Connections

Feeling quite emotional tonight, having had a contact from someone we lost touch with over 30 years ago but were really close to before that. Who would have thought that the School on the Park issue would reunite, even just in cyber space, friends from so long ago? Being an ex-pat living in France has meant having a satellite TV dish in order to watch BBC news from the North East. Happening to put on the lunch time bulletin on Monday who should be on but yours truly, looking rather older than when last seen but apparently with a very recognisable voice! A search on Facebook more in hope than expectation and bingo - lengthy emails winging back and forth as years of family life is caught up on.
In the midst of it I glance at the free Now and Then magazine and see an article on Brass Crosby written by Suzanne Fletcher. It's definitely a day for friends popping up unexpectedly. If you live in the area and get the magazine do read it. If you don't then you'll have to wait till the end of the month for it to go on the website. Brass Crosby is one of the forgotten sons of Stockton-on-Tees who has found a champion in Suzanne. But don't believe all you read on the Council website - Suzanne has unearthed a few errors in the course of her research. For the full story you'll have to wait for the book!
And if you're in the Eaglescliffe area over the next few weeks do pop in to Preston Hall museum and look at the exhibition "Too much stuff". The museum service is going through all of its collections trying to sort out which things are worth keeping to help tell the story of Stockton through displays, which should be kept because they're useful in memory boxes and such like for groups to borrow and use for bringing history to life, and which should be disposed of because there really isn't room for them - do we need 15 early vacuum cleaners for instance? It's not a big exhibition but it's well worth popping in for. Don't be put off by the work going on - there is some building work but the museum is open and welcoming visitors. The staff are also looking for comments on what should stay and what should go.
They do need to make room for the "history of tomorrow" as one person described it.