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Fly the Flag, the Banner of Waterhouses © Rhona Foster
Fly the Flag, Waterhouses restord banner © Rhona Foster
Fly the Flag, a scene from he Waterhouses animated film © Rhona Foster
Fly the Flag, a scene from the animation © Rhona Foster
Fly the Flag, the making if the animated film of Waterhouses © Rhona Foster




Fly the Flag - Get Our Drift?
Location: Durham

The village of Waterhouses was a thriving mining village until the 1950’s, with 6 drift mines. Many of the houses were demolished in the 1960’s, following the village’s designation as a category ‘D’ village by the Government. Closure of ALL the mines in County Durham has seen the disappearance of many miners’ banners. Waterhouse’s own banner was created in the late 1800’s and was thought lost, but subsequently traced to a nearby village, in a poor state of repair.

The banner, which illustrates Aesop’s fable ‘Strength in Unity’ has now been restored by the project and is proudly displayed in a specially designed case in the village hall. They have carried out an oral history project, recording the memories of the villages’ older residents and, drawing upon these stories, they have produced an animated film with the help of a filmmaker. The two local schools were involved in the production of the drawings and animation, whilst members of the community produced and animated the clay characters that narrate the story. The film has had several showings to very well attended, appreciative audiences in the village hall and has been entered for the Young Film-Makers Film Festival in Teesside. The Waterhouses own website will be continually updated with information, as this project has developed its own momentum beyond its original remit.



Group Name

Waterhouses Community Association
Project Contact Rhona Foster
Address The Village Hall. Waterhouses. Durham. DH7 9AT
Project Postcode DH7 9AT
See also Waterhouses Community Association website

Grants:
Heritage Lottery Fund: £23053



Similar LHI Projects

Fitzwilliam Community History Project
Bonsall History Project
Clifton Industrial Heritage Project & Festival


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