Page 210 - The Rifles Bugle Autumn 2019

The DLI Collection, DLI Friends & Association Working Together Group
“HAVING THE DLI REALLY INCREASED THE CHILDREN’S LEVELS OF CURIOSITY”
The Working together Group of the DLI Association & DLI Friends who work with the Education staff at the DLI Collection and Durham County Council Volunteers had their Christmas briefing, lunch and Forward Look into 2019 on Tuesday 4 December at the Sevenhills Centre. Naomi and Carolyn who lead the team spoke with Brian Laverick, Stephen Pearce, Ralph Harrison, John Ferguson, Alan Mavin, Richy Tough, Wilf Proctor, John Rolfe and John Heron, and thanked them for the time and effort they had put in visiting schools and community groups during the last busy school term. Col Jimmy works hard with the group and finds his experience with teenagers in the Durham ACF being particularly valuable. Sadly Alan Davis, Maj Mike van der Gucht nor Lt Col Jimmy Brown could be present on this occasion.
McDonald work on cataloguing, and preparation of materials. Carolyn said “It has made a great difference to us having your support, specialist knowledge and experience. Both Naomi and I look forward to working together with you in 2019. The feedback we have received from the various schools has been extremely positive, for example St William’s Primary School had said ‘having the DLI really increased the children’s levels of curiosity”.
This is a particularly active Association and Friends group, in which members themselves gain a lot of value and enjoyment working together with the children. They have now all been DBS authorised. There is always room for more members however, who might like to make their skills and knowledge available for the education of the children of County
Other Association members like Maj Donald Durham on the heritage of the Durham Light Infantry.
DLI Association members
and Bugles from 8 Rifles supported this event in commemoration of those who did not return after WW1
Dedicating a memorial at locomotion – The Shildon Wagon Works
Members of the Association and their branch had not yet been formally unveiled and dedicated.
537 MEN LEFT THEIR JOBS IN THE SHILDON WAGON WORKS TO SERVE THEIR KING AND COUNTRY
standards were present on 10 January 2019 at The Shildon Wagon Works, Dale Road, Shildon, for the unveiling and dedication of a memorial raised with the support of local community groups by the Shildon Volunteers. The Shildon Wagon Works had been started in 1833, although Shildon’s connection with the railways went back further, to the opening day of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.
The Stockton and Darlington Railway Company ran the first service in the world to carry paying passengers. The first train to run on this line was connected to its engine, Locomotion No 1, at the Shildon Works before setting off on the first run, to begin a revolution in transport throughout the world. The new memorial incorporates Locomotion No 1 which can be seen in the background.
The ceremony on 10th January was to commem- orate the 537 men who left their jobs in the Shildon Wagon Works to serve their King and Country in the First World War. The new memorial had been installed just in time for Armistice Day in 2018, but
The Locomotion Volunteers were rewarded with a good turnout from 8th Bn The Rifles and members of the DLI Association, in support of members of the Shildon Museum Group whose collection now has over 75 rail vehicles from the National Collection including a number of wagons made in 1910 by the Shildon Railway Works. The ceremony was conducted by the local vicar, Reverend Canon David Tomlinson, accompanied by members and VIPs of the Shildon community. Present from the Associ- ation were Major Paul Wharton MM Chairman DLI Association, Major Chris Lawton MBE DL, Rifles Secretary Durham and Association Vice President, Lt Col John Heron TD Association Secretary and members of the Bishop Auckland, Durham, Washington, Chester-le-Street, Darlington & Newton Aycliffe Branches. The bugle calls were played by Bugler L/Cpl Foster and Bugler Stephen Elliott of 8th Bn The Rifles. The ceremony was an ideal way to show support by the DLI Association to a local community group venture whose aims we share.
208 RIFLES OFFICES AND ASSOCIATIONS
THE RIFLES