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40 Years of Beamish Museum
2010 marked a milestone in the story of Beamish, the North East’s very own living museum - its 40th birthday. Way back in 1970, the first two members of staff took up their duties and Beamish came into being.
In August that year, founder Director Frank Atkinson took up his full-time post and the three staff, along with many of the social history and industrial collections moved into Beamish Hall and Beamish was born. From the very first exhibition ‘Museum in the Making’ in 1971 to the Beamish we all know and love today, millions of visitors from throughout the world have passed through the gates.
There have been many highs over the past four decades, this is a great opportunity to take a look back over the last forty years.
Flash player 9 or above required to view the slide show.
February 1970 – The first two members of staff take up their duties. One of them, Rosy Allan, Senior Keeper, retired from her post as recently as September 2009.
May 1971 – An introductory exhibition ‘Museum in the Making’ opened in Beamish Hall.
May 1972 –For the first time visitors are able to see something of the museum site, including Foulbridge cottages. Lord Eccles, Minister for the Arts, performed an opening ceremony.
August 1973 – The first Beamish tram goes into public service.
April 1974 – Responsibility for the museum is passed to the new Joint Committee, representing the four new North Eastern county councils.
July 1975 – HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother visited Beamish. In August of this year the museum welcomed its half-millionth visitor.
July 1976 – Sir John Betjeman, poet laureate opens the rebuilt Rowley Station and pens a poem especially for the occasion.
1977 – Beamish won a Special Commendation in the Illustrated London News ‘Come to Britain’ Trophy.
May 1978 – Beamish welcomed the millionth visitor.
April 1979 – Sir Derek Ezra, President of the Beamish Development Trust, officially opened the Mahogany drift mine on the site.
1980 – Beamish received a Highly Commended award in the Best Preserved Station competition.
1981 – European Regional Development Fund offered a grant of £200,000 for the development of The Town.
September 1982 – British Rail Chairman Sir Peter Parker rode on the footplate of Loco No. 14. He had arrived by train at the old Beamish Station and was one of the last people to use the line before it was taken up.
July 1983 – Michael Montagu, Chairman of the English Tourist Board, opened the rebuilt farm house at Home Farm.
1984 – The Co-op Store, originally from nearby Annfield Plain, opened to the public.
July 1985 – HRH The Duke of Gloucester performed the official opening of the Town Street by unveiling a plaque on the park gates.
1986 – Beamish was named as the National Heritage ‘Museum of the Year’ and was cited as “an outstanding example of a modern museum using flair and imagination to present the history of its area in a most exciting way.”
June 1987 – Beamish was voted ‘European Museum of the Year’ by a panel of international judges. Founder Director Frank Atkinson retired.
1988 – A record of 500,000 people visited the museum. David Beamish, winner of Mastermind 1988, launched newly restored tramcar, Blackpool 31.
1989 – The replica of Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 left Beamish to take part in Exposition 89 in Nagoya, Japan.
1990 – Locomotion No. 1 continued its travels, spending the summer at the National Garden Festival in Gateshead Lord Michael Joicey opened the rebuilt Pit Hill Methodist Chapel in the museum’s Pit Village.
1991 – Beamish celebrated its coming of age with a season packed with special events. Local music 'legends' Lindisfarne performed in an open air concert on the Events Field.
July 1992 – The rebuilt Board School, moved stone by stone from East Stanley, was opened by Cllr. Don Robson, Leader of Durham County Council and Jenny Robson, President of Northumbria Tourist Board.
June 1993 – The Beamish Tramway system, circling the entire site was completed and opened by Kenneth Hudson, author and doyen of museums.
1994 – The Jubilee Sweetshop & Sweet Factory was opened in April by Mo Mowlam MP and in May The Town garage was opened by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
1995 – Silver Jubilee Year for Beamish. The opening of Pockerley Manor ushered in a new period of development, illustrating the early 1800s. The BBC National Lottery programme was broadcast live from the museum.
May 1996 – Restored Newcastle Tramcar 114 was unveiled – literally. The tram was completely wrapped in dozens of yards of calico and revealed at the ceremony at the pull of a cord!
March 1997 – The first ever wedding ceremony took place at Pockerley Manor. A water fountain, originally from Consett and rebuilt in The Town, was opened by television presenter Andy Kluz.
