Community Festivals in Heaton and Byker
Nick and the local Councillors at the reopening of Harbottle Park
On Saturday 7th May, Nick and new North Heaton Councillor Michael Johnson joined Ian Lavery, the MP for Wansbeck and President of the National Union of Mineworkers, for the unveiling of a memorial to the victims of the High Heaton mining disaster in 1815.
Ian spoke very movingly about the hard lives that the men and boys led, their courage in adversity and the hardships that they endured. The memorial itself is a frieze in the Socialist Realism style by local artist Nick Rowsell, and can be found behind the Spinney.
Saturday also saw the relaunch of Harbottle Park in Byker, which has benefited from a range of improvement works thanks to the work of the three local Labour Councillors, George Allison, Veronica Dunn and Nick Kemp. Over 1000 members of the local community were involved in shaping the designs and choosing the play equipment, and residents, including an 86 year old resident of Allendale House and a 2 year old in the neighbouring streets, helped create the new entrance.
