Paula Grant

TGP’s Durham Office welcomed Robbie Burns back to Walker Park in August after 40 plus years hidden at the back of a Council depot. Robbie has been repaired and placed in the new Café at Walker Park while a replica has been returned to a new plinth outside. Originally he was installed in the park in 1901, thanks to donations from the Burns Club, Walker, and now on his return he is finally pointing the direction to Scotland from Walker.

On Saturday 30^th July, TGP were privileged to have been invited to attend the rededication of the Fifth Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers in Walker Park, Newcastle. The war memorial was originally unveiled on 24^th May 1921 by Col. EPA Riddell and was commissioned by members and friends of the Fifth Battalion (nicknamed “The Fighting Fifth”). The refurbishment of the war memorial and other ongoing restoration works in the park was made possible thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and funding from Newcastle City Council.

As part of the 50^th anniversary of England’s 1966 World Cup win, TGP attended a World Cup Celebration Day in Hirst Park, Ashington. We are currently helping Northumberland County Council prepare a round 2 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund in order to help restore the park to its former glory. TGP had a stall there showing our proposals for the park and spent a lovely  day chatting to locals about how they want Hirst Park to be restored. The highlight of the day was the broadcast of the 1966 World Cup Final on a big screen where a few hundred people got to see local heroes Jack and Bobby Charlton lift the cup once again. Jack and Bobby learned to play football in Hirst Park, so to see them reach the pinnacle of the game, in the place where it all started for them, was special.