2013 has been a big year for Consett Magazine. It was the first full year which the magazine has been covering events in Consett which has given us here a great insight into the way Consett works and the dedicated people who call this town Consett - A year in reviewtheir home. This year is quickly passing by so let’s take a look at what 2013 had in store for Consett.

January 2013 was the start of a great year for the town. At first it wasn’t all rosy as the snow was one of the main topics of conversation throughout the local area. The snow itself never seemed to stop.

Snow Ceases to Stop

This wasn’t the only big talking point in the town during January as planning applications were submitted for the building of a new Starbucks Coffee premises on Genesis Way. The building itself is now coming to fruition and can be seen next to Tiger Bills restaurant.

Consett Starbucks Planning Application

 

February was again another cold month but it didn’t stop people getting out and getting themselves heard. One big issue which swept the town during February was the proposed closure of Broomsdene Tip. Despite protest and objection the tip was later shut, removing the waste facility from the people of the local area.

Broomsdene Tip Set for Closure

 

March was a big month for many including Newcastle United fans as their team fought valiantly to secure a place in the Europa League quarter finals. More importantly, the North East Business Awards took place and local company Eldis Transport won one of the prestigious awards on offer for Corporate Responsibility and the Environment.

North East Business Awards – Durham & Wearside

It wasn’t only Eldis in the spotlight in March as the Consett Academy finally got the green light after the years of planning Consett Academy Contamination at New Siteand work. The new campus is currently being constructed on what was the old Belle Vue site. The new school is looking to provide a better educational experience for children all across the local region.

Consett Academy Gets the Green Light

 

April was a great month for Consett. With the news of the new Academy, Consett AFC got the go ahead for their new stadium which was planned to be built near the Tesco at Crookhall. This was huge news at the time and heralded a new era for Consett’s own football team.

Consett AFC Kick Off New Stadium

Not only did Consett AFC have a great April, so did the town as a whole. Consett Festival in it’s inaugural year smashed all expectation as it sold out of pre-release tickets and attracted a massive crowd of Consett locals to Consett Rugby Club. The beer was flowing, the music blasting and everyone in attendance had an unforgettable day.

Consett Festival Tickets Sold Out

 

May saw the end of an era for Consett AFC, as they played their last Northern League game at the old Belle Vue in preparation for the move to their new stadium. The game against Newcastle Benfield was a cracker with goals and action capping off the league action at Belle Vue.

The Last Leauge Night at Belle Vue for Consett AFC

 

North East Retro Gaming

Another great development which occurred in May of 2013 was the first ever North East Retro Gaming Festival.
Organised by Philip Murray of Leadgate, the 2 day event at the Gateshead International Stadium drew huge crowds looking to try their hand at pinball, 80’s arcade machines and consoles spanning the generations. Gamers old and young gathered to learn more about the history of their pass time.

NERG – North East Retro Gaming

 

June arrived and all of a sudden so did the summer. June was an important month across the country as the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation got the whole country in a patriotic mood. Medomsley Village hosted a special event to mark the day as well as drumming up support for the upcoming Northumbria In Bloom.

Medomsley to Mark Royal Coronation Anniversary

 

July was a huge month for Consett and the whole country as Prince William and his wife Kate gave birth to Prince George bringing a new member of the royal family to the fold. The patriotism continued as people from around the country gathered outside the hospital to welcome the new royal baby on his first public outing.

In Consett, the big news was of two local men attempting to break the record for the longest pool match in history for charity at Supa Snooker Snooker Club on Newmarket Street. Marc Murray and Colin Pilcher pushed through the lack of sleep and properly cooked food to get their names in the famous book for an amazing feat of sporting dedication.

Guiness World Record Attempt Gets Underway

 

August was a great month as the weather was fine and there was lots going on across the region. The biggest news from the Consett Magazine towers was the magazine had it’s first birthday during this month. This was a proud time for all of us here at the magazine and we were truly touched by the contributions of the local community. Thank you all for your continued support and we hope the next year will be even better.

Consett Magazine – One Year On

In the 1 year anniversary edition we covered an event to raise money for a very worthwhile cause. The Fraja Ellie Appeal had a special fund raising event at Shotley Bridge Cricket Club to help support the family of Fraja during her treatment of Neuroblastoma. This amazing show of generosity from the people of Consett was topped off by Evan Halshaw garage of Darlington donating a brand new Citoren C1 for the raffle. This amazing event was a fantastic summer evening in which fun was had and money was raised.

Fraja Ellie Appeal Going From Strength to Strength

 

September was another great month in the area with lots going on in support of great causes in the local area. This month we covered the work of the Castleside Calendar Girls who put together a tasteful nude calendar. Their work was recognised across the country with celebrities such as actors Denise Welch and Warwick Davis supporting the girl’s cause.

The Castleside Calendar Girls

 

October brought with it a big plan from Durham County Council laying out which areas of County Durham would be seeing more houses being built in the area. Our reporter Peter Wood took an informative look into the plans to see if the proposed locations could be beneficial to the Consett area.

New Housing For Consett – but is it in the right place?

Newcastle United vs Consett

November was the month for fantastic football action right here in Consett. Consett AFC opened their doors to the public for the first time in a match against local Premier League giants Newcastle United. The Newcastle United XI featuring legend and coach Peter Beardsley. Although Consett went in at full time 2-1 down, it was a fantastic day where almost 2000 people came to show support for their local side.

Consett AFC vs Newcastle United XI

 

Finally we make it to December. Although we are not fully through the month, there has been some crazy moments in Consett and the rest of Derwentside. Stanley was the scene of a large fire this month which fell on the day of the Fire Fighter’s strike. Luckily no one was hurt in this incident and only property was damaged.

Fire Brigade Today and Tomorrow

 

All in all this year has seen huge changes to the North East area, Consett has been transformed into a retail town with brand new stores like Tesco, Poundland, and B&Q opening their doors to customers within the past few months. Earlier in the year people flocked to the opening of Consett AFC and the local festival alike; not to mention world record attempts, numerous charity evens and fundraisers, the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation and of course the first full year of the Consett Magazine.


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Ben Mullen
Ben Mullen is a writer, blogger, youtube guru, and media producer with Firefly New Media UK. Consett Magazine are very proud to have Ben working with Consett's favourite publication.

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