Welcome to the site

This site Up and Down the Street is where the current research and work being undertaken by the Chester le Street Heritage Group will be exhibited.

The Group were successful in their bid for Heritage Lottery Funding and over the next two years we hope to have much new material to put on to the site.

Aims of the project

The Heritage Group’s Up and Down The Street project will

Research, record and preserve information and memories about the Front Street
Raise awareness and educate the public about the history and heritage surrounding the Front Street over the last one hundred years or so.

How the project will develop

Researching historical records mainly from Durham Record Office to build a historical record of the shops/houses/public houses which have been on Front Street

Working with local people to record their memories- contact will also be made with current employers and employees to make this a record of the now as well as the past.

Building a photographic archive of the Front Street buildings, people and activities.

Building an ephemera and artefacts archive of the Front Street

Use of the Comma software to build a collection of still and video images, text and oral narratives which will be in a searchable data base and which will be available to the public via the internet

What we need

The Heritage Group are interested in contacting people both those who live in the town and those who have family connections to borrow, copy and return

Photographs/Postcards of the Front Street – members of the Group have the capacity to scan photographs, negatives and slides
8mm/16mm/Video film of events that happened in Chester le Street
Ephemera to do with the Front Street – bill headings, paper bags, advertising material

The Group also thinks it is important to record for future historians oral memories of people who:-

were shop workers,
were owners of shops and businesses
shopped Up and Down The Street
took part in Front Street events

Thanks and acknowledgements

The Group acknowledges the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and its staff. We would also like to thank all in the Community who supported our bid.