County Durham - Hot Time in the New Town
Series
- Series Name
- Mining Review 21st Year
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 4 / 4
- Summary
- NoS synopsis: The Queen opens Billingham New Town’s Sports Forum in Co. Durham, which is heated by coal.
NCB Commentary - Billingham new town is developing into one of the showplaces of the North-East.
Today the flags are out - and so is the Royal Cipher - because the Queen has come to Billingham to open the new town’s brand new Sports Forum.
A warm welcome for the Queen - and that’s not surprising up in Billingham because the whole new town complex is kept warm on local coal.
10 tons a day fire these 3 huge boilers which supply all the heat that’s needed in homes and factories and public buildings.
From one central boiler house heat is piped to the traffic-free shopping centre, offices, hotel and apartments.
And in the newly opened Forum, what a recreation centre the people of Billingham now have. There’s space inside for every kind of sparetime activity - and a restaurant and bar for relaxation.
Two swimming pools give Billingham warm year-round bathing - and one of them is specially for learners.
The skating rink is international size, and can double as a sports area.
There are facilities for gymnastics and golf, shooting and squash, bowls and badminton. Plus more or less any other sport you care to mention.
And a theatre which, by the look of it, is going to become a cultural focus of the North East.
Yes, there’s a hot time shead for Billingham, a new community backed up by the warmth of coal. - Keywords
- Sport; Buildings and structures; Ceremonies; Fuels
- Locations
- England; County Durham; Billingham
- Written sources
- British Film Institute Databases
Films on Coal Catalogue 1969, p.54
The National Archives COAL 32 /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963
- Credits:
-
- Sponsor
- National Coal Board
- Production Co.
- National Coal Board Film Unit
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