October 1998 – North Country Quilts from the internationally acclaimed Beamish collection were exhibited in Tokyo.
March 1999 – Alan Hogg, Regional Director of Barclays Bank plc declared the 1913 Barclay & Co’s Bank in the Beamish Town open.
March 2000 – Sir Bobby Robson, then Manager at St. James Park, and the NUFC players launched a new membership scheme for local people, ‘The Beamish Club’.
February 2001 – With a herd of pedigree Shorthorn cattle and flock of Teeswater sheep to consider, Beamish was forced to close its doors to visitors for six weeks due to the outbreak of Foot & Mouth. With necessary precautions in place, the museum re-opened at the beginning of April.
March 2002 – The first standard-gauge steam locomotive to be built this millennium in Britain, ‘The Steam Elephant’ was launched by Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage. In September of this year HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal opened the Carriage House in The Town.
July 2003 – Sunderland-born war correspondent & journalist Kate Adie launched the beautifully restored Sunderland 16 tramcar.
August 2004 – Pip, the Beamish pit pony, who had worked underground at Marley Hill and Sacriston Collieries celebrated his 30th birthday.
July 2005 - An episode of BBC Antiques Roadshow was filmed at Beamish. A mystery bequest from a barber from Keighley, West Yorkshire of some £280,000 was received. The gentleman had gone on holiday in 1991 and had disappeared.
April 2006 – HRH The Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, opened the Masonic Hall in The Town, in a ceremony supported by some 2000 Freemasons in full regalia.
October 2007 – A brand new ‘old’ bus is launched. A period style bus with a difference, being fully accessible for all visitors. The bus has a rear wheelchair lift and space for four wheelchairs inside.
July 2008 – Celebrated public toilet the Westoe Netty, now rebuilt at Beamish, was declared open by South Shields artist Bob Olley, who immortalised the Netty in a painting of the same name.
March 2009 – Beamish commemorated the centenary of the West Stanley Pit Disaster in which 168 men and boys lost their lives. The Colliery Lamp Cabin was opened, with dozens of miners and ex-miners witnessing the ceremony.
2010 – What came along later in this 40th Anniversary Year? Visitors were be able to take a ride on the restored Steam Gallopers – this 116-year-old carousel is one of the finest in the country. We started refurbishing our entrance building and tea rooms and visitors can also follow their noses to a coal-fired Fish & Chip shop in the Pit Village, due to open summer 2011.
Here's to the next forty years!
May 1971 – An introductory exhibition ‘Museum in the Making’ opened in Beamish Hall.
May 1972 –For the first time visitors are able to see something of the museum site, including Foulbridge cottages. Lord Eccles, Minister for the Arts, performed an opening ceremony.
August 1973 – The first Beamish tram goes into public service.
April 1974 – Responsibility for the museum is passed to the new Joint Committee, representing the four new North Eastern county councils.
July 1975 – HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother visited Beamish. In August of this year the museum welcomed its half-millionth visitor.
July 1976 – Sir John Betjeman, poet laureate opens the rebuilt Rowley Station and pens a poem especially for the occasion.
1977 – Beamish won a Special Commendation in the Illustrated London News ‘Come to Britain’ Trophy.
May 1978 – Beamish welcomed the millionth visitor.
April 1979 – Sir Derek Ezra, President of the Beamish Development Trust, officially opened the Mahogany drift mine on the site.
1980 – Beamish received a Highly Commended award in the Best Preserved Station competition.
1981 – European Regional Development Fund offered a grant of £200,000 for the development of The Town.
September 1982 – British Rail Chairman Sir Peter Parker rode on the footplate of Loco No. 14. He had arrived by train at the old Beamish Station and was one of the last people to use the line before it was taken up.
July 1983 – Michael Montagu, Chairman of the English Tourist Board, opened the rebuilt farm house at Home Farm.
1984 – The Co-op Store, originally from nearby Annfield Plain, opened to the public.
July 1985 – HRH The Duke of Gloucester performed the official opening of the Town Street by unveiling a plaque on the park gates.
1986 – Beamish was named as the National Heritage ‘Museum of the Year’ and was cited as “an outstanding example of a modern museum using flair and imagination to present the history of its area in a most exciting way.”
