Index of Past Events
from 2014

   Our group has organised many exhibitions and participated in various events over the years. Descriptions of some of these are provided here for you to see what went on!
   Just "Click" on the item in the list below or page scroll down.
2014 -    4 items
Nov 2014 - Remembrance Day Service
Aug 2014 - Remembering Normanby Men...
July 2014 - 12th Annual Exhibition
Jun 2014 - British Legion Memorial Walk

Tuesday 11th November 2014
  - 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

  Our group organised a short Remembrance Day Service on Tuesday the 11th November 2014 at the Normanby Great War Memorial (corner of High Street & West Street).
  The service drew a crowd of over 100 people wishing to pay their respects to the brave men from Normanby who lost their lives during WW1.
  The Reverend Huw Sperring led the service and young children from three classes of nearby Bankfields Primary School sang "Pack Up Your Troubles"  and "It's a Long Way to Tipperary".
  People at the service were deeply moved by the children singing and there were many with tears in their eyes.
  Decorated veteran Dave Camish said the children's singing had added another dimension to the Remembrance Service and had been "Extremely poignant".
  The 75 children from year 1 and 2, who had been learning about WW2 and other conflicts since September, were accompanied by 8 staff and volunteers from the school.
  After the service people enjoyed refreshments at Normanby Methodist Church and the school children had well earned fruit juice and biscuits.

  For views of this service held in the Centenary Year of WW1 go to our photo gallery  page (photos by Amanda Proud).

Monday 4th August 2014
                  - Remembering Normanby Men...

Our Group was contacted last April by Michelle & Stephen Ellis.   They live at No.1 The Jennings and consider they are blessed to have the Normanby War Memorial as part of their home.   They suggested that we take up something similar to Stockton Council's idea to grow sunflowers in memory of the men who never returned from the Great War (which we now know as World War One).
   At a meeting of our Normanby Local History Group the members enthusiastically agreed and have grown & distributed sunflowers to blossom around Normanby in memory of the men of Normanby who did not return home from all wars.
  On Monday August 4th the 34 men named on the Normanby World War I Memorial at the High Street end of West Street were remembered at the Memorial by having their names attached to 34 specially grown sunflowers.

  To see this floral tribute on the Centenary of the Great War go to our photo gallery  page (photos by Amanda Proud).

Saturday 12th July 2014
         - 12th Annual Exhibition

  The Normanby Local History Group's recent annual exhibition was held at Normanby Methodist Church as usual.
  Monday 4th August 2014 is the centenary of the start of the Great War - so the theme of our exhibition was based on WW1 & WW2 Normanby connections.
  It was a great day - the weather was fine again - and we were really pleased to see so many interested visitors.
  Once again the group thanks everyone who put in such a lot of hard work to make the day a success (including several local folks not even members!)

  There were many displays of research & exhibits by our group's members including:-
   - Fallen Heroes WW1 Graves in Eston Cemetery
   - Tees Submarine Base & 10th Submarine Flotilla
   - 1914-18 Postcards
   - Collection of World War memorabilia
   - Collection of Match Box Holders of WW1
   - Memorabilia of Flt.Lt.N.Osborne of Wren's Nest
   - Private James H. Hammerton
   - Life in the Trenches
   - The Forum Cinema
   - War Stories with Connections to Normanby
   - Collection of War Medals
   - Normanby War Memorial
   - Private William Holdsworth

  In keeping with our theme Phil & Lesley Meadows brought along their fully equiped US Army Jeep.  Phil (dressed as a piper of the Black Watch) played & talked about bagpipes.   See (and hear) Phil playing his pipes on our VIDEO  page.

  Group member Kester Marsh's gleaming Triumph Bonneville Classic motorbike was much admired.

  Sylvia Fairbrass conducted an interesting guided tour round Eston cemetery (luckily the weather was fine!)

  We were entertained by a young lady (Miss Rebekah Chapman from Marske) singing WW1 & WW2 songs.   Rebekah performed three sessions & she encouraged the people in the hall to sing with her.   She was attractively dressed in 1940 fashion with her hair styled as in the 40s.
  Rebekah sings for her school's charity which visits a school in Ghana to help build, repair & maintain the community there.

  We provided four guided visits (all fully booked) to Normanby's only remaining WW2 air-raid shelter under Beevers store (formerly Walter Bakers and one-time Forum cinema ).   Our thanks to Beevers store for being very helpful.

  All of our group's publications were on sale with our postcards, prints & booklets being very popular.  Hot off the presses - a new booklet was launched about the 34 Normanby men commemorated on the World War One Memorial entitled "In Memory of the Men of Normanby"'

  Our very hard-working kitchen crew provided a never ending supply of tea & coffee as well as home-made cakes, pastries & sandwiches to keep us all going.

  The Grand Finale was the exciting flypast of a Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire piloted by a Squadron Leader.
  This aircraft - the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.LFXV1E TE311 is a low-back/bubble-canopy Spitfire with 'clipped' wingtips.   It is painted to represent the Spitfire Mk XVIe TB675 '4D-V' of No.74 Squadron, the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader A.J. 'Tony' Reeves DFC, the Squadron's Commanding Officer from the end of December 1944.
  Everyone was really excited by the three successive passes made by the Spitfire across & along Cleveland Street where about 270 of us gathered.   We were all thrilled by the sight & sound of this spectacular Rolls Royce Merlin engined WW2 aircraft!
  A great finale to a memorable day for Normanby!

  To get an overall impression of our 2014 exhibition go to our photo gallery  page (exhibition photos mainly by Barbara Greenmon & Mike Wheatley with others acknowledged in captions).

[If you have any photos of our exhibition day or of the Spitfire Flypast that could be added to our Photo Gallery
then please contact us  !]

  Entrance was free -   All visitors were made very welcome!
   (Our Group thanks performers for their free contributions!
  All other costs such as accommodation hire & insurance were covered by our Group.)

23 June 2014
         - British Legion Memorial Walk

  Members of Normanby Local History Group met with Eric Howden from the Royal British Legion as his sponsored Memorial Walk  reached Normanby on the morning of Saturday 14th June.   A crowd gathered at the WWI Memorial as a dedication was made to those who fought so that people now may be free.   Crosses with Remembrance poppies on them were placed at the Memorial and donations were made to the Royal British Legion.   A commemorative vase was placed at the foot of the Memorial which contained poppies and a sunflower.
  A new Photo Gallery of this event has been added.