A journalist, who played a key role in charting the major resurgence and impact of the city’s Freemen across the last 15 years, has stepped down as press officer. George Oliver first retired in 2009 after 17 years as Durham Constabulary’s press and public relations manager after a career which started in the autumn of 1963.
On 2nd February 2026, two new Freemen were officially inducted during the Candlemas Guild Day ceremony. The honourees, Dave Cummings and Peter Carr, were sworn in amidst celebrations recognizing their contributions and dedication.
“Celebrating Excellence, Investing in the Future”. What are the Awards?The Durham City Freemen Apprentice Awards recognise apprentices who demonstrate outstanding skills, excellence, knowledge, and commitment to their chosen trade within the City of Durham. Why nominate?• Celebrate your apprentices’ achievements and raise the profile of your business.• Shine a spotlight on the quality of training […]
A GREAT grandmother, believed to be the oldest woman freeman in Britain, has died peacefully just days short of her of her 104th birthday. But her trip was brought about by pure chance – the result of a north east ancestry search carried out by her son Ian, a Durham University graduate. During the trawl […]
SENIOR members of Durham City Freemen will this year take part, for the first time, in a country-wide event celebrating England’s “fantastic heritage and culture.” Wardens and deputy wardens, from the freemen’s eight surviving craft guilds formed at the end of the Middle Ages, will be available across four days in mid-September will meet members […]
A LATE-night weekend refuge in the centre of Durham, offering a helping hand to anyone in distress, has been given a renewed boost by the city’s freemen. Last year they made a £1,000 donation to the Durham County Council-led Hub @ St Nic’s operating from St Nicholas’s Church in the Market Place – and have […]
THE world of high finance and artistic exercise, performed within a loop suspended from a ceiling, are unlikely bedfellows. But they both feature in the life of insurance specialist Daryl Metcalf – the freemen’s latest new recruit, where she joins dad Alan in the Cordwainers’ Guild Thirty-one-year-old Daryl, born in Esh Winning and educated at […]
An urgent public appeal for volunteer car drivers has been launched by the County Durham-based ambulance charity, Supportive, to help people of all ages – including children – reach both vital and routine health-related appointments and social activities. The charity, based in Ferryhill, operates a two dozen-strong fleet of crewed ambulances and ambulance cars, committed […]
A long-established community hub on the outskirts of Durham, facing rising costs and the threat of losing out to advancing technology, has been provided with a low-tech solution to high-tech problem by the city’s Freemen. Part of the core business of the Framwellgate Moor Community Centre, a charity launched in the late 1960s, provides “wellbeing” […]
A LIVELY summer afternoon tea party in the former Durham pit village of Waterhouses has proved yet another hit with local residents. The launch of this latest event complements a range of popular activities which earned the community association a commendation from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth as part of her Golden Jubilee celebrations. The party, […]