Paul Jarman - Beamish Museum - An Update

This was a well-attended evening meeting with many spouses and partners making up the numbers.

Inevitably, perhaps - given his role at the museum - Paul gave us a vivid description of the restoration of two locomotives that originally worked in Seaham Harbour and are now at Beamish which some of us found extremely interesting.  He went on to describe aspects of transport at the museum and touched on the "outreach work" in which the Puffing Billy replica locomotive has been involved this summer, to mark the 200th anniversary of the earliest steam locos in the Wylam area.

Paul concluded his talk with descriptions of recent and planned developments at the museum, including the recently opened bakery when "artisan" bread and cakes can be bought.  And plans to build a replica of the building at the junction of Elvet Bridge and New Elvet here in Durham to "fill the gap" between the garage and the bakery in the Town area.  He also showed us sketches of the plans to build a Georgian Coaching Inn near the Pockerley Waggonway and even the recreation of a 1950s area - we are all history now!

The museum maintains an extensive website which is well worth exploring - and if you haven't been there recently, it is well worth a visit - there is almost always soemthing new to see!