June 1987 – Beamish was voted ‘European Museum of the Year’ by a panel of international judges. Founder Director Frank Atkinson retired.
1988 – A record of 500,000 people visited the museum. David Beamish, winner of Mastermind 1988, launched newly restored tramcar, Blackpool 31.
1989 – The replica of Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 left Beamish to take part in Exposition 89 in Nagoya, Japan.
1990 – Locomotion No. 1 continued its travels, spending the summer at the National Garden Festival in Gateshead Lord Michael Joicey opened the rebuilt Pit Hill Methodist Chapel in the museum’s Pit Village.
1991 – Beamish celebrated its coming of age with a season packed with special events. Local music 'legends' Lindisfarne performed in an open air concert on the Events Field.
July 1992 – The rebuilt Board School, moved stone by stone from East Stanley, was opened by Cllr. Don Robson, Leader of Durham County Council and Jenny Robson, President of Northumbria Tourist Board.
June 1993 – The Beamish Tramway system, circling the entire site was completed and opened by Kenneth Hudson, author and doyen of museums.
1994 – The Jubilee Sweetshop & Sweet Factory was opened in April by Mo Mowlam MP and in May The Town garage was opened by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
1995 – Silver Jubilee Year for Beamish. The opening of Pockerley Manor ushered in a new period of development, illustrating the early 1800s. The BBC National Lottery programme was broadcast live from the museum.
May 1996 – Restored Newcastle Tramcar 114 was unveiled – literally. The tram was completely wrapped in dozens of yards of calico and revealed at the ceremony at the pull of a cord!
March 1997 – The first ever wedding ceremony took place at Pockerley Manor. A water fountain, originally from Consett and rebuilt in The Town, was opened by television presenter Andy Kluz.
October 1998 – North Country Quilts from the internationally acclaimed Beamish collection were exhibited in Tokyo.
March 1999 – Alan Hogg, Regional Director of Barclays Bank plc declared the 1913 Barclay & Co’s Bank in the Beamish Town open.
March 2000 – Sir Bobby Robson, then Manager at St. James Park, and the NUFC players launched a new membership scheme for local people, ‘The Beamish Club’.
February 2001 – With a herd of pedigree Shorthorn cattle and flock of Teeswater sheep to consider, Beamish was forced to close its doors to visitors for six weeks due to the outbreak of Foot & Mouth. With necessary precautions in place, the museum re-opened at the beginning of April.
March 2002 – The first standard-gauge steam locomotive to be built this millennium in Britain, ‘The Steam Elephant’ was launched by Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage. In September of this year HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal opened the Carriage House in The Town.
July 2003 – Sunderland-born war correspondent & journalist Kate Adie launched the beautifully restored Sunderland 16 tramcar.
August 2004 – Pip, the Beamish pit pony, who had worked underground at Marley Hill and Sacriston Collieries celebrated his 30th birthday.
July 2005 - An episode of BBC Antiques Roadshow was filmed at Beamish. A mystery bequest from a barber from Keighley, West Yorkshire of some £280,000 was received. The gentleman had gone on holiday in 1991 and had disappeared.
April 2006 – HRH The Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, opened the Masonic Hall in The Town, in a ceremony supported by some 2000 Freemasons in full regalia.
October 2007 – A brand new ‘old’ bus is launched. A period style bus with a difference, being fully accessible for all visitors. The bus has a rear wheelchair lift and space for four wheelchairs inside.
July 2008 – Celebrated public toilet the Westoe Netty, now rebuilt at Beamish, was declared open by South Shields artist Bob Olley, who immortalised the Netty in a painting of the same name.
March 2009 – Beamish commemorated the centenary of the West Stanley Pit Disaster in which 168 men and boys lost their lives. The Colliery Lamp Cabin was opened, with dozens of miners and ex-miners witnessing the ceremony.
2010 – What came along later in this 40th Anniversary Year? Visitors were be able to take a ride on the restored Steam Gallopers – this 116-year-old carousel is one of the finest in the country. We started refurbishing our entrance building and tea rooms and visitors can also follow their noses to a coal-fired Fish & Chip shop in the Pit Village, due to open summer 2011.
Here's to the next forty years!
