Two amateur filmmakers Peter Dobing and George Theaker record over a number of years the changing face of Darlington capturing the demolition of many of the towns most famous landmarks including Darlington Power Station in 1979, Hundens Lane Hospital in 1981 and Pease’s Mill and chimney in 1982. The film also looks to the future showing construction of new landmarks such as the The Dolphin Centre and ends with a tree planting ceremony marking the start of the Darlington Railside Revival in...

Two amateur filmmakers Peter Dobing and George Theaker record over a number of years the changing face of Darlington capturing the demolition of many of the towns most famous landmarks including Darlington Power Station in 1979, Hundens Lane Hospital in 1981 and Pease’s Mill and chimney in 1982. The film also looks to the future showing construction of new landmarks such as the The Dolphin Centre and ends with a tree planting ceremony marking the start of the Darlington Railside Revival in 1986. Credit: Peter Dobing and George Theaker present Title: Going, Going…. Darlington Landmarks An electricity pylon near the decommissioned Darlington Power Station. A Central Electricity Generating Board sign advises the main and visitor entrance. Through a wire fence a passenger railway trains head north along the east coast mainline passing the power stations three cooling towers. Scaffolding surrounds the station chimneys as workmen take them down brick-by-brick. At the base of one of the cooling towers men work to set explosives, a warning sign has been set up nearby. On the morning of Sunday 28th January 1979 crowds gather to watch the demolition, on the roof of a building other cine film cameras are set up to record the event. The Clock Tower on Darlington’s Market Place reads 10.14am as cameras capture the first tower coming down. The nearby church of St John’s on Neasham Road is followed by the second tower coming down. Rubble at the base of the third tower which was taken down by hand due to its proximity to houses. Excavators work to demolish the Hundens Lane Hospital, a man walk pasts partially demolished buildings and an old hospital sign still attached to a wall advises that equipment be sent to the towns Memorial Hospital. Wildflowers grow around the derelict Pease’s Mill built along the River Skerne in the centre of Darlington. Pidgeon fly in through smashed windows. The film changes to a track loader working beside the partially demolished mill loading bricks into a skip, a fire of old wood burns in the rubble. A man climbs scaffolding surrounding the mills chimney built beside the towns Crown Street Library. At the base of the chimney a hole where bricks are thrown as part of its demolition. The chimney gets smaller and smaller. At the Edwardian Darlington Swimming Baths on Gladstone Street the entrance is still intact. Inside rubble plus the roof fill the old pool as part of its demolition. The River Skerne during flooding in 1979 covers the riverbanks from Salters Avenue to Haughton Road in the distance. A ‘No Tipping’ sign is marooned just above the waterline. Along Haughton Road itself cars at a garage are partially submerged as well as a school building near St Andrews Church. Views of the Victorian Albert Road School with carved stone ‘Boys’ and ‘Girls’ separate entrances and memorial stone change to show a Methodist church. Both buildings are to be demolished. At a construction site on Horse Market the steel frame of The Dolphin Centre is in place. Filmed over a number of months the new sports centre take shape with brickwork added. Along St Cuthbert’s Way a sign beside a building site for the new ‘Darlington Head Post Office’. Again, workmen on site work to construction the new sorting office. Along Russell Street The Lilly Laundry, inside men and women work to clean, dry and press sheets and clothing. The film changes to show a new carpet showroom built on the site of the old laundry. A series of other well know businesses in Darlington that have gone include Doggarts department store on Northgate, the central Post Office on Crown Street and a do-it-yourself shop on the corner of Woodland Road. Across the road the Odean Cinema is now a bingo hall. The new home of the Salvation Army in an office buildings along Freeman’s Place changes to show a new building built on the same site sometime later. A man walks past a bus stop on Prebend Row changes to show a man cutting a sod of earth, a sign points towards ‘Railside Revival’. Darlington MP Michael Fallon stands beside the town’s Mayor being photographed by the press planting a tree, the watching crowd applaud. The film ends on workmen planting more trees on the site near to the East Coast mainline. End title: The Changing Face of Darlington ….to be continued