Blogs

The Middlesbrough Meteorite

In March 1881 a meteorite fell to Middlesbrough in what is one of the strangest occurrences for the town, and one that caught the attention of NASA.

Philippa Ruth Foot (nee Bosanquet)

Philippa Foot (nee Bosenquet) grew up in the beautiful building that now houses Kirkleatham Museum. The granddaughter of an American President she grew up to become a famous philosopher.

In this blog we are taking a closer look at Philippa's life and her connection to Kirkleatham.

Frank Hornby and Train Toys

For Christmas we look back at Frank Hornby, one of the biggest toy manufacturers in England and the toys he made that are a part of our museum’s collections.

The Bombardment of the Hartlepools 1914

On the morning of Wednesday 16th December 1914 Hartlepool and West Hartlepool were attacked by three German Navy warships. The attack lasted 40 minutes and resulted in the deaths of 114 civilians, nine soldiers and seven sailors.

Crime and Punishment: Policing Middlesbrough in the 1930s

In the 1930s a young man joined the Middlesbrough Police Force and later left his memories to Teesside Archives. In this blog we explore his experiences and look at how the Middlesbrough Police Force came to be.

Crime and Punishment: Murder

In 1893 PC William Henderson of the Middlesbrough Constabulary was fatally shot by John Henry Gould. Such instances of losing a police officer in the course of duty was a rare occurrence in the Tees Valley and Henderson’s loss was a big shock to the local community.

Ivor Cummings

For Black History Month we celebrate the life of Ivor Cummings, a man from Hartlepool who helped to settle the Windrush Generation in the United Kingdom in 1948.

Old Meg, the Witch of Thorpe

For Halloween this year we tell you the tale of Old Meg, a 17th Century Witch living in Thorpe, a village in Norton.

Thomas Sheraton

Thomas Sheraton was one of the most famous English furniture designers of the 18th Century, along with George Hepplewhite and Thomas Chippendale.

Crime and Punishment: Mr George Gillson

In this blog series we are looking at some of the objects held in the museums linked to crime and punishment. This time we're telling one of the more unusual stories of crime which happened in Stockton-On-Tees.

In the depths of Preston Park Museum and Grounds archives we came across the curious story of Mr George Gillson.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Today we pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her passing, looking back at her life and some of the objects we hold in our collections.

Maurice Elvey

Maurice Elvey was the most prolific director in the British film industry, having directed almost 200 films in over 40 years.