Stepping up for war effort

Co-operation in the North. – The co-operative movement has assumed proportions in Northumberland and Durham, of which, probably, many of your readers have only an inadequate idea.

It is July 1981 and a decommissioned RAF Vulcan bomber lands at RAF Catterick prior to taking up duties as a crashed fuselage for fire-fighting practice – a somewhat less than glorious end for one of the distinctive Cold War nuclear bombers that were being taken out of service at the time.

Thus, the Industrial Co-operative Society, founded in 1860, and carrying on business as grocers and drapers, at 84 Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, purchased goods in 1863 to the extent of £3,735, and made of profit of £304, the total share and loan capital engaged at the end of the last year having been £1,043. The Co-operative Corn Mill, founded in 1862, and carrying on business at 17 Mull Terrace, Town Head, Bishop Auckland, purchased goods in 1863 to the extent of £2,268 (profit £26, capital engaged £160); the Birtly Co-operative Store, founded in 1861, purchased goods last year to the extent of £3,288 (profit £252, capital engaged £101); the Industrial and Provident Society, founded in 1859, and carrying on business in Church Street, Blaydon, as grocers, shoemakers, drapers, and butchers, purchased goods last year to the extent of £15,179 (profit £1,989, capital engaged £3,898).

From this newspaper 100 years ago

On Teesside and in the southern portion of the County of Durham the task of organising the community afresh to meet the altered conditions of a state of war has been faced with undaunted courage and energy.

These districts have contributed something more than their due share of volunteers for service abroad as well as the home defence, and their nearness to the Eastern seaboard has brought home to the non-combatant portion of the population their responsibilities at one in the matter of preparing for the reception of the unfortunate victims of the war, and also of organising for the relief of distress of every kind only too likely to follow as the war drags on.

Thought for the men at the post of danger has been taken by the women workers who are organising working parties to provide woollen under garments, socks, and other articles of clothing and necessary comforts for the Territorials who were called up at such short notice. Red Cross work, again, is occupying the energies of still larger numbers, whilst relief committees are everywhere being organised, and these are fortunately being co-ordinated with the Prince of Wales’s National Relief Fund and other central organisations.

Altogether the tale of the week’s activities, which is set out in some detail below, is an honourable record of public service of which are people at any other time might well be proud.

Darlington during the past week has taken its full share in the task of preparing to ward off any attempt at invasion. On Sunday morning a strong detachment of the Northumbrian RAMC (Territorials) moved out from the Larchfield Street Armoury by road to Durham. They were in complete war kit, with all their transport equipment fully horsed, and in first-class order. Their usual supply of waggons had been augmented by waggons impressed into service, all of which had been painted the regulation grey, and the horses were a very serviceable lot.

Later in the day the steady tramp through the town of a battalion of a famous Scottish regiment and a contingent of an Irish regiment was another forcible reminder that this country was at war.

From this newspaper 50 years ago

The Board of Trade and the Ministry of Transport were helping small private groups to make profits at the expense of the North Road railway workshops in Darlington, alleged Mr Norman Temple, an AEU member of the North Road Works Council, in a debate with Darlington’s MP, Mr Anthony Bourne-Arton, at a public meeting on Friday of last week.

The chairman was the headmaster of Darlington Grammar School, Mr C L Hall. But Mr Bourne-Arton claimed that they refused to use a burning machine which was idle in North Road for two-and-a-half years. This put an extra £1,000 on the cost of each diesel locomotive built. These were only two of the arguments and there were many.

But the only point for the future was from Mr Temple who said that at present they were awaiting a reply on a plea for a deferment of redundancies. The meeting opened with North Road’s viewpoint from Mr Temple who said that before any notice of closure, £30,000 worth of jigs, fixtures and press tools were developed and made at North Road, so they were not made just to keep them going. They were part of a regular programme for building new diesel locos at North Road, Derby and Crewe. Mr Temple said that these tools, but not all of them, were taken from Darlington when their order for 85 locos was coming to an end. It would have been easy for the British Railways Board to have continued their order for the same type of locos at North Road.

This would have meant that no redundancies would have been necessary and the new industries coming into Darlington would have come somewhere near the Board of Trade sunshine stories of being able to offer alternative jobs. North Road, said Mr Temple, could have shown that they were not uneconomic.