The Tuesday Ladies of St Patrick’s Church, Consett, recently celebrated their 40th anniversary with a meal at The Giddy Goose.
Formed in 1985 by a group of mums meeting for tea and chat, they went on to stage pantomimes, fundraise for local causes, sing at concerts, run coffee mornings, and enjoy trips across the UK and to London. Over four decades, they’ve shared friendship, laughter, and support through life’s ups and downs — a true example of Consett’s community spirit.
The Tuesday Ladies
The Tuesday Ladies from St Patrick’s Church in Consett recently marked their 40th anniversary. I was lucky enough to see them celebrating this milestone with a meal at The Giddy Goose in Consett. Here, one of their members, Jean Murray, tells their story.
“We were a group of mothers with pre-school children who were invited to meet up in St Patrick’s Church Hall for tea, biscuits, and a chat on Tuesday 11 June 1985.
We became known as the Tuesday Ladies, and 40 years on we are still meeting — and those children are now parents and even grandparents themselves.
We’ve packed in a lot over the years, beginning with our pantomimes, which started with Peter Pan in December 1985 and continued for 15 years. We made almost all our own costumes and scenery and were extremely fortunate to have John Page and Kathleen McGuinness offer their musical skills by playing piano, etc.
We also had the help and guidance of Gerry McCreesh and Agnes Rose, who kept us right. Our children took part and the money we raised was split between local charities and St Patrick’s Church.”
Over the Years
The Tuesday Ladies have been involved in countless activities over the decades, including:
- Sponsored walks with toddlers and babies along the Derwent cycle path
- Singing in parish concerts, care homes, and hospitals
- Hosting a weekly coffee morning every Friday after Mass
- Annual trips to the coast for St Peter & St Paul
- Trips to local theatres, which then grew into annual two-day trips to London
- Day trips and weekend getaways all over the UK
- Supporting themed parish hall nights
- Helping with school and Christmas fayres
- Annual birthday meals every June and festive Christmas meals
“The large photo I sorted for you was taken on our 20th birthday. The smaller ones show one of the many weddings we’ve attended together, plus our first and later trips to London.
Over the years we’ve had many more Tuesday Ladies, some of whom have moved on and some who have sadly passed away. They are still very much in our thoughts, especially as we celebrate 40 years of friendship, support through the good and bad times, love, and laughter.
That’s what friends are for — we are so lucky!”
