The Gus Fairburn Memorial Lectures
The Lectures are a series of fascinating talks, with the opportunity for discussions afterwards, on matters ranging from Stephenson and the Royal Border Bridge to the future of the modern railway.

A programme of four film evenings on the theme of railways over May to August at the Maltings Theatre and Arts Centre, Eastern Lane, Berwick-upon-Tweed.  On each evening there will be a classic feature film with a railway connection from the great days of the cinema, supported by showings of short railway films which informed the public about life and work on the railways.  Today, these films celebrate and recognise the historical importance of the railways.
To set the scene, all our main features will be prologued with a bit of ‘theatre’ from members of Berwick Museum Theatre Group.  Why not join in the fun by coming along suitably dressed as your favourite character from the film?  Alec or Laura from Brief Encounter, Richard Hannay from The 39 Steps or even old stone face himself from The General. 
We really could not decide which of the two classic versions of  The 39 Steps to show, the original black and white version with Robert Donat, directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935, or the full colour Kenneth More version from 1959, so it will be up to you, the audience, to choose – remember, your vote counts!  Send us an e-mail and let us know which you prefer at:  stephenson150@googlemail.com
To book tickets in advance or for further information, please contact The Maltings Box Office:-

Tel: 01289 330999
E-mail: box.office@maltingsberwick.co.uk
Web: www.maltingsberwick.co.uk

Thursday 21st May
The Maltings
Arts Centre
Eastern Lane,
Berwick-upon-Tweed
7.30pm
£5

Two for the price of one offer

Book your tickets 01289 330999

Brief Encounter
Dir: David Lean, 1945
Cast: Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard

On a cafe at a railway station, housewife Laura Jesson meets doctor Alec Harvey. Although they are already married, they gradually fall in love with each other. They continue to meet every Thursday in the small cafe, although they know that their love is impossible.

The first of four films at The Maltings with a railway theme, with "B-feature" short films in support.  These films celebrate and recognise the historical importance of the railways. Come in character as Laura and Alec.

Short films:

Total running time: 2 hrs 5 minutes 

Thursday 18th June
The Maltings
Arts Centre
Eastern Lane,
Berwick-upon-Tweed
7.30pm
£5

Book your tickets
01289 330999

The General
Dir: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton, 1927

Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

Johnnie loves Annabelle Lee and his steam engine, The General. When the American Civil War begins, he is turned down for service because he's more valuable as an engineer. Annabelle thinks it's because he's a coward. Union spies capture The General with Annabelle on board. Johnny must rescue both his loves.

Short films:

Total running time 2 hrs 15 minutes

Thursday 9th July
The Maltings
Arts Centre
Eastern Lane,
Berwick-upon-Tweed7.30pm
£5

Book your tickets
01289 330999

The 39 Steps
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock | 1935
Cast: Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll

Richard Hannay is a Canadian visitor to 1930's London. After a disturbance at a music hall, he meets Annabella Smith who is on the run from foreign agents. He takes her back to his apartment, but they are followed and later that night Annabella is murdered. Hannay goes on the run to break the spy ring and thus prove his innocence.

Short films:

Total running time 2 hrs 3 minutes

Thursday
27th August
The Maltings
Arts Centre
Eastern Lane,
Berwick-upon-Tweed

7.30pm

£5
Two for the price of one offer

Book your tickets early:
01289 330999

The Lady Vanishes
Dir: Alfred Hitchcock | 1938
Cast: Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave

Travellers on a trans-European train are delayed for a night due to bad weather in a small fictional country called Mandrika. The passengers cram into the small village hotel where socialite Iris Henderson meets an old governess called Miss Froy. Shortly after the journey restarts, Miss Froy disappears.

Short films:

Total running time 2 hrs 17 minutes

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Exhibitions and family days out
Over the year, we have no fewer than five exhibitions for you to enjoy in a variety of locations, interesting in themselves.

Bridges Across the Tweed
Stephenson and the unsung bridge builders

1st June - 29th September
Open every day (except Wednesday), 1pm - 5pm

Main Guard, Palace Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed
FREE

This year’s annual summer exhibition by Berwick Civic Society in the Georgian Main Guard building just off the town walls looks at Stephenson’s Royal Border Bridge and other record-breaking bridges across the Tweed and its tributaries.  These include the Union Chain Bridge at Horncliffe (the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world and the first vehicular bridge of its type in the United Kingdom), Twizel Bridge (for 300 years the longest stone span in Christendom) and the Royal Tweed Bridge, at one time the largest concrete span in Britain. 
For more information:-

Stephenson 150 Exhibition

Saturday 27th June | 11am - 5pm | FREE
Sunday 28th June | 11am - 4pm | FREE

Guild Hall, Marygate, Berwick

Railway-themed treasures from Berwick Archives and Museum including, by kind permission of the KOSB Museum, the nameplates from Deltic class D9010 The King’s Own Scottish Borderer and LMS Royal Scot class no. 6104 Scottish Borderer.  There will also be photographic exhibitions of local railway lines and trains as well as short talks and showings of railway DVDs.
Realise your lifelong ambition to be a train driver and drive a Deltic along the main line!  Short dramas are on at various times both days.  On Saturday,  Chris Green presents The Witch’s Cauldron of Railway Horrors casting doubt about the coming of the railway, and on Sunday watch Chris Cade in The Railway King, a short one-man show telling the story of George Hudson the railway pioneer.  Come along and hear his tale and even speculate on shares in the York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway!

