When David moved to Leadgate in 1999, he was a squadron leader and intelligence officer. He told our photographer,
I wanted to be in a traditional community where people looked after each other and the village they lived in.
David certainly involved himself in community activities. He organised the tidying of St. Ives churchyard and in 2007 founded the Pont Valley Network. This association aimed to preserve the beauty and heritage of this significant area of woodland and use it to create long-term benefits for the residents. More information can be found on pontvalleynet.weebly.com
David has also been involved in the relaunch of Leadgate Caretakers, who took on responsibility for tidying up the village with a series of co-ordinated environmental improvement projects. They have enhanced the coast-to-coast cycle route and turned scraps wood left lying around into works of art as well as several litter picking initiatives.
David has converted a shed at the bottom of his garden into an artist’s studio. Initially, it was for his woodworking, but he has also set up Art-e-Factory, where people can get involved to learn a skill, make crafts to sell, and be part of the team, getting involved in making Leadgate a more pleasant place to live.
Councillor Watts Stelling said in the Northern Echo,
It is a fantastic scheme and this is about a little village helping itself, either a social enterprise or on a voluntary basis.
Story and Photography by Chris Bruce – Consett in Focus
