News
Bygone Borderlands
May 8th 2013
On 18 and 19 May 2013, Flodden 1513 will be holding Bygone Borderlands, a local and family history weekend in the Guildhall, Berwick-upon-Tweed to celebrate the unique history of the English and Scott...
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Take Part - Universal Declaration of Human Rights
April 8th 2013
Do you believe in equality, freedom and quality of life? Are you passionate about Human Rights? Then join others at Woodhorn to take part in a collective recitation of the Universal Declaration of Hum...
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Education Suffragette Workshops
February 4th 2013
It is less than 100 years since women gained the right to vote, and a group of Year 9 students from Ashington High School have recently been amongst the very first to experience a brand new education ...
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Percy Forster Album
January 21st 2013
Each year there are many items deposited at the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn. Each one needs to be carefully assessed and catalogued before the public can have access to the records and documen...
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Volunteers Sought for Flodden Project
January 21st 2013
The search is on for amateur historians to lend their skills to a new archives project unearthing the circumstances around the Battle of Flodden. As part of the Heritage Lottery funding towards Flodde...
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Woodhorn E-newsletter
October 25th 2012
To see our latest e-newsletter follow this link. If you would like to receive your own copy next time, just sign up using the form to the left.
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Song Competition Winners
October 23rd 2012
Over the last few weeks dozens of new songs inspired by the North East heroine Grace Darling have been pouring in to the Woodhorn museum in Northumberland. The songs from writers all over the country ...
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New Accessible Carriage
October 17th 2012
Volunteers of the Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway were delighted to be able to unveil and launch their new accessible carriage at Woodhorn on Sunday 23 September. The family, friends and supporters of t...
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October Half Term
October 16th 2012
There’s a packed programme of activities to keep the whole family entertained over the forthcoming October half term holidays.Every day from Saturday 27th October until Sunday 4th November, youn...
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Dudley Banner on Show
October 15th 2012
35 years after the last shift at Dudley Colliery in South East Northumberland, the Dudley Branch NUM banner is going on display at Woodhorn for the first time.Almost two years ago staff at Woodhorn we...
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3rd Northumberland History Fair
October 15th 2012
As the days shorten and the temperature drops, people swop their outdoor pastimes for those they can pursue indoors. For many people this means their attention will once again turn to tracking down th...
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Delaval Papers Search
October 9th 2012
The search is on for papers and documents linked to the Delavals and Delaval Hall. Staff at Northumberland Archives are hoping that people will be willing to share or even deposit their items at the W...
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Green Scheme Awards
October 9th 2012
Woodhorn Charitable Trust is delighted that two of its museums have recently received top marks for their green approach to business through the Green Tourism Business Scheme. Woodhorn may have had a ...
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Banner Conservation
September 18th 2012
Visitors to Woodhorn museum this weekend won’t just be able to enjoy the first peep at the wonderful new Julian Germain Big Meetings exhibition which opens on Saturday, but they’ll be able...
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Diaries of a Bible-Thumper
September 18th 2012
Thanks to the painstaking work of the members of Blyth Genealogy Group, the diaries of a 19th Century Blyth character can now be accessed by members of the general public though the Northumberland Arc...
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Arts Council Announcement
August 9th 2012
A new consortium of arts and community organisations has come together in South East Northumberland to secure a £2.4million national funding boost from Arts Council England.The money will be used towa...
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Are you related to Grace
July 13th 2012
Anyone who thinks they are related to Grace Darling, the 19th century sea-rescue heroine is invited to start tracing their family history at a free one-to-one family history surgery session at Woodhor...
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MacLeod Facebook Page
July 9th 2012
Rural Life Caught by the Canon’s Camera Online Staff at Woodhorn Museum and Archives have found a very 21st Century way to exhibit a special collection of photographs from the turn of the 20th C...
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Time Vault: the Morpeth Olympics Re-imagined
June 29th 2012
Believe it or not Morpeth had its own Olympic games long before the revival of the modern Olympics. The event continued to be held from the 1870s right up to the 1950s but was then confined to the vau...
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Bring Your Family History to Life
June 28th 2012
Discover how to bring your family history alive on the page at Woodhorn’s free creative writing taster session, ‘Past Perfect’ to be held on 28 July. Are you researching your family ...
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Grace Darling Song Competition
June 27th 2012
Competition Update. The closing date for the Grace Darling Song competition has now passed and more than 60 fantastic entries have been received. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to create a...
