S&DR200 Fringe

S&DR200 Fringe Festival will take place across 2025, giving communities and art organisations the chance to celebrate this special year in their own unique way. The Fringe includes a series of walks by the Friends of Stockton & Darlington Railway, events along the newly opened S&DR Discovery Trail, and there will also be events in Shildon, Witton Park, Darlington, Middleton St George & Stockton throughout the festival as part of the Fringe Calendar.

S&DR Walking Festival by Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway  
Various venues along the S&DR. 
A series of guided walks exploring the Stockton & Darlington railway. The event will take in the historic sites and landscape of the S&DR and walkers will discover hidden gems and stories of those who lived and worked along the line. 

Events from 10/05/2021 - 02/09/2021 - Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

March

Walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St. John's Crossing Stockton
Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Eaglescliffe Station 19 March at 10:30 AM
A linear Walk from Eaglescliffe Station to St John's Crossing, Stockton via Preston Park This is a ticketed event and requires the registration form completing for each person attending by pressing the book this event button and following the instructions on the form in the link below.
Free booking here Events from 10/05/2021 - 02/09/2021 - Friends Of The Stockton & Darlington Railway

April 

'Hackworth: A Quest for Truth' with Mike Norman - Railway Bicentenary Talks #1  
Shildon Railway Institute  
23 April 
We're teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth's own Institute. Historian, Mike Norman has acquired a bold reputation for challenging the received understanding around the respective mechanical engineering achievements of Hackworth and the Stephenson's. All ages welcome - ticket details coming soon. 

May 

Railway Bicentenary Tea Dance with The Little Big Band 
Shildon Railway Institute  
10 May 
From the 1840s onward, Tea Dances have been a traditional way for Shildon to celebrate major milestones since the opening of the famous Stockton & Darlington Railway. Timothy Hackworth himself presided over the earliest, and later ones were presided over by members of the Pease family. Though 'quadrille bands' were all the rage in the early S&DR years we're teaming up with our Modern Sequence Dance Club to celebrate with tea, coffee, cake, sandwiches and a superb 'little' big band from Leeds. A lovely opportunity to dress up nicely. Free ticketed event - 18+ age restriction. application details coming soon

Railway Bicentenary - Sports & Games Festival 
24 May
BR Sports and Social Club/ Shildon Railway Institute 
As both the Institute and the BR Sports and Social Club both have their roots in activities started by the Stockton & Darlington Railway we will be reuniting for one special weekend of competitive sports and games. Saturday will bring the family outdoor events and a special social at the BR, and Sunday will being the indoor games at the Institute, culminating in a special prize giving ceremony in our Main Hall. This will be a special occasion involving Shildonians of all ages celebrating together. 

June 

"Three Greeners of Etherley" with Tom Walker - Railway Bicentenary Talks #3 
Shildon Railway Institute  
18 June 
As we're into the Stockton & Darlington Railway Bicentenary year, we're teaming up with the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway and Jane Hackworth-Young to present a series of talks at Timothy Hackworth's own Institute. Tom Walker is descended from the Greener family who played an important part in the operation of the S&DR at the Etherley engine house. All ages welcome - more details coming soon.  

Rail Bicentenary Exhibition - Blood, Bone & Muscle 
Shildon Railway Institute  
26 June 
Shildon didn't have the money or influence to feature in the name of the Stockton & Darlington Railway - but it was in exactly the right place to become its industrial operating powerhouse. For almost 160 years the people of Shildon provided the blood, muscle, bone operating the railway, building early locomotives and building and repairing its wagons. This exhibition showcases their story as part of S&DR 220 Fringe Festival. Free entry. 

July 

'Timothy Hackworth's Institute' with Dave Reynolds - Railway Bicentenary Talks #4 
Shildon Railway Institute  
16 July
The fourth and final Railway Bicentenary Talk is from Dave Reynolds -  Chair of Shildon Railway Institute and the author of "An Insatiable First - 190 Years of Shildon Railway Institute" a well-researched history of Hackworth's pioneering organisation. All ages welcome - more details coming soon. 

Write on Track - Stop Write Hear open mic group 
Various venues across Darlington, Preston Park & Shildon 
End of July TBC. 
Free to enter creative writing competition. Memoir, short story, poetry alongside free to attend writing workshops in Darlington, Preston Park and Shildon. 

August 

Shildon Spirit of the Railways Community Celebrations 2025 
Hackworth Park, Shildon 
2 August 11am-4pm  
Outdoor public event to celebrate the bi centenary of the railway in Shildon. Event will incorporate a theme from the 1800's with the hopes to include vintage vehicles, traditional fairground rides, all subject to successful funding applications. 

'Quoits & The Railways in Durham' 
Darlington Quoit Club 
19 August 
An exploration of the links between the growth of this traditional North-East sport in urban areas and the arrival of the railways AND the chance to play quoits at the only outdoor sporting venue in Darlington town centre. Think Hoop-la but with steel hoops! 

September 

On the Tracks - Darlington Stitch & Create Exhibition 
Darlington Library Gallery 
8 September
A textile art exhibition to celebrate the bicentenary of the S&D Railway. Members have interpreted various aspects in a variety of innovative creative textiles. 

 'Challenge A Champion' exhibition & sporting event 
Darlington Quoit Club 
20 September
There are women, men & children in the centre of Darlington throwing ring of steel , some weighing 5lbs, a distance of 11 yards, at a metal hob in a 3 foot square of clay! They're playing quoits - a traditional North-East game. Come along and challenge a champion! 

'Quoits & The Railways in Durham' - Exhibition & sporting event 
Darlington Quoit Club 
26 September  
An exploration of the links between the growth of this traditional North-East sport in urban areas and the arrival of the railways and the chance to play quoits at the only outdoor sporting venue in Darlington town centre. Think Hoop-la but with steel hoops!