Exhibition stands by Institution of Civil Engineers,
Stephenson Trust and local history groups
Refreshments and trade stands
Display by Border Green Festival
(Green Festival on 28th June at Five Arches Playing Fields, Ord, Berwick)

For more information:-
Tel:  Linda Bankier, 01289 301865
E-mail:  linda.bankier@northumberland.gov.uk

Norham Railway Station Museum Visits
A series of arranged visits to the truly amazing Norham Railway Station Museum, a veritable time capsule of the long-lost branch-line country Station, once such a familiar feature of the country railway, now all but gone, where we will be taken on a fascinating tour of the Station platforms, buildings, signal box, coal drops and goods shed by the owner.

Sunday 2nd August | FREE
The museum will be open at the end of the East Ord to Norham Station railway walk along the former Tweedmouth to Kelso line.

Friday 16th October | 6.30pm | FREE
A guided tour featuring a showing of the classic Charles Dickens ghost story, The Signalman, starring Denholm Elliott, in the perfectly preserved and rather spooky Norham Station signal box.  Prepare to have your blood chilled........

Numbers strictly limited.  Please book at the Tourist Information Centre, Marygate, Berwick (01289 330733).

SOLD OUT!
But keep registering your interest. We hope to arrange additional viewings and tickets may be returned.

August 29th-31st

Ford and Etal Estate

Etal Village Hall exhibition times:

Sat: 11am - 4pm
Sun: 11am - 4pm

FREE*

Railway Weekend

A Bank Holiday Weekend for everyone in the beautiful north Northumberland countryside, featuring an exhibition by Berwick Archives and Berwick Museum at Etal Village Hall on the history of railways in the area and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Heatherslaw Light Railway at Heatherslaw exhibition rooms.  Why not come along and take a ride on the railway and visit the adjacent flour mill?
For more information:- 

Tel: Linda Bankier, 01289 301865
E-mail: linda.bankier@northumberland.gov.uk

*Charges apply for travel on railway and entry to Heatherslaw Mill

There will be a FREE vintage bus service between this event and the Model Railway Exhibition in Tweedmouth.

Saturday & Sunday 29th-30th August

Swan Centre for Leisure
Northumberland Road
Tweedmouth
Berwick-upon-Tweed

10am - 4pm

Entry, only £2 (adults) and £1 (under 16s and concessions)
Family tickets £5
(up to 2 adults and 3 children)

A massive saving on other, similar shows!

Model Railway Exhibition

Twelve large layouts in N, HO, OO and O gauges. Models include a Highland terminus in LMS, LNER and BR days, a modern image layout in OO, a live steam O gauge layout and various Scottish branchlines. There will also be demonstrations of model making and full trade support including Douglas Blades the renowned specialist in railway and transport books and DVDs who will be offering many DVDs for sale featuring lines in and around Berwick including long-lost branch lines.

There will be a FREE vintage bus service between this event and the Ford and Etal Estates event, where there will be a major Stephenson 150 exhibition on the Heatherslaw Light Railway, Robert Stephenson and the Royal Border Bridge, and Berwick town centre to enable everyone to enjoy all the events taking place over that weekend.

Model Railway Exhibition sponsored by the Tweeddale Press through the Berwick Advertiser, and the Heritage Lottery Fund through Your Heritage. In association with the Stephenson 150 Project commemorating Robert Stephenson and the Royal Border Bridge.

September
9th–27th

Berwick Museum
and Art Gallery
Berwick Barracks,
Parade,
Berwick-upon-Tweed

English Heritage charges apply

Icons of the Steam Age

A major exhibition about the East Coast Main Line, featuring items on loan from the Institution of Civil Engineers.
For more information:-

Tel:  Berwick Museum, 01289 301869
E-mail:  museum@northumberland.gov.uk
Web:  www.berwickmuseum.org.uk

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Creative Arts

Wednesday 8th July

Berwick Library
Walkergate
Berwick

7.15pm

Tickets £1, to include a soft drink, available from Berwick Library
01289 334051

Mr Stephenson’s Regret
Author David Williams reads excerpts from his forthcoming novel and discusses the realtionahip between George and Robert Stephenson

Drama
The Opening of the Royal Border Bridge

Friday 14th August | 6.30pm | FREE

Castle Vale Park (near Berwick Railway Station)

When Queen Victoria first officially opened the Royal Border Bridge in 1850 she famously stopped in Berwick for just 12 minutes as she was running late – it is not reported whether or not this was due to leaves on the line. 
This time, Her Majesty wants to make a proper job of it so she is coming back to Berwick and she requests the pleasure of your attendance.  Come along and see the Queen herself reopen the bridge almost 160 years after she first did it – you are bound to be amused!
(N.B.  In the event of inclement weather, the performance will take place at 7.00pm at The Maltings Arts Centre)
This short, open air performance is the culmination of a Summer Drama School for children.  The Summer School Workshops (see page 19) are aimed at 8 – 13 year olds.  Pre-booking necessary as numbers are limited.  
For more information:-

Tel:  01289 330999
Web:  www.maltingsberwick.co.uk