Categories: General

Cycling Back in Time »

  

IT was a trip back to the 1940s and 50s when a former Patons and Baldwins employee returned to Lingfield Point, Darlington.

For the first time in over 50 years Rose-Marie Taylor visited the site for a tour of the buildings and a trip down memory lane.

Now a mixed use community and business park the 107 acre site was once the home to Patons and Baldwins, Europe’s largest wool manufacturing plant.

Rose-Marie Newton, as she was then known, joined Patons and Baldwins in 1947 at the age of 14 as a filing clerk. She worked her way up the ranks, first promoted to ordering and invoicing, then production planning and finally to cost control.

Rose-Marie married her fiancé John Taylor in 1953 and carried on working at Lingfield Point until 1956 when she left to start her family.

Now widowed Rose-Marie, 78,continues to live in Darlington, the town she has lived in all her life and where she raised her children Christopher, now 55, Anthony, now 51 and Louise, 48.

The trip back to Lingfield Point brought back memories for Rose-Marie of her time working at Lingfield Point. “It was a fantastic trip back in time and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“It was really impressive to see what they’d done to Lingfield Point, particularly to the Beehive. Beehive was where all the dances were held. But I only went to a couple of them because my fiancé was in the RAF and I didn’t like to go without him.

“What was really interesting was just how many of the original things were still there. I worked in Lingfield House and remembered the beautiful staircase and clock. And they’re both still there. We used to walk in, look up at the clock every morning and then dash up the stairs to clock-in on time!

“All around the place there are pictures of how it used to be, the factory and all the activities we used to do.

“It looks like a really lovely place to work.”

Rose-Marie was joined on her trip by her lifelong friend Dorothy Bolton, nee Oliver. The pair met in the 1950s when they were both working in the offices at Lingfield Point and have been friends ever since.

A photo of Rose-Marie and Dorothy cycling through Lingfield Point in the 1950s often appears in historical references to the town and is used around Lingfield Point to show the spirit of that era. But Rose can’t even remember it being taken.

She said: “I knew there was an old picture of us being used to show the history of Darlington and Lingfield Point but at the time all those years ago I didn’t even realise it was being taken – we were more focused on getting home at the end of the day!”

Rose-Marie’s family connection to Lingfield Point continues 63 years after she first joined Patons and Baldwins. Charlie Taylor, Rose’s granddaughter by her daughter Louise works for the Student Loans Company at Lingfield Point.

Charlie Taylor, 25 from Darlington said: “My gran’s often told me stories of her time at Lingfield Point so I was thrilled that she came back. The funny thing is that just like my gran I often have to dash in to work to clock-in. Some things must be in the genes!”

Eddie Humphries, estates manager at Lingfield Point said: “it was a real delight to show Rose and Dorothy around Lingfield Point. It’s not everyday that we have someone visit who knows more about the place than me!

“They were thrilled to see that we have stayed true to Patons and Baldwins and recycled the buildings in to spaces that businesses can use today.

“And of course the family tradition continues, with Charlie working here. Who knows, the Taylor’s could be here for generations!”

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Categories: General

A Growing Success »

If a picture paints a thousand words, the latest in a series of massive photographic public artworks displayed at Lingfield Point, Darlington, says all there is to say about the ethos of our neighbourhood.

‘Potato’, shows a gardener planting the vegetable depicting Lingfield Point’s modern take on the ‘good life’ with its plans for a low carbon, sustainable live/work community.

Potato - the latest image for Futurescope, Lingfield Point

The 45ft diameter photograph is part of the successful ‘Futurescope’ project and can be seen from one of the main routes through the town by thousands of people everyday.

‘Potato’ is the sixth image in the Futurescope series and shows allotment holder Judith Ithurralde who works at Darlington College planting potatoes.

Christian Barnes, director of Vista Projects and architect John Kennedy are the creative force behind Futurescope. Christian said: “Futurescope focuses on sustainability, the living and working environment and the emotional connection people have with the place.

“We took hundreds of pictures when with the allotment holders but this one had particular resonance for us.

“It depicts the simple act of planting a vegetable – but it represents more than that.  The picture also aims to raise the profile of a green initiative at Lingfield Point that is being run by volunteers and the Friends of the Earth.

“We want to encourage others to take up allotments on the site. For a company rather than a council to make allotments available like this and to work with a third sector organisation to do it is a very unusual thing and it fits with a vision for the future that is being developed locally at Lingfield Point.