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Morpeth Olympics Discovery
June 22nd 2012
Research by young people working on a project at Woodhorn with the Northumberland Archives has led to the exciting re-discovery of a fascinating record relating to the Morpeth Olympics.The Archives wa...
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Sci-Fi Story Competition
June 22nd 2012
Organisers of the Sci-fi story competition have been delighted with the number of entries received from young people in the region, but because of its success, the planned celebration evening has had ...
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Improvisation workshop Wednesday 6 June
May 31st 2012
On Wednesday 6th June young people between the age of 13 and 19 will have the opportunity to take part in a very special comedy improvisation workshop at Woodhorn. A group of professional comediens ca...
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Time Travel Project Accolade
May 30th 2012
A special Time Travel project has recently scooped an accolade at a national awards ceremony.Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives was highly commended at the 2012 national Museums Heritage Awar...
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Pitmen Painter's Story on Display from 26 May 2012
May 25th 2012
Woodhorn Museum is to put on display a series of historic paintings by Oliver Kilbourn, one of the best known members of the Ashington Group, immortalised in Lee Hall’s hit play The Pitmen Paint...
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Open Studio for Artist in Residence on 6 June
May 25th 2012
Members of the public are being invited to influence the evolution of a Northumbrian industrial art exhibition.Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives have announced a series of open days enabling...
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Outside In Surgery Days
April 10th 2012
Woodhorn is delighted to announce that we will be hosting 'Outside In: North' in 2013. Working in partnership with the national outsider art initiative 'Outside In', the exhibition at ...
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Family Friendly Woodhorn
March 14th 2012
Woodhorn is one of UK’s most family friendly museumsWoodhorn has made it on to the official list of the UK’s most family friendly museums.Woodhorn was chosen from over 100 nominated museum...
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Calling All Budding Sci-Fi Writers...!
March 12th 2012
Calling all budding Sci-Fi writers…! If you love aliens, robots and out of this world goings-on why not join in Woodhorn’s science fiction short story competition for young people? There ...
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INVASION! Opens
February 11th 2012
If the world of sci-fi holds a special place in your heart, and the possibility of maybe one day standing next to an alien makes it pump that little bit harder, then the new big exhibition at Woodhorn...
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Working Lives Symposium on 24 March 2012
February 10th 2012
Staff from the Northumberland Archives based at Woodhorn are inviting local history fans to make a date for the last in a series of events to share the findings of a Heritage Lottery project called Wo...
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Great British Railway Journeys on TV 23 January 2012
January 20th 2012
The programme highlighted below was broadcast on 23 January 2012. You can catch it again on BBC iPlayer until 10 February. Find it here. Everyone at Woodhorn will be tuned to the TV next Monday evenin...
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Popular Politics Volunteers
January 12th 2012
We all see a new year as the opportunity to start afresh: it might be the time to begin that diet; clear out the cupboards; give up smoking, or for some people, the push they need to take up a new hob...
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Embroidery Exhibition
January 12th 2012
It’s hard to imagine that a dark, dangerous industry where men toiled long hard hours deep in the bowels of the earth could inspire delicate works of art made from fabric and thread, but that&rs...
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Sunday 4 December for Crafty Christmas for Woodhorn
November 25th 2011
Despite the mild weather of late, there is no doubt that Christmas is coming, so staff at Woodhorn have been busy preparing for another great Christmas Fayre at the Northumberland museum.The fayre whi...
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Ground Breaking Youth Project on Film
November 9th 2011
Back in August, at a time when parts of England were coping with riots and the youth of the country were coming under fire for their anti-social and criminal behaviour, in one part of the North East, ...
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We Will Remember Them
November 9th 2011
At a time of year when we take time to remember those who have bravely given their lives and paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom of others, it is appropriate that staff at Northumberland Archi...
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Inspiring the Younger Generation
November 4th 2011
Each year thousands of young people are introduced to Woodhorn though its extensive education programme. Schools from all over the north east visit the museum and archive to discover the heritage of t...
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Goodies for Christmas
October 27th 2011
If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary for someone special this Christmas, why not consider something different from Woodhorn. Of course we've got lots of books and dvds on ...
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Family Friendly Museum Award
October 19th 2011
Do you think Woodhorn a great place for families? Well how about making our day and nominating the museum for an award.The Sunday Telegraph has teamed up with the charity Kids in Museums for the Famil...
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Naval Revelations
October 17th 2011
To coincide with the annual celebration of Trafalgar Day on Friday 21 October, members of the public are being given access for the very first time to a remarkable collection of letters which paint a ...
