Seaside Town Refurbishment

The seaside town of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea is being restored to past glories as Team Force carries out substantial refurbishment to six shops in the town centre. The development will transform the shop frontages to an appropriate period design.

The extensive work will see the installation of original shopfront details with Team Force's craftsmen inserting timber central mullions and mouldings, and replacing UPVC windows with timber sliding sash windows. With the addition of decorative lead work, lime mortar pointing and the reinstatement of traditional building features, such as cast iron guttering and downpipes and hand painted signs using traditional colours, the shops will have a complete overhaul that will see them restored to a style reminiscent of a bygone age.

The work is part of Wansbeck Council's Go Build on Your Heritage initiative delivered by the Regeneration Team. Grants of up to 90% are available for owners and tenants to assist them in bringing the historic and architectural character of some of the town's most beautiful old buildings back to life. A Shopfront Design Guide has been produced which encourages restoration and repair sympathetic to the original architecture and design in the town from the mid 19th century to the 1920s.

Richard Schofield, Regeneration Officer at Wansbeck District Council said, “Newbiggin-by-the-Sea was the focus of some high profile regeneration activity in 2007-08 with £10m investment from DEFRA and £1m of other funds toward the new breakwater, beach replenishment scheme, installation of the 'Couple' offshore sculpture and initial proposals for the Maritime Centre. The built environment of Newbiggin has intrinsic architectural and historic character and there is opportunity to develop an identity and character associated with an attractive seaside village that is capable of better serving its residents but also appealing and being able to offer more to visitors. With funding of around £500,000 from Wansbeck District Council and Go Wansbeck, capital grants are being offered for conservation-led repair and restoration to commercial properties, helping to enhance the viability of businesses and attracting incoming businesses.”

Team Force has won contracts for 4 schemes on the project, and the next newsletter will feature a full photographic account of the development.

Gibside Event

Some of Team Force's skills were put on public display recently when the Heritage Skills Initiative held an event at the Gibside Estate in Derwentside. The North East Heritage Skills Fair gave craftsmen from the region the chance to showcase their heritage skills at the event, which ran for three days over the weekend of 11—13th July. Many of the exhibitors at the fair gave visitors the opportunity to take a hands-on approach in trying out traditional crafts and skills.

There were over 70 demonstrators and exhibitors, and activities ranged from lime pointing and leadwork to blacksmithing and stained glass. There were also displays by horse logging teams and steeplejacks.

Skills on show at the Team Force exhibition included stonemasonry and traditional leadwork, and there was a display of various types of hopper head. Considerable interest was shown in the Team Force exhibition from members of the public and other exhibitors. As well as local heritage contractors there were also exhibitors from the North of England Civic Trust, the National Trust and English Heritage.

Andie Harris, North East Heritage Skills Coordinator said, "Events such as the Heritage Skills Fair allow the region to promote and display the diversity of craft skills the region holds. The crafts people allowed the public to ‘come and get their hands dirty' and the event was enjoyed by all. The visitor figures exceeded our expectation and it would not have been the success it was without the many crafts people and supporters who assisted at the event"

The attendance for the weekend was around the 4000 mark, a figure that included representatives from various organisations and local councils.