Washington memory box helps celebrate new town's 60th birthday, taking us back to the 1960s and 1970s

If you remember the F Pit as a mine rather than a museum, US president Jimmy Carter planting a tree on Washington Village green, leaping around on stone crocodiles in Princess Anne Park as a child or the royal opening of the Galleries, then Washington Heritage Partnership would like to hear from you as part of their memory box initiative.

The Memory Box project has been launched ahead of the 60th anniversary of Washington being officially designated as a New Town on July 24, 1964 and is being led by historian and coordinator, Dr Jude Murphy.

Part of Durham County Council at the time, the New Town was constructed to create new housing and a better living environment for the over-spill population from Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland.

Dr Murphy explained: “Before the building of the new town, Washington was a collection of villages including Washington, Usworth and Fatfield.

“Like many new towns, Washington was built to create this idea of a ‘garden city’ with new housing and a better living environment for people.

“Heavy industry such as the pits were already starting to close and so it was hoped the new town could also attract new business to the area.”

The memory box currently contains items donated by Sunderland Museum including old maps and photographs of Washington before the new town and in the early days of its evolution as well as the original brochure distributed to prospective house buyers and the handbook given to new residents.  

The box also contains lots of memorabilia from the 60s and 70s when the recently opened town was expanding.

Items include newspapers, comics, magazines, games, children’s toys, records and clothing from the time.

Dr Murphy hopes to take the box into local schools, community groups and even care homes to chronicle and record people’s own memories of life in the town in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

She said: “The idea is to record the stories of ordinary people’s lives and hear from residents who lived in Washington before the new town was built and during the changes which took place, as well as those people who moved into the town.

“Hopefully people will also be willing to donate or loan items and memorabilia which we can add to the box.

“The idea is to record people’s memories which will be exhibited alongside photographs and memorabilia as part of an exhibition.”

Dr Murphy also hopes the initiative will be of particular benefit to people living with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

She said: “I’m hoping to take the project into care homes. As well as looking through the memory box we will play music from this period which will hopefully spark memories and get the residents reminiscing and communicating about things they remember from the past as well as having a sing along and even a dance.

“I also want to take the items into schools to spark an interest and get children thinking about the recent history of the town they are growing up in.”

Anyone who would like to donate or lend items for the memory box or would like Dr Murphy to lead a session is asked to contact her on 07597700884 or by emailing [email protected]