Pride of place in the North East

A 1950s room at Beamish

When: 24th & 25th February 2018

Where: Beamish Museum, Beamish, County Durham DH9 0RG

£: Admission costs £19 for adults, £14 for concessions and £11 for children. Family tickets available

What is it?

This weekend, members of LGBT History Project NE will be at Beamish Museum, telling the story of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender heritage across the North East in the 1950s and 1960s, as part of LGBT History Month.

In the 1950s front room in Ravensworth Terrace the project members, along with Beamish staff, will talk to visitors and hope to collect memories from the 1950s and 1960s.

Beamish is working with many community groups in the Remaking Beamish project – which will include a 1950s town – collecting the diverse stories of the people of the region during that time. The Pride of Place weekend at the museum will add to the depth and range of information that the Remaking Beamish Team plan to use to inform the development of the new exhibits.

Pride of Place uncovers and celebrates places of LGBT heritage across the North East, ranging from the frontiers of Roman Britain to the gay pubs and clubs that remain important today. In partnership with Age UK, LGBT History Project NE is building a collection of memories by older members of the community to share with generations to come.

The 1950s front room in Ravensworth Terrace

This project was set up by Historic England to reinforce the LGBTQ presence in the country’s heritage record. Pride of Place aims to uncover new locations associated with England’s LGBTQ past, and to revisit existing heritage sites and consider their LGBTQ significance.

Building work on the £18 million Remaking Beamish project is underway, featuring a 1950s town, complete with cinema, shops, houses, cafe and a 1950s farm. An expansion of the Georgian area will include a coaching inn where visitors will be able to stay overnight.

Award-winning Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, is the North East’s most popular museum and paid-for visitor attraction. The museum uses its collections to tell the story of everyday life in the North East through time.

More info: www.beamish.org.uk