“While this artwork is being displayed those plants are all growing on site the picture will maintain a link with the the moments in which they were plantedAnd at pretty much the same time as the piece is being taken down those potatoes will be harvested and eaten..”

John Orchard, director of Marchday Group, owners of Lingfield Point said: “The latest installation is a fantastic addition to the Futurescope project. It’s a representation of all that we are hoping to achieve at Lingfield Point.

“We want the public art at Lingfield Point to be exciting, thought provoking and create interest and intrigue. Futurescope does just that, not just for people working at Lingfield Point but for thousands of people driving past everyday.”

“Our masterplan will take the site back to the pioneering spirit of Patons and Baldwins who all those years ago worked really hard to create a community were people could walk to work, drop off their kids eat good food and generally enjoy a true community spirit.

“This new community built around the existing business space will eventually include eco-homes a school, parkland, sports pitches, a health centre, shops and restaurants.

“We are creating a 21st century vision of the good life – and we are well on our way to achieving this.”

The site is home to some of the most significant businesses in the North East including the Student Loan Company, Capita, Xentrall Shared Services and NAAFI.

Previous Futurescope installations have proved a major talking point and have so far included ‘Sunflowers’, ‘Lingfield Lamb’, ‘Beeman’, ‘The Sun’ and most recently,  ‘HUM!’ the piece that ‘Potato’ will be replacing.

For more information on our plans for the future, simply get in touch by visting the contact page on website, www.lingfieldpoint.co.uk

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Categories: General

Birmingham should look to Darlington rather than outsourcing jobs overseas »

OnePlace - launching a unique offer

Marchday, owners of Lingfield Point, says that there is absolutely no need for Birmingham City Council to outsource its jobs overseas.  Marchday is part of a unique consortium ‘OnePlaceUK’ that specialises in saving public sector cash by the use of shared services and rationalising assets.

OnePlaceUK advises the council to consider all options before taking such a drastic step and instead adopt a radical new way of working to suit the 21st century.

John Orchard, director of Marchday says that by following the path suggested the public sector could save millions of pounds to reinvest in services or staff.  OnePlaceUK helps neighbouring local authorities and public sector organisations work together to share common functions and make best use of space.

The aim is to stop the duplication of straightforward tasks and keep the cash to save libraries, arts venues and front line staff – be it teachers and caretakers or binmen and gardeners.

The logic behind OnePlaceUK is undeniable and yet only a handful of local authorities and public sector organisations have caught on… hence the action Birmingham seems set to take.

It is already working in several places including Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils in the North East of England. Stockton Council has confirmed it saves a massive £680,000 a year by sharing some of its HR, IT and finance back office functions with its neighbouring authority.

Every million pounds the public sector can save equates to around 35 jobs – and John says that alone makes considering this approach worthwhile.

Too good to be true?

“It sounds too good to be true which can be a problem. The fact is that most councils don’t know what to do with their existing properties. We work with them to get best value out of their portfolio and get their running costs down.  Instead of having a knee-jerk reaction we want people to understand how this works, to think seriously about it and to consider the benefits.

“Over the last 20 years many organisations have grown organically and we need to stop the corporate sprawl. They now find themselves overblown and in a form they wouldn’t have chosen if starting afresh.

“In good times they may chose to live with these inefficiencies but tough times have brought a need for clear thinking. As always, this presents opportunities for those who are open-minded and can decide what shape they need to be in for the future. The result will be a happier, more efficient workforce, an improved service for the customer and an organisation model which is sustainable for the next 20 years.”

A working example

Lingfield Point, Darlington, is already home to a cluster of public sector organisations including Student Loans Company, NHS, Darlington Borough Council and NAAFI.

This has allowed the creation of a ‘shared services’ centre providing these organisations with critical support without the crippling cost. They have also facilitated the creation of Xentrall, a joint venture between Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils providing IT services to both.

“Many of our public sector customers have the same needs. We can often provide shared facilities to satisfy these without burdening an individual organisation with the cost. This results in people needing less space and less duplication of meeting rooms, break out space etc.”

The model works effectively and efficiently

Graham Black, of Catalyst said: “We take care of everything from assessing the portfolio, to creating a full business case, handling change management and consolidating staffing needs.

“Because we are offering long term leases we are able to offer a long rent free period – perhaps up to five years. That frees cash to allow the customer to move and for the fit out of the building.

“They could then sell their property assets should they wish to – but even without doing that – because the buildings they move into are sustainable and cost effective – they make massive efficiency savings into the millions anyway,” said Graham.

For further details log on to www.oneplaceuk.com or www.marchday.com

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