These requests are quite timely given that the new Secure Unit is due to open in August of this year. I worked in the current Secure Unit for 11 years, and lived on site too for a couple of years before moving to Aycliffe Village.

If anybody has records or memories (good or bad) about the Approved School or Secure Unit, please feel free to share them here, bearing in mind that this is an open forum so you may need to be cautious or discreet about sharing personal information.

Why has the name of Aycliffe Approved School been eliminated from the history of the Aycliffe area? I recall there were something like 100 boys there and my number was No. 81. Can any one add further information to this matter?

Does anyone have any photos of the Scout Hut?

I recall living in Aycliffe Approved School in 1942. This was a junior Borstal for boys 9-16 who were at risk or who had committed minor crimes. I was placed there as being “out of control” by my mother. My father was a POW in Germany and I was very self-willed. The Principal was Mr. Gittins, a very tall man. My House parent was a Mr. “Taffy’ East who had played cricket for Glamorgan pre-war, he was very strict but popular. I recall that on the property there was a Sewage farm. We were made to go to School and after school hours worked at gardening, painting and general maintenance work around the school. There were very few absconders as the school was pretty remote. I enjoyed Boxing and being in the School Army Cadets.

A community group’s plan to record the history of Aycliffe Village is going ahead after being awarded a grant of £10,000.

Aycliffe Village Local History Society was delighted to hear recently that its application to the Awards for All Lottery Grants Scheme had been successful. The grant, which is the maximum that can be awarded, has enabled the group to buy the necessary equipment and software in order to make a DVD about the social and economic history of the village. The history society chairman, Harry Moses, explained that the project began properly when members of the society went to a history forum earlier this year at New College in Durham.

Mr. Moses said “the project is going to involve a large number of people in the village – I hope that, as a result of this, it brings people together. We have the scouts and various organisations which use the Village Hall including the local history society but there is still a need for greater integration between the young and the old in the village.

The project is essentially to do with the social and economic history of the village and different individuals’ perceptions of the village. To this end interviews with people around the village have been taking place for some months.

The film will cover such subjects as St. Andrew’s Church and its Saxon origins, the development of education in the village which began with Dame and Ragged schools and led to the existing Aycliffe Village Primary School.

It will also cover the impact of the building of the ordnance factory to the west of the village during WWII and the passing of the Aycliffe railway station, which opened in 1844 and closed in 1953 through lack of use.”

Interviews with older residents have already revealed fascinating snapshots of life in the village in the early part of the last century including those who remember as children leaning over the half door of a former slaughterhouse on the village green and watching the sheep and cattle being killed.

Upon completion the film will be offered as a free DVD to 496 dwellings in the village at a special launch in the Village Hall. There will also be an accompanying booklet which will provide more detailed information about the history of the village.

For more details about Aycliffe Village Local History Society visit their website on www.aycliffehistory.org.uk

On Saturday 28th October “the usual crew” were at it again raising funds in Aycliffe Village Hall The Scene was set for an evening of fun and games with a HALLOWEEN theme in mind Thank you to all the people who made the effort in turning their homes and gardens into grottos for the children and parents to visit, the evening ended with a few traditional games and a Halloween quiz. This time the funds raised were for the Village Hall itself, a total of £136 was raised .Thanks again to all who supported another Village Hall event.

From comments:

Margaret Lenahan; Yup they were at it again on 31st October. Raising funds for the Village Hall itself. The Grottos were marvellous and a lot of effort was put into each one. The winner was a joint effort by residents of Heighington Street.
Once again we can only thank the community for their support.

http://www.ukvillages.co.uk/ukvillages.nsf/villages/Aycliffe-Durham?open&logid=

On Saturday 28th October “the usual crew” were at it again raising funds in Aycliffe Village Hall The Scene was set for an evening of fun and games with a HALLOWEEN theme in mind Thank you to all the people who made the effort in turning their homes and gardens into grottos for the children and parents to visit, the evening ended with a few traditional games and a Halloween quiz. This time the funds raised were for the Village Hall itself, a total of £136 was raised .Thanks again to all who supported another Village Hall event.