of the old coal depot, outdoor seating would be provided for walkers, and interpretation panels erected.

“If members are minded to approve this application, I will ensure that those conditions are met and the heritage of this site is protected,” she says.

Whatever decision is taken today, the passionate concerns that have been expressed must not be dismissed lightly.

If Darlington Borough Council is going to be truly ambitious about the 200th anniversary of the birth of the railways, it has to be thoughtful, creative and visionary.

The hope is that the complete route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway will become a walkway and cycleway – a modern, community use for a unique part of history.

If that comes to fruition, would walkers and cylists be better served by a community pub – in keeping with its original use as a stopping point for railway passengers almost 200 years ago – or a Sainsbury’s convenience store?

A FEW months ago, horse racing was scandalised by the emergence of a photograph of Irish trainer Gordon Elliott sitting astride a dead horse.

The Grand National-winning trainer was given a one-year ban with his career in ruins.

In the meantime, I’d like to highlight an episode that illustrates the other side of horse racing.

On Bank Holiday Monday, a horse called Oliver’s Betty (below), trained at Lingdale by Gillian Boanas, suffered a serious pelvic injury in a race at Redcar.

What hasn’t made national headlines is that Gillian spent four nights sleeping in the six-year-old mare’s stable to make sure she was comfortable as she began her rehabilitation.

Gillian’s makeshift bed comprised bags of wood shavings and she didn’t leave the horse’s side until she felt the immediate crisis had passed.

“I can pretty much sleep anywhere, but I didn’t get much sleep for those four nights,” laughed Gillian. “It was all about making sure she was as comfortable as possible and she seems to be going the right way now, so fingers crossed.”

It’s too early to say whether Oliver’s Betty – a winner at Ayr on her previous outing – will be able to race again but she’s guaranteed a home in Lingdale.

“Hopefully, she’ll make a full recovery but, if not, we’ll breed from her,” says Gillian. “Whatever happens, she’ll stay here and be well looked after.”

Gordon Elliott’s inexcusable actions were rightly condemned – but the horse racing industry should be shouting from the rooftops about the care shown by Gillian Boanas.