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Celebrating 5 years
October 17th 2011
The phrase “Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself” has never been truer than for staff and visitors to Woodhorn – the museum and archives just outside Ashington. It’s ...
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A Cut Above
September 12th 2011
You are cordially invited to travel back in time to attend the opening of the new harbour at Seaton Sluice on March 20th 1764.You will meet some fascinating characters and be able to explore this hist...
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Fascinating Picture of Life
August 22nd 2011
Thanks to 12 months of painstaking work by a team of 30 dedicated volunteers and staff at the Northumberland Archives based at Woodhorn, an amazing picture of life across the counties of Northumberlan...
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Grant success
August 12th 2011
The Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway Society is pleased to report that they have been successful in obtaining a grant of £5000.00 from the Community Chest Fund set up by Northumberland County Council.The...
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Stallholders Wanted for October History Fair
August 9th 2011
Do you have a passion for local history? Are you involved in a group or organisation? Would you like to share your passion with others? Then you need to put a date in your diary for a special History ...
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Archives on Facebook
August 9th 2011
You can now link up and like the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn on Facebook. Why not have a look and see what's going on. Spread the word to your friends too.
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Extra Treat
June 15th 2011
Visitors to Woodhorn on Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 June are in for an unexpected treat. The Jackie Milburn steam locomotive will still be at the Woodhorn site and available for visitors to view and enjoy...
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Bags of Inspiration
June 1st 2011
A young lady from Morpeth has every right to feel proud when she pays a visit to Woodhorn these days, as visitors to the Northumberland museum are quite possibly carrying home a souvenir that she desi...
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Train Development on Track
May 18th 2011
With the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the narrow gauge railway society at Woodhorn just around the corner, the volunteers are delighted to be able to carry out work that should offer new o...
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Bygone Borderlands 14 & 15 May
May 9th 2011
On Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 May there will be a history event called Bygone Borderlands at Berwick Guildhall. It will include a series of talks and displays on local and family history.The event has ...
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Amateur Pitmen Painters Visit Woodhorn
April 18th 2011
As the professionals embark on another national tour of the award winning play Pitmen Painters, the very first amateur performers granted permission to mount a production of the play have paid a spec...
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U3A Regional Event
April 18th 2011
Woodhorn was buzzing recently as dozens of eager, enthusiastic individuals arrived to learn about the museum and archives. But this wasn’t a normal education visit as the “students” ...
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Lord Crewes Charity
April 4th 2011
There’s a chance for residents in the west of Northumberland to learn about the fascinating work of the Lord Crewe’s Charity over the next few weeks. Months of work by staff and volunteers...
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7 May Date for Working Lives Symposium
April 4th 2011
For anyone interested in finding out more about the work of the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn, there’s a great opportunity coming up in early May.A symposium is to be held on Saturday 7 Ma...
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Thomas Hair exhibition opens
March 21st 2011
A new exhibition at Woodhorn will give visitors a fascinating insight into both the history of the region and the remarkable watercolour paintings of North East artist, Thomas Harrison Hair.Hair was b...
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Youngsters History Project
March 14th 2011
Following weeks of investigation and hard work, children from Marden Bridge Middle School in Whitley Bay are about to put on a very special performance inspired by an emotional episode from World War ...
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Berwick Film Night
March 11th 2011
On Friday 18th March the Berwick-upon-Tweed Record Office is holding an Archive Film Night at the Maltings. This is a Film Night with a difference having involved both young and old in putting it toge...
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Presidential Mystery
March 9th 2011
It may be described as the Northumberland Archives, but the contents of the huge storage rooms at Woodhorn contain so much more than just Northumberland history. Recent work on papers from the St Paul...
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Archives an Inspiration to Young People
March 4th 2011
A very special exhibition has just opened at Concordia Leisure Centre in Cramlington following months of work by young people from South East Northumberland. The exhibition is the result of a project,...
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Woodhorn is Family Friendly
February 16th 2011
Staff at Woodhorn were delighted to discover this week that that the popular Northumberland museum and archive is one step closer to securing the prestigious Guardian Family Friendly Museum Award with...
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Dudley Banner on the Move
January 28th 2011
More than 3 decades have passed since the last shift at Dudley Colliery in South East Northumberland. One of the proud symbols of the former pit – the miners’ banner - has remained at the ...
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Queen Coal
January 17th 2011
From Saturday, 15 January, there will be an opportunity for visitors to Woodhorn to find out about a different side to the mining industry. The world of the coal queen will be revealed in “Memor...
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Berwick Event
January 12th 2011
There will be a special display at Berwick Library on Friday and Saturday 14th and 15th January. Following on from the BBC Turn Back Time: The High Street series, a small exhibition on Berwick shops a...
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Videogame Nation Exhibition Coming Soon
January 7th 2011
Organisers at Woodhorn are delighted to announce details of the exciting blockbuster exhibition heading to the Northumberland museum next month. A huge celebration of British videogaming will allow vi...
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Exhibition with Northern Soul Worth the Wait
December 8th 2010
The recent snowy weather has had a huge impact on all our lives – causing havoc on the roads, closing buildings, damaging property and generally causing major disruption to daily life. Another i...
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A Special Gift
November 17th 2010
If you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary for that someone special this Christmas, why not consider a limited edition gift from Woodhorn. The special items were produced as part of...
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Archives Dig Up Past for Whalton Manor
September 21st 2010
Staff in the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn are still excited about the role they played in the very recent publication of a book about the fascinating Whalton Manor, west of Morpeth.The book is ...
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Shafts of Light
September 13th 2010
A stunning exhibition of art inspired by the North East coal mining industry opened to the public this weekend (11 September).More than 50 striking paintings, prints and etchings by artists from the r...
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Winding House
September 9th 2010
Following months of careful work by specialist company Cyrus-RW and thanks to a generous £10,000 grant from SITA Trust, the Grade II listed Victorian engine house at Woodhorn once again contains a wor...
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Museums transfer to Woodhorn Trust
August 6th 2010
The management of three historic museums in Northumberland has recently transferred from the county council to the Woodhorn Trust, in a move aimed at sharing and consolidating expertise, while ensuri...
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Young Museumaker Winners
July 17th 2010
15 July Following on from the recent launch of the new Ashington Group (Pitmen Painters) inspired Woodhorn products produced as part of the national museumaker project, youngsters from the county hav...
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Young People Inspired at Woodhorn
June 26th 2010
26 June 2010. Following on from the recent launch of the new Ashington Group (Pitmen Painters) inspired Woodhorn products produced as part of the national museumaker project, youngsters from the coun...
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Blyth School Records Find New Home at Woodhorn
June 16th 2010
16 April 2010. A unique collection of records from a Blyth school have recently been delivered to their new home at the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn thanks to the hard work and dedication of a ...
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Museumaker Launches Commissioned Products
June 7th 2010
7 June 2010. museumaker is a prestigious national project involving sixteen museums across four participating regions. It is supported by Arts Council England (ACE), Museums, Libraries and Archives Co...
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Fragile Reminder of Tragedy that Changed the World
April 13th 2010
13 April 2010. A small, delicate item currently on display at Woodhorn features as one of the remarkable objects from the North East in the regional section of BBC and British Museum History of the Wo...
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Silver Award for Green Woodhorn
April 9th 2010
9 April 2010. Staff at Woodhorn were thrilled recently to receive notification that the Northumberland visitor attraction had been granted a Silver award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme. The Sche...
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Berwick Museum Transfers to Woodhorn
March 30th 2010
30 March 2010. Management of the historic Berwick Museum and Art Gallery is due to be transferred from Northumberland County Council to the Woodhorn Trust, in a move aimed at sharing and consolidating...
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Northumberland Working Lives
March 23rd 2010
23 March 2010. The already impressive collections held in the Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn will now be catalogued and digitised thanks to an award of £249,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HL...
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Work Starts to Bring Winding House to Life
March 1st 2010
1 March 2010. Following a £10,000 funding boost from SITA Trust, work has begun to bring the iconic winding gear at Woodhorn Museum back into full working order. Winding House no.2 was built between 1...
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75 Years On Do you have a Pitmen Painter Painting?
July 17th 2009
Woodhorn is putting a call out to owners of works by the country's most famous amateur art group to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the first meeting.The story of the Ashington Group, the mi...
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Loft paintings added to Pitmen collection
July 6th 2009
In the best 'Antiques Roadshow' television programme traditions, two paintings stored in an attic for the past 20 years, have been added to the treasured collection of works by the iconic Pitm...
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Banner mystery solved
March 23rd 2009
Some careful detective work by Woodhorn Collections Assistant, Deborah Moffatt, has finally solved the mystery of a long lost miners' banner. The whereabouts of the Netherton Colliery banner